Chasing Yesterday

Chapter One

WARNING: Swearing

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing


--

Blindness isn't always inheirited, it can just be someone who doesn't pay attention.

--

She ran her hand through her pink hair. It was late, near one o'clock in the morning. The paperwork for today's appointments hadn't been done considering how she had taken over her friend, Ino's shift. She subconciously let a heavy and tired sigh escape her lips. The pinkette scribbled down a few diagnoses on three seperate sheets of parchments.

"This jobs sure does bind you to it," She mumbled to herself.

"You're annoying..." Insert his constant smirk. Sakura shook her head, trying to push him out of her head. She wouldn't let him get to her, not tonight or ever. He was gone; probably dead and gone. She had begun to forget about him, it has taken her six years to finally let go. Except for dreams - or nightmares - of him which occured every now and then.

After another hour of writing theories and reports, Sakura was finally able to leave the Konoha Hospital. It was 2:36 a.m. when she had arrived at her house. She wiggled her keys until she heard the "thunk" of the deadbolt. She pulled the golden key out of the lock and went inside. Sakura dropped her tote off near the coffee table and set four textbooks on the mahogany table.

Geez, I'm so tired... I'm never taking Ino-pig's shift again, She thought as she changed into her navy blue nightgown. The said young adult slipped beneath the comforter and sheets and pulled the switch of the lamp off. Then once her head rested on the fluffy pillow, she out caught up in a dreamless sleep.

- XxXx -

Beep, Beep, Bee -- Sakura slammed her fist onto the "Snooze" button. She groaned and looked at the time; it was four in the morning! How did it skip backward?! She'd barely slept two hours!

"What the hell!" She growled, falling onto her bed and pulling the blankets over her head, as if trying to hide. She closed her eyes and held them like that tightly. Sakura refused to wake up now, why did it wake her up now? She was already so damn tired, but sleeping approx. an hour and twenty minutes wasn't healthy. Besides, she did not to be at the hospial until 7:30 in the morning.

"...To kill a certain person..." His never-ending and penatrating stare entered her mind. She sat up and shook her head furiously. She was not going to remember him -- especially for the reason he left. Tears swelled up in her eyes, creating the illusion that her emerald orbs were gleaming. No, she couldn't cry now. She wouldn't cry, not over someone who betrayed her home-village. But it was not only her home-village that he had backstabbed, it was his too. Yet it didn't seem to matter much to the dark-haired boy. He was overly-obsessed with power and savagely murdering his older brother.

Soon, when she finally cut off her thoughts, Sakura returned to sleep. But it wasn't dreamless like her last one, it was filled with vivid and wild images of the youngest Uchiha and herself. Unconciously a red color had slowly made its way spreading across her face.

Sakura had always been alert when she slept, she used to think it was a good assest considering how she was a ninja, but now it was becoming a terrible thing. Her stupid alarm clock went off twice more throughout the night and her phone had begun to ring barely a minute ago. She picked it up and answered in a groggy voice,

"Hello?"

"S-sakura? Where a-are you? It's 7:35 r-right now!" Hinata's voice replied through the technology.

"Hmm?" Her eyes glanced at her alarm clock which showed 7:36 a.m. causing her to hop out of bed, "Okay, thanks Ino! I'll see you there!"

"Sakura, i-is everything a-alright? You've n-never been late..."

"Yes, Hinata. Everything okay, I just over-slept," Sakura claimed.

"Um... Okay w-well get ready a-and I'll see y-you s-soon," Hinata stuttered in her quiet voice. Click! The two women hung up. Sakura rushed around her house and gathered her Medic-Nin clothes. She quickly got dressed, brushed her hair and teeth before litterally running out of her apartment.

At the hospital, Hinata had told Shizune that Sakura would be a little late because she had worked late. Five minutes after that, Sakura came hurrying in. The said young adult was out of breath when she arrived. Hinata looked at her with concern in her no-pupil eyes.

"Are you alright?" The midnight-haired woman asked.

Sakura shook her head, "Not exactly. But I'll be fine, promise." The pinkette insisted, fakely smiling. Hinata didn't look convienced but handed Sakura her clipboard anyways. Sakura's orbs scanned over the schedule.

Two surgeries today? That's it? Sakura thought, mentally questioning whoever had designed the list. It was probably Lady Tsunade herself. There wasn't an appointment until 8:50 a.m. or nine o'clock, so the Haruno set out to find her used-to-be mentor. Lucky for her, the blonde haired woman was in the hallways, checking on the surgeries that were happening.

"Lady Tsunade! Can I speak with you?" Sakura called out, her voice echoing through the white and blue bordered hallway. The doesn't-look-but-is fifty year-old woman came strolling over to the pink-haired woman.

"Yes Sakura?" Tsunade asked, looking at Sakura's confused facial expression.

"Why do I only have two -" Sakura held up two fingers, making it look like a "peace" sign, "- things to do today?"

"I'm assigning you a mission... It could be a long one too," Tsunade confirmed, looking down at Sakura's schedule.

"A mission? I haven't been on one of those since..." Sakura looked down.

"Let it go, Sakura," Tsunade commented, her hazel eyes staring at her youngest apprentice, "He chose his fate. Let him live it..."

I know. I just feel like I could've done so much more to prevent it, Sakura mentally told herself. Sakura never knew who - besides his brother - to blame for Sasuke leaving... But she inwardly took the blame, just because she didn't believe it was Naruto's doing.

"Sakura, are you feeling well? You're zoning out..." Tsunade's voice yanked Sakura from her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine," She muttered, lying. "When do I leave?"

"Come by my office around noon and I'll have you meet your team-mates and so on..." Tsunade explained. Then she swirved around Sakura, leaving her to carry out her medical duties.

- XxXx -

"Sakura! Lady Tsunade would like to see you in her office, please," Shizune called out to the the kunochi with monster-strength -- except Tsunade.

The said pink haired person looked up from her paperwork and nodded. She rose from her seat and followed the burnette into the Hokage's office. There were two other people there. But Naruto wasn't amongst them. "Where's Naruto?" Sakura questioned, feeling uneasy without her only team-mate.

"He's not attending this mission, Sakura," Tsunade answered, writing her signature onto pieces of paper.

"What? Why not?" exclaimed Sakura.

The hazel-eyed woman glanced at the out-spoken woman, "We cannot afford to have him running around with a jounin present, Sakura. He does possess the Kyuubi inside of him... And it has been decided that he could be dangerous not only to the enviroment --"

Since when have they cared bout the enviroment? Sakura thought stubbornly, nearly scoffing aloud.

"-- team-mates, but he could also become unstable and --"

Sakura didn't want for her to continue, "But that's only if he gets mad enough! And if this mission has to do with Sasuke, Naruto should come... Sasuke and him were best friends and he needs closure if no one else!"

"Do you not need closure, Sakura?" Tsunade's gaze was intent and set solely on Sakura. The question was not answered, "Now, I will see what I can do. But if there's nothing I can do, then he will not be allowed to come. Understood?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade..." Sakura smiled as her gaze was directed to the ground, "Thank you..." Her last words were practically inaudible.

- XxXx -

"Boy, am I glad I get to come on a mission... It's been three whole days since I've been on one!" Naruto grinned as he shifted the weight of his backpack. Yamato - newest leader of their squad - was walking in front of the two nineteen year-olds.

Sakura giggled, "Naruto, you're hands were completely trashed when you came into the hospital four days ago! It's no wonder why you haven't been on one latey..."

"Eh? It was Kakashi-sensei I tell you!" He insisted, "He's teaching me this new jutsu and it takes a lot of focus and skill. Plus its improving my Rasengan technique. Remember what my hands looked like after I tried using that?" Naruto turned to Sakura.

She looked away from him, her jade eyes stared at the floor, "I wasn't with you... That's when I trained with Tsunade-sama. Don't you remember that you left with Jiraya (sp?)?"

His azure eyes filled with despair and sadness, "Oh right... That was before the mission to rescue Sasuke... Again." Sakura looked up at him with heart-broken and tears-filled eyes, but she didn't speak. He craned his head to the right, to see her again before claiming what he had said a while ago, "I will keep my promise, Sakura... I will." Sakura wanted to hug him and thank him for being the bestest friend in the world. She wanted to help him control his demon. Moreover, she just wanted to collaspe to her knees and cry. But, she never got what she really wanted, did she?

Yamato turned to the three people, "Okay, so our mission is to find the Akatsuki hide-out. But be careful and unreckless. We cannot afford to make a mistake, nevertheless we would be greatly out-numbered," He took a large breath of air and continued, "So we must use our stealth skills and just find their hideout and nothing more. That means no going to investigate or anything. Understood?" Sakura, Naruto, and Ino nodded. (A/n: I had Ino come because I don't really like Sai, sorry Sai-fans!)

Yamato nodded and spoke again, "Good. Now Sakura and Naruto, go that way..." He pointed to the right, "Ino and I will go that way -" He pointed the left, "- If no one finds anyone then meet the Northeastern point, got it?" Once more the two woman and gentleman nodded. Yamato nodded too, then him and Ino dashed off into the eastern direction. Sakura and Naruto did the opposite; they tree-hopped into the western direction.

Maybe Sasuke will be near! Dattebayo! Naruto thought -- hoped.

Sasori's dead. I know that for sure... What about Itachi? Sakura thought as the she continued hopping from one branch to another. (A/n: Oh geez, sorry if you didn't know that!!!) Naruto followed beside her. They didn't speak once and they made sure the sounds of their boots were silenced. Then they heard voices causing them to look at each. They both motioned to the ground before landing in the underbrush quietly. Their eyes peered through the bushes and saw two people standing near a tree. And their attire spoke clearly: red clouds on a black cloak. Akatsuki... Suddenly a huge boulder rolled away, revealing a secret entrance. The two men shuffled in and the boulder began to fall back into its original place.

"That's odd..." Sakura mumbled. Naruto glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, waiting for her to finish. "I always thought they wouldn't be in the same place... All the members I mean. I thought they would have seperate places. And the whole boulder thing as a hideout? I mean it's completely unoriginal. But I suppose it works considering they couldn't rent a place in any village..." Sakura concluded. Naruto agreed silently.

Fifteen minutes Sakura and Naruto had been waiting at the Northeastern point. Yamato and Ino still hadn't showed up.

"Maybe they got captured! Or worse, what if they got killed?!" Naruto shouted, thinking of all the negative things.

"Naruto, stay calm. I'm sure they're fine..." said Sakura, patting her friend's back. "Just be rational."

"Rational? What's that? Some type of disease?" Naruto asked, squinting his eyes.

Sakura could've laughed at his density. "No, its not. But nevermind that. Here they come..." Naruto looked away from Sakura and spotted Ino and Yamato hurrying towards them. "But they seem to be in a rush..." Sakura suggested.

"Sakura! Naruto! Get up, we need to get moving!" Yamato commanded. The two said person stood and looked at their squad leader weridly.

"Why? What's going on?" Sakura asked as all four of them took off.

"Just hurry, Forehead!" Ino exclaimed, concern wavering in her voice.

"Ugh! Ino-pig!" Sakura growled but did as ordered.

- XxXx -

When they reached the main gates to Konoha, Sakura turned around to see if anyone had followed, but no one was in her sights. She looked up, down, to the right, to the left; yet there was still nothing.

Her sea foam gaze landed on Yamato, the only person there besides herself. "Ne, Yamato?"

The burnette glanced at her, "What is it, Sakura?"

"Why were we running?"

"Oh, no reason... We just needed to be home by sundown. Well anyways, I need to go report this to the Hokage immediately, so see you around." Then Yamato was gone. Damn that stupid teleportation justu. Sakura shrugged and pushed the thought to the back of her mind, for now.

- XxXx -

"Sakura... Huh?" His voice was so cold, so emotionless. Just like his coal-colored eyes. Never once did they hold anything, at least not when Sakura saw him. You could tell he was so broken when you saw how he would become abruptly silent and close his eyes. It was as if he was reliving the past or slaying his brother. He was so devastatingly broken... Yet he'd never admit it.

"Hn. Sakura..." She sat up in her bed and screamed. It sounded so realistic. His voice was like he was actually in the room, her room. But he wasn't, so why did it bother her?

"Go away... Go far, far away," She mumured, holding her knees to her chest. He always seemed to pop into her head at the times she was happy. He must've liked making her suffer.

"You're annoying..." His voice again. She shook her head before whispering, "I know." She finally decided to give into his treacherous mind games. Hoping that he would go away. But he didn't and this time, she was sure it was real:

"Let's take a walk. Just you and me..."


A/n: Hopefully you liked it. Thanks for reading.