Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Welcome Back
By Sapphire Snowflake
AN: Wah! I've made a terrible mistake at the last part. cries Sorry for the readers out there! I thank TsunadeHokage for making me realize it.
- - - -
It was the talk of the town. From the dirtiest peasant boy to the two chuunins who were eating at the Ichiraku – everyone was talking about it. Every single soul knew it – except her.
That was why she was running as fast as her legs could carry her; as if her life depended on it.
Uchiha Sasuke was back.
- - - -
It had been four long years since he left Konoha, seeking power even from the devil himself. Those years have been very hard for the remaining members of Team 7. Shattered to the depths of their hearts, they searched for him. Naruto and Sakura strived, abandoned their dreams, just for the sake of retrieving a piece of their heart that was stolen by the grievous sin that a man had committed.
For two and a half years they searched, battled, lost, and almost died in pain and sorrow one could never imagine. Wanting nothing but vengeance, Sasuke would always escape and flee from the warmth of people that he always yearned for, though he would never admit it. Two and a half years were enough to make that candle they kept burning for so long to flicker as the wind blew softly around it.
- - - -
She slipped once. Twice. Four times. She could barely focus on her footing, for her head was clouded with different thoughts and emotions that had been kept for a long time. She tucked behind her ear the strands of hair that had escaped her loose bun.
It had been a year since she last saw him – his face that she yearned to touch, to caress. His eyes that could melt her as she stared and stared until she became lost in them. She had so many things to tell him. So many questions to ask. Was he alright? Where did he go? Had he forgotten Konoha? Team Seven? Her? She quickened her pace. Things that had happened in the past flashed before her eyes as if a huge screen was before her. Yet, it puzzled her that no tears escaped from her emerald eyes. It scared her that she was not crying. And her fears came to life when a certain question came pushing itself towards the surface, wanting to be noticed. She came to a halt when that certain question sank in her mind.
"Does it still matter to me? Does he?"
- - - -
Three soft knocks vibrated across the whitewashed room of the hospital. In the corner of the room was a bed where Uchiha Sasuke rested – arms and head bandaged for who knows why. He had expected the knocks. It was actually later than he had expected them to be.
He grunted a "Come in." to whoever was on the other side of the door.
The voice was familiar to the pink-haired kunoichi that simply hearing it made her heart go untamed. It was the voice that haunted Sakura's dreams… a long time ago. She could feel the excitement and nervousness in her own heartbeat. She wanted to feel more, yet she could not.
The door creaked open as Sakura peeked first and called in her soft voice, "Sasuke… kun?" Damn, he could've died at that very moment. He would never admit it, but he had missed her voice.
"Hn." Was all he could say. But in his own twisted language, that monosyllabic word meant a lot of things. 'How are you? Where's Naruto? Is everyone okay? Did you… miss me?' and perhaps an (prohibited, locked and chained in the depths of his bloated ego) 'I missed you.' was a part of this.
Sakura entered and closed the door gently. Facing him with all feelings that she could muster, she smiled bitterly, her eyes contorting as if she would cry – but she did not – and whispered, "I missed you." She walked towards his bed and sat on an empty chair near it. His eyebrow hitched upwards ever-so-slightly at her actions. Heck, he had expected something more than this, a more heartwarming and annoying one. He expected his 'welcome back' with tears and shrieks, a hug perhaps and a series of chants of his very own name. 'What was happening here?'
And as if reading his mind, she said, "You have many injuries." And then, after a few seconds of inactivity, she asked, a bit hesitantly, "Is it because of – of Itachi?"
"He's dead."
"Oh."
"I killed the bastard." He clenched his fists in anger – though if it was due to that insolent bastard niisan of his or because of Sakura's cold welcome he did not know.
And he slowly dismissed that lingering thought.
'Of course it doesn't matter.' he thought, but it sounded like he was just trying to convince himself.
He turned rigid when he felt her hand squeeze his. Looking towards her, he saw her wearing her sincere smile before she lunged forward and hugged him for all he was worth.
And with that, he realized that everything was already finished between them.
- - - -
AN: Made this on spur of the moment. Just before I sleep. I know, I know, this is a bit confusing. Anyway…
Comments? Constructive criticisms? Review?