I held the bottle in my hand, trying to resist the urge to just let the tears streak down my face. Stumbling over my own feet, I fell before I could reach the safety of the bed. Trembling, I tried dizzily to get to my feet, but I ended up crawling to my bed and somehow throwing myself onto it, my chest heaving in exhaustion as I eyed the blurry bottom of the bottle with a frown on my face. Empty. Snorting, I threw the bottle on the floor where it landed with a loud crash. Grabbing my head, I instantly regretting making such a loud noise. If only the pounding in my head would stop!

Oh, if he could see me now. Me, the loving, caring, goody-two-shoes herself, drunk. And I didn't even have that much. I mumbled and turned on my side, burying my face into my pillows and trying to snuff out that stupid face of his! But it was burned onto the back of my eyelids, the very last image I saw of him…

There he was, in front of me, and at the time I thought he would never actually go through with it. When he closed his eyes, got behind me and struck my neck, those last words told me this really was the end. "Thank you, Sakura."

"I hate you," I hiccupped, balling my fists and blinking my eyes hard so I wouldn't start crying like I used to. It was so weak. Shinobi should never show signs of weakness.

'Look at yourself', my Inner Sakura complained. 'You're completely pathetic. Bawling over some guy you knew as a kid. You're twenty three now Sakura, and no matter how many times you try to save this stupid "Sasuke" person you never really knew, he's obviously not coming back.

'You say I never really knew him. You're right. I didn't know Sasuke.' I couldn't stop it now. Tears slipped down my cheeks, past my jaw line, and soaked my shirt and pillow, pooling at the base of my neck. 'I didn't know Sasuke, but I at least wanted the chance to try.'

At this, my Inner backed off, leaving me to wallow in my own misery. She was right, in her own way. But then again, I was much to drunk to really care what she thought at this point.