Somewhere Only We Know, One-Shot

I sprinted through the forest with my kunai tight in my hand and ready for a counter attack. Their rapid footsteps echoed behind me and gained speed with each one. My breaths quickened as I pushed my legs to carry me faster, putting some much needed distance between them and I. their steps soon quieted and in the one second that I turned to look behind me, a root caught my foot and sent me tumbling through a thicket of bushes and unnaturally tall underbrush. I winced as I got back on my feet, my eyes widening in sheer awe as they scanned the unbelievably beautiful scenery. I stood at the edge of the forest in the most beautiful sakura garden I'd ever laid eyes on, the trees adorned with the light pink flowers that fluttered in the spring breeze. The babbling of a small stream was the soundtrack of the garden and ran straight through the middle with a wooden bridge uniting the two halves. Red roses decorated a wooden bench that sat in the far corner under the largest sakura tree, the delicate ruby flowers climbing most of the bench and half way up the tree's trunk. I slowly made my way to the bench as a refreshing gust of wind shook the blossoms loose and carried them through the atmosphere. I sat on the slightly weathered wood and ran my fingers over carved initials that adorned the seat, a heart connecting the two sets of initials.

"Sakura, what are you…?" Naruto trailed off as he emerged from the underbrush. The awe-struck expression plastered on his face made me giggle; I'd never seen him so surprised before. "Where are we?"

"I have no idea," I admitted, taking a deep breath of the brisk April air. "Someone must've built this a while ago."

"Did you find Sakura, loser?" Sasuke asked as he too stepped into the enchanting garden. For a split second, his face shifted from its usual apathetic nature to sheer amazement.

I stood from my seat on the bench and wandered over to the bridge, the soft bubbling of the rushing water below soothing me. Naruto and Sasuke joined me on the bridge, Naruto standing next to me and Sasuke sitting on the banister. I leaned on the banister and gazed into the water as a comfortable lull blanketed the three of us. "This place is incredible," I whispered just loud enough for the others to hear. More cherry blossoms floated through the air and gave the garden an even more magical effect.

"And now, it's ours," Naruto smiled. He took out his kunai and carved his initials into the banister of the bridge.

"This is so stupid," Sasuke grumbled. "This place obviously belongs to someone."

"You know you like it, Sasuke," I giggled as I carved my initials next to Naruto's. I offered the knife to Sasuke. "C'mon, it'll be our little secret."

He rolled his eyes and snatched the knife from my hand, carving his initials next to mine along with the Hidden Leaf symbol. We all stood in silence for a few minutes before I spoke again. "We should make a pact,"

"What kind of pact?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"That if anything ever happens, we can come here and wait for the others if we ever really need each other outside of training and missions," I proposed. Although it sounded cheesy and cliché, I didn't care. I needed to know that we would always be there for each other in more ways than just being teammates.

Naruto smiled and put his hand in the middle of the three of us. "Let's make it official,"

I returned his vibrant grin and put my hand on top of his. We both looked to Sasuke. "Fine," he sighed, putting his hand on top of mine.

"We swear to always be here for each other and to come here and wait for the others if anything ever happens," We recited, our grip tightening on each other's hands as we did. We stayed like that for a few long seconds before taking our hands back.

"We should get back," Sasuke said as he headed for the forest. "Kakashi's going to be waiting."

I awoke with a gasp, sweat dripping from my face and caking my bangs to my forehead. I sat up in bed and sighed; it's been almost six years since that day and lately, it's been replaying in my head like a movie reel on overdrive. We were only thirteen then, I remembered as I crawled out from under my comforter and made my way to the bathroom. I took a deep breath and splashed some cold water on my face. So much has changed since then. My mind automatically jumped to Sasuke before I could control it. He was still with Orochimaru, still borrowing his strength to eventually kill Itachi and rebuild the most powerful clan the Hidden Leaf has ever known, and still turning his back on everyone he's ever been remotely close to. My heart throbbed painfully with every beat as memories of the four of us - Naruto, Kakashi-Sensei, Sasuke and I - filled my every thought. We'd been through so much together from relaxed lunches at the ramen shop to nearly dying on dangerous missions and the memory of how easily he left all of that behind made me physically sick. I closed my eyes and waited for my stomach to stop churning before getting back in bed. I looked blankly out the window to my right and watched as the mid-December snow fell from the sky and blanketed the ground below, giving the village a dreamy feel.

I laid in bed, unable to sleep as that dream ran through my head a million times over. The more I thought about it, the more I felt the strangest urge to go there, like something was drawing me there. Without a second thought, I got out of bed again and got dressed, making my way through the deep snow and to the outskirts of the village. The bright winter moon served as my only light source as I exited the village and glanced around at the surrounding forest in search of the subtle path we'd created that led to that perfect place. The small cut in the bark of an old oak tree stood out against the rest and signaled the beginning of the path. As I stood at the edge of the forest, I noticed footprints following the pathway, the falling snow almost completely covering them. I felt the force that drew me here pull harder, urging me to continue on; it was impossible to resist. The moonlight filtered dimly though the trees and hindered my vision but somehow, I knew exactly where to go even after the footprints had disappeared. It felt so familiar although I'd only been down this path once before almost six years ago. An immeasurable amount of time passed before I finally saw the unusually tall underbrush only meters in front of me. I forced my legs to move faster toward the bushes, the snow like lead weights holding me back. I shoved recklessly though the brush as my heart pounded wildly against my ribs, on the verge of bursting; I was nearly there. My pulse slammed against my skin as I broke through the bushes, my face instantly falling flat on the snow.

The gorgeous garden I remembered so vividly was white with snow, all traces of the magic it possessed gone. The once pink and budding trees were now barren and covered with ice and heavy snow which caused the branches to sag sadly under the weight. The wooden bench that rested underneath the largest sakura tree was cracked and weathered with a thick coat of ice covering it while the roses that decorated the two were shriveled and dead. Everything I loved about this place so long ago was dead, it broke my heart to see it this way. Once my eyes finally drifted to the bridge, I noticed someone else standing on it. It was a man that looked about my age with a heavy coat and blond hair that partially covered a black headband. It was Naruto. I trudged through the deepening snow and joined him, leaning on the banister and gazing down at the frozen stream. "It's so dead now," I sighed sadly as an icy gust of wind rushed by us, biting at any exposed skin. "Not like the last time we were here."

He paused for a long minute. "How'd you know I was here?"

"I didn't," I admitted. "I've been having recurring dreams of the first time we came here and tonight, it felt like something was pulling me here so I listened. Now, here we are."

He nodded. "Think Sasuke will come, too?"

A stab of pain shot straight through my heart as I shook my head. "No,"

There was another long pause. "He always did think our pact was stupid," he laughed without humor.

"It was stupid considering we didn't use it until right now," an all too familiar voice chuckled, sending butterflies flapping around inside my stomach.

My head snapped up instantly as I watched in disbelief as Sasuke approached the bridge. He still wore the outfit we saw him in when we tried to recover him from Orochimaru - he couldn't be far. I attempted to hold back the waterfalls of tears that threatened to spill down my face. I failed miserably. "Wh-what are you doing here?" I stuttered, my voice cracking as hot tears poured from my eyes.

"We made a pact," he replied, a smile dancing across his face that made my stomach lurch; it felt so good to finally see him smile. I could hardly control myself as I watched him walk effortlessly through the thick snow, I clung to the frozen banister to keep myself from tackling him. "We wait here for the others if we ever need each other, right?"

I smiled and nodded, my strength abandoning me as I collapsed to my knees and cried into my hands. Sheer joy flooded my body in such an overwhelming amount that I couldn't handle it, every part of my body shook uncontrollably as I sobbed into my palms. Just seeing him after so long knocked the breath out of me. "Don't cry, Sakura," Sasuke whispered as he placed his hands on my shoulders. "It's all right, I'm all right."

I looked up at him, his face just a foot from mine, and placed my hand on his cheek. It felt as though he could vanish into thin air at any given moment, the mere thought terrified me. "How'd you get away from Orochimaru?"

"Even Orochimaru has blind spots," he chuckled shortly, offering me his hand. I took it and we both stood once again. "Are you still such a loser, Naruto?" he smirked playfully.

Naruto seemed to be on the verge of tears also, he was trying so hard to hide it but the relief and happiness was written all over his face. "No way, I could take you on anytime,"

"You haven't changed at all," Sasuke laughed as he took his rightful place on the edge of the banister.

"Neither have you," Naruto murmured, a strangled smile creeping across his lips.

It felt just like old times with the three of us together like this. Sasuke's presence made the sad and cold atmosphere somewhat lighter and warmer, almost like it was coming back to life again. "Are you staying, Sasuke?" I wondered hesitantly. I forced myself to kill any emotion that came remotely close to hope, knowing that if I allowed myself to hope, I'd only be crushed again.

He turned his gaze to the night sky like he always did when he thought. "One day, I'll finally be strong enough to kill Itachi and when that day arrives, I'll return to the Hidden Leaf and rebuild the Uchiha clan," he said, the fierce determination in his voice reminding me of how determined he always was on every mission and even in training. Although he seemed different now, Sasuke hadn't really changed much, either. "But until then, I still need Orochimaru's strength to reach my true potential and finally realize my dream."

And with those words, I was shattered. Without even realizing it, I'd allowed myself to hope and now, I was once again broken.

"You don't need him to be strong enough to defeat Itachi!" Naruto yelled through gritted teeth. "You could easily kill him using your own strength!"

Sasuke remained calm as he replied. "You don't understand,"

"I guess I don't," Naruto retorted. The anger and pain was thick in his tone like oil on water, it was near unbearable to see him like this. "I just don't know how you could so easily give up everything you've ever known for borrowed power from a guy like Orochimaru."

"You think it was easy for me to leave?" Sasuke fired back, his voice rising in volume with every word. "It killed me to leave you all behind but I had to take the opportunity to fulfill my dream. This is the quickest way,"

"Quickest way? It's been six years and you don't seem any closer than you were when you left!"

"Guys, please!" I intercepted before Sasuke could reply. I turned to Sasuke. "When do you have to go?"

He took a breath before answering. "I can spend the rest of the night,"

"Alright, then let's just enjoy the rest of the night while it lasts," I proposed, trying to finally calm my tears. They both silently agreed, a comfortable lull falling over us as we all soaked in the moments like sponges. Although I didn't want to think about it, I realized that this could actually be the last time the three of us would be together like this. Even though Sasuke said he'd come back once Itachi was gone, part of me knew he'd never be able to break free from Orochimaru, not ever.

After what seemed like forever, we began to reminisce about everything and anything. We talked about our first big mission with the bridge builder, Sasuke taunting Naruto for being so sappy when he thought we'd lost Sasuke in battle while Naruto teased Sasuke about the cheesy speech he gave when he thought he was dying. I laughed at the both of them, their constant bickering and teasing strangely refreshing after six long years of silence. We talked about every mission we'd ever been on together, what Naruto and I've been up to lately, and even about Kakashi-Sensei.

"Does he still read those stupid books?" Sasuke laughed.

"You know it," Naruto laughed back. "We can't put those stupid things down."

We were quiet again once our laughter trailed off, the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon. A sense of dread settled over us that mixed with fear and sadness, the moment we'd been dreading had arrived. "You know, I'll never forget you guys, even you, Naruto," Sasuke smiled. "Mostly because you were always such a loser."

Despite the resentment he felt toward Sasuke's decision, Naruto returned the smile. "I'll remember you as being an arrogant bastard," he replied with a soft chuckle before he suddenly got serious. "But mostly as being my best friend."

Sasuke's whole face relaxed and softened at his words as he stretched his fist out toward Naruto. Naruto laughed and imitated the gesture, their knuckles touching in the middle. They stood like that for a long minute before Sasuke turned to me and enveloped me in a warm hug. I melted into his arms and wrapped mine around him, holding him securely to me and wishing this moment could last forever. "I will come back," he whispered in my ear, his hot breath sending chills down my spine. "I promise you, Sakura. Please don't worry, I'll be fine."

I nodded despite the sinking feeling that filled my gut. As quickly as it came, he broke our embrace and smiled at the both of us. "I need to go,"

I nodded again in understanding even though it nearly killed me to have to let him go again. I smiled as best I could as a few more tears drizzled down my cheeks. "Good luck, Sasuke,"

"I guess I'll see you later," Naruto said, his voice cracking slightly.

Sasuke nodded. "Later, loser."

We watched helplessly as he turned and headed back the way he came. "Sasuke!" I said just before he stepped off of the bridge.

He looked over his shoulder at me. "Yes?"

"What will you remember me as?" I asked slowly, afraid of what the answer would be.

He smirked. "As being annoying," he replied, pausing before he continued. "But mostly as being one of the most caring people I've ever met."

I smiled and jogged toward him, wrapping my arms around him one last time. "I'll always remember you as being my first love," I murmured against his collarbone, taking in the amazing scent of his skin as a reminder until he returned.

I felt his lips on the top of my head. "Sakura," he mumbled into my hair. "Thank you." and just like the last time he left, he was gone in the blink of an eye.

My eyes blurred again as I gazed up into the early dawn sky, more tears flowing down my face as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in a feeble attempt to control myself. "Sakura," Naruto called to me softly. "Come look at this,"

I complied and headed back to the bridge, following Naruto's gaze to where Sasuke was just sitting. Carved into the wooden banister were our initials - N.U., S.H., and S.U. accompanied by the Hidden Leaf symbol. I smiled down at the carving and ran my fingertips across it. He will come back, I told myself, hoping I'd start believing it. He promised…