Ino was reaching her last nerve. She knew something had happened between Sasuke and Sakura, she could feel it, yet she couldn't for the life of her figure out what. When she had tried to pry it out of Sakura, the rosy headed girl quietly replied with a "Nothing," and then switched the topic with the first thing that came to mind. When she had casually approached Sasuke, after wasting three days trying to find him, a rather sad waste of time considering the fact that they live in the same village, she asked him about Sakura and if he noticed anything strange about her behavior. His reply, to stop bothering him with useless annoyances and to take her obsession with the girl to someone else that cared. To say she hit rock bottom was more than obvious.
Absentmindedly smoothing back her hair repeatedly, she sighed in frustration, not enjoying her failed attempts one bit. Who could she ask? No one really, either no one would care, want to get involved or were too dense to pick up the obvious match needing to be pushed to conclusion. "Why am I the only one who's observant enough to see this?" She mumbled to herself, moving on from her hair to play with the hem of her skirt. Sick of dwelling on the matter, Ino decided to try Sakura once again. She knew Sakura was avoiding her and with the few missions that she'd been assigned to, it was hard to find the pink-haired girl when she had the time to seek her out. If forehead girl wants to make things difficult well I'll just have to do the same for her. Shutting the door behind her, Ino realized she didn't know where Sakura was exactly. Hospital first. With a new determination Ino began to think up how best to approach the touchy topic. She already knew Sakura was going to get around discussing anything that dealt with her and Sasuke but as her friend (sort of) she took it upon herself to get involved. You'll thank me later forehead girl.
Smirking proudly with her newly thought of plan, her attention switched over to an obnoxiously familiar voice whining about fair treatment. Rolling her eyes, Ino took it upon herself to take a slight detour and quiet down the ruckus by smacking the hot headed blonde rather roughly. "Stop yelling like that Naruto! It's annoying!" Allowing her delicate fingers to uncurl, she took a deep breath, calming herself back down. It was more than likely she was letting her frustration be redirected towards the now semiconscious boy, but she would never admit that. Stumbling up, Naruto rubbed his throbbing head unhappily; his mouth a forlorn sliver, but finally shut.
"You didn't have to hit me."
"Sure I did." Grunting, the brightly dressed shinobi turned away, pouting whilst caressing his sore head. He wasn't sure what was wrong with women but he couldn't understand what made them believe they had the right to physically abuse others and still expect to be well liked. Well except for Hinata, she's still nice. Quiet but nice. His frown deepened, forming a rather comical image unlike his true sentiments.
"So what were you complaining about?"
"Why do you care?" He shot back aggressively. It took every ounce of strength in her body to refrain herself from smacking him again. She still couldn't imagine how anyone could handle the boy for more than ten minutes, much less be with him constantly. Sakura must have had more than a few headaches. She mused, staring down at the blonde who was still rubbing his tender head and the newly formed bump. Wait...Sakura! Remembering what she had originally set out for, she smacked her forehead, and quickly apologizing to Naruto before running off. Rolling his eyes at the sound of the smack he muttered something about girls and hitting when her words slowly flowed into his ears and his rather dense mind. Astounded by the fact that he had gotten an apology Naruto gaped rather unflatteringly at where Ino had disappeared down.
Out of breath and a little frazzled Ino stood before the front desk trying to regain some of the lost oxygen. "Sakura-san? She left a few minutes ago actually. I believe she was called out on a mission." Ino nearly fell over with what the nurse had told her. Standing outside the hospital, Ino cursed herself. If only she hadn't gotten sidetracked she would have caught the girl. "What the heck was I doing anyways?" She pondered aloud when Naruto flashed in her mind. Gritting her teeth, tight-fisted she cried out the boy's name, who coincidentally tripped over a small pebbled as he sneezed.
---
The team quickly made their way back to the sleeping village hidden in the leaves. Luckily all had gone well and their time out was relatively short. Not once did the medic-nin need to use her abilities, nor did they have to worry about any sneak attacks. Although it had been ranked an A mission, in actuality it was more of a C-ranked mission that had somehow gotten elevated by a simple misunderstanding. Though a little disappointed at finding out, the slight break was nice, so no fuss was made about it.
Jumping to the village's entrance the medic-nin said something to the others she had been teamed with. Her pink locks fluttering in a soft dance by the nightly breeze. The team leader gave a short nod, his two hoops shaking lightly at his ears, as he motioned for the other to leave with him. Politely excusing himself from her, the other followed, his lips pressed in a thin line. Despite any expression he expressed, their motion merely flipped back and forth as he determined. Their light footsteps barely sounded, as they two left the gates behind.
Unsure why she had asked to report later, the need to stay close here was enough to make her stay. Her body lingered near the gates. If she was to take a step, she'd be outside of the village. Although it wasn't anything that would seem odd to others it bothered her. Here she was still within the village, but if she was to only take a single step forward she'd be 'outside', so simple yet so overlooked. Obvious though it was it was also insignificant.
This very gate had seen her countless times before, probably having already memorized every detail that made her; she was no stranger to it anymore. Whether it was for missions or just to relive that day while hoping for a sign of return, she had been there before it.
"Five weeks today." Sakura whispered to herself. The night when she had nearly felt Sasuke's lips or so she figured she had dreamt. Since then she hadn't seen him for five long weeks. Too afraid to seek him out, she was unsure what to do, much less what to say. She knew he was troubled, more so upset by the event, if it had truly taken place. She couldn't fathom what was going through his mind nor how much. Her chest ached and there was no solace for her. She was a coward, unable to face him, ask him, force him to open up to her, to let her in. Even if he didn't feel the same as she did, she wanted at least that much. Yet she was unable to push him. The closest she had come was when they had first me up after those long years of being apart.
It had been a long tome since she had felt that way. It was due to this feeling that she had chosen to become a medic-nin. Standing back watching, crying those were things she didn't want to do anymore and yet here she was just watching, crying furiously on the inside. What exactly was she accomplishing with this? Nothing. The early breeze had died, making everything seem to stand still, frozen in that very second, the edge of the village before her. Just a step and she'd be out. It was an easy step to take if you knew you'd be back, but somehow it seemed difficult for her to do at the moment. It feels different. As if I wouldn't be coming back. Is that how he had felt? No it seemed easy for him then.
Taking a step back she kept staring at the invisible line. Then she took another and then another step back, the space between her and the line wider than before, making her feel more at ease. This is stupid. What am I afraid of? There's nothing special about this place. There is no line, no border. Shaking her head, she forced her foot up, ready to take the steps forward when another's reached her ears. Slowly turning curiously, she peered behind her wondering who else was out so late. She couldn't imagine Shikamaru coming back to talk to her. Focusing on the lone figure coming towards her, his head bent forward, face hidden in shadow as his gaze kept fixed on the ground before him. She wasn't sure how, perhaps it was because she had watched him for so long, she could pick up almost anything about him, though now she wished she couldn't.
Her heart nearly stopped beating, as a pang of fear sunk to her stomach. "Sasuke?" Her voice whispered bringing his gaze up from the path he was treading on. He seemed surprised to see her but not nearly as surprised as she was to see him. Her viridian eyes lowered down, checking for any pack of sorts but found none. She wanted to feel relieved by that, but by the look in his eyes she knew not to be.
"What are you doing here?" Her throat tightened, making it hard for her to form her words.
"I…just got back…from a mission." She thought she heard him say something but she wasn't sure, her gaze never leaving him, a pressing fear that if she did he'd disappear again this time for forever. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably finding his path blocked with the obstacle he had hoped to avoid, that he wanted to avoid. Throwing the unwanted thought back, he forcefully moved his feet forward, avoiding those eyes that looked at him full of worry and with an unasked question. It was the question more than anything he wanted to evade. Slowly and silently he kept walking, passing by her and nearing the unseen border. It was happening all over again. She knew it and so did he.
"Sasuke..."
"I'm going back." The sudden abruptness in his words shook her, leaving her speechless and lost. She couldn't help but think back to that line, the one that no one seemed to see but the one that made all the difference to her.
"Why?" He remained silent. "I…won't let you." Still he said nothing. "I won't, not this time. I won't let you walk away like last time. I'll fight if I have to."
"That won't stop me."
"Sasuke."
"There's...no point in my staying here." Sakura remained silent. "Their eyes, they won't ever change." His last statement confused her. Whose eyes? She thought to herself. "They're always watching, like before, but now it's worse. Pity...hatred, it's not worth it."
"So you're running away."
"No."
"Yes you are."
"I'm leaving."
"It's the same thing!"
"It's not."
"It is!"
"How would you understand?" He whipped around, anger swelling up within him. "You're life was different. What I went through and what you went through were different." The harshness in his tone stunned her. She gaped at him, wide eyed and speechless. She had never seen him this way, never, not once had he yelled out like that. It only made her realize how out of place she was.
"...You're right. I'm sorry." Looking away, Sakura could feel herself wanting to cry.
"Don't be." Sasuke felt angry at himself. He didn't want to yell at her, he was frustrated and angry, but how was that her fault. Taking it out on her wasn't going to make anything better. This whole time he hadn't accomplished anything. Itachi was still alive, his clan still only consisted of himself and again his only option seemed to be going back to the wanted Sannin, though he knew the time he would have left wouldn't do him any good nor bring him any closer to living out his revenge. Before he would know it, his body would no longer be his own. It all seemed like a hopeless case but he would find someway to reach the end, his wanted end.
"But... "Sakura's voice broke the hurtful silence, though Sasuke's gaze remained away fro hers."Naruto...Naruto...he went through it too. He knows. They all looked at him that way. They all hated him, shunned him, ignored his presence. But, unlike you he didn't run away... He stayed, and he showed them. He made them all respect him and those that don't, they will in time. He truly believes that." Silent, Sasuke listened, feeling shame grip him tightly. She was right and how he hated that. "And I...I believe in him...just like how I... believe in you. I always have. That...won't ever change." Sakura was staring at the ground by now, feeling foolish for lecturing him, expressing her feelings for him once again. She hesitated before she looked up at him wondering what he was thinking at the moment. She figured he was probably annoyed with her, bothered by her interfering once again. She expected to see him frowning at her, ready to retort or just stare at her silently with his cold eyes, but instead, what she saw, what she was met by was something else, something that stunned her. Never had she imagined to see this, to see him like this.
Sasuke's fists by his sides were clenched tightly, shaking somewhat, his knuckles having turned pallid. His eyes appeared closed, and his head down as he hid his face from her, a tear slowly trickling down his cheek. Slowly another followed, then pursued by another until they kept flowing freely and unwantedly. It had been years, too many years since he had last cried, that same day when he had lost everything to be exact. He believed he had lost that ability, the ability to cry and now that he was he was ashamed. Of all the times, of all the places, out of all the people who had to see him now it had to be her.
Sakura watched as he cried silently, his head never rising. It took her but a moment to realize that it was truly happening and it wasn't a trick of her mind, it was real. Breaking from her daze, Sakura tentatively took a step forward, reaching out to him, carefully wrapping her arms around his trembling body, allowing him to cry his remaining tears. Half expecting him to pull away, she was relieved that he remained in her embrace, allowing her to comfort him. They said nothing; the only sounds were the muffled whimpers coming from the distressed Uchiha. Holding him tighter Sakura could feel her eyes watering. Holding them back, she wouldn't allow herself to cry, not this time. She had always been the one crying, never once having seen Sasuke cry. No, she never had thought about him crying. It didn't seem like something he would do. Which was why this time she was going to be strong for him, comfort him, protect him, just like how he had done countless times before.
A/N: So, this part may have been a little OOC but I figure, over like 7-8 years of holding this in it was more than likely to come out eventually. So yeah if you don't agree I'm sorry. This was one of the parts I had written up for before I started this fic so yeah I've been trying to build up for this point. Well the next chapter is the last chapter. A fic originally planned to be up to 6 chapters got doubled hehe.
