SasuSaku Month 2014

Day 25 Prompt- The Other Side Of The Wall

Sakura slammed the door and locked it behind her. She wasn't going to let that stupid, arrogant bastard get the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Who the hell did he think he was? Ruining her date, and then pretty much thrashing her date to within an inch of his life! His behaviour was getting more and more ridiculous with each passing day. She couldn't understand why she had fallen in love with his cocky, cold, stuck-up, insensitive, idiotic self in the first place anyway.

Throwing herself on the couch, she said out loud. "Who the hell does he think he is? He had no right to destroy my date. He's a stupid, arrogant, selfish, cold, stand-offish, idiotic, annoying bastard! Uchiha, my foot! He's a bloody scoundrel! He doesn't deserve to be called an Uchiha!"

She picked up a cushion and threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a loud thump. "Bloody Uchiha." She muttered. "Thinks he's all that. He's a worthless coward, that's what he is. If he thinks he can do whatever he likes because he thinks I'm in love with him, here's an effing newsflash, Uchiha."She spat. She drew back her hand and punched the wall so hard that it shook. "I hate you, Uchiha Sasuke! I HATE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!"

Outside her apartment, two young men stood, leaning against the wall. The shorter one had blond spiked hair, which were held back with his hitai-ate. He exhaled softly. "Wow, Teme. I guess you finally did it this time."

"Hn. Atleast she understood it this time."

"Why are you doing this, Sasuke? She's hurting so bad, can't you hear her?" Naruto's eyes flashed.

Uchiha Sasuke lifted his head. "I can hear her, Naruto. But this was necessary."

"Necessary? NECESSARY? It wasn't necessary in the least! She loves you, you idiot! Why the hell are you putting her through this? She's crying, Sasuke! She's crying because of you!"

Suddenly, the wall trembled for a moment. "I hate you, Uchiha Sasuke! I HATE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!"

"You hear that, you cold-hearted twit?"

"I merely made sure that she would cry only once." Sasuke replied in a slightly strangled voice.

"Huh? What do you mean, Teme?" Naruto sensed the slight, almost imperceptible change in Sasuke's countenance. After Sakura's declaration, it was as if his entire body had slumped. To a bystander, however, there would seem to be no difference. His hair was hanging over his forehead, shielding his eyes from view.

"I made sure that she would only cry once. Never again."

"Teme, you're making no sense. Why are you doing all this? Just how messed up are you?"

Sasuke looked straight at Naruto. He had his expressionless face plastered on. His eyes had always betrayed some hint of his true feelings to Naruto, his best friend. This time, however, Naruto found no trace of what was running through the Uchiha's mind.

"There's nothing wrong with me, Naruto."

Naruto couldn't understand what was going on. Sakura was crying in her apartment, heartbroken because Sasuke, apart from being a complete ass, sabotaged her date. Naruto had no idea what to make of Sasuke's behaviour. And his cryptic responses weren't helping either.

"Sasuke, what's going on? Your behaviour makes no sense." Naruto rasped out. "You're giving me cryptic trash for answers. You're hurting Sakura-chan so much that she hates you, and you say you planned it out so that she'd cry only once? What the hell?"

"I need to make Sakura hate me!" Sasuke hissed out. Naruto was startled to see that his Sharingan had activated, tomoe spinning wildly. "I had to do all that to make her hate me!"

In a lower tone, he continued. "Naruto, she will destroy her life if she continues loving me. She can't stay hung up on me forever. She needs to get on with her life!"

"You say all that and then you go and sabotage Sakura's date! What in the hell are you doing?"

"Her so called 'date' was an imposter who wanted to infiltrate Konoha. He was using Sakura because he wanted to get some intel. That and I could sense every one of his vile, disgusting thoughts about her when I used my Sharingan on him. That's why I interrupted her date."

Naruto was puzzled. On one hand, Sasuke wanted Sakura to hate him. On the other, everything he did was for her. "Sasuke, what on earth are you trying to- Oh. OH." Naruto's eyes widened as he realized what was going on.

"Sasuke, please, tell me I'm wrong. This cannot be happening." However, one look at his best friend confirmed Naruto's suspicions. The wall Sasuke put up to hide his feelings had crumbled and it was written clear as day in his eyes. "Uchiha, you're one hell of a messed up guy, ya know?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Why didn't you ever tell her you love her? She'd have been so happy. You two would be together by now."

"Naruto, if you value your life, you will never utter a word of this to anyone, least of all, her." Sasuke said, darkly. "Sakura needs to get over me."

"But why, dattebayo? You love her, she loves you, so why?"

"Because I'm not who she deserves! I'll never be who she deserves. I've already fallen far too much. I can't pull her down with me." In a softer tone, he added, "I can't imprison that angel in hell. If she continues to love me, her life will get destroyed. Don't I know the way the villagers talk about her for loving a traitor? If we were together, it'd only get worse. Even now, the things they say about her, it makes me want to Amaterasu each and every one of them for even thinking such thoughts about her. She's innocent, Naruto, but it's me who's condemned her. She doesn't deserve this. The only thing she deserves is happiness, joy, hope, light- none of which I can give. I'm darkness, Naruto. I can't taint her too."

"She fell in love with me, but it can only hurt her. She'd never be able to be truly happy. That 'Sakura-smile' of hers would disappear. And being stubborn as she is, she would never admit it either. The only way was to make her forget about me. I needed to make her hate me so much that she'd fall out of love with me. It was the only way she'd even consider anyone else. It was the only way she'd have a chance at being happy, even if with someone else."

Naruto was gawking at Sasuke as he continued his explanation. The pain he felt for having to hurt Sakura like this was evident, leaking through his choked voice. Naruto gave a defeated smile. All his life, he'd considered Sasuke to be a selfish, cold-hearted person. It was today, as Sasuke was pouring out his feelings, that the magnitude of just how terrifically wrong he had been was being thrown in his face. The one person Sasuke had ever truly loved, he was willing to let go, just so that she could be happy.

"You really love her, huh, Sasuke?"

"More than I could ever love anyone."

"And you're still going to put yourself through all this?"

"Naruto, did you know just why the Kazekage visited Konoha recently?"

"Gaara? He had some official business with baa-chan."

"He came to ask for Sakura's hand."

Naruto was stunned into silence. Sasuke continued, "Sakura is a proud, powerful, and skilled kunoichi as well as medic-nin. She is also well versed in politics. Add to that her beauty, and charming nature. She has scores of people falling over themselves to date her. For the Kazekage, she'd be a suitable partner. Furthermore, it'd strengthen relations between Konoha and Suna. And those two are really close anyway. It wasn't really surprising that Gaara would fall for her too."

"You know Sakura, don't you? If she didn't even date anyone for the three years I was missing, do you think she'd agree to marry Gaara when I'm right there? Naruto, do you see why I had to make her despise me? She'd be happy with him. Power, position and money- he can give her all of those. She'd never want for material comforts. The villagers would respect her in a way they never did because of me. But most importantly, Gaara can give her the love she deserves. She'd be happy."

Naruto somehow found his voice. "What about you? Sakura-chan might be happy with Gaara, but what will you do?"

Sasuke smirked wearily. "Me? I'll do what I'm famous for. I'll continue being an ice-cube."

By now, tears were running down Sasuke's pale cheeks. He slumped against the wall, sliding down to the ground. His head rested against the wall, and his eyes were closed.

(A Year Later)

"And you may now kiss the bride!" The gathering erupted into cheers as a blushing pinkette kissed her tall, handsome groom. His pale hands cupped her cheeks. She had a wide smile on her face and her eyes sparkled. One look at the newly-married couple and their love for each other was evident.

At the reception, it was time for the best man's speech. A man with blonde spikes made his way to the stage. "Hey people! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, best man at the wedding of two of my closest friends! And Sakura-chan, you look beautiful. You sure you don't want to ditch this chap, whom you married Kami knows why, and run away with me instead?" There was an indignant but happy shout of "Naruto!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Chill out, Sakura-chan. Don't get so worried. Gaara, I'm not stealing her away from you. Now, on to the actual speech. Actually, hold on. There was this quote that kept popping into my head. 'You only miss the light when it's burning low; you only miss the sun when it begins to snow. You only know you love them, when you have the courage to let them go.' So Gaara, if you would, please exhibit your love for Sakura-chan and keep your hands off her."

Naruto ducked as a projectile sailed over his head. "I'm kidding Sakura-chan! You can't blame me for threatening him! You're like my innocent little sister!"

'Oh, Sakura-chan, if only you knew the real story behind that quote. You'd be surprised how closely it links to you', he thought sombrely.

As he was thinking, he looked at a man at the very back of the room. His dark hair was covering his forehead, and it stuck up at the back. Through his bangs, his obsidian eyes met Naruto's for a second. Even from that distance, the pain in his eyes was evident to Naruto. The man smiled softly at the wedded couple, and then he turned around and left the hall. No one except Naruto even noticed his departure.

'Teme, you really love her, don't you?'

Uchiha Sasuke walked out of the hall and quickly shunshin-ed to his house. Going inside, he shut the door. Only within the confines of his room did his manner finally change. The strong exterior he had put up was gone, and the wall behind which he hid his emotions crumbled away. Sakura had always only seen the wall. It had finally disappeared and Sasuke, for the first time in ages, exhibited his real feelings and just broke down. The man that lived on the other side of the wall was not the last Uchiha, or a great shinobi. It was just a broken man, who had let go of the only person he truly loved.