This is something that's been on my mind lately.. I'm sorry for any mistakes!

I do not own Naruto and its' characters.

Three years..

It has been three years since that faithful day. Will I be able to take another year of loneliness, pain, and sorrow? The pain so unbearable that I wonder how I survived the first year he was gone. Upon remembering his name, three words pop out from the depths of my mind.

Loneliness.

He said that I would never understand what it truly means to be lonely. I have a family that loves me and friends, too. I have all these things but does that mean I would never feel the loneliness he felt? Does that mean that I would never experience the pain and hurt that others have gone through? The pain he has gone through?

What I've been through for the past three years, is that the loneliness he was talking about?

Solitude.

Isolated. Withdrawn from society. Alone. Is that the kind of life he has to live every single day? The kind of life he said I would never live? Ever since the massacre, he has been on his own. He depends on no one. But that didn't mean he only cared for himself. At one point, he did care about us. Although he didn't like to show it, I know in my heart that he cared.

Revenge.

He believes he has a goal to accomplish, a huge responsibility that he entrusts only to himself until the day he dies. He does not let anyone interfere, friend or foe. To avenge his clan. He says that was his reason for living. The reason why he woke up everyday and lived his life.

I-

"Sakura-chan? What are you doing up here, all alone?" a voice said from behind.

The voice was soft and concern was evident in it. Plus there was only one person I knew who kept calling me 'Sakura-chan' after all these years. Even after how I mistreated and ignored him when were only thirteen, he still kept coming back. No matter what I did to him, he still came back.

"Hey Naruto," I replied softly, looking out into the distance. The sun was just beginning to set in Konoha and it was an amazing site to see.

Naruto jumped from the rail behind the Hokage Monument and landed right next to me on the Third's head.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked.

I shook my head in response and kept my eyes glued to the setting sun. The Hokage Mountain was indeed the best place to watch the sunset.

He sighed and sat down beside me.

"Why are you sitting here all alone? Shouldn't you be somewhere in the hospital, screaming your lungs out at some nurse?" Naruto inquired, folding his arms behind his head the way he used to when we were younger.

I smiled briefly at the statement. Naruto always knows when some thing's bothering me. He does all kinds of things to cheer me up, which includes making jokes. But this time, it just wasn't enough.

Naruto looked at me, waiting for a punch or just a hint of laughter.

If it were a normal day, I would have punched the living day lights out of him. But today wasn't just an ordinary day. In fact, this day brings such painful memories.

Silence loomed over us.

"It's been three years, hasn't it?" Naruto said out of the blue. "Three years ago, on this day, he left."

I stayed quiet.

A hand gently squeezed my shoulder. I looked at the hand. Then my gaze traveled up the arm, and finally I took a good, long look at the face.

"I'm here for you," Naruto whispered.

"I know." I replied, giving him a sad smile.

"You want to go get some Ramen?" he suggested, trying to distract me from any more depressing thoughts of Sasuke. "I'm buying this time."

I laughed a little, seeming to forget about Sasuke for a moment. "You and I both know that's not true. I'm going to end paying for all your Ramen."

"Well, that's probably what's going to happen." He removed his hand from my shoulder and scratched his head.

"I knew it." I muttered, rolling my eyes.

He gave a me a thumbs-up and said, "I promise. I'll buy this time, 'tebayo!"

"That's nice of you, Naruto. I'd love for you to buy me Ramen but just not today. I don't feel like it."

Naruto's smile slowly faded. "Sakura-chan.."

"Don't worry about me. It's just... I want to be alone for a while. I just need to sort some things out." I assured him. "So go and enjoy your Ramen. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Naruto stared at me for a moment before heaving a long sigh. "You promise you won't go anywhere?"

I looked into his eyes. "I promise."

"And I'll definitely see you when I get back from my mission in Suna?"

"Yes Naruto. I'll see you tomo--wait. Did you just say you were going on another mission?"

"Are you sure you don't want anything from Ichiraku?" He took hold of my hand and squeezed it, trying to avoid the subject.

"Naruto.." I warned him.

"Okay, okay. I get it. Yes, I am going on another mission." he mumbled.

I groaned.

Naruto tugged my hand and continued, "But it's only a short mission. I'll probably be back in five days, one week tops."

"One week? That long?"

"I promise that the first thing I'll do after I get back from Suna is see you. Then we'll ask Tsunade if we could go on another search."

I sighed. It was no use arguing with him. "Fine. When will you be leaving?"

He smiled at me. "Tomorrow, at dawn. But would you do me a favor?"

I raised my eyebrow. He had definitely caught my interest. "What?"

"Don't spend the night here."

"Yes, mother." I joked, rolling my eyes at him once again.

Before Naruto could retort, his stomach grumbled.

I snorted at the sound. "I guess you better hurry down to Ichiraku."

Naruto laughed nervously. "Yeah. I should." He let go of my hand and stood up. He slowly stretched his legs before jumping back to the rail, yelling, "See you Sakura-chan!"

"Yeah.. See you.." I said softly, not bothering to raise my voice for I was sure he was already gone.

I continued to stare at the horizon. By this time, the sun was almost gone and it was getting darker.

I was alone once again. Alone with my thoughts.

What happened years ago, was that destiny? Was that meant to be? Was Sasuke destined to turn his back on Konoha and join Sound?

If that hadn't happened, would I still be the same kuniochi when I was thirteen? Weak, useless, annoying, and pathetic. Would I have asked Lady Tsunade to train me if not for Sasuke's departure? Would I have become a medic-nin?

Would Naruto have left for two years to train with Jiraya?

Naruto..

A smile graced my lips when I thought about the blond. He's probably on his second bowl of Ramen.

We promised each other we would find Sasuke and bring him back together. It's been great but...

My smile faded away and it was replaced with a frown.

Will I be able to take another year?

For the past three years, we've always been on 'Sasuke retrieval missions' together. But lately, he's been going on a lot of solo missions and I've been working over time at the hospital. We barely have enough time to go on another retrieval mission. The last one was almost a year ago. To others, it may look like a hopeless cause but both Naruto and I still believe that Sasuke's coming back. We can't just forget about him like he was month old Ramen. Three year old Ramen to be exact.

Ever since I had that dream about Sasuke, for some odd reason, I've wanted to go searching for him. On my own. Without Naruto, Sai, Kakashi-sensei, or anyone for that matter, with me.

The dream I had was a bit like the fantasies I used to have about him when I was younger. But instead of Sasuke confessing his love for me, he was asking for help. He wanted to leave Orochimaru and come back to Konoha. The dream felt so real, like Sasuke was really standing in front of me. He was all I saw; everything was black around us.

I know. It sounds far-fetched. Unreal. Sasuke was never the type of person who asked for help. Especially from me. But what if he actually did want to leave Orochimaru but couldn't do it by himself? What if he needed the help of Konoha for some plan of his to succeed?

What do I do? Do I search for him on my own? Or do I tell Naruto about my dream and have him accompany me after his Suna mission?

If I go alone, this would be the perfect opportunity to prove myself worthy to be called a kunoichi. I want and need to prove to myself that I am not that same kunoichi three years ago. This would also be the perfect chance to prove to Sasuke that I am capable of defending myself.

But am I ready for that? Am I ready to face Sasuke on my own, without Naruto by my side?

And then, what if I don't go searching for him? How am I suppose to keep myself sane while Naruto's away? Sure, I have the hospital and a few easy missions but those don't really help that much. I can't stop thinking about that dream and how real it felt. No matter what I do, my thoughts always float back to Sasuke.

I admit that I have been completely out of it this past week. That's the reason why Tsunade-sama asked me to to take a break from the hospital. It's not safe to treat patients or go on missions in this state.

The day had slowly turned into night. Stars were appearing in the dark sky.

I looked up and stared intently at the sky as if I would find the answer to my problems in the heavens.

It all boils down to one question: Who do I choose?

Naruto Uzumaki

The Kyuubi holder; the boy that stuck with me through thick and thin. The person who I consider my best friend and my brother. He's one of the most influential and important people in my life. I promised him that we would find Sasuke together.

OR

Sasuke Uchiha

The survivor of the Uchiha Massacre; the boy I professed my love to when I was only 13. The boy I have always chased after. The boy who betrayed Konoha. Most importantly, he is the keeper of my heart.

What if I do go by myself and come out successful?

But will I really break a promise I made to Naruto just because there's a tiny a chance that Sasuke might actually need my help? And what if I DON'T come out successful and end up in the hospital? Or even worse, die in the hands of a former comrade?

What if I don't go and Sasuke actually needed assistance? What if it's almost time for the body switch and this is his only shot of escaping? And for his plan to work, he needs the aid of the Leaf shinobi?

Who do I choose? Naruto or Sasuke? It seems impossible to choose.

What do you guys think? Constructive criticism is accepted. In fact, I seek criticism. I hope you take the time to give comments ang suggestions. And I apologize if I made any mistakes. Thank you for reading!

'chubee-chan'