Her long pink hair flowed behind her, glistening in the sunlight as she walked through the bustling town of Konoha with her best friends. Her jade green eyes shined like two bright jewels, but somehow were very sad. Even though she was surrounded by her friends and many other people, she still felt a strange loneliness settle in her heart.
Ino threw her head back in laughter at something Sai said, flipping her long blonde hair behind her shoulder. Naruto just stared at them with a frown, unsure of whether or not to be offended by what he said.
Sakura had no idea what he said, but she smiled slightly, pretending to acknowledge his statement. She didn't fool them any of them though. They knew something was wrong.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto said quietly.
She turned her head to look at him. "Hmm?"
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Huh?" her eyes widened and looked at her other friends. Her face flushed when she saw that they too were staring at her. She let out a nervous laugh and waved her hand, as though to wave off their concern. "Nothing, baka! There's nothing wrong with me."
They all looked at each other in disbelief.
"I remember reading once," Sai said. "That laughing like that in situations like this, is often a sign of lying."
Sakura smiled and rolled her eyes, "You're such a bookworm, Sai. Books aren't always right you know. Why would I be lying?"
"So we wouldn't worry," Ino said quietly.
Sakura frowned, realizing that she had already lost the battle, probably long before she even she even knew there was going to be one. She let out a sigh, "I'll be okay guys, don't worry about me. It's just one of those days."
"Sakura, is it about Sasuke?" Sai asked.
Sakura stopped walking and felt a tug on her heart.
Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha. There wasn't a day that went by where she didn't think about him. He never left her mind; not even for a second. Despite her best efforts, she could not keep him in Konoha. All she could do is sit back and watch as he slowly became blinded with darkness and lust for power and revenge.
He was never coming back, and she knew it deep within her heart.
"Baka!" Ino snapped, and swatted Sai in the back of the head. However, it was too late. The damage was already done.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, his voice filled with concern.
She looked at her friends and gave small, desolate smile as tears burned her eyes. "I just remembered. My mom wanted me home early today because she wanted to show me something. I-I'll see you guys later."
Before any of them could stop her, she ran off as fast as she could.
"Sakura!" Ino called out, but Sakura ignored her. She just kept running with tears streaming down her face.
Sasuke… Is there even a single day that goes by where you think about me? Even just once? For a moment?
Why did he have to go? Why did Orochimaru have to curse him? He would have been fine if it weren't for that curse mark. Maybe Sasuke would have lived a happy life. Maybe they would have even ended up together.
Perhaps, in a different universe, all these things did happen. But in the universe they live in, there's only sadness, hatred and despair.
The tears wouldn't stop flowing from her eyes. She didn't try to stop them. She needed to get this out of her system. Once it's out, she could go back to hiding her loneliness and sadness again; at least for a little while.
She turned around a corner sharply. Suddenly, she collided right into a solid body and flew backwards towards the pavement. Before she actually hit it, a hand reached out and grabbed hers. The hand was strong, and strangely warm for this chilly day.
"I-I'm s-so sorry," Sakura stuttered, not daring to look up at the person. She didn't want to see their angry face, and she didn't want them to see the tears streaming down hers.
"You need to be more careful of where you're going… Sa-ku-ra."
Her eyes widened. She knew that voice. She had it memorized it deep within her heart.
She looked up and stared into a pair of deep, dark onyx eyes.
It was him. Sasuke Uchiha.
Sakura jolted upright in her bed, her cheeks dry and her eyes itchy from the salt in the tears she had shed in her sleep.
It was just a dream, she realized. Dreaming of him like this was a common occurrence for her, but that didn't make her any less disappointed when she woke up and realized he wasn't there.
He never will be.
He's a rogue shinobi now. An avenger. He has no purpose to come back to Konoha now.
She got out of bed, now fully awake from the dream she had.
Her broken heart burned and felt heavy with each beat it made. Sometimes she'd wish that it would just stop and never beat again. But she had a duty as a shinobi to protect this village and keep everyone safe. The only possible way she'd die is if she were murdered or killed in battle.
She took off her pajamas and tugged on some clothes before she snuck out her window. If her parents knew she was out this late, she would be in a lot of trouble.
The moon was full and shining brightly above her in the dark sky. It looked exactly the same as it did the day he left so many years ago.
It felt like he left such a long time ago, but in reality it had only been a little more than three years. The days dragged on slowly for Sakura. Living without him was like living alone on a deserted island. Possible, but extremely difficult.
Her feet dragged across the dirt roads, wandering around wherever they felt like. She had no destination in mind.
Without even realizing it at first, she ended up at the place where she last saw him before he became rogue. She closed her eyes, replaying that scene from three years ago, over in her head.
What did she do wrong to make him want to leave? What could she have said to make him stay?
"Thank you."
She opened her eyes and let out a big sigh, burying her face in her hands.
"That was an awfully big sigh."
She rolled her eyes and tears trickled down her face. "Oh great, now I'm hearing him too."
She felt the bench move as someone sat down next to her.
She looked up with a scowl to see who disturbed her peace, and her eyes grew wide.
There he was, seeming to glow in the moonlight like a perfect angel. His chiseled chest was exposed from the long white shirt that hung loosely around his body. His handsome face was turned toward her as his dark, onyx eyes took in every detail of her. His raven hair was spiked up with his dark bangs hanging down in his face, hovering just over his eyes.
"No way," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I'm dreaming."
He frowned and shook his head. "You're not dreaming, Sakura."
"Yes I am!" She stood up and pinched her skin, convinced that she'd wake up when she did. "OUCH!"
He stood up too and walked over to her. "You're not dreaming," he said again.
She covered her mouth and began to sob uncontrollably.
How is this possible? He's an avenger now. Why would he come back?
"Why…?" She whispered. "Why are you back?"
He stepped toward her and bent down, his lips hovered mere inches above her own. Her eyes grew wide and her heart leaped in her throat. Before she had time to react, he pressed his lips against hers and pulled her into a tender embrace.
He's… kissing her? She can't believe it. She dreamt of this moment for years. She never imagined it be like this. His lips felt so soft, yet at the same time, rough as they moved against hers, deepening the kiss.
She closed her eyes, getting lost in the moment, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He broke the kiss after a moment and cupped her face between his hands. "I'm back…" he said quietly, "Because of you."
Alt. Ending 1:
He stood up too and walked over to her. "You're not dreaming," he said again.
She covered her mouth and began to sob uncontrollably.
How is this possible? He's an avenger now. Why would he come back?
"Why…?" She whispered. "Why are you back?"
He stepped toward her and bent down, his lips hovered mere inches above her own. Her eyes grew wide and her heart leaped in her throat. Before she had time to react, he had thrust a kunai right into her and hit a vital organ.
A wicked smile spread across his lips. "I'm back to kill you, and all the other Konoha bastards that betrayed my clan."
She couldn't believe her ears. Her beloved Sasuke… The one she had grown to love, had purposely fatally wounded her.
No. This wasn't the man she loved. The Sasuke she loved would have never done this to her. He wouldn't be looking at her now with that evil expression he's wearing as she's dying in his arms.
She reached up to touch his face, and gently brushed her fingers across his smooth cheek. "You're not the Sasuke I fell in love with," she whispered.
"You're right," he said, "I'm an avenger now." He dropped her onto the ground. She fell with a loud thud, and her head banged against the road, giving her a pounding headache.
Her blood oozed out onto the ground, flooding around her. She looked up and saw him standing over her.
He lifted his foot up. "Goodbye, billboard brow." He stomped on her head, and everything turned black.
Alt. Ending 2:
He stood up too and walked over to her. "You're not dreaming," he said again.
She covered her mouth and began to sob uncontrollably.
How is this possible? He's an avenger now. Why would he come back?
"Why…?" She whispered. "Why are you back?"
He stepped toward her and bent down, his lips hovered mere inches above her own. Her eyes grew wide and her heart leaped in her throat. Before she had time to react, he had thrust a kunai right into her and hit a vital organ.
A wicked smile spread across his lips. "I'm back to kill you, and all the other Konoha bastards that betrayed my clan."
She couldn't believe her ears. Her beloved Sasuke… The one she had grown to love, had purposely fatally wounded her.
No. This wasn't the man she loved. The Sasuke she loved would have never done this to her. He wouldn't be looking at her now with that evil expression he's wearing as she's dying in his arms.
She reached up to touch his face, and gently brushed her fingers across his smooth cheek. "You're not the Sasuke I fell in love with," she whispered.
"You're right," he said, "I'm an avenger now." He dropped her onto the ground. She fell with a loud thud, and her head banged against the road, giving her a pounding headache.
Her blood oozed out onto the ground, flooding around her. She looked up and saw him standing over her.
He lifted his foot up. "Goodbye, billboard brow." He stomped on her head, and everything turned black.
Sakura leaped up from her bed as her alarm screamed next to her ear. Her skin was clammy with a film of cold sweat over it.
It was just another dream. A dream within a dream. She hated it when that happened.
She let out a sigh, grateful that her dream wasn't real, and turned her alarm off. Her hand lingered over the picture from sitting next to it. She picked it up and looked at it.
It was her old picture of Team 7 that they had taken. She smiled slightly, and traced the outline of the boy she fell in love with. He had been so sweet and caring back then. Sure, he had a rough exterior and liked to pretend he didn't care half of the time. But she knew, inside his heart, he had cared deeply for her and their other team mates.
She put the picture down and quickly got dressed. She rushed out the door as fast as she could, before she was late for her training.
Hopefully you didn't change too much.