I don't believe it, I'm doing it again! I'm counting how many times she says my name! For crying out loud I'm being such a loser! I haven't even stopped after two years! Here she comes, that pink hair and red dress!
"Morning, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted happily. That's number 660 by my count.
I shrug, and continue leaning on the railing on the bridge."It's afternoon." I point out bluntly.
She stops a few feet from me. I know I hurt her but, its 2:30.
"I guess you're right." She says sighing.
I shove my hands in my pockets.
"Sasuke-kun?" Number 661
"What?" I ask, I look to her and see her frowning.
"Where are Naruto and Sensei?" She asks,
I shrug again and glance at the clock on the wall of the building in front of us"2:35" I mutter.
She nodded and sat on the railing of bridge about a yard away. The silence was unnerving; the only sound was the water under the bridge and the occasional bird.
"They are half and hour late." She says.
I look up. I didn't notice I had looked away.
"Sasuke-kun, maybe we should buy Naruto and Kakashi several watches." 662
"It wouldn't help." I said,
She nods.
I smirk and push my self away from the bridge then I begin to walk away.
"Sasuke-kun! Where are you going!?" Sakura shouts, before coming after me. That was 663.
"Home!" I shout "I can only wait for so long, I've already wasted half of my day when I could've been training." I continue walking.
"But, Sasuke-kun!" 664
"I am leaving, you can go ahead and waste your whole day!" I look over my shoulder and see her standing there. I thought for a moment maybe she could come with me. "Come with me!" Great, now my mouth is working on its own accord. Sakura has this huge smile on her face, and I can't take back my offer that I didn't mean to give. Sometimes I don't even know if I am Sasuke Uchiha!
"Really!" she says happily,
I can only nod. I really didn't want to make her cry, that would just make her more annoying. "
Thanks, Sasuke-kun!" And she began to skip towards me.
I sigh and hunch my shoulders and begin to walk. That's 665 and in the course of 5 minutes she managed to get my name in 6 times, it's going to be a long day.
3 Months later
I've decided to leave the village, to become stronger and to beat Itachi. The invitation to the Sound Village seems the perfect way to do this. I can't wait around here forever. I packed my stuff and began walking away. The moon was full and bright with a few clouds. I can only here my shoes on the pavement. As I pass all the places I've grown to know. As I continue I pass a bench, where I told Sakura she was annoying. That's when I saw her, standing there. I see here eyes go from me to the bag on my shoulder. Her eyes widen. I stop in front of the bench, she's standing about a yard away from me now. "What are you doing here so late at night? Just out for a stroll?" I ask.
She looks down, "In order to leave the village, you have to take this road." She says.
I begin to walk around her. "Go home and sleep" I say, and then I continue to walk past her. My hands in my pockets, I'm about 6 feet away when I hear her again.
"Why?" she says, it's forced and seems to be strained by tears. I know she turned to me now as I continue walking. "Why won't you say anything to me? Why do you shut everyone out?"
I don't stop walking away.
"Why won't you tell me anything…"
I stop and interrupt her "Why do I have to tell you?" I say angrily "I'm telling you that you meddle too much…Stop bothering me all the time."
"You always act like you hate me, Sasuke-kun." She says quietly. That's 698, and I'm still counting. "Do you remember?" I'm still standing with my back to her. "When we became genin…The day the three man teams were decided, and we were alone at this very spot. You were angry at me, weren't you?" I say nothing as I remember.
"See he doesn't have any parents. Being alone he doesn't get yelled at by his parents." Says Sakura,
My fist clenches and my eyes narrow.
"That's why he is so unruly."
"Loneliness..."I say.
"What?" Sakura asks not understanding my meaning.
"You can't compare it to how you feel after you get scolded by your parents." I say, the wind is blowing softly.
"What's wrong?"
I turn to her and say "You are annoying" She seems shocked and I walk away leaving her there.
As I finish the memory I speak, "I don't remember" I can feel the air change, Sakura was briefly happy and now it's gone.
"That's right, that was a long time ago." She says "But it started on that day. You and I, And Naruto and Kakashi-sensei…" She pauses, I can still hear the faint bells ringing from that second day. "The four of us have done a lot of missions together. It was difficult, and it was awful but…" she pauses again "But…" She seems as though she's trying to find the right word "Even so…It was fun!" I still say nothing, wondering when she's going to say my name again, or what other nonsense was going to come out. "I know about what happened to your clan, but with revenge alone you will not be able to make anyone happy…No one…Neither you…nor me." Silence, I decide to speak.
"I know that." I hear her gasp a little "I am different from you guys. I follow a different path then you guys. The four of us together…It's true that I have thought of that as one possible path. Despite the four of us having been together, my heart has chosen revenge." My eyes narrow "I live for that purpose. I can't be like you or Naruto."
"Aren't you going to be lonely by yourself!?" she shouts and I hear her turn towards my back again. "Sasuke-kun, you told me that being alone is painful!" she shouts again,
I frown 699.
"I know that very well, so much that it hurts! I have family and friends. But…If you leave, for me…" She takes and step forward. I can hear her crying now, her words and strangled by her tears "To me, it's the same thing as being alone!" A few flashbacks come, but so brief I barely understood them.
"From this point on, new paths will start…" I begin but she interrupts me.
"I…I love you more then anything! If you are by my side, I will make sure that you will not regret it. I will make everyday more enjoyable, and you will be happy! I would do anything for you! That's why…I beg you! Please stay here! I will even help you with your revenge! There must be something I can do! That's why…please, stay here with me…" The pause comes again, I've listened to every word she's said. "If that is not possible, please take me with you…" I heard her but barely the last part came out as more then a whisper. I smirked and turned to her
"After all this, you're still annoying." I said, I can see the tears clearly on her face in the moonlight. And with that I begin walking again.
"Don't Go!"
I continue walking, and she starts running after me, but stops.
"If you go, I will scream out loud and…"
I stop her by appearing behind her. The wind is blowing again. I'm standing about a foot behind her. "Sakura…Thank you." I say, she seems surprised, and I quickly knock her out.
The last words I heard her speak before I left were "Sasuke-kun" That's 700. I leave her on the bench, before walking away.
Three Years Later
After three years, my training is complete and I killed Itachi. Now I'm hoping to return to the village, and see her again. If it's only for a few seconds before being killed, I just want to hear her say my name for the 701 time. I'm not hoping for a happy welcome back, I left to a different village. But then again I did kill the two great threats to the village, Lord Orochimaru and Itachi.
I can see the village now. Here goes nothing. I begin walking down the street, and I can see people whispering and pointing.
I hear "Someone get Sakura."
Another one says "We shouldn't, it break her heart again to watch him get killed."
Then the finial voice I hear says "She already knows…"
Silence comes, everyone (Including me) are looking up the street there standing at the end is Sakura. Her red med-nin head band standing out in her pink hair. I notice she has cut her hair and kept it short. She looks at me, and I look at her, then she breaks out into a run slowly cutting the 240 ft between us to nothing. I had to brace myself when she ran into my arms. "SASUKE-KUN!" She shouts, 701 I can die happy now.
This really wasn't the welcome I was expecting from her, but it works too. "Sakura…" I say.
she lets go and smiles. "I should hate you, but I don't." she shrugs, we hear coughing and turn. I see Naruto standing there.
"Uchiha" he says, staring coldly at me.
"Uzumaki" I say.
Sakura takes a step back and watches.
"The hokage wants to see you." He says, before leaving.
I sigh, and walk towards the hokage's office.
After a 4 hour long interrogation, they decide I can stay. I'm glad, hopefully not much has changed. I leave and head out side, I see Sakura waiting outside.
She wringing her hands, and looking at me.
I nod slowly.
She shrieks and hugs me again. "That's wonderful Sasuke-Kun!" she shouts happily. 702
We begin walking, I don't know where we were planning on going. "Why don't you hate me?" I ask
"I tried, millions of times. Everyone told me I should, but I just couldn't." she says, she shakes her pink hair a little. "I suppose we have some catching up to do."
"Yeah…" I say
"What is it?" she asks
"Nothing" I lie
"Okay" she says "I'll see later then?"
"Yeah"
"Cool, bye!" she waves and leaves
One Year Later
I'm still counting how many times she says my name. It's almost a thousand now. I can't believe it, I'm now almost positive I love her. I can't look at her without smiling, and sometimes that scares me. She's perfect. Sakura…the one who says my name about ten times a day.
"Sasuke-Kun are listening?" Asks Sakura, she's mad with me now. I never listen too well, only because I'm to busy staring, and counting. That's 995.
"Yes," I say.
She glares at me and picks up her glass of water. "Sometimes, I don't think you even changed." She says once she finished her drink. I had and she knew it.
"You really are annoying" I say "You never say thank you, when I try to be remotely nice."
"Thank you for lunch, Sasuke-Kun" She says, I nod. 996.
"You're welcome" I see her smile.
"I can't believe it's been four years…"
"Yeah…" The silence is eerie. Only years since I left, it felt like an eternity
"Sasuke-Kun?" 997
"What?"
"Oh it's silly. Never mind Sasuke-Kun."998
"I don't care, tell me"
"I've changed my mind."
"Ah…Why?"
"No"
"Come on"
"No, you'll laugh."
"Please?"
"Now you're the annoying one Sasuke-Kun" 999
"Fine, don't tell me…" I frown.
She sighs "I was just going to ask you if you remembered what happened that night."
I nod, it's been driving me nuts really. I desperately wanted to know if she still loved me but I doubt it.
"Sasuke-kun…"
"1000"
"1000 what?"
I said it out loud, I might as well just tell her. "That's how many times you've said my name over six years, but really three."
"Oh, I do say it a lot huh."
I smile at her. "That may seem weird, but you weren't counting."
She laughs, and then stops suddenly. "Why did you count?"
I sigh, "First it was to pass time…Then a hobby, and finally everything I looked forward too."
"I still don't understand"
"I did it to really know that you cared about me"
"Oh"
"Yeah, silly, huh"
"No, the sweetest thing ever."
I look up "What?"
"You've never had anyone really say your name because they cared about you"
I nod, she knew better then I did. "I guess, also after I came back, to assure myself…" I stopped
"What is it?"
"It's silly"
"Please?"
"No, Sakura"
"Why not?"
"No"
"But I really want to know"
"No"
"Please!"
"Sakura…You're being annoying again"
"I'll tell you want I really wanted to ask"
I look at her, and sigh "Alright"
"I wanted to ask if you ever felt anything for me."
My eyes winded
"I know silly"
"I counted to make sure that you…still loved me" I wait, her eyes widened now.
"SASUKE-KUN!!!!" She shouts. 1001
"I understand" I stand and begin walking away.
"I LOVE YOU!"
I stop, and turn. She's not crying this time.
"I never stopped. That's why I couldn't hate you."
I smirk, and walk back. "Fantastic" I say and lean forward and kiss her.
"Sasuke-kun…" 1002
"I love you Sakura-Chan"
She smiles"1, you have 1001 times left to go."
I laugh.
