So sorry that I ended up deleting the story that was on my account. I wrote it in like October and I just lost all motivation for it. I also re-read it and it was CRINGE to the max. There were only a few people who favorited it and followed it, so to them - I'm sorry I deleted it! But also, thank you for supporting me and my stories. I'm now going to try to recreate this story and just make it better and actually take my time with it. That's all, thank you guys 3

Prologue

two years ago - graduation night

Sakura stood in her bedroom nervously pacing back and forth. Today was going to be a great day, she kept telling herself, despite the dark and sinking feeling she would get in her gut every time she thought about walking across the stage and getting her diploma. It wasn't just that she was nervous that she would trip and fall walking onto the stage, or anything embarrassing like that, she just had another terrible feeling and she could not place the reason why.

The graduation ceremony was set to begin at 7 pm, but the seniors needed to be there for 6 pm to get everything ready, and to straighten out any kinks in their formation walking out onto the field and the stage. Sakura had been anxiously pacing back and forth for almost an hour, as it was already 4:30 pm. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for, or exactly why she felt this way.

Bzz bzz bzz

Just then, her phone buzzing ripped her from her nervous trance.

"Hello?"

"Sakura! Are you almost ready? I was going to pick up Shika and then I was going to come get you so we could go to Starbucks before we need to be at the school!" Her blonde-haired best friend yelled from the other side of the phone.

"Well, I was kind of getting ready, and then I uhh... I kind of stopped."

"What do you mean stopped? We have to be there in like, an hour! Please tell me you showered already at least."

"Yeah, yeah, I showered already. I have my dress on, too. I just can't bring myself to curl my hair or to put any makeup on, I guess. It just seems like it will be all too real then. Like, how crazy is this? This will be the last night we see everyone who has been in our lives for the last 12 years. We're all going to be going separate ways..."

"Jeez, Sakura. Way to be a downer! Well, don't worry. I'll tell Shikamaru that he's saved, I won't be picking him up. I'll come to your house and help you get ready if you think that will make you feel better?" Sakura could hear Ino's hopeful smile through the phone.

"Sure, I'd like that. Thanks, Ino-pig." Sakura smiled and hung up the phone.

A few minutes later, Ino arrived at Sakura's house and perhaps a little bit forcefully, began helping her get ready for their high school graduation ceremony.

A loud, blond, obnoxious fellow was screeching that Sasuke ought to start getting ready for graduation. Sasuke almost literally couldn't care less about the graduation festivities, so long as he got his diploma and his transcripts for the college he would be attending, then there was no problem.

"Sasuke-teme! Come on, man! It's already almost 5! We gotta get to the school soon!" Naruto was jumping up and down in his graduation outfit. He had already begun putting his gown on and everything, whereas Sasuke was still wearing shorts and a black t-shirt.

"What do you mean, soon? We still have at least an hour to get to the school." Sasuke retorted, crossing his arms.

"Well, we need to DRIVE to the school still! You know, and there will probably be traffic and stuff since this is a big event and we'll get in trouble if we aren't there at 6!"

"And what are they gonna do if we don't get there on time? Give us detention? Hn." Sasuke walked away to the window of Naruto's bedroom, ignoring whatever response Naruto had to his rebuttal. He gazed outside wondering why he had even agreed to get ready at Naruto's house before graduation. In all reality, it seemed like a big mistake. Sasuke Uchiha wasn't one to get nervous or frazzled, but something about the day in general had him on high alert. And it didn't help that Naruto was being more hyper-active than usual.

He had been planning something for a while and he just didn't know if he could go through with it. It was something like the senior trip that all of the seniors would take to the beach, except he would not be returning back to his home town, ever.

While many would think it to be a sad and nostalgic night, the raven-haired senior could not care any less. Not that he hated anyone in his class, but he just figured it best not to form bonds with people (other than Naruto and maybe even Sakura) for the reason that a bond can be severed so easily at any point in time. And he just didn't trust anyone really.

three and a half hours later

The boring, and uneventful, graduation finally came to a close. All of the seniors who were going on the senior trip to the beach had their bags packed in their cars and were ready to go that night. Sakura was one of them. Ino had convinced her to go, only because Naruto had convinced Sasuke to go, or so he thought.

At the end of the night, when everyone was done sharing their fondest memories and wishing good luck to one another, the grand departure had begun. Many new graduates walked to their cars and embarked on their final hoo-rah with the people they have known for almost their entire lives.

There was only a small group of people left standing on the field talking and goofing around and that consisted of Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Neji, Hinata, Ino, Sakura, and Sasuke (who was indeed brooding in the corner).

"Alright guys, what do you say we get on the road? By time we drive there, it will be around 6 am. It'll be awesome to witness a sunrise on the beach for our first day on our senior vacation!" Naruto shouted, giving a good fist pump in the air for good measure. Mostly everyone agreed, except for the pinkette and the raven-haired man, seemingly communicating through facial expressions in from across the group.

"Sakura, what do you say? You ready to leave? I got room for one more passenger! Who wants in!?" Ino screamed, which scared Sakura out of her trance.

"Hinata? Want to come with the girls?!" Ino shouted again.

"Well, actually, Naruto-kun invited me to go with him and I was truly hoping for that, so, I'm sorry but I will have to decline. But thank you anyways!" Hinata smiled sincerely.

Everyone smirked in Naruto's general direction.

"I will be the chaperone. Do not worry, everyone. Did you think I would let my dear cousin go alone with this idiot?" Neji asked, scoffing and motioning his hands toward a blushing Naruto.

"Let's get going everyone!" Naruto started walking toward the parking lot where they had all parked next to each other. It was Naruto and Sakura, who both noticed that they were missing a member of their group. They had turned around to see Sasuke walking in the opposite direction that they had been going in.

Ino gave Sakura an understanding look, giving Sakura the reassurance she needed to go and talk to him and figure out what was wrong. Naruto was also going to go but he was stopped by the group. They had all known about Sakura's feelings for Sasuke even though she had never told any of them out-loud other than Ino and maybe Naruto one time in the past, half-jokingly.

As Sakura began walking toward Sasuke, she felt that each step she took was leading him further and further away from her, and that she was only getting closer to the disappointment that had been looming and giving her that dark feeling all day long.

She stopped a few feet behind him.

"Hey." She said, somewhat breathlessly.

Sasuke did not say a word. He didn't even turn around. He knew she would be the one that would notice his absence. He knew she would come for him. He knew she would be the one to try and win him back, even though he knew that she knew he was too long gone.

They stood there in silence for an awkward minute, his back still turned to her.

"Why?" Was all that Sakura could muster up the courage to ask. She knew Sasuke was a private person and that if he even decided to answer, it probably would not be the truth. The truth would mean that she was close to him and his heart, and she knew that was not true.

"Why what, Sakura?"

She shivered at the way he had said her name. It was different than when he had greeted her at the graduation ceremony just a few hours ago. He had a whole different demeanor. Sure he had his moments of being stoic and uncaring, but this was a whole new level. It was as if he did not care about anything, as if he did not ever care.

"Why are you leaving? Where are you going? Because I know that you're not coming on the trip with us, I just had this feeling all day and... Can I just ask, why?"

He scoffed. He had to keep the tough-act up. It was the easiest way to protect himself. Sakura was his soft spot, and he knew it all along.

"I have nothing left here." He stated. His mother and father were traveling all around the world, contacting him around Christmas time, his birthday, and a few other times throughout the year. His brother had always been the favorite and he was doing exceedingly well for himself (and more importantly for the family), he had been groomed to carry out the Uchiha business since he was a child. Itachi was always preferred over Sasuke.

But Sasuke was determined. He was determined to succeed. Itachi had done it with their parents money. Sasuke was determined to do it without their parents' money, he wanted to do it all on his own. He knew he couldn't see any personal growth if he stayed close to home. He would be too comfortable. He needed to push himself out of his comfort zone so that he could succeed.

Sakura felt the aura between them darkening and she walked up to Sasuke and placed her hand on his shoulder, to which he flinched away from and glared at her.

"Don't-"

"Sasuke, listen."

"Don't bother, Sakura. I don't- I can't hear this right now."

"Sasuke, please," Sakura pleaded with him, her breathing getting heavier as she felt her world crashing around her. The man she had loved and cared for for so many years of her life was about to uproot himself from the comfortable place he had in her heart and crush it.

"Sasuke, I... I don't know if you had ever figured it out, or if you had ever known of these feelings that I have for you... I had always hoped you felt the same way, too. But I love you. Fully and wholeheartedly, I love you. Without a doubt in the world." Sakura pleaded again, "Look at me, please, see the love in my eyes. Can't you see the way you're hurting me now? And can't you imagine how you will be hurting Naruto, too? We both care so much for you."

Sasuke finally chanced a glance at her and he had to admit (to himself only) that it did hurt to see her so broken. And he was mentally cursing himself for not leaving sooner. For not getting his diploma earlier and making up some excuse for why he could not go to graduation and why he would need the diploma early. He shouldn't have tried to have one last good night with everyone. Clearly it was too painful, he was hurting the only ones he had cared about previously.

But he had to stay strong, he had to do it, he had to move on because success was what he was after. He could not just sit around comfortably waiting for his chance in the world. He wanted and needed to be like a wolf. He needed to be strong, confident, and he had to go after what was his in this world. His destiny.

"Sakura, I do think I knew of your feelings. I think it would be best if... If you just forgot about me entirely." Sasuke began, looking at the expression of disbelief on his former classmate's face.

"How could I ever forget you? I can't believe you think I could just do that, no, I love you too much. I can't simply just forget." Sakura was sobbing at this point.

"Sakura. It is for the best. You need to move on. I can not reach my full potential in the comfort of my home town. I can't deal with these distractions such as love and friendships. These bonds that were made need to now be broken. We need to move on."

"How can you say that? Naruto and I have always supported you! And we always will, how can you just-just push us out of your life like this? This isn't okay!" Sakura sighed heavily, wiping the tears from her cheeks onto her dress. She took another deep breath, slowly in, slowly out.

She realized she was not going to be victorious in convincing her love to stay. She knew that in the end, he would abandon her. He would abandon Naruto. He would abandon them, because in the end, they were not what mattered to him. They were not important.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Sakura. It's over. High school is over, that is what tonight was all about. Moving on. I have to move on. As do you. Now, goodbye." Deep down, it even hurt Sasuke to say all of those things to Sakura. He hadn't wanted to hurt her, it was just how it was, though. He knew it was inevitable. He dared not to look back as he turned around and continued walking toward his car which was parked in the opposite lot that everyone else had parked in.

Sakura cried out his name a few more times before falling to her knees on the football field and again, letting those hot tears she tried so hard to keep in fall from her sea green eyes.

She felt so ridiculous and ashamed, sitting there. She felt like a failure. She could not get Sasuke to stay. She was simply not enough. There was a point at which time she believed maybe he did care about her and Naruto. Maybe he did care about how they felt, but after that night, she was proven wrong.

Soon enough, her friends all ran over to her, crouching down and hugging her. Naruto had tried going after Sasuke, but he had already ripped away in his car, clearly over conversation and wanting to get the hell out.

Naruto had walked back to the group with a defeated look on his face, representing perfectly what Sakura had felt for the rest of the night, the entirety of their senior trip, and for months and months after that.

Things soon would change though, college would be a whole new experience that would be a perfect time for personal growth and for a transition into something more beautiful, and more whole, a metamorphosis.

WOW! This turned out a lot better than I had anticipated! Leave a review, any suggestions, anything at all! Thank you for reading! 3 you guys!