She's Spinning. My Heaven.
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"Sakura."
"You wanted to see me Tsunade-sensei?"
"Yes," Tsunade gestures to the chair in front of her desk. "Sit down."
Sakura does.
"What's going on?"
"Naruto, Kakashi and Sai's mission was a success."
"Mission?"
"They didn't want you to know about it, but seeing as they completed their mission, I felt you should know." Sakura's brows crunched in confusion.
"What mission is that sensei?" Tsunade looks at Sakura straight in the eyes.
Sakura understands. She rises.
"Is that all you wanted me for sensei?"
"Sakura, I thought you would be happy." Sakura smiles.
"Of course I am sensei." Tsunade drops it.
"They should be here in two weeks. In the mean time, I'm going to take you off the escort mission." Sakura's smile fades.
"Sensei, I don't want to be taken off the mission. I'll be leaving the morning after tomorrow and be back a week before them. This will keep my head clear and give me something to do so I don't go crazy waiting." Tsunade understands.
"Alright, you'll be leaving the morning after tomorrow." Sakura nods. Sakura leaves.
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"So Teme, what's it like?" Sasuke looks at Naruto.
"What?"
"How does it feel? To finally be home?" Naruto looks at Sasuke and grins.
"Hn."
"Are you more happy about being home? Or are you more happy about being able to see Sak-" Sasuke's fist felt it needed to collide with Naruto's head.
"Ow Teme!" Naruto rubs his head.
"Let's go you two. Keep it up and Sakura will beat you both to both to death."
They all start walking to the Hokage tower. Naruto nudges Sasuke in the arm.
"Yea Teme, keep it up and maybe Sakura will give you some extra special attention."
"Hn."
Only Naruto can make a death threat seem like something so wonderful.
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"Hokage-sama?" Tsunade raises her head. She smiles.
"Sit." They do.
"Naruto, Sai, Kakashi. Any complications?"
They all shake their heads.
"No."
"Good. I'll expect a mission report tomorrow morning." She's looking at Kakashi.
"Alright." He sighs.
"Now, I'll excuse us boys, Uchiha and I have somethings to discuss."
Kakashi, Naruto and Sai nod their heads and leave.
Sasuke turns to the Hokage.
"Uchiha, I know why you left, I know it all. So let's skip the stupid questions that require long answers and do this short and fast. Understood?"
Sasuke nods.
"First, why did you leave Konoha?"
"To become stronger."
"You went to Orochimaru correct?"
"Yes."
"You wanted to become stronger so you could take revenge upon your brother Itachi Uchiha correct?"
"Yes."
"Did you kill Itachi Uchiha?"
"Yes."
"And what of Orochimaru?"
"I killed him."
"Why?"
"I no longer needed him." There was silence.
"Did Naruto, Kakashi and or Sai force you to come back to Konoha?"
"No."
Silence.
"Sasuke, I have one final question for you then."
Sasuke waits.
"Why are you back in Konoha?"
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It was very peaceful here. No screaming, crying. Nothing. It was wonderful.
Perfectly green grass. It wasn't dry, the grass was moist and still a little wet with dew. Tall oak trees for miles to go with pink flowers around their trunks. Sun shining through the leaves and gently touching her skin. She can hear the birds singing to each other. Sakura holds her arms up wide and begins to spin.
Around.
Around.
And around she goes.
To the flow of her own beat.
There's no war, no killing and no crying here.
Why would she...
'Why would I want to leave?"
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There was silence for more then fifteen minutes. Tsunade understands that this can be hard to talk about, but this was becoming annoying.
She starts to open her mouth,
'Don't push him away. He's finally come back, and on his own too. No one had to force him, no one threatened him. Don't push him.'
She closes her mouth. Sits back in her chair...
She waits.
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"You know Naruto, if you eat too much of that stuff, your insides might turn into it." Naruto finishes his bowl of ramen, and lifts his bowl up signaling for another.
"My insides will turn to ramen?" Kakashi shrugs.
"With the way you eat that stuff, I wouldn't be surprised." Naruto thinks, then laughs.
"Kakashi-sensei that's funny. 'Your insides might turn into it.' Like that would happen." A bowl of steaming ramen was put in front of Naruto. Sai talks for the first time since their arrvial at the ramen shack.
"Have any of you seen Ugly?"
Kakashi is the first one to speak.
"I haven't."
They look over at Naruto.
He shakes his head 'no'.
Kakashi stands.
"Hmm." He leaves, walking towards the Hokage tower.
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Kakashi knocks on the Hokage's door.
"Enter." He does.
"Hokage-sama..." Tsunade looks up to see the copy nin. Kakashi notices that her eyes are rimmed red.
He closes the door and walks forward.
"Hokage-sama I wanted to ask you, wher-," Kakashi sees it.
Her red rimmed eyes, tear-streaked cheeks, more sake bottles on her desk then normal.
But most of all, Kakashi notices a report under her elbows...
The report.
Kakashi leaves.
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Sakura continues to spin.
Around and around she goes.
Her clothes are changing.
Her normal outfit is replaced with a beautiful mint green summer dress. Little pink petals climbing their way up the dress.
Sakura is spinning.
She's happy here.
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Kakashi decides to take a walk alone.
He guesses it's around two in the morning.
He doesn't really care.
But he isn't alone now. No, Sasuke is right in front of him.
"Sasuke. Shouldn't you be at home in bed?"
"Shouldn't you old man?" Kakashi nods and walks past him.
"Kakashi..." He stops and turns around.
"What?"
"Hokage-sama asked me questions and had me confirm facts for her. She asked me why I left, and why I came back."
"Sasuke, I don't need to know what hap-,"
"I answered everything she asked me. So maybe you can you tell me," Sasuke looks up at Kakashi, "Why she wouldn't answer the only question I asked her?"
"I don't know. Go home and get some sleep Sasuke." Kakashi turns back around and continues walking.
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Sakura has always wanted to do this. To do spin around without anyone looking, no one judging her. She's dancing now, nothing to stop her. No distractions. Just her and her beautiful heaven.
She stops.
She knows where she is now.
She thinks of Kakashi, Sai, Naruto, Ino, all of her friends back in Konoha.
How could she stay here? She can't leave them.
She can't leave him.
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Kakashi walks until it's five in the morning. He knows he should go home now. But he had to find it. He needed to see it for himself...
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"Hokage-sama."
"Sasuke, I'm busy right now. Come back later."
"No."
"Excuse me?" Sasuke walks closer to her desk.
"No."
"Sasuke Uchiha, you better che-"
"Where is she?"
Silence.
"Where is she?!"
Silence.
Sasuke looks over at the window.
"Where is Sakura?!"
He looks back at Tsunade.
She's bawling.
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He's arrived at his destination. The air doesn't seem so stuffy here. It's clear and fresh. More then anywhere else he's even been.
Kakashi looks around.
There's tall oak trees, little pink flowers at their trunks.
Birds chirping.
Kakashi closes his eyes.
He sees the report under her elbows. He recognizes it.
He's seen too many of those kinds of reports. He would know it anywhere.
It's a KIA report.
Killed In Action:
Name:Haruno Sakura
Age:19
Cause of death: Killed by sound ninjas.
Location: Ten miles north of the village gates.
Kakashi sits down on the grass. When he sits down, he notices it's moist with dew, he continues to look around.
He feels like he isn't alone.
The sun shines over Kakashi's body.
He knows.
He'll never be alone here.
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"I came back for..."
Tsunade looks over at the Uchiha survivor.
"For what?"
Sasuke looks up.
"I came back for her."
Tsunade nods.
"Where is she?"
Tsunade doesn't answer. Sasuke stands and leaves.
The fifth looks down at the paper below her elbows, and cries.
She'll never answer that question.
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Sakura feels a presence. She looks over her shoulder and sees her old teacher.
Him.
Kakashi. She feels his pain, sadness, and most of all,
she feels his peace.
She knows he'll be okay.
So Sakura closes her eyes, and starts to spin again.
This place is a heaven. Her heaven.
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Everyone asks why he leaves the village every three days. Tsunade asks him why. Kakashi just looks at her.
She knows why.
"To be with her." He says.
"That place...it's become your heaven." Kakashi shakes his head.
"No...
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.
She's my heaven."
Written(3/22/09)
Editted(3/22/09)
~Renaissance