DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.
CHAPTER 4: The Catalyst
As Sasuke walked back to the photo shop, Sasuke began to bask in the buffered rays of the sun. He began to wonder why he was here in the first place, and why the dobe would send him here of all places. Then he remembered an event that had taken place right before the dobe had told him to go here.
Jerking out of his sleep once again, Sasuke woke up in cold sweat. He was panting, as if he had just run a marathon. He began to wonder why he would wake up in the dead on the night, but have no recollection whatsoever of his dreams and why they woke him.
Lifting the covers, Sasuke placed both his feet on the ground, while he sat on his bed. Boxes were everywhere in his room, he had been planning on moving ever since a week ago. With no light to guide him, Sasuke began to attempt to find his way out of his room, until he had stubbed his toe and crashed into a multitude of boxes. Grabbing on the something, he felt the wall and dragged his hand down, until he found himself sprawled on the floor. Light filled the room, as he realized that he had turned on the switch by accident.
Forcing himself to sit upright, he began to notice the boxes that had toppled over, it's contents now littered on the floor.
"Damn it." Sasuke said.
He began to pick up the few papers and books on the floor and haphazardly threw them back inside the box. Seeing as he picked up everything, he began to push himself up to stand, when something sparkled underneath the bed. With his eyebrows drawn in the middle, Sasuke reached under the bed and frisked until he felt cold metal under his hands. Grasping that in his hands, Sasuke pulled.
Sasuke looked down at the small photo album in his hands. The spine of the book covered in silver, "Is this mine?" Sasuke thought.
Sitting indian-style on the floor, he placed the album on his lap and traced his hand on the cover.
OPEN ME.
Open me, it said. Sasuke lifted the hardbound cover slowly and saw a black and white picture of a shoreline. Turning the page, it was now of a slightly faded picture of two kids running, but their backs faced towards the camera, balloons in hand. Just below the picture was a text.
We have definitely come a long way.
Flipping the page again, it now was a black and white picture of a man, he assumed to be himself, standing in front of what looked like half of the trunk of a tree, his back against the camera.
A long long way.
The next page revealed a woman, black and white again, her back facing the camera as well, in front of what could only be the other half of the tree from the previous picture.
But this journey is something I would choose to relive again and again, if I could.
The next pages showed picture of the same woman, all black and white and all with her back turned towards the camera. All of them were pictures of her. Her dancing, her sleeping on the desk in front of her window, her naked back as she lay on silk sheets with a small kanji sign on her nape that said "warrior" and of her slender shoulders, with lips pressed against the tattoo.
Life wouldn't have been this great, without you.
Flipping the final page of the album, a ring fell, dangling from a red string attached to the spine of the album.
Which is why, I couldn't possibly live the rest of it without you in it.
So will you marry me?
Sasuke saw a splotch fall on the page, and another. He lifted his face and looked up the ceiling to check for leaks, but found none. Bringing his hand towards his face, he realized, "I'm crying."
Sasuke turned the pages back to the woman who stood in front of the trunk of the tree, delicately tracing her back with his finger, he asked himself, "Who are you?"
Sasuke blinked, as he saw the door of the photo shop in front of him now. Not bothering to call out to the owner, Sasuke walked back inside the dark room and grabbed the film from where it had been drying. Cutting them slowly, he began to insert them inside an archival sleeve. After examining and enlarging them, Sasuke had begun to print out the photos. Placing them in an appropriate container, Sasuke with all of his stuff walked out of the dark room and approached the counter.
"I'm finished with the first batch. I'll probably be back in a couple of days." Sasuke said, "So how much will it be?"
The owner turned around and faced him, for a moment, the owner had just stared at him. Sasuke began to wonder, "Sir?"
The owner blinked and suddenly smiled, "I remember you now. When you walked in here yesterday, I thought that maybe I had seen you somewhere." He said.
Sasuke looked at him and spoke, "I was here before?"
The owner nodded, "Yeah, a few weeks ago, you were asking about the best places to take pictures here."
"You're sure?" Sasuke asked again.
"Oh definitely."
Sasuke felt something stir in him, "Oh yes. I remember now, where was it again that you suggested? I wasn't able to go before." Sasuke lied.
"Omishima Island. You should definitely go there. Beautiful place." The owner said enthusiastically.
Sasuke nodded and said, "Thank you. I'll be back soon."
Sakura settled on the couch in front of a small television set. Fidgeting, Sakura felt the excitement rush through her. She would be getting answers, finally.
Minutes later, Naruto had come back with two cups of steaming ramen. Handing one to Sakura, Naruto sat on the floor in front of her, leaning his back on the small coffee table.
"Got no tea, sorry. You always did tell me to change my diet. " Naruto said, as he looked up at her with the distant smile.
"Really?" Sakura asked, holding the ramen in both hands and blew the steam away.
Naruto nodded as he slurped some ramen. In the middle of his eating, Naruto had stopped and placed the cup beside him. Sakura had seen the sudden change in mood from his eyes.
"You really don't remember?" Naruto asked quietly.
Sakura shook her head, and smiled sadly.
Naruto sighed rubbed the back of his neck and stood up to grab an album from the shelf situated on the side of the room. Handing the album to Sakura, he sat beside her.
"You loved sticking pictures in there. I always wondered why you would even place them there, aside from organizing, but now I think it was great that you did." Naruto said.
Sakura opened the album and saw a pink haired girl around the age of probably 9. "That's me!" Sakura exclaimed.
Turning the pages, with a few laughs and Naruto telling the story behind each picture, Sakura began to gain knowledge of what she was like before her accident. She then came across a picture of a familiar looking man. "Who is he, Naruto?"
Naruto looked up at Sakura and stared at her straight in the eye, "You don't remember him? Really?"
"I'm sorry, Naruto. But everything's been wiped clean. So, who is he?" Sakura asked again.
"Sakura-chan. He was your best friend when we were kids." Naruto started.
"Really? But wait, this picture seems like he's around my age." Sakura said, as she looked at Naruto.
Naruto smiled, and looked straight ahead, "He was your childhood crush. Everyone's actually. But you seemed like the most sincere of the bunch. You guys became close eventually, when you decided to stop being the fan girl that you are and chose to just admire him quietly."
"Up until highschool, all you guys were friends. But ever since you guys began to take out of town trips together, you'd both be gone for days and no one would know were you guys would go. Thing began to change, I may have been called an idiot by some, but I knew that something was starting to grow between you two. You told me that no words were needed, and that you finally were truly happy. You guys have been together for five years, Sakura. And since then that teme has never loved anyone else aside from you."
Sakura's eyes widened, and she felt something in her heart. Looking back down at the picture, and something just clicked.
Sakura choked out a laugh and a sob at the same time while tracing the face of the man on the photo, Sakura said,
"Sasuke-kun."
note. Listening to Inochi no Namae by Joe Hisaishi cause my brain cells to work overload. With hospital duty and all, I had less time to spend on writing this. But because I love my readers and this story, I decided to stay up late and finish it finally. so tada!
Anyway, review (please), favorite and follow. Rock my boats you guys!
dontcountonit. love love.
