Chapter 6.5: Questions and No Answers

"I am also looking for someone precious."

Undoubtedly, that could only mean one person. Sasuke recalled a masked face and a deadly sword. The missing-nin that had nearly killed Kakashi. The one he and Naruto had risked their lives to defeat.

But… that guy was already dead.

"Neh, what happens to bad people?" he asked quietly.

The shadow thought for a moment before answering, "Different things can happen to them. They either stand on the other side for eternity as shadows without identities or they try to swim across and drown in the process."

"The man Haku is waiting for was a bad person. He already died but they have yet to see other again. What does that mean?"

"It means they'll never see each other again, of course."

Sasuke glanced back at the patient figure of Haku and swallowed deep. The gentle boy stood solidly in the distance, never moving, always hoping. The image struck him as terribly tragic and unfair. What had that criminal done to warrant such faithfulness?

…Had Sakura suffered like that when he had left to betray the Leaf?

The question rose abruptly to the surface of his mind and jolted him. It was the first time he had ever given it thought. After all, he'd never really cared about her feelings before. Well, that wasn't completely true. He knew her emotional state was fragile and in rare instance, he had taken steps to keep her from breaking completely. For the most part though, he had always been more focused in ensuring her physical safety.

Maybe… maybe it was because it didn't matter to him how she was feeling… so long as she was just there.

But now, she was no longer 'just there'. And now, he couldn't help but remember the night he had left. He couldn't help but wonder at the misery he had inflicted.

Had she, too, clung blindly to hope? If so, what had he done to deserve it?

She probably cried in his absence. He was quite certain of it. Always in the past, it seemed, she had been crying for him.

Sakura, why did you bother?

He wished he knew the reason. He wished he had the courage to ask her when he found her. Someone like him just didn't seem to be worth so much pain.

The road before him was long and winding. With every step, he could feel the pressing of silent regrets and the awakening of unspoken fears.

If I died… would I see you again?