A/n: I can't believe our ship is more than canon. I just can't. This is my take on Naruto 699. I'm also shamelessly plugging my first ongoing story Until we find ourselves empty. Also, if you want someone to talk with about Naruto 699/700 whether about ships or plot development in general, feel free to shoot me a message as I am also looking for one!
Second-person narrative. Sasuke. Because it's more powerful this way.
sunrise in the west
You cannot not see it, but you are alive and breathing – and the pain from your broken arm mixes in with the thrill of acquiring a new chance at continuous living.
You want to laugh at yourself, to humor yourself by thinking that despite the murderous effort to obtain everything you have desired – revenge and deaths – you have not even come close to achieving them. You get what you do not deserve instead. You get friendship and peace. They are so willingly given to you, you do not even have to demand.
So you decide to finally open up your eyes to the miraculous effect of having a bond – it is meant to last. Whether you pull away or sever ties, it does not erase the fact that the bond exists, and its mere existence is enough to ground you and then break you until the pain subsides with the thought of finally achieving a peace of mind.
Then you feel her chakra. You feel her coming.
She invades you, and you recognize you are the broken and she the healer.
You choke. You never do. But when you see the woman you have hurt countless times just near you, still choosing to save you despite your knowledge of her pain being equally damaging as yours, you begin to say something.
"Sakura, I..."
You taste it in your mouth the first time, and the unfamiliarity of it all makes you choke in a good way. At least you are trying.
"Don't. I want to concentrate."
But then she tries to stop you which you could have smirked at if not for your bleeding arm and overdue weariness of yourself, of the battle which in the end did not proclaim you as the victor because you realize you never want to win anyway. There is satisfaction in admitting you have lost. It is like finally learning how to accept things.
And you are ready to admit it this time.
She says she wants to concentrate. But you know her too damn well that when she says stop, she actually means begin. You know that a beginning has always been her wish, and you give her that.
"I'm sorry."
You apologize.
"Sorry...? For what?"
You do not know for what exactly, but that does not matter because you just want to apologize for everything and hope that with one quick yet sincere apology, everything heals.
"Shaannaroo...you jerk."
When she tells you stupid, and you find her shedding tears yet again, you smile in relief because she is still Sakura, and you know that the next time she does cry, you will be there catching each drop.
You know you need healing as well. Everybody does. So you entrust it to time. You want distance for a while not because you intend to end things but because you need proximity. In order to take a step towards the one you have always distanced yourself from, you need to heal yourself first and see things for what they really are with your unclouded eyes.
You need to see the world and compare it with a world with her. That is when you will decide to return – when you find it too unbearable to continue journeying and seeing a world without her.
So you reach out and tap her forehead and give her a smile. You love that she still remembers the night she decidedly told you she was willing to leave with you. You love that shy gesture of her. You love that even after everything, she is still there – not afraid to face you.
Then you say thank you. For everything. For her care, love, pain, heart.
But this time you are not leaving her on the cold bench, alone and unconscious. You are leaving her with her eyes open because you want her to watch you walk away so that with that same pair of eyes, she can also see you returning and realize the difference.
You say thank you, not goodbye, because you will meet again. You say thank you, in advance, for waiting, because you will come back for her. You say thank you because she is now your home.
You say thank you because I love you pales in comparison.
...
(I can also upload Sakura's version of this if you want. Just notify me. ~)