Chapter 1

Nightmares

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Disclaimer: I own everything except for the characters. They will be mine someday.

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Sakura woke after yet another nightmare about him. This nightmare was different; it was more like a memory, but worse. The beginning was the same. On her way home she got a strange feeling and changed her route toward the exit of the village. On the route to the exit she found him and because of Orochimaru's words she understood what was happening. He was leaving. She pleaded for him to stay, and opened her heart to him, but nothing worked. The only thing that was different from reality was that she did not wake up on a bench on a sidewalk she remained standing. She saw him leave and walk away as if he did not care. Just before he disappeared from her sight the real pain began. Knives and swords flew in from every direction straight to him. His scream was what finally ended it.

Sasuke was gone and she had to accept it. He is an enemy now. How can she accept that? She fell in love with him and she knew that her heart still loved him.

She snapped at herself: "He is gone Sakura. He hates you. He is an enemy. You don't… I still love you Sasuke…"

She glanced at her watch and realized that is too early to get up and ready, but she knew sleeping was out of the question. She was not in a mood for reading, and she was afraid of daydreaming. She had to find something to do and fast. She decided that while she was thinking she was going to make herself a cup of tea.

She could think of nothing to do. After she finished her tea, she stood up and went to the basin to wash the cup. While washing the cup, she found herself staring out the window. The weather looked inviting. She decided that she would go on an early morning stroll through the village. As soon as the cup was washed she took a quick shower and dressed.

Once she was ready for the day she made her way out of her apartment and into the slightly lit streets of Konoha. Everything was quite and calm. Sakura started walking down the road, not knowing where to go. She followed her feet and her heart. Before she could realize were she was going, she was there.

The high outside walls of Konoha was visible from there. It was the closest park to the entrance of the village. Sakura started walking towards the bench next to the sidewalk. The bench she remembered that she woke up on. As she reached the bench, she rested her arm on it and stood there frozen, remembering everything. Tears began forming in her eyes. She sat down on the bench. After a while of crying she lied down. It was not long before the silence was broken.

Sakura heard the gates of the village open and before she knew it she was sitting upright, wiping her tears away and putting on a fake smile. She didn't want anybody to see how she felt. They would just judge her and preach to her. She didn't need any of that right now. She needed silence and time to herself.

Sakura knew that if it wee intruders the alarm would sound. She was thinking so hard about who was entering the gates, that she did not notice someone standing against a tree on the other side of the sidewalk.

Sakura got a fright with a sudden voice close to her. She was so startled that she did not make out what the voice said, but she jumped up as soon as she heard the manly voice. She turned to the direction of the voice but could see nothing. It was too dark.

Suddenly there was someone next to her, a female of about her same age. Sakura jumped away from the figure. She was confused. She heard the voice of a man and could not find him and now there was a woman.

"I am sorry Shikamaru, I did not mean to disappear, but I heard noises here and came to see the source of them" came the voice of one of Sakura's coworkers, Hinata Hyuga.

"You are troublesome. Your Father will kill me if anything happens to you and a might be a good ninja but I know your father has the ability to kill me without an effort. Please do not run off like that." Shikamaru snapped back at her.

Hinata quickly turned to Sakura and apologized for scaring her before getting another unwanted remark from Shikamaru.

"Are you okay Sakura?" Hinata asked as she saw Sakura standing there, pale white, saying nothing and knowing that it was not like Sakura to be out in the night for no reason.

"I am fine thank you, why do you ask?" Sakura replied.

"Nightmare again?" Shikamaru asked.

Sakura stood there shocked by Shikamaru's question and finally asked: "How do you know about them?"

"Tsunade" Shikamaru hastily said to the now irritated Sakura.

There were a few moments of awkward silence. All three were standing still: Sakura standing upright with her arms crossed, Shikamaru lying against a tree with his hands in his pockets and Hinata standing in her shy stance fiddling with her hands.

Shikamaru decided to break the silence: "We should go Hinata, I promised your father your return before the sun rises." He then looked at Sakura and asked: "Will you be okay Sakura?"

Sakura nodded.

Hinata looked at Sakura with objection and finally said: "You are welcome to come and visit me any time and I don't think I will be falling asleep soon if you want someone to talk to."

Sakura simply nodded again and said: "That would be nice, but I don't want to be a nuisance."

"You will never be one to me" Hinata replied.

"Can we please go now? I want to get in a little sleep in before tomorrow." Shikamaru said.

Both girls laughed at him and started walking in the direction of the Hyuga district of the village while Shikamaru followed.

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A/N: Thank you for reading. Please tell me what you thought of it.