Rain of Tears
(a sequel to "A Promise in the Rain")
"After all this time, you're still annoying."
"Please don't go," she begged, tears flowing down her face. It was cold that night but she couldn't care less. She didn't even feel the cold. She didn't even feel the cold. She was desperate. But all she could see was his back — again. He wouldn't say anything. Not a word. He wouldn't even turn around to look at her.
"I love you!"
She was shaking. She couldn't stop. She couldn't think. All she knew was that she had to stop him from leaving. She had to stop him. Not only because it would be a problem for the whole village that the youngest Uchiha had deflected to Sound, but because she knew that if he left, he would take a huge part of her heart with him, if not whole.
Then he disappeared. He was no longer in front if her. But the strong aura was very close — behind her. She gasped.
"Sakura," she heard him say softly.
She trembled. She felt scared. He was capable of anything. She was just a hindrance. A burden to him. She was in the way. She knew that was all he thought of her. She didn't know anymore if she was still crying or not. It was as if the sound of his voice saying her name the way he did paralyzed her.
"Sakura…tank you."
Eyes wide, she froze. That was not what she had expected. Of all things she had not expected him to say 'thank you'.
Black spots began to appear at the corners of her eyes. Sasuke's voice seemed to come from very far away. She tried to call out to him but all she could manage was a faint whisper.
"S-Sasuke-kun…"
Then her world went black.
Sakura's eyes flew open. She was breathing in short gasping pants. She pushed herself into a sitting position. A warm drop fell onto already damp sheets. Her eyes stung. She had been crying in her sleep. This hadn't happened in a long time. Why now? Why did her subconscious choose to make her relive that night now?
Sakura pulled the blankets around her and looked out the window. A cold breeze blew back the pink locks clinging to her damp cheeks. Somewhere in the night an owl hooted.
Sakura reached over to the table by her bed . She took hold of a picture frame. It was a picture taken during the early days of team seven. There stood Hatake Kakashi; masked, silver-haired, his one visible eye crinkled in a cheerful smile. There stood a younger Haruno Sakura, smiling. On either side of her younger self stood her two teammates, their arms crossed, eyeing each other; Sasuke scowling, Naruto pouting slightly. Kakashi-sensei had a hand on each of the boys' heads.
Sakura managed to smile weakly. She even almost laughed. How peaceful and simple things had been back then. Life was uncomplicated. They were getting along fairly well. But now, only almost four years later, things were so different. Each member of team seven were training under one of the legendary sannin: Sasuke under Orochimaru, Naruto under Jiraiya, and Sakura under Tsunade. How fast things have changed.
Unbidden, her mind called forth the memory of the day after Sasuke had left Konoha. Sakura had literally begged Naruto to bring Sasuke back. And Naruto, for his part, had promised to bring the young avenging Uchiha back. With Rock Lee's 'good-guy pose', he had said, "That's a promise of a lifetime."
He honoured that promise even now.
Sakura had believed him then, and she believed in him now. She did not bother too much that the attempt to retrieve the Uchiha had failed. It was more than enough that he had gone after the boy. Naruto had risked his life to bring Sasuke back. They all had. With a shudder, Sakura remembered how Neji and Chouji had almost died. Kiba and Akamaru were very badly injured. Even Shikamaru ran into trouble. Sakura tried not to think what might have happened had the Sand nins not turned up to help them. And all she had done was cry.
A single drop fell onto the glass of the frame.
'Look at me now,' she thought. 'Pathetic, Sakura.'
A very familiar voice sounded in her head, 'Sakura.'
Sakura shook her head violently, trying to chase the voice away. She half willed Inner Sakura to take over, but even Inner Sakura seemed subdued tonight.
Sakura looked up at the night sky. Perhaps a little star-gazing would distract her. But tonight, the stars only twinkled sadly back at her, reflecting her tears, the sadness in her heart.
Her mind's eye showed her his face: pale, with deep obsidian, expressionless, cold eyes, raven hair.
'Sakura…thank you.'
Those were the last words he had said to her. The last words she had heard him speak before he had deflected to Sound and left Konoha.
She had always been the weaker one in the team. Al ways a burden to them, always having to be protected. She always only ever saw her teammates' backs as they stood ahead of her, protecting her. That was why, in desperation only slightly tinged with faint hope, she asked the Fifth Hokage to make her an apprentice, a subordinate. She vowed she would become stronger; she would become the best medic nin she could be.
And she had. She had followed Tsunade's strict training and was now acknowledged both as a medic and as shinobi. She was learning fast. And along with medical jutsus, Tsunade had trained her in fighting skills also.
"Look at me now, though," she said to herself, half-laughing, "I'm crying again."
During the day, Sakura was the most cheerful person in the village, the life and soul of her team. But there were nights when she could not escape her own memories. On those nights, even Inner Sakura could not fight, could not suppress the memory of his face, his voice.
'After all this time, you're still annoying,' said the voice in her head again.
"No! No!" she sobbed, clutching the blankets. 'Don't think about that!' she scolded herself. But his voice only echoed all the more clearly in her mind.
Cold wind blew icy water droplets through her open window. She realized it was raining. The rain was coming down in sheets. Thunder roared, drowning her choking sobs. Lightning flashed.
She sobbed into the pillows, willing the pain in her chest to go away.
"Sasuke-kun…" she mumbled to herself.
She did not know for how long she sat there, finally giving in to the pain, crying her heart out, hugging her knees in search of some source of comfort, holding the picture frame tightly close to her chest.
Drained, Sakura wiped the tears from her face. The sheets were damp. She looked out the window again. The sky was starting to lighten. The clouds were turning pink as pale yellow and lilac began to penetrate the dark velvet skies. And she heard the voice again: 'Sakura … thank you.'
Sakura sighed. The torrential rain had lessened to a light drizzle. She continued to gaze out the window. She had to help out at the Academy and the Hospital today. There were people who depended on her. There were younger genin who looked up to her. There was Naruto who expected to have some ramen with her for lunch today.
Sakura forced a sad smile.
"I'll have to try and forget about you for a while, Sasuke-kun."
She pushed the hair out of her face. A little bird landed on her window will and began to sing.
Sakura listened to its simple wordless song and smiled.
"I'll be waiting, Sasuke-kun. I'll keep praying that, maybe, one day, you'll come back. Maybe one day. I'll be waiting for you, Sasuke-kun. I promise."
There hope you liked this sequel. Might not be as good as its descendant "A Promise in the Rain", but I just had to tell Sakura's side of the story.
If you haven't read the prequel "Promise in the Rain", please do.
Review please!
Thanks.