I AM SO VERY SORRY.
Like really, I am. I am horrible for not updating for so long. Life is just hard right now, but I guess it is for everybody. But, there is a bright side! This chapter may be the longest so far. I believe it is. I've also been waiting to write the end of this chapter since I started this story. Also, a lot of you have requesting to hear from Sasuke, and guess what? You're in luck! So…enjoy =] I also want to thank all of my readers. Your reviews encourage me so much, as well as the alerts and favorites. I didn't get to respond to all of the reviews yet, and I might not, but know that you are very much appreciated. Ya'll rock ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Chapter 11 - Eternity
The night air was surprisingly calm for the occasion. Rain country was almost quiet and serene now – the calm after a great storm. And a great storm there had been.
Sasuke was still wrapping one of his battle wounds by the time the sun began to arch over the horizon, blanketing the sky in that weird mix of glowing orange and entreating darkness. Sasuke didn't want to think about how both the slightly sour smell of antiseptic and the soft warmth of the sunset reminded him of someone he couldn't admit he missed.
And so Sasuke shut his eyes impassively, shutting out the world, shutting out all emotion as he took a seat next to the people he could somewhat call his partners. Suigetsu was already lying out on his sleeping bag, right smack dab in the middle of their team's area. He nodded as Sasuke approached, not expecting Sasuke to respond back, of course, and proceeded to hum a tune softly. Karin emerged from her tent next, scowling as she noticed the silver-haired man.
"Get your fat ass away from the middle of the camp, you idiot," Karin grumbled, standing over Suigetsu in contempt. "We're supposed to make a fire right there." Her hands were placed angrily on her hips, and as she regarded the man from upside-down, her glasses slightly fell down her nose.
Suigetsu merely opened one eye lazily, eyeing the red head with vague amusement.
"Nah, don't think I will, four-eyes," he drawled lazily, before laughing as if he realized something. "So you have been looking at my ass."
Karin growled, clenching her fists at her sides. "Why you jerk!" she huffed. "Of course not, you moron!"
"Oh, that's too bad," Suigetsu mused sardonically. "Because to tell you the truth, I might have been looking at yours…"
Karin's eye twitched harshly. "You – you – you pervert! You're going to regret that!"
Suigetsu merely laughed. "Oh, don't worry, I already do regret it. It really wasn't all that nice to look at anyway…"
He was abruptly cut off by the sound of Karin attempting, and failing, to give him a good punch to the face. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the childish behavior of the two – one flailing like mad and another laughing while he easily dodged the flailing punches. Their tirade was cut short by the appearance of another figure.
This man was not just tall, but he was enormous in size. He easily could overpower someone like Sasuke in a fight using brute force – as his muscles were ripped and prominent – but his aura contradicted the intimidating first glance. His bright orange hair was somewhat homely and maybe reminded Sasuke a little too much like the bright blonde mop that belonged to his abandoned best friend. This man's eyes were also clear and calm and a smile dressed his face, and several tiny birds sat on his broad shoulders in a friendly manner.
"Sasuke," the man suggested calmly, "I managed to locate a small spring just to the north. You should go take a turn washing up while no one else is there."
"Hn," Sasuke responded with a nod, and he stood up to leave. Sasuke had never quite understood why, but the giant orange-haired man had always seemed to respect Sasuke more than the others, regardless of his once royal status. It was like there was an unspoken agreement of understanding between the two men.
A small part of Sasuke was glad there was a clean spring nearby. They had just completed a long series of battles within Rain Country, and Sasuke was exhausted and worn. His clothes were black from soot, and he could only imagine how dirty the rest of him must have been. Plus, he did have that wound that needed to be cleaned. Joining the League may have freed him from his royal responsibilities, but it certainly was quite a bother sometimes to not have luxuries like a private bath.
Upon movement from Sasuke, Karin's focus was lost from Suigetsu, and his comment forgotten as she frantically ran after Sasuke.
"So…Sasuke-kun," Karin began coyly, her voice oddly sweet and timid compared to its usual brashness. "Why don't you and I…"
"No," Sasuke responded coldly, not bothering to acknowledge Karin's advance further. She pouted in response before taking another step.
"But Sasuke-kun…"
"Go away, Karin."
There was nothing that Karin could say as Sasuke walked away, his hands stuffed in his pockets and a light scowl on his face.
In the past, Karin sometimes wanted to believe that Sasuke's blunt and cold denials had just been his way of playing hard to get, and that he would eventually submit to her. But now, the red head wasn't so certain.
Sasuke continued to walk away from Karin, away from everyone. He had finally rejoined the League, so why was his mood worse than ever before? Maybe it was just the guilt of leaving his mother. Yes, that was it.
Trying to ignore the burning feeling of guilt in the pit of his stomach, and trying to force away all images of a certain girl with emerald-colored eyes, Sasuke instead observed his surroundings. The League's encampment was small, but pretty secure. Several scouts guarded the outskirts of the camp, and men and women sat around fires, gambling in card games on top of old wooden crates. Some sneered at passerbies; others simply laughed or stared in drunken stupor. The stench of alcohol was heavy, and indeed most of the faction members were drunk. Sasuke would have pressed on from the heavy aroma, the taste and smell of the repugnant drink had never appealed to his senses, had he not picked up on a conversation about twenty feet to his left.
Sasuke's steps slowed, and he attuned his ears into the conversation, not caring that he was eavesdropping. Although the two men conversing were clearly drunk off their hinges, certain names that popped up in their conversation managed to peak his interest.
"Did you hear that after our last battle in Rain country, Sound's forces have finally begun to recede?" A man with a scruffy beard slurred out funnily.
"Yup," answered the red-headed man across from him. "Rain's won, Sound's lost, and we get paid in full by Rain's leaders." The man hiccupped quite awkwardly.
"Life is good."
"Yeah, I even heard that Rain's leader was found alive in earth country," the second man added slowly, stumbling on a few words.
"Really, hiccup? Is that so?"
"Yeah – some king – Epaku….Keaku….something like that…."
"It's Etaku, you moron. Are you that drunk that you can't remember the guy paying us?"
Sasuke huffed in annoyance. Of course they were talking about the same Etaku that Sasuke had had the wonderful pleasure of meeting. Sasuke enjoyed sarcasm. So, obviously, Etaku had stuck around in Earth's castle for a while longer. While everyone else in rain, as well as the league, had done all the dirty work. Tch, bastard.
"Oh shut up," the red head retorted, trying to focus his drunken vision. "Yeah, but isn't he marrying that princess chick?"
"You mean the one in earth? The hot one with the pink hair?" Something that definitely was not a growl erupted from Sasuke. Definitely not a growl. Right.
"Yeah, that's the one. Supposedly they're hitched. Already got three kids."
Sasuke's fist clenched tightly and he resisted the urge to twitch his eye. Sakura and Etaku had barely known each other for more than a few weeks. There was no way in hell that they had three kids by now. Stupid, annoying, drunken idiots who didn't know what they were talking about.
And there was no way in hell that Sakura would ever actually consider marrying that guy, right?
Sasuke was fully prepared to push the thought away from his mind, because it was no business of his who Sakura decided to marry anyway, until one of the drunks said something else a little too loud.
"Yeah, if my wife was as good-looking as that Haruno chick, I'd have kids by now too!" It was the scruffy-looking one who had spoken, and had he had known who was listening – perhaps he wouldn't have let such a thought slip.
This time, Sasuke literally growled, and not being able to contain his anger any longer, released it in the form of one of the extra weapons on him – a hidden throwing knife. It sliced through the air, hitting the beer bottle directly and shattering it in the man's hand. Both men looked dumbfounded, unable to comprehend why their alcohol had suddenly exploded.
"Don't speak about people who you know nothing about," he said darkly, his other hand still clenched tightly in his pocket, and his eyes never losing their focus from straight ahead. He hadn't even been looking at the men, yet he had managed a direct hit to the bottle, and managed to cause both men to wet themselves out of the fear of Sasuke's dark voice. Without sparing them a glance, he stalked forward, more angry than before.
Stupid, annoying, drunken idiots. Back toward the small camp, Juugo looked on with an amused face, and Suigetsu openly laughed.
"So you saw that, too, eh Juugo?" Suigetsu asked in between laughs. "The look on those guys' faces when their bottle broke was priceless!"
"Yeah," Juugo responded as he watched Sasuke's retreating form. "What do you suppose got Sasuke so riled up like that?"
Suigetsu stopped laughing to ponder the question. "I don't know – must have been something really bad, though." But Suigetsu had a pretty good idea of what exactly was putting Sasuke in such a bad mood as of late.
The sunset overlooking Earth Kingdom was absolutely breathtaking – beautiful oranges, pinks, yellows, and purples fading into a rainbow-colored horizon against the blue sky above. It should have inspired beauty and wonder within the heart of the pink-haired princess, but it only served to move her further into depression. Yeah – that moving on thing that she was desperately trying – not working so well.
Everything around her seemed to remind her of Sasuke, and she was beginning to get extremely fed up with the situation. How dare he, that jerk, have to constantly remind her of himself in practically everything she looked at. She couldn't drink hot chocolate by herself now, because she'd automatically think of the time she'd offered it, and he had been slightly suspicious that it might have been poisoned, but he drank it nevertheless. She had completely ignored her beloved horses, knowing all too well how much Thunder and Lighting reminded her of her and Sasuke's time as best friends. She never spent any time in any of their old favorite spots. And she especially avoided that stupid bench by the pond where Sasuke had left her.
Which led her to sitting outside at the castle's grand balcony, watching the sunset (which, what a surprise, reminded her of Sasuke) begin to disappear over the horizon. She wondered if Sasuke could see the same sunset from wherever he was, and she almost wished he could. Because then he would be depressed too, which would serve him right. But then again, this was Sasuke she was thinking about, and he couldn't possibly be thinking about her.
Sighing, Sakura closed her eyes to hold back some stray tears. Because even if she was mad at Sasuke for just leaving like he did, the memories were still too precious for her, and she couldn't bring herself to be truly angry. It was just difficult to feel so…so empty.
Sakura's eyes fluttered open in surprise when she felt a presence sit down on the bench next to her. She turned, and upon seeing Etaku, didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed. Emotions were just so mixed up in her head and in her heart at the moment that she didn't know what to do anymore.
"Good evening, Princess," Etaku said cordially, offering her a wide, handsome smile. Sakura offered her own small smile in return, trying to push her sadness to the back of her mind. It wouldn't do any good for others to see her unhappiness.
Etaku looked down embarrassedly, a small blush on his cheeks, and said, "Wow, do you even realize how beautiful your smile is?"
The honesty of the question kind of startled and surprised Sakura – she was kind of used to comments like that from past suitors, but they were usually said with much more arrogance or haughtiness. But of course, they usually didn't compliment her after they got fed up with her crazy antics to chase them away.
But Etaku, at least, seemed different. There was a certain honest quality about him, a kind of humble gentleness that she couldn't quite explain, but rather enjoyed. She had to admit, it was kind of nice to meet a man who showed some interest in her, and not just her position as a Princess. But then again – hadn't Sasuke been the first one to ever treat her like she truly was something more than just a rich little girl?
Sakura didn't quite know how to respond to the statement, so she settled on blushing and looking away. Etaku cleared his throat.
"I have some good news, Princess," Etaku started, and upon getting no immediate reply from Sakura, he continued. "An informant visited the castle this morning – my people have been victorious. It was good I escaped when I did. Some members of the high court had wanted me dead, and in exchange they had basically let Rain come in and attack our entire country. To think that some would go so far for power…."
Etaku's voiced trailed off in thought for a few moments, before he spoke again: "But that's the past, now. It should finally be safe for me to return and restore hope to my people as we recover from the war. I'll be leaving within the next few days," Etaku explained informatively. Sakura nodded.
"That is good news, Etaku-kun," Sakura said cheerfully. "You should rest well before you leave."
"Well, that's actually why I sought you out," Etaku said nervously. "I wanted to thank you for the hospitality and compassion you have shown me in my time of great need. So I wanted to give you this as a symbol of my gratitude."
Etaku pulled out a small, rectangular velvet box – the one that expensive sets of jewelry were usually kept in. Sakura's eyes widened as he handed opened it slowly, his eyes downcast and embarrassed. Sakura carefully picked up the necklace to get a better look.
Her fingers ran over the smooth locket in her hand. It was sparkling, beautiful, expensive, and emblazoned with jewels and filled with the remnants of Japanese cherry blossom petals – but it was empty for Sakura. It was a gift of thanks from Etaku, and maybe also the polite attempt of a rich man trying to win over the girl. Etaku's hopes were in this necklace –his goal, not her own.
Her own necklace, a plain silver chain holding the simple, but beautiful ring belonging to the Uchiha heir, weighed heavily against the skin beneath her blouse. There was more meaning in that ring than there ever could be in any gift Etaku could offer Sakura.
So Sakura smiled up at him, thanking him politely and sincerely, just before pocketing the necklace for good back in its box. In her heart, she knew she could not bring herself to replace the ring around her neck. That would be like trying to replace a part of one's heart. So maybe she could try to move on, but she would never truly forget.
"That's some fancy necklace he gave you," Naruto's voice said playfully from behind Sakura. She turned around in surprise, and watched as Naruto emerged from the shadows of one of the walkways.
"Naruto?" Sakura questioned. "How long have you been over there?" Naruto laughed in response.
"Long enough to watch your face undergo an emotional rollercoaster. First you're sitting there- staring at the sunset with so much sadness that it made me want to cry, and then you start glaring at the sun for no apparent reason. Seriously, Sakura," Naruto joked, "I think your glare could compete with the way Kitsune scolds you sometimes. That woman is seriously scary."
Sakura giggled, and Naruto grinned as he walked over and took a seat next to her. "Then I watched that Etaku guy come over and listened to all that mushy stuff that went on between the two of you –"
"You know that's an invasion of privacy, Naruto," Sakura scolded motherly, pointing an accusing finger at him. Naruto was not affected, however, and just rolled his eyes as he continued.
"And all in a total of like, ten minutes, the guy managed to make you smile, blush, and then he pulled out the necklace, and at first you looked shocked, but then you looked completely depressed all over again. But you thanked him anyway and let him walk away thinking that you're emotionally fine. But you're not," Naruto emphasized, his right blue eyes turning serious. "You're hurting, Sakura-chan, and I don't like seeing you hurt."
Sakura looked down. It was just like Naruto to seem completely oblivious one minute, and then completely serious and deep the next. "I know, Naruto, but I can't help it. I'm trying to feel better, but I can't. And Etaku is so obviously trying to comfort me, and I'm trying…"
"I don't really like him," Naruto interrupted. When Sakura shot him an offended look, Naruto continued. "I mean – he's a really nice guy. He's honest, and chivalrous, and brave and all that stuff that girls always look for in a prince charming. But he's not the type of guy that I usually get along with. And he doesn't seem to fit you, either."
Sakura laughed ironically. "Tch. I guess you and I like becoming friends with the arrogant, antisocial guys rather than guys who are actually normal." Naruto smiled faintly at her joke.
"That's why I'm not giving up, Sakura," Naruto stated calmly.
"What?" Sakura asked, turning to look Naruto in the eyes.
Naruto smiled as he spoke, as if remembering good memories. "The Teme may be the most arrogant antisocial man in the world, but he's still my best friend. To him – I was never just a bodyguard. He never wanted to admit it, but he knew that we were best friends. He was practically my brother – that's how close we were. And while he was here, I know he found another friend – you. And I don't think it's fair that he can just walk away and leave us here, hurting so badly. He's got to be hurting as well. So I'm going after him."
"But, Naruto…"
"No, Sakura-chan. It doesn't matter how he acts on the outside. That arrogant, antisocial bastard is our best friend, and I'm going to bring him home to you, to us – I promise," Naruto added sincerely.
And Sakura let herself cry without holding back, throwing herself at Naruto and burying her tears in his shirt as he comforted her.
Hinata was naturally very soft spoken – never speaking her mind, and never letting anyone know what she was truly thinking, that is, except for those she considered closest to her. And for the first part of Hinata's life, that hadn't been very many people.
She remembered coming from a real family – possibly a very wealthy one. There were fine dresses in her closet back then, and the blurry image of her mother consisted of soft lilac perfume and white pearl necklaces. Sometimes she could remember a boy around her own age with the same light eyes and long hair. Maybe he had been a brother, or a cousin, but now the lines of her memory were all blurred. That was the only real memory she had of her past life.
Sometime during her childhood, Hinata had been taken to live at the castle as a servant girl. She had originally been assigned as a lowly chamber maid – destined to clean out cellars, mop floors, and dust ceilings for the rest of her life. After only a few weeks there, Hinata was lucky enough to have stumbled across the young princess Sakura.
That was a memory Hinata definitely remembered. They had been only young children, but Hinata could still recall the way that she had clumsily bumped into Sakura from behind, causing them both to tumble down to the hard floor. Hinata had waited for the young princess to angry, or perhaps to find a harsh punishment for her, but Sakura had simply stood up and brushed herself off before turning to Hinata with a worried smile and smiling green eyes. Then she had even pretended to be a doctor and had bandaged up Hinata's scraped knee, completely ignoring a cut on her own arm. And later, when Kitsune had come to see what the commotion was, Sakura had simply demanded that Hinata be her best friend from now on, and Kitsune made sure that Hinata worked as Sakura's personal handmaiden from that moment. Sakura was the first true friend that Hinata could remember, and it was a memory she would always cherish.
This consequently led to Sakura being one of the only people Hinata would ever feel comfortable speaking freely with. So when Hinata found herself walking down the corridor leading the Sakura's room, she knew that know it would be more important than ever to speak her mind.
Hinata had not particularly connected with Prince Sasuke in any way; in fact she had barely spoken to him in the time he had spent with Sakura. So she could not say for sure whether or not she liked him as a person or not. If Sakura and Naruto had become so close to him, though, than Hinata figured that he must have been a somewhat decent person. Although, she hadn't particularly cared for his indifferent attitudes, and was quite uncomfortable under his intimidating stare at times. But regardless of what he had been like before, his disappearance was upsetting Sakura – her most close friend she would probably ever have – and that was most certainly not okay with her. Casting all timidity aside, the dark haired girl resolved to help Sakura move past the Prince no matter what it took.
"Um, Sakura-chan," Hinata asked politely as she opened the door to Sakura's quarters. "I think we need to talk about..."
Hinata paused momentarily upon spotting the head of spiky blonde hair sitting across from Sakura.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought maybe you had already returned with the rest of Sasuke's family and servants…."
Hinata's voice trailed off embarrassedly as Naruto turned his bright, smiling eyes toward her.
"Hinata-chan!" Naruto said excitedly, although Hinata could pick up a trace of sadness lacing his voice. Sakura's face looked troubled, and the atmosphere in the room seemed to be very heavy. "I was hoping to get to talk to you soon, actually," Naruto explained sheepishly.
"I'll leave you two alone," Sakura said as she stood to excused herself from the room. That left Hinata standing in the doorway across from Naruto – the very boy who could make her heart race as fast as the rhythm of a hummingbird and make her heart stop altogether at the same time. Sasuke's parents had already left, and Hinata had assumed he had left with them. After all, he had no real reason to stay behind now that Sasuke was no longer there, right? He was Sasuke's bodyguard; he had a job to do, just as she had her job as Sakura's handmaiden.
"Will you be leaving soon, Naruto?" Hinata asked shyly, looking down at the floor in an attempt to hide the sadness in her face, even though her shaky voice couldn't hide the hurt.
Naruto looked down uncomfortably for a moment. "Well, you see, that is – maybe we could go talk in the garden or something."
"Well, I suppose that would be fine Naruto-kun, but…"
Naruto interrupted Hinata mid-thought, grabbing her wrist and pulling her in the direction of the garden with as much haste as he could – which was very fast if you knew Naruto at all.
"Just hold on for a minute, Hinata-chan!" Naruto shouted as they raced toward the central garden. "I have something very important to tell you!"
Everything was passing by so fast, but Hinata wouldn't have been able to see it even if they were moving slowly. Her head was spinning just from the contact of Naruto's warm hand, and her heart was racing just by being in his confident persona. Being around Naruto was like being under a spell. She was dizzy, and distracted, and extremely content all at the same time. His smile, his laugh, his bright eyes – anyone who was around him couldn't help but feel a sense of hope. Hinata would really miss him when he was gone.
Naruto suddenly stopped then, and Hinata realized that they were in the central garden finally. It was the most peaceful spot within the entire castle, and Hinata always liked it best there. And now she was standing here with Naruto, who had suddenly whirled her around to face him.
"I know I promised you I wouldn't go anywhere, Hinata-chan" Naruto explained, making her look directly into his eyes. She didn't look away as she usually did. "But now I have somewhere really important that I have to do. It's my job to protect Sasuke, and I have to try my best to bring him back – if only for Sakura-chan's sake. They need each other."
Hinata looked down before nodding reluctantly. "So you're leaving then?"
Naruto nodded in response, and then looked to the ground nervously. "I promised Sakura-chan I'd leave really soon, but there's kind of something I wanted to do first…"
His voice trailed off after that, and when Hinata looked up to ask him about what he meant, Naruto's lips had met her own. Her eyes went wide from shock before closing serenely as she locked this moment forever into her memory.
It was dark out again at the castle, and Naruto was all packed for his journey to find Sasuke. He was cheerful and smiling as usual, but Sakura could still easily read the hidden emotion in his eyes. He was worried – worried about finding Sasuke in time, and worried that maybe Sasuke was just too far gone to ever come back. But of course Naruto would never admit that to Sakura.
Perhaps Sakura took comfort in the fact that Naruto would not mention his concerns. A part of her felt that it made everything so much easier to accept. Was Naruto giving her false hopes? She didn't know if she wanted to know the answer to the question just yet.
"I promise, Sakura-chan," Naruto stated, fire and determination filling his eyes, "I'll get him to come back."
Sakura nodded, unsure of how Naruto would be able to keep such a promise himself.
"Thank you, Naruto," Sakura murmured quietly and sincerely, while silently wishing that he would be able to keep his promise. Sakura then stepped back as she watched Naruto say goodbye to Hinata.
That was when the real sadness hit her. Seeing Hinata display such sadness as she watched Naruto depart – it was almost too much to bear. Sakura realized that maybe it had been a little selfish to accept Naruto's promise so quickly. When Naruto was disappearing in the distance, Sakura hesitantly approached a slightly teary-eyed Hinata.
"Hina-chan?" Sakura asked softly, and then waited for Hinata to turn around before continuing. "I'm sorry that Naruto left because of me."
Hinata looked up at Sakura, not seeming to understand the apology at first. "Sakura-chan, it's okay. Naruto would have left to find Sasuke regardless – they are best friends, after all."
"Yes, I suppose that is true," Sakura responded. "But still. I feel selfish for taking Naruto away from you."
Hinata sniffed and wiped away the tears from her eyes. "Naruto promised he'd be back, and he also promised to bring Sasuke back to you. So we should trust him – I know he'll try his best to keep his word. I know you're still confused about your feelings for Prince Sasuke, but I have to ask you: why are you so intent on him returning? I thought you would have wanted his freedom."
Sakura thought about exactly why she wanted to see him again so much. She knew that Sasuke valued his freedom, and that it wasn't her right to keep him from that, but a part of her just wanted to see his face one last time. It made her remember her last conversation with Itachi the night he and his parents had returned to their own home.
As Sakura walked briskly around a corner, she suddenly bumped into broad shoulders and a firm chest. Looking up while rubbing her now red forehead, she found dark onyx eyes and black hair, and for a split second she thought she had run into Sasuke once again. Unfortunately, it was only Itachi.
"Itachi!" Sakura exclaimed in embarrassment. "I…um…what…er…yeah."
Itachi chuckled at Sakura's incapability of forming a proper sentence. "Knocked speechless by my good looks, are you, Princess?"
Sakura blushed in response, and punched Itachi lightly on the arm. "I was just embarrassed, Itachi! I was hoping you were…." Sakura's voice trailed off as she realized that bringing up Sasuke might only upset her even further.
"True," Itachi mused, feigning hurt, "while I'm not my brother, I'd like to imagine that people should look forward to seeing me instead of only Sasuke…"
"You know what I mean, Itachi-kun," Sakura answered indignantly. "It's always nice to talk to you, as well."
Itachi smiled. "Hm. Well, I think we'll find now that this may be one of our last opportunities to talk, considering that I should be preparing to return to our kingdom now. But do you need me to listen?"
Sakura nodded, clutching at the silver ring hanging from her neck in sadness. It was always like Itachi to be so brotherly to her.
"What's that?" Itachi questioned curiously, eyeing the ring that Sakura held.
Sakura looked down in confusion, as if she didn't realize there was a ring. When she finally realized that she was unconsciously holding onto the ring that Sasuke had placed in the engagement box, Sakura smiled memorably.
"Sasuke gave this to me," she answered, now remembering the story he had told her about how his grandmother had given him the momento.
"Did he now?" Itachi asked, quirking an eyebrow. "That doesn't look like the engagement ring…"
Sakura shook her head. "No, it's not. He replaced the real engagement ring with this one. It really means something to him, I think. He said it belonged to your grandmother."
"Let me see it," Itachi said, and Sakura carefully pulled it over her head to show to him. "Ah, that it did," Itachi said upon examining the ring. I"'ve heard the story of grandmother's ring one or twice before, but never directly from her. She always did favor Sasuke."
Sakura giggled, and Itachi smiled. "Do you know what he wanted to tell you by giving you this ring Sakura?"
Sakura looked away. "I'm not sure…I might have an idea, but I don't want to make assumptions. Sasuke does many things for no reason at all."
"Yes, he does," Itachi agreed. "But I believe he had a reason for this. Since he told you the story, I'm assuming you know that our grandmother wanted Sasuke to carry on her tradition, and give this to the person he loved the most – to the girl he wanted to marry. It's a symbol of eternity."
Sakura blushed as she recalled the details of the story, and finally made a firm connection between the ring and his feelings. "But, Itachi-kun, I don't see how that's possible! He wanted to call the marriage off – "
"Only because he didn't want to marry some stranger," Itachi interrupted. "But I watched him and you together. I really think you meant something to him, after he got to know you."
Sakura felt sadness overwhelm her again. "Then, then….why did he leave?"
Itachi, too, felt saddened by the desperation in the pink-haired girl's voice. "I can't be positive, but I imagine it had to do with a few reasons. Among those being his own confusion about how YOU felt about him. He may have left to join that League, but I guarantee you that he thought he was making the right decision by protecting you and leaving you here."
Sakura pondered this suggestion for a moment, understanding that there was a strong possibility that there was truth in Itachi's statement.
"Do you think he'll come back?" she questioned.
"I…I don't know, Sakura," Itachi responded in complete honesty. "He's my brother, and I really am worried about him. I just hope he doesn't get himself killed out there."
Sakura sighed as she remembered the conversation. "Hinata, I…I have to know what he meant. I have to know why he left. Even if it ends up hurting me, or even if I never see him again, I still have to know."
Sasuke was restless. It had been a while since the battles between Rain and Sound had ended, and even longer since he had left the bright little kingdom of the Haruno family. So far the League hadn't received any more important missions, and he was beginning to get extremely bored. Normally, Sasuke wouldn't have taken a second thought to getting a break from mission assignments – it would mean he'd have more time to relax to himself. He wasn't like Suigetsu, who only completed missions for money. He had always just enjoyed having the freedom of wandering around, accepting different missions, and just being alone.
But it was different now. He found himself endlessly bored having nothing to do. There was no blond-haired bodyguard to argue with, no family to have to please, and no pink-haired princess to annoy. To think at one time he would have preferred not to have any of that.
Sighing, Sasuke through another branch onto their small campfire, maybe a little more violently than he should have. This, unfortunately, caught the attention of his partners just a few feet away. Karin's head had jerked up first, and her eyes studied him carefully from behind her glasses. Suigetsu looked mildly amused and interested as his vision alternated from looking at Sasuke and the now violated fire. Juugo simply cast Sasuke one of his unwavering, worried glances.
Sasuke rolled his eyes before turning around to look out in the opposite direction. At least the dark green forest wouldn't judge him and worry about him. He ignored the stares of his companions for a few more moments before idly fingering the chain hanging around his neck. Normally, he kept the chain securely underneath his clothing; he very rarely took it out. But now, he felt the sudden urge to look at the ring hanging from it.
That night Sasuke had left, he had made a hasty decision to replace the engagement ring from Sakura's family and replace it with his grandmother's – the one that usually hung from his neck. He had hoped to leave it at the bench without Sakura ever knowing, but a part of him could have guessed that Sakura would catch him anyway.
What had he been thinking – leaving his ring there like that? He knew what he had meant to imply to Sakura; he knew that all too well. But now he was wondering if that was such a good decision. Because now he was miles away, brooding, staring at a golden ring with emeralds that shined just like Sakura's eyes, instead of there with her.
Sasuke groaned, and he had completely forgotten that his teammates were even there when Karin had walked over and spoken up.
"Um, Sasuke-kun, where'd you get that ring from?" Karin asked, adjusting her glasses as she leaned over to get a closer look. Sasuke stiffened before quickly shoving the ring back underneath his clothing.
"It's none of your business, Karin," Sasuke responded coldly, continuing to look out into the forest. Karin looked hurt for a moment, and she slowly retreated back to the campfire. Suigetsu, feeling the tension, did not make any sarcastic remarks to Karin. Juugo stood up slowly and walked over to Sasuke calmly.
"With all due respect, Sasuke-san," Juugo started, "Something like this becomes our business when you are not acting like yourself. We, as your partners, would like you to be able to feel comfortable in telling us the truth. We've fought many battles together, Sasuke-san. It's all right to tell us."
Sasuke didn't seem to be moved at all, at first, and Karin and Suigetsu were ready to believe that Sasuke would not tell them. But then, in a soft voice that was much more vulnerable-sounding than it ever was, Sasuke answered.
"This ring belongs to…to the Princess," Sasuke responded lowly. "I just took it as a memory – nothing more."
Silence fell over the small camp as Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo exchanged glances. They seemed to come to a silent agreement as they spoke up, one by one.
"She must really mean a lot to you," Karin accepted sadly, knowing that she could not compare to the pink-haired girl.
Juugo nodded in agreement. "For you to hold onto something like a ring as if you've lost the one thing most precious to you, then I know she must have meant a lot."
"So," Suigetsu drawled, grinning wildly, "what I want to know is why the hell you're still here?"
It had been several days since Naruto had left to find Sasuke. The castle seemed much less lively now. Without Naruto's loud, boisterous personality, or the constant bickering between Sasuke and Sakura, the castle just didn't seem the same. It was funny, Sakura mused, how a person could change another life so quickly.
Etaku was still in the castle, for a reason Sakura could have well guessed. But increasingly, she had been trying to avoid him. Whenever he'd pass her in the halls, she'd look the other way, and she'd try to go the other way whenever she would see him coming. It's not that she was trying to be mean – he was a nice enough guy. But she couldn't let go of the small ray of hope Naruto had given her – not yet. A part of her was still waiting to see Sasuke again. As Sakura walked absentmindedly through the castle, she heard a familiar voice.
"Princess Sakura! Princess Sakura!" Kitsune called, shuffling over to her. Sakura smiled weakly in response and matched her steps to Kitsune's tinier ones as they walked. It reminded Sakura a bit of how Sasuke would slow down when he walked next to her.
"Princess, I need to ask you a question about something," Kitsune asked innocently enough. Sakura didn't respond, a signal for Kitsune to continue. Maybe she had picked that up from Sasuke as well…
"Now answer me truthfully, Sakura. Have you been avoiding Prince Etaku?"
Sakura sighed. "No, not particularly, Kitsune. Why do you ask? Isn't he supposed to be leaving for his home soon? I figured he would have left by now."
Kitsune's mouth tightened. "Don't play games with me, Princess. I've cared for you since you were a baby, and I'm here to talk to you as a concerned adult now. Don't tell me you haven't noticed Etaku's advances."
"Well," Sakura began, "Of course I've noticed. You'd have to be blind to not notice the kind of attention he gives me – or you'd have to be Naruto," Sakura laughed, making a joke out of the situation. Kitsune did not look amused.
"Sakura, he's a good man. He's going to make a wonderful king once he marries, and why shouldn't you be the one to marry him?" Kitsune asked, not noticing Sakura roll her eyes. "He's intelligent, and charming, and kind, and handsome, and everything you could dream of in a husband. You would be a fool not to accept an offer of marriage from him."
Sakura suddenly stopped, clenching her fist. "Then maybe I am a fool. But I'm not so sure I can just accept something like that simply out of convenience…"
"Princess Sakura!" Kitsune interrupted in a scolding tone. "For years I have watched you grow and mature in a young lady, and so have your parents. Don't you think they deserve to see you happy?"
"But maybe there's another way…"
"No, I'm sorry, Sakura," Kitsune continued. "You need to be honest with yourself and accept the fact that Prince Uchiha is not coming back. You're only hurting yourself by living in some false reality."
Sakura hung her head in defeat as she realized that she was too tired to fight back. She knew that Kitsune was only looking out for her, and that it was good advice. Etaku was a decent man, a man maybe she could learn to be happy with, just as hundreds of royals had done in the past. Sasuke…Sasuke would not be coming back. Naruto would not be able to keep his promise, most likely, because it was simply impossible. Sasuke did not care about Sakura.
Later that day, Sakura thought about her discussion with Kitsune. It had been odd for Kitsune to approach her on a bold subject, although Kitsune could have just been getting ahead of herself. After all, Etaku was leaving that next morning, and it was unlikely that he would propose. But if he did, Sakura had assured Kitsune that she would not turn down such a…smart offer.
Those were her thoughts as she made her way out to the balcony. Hinata had told her that there was a surprise there from her from her parents. Sakura couldn't say she was very excited – they were most likely just trying to cheer her up with some gift.
At least, that's what she had thought, until she came out onto the balcony, not quite comprehending the scene in front of her. Hinata was avoiding eye contact with Sakura, like she was ashamed of something. Kitsune was smiling giddily, as were her parents and other servants. Lastly, Etaku stood in the middle of the balcony, and upon seeing her, he confidently strode over to her.
"Princess Sakura," Etaku said, bending down on one knee, "would you give me the honor of being my bride?" Pulling a velveteen ring box from his pocket, Etaku lifted it hesitantly toward Sakura's down turned face.
To say that Sakura was shocked would be an understatement. So maybe Etaku's intentions had been blatantly obvious, but Sakura hadn't really expected it to happen. Maybe she had been living in a false reality, as Kitsune had said. This was a real proposal – and would come along with the full wedding, and white gown, and beautiful reception, and a promised life of security and happiness. She was left completely speechless as she beheld the glittering gem set before her – the diamond facets sparkling and dancing in the waning light. Her parents rejoiced ecstatically, happy that their daughter would marry so well, and Kitsune began shouting orders to various servants to begin preparations for a glorious celebration.
But Sakura did not seem to hear any of the commotion around her. Time had momentarily stopped – the hopeful face of her suitor, the joyful expressions of her parents, and the content smile from Kitsune were all frozen in place. She couldn't focus on anything around her, except for the dazzling ring in front of her. Sakura's hand unconsciously wrapped around her own ring hanging around her neck – the one Sasuke had given her – as flashbacks flooded her brain.
His smoldering gaze. "Haruno."
His arrogant smirk. "Welcome to Hell, Princess."
His wit. "I'm just upholding my part of the deal, Princess,"
The way he gave small compliments. "You look really nice tonight."
The way he noticed everything. "Where is it that you always run off to?"
The way his eyebrow quirked when he was amused. "I was wrong about you. You're different."
The way his eyes said more than his words. "Why marry someone you don't want to?"
The way they fought. "I hate you!"
His meaning. "Eternity. Even if we couldn't be together, in our hearts we'd always be linked by the promise held in this ring."
His jealousy that he so often hid. "It was meant for you, after all."
The sincerity in his eyes. "Ah. I promise."
His friendship. "Princess."
His truth. "Think of it as a symbol of what almost was."
The way he showed that he cared. "Thank you, Sakura."
It was then that Sakura came to her senses. Her eyes, which had been gone of shine and luster for so many days recently, were now bright and determined as they fluttered back into focus of the world. The fiery spirit within her seemed to burst forth, exploding and igniting like a warm flame inside her veins. She grinned, finally realizing that she had not been herself lately, and she knew exactly what she needed to do to be herself.
"No," Sakura stated softly, her voice a ghostly whisper in the bustling room around her. Everyone seemed to hear, though, because they all stopped in confusion. Sakura turned confidently to Etaku, determination strong in her eyes. Hinata grinned from behind as Etaku opened his mouth, clearly dumbfounded – not understanding what Sakura was saying.
"No, I won't marry you," Sakura continued, louder this time. Everyone exchanged confused looks.
"But, why?" Etaku asked, taken aback by the rejection. He hadn't expected her blunt answer.
Sakura smiled genuinely for the first time since Sasuke left. "Because someone I know once asked me - why marry someone if you don't want to?"
Etaku's voice hardened. "Then what do you want?"
Sakura's answer came without hesitation. "Eternity."
Okay. I really hope this chapter lives up to its expectations. I know a lot of you readers have been waiting for months for this. I love ya'll, I really do, I'm just so busy with family life and work. But I'm sticking with this story, and it's very close to the end. So hopefully I get a chance to update soon. I'll work hard! Peace ;)