Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
This story is something I write on a whim, it suddenly appear out of the blue
Beta: MinaTakahashii
Well, enjoy... and find the true meaning of soulmate, I hope
Soulmate
I have always believed in soulmates
"Uchiha Sasuke is your destined soulmate, honey"
Ever since that sentence came out from my mother's mouth, I always believed that Sasuke was my soulmate, even though I hadn't even met this boy named Sasuke
It was destined, no matter how the future turned up, changed, shifted or whatever
Sasuke was my soulmate as I was his
It was predetermined, I believed it even though I hadn't yet learned what soulmate meant
Ever since I was 5 years old, I have always believed in soulmates
0
It was a few years later, I met my best friend, Ino
She saved me from bullies and most important of all, from myself
Ino was, at the time, my role model; an ideal self
Ino, Ino... let's play with Naruto, I said
"No way, he's a dobe, a failure... Let's talk about Uchiha Sasuke, he's so dreamy, right? He's my soulmate"
Even now I could still remember her loud statement as if she said it just a moment ago
Wow, I see... Uchiha Sasuke, huh? He is my soulmate too
"You can't! He's mine... Soulmates can only be meant for one person"
Really?
"Yea... Your soulmate is other part of your soul. It makes you feel complete and happy, that's what I read from my mom's novel"
Sasuke is my soulmate!, I glared at Ino
On that day, I discovered three things:
Naruto was a dobe, Ino was a rival, and Sasuke was my soulmate
During the 8th summer of my life, I learnt what soulmate meant
0
12:59
1 more minute before lunch break
I stretched my sore muscles before looking back at the white empty corridor of the hospital
Boredom and emptiness were my only company on my shift, as always
Hmmm... 3 seconds before the clock stroked 1:00 and my shift ended
3 seconds before his daily invitation came
1:00
"Sakura-chan, let's go on a date!"
His exuberant voice reverberated against the wall
I smiled on the inside
Naruto had been the one who cheered me up, always. His cheerful presence always made my boring days brighten up
He'd always be there for me
Too bad Sasuke was my soulmate and not him
Because Naruto was a dobe and Sasuke was my soulmate; those were immutable facts
But at least, Naruto would be there for me until Sasuke came back
It was destined, no matter how the future turned up, changed, shifted or whatever
Sasuke was my soulmate as I was his
So, I scowled on the outside and delivered the same reply to him as yesterday's
Baka, I already said a thousand times, I don't and won't ever go on a date with you. Why don't you go away and bug someone else?
Then I delivered a punch, as always
For 15 years of my life, I had always believed in soulmate
Therefore it was only right to choose the man who left me crying at the village's years ago instead of the man who had always be there for me
Because the man who left me was my destined one, my soulmate, therefore it's right
Because I had always believed in soulmate
0
Naruto then would flash a brief look of hurt and pain across his handsome visage before smiling at me and saying good bye
I then would go the hospital cafeteria and spend my lunch break with my colleagues
After 30 minutes and my break ended, I would go back to my station and began anew my boring duty
Waiting for my soulmate to come back, waiting for the day to end and waiting for Naruto to come and ask me for another date tomorrow
That was my endless cycle
That would keep rotating over and over, until my soulmate came and swept me off my feet like Prince Charming did to Cinderella
Waiting for my soulmate to finally free me from this curse and completed me
Only until then I could finally be happy
There's no other way
Such was my endless cycle, my life, until my Prince Charming eventually came and saved me from this unbreakable curse
And thus, tomorrow would come without fail and the same cycle would be playing again
Praying that today would be the last and waiting until the day my soulmate finally came and swept me off my feet.
Because I had always believed in soulmate
0
But today was not the case
The usual flash of hurt and pain was not there across his handsome visage
Instead a look of understanding replaced the expression I was so familiar with
Naruto then gave me his usual smile and said goodbye to me, though today I felt a certain weight in his goodbye
I could only stare at his back as he walked away
Time felt like being set on a slow motion until he disappeared around the corner
I then went the hospital cafeteria and spent my lunch break with my colleagues
After 30 minutes and my break ended, I went back to my station and began anew my boring duty
Somehow, something was different today
But what was it?
Ah... never mind, today was just a special case
Tomorrow would come without fail and the usual cycle would be playing again
Until the day my soulmate came and swept me off my feet
0
What had gone wrong today?
Where was Naruto?
Why hadn't he come yet?
1:01
The clock showed me the same time as a second ago
Where was Naruto?
Was he on a mission?
Was he sick?
I decided to wait for him, something probably came up
1:02
I still waited for him
Was he helping someone?
Ah... that might be the reason he was late
Because he would always be there for me
1:15
I still waited for him
Just to catch a glimpse of his smile
Where was Naruto?
I waited... and waited... and waited...
The day finally ended and Naruto never came that day
Ah... never mind, today was just a special case
Tomorrow would come without fail and the usual cycle would be playing again
Until the day my soulmate finally came and swept me off my feet
0
The day passed as slowly as a snail
The white empty corridor of the hospital somehow felt emptier and bleaker than usual
I felt more bored and lonely than I usually did
I waited today
The clock struck 1:15
But Naruto did not come
I waited again on the next day
But Naruto still did not come
Had something happened to him?
0
For the next week, I didn't meet with Naruto. I didn't see his smile or feel his cheerful presence
And just like that, my endless cycle finally broke
But where was my soulmate? Where was Sasuke?
There was no one that came and swept me off my feet like Prince Charming did to Cinderella
There was no one that completed me and made me happy
So, why had my endless cycle ended?
Wasn't I supposed to be happy when that curse ended?
Why was it that I felt more miserable than when I was still trapped in that unbreakable cycle?
Where was the soulmate that saved me from my curse?
For the first time in a very long time, I felt that, maybe, Sasuke was not my soulmate
0
I was on my sick leave when I found out
I was just strolling around Konoha without a specific destination in mind
I found out why Naruto had stopped coming for me, why Naruto had stopped being there for me
I was just passing a familiar ramen stand when I heard cheerful laughter
Man and woman
Naruto and Ino
Sitting side by side, they were laughing at Naruto's joke, without any care in the world
Hearing his laughter and seeing his smile brightened me a bit
It was a beautiful moment that belonged to a couple
A couple on date
It was a moment just like those exciting moments in cheap romance novels I loved to read
But for some reason I couldn't comprehend, right now, I detested that moment with passion
Why did I feel this ugly feeling?
Was it because Naruto had gone to Ino instead of me?
Was it because his date was Ino, my rival, that made me feel this way?
Or was it just jealousy, because I was feeling just that; jealousy
In the midst of envy, anger and confusion, a realization dawned me
It was Naruto that had ended my endless cycle
So, didn't it mean that he was my soulmate?
0
Ever since I was 5 years old, I have always believed in soulmates
Soulmates were meant for each other
He was the other half of my soul as I to him
Soulmates completed each other, and only after we completed each other could we finally feel true happiness
Even if both of the halves did not realize it, soulmates were always drawn towards each other
So, the next time I met with Ino, I confronted her
Why are you dating Naruto now? Are you just playing with him? I asked vehemently
Ino merely shook her head, "I know I was a bitch to him in the past but I assure you, I really love him"
Love? I was taken aback by her reply
Love, Ino? I thought you were saying Sasuke was your soul mate?
She laughed "It was just a childhood crush Sakura. What do you expect from puppy love? We barely even knew him back then, except that he was a tragic pretty boy"
B-but, you said that Naruto was a dobe, a failure. How can someone like you date him? I tried to hide my hurt as I asked this
"Like I said Sakura, I was a bitch back then but when you get to know his real self, he was pretty attractive, though he is not the brightest crayon in the box, I still love him and he loves me. That's what really matters"
H-he loves you?
"Yeah, he said it yesterday and I felt like I was on cloud nine. That was the first time someone told me that and really meant it. You don't know what you missed Sakura" Ino teased
I could not utter any word. My heart felt like it had been torn into two and my soul was being ripped apart from me
You can't date him, he is my soulmate, you can't make him happy. Only a soulmate can make the other happy! I shouted
Ino just shook her head "Grow up, Sakura"
She then started to walk away from me
It did not matter
Soulmates were meant for each other
He was the other half of my soul as I to him
Soulmates completed each other, and only after we completed each other could we finally gain true happiness
Even if both of the halves did not realize it, soulmates would always be drawn towards each other
Naruto would realize it was me who was his other half, as he was my other half
He was the one who saved me from my endless curse, he was the one who could make me feel completed and happy
On that day, I decided that Naruto was my soulmate
0
Soulmate
I have always believed in soulmates
Ever since I was 5 years old, I have always believed in soulmates
But seeing the scene at the altar before me made me realize something
Everyone around me was beaming with happiness even though I shed tears
The other guests were probably mistaking my tears as the tears of joy
I was supposed to be the one standing there with him
It was supposed to be me, not my blond rival
As my tears flowed down, I thought
Ah, now I could not feel happiness anymore as well as him. The other half of my soul could not be completed, as well as his
But seeing his smile, I knew that he was truly happy and seeing Ino's smile, I knew, as someone who had known her since childhood, that she was happy
So, if both of them were happy, didn't it mean that they completed each other?
If they complete each other, didn't it mean that they were soulmates?
But, wasn't Naruto my soulmate?
I was certain that we were drawn to each other. I was certain that I was happy when I was around him. I was certain that he completed me
Ah... I see now
I was regarded as the best medic since Tsunade and one of the geniuses of my generation but I could not see something so obvious
On the day I lost the man I loved, I realized that there was no such thing as a soulmate.
The end...
Review please... your thought?
Lots of thanks to my beta, MinaTakahashii