Summary: "My name's Sakura. Who are you?" Nobody believed that Sakura had moved on over Sasuke. But maybe she didn't move on; maybe she just forgot.
Standard disclaimer applies here
Forget-Me-Not
.
.
.
Lock your doors, storm's a-brewing.
.
.
.
It's hot, Sakura realizes.
It's not a warm, sunny kind of hot that reminds you of summer and sunshine and beaches and sparkling cool oceans. It's not the kind of hot that reminds you of hot springs that you go to with your friends when the weather is cool and you need to warm up.
It's a sweltering kind of hot, with sticky humidity clinging to your skin and dripping down your face inelegantly. It's a burning kind of hot, not so in good way; it's the kind that turns your skin lobster red and makes you feel dry to the bone. It's an uncomfortable kind of hot that makes you want to go to your best friend's house, put on some silk pajamas, and pig out on ice cream while blaring boy band songs on your bestie's stereo.
And while Sakura would love nothing more than to go to Ino's for a girls' night, she can't. She couldn't.
How can you go home if you had no clue where you were?
-x-
Fog.
Or at least that's what Sakura thinks she sees as she stumbles about, trying to avoid the blurry whiteness surrounding her. It made her feel enclosed and locked in, wrapped up like a fly after being caught in a spider web.
The fog made it impossible to see where she was going. Green and brown patches of colour peeked out from the dreary fog, but that was it. She had no clue where she was or where she was heading.
Hopefully it was close to home.
At the word home, her mind fills with images of her friends- her two loud but incredible best friends, her loving (but perverted) sensei, her strong shishou, and her fellow shinobi.
And most of all, she thinks of him.
He had returned a few months ago, not entirely by force but not exactly by free will, either. He had grown taller and leaner and stronger and if it were even possible, even more handsome. Despite of what he did, the ladies in the village- young or old, skinny or fat, married or single- still made big doe eyes at him. He was still the item in every girl's dream, still the envy in every boy's eyes.
It had taken a while, but eventually he got his redemption. He got his name back, his status back, and his old-but-new life back. And later on, everyone's trust.
Except hers.
She knows that maybe she's being selfish because she knows he's sorry. She knows he didn't mean what he did, and that he was foolish and blind at the time. He'd apologized a hundred, a thousand, a million times to her already, but she doesn't waver, doesn't break down.
Because sometimes, sorry isn't enough. It isn't enough to heal the scars left behind, which still sting even after all these years. It doesn't take back all the tears she'd shed since he left.
It doesn't fix the shattered heart she had carefully taped back together; with the flaws still showing and the cracks still visible.
So she'd ignored him when he returned. She had avoided him like a plague, spending her days and (sometimes) nights locked up in the hospital, looking over medical scrolls and performing jutsus on injured patients. She had even turned down Tsunade when she asked her be the one to heal the boy's eyes, instead offering to write the medical procedure and do the research for Tsunade; she had spent countless days and nights cramped up in Tsunade's office, reading over the medical scrolls on the legendary Sharingan. She had turned down all of Naruto's "team reunion ramen at Ichiraku's!" and all his offers to train with the rest of Team Seven. She'd shut him out of her life, because she wasn't ready.
But now? Now, as she staggers towards wherever, going to wherever, she wishes she had one last chance to see him. Her mind is throbbing in unbearable pain, and her legs feel like heavy lead, weighing her down. She breaks down in shivers every once in a while, even if the sun is burning her skin and sweat drips down her neck. She yearns to go home, to lie in bed and to take a nice, long nap in her soft sheets and plushy pillow. But she can't.
She'd been so stupid!
She was only this way because of her carelessness. She was the best medic in all of Konoha (with the exception of Tsunade, of course) and yet she couldn't heal herself! Sakura had barely noticed the poison-dipped kunai until is skinned her cheek. She's brushed it off; telling herself it was just a small cut, no worry- not even thinking for a minute that the weapon was dipped in a colorless and odorless substance, which was clearly made by an advanced shinobi. It wasn't until later when the pain hit her like a wave, slowly eating up her chakra and taking away her energy.
So here she is, stumbling around like a lost traveler somewhere. Black spots dance in her vision as she pushes forward, breathing deeply and trying so very, very hard to keep her heavy eyelids open. She hadn't felt this fragile in years since her training with Tsunade. And despite the promise she made to herself that she would never, ever, ever be that weak little girl she once was, she couldn't help but wish for someone to come and save her.
The black spots grew bigger and bigger in her vision covering the blurry white, and something hard catches on her foot. Sakura falls down in a crash, slicing her arm on something sharp- probably a rock- and winces in pain.
Warm liquid gushes out messily, and Sakura tries desperately to close up the wound. She's losing blood quickly and she's getting more and more exhausted and she can't stop now, because she wants to go home.
But her fingers fumble about, quivering, and she just can't seem to channel of her carefully-controlled chakra into her hand. The black spots dance, and dance, and grow, and grow, until she's sure it's going to swallow her whole. She then realizes that it wasn't fog after all; just her bleary, unfocused vision caused by the poison.
She tries to call out but her throat is so dry and it comes out in a raspy whisper, instead of the loud yell she wants. She tries to get up but she falls down every time, falling into a pool of her own blood. She tries to crawl but she can't, because she's exhausted and her arm hurts and she's hurt and everything hurts.
The black spots grow bigger and bigger until everything's black.
The last thing she says is the name she hadn't said in a very, very long time.
"Sasuke."
-x-
"Inuzuka, Arkamaru! Take left, sniff out the place to see if we're being chased. Hyuuga, take right. Scan the place for any intruders. I'll take ground. Let's move!"
Neji and Kiba both nod once and leap up from where they were standing into the dark green treetops above Sasuke's head. Sasuke dashes forward to catch up, Sharingan activated and fully alert.
They'd been sent on a mission to take down a ring of thieves by the docks in the Rain Country, and had finished early. It'd been easy, taking out a bunch of non-ninja people and scaring them. Now, they were returning back to Konoha, and keeping a close lookout for any followers. Because, of course, Tsunade wouldn't send both prodigies on a mission that would end up being like a piece of cake, right?
Right.
As soon as he thinks such a thought, a faint chakra catches Sasuke's attention. He narrows his eyes and scans the forest floor, trying to see where it was coming from.
He pinpoints that location easily, and feels surprise when the shinobi didn't attack or even seem to come close to him. In fact, the chakra level seemed to be getting lower and lower, fainter and weaker by the second.
Curiosity gets the best of him as he makes a run for where the chakra was sensed. From a distance, he can see a limp figure lying in a pool of… blood?
His breath catches in his throat as he stares at the figure not even a hundred meters away. There's no mistaking it.
The figure has pink hair.
There's only one person Sasuke knows that has pink hair. There's only one person in Sasuke's life that has pink hair. There's only one person with pink hair in Sasuke's life that makes Sasuke's heart pound and skip a beat and she's there. Right there.
There, not even a hundred, fifty, twenty-five, zero feet away.
His eyes widen in horror as he takes in the sight before him. The lovely kunoichi he had come to respect was lying there, in a pool of her own blood, with a nasty, nasty cut down her arm and pale, sweat-drenched skin. Her body looks like a limp ragdoll, lifeless and empty.
Her skin looks gray and old and bland and it scares Sasuke at how dead she looks, and how her eyes are shut tight and a pained expression was morphed on her pretty face.
Without thinking, because what was there to think about when she's lying there and lifeless- he picks her up and holds her close to his chest, before taking off into a run. She's light in his muscular arms, and despite everything Sasuke finds that she smells good; like vanilla and soft floral scents.
He barely makes it a thousand yards when his senses perks up, sensing the rogue ninja he'd been waiting for. He curses at the bad timing, and plans on what he's going to do with the almost-dead (but hopefully not) girl in his arms. He can't leave her behind and fight off the ninja surrounding him; but he can't hold her and let these ninja follow him back to the village. What was he supposed to do?
As if some almighty greater being hears worries, Neji and Kiba arrive to the scene. Kiba pants out, "Hey, we sensed-" before cutting himself off and stares at the recognizable pink-haired unconscious girl in Sasuke's arms. He then turns and grinds his canines together fiercely as he takes in all the rogue ninja surrounding them, waiting to strike.
"Uchiha," Neji commands, "Take Haruno back to the village. Inuzuka and I will finish these fools off."
Normally, Sasuke would be furious if anybody commanded him to do something when he was the leader. But this time, he just gives his teammates a curt nod, before disappearing amongst the treetops.
Because Sakura's life is on the line, and swallowing his pride for that is worth it.
-x-
While he runs, he looks upon her (beautiful) face.
She'd grown over the years he'd been gone, and if he wasn't so prideful he'd tell her she was beautiful. But he's Sasuke, an Uchiha no less; he was known for his pride and Uchiha's didn't just compliment pretty pink-haired girls on their looks.
Silently, on the inside, he thinks she's beautiful. He'd noticed that the very first day he'd returned.
Her once-long-then-cut-short pale pink hair was grown out again, her long, silky hair tied up in a messy ponytail. Her pale skin was soft like a baby's skin, clear and flawless. Her figure was slim but muscular and graceful like a dancer, with long creamy legs. Her green eyes sparkled when people talked to her, her pretty pink lips lifting into a smile whenever her friends made a funny joke.
But she never, ever smiled when she looked at him. It was ironic, really; Sakura Haruno, the loyal girl who used to chase Sasuke Uchiha and pester him to no end didn't bother sparing him a glance anymore. It bothered him for some unusual reason and made his heart clench.
Maybe, he thinks as he tightens his grip of her, holding her just a bit closer to his chest, maybe, when she gets better -(because she will)- I'll swallow my pride and take her out. Then we'll talk.
An unconscious smirk finds a way to his lips as he thinks about a possible future date with the lovely kunoichi currently cradled in his arms.
-x-
Ouch…
Sakura winces as she opens her eyes, immediately greeted by a blinding white light. Her mind searches for what happened before, but she can't think at all; her head is throbbing and it feels like it's on fire.
A cool hand is gently placed on her forehead, and her eyes focus on a blonde lady staring worriedly at her.
"Tsunade-shishou," she croaks, and her mentor immediately smiles.
"Sakura. I'm glad you woke up," Tsunade says, an obvious relieved smile on her beautiful face. "Your friends came here to see you."
Tsunade stands back, and Sakura sits up. In her room were her best friend Ino, her other blonde best friend Naruto, Hinata, and a quiet dark-haired boy who was leaning casually by the wall.
"FOREHEAD!" Ino shrieks, and tackles her in a fierce hug. "I THOUGHT YOU DIED, YOU CRAZY WOMAN! DON'T YOU DARE PULL THAT SHIT AGAIN ON ME, YOU HEAR ME?!"
Sakura grins at her best friend's emotional outburst. "Yes, Pig. I promise it won't happen again."
"It better not," Ino says, and Sakura's touched that there are tears in her friend's eyes. "I was really worried."
The minute Ino removes herself from Sakura, Naruto attaches himself to her.
"SAKURA-CHAN! I WAS SO SO WORRIED AND IF IT WEREN'T FOR TEME YOU MIGHT'VE DIED! Oh and I bought you ramen from Ichiraku's, in case you were hungry."
"Why thank you, Naruto," Sakura smiles gently. "But who's teme?"
Naruto's eyebrows scrunch up at Sakura's words. "What do you mean, 'Who's teme'? He's standing right there!" he adds, pointing to the quiet boy leaning against the wall.
Sakura blinks, her eyes showing obvious confusion.
Hinata chooses this moment to interrupt, saying in a soft voice, "I'm so happy you're awake, Sakura. We were all very worried about you."
Sakura glances at the shy Hyuuga heiress standing behind Naruto, fingers twiddling. "Thank you, Hinata. I'm glad I'm awake too," she adds jokingly.
Her bud green eyes then focus on the dark-haired boy leaning casually on the wall.
"Hey," she says, smiling brightly. "Um, thank you for saving me." The boy's dark eyes look up at her, eyes widening slightly.
"So, um… yeah." She smiles awkwardly. "It's so embarrassing to have a stranger come save you," she blurts out, turning bright red. "I must've looked pretty bad, huh?"
Naruto makes a strange coughing sound that sounds like a choke at her words, and the boy opens his mouth to reply but she interrupts him. "But I really appreciate it. I mean, a lot of people could've just left me there, so yeah. So thank you."
"By the way," she adds, rambling, "My name's Sakura. Who are you?"
And she's so immersed in her rambling that she fails to notice the shocked looks on her fellow teammates and her strict mentor. And the boy. The strange boy who saved her.
Note… So here's the new story I said I'd post. It's probably not the greatest idea, posting another multi-chapter story with my overloaded schedule but I can't help myself! And I've got this one allllllll planned out, start to finish. It's going to be in the Naruto world (it's called canon or something like that, I think?) and yeah. I'm excited to see how this one's going to go. So leave a review, yeah? :)
LOVE YOU'S.
-A