[Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto]
[Hi... Biscuit here… I wrote this oneshot right after I finished playing the acts of Naruto Ultimate Ninja 5 my sister Pakkun lend me (Arigato Pakkun!) I was somehow inspired by the not-so-happy not-so-sad ending… So, I hope let's enjoy. Oh. Before I forgot.. This is a SasuSaku fic… I also wrote this while listening to It Ends Tonight by All-American Rejects… I think the mood of the song fits this… Hehe… Try reading this while listening to it… Sorry for the long intro... ]
"Now I'm on my own side
It's better than being on your side"
- It Ends Tonight by All-American Rejects
"Let's just rest for now. We've got a long way to go tomorrow." Yamato said to his team members Naruto, Sakura and Sai. Team Kakashi is staying at a jutsu-made resthouse by the wood-element user jounin.
Sakura looked around the room. Like the first time Yamato made a house, there isn't any furniture occupying their quarter, only a high stool. "I'll just be on the room nearest the entrance. Goodnight. And don't forget to close the window." Yamato smiled at them and closed the door.
Feeling a little bit down, she chose the place nearest to the window. Staring at the window makes her nostalgic and reminiscing somehow lifts her from forlorn memories.
She sat down beside the wide window, and looked outside. She can see the forest, and of course, the dark, starless sky. Even the moon isn't there. New moon, she thought.
"Sakura."
The pink-haired nin turned her head to look at a black haired boy. "Hmm?"
Sai's black-irised eyes darted towards a yellow-haired boy across the room, to show Sakura what is happening to Naruto. Sakura gazed at the downhearted genin, then back at Sai.
"Let's just leave him be, for now. He needs time…" Sakura whispered, only for Sai to hear. Sai nodded. Sakura smiled forcibly and returned her gaze outside and sighed.
Sasuke…
Sakura bit her lower lip to control some tears trying to escape her green eyes. She still remembered the last moment she spoke to Sasuke when they're still young. Saying trivial things to him just to make him stay… She shook her head as the memory reeled into her again, like an open book she didn't stop staring at.
Why do you just leave without saying anything? Don't do this Sasuke! You don't have to be alone!
I'll never be like you and Naruto.
Sasuke! I'm so in love with you I can't even stand it! I'll even help you get your revenge! So stay here… With me…
You're still so annoying.
Don't leave us! If you go… I'll scream and…
Sakura… Thank you. For everything.
The last sentence of her memory pushed the teardrops out of her eyes. She never thought Sasuke – Sasuke, the boy she liked only as a 'crush', the boy she just foolishly adored – will really leave something painful in her heart. When they're only children, she only likes him because all the other girls like him too. But now, in what just happened earlier in Orochimaru's hideout… The exhilarating feeling and excruciating pain of seeing Sasuke again – that just awaken that 'feeling' again.
She doesn't only like him. Love. She loves him.
But it's only foolish and stupid to love him, she thought. Now he's away, and very impossible. Even if she waits for all the crows' feathers to turn white, even if she hopes to snow in the desert, Sasuke is definitely not going back to Konoha. The moment she saw the new Sasuke earlier, she felt immeasurable miles had gapped between her and him. He's dark and powerful. Hopeless, she thought.
And now, she has made a decision. An austere verdict.
She has to stop. Stop loving him.
She needs to forget him. Forget him for good.
It ends tonight.
Sakura scowled in the dim candlelight, determined to make her decision clear. She nodded and closed the windows in front of her, as Yamato instructed them. Time for sleeping, she thought as she brought out her sleeping bag.
She removes her Konoha forehead protector from her short hair, and pulled the gloves from her hand, also her heeled jounin shoes from her feet. She lay down on her sleeping bag and stared at the wood ceiling of the mini-hotel rest house.
Slowly, somnolence attacked her. She felt her eyes became heavy. After how many minutes, she closed her eyes.
But that drowsiness was disrupted.
She felt something slithering at her feet. She tried to shrug it off and attempted to go back to sleep, but she can't. Lazily, she opened her eyes and checked out what's the thing at her feet.
A snake. Then another snake. Coming out from her sleeping bag.
She stood up instantaneously, jerking up from the snakes. Every second passing the snakes are multiplying. She then remembered Sai and Naruto. She saw them from across the room, but the snakes are slowly engulfing them.
Naruto! Sai! She called out but no sound came out from her mouth.
Her heart pummeled faster. Her lips became dry of nervousness. What is this? Is this genjutsu? She assumed. I can't even speak… No words are coming out of my mouth!
Okay. She formed a handseal and…
Release!
But it has no effect. The snakes are still there. She approached the window but she can't tug it open, even with all her strength. There are about a hundred snakes on the floor. So, she jumped on the only high thing in the room, a high stool. I should get out of this…
She brought out a kunai. I learned doing his from him… Ugh. I said I'll forget about him! Angrily, she shrugged and raised the kunai up, to stab her right leg.
But a pair of pale, cold hands hindered her from doing it.
H-huh? Sakura lifted her head to see who is the owner of the hands.
"Sasuke?" She recognized. At last, voice came out from her mouth.
She stared at cold, dusky eyes of his. But as her instinct, she pulled her hand from his and yanked away from him. "W-what are you doing here?"
"Just visiting you." Sasuke nonchalantly said. The moment he spoke, all the snakes disappeared. Even Naruto and Sai.
Sakura was alarmed, became scatterbrained, not knowing what to do. "Where's N-naruto and Sai?" She said nervously but stormily.
"Don't worry, they're just outside." The raven-haired boy said as he walked towards Sakura. The girl was glued to her place, wanting to move but unable to shift.
"What do you want?" Sakura grimaced at him.
"Nothing." Sasuke breathed behind her. His cool breath sent tingles down her spine.
She felt her knees weaken. I… I need to fight this!
"I just want to talk to you."
Huh? She blushed in confusion. What did he say?
"I said I want to talk to you." Sasuke impatiently told her, as if reading her mind.
Sakura panted. She's running out of breath, because of anxiety. With all the strength she's got, she turned around and punched him.
But…
POOF.
Knowing what will happen next, she pulled out a kunai and turned around.
But as fast as lightning, Sasuke caught her off-balanced.
How she missed that handsome face that she always wished to be near when she was young. And now, she can almost feel his every breath on her face. She felt the entire heat rose up to her face. Her face flushed red.
"I missed you, Sakura." He said with an impish smile.
That moment, she doesn't really know what to do, or what to say. What she only knew is she can't really stop what she feels. She felt falling into his deep dark eyes, and she doesn't care how helpless she would be.
Sakura, wake up! The back of her mind told her. It's only a dream!
Realizing everything, she pulled back from him immediately, even if she doesn't want to. T-this is only a dream! I need to wake myself up!
This isn't a dream Sakura. She heard Sasuke in her mind. Baffled, she looked up at him again.
"Hmph." She scowled in disbelief and pulled out a kunai again. This time, she'll stab herself so she can get out of this.
At last, she was able to stab herself. She pulled out the kunai, and her leg bled. But nothing had changed. She's still inside the room, with Sasuke. What does this mean… Even if I'm hurt I'm still here?
Then, she lost grip off the kunai.
Sasuke had her pinned to the wall.
"Sakura…" Sasuke silently said, with a sad look, staring at her green eyes. "You know what? I won't even go to that Orochimaru. But I need to, because of my brother. If not only for my brother, If only he didn't killed the whole clan, I would've stayed… Stayed with you… As you promised me…"
Sasuke! I'm so in love with you I can't even stand it! I'll even help you get your revenge! So stay here… With me…
She remembered those words from her well. Sakura's anger melted away. She stared back into his eyes, and felt some tears come out again from her eyes.
Slowly, his lips descended to meet hers. Don't cry.
She closed her eyes. She felt his gentle lips in hers, as if comforting her.
After how many seconds, their lips parted. She opened her eyes once again, and she saw the wooden ceiling above her. She stood up, and felt the pain in her leg. Her right leg was bleeding from an open wound.
She looked up. She saw the window is ajar.
Outside, she saw the full moon overhead and the sky full of stars.
