A small sad fic brought on by watching too many sad movies.
The lone man stood in the drenching rain, just standing. Just staring off into the distance. Never before had he felt the pain and that strange feeling of emptiness now residing in his gut. Never before did he cry so much and so hard.
As the wind around him blew even harder and grew colder, he didn't take notice. The one thing he loved the most had been so unceremoniously taken away from him. He couldn't care less if people had started to worry about him, what he cared for all these years was gone forever.
" I never thought, not even in my wildest dreams that you would leave me like this. After all the times I told you I loved you, you just up and go. I thought I made you happy. Why couldn't you have just stayed with me instead of running off like that? I don't understand…"
Even though the rain started to lighten and the clouds began to clear, the sinking feelings grew heavier and the tears only continued to flow.
"Remember when we were younger? When we'd train together and I'd make fun of you because I always beat you? You said I thought you were weak. I never thought that. To me you were perfect. Strong, smart, but above all, you had a beautiful heart.
"I hate how I miss seeing your smile. Hearing your laugh always made me feel special. And your kisses, they always made me blush." The tall ninja laughed, a hollow tone replacing his usually cheery one.
The clouds had almost gone and the rain had stopped completely. The sounds of birds coming out from their hiding places echoed throughout the wood.
"You were my world, my entire being. My reason for living. I loved you the moment I saw you not as a ninja, but as a woman. You taught me so many things I could not have thought possible a few years ago.
"You shouldn't have taught me how to love. It would be so much easier if you hadn't. I wouldn't have to cry because of you. I hate crying, you knew that. I hate you for making me cry, for making me cry over you! But I can't ever hate you. I love you too much to do that…"
Silence. That's all he heard. At that very moment, he wanted to hear the voice he loved so much to scold him for being immature. For crying over something that was so common in their lives.
"I love you. I love you so much. I promise you that I'll never love anyone like I have loved you. No one deserves that kind of love but you. You know, you only just left but I miss you already."
A soft pitter-patter of hurried footsteps could be heard. They were coming from the village.
"Yume-chan…" He whispered.
"Tou-san, why do you cry so much? I loved mummy too but look at me, I'm being strong for her because mummy would've wanted that. Please Tou-san?" As much as the man didn't want to, the sight of his daughter always made him smile.
"My Yume-chan, you look exactly like your mother…" He smiled raising a hand to hold the little rosy cheek.
"Come on Tou-san, Naruto-niisan said he'd buy me ramen!"
"You go on ahead, I still need to say goodbye." Yume nodded and placed a small cluster of frangipanis on the ground before running off.
"I can't believe I'm doing this. Know that I'll always love you. We both love you. I'll miss you, sayonara…" Touching his fingers to his lips, he put them against the cold stone smiling. He got up and began to walk off, his eyes still lingering on that same spot he'd been staring at for the past few hours. He walked back to the stone and placed his fingers back at that same spot.
"I love you." He said as he finally let his hand drop revealing the name he had concealed.
After all this time, the strongest woman of the village had died. And now her name was on that same stone in the woods, surrounded by all those other names that had so fiercely protected Konoha with their lives. And right below a name that start to wear away was etched,
Hatake Sakura.
But unlike the name above hers, this one would never wear away.