Death and Love
By: Alicia
Written:
Disclaimer: I do not own Haruno Sakura or Uchiha Sasuke. Or the show Naruto at all!
Summary: It had been three years since Uchiha Sasuke killed his elder brother. Now,
he is slowly coming back to his village--but he doesn't know if anyone will treat him the same.
However, he wishes he can turn to Sakura. Does she still understand him? What will she do?
And what does Kakashi have to say about this?
Three years. Three long years. That is how long it took Uchiha Sasuke to track down his brother and to began to travel back home. His breath quickened, he was still running. Running to the place he called home. He had killed Uchiha Itachi and now he was coming back to restore his clan. That is the only thing he wished for. No...there was one more thing...he opened himself more over the three years. He now knew the true meaning and feeling of being alone. In the past he could only look forward to killing his brother; the only other member in the Uchiha family. Now that his brother was gone, he realized he was the only one left. No one was a member of the Uchiha clan. Only him, he was alone, no one of the same name was alive. All dead. All gone. All missed...but one.
His cold eyes scanned the wall and door that lead into the Village Hidden in the Leaves. His breath, by this time, had became normal. He reached and fixed his bandanna. His face was still iced over when he entered through the gates. He was shocked on how much the village had change. Mainly how the people grew, and how so many more children of the village were now ninjas. He slowly made his way into the crowd, ignoring stares that were coming from the children. His eyes scanned down upon their small figures, which caused them to shudder and hide their eyes. He than bumped into someone, he didn't fall back but the person he ran into did. He frowned. Who dared to run into him? He glanced down to see a pale blonde hair girl. Oh no, was the first thought that struck his mind. He had ran into Ino, Yamanaka Ino.
"Yeow!" shrilled the blonde as she stood up. She brushed herself off, still looking down and cursed,"Who dares run into me?" She glanced up and gave a small shriek,"SASUKE-KUN?"
Sasuke gave a small annoyed look. She hasn't changed, he thought. Her voice, he had noticed, had became more of that of a young females. He had also noticed that her hair had gotten longer over the three years. It had became much more shiny, he recalled, from the last time he saw her. He glanced down to apologize, and realized her body had matured...matured A LOT that is. He looked up only to find that her nose was wrinkled up.
"Like what you see?" she hissed as she crossed her arms,"Too bad for you, I'm going to be married." She huffed and showed her a wedding ring. He gave a small look. Married? At age sixteen? Shouldn't she wait until she was older. He shrughed off his poundering thoughts.
"Well," he said in his calm cool voice,"I was just apologizing for the little falling. I did not mean to seem like I was staring." He chringed in his mind. He did not wish to say sorry to her. She ran into him not he ran into her. He sighed,"Hey...Ino. Can we go and eat somewhere? I what to ask you somethings."
Ino paused, a small blush creeped on her face. She did, three years ago, wished he'd ask her such a thing. Now she couldn't careless, but thought of it was embarrassing. After a second she answered,"Yes. Of course, you were gone for three years. It's the least I can do."
After a while of walking they settled down in a Ramen shop. They both of course ordered, and when they began to eat Sasuke brought up his questions. They were first simple ones about Ino and her life, like who she was going to marry, how was she after all these years, the works. When she was finished answering the questions, he began to ask other ones.
"How's Naruto? Sakura? And Kakashi-sensai?" he gazed at Ino, who looked rather shocked. After a momment, she inhaled. Her voice came out a bit shakely but still firm,
"Kakashi---passed away..." she paused,"On a mission. His students where not hurt, the target was him. They are currently looking for whoever killed him." Sasuke bowed his head, how could someone do such a thing? Kill off someone as sweet as Kakashi? Sure he may have been a bit perverted with his books, but still he was a sweet man. He gave a silent tear for his Sensai than glanced up, after making sure the tear was not visable.
"Naruto..." Ino began,"He...is barely seen amoug us anymore. He comes out at nights, and in day. Here and there. He has become very...how would you describe it? Oh, very distant from us. I think it was because he lost you that night you left...However, he and Hinata are rumor to be dating."
Sasuke's mind went into flashback. The night he left, the last night he whispered a 'farewell Naruto, you dunce' before slipping away into the shadows. That was the last time he saw the blonde's smile or drool in his sleep. He frowned but gave a small motion for Ino to continue. In which she did,
"Sakura. Is basically the same as Naruto." Ino frowned,"I remeber the day when Naruto gave the news to her. That poor girl fell to her knees. Crying, sobbing, whailing, screaming your name. Her face drained of color. Her hope shattered. She went through training that day and than walked off. We barely see her today."
Sasuke stood up."Ino, pay this for me, I will pay you back. I promise." He spoke quickly as he dashed out of the resturant. Leaving Ino a bit confused. He didn't feel right, hearing how his friends reacted just drilled something inside of him. First stop, was Naruto's house. He dashed towards a old style house, to see it looked worse than it was. Slowly Sasuke opened the door to Naruto's place. He glanced around seeing some shattered things. He walked in and saw Naruto, sitting there currled up.
"Naruto." Sasuke spoke firmly. This caused the blonde to turn around. His face was pale but brightened with the sign of Saskue. The blonde slowly stood, brushing his cloths off. Sasuke smirked and mocked,"Come now, dunce. Did you miss me?"
"Pff, yeah right!" Naruto said, suddenly acting like he did three years ago."Like I'd miss you." He gave a small smirk,"Heh, welcome back, Sasuke. It's been a long time."
"Likewise." Sasuke turned to face a picture of them...all four of them...Naruto, himself, Sakura, and Kakashi. It faded, like time would do to a picture. He faced Naruto agian,"Hey...have you talked to Sakura lately?"
Naruto's reaction went down agian,"No." he said as he brushed at his nose."Not since you left and than Kakashi-sensai died and she attended his funeral. You're going to see her? If you are, than go on. Don't worry about me, pal."
Sasuke was rather shocked about the fact Naruto called him a pal. He, yet agian, brushed it off,"Yeah. I'm going to see her." He spoke as he turned and dashed out of Naruto's house. Leaving Naruto to smile and throw a punch in the air. His rival had came back, and he was dieing for a rematch.
Deep breaths. Sasuke was taking extremely deep breaths. He was now infront of Sakura's house. It, like Naruto's, looked a bit older than last time. His heart pounded, but what bothered him was the fact that he had regained his breath. He felt himself flush, but why was he flushing? He didn't know what was the cause of this...this...he couldn't even discribe it. Putting it off, he opened the door slowly. Hearing it creek a bit he paused. At last he walked into the house. Slowly walking in he glanced around at the house. He felt himself freeze when he heard sobbing. Slowly he began to fallow the sob until it led to his only girl teammate, Haruno Sakura."Sakura..." he murmered.
The pink haird girl jumped. Her face turned to see who it was. Her green eyes began to widen. She slowly stood and turned to face him all the way. "Sasuke-kun...?" she spoke in a whisper. He gave a small nod, which caused the girl to smile just a bit,"Sasuke-kun." she spoke up with a bit more of joy in her voice.
As she walked over Sasuke held out his arms. She slowly moved to where her head was leaning agianst his chest, and his arms wrapped gentlely around her mature body. That's when he noticed that he never knew how beatiful Sakura was. Her hair, had indeed, grown back. It was to the middle of her back. When a small ray of light hit it from her between the closed window, it shinned. This caused Sakura to have an angelic look to her. He touched her wet cheek, causing her to look at him. He saw how her eyes now held much more beauty, and gave her a much more mature look. He bent down slightly, letting his lips claim hers.
Sakura pulled away after a minute and spoke up,"Saskue-kun..." she felt her face heat up."I'm glad your back..." For once in his life, Sasuke smiled. An actual smile, not a smirk, not a coocky grin, just a smile. A soft smile.
"Glad to be back." He said as he gave her another small kiss. When they finished this kiss he smiled agian. Sakura spoke up softly,
"Do you wish to visit Kakashi-sensai's grave?"
"Hai."
"Than fallow me." Sakura gentlely grabbed her hand and started down a path. This path was new to Sasuke, it wasn't there three years ago. Along the path they met up with two more people. Hinata and Naruto. All four of the young adult ninjas walked down the path. They all stayed silent. They came up to a rather medium sized tree. It wasn't huge nor was it was small. Before the tree sat a small marble stone, engraved within it read the words 'Hatake Kakashi: A noble man who died protecting'.
All four of them stared down, paying respect for their fallen Sensai. Finally Saskue spoke up calmly,"Kakashi-sensai, I have returned." He smiled and wrapped his arm around Sakura,"And I thank you for teaching me all you have." He gave a small kiss on the lips to Sakura than turned to the grave,"And I seem to have found someone. I promise for you, if I have a son, I will name him Kakashi. In your honor. I will also tell him everything about you. Heck, I may let him read a book like yours. I am sorry that I didn't come sooner."
The four nodded and bent their heads to pay respect agian. Unaware behide them a shimmer of light appeared. Standing in the ray came none other than Hatake Kakashi. He smiled behide his mask. He spoke up,"It's good to see you agian, Uchiha Sasuke. I planted that tree when you left, because I knew you would come back. I am proud of what a man you became. And I thank you as well, for doing such a thing for me."
He slowly vanished as a gentle wind danced by, leaving his words to get lost within it. Leaving the leaves flutter down, and leaving the four ninjas behide. Still quiet out of respect. Sasuke smiled to himself, he felt the present of someone he knew and liked dearly. He did not say a word when he felt the wind and heard the small whisper amoug the tree's leaves.
End: Death and Love