Fleeting Memories

Snow fell silently around Konoha, white piling onto more white, covering every crevice. In the cemetery, the glittering white fields lay undisturbed – a peaceful resting place for the dead. It was empty, save for two women - their breaths came out in huffs of white smoke, but neither spoke in order to preserve the silence. They stood, not looking at each other, but at one single tombstone. Their bright hair contrasted with the snow but their thoughts melancholy. After a long while, one turned to the other.

"So what brought you here Sakura?"

"I was visiting Sai and since he isn't buried too far away, I decided to drop by here as well. You know, as a former teammate."

"Of course"

Conversation started, but neither made eye contact.

"Did you bring those white lilies? They are beautiful."

"They are fresh from my flower shop. They were Sasuke's favourites."

"They were?"

"They were."

The two women finally turned to look at each other; blue met green. They both know it was a lie; white lilies were not his favourites.

"It's been so long since we last spoke. Come on, let's visit that new tea shop, it too cold here," the blonde murmured.

"If you insist," and the pinkette complied, as she always did, and the two sauntered away slowly, their footsteps printing the snow.

"How is Aiko? Still bent to traveling the five nations?"

"Yes," Sakura chuckled bitterly. "Teenagers nowadays have the strangest notions."

"I must say, I don't know in the least what they are or how they get these ideas."

"Remember when we were young? Perhaps we didn't know much more each other either."

"No, perhaps we didn't," Ino replied softly.

For a few moments, the two women, who have been friends since childhood, perhaps best friends, reflected on how little they really knew about each other. Both were ready to label the other. Ino thought of Sakura as being the conservative and sensible kind. It really made her wonder how someone prudent like Sakura and someone so cautious like Sai have managed to raise someone like Aiko, whose character was dynamic to say the least. Truth to be told, Ino has always a little envious of Sakura's Aiko. Why couldn't she have given birth to someone as lively as herself? Instead, she was stuck and childless.

Sakura on the other hand, was a little more perceptive. Ino is brilliant, but not as brilliant as she thinks. Sure, she had a special type of aplomb and vivacity that Sakura admired from afar. But overall, the Haruno felt that Ino's life has always been full of disappointments and unperceived failures. She felt sorry for Ino.

Now they were sitting down, in a corner table sipping white tea. Neither was looking at each other, both were gazing out the window at the falling snow.

"Looks like a storm might be coming."

"Really? I hope not."

"Snowstorms are rare here," Ino paused. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

Sakura's brows knitted together for the slightest bit, then continued sipping her tea.

"Yes, but they are just fleeting memories"

Ino turned to look at her. 'Fleeting?' She silently questioned. 'It is certainly not fleeting to me'.

"Remember how guarded we were that winter? Repeatedly warned by higher-ups not to wander into the storm? No matter how urgent the business?"

Sakura pressed her lips. "Oh yes, after all, there are forces of nature that even shinobis cannot withstand," she replied calmly, and continued sipping her tea.

'How can she be so calm! Does she really not remember what happened?' Ino looked at Sakura with renewed attention. 'How like Sakura,' she thought rather angrily.

A long silence followed, enveloping both women.

"Hypothermia. The most common cause of death when one gets lost in a storm," Ino started.

Sakura looked up in surprise.

"Funny, as a top medic nin, who is no doubt well acquainted with this fact, you still went out in that storm," Ino arched an eyebrow.

"Did I? It was so long ago. I can hardly remember." Sakura murmured.

'I must make one last attempt not to hate her, I must!' Ino thought, seething with anger.

"We were all so surprised. You were after all, the most prudent of the rookie nine."

"Well, even the most prudent girls are not always so careful. But what made you think of it now?"

A pause.

"Because I simply cannot bear it any longer!" Ino exclaimed.

"Bear what any longer?" Sakura questioned, utterly confused by her friend's sudden change of mood.

"The fact that I know why you went. Why you wandered into that dangerous storm, risking death."

"Why I went? I was sent on an impromptu rescuing mission. But they were beyond help when I got there. I'm trying to forget that debacle Ino, why are you trying to bring it all back again?"

"There was no rescue mission Sakura, that was some bogus story Tsunade made up for you later. You went out to meet the boy I loved, the boy I was engaged to!"

"What, I-"

"I can repeat every word of the letter that took you there," Ino stared hard into Sakura's green eyes.

"No, don't-"

" 'Sakura, days are passing fast and I must see you alone once again, even if it's for the last time. Meet me at the oak tree in the forest of death. The gates will be open for you. Meet me tomorrow just before sunset – Sasuke.' – Perhaps you've forgotten when the letter said?" Ino jeered.

"No, I remember it by heart too," Sakura replied with a soft voice. "But how did you know? I burned it at once."

"Of course you did, you're so prudent. If you burned it? How could I have possibly found out? Is that what you're wondering Sakura?" Ino's voice was laced with resentment and malice.

The two looked at each other in a silent struggle.

"I know about that letter because I wrote it."

"You wrote it?" Sakura's eyes widened.

"I did," Ino said in a hard voice.

More moments of silence passed, and Sakura murmured:"Oh." She covered her face with her hands.

With the climax of her anger past, Ino now felt a little remorse. After all, it's been 18 years, why torture her friend now?

"Do I horrify you?"

"No no, I wasn't thinking of you. It was the only letter I ever received from him you know."

"A letter that I wrote. I happened to be engaged to him at the time, did you remember that Sakura? It was arranged by the Council but it was an engagement nonetheless. Did you honour that Sakura?"

"My actions were inexcusable. I-"

"But still you went."

"Still I went."

Ino looked at Sakura's melancholy face, not knowing whether to pity her to hate her.

"I knew you were still in love with him at that time. I knew, and I knew that he wished it was you and not me to whom he engaged. And I hated you for it. I really don't know why I'm telling you this now, after 18 years."

"Perhaps you've always gone to hating me for the last 18 years."

"I don't know. I wasn't trying to kill you Sakura, I just wanted to punish you," Ino's voice softened a little.

"I know. But that letter, the only letter, and he didn't even write it," Sakura said bitterly.

"You still love him, even after Sai, after all these years."

"No, I care for that memory."

Blue clashed with green again. Unspoken words communicated. Perhaps they knew more about each other than they were willing to acknowledge. After all, some things are better left not discussed.

"I know that with your capabilities, you would never perish in that storm. I just wanted to break your heart. Make you wait, and wait, only to have him never show up. I just wanted to sever the bond between you two once and for all. I never thought you would take this so hard. After all, you married Sai so shortly afterwards. Two months after the storm was it? I didn't know it mattered to you so much."

"But, I didn't wait, he was already there when I showed up."

"What?" Ino seethed. "Now you're just lying. Are you trying to get back at me Sakura? How could he have known if I wrote the letter and sent it to you and you alone?"

"I replied and wrote back, and I suppose he received it and came."

"He, he replied?" Ino muttered, shaking her head. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Maybe you were too enraged. Girls in love are ferocious. I would know."

Ino shook her head some more, trying to clear it. "You may have tried to take him away from me. But I kept him, and you failed. That is all."

"Yes, that is all," Sakura turned away to gaze at the window.

Ino sat there, the fury has returned. This tea shop is almost empty now, with the shopkeeper slowly cleaning up his utensils, waiting for his last two customers to finish up.

Sakura was the one to break the silence this time. "Let's go, let's getting dark. I'm sorry for you," she murmured while getting up to leave.

Ino was slightly startled. "Yes, we should get going now. And I don't know why you would feel sorry for me."

"Because I didn't have to wait that night."

"Yes Sakura, you didn't have to wait that night, you beat there. But I had him for the better part of 18 years and all you had in the end was that one letter that he didn't even write."

Sakura stayed silent and took a step towards the door, holding her head up with a slight hint of defiance. She then turned around, facing Ino.

"I had Aiko," and with that, Sakura turned around and walked out of the tea shop.