Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, the setting, or Naruto the series.
It had been so long. She could vaguely remember the distant sound of Naruto's obnoxious laughter and Sasuke's cold, indifferent grunt of what appeared to be disapproval as they waited for Kakashi-Sensei to arrive and begin their daily training. Time though had warped them all into rather lifeless, emotionless dolls at the age of 20 and each for a different reason. Over time Naruto had eventually realized Hinata's emotions for him, despite Sakura telling him time after time. They had gotten married at 18 which caused a uproar in the Hyuuga family but simmered down after a few months and Hinata's pregnancy. Naruto had never been happier in his life. Only a month after, Hinata and her unborn child were murdered. The culprit was suspected to be a follower of a snow leader Naruto had been assigned to kill but was never caught. Naruto sank into a deep depression that Sakura nor ramen could pull him out of the depression and S-Ranked mission after S-Ranked mission was Naruto's life until the day he became paralyzed from the waist down. Sakura had been there that day and had saved his life despite his desperate pleas to let him die. He had gone off on his own and been ambushed. They had targeted his spine knowing his strength and one of the enemy had gotten a lucky shot and stabbed him with a poisoned kunai right in the spinal cord. She couldn't do anything for him about his legs but she saved his life. She took him home as the rest of the team continued towards a successful mission where he was informed that for the rest of his life he would never be able to use his legs again. From then on he didn't speak a word to her. His life had been shattered and his one hope of escape besides suicide had been stripped away from him by Sakura. Someone whom he once thought of as his best friend.
Sasuke, eventually returned to Konoha after the obliteration of the Akasuki when they were 17. He had been cold from the beginning but upon his return he brought an arctic wind that only Snow had encountered. He went through training to allowed select other ninja's of Konoha to tap into his chakra and drain it from him if it was necessary along with Anbu security guards. He was apathetic to Naruto's joy and pain though he had stood beside Naruto as his best man and was always the one Naruto went to for advice on missions and women. On the day Hinata was murdered Sakura had been standing behind Naruto when Sasuke told him, "It's just a woman. Get over it." That was the end of Naruto and Sasuke's close relationship along with Sakura ever casting a glance at him. She never would have guessed though his eye had been on her, for only a year later Sasuke approached her and asked for her hand in marriage and offered her the right to bare his children. Appalled and baffled she declined him in the middle of a restaurant but that didn't stop him for a moment. Only a week following that he was at her door asking her again only to be once more declined. Following that day after day he asked her until a week following Naruto's paralysis. Physically she was drained from working shift after shift at the hospital and emotionally she was depressed beyond words because her loss of a friend and Sasuke took advantage of her position. He blamed her for Naruto's state of being, claimed she was not the strong ninja he had thought she was, and recalled his marriage proposal. Then on the way out of her apartment he turned and looked at her with a devilish glint in his eyes to say, "you'll be alone for the rest of your life Sakura. No one will ever trust you again because of what you've done to Naruto." She had already been silently crying letting the tears fall into her lap where her hands were tightly clinging to her white nurse pants, but upon hearing that she let out a wail of sorrow. Her whole body shook as she emotionally collapsed in on herself. She had let him get to her. Sasuke watched from the doorway standing half in and half out waiting for the right moment. She slumped further forward and slowly laid down on the couch signaling Sasuke. He walked into her apartment and closed the front door as she cried into the couch. His shoes being the only sound in the apartment tormented Sakura's crushed soul. He stood over her for a few minutes and then slowly squatted down beside her face and brushed her hair back. "We can be traitors together Sakura. If you never leave me, I'll never leave you. You'll always have someone. All you have to do is marry me Sakura." Weeks later Sasuke got his wish. Sakura agreed to marry him and wore a plastic smile on her wedding day to hide her non-existent soul.
That was two years ago to the day. His promise of her never being alone unkempt. His promise of never leaving her neglected. Two months after their marriage he volunteered for a 2 1/2 year long mission. He had never asked her how she felt about it or even informed her he was doing it. The day of his departure he mentioned it as she ate breakfast. He was at the door with his uniform on and a sack packed. She hadn't even had time to protest before he was out the door; before a peep could escape her mouth. Day after day she worked her morning shifts and then went to visit Naruto, whom was always on the Hokage heads looking out at the city drawing it or staring, before she went back to the eerie apartment she called home. Saturdays she had off though and she would usually walk the city from 9-10 and then get a coffee in a café down the street from her house where she would sit from 10:15 to noon. After that it depended on how she felt. Some days she just went home and stayed in bed until she had to go to work the next morning and some days she would go up and sit with Naruto and talk to him. Today though was different.
It was 10:15 and Sakura had just sat down in her usual seat at the corner of the building where two windows met. Both of her hands were light gripping a piping hot cup of caramel latte as she stared vacantly out the window at a team of young, energetic ninja practicing. How foolish… she thought to herself before turning away and looking down at her cup. Strands of long pink hair fell in her face as her blank eyes watched the steam lull out of the small vent. Her light purple sundress rested against her body nicely showing off occasional curves before allowing people to view her pale, toned legs. On her feet were flip flops with white straps and a tan fabric under her foot while the bottom was black. The bell to the café sang out its high pitched tone causing Sakura to close her eyes. She took in a deep breath trying not to think of anything. Bringing the cup up to her lips she gingerly sipped from it and then returned it back to the table before someone sat down across from her.
She looked up rather unsurprised at the masked face that now sat across from her. Periodically throughout her life he showed up when he was on his 6 week to 6 month vacations from his missions that lasted from a year to four years and now was obviously one of his breaks. A bright sparkle in his eye caught her attention but she ignored it and nodded boredly at him before she went back to people watching out the window keeping her hands warm by holding the cup. "So what have you been up to lately Sakura?" he asked casually keeping his eye directly on her face trying to figure out the reason her indifference to his presence.
She shrugged slightly and then looked back at him to speak to him. "A life of repetition. Working, going to visit an uncaring Naruto and then sleep." Her words were cold and direct. She gave him no sign of joy in the least bit at the fact that he was back alive like the Sakura of a three years ago would. It was like Tsunade had said to him. Her gauze slipped back to the window and a long silence lingered between them until Kakashi let out a hefty sigh 5 minutes later.
"Tsunade was right," he said softly to himself making Sakura look at him, "I was hoping she wasn't but she was. Sakura…what happened to you? You use to be the light of the town. Now you are nothing more than a gloomy shadow in the corner." Her lip twitched and she turned away from him again. He didn't know what she was feeling. The looming sadness and loneliness from the lack of attention her best friend and husband gave to her. He was the copy ninja for Christ's sake. He didn't need anyone or anything so why would he bother to stop and tend to her. The thoughts ran through her mind and pissed her off to no end for some reason and without a word she stood up and swiftly headed for the door but not without the copy ninja in tow.
Once they were out the door he disappeared and let her run back to her dead apartment which she quickly vanished inside of. She went to her kitchen and set the coffee down before leaning over the sink, death gripping the cabinets. She took in slow deep breaths to calm herself down with her eyes closed and her body hunched over. The anger slowly subsided and she looked up at the wall in front of her as hidden tears of every emotion slid down her face into the empty sink. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tear after tear rolled over her porcelain cheeks. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she hunched further over the sink the tapping of falling tears increasing its pace. "Please stop…" she gasped to herself the words almost un-hearable between her whimpers. Why did I run…he was trying to help me… she asked herself before a rather loud sob sounded throughout the almost empty apartment. "Why did I run!" she cried out death gripping the cabinets once again mad at herself for running away from her sensei's help.
"I don't know Sakura but I knew you weren't okay and still are not." Her head whipped up to look over at the man standing at the end of the cabinets. Their eyes locket as the tears continued rolling down her face and he knew he would have to make the first move. Quickly and effortlessly he strode over to her and wrapped her in his arms resting his clothed cheek against her head. "You aren't alone Sakura. Stop isolating yourself from everyone and let them help you. Let ME help you." He whispered to her. Her body was shaking and slowly her arms reached up and wrapped themselves around him. She buried her face into his chest and cried against him causing his shirt to be damp. Ten minutes quickly passed as he just embraced her before he slowly pulled away and took her hand in his. He led her to the couch and laid down on it prior to Sakura quickly climbing into his grasp again. She was lying on top of him burying her face into his chest again with her arms snaked around him ignoring the weight of his body. He had his arms wrapped around her too but not as tightly as her arms were around him. She was clinging out of desperation and loneliness which he was hugging her because of comfort.
As she calmed down she slowly took in his sent and turned her head so her cheek was resting on his chest. This was the first physical contact she'd had with anyone besides her patients and Tsunade since Sasuke had left. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep enjoying the human warmth he was providing her with. He smiled looking down at her knowing that she was going to begin getting better now. Now that someone had opened her up again to the flicker of human warmth and pulled her away from the isolation Naruto's silence had caused and Sasuke's words had made her believe she was going to be okay and Kakashi was going to make damn sure of it.
If i get 10 comments i'll continue an actual story based on the plot I've laid out. So please comment. : ) Thanks for reading.