One Year

NaruBaby2496

A/N: These are all in either Sasuke or Sakura's POV, or the normal third person's I've been doing. I think I've been doing third person…

Anyway, you'll be able to tell which is which, trust me.

Chapter 14

"How can I forget you when you're always on my mind?

How can I not want you when you're all I want inside?

How can I let you go when I can't see us apart?

How can I not love you when you control my heart?"

--Unknown

-November 27-

Walking through the snow with Dobe and Kakashi wasn't the same as it should have been. It was too quiet, too serene, too hushed. I knew it was just me, because Naruto was having the time of his life kicking snow, and Kakashi was reading his porno. It was just me who felt awkward and alone following them on the ground, leaving Konoha. Maybe that was the reason why I felt so out of place. I had come back to the village—okay, Naruto and Sakura had literally dragged me back—and now I had to leave again, and return to Orochimaru, the person who started my chain of hatred. I was leaving the girl who kept me sane, for the most part, when I needed her the most, and this time, it was much harder than it was before. She hadn't proclaimed her love for me, begging me to stay, saying she would scream or anything of relation to that. She let me go when she didn't want to because she knew this was something I had to and really wanted to do.

She put my happiness before hers, and now I wasn't feeling as exhilarated, as I should have. I was sad, being away from Sakura. Sure, we have been arguing the past week or so, but I was still with her, around her, able to see, smell and touch her. She kissed me because she didn't want me to go, but stopped because she thought that would make situations worse, make me think of nothing but her perfectly shaped lips on mine, when in actuality, stopping short made me think even more about her. I wanted to tell Sakura everything and comfort her, to let her know that I would come back to her if that meant failing an easily accomplishable mission, and that I would be there for her whenever she needed me, but I couldn't. Even though I killed Itachi, even though he told me that he spared me because he loved me so, I still feel that if I care about someone enough, someone, anyone, would come and kill them. I did not want that to happen—no one would.

"Sasuke-teme, what are you thinking about? You've been staring at the snow for half an hour." We were walking on foot, since there were snow and ice on the trees, and it was too dangerous to run on them because of the ice everywhere and the chance of slipping and breaking your ankle was too high. I wanted to run, because that would get us to Sound in about thirty-six hours, and wasting time on this mission would only make it harder to accomplish. Answering Naruto's previous question, I fibbed, "The mission. Can we stop though; I need to write to Sakura."

As expected, the idiot started laughing, "Oh! Sasuke and Sakura sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G first comes—"

"Shut the hell up and give me a piece of paper."

He's such a dumbass.

-November 28-

Awake, but pretending to be asleep, I covered myself in my old Power Puff Girl sheets and let the warmth overtake me. I was at home, because it was too lonely and quiet in my apartment. I had tried sleeping there last night, but couldn't. My mom knew why, my Dad knew why, Ino, Hinata and TenTen knew why, they all understood my situation except for me. At least they said they understood, shaking their heads in agreement while I cried on their shoulders or on the phone with them, but they really would never comprehend. They never had their crush (love) leave, come back, and then leave again without any more explanation than it being just a mission. I knew it was more than what Kakashi and Tsunade tried to make it seem. I knew he was walking into a huge trap.

Even though tears could not fall anymore, I was still crying. My heart was crying. I knew he wasn't coming back. Three quick knocks on my door startled me, and a yelp escaped my lips. Soon, though, my Mom opened the door with a large smile on her face, "Sakura-chan, you have mail!" Some people say that my Mom is an exact copy of me, namely my Dad, but I can't see it. Maybe it's the fact that she has Irish red hair, freckles and bright green eyes. At the news of mail, I uncovered my face, and forced a smile, "Really?"

She skipped over to my mattress, full of energy as usual, despite the early hour, and plopped down, being careful not to land on my feet. Like an eager child, sometimes I felt like the Mom in our relationship, she shoved the carefully folded paper in my face and chirped, "Open it. I think you'll be happy." I raised an eyebrow at her, because the sheet still had tape on it, but soon I flipped it over, and saw in Sasuke's perfect cursive handwriting 'Haruno Sakura'. I started to open the sheet, but eyed my Mom cautiously, "Can I read it without you over my shoulder?"

She laughed, and jumped off my bed, winking, "Of course. Tell me what he said, okay?" I nodded as my door clicked closed, and I started reading, relieved after every word.

Naruto is such a dumbass, Sakura. How did you live with nothing but orange for so long without me? I'm starting to feel sorry for not coming back sooner, relieving you of his absurdity. I thought you were annoying back then, and Naruto's here singing Christmas songs, even though it's still November. I was so wrong.

Please come and shut him up. (Of course, I'm kidding, I don't want you to come, because it's far too dangerous. I'll just punch Naruto for you if it gets too bad.)

Anyway, we should be at our first stop within an hour, to sleep, by time you receive this, I mean. It only takes a day for messenger birds to arrive, if I remember correctly. We'll be meeting Shikamaru and Kiba's teams at a hotel near the edge of the Fire Country tomorrow, just to make sure everyone is okay and whatnot. So far, though, nobody has even encountered the chakras of an enemy ninja, so things are easy right now. Kiba keeps on using the radio, and I'm tired of hearing it beep then his annoying scratchy voice every ten minutes—he's worse than Naruto sometimes.

Its cold, but it stopped snowing around fifteen minutes ago. I'm fine, don't worry, Tsunade gave us all the winter version of the ANBU uniforms. She says if I'm a 'good boy', she'll try to convince the Council to let me be a real ANBU, after I pass my chuunin test. I don't believe they still rank me as a Genin. There're such idiots. I'll show you my mask when I get back, but I think it's a mutated eagle-cat thing. Kakashi said it was a bird, Naruto a cat, so, I'll let you decide. There's literally no beak, though.

They both say hey.

I mis—I really—Maybe we can—

Write back,

Uchiha Sasuke

An unconscious smile rising onto my face, I hopped off my bed, pulling my sheets to the floor. I grabbed the first piece of good paper I found, took my bright blue pen from an old pencil holder, sat at my white vanity, and began writing my reply to Sasuke's letter. Granted, I felt terrible at how ugly my handwriting was when put against his royal print, but I sped through writing the letter, not even having trouble when thinking of what to say.

Something did confuse me though, and that was the fact he had tried writing an ending three times, before choosing the boring option. There was an 'I miss you', 'I really miss you', and a 'Maybe we can' dot dot dot. Of course, these were all just guesses, and I'm sure they are correct guesses, but it caught me off guard. He was actually keeping his promise to write, and he was ending it with the possibility of a 'maybe we can' do something when I get back? I didn't know, however I liked to think it was that.

I checked my essay over for grammar mistakes and whatnot, soon smiling at my work as I tried to fold it as neat as he had.

Hey, Naruto is not that much of an idiot, but I give you full control to punch him for me—I rather miss that. Ha, don't tell him I said that. Anyway, you are right, I'm not annoying at all.

How is everybody? Nobody's injured, right? A lot can happen in a day, so, I was just checking. Oh, and don't get a cold—I heard that there were supposed to be a lot of snowstorms and such in Sound.

Mutated cat-eagle thing—I would say it's most likely a cat, but I can't say until I see for myself. Tsunade told me the other day that the Council would only let you be an ANBU if you pass the Chuunin and Jounin tests, which are both difficult. She also mentioned that you're still under probation when you get back, so you probably won't be getting any missions after you return until three or so months. So, seriously, enjoy the freedom of this one.

Nothing much has been going on over here, and it's still snowing. I don't believe it; it's not even officially winter yet! I've been hanging out with my Mom and Dad a lot; it's extremely lonely in my apartment. Tomorrow, I might go over Ino's house, though.

Just for the record, I will say when I kissed you that it was an accident and I was trying to kill a bug on your face. Don't believe that if you want, but I am sticking to that reason forever. Yes, forever, Sasuke Uchiha, forever I will say our first kiss was an accident.

I wish you people luck, as always, and have fun on your first mission. Tell Naruto and Kakashi hey back.

I miss you, (and I am not afraid to say it unlike some people)

Haruno Sakura

I summoned a messenger bird, told it all the necessary information, and let fly away. Now that it's gone, I have a feeling I shouldn't have added that bug-squishing part…oh well.

And another Chapter is done!

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~NaruBaby2496