Maybe it was better this way.
Leaving with no good-bye.
It would hurt less.
But she ruined it.
She just had to say it.
Those three words.
The three damn words!
The words that could mean so much . . . but can scare the hell out of you at the same time.
She ruined everything.
He was simply going to leave.
Pack up and go.
It was supposed to be easy.
He wouldn't have to see anyone, talk to anyone . . . say good-bye to anyone.
But that was all ruined the moment he heard her follow him.
Damn her!
She had made him remember!
Remember everything they had gone through . . . as a team. . .
Him. . .
Naruto . . .
Kakashi . . .
Her. . .
Everything that was supposed to mean everything. . .
It had taken everything he had; all of his will power, not to turn around and wrap his arms around her . . . stop her crying.
It had taken all of his will power not to tell her what she did to him.
The way she could make his heart pound when she was close.
How he smiled when she was happy.
How he cried when she was sad . . . even when she didn't see him do it.
He began to wonder if she even noticed him blush when she clung to his arm. . .
Or become speechless when she asked (on occasion) how she looked that day. . .
Or how his eyes light up when she laughs. . .
Did she notice any of these things?
. . . Probably not. . .
And he couldn't tell her any of these things. . .
For he could barely admit them to himself.
. . . He had left her with nothing but a simple thank you. . .
That hadn't been what he had wanted to say at the time. . .
But that was all that had seemed to come out.
Being so near to her had made his heart pound in his ears and his mind become hazy and clouded with her sweet smell.
At that moment, all he had wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and tell her how much she really meant to him.
…but he didn't
. ..He couldn't
. . . It would just hurt too much.
. . . But . . .
He was hurting now...
Maybe, not saying good-bye wasn't the best thing. . .
Or maybe it was just leaving. . .
Being separated from her. . .
It hurt more than he ever had thought it could.
Suddenly he stopped in his tracks.
HE wasn't going to end it this way…
Not with her . . . his brother would just have to wait a little longer.
As quickly as his feet could carry him, he ran all the way back to the village, raced through the entrance gate, and stopped, winded, just a few yards from the spot he had left her. As he had guessed, she was still there, lying on the bench. He could hear her rhythmic breathing from where he stood and it enticed him closer. He looked at her sleeping form, so beautiful and delicate. Slowly, he crouched by her head.
"Sakura." He whispered.
She tilted her head towards the sound, but did not open her eyes. A blush spread across the young boys face, as he was now only inches from her own. He rested his chin on the bench and smiled. Slowly, the calm, stillness of the night began to overtake him and his eyelids grew heavy with needed sleep.
"I'm back." he whispered softly as his eyes finally shut and he drifted off next to the girl he finally knew . . . he loved.