Nice to meet you, again.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. -sigh-
1. f i r s t m e e t i n g s
-
He was there, sitting in the hospital bed, staring blankly out the window. He looked…tired, weary. The long years had not been kind to him. Yet, he was still as beautiful as ever. His pale, translucent skin was marred with faint scars from his life as a wanted criminal. The high arc of his cheekbones and aristocratic nose matured and settled into a fine, chiseled face. His thick, dark lashes veiled his empty, obsidian eyes, the eyes that no longer held dreams or ambitions.
"Sasuke...?" Sakura murmured uncertainly. Was this really him, the once pubescent boy with an obsessive need to avenge his clan? True happiness seemed so long ago; the childish pranks and the carefree laughter are gone now. What's left is the dull aching of sorrow.
He did not look at her. He kept on staring out the window, out into the night sky.
-
Sakura was making her usual rounds at the hospital before her shift was over, and as she was bandaging Neji's left arm, Shizune suddenly burst into the room and blurted out "He's back!" She told her Uchiha Sasuke was found three days ago in the country of Mist, alongside a river. He almost drowned, and he seemed to have suffered severe wounds, a few broken bones, and a concussion. Sakura stiffened upon hearing his name, but when she turned around there was a tight smile on her face, and she said "Alright." and resumed her work. Neji peered at her inquisitively beneath his long hair, but didn't utter a word.
During those few days, Sakura worked like a madwoman. She would work from dawn till the wee hours of night, only going home to sleep off her exhaustion, and because she was so busy, all thoughts of him were pushed from her mind.
Tsunade offered to give her time off, so she could pay a visit to the Uchiha.
"How can I rest, Sensei, when there are so many patients that need me?" she had said.
Naruto barged into her office multiple times, demanding that she come with him to visit Sasuke. She blatantly refused.
"Why should I go see him," she said, "when we all thought he was dead?"
"You have to." He replied. "He's…changed."
-
She had successfully avoided him and everyone who buzzed about his homecoming.
But there was one night where she could not avoid in inevitable. It was after dinner at Ichiraku's that Naruto dragged Sakura to the hospital to pay a visit to a special patient.
-
"Sasuke…?"
No answer. She sighed.
"See, Naruto? He won't even answer me. I'm leaving now." She turned to go.
"No, wait. Go over there and try talking to him again." urged Naruto. The look in his eyes was serious, solemn; so very unusual for the normally cheerful blonde. She could not ignore his pleading.
Sakura walked over slowly and settled herself into a seat by the edge of his bed. This time, Sasuke's eyes had shifted away from the window and followed her as she neared him.
"Sasuke."
His face was blank and apathetic.
He began to speak.
"Do I know you?"
She thought she didn't hear him correctly at first.
"Who are you?" he demanded again.
But she realized her ears weren't failing her one bit.
Sakura thought back to Shizune's words.
'He almost drowned, and he seemed to have suffered severe wounds, a few broken bones, and a concussion.'
Amnesia.
She held out her hand and mustered a smile.
"I'm Haruno Sakura, nice to meet you."
You know the drill. XD Please r&r! I'm looking forward to feedback.
satiricalbutterfly