A Little Conversation by LittleMissHippie
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Author's Note: This is definitely NOT canon. It's kinda set a little after Sasuke left Orochimaru. I think. The point is, just read this and know it's not canon. 'kay?
"All I wanted was your love."
BOOM!
The explosion was heard by Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto. The sensei glanced at the two teens next to him before making a decision.
"Alright, you guys. Here's what we're going to do. Naruto, you're coming with me so we can go check out… whatever just happened. Sakura, could you stay here and watch the camp?" Kakashi watched Sakura nod in response before he took off towards the direction of the explosion.
Naruto paused before following his teacher. "If anyone comes, Sakura-chan, just call us, okay? And we'll come back as fast as possible." His face showed his concern for her well-being. It also showed his thoughts: I don't think we should leave you alone. You can't defend yourself.
"I'll be fine, Naruto-kun. Now go, before you can't catch up with Kaka-sensei," she responded, not even bothering to take offense to his obvious disbelief in her ability to take care of herself. She wasn't a little genin anymore. She was stronger now.
"Fine, fine," he muttered. "Just remember to call us if anyone comes. We'll protect you. I'll protect you. Believe it!" And with his trademark slogan and a huge grin, he turned and followed Kakashi's path.
Sakura stared at the spot he'd been at. "I know you will, Naruto-kun. I believe you."
Since it looked like Naruto and Kakashi wouldn't be returning any time soon, Sakura sat down with her back to a tree and read one of the three medical texts she'd brought with her.
Usually she didn't bring textbooks with her on missions, but this wasn't supposed to be a dangerous mission at all. It was just a routine visit to Suna to strengthen the Konoha-Suna bond. Tsunade had assigned her squad a nice little mission because she still thought Sakura was depressed about Sasuke. But I'm not depressed, she thought. Maybe I'm a little sad.
This mission was supposed to be simple. Easy. And there definitely wasn't supposed to be any explosions involved.
She briefly wondered who'd set off the explosion. It doesn't even matter, she thought. Even if it's anything serious, Kakashi and Naruto can handle it.
But maybe we should go and help them, her inner self argued. It could've been something really bad.
Kaka-sensei told us to watch the camp, she reminded herself, so that's what we have to do. Ninjas who don't follow their orders are basically trash.
Kaka-sensei also said those who desert their teammates are worse than trash, her inner self argued again. Do you want to be worse than trash?
I'm not deserting my teammates! she thought back. The only person I know who ever deserted their teammates was...
She noticed a sudden movement to her right and narrowed her eyes, trying to isolate the object that had moved with her vision. Her sight hit the teen standing not more than six feet away from her.
She stared in shock. Sasuke?, she wondered. Am I hallucinating?
He stared back at her. He opened his mouth, looking as if he was about to say something to her. She waited. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she wondered what he was going to say. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she cared about what he might say.
But a majority of her mind, the part that had to most control, didn't really care. That part of her made her look back down at her medical text and continue reading. She completely ignored him.
After all, she realized, I'm done being a Sasuke fan girl. She just wasn't that girl anymore.
The teenaged boy blankly stared at the pink haired girl in front of him and closed his mouth. Is she going to do anything, he wondered, if I just stand here and watch her?
She continued to sit in front of him with that medical text in front of her, completely ignoring his existence. This is not Sakura, he thought. Sakura does not ignore me.
He wondered what would happen if he broke this terrible silence. Would she get angry?
"Sakura," he finally said. One word.
Enough.
"Yes, Sasuke-san?" she questioned in reply. There was a distinct coldness about her words, he noted. He didn't like it.
"Why…" he started. And oh, the possibilities that presented themselves with that one word.
Why isn't anyone else with you?
Why are you just sitting there?
Why aren't you looking at me?
Why don't you seem to care anymore?
Why—?
Why…?
Why?
But why isn't the only word I need, he realized. There are so many others.
"What went wrong?" he asked. He was talking about her, and him, and them, and everyone. Everything. And this was a question that held so many answers—after all, so much had gone wrong.
"Everything," she answered after a moment. "A better question would be: what didn't go wrong?" She laughed.
He was momentarily stunned. Her laugh, he thought, is so bitter. He realized there was another question he wanted to ask.
"When did I stop being enough?"
She sighed. "The day I realized I deserved better."
He nodded slowly, as if this made sense to him. It didn't.
She's so sad, he realized in that next minute. So unhappy.
"How…?" he started asking another question. He paused, before continuing. "It's my fault."
She looked up at him, a question in her eyes. She wasn't wondering what was his fault—she already knew the answer to that question.
Is he going to take responsibility, she wondered, for his actions? Is he going to apologize?
"I thank you, Sakura, for the things you've taught me. And…" He stopped talking, as if he was hoping his next sentence would just say itself. "I'm sorry."
She nodded slowly, processing this apology. He just apologized to me, she thought to herself. I should be ecstatic. She looked away.
"I haven't changed anything, have I?" he asked, already knowing the answer. But I'm so sorry, he thought, because your bitterness and your unhappiness and your melancholy are all my fault.
"No," she answered, even though she didn't have to. "I'm afraid not."
They stayed there in silence; Sakura still sitting on the ground with her book and Sasuke standing in front of her.
"All I wanted was your love," she finally remarked. "It didn't seem like too much to ask for at the time."
He stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
"But you couldn't give me it, could you? I think I realized that, even then. But Sasuke-san, you treated me so indifferently."
He realized this would probably be the only time Sakura would talk to him like this.
"All I wanted was your love, Sasuke-san. But really, your care would've worked too."
How can I be such a genius, he wondered, and not have been able to see all this?
He started nodding again, as if this all made sense to him.
And this time, maybe it did.
Second Author's Note:
Until next time,
LittleMissHippie