Sakura tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep. A full moon, a beautiful glistening orb, hung lazily in the sky, its gentle shine illuminating the world beneath it. The black velvet sky was studded with innumerable stars, shining brightly.
She closed her eyes, relishing the rare silence that was enveloping her. Although the silence was overwhelming, it was impenetrable, giving her precious space to reflect on Sasuke's return to Konoha.
She could still vividly recollect the day when Sasuke first stepped into Konoha, after leaving the village for three years-an interminable wait. Happiness exploded in Sakura. It took all her might to stop herself from leaping forward to embrace him, to tell him just how much she missed him. All she could do was gaze lovingly at his face, thanking the heavens for granting her one and only wish-for Sasuke to return to Konoha.
Yet, the unblinking, cold gaze of the other Konoha villagers did not escape her notice. Although they knew that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru, it was difficult for them to give him a warm welcome. Memories of his defection continued to linger in their minds.
Sakura gave a small sigh. Yet, as she recalled the day that she had spent with Sasuke at the site where the Uchiha once lived, her love for him welled up, and her worries vanished in an instant.
Sasuke had stared unflinchingly into the distance, his hands clenched. Although the houses had been demolished, the smell of blood still lingered in the air. As the sun disappeared beneath the horizons, the sky turned blood red. A sense of foreboding filled Sakura.
Sasuke indicated to her to follow him. As Sakura tiptoed, she thought that she heard people wailing for mercy. She shuddered, and increased her pace.
"I once lived here."
Sasuke stopped abruptly, and Sakura skidded to a halt. The plot of land where Sasuke's house once sat on is now a verdant, lush spring. Water gushed out from the earth, splashing onto the both of them. A drop of water rolled down Sasuke's cheeks. Was it a tear, or was it because of the spring? Sakura wondered.
"Itachi and I used to play here. When he returned home from the academy, I would always wait around this area for him. We used to play hide and seek…"
As his voice trailed off, a bitter-sweet smile crept onto his lips. This time, Sakura saw tears of regret well up in his eyes. They hung about his eyes momentarily, before trickling down his pale cheeks.
Sakura placed her arm around Sasuke, comforting him silently. She could very well imagine a younger Itachi and Sasuke frolicking gaily in the grass, laughing joyfully. However, Sakura saw a sudden splatter of blood on this happy scene, and in the next instant, the laughter and the bonds between the two brothers were devoured.
Sakura never had a sibling, so it was relatively difficult for her to place herself in Sasuke's shoes. However, her relationship with Naruto had given her a chance to further explore the bonds between those of friends and siblings. Now, she could somewhat understand the trauma and pain Sasuke felt when Itachi lost his life.
Hugging Sasuke tightly, she tiptoed a little and kissed him on the lips. As their lips met, she could taste the salty tears that rolled down Sasuke's cheeks.
"I love you," she whispered, almost inaudibly. "Promise me this: Wherever you go, take me with you."
Sasuke gave a slight wriggle of dissent.
Sakura pressed on. "Please, I just want to stay by your side."
Sasuke finally relented. "All right, I promise."
In the meantime, Sakura lay awake in her bed. She had discovered a new strength within her. Clutching her bolster tightly, Sakura realized that love was an overwhelming force. It can blind you, mislead you, but in its purest essence, love can strengthen you. It gives you wings and fills you with hope, allowing you to soar to the furthest heights. As Sakura opened her eyes lazily, she saw that the night had ended. The Sun was rising slowly, casting away the darkness, flooding the earth with its golden warmth.
Love is the promise of a new dawn.
Yes, thought Sakura. And with her perpetual, enduring love, she will illuminate Sasuke's world, and together, they will walk towards a brighter future.
Naruto awoke. Groggily, he wore his forehead protector and made his favorite breakfast of cup ramen and a glass of milk. Breathing deeply, Naruto felt rejuvenated. He knew that he would need the energy badly, for today was a special day. After Sasuke departed, Team 7 had never completed a mission together. Today, however, Naruto would be teamed up with Sasuke and Sakura, under the guidance of Kakashi, and they will be sent on an S-ranked mission.
"Sasuke! Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted them exuberantly. Just then, Naruto noticed a slim girl with silky black hair that fell to her waist. She whizzed around, and said "Good m…morning, N…Naruto-kun."
The old Naruto would have ignored her. Perhaps, he might not even know that a girl with the name Hinata existed. Right now, as he stared into her pretty face with its blank eyes, he would recall how she had selflessly protected him against Pain. It was impossible for Naruto not to think of Hinata affectionately, even a little tenderly.
Just then, the Godaime, Tsunade, arrived. In her husky voice, she cried "Where's Kakashi?"
Naruto and Sakura smothered a giggle. It was a universally-known fact that Kakashi never came on time.
Scowling slightly, Tsunade said "Fine, I shall use this time to explain the details of this mission to you. The five of you, along with Hinata, will track down and eliminate eight elite ninja that had attempted an assassination on the Fire Daimyo's life. They are ninja from the Lightning Country, and I want you to proceed with caution. Hinata will accompany you, since her scouting abilities are more developed than any of yours. Besides, I believe her Byakugan will come in useful."
"In fact, if you are successful," Tsunade smiled slyly "I will consider promoting the four of you to jounin. Which means, Naruto," a mischievous twinkle could be seen in Tsunade's eyes "this will increase your chances of becoming Hokage."
"No way!" cried Naruto, his eyes shining at the prospect of fulfilling his dream. Turning to his teammates, he proclaimed "Let's start the mission now!"
"Wait a moment, Naruto."
"Kakashi-sensei! YOU ARE LATE!" shouted Naruto and Sakura in unison.
"Sorry. Today, I set off early in the morning, only to be interrupted by a huge boulder that was blocking my way. I had to take a long detour, you know."
"That was obviously a lie," pouted Naruto.
"Anyway, are the four of you ready? Good. Then let's go." Kakashi signaled with a wave of his hand to the four of them to embark on their journey.
"Wait, Sakura. I have an important matter to discuss with you. Would the rest of you mind starting off first? Sakura can catch up later," said Tsunade.
Sakura stared in utter bewilderment at Tsunade. What issue could be of such great importance that Tsunade was willing to hold up their mission?
"Sakura," said Tsunade, her eyes fixed on hers. "I'm not sure if Konoha can depend on Sasuke yet."
Sakura's heart sank. Once again, the feeling of helplessness enveloped her, like a wave crashing onto the sand. If her beloved teacher cannot accept Sasuke, what about the rest of the Konoha citizens?
"Please…" Sakura pleaded. "I understand that Sasuke's emotions are volatile, to the extent that he is unpredictable, and that he constantly flirts with the dark side. However, this was caused by the seeds of hatred planted into his heart by Itachi. If Naruto and I can somehow help him relieve the miserable childhood he had, you'll see that Sasuke is a reliable person you can count on."
"No, Sakura," Tsunade said gently. "You misinterpreted my words. I trust Sasuke, but I just want you to be careful. After Sasuke left, I saw the heart-wrenching pain you had to endure day and night. Hence, I felt it necessary to caution you, should Sasuke ever make the same mistake again."
"Oh…I see." Sakura heaved a sigh of relief. The situation was not as bad as she thought it was. Perhaps, even though the chances were slim, and doing so would require a tremendous effort, she might be able to erase all the bad impressions the villagers have of Sasuke.
"Thank you. I think I better head of now." Sakura waved goodbye to her mentor before turning around, ready to complete the mission with her friends.