this is looking like a contest of who can act like they care less / but i liked it better when you were on my side / the battle's in your hands now / but i would lay my armor down if you say you'd rather love than fight / so many things that you wish i knew / but the story of us might be ending soon

- the story of us, taylor swift (speak now)

is this where their story ends? they barely started— maybe not even started at all— and yet here they are with her blood on his hands.

it happens on a thursday. a normal day to go on about his day and never look back. he only has his sights on his pain and vengeance for his family. he only has time to train to be stronger and better. he only has himself.

it's precisely 2 o'clock in the afternoon when he suddenly feels he's being watched. he's been traveling for a few hours, taking the thick foliage of the forest surrounding the country as his shield. he's not sure since when this tail has been following him but if he only noticed it now, then they might be good. the next thing he heard is a slice of metal on air and he ducks his head as he brings out his kusanagi while his eyes bleed red.

there's a single shuriken at the bark of the tree and he doesn't have time to examine it because an upcoming kick from above comes to where he is standing. with the speed he was born with, he disappears at the blink of an eye and perches at the nearest branch he can find.

kusanagi fully unsheathed, his eyes darts around to catch this stupid ninja who dares catch sasuke uchiha himself. but before he can move, a familiar voice comes from behind him and a deathly kiss of a kunai on his neck.

"sasuke…"

he can admit— never in a million years did he think that the first person from konoha who will find him after all these years is her. sasuke has always thought it would be naruto or kakashi. the older jounin has been the closest to a father figure he had after the massacre anyway, and the blond deadlast has always been connected to him; by their mutual struggles or their literal souls— they are connected.

he has cut all those bonds years ago when he left that village that only caused pain to his family; who exchanged the years of service his clan had done for konoha with death and conspiracy.

but sasuke can also admit— there's one thread that he can't find himself to sever, and that's his thread to sakura haruno.

"sakura…"

he can't move his head sideways so he can have a glimpse of his old— teammate? friend?- and see the changes the years have provided to her. sasuke knows for a fact that she's a renowned medic now. even when he was still at orochimaru's lair, he's heard of her name being mentioned by kabuto a lot. he knows that she trained under one of the sannin and the current godaime and that she made herself indispensable to the point of being in the bingo books.

in his travels, sasuke has heard a lot of stories around town— the girl with monster fists that break bones or the rosette with glowing hands that mend them. stories of how women admired her for her beauty and men wanted her for that, too.

the last image he has on his head is her sleeping face, cheeks wet from her tears for him, and a small frown on her lips as she lay there on the bench. sasuke can't find the luxury to seek out the latest picture of the girl he left behind.

she was a teammate, yes.

she was a friend, yes.

but sasuke knows as well that she had always been more than that. he can never explain and pinpoint what exactly she still is in his life, but he knows it's not good for him right now, especially if his mission is still not complete. he still has to make everyone pay. he still has to avenge his aniki; to grieve for him properly. he still has to make his mother and father's death not be in vain.

there is no time for unbreakable bonds with pink-haired girls and an enemy out to distract him from that mission.

with a quick movement, her kunai on his neck comes flying out of her grasp when he swiftly uses his sword to deflect it. she's quick to recover as she aims a chakra-laden punch towards him at the same time. sakura's gotten fast, but not as fast as he is.

sasuke makes the necessary signs before he flips over and blows their clan's signature jutsu. fire erupted from his mouth and scorched the trees around. he lands on his feet on the ground and sweeps his eyes around to detect her when an uprooted tree comes flying towards him. his eyes go wide for a split second with the display of strength before avoiding the massive object meant to crush him.

the fight goes on after that— sakura into the offensive and going blow by blow on him, while sasuke into guarding and protecting himself against her aggressive style of battle.

and then comes her turn to go for the defense. sasuke was just as brutal as she was with his attacks; his movements as sharp as his blade and had every intention to nick her smooth skin. every time it cuts her, sakura just casually puts a glowing hand on it and it's brand new again.

he doesn't exactly know what to feel right now. a part of him thrills seeing this lady, whom he knew as shallow and fragile and vain when he first met her, being this fierce warrior in front of him as her green eyes blaze under the sun. if his genin self saw this when they were still young, he might've been so impressed.

but a part of him also feels unsettled; like something in him mourns.

because the sakura he knew won't dare hurt a single hair on his head. the sakura he knew won't even think of doing anything bad to him. the sakura he knew promised that night that she would make him happy everyday. there's no trace of that girl left in this sakura he's fighting right now.

he finds it wrong that he is not on her good side anymore to do this; so wrong that he wants to just tell her to lay her guard down already and ask her to tell him it's okay and that she still cares.

it's a dreadful feeling to sasuke, honestly.

they're both heaving— bruises and cuts all around their bodies, charred forest and caved mountains all around them. sasuke is sure he has at least three broken ribs, he can't feel his right hand and his leg might be fractured too.

sakura doesn't look well herself. he heard her whimper when he sliced her back with his sword, her pink hair is covered with dirt and blood, and her shoulder dislocated.

"are you done?" he asks raspily. he knows he can still continue; her injuries are worse than his. and that's what's keeping him back, if you will ask him. "you've tried, sakura, and you failed. i'm not going back to konoha."

her chest still heaves from the desperate air she tries to breathe. she wipes the back of her hand against the side of her mouth, "yes, you are."

stubborn, sasuke angrily thinks to himself. stupid, stupid girl. you never learn.

"you can never win against me. you know that," sasuke taunts, giving her a sinister smirk. "you have always been weak. you always will be."

the look on her face puts a cold hand on his heart, squeezing it slowly; and her next words almost burst it.

"yes…" she whispers brokenly, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "i have always been weak when it comes to you, sasuke-kun..."

when he was 12 and couldn't admit that he has one, sasuke learned of his weakness. it was the day when he woke up in the hospital after itachi first visited him and was greeted by sakura's hug with tears streaming down her face. he remembered feeling so warm and cared for and loved at that moment that he didn't push her away.

it turns out that it still stands true until now— her tears will be his demise.

but only when i let it be!

sakura cries for him and because of him, and he tries his hardest not to care when she softy says, "...and that's why i have to be strong enough to do this-"

and this is exactly the part where he swears on his family's grave— he didn't mean it.

his crackling hand powered by lightning goes through her gut and sasuke stares in horror. her green eyes start to dull to it's darkest shade and she crumbles against him.

no, no, no, no, no.

he's shaking like a leaf, reminding him of the feeling he had when he found his parents' bodies. he can't move a muscle so his arm remains pierced through her.

"s-sak..-ura," sasuke utters, his face ghostly white. suddenly all the broken memories of his past comes back vividly in his head— sakura hovering over him at the land of waves, sakura hugging him from behind to stop him in his rampage, sakura screaming i love you, sasuke-kun!

warm and slicked-with-red fingers touch his face, "sa-sas'ke-k,,kun…"

i'm sorry, i'm sorry!

sasuke wants to say the words but he can't speak; can't look away as her life drains away.

they slide together towards the ground, sitting as they face each other— or at least try to. her forehead rests against his neck and he sits there, frozen and lost at what happened. it was instinct; a reflex he's had since he started to speak. he can feel puffs of her breath on his skin.

"please," sasuke hears her mumble through the blood loss and exhaustion. he feels her look up at him and he doesn't have the courage to look at her right now. shame mixed with anger and regret wash over him as he feels her lips touch his jaw.

she pleads, "come home…"

so many things that he wishes she knew but one thing stands out— if sakura says she'll live today, then he will. if she comes home with him, then he will.

if she says she'll love him again, he will.

a prick on his skin takes his attention for a split second until he realizes that her hand is on the other side of his neck. he can almost feel something enter his veins and his eyes start to cloud.

i guess this is it, he muses to himself. this is for the best. dying at the hands of the girl who loved him seems like a good way to go.

is this where their story ends? they barely started— maybe not even started at all— and yet here they are with her blood on his hands, and now his blood on hers.

please come home, sakura begs for the last time. so before darkness takes him, sasuke watches her as she breathes her last breath, as he answers under his—

"yes, sakura… i'll come home."

because of you.

for you.

with you.

a/n: i haven't written something in the narutoverse in a long time aaaa sorry i'm rusty!