Sakura breathed in and out heavily.
She had been running for God's sake for how many hours? Too many.
Too many times she had relived the agonizing moments, memories.
Too many times she had gone through those painful memories.
And the tears.
Pain.
'Pain is a good thing. It means I'm still alive.' She thought to herself, while panting heavily.
She couldn't stand up.
She tried.
She fell back down on her back.
Even though she knew her loved one was in danger, even though she knew that he might die, she couldn't stand up.
'Damn it, now get up!' She fought with herself.
''Get up!'' She shouted aloud to herself, kicking the ground.
Finally she began to raise up. Slowly but still.
''Now run.'' She breathed in.
She held it. Breathed out.
Then she started to run.
She ran for her loved one, thinking he might, no, knowing he might die.
And because of this, tears started to flow down her cheeks again and again.
Burning her soul.
Without mercy.
--
Flashback:
''Sakura. I know this is a taboo thing to discuss with you, but I need to.'' Tsunade started slowly, as Sakura entered the room.
''You see, there is a mess in the battlefield..'' She looked Sakura straight in the eye.
''You mean I have to go there, as a nurse? And that's not a taboo thing, as far as I know.'' Sakura stared back at her.
''It's not that easy. I mean he is in trouble.'' Tsunade lowered her voice. She couldn't look at her.
Sakura went pale.
No. Nononononono.
''What does that mean Tsunade-sama?'' She asked carefully, but not showing her fear.
''You need to go to the field. Akatsuki has started a fight with the Eagles. There are many wounded men down there. Even villagers!'' Tsunade hit her desk and kicked her chair out of the window.
''When shall I leave?'' Sakura let her eyes fall to the broken desk.
''Right now! GO and get your stuff and leave immediately!'' Tsunade pointed at the door and shouted. ''You know which way to go! It's not hard to guess!'' She shouted, because Tsunade knew, what would happen, if the Uchiha didn't win.
A war.
''Y-yes'' Sakura whispered, left the office, closing the door quietly behind her.
End of flashback.
--
Her legs and heart was burning.
It was so painful.
'The woods are lovely, dark and deep.'
She entered the forest.
''Too quiet.'' She whispered.
''Where the freaking is everybody!?'' She screamed, turning around again and again.
A huge explosion.
''There!'' She turned to run straight toward the sound.
''Sasuke-kun! Don't leave me!'' Sakura screamed in despair, when it grew silent again.
She started to slow down and quickly came to a halt.
She listened for the voices and closed her eyes.
She heard the forest's story, its silent noises.
All the sounds you hear, when you are quiet, when no one's around.
You can't hear them normally.
Because forest doesn't want to share its story with just every living soul.
Just the ones who are in despair.
Lonely.
Hurt.
East…
East.. The woods called her, No South south, It changed its mind.
Soft wind blew her hair and pointed the way.
West, go west The woods kept telling her, when the wind blew in the right direction.
''Thank you.'' She whispered and broke into a run.
She ran, while the wind kept blowing at her back. She kept running, even though her heart nearly exploded.
The words 'Never give up', had permanently stayed in her head, shouting them, and for awhile, she actually thought she could make it.
A huge explosion.
Even bigger than the last one, and the sound of it, the violent sound, that came in both of her ears, kept pounding in her head, like a pile driver digging into the ground.
She wanted to scream.
Scream like there was no tomorrow, like her life would end there.
It was that painful to her.
And even though ninjas are always taught to handle such a pain, this was way
beyond the pain she was used to.
More than that.
It was horrible.
But even though she wanted to scream, just stop and kill herself, something moved her heart.
Sakura forced herself to continue.
And when her legs were burning, head and heart we're about to explode, and when her body couldn't take it, she still kept running.
''Sasuke-kun!'' She screamed, when her voice returned to her.
She gasped, when she finally, finally reached the battlefield.
She gasped again, gobbling the air, trying to take every possible piece of it.
Crumpling down, she tried to look for Sasuke.
''Sasuke-kun!'' She tried to scream, but it was barely even a whisper.
Suddenly she noticed something moving first in front of her, and then at her back.
She grabbed her kunai, and tried to search for the enemy with her eyes.
''But I have promises to keep.''
She set her hand at her heart.
''I promised!'' Sakura squeaked out, when she noticed that she had hurt her leg.
''Sas-'' Quickly something covered her mouth, and she started to struggle with all the force she had.
''Let me go-'' she snarled, while incessantly hitting the enemy.
''Shh! Sakura, it's me!'' The familiar voice at her back said.
''Lee!'' She stumbled up.
''Let's get out of here! Where everyone else is! It's dangerous!'' Lee tried to hold her hand and run, but Sakura didn't move.
''Come on! No time to waste!'' Lee tried to struggle, while Sakura didn't move.
''You go, I'll come right after you!'' She suddenly stood up and motioned with her hand.
''No! When everyone noticed you, they said that I have to get you with them right away!'' Lee still continued, even tough he knew Sakura had made up her mind. And probably she would hit him too, if he would argue too much.
''No.'' Was her reply, and so he let her go.
''Why?''
''Tsunade gave me my orders. I won't come with you for now.'' She shook her head.
''Come as fast as you can. I'll cover you.'' Lee broke into a run.
''Thanks, but you stay here. It'll be better with just me.'' She whispered, but she was sure, that a certain person was fighting.
And because she was so worried, no, she missed him so much, that it made her feel uncomfortable.
She started to run, to her heart.
''WAIT SASUKE-KUN! DON'T!'' She screamed in despair, her voice full of sadness and covered in bitterness.
A familiar figure turned around, to see the pink-haired kunoichi, screaming, and running towards him.
''DON'T INTERFERE!'' Sasuke shouted at her, and continued fighting, but it seemed rather weird.
Like he would be.. Taking the battle farther, away from her.
''GOD DAMN IT, SASUKE-KUN!'' She shouted back, and now she was pissed. Actually rather furious.
She started to run towards him, her fists clenching open and closed.
''I WILL HELP YOU, NO MATTER WHAT!'' She screamed, and she was hoping, that no one noticed, how her voice broke at the end of the sentence.
''And miles to go before I sleep.''
She rushed towards the annoyed Uchiha.
''How many times do I have to tell you, Sakura!?'' Sasuke shouted at her, while he was fighting against Zetsu.
''Do NOT INTERFERE!'' He turned around, and plunged his sword straight trough Zetsu's arm.
''Shit!'' Sasuke activated his sharingan.
''No way, you fucking idiot, you irritating loveable Sasuke, you you..'' She glanced down at her hands.
''You betrayer! You idiot! You stupid, you idiot, oh shit. What am I saying?'' She shook her head and reached for Sasuke.
''I need to do one thing!'' Sakura whispered to him and jumped away, when she almost got a hit from a sword.
''Hey!'' She snarled at Sasuke.
''Didn't you know, that swords are dangerous in in the hands of the wrong people?'' She snarled at him, while he was looking back at her with furious eyes.
''Get the hell out of here! NOW!'' Sasuke shouted at her, and shielded her from the battle.
Protecting her.
''I don't need protection, I'm STRONG!'' She pushed him away.
''Shit! Sorry!'' She looked after, when he didn't fall but he did throw her a glance, that he would definitely kill her the next time she would dare to do that.
Somehow this turned out to be a funny and humorous situation.
First of all, she was in the middle of the battlefield.
Secondly, she had just sealed her own death letter, by pushing Sasuke aside, and the third thing was, that she was out of chakra.
Oh, and the fourth thing was, that she had run all the way here, 40 kilometres, no stops except two times. The first time she had stumbled down, and the second time was which way she had supposed to go.
So she started to giggle.
At first only small giggles, but when she started to laugh so hard, that her stomach couldn't take it, she had to collapse to the ground.
While Sakura was laughing at the ground, Sasuke hit the final attack to Zetsu, so he had to back off.
''What's so funny?'' She could hear a breathless voice beside her.
''Hahaha, I just-'' But she couldn't manage to say it. It was too embarrassing actually, to be out of chakra, even though she hadn't really used it. But she had left village right after a tiring operation, so she didn't have time to restore herself.
''Tsk, and you were suppose to be strong.'' She heard Sasuke snidely remark.
Finally, when the laughter had subsided, she tried to collect an answer, but she didn't have a chance to form her words.
She could only feel someone lifting her up.
''Hey, what are you doing?'' She looked at Sasuke with widened eyes.
''Tsk. What does it look like?'' He replied annoyed, and burst into a run.
''And miles to go before I sleep.''
''Sasuke! Put me down!'' Sakura tried to punch and kick him, except he dodged every time.
''Now, why would I do that? And stop that!'' Sasuke gave her irritated look.
''Please?'' Sakura looked up at him with puppy eyes, but when it didn't have any effect, she just gave up.
''Geez Sasuke-kun, just put me-'' Suddenly Sasuke lifted her up, so that he could see her face.
''Sasu..ke?'' She whispered so that her voice could nearly be heard.
He just stared her face. Her eyes, lips, cheeks, nose..
''Sakura.'' He surprised himself too, by saying it so softly.
They stared each other for two seconds. Two long seconds.
Suddenly Sakura slapped him. ''This is for leaving me so suddnely!'' Then she kissed him. ''This is for leaving me in the bench.'' Then she slapped him again. ''This is for trying to kill me when we saw again!'' And then she kissed him. ''And this is because I love you.''
Then Sasuke kissed her. He kissed her so deeply, with full of so many emotions; love, sadness, hatred, anger, longing and loneliness.
Sakura didn't have any choice put to return the kiss. She wanted to return it. She needed him. She couldn't let him go. Not anymore.
Then they broke apart and tried to settle their breaths.
Sakura leaned on him, and her eye picked up his cursemark.
''What if..'' Sakura murmured under her breath. Then she reached out to his shoulder and kissed the mark.
Suddenly both of their chakras reached out of their bodies, and Sakura started to scream. It was so painful to her. She looked at Sasukes terrified eyes, to only see reflection of her own eyes.
--
''What is this!? WHAT'S HAPPENING!?'' Naruto shouted to Kakashi, because the light was so bright you couldn't even see the one who was standing beside you.
''I don't know! I only feel their chakras! Hinata! Can you use your byakugan?'' Kakashi replied and gave a look to Hinata.
''Yes I'll try!'' She looked in front of her. She activated her byakugan and tried to search for them.
''I can't see anything! It's so bright and their chakra is everywhere!'' She stiffened her body.
''It's.. disappearing.. Their presence is.. Gone?'' Kakashi looked around.
''What is this.. I could hear Sakura screaming.. But..'' Naruto cried. He tried to come down, but he was confused. What had happened?
Yes.. What happened? I don't know.
Nobody knows, except Sasuke and Sakura.
But if you ever see a cherry petal, that is half black and half pink.. Follow it.
Maybe you'll get the answer.