Never Be Replaced Chapter 1: Prologue, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: I so do not own Naruto. If I do, I'll have a two-episode special about Kakashi's past. I swear!

Sakura sat beside an outgrown cheery blossom tree, busying herself by laying out the contents of a small box on a small mat she brought along. The fresh daffodils she bought early that morning were placed on a small vase beside her tucked knees. Daffodils held precious memories to her, along with other things inside the memory box.

A Christmas card inside a plain white envelope.

A dry clover leaf.

A pink barrette with rhinestones decorated in the middle.

A blue necktie and a baseball cap.

A knitted scarf.

She brushed some dust away from the white cap and placed it on a concrete stab of stone in front of her. She arranged them in a compulsive way, angling them to her satisfaction.

Today is the day she'll be entering pro-medicine studies. She had taken up her pre-med course on Yokohama before an opportunity came for her to study here in Tokyo. The decision was quite hard, considering that she had never left her hometown ever since. That place holds a lot of memories of her: her family, her friends, and most importantly, the memory of a lost love. Even though Yokohama and Tokyo form a large urban-industrial zone, it had been quite hard for her to visit the city, just because of the fact that she doesn't want to leave some things behind. But having a scholarship granted on the Tokyo University Medical School was a chance in a lifetime. She had dreamt numerous times for that certain moment and now that it's on her reach, she decided to give it a try. Besides, a professor in her old university promised his assistance to her. If everything goes right, she will survive.

But then, the moment she stepped foot on the metropolitan city of Tokyo, her thoughts were focused on a certain thing. This city is the place where her first love rested peacefully for seven years. He had flown to Yokohama for a vacation but he never came back to Tokyo alive. An eventful car accident took place days before he was supposed to leave. The last time she saw him was on a bloody wreckage, the remnants of the accident.

And now that she's finally here, a quaint cemetery was her first itinerary. A huge arc paves its entrance, along with a straight sakura lane. Fresh moist grass carpeted the land with sprinklers everywhere. The place is quite good for meditation, Sakura first thought, considering the soft wind rustling the cheery blossom flowers from its tree. It looked peaceful and tranquil; somewhere Itachi would definitely love to be.

It was spring then. She was in her last year in junior high when she first met him. According to some rumors, he was a pre-med student in Tokyo. He was quite popular with high school girls because he was assisting one of their Biology teachers. Sakura had been part of that class, along with her friends. Naruto, Ino, Tenten and Hinata had been her friends and classmates since grade school and they were by her side every time.

Though Itachi looked aloof and quiet most of the time, it had been so hard to approach him. She can't deny that she used to have a petty crush on him that's why she had asked him to become her tutor. The Uchiha seemed reluctant in the beginning but Sakura was able to see through him. He eventually opened up and told her his life in Tokyo. He liked talking about his family, though she could see longing in his eyes. He had lived with his Mom after they left California when he was a kid. He lived a simple life, with a single goal in life, and that is to become a heart surgeon someday. His father died of heart failure when he was ten years old, so does his grandfather a year earlier. Seeming to be the only one healthy in his family, he chose his path in saving lives. He went to Yokohama to do research that time during his practicum years.

They spent half a year together, with Itachi occasionally leaving to visit her mother. With that short span of time, Sakura was able to break down his barriers until he was completely vulnerable to her. Her heart grew fonder but loved him secretly for their friendship was at stake. A lot of her friends were against on her feelings, knowing that Itachi will soon leave them all behind. Itachi, on the other hand, was oblivious of her true feelings. They continued their teacher-student relationship until Christmas that year.

That certain Christmas Eve was deemed important to Sakura. She was willing to take a step forward and confess her feelings to him. He had supported her throughout everything that she dreamt of taking up medicine for herself. She was inspired by the fact that she could save lives, more importantly, she was happy to share that same profession with the one she loved. But then, Itachi had told her that he'll be leaving on New Year's Eve, that he's very much needed by his university. The supposed confession turned out to be a farewell. She had told herself over and over again about the reality that he'll never be hers, but the blunt truth still hurts.

As the days linger towards the end of the year, Sakura had never felt so bad in her short life. Her friends who were witnesses of her love and passion to the young lad were there to support her, but the burden just kept on weighing her down. Never had she felt this kind of love that it hurts, especially because Itachi had no idea about the torment he had given to her. His unawareness was unbearable.

The night he was to leave, she met him shortly at a quaint marketplace. Sakura was well aware that her heart ached for this man and that there were sad times they shared, but the friendship for the past six months was undoubtedly unforgettable. She met him with genuine happiness; she wants him to remember her like that.

She was standing near a well-lit Christmas tree on the street walk. On her bag was a knitted scarf she just finished that afternoon. She heard from a friend that Itachi will be dropping by here to buy something for her Mom in Tokyo. This is her chance.

She squinted her eyes open, fluttering the snowflakes that gathered near her lashes. In front of her was a busy street, with people with all walks of life passing by, all handling some firecracker at hand. The cars on the highway zoom pass each other; their passengers eager to drive pass the impending snowfall. Her hands were shaking because of the cold and her ears were frozen as ice, but she wanted to see him — no, he needed to see him.

Just then, a familiar raven hair in a low ponytail came into view from the opposite sidewalk. With his towering height, Itachi wasn't that hard to spot in a crowd. He was walking unhurriedly for it looked like he was talking to someone on his phone. A few feet behind him was, surprisingly, Naruto. The blonde though doesn't appear to notice the Uchiha in front for he looked very much excited over his bag of firecrackers and a take-out meal of ramen. Sakura smiled on that thought and rolled back her attention to Itachi. Her dreamy eyes loomed over his figure until she heard a faint squeak from a fat lady. Her face was horror-stricken and her finger pointed franticly somewhere. Her actions appeared funny for Sakura until she saw a small kid running down the busy street.

"My god, the kid will be run over!" chorused the passer-bys.

Sakura froze from her spot. God, will she witness something dreadful this night? Oh no, she thought inwardly.

The screams grew louder when a Cadillac convertible honked his horn frantically, all the way heading towards the crying kid in the middle of the street. Sakura's heart stopped when a few feet before the kid, the driver swerved to the right, now threatening to hit an old woman.

Within seconds, the sound of collision echoed in her ears, frightful and full of remorse. The car ran pass a mailbox to a boutique's glass. For some strange reason, her heart tapered hurtfully for a split second, and her vision became blurry. She tried to steady herself as people rushed to the scene, that is until...

"Itachi-san!" came Naruto's shaky and fearful voice.

Sakura's world crumbled right then and there, along with the strong urge to run towards the crash scene. She was about to fall on her knees when a strong hand pulled her up. All she could remember that time was Ino trying to calm her up as the police secured the area. Blood was spilled on the street walk as medics rushed over to a traumatized old lady and Itachi's curled form. Naruto's screams pounded her eardrums until she felt everything went black.

She woke up on a cold white room, with her friends by her side the next day. The subsequent events were all scary and undesirable. She heard from her friends that Itachi had died from the accident, along with the driver who didn't wear his seatbelt. The driver was going at around 90 kph, stopped abruptly by the sight of the kid, before his car ran over Itachi, who was trying to keep the old woman away from further catastrophe. Itachi died of a severe head injury and internal hemorrhage. His mother drove to Yokohama right away, with his uncle arriving shortly. They were devastated by the event; her Mom fell sick afterwards because of the shock. The next day, Sakura heard that Itachi's body and his relatives went back to Tokyo for his formal wake. Three days after the car accident, Itachi was buried to his final resting place.

Everything that happened that time was still clear in her mind. Just the thought of it brought horrific images back to her consciousness, along with the throbbing ache suffocating her heart.

It was so hard to move on. She found herself remembering the times she shared with him and all the things she learned from him. His dream became her dream. She took up Biology as a pre-med course. She found herself crying on a nearby baseball field, where she used to watch him pitch. It was just so hard to let go.

Up until now, as she brought out the things she treasured for seven long years, a tear fell down her cheek.

"I'm here, Itachi-san. Do you still remember me?" she asked in a low voice, eying the silver tombstone with his name engraved on it. "Well, a lot of things happened since we last met," she started, not quite minding her choking voice. She blew a petal away from the tombstone before continuing.

"We went on the same senior high with Naruto and the others. It had been tough but I was able to pass the entrance exam for BS Biology in Yokohama University. Hinata went here in Tokyo for college. Tenten also settled here in Tokyo, she's a dentist now. Naruto and I were on the same bloc in college and we're both taking up Biology. It was a hard time because I have to look for a living. I can't have my parents worrying for my studies now. Anyway, Ino took up Psychology as a pre-med course and now she's admitted to Tokyo Medical School, too! I met a Tokyo University professor once in a seminar and he offered his help to attain a scholarship on Tokyo Med School. I gladly took the opportunity and here I am."

Sakura looked around before wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"Tokyo looks cheerful enough. I think I'll make it through. Besides, Ino is there, too, along with Hinata in the Law School. Ino and I are both taking pro-med studies and I can't believe that we'll get reunited after four years. Naruto had something important to arrange before he'll continue his pro-med course. Can you believe it? He actually survived our pre-med classes! He's just amazing…" her voice trailed.

"Uhm… what else?" Sakura was crying now. But the need to keep Itachi informed was overwhelming that the tears were left unnoticed. "I found a dormitory for pro-med students inside the campus and I'll be staying there until I could get a small apartment of my own. I'll be returning to Yokohama in a weekly basis; Mom misses me so much…" Her sobs became louder as she continued, unaware that she was clutching too hard on the blue scarf she brought along. Her lips trembled as the wind blew her waist-long hair.

The petals of the nearby cherry blossom trees swirled, guided by the wind, as the clouds drifted above her.

"And…" Sakura bit her lip, unable to suppress the hurt bubbling out of her broken heart.

"I missed you so much…"

Never Been Replaced
Chapter 1

Uchiha Sasuke dusted off his trench coat in annoyance before glaring pointedly at the cloudy sky. It had been a sunny day early that morning, well, that is until it began to rain on his way home. The semester won't start till next week, but he wanted to attend advance classes in preparation with his adviser. Also, the main library was quite tempting that he decided to drop by and check out some of the medical books he'll be needing. In his chosen career in life, slacking-off was way out of his vocabulary. The course taught him at an early age that nothing could be accomplished through sheer obligation. Passion had been always the key. Without it, the hardship will not make sense, and that the next step will be meaningless.

A sound of thunder snapped him out of his deep thoughts.

He cursed himself inwardly for taking a detour on his way home. If he just trusted his instincts (which he always fails to do) and went straight back home, he wouldn't be stranded on a small convenient shop on the outskirts of the city, waiting for the damn rain to subside. But as to why he had a sudden urge to visit his brother's grave, it had been a mystery. From time to time, he sees to it that he gets to visit the grave of the brother he hadn't known, thinking that that would only be the only way he could spend time with him, or with his presence. As to why that urge suddenly spurred at this particular time, he decided not to know.

He adjusted his messenger bag as he sat on the counter, waiting for his hot coffee to simmer down a bit.

He got his schedule for this semester that morning, and most of his pro-med classes were under a well-known terror professor-slash-adviser in the university. The life in the university had shown him that luck is nothing but an illusion, a false hope. The only thing that could compensate his current dilemma was the thought that with discipline comes knowledge.

"Great. Just great," he hissed, failing not to sound frustrated.

Good thing that he was able to get some good books today, with the help of his adviser, of course. Sometimes it is quite hard to imagine his life in college without his adviser. Though his adviser had this certain habit of making him quite uncomfortable sometimes, she makes up for it from all the notes and advance classes she opened up. But then, despite the assistance Sasuke had, the bottom-line of success is to be able to survive it by yourself.

There are times when he would ask himself why he chose this particular path, on the path of saving lives. Honestly speaking, it hadn't been his personal choice to become one. He just heard from his Mom that his brother had dreamt to become a surgeon someday. He felt strange something that day for realizations hit him front-first.

Sasuke was born in and raised in California. He lived with his relatives, for his Mom and his brother went back to Japan after his father died. He often asks himself why they left him, but later found himself blessed for the western life they had given to him. He lived his life casually, taking everything lightly. His way of life then took a sharp turn when he learned that his brother died in Japan. It devastated him when he became aware of Itachi's dream. All he knew was that Itachi wanted to become a surgeon but despite of his noble calling, his life wasn't spared. Someone with such a righteous view in life was not given a chance to reach success, that's why Sasuke developed a strong urge to continue what his brother had innocently dreamed of.

As to how and why Itachi died, though, Sasuke wasn't that much aware of it. He doesn't have the heart to evoke that painful memory from his mother.

Three years after his brother's death, Sasuke decided to go back on his home country. He had plans in taking up medical courses here in Tokyo for a change and he also wanted to visit his brother's grave.

Besides, they haven't even had the chance to have a fruitful conversation, now was the time.

"Uchiha Itachi," Sasuke murmured randomly.

Sasuke's eyes then trailed towards the moist window pane. A girl with a green umbrella seemed to be running for cover in this rainy day caught his elusive attention. She was wearing a white dress with a small duffel bag slung on her shoulder. Strange. He never thought that anyone would try to visit some relatives down by the cemetery at this time. It was an old place anyway, but the setting was quite pleasing. Sasuke always liked quiet places, somewhere where he could just sit and stare up in the sky.

A faint sound of bells snapped him out of his trance, along with the voice of the store manager saying a cheerful "Welcome, Ma'am." He downed the contents of his coffee in one breath before he stood up, seeing that the rain had subsided.

"Going to visit your brother again?" asked the manager Sasuke got to know because of his occasional visits.

"Aa," he replied before he slid the glass door close behind him.

Sakura looked over her shoulder as someone ran pass beside her, brushing her right arm lightly. The damp umbrella and her duffel bag that hung on her side swung forward upon doing so. She blinked when she had missed the person's facade that for some weird reason quirked her senses. All she could see was a blurry image of a tall guy in a trench coat exiting the convenient shop, heading towards the muddy trail she just took.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly. She doesn't like sudden changes in weather. She settled here in a sunny afternoon, but the dark clouds soon formed as the day ended. Soon, rain had cut short her first visit to Itachi.

Deciding to brush away the strange encounter aside, Sakura walked towards the counter where a warm-looking store owner was situated. He just finished putting away the cup of coffee the last customer had left when Sakura greeted her politely.

"Good evening, sir," she smiled.

The manager returned her warm greeting. "Good evening too, Ma'am."

"A cup of coffee please," she ordered as she sat on a stool near the counter. "With extra sugar," Sakura added shortly.

The manager nodded as he took a mug. As he waited for the coffee pot to simmer, his attention shifted towards the only customer. It was the first time she had been here; the manager could assume because of her distinctive hair color. Not many people get to visit this place too for it only holds an old church and a distant cemetery by the hillside. He smiled inwardly before he spared the customer a glance. Judging from her looks, she could be in her early twenties. She had with herself a small duffel bag full of books, he could tell for the books emerged when the young lady opened it up to take out her phone.

"It's a long way up there. Are you visiting someone here?" he asked.

Sakura looked up before she closed her flip-top phone. "Hai, I'm visiting a friend," she answered cheerfully. She raked her wet hair with her fingers, removing the tangles created by the wind. She had to run towards the convenient store fast to avoid being caught in the middle of the rainfall.

"A friend? There aren't many people settling here."

Sakura blinked. "Oh… I mean I was visiting my friend's grave." Sakura smiled warmly, thought she was inwardly comforting herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the manager exclaimed repentantly.

"Hmm… No it's fine, I don't mind at all. Actually, it's been seven years since he died." Sakura stuck up her fingers to prove her point. The manager nodded in response. "Well, I wasn't able to visit him since I was studying in Yokohama."

"I know your friend is happy now, you know. After seven years he gets to see you again," the manager exclaimed, his eyes purely comforting.

Sakura looked down and felt her heart snap. Is it true that Itachi had been waiting for her? "The truth is he was my first love…" she started out of pure consolation. She tried to mask down the hurt in her emerald eyes but the manager knew better.

"Wow, he is lucky to have someone like you. And I'm sure he's happy now."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confusion tainting her expression.

The manager lifted the coffee pot and poured some of its contents on a white mug as Sakura waited for his answer. "Well, after seven years you managed to live through. You know what I think? I think that people who died could only attain eternal happiness by seeing their love ones being able to stand on their own. The fact that you can come here with sheer cheerfulness is a sign that you cope up with his absence the right way." He set down the newly prepared cup of coffee to Sakura as she continued to space out, the manager's words echoing in her mind.

"Well," Sakura spoke up after a minute. The manager looked up from the counter and urged her to continue. "You mean he expects me to have moved on?"

"Moving on is different. What you did was to get used to the pain."

Sakura sat there for the next five minutes, stirring her coffee over and over again. Three sugar packs littered beside her mug since she likes sweet stuff. But then, the sugar was not the issue here. What the manager told her hit her unexpectedly. All this time, she stops herself from forgetting the things that happened when Itachi was still alive and found herself trapped inside those memories. That's why instead of letting him go, she clings to him unknowingly all these years. The thought that Itachi had wanted her to live her life again never crossed her mind. His eternal happiness never occurred to her, that is until now.

Forgetting him was way out of question, but letting herself free from the pain was an option. Maybe things will be right if she'll do so.

"That was comforting — what you said earlier. Thanks," Sakura said before downing the contents of her coffee. "I'll see you again, sir," she added before she hastily ran out of the store.

"Sakura, I need your help here," Ino exclaimed impatiently, fanning her sweaty neck in annoyance.

"Wait a sec!" Sakura replied before giving a one last hard push on the table in between two medium-sized beds. "Let's see," she said, looking at Ino expectantly. "You could put it anywhere, you know. You've been busying yourself since we arrived here with that stupid portrait. You could just hang it anywhere and if you don't mind, can you help me with the others? There's still more downstairs!"

"Hai, hai!" Ino answered, sticking her tongue out. "Sheesh, there's so much to do but so little time! I still have to meet my adviser and ask for good books, well, that is if there'd be anything left." Ino emphasized that on purpose, looking pointedly on Sakura.

Sakura threw her a spiteful look. "You are unbelievable. You're not the only pro-med student here."

"But!" Ino marched towards the right bed. She sat tiredly and began yawning, disregarding the portrait. "We need to rest, you know. I'm not used to long trips, besides, I have motion sickness, and I hate traveling. Can I have a break?" She pouted sweetly to Sakura, but the pink-haired student wasn't buying anything Ino said.

"I'll throw you out if you'll keep doing that," Sakura said threateningly, brandishing a broom in Ino's direction.

"It'll just be a half-an-hour nap, and I promise I won't over sleep."

Sakura's eyes widened in utter disbelief. "No, you can't or else I will leave your things down at the lobby. I won't do something about it, I swear."

Ino sighed. "If you hadn't disappeared the minute we stepped in our dormitory then we could've finished setting up. Where have you been anyways?"

Sakura immediately dodged Ino's gaze and swallowed delicately.

"Sakura, you don't know anyone here, I know that much. Where could you possibly go?"

"I just took a walk," Sakura lied, but Ino's instincts were detecting something much interesting.

"I saw you take a bus towards downtown," she stated casually.

This time, Sakura shifted uncontrollably.

Bingo, Ino cheered inwardly. Seeing her best friend in the brink of uneasiness, Ino smiled triumphantly. "See? We all have things to do, why can't you let me go this time? I promise to clean the room trice a week and empty the trash bin everyday, I swear."

Sakura's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Ino had always been like that — she had her own ways to get what she wants. Whether it's her keen eye or her overflowing wit, Sakura doesn't want to know how. With a final sigh of resignation, Sakura nodded.

"Yosh!" Ino cheered.

"Okay, you take your nap, I'll just try to look around the campus," Sakura decided, pulling her handbag.

"Hello! What are you thinking, Sakura? This university is huge. You can't get around without a car. Besides, it's already late." Ino rolled to her bed and hugged a pillow, staring at Sakura while she fumbled on her shoe laces.

Finishing the final knot, Sakura got up. "I'll get something to eat, okay? And don't forget to set the alarm. You still have your things littered down by the lobby. I won't do anything about it if you over sleep, understand?" With a blink of an eye, Sakura was out on the door.

"Che! Stupid Ino-pig! Always slacking-off. I mean, how could she possibly survive in this large university with her laid-back attitude?"

The two of them had been best friends since high school. Though they are constantly in each other's throats, there is always an unspoken friendship that binds them together. Even though Ino could be very, very careless and sloppy, Sakura always takes Ino lightly. She liked making fun of her, like letting Ino take a nap then ask her to do all the chores the next day. The blond complies, thinking that there'd be no point in arguing. But secretly, Sakura was pretty much thankful that Ino's still with her.

Still, the blond could be really irritating sometimes.

Sakura kicked a random pebble away from the street walk and continued to mumble something, occasionally looking around at the out grown trees towering the buildings. She noticed a faint light post by the end of the street and jogged towards it. "This place is enormous!!!" She emphasized the word 'enormous' by exhaling loudly. "Hmm… I wonder where the main library is," she thought inwardly before she reached a pedestrian lane. She looked up for any sign of street lights. When she found the place devoid of it, she skipped happily towards the open road.

"Hey, look out!" someone yelled, startling Sakura. But the frightened gasp from that someone was soon drowned in when a horrid honking sound rooted her to the spot.

The last thing she could remember was a white, blinding light.

Then a hurtful and a resounding collision took place.

And then, nothing.

Break fic. Break fic. Not that I'm stuck with The Girl I Used to Know. Nope. It's just that I watch the movie version of Taiyou no Uta and it broke my heart. -sniff- I NEED TO GET THIS OUT, OKAY?

So… review :)