Hello, it's me again. I promised a Sakura story, so here it is! I really hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Kishimoto-san owns it. Oh, yeah, and Long Live Deidara! (I love him so much, yeah) The poem belongs to me. If it is similar to another poem, then it is merely a coincidence. It's called "Mirage", by the way.
A New Beginning
Expectant leaf-green eyes fell on the great oak doors of the Fire Temple. The murmurs of dozens of guests filled the great room as they waited patiently for the ceremony to start.
All was well; Those words kept repeating themselves in the eighteen year old pink-haired kunoichi's mind as she stood unseen atop a dark balcony that jutted over the altar.
A wedding was taking place; that was the rumor that had passed from person to person around Konoha. A rumor of an unforseen wedding between the forgiven traitor Uchiha Sasuke, and the Godaime Hokage's young, beloved apprentice, Haruno Sakura. The young women of Konoha soon ignored it, saying with thin lips and upturned noses that such a marriage was unlikely to take place.
A scandal, they hissed with faces that held ugly masks of pure envy. It would be a scandal for the Uchiha Prodigy to give his hand to one so unworthy as Sakura, the same Saskura whom they said wanted him for his inheritance.
Jealousy is one of the most ugly things in the world, Sakura reminded herself whenever she was given a hostile look by one of these women. She had stood by Sasuke when he was brought back, weak and close to death; slaving over a hot stove to get him back to health, nursing his wounds, providing the friendship these same women deprived him of when he needed it most.
And through her loving care, Sasuke had grown back into the formidable man Konoha had once seen him as. That was when everyone started to love him again, pushing forward to gain his attention, and leaving her in the dark once more.
The day came when he had finally extended his hand to her, asking her to help him fulfill his promise to the Uchiha Clan.
"Together we will revive the clan...you and me...we will rebuild what was destroyed, and it will be ours alone...Sakura, you are my one and only love, you are the one out of all that I choose to stand beside me as my dreams come true..." His words had touched her heart to the extent that it felt like breaking from the amount of love she felt for him .
Yet, lurking beneath her feelings of joy, sliding and floating like a leaf in the wind on a night cloaked in utter darkness, a feeling of hurt resided. The hurt which manifested itself as the suspicion that Sasuke wanted her only for her body; her ability to give birth, to bring forth a new life that was Sasuke's plan for their future.
Tonight, in the security of his mansion Sasuke's plan for the Uchiha clan's future would hopefully blossom within her womb. He loves me...he is not using me...he wants me to support him...I love him...he wants me to help him make his dreams come true...and my dream is for that to happen...
Tearing her eyes away from the doorway she had hoped to see her groom walk through, Sakura gazed down at the crowd of family, friends, and citizens who had come to witness the ceremony. She couldn't help smiling at the sight of her best friend, Uzumaki Naruto, the number one unpredictable ninja.
Dressed in a three-piece suit, the hyperactive blond was showing off to Kiba the trick flower he was wearing on his bow. When Kiba growled as a stream of water flew out of the flower and hit him in the eye, Shino sighed and leaned back in his chair while Hinata gazed serenely at the blond, a blush tinting her already rosy cheeks as she absentmindedly petted a grown-up Akamaru.
Oh Hinata...I wish Naruto would notice you...you try so hard for him...
She turned her gaze to her close friend Ino, who was fussing over Choji's hair. Ino had discovered she had feelings for the now-muscular Choji. Now the both of them were inseparable, snacking out on potato chips all the time. Luckily, Ino still retained her beautiful figure.
Shikamaru was holding hands with Temari, all the while shooting nervous glances at her brothers Gaara and Kankuro, who were sitting in the pew right behind him to make sure he didn't touch her anywhere above (or below) the waist. Sakura nearly laughed when she saw the way they were breathing down the chuunin's neck.
Poor Shikamaru...but you have Temari now, ne?
Neji and Lee were talking quietly to each other, while Tenten watched Neji rather sadly out of the corner of her eye as she spoke to Anko.
Tenten...Neji is blind to you all the time...you really should just confess your feelings to him...
The other senseis were grouped together, chatting lightly amongst themselves. Kakashi, her old teacher was ignoring Gai's hearty conversation and watching the huge doors just as she had done a few moments earlier. Kakashi nearly fainted when she told him about her and Sasuke. He thought, in his opinion, that eighteen was too young to marry.
Tsunade was waiting at the altar. Sakura had asked her mentor to marry her and Sasuke, and she readily agreed.
"S-Sakura-chan?"
Sakura whirled around, then relaxed as the petite form of the Hyuuga heiress stepped out of the shadows.
"Oh...Hinata-chan...why aren't you down there?"
Hinata nervously hugged herself with gloved hands. "I-I was worried a-about you. S-Sasuke-san has not arrived y-yet..."
Sakura smiled. "Hinata-chan...you worry too much about others...I'm fine..."
The heiress gave her a suspicious look that made her know she didn't believe a word she said. Sakura held her breath, hoping Hinata wouldn't voice her suspicions.
Fortunately for her, Hinata was understanding enough not to push the matter. Instead, she nodded and turned away.
"O-okay S-Sakura-chan...sorry for disturbing you...If you n-need any h-help...t-tell me...p-please..." She hurried away, glancing over her shoulder before she left.
Sakura sighed and glanced at the doors again, almost expecting her betrothed to burst through them and sweep her up in his strong arms, but all she saw was cold, hard wood.
"I suppose I should go to look for him...he might be having some trouble..." Gathering up folds of her snow-white dress, she slipped out the temple through a back door and started off toward the Uchiha manor, where she knew Sasuke would be getting ready.
Only once she paused to stare up at the white-grey sky, letting the smoky shapes of light clouds fill her mind. Red-stained clouds...swimming across an endless night...mirrors the bloodshed...as shinobi fight... The poem she had learned while still in the ninja academy replayed itself over and over again in her head like a broken record. It was called "Mirage."
A flash of red caught her eye; she swiftly turned to seek it out. A red cloud...?
The pink-haired kunoichi shook her head, ridding her mind of all thoughts that concerned clouds. Wherever she went, she would think about red clouds. In her dreams, in her nightmares...the red clouds haunted her. She couldn't help wondering where she had seen them before; it may have been a trick her mind was playing on her.
Her mind cleared, Sakura turned a corner and walked down a long road toward the Uchiha compound. Ignoring the stares from people around her, she stood at the gate and took a deep breath before pushing it open as softly as she could.
The tiny spray of pink cherry blossoms that was fixed to her low collar fluttered in the breeze. Holding it to her chest firmly, the anxious bride-to-be walked up to the Main House and stood on the doorstep, suddenly feeling shy.
Just knock Sakura...of course he won't mind seeing you...he loves you, remember...? Her inner self encouraged. Ever since Sasuke proposed to her, the kunoichi became meek and submissive, a mere shadow of her strong, fotmer self.
She knocked and waited patiently. I hope he won't be angry...he's been acting weird lately...
Kakashi always asked her whether or not she was all right with her relationship with the Uchiha. Just like Hinata, he never seemed to be believe her when she answered back with a chipper "yes!"
It was clear that they didn't approve of the wedding; they only murmured a congratulations and hurried away to get over the sudden news.
Though she could sense Sasuke's chakra inside the house, he didn't come to the door.
That's strange...he usually comes right after the first knock...
Swallowing her fear, she knocked again, louder this time.
Still no answer.
Worried, Sakura turned the knob. To her surprise the door creaked open, squeaking on it's unoiled hinges.
"Sasuke?" She called out softly. He didn't respond.
She carefully closed the door behind her then stood there in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do. Being in Sasuke's clan house always made her feel depressed. Knowing that it was the place where the entire Uchiha clan was slaughtered ruined the beauty of the compound's interior.
What was that?
For a brief second she thought she heard Sasuke's voice from upstairs.
Who would he be talking to?
Sakura hesitantly placed her hand on the banister, then slowly began to walk up the stairs to investigate. A little voice inside her told her to hide her chakra scent. She had no idea why she did so; it was more like a hidden instinct.
A rather audible grunt was heard from the direction of Sasuke's room. Worried that Sasuke hurt himself, she crept toward his open door and peered in.
Sakura felt her heart literally break at the sight before her eyes.
Sasuke...her beloved Sasuke...holding another in his arms. A different woman; one whom she recognized to be a heiress from a powerful clan. Sweat adorned their bodies as Sasuke began thrusting in and out, too engrossed in his unchecked lovemaking to notice the tearful leaf-green eyes of his bride-to-be as she watched, trying with all her might to make the vision disappear as if it were a nightmare.
Sasuke's deep grunts...the woman's moan of pleasure as she arched her back...her sapphire blue eyes as she gazed sweetly into Sasuke's onyx eyes...and their mingled cries of ecstacy when they climaxed as one...
No...It's not real...he didn't do that...he loves me...loves me...
The kunoichi turned and walked quietly down the stairs, her white sandals clicking on the wooden floor when she got to the landing. Yanking open the squeaky front door, she walked slowly to the gate and slipped through.
And there she stayed; standing up in front of the gates and staring at the clouds, which flew overhead free and uncaring. Tears ran down her cheeks as she wondered how their love had come to this.
Red-stained clouds
Swimming across an endless night
Mirrors the bloodshed
As shinobi fight.
Within the darkness
Hurt and pain lies
A betrayal of love
As the lover dies
Now I know why Shikamaru wanted to be like a cloud...to escape life and float along, without the burden of pain and suffering that ails us all...I feel like dying...I may as well end my life right now...
"Sakura?" Kakashi stepped in front of her and lay a hesitant hand on her shoulder, unsure of how to comfort his favorite student. He always had a vague idea of what was happening with Sasuke; now he regretted not telling the little kunoichi his suspicions. He cursed himself for not stopping her from leaving.
"Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura wiped her face with the back of one hand. "I-I'm sorry..."
"Sakura..."
"Please..." She tugged on the front of his flak jacket and buried her face in his chest. "F-forgive me for not l-listening to you...I was blind to those who cared for m-e...a-all this time...I should h-have followed your ad...advice and w-waited longer...before g-getting...en...engaged...I-I'm sorry..."
As he wrapped his arms comfortingly around her frail body, he couldn't help wondering how such a strong woman had became so fragile, like porcelain.
She became strong for Sasuke...she breathed for Sasuke...she lived for Sasuke...and he has crushed her heart...If only I was brave enough to intervene...my dear Sakura would not have come to this...I'm the one who should be apologizing...
A curtain on the second floor window of the Uchiha mansion shifted as a familiar face glared angrily at them. Kakashi shot a disapproving look at his former student.
Oh Sasuke...you've really done it now...
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Sasuke watched from a window as his betrothed fled the house, sobbing into her hands. He knew how much it hurt her, but Sakura had shyly refused to have sex, saying over and over again that she wasn't ready. He still intended to marry her...only, if she was somehow unable to produce a child he would also have a blood lined mistress to produce powerful heirs for his clan. Having a mistress was illegal in Konoha, but he was desperate to revive his clan.
It's all for the best, Sakura...I'll still marry you when you come back to me...
The Uchiha was certain. She would come back to him. Sakura would be the kind of wife who would do whatever he wanted. Not to mention that she would be an excellent teacher for his children, whether she was or wasn't their natural mother.
She'll come back to me...like she always does...I'll make sure of it...
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Back at the Fire temple, the impatient guests were out of their seats, milling about as a way to pass the time. Ever since the bride was reported to have gone missing, they began to wonder whether they should stay and wait for Sakura, or go out and look for her.
The giant double doors flew open, and everyone craned their heads to see who it was.
Kakashi walked steadily through the crowd, ignoring the questions that pummeled him from all sides. He stepped calmly over to the altar and bent over the microphone.
The entire room fell silent. Desperate eyes implored the Jounin to go on with what he had to say.
"Sakura regrets this outcome, but...there will be no wedding today." shocked gasps filled the room as Kakashi turned and whispered urgently in Tsunade's ear the details of Sakura's latest encounter with her fiancee.
The Hokage nodded, her face calm. Being the Hokage, she must set an example and not lose her temper in public. Though she was calm on the outside, she was enraged and hurt at the same time.
Sakura was like a daughter to her; it hurt her to hear that such a thing happened to her apprentice.
While Kakashi was attempting to get the guests to quiet down, she struggled to keep herself under control. She didn't notice her hands were clenched until Shizune pointed out the blood that seeped out of the cuts she dug in her skin.
I knew something was wrong with that Uchiha teme...all he wanted to do was use my child for...for breeding stock! I may just kill him and hide his body in a shallow ditch...and I don't care if Sakura wants him alive...the farther she is away from him, the better...
"Granny Tsunade? Is something wrong? You look all tense..." Tsunade turned and looked wistfully into the kind blue eyes of Uzumaki Naruto. Why couldn't Sakura have chosen Naruto? Naruto would have treasured her...
Yet in the back of her mind she knew things would not have worked out between them. Sakura and Naruto getting married was the greatest possible thing she could hope for; when her apprentice announced she was marrying Sasuke, she nearly flipped out.
"Naruto...it's fine..." She had no intention of telling Naruto what happened between his teammates yet. He would have challenged Sasuke to a battle the next time he saw the raven-haired chuunin.
Uchiha Sasuke...beware...cross my path and I will rip you apart...I can promise you that...
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Sakura sighed as she leaned against the cherry blossom tree. The silky cloth of her wedding dress scrunched uncomfortably against the flat rock she was sitting on.
Kakashi-sensei once told her that everyone needed their own space to think, or relax. The tiny spring surrounded by cherry blossom trees and wild flowers was such a spot for her. For the first time, the little oasis did nothing to help her solve her problems.
Frustrated, the pink-haired kunoichi kicked a rock into the clear water and watched as it made ripples across the surface.
I should have known...I'm still the naive little girl that Sasuke resented so much...he wanted me only for my body...and nothing else...I've wasted ten whole years of my life just obsessing over him...and for what? A broken heart...huh...now I know how Naruto must have felt when I ignored him all these years...I deserve this...
A low voice snapped her right out of her thoughts.
"You know...sulking won't make your situation any better..." Sakura looked up, her eyes meeting with red clouds once more. The clouds were on a midnight black robe, the usual attire for the group of missing-nin that called themselves the Akatsuki. She slowly moved her eyes up the length of his body and saw a hat with beige strips hanging off the inside of the brim.
Blood-red eyes stared coolly back at her as the bell on the edge of his hat began chiming in the wind.
"Itachi..." she breathed, stunned at seeing him in Konoha. The said man casually tossed of his hat, revealing shoulder-length black hair and an attractive face with two odd lines on either side of his nose. He leaned lazily against a tree.
"I heard my baby brother was getting married, so I decided to pass through. However..." His eyes gleamed maliciously. "I didn't expect to see his little bride out here...alone...in the woods. What might you be doing here?"
Sakura resisted the urge to punch her fist into the ground. That would have been a stupid thing to do, considering the fact that they were in a forest full of huge trees that could just topple over.
She forced herself to remain calm. The rogue leaf-nin did not seem to want to harm her at the moment. And she also didn't want him to sense her fear.
"I am not marrying your stupid brother okay? I'm not going to sit here and play twenty questions with you so just go home and leave me alone."
To her utter dismay the Uchiha ignored her words and closer until he was only a few feet in front of her.
"I know you," he said after a few seconds. "You're his teammate...the one who obsesses over him too much." When Sakura didn't reply he went on. "Why bother with him in the first place? Why not just leave the village and be done with it?"
"Even if he is a jerk, I still care about him and Konoha. I can never leave them."
"Hn." Itachi turned and began walking away, leaving a puzzled Sakura.
"Wait! Where do you think you're going!? You can't just waltz in and out of Konoha like you own the place." She stood up and prepared for an attack.
"Save your breath Sa-ku-ra," he stretched her name out teasingly. "You're a waste of time. You are nothing like the 'formidable kunoichi' I've been hearing talk about."
Her temper flared and before she knew it she standing right in front him. "It's all the fault of your brother! He's the one who made me like this! In fact, if you hadn't gone on a killing spree, Sasuke wouldn't have left, and this never would have happened!"
Itachi's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why blame me when you were the one who followed after him like a lap dog, wiping his ass with a silk cloth whenever he felt like it?" Sakura stared at him, finding truth in his words.
"You set yourself up for heartbreak the moment you fell for my brother. Do yourself a favor and leave. You only stayed in Konoha in the hopes he would come back."
"But..." How does he know so much about me? Am I that easy to read?
"Hn? The only way you can develop as a ninja is if you leave the security of this village. All Konoha did was hold me back. There are people out there who have better use for your unique skills. Don't waste them."
Sakura stared breathlessly after him. He was right; as long as she stayed close to Sasuke, he would only hurt her more and more. Yet, if she left the village, she would be free improve her skills and live independently. Itachi kept walking until he faded from view.
As he left the young kunoichi standing there, Itachi couldn't help thinking that he got through to her.
Yes... He thought. Given her state of mind at the moment, this should be easy.
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Sakura yanked off her wedding dress, uncaring as to whether or not she ripped the soft fabric. She carried it to her backyard and stomped it into the ground, hardly noticing she was wearing nothing but knickers and a sports bra in the cold autumn air.
Right after she spoke to Itachi, she returned home to get her most important possessions. She hadn't even alerted the Hokage that Itachi was in the village.
Unsatisfied with just getting the dress dirty, she piled several handfuls of dry grass on it and fumbled for a match, being unable to manage a simple flame jutsu at the moment.
Holding her breath in anticipation, she struck a flame and watched it for a second, it's flickering so weak it would snuff out if the smallest gust of blew across it.
Leaf-green eyes hard with determination, she dropped the match and the flame flared upward, fueled by the fragile cloth that made up her dress. The white fabric smoked, then was gradually charred black. It was like watching her love for Sasuke go up in flames, flames that would never cease to burn. The more the flames burned, the more she felt her old, strong self return.
The last part of the dress that she saw before it was completely gone was the little spray of cherry blossoms that Sasuke had given her himself, saying that it was right for a cherry blossom to wear her namesake in some way. He was the one who had fixed it to her dress, as he told her about all the things they would do together as a couple.
It was all too good to be true.
"Sakura-chan...what is the meaning of this?" She didn't even have to turn around to know it was Naruto.
"Naruto-kun...I had no choice." She turned to glance at her teammate, her eyes devoid of emotion.
"But...you...what happened?" Naruto's voice sounded desperate. Her heart clenched at the pain that was so evident in his voice. Nevertheless, she kept up her emotionless mask.
"How long were you here?"
"I was here the second you set fire to your dress. But that's not the point!" He was yelling now, frustrated that one of his closest friends was hiding things from him.
"We are teammates! No matter what, we always help each other!" Sakura didn't reply.
His voice softened to a pleading tone. "Please Sakura-chan...let me help you...I dont't want you to isolate yourself like Sasuke-teme did. Please..."
Sakura tore her gaze away from the charred remains of her once-loved wedding dress.
"Naruto-kun...I don't want to talk right now...just leave me alone for now." She turned back to the pile of ashes on the ground. It was obvious that Kakashi hadn't told him about what happened with Sasuke.
Behind her Naruto sighed. "Sakura-chan...remember that we're all here for you...please...don't go down the same road Sasuke did." A second later his chakra scent disappeared as he jumped her fence and ran off.
I'm sorry Naruto...
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Sakura dumped her essential belongings in her rucksack and lay the letters she had written on her desk. One she had addressed to Konoha, the others addressed to Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Ino.
Her Leaf headband was tied securely around her neck; she couldn't bear to part with it.
Turning off the lamp, she was about to leave through the open door when she remembered something. Plucking the engagement ring off her finger, she placed it on the desk next to Sasuke's letter. The ANBU would eventually find the letters when they searched her room next morning, so she knew her friends would get them. I wonder...will I ever return? Would Konoha forgive me for my decision?
She jumped out the window and landed lightly on the sidewalk, making sure to creep along the shadowy walls of buildings to prevent herself from being seen.
Once she jumped the village gates, she headed toward her secret spot, hoping she would be able to figure out her own plans for the future while there.
The sight of the peaceful little spring calmed her swiftly beating heart down. The sight of a dark figure standing on the other side of it made her heartbeat increase tenfold. Itachi...?
She stopped uncertainly across from him. "Itachi. I thought you were gone by now..."
Itachi folded his arms and looked down at her. "You decided to leave?"
Sakura nodded, suddenly feeling unable to speak.
Itachi's blood-red eyes narrowed. "Did you figure out where you wanted to go?"
She hesitantly shook her head.
Itachi nodded. "Come on then." He began to walk away.
"Wh-what?" She stayed rooted to the spot, wondering what she had just gotten herself into.
"Sakura..." The Uchiha turned his head slightly to look back at her with one eye. "Remember what I said a few hours ago...about how your skills could be put to better use?" She nodded, realizing what he was getting at. The Akatsuki...he wants me heal them...
"You have nothing else to do, nowhere else to go...you may as well come with me." He waited patiently as she took a few nervous steps forward to stand next to him.
Looking into his red eyes, she felt a flicker of trust toward the Akatsuki. The kind of trust she once had toward Sasuke.
"Fine. I'll go." Inside, for the first time in years her heart was bursting with excitement, excitement for looking forward to something other than Sasuke. And that something was a new life.
Side by side, the shinobi and the kunoichi disappeared into the night, never looking back.
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Oh dear...I have a lot of explaining to do...okay, here's another one of my horrible excuses for not updating on the other stories.
Akatsuki's Sunshine is the most problematic for me, so when I got writer's block on that one, I suddenly had inspiration for this story. I had already promised on my profile to write a Sakura story because I don't like her that much.
However, looking back on things, though many people hate Sakura, Sakura is the one person who stayed by Sasuke's side. In the actual manga and anime, Sakura is not that bad a character, is she? However, the reason why I dislike her is because she is such an easy character to turn mean and bitchy. So I set myself a challenge. I decided to write a new story about Sakura, an unbiased one at that.
In other words, this story will NOT have any Sakura bashing in it. In this story, I will put as much heart into writing about Sakura as I do with Hinata. (Hinata's my favourite character.)
So, here's the Sakura-Itachi story I promised. And for readers of my other stories, I'm very sorry for being late but if I didn't start on this now, I would never have started on it at all.
Thanks so much, and PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS(Please)
Your humble friend,
Narutochica :)