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You can't save me,
I'm a death threat.
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Chapter Two
Darkness;
An endless void of nothing.
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White. Black. Red.
Sakura sat up abruptly, sweat pouring down her face. She frowned unconsciously at her dream. To her, those three colors represented death, the one inevitable end that everyone met. White and black, the colors of nothingness.
With a sigh, she eyed her surroundings. It slowly dawned on her that she was no longer beside Kakashi.
I will never let you fall.
White walls.
She snorted at the thought. Even after years of working at the hospital, she could not for the life of her figure out why they painted the walls white. It was such an absurd, depressing color. Without a doubt, it descended feelings of death upon its patients. If it didn't, it definitely reminded her of death.
Her feet carried her to the door unconsciously, as she stared out the window in a trance. It was night again, which startled her. She had been asleep for too long. Cursing silently to herself, she ran straight to the Hokage tower, ignoring all the 'Hello's, and 'Good evening's,' she received in the halls. There was no time for leisurely talk.
She chastised herself until she reached her teacher's door, and even then, she did not stop.
"Tsunade-shisou."
The deceivingly young looking Hokage turned around slowly to face her pupil, wearing a tight smile. "Sakura."
I live for you…
"I apolo-" Sakura began.
Tsunade cut her off with a wave of her hand. "There's no need to apologize." She was answered with a blank stare. Tsunade heaved a sigh; her student was so stubborn at times. She hated having to do this. She hated the fact that her favorite student was about to become a was, and that it was going to be her fault.
"I need you to…" she started reluctantly, refusing to look at Sakura. "Go on a suicide mission." She received a curt nod from Sakura. The look on her face said what she didn't verbally say. 'I deserve this.' Once again, Tsunade heaved a frustrated sigh. The fact that Sakura simply could not understand that she was not angry at her was ridiculous. Her pig-headedness ruled over all else.
"Sakura," she started once again, deciding that reasoning with the girl was probably the best tactic. "Listen to me. If you don't want to go, tell me right now, and we will find a replacement. I do not want to lose you. You are like a daughter to me."
Sakura stared at her teacher, a sad smile gracing her lips; it was a smile that never reached her eyes.
"It will be my honor."
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…and I'd die for you, too.
Sighing noiselessly, the rosette haired girl sat back against the tree trunk she had become so accustomed to. It was the tree that shared her Genin memories. The tree that stood over her as she shared her first kiss with an ever stoic boy, and now, the tree that would be her final memory. Her final memory of a life she dreaded yet lived all the same.
The mission sounded so simple, but she knew better. Protecting Gaara and all of Suna would not be an easy feat, and one mistake would lead to her end in a matter of milliseconds, but she didn't mind one bit. Death was an inevitability that most people feared, but not Sakura. She'd decided long ago that fearing something that was always one false step away from her was dumb. Very, very dumb.
It seemed to her, that her life was to serve her village and offer protection to those who needed it. A worthy sacrifice, she had decided. One life in exchange for possibly a thousand others was definitely a good deal, even when the life in question was her own.
Standing up, she stretched out her limbs. As always, she had lost track of time under that tree. That tree was home, and even Sakura had to acknowledge the feeling of remorse that was clawing its way up inside her. It was a foreign feeling, and she didn't like it. Not one bit.
I've fallen through the air,
Closing her eyes, she let her instincts guide her as she wandered the familiar streets of Konoha for the last time. She was absolutely positive that she would not live through this war, as she expected the worst from everything. She discovered long ago that that way, you were never disappointed. And to this day, she had not been wrong. But little did she know, there was a first for everything.
There always was.
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"I hate this!"
The infamous loudmouth of Konoha screamed in frustration. His girlfriend, his polar opposite in every way, shot him a questioning look, before taking a few steps back. In her opinion, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Realizing his mistake, he quickly apologized to the navy haired girl. She replied with a soft, understanding smile. Naruto matched it with one of his famous sheepish grins. "I just hate this war so much, you know?"
She nodded once again, and before she got the chance to reply, she was cut off by the abrupt entrance of Uchiha Sasuke. Shooting him an annoyed glance, Naruto parted from Hinata's side reluctantly. "What do you want?"
Smirking, Sasuke said nothing. To him, Naruto had always been, and will always be, an open book. It was so easy to push his buttons. It was literally like they had the words 'push-me' written on them in glow in the dark ink. He was that easy to read.
Dodging the punch the blond always gave when ignored, Sasuke threw him a scroll before vanishing, leaving an angry Naruto, and a very amused Hinata. Sighing in defeat, Naruto opened the scroll. Inside, scrawled in the neat writing only Uchiha Sasuke could pull off, was one word.
Moron.
"UCHIHA," Naruto stormed out his tent, dropping the offending object. "I AM GOING TO MURDER YOUR CONCEITED ASS." Hinata strolled over to the spot where the scroll had landed, the amused smile growing wider and wider with every passing second. She couldn't help but let out a giggle when she read the word. It still amazed her that Sasuke and Naruto could have such a strong friendship. If Sasuke was the ice, then Naruto was definitely fire. And the last time she checked, those two elements did not go that well together.
You learn something new everyday, she thought as she strolled out to break up the two boys.
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Just to look for you.
Sakura didn't know what was wrong with herself. She didn't feel the excitement she often felt when an important mission was placed upon her. In fact, she didn't feel anything at all. Not the strain from her legs, or the pounding of her heart. Her body was on autopilot, but her mind was racing a mile a minute.
The silence of the forest was deafening. She hated silence. She absolutely abhorred it. The only thing she hated more than silence was that occasional pang in her chest. It reminded her that she hated her life. She hated being a tool and nothing more. She hated having nothing, and no one. She hated the feeling of loneliness, which was exactly what silence brought.
I'm alone.
Looking ahead, she sighed yet again. It was getting dark quickly. She was due at Suna before nightfall, and at the rate her legs were moving, she wouldn't even be there before tomorrow's nightfall.
Freeing her mind of all thoughts, she concentrated on pumping her legs. For the first time in years, she was exhausted upon arrival. Clearing her mind wasn't a hard thing to do. On the contrary, she quite welcomed it. It saved her from being scared. Saved her from the fear of being alone.
The gates of Suna loomed over her as she eyed the walls skeptically. She didn't realize until now how weird this mission was. He was the Kazekage, for God's sake. He didn't need a Konoha ANBU looking after him. It didn't make sense.
Her thoughts racing once again, she approached the gates of Suna, only to find another surprise waiting for her. Her astonishment was written clearly across her features.
"Kazekage-sama?"
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Where…are you?
Are you looking for me, too?
I want to know who you are…
I want to find you;
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A/N: Okay, well! Whoever even made it to the bottom of the page, and is reading this, thanks!
This time, I borrowed lyrics from 'Save Me' by Unwritten Law, 'Your Guardian Angel' by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and lastly, 'Fallen' by 30 Seconds To Mars. I own none of the songs stated above. );
Again, I'd like to thank Mina for betaing this chapter!