Fated Sand Blossom

Prologue

Sometimes things happen without you wanting them to happen. Sometimes the things that happen in our lives may seem unfortunate or disastrous, but later on, when we look back at all the bad times…we see that those bad times are the ones that lead us to the joyous life we have now. No one really deserves to be happy without going through a hard time first. That is when you will find true happiness and a sense of belonging; that is when you will appreciate what you have.

For the longest time, I have been struggling with myself. I have been running from my destiny; running from what I have to do. I know that this—well, I know that by the time you read this, I will no longer be alive. I want you to know that I'm sorry about everything that's happened, and I love you. I suppose that this is my farewell letter to you—if anything. It pains me to say this, but…it's the end for us. I know that you will be suffering, and I apologize for that—but this is what I must do to save everyone. I am the only one who can. Please understand that I am not telling you this out of revenge or anger…but out of love.

Forgive me for leaving now, but you know that there is no other choice, and I shall not allow you to put yourself at risk again to save me or anyone else. You deserve to live, to rule your village as you have always wanted. This is your time now, so make the best of it. Do not mourn for me; I am in need of no tears where I am headed. I just want you to know that I…I am grateful for everything that you have done for me up to now, and…farewell.

Sakura Haruno

Sakura took in a deep breath and placed the inked pen on top of the small writing desk in front of her and folded the piece of paper she had written on in half. She left it in the center of the desk with the rose made of sand her lover had made her; she knew he would find what she had left for him. No doubt he was on his way over to her tent at this very moment, huffing and puffing out steam from his ears and nostrils, his eyes glazed with anger at hearing she was leaving. It couldn't be helped though. She had already analyzed the whole situation thoroughly a million times…and this was the only battle plan she could think of that would work.

She was walking to her death.

Oh, how she would miss him. He was the most amazing man she had ever come across in all her years of living such a hard life. The life of a ninja was a difficult one, a harsh one; not something that just any one person could do. You had to be strong, you had to endure…and you had to abandon all that you love so that it would not be used against you. Some ninjas are more selfish than others, thus they do not part from the ones they love…but fate always has a way of making you suffer for the loved ones you refused to let go of. Perhaps that is why she was in the situation she was in now?

Slowly rising from the chair she sat in, she blew out the tall candle standing on the corner of the desk and walked over to the entrance of her small tent and stared at the closed flaps for the longest time. Her green eyes glowed lightly in the darkness of the tent, mentally preparing herself for death. Despite the outcome of her life, she would do this all over again…just to be with him one more time, to see his light blue eyes rimmed in black. She sighed and lifted one of the flaps of the dull, white tent and…as she did so, she found herself looking back; back to when she began to feel alive again…back to when he was first reunited with her….