He and his team were resting in a grove of cherry trees. He always insisted that they rest under cherry trees during spring. His female teammate always asked why, but he never answered. He never answered her deep questions, because that was someone else's job.

Her job… Her. He missed her. She was the annoying, weak, wonderful, silly, loud, and gentle girl on his old team. She was the one who tried to make him stay, the one who loved him with all her heart. Did she miss him like he missed her? Even though his new female teammate was a lot like her, he knew that he wanted the original.

Petals floated down, and he held out his hand. The petals felt like snow, pink snow. Sakura… he thought, remembering the name of the flower and of the girl. She was the one who had dragged him to a cherry grove one time during spring. Sakura was in her natural habitat…

"Sakura! Where are we going?"

"Sasuke-kun, don't worry. We're going to one of my favorite places in all of Konoha!" She dragged him by the arm towards a gate. She then threw open the gate and slammed it shut after they were both inside. "See? Isn't it pretty Sasuke-kun?"

"It's…. tolerable I suppose."

"Sasuke-kun, they're gorgeous, and whatever you say won't change that." She leaned up and plucked a flower from the branch. Sakura then pulled his hand open and laid the flower on his hand. "There. Now you have something to brighten your house."

"Sasuke?" an annoying voice asked, interrupting his reverie.

"What now Karin?" He hoped the venom in his voice would kill her.

"You're covered in cherry blossoms."

"I like being with Sakura." Of course she didn't know about Sakura Haruno, because he had never told Karin about her.

"Well, soon enough we'll have to dig you out from those petals," she huffed. Karin was sensing that there was a special meaning behind the flowers.

"Go away Karin." She stormed off towards the other end of the grove where the other two were. He closed his eyes and relaxed, brushing off as many petals as possible to keep from being smothered. It didn't take long for Karin to come back.

"Sasuke, what's your favorite flower?" she asked.

"Sakura," he answered immediately. Sakura had asked that once…

"Sasuke-kun, what's your favorite flower?" They were pulling weeds in a flower garden. Naruto was busy pruning the rose bushes on the other end of the garden, and Kakashi-sensei was busy reading some important letter from a friend.

"Why do you ask Sakura?"

"Because we're in a flower garden." She was still waiting for his answer.

"I… I like… I like lilies," he blurted, thinking of his mother's favorite.

"Oh, really?" she said softly. "Lilies… mine are cherry blossoms."

"No wonder you're all pink then," he commented. Her smile disappeared. Sasuke felt torn. Did he really mean to insult her? She was just trying to be nice to him.

"Karin, seriously, go away." This time he really did wish that she would die. Sensing his resentment, she raced back to her other teammates.

Thinking about his recent memory, he remembered one line in particular. She was still waiting.

"We're leaving," Sasuke stated, and left the grove.

"Where are we going?" Suigetsu asked him.

Sasuke smirked his oh-so-familiar smirk. "Home," he said simply.

To her.

Because she was still waiting for him.