A

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Happily Ever After

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Does it truly exist?

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Because she believed that

"With Sasuke-kun, I don't have much hope for things to turn out happily ever after. But that won't stop me from loving him because the last thing he needs right now is to lose another person who loves him..."

Things turned out this way.

7.

When I was a little girl, someone asked me who Uchiha Sasuke was. And without thinking, I answered:

"My happily ever after."

But as soon as I realized what I said, I blushed out of embarrassment then hastily pointed to the boy throwing kunai after kunai on the targets before him.

I don't know what possessed me to say that but I suppose I could blame point the blame on the fact that I was still nothing but a child at that time and thus didn't know what I was saying.

6.

When I became a genin, Sasuke-kun and I were placed in the same team with Naruto under Kakashi-sensei. I was so happy my happily ever after was already in my grasp. It didn't matter to me that Sasuke-kun did not reciprocate my feelings, being the foolish naive little girl that I was back then. I was one of those girls influenced by fairytales and believed that someday my aloof prince charming will love me back, if given time.

Days passed until they turned to months, and before I knew it, it had almost been a year. Almost a year being in the same team as Sasuke-kun, working with him, and fighting next to him... I couldn't ask for a better road to my happily ever after.

5.

Chunin exams. It felt surreal. I felt like I just became a genin and then I was going to take the Chunin exams. And I was going to take it with Sasuke-kun, my Sasuke-kun. My knight in shining hitae-ate. My saviour.

Then we encountered him. In the Forest of Death, we encountered the snake—Orochimaru. And nothing was ever the same. I hate that snake... if it weren't for him, Sasuke-kun...

I was weak. Too weak. I couldn't protect Sasuke-kun and Naruto. I tried but in the end I couldn't do anything when the kunoichi held me captive by my hair. My long hair that I grew for Sasuke-kun. For Sasuke-kun. Always for Sasuke-kun.

But l still was not enough. I was weak. Weaker than Naruto. I couldn't do anything. And I call myself a kunoichi, a genin.

The long hair I kept long (despite knowing it wasn't advisable as a kunoichi) for Sasuke-kun was held by the enemy and I couldn't do anything. The enemy were closing in to my teammates and I was still weak.

Reaching a roadblock, I cut my hair that I grew long for Sasuke-kun. I didn't want to do it because Sasuke-kun likes girls with long hair, but to save him I couldn't think of anything else to do.

For Sasuke-kun. Always for Sasuke-kun.

4.

That night... He's leaving and I knew it. I didn't know how but I just did. So I waited by the bench, hiding under the shadows of the trees, all the while hoping he wouldn't show up. Hours passed and no sign of Sasuke-kun, a relieved smile touched my lips. He's not coming, I thought happily. But then I heard it, a horrible terrible sound that haunted me even in my sleep, manifesting as my nightmares—

The sounds of soft approaching footsteps.

It was him. The person I was waiting for yet did not want to see at all.

I told him I love him but apparently love wasn't enough.

3.

For two and half years, I worked hard, trained hard, under the Godaime Hokage's tutelage. But they were all for naught.

When we encountered Sasuke-kun again, there was nothing I could do at all, to get him back. The accomplishments I achieved until then didn't matter because I couldn't do the simple action of bringing back the person I love.

2.

I tried to kill him. Because I loved him too much to know he was falling deeper, getting farther away, and I knew it was futile to try to bring him back.

But in the end, I couldn't kill him. I was still the weak little girl who needed rescuing. All I could was cry cry cry. The feel of his hand around my throat felt like it was my heart he had in his grasp.

1.

And now, as he lay on the dirt, dying while I sit next to him, my hands frantic over his body, trying trying trying my best to stop the bleeding, heal him, save him, his wounds are fatal but he's still alive.

He's still alive but I can't save him like this, not with this kind of medical ninjutsu, not with this level.

The first time I met Tsunade-shishou was when she healed Sasuke-kun after Guy-sensei brought him back unconscious—healed him when other medic-nin failed—and I was impressed.

I thought under her tutelage I could heal everything but when a patient died on me the first time, I learnt that medical ninjutsu can't cure everything. I was furious and frustrated at first. I studied medical ninjutsu to save my teammates, my precious people. Then Tsunade-sama told me the story about her lover and so I learned to accept death.

But when Chiyo-sama saved my life and witnessed her resurrect the Kazekage, hope was lit in me. I realized that it's not impossible. Impossible with my level of medical ninjutsu, sure... but if I could learn a jutsu like the one Chiyo-sama used, I'd be able to save my loved ones that others couldn't wouldn't be able to.

Secretly, I studied advanced medical texts and medical jutsu scrolls. I even went to Suna, in guise of a mission to peruse scrolls relating to the kinjutsu Chiyo-sama used.

I close my eyes briefly as I take a deep breath, my mind set, and decision unwavering. I erected a barrier around us because I know once Tsunade-sama or Kakashi-sensei realizes what I'm doing, they'd stop me. I didn't use a strong barrier; I do not want to waste any more chakra than I already have if I'm going to save Sasuke-kun.

The green light her hands are emitting faded into blue.

Always for Sasuke-kun.

Even if it means not having my happily ever after.

One year later

"She's not waking up," Tsunade tells them, "it's been a year already. And honestly she's only alive because of the machines attached to her but—"

"No," he interrupts firmly because he knows where this conversation is going and he doesn't like it so he doesn't want to hear it.

"Uchiha..."

"I said no."

"Her life isn't yours to decide, Sasuke," Kakashi, who is standing next to him, says.

Obsidian eyes swirled into purple ripples.

"Do it," he threatens, "and I'll destroy Konoha."

Kakashi and Tsunade look at each other, the former softly shakes his head and they leave knowing that the discussion is over.

His eyes fade to black as he watches them retreat. Cowards, he thinks. Those two purposely did not include Naruto in the conversation, knowing how he'll react. Did they think Sasuke will agree to euthanasia?

Sasuke turns back to the wide glass window behind him, and looks at the barely there figure lying on the white hospital bed inside with several tubes attached on her body.

Briefly, he shuts his eyes. He knows that if she dies, he can use the Rinnegan to resurrect her, but for now... he'll wait.

The End.


edited: 16/07/2012