Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.. obviously

Chapter 1

"I... I love you with all my heart!.. If you were to stay here with me, there would be no regrets...because every day we'd do something fun, we'd be happy I swear..! I would do anything for you! So...please, just stay with me!"

Sakura sat in the small room, wondering if inviting him was a mistake. After all, he did not look pleased when she offered him the tickets to the hot springs.

She kept on making excuses though. Maybe he was just tired after his arrival from his so called road of redemption? Or was it because she should not have invited him at all? There was nothing between them to begin with.

'Yes, maybe he doesn't want to be with you.'

Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought. It cannot be true! She is sure there is something between them now, even if it is not considered love. At least they are somehow back to where they were before he chose the path of revenge and left her on the cold bench that night.

Wait.. that did not sound right. What kind of relationship had they had back then? Friendship?.. She knew that, to Sasuke, she would never be on the same scale with Naruto. They shared a deep friendship (which even could be called brotherhood) that she herself could not understand, and whatever she does, she probably never will.

What about that forehead poke he used when he started his new path?

Honestly, she did not understand what it meant, but she knew it was a sweet gesture. I mean, you do not just go poke a random person's forehead promising them you would see them again right?

Sighing, she got up from her position on the futon. She adjusted her red kimono (Yes, red was her favorite, especially with those pink cherry blossom decorations). This place was actually nice! Maybe it is the best thing about this whole thing after all. She should thank Naruto again when she returns.

Sharing the room with Sasuke, however, made her very insecure about her actions. She cannot enjoy her stay as she was expecting, but she should thank Naruto for the effort.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" The golden boy said, running up to her with that goofy smile she always admired, but she would never admit it out loud for the sake avoiding the idiot's talk about how cool he is and how he should be Hokage right there and then because he obtained the coolest smile in the ninja nation and Kakashi should step down right now.

Besides, it wasn't her character to praise Naruto.

"Naruto!" She immediately replied, "You look happy! Have you been on a date with Hinata?" She gave him that look that meant: 'I know just admit it!' He and Hinata have been dating for quite the time now. She was extremely happy for them. She had always supported their relationship and was the one encouraging Hinata to confess her love for Naruto. She knew that Hinata would get him in the end and she was right. The blonde turned out to be in love with her, but he was too idiot to notice.

A psycho from the moon had to show up to knock that into his yellow head.

"N-no it's not that!" he blushed deeply, another cute sight of him, "You see, Teme's back and he is staying for quite a while. You guys haven't talked much, so I'm giving you the chance." He said, handing her two tickets of some kind and not giving her the time to register what he has just said.

"What are these? Ramen coupons?" she knew they were not, but she liked to mess with him.

"No! They are tickets to hot springs," he corrected, "You see, I wanted to go with Hinata but she had some kind of sickness and I thought it would be a waste so.. take them!" he said, handing her the tickets. She doesn't know why it sounded like a lie.

" B-but, Naruto! Me and Sasuke aren't that kind of thi-"

But he was already gone, leaving a confused and flustered Sakura behind, thinking of what she could do with the tickets.

And here she was, trapped with the Uchiha for three nights in a small hotel... and a small room.

From the bright side, the atmosphere is not as bad as it was when they were on their way to their destination.

A part of her wished she had never mustered the courage to ask Sasuke, considering his reaction towards her invitation. And truth to be told, she was sure that Naruto had influenced him to accept even before she went to his place. She should not have taken that to her credit.

The creak sound of the door cut her train of thoughts.

There he was, the prince charming and the man that occupied her mind at that moment and every moment. Clad in his dark blue kimono, his face was as emotionless as ever, but this is Sasuke-kun we are talking about, so get used to it.

He leaned on the door frame, probably waiting for her to move, and she was sure that if his left arm were not missing, he would be folding his arms to his chest right now. He would have looked more handsome than he already is.

Okay she should stop staring now. He was waiting for her and probably very bothered because she had to make matters worse by asking him to come with her to a sacred place after just an hour of their arrival.

She smiled uneasily.

"Umm.. L-let's go?"

Sasuke was not unhappy. But he was angry.

Do not get him wrong! He is not angry with Sakura. Actually, he could admit he has feelings for her, but he would never say it out loud. He could go as far as denying it.

For her sake, of course.

He was so excited after the war when he was leaving the village again that his mind could not function properly when it suggested poking Sakura's forehead and making a promise to meet her again.

He, Sasuke Uchiha, the ex-rouge and S class criminal, is in a relationship with Sakura Haruno, the strong, beautiful, angel, and list goes on... kunoichi of Konoha.

That does not sound right. Even his being a hero of the fourth shinobi war would not atone for his sins (in his opinion) and that still will not do good for her reputation (also in his opinion.)

So, he decided that whatever is between them could not go any further, even if it meant denying his love and breaking her heart in the result of his selfish actions.

He also regretted accepting her invitation. That was a mistake! The dobe should not have interfered with his plans to avoid her by convincing him to accompany her in a cunning way.

He kept his stoic expression while walking with her in the streets of the small town. The moon was full, and he feels uneasy whenever it is full.

You can blame Madara for that.

He tried to get rid of the thought, averting his eyes to the beauty walking beside him. He did not know where she was taking him.

.

.

Or maybe he did but thought it was too stupid to be true. I mean.. a place where your wishes come true? Really? How stupid does it sound? But it was a belief in this town in the land of fire, he could not just tell people how stupid they are.

Besides, Sakura seems to be believing it too, that is why she was leading them there. And being the semi-nice guy he is, he accepted her offer, but made sure to be as cold as he could be.

For her sake, of course.

"We are here!" He heard her say, with a happy and uneasy expression. Is that even possible? But he could not blame her. It is all his fault after all.

He looked at the place they arrived at. Carved into the rocks was a small.. cave?

What a nice sacred place!

She entered, and he thought he should follow. They have been silent the whole walk, and he has not uttered a word since they left the hotel, but he did not mind it. He stole a glance at the entrance of the cave and noticed an old man sitting with his legs crossed. His tattered clothes looked old and rusty and gaze afar.

A beggar? Why would he be here when he could enter the cave and make a wish for a fortune? It would be more logical.

Sasuke liked being sarcastic about this place.

He soon entered behind her. A few feet away from the entrance lied a huge shiny green stone. It reminded him of Sakura's eyes (but it will never be as pretty). The place was lit by torches connected to the walls and looked sacred (to the people, of course) but he couldn't care less.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun!" Again, came her sweet voice. "Will you make a wish?" He glanced at her. Just how could a smart and a sharp-minded girl like her believe in these things? Really, he did not know, but who was he to judge?!

"Just how could you believe in such things?" But it did not mean that he could not say that.

Blink.. blink..

"Why are you saying that?" she said, trying not to sound affected. "You haven't even tried yet." Yes, he looked very annoyed coming with her. Kami! how she wanted the earth to swallow her right now!

"I don't have to try. From the sound of it, I can tell it's stupid."

Now he is making her angry, and Sakura rarely gets angry with Sasuke. Her being angry with him means that she is too distracted by his foul mouth to remember that she loves him to shreds.

"Why are you always like this? Stop judging things by the looks! You are being arrogant!"

"Why are you defending that rock like that when it's just a rock?! It's annoying!"

"It's not a rock! It's a sacred stone and it's believed to have some sort of powers. Why can't you see the beauty in things?" she shot back.

When he did not answer, she took a moment to calm down. Sasuke can be unbelievable sometimes. She never meant to insult him. She knew what he had been through his entire life, but he could not be a jerk all the time. It is frustrating.

"Look, I'm sorry Sasuke-kun," she said a moment after. She did not want to pick a fight with him, and her feeling that she annoys him cannot help either.

"Hn, whatever. You are annoying." He thought that he should make use of the moment to widen the gap between them, or even make her hate him. Although the mere thought of her hating him makes his heart clench, but he thinks that he has to.

'It's all for her sake.' He keeps on telling himself.

"It's always like that! You keep telling me I'm annoying!" Now she is angry again "If I annoy you that much then you shouldn't have come with me!" She knew that it would not make things any better but she has a point. Does he hate her that much? Really?!

Maybe she is not surprised. She saw that coming, but still, it hurts so much. And maybe him being nice sometimes is because he feels guilty towards her, considering what he did to her in the past.

"Tch, yeah you are right, I shouldn't have." Wait, that's harsh. "I don't know why I have come with you anyway. You always annoy me!"

No no no, he should not have said that! It should not have been like that! He never meant it to come out like that honest! It was supposed to be something like: 'Maybe we shouldn't have done that.' or 'I should go back, it was a mistake.' Yes, it would be less harsh.

And for god's sake he should stop saying that word! She is annoying because she makes him feel things he thought he has long forgotten.

How annoying.

And there he saw them, the tears at the corners of her eyes, but she turned around quickly, not giving him a chance to take a better look. He knew she was trying not to cry in front of him. She wanted to be that strong, solid woman, and he did not understand why she is still chasing after a jerk like him.

"If I annoy you that much, Sasuke-kun.." He saw her use her sleeve to dry her overflowing tears. "..then I wish I had never existed."

He knows that he could never imagine life without her being there, and he knows that he would never wish for something like that. So why does everything sound so wrong at that moment? Why does that wish seem to be out of order?

Why does it seem to be said in the wrong place?

And the stone answered his unspoken questions the moment lights coming from it surrounded the place and seemed to be directed at Sakura. She looked confused as he was when she noticed that her body was glowing, looking at her hands, she noted that they seemed.. off...

It is not right. That thing is doing something and Sakura is somehow fading! Sasuke knows that he has no time to wonder how it worked, all he knows is that the rock is doing something, and it is not good.

It is not good at all!

Sakura turned to Sasuke, panic was all over his face. She did not know what was going on..

Could it be...

He lunged at her, stretching his arm as far as it could reach. He wishes that what he is seeing was not true, like it is some kind of a dream, or a bad joke. Right it is a bad joke!

Right.

He felt his heart clench, he is so close, so close to reach her-

-but only not to, his hand came in contact with air, a glowing dust. He stood there unmoving, his eyes wide, his heart pounding fast in his chest.

"S-Sakura?"

But she was gone, leaving a 'rock' and a panicking Sasuke behind.

(A/N)

So what do you think?

should I continue this? xD idk I finally created an account to publish but I'm not sure

forgive me for mistakes English is not my native language :D

review please :3 also tell me if I should continue this

first fanfic ever c: