Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did, but I do not.
Every day at the same time, her friends and family would watch as she walked to that exact same bench and sat on it for at least an hour. Sometimes it was more than that. It all depended on how her day went. If she left for a mission, then she would make sure that as soon as she got back and had free time, she would go to that bench and sit.
Today in particular, Ino had walked by and saw her just sitting there. She wasn't looking at anything or doing anything. She was just sitting. The only thing she ever did was caress the cold, hard surface of the bench.
Everyone knew that what she was doing was unhealthy, but nobody ever stopped her. Nobody ever said anything, not even Naruto. Ino felt bad for her friend. Sasuke was gone and now Sakura just looked so dead. It was like she had had the life sucked out of her. Nobody knew what to do to make it any better.
This time, Ino decided that somebody should do something. So she walked over to Sakura and sat down on the bench beside her. Ino watched as Sakura's fragile form stiffened.
Sakura didn't even turn to her when she asked, "What are you doing, Ino?"
Her voice sounded so monotone and lifeless. Ino cringed on the inside. Where was the old Sakura? The one filled with passion and life?
"Sakura," she started, "you shouldn't-."
"It's my free time and I can sit here if I want. There is no law against it."
Her voice was like ice. It was so cold that it gave Ino chills right down to her very core. In that moment, she decided that she hated Sasuke Uchiha. Look at what he had done to her friend!
"Why do you sit here every day?" Ino finally asked.
Sakura didn't speak for a while, but Ino waited for her response nonetheless.
"This was the last place he was at. This was the last place we had spoken."
Ino nodded and started to say something, but apparently Sakura wasn't finished.
"I sit here every chance I get because I'm waiting. I sit here and wait for him, hoping that he will walk right back through those doors."
Sakura turned, finally, to face Ino. What Ino saw in Sakura's face scared her a little. Her eyes are what scared her the most. The apple green eyes that Sakura possessed and Ino had once envied, were now dull and did not contain the usual bright cheeriness to them. They were hardened. And her face was stoic. She did not look like the Sakura everyone knew and loved. This was a more cold and distant Sakura.
Ino watched as her gaze went to the main gates to the village she saw hope in her eyes then. They weren't dull anymore. They were just filled with so much hope that even Ino's heart started to ache for her.
Ino realized then and there that Sakura had beaten her. Ino did not love Sasuke. Once she looked over at Sakura, she knew that she did. She knew that Sakura loved him with everything that she had, and then some.
"Sakura."
Sakura turned back to Ino and waited for what she was about to say.
Ino gripped her hand and said, "Don't worry, he'll come back. And when he does, he'll figure out that you waited for him, all that time."
When a ghost of a smile graced Sakura's lips, Ino couldn't help but smile back. She stood up and turned back to Sakura.
"See you later, Forehead."
Sakura grinned at her, "Pig."
And as Ino made her way back to the flower shop, she realized how stupid she had been. Sakura was always meant to be with Sasuke, and he with her. She knew that ever since that day in the Forest of Death when she had hugged him to make his mark recede. To her surprise, back then, it did. But to her greater surprise, he did not push her away. He had always pushed everyone away, but her. That just had to mean something.
This is just a oneshot and I hope you guys like it. This takes place shortly after Sasuke left the village.