Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto Kiba would have a cat.
In The End
I twirled the umbrella endlessly as I made my way through the Konoha streets. Rain poured from the sky, but I didn't mind. In fact I like the tranquility, the empty streets and hearing the rain patter on my umbrella, the dark like glow the rain shower gave in the late afternoon.
It was nice. Usually I would prefer windy clear days, spring days, but nerveless…
Anyways I'm here walking along I'm starting to notice all the things I'm missing out. You know, my nose buried in medical books and special long-term missions with Tsunade to polish my skills. I pass a row of stores and see Kurenai pulling along her little infant, Asuma's legacy. It makes me smile that I can see the heavy resemblance between father and son.
I keep going down the street. I turn the corner and see Ichiraku ramen. The lights are on the air felt slightly warmer. The ramen wafted to my nose. I could see two figures, as they duct under the flaps and out into the rain. I stay a few feet away, watching intently. That's when it hits me as I recognized the people.
Of all people I see Naruto; well of course it's his favorite place, but Hinata as well! My eyes widened. I knew Hinata was queasy around Naruto, but there she was laughing heartily with him as the rain began soaking them.
"Yeah!" I hear Naruto say loudly. I witnessed as he took Hinata by the hand and drawn her closer to him, I could her blush through the rain as he planted a quick, shy kiss on her mouth.
Not wanting to interfere I turn and began walking toward a different direction, shocked. I knew Naruto was dense…but he finally, finally dropped me for Hinata? I wasn't jealous or sad…no way. Naruto is my comrade and brother-like. I was in fact happy. But a little sad that he's growing up.
Shaking it off I kept walking. I notice I'm nearing Ino's shop. I hesitated. Do I really want to deal with Ino's teasing today? I could just imagine what she'll say, seeing my lone figure out in the rain. "Lonely Sakura? Go home before you look like a drowned-cat." She would say. We were on friendlier terms although our rivalry was still…strong. Sometimes I would just get sick of it.
The funny thing is, is that our rivalry doesn't rotate around our child-hood crush on Sasuke. In fact, I'm proving my point right now as I watch the inside of the shop windows, warmly lit, Ino and Shikamaru exchange a tight embrace. I raise my eyebrows. Ino decided to move on?
Well, I gladly accepted it. Not giving another thought I moved on. I keep passing as the street widens and the shops fade into houses. Walking along the opposite side of the street I closely observe the details of each house. I smiled as I saw the hand print visible on the side of my own house, still in the pouring rain.
I turned in a different direction, and glanced up. The skies poured like crazy today. But the rain looked so mesmerizing as I watched it fall. I realized, right there and then, I really love Konoha. Everything about. The tight fit houses, the shinobi…heck even our Hokage, who has been a strong obstacle for me to go over. I love the food; I love all my friends…
The problem was, a giant peace of my love has ran away. I watch, pitying myself, as I passed the giant Hyuuga compound with both Neji and Tenten in the front kissing in the rain fall. It was the perfect cliché romantic scene, like in the movies, and expected circumstances for these two. I being the hopeless romantic could only watch and sigh dreamily.
Why can't a certain Uchihabe like Neji? Still holding dignity but sharing a special place and allowing love inside instead of filling hate. Why can't he realize that I'm his kunoichi, and no one else's? Then it dawn on me he must think I'm not worthy. It made sense; Neji thinks Tenten is the worthiest thing in the world, or something weird like they were fated. But Sasuke didn't with me…or possibly couldn't show it.
Whatever the deal was; I sadly turn away and made my way around the town. I now began seeing couples everywhere. Shizune and Genma complaining in the rain, two civilians giggling and running to escape the rain drops. I wish I could share this day with someone too, like Naruto and Hinata or Shikamaru and Ino and Neji and Tenten. But I couldn't. Because the only person I would want to and run or kiss in the rain or be cozy in-doors was…
Gone.
I felt almost hopeless, feeling the sudden urge I mope towards the entrance of Konoha, to escape the town because right now I felt very out of place. I loved Konoha but I couldn't fit in anymore. I had fruitless missions, fruitless trails, dead ends and suffering and pain. It would be his fault, because he began all of this. I say it's a cursed fate. A fate his very own brother set upon him for whatever reason. The results in the end made him obsessive for power, willing to break me and his best friend.
Tears gather in my eyes. Everyone always said I had pretty eyes, but with him I was indifferent than any weak feeble girl. But I know…I just know that he harbors something else for me. The goodbye couldn't mean nothing, him allowing me to care for him in his time of need, like our first chunin exams. I couldn't understand why he would throw that away.
He was blind with hate. I wiped my eyes. I hadn't cried in a long time. I re-adjust my umbrella and see the large red gates of the entrance of Konoha. The road beyond there stretched endlessly. If I walk that path…it could feel the rain wash away my memories of Konoha, I was willing to search to the end for him but maybe I didn't want to anymore.
I stop right in-between the giant doors of the entrance. I look out from under my umbrella into the outside world. I didn't need to worry about the shinobi at the post, they where dozing off in this weather.
Tears kept coming and coming as I struggled to put my foot out of Konoha's boundaries. My mind raced through the memories of Konoha, I was ready to throw it all away. I let a sob escape. Because of Sasuke I was a wreck, I was screwed up and I was a broken record.
I focused my eyes on my foot, ordering it to move, even by an inch. Part of me was screaming with agony to not let go, the other was desperate...desperate to escape the very source of my life and happiness.
"What are you doing Sakura?" The voice sent a lighting jolt and tremor through my body. The voice rang through the rain more powerful than any force I had ever known, it seem to reach the beyond as my brain adjusted well to that voice.
My eyes nearly fell out of my head, they where still focused on my feet. The point was, the voice didn't come from behind me, and it came from in front of me.
My head slowly moved up and my umbrella lowers. I stand there in a moment of a run of emotions; I let the rain fall onto my shoulders, face and hair. But I didn't give a thought about it.
He was standing tall…almost. A heavy bandage, dyed red from blood was wrapped around his head and over one of his eyes, his cloak was torn he had heavy scars and deep wounds everywhere. He was covered in mud, his hair stuck up not at all in the right way, his eyes where heavy with bags, his clothes soaked through and slightly limping from a bad leg and shoulder at an awkward position.
I let out a sob as a new rush of tears pour down my face. He was wrecked, weak, wounded, bloody and looked half-dead. But there he was the beautiful familiar creature I had been mesmerized since day one.
He smirked, that smirk that sent my heart to the heavens. "He's gone." Was all he said.
"SASUKE!" I scream at the top of my lungs, not in a fan girlish way but I needed to let it out of system, screaming his name came out all the pain and anger at once. I felt this new energy shoot through my body, I felt…alive.
The only I could do, was what I did. I dropped my umbrella and I ran.
I ran toward him, and with all my might I embraced him. With so much force we fell to the muddy ground. I was crying, laughing, and out of breath all at the same time. I didn't care if he winced; I kissed his face over and over again and held on tightly. He didn't seem at all disturbed.
"Sakura." He spoke as he looked at my face, his eye almost sparkling as he looked over me. He smiled a genuine smile.
"Your back!" I sobbed. "Your back!"
"He's gone, Sakura, he's gone." Sasuke said, his smile growing wider.
"That's good Sasuke-kun." I whispered as we both calmed down. I was still on top of him. Noticing the bandage I gently traced it. "What happened?" My expression chanced to worry.
"Minor injury." He answered. We sat up in the rain, I felt soaked through now, sitting on the wet ground. He was close to me.
"Oh." I say sympathetically.
And there I was in the rain; the thoughts of leaving Konoha were far left behind. I could share this day with someone. I could. I sat with my only one as he looked deeply at me, with such intensity I could feel myself grow warm.
"Sakura there's been something I have decided, and I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell you then until he was dead. But now that he is…." He trailed off and bent toward my ear, I felt my breath quicken.
With those words he said to me next, there and then, I felt not out of place at all, but in place. In the end.
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AN: I really REALLY had to get this out of my system.