Oneshot: Can't Move On

"speech"

'thoughts'

Summary: It's dark at night, and someone in Konoha is crying over a loss that happened just five years ago. Someone else pushes that person to be strong and move on, another pulls the same into the right direction. March symbolism. (as in the month)

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to own Naruto, I can't. Dude, If I DID own Naruto, Itachi would be alive and Sasuke dead. No matter what you say that chicken-butt hair is such a teme (in Naruto terms... I don't really know what teme means...). So there.

Tenten was there again, at the memorial stone, looking at all the names of those that had lost their lives in protecting their comrades. Next to her, or rather, below her, was a woman with disheveled pink hair and streaming eyeliner, looking terrible as she always did at this time of the year.

"Sasuke, Sasuke..." she was mumbling, crying, hanging onto Tenten's leg.

It was tedious, but ever since five years ago when Sasuke had died due to an attack by an Iwa-nin just after his return to the village, Sakura had been in terrible shape. She got better by the month, but in early March, when the frost was still thick, she broke down into nothing but sobs.

What was left of the Konoha-12 were all successful Jonin or ANBU now, a few even with their own little genin team. Sakura, however, never accepted a team, never moved onto ANBU, nor had she ever gone further into her medical training, ever since that shock five years ago.

'Sasuke,' Tenten thought alongside Sakura, 'Why'd you have to go?'

Usually Ino and Hinata would have been alongside them, but Ino had a mission in Sunagakure and was running late, and Hinata... well Naruto had finally opened his eyes to see her standing right there. They were currently dating and Sakura didn't have the heart to take Hinata along, nor did Tenten.

It was dark, it was nighttime, it was beginning to. Tenten decided it was time to bring Sakura back to her house. Her parents would be asleep, and someone had to check that Sakura wasn't going to try and join Sasuke. Tenten helped the pink-hair up, and shunshined to the Haruno's place. It was silent, but there was someone else there. Lee.

He looked up, and they saw he had an expectant look in his eyes until he recognized them. When Tenten opened the front door he motioned, as if asking if he could step in. Sakura merely nodded, exhausted already from all the weeping. The two of them helped Sakura up to her room, and set her down on her bed, where there were black stains already forming on the pillow. Tenten couldn't see that happening. She rushed to the bathroom and back, bringing the makeup remover kit with her.

"Stay still." she ordered, and began to remove the stains on the crying girl's face. It was sad, but she understood. If anything happened to her own lover... She didn't know what she would have done.

"Tenten..." Sakura croaked.

"Hai? Sakura?" Tenten answered, still patiently wiping away makeup.

"Gomen... Gomennasai... for making you do this... even if it's your birthday..." Sakura seemed to be truly sorry, and Tenten smiled ruefully.

"It's okay Sakura, it's always nice to help a friend..."

Her birthday just happened to be the anniversary of Sasuke's death. March 9th, a day never to forget.

Just then Lee came back into the room.

"Sakura-san," he said hesitantly, as if not knowing what to do.

"Yes, Lee?"

"Spit it out Lee."

"A... will you?" Lee held out a small box, which held inside a beautiful, antique ring. They guessed it had belonged to his family for some time.

But Sakura couldn't.

"Gom...Gomennasai!" she burst into tears again. "I... I can't... I still can't..."

Lee looked apologetic.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry, Sakura-san... I couldn't wait..."

Sakura looked up at him, who was currently facing downwards.

"I will wait for you, Sakura-san. I will wait until you can move on, even if it will take another ten to twenty years. I will wait." he said, and quietly moved out of the room.

Sakura looked stunned, tears still flowing freely down her face.

"W...Wait!" she shouted, but it was too late; Lee had gone out of the house. She turned to her friend. "Tenten... Help me... Help me move on... Help... me..." she fell asleep, exhaustion taking over. In the morning she would be good as new, as was for the past few years.

Tenten laid her friend on the small bed, and smiled. Sakura was finally accepting the changes, wanting to move on. Then she stood up. There was someone to meet and she couldn't keep them waiting for long.

She slid out of the house, making sure to lock the front door, and roof-hopped towards her own home. The lights were on. Shit, he was already here.

She landed in front of the door, and pulled it open, soon falling into her lover's arms. She kissed him softly, and whispered in his ear, "Don't you ever leave me."

Neji smiled against her hair and whispered back, "Was never planning to."

It was her birthday, and it was time to celebrate.

Outside, the March frost started to crack, and made way for fresh water, flowers, new life. A new time was coming upon Konoha, and it was looking bright.

Eh... My first try at a oneshot... I hope it's good... I came up with this after a dream one day... funny how most of my stories seem to come from dreams I have, which I write down. Seriously, I have like six/seven more oneshots if I put down all my dreams and input character names into them.

Well anyways thanks for reading and R&R please! I love positive constructive reviews and I love it when people take the time to write out flames, but anything. Even like maybe "good job" or "it was terrible" would be fine... just to boost my confidence... or lower it... either way... ^^