Free Falling, a naruto fanfic

Dull eyes stared endlessly at the photo on the table. It was weathered with creases and stains. Her smile showed through the imperfections of the picture as if they were not there. Her long rosy hair was pinned back, and those honeydew eyes shined. Her short yellow sundress was almost as beautiful as she was. She was perfect as always. The only thing that corrupted the picture was him with his arms wrapped around her. He wore all black like a repulsive ink blob. He never realized how much he diluted her beauty before.

They were seated under a cherry blossom tree. Its branches held praise to the sky as if they hoped to one day be able to touch the clouds. Swirls of soft pink petals danced around the couple. Everything was perfect despite his horrid likeness. When did it go so wrong?

She's a good girl, loves her mama, loves Jesus,

And America too.

She's a good girl, crazy about Elvis, loves horses,

And her boyfriend too.

Tobi remembered when they first met. It was raining, he recalled.

Rain poured out of the clouds and fell down to earth. It was like a battle between heaven and hell. People were trying to outrun the crossfire but failed. Some took shelter in nearby stores while the determined ones wade in the streets. Tobi was one of the unlucky ones. It was just stupid that his car had to breakdown right when the storm hit.

Deidara, his longtime fellow employee of Akatsuki Inc. and best friend, walked beside him angrily. "Fuck this stupid fucking cunt-faced rain, yeah," Deidara muttered. His hair was splattered flat against his face. He was the exact image of a drowned rat.

Tobi ignored the complaints of his friend, and glanced around for a café or something with food. He was starved. The choice was between a Japanese restaurant and a grocery store. "Which one?" he asked with a nod.

Deidara huffed, "which ever gets us out of this damn rain, yeah. I can feel my poor fedora getting soak, yeah." He felt under his shirt where said fedora was.

Tobi rolled his eyes. "It's a hat. Hats are supposed to get wet." Deidara crossed his arms stubbornly at his comment. "Not one that cost more than my house, yeah," he mumbled. Tobi laughed to which earned him a glare. He ignored the killing intent.

"Japanese it is," Tobi informed. No reply was given. Deidara seemed to be giving the silent treatment. With a sigh, Tobi told, "stop acting like a baby. I offered to let you put it in compartment under the seat."

"And I said, 'there's no way I'm going to put MY fedora next to guns in a car that doesn't even start, yeah.' If you would care to remember such things, it would do you some good, yeah," Deidara retorted coldly.

Tobi sighed and walked into the restaurant. A bell chimed as he pulled open the door. Deidara followed after him silently. "Irasshaimase!" the blonde hostess greeted. Tobi could tell she was taken aback by his mask and Deidara's stony face as she usually was. To her credit, she always played it off well. "Table for two?" she asked. Tobi only nodded in return.

The hostess seated them at their normal table by the window. She did not bother to give them any menus. "Two plates of dango and green tea?" she inquired. It was clear she only asked out of formality as they get the same thing every time they come. "You know the drill, Ino," Tobi told with an unseen smile. Ino grinned and left.

Deidara sat across from him. His fedora was on a napkin on the table. Another napkin was held in his hand as he lovingly dabbed at his precious hat. Bored by the affectionate display, Tobi gazed around the room. His eyes shot to the door when the bell chimed. An icy gust of wind spun around the tea house.

A petite woman with green eyes and dripping pink hair came into view. Her white shirt was soaked and, unfortunately for her, revealed her dark bra. Her jeans were hidden behind splashes of mud. Boots clunked against the wooden floor as she approached the hostess' desk. "Irasshaimase!" Ino greeted with a superb smile.

"Oi, Pig, how's it going?" Lazily, the rose-haired woman held up her hand with a slight wave. Tobi raised an eyebrow at the woman's laidback attitude. Ino glared and placed her hand on her hip whilst the other snapped around with sass. "I'll have you know that just because my name is Ino doesn't mean I'm a pig, and only ONE person is allowed to call me that, and I'm sure as hell ain't going to let a little lady with a big… …whoa! Forehead, is that you?"

Tobi watched as the hostess punched the woman in the gut then give her a bear hug. He sweat dropped when Ino squealed and carried her distressed friend over to his table. His first thought was to run but then he wouldn't get his dango and he loved his dango.

"Oi, Tobi-san, I'd like you to meet Sakura! She's a professional horse-rider as well as a fulltime student at Nidaime Hokage College," Ino started as Tobi and Sakura shook hands. "Sakura, this is Tobi, he's a…" She died off and looked at him. Thankfully, Tobi got the message and spoke, "let's just say I'm a businessman."

The bell chimed again and Ino dashed off with a quick wave goodbye. "Don't forget to tell me when y'all start dating!"

Sakura glanced towards the unaware Deidara questionably. Tobi shrugged. "He really likes hats."She laughed at that and pulled up a chair.

"Sorry 'bout Ino by the way. She's kind of crazy," Sakura apologized with a slight smile. Tobi waved it off. "No problem. You should see my friend. Next to him, Ino-san is as sane as a… …uhh, well, as something extremely sane," Tobi finished lamely. He wondered if she thought he was lame but she did not seem to care. It was true though. Ino was extremely sane compared to Kisame and his collection of famous swimmers' toenail clippings.

"Hey, do you like Elvis?" Sakura suddenly asked with great glee. He smiled behind his mask. "Why yes, miss Sakura, I believe I do." They talked for about a half an hour when Sakura had leave. She waved goodbye. Deidara's dango was boxed and held in her other hand.

What a woman, Tobi mused, watching her retreating form from the window. Deidara looked up from his fedora. "It's taking a long time for our dango to come out, huh, yeah?"

Tobi smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I guess the kitchen's backed up today," he lied. Deidara stared at him for a while before he nodded and went back to caring for his fedora.

It's a long day living in Reseda.

There's a freeway running through the yard.

It was the day after Tobi saw Sakura and still he could not stop thinking about her. Even in the desert outside the city he currently was in could not stop her face from appearing in his head. What was wrong with him? She was just another woman. A woman he would most likely never see again at that. But, for some reason, a part of him really hoped he would.

Tobi huffed as he pulled the tied up and blindfolded man into his car's trunk. He really needed to stop thinking about her. "I did to stop taking these jobs," he mumbled, with a rub of his temple. He had an awful headache and this man was not making it any better with his hooting and hollering. "Shut the fuck up," he ordered the man. His voice only made him scream louder. The captured man's screams were muffled when Tobi closed the trunk. He sighed with relief.

Abruptly, the sound of trotting reached his ears. Tobi turned around to find a beautiful ebony mustang. Its rider rode on its back skillfully without a saddle or harness. The rider had long rosy-pink hair that flew back in the wind. Her beautiful honeydew eyes looked so at peace and free that he never wanted to look away.

It only took him a second to realize that they belonged to Sakura. "Well, well, what do we have here? A man parked on the side of the road, how strange is that? As well as that man just so happens to be none other than Tobi from the restaurant."

Tobi sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, Sakura, long time no see." Sakura grinned. A mischievous glint held a place in her eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be stalking me, now would you?" Tobi smirked, "Why yes, I am stalking you. How did you ever find out?"

"Elementary, my dear Tobi. I believe it was the tire tracks that first informed me of your stalking," Sakura teased with a British accent. Tobi mocked a thinking position. "Ah, that does put a dapper on things," he started, "but do not worry, next time I'll be more careful."

Sakura laughed. "You better!"

And I'm a bad boy cause I don't even miss her.

I'm a bad boy for breaking her heart.

Mask; it felt so foreign without it. When he was younger he swore that he would never let it leave his face but now here he was, for the first time in ages, taking it off. Just for her.

A soft hand grazed his cheek; foreign. Sakura's eyes tenderly memorized his face. Those eyes; so foreign. Her lips parted to speak. Those enchanting, cherry lips; foreign. "You are so beautiful." Her voice was that of an angel. It felt unbecoming for the demon he was. Angels were such a foreign thing.

Tobi frowned. "You do not mean that." His angel shook her head and spoke sharply, "you may hide what you think is ugly but to me, I will always think you are perfect." He grinned slightly. She was such a lovely person. Lovely people were a foreign thing to him. What with murderers and mobsters as his everyday people. She was an angel amongst the beasts dubbed humans.

Tobi just loved the way the shadows of the fireplace formed around her face. It made her seem more real, more believable, more his. "Tobi, do you think things could stay like this forever?" The question hit him hard for he knew the answer but did not dare say it. He knew for a fact that everything that was perfect ended. Somehow he would mess it up or at some point she will realize the beast he is and escape whilst she still has her wings.

He decided on a simple reply. "We can only hope." Tobi kissed her forehead as she snuggled into him. Sakura smiled into his chest. "What are we without hope?"

Now, I'm free!

Free falling.

Yeah, I'm free!

Free falling.

Tobi slammed his head onto his kitchen table at the memory. If only he could have held her tighter and never let her go. If only he was not a monster. His head went numb when he lifted it off the table. Blood fell down his face. It dripped into his eyes. It blurred his vision and his mind. It did not matter. He looked fondly at the pills on the table. They were so inviting. He grabbed the pills, and poured a couple in his hand. He downed them hurriedly. More! He needed more. He needed more nothingness and less pain. He needed to become nothing. He needed to be numb.

And all the vampires walking through the valley,

Move west down Ventura boulevard.

And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows.

And the good girls are at home with broken hearts.

"Why?!" she pleaded. "Why are you doing this? Why didn't you tell me?" The hand that was once held in his clutched into a fist and hit him. He flew back a couple of feet. His mask broke somewhere in the short flight. Clumps of the mask fell to the ground around him.

Hurt. Yes, that was it. He felt hurt, rage, and emptiness. All he wanted was her but apparently no one agreed with him not even Sakura. He made a mistake. A simple mistake. He carried out his duty as a member of the Akatsuki. If Leader wanted him to kill an ex-spy of theirs, he would gladly do so. It was part of his job. He felt nothing about killing that man or any men. It was just another job. It was just another paycheck. How was he supposed to know he was Sakura's cousin?

Sakura was not supposed to find out about it. Sakura was never supposed to know, but someone snitched. Someone betrayed him, and now, he was empty and lifeless. Now the soft angelic hands of his woman hit him repeatedly. She did not hold back. She stood over him with killer intent.

Tears streamed down Sakura's face. They were like bits of glass falling down the cheeks of a broken glass angel. "Why?" she screamed, slamming her fist into his jaw. He did not fight back. He could not fight back. "It was my job, Sakura. Nothing more than a job." Tobi did not dodge the kick aimed for his head.

"You could have declined or something!" Sakura yelled. Another kick found its mark on his groin. Tobi grimaced, and fell to his knees. He hid his pain. "That's not in my job description. I'm sorry." He got up slowly, and left her paralyzed with emotion.

He smashed his car door close. Why? Why did he do it? Why was this guilt killing him? Why?!

And I'm free!

Free falling.

Yeah, I'm free!

Free falling.

Tobi crashed his bloody head onto the table again as the reminiscence floated through his mind. He could not stand it. The price he had to pay for a job he never even wanted. Why did he have to be such a monster? He rushed more pills into his mouth. He was awarded with a short break from the agony.

Free falling, now I'm free falling, now I'm.

Tobi felt his soul soar out of his body for a little while. For the first time since Sakura left, he was content. In that spilt second when he ascended to the clouds, he knew he was going to be forever at ease.

When I glide down, over Mulholland,

I wanna write her name in the sky.

Gonna free fall, out into nothing,

Gonna leave this world for a while.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked nervously. She held tightly to his arm. She was blind-folded. Tobi grinned, "you'll see." He guided her up the walkway of a yellow two-story house with a porch wrapped around it.

A garden peaked from behind the house whilst vines draped it in green. "We're here." Tobi slipped the cloth off his love's eyes. She gasped, "Ooh, so cute!" He laughed, "Wait until you see the inside." Sakura pulled him along as she ran inside.

When they entered, Sakura ran up and back down the stairs and then into the living room on his left. She twirled around and run through the small hallway that led into a kitchen and a family room. He saw her reappear on his right in the dining room.

Sakura leaned into Tobi with a bit of breathlessness. "It's perfect but why did you get me a house? We aren't married." Tobi smiled and pulled off his mask. Carefully, he placed it on the ground as he went on one knee. Sakura looked at him in confusion. "What are you doing?" she asked with a tilt of her head. She looked so innocent in that moment. Tobi was afraid she would figure out how bad he was for him and leave. He gulped down the fear.

She was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and now it was time to show her that she was. With sweaty palms, he pulled a small black box out of his pocket. "Sakura Haruno, you are the most amazing, unique, mystifying, beautiful person I have ever set my eyes on. Being with you I somehow feel like I'm dreaming. I don't want you to ever leave my side. I never want us to say goodbye. Instead I want to wake up with you every morning of every day with bed hair and a big grin on your face. I want to watch you grow big with our first child. I want to see you when our children grow up and graduate college. I want to see pride fill your face as they get their first job. I want to see you with tears of joy in your eyes when our sons and daughters find the one and stand at the altar.

I want to see you when you get your first gray hair or when you go through your midlife crisis. I want to see you grow old and play with our grandchildren. Most of all, I want to see you in a pretty white dress that shows the angel I see every day when I look at you. I want to see you walk down an aisle, and I want to be the one you're walking to. What I want to say is… …would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

He opened the small box to reveal a beautiful gold ring. He picked out the most wonderfully cut diamond he could find with two smaller but just as beautiful sapphires. He watched her nervously as she sputtered out incoherent words.

Tears streamed down her face. "Y-yes, yes!" She jumped into Tobi's arms and kissed him tenderly. Tobi smiled into the kiss, and slid the ring onto her finger.

And I'm free!

Free falling.

Yeah, I'm free!

More! He needed to forget! Forget her, forget her name, forget her laugh, forget her smile, forget how she cried, forget all the pain he had caused her, forget that he was not with her anymore, forget that he had ever met her.

His heart stung. His heart was placed inside a block of ice and he picked at it with pills instead of ice picks to try to save it. His heart cried for him to stop but he couldn't. He couldn't live with the pain of not having her next to him. He could not live knowing he made an angel fall from grace. He could not live without an angel to guide him through the world he knew as hell. In that moment, he realized if the world was already hell, why didn't he just go to the real one? In that moment, he knew he was going to kill himself.

Free falling.

And, I'm free!

Free falling.

Sakura cautiously pulled Tobi's apartment door open. She needed to see him. She needed to tell him she was sorry. She needed to tell him how she could not sleep at night not knowing where he was and if he was alright. Most important, she needed to tell him she loved him. "Hello? Tobi? It's me, Sakura. I know I'm probably the last person you want to see. I'm sorry for that. Where are you?" she called out into the darkness of his apartment.

Groaning was heard from the kitchen. Quickly, she ran to it and turned on the light. She gasped. Tobi was sitting on a chair with his head on top of a table. Blood was spilled around it and was dripping onto the floor. An empty bottle of painkillers fell from his right hand.

No!

Free falling, now I'm free falling, now I'm free falling.

Tobi felt soft hands lift up his head. His vision was terrible, but he could make out a blurred woman wearing a white dress. Was she the angel of death coming to guide him to the pits of hell where he'll rot in a pit of fire? He was ashamed God sent such a beautiful angel to guide him. "I'm sorry." And with that, his world darkened.

No!

Free falling, now I'm free falling, now I'm free falling.

Tobi stood by the altar. He anxiously waited for the music to start playing and for Sakura to come out. It was a gorgeous spring day. Sakura could not have picked a better date. The cherry blossom trees were in bloom, and, in the sky, floated several puffy clouds. By his side, Deidara stood as his best man. Hidan, Zetsu, and Kisame filled out the rest of his groomsmen.

On his left was the pastor and Sakura's maid of honor, Ino. After her was Hinata, one of Sakura's classmates, Tenten, Sakura's gym instructor, and, on the end, was Naruto. Yes, Naruto was a man however he still had to wear the pale blue sundress.

Tobi chuckled at the memory when Sakura asked Naruto to be one of her bridesmaids. Naruto wasn't going to but Sakura pulled out her big guns: the puppy-dog face. The game was over after that. Nobody could say no to her puppy-dog face.

The piano played which ended his thoughts. Sakura stepped out from the hallway. Her white dress flowed beneath her feet. Everyone stared. Some cried. Her hair was put into a bun and left some of the shorter locks to frame her face.

A bouquet of sunflowers rested between her hands. She was beautiful. Deidara nudged him. "You're one lucky bastard, yeah."

Sakura walked down the aisle with her uncle Zabuza. Her father was dead as well as her mother so Zabuza offered to fill in. Finally, she reached the altar, and Zabuza left with a wink shot in Tobi's direction. Tobi smiled and Sakura smiled back.

After the ceremony and reception were over, Tobi picked her up bridal-style and left in his car. Everything was as it should be. Everything was perfect. But he knew everything that was perfect ended. Anything that brought him joy didn't last but who said he could treasure it as long as he could? He was a beast but, perhaps, he did not have to be. For her, he would be the man she deserves.

Free falling, now I'm free falling, now I'm free falling.

Sakura placed a single cherry blossom on the tombstone that she had picked from the cherry blossom tree in the front of her house. A tear fell down onto the grassy grave. She wore a simple red sundress. Her hand brushed up against the stone. She felt the grooves of his name, his birth date and the date of his death. She sat on the grass in front of his gravestone. "It's been a five years, Tobi. I have much to tell you, but I'm afraid you won't want to hear from the woman who killed you." She nibbled on her lower lip. She stared at his name for awhile before abruptly speaking, "I finished medical school, you know. I've been all over the world saving people. I was even in a magazine…" She trailed off. Her eyes were gazed at his name harder as if she tried to see him. A hand went up to wipe the tears that ran down her face.

A boy with spiked ebony hair and emerald eyes ran into view of the gravesite. "Mommy, Mommy! Mr. Bubbles needs more carrots!" The five year old flung himself into Sakura's arms. She smiled through her tears and spoke softly, "Tobi, meet your son, Takumi."

"Mommy, who are you talking to?" Takumi asked with a tilt of his head. Sakura giggled and ruffled his hair. "Why, I'm talking to daddy."Takumi pouted, "Where is he? I don't see him." Sakura grinned. "He's everywhere, baby, you just can't see him." Takumi mocked a thinking position. "Oh."

Sakura got up from her spot and grabbed her son's hand. "Come on. Let's get those carrots for Mr. Bubbles." The boy cheered and bounced off with her right behind him. Unbeknown to them, a man dressed in all black sat on the tombstone merrily with his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands, grinning. A swirled orange mask lay beside him.

"I love you." The whisper floated on the wind and drifted into the ears of the young boy. Takumi glanced back just in time to see the man. The man waved then faded.

I'm free falling!