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Hello Goodbye

Sakura didn't care what Ino said. The wild flowers she had found, although late in season, were pretty. And Sasuke would like them; he had to. If he didn't Sakura might die. She had spent the entire day collecting the flowers and arranging them just as she had learned in class a few weeks ago.

Sakura knew she didn't have the natural gift that Ino had at flower arranging, but she had tried so hard that nothing could alter the image of her (in actuality tattered) bouquet. To Sakura, it was a testament to her undying love of her one and only Sasuke-kun.

In fact, Sakura had spent so much time preparing the gift, that it was already almost sunset. The wind was blowing in the new fall air, a reminder of the ensuing winter. Sakura tugged at her quarter sleeves, and continued on her way through Konoha. Another problem with having finished the bouquet so late was that Sasuke was now increasingly difficult to track. He wasn't in the academy grounds, nor was he at the play ground. Sakura had even checked that place in the woods where he would throw shinobi weapons at trees.

Using her superior knowledge and skills of observation that came from having such a large forehead, Sakura could only conclude that Sasuke was at home.

Luckily, this part of the woods wasn't so far away from the Uchiha compound. Actually, if she were to follow the Nakano river, it would take her directly to the compound. So that's was she did. Sakura quickened her pace, racing against the speed of the setting sun. The trees began to thin, and not far ahead of her dark form. She squinted her pale green eyes so that she could better see in the dim light.

It was Sasuke! She could spot his head of hair out of a crowd of a hundred people, Sakura would like to think.

Sakura tried to catch up to him, but Sasuke was taller than she, and already a good distance away from her. He soon disappeared into the impressive gates.

No! She had to give him these flowers. If she didn't he would never know how much he meant to her. So Sakura sprinted towards the imposing walls. Then, standing under the heavy doors, Sakura realized it was too late, for they had locked behind Sasuke's passage.

The manners that her mother had routinely pressed upon the little girl won out over her desperate want to bang on the doors and shout, "I need to see Sasuke!"

So Sakura wilted with disappointment. She willed the tears collecting at the edges of her eyes to not spill over. Too late, one delicate, salty drop had already made its way over the contours of her rosy cheek. It stopped, annoyingly so, on her jaw line.

If she had only been more like Ino, she wouldn't be in this situation. The tears streamed full force, now out of frustration and self loathing.

Sakura ran back into the woods, parallel with the wall. Somehow she had parted with the compound and found herself in the woods near the river. There was barely any light left in the woods, all Sakura could distinguish was the trickling sound of the river.

She followed the sound of moving water and discovered that the part of river she had stumbled upon was actually quite small. There was an old bridge connecting the two sides of forest that the river cut in half. Sakura distinctly remembered her mother telling her to never cross over the river to that side of the forest. She never understood why one half was so much worse than the other. Sakura always thought of the forest of being two parts of one. One side she filled with games of ninja and wild flower collecting, and the other she attributed to mystery and adventure. She dreamed of the day when she would venture into that side of the woods as a nin.

The flowers brushed against her thigh as she stepped onto the aged bridge. They looked worse for wear after all of the running and abuse Sakura had put them through. She could never give them to Sasuke now. Not even if she put them in water overnight.

Just as the air turned colder, Sakura's thoughts turned bitter. Stupid Ino, stupid flowers. This was a stupid idea anyway.

Sakura placed the bouquet on the thick wooden rails, none to gently, and began to ravage them. She ripped the blossoms from the stems and began to separate the petals. She threw each petal in the river below.

The only sounds in the forest were the sniffles of the small girl and the quiet gurgle of the river. Sakura was oblivious to the dangerous atmosphere that had kept even the smallest animals away from this side of the forest, the activity completely occupying her mind and senses.

Without any warning, one large hand enveloped her two small ones. Startled, Sakura looked up into the face of the stranger. It was man, but not quite, he was still too young to be called that, sill just a boy. Regardless though, this new person was beautiful. He looked so much like Sasuke that Sakura guessed that in a few more years Sasuke would look like the stranger.

"Beauty shouldn't destroy such beauty."

Sakura's eyes widened, and cheeks flushed as her head snapped from looking at their hands to his face. He smiled at her reaction, and Sakura was smitten. The stranger was nicer than Sasuke had ever been to Sakura.

Sakura observed her companion. He was wearing shinobi clothes and had a sword secured to his back. His long black hair was held back in a low pony tail, but a few strands escaped and framed his face. His expression seemed so sad now that Sakura was paying closer attention, even sadder than what she had been feeling just a minute ago.

"But Shinobi-san, I have already ruined them."

Shinobi-san released her hands only to open up her palms. He scrutinizes the crushed flowers for a moment and then pulls out a perfect blossom from amongst the ruined.

"Here," he said gesturing the flower towards her, "would you not consider this beautiful?"

Sakura studied the flower before taking it. If she couldn't give her gift to Sasuke then she would give Shinobi-san the last pretty flower she had. This stranger had somehow made her feel better with just this small conversation. Sakura wished she could somehow how make him less sad, for although she knew he was young, (just a few years older than herself, really) the lines marring his face made him seem like he had seen a lifetime come and go already.

So Sakura did the first thing that came to mind to make this sad ninja happy again.

Sakura pulled herself onto the bridge, careful not to ruin the blossom. Once situated she tore the flower away from the stem.

"Here," she mimicked, but instead of placing the flower in his hands, Sakura positioned it behind his ear.

Shinobi-san didn't smile though, and if he could, he looked even more upset.

"What's wrong Shinobi-san?"

Just as he was about to answer there was a piercing scream in the silent forest. Shinobi-san's eyes shut, as he turned away from Sakura.

"Sayonara," whispered Shinobi-san.

"Wait—"

Sakura couldn't believe her eyes when she saw him dissolve into a flock of ravens that vanished into the night sky.

Sakura was left alone on the bridge, feeling incredibly alone and scared. Where had that scream come from and why did Shinobi-san leave?

Still sitting on the bridge rail, she starred at the vacant space in front of her. But after a while, the cold reminded her that she better return home.

Sakura could only hope that Shinobi-san, whoever he was, would find his way home too.

Thanks for reading!

Oneshot, or more chaps?

-UofMluv