Flower Language
Academy Days
The first flower he sent her was a cherry blossom. At first, she thought it too good to be true. But when she asked Ino about its meaning, she found it meant 'beauty', and she knew exactly what he was asking.
"Yes, I love you, too!" she exclaimed to him at school the next day, keeping the flower pressed between her tiny fingers. She held onto it tightly, because she knew that she was trembling.
"Then it's settled," he had told her, with a smile rounding his cheeks. And he walked over to her and pecked her on her own round cheeks, unleashing butterflies. "You and I are together." Those were the best words she had ever heard.
But they only satisfied her heart for so long.
When the news of the clan's slaughter was spread, and Sasuke came to the academy one day, he was cold. He had gone through an entire metamorphosis. He no longer smiled at her, shared his things with her, spoke to her. He shot her frosty looks. He kept his mouth shut. He kept his distance.
When she sent him a jonquil on a Tuesday after lunch, he sent her nothing.
Jonquil– I desire a return of affection.
Genin Days
The next time he sent her a flower, it had been long after– after they had both passed the Genin Exams. She received it tied with a red ribbon. A purple pansy wrapped in scarlet. A pansy– You occupy my thoughts, a pansy. She had smiled when she saw it, hugged it, kissed it, and had fallen on her back and laid it on her heart.
She lay in the grass of one of Konoha's many forests. And she was happy. Extremely happy.
When Naruto had been added onto their team, Sakura had seen the look in Sasuke's eyes. Hidden within those obsidian eyes was anger. Naruto had always liked Sakura. He had always waved at her, talked sweetly to her, and had always wanted to be with her.
When the teams had been decided, and they had gone home, she received a spray of angel's trumpets; Sasuke was suspicious. But Sakura had hastily gathered alstroemerias, meaning devotion. She would always love Sasuke, and only Sasuke.
When Haku's ice mirrors has shattered and faded, Sakura had shattered with them. Haku was dead, but Sasuke was as well. He lay far away, frozen, and even so beautiful in death. His blood sat upon his face, mocking her, teasing her, tormenting her.
She cried.
Adonis would fit him so well. She would bury him and all of their memories together with generous sprays of adonis. Adonis– sorrowful remembrance.
She cried, bringing her tears to his chest. She buried her face in the fabric. He smelled of blood and ice.
But then she heard his voice; his heartbeat followed after. He was warm. He was alive. His mouth moved and only she saw him whisper the words: 'glycine.' Glycine– your friendship is agreeable to me.
Chuunin Exam Days
In the Forest of Death, Sakura is the most scared she has ever been. That is because Sasuke is scared, too. He's horrified, trembling and quivering. His eyes are wide, scarlet, dilating. But Sakura cannot hear his heart. She's sure that it's bursting in his ears, but she cannot hear it.
He pukes at the sight of the Grass Ninja's genjutsu. He's terrified.
There is no way to communicate, they are too scared. He fights, because he cannot die. And he fights because he cannot watch her die.
They escape into the trees. She's all right; she's safe now. At least, that's how it seems. He covers her mouth to keep her from speaking. He watches vigilantly. They are attacked again; they narrowly escape, but are saved. Saved by his teammate. Saved by Naruto.
Sakura is grateful to Naruto and Sasuke, and while the two are unconscious, she takes care of them. She washes away the dribbling sweat, and checks them over for injuries. When her eyes fall on Sasuke she thinks of black poplars: courage. But when he awakes, Sasuke is enraged. He thinks of rocket flowers: rivalry.
The Sound ninja attack, and Sasuke is swift to come and rescue. He has the intent to kill.
Breaking the arms of one of the ninja, he moves onto the remaining one. It only takes a few steps. He can feel a strange, malevolent power spreading over him. It must be the influence of the mark Orochimaru gave him.
He goes in for the kill–
But then Sasuke feels Sakura's arms around him. He can hear her heartbeat. Somehow the forest is quiet. Somehow she has shaken him awake, awake from his murderous trance. He no longer feels like killing, he no longer feels any malice towards the pathetic, trembling Sound ninja in front of him.
He weakens underneath her embrace. His Sharingan size her up. Anguish rolls down her face. He realizes their stark contrasts. She is merciful and he is not.
He thinks of water lilies, the semblance of purity, as he watches her. She pulls his body closer, sobbing, keeping him so close. The proximity is stifling, but he can feel her love and her heartbreak. To satisfy her, to make her happy, he pulls back.
The curse mark disappears, and he falls.
The preliminaries are starting; the survivors of the Forest of Death are gathered. Sakura stands behind Sasuke.
She can see it, and she knows Sasuke knows she can see it. That black mark on the surface of his skin. It's a curse mark, given to him by the Grass Village ninja. Sakura's scared again. She's scared for Sasuke because she doesn't know what to do about it.
He's hurt, but he won't admit it. He's not strong enough, but he will deny it. She almost lost him, and she won't take that chance again.
She raises her hand.
He slaps it down.
He chides her, berates her, breaks her. And she almost cries. She thinks of giving him a hydrangea. It states: you are cold.
After the Chuunin Exam Days
When he awakens, he wants to give Sakura dwarf sunflowers to show his gratitude. He wants to give her saxifrages to show her affection and because he still loves her. And he wants to give her red salvias, because she stayed by his side day and night, as long as she could.
He can remember how she threw her arms around him, crying and calling his name. He finds himself in a hospital with a blonde woman he has never seen standing at a distance from him. Sasuke wants to show Sakura flowers, but when he awakes, he sees Naruto.
The thought of flowers leaves his mind. He is furious.
He remembers Naruto's strength. And he remembers Itachi's goal. Itachi put him in the hospital. Itachi wants Naruto. Itachi is still alive. Itachi has beat him again. Sasuke watches Naruto. He watches as Naruto smiles and nods and expresses his relief.
Naruto always smiles. A fool that has never felt the pain of betrayal smiles so much, and yet he still gets stronger. He gets strength, yet he has never felt the pain that Sasuke has felt. Why is that? Why is Naruto so amazing? Why is Naruto incredible? Why can't Sasuke catch up?
He challenges Naruto to fight, and they go to the hospital roof. He activates his Sharingan and prepares to kill him.
As he whisks through the air, lightning at his fingertips and the chirping of birds ringing in his ears, he can see Sakura. She's crying whilst she runs in between them, preparing to be the middleman, preparing to be run right through. She's begging.
And Sasuke can't stop. He doesn't want to run right through her.
Only for a second does he think of flowers. The ones called Love Lies Bleeding. Yes, he is hopeless, but not heartless.
Sakura watches him from behind. He has passed right by her. She questions him, because she hasn't taken it all in yet. She still doesn't understand yet. She doesn't understand why he has to leave the village.
She offers him a nightshade, because she can feel his heart is empty. Nightshade: your thoughts are dark. He says that he has to get stronger and he cannot do it here. Not here, not with her. He offers back a mourning bride to persuade her that the reason he's going is important. Mourning Bride, I have lost all.
And as she begins to cry he mentions the milkvetch, and says he would give her a thousand. Milkvetch: your presence softens my pain.
She gives him primroses, saying she'd give him as many as he needed just to stay by her. But Sasuke tells her he needs none of that. Primrose: I can't live without you. He tells her of the meadowsweets, and says he would give her one of those for every primrose. Meadowsweets: useless.
He tells her to go home and go to bed, and she thinks of the white poppies that mean sleep. But she asks him why he never talks to her, why he always shuts her out. He asks her why he needs to tell her anything; then he tells her to stop meddling.
He says that their secret love is over. He's done being a child.
Sakura comes alive. She becomes desperate. She gropes around in the dark for something to say to him, something to make him stay. She threatens that she'll scream if he goes. But he appears behind her, fast as lightning, without a sound.
A libernum would fit the moment, she thinks. He's behind her, breathing on her, breaking her. Libernum: I die if neglected.
She gives him pink and white roses, but he doesn't take them. Instead, he tells her "I'm sorry," knocks her unconscious and places her on the bench. Then he straightens himself, and goes on his way. Leaving her with her flowers.
Pink and white roses, I love you still and will always love you.
Shippuuden Days
When she runs out into the sunlight and hears him say her name, she feels nonplussed. Her heart shatters.
She gazes up at him in shock, and utters his name. It has been two years.
Sakura thinks of ice plants, because the person before her is not Sasuke. It's a man, a different man. He's stronger, more built, and haughty. His eyes display no familiarity, and his heart is iced over. She whispers the words under her breath, "ice plant," they mean "your look freezes me".
He watches her, and his impassive face crumbles slightly with irritation. He hates her, she can see that much.
Sakura thinks of lemon-scented geraniums because they stand for meetings such as these, unexpected meanings. She voices the thought and waits for his answer. He narrows his eyes at her and says in a voice dripping with acid that they stopped playing that childish game years ago. He tells her to stop it.
Sasuke is not surprised when Sakura comes to kill him.
She says at first that she's coming with him and deserting the village– a front that Sasuke sees right through immediately. He tells her to kill Karin, just in case. But he can see her holding the kunai upwards. She trembles like she did when they were young.
But he doesn't care about the past. This is now.
He hears Karin yell at him to stop; this rouses Sakura. But Sasuke doesn't stop. He continues surging forward with his Chidori, intent on getting rid of the strain from his past. He's blocked by Kakashi.
Their fight carries on atop uneasy waters. They fight under a tunnel-like structure. Sasuke berates his former teacher; he unleashes Susano'o– but he cannot see much. His vision is hazy, blurred, waning. Everything is unfocused. Kakashi is a fuzzy blur of colors in front of him.
He can hear Sakura preparing a sneak-attack. Better yet, he can feel Sakura. Her chakra is sharp. He reaches out to her, and grasps her neck, squeezing as hard as he can. He can feel her struggling, but he doesn't care. He raises a kunai and prepares to get rid of her.
But another member from his past rushes in, taking Sakura in his arms and carrying her away. He can feel his chakra, too. It's Naruto.
They don't fight for long– the man that wears the name Madara appears. And then disappears with Sasuke in tow. As he tells Madara to get ready to implant Itachi's eyes, he can't forget what he just saw– one thing in particular. Even though he could barely see it, he can't forget it.
When he grasped Sakura's neck and had moved in to kill her, something had fallen from her pocket. He opens his hand now and sees a crumpled helenium. He is nearly blind, but he will never forget that sight.
A helenium, meaning tears.
He rips the petals clean off, and stomps on the bud, leaving the tarnished leftovers on the cold floor.
Future Days
All that is before him is Naruto. His friend.
They fight. Here, one will be overwhelmed and defeated.
Sasuke is confident, but not stupid; Naruto is strong. The blond boy has something up his sleeve. He had seen his former friend grow in only a matter of months when they had been genin. He had seen his team member surpass him, but now that's changed.
The last obstacle is his friend.
Sasuke raises his Chidori for the final attack; he can feel his strength almost gone. Naruto counters by raising his own Rasengan. He is almost finished as well.
They are both exhausted and wounded.
Naruto says his name, and Sasuke says Naruto's. They both charge.
Chidori and Rasengan collide, mesh, explode. And the world seems so much brighter it's blinding. The chakra is fierce, causing Sasuke's palm to feel on fire. He can feel his skin tingling, bleeding, from such destructive power.
The rocks around them crumble, the landscape rumbles, the skies are grey.
He thinks of everything that he's fighting for and all he's left behind. Sasuke sees Naruto. Not with his visual eye, but with his soul. The world explodes.
The eyes that could see through everything, only now are they seeing through Naruto Uzumaki. Only now is his soul's eye truly seeing him. Sasuke looks at him, takes in the sight of him. His friend.
Even though he doesn't mean to, the word 'friend' triggers thoughts of Sakura. He thinks of the games they used to play, their training. He thinks of their conversations through flowers. Such a stupid, childish thing they used to do.
But, there was time to play one more round of that stupid, childish game, Sasuke thinks, before it's time to move on for good. Just for old times' sake.
He looks at Naruto. He looks at Naruto's eyes. He sees the intensity and the ferocity.
Sasuke sees Naruto, and thinks of hemlocks.
Yes, hemlocks, those are the perfect flowers for a time like this.
Hemlocks– you will cause my death.