I know what they are all going to ask me…

How did I survive?

I was given another chance to live by Lady Chiyo

Now, here I am.

Alive and well…

FLASHBACK:

"Young lady, I know how much you are deeply hurting right now after trying to fight the enemy. However, it does not have to be this way. You're too young to have your life being taken away and yes, Katsumi may be considered to be strong but it is because she was given extra powers from the Akatsuki. Why would you give up so easily?" The elderly woman explained softly while they were both standing on the cliff, staring at the sun setting across the ocean .

"Because I thought I was strong as well. I thought I was able to capture her when in fact I couldn't. Anyway, I did my part. This is my fate and I've got to accept that. I accepted my life, my whole existence as a kunoichi and now, I need to accept death," the pink-haired kunoichi explained with a frown.

The elderly woman stared at her observantly and began to speak quietly. "Let me ask you this question and I want an honest, specific answer… What are you afraid of?"

The pink-haired kunoichi was standing still on her spot and said. "My heart."

"Why? Why are you so afraid of it?" She asked gently.

"I'm afraid of letting people in. I'm afraid of hurting them and may push them away, even though I don't want to," the pink-haired kunoichi said.

"Is that the only reason or is there something else?" Lady Chiyo interrogated.

The pink-haired kunoichi closed her eyes, then reopened them and was hesitant to answer.

"You know, there is nothing to be afraid of love, Sakura. You were capable of loving Sasuke despite the fact that he's a wanted criminal. Do you still love him?" Lady Chiyo asked kindly.

"I do, but…" she trailed off of her words and tilted her head down shyly.

"Ah. Now I see the problem there," she said, nodding in understanding and continued on. "You have complicated feelings and you don't know what to do with them. Is that correct?"

"Yes," the pink-haired kunoichi answered shortly.

"Hmm," Lady Chiyo hummed in response and said. "How complicated are they?"

"A little complicated," the pink-haired kunoichi gave a slight chuckle.

"I see. Listen, it's okay to love him the way you love others as well, my dear. From what I can tell, your history with Sasuke was certainly a confusing one," the elderly woman said thoughtfully. She sighed as she walked over to her to place her hand on Sakura's shoulder. "What about him?"

"Huh?! What do you mean, lady Chiyo?" The pink-haired kunoichi got startled for a second.

"Young lady, I've seen the way you look at him when you two are together sometimes. Your eyes bright up and your smile glows like you never want those moments to end. I do not want to compare him with Sasuke because you equally love them so dearly. Unfortunately, one has to stand taller than the other. That's the reality. You can't have everything, but there are some things that you can. You just have to choose wisely. Sakura, I lived longer in life as an old woman and I've known these things when it comes to love," Lady Chiyo explained and held her hand, much to the pink-haired kunoichi's puzzlement.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Young lady, I'm giving you the life that you are supposed to have. The life that you deserve. You are not weak. You've always been strong since the very beginning. Strength doesn't always come from physical combat, but it comes from there," the elderly woman pointed her finger on where her heart is.

The pink-haired kunoichi looked down on her chest, then towards her direction asking blankly. "Lady Chiyo… What are you saying?"

"Sakura. You said that you have complicated feelings. Now, I'm giving you this opportunity, so that you can figure them all out on your own because I know you will make the right choice. Do not take this for granted, which I know you wouldn't," the elderly woman said warmly as soon as she began to perform her techniques that were forming a light upon their hands together. "See you again, my dear."

The pink-haired kunoichi's eyes were glistening into tears and smiled wholeheartedly at her with a curt nod. "Thank you, Lady Chiyo…"

END OF FLASHBACK

Her heart was starting to race, whereas her footsteps were increasing the amount of speed that she was running towards where the battle was being held upfront. Her fists were clenched tightly as her eyes began to sharpen in determination.

She recalled back to those memories where she and Sasuke had an argument about the curse mark that he received from Orochimaru and should tell Naruto. Right after the chunin exams, leaving the hidden leaf village had left his two teammates devastated, especially finding out that Sasuke had chosen the path of darkness.

At that time, she remembered when she fought against him and was almost killed by him twice.

"Did I really love him entirely or did I love his only side?" She wondered to herself.

She hopped onto different sides of the rocks and continued on in her mind. "Sasuke has definitely changed. All I kept thinking to myself that he was a victim at that time where he lost his parents and his whole clan. It wasn't his fault to become a murderer because they made him that way. Although, he has the free will to make any decision that he wants. Maybe I kept thinking and hoping to myself that he would actually change. I guess I was hoping that he would love me back. Where did that lead me to?"

She sighed and was running nonstop, still figuring out what the answer was to her problem until she started to remember her friend.

FIRST FLASHBACK:

The red-haired Kazekage was staring right back at her without breaking the eye contact and placed his hand on top of hers in reply. "Because... You are still my best friend... I couldn't let anything worse happen to you. I couldn't let you go off and fight Sasuke all by yourself. I'm glad that Naruto and Kakashi were there to help. Do you honestly think I would forget you and not protect you anymore?"

The pink-haired kunoichi paused for a moment when her tears were starting to form in her eyes and fall with a single drop. She was shaking her head and began to cry. She slowly brushes her hair through her fingers in frustration, saying. "I... I just... I can't let you or anyone take this burden. I can't stand seeing you guys facing this problem all the time with Sasuke... Gaara, I'm sorry...!"

She quickly embraced him with a tight hug and leaned her head on his right shoulder. He reciprocated when he wrapped his arms around her waist while holding onto her.

END OF THE FIRST FLASHBACK

SECOND FLASHBACK:

The red-haired Kazekage embraced her warmly, much to her astonishment as she tried to hide the blush on her cheeks. She returned the same thing and never felt so relieved, so safe in his arms.

As soon as the two had let go of each other, the pink-haired kunoichi was staring into his eyes intensely and wondered how she was feeling towards him.

END OF THE SECOND FLASHBACK

Back in the present time, the pink-haired kunoichi kept on going without stopping.

"I was expecting Sasuke to love me and that was wrong… I finally realized that I fell in love with the wrong person when this whole time, it was someone else that I was searching for. I was looking for that missing piece in my heart and it was him."

Then, she stopped by and noticed from the far view that the rest of the shinobi allies were currently fighting a gigantic monster that was about to obliterate half of the battlefield area.

Her eyes became bolder and brighter than ever before and said. "Everyone… I'm coming…

TO BE CONTINUED...