DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO
Don't fall
2 years ago—Final Chuunin Exam
"What?"
"No! Sakura-chan is not involved in this! No way would she fight that mad woman!" Naruto hollered. Sakura remained dumbfounded, her jade eyes confused.
"I...I didn't make it to the preliminaries... Why?" she muttered.
"Don't question the authority of the shadows. You heard the announcement, go down there." Genma replied.
Again, Naruto swelled. He grew more protective and determined not to let this Jounin to take his Sakura-chan away. "NO. Sakura-chan will not fight that monster."
"Silence, Uzumaki, this is not your business so back off, kid."
"This IS my business because it's Sakura-chan we're talking about here!"
"No one cares for your opinion; Uzumaki so shut the hell up."
"Naruto..." Sakura murmured.
Ganma turned his gaze to Sakura. "Be thankful Haruno-san that you were chosen to replace Nara-san. Even if you're not qualified, you were given the chance to be a Chuunin."
That clicked it.
"Oh." Sakura looked down, her eyes still confused. But it did it. Her eyes brightened and her face lit up as she reached the conclusion.
Naruto must have felt it so he turned around to face her, held her shoulders and shook her gently. "Listen, Sakura-chan, you didn't see her harm Ten-Ten! She nearly broke her spine with that weapon. She will—"
Genma was already on the arena. "Haruno Sakura, come down here and quick."
Gritting his teeth, Naruto spun to glare at the Hokage. "HOKAGE-SAMA—"
A soft pat made Naruto turned back to Sakura. "Naruto, it's okay."
Naruto was horrified beyond imagination. "WHAT??? You can't!" he hollered at her.
Sakura smiled at him, her eyes twinkling. "I want to be a Chuunin, Naruto. This is my chance. You made it; Sasuke-kun would be able too for sure. I don't want to be left behind while you two made it."
"Sakura-chan...!" Naruto whined, looking horrorstruck.
"If you really are my friend, you'll understand!" replied Sakura, making a step forward but Naruto intercepted her and took her upper arms.
"I'm your friend but I DON'T understand!" NO! What I feel is..."Sakura-chan..."
But the girl gently shook off his hands and made her way to jump down to the arena where the blonde girl Temari stood waiting. But again, Naruto grabbed her arm. Surprised, she turned to him.
"Naruto...?"
"Don't fight." His voice is creepily solemn. And she found herself shivering at the intensity of his gaze.
Covering her shock, she pulled her arm free. "Don't be stupid, Naruto."
"I'm not being stupid." He replied, his grip tight on her. His eyes are steely and stern.
Sakura's green eyes widened slightly, staring at Naruto's blue orbs; then, her jade eyes began to narrow as her brain started to process the probable cause of Naruto's stern gaze and restraint.
"Then, what do you know?" asked Sakura coldly, her fists tightening. Naruto ignored her increasing annoyance.
"Don't fight."
"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" She snapped finally and jerks her arm free. "Don't tell me not to fight—don't tell me you're not being stupid because you ARE!" Sakura walked pass him, anger pounding in her ears but again—Naruto seized her arm again.
"Sakura-chan—"
Sakura spun around, her eyes fiery. "Don't 'Sakura-chan' me!"
Naruto shivered secretly at her eyes fiery gaze. "She's evil, she's twisted, she's mad! Can't you see? You're not going to win without getting yourself killed! Do you understand at all?" said Naruto, not going to give up and ignoring the sparks in her green eyes, threatening him pain.
Sakura almost cry with so much anger. "I'm not going to be killed! So shut up already!"
"You're not strong enough! "
Sakura trembled, her fists curled. "Are...are...you telling me..." A dangerous spark, dangerous eyes that will burn his soul.
"Are you telling me...I'm weak?"
Her voice is raw with anger and disbelief. She knew she's weak...she knew she's useless, a fragile girl...a cute but useless girl. She's a smart girl; she knew well that Sasuke regard her as an excess baggage. Naruto? Well, he's Naruto. And Kakashi-sensei...she knew her teacher think of her.
She's Sakura.
A Cherry Blossom.
A blossom...
A useless blossom...pretty to look at but easy to bend and crush; her beauty is superficial. And like Cherry Blossom trees, she wilt and scatter away only to be reborn during springs.
The Spring's Cherry Blossom.
At first, she didn't mind it. Sasuke-kun is protecting her and it feels like heaven. She wanted to be the damsel in distress, a princess locked in the tower, an angel that needed to be protected against the harsh reality of the world.
But all the horrid reality of it came slapping her in the face.
She's weak.
Weak! Weak! WEAK!
Even Naruto thought the same thing.
And that serve as a salt added to injury.
And brought out the demon from within her...a demon called—
Present
Naruto blinked and the apparition vanishes.
"Sakura-chan, come on!" he avoided the tail whipping in the air towards him; Kakashi followed him and they landed on the either side of Sakura.
"Sakura-chan, are you alright?"
Sakura nodded. "I...I...bound him already..." she stammered in a teary voice.
Kakashi patted her head. "Good job, Sakura. Hey, let's go." He took her upper arm and helps her stand up. She cooperated and let Kakashi carried Sasuke in his strong shoulder. Naruto supported her.
"Sakura-chan, we completed our mission."
"Yeah..."
"We still got Orochimaru." Kakashi reminded him. "Sakura, stay here and look—"
"No. I will help Naruto fight Orochimaru." Her voice suddenly changes.
Kakashi set his jaws. "No. You will wait here until we finished Orochimaru." He said calmly and flatly.
Angrily, Sakura took out multiple senbons and pinned her hair viciously at the back of her head. Naruto watches in confusion, watching her hair being murdered into a twist.
"Sakura—"
"Don't tell me to stay here and wait! I can fight him!" Sakura snapped, spun around to march over to Orochimaru but Kakashi grabs her arm not so gently.
"Don't be stubborn, Sakura. I'm the leader here. You do exactly what I say." Kakashi said coldly. Damn this girl.
"You're not supposed to be here, Kakashi. You came along because you wanted to not to be our leader." Sakura pointed out coolly.
Bingo!
She called him by his name.
No 'sensei', no 'sempai'.
And he didn't like the sound of it.
Kakashi held her arm tightly; Sakura was careful not to wince. But Naruto's hand pulled his gloved hand off Sakura's arm. "Hey, don't touch her like that."
Kakashi's mismatched eyes hardened. Sakura turned away and stared at Orochimaru glaring at them. The silver haired Jounin dump Sasuke's body in the ground.
"Fine," he said. "Fine, go." He said and sat down on the rock, pulled out his book from his pouch and began reading after pulling down his forehead protector. Naruto sighed and squeezed Sakura's hand.
"Talk to him."
Sakura bowed her head and Naruto left to confront Orochimaru first. She swallowed hard and sighed heavily.
"I'm sorry."
Kakashi ignored her.
"Sensei, I'm sorry."
Again, he ignored her. He just wanted to protect her. He just wanted to keep her safe. He just wanted to protect her—
"...but I'm foolish too. I can't give up on Sasuke-kun. I think I'll never ever forget him and the feelings he caused me when he's here."
To make sure she's safe.
A girl—
Maybe I'll take rape you after school one day in March
Maybe I'll learn to scream the anger from your heart
His female student...
You'll teach me math, we'll learn to play those stupid games
A virgin bleeds, an angel screams from outer space
Oh, oh
The only girl he had cared and protected...
The only ninja girl he wasted his time to protect.
I CAN'T LOVE YOU! I CAN'T! We are friends! FRIENDS...! I can't return your feelings! I can't...
And he cannot forget those words.
She can't love anyone beside her Sasuke-kun.
Didn't want to make you suffer
Didn't want to make you cry
"Sensei, don't ignore me." She said in a stronger voice.
Friends—they are friends.
I CAN'T LOVE YOU! I CAN'T! We are friends! FRIENDS...! I can't return your feelings! I can't...
Sakura-chan, Naruto-baka and Kakashi-sempai—
Friends forever—
And friends don't fall in love with each other.
"I love Sasuke-kun because he's Sasuke—just like that, a plain black and white reason...because he's Sasuke—just Sasuke."
No one can be Sasuke-kun.
I just wanted to set your mind free
Didn't want to spread the lies
"Kakashi-sempai, please don't be angry."
Even if he possesses a Sharingan eye, he can never be Sasuke-kun.
"Are you so mad you cannot look at me?"
"...He can never be Sasuke..."
Most of all, he can never be her Sasuke-kun.
If angels don't fall in love with demons...then—
Maybe I'll rape you after school one day in March
Maybe I'll learn to scream the anger from your heart
Teachers don't fall in love with their students.
Kakashi stiffened.
You'll teach me math, we'll learn the number and the signs
A virgin bleeds, an angel screams and I feel fine
Oh, oh
Don't follow me home
2 years ago—2 months after the Exam—
"Kakashi," a voice called. The Jounin remained silent and bowing his head, watching his only female student breathed.
How could this happen?
"Kakashi—"
Heavy footsteps became closer. "Kakashi, are you deaf or just playing deaf?" the owner of the voice is clearly annoyed.
"What do you need?"
Jiraiya sighed. "Are you blaming yourself from what happened to her?"
Silence—"Kakashi, it's not your fault."
The silver haired man shrugged and his eye intensely stared at the girl. "She's dying."
"No, she's not. You're supposed to learn not to give up. Didn't Naruto teach you that?"
"She's..."
Jiraiya grimly watches the man. "Kakashi, you knew by heart the rules of the Shinobi."
Kakashi spun around to face the Legendary Ninja. "What are you trying to say?" asked the man flatly.
"And of course the three things a Shinobi must avoid."
Kakashi's eye just stared at him unemotionally. "Sake, women and—"
Anger and confusion collided. It must have been his sorrow or his confusion or his bitterness or regret—
"...feelings."
Kakashi clenched his fist.
"You don't drink sake."
Don't fall...
"You have no woman."
But you have a girl.
"But are you in love?"
"No."
Jiraiya shrugged. "Good." He smiled at the girl's serene pretty face. "Heartbeats—staying here even if it's a bother to look and talk to her, sometimes, men are really pathetic."
"Men are pathetic. They play women for fun. Women are their toys. And their downfall too, do you agree?" said Jiraiya.
Kakashi sat down to the chair and pulled his book out. "Women are the only nature's agreeable blunders."
They are men's weakness.
But yours...it's a girl.
The only one you feared.
The only one to whom you can lose—
...is the girl you CAN'T lose.
Present
Ah, can't lose you?
Don't fall in love.
He's not in love with her.
Angels don't fall in love.
He's just protecting her.
Teachers don't fall in love.
He's just...
Demons don't fall in love.
"Why are you ignoring me like this, sensei?"
Ignore me—
Notice me—
Kakashi remain in his bitter stupor. His grip on his book tightened. His eye darkened. His sanity...
NO.
He's a Jounin.
A Jounin taught not to have a heart that weeps...a heart that feels...a heart that loves.
A damned Jounin, he is.
"Don't ignore me!"
Kakashi blinks, surprised and found he's staring up to the girl, now standing close to him, her hands on his shoulders and her face in a close proximity to his.
"Sensei..."
Kakashi fought the headache attacking him. His eyesight became blurry. "Sakura...?"
She frowned. She senses his chakra depletion, no, it was just exhaustion. But, "Sensei, are you alright?"
"Yes...just step back...I can't—"
"Can't what?"
"I don't know. Just...step back." He felt suffocated by her nearness and it's giving him one hell of a headache.
Sakura didn't move and felt his temperature. "Your temperature is normal, sensei but your chakra was...you're tired, aren't you?"
"No. I'm exhausted from trying to put some sensibility in your brain." He said a little harshly; a whizzing sound: DANGER. He stood up and pushed her down to the ground beside Sasuke, his body pressing her down.
"What—"
SPLAT!
"What the—"Sakura felt something sticky and liquid touched her cheek.
"Damn," she heard Kakashi swore and with his free hand, he rubbed the blood off her cheek. He was hit by a kunai in the shoulder and his blood splattered against Sakura's cheek.
"Sensei—"
"Kabuto..." whispered Kakashi while rubbing her cheek gently. "Stay here not to fight but to keep Sasuke away from Orochimaru and Kabuto. Understand?"
"Sensei—"
"Damn it, Sakura. Don't be stubborn." He snapped and pushed himself up off her but her hand shot from nowhere and grasped his sleeve.
"Sensei, are you angry?"
Kakashi pushed his forehead protector up to his forehead to uncover his Sharingan eye. "I don't understand."
Sakura's lips formed a thin grim line. "Sensei, don't lie to me."
"I'm not."
"Then are you angry with me?"
"No."
Teachers don't fall in love with their students.
He's not in love with her.
"I'm glad." Sakura smiled again and Kakashi got off her swiftly, looking at his left—to Kabuto who got a nasty burn in his gut.
"Sometimes I wonder, sensei if you've got a crush on me."
Maybe, he's just fascinated with her delicate cuteness. No girl can look so cute and annoying at the same time—no girl can make them worry and angry at the same time.
And no girl can love a bastard longer than never.
Maybe...it's just confusion!
Yes, that's it. Puberty...?
Are you joking? You're already past 20!
Confusion...
He hasn't seen a girl with such pink hair. Maybe, he was just fascinated. Yeah, fascinated, that's it. Fascination isn't the proof you're in love.
Maybe...it's just a crush.
Just maybe...Naruto will kill you for sure.
Oh yes, he's not.
Because teachers don't fall—
"Sakura-chan, don't be stubborn. Stay with Sasuke-kun, they will try to get him back." He told her and he reaches down to her; grasped her delicate shoulders to pull her up, steadied her. "Stay alert, don't lose focus," he reminded her and took off.
Sighing deeply, she composed her raging emotions. When she saw his chakra through those damned cursed eyes, she thought she saw his...feelings. They were in great turmoil, as if her sensei was having a little nasty debate with his inner self. But again, she is always been a dense girl—intelligent but downright insensitive. There are things that must remain a secret—and there are times when one must be dense.
Not far from her position, Orochimaru and Naruto face off—to be precise, Orochimaru's gigantic snake versus angry swashbuckling Naruto. The blonde boy was pissed off, he keeps on stabbing the snake with his kunai, kicking and punching and for crying out loud, the snake didn't even blink—damn, it closed its eyes and it pisses Naruto more.
Naruto, finally seriously pissed, releases a very inhumane chakra. Feeling its intensity, Sakura spun around from tending Sasuke to Naruto. "Naruto...?"
"Very nice, Fox boy....very nice... Come on, show me the power of the demon," Orochimaru cooed. Naruto gritted his teeth and his eyes changes color, from innocent blue to dangerous orange with slit for the pupils.
Orochimaru grinned maliciously. That's it. "
"Naruto...!" Sakura yelled. She made sure Sasuke is in a comfortable position; not far away, Kakashi faces Kabuto, his mismatched eyes are hard—as if he's back from his bloody past. But too much use of Sharingan causes exhaustion especially to Kakashi. He began to suffer dizziness but his concentration didn't falter nor his sharpness. He pulled a kunai from his pouch and accompanied with Kabuto's frown, Kakashi stabbed himself in the thigh.
Just to make sure I won't doze off.
But things don't look nice to Naruto. Orochimaru sure is determined to make sure his precious Sasuke-kun won't be retrieved by Leaf Jounins so he made some seals—a complicated one that a brain or mentality like of Naruto would not grasp. But Naruto, in his brash attempt stopped the hand seals from forming attacked the ninja viciously but Orochimaru blocks his attacks; a grin fitted his pale face when he saw the slits Naruto has for his eyes.
"Damn YOU!" Naruto screamed and kicked the man squarely in the side. For a moment there, Orochimaru was stunned. He had let his guard down.
It hurts.
He double up in pain and seeing an advantage, Naruto aimed a Rasengan that if only a tail didn't came slapping him in the back, Orochimaru sure will be dead.
He flew downward, hitting the trunk of a tree with such force that he's sure he'll have broken bones. Thank Kami-sama, my spine's still intact.
However, the snake has made its own decision. Seeing the pink-headed human in the distance, the snake crawled in a speed laughable to anyone who can see its movement.
Sakura heard the thundering sound behind her, looked over her shoulder and saw a gigantic chakra shape. The chakra was of Ninjutsu origin; it's huge, deadly and stinking; she concentrated and at last the cloud of chakra formed a shape. A shape she hated, a shape Sasuke-kun hated—
It's a gigantic snake.
And the horror of it, it's coming to her.
She was paralyzed but her hand suddenly brushed against someone's skin— of Uchiha Sasuke.
Summoning her courage, she stood up. I WILL PROTECT SASUKE-KUN! She lifted her hand towards her shoulder and grasped the handle of her sword and pulled it up off its sheath, holding it in front of her, readying for the snake's attack. I'm going to slice you into many pieces!
But boy...it's huge...SO HUGE! The snake came closer and her courage left her with shaking knees. I...I...h-hate...s-s-snakes...The snake made a final move and—
But out of nowhere, Naruto appeared and blocks the snake's attack, stabbing two kunai into its snout, his head bowed while he pressed his back against the close jaws of the reptile. Sakura froze.
"Naruto..." Naruto...
Naruto...
Naruto...
"N-Naruto-kun will be there to protect you...so, there's nothing to worry at all..."
Always protecting me...
"Sakura-chan... Are you hurt?" he asked in a panting voice, he looks up slowly, a smile in his bruised face. "S-Sakura-chan..."
Always protecting me...
Naruto...always risks his life to protect me...
Missions...I was never alone...Naruto...Sensei...always there...protecting me...
"Sakura-chan... Are you hurt?"
You don't see me.
"Don't be stubborn, Sakura. I'm the leader here. You do exactly what I say."
But you're my Sakura-chan too.
"Naruto..."
I WILL PROTECT SASUKE-KUN!
But...Naruto...Her hand holding the sword trembled. Always protecting me...
I WILL PROTECT YOU SAKURA-CHAN!
"Naruto..."
"Sakura-chan, don't worry. I will protect you." Naruto called out. He noticed the tremble her knees and hands emit.
She felt her tears gathering. Damn these blind eyes, damn the eyes that can't see but charkas.
She wanted to see Naruto.
And Sasuke.
I love Sakura-chan the most.
I love Sakura-chan the most.
I love—
"Thank you."
Sasuke-kun...
You don't see me.
"Naruto, all these times, you protected me. It's my turn to protect you this time."
Naruto tightened his grip on his kunai. "Sakura-chan..."He gagged when he saw the girl jumped up using her chakra, up to confront Orochimaru himself.
"Naruto, all these times, you protected me. It's my turn to protect you this time."
"No...SAKURA, NO!"
But too late, the girl is engaged into a sword battle against Orochimaru.
DISCLAIMER:
AN ANGEL SCREAMS FROM OUTER SPACE
By Stage
Am I cursed?
Once a great Seraphim
I am now...a Fallen Angel
I am your shelter
My wings were your fan
I was...once an Angel
The Seraphim...The Fiery One
A Three-Winged Angel
Am I an Angel?
I'm falling...
Catch me.
Notice me.
Look at me!
Love me...
Note: 2nd Note ever
Thank you for all the reviews and new friends in the net! Uh, about the pairing, well...uh, it's...H-I-M-I-T-S-U. Hai, it's a secret. (He, he, he...)
I think you will not like this chapter.
agent vash aw, test scores are absolutely an example of walking nightmares that roam our world. I got one myself and I was...so nightmarishly astonished. I know the feeling, but hey, there would always be another test! But the nightmare...ugh...I wish Newton wasn't born.
And I know this is stupid...but what the heck is OOC, OC, IC and...uh, AU or is it AV? I'm still new to these terms and if you people think I'm idiot, well...uh, I am. (GRIN).
