Song of a Cherry Blossom
by Diana-san
Author's Note: Song used is "Eternal Snow" by Changin' My Life. Also from the anime Full Moon wo Sagashite. This song made me cry like a baby when I was younger. Okay, maybe I would still cry like a baby today.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or "Eternal Snow".
Chapter 25
The days quickly flew by in March as the last week of the trimester approached. Sakura kept quiet about her decision to everyone and only told Tsunade of her plans. Tsunade was shocked when she heard and couldn't believe that Danzo had given Sakura such an offer. But nevertheless, Tsunade understood Sakura's decision and respected it, even promising to keep it a secret until Sakura was ready to reveal it.
The last day of school came and Sakura walked slowly to her music classroom. Kurenai was not yet there since Sakura had arrived early. Sakura gave a sad smile as she placed a yellow manila envelope on top of the piano with a note posted on top. She left the classroom without another look back.
The next day was a bright and beautiful Saturday morning. Sakura glanced up at her ceiling as she woke up. Today was also her last day in her apartment. Sakura turned over as she looked at her bedside table. On top of it was her plane ticket to Suna. She sat up as she held the ticket in her hand. Danzo had really arranged for everything and booked her a flight to begin meeting with producers for the film.
She glanced at the alarm clock resting on her table with its red digital lights glowing dimly in the darkened room. Her flight was at night after her last performance at the club. It was a special performance announced ahead of time since she was planning to perform in the day rather than at night.
Slowly, Sakura got up to get ready for the day as she got dressed and made breakfast. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder what Sasuke was doing at this moment. He was probably getting ready as well. She lifted up the plane ticket from her table again as she glanced down at the card underneath the ticket. It was an invitation to Sasuke's wedding. His wedding was today.
She grabbed the ticket and the rest of her stuff as she left the invitation sitting on the table. With a backpack on her back and her suitcase in one hand, she left the apartment as she closed the door behind her.
Takimoto-san was standing at the end of the hallway with a sad look on her face. Sakura smiled brightly at her. She didn't want to start the tears fest so early in the day. They hugged as Sakura handed her key to Takimoto-san.
"You're welcome to come back any time, dear," Takimoto-san said as she took the key. "I won't be filling that room for another month or so."
"Thank you but I don't think I would be coming back." Sakura smiled again as she bid her farewell to her landlady.
When Sakura arrived at the club, everyone was teary-eyed and looked like they were about to cry at any moment. Sakura sighed. She hated good-byes. She had told everyone at the club about a week before and some took it harder than others. Jiraiya, for one, was outraged to have been kept in the dark by Tsunade. He couldn't believe that he was also the last to find out.
"I'm sorry Jiraiya-sama! But you're really bad at keeping secrets!" Sakura said as she tried to calm Jiraiya down.
Jiraiya sobbed loudly as he hugged Sakura. "I don't want you to go! Not to Danzo! NEVER! I found you! You're mine! Not his!"
Sakura sighed as everyone looked on in understanding.
"Sorry," Sakura mumbled as she tried to fight back the tears. "But this is the best thing I can do right now. I can't stay in Konoha."
"BUT WHY?!" Jiraiya asked as he pulled away from the hug.
"I need to do this," Sakura apologized, not looking him in the eye. The truth was, it was too hard for her to be in Konoha with the news constantly talking about Uchiha Corporation and their heir, Uchiha Sasuke. It was painful to know that he was getting married today and she didn't think she could continue on in a city that reminded her so much of him. Sakura knew this was a bit foolish but maybe it was the chance as well for her to go after her dream. Regardless of the reason for her departure, the results would be the same. She was going after her dream.
Tsunade pulled Jiraiya aside. "Let her be," Tsunade murmured. Sakura had told her everything about her decision and although Sakura had left out bits and pieces of the reasoning behind it, Tsunade could understand Sakura's dream to sing and even more so, the pain of a heartbreak she wanted to leave behind.
Sakura gave everyone a hug as she promised to them that she would write and send updates every week.
"You will perform in an hour," Tsunade spoke up as she hugged Sakura. Sakura nodded.
"You have a song ready?" Tsunade asked. Sakura nodded again.
"Okay, then go get ready!"
Sakura sat in her dressing room as she tried to remember each detail of the place. It's only been five minutes since she had sat down as she was already beginning to wonder if she would regret making this decision to leave. A knock came at the door and caught Sakura by surprise.
"Who is it?" Sakura called out.
She opened the door and was surprised to see the person standing in front of her. It was Ino.
"Ino? What are you doing here?"
"U-uh. I wanted to talk to you. May I come in?"
Sakura stepped aside as she let Ino come in. "Shouldn't you be at Sasuke's wedding or is that too weird?" Sakura asked.
"No. I decided not to go. Not because it was weird or anything since I dated him. But because I don't think he is making the right decision to marry Karin."
Sakura arched her eyebrows in surprise. "That he should be marrying you instead?"
Ino laughed. "No, oh god no! I actually like someone else right now." She looked down at her hands. "Actually, I was going to go to the wedding. As Sai's date."
Sakura was surprised to hear this. This was news to her. Although it made a little sense judging from how she saw the two of them working together during the cultural festival.
"Sai told me about you," Ino continued. "Actually, he told me everything. About you and Sasuke. You as Saki. That's why I came here today."
Sakura couldn't believe it. "That back-stabber," Sakura muttered. "Why would he tell you about me?"
"He didn't mean to betray your secret. He only told me when I told him that I knew you from the past."
"The past?"
"Saku-chan…"
Sakura froze at the sound of that nickname. Only one person had ever called her that before. Sakura stared at Ino as the pieces in her head seemed to click together. "Ino-pig?"
Ino laughed. "I always hated that nickname before but somehow, it sounds refreshing to hear you say it again."
"It really is you?!" Sakura was astonished. This couldn't be possible. "B-but your last name is Yamanaka!" she sputtered out.
"Ah, yeah, I went under a different last name when I knew you for certain reasons."
"Why are you here?"
Ino looked down at the ground before looking up at Sakura. "I want to say I'm sorry Sakura. For all those years I kept away from you. For breaking our friendship. Most of all, I'm sorry for betraying you."
"Why did you do it?" Sakura asked.
"It sounds dumb when I think about it. When we were placed in different classes, I was bullied in mine. I wasn't brave enough to tell you the truth about it. I was worried that if they saw me talking to you, that they would bully you as well. I didn't want you to be hurt because of me." Ino bit her lip. "I know I should have said something. Maybe I should have told you from the get-go so that you would understand. But I guess I was a scaredy-cat as well."
Sakura's face softened. "So that was the reason?"
Ino nodded.
"Ino-pig," Sakura said softly. Sakura hugged Ino as the tears slowly fell from her face. Ino glanced up in surprise as she felt her own tears fall freely from her face.
"I thought you hated me all these years!" Sakura cried out. "But I'm glad. I'm glad you didn't hate me."
"I could never," Ino responded as she hugged Sakura back.
They pulled away from the hug as they both laughed at how they were both crying.
"I'm glad I found out before I left," Sakura murmured as she wiped away the tears from her eyes.
"Ah! That's the thing! The other reason why I am here!" Ino cried out. "You can't leave! You love Sasuke, don't you?"
Sakura said nothing. "If you're dating Sai, then you should know a lot more than other people. You know Sasuke's position. He's the Uchiha heir. He has a company to run and I don't have a place to stand next to him. That spot is for Karin."
"Sai said that Sasuke loves you!"
"I know."
"You do?" Ino looked taken aback. "And yet you're going to do nothing about it? Even though you both love each other?"
"It's not our choice to make. Our fate just doesn't seem to intertwine. We have our paths laid out for us. He'll marry Karin and take care of his company. As for me, today will be my last day here and then I'll fly out tonight to begin my own dream."
Ino bit her lower lip. She couldn't help but feel as if this was all unfair. "This doesn't make any sense at all."
"I am set to perform soon. So I have to get ready," Sakura said as she turned her head away. "You'll watch, right?"
Ino nodded. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Sakura stood on the stage as she took in the crowd before her eyes. It was a larger crowd than expected although a few noticeable faces were missing. Particularly Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, and Neji. They were all probably at Sasuke's wedding right now. Sakura smiled sadly as she gave a bow to the audience. The blonde locks of her hair fell against her face to shield her expression from everyone. Sakura tried to calm down her nerves as she tried to put a happy smile back on her face. She needs to put up a brave front for her fans at least.
"Thank you for coming. You probably all heard that today would be a special performance. The thing is… this is my last performance here."
The crowd gasped in shock as the room flooded with protests.
"I'm sorry to spring this onto you so suddenly. However, I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to all of you. Thank you for listening to me all this time and for your never-ending support."
Sakura smiled. "But this won't be the last you see of me. I am actually pursuing a bigger dream of mine. I have been offered a singing contract and will be going abroad to start my career."
The lights began to dim low as a single spotlight rested on Sakura. "This song I am about to sing…it's one I have written personally. You will all be the first to hear it today. It's actually a personal song for a guy I really like. I wished now that I had the chance to tell him how I felt about him. You see, he's not here right now because he's about to get married. I wish I told him how much I loved him back when he confessed to me. I don't know exactly how to say those words to him. In fact, I don't feel ready to say it or maybe just a little scared to admit it. So I like to dedicate this song to him."
Sakura held the microphone in her hand. She had no band accompaniment today or a guitar. It was just going to be her voice alone to the music.
Kurenai read the note on the packet. "Thank you for everything sensei. Inside is the song I wrote for the competition. I don't know if it can get first place but I hope it contains the feelings you were searching for in my songs. I thought I could write a beautiful song about love and I'm sorry that most of my songs seem to be more about heartbreak and loss."
Kurenai took out the sheet music from the envelope as well as a CD case with a disc inside. "Eternal Snow," she murmured as she read the title.
"Eternal Snow," Sakura said as the music began to play through the sound system.
"Kimi wo suki ni natte Dorekurai tatsu no kaNA?
Kimochi Fukurande yuku bakari de
Kimi wa Kono omoi kidzuiteiru no kana?
Ichido mo kotoba ni wa Shitenai kedo"
How long has it been since I fell in love with you?
My feelings only increase
Will you notice them
Even though I've never once put them into words?
Tsunade stood silently in the back of the stage as she watched Sakura.
"Yuki no youni Tada shizukani
Furitsumori Tsudzukete yuku"
Like the snow, they just
Quietly keep accumulating
Jiraiya took a swig of his drink as he sat with his back to the stage.
"Hold me tight Konna omoi nara
Dareka wo suki ni naru kimochi
Shiritaku Nakatta yo
I love you Namida tomaranai
Konnan ja Kimi no koto
Shirazuni ireba Yokatta yo"
Hold me tight- if this is how it feels
I didn't want to know
What it was like to be in love with someone
I love you- my tears won't stop
And so I wish
That I had never met you
Sakura tried to hold back the tears in her eyes as she sang. The pain in her heart was almost too hard to bear. Her vision blurred as she shut her eyes.
"Eien ni furu yukiga aru nara
Kimi he to tsudzuku kono omoi Kakuseru no kaNA?"
If there was an eternally falling snow
Could it hide my feelings for you?
"Hold me tight Konna omoi nara
Dareka wo suki ni naru kimochi
Shiritaku Nakatta yo
I love you Mune ni komiageru
Fuyuzora ni sakebitai
Ima sugu kimi ni Aitai yo"
Hold me tight- if this is how it feels
I didn't want to know
What it was like to be in love with someone
I love you- the feeling wells up in my chest
I want to shout to the wintery sky
"I want to see you right now"
The music faded as Sakura stood silently on the stage. The crowd was silent as they stood there still mesmerized by the song. Slowly, Ino clapped and the rest of the audience followed suit. Sakura opened her eyes as was surprised to see people in the crowd were wiping away tears from their eyes.
"Ah! That was beautiful!"
"You're going to make it big!"
"Please come back here to perform again!"
"I'll buy your CD!"
Sakura smiled. Her song has reached the audience. More importantly, it felt as if her feelings has reached them as well. Even though the one person she wanted to hear this song wasn't there.
"Thank you everyone! There is one more thing I want to say before I go."
Sakura reached up to touch her blonde wig. "Truthfully, I am…"
The lights suddenly went out and caught Sakura by surprise as she blinked in the darkness. It was pitch black and she could hear the questions and concerns in the crowd in front of her. She fumbled with the microphone in her hand but before she could test to see if it was still working, someone grabbed her from behind.
Sakura gave a small shriek as she felt a hand came around her waist.
"Finally," the voice whispered to her. "You finally tell me your feelings even though you didn't exactly say it to my face."
Sakura's eyes widened in the dark. She glanced up to try to see who it was but her head was buried against his chest.
"Sasuke?" she asked in bewilderment.
"Unless you have another guy you love, yes it's me."
"B-but, aren't you supposed to be at a wedding? Your wedding?!" Sakura was confused and feeling a little claustrophobic. She pulled away and felt him pulling her off the stage and into a corner.
"Don't reveal yourself," he murmured.
"How…how did you know?" This was all too much to take in at once. She wondered if she was dreaming.
"I had a feeling since you kissed me in your dressing room. But I only was able to confirm when Sai told me everything."
Sakura's head was spinning. Did Sai broadcast it to the world or something?
"But…"
"Everyone can love Saki. I don't care. But Sakura is mine."
The lights came back on and the crowd murmurs as they see that the stage was empty. Tsunade runs past them as she announces on the microphone. "We're sorry about the lights. Saki will be out shortly. But first, let me close the show with a surprise guest appearance by Sai."
Sakura turned around as she watched Sai walk by and onto the stage.
"Hello, I'll be playing the saxophone for you today," Sai announced. The crowd looked surprised but they seemed to have accepted the decision.
"W-wait, what is going on?!" Sakura exclaimed. She pulled at her blonde wig. "You're not… you can't be here. What about Karin? The wedding? Your future?"
"My future is with you," Sasuke stated.
Sakura couldn't breathe. She felt like the room was closing in on her. "N-no. You can't. We can't. The company will be in trouble if your engagement falls through."
"I'll fix it when that happens. If that happens," Sasuke assured her.
Sakura couldn't stop the tears that were starting to form at her eyes. "I don't want you to be responsible for everyone's jobs. I don't want you to suffer with the burden." Sasuke hugged her as she cried into his chest. She noticed he was wearing a tuxedo so he must have ran from the wedding.
"It'll be difficult to explain this to everyone but I can't let you go like this," Sasuke murmured as he nestled his chin on top of Sakura's head. "Suna? For how long? Were you ever going to tell me?"
"Eventually…" Sakura's voice trailed off. "Sorry," was the only thing Sakura could mutter afterwards.
"I'm sorry too. I was selfish. I told you I wanted to be with you but I ran away when I was left with the pressure of taking over the company."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you my feelings earlier."
He pulled away to gaze at Sakura. He slowly removed the blonde wig from her head as he allowed her pink tresses to fall gently down her shoulders. He leaned in closer causing Sakura's breath to hitch as she closed her eyes. She felt his minty breath tickle her nose as his lips made contact with her own.
"I know your feelings now," he whispered.
She breathed in slowly as her eyes remained closed. His hands were cupped around her face and they were warm to the touch. The decision that they both made in each other was a forbidden one. But they had threw out all their cares about what was right or what was wrong. She hoped that the two of them were prepared for the aftermath that was yet to come.
Sakura opened her eyes as Sasuke leaned in again to kiss her once more.