Disclaimer: Don't own anything Naruto whatsoever. Which is poopy... :'(
"But Sasuke-kun-"
"I'm sorry,Sakura-san...but I have to do what I have to do."
"But you could be killed!" she cried in anguish, giant tears rolling out of her eyes. She held on to his hand firmly, determined never to let go.
"I know...but if it means protecting the people who have been my life all these years...I must."
"Sasuke-kun..." she held his hand with both of hers, now. She couldn't let him do this...
"Sakura-san...be strong...for me." With that, he released her hold and leaned in to her face. She was caught so off guard she didn't even kiss back...not that he had given her any time. After a quick peck, he was gone...
"Sasuke-kun! NO!" she screamed, running a little ways then sinking to the ground. She held her face in her hands, not believing how helpless she was. How could she just let him leave? No wonder he had been acting so strangely lately. Talking to her, being so friendly and outgoing to people...cause he knew he had to leave soon...after the third Uchiha was discovered and located, Konoha had been in great danger. Sasuke knew only he could destroy the other two with his Mangekyo Sharingan...even if it did blind him...because not being able to see would be his least worry then...
That was a few days ago.
Sakura held the paper in her hand...the headlines were all it took to make her eyes waterfalls again, making the freshly printed ink blotchy and ruined. Hinata and Ino were also watery-eyed...and no doubt the rest of the village would be, too, once they discover what happened.
"L-Last Uchihas...F-Found Dead..." Sakura was barely able to choke. She paused and finished the headline. "With Youngest B-Blind and Tear-Stained."
She dropped the paper and cried into her best friend's shoulder. Ino patted her on the back and tried to be strong for her. Hinata only picked up the paper and continued to read the rest of it. Sakura needed to hear this.
"Sakura, please listen. You'll want to know this much, at least," she said quietly,skimming through the article until she reached a certain paragraph.
"Youngest known Uchiha member, Sasuke, was found dead among another two Uchihas, apparently having been killed in battle. Sasuke, 13, male, and once thought to be one of only two remaining Uchihas, was discovered by a passerby in a forest nearby the Sound Village. After being evaluated by professionals, it is confirmed that he was killed by his own Ultimate Damage Mangekyo Sharingan. A note was found in a pocket inside his jacket, addressed to a certain Haruno. He was also found with red, irritated eyes, also confirmed that he had been crying somewhat recently before or during his death. A copy of the note may or may not be released, depending upon wishes of the Haruno child, who may pick it up at the Konoha Town Hall when convenient. A funeral will be held-"
"Stop."
"But Sakura-" Hinata started.
"Stop!...That's all I need to hear...Sasuke-kun...was crying..." she said quietly, having picked her head up from Ino. She turned to Hinata and wiped her eyes.
"I'm gonna go get the note...he mentioned that he had one for me about a week ago...but he said he just wasn't ready for me to read it...wait up for me at the ramen shop. I'll be there in a few minutes,kay?"
"Oh...are you sure you don't want us to go with you?" Ino said, advancing a step.
"Yes, just please, I need to be alone...I need to think. Just..." she sighed. This was way too hard. "Go wait for me."
"Okay...see ya, Sakura," Ino said, giving her friend one more hug and walking off. Hinata waved, gave a weak, reassuring smile, and followed Ino.
Hmm...now where's the Konoha Hall?...Do we even have one of those? she thought as she roamed the streets. She saw a humble looking man and went up to him.
"Excuse me, sir, where is the Hall?" she asked as politey as she could.
"Right over there, honey," he said back. She smiled a thank you to him, to which he nodded back, and she headed in the direction of his gesture.
Konoha Hall, Office, and Postage it read. No wonder, she thought. So this is what they've been working on. -sigh- I'm going ahead and getting this over with.
She walked in, immediately being eyed pitifully by secretaries and chiefs. She only sneered back, having suddenly aquired an attitude, and power-walked to a desk that read Paper Directory. She rung a little bell on the table and waited as a man with a visor greeted her.
"Hello, maam, may I help-"
"Yes, you may. I am Sakura Uchiha, and I believe there is a note from Sasuke Uchiha addresed to me here. May I have it?" she said in a breath, boring holes in his head expectantly.
He reared in slight intimidation, but struggled to remain cool.
"Certainly. In fact, here it is."
He took out a carefully folded note from a pocket in his shirt and handed it to her.
"Never been opened, I can swear it."
"Thank you, and I do not intend for you to broadcast it to all of Konoha."
"Hmm...I understand..." he was fixing to continue, but as he blinked behind his glasses, she was gone.
Sakura was at Konoha Ledge in a matter of seconds. The far end of town, no one knew where she was, and it was quiet. Perfect.
She laid down against the single oak that was overlooking the steep cliff she was on and unfolded the white sheet of paper. She felt her nose burn as tears readied themselves. She was ready to cry before she even looked inside.
"To My Sakura Flower," she mumbled under her breath. Oh my gosh...Her heart skipped a beat, but she silently continued.
If you are reading this...the last three Uchihas are dead...including me...
I am sorry...I really am, that it had to be this way...I really hadn't intended it to be like this...
But I couldn't live with myself if I knew you were in danger and I could do something about it...
So I did...
And I hope I suceeded...
And I pray, even wherever I am now, that you are safe, and perhaps one day be happy again...
Cause you deserve to be happy...
To settle down and have a nice, content family...
Even if I am not a part of it...
I think about you every day, every minute of my young life...
And whether you knew it or not, I have always noticed you...
And I hoped our last encounter had proved this to you...
That I love you.
I always have,
And I always will.
Don't forget me, my sweet Sakura, don't let me stray from your thoughts, at least for too long.
And remember I am still watching over you.
So don't cry-
She sniffled at that part, then continued.
Don't frown,
Don't sing sad songs that remind you of your pain...
Be happy with the life you have been given...
Please...
Learn to forget the pain...and be strong...for me.
-Your friend, and your heart...
Sasuke Uchiha
She read it over and over again...
Since when is Sasuke this deep?
She sat there for who knows how many hours afterwards, not really knowing what to do next...
It was dark out, now, and she knew they would be looking for her by now. She just didn't know what to do...she couldn't live without him...
But maybe she didn't have to...
She got up and crept to the edge of the steep cliff, gazing down at its incredible depth...and the small river running in it...she held his note in her fingers, twiddling it carelessly until it slipped...
And she watched it float down, down, down, until it was no longer visible to her, probably being torn apart by the raging waters below.
Then she turned and sat back down.
She at least knew what she should do, now.
She took out a kunai and walked to the thick oak tree that she had resided in many times before.
"To my friends," she painstakingly etched into it. She should have brought paper.
"I have left to my Sasuke-kun in the sky...
But I can't live without him...
So I have made myself a watery grave...
Thank you for your support and love...
I will miss you guys.
Sakura."
She looked it over. It was rigid and rather sloppy, but carving wasn't exactly one of her talents, least of all in the dark. She sighed, feeling tears well up inside her again.
I have to do what I have to do...those words resounded in her head, over and over, as she walked slow, careful steps back to the ledge of the cliff. She peered down into its now invisible depths, due to the lack of sunlight, and let her tears fall into it.
"I am coming...my love..." she said quietly, then shifted her weight ever so slightly.
"Sakura-san!"
She quickly looked behind her.
"Lee?" she said, but she only toppled back. "Lee!"
"SAKURA-SAN!" he cried again, rushing to her side, but only swiping the air. He looked down at her outstretched hands and was on his stomach in a second.
She grasped his hands with both of hers, legs dangling in cowar. She looked down, finally realizing what she had done, then looked back up at Lee, who was staring back at her.
"Sakura-san...what are you doing?" he said, tightening his hold.
"I don't know, but if you don't pull me up in a second I think I'll faint," she said somewhat urgently. He struggled to a crouch and heaved her up. She lunged when she was at her feet, knocking Lee over with her on top of him, but she wanted as far away from that edge as possible, now, if not sooner. She was so confused now.
"Sorry, Lee..." she mumbled, getting off of him and backing into the tree. He got up, too, and looked her tear-stained face over.
"Sakura-san...what-...what were you doing?" he said slowly, still not grasping her intentions. If he did, he was being over-incredulous.
"Lee...you should have seen the note Sasuke-kun wrote me...I'm his Sakura Flower...and...I didn't want to live without him..."
"Where is it?"
She slowly moved her gaze to the cliff, then brought it back to Lee.
"I didn't know what I was doing...I was blinded from his words...he...said...he just didn't want me in danger...that-"
"That he could not live with himself if you were in danger and he could do something about it?" Lee suggested.
"We-...yes, but how did you-"
"And he could only pray that you were safe, and even happy?"
"...yes, but-"
"Sakura-san...he obviously loved you, and he wanted you to be safe, alive, and happy. Not dead,or depressed or lonely."
"Lee, how did you know?"
He sighed and looked down.
"Because...I was with him...just before he went into battle...I was on a mission in the Sound Village when I found him, and he was crying."
Sakura could feel her eyes flood already.
"I went to him,and he was surprisingly open to me. He told me while he could not stand to be without you, but he loved you too much for you to be in danger. He told me he knew he would die if he used an Ultimate Damage Mangekyo Sharingan...but it would be worth it if you were safe. He showed me the note...and I read it many times, almost memorized it. I-...I tried to change his mind...but he told me he would just kill himself sooner if I tried to stop him...So I could not. We talked for a long time, and he cried the whole time...until he finally said he sensed both Itachi and the other Uchiha of whom's name I do not know. I told him I would accompany him in battle, but he knocked me out before I could follow him...He said he did not want more people dead than there needs to be..." Lee finished, looking to Sakura for her reaction.
"Lee..." she broke down and started crying in his right shoulder. He hesitantly embraced her as supportively as he could.
"Sakura-san..." he finally said. She only turned her head to face away from him.
"Sakura-san...he did all that to ensure your health...and well-being...your youth...so that you could live peacefully and be happy again. He did it for you. Do not throw all that away. Be strong...for him," Lee continued. She sniffed and stood back, rubbing her eyes, then looked to the tree.
"...you did all that to the poor tree?" Lee said, looking at the foot and a half by foot message engraved on the bark.
She gave a little laugh, then shook her head.
"No, it'll be all right...I can fix it..." she turned to it, sniffled again, and started regenerating it cells to restore its damage. It didn't take her too long, being the skilled chunin that she was.
"Sakura-san...do you-...will you be okay?" he asked after a little bit.
"Will you walk me home?"
"Of course."
"Then I think I can manage...with all my friends...you guys are so good to me..." she said, taking Lee's hand and leaning her head on his shoulder. He was still stunned at her slightly different behavior, but decided not to think much of it.
"Anything for you, Sakura-san...you will always be our Sakura Flower."
She gave a weak smile, the first genuine one she'd given in days...and let her tears of newly found happiness roll down her nose onto his shoulder as they walked back to Konoha.
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