Please Just Save Me from This Darkness

As I sit down with a steaming cup of green tea and stare out the window, out into the streets of Konoha, which are being drenched in the sky's heavy tears.

Naruto said he'd come see me today, but with all his Hokage duties I'm sure he'll forget. He told me he missed our old chats, the conversations we would have when searching for Sasuke. But now that Sasuke was back, bruised and battered, we barely spoke, he was busy, I was busy, our schedules never matched up.

Kakashi still never acknowledged me, and Sasuke blatantly ignored me, and it made me feel sick. I was weary, I was tired, I was so alone.

Naruto, I'm waiting in the silence, Team 7 re-formed with only 3 male members, and I'm still waiting to be seen.

You bastards, the Inner Me screams, as if they'd hear her.

They'll always be like this, I guess really was just a 3rd wheel.

I reply to her screaming insults and then silence issues in my head once again before I hear her quiet voice whisper to me once again.

We'll die together, right? They don't want to save us, not anymore.

When she puts it that way, I know she's right, I know she can't possibly be wrong.

I drink the last of my tea and then prepare myself for work, before setting out into the torrential rain which attacks me from every side. My head bowed as I walk, can't be bothered to run, besides I like the rain. It reminds me of myself, no, my former self, the bubbly person who would bounce back no matter what had happened. I hear laughter echoed in the rain drops, looking towards the sound I can see Sasuke and…a girl? Her laughter rung in my ears and it hurt even more to see Sasuke's trademark smirk on those lips of his. It made me think of how me and Sasuke never speak, not after he came back, I couldn't face the pain of actually talking, the memories of him attempting to kill me still fresh in my brain, all I'd done was stand there, waiting…heh, waiting again, for Naruto so I could heal him from the epic battle.

I tore my eyes away from the painful sight, and continue walking, but I feel eyes boring into my back, making me feel nervous when her laughter stops abruptly, and I hear something much worse that I feel my stomach contents begin to ascend.

"Sasssukee-kun…can we go back to my flat?" Her voice sickly sweet. But as my footsteps carry me further away, I'm grateful that I don't hear his reply.

I'm sorry. Inner Me whispers, a broken heart in her words, a broken heart in me, then again, it was fate for something like this to happen. I was always going to end up alone, alone and lonely. Dreams non existent anymore all locked away in a distant part of my scattered mind.

I enter the hospital and Shizune whisks me away, the knowledge of it being a long day fresh in my mind.

My shift ends at an earlier time then usual, apparently there's a festival tonight, I heard the apprentice nurses speaking about it whilst I worked, but, I smile faintly when I step out into the cold street, no one invited me, no one even told me, not that I should expect to be told. I pass the Ramen store on my way home, and as I stop and take a long look at it I can see the vague ghosts of the past, but they disappear like puffs of smoke.

Instead, I see Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi sitting next to each other, eating with each other, talking with each other…laughing with each other. Kakashi must've sensed my presence, because he looked around and through his one eye he stared at me, it was like he was boring into my soul, if he was he wouldn't find anything, because I'm nothing more then an empty casket. I stare back, my arms shaking a little, betrayal was so evident, pain was so alive within me, I stumble back and gulp heavily. My foot splashing into one of the puddles, which caught Naruto's and Sasuke's attention, dread filled me as they both turned to look at me. A frown seeps onto my face, my pink hair blowing in my eyes, my arms by my side as I stand up straight, formality obvious in my stance. I open my mouth to speak as Naruto stands, but words are lost, words are stupid, words mean NOTHING.

"Sakura-chan…are you alright?" His deep voice was in the wind, surrounding me, scaring me.

"I…I…I'm fine Hokage-sama!" I cry out, not sure why I said it in a way that meant it would hurt more, and I could see it in those blue eyes of his, the pain, the guilt…?

"Sakura-chan? I've told you not to call me that! Call me what you used to would you please?" There's a hint of annoyance laced in his voice, Naruto was disgusted by me, and I don't blame him. I don't even honour him with a reply; instead I bow my head low and stare at the ground like it's the most interesting thing in the world.

I hear someone stand up, a splash of money hitting the table, I can't look up, I mustn't look up, because I know if I do tears will fall, my nightmares will come to life.

Someone breezes past me, and stops, just behind me, I lift up my head and stare at the man I used to have a stupid crush on, he had his back to me, and was staring off into the sky, his body a few inches from mine. I look back around at Naruto, who's still sitting there, and Kakashi who's now got his back to me.

"What are you doing now then Sakura-chan?" Naruto speaks again, his voice heavy, as if he's hell bent on breaking me. Out of the corner of my eye I see Sasuke freeze, his body so straight, as if he's straining to see something.

"I think I might go train." I whisper back, in a careless manner.

"Ah, OK so who do you train with now?" His question threw me off, Kakashi turned around again as if to memorize my actions. What do I answer to something like that? I felt strangely empty when I said the words, my heart screaming and thrashing.

"No one. I always train on my own, I always will." The last part came out barely a whisper, but in my head I was screaming, I was begging to cry, begging to attack these three strange people.

"Goodbye…Naruto-san, Kakashi-san…Sasuke…-san." I'm breaking. My heart is falling apart, its strange how I never told anyone about my newly developed heart problem. I had a weak heart. I was going to die soon. And no one would even care.

I walked away, my shoulder pushing past Sasuke's, the brief touch was stupid and not needed, but I was going to die, I needed some kind of closure.

As I walk I find myself entering the training fields, and finally the memorial stone, of which I stare at, hoping it would take away my pain. Just like it took away my parents. I fall to the floor in front of the stupid stone and feel the rain start again, it pats me on the back, its wet touches cold but soothing, and soon I find myself crying and begging to leave, my heart almost unable to take anymore stress.

Please! Don't give in yet! There's still time! Inner Me shrieks, her scream is panicked and scared.

Its…no…use...anymore…I can't…do this…anymore.

A loud sob escapes me as I reach up and trace my fingers on the carved out names of my parents.

Dead. Gone. Dead. So…alone. So…dead…inside.

I feel my heart tremor, and its happening, pain rang through me a scream echoed out of my lips.

I CAN'T BREATHE! I CAN'T breathe… Inner's voice leaves me slowly.

As the darkness engulfs me, sending me into oblivion, whisking me away from this awful world of betrayal, I hear a man screaming, from so far away…getting closer, his cry so heartbreaking that I feel my own heart shatter once more.

"SAKURA! NO!" I recognise that voice, I recognise that tone, but it's a lie, its always a lie, Sasuke would never scream my name in such a tone, never in a million years.

And finally, I leave this place, with a strong taste of copper in my mouth.