I am SO sorry it's taken so long for this chapter. It's not me that has the death wish, it's Dr. Bateman.

Normal: ...Normal.

Bold: Exaggerated noise/ Exaggerated voice

Italic: Thoughts

Bold/Italic: Dreams/ Reminiscence

- And I Try So Hard, Darling… -

I kept following her, up a winding, cobbled path. She would glance over her shoulder every so often, laughing and talking, though I couldn't hear her…

Suddenly, she tripped over a protruding stone. I had just caught up to her. She was sitting, her arms propping her up, legs splayed out in front of her… Her eyes were brimming with tears, but there was a smile pulling at the corners of her lips. I leaned over, offering a hand…

CRASH!!

Sasuke sat straight up in bed, his face immediately turned to the door, eyes narrowed.

"God-damned-stairs-stupid-damned-things-" Naruto's voice floated in from the hall, and, subsequently, the stairway.

"Naruto." Sasuke growled at his door and flung himself out of bed. He paced over to his window and looked out. It was a full moon that night, but the glassy, pearl orb wasn't visible. The light was streaming from somewhere above his window…

I need a walk.

Opening the window wide enough for him to get through, he slipped out onto the ledge of the window…

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CRASH!!

Yukina was jolted from sleep in her curled-up position next to her bedroom's window. Naruto's voice could be heard from the opposite side of the tidy boarding house. She snorted, and turned her gaze to the outside.

She was sitting on the bench provided by the large bay windows, three glass panels set so there was an outcropping from the smooth line of the outside wall. One of the windows was cracked open, allowing a slight breeze to float into the room. She had a gray and blue plaid throw wrapped around her shoulders.

Hakuro…

She had been dreaming of him, of when he threw his bloodied body in front of her own, so to stop the deathblow that was meant for her. It was hard to see him that way, the tall, thin blonde with his calm, cocky smile, his hazel-green eyes, that ridiculous stalk of grass he always chewed on… His hands always shoved in his pockets… The way he scrunched his nose when he was frustrated…

Hot tears were beginning to pool in her eyes. He had been her best friend, the one who was always there, who laughed with her, was a steady shoulder when she needed it, who always showed up with a box of odango… or sushi, or ramen…

And he's dead. Mutilated beyond recognition. He, and his sweetheart, Tanaka.

Clear beads were falling from her violet orbs. Tanaka and Hakuro, the most unlikely pair. Hakuro, with his laidback lifestyle, Tanaka with her big dreams and orderly processes…

She heard a thump, then a snap from the tree just around the house's corner, and a growl that sounded all too familiar.

She grinned to herself in a rather wry fashion, fiercely wiping the wetness from her face.

Shinobi don't show their emotions.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moon was right above him, surrounded by stars and the black velvet sky. Sasuke was lounging in a park bench on the outskirts of Konoha's suburbia, the light from the moon shining down on him and the surroundings. It was cold, though, signifying the beginning of winter.

Early… it's only October…

"Hello, Sasuke." he took a sharp intake of breath, and turned to look over his shoulder. There was Yukina, still in pajamas, a black sweatshirt pulled over her hands and tightened around her neck. Her cheeks were red from the cold. "Sorry I followed you… I heard the branch break, and was a bit curious…" He turned back around.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yukina sighed. He had become more and more cold with her, over the few months since she woke up. Quite honestly, she had never figured out what had made him be kind to her in the first place. It had been so unlike him…

"Sit." Sasuke practically spat the words out at her. Frowning a bit, she took the seat next to him.

They sat in silence, looking at the sky. Yukina forgot for a few minutes about the cold, from the weather, and Sasuke's heart…

"Why did you really follow me?"

She sighed. "I… I want to know… what did I do?" She looked over at Sasuke. His eyebrows were raised in question, but his eyes, as ever, were flinty. She shook her head, smiling despondently. "You… you have been growing colder and colder towards me. Is it immaturity-" She could see anger light up his face, "Or just detestation?" He was floundering for an answer, while desperately attempting to cover it up with irritation. She held back a smile at how his emotions were actually being portrayed on his face.

A rare occurrence, indeed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sasuke had an answer, alright. But, it was an answer that he would never divulge. Instead, he said, "It's pity… for your weakness." Instantly, Sasuke felt Yukina's glare slicing into the side of his face.

"I don't want your pity, you bastard. I just want your friendship. Obviously, that's not something you have to give." Stiffly, she stood up and stalked off into the forest. Frustrated, Sasuke stayed sitting on the park bench, then trailed after Yukina.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cool wind puffed desolately through the autumn woods, shaking the fiery leaves from their hold, and thus condemning them to the cold grave among the roots of their parent…

Yukina shivered, her hands in her pockets, as she watched the leaves drift about around her. She could feel Sasuke trailing her, but did not stop to confront him. It kindled within her a spark of pleasure, but she quickly put it out. Every time she tried to get closer, he pulled away… but if she left, he came flowing back to her…

The tide is as unruly as he…

Is he even worth it all…?

Her thoughts were cut off by Sasuke, who had decided to finally appear. He looked livid with her. Yukina was pleased.

"Have you finally grown some humility? Or," She grinned rather snidely at this, "Could you just not bear to be alone?" Yukina was delighted with the fiery blaze that had awoken in the Uchiha's face, but the delight was quickly dissipated when Sasuke regained control of his emotions at record speed.

"No. I want… to prove you wrong."