"Thank you, Sakura." And her vision went dark.
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"Sakura, I'll come back for you..."
...
"Sakura, grow strong, and I'll come back for you..."
...
His soft expression warped and suddenly smirking, "You're annoying."
And Sasuke left her, walking into twisting, restlessly moving darkness, leaving her behind. Alone.
Melancholy; a lonely music swirled around her in shades of silver and black, looking like forelorn clouds, a mist of despair that kept repeating, over and over. Over and over. Soft and sad, reflecting how she felt, abandoned. She wished it would just end...
But the music box kept on playing.
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She woke up with a start, gasping for the breath that had been knocked out of her. Looking around franticly, she realized she was lying on a bench in the middle of the night. Memories flooded her, and the reality hit her hard. Sasuke was gone.
Somewhere, a music box was playing. Soft, sad music, a song she had heard before but couldn't place. Feeling the weight of a chain around her neck, she looked down into a silver heart locket, with a blue saphire in the middle. It was on a long silver chain that let it rest in between her breasts, where no one could see it. And it was playing music... the song from her dream.
Tears welled in her eyes, as she closed the locket and the music stopped. She slowly looked it over; it was rather plain, except for the saphire, and the swirling designs that laced the silver heart. She tucked it into her shirt, and felt it cold, low beside her heart.
It hadn't been there before, she was sure. She never wore jewlery, and although it fit her perfectly, it saddened her to see it. Sasuke was the last person she saw. Sasuke was the person who rejected her. Sasuke had broken her heart...
And gave her a new one. A silver, small, cold and sad heart, to replace the one he'd broken. She wished he had given it too her. But no, he knocked her out, then put it on, leaving her questioning why it felt so wrong.
The answer was easy, he hated her. He told her she was annoying.
Slowly and stiffly, she got up and went home. That empty place, she hated it. Steping inside, and walking to her room, she closed the door. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she took her clothes off and looked into her mirror. She wasn't good enough for him, she wasn't pretty enough.
But somehow, with the moonlight pooling around her feet, and her hair a darker contrast in the shadow, she felt a twinge of something. That somehting was love.
With the locket hanging in place next to her heart, she felt cold but beautiful. It brought out the pink in her hair and cheeks, and the creamy smoothness to her skin. The tears stopped. He hated her... but she knew he had said something. Something that moved her from weakness.
He said he'd come back. And as she popped the locket open, the words he couldnt say surrounded her in a serene melody. She would grow strong. He would have a reason to come back.
Letting the notes dance around her fragile body, she grabbed up a blanket, and curled up on her bed. The tears wouldnt stop. No matter how many times she told herself it would be ok, the grief was just too strong.
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Two years passed, and she grew into a woman. Every day she had practiced with Tsunade, and everyday she became stronger. Everyone in town knew her power, they had witnessed the wrath and power everytime Naruto bothered her. Her temper was feared, but her looks brought the boys and men regardless.
Everyday, she would get a confession. Every day, she had rejected somone. Every night, she played her music box.
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Naruto was waiting for her on the bridge, jumping up and down with excitement. His grin was as large as his heart, and she smiled and waved back. His constant protection of her made her feel wanted. He was annoying, but he wasnt like the rest of them. He never once told her he loved her. He filled her with shallow words that hurt to hear.
Reaching him, she glanced sidelong and Naruto practically stumbled over his own words.
"Guess what?! Old-Lady Tsunade gave us a mission again! This time we will bring back sasuke for sure!"
She closed her eyes, trying not to look upset. They had been doing this for the past two years- searching for sasuke. Every mission they failed. Not once had she seen him. And yet, Naruto kept at it, never one admiting defeat.
No matter how hard she tried to hide it, Naruto knew immediately that he'd said the wrong thing. Concern filled his eyes, and he looked away. When he looked back, he looked straight into her gentle green eyes.
"I made a promise, right? I will bring Sasuke back to us." A tight lipped smile was her only reply, as they headed into the woods north of their village. Kakashi had told them to start without him, and that he'd catch up later.
Sakura was silent as she raced slightly behind Naruto. As she went, she took out her locket, and once again let the music move her along. She reached to tuck it into her shirt, and as she did, the next branch loomed infront of her. She missed it, and soon she was falling without control to the ground.
Pain shot through her leg. She had landed on it, and it lay crumpled beneath her. The other leg would be bruised, but atleast it wasnt broken. She supposed it could've been worse.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! she thought harshly. She'd been thinking about him, caught up by the music. She knew that Naruto was foccused, which just ment he wouldnt realize she was missing untill midnight when he stopped. By that time, it would take several hours to backtrack to where she was. She couldnt help it though. It would take hours to heal, being fractured in so many places, and then she'd need to rest from using up so much chakra.
Bending over she began to work, light green glowing along her legs, cracking noises made from bones being pushed back into place. It hurt. It hurt alot. But it didnt hurt as much as Sasuke made her hurt. A single tear rolled down from her closed eyes.
It was officially the first time she'd cried in the last two years. She realized it felt good, and forgetting her determination to be strong she huddled under a tree, and cried hard. Her leg was fixed, and she needed rest, but she cried anyway.
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When her tears finally ran out, she got up shakily, and took in her surroundings. She had landed in a nice clearing, with a pond to one side, and soft grass on the other. Testing the water, she realized it was warm. After drinking some and splashing more on her face, she looked at her reflection. Her face was red, her eyes were puffed up, and her nose was sore. She looked away. She felt so ugly.
Distantly, she heard the music, and realized that it was still playing. She remembered back to the first time it sang to her. Deftly she moved to unzip her vest, and remove her skirt. When she was completely bare, she faced the stream and looked into it. Her reflection showed a woman, glowing in the etheral moonlight. She smiled, sad and soft, and tilted her head back. Several steps and she was in the lukewarm water. She waded out until it rested around her waist, and started to hum softy along with the song. A branch cracked at the far side of the lake, but she ignored the animal.
She still had her head tipped back, and her eyes closed when a hand caressed her face. Startled, she opened her eyes and was about to shriek when a rough and worn hand covered her mouth.
"Shhh....it's me. I wont hurt you, please don't scream." Wide eyes stared into Sasuke's with disbelief.
He removed his hand, and she started breathing heavy. He was so close to her body it made her warm and tingly "Sasuke...you- I-"
"It's been two years, and you've grown into a woman, Sakura. You're beautiful." His hand now trailed down and around her curves, his voice deep and seductive.
It was the saddest song...
"Sasuke, come home"
"I can't"
"I miss you"
Just when she thought she was done crying, another tear betrayed her eyes
At the sight of it, his eyes narrowed, his lips tightened.
"You're still weak." And he turned to leave,
"This song, I remember it from somewhere... Sasuke...what's this song from."
He froze in place, his back to hers. His white shirt was soaking from the water, but he didnt even notice. Slowly he turned around, dissapointment tainted his gaze.
"It's the song i was humming the first day i met you. You told me it was a sad song, and i told you you were annoying for the first time." He looked away, his features guarded.
"It was a sad song. You are a sad person. Sasuke, im not weak..."
She paused groping for anything that would make him understand.
"You're hurting, and its hurting me too."
He was back infront of her again, his hands clutched her small shoulders.
"Do you know how much it hurts me?! Im all alone, Sakura!" He yelled into her face.
Her empty voice supprised him.
"You chose to be alone."
His fingers pressed deeper into her skin, hurting her. She continued anyway.
"You chose to leave. An avenger, right? It's a lonely path."
His grip remained, but he closed his eyes, and rested his head against her chest.
"Hum the song for me, Sasuke."
"Its playing for you right now."
He didnt understand. He probably never would. She pulled one soft hand out of the water and carefully released his grip, with strength that shocked him. She then turned around and walked out of the water, and sat down against a tree, her leg still sore. She looked at him, and realized he was following her.
"Im tired, Sakura. Im so tired..."
"Then come home" she was begging, and it sounded in her voice.
"I can only stop and rest- i dont have the time."
"Hum the song for me, Sasuke." She closed the locket and silence filled them.
She leaned her head against the tree, and patted her naked lap.
"Rest here. And hum the song for me." Her voice switched back to detachment, almost like a doll's. She wouldnt cry again. She wouldnt let herself.
He heard her speak the words, and looked at her glowing body in the moonlight. It was so beautiful, there were so many things he wanted to do to it. The sight of her soft breasts and her tender thies made him breathe hard. She sounded empty, but she looked full of life. Life he didnt have, life that he wanted.
Falling to his knees, he was between her legs. It was hard to resist. Temtation was pulling at him. He leaned forward, his forehead against hers.
"Sakura, I've waited so long for you" longing suddenly filled his baritone voice.
She half smiled "Yea, Ive been waiting for you too." Her hand reached up and held onto his soft dark hair, and she pulled his mouth down onto hers.
When they went up for air, Sakura leaned forward, and whispered into his ear, "I love you."
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