--
They were best friends.
An avenger, a demon, and a cherry blossom.
They would always be there for each other to lick each other's wounds, carry each other's burdens, and cure one another's broken heart.
Even when he pushed away, they still tried.
Because Sasuke Uchiha had a huge hole in his heart, and his best friends did all they could to fill it with sweet sugary goodness.
But they failed. Because after all, Sasuke's eyes were blood red, and his heart was cold. His soul yearned for revenge against his one and only brother, and he would not allow himself to be distracted by anything else. His frozen heart would not be melted by anyone; nobody could get through.
Not Uzumaki Naruto.
And definitely not Haruno Sakura.
And eventually the hole ripped through and devoured him entirely.
Even if his best friends were like no other, access past the Uchiha's invisible barrier was restricted. Even to them, who knew him more than anyone ever could.
So he had left to pursue the only thing he convinced himself to have known.
Uchiha Itachi.
They were thirteen when he left them.
The three companions were sprawled out next to each other after a difficult day of training. It was already dark, and only a single star was out in the night sky, glistening.
"Hey hey, Sasuke-kun…" A fragile pinkette made the hard, cold name sound as soft as a kitten.
Said boy only furrowed his eye brows and turned to face her. "Hn" He responded, using the most used item in his vocabulary.
And it was music to her ears.
Blonde hair and cerulean eyes turned to face her as well, curious to what the petite teen had to say.
The young cherry blossom was sitting up now, as she continued to speak. "Don't ever leave us." She commanded sadly, admiring the dark night sky with the eyes of a dreamer.
Sasuke closed his eyes, and brought his hand up to the arch of his next where the cursed seal was placed a while ago. The three mysterious curves that only Sakura had seen when they were first placed there by Orochimaru. He felt the cursed seal burn under his touch, and he cringed.
Sakura spoke again, turning her head to face the raven haired boy. "Promise me. Promise me you won't leave." She stuck out her tiniest finger towards him.
Pinky promise.
He found it annoying how the single twinkling star in the sky had made her pleading eyes appear even brighter than usual.
"I promise." He reluctantly brought himself to say the words, and he brought his pinky to hers. He had hated how sure he had sounded.
Naruto quirked an eyebrow but then joined his pinky with his other friends, and then grinned sheepishly.
Sasuke had hated the sparkling hope that his words brought to Sakura's lively eyes.
"Because we have to stay best friends forever, right?" Her innocent lips moved.
Naruto nodded while grinning and Sasuke mumbled, "Right." His voice was quiet and hesitant but again brought life to Sakura's face. She was radiating with hope, her lips tugged upward into a sure smile.
Sasuke felt a searing pain in his neck, under the cursed seal.
He hated how gullible she was. How she immediately took in every word that came out of his mouth.
He hated how he could lie so easily to her.
Sakura's lids lowered over her eyes, and she couldn't help but wish on the bright star that still hung high up in the sky.
I wish we can be best friends forever.
But wishes are promises.
And promises are meant to be broken.
I could've sworn I heard a crash when he had left.
Like a glass vase coming in contact with the ground and shattering into a million tiny pieces.
Beyond repair.
It was my heart. It was our promise.
Broken and forgotten.
I cried and cried, waterfalls pouring out of my eyes until there were just no more tears to shed, until my eyes had turned red and puffy.
I even confessed, told him how much I loved him. But it didn't mean anything; not to him.
He had never cared about Naruto and me and much as we cared for him. And I knew things would never be even close to the way they were before.
And they weren't.
Things have changed, including me. My innocence was tainted, my hope had died, and my love faded.
Two years have passed since everything shattered.
And guess what?
I still couldn't gather the scattered pieces of my fragile heart. They lay next to the bench filled with memories, where I had begged him to stay with me.
If only I was stronger. If only my heart was made of stronger material, like steel.
Then nothing would've broke.
Then, I could've moved on a long time ago.
And then he came back.
Or rather, Naruto dragged his sorry ass back.
Sasuke's pride had been damaged. His body was battered and bloody, just like Naruto's.
Sasuke's motivation to kill Uchiha Itachi had proved fruitless. He came back empty handed, still searing with rage and wrath towards his older sibling.
Stilling lusting for revenge,
For blood.
I had not joined them on that mission. It was offered to me, but it was not at all about the human ice cube. It was a higher level mission to find the Akatsuki's hideout, but the mission was a complete failure after the leaf shinobi ran into Sasuke and his crew, and the objective had changed.
A complete coincidence.
A long time ago, I had fallen for him. And I fell hard.
But nobody caught me.
And now, I was surprised to see him again after so long.
But yet, I didn't know what to think. Sasuke was always just Sasuke, my best friend.
My love.
I was ecstatic to see him in one piece.
And I honestly hoped with everything I had,
That his departure had only brought the three of us closer.
I should've learned by then that my hopes and the Uchiha,
Just don't mix.
--
Twinkle twinkle little star,
Why does he seem so far?
--
But she still tried. She tried to repair their broken friendship.
And Naruto understood and joined her.
The three musketeers sat at Ichiraku ramen, just like old times; just like they used to back when they did everything together.
The light blue eyed boy vigorously shoved miso ramen down his throat. Sakura sweat dropped while Sasuke just shrugged, thinking that nothing had changed.
But it had.
Sasuke had ordered plain ramen while Sakura had ordered miso ramen just as Naruto had. Well, minus nine bowls that is.
"Teme," Naruto started loudly, his mouth full of half eaten ramen noodles. "Fow can dou eat dat crap? You must thave thome dull taste buds." A mush of ramen dripped out of Naruto's mouth as he yelled.
Sasuke was about to hit him in the head, but Sakura did it for him. "Damn, Naruto! Don't yell with food in your mouth!" Naruto rubbed the aching spot where she had hit him, as Sakura made a disgusted face.
"Sakura-chann" Naruto rolled her name off of his tongue as he whined.
Sasuke scoffed, "Annoying, like always."
Oh yeah, they were friends again.
"What did you say, teme!?"
Besties.
"Dobe."
"TEME!!!"
"Annoying."
"ARG TEME!"
Bonk.
"Owwchie, Sakura-chan, what was that for?" Naruto whined as Sasuke and he both rubbed the bruises she left on their heads.
"Now, if you guys are done passionately screaming out each other's names."
Sasuke and Naruto made a nasty face.
"Eww Sakura-chan, that sounded so wrong." Naruto said, turning blue and looking as if he might puke. Sasuke gave him a second bruise on his head.
Sakura shook her head and looked at the check the shop owner placed in front of them. "So Naruto, you promised to pay for our ramen, remember?" Sakura sighed as his face turned a darker shade of blue and he ran off screaming, 'CAN'T CATCH ME, BABYY!!'
Is he drunk?
Then she chuckled and turned to Sasuke, who was obviously annoyed. "Actually, Sasuke, I didn't bring any money with me…" Sakura commented, nervously.
He shrugged and reached into his pocket, pulling out the appropriate amount of money and paying it to the storeowner, who was still amused by Naruto's antics.
"Thanks." Sakura smiled, happy that she and Sasuke seemed to be on good terms. Or at least, as good as they could most likely get with Sasuke.
"Hn" Sasuke grunted, getting up to leave. Sakura got up as well, thanking the shop owner for the ramen. She walked next to him, humming a sweet tune and glancing up at Sasuke's flawless face every once in a while.
"Following me, are you?" Sasuke smirked smugly but didn't turn to look at her.
Sakura smiled, and then feigned hurt. "Aww come on, Sasuke, we're best friends aren't we?" She emphasized the 'best friends' as she spoke.
Sasuke noticed the absence of his usually suffix, the "kun", and his smirk faltered a bit.
The Uchiha genius had made a realization.
"Sakura, you've changed." Sasuke stated as-a-matter-of-factly.
Sakura scoffed, "Oh dear, I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun." This time she emphasized the 'kun', thinking that that was the change Sasuke meant.
But it wasn't.
Sasuke finally looked at her, his eyes engraving questions into her pink scalp. She started humming again; humming the tune to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Perhaps she hasn't changed much, after all.
--
Up above the world so high
Like a sweet sweet lullaby.
--
We were best friends.
But things had changed. We have changed.
We've always had strong burdens, even back then. Naruto's burden was the nine tailed fox demon inside of him. Mine was my will to kill Itachi; to avenge my family. Even Sakura was burdened, not only by her enormous forehead, but by her love for me.
But back then we pretended those things never existed. We avoided the truth, as if it was never there.
We pretended we were the only ones in the world, the only ones that mattered.
But still, I set up walls. Walls which Sakura and Naruto would struggle to break down. And every time they succeeded, I would only build stronger ones.
The lack of distance between us was uncomfortable and new to me.
And even now I continue to set myself apart from them.
Uchiha Itachi is still alive and somewhere out there, waiting for me to tear his body apart and spit on the remains.
Sakura had always loved me and would come crying to me expecting me to make everything better.
We depended on eachother.
But where'd it all go?
We weren't kids anymore; we were fifteen years old and tons more mature. Naruto had grown a lot taller (almost my height), and Sakura's body has matured and also grown. And their personalities have turned almost bitter over the years.
Sakura's innocence and hope has wiltered, like a flower. Naruto's liveliness and warmth was still there, but was freezing up. And my soul had been entirely engulfed in icy cold darkness.
It was as if a continuous winter was cast upon us.
Winter, when all life and hope seems to die away and create an endless, cold wonderland.
But after winter,
Always comes spring.
I was dragging by feet along the roads of Konoha, listening to the loud and annoying stir of people.
Boredom.
I had absolutely nothing to do. I had been put on probation for a full year as punishment for my crimes. Normally somebody with my crimes would get a more severe punishment, maybe even execution, but Sakura and Naruto saved my sorry butt.
My best friends.
They have a strong influence on Tsunade, and that plus the fact that I killed Orochimaru, a high ranking criminal, has gotten me out of severe punishment.
I continued down the path, and then my eyes picked out a girl with cotton candy hair; sakura. She was leaning against the railing on the bride, breathing in fresh air. The wind blew her hair, and she opened her eyes when she felt my sudden presence behind her.
I stood next to her, and listened to her breezy voice as she greeted me.
"Yo," Soft pink lips uttered.
She smiled softly and I just kept quiet, allowing myself to drown in the comfortable silence.
I blinked once. Twice.
And then it came.
And then she would shatter the silence, tear down my world.
"You know," She began, "I didn't know there were fishes in this river." Sakura looked over the bridge into the clear waters underneath us. Then she pointed, "But look, there's one! See?" She smiled and pointed childishly, satisfied with her discovery.
My dark gaze followed down her arm and eventually down to her finger, where a medium-sized gray fish jumped into the air and back into the water, and then squirmed silently in the river.
She had broken down my walls.
Just like long before, when we were young and best friends.
She wasn't bothered when I didn't speak; she just continued to chatter away cheerfully.
And I didn't bother to push her away, to call her annoying. I didn't bother to rebuild my barrier.
Because I had to admit, her sweet and fluent voice was comfortable. It made me feel at home.
Her laugh was delicate. "Hehe, and then she almost threw Naruto out the window!"
She was telling me some story about Tsunade and Naruto. Without noticing, I half-smirked, half-smiled at her constant chattering.
She didn't expect me to speak. She didn't even expect me to listen.
And that's why she was my ideal best friend.
But you can't fall in love with your best friend.
He didn't speak; he didn't even 'hn'.
But it didn't matter, because as I chattered away and watched his beautiful face, I felt something inside me turn.
Twist and turn, baby.
His eyebrows were passive, and his thick-for-a-guy eyelashes were lowered over his malicious eyes.
He's prettier than us, my inner stated the obvious.
Yeah, that one kind of hurt.
But for a split second (maybe) I was silent, because something inside me was still turning, like cotton candy being made.
Uncomfortably sweet.
And I had remembered my old buried feelings towards the dark-haired Uchiha.
And then I remembered the twinkling star, the shattered glass, and our broken promise.
"Owch!" I gasped, as me and Sasuke attempted to move from our spot.
He gave me a skeptical look, "What's wrong?"
When I didn't answer immediately he examined my body from head to toe, and I blushed noticeably. "Aye, stop checking me out!" I commanded embarrassedly, causing a few passing villagers to turn their curious heads in our direction (and a few to look away, blushing, because they were indeed checking me out).
I could've sworn the Uchiha was fighting a small blush as well but it was gone as quick as it came. "Who would want to?" Sasuke said as-a-matter-of-factly and furrowed his eyebrows. He began to walk, expecting me to walk with him.
But I felt a searing pain and didn't move from my spot. He turned his body to me, curiously. This time his expression grew worried and his eyebrows furrowed more intensely. "What's wrong?" He asked, almost angrily.
"Hehe," I started, nervously. "I kind of sort of twisted my ankle earlier. Give me a second." I bent down to try to heal my ankle with a chakra concentrated palm, but I was abruptly lifted off of the air.
The ground was moving?
I looked at the person carrying me and came to face none other than Sasuke. "Wahh!" I cried, surprised. He could've at least carried me more gently.
I was swung over his shoulder, and I struggled against his grip and told him to put me down. I banged against his back, ignoring the gossiping villagers who were watching us. But instead he just sped up.
"Sasuke, put me down or I'll sing!" I could feel his body stiffen, but he only sped up again.
I opened my mouth wide to sing-
"Sing and I kill you." I shut it abruptly, frustrated with the man carrying me.
Then we reached his house, one of the houses in the Uchiha manor which he had moved into when he had been brought back to Konoha.
He liked the area because it was isolated from the rest of the village, and he wouldn't have other villagers to worry about (none even passed by, they were scared shitless).
Nobody would question him.
Except maybe, me.
He set me down not-so-gently on his couch which was a dark navy color. I rubbed my butt and whined, "Owch, Sasuke, what the hell?"
He shot me a skeptical look. "Is that how you thank me?"
"For injuring my butt in addition to my ankle?" I commented jokingly. "Thank you Sasuke."
But my gratitude was still sincere.
Sasuke sat next to me on the couch. "It's was best friends do," he muttered and then turned to face me. "You said it yourself.
Best friends.
All Sasuke and I were ever cut out to be.
I nodded slowly, "Mhhm." I was glad he finally acknowledged me as his best friend, once again.
"One condition," He spoke with a monotone.
I examined his face, but failed to see through his expressionless mask. I tilted my head to the side, as if I might be able to see his expression from a different angle.
"Don't fall in love with me."
Too late.
I almost couldn't catch my mouth from hanging open and catching flies.
He lowered his eyelids over his eyes and his dark bangs framed his perfect face.
"Not again, right?" I murmured, barely audibly.
Best friends can't be lovers.
He opened his eyes, slowly, and stuck out his pinky towards me; just for old times' sake. I nodded, took it, and squeezed.
"Pinky promise," I muttered.
He looked embarrassed at our childish action, while I just smiled back unsurely.
Two broken promises; now we're even.
--
Twinkle twinkle little star,
Show me where my lost hopes are.
--
A/N: Woot woot, haven't wrote a fanfic in a while. I wrote this whole thing today, lulz (10 pages). It'll get better, I promise. Favourite, review, flame, whichever floats your boat. Tell me what you think, it really means a lot to a fellow writer n__n. Writing this one felt a bit different than my others, but not in a bad way (:
Now clickie that review button!! I can't wait to hear from you :D