Slap. Slap. Slap. The sound of her rhythmic footsteps echoed eerily in the night. A breeze washed over her, making her shiver and draw closer her flimsy jacket. She couldn't explain what had moved her to walk this path tonight. It was almost like that extra sense she had had that night seven years ago. Somehow she couldn't shake the feeling that he was in danger. Or that something big was going to happen here. Right now. She halted, cocking her to the north.

The sound of approaching footsteps pierced the stillness. Cautiously, she rounded the bend. And then everything was all right. He was there. He was shuffling her way, his hands shoved in his pockets in that irresistibly boyish gesture. His beautiful raven hair, the first feature that had stood out to her on their first meeting, was hanging messily in his eyes. She stopped cold when she saw the pack dangling from his shoulders.

He passed her and no recognition flashed across his porcelain mask of preoccupation. His cold expression made her step back in horror. She trembled, but she couldn't make her body reach out to him, make sure this... this zombie was real. The dead eyes of his perfect face stared unmoving at the ground and the wind that his feet stirred up chilled her more than anything else ever had. What could this mean?

Though some ways away, he heard her speak. She whispered his name. Sasuke.

" Sasuke, what happened to you? Please. Please this one time, don't ignore me. Talk to me," she pleaded with him.

" You shouldn't be here. Go home and sleep where you belong."

" I belong where you are, Sasuke," she replied. His feet came to a rest. She took his motionlessness as a good sign and continued.

" Tell me, what's going on, Sasuke. I... I can help you." A tear slipped from her eye as she stumbled over the words, trying desperately to persuade him, in a battle she already knew she would lose. She swayed where she stood, a combination of exhaustion, stress, tension, and most of all, the fear of losing him.

" No one can help me. Sakura." As if he could ever make her stop trying.

" It doesn't have to be that way. You never let me in. You won't let me help you. But if for once, you would just give me a chance to make you happy, I-"

" Sakura." He was losing patience with her. " It doesn't work like that. I am an avenger." Each carefully enunciated word could have been spiked with poison, for all the pain each one caused her. " You can't help me. You can't save me. You can't try to stop me. You can only watch me, as I sell my soul to the devil." He was walking away again.

"How can you say that so calmly!" She was screaming at him now. " Revenge isn't going to do anything for you, Sasuke. It's a never ending cycle of pain. You think you know. But you don't. You don't know anything about it. Sasuke, I know what its like to lose a loved one. I understand your pain. But this... this revenge won't do anything to help you! You're going to die for nothing!" Her words rang out, seeming to echo. Her hands balled up into fists and she clenched them to her side.

" You think I'm annoying. A goody two shoes. You've hated me all these years, and I've never been able to do anything about that, no matter how much I chased after you. I was always following you. I should have known you would leave me when I most needed someone to follow. Someone to make sense of all this for me."

He smiled slightly, grateful that she couldn't see him. " You've never needed someone to follow, Sakura." He had to struggle this time to keep his voice devoid of emotion.

The stupid tears were rising again. She wiped them frantically with the back of her hand, so terrified of the silly weakness. A lump rose in her throat as she tried to speak. "I-I've... always-" sob "needed y-you, S...S-sasuke kun. W-we're a t-t-team. With N-naruto... and K-kaka sensai. And I don't care... w-where I am in this world. As long as I'm with y-you, I know I... I'll be okay." The full moon shone down on her, bathing her in bright light. She was open, with all her insecurities laid before him. This time, she didn't bother to wipe the lone little rivulet that trickled down her cheek.

" You can't walk the road I've chosen, Sakura. It is not your fate. We are no longer a team. I used to train with you, Naruto, and Kakashi. I remember, once, I believed I could live the same destiny as the rest of you. I was deluded. Orochimaru made me see what I am. What I am meant to be. He showed me that the path of revenge is the only path for one such as me."

" But I don't care, Sasuke. Path, road, destiny, fate. It means nothing to me if you're not there." This was it. She could feel it coming. The last and final no.

" It is a new start for all of us. We all have come to our own crossroads," he answered shortly.

" I love you, Sasuke. I promise, I can give you happiness. I'll even help you with your revenge, I don't care. Just don't leave me!" she shouted into the emptiness.

He ground his teeth together. Why did she have to make it so hard to say no to her? For awhile, the only sound was his heavy breathing as he struggled to gain control of himself. He turned slowly and stared into her flowing green eyes.

" Annoying," he said harshly. Just one word, but more than enough to break her heart. Every time, she thought their relationship had reached an all time low, every time he found another way to insult her and strip her of her dignity, every time he walked away and left her alone, she thought it would get easier to take the next time he decided to play "Let's Break Sakura's Heart." She was wrong. It only made it harder.

When he resumed his stride, she cried out, " I won't let you go! I'll stop you. I'm strong enough for tha-" In flash he was behind her.

He tucked a strand of vivid pink hair under her ear. " Sakura," he said quietly. " Thank you. For everything." Her jade eyes widened as he placed two fingers on her pressure point. She staggered and then fell into his waiting arms. Gently, he laid her on the cold stone bench. There were a hundred different ways he felt about her right then. But he could only think of one that mattered. He bent over her...

He kissed her slowly, savoring the taste of her lips. For they both knew what he could never acknowledge. They were in love. But, like in every cliche drama, it would never be enough to save them. Their existence went against the flow of fate and destiny. They shouldn't have existed. But like with centripetal force and gravity, it didn't matter. Normal laws of nature didn't apply. He pulled back and drank her in, everything about her. Her hair cascading over her body, her pale, fragile hands, the soft curve of her lips, and her delicate frame.

" Goodbye, Sakura," he whispered. For though her would not soon return, he would never forget. He was an avenger. Reminiscing was all that he had left. He laid a hand on hers, memorizing the satiny texture of her skin.

" Take care of her for me," he said to no one. He knew that luck had never been with him, and if there was a God he had never been loved by Him. Wishing had never worked either. But somehow he couldn't help thinking, that if there was any kind of divine power out there, wouldn't they want to take mercy on someone as gentle as Sakura? So he prayed for her safety and her happiness, knowing it was the only gift he could give her- his prayers. His purpose for living was already taken...

He touched off, springing lightly from the ground. Sakura stirred in her sleep and clutched at her heart. It was as if, even in her dreams, she knew it was breaking. Despite everything she'd been through- what he'd put her through- she couldn't bring herself to hate him; she only loved him more.

Dear Readers

This is a future chapter for my story intersections. I wanted to post it separately because I'm not quite up to this point in my story yet, but I had already written the chapter. Hope you enjoyed!

Uchihaflower14