Welcome! This is a little story inspired by the Naruto filler arc, episodes 136-141.
I just thought to myself, "What if Sakura went on the mission alone?" Anyway, please enjoy and don't expect regular updates ;) xoxo
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!
Back then I was so naïve. My little world was full of everything I could have ever wanted. I had friends, I had loving parents, I had an awesome team, I lived in a peaceful village, and I got to spend every day with my childhood crush! There was nothing more I could have asked for in life. My heart truly believed things would continue that way forever and ever like an endless summer…
Oh, how naïve I was.
…
"So, Sasuke is…?"
Shikamaru's voice slipped under the hospital door and into my big ears. Just by his tone alone, I knew something had gone wrong on the retrieval mission. Usually, Shikamaru spoke in a lazy monotone and his words would drag across his tongue like they were too lazy to even be spoken!
But today was different.
The young Nara spoke with intensity while keeping his voice low and steady. His words were simultaneously laced with questioning and knowing. Almost as if he already knew the answer that would come out of Naruto's mouth. Yet, secretly hoped he could be proven wrong. Unfortunately, everyone knew Shikamaru was never wrong.
"Yea," Naruto said, "He's gone."
The colour drained from my skin as every cell in my body froze. The world seemed to melt into darkness, dying my vision black. My arms and legs turned numb and my heart shredded into a million pieces. Bile boiled in my stomach before rising in my throat, lighting a fire in my shuddering chest. I stood frozen in front of the door as my last glint of hope was blown out of existence… My worst nightmare had come true… my true love had left me… he had ignored Naruto's pleas and left Konoha…
Sasuke had truly…left me.
Wallowing in despair, my feet remained glued to the floor as I stared into oblivion. The closed-door before me acting as a metaphor and a stark reminder that a part of my life was over. Things would never be the same again between Team Seven. I would never again wake up early to meet Sasuke brooding at our meeting spot. My sunny afternoons would no longer be spent with Naruto and Sasuke at Ichiraku Ramen. Never again would I get to stand back and laugh at Naruto's attempts to beat Sasuke or act smug when Kakashi sensei told them off. Team seven's merry days or D-Rank missions and casual bickering were over...
"Here for a visit, are we?" Lady Tsunade asked.
Immediately snapping myself out of my thoughts, I raised my head and smiled at my Hokage. She quirked an eyebrow and ran her eyes over my face, clearly suspicious of my lurking. But, after two whole seconds of silence, she dropped her unspoken interrogation and returned my fake smile.
"News travels fast here I see," She mused. "Shall we go inside?"
Without waiting for my reply, Lady Tsunade gently pushed me aside and opened the door to Naruto's room. She boldly strolled inside like she owned the place (well technically she did) and stopped in the middle of the room. With hands on hips and doctor mode activated, she addressed my friend as if about to give a half-hearted lecture.
"I heard your injuries were pretty serious," She said, "You seem to be doing well, considering."
Stepping sheepishly into the room, I kept my head down and my eyes locked onto the floor. There was no way I could face Naruto and Shikamaru right now. How could I? What was I supposed to say? My best friend had failed in his quest to return our comrade and now he was lying in a hospital seriously injured! All because of me!
"Hey, Sakura…"
An awkward silence settled in the air.
No one dared to move or speak. One little misstep and everyone's serene facades would crumble like dust. Sending both Naruto and me into a frenzied mess of tears and shouting.
Thankfully, Konoha's number one knucklehead ninja never paid attention to social restraints like the rest of us. He steeled his voice and bravely broke the tension, slicing through it like it was just another hurdled to overcome.
"I'm sorry," He said.
"Sorry?" Raising my head, I locked onto my friends gaze and dramatically rolled my eyes. "What have you got to be sorry about?" I asked.
Play it coy, Sakura. Pretend it's no big deal, for Naruto's sake!
Swallowing hard, I buried my pain and let out a good-natured chuckle. "Let me guess? You went and got reckless and lost control again, right? Ha! Look at you now, idiot! You look like a freshly wrapped mummy!"
My words bounced around the room like a stray bouncy ball. Usually, someone would have grabbed it and thrown it again. Continuing the lie like it was a fun game! However, Shikamaru and Lady Tsunade refused to hold up my ruse. They blatantly ignored my efforts to lighten the mood. Instead, choosing to stay out of impending conflict like the mature shinobi they were.
"I'm so sorry Sakura," Naruto said again.
"Hey!" Spinning on my heal, I strode over to the window and tried once again to change the subject. "Why do you have the curtains closed? It's a beautiful day outside!" Pulling said curtains open, I let the light stream in and blind us all.
"See?" I smiled happily.
"I haven't given up Sakura!" Naruto raised his voice, verbally smashing through my second avoidance technique. "I'm still going to keep our promise, OK? After all, it was a once in a lifetime request! I'll never go back on my word! BELIEVE IT!" He declared.
A small flicker of hope lit up in my chest. As I leant against the window sill, my comrade's brilliant smile and sunny optimism were impossible to avoid. His idealistic point of view was contagious and I found my despair slowly evaporating against his sunrays. Mabey, everything would be ok after all?
You're pathetic, Sakura! This is all because of you and your STUPID request! Look at your friend now, weakling! LOOK at what YOU did to him!
For the first time since entering the room, I allowed my eyes to properly survey my injured friend. They roamed over his body, taking in every little nook and cranny to make sure I didn't miss a thing. He was propped up against the headboard with three pillows supporting his weight. His bruised fists were lying slack atop the sheets, multiple bandages keeping the blood from staining the bed. His green hospital gown did little to hide the dressings around his shoulders, neck and chest. While the gauze tape covering most of his face was littered with crimson dots, evidence of his still bleeding battle scars.
Tears welled in my eyes as the darkness washed away my glimpse of colour. Despair crawled back into my heart and snuffed out the light, killing it in the blink of an eye! This was all my fault… Naruto had put everything on the line and risked his life to bring Sasuke back home… he had nearly died out there!
And what did you do?
I cried and begged like a little baby! I just stood back and gave up hope, dumping all the responsibly on Naruto. Now Sasuke was gone, my best friend was in the hospital, and the rest of my friends were either in a coma or gravely injured. My decision to believe Kakashi sensei when he said everything would be alright, was stupid! If I had done something else! If I had convinced Sasuke to stay! If I had carried my own weight for once in my life!
Then maybe… just maybe… None of this would have happened!
"No, Naruto," Dropping my façade, I walked over to the seat next to my comrade and sat down. "It's okay. You don't have to keep your promise anymore." I took a deep breath and forced my rising tears down. "Asking you to shoulder the burden alone was unfair of me. So please, don't apologize… I'm the one who's sorry, Naruto."
Lady Tsunade placed a hand on my shoulder before gently clearing her throat.
"I think it's time you two go home," She nodded her head towards Shikamaru and myself. "You both need some well-deserved rest, alright?"
The Hokage suddenly glared at Naruto.
"As for you, Naruto Uzumaki. If I catch you leaving that bed before I deem you healthy…" She leaned forward and laced her smile with menace, "I'll tie you to this bed with chakra thread and force you to watch me eat ramen!"
The following scream could be heard throughout the entire hospital! Naruto promised to never leave his bed over and over again, all the while whining and crying like a little kid! He begged Lady Tsunade to let him eat ramen, even going as far to say his signature catchphrase, 'BELIEVE IT!' Before demanding that everyone leave so he could recover faster and never have to suffer the Hokage's punishment.
As I reached the door though, he called out to me.
"A promise is a promise, Sakura! And I never go back on my word, that's my ninja way!" He declared loudly.
There he goes again, never giving up! He's going to chase after Sasuke until it kills him. Then, you'll be all alone again… billboard-brow!
NO! There was NO WAY I was going to let that happen! If I continued to wait around and do nothing, Naruto would get himself killed!
At that moment, I decided to take things into my own hands.
"Thanks, Naruto," I said, "But it's about time I started carrying my own weight!"
That night, just as usual, I sat quietly at the dinner table while Dad launched into his annual storytelling session. All the while, Mum stood in the kitchen 'preparing' our dinner for the night. In truth, she was just taking her time re-heating pre-cooked food in order to avoid Dad's cringy excuse of a story.
"So, there I was," Dad said, "Sitting quietly in the store wheeeen… BAM! A kid comes charging in and asks if I sell whoopie cushions!?"
He leant forward and lowered his voice for dramatic effect, oblivious to his beard dipping into his tea. He asked, "Do you know what I said?"
"What did you say, dear?" Mum called out, clearly encouraging his antics despite not being present to bear the consequences.
"Nothing," He smirked, "I farted instead!"
Rolling my eyes, I chose to ignore my parents' following laughs. Instead, focusing on how exactly I was going to leave the village and go after Sasuke.
Option one: Leave in the middle of the night just like Sasuke and cross the border into the Land of Rice Fields before anyone notices I'm gone. Of course, if I took that option, there was a high chance I would get caught by a retrieval team. If by some miracle I made it out of the Land of Fire before then, I would still be classed as a missing-nin and have to constantly be on the run from hunter-nin.
Option two: Request for a special mission from the Hokage, gaining permission to leave the village legally. That way, I would avoid being branded a traitor and not have to worry about getting caught. However, I was only a genin and therefore not qualified to go on a mission like that. Even if I did get permission, Lady Tsunade would assign me to a team of more experienced ninja and I would lose the chance to carry my own weight.
Option three: Hand in a resignation form and retire as a shinobi before leaving the village. That way I wouldn't be followed by hunter-nin, classed as a rogue ninja or have to leave Konoha illegally. After all, ordinary citizens could leave and go travelling whenever they wanted! The only problem would be convincing Lady Tsunade, Kakashi sensei, Naruto and my parents that I truly wanted to quit and start an ordinary life.
Option four: Fake my own death and go undercover.
"Dinner is served!"
Mum emerged from her hidey-hole victorious and set our dinner on the table. Dad was the first to dive in, scooping up as much food as he could before Mum slapped his hand away and told him to slow down.
"I swear," She huffed, "One of these days you're going to choke!"
"Love you too sweetie," Dad cheekily grinned and dived back into his meal.
Taking only a small portion myself, my mind wandered straight back to my escape planning. At this point, I only had four options at my disposal. Number one wasn't an option and neither was option four. I wasn't skilled enough to out-run a hoard of ninja or avoid hunter-nin for weeks on end. Sure, I could possibly find a way to fake my own death, but my heart wouldn't be able to live with itself if I knowingly caused my parents and friends so much grief! They deserved better than that.
However, options two and three were equally tricky. It was highly unlikely that Lady Tsunade would accept my resignation without being suspicious. But, it was even more unlikely that she would accept my request for a solo mission to retrieve Sasuke! That left me with only one viable option… faking retirement!
"Sakura dear, are you ok?" Mum's voice slithered in my ears, pulling me from my thoughts and shoving me back into reality.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine! Just missing Sasuke again, that's all."
The next morning, I was awake, dressed, and out the door before a shinobi could throw a kunai! Arriving at team seven's bridge an hour early, I settled in for the long wait that was inevitable when waiting for Kakashi sensei. The guy was never on time! If he said to meet at six, he would show up at eight. Today we were supposed to meet up at six but I'd shown up at five! Nothing was going to stop me from getting that resignation form, not even the great copy ninja himself! If I had to wait at the bridge for a week, I would!
Unfortunately, that was exactly what Kakashi sensei had planned on letting me go. The first hour flew by in the blink of an eye. Yet, no Kakashi showed up. Hour number two went by much the same. I sat with my legs dangling above the water while idly picking away at the bridges peeling paint, taking my time stripping the wooden posts of their coatings. At hour number three, I'd lost my appetite for waiting calmly and resorted to pacing the length of the bridge. With every step I took, another second ticked by. Yet there was still no sign of Kakashi sensei! By hour number four, I had meticulously worked my way across every inch of the bridge, examining its every crevice and flake of paint with the intensity of a fuinjutsu master. My poor feet were numb and my mind was sooo beyond bored, it had resorted to burning the image of the riverbed into its long-term memory just because it could!
If I had to wait another minute for that no-good, lazy, son-of-a-ninja! Then I would have stormed Kakashi sensei's apartment and demanded he gave me the resignation form! He could be sound asleep or butt naked in the shower and my mind wouldn't have cared! I needed that form like my life depended on it!
"Good morning, Sakura."
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
Spinning on my heel, I came face to face with the one and only Kakashi sensei. While I was fuming at him, he stood completely calm atop the railing like he didn't have a care in the world. (Which to be fair, he didn't)
"You're late," I spat.
He shrugged me off and pulled out is favourite Icha Icha novel, "Sorry 'bout that. Guess I just got lost on the path of life."
What a jerk! You should show up late to his meetings and give him a taste of his own medicine! The lazy bum deserves it!
"Anyway, now that you're here," I said, "I need to talk you to about my future as a kunoichi."
Without looking up from his book, Kakashi launched into the well-rehearsed reassurance speech he uttered to me once a month. "Your future is bright," He said, "You have the potential to go far," He said. "Just stick with it and I'm sure you'll become a chunin in no time…Blah blah blah…etc, etc, etc…you'll be great… blah blah blah."
My ears had heard the spiel so many times, it was practically tattooed on my forehead! Normally, I would have felt relieved by his empty words. After all, he was a jonin while I was a genin. His advice was automatically ranked above my own. But today his comments did nothing of the sort. Kakashi sensei wasn't truly giving me compliments or showing that he actually believed I had potential like Naruto or Sasuke. He was just doing what any teacher would do and spouting out a false sense of security to tame his upset student.
"Ummm, well, that's the thing Kakashi sensei," Taking a deep breath, I raised my head and stood my ground. This was it, the big bombshell he would never see coming! Time to get those tears ready and put on your best sad face, Sakura. Now is your chance to get your plan started!
"I don't want to be a ninja anymore," I stated firmly.
Kakashi lowered his icha icha novel for the first time that morning. His stoic expression twisted into concern and his single black eye narrowed in suspicion.
"Why the sudden change of heart, Sakura?" He kept his voice calm and collected like he was talking down a wild animal instead of a child.
Come on, weakling! Pour everything you have into this!
"I just can't do this anymore!" Clenching my fists, I squeezed my eyes shut and whined at the top of my voice. "I'm sick of going on missions and being nothing but the weak link! You guys are always risking your lives for me because I'm a useless ninja! If I hadn't entered the academy, then Sasuke and Naruto would have passed the chunin exams. They would have been able to save Haku and Zabuza! Heck, Sasuke might have stayed in the village and Naruto wouldn't be about to run from the Akatsuki!"
My eyes opened and the floodgates were released. Tears streamed down my cheeks and my whole body trembled with anger. "I'm just… I'm just not… I'm just not cut out to be a shinobi! Ok? I can't spend another day going down this path knowing it will only lead to death and misery!" My bottom lip began to wobble, I was getting dangerously close to ugly cry territory!
"Please, Kakashi sensei," I cried, "Don't make me be a ninja anymore! I don't want to live this way! Please just let me resign and start an ordinary life!" Collapsing to my knees, I let my nose run freely as my heart sobbed like it never had before! Secretly though, I held my breath. This was the do or die moment! Either Kakashi believed me or he didn't... it was anyone's guess as to what he would choose? But judging by my little performance and his lack of people skills, Inner Sakura was silently confident that the plan would work.
Finally, after what felt like an hour of crying, Kakashi sensei broke the silence, "Are you sure about this, Sakura? Because once your request has been approved by the Hokage, there will be no easy way back."
Shannaro! You've got him right where you want him!
Nodding solemnly, I made a show of wiping away my tears before pulling myself together, "I'm sure."
"Alright," Kakashi patted me on the head and smiled. "Let's go to the Hokage Tower and get your resignation form filled out."
For the next two and a half hours, we spent our time hold up at reception organising, signing, and filling out forms. I was clearly mistaken in thinking this would be a quick affair. On top of the resignation form, I had to fill out health papers, security papers, insurance papers, and take dozens of tests from multiple protectors. I was quizzed on my intentions, my reasons for leaving, my future occupations, and what I was going to do once I retired. I felt like a criminal as they moved me from one interrogation cell after another. The whole process was probably designed that way to discourage genin from quitting and to be fair, it certainly would have put me off!
"Thank you very much for your service," The receptionist said, "You should receive a final summons from the Hokage in a month or so. Until then, you are still required to complete your missions until you hand over your headband."
My jaw hit the floor and my legs turned slack. "Wait a minute," I gawked, "I have to wait an entire month before my request will be granted? How come? Why will it take that long?"
"Sakura," Kakashi sensei placed a firm hand on my shoulder, warning me to watch my attitude.
But I ignored him.
I didn't have time to wait that long! Sasuke could travel to another land in that time! Orochimaru or Kabuto could erase his tracks and destroy any leads or witnesses left in his wake! No, if I waited around for any longer than a day, Sasuke's trail would be gone and there would be no way left to find him!
"Is there any way to speed up the process?" I asked.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow quizzically, "Why in such the rush?"
"Oh, umm, it's just that I don't think I can handle one more mission, you know? Even if it is just a D-Rank," Quickly covering my eagerness, I prayed that Kakashi's keen eye would ignore my suspicious behaviour.
"I am sorry dear," The receptionist came to my rescue. She drew our attention back on course before continuing her apology/explanation. "But your application will need to be run by the Council, the Daimyo, your parents and the genin administration before it can get approved by the Hokage. The only way to speed up the process would be to appeal to the Hokage directly! Although I must say, that option is very unprofessional and highly disrespectful!"
Screw respect! You've got a friend to save! Hand over your headband RIGHT NOW, YOU IDIOT!
"Thank you for telling me, but…"
Very slowly, my arms moved up to the base of my neck and began untying my headband. The rough fabric slipped easily through my fingers, unwinding itself effortlessly with only the slightest of tugs. Gingerly, I took both ends in my hands and lifted it off my head, letting it glide through the air for all to see. This was it after I handed my headband over there was no going back.
A sudden burst of panic snuck into my thoughts!
Was I really doing the right thing? Was this my only option or had I overlooked something? Every fibre in my being screamed in protest! What I was doing wasn't right. There had to be another way to rescue Sasuke without renouncing my kunoichi title! I had worked my butt off to graduate from the academy with the others! Naruto, Sasuke and I had been the first genin team to every be acknowledge by Kakashi of the Sharingan! Was I willing to give up all that for one boy? A boy who abandoned me and left me to rot in solitude?
There you go again, giving up like you ALWAYS do! Poor little Sakura Haruno, you're nothing but a COWARD and a QUITTER!
Inner Sakura was right.
Of course, Sasuke was worth it! Without him, my life would forever be colourless. My heart would remain broken and I would alone. Sasuke Uchiha was my reason for becoming a ninja in the first place! He was the reason I stopped getting bullied at the academy! He was the only reason I made friends and he was the only one who had completed my soul!
If I didn't make this sacrifice now, then everything he had ever done for me would have been for nothing! Who cares if he left me?! Who cares if he chose to leave the village?! None of that mattered to me! Sure, he thought I was annoying and weak. But despite that, he still thanked me for showing him kindness and for loving him unconditionally!
I was going to find him even if it was the last thing I did!
Lowering my hands, a single tear slid down my cheek and splashed against the floor and a tragic smile slipped onto my lips. The receptionist's eyes widened in shock while Kakashi sensei was immediately at my side, ready to act if the need arose.
"I'm sorry," I said, "But I can't wait that long."
Gently placing my headband on the reception desk, my eyes gave it one last look-over before silently letting it go.
"Kakashi Hatake," I turned to my mentor and flashed him with the biggest smile my mouth could muster. "Thank you for being my sensei!"
Before he could utter a word, I spun on my heel and marched out the door.
…
-Shuriken… CHECK!
-Kunai… CHECK!
-Food… CHECK!
-Water… CHECK!
-Money… CHECK!
-Map… CHECK!
Hmmmm, my eyes ran over my supplies for the hundredth time that hour. I had decided to take my white travel bag Dad had left over from that month's over-stock. He wouldn't notice it was gone because no one bought the ugly things. But, it was perfect for long distance travel! With two small side pockets (filled with spare kunai), an average sized front pocket (filled with toiletries), and a large main pocket that could be closed via two buckles. I had stuffed it filled with nearly every item I could possibly need during my trip. From clean bandages and healing ointment, too explosive tags and tripwire!
"SAAAKUUURAAA!" Mum's voice exploded through the house, rattling the windows and shaking the walls like a mini earthquake! "Your Dad and I are going out for dinner with the Yota's!" Her feet clomped nosily down the hallway followed by the squeak of the door. "Dinner's on the stove, the shop is closed and I've disabled the alarm! Okay, BYE! SEE YA LAAAAATEEEER!"
Perfect!
Just like that, my parents were out of the picture and I was free to leave whenever I pleased. With them distracted for the night, the only person who could stand in my way was Naruto!
Slipping on my backpack and securing my weapons pouch to my leg, I made one last sweep of the house before leaving Mum and Dad a note saying I was going on a mission and not to expect me back for a while. It was a cheap manipulation tactic on my part but because my parent's expertise lied in making sales and not the ninja world, I knew I could away with it easily.
"Goodbye house, I hope I'll see you again someday! Look after Mum and Dad for me, ok?" I finished off my last goodbyes, locked the door and took off across the rooftops.
I reached the edge of the forest and scouted the view from my team's old lookout. From up high, the village hidden in the leaves glowed like peacefully amongst the inky darkness of night. Most were quietly sleeping at home, oblivious to the world around them. All the while, street vendors and restaurants hustled and bustled with people! Red, orange, and yellow flames flickered excitedly as colourful geisha danced seductively in the streets, trying their best to lour in the drunken hordes spewing from the bars.
A small smile spread across my lips, families were sleeping and men and women alike were busy enjoying the nightlife. No one was going to notice the silhouette of a little ninja darting through the trees. Not even the shinobi guarding the gates were paying attention! Jumping down from the branch, I landed in the same spot I had stood just a few days ago.
The image of Sasuke flickered into my head.
That night, I had failed to stop him from leaving the village. My words had fallen on deaf ears and my tears had only managed to annoy him. His eyes were full of hatred and his face was devoid of emotion. There was nothing I could have said to stop him… I realised that now.
But this time it would be different! Whether Sasuke wanted me or not, I was still going to follow him to the edge of the earth even if it killed me!
"Goodbye Konoha," Straightening my shoulder and clenching my jaw, I spun around and began walking towards the gate.
"Sakura!"
My head snapped over my shoulder and my eyes widened in horror.
"Naruto? How did you? I mean… What are doing here?" I asked.
He folded his arms and lifted his chin defiantly, "I should be asking you the same thing! What are YOU doing here, Sakura?"
A thousand thoughts swirled through my head like a tornado. How had Naruto found me and how had he known I was going to leave? I rattled my brain for any possible slip-ups on my part. But there were none! The last time I had visited Naruto, my words had given no indication to my plan, so how? There was no way he had heard about my resignation yet. After all, he was usually tied to his hospital bed all day!?
Just what was going on here?
Quick, act natural! Pretend nothing's going on!
"What are you doing out of bed, Naruto?" I chided casually, "You promised Lady Tsunade you wouldn't run off again! Or were you on your way to buy some ramen in secret?"
Keeping up my act, I folded my arms and smiled smugly.
"You know if you get caught, the Hokage will torture you senseless! She won't let you smell Ichiraku ramen for weeks!"
Naruto didn't reply.
Ok, something weird is going on here…
Racking my brain, I tried to pinpoint why something felt so off? The Naruto I knew would have pooped his pants after that little threat. His pupils would grow huge and his scream would have woken up the whole village!
Yet, he hadn't… why?
Mabey he was here to stop me!? That would explain his serious expression. But if that was true, why hadn't he launched into a rant by now? Naruto was famous for his speeches about friendship and the will of fire, after all. But so far, he had done no such thing? That was practically impossible for him!
"Well?" I asked, "Aren't you going to explain yourself?"
Still nothing.
THINK! Dumbass, THINK! This has to be an illusion or somebody using a transformation technique, RIGHT?
Pulling my hands into the ram seal, I whispered, "Release," Under my breath.
In the blink of an eye, Naruto was gone and Kakashi Hatake took his place. He was dressed in the same get up as this morning. Blue pants, Blue shirt, green flap jacket, crooked headband and signature mask covering his lower face. Despite that, my eyes could tell he wore a serious expression underneath.
Clearly, he meant business.
"You broke through my genjutsu," He shrugged his shoulders, "Consider me mildly impressed."
"I know what you're thinking!" I blurted out the words before my brain could stop itself! "You think there's nothing I can do even if I did find him, right? But I hate myself for just standing around and doing nothing!"
Well, there's no going back now dim-wit… GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!
"I'm always being a hindrance to the team" I yelled, "I constantly stand back and do NOTHING while everyone else protects me! If that's the type of shinobi I'll turn out to be then I'd rather DIE than stay here! There's nothing you can do to stop me Kakashi! I'm not a ninja of the leaf anymore and YOU are NO LONGER my SENSEI! So just mind your OWN business!"
"Are you finished?" He asked.
Just as I went to open my mouth, Kakashi flickered to my side and placed a kind hand on my shoulder. He squeezed it gently and crouched down on his knees. "Calm down, Sakura," He cooed smoothly, "I'm not here to stop your midnight walk, ok?" An easy smile crinkled his mask and his harsh façade melted into the night.
"I understand you lost someone close to you and your hurting. But whether you find Sasuke or not, this path you're travelling down will only lead to more heartbreak. Take it from me, this isn't the path you're destined for." Slowly, he pulled his hand away and rose to his full height, lecture almost finished. "Think about what I said, alright? It's never too late to change your mind."
With his final words of wisdom spoken, the elite shinobi vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving nothing behind but a warning.
Silent tears rolled down my cheeks as my heart shattered into a thousand pieces. My own teacher hadn't even come to speak to me in person. He had sent a shadow clone instead, probably thinking that was all he needed to do to change my mind. I would forever be seen as nothing more than a brat pretending to be a ninja in his eyes…. And that was exactly why I had to go!
"I'm sorry Kakashi sensei," I said to the darkness, "Please forgive me."
I turned my back on my home, on Konoha and everything it had ever given me and ran into the darkness.