A gift for my cousin who loves this pairing...No flames please...
Drip...Drip...Drip...
Rain was pouring hard outside, making it nearly impossible for Haruno Sakura to see. She sat by her window, leaning against the wall as she stared at the pouring water.
Sakura had grown into a very pretty and strong woman. It has been a few years since Sasuke left, and he never came back. She became a twenty-two year old kunoichi, and she attracted a lot of males.
She remembered when she reached thirteen, a terrible accident in Konoha caused a tragedy. She and her friends were separated. But of course, a few of them returned. Hinata and Naruto returned, only to announce they were an item. Sakura was happy for them.
Two months after Hinata and Naruto returned, Lee and Tenten came back to Konoha, and the two of them were a couple too. A few days after they came back, Neji and a few others arrived.
Sakura remembered that memory. It was a very painful one, especially when her bestfriend, Yamanaka Ino did not return.
When the Uchiha prodigy left, the two of them returned to being good friends, since Ino had announced she and Shikamaru were going out. Sakura was happy for them, and was quite envious when she saw Ino very happy.
Ino had advised her to look for another man, rather than wait for Uchiha Sasuke to come back. Sakura did not obey. Her love for the Uchiha prodigy was strong, and she would wait for him even if it would mean years of waiting.
After a few painful years, Sakura had become a strong and beautiful woman. She attracted the hearts of many males, and unexpectedly, she attracted the heart of Hyuuga Neji.
FLASHBACK:
Fifteen-year old Haruno Sakura was training, with her so called Sensei beside her, watching her every move.
When she turned fourteen, she wanted to become stronger and she was really determined. Unfortunately, no sensei was available for training.
The Hokage then gave her a tutor, which coincidentally, was Hyuuga Neji.
Sakura had finished mastering her new technique. She sat down beside the Hyuuga prodigy and then stared at him.
"Ne, Neji-san? Have I improved?" she asked before she drank a bottle of water. Neji just stared at her blankly then turned away, before replying.
"Frankly, yes. You have improved very much." He said shortly. Sakura stared at Neji.
"What? Did I just receive a compliment from THE Hyuuga Neji?" she asked jokingly.
"It's not a laughing matter." Neji replied shortly.
"I was not laughing." Said Sakura promptly. Neji stared at her blankly again.
END OF FLASHBACK
FLASHBACK:
Nineteen- year old Haruno Sakura was chasing a man with white eyes. She was breathing heavily.
"Neji-san! Wait!" she exclaimed. The man stopped then turned around to look at her. She ran up to him then stared up at him. Neji just stared at her with no emotions, again.
"What?" he asked shortly. Sakura then removed a necklace she was wearing then handed it to him.
"Here. I just wanted to give this to you. It's my lucky necklace. I hope it keeps you from any danger." She said. Neji took the necklace reluctantly then turned to her.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I don't want my sensei to get hurt, now do I? No, seriously Neji-san...Take care." She said quietly. Neji then lifted her chin.
"I promise I will return safely from this mission..." he said. Sakura wrapped her arms around him then cried on his shoulder.
"Take care, Neji-sa...Neji-kun." She said. Neji looked at the pink haired girl in his arms. He promised himself he would do it when he returns from this dangerous mission.
END OF FLASHBACK:
FLASHBACK:
It was a few weeks after Neji had departed for his mission, and Sakura had a lot of time to think about her feelings for the white-eyed Neji.
She knew she loved him...Yet she knew she had to stop.
She promised Uchiha Sasuke that she would wait for him, and a promise was meant to be kept.
Sakura cried on her pillow.
"I have to let Neji go...I have to let him go..." sobbed Sakura. She turned to the Team Seven picture on her bedside table.
"I have to let him go...for Sasuke-kun..." she said quietly. Tears streamed down her eyes.
END OF FLASHBACK
FLASHBACK:
Neji's eyes stared at the wonderful sight of Konoha. He had survived his mission. He was gone for seven months, and now was the time to tell her.
Neji then went straight to her house, not minding the wounds on his body.
He rang the doorbell, and she answered the door.
He missed her so much. Her pink locks, her perfect green orbs, her creamy complexion...
"Ne-neji-san!" exclaimed Sakura happily as she jumped up and hugged him. Neji smiled. This was the right time. He had to do it now, or never.
He let go, and Sakura stared at him.
"Sakura...I have something to tell you..." he said slowly. Sakura stared at him questioningly.
"What is it Neji?" she asked. Neji then continued.
"Ever since we started training together...I-I started to develop feelings for you. I promised myself that I would do it after my mission, and now is the time...Sakura, will you marry me?" he asked. Sakura's eyes widened.
She knew what to say, and she would say it for him even if she knew he loved the man in front of him very much. She knew that her love for Sasuke was never gone, and it would hurt Neji more. She knew what she had to answer.
"I'm sorry Neji...But, I can't...You really are a very important person to me...but, I still love Sasuke..." she said, tears flowing down. Neji stood there, heartbroken.
"I know that he has been gone, but I'm faithful to him...I know he'll come back. Neji, don't let this ruin our, our friendship. It's something I cherish very much..." sobbed Sakura.
Neji did not know what to do. He was heartbroken. It was the first time he fell in love with a girl, and she turned him down. All because of Uchiha Sasuke, but he knew that he wanted her to be happy.
"I...I understand Sakura." Said Neji quietly. Sakura sobbed. Neji wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to let go.
END OF FLASHBACK
Sakura cried, remembering that painful past. She turned down Neji for Sasuke, and yet Sakura knew she loved both of them.
I love Sasuke more...And a promise is a promise...
She kept reminding herself. She and Neji remained good friends, but now, Neji did not show any signs of love as a lover. Neji was like a brother to Sakura, yet Sakura's heart was broken.
She loved Neji. Now, she ruined the chance. Neji would never take her back. She was the one who turned him down, and she knew Neji had a hard time recovering.
She had no right to play with his heart, that's why she became friends with him.
She will wait for Uchiha Sasuke, even if it would mean breaking her own heart.
TWO WEEKS LATER
Sakura was walking along the sidewalk. She wanted to visit Hinata and Naruto. Suddenly, a girl ran past her, almost making her fall.
Sakura turned around to look at the girl, when she heard a very shocking news.
"Did you hear? Uchiha Sasuke is back!" exclaimed the girl to her friend. Sakura's heard started to beat rapidly.
He was back. After years of waiting, he was finally back. Sakura wasted no time to run to the tower. She knew that Sasuke would be there, talking to the Hokage.
She could not breathe anymore, yet she did not stop. She reached to office of the Hokage, and she opened the door. She saw Sasuke standing there, and he was still as handsome as ever.
Sakura's eyes turned bright. He was back, and she loved him.
"Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed, before running towards him.
He's back! He's finally back! After years of waiting, he's back!
Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. She only took notice right now. A girl had her arms wrapped around Sasuke, and she was not only a girl. She was her bestfriend, Yamanaka Ino...
Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She did not think it would be possible, yet it was true in front of her eyes. Sasuke had his arms around Ino's shoulder, and Ino was hugging Sasuke.
That must have been the reason why Ino did not come back. She must have crossed the path of Sasuke, and she fell in love with him, over again.
"Aren't you glad to be back, Sasuke-kun?" Ino asked sweetly before kissing Sasuke on the lips. Sasuke did not pull away. It was true, and Sakura did not want to see more...To hear more...
Sakura's tears came down...She ran out of the office, passing Neji on the way. Neji saw her and then chased after her.
After years of waiting...I thought he would finally love me! I've been faithful to him...I always loved him!
Sakura ran out of the tower, her hands over her eyes. Her head was aching, her feet was painful. Yet her heart felt like it was stabbed a thousand times with a kunai. Not just an ordinary Kunai, but one of Tenten's poisoned kunais.
I gave up everything for him...My life...My friends...and Neji...
She kept on running. She did not know where she was going. All she knew was she wanted to release the pain.
I let go of Neji...The person I loved the most, all because of my promise...Neji...I'm sorry!
They say you don't know how much you love a person, until you let him go...
Neji...
Sakura reached a spot in the forest and she stopped.
I waited for many years, hoping...praying...that someday he would come back and love me...
Sakura cried. It was all she could do. She wanted to release the pain.
I was held back...My happiness was held away from me...All because of him...I thought that it would be worth it, after years of misery, when he comes back, he would love me...
Tears...That was all he brought her...
I stopped from loving Neji...All because of him. I thought that when he comes back, he would have waited for me, and then he would have loved me...
It was all too hurtful...She waited for too many years, being hurt and miserable at the same time. Training hard and resisting at the same time...
And when he came back...He was with another girl...Not just another girl, but my bestfriend! My bestfriend betrayed me...She betrayed me...
It was too much for her to take. She leaned against a tree then started pounding her fists on it. After years of waiting, nothing came out...Instead, it brought her more misery...
"Neji..." Sakura sobbed. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Sakura turned around and saw Neji. She hugged him and cried.
Sakura...
"I'm sorry...It's all to painful...I-
But Neji silenced him with a finger.
"There's no need to explain..."
Sakura hugged him tighter and cried on his shoulder. She let Neji go, for a man who doesn't even love her.
It was that then when she realized she did not need words to be comforted. She doesn't need to kill herself to release the pain. All she needed was a shoulder to cry on.
"I waited for him for too many years..." whispered Sakura. Neji just soothed her head.
Sakura was feeling a little better, being comforted by Neji...
"I gave everything for him...I loved him all these years...Now, I feel as if no one loves me anymore." She sobbed into his shoulder. Neji then held her shoulders and then looked at her.
"Sakura...some people still care for you...Some people still love you." he said shortly. Silent tears were still streaming down.
"Like who?" she asked quietly.
"There are your friends...Naruto...Hinata...and me..." Neji said quietly. Sakura stared at him. Tears were halted. Did she hear correctly? Did Neji say he loved her?
"What?" she asked worriedly. Neji stared at her with his white eyes.
"Sakura...It's not easy to forget...about you..." he said, looking at the ground. Sakura knew now for sure...It wasn't Sasuke that she loved. She was just stuck behind that promise she made...That she did not took notice.
She hugged Neji, smiling weakly.
"Neji...I'm sorry..." said Sakura. Neji's heart was broken again.
It was his second rejection...But then, her next words repaired his heart two times...Making it stronger than ever.
"They say you don't know how important a person is to you, until you let them go...I'm sorry for letting you go Neji..." she sobbed. Neji was shocked.
"I loved you...Yet I was too blind to see that...I was stuck with my promise to him, not realizing the most important rule..." she continued. Neji looked at her with a questioning look.
"What is that?"
Sakura then smiled and then stared at him.
"Nothing should get in the way of true love..." she said and then kissed him.
It was a soft, passionate kiss, yet a thousand feelings were soaring through Neji and Sakura...
A FEW HOURS LATER
Sakura was walking beside Neji. Neji had his hands inside his pocket, and he was staring blankly at the road in front of him.
Suddenly, on the way, in front of them was Ino walking with Sasuke. Sakura stared at the couple.
Ino was hugging Sasuke while walking, when the two couples stared at Neji and Sakura.
Neji and Sakura...Ino and Sasuke...The couples stared at each other. Sakura then laid her eyes on Sasuke's dark onyx eyes, which was surprisingly staring back at her.
Uchiha Sasuke...I loved you, but you are my past. Neji is my present and my future...
She broke the gaze and then slowly took one of Neji's hand from his pocket. She intertwined her fingers with his and Neji did the same. They slowly walked away from the other couple, who was now walking away as well...
This is how it will be...Forever...
Author's notes:
Someone requested a one shot NejiSaku from me, and I can't really refuse it. I don't like SasuIno that much, only a couple of stories...So if you hate me for pairing Sasuke with Ino, please don't...
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...