Future Dreamer
By Mitzuki Amagiwa
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own the plot. And if the plot sounds like something you did, that is completely coincidental. I didn't copy anyone's plot, (for I don't even know the plot myself) and if it does sound like yours, Gomen!
Chapter 2:
Sakura could hear her heart thump in her ears as the phone rang on the other end. Neji wasn't picking up, and that scared her. She continued to listen to the ringing sound, until finally, she heard his voice.
"Hello?"
The pink-haired girl couldn't help but smile and close her eyes. "Neji-kun! I need to talk to you-" Her voice faltered and the happiness left as she listened.
"… Not here right now, so just leave me a message and I'll get back to y-"
Sakura placed the phone slowly back in its cradle, willing herself not to cry. She brushed the invisible tears from her face and picked the phone back up again. Sakura dialed in Naruto's number, and waited through the rings.
She heard someone pick up on the other line.
"Nar-"
"Hello? Who is this?"
Sakura's eyes widened. That wasn't Naruto. The voice was feminine and soft, something Naruto never was and never would be capable of.
"Hello?"
The pink-haired girl drew in a shaky breath before calmly placing the phone back in the cradle a second time. This wasn't happening. Naruto and Neji had always been there when she needed them, and suddenly, they're gone. She couldn't deal with this. She needed a walk.
Sakura grabbed her coat and leisurely put on her shoes. She was in a daze, as though someone else was controlling her. She couldn't feel herself at all. She closed her eyes, stepping slowly. She hadn't even left the house yet, and she felt like dying.
The girl decided to open her eyes again, before silently closing the door behind her. Immediately Sakura was met with the bitter cold wind, and she smiled an equally bitter smile. Life was not one of her virtues, and neither were her dreams.
The pink-haired one wordlessly walked through the streets, her head low and her face covered by the hem of her coat. She was in the daze again, and her feet were carrying her through the city.
Sakura only heard silence, besides the sound of her feet meeting the concrete.
She passed by the Ichiraku restaurant, and was surprised to see it was empty. Normally the place was full with customers, whether they were hungry or not. It was a good place to get food, or just to sit for awhile. She had always figured that even on one of its bad days, there would be at least a couple of customers. Her feet halted, and Sakura's head snapped up. Her eyes scanned the restaurant, checking for any signs of life. There was none. No lights, no people, no noise.
Her emerald orbs widened. There wasn't any noise, at all. Just the sound of her breath in the humid air. She searched around, and found no one. The sky had become bleak, and there was lightening, but no thunder. No people, no life, no light.
Just death.
Sakura took in a breath as she felt those hands around her neck again. They were cold and icy, but the hands themselves smooth. She saw black locks merging with her pink hair out of the corner of her eye.
"Sakura…"
The girl stood petrified.
"Who are you? What are you?" She was surprised to hear herself. She sounded so weak… so defenseless and hopeless. She almost laughed at how useless she sounded. But her voice reflected her emotions.
It reflected her soul.
Sakura heard him chuckle, before his laugh faded with the wind as though he had been the wind the entire time.
She closed her eyes and exhaled. She had just realized she had been holding her breath, and felt something she wasn't realizing a couple of seconds ago.
The entire time he had been holding her, she had been wishing for death. For him to take her and wring her neck until she wasn't breathing anymore, crying anymore, living anymore.
Sakura shook the thoughts from her head.
"Hello?" The pink-haired girl's eyes snapped open, and looked to where the sound was coming from.
The phone?
She had never even left the house?
"Sakura?" Neji sounded worried. "Are you okay? You just called me up and…"
The girl smiled into the phone again and cried.
"Sakura, do you need me to come over?"
She couldn't answer.
She was pained by the dreams she had at night.
Pained by the dreams she had in the afternoon.
And now she was being tortured for attempting to live life and forget the pains she experienced every night? Every afternoon?
"Sakura, I'm coming over." And the line went dead.
Just like how Sakura Haruno wanted to be.
Sakura stared at the phone before placing it in the cradle.
Neji wasn't talking to her anymore, so why bother holding the phone?
Why bother doing nothing, when she could be in heaven doing something?
When she could be in heaven, happy and free from those dreams? Watching her friends and guiding them to do the right things? Telling them how to live life, and not be afraid?
Telling them not to cry about her broken form?
Her broken form that was dead, cold and lifeless.
Just like the phone line.
Just like how she was about to be before Neji and Naruto came in and took the knife away from her. Yelling at her, screaming at her, telling her to do the right things in life.
But they couldn't change her mind.
And Sakura sat there on the couch, just staring. Staring at her friends and wondering what it would be like to look at them from above.
She sat there, looking and thinking…
And then she felt those hands.
Sakura jumped up and grabbed Naruto, hugging him close and crying into his chest. She needed him so much. She needed both of them.
The girl felt the blonde return the embrace. "Sakura…" He whispered into her ear. "Stay with us, please."
She broke away and nodded. Neji rolled his eyes at the two, emitting a laugh from the girl. She ran over and gave him a hug also. Neji smiled at her, returning the embrace also, before giving her a stern look.
"So why did you call me anyways? You scared me when you just started crying."
Sakura was surprised at the question. She slowly sat back down on the couch. "I…" Her eyes grew dull. "I have a question for you two."
Naruto and Neji exchanged looks before returning back to her.
"Yes?" Naruto asked, dead serious. It was about her dreams. Naruto could feel it, and he was sure Neji could feel it also.
"Would you… would either one of you ever leave me?"
They were taken completely off guard by the question.
Naruto was the first one to recover. "Of course not! If I ever did then I'd go off of Ramen for a whole entire year! And I'd let Neji hit me whenever he wanted!" He gave Sakura a grin. "Why do you think we'd leave you Sakura-chan?"
Rather than answering, Sakura gave them a watery smile.
And she felt those hands around her neck again.
And she heard his voice.
"You know they're going to leave you, cherry blossom. You and I both know it."
And now Sakura was smiling at the red eyes and the smirking face, before she collapsed onto the couch.
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