Chapter 14: The Other Sasuke

"How much time does he have left?"

"Less than twelve hours now."

"His chakra's still low…"

"I know, but there's nothing more we can do. This is something he has to do…"

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"Sasuke?" she repeated hesitantly. Then, when his fingers curled gently around hers, she asked, blushing, "Do we know each other?"

"Of course, we're good friends."

Oh, how easily he held her gaze! She could not look away. The smirk on his handsome face had not faded in the least. She felt light-headed, mesmerized by his elegant beauty. She wanted to touch his pale skin, feel that he was real and this wasn't some product of her lonely imagination…

"You're prettier than I thought," he leaned in closer to scrutinize her features.

"Huh?" She held her breath as his eyes peered at her until they were satisfied. She didn't particularly mind the examination since it gave her a chance to subtly study him as well.

"You're prettier than I remember."

"Oh," she went red again, "Arigatou."

He led her until a patch of grass suitable for sitting was found. The ground was soft yet firm. Sunflowers loomed above them like towers. They should have been yellow, but in the Land of the Dead, they had light grey petals and black centers instead.

A look of sadness appeared and settled on Sakura's face.

"What's wrong?"

She bit her lip and then said, softly with a tangible unhappiness, "Gomen… You say we're friends, but I don't remember you at all…"

"That's okay," he said smoothly, almost looking relieved.

"So… if it's not too much trouble, can you tell me a bit about yourself? Maybe it'll help me remember. I really don't know why I've forgotten."

"Sure. I don't mind telling you."

They were sitting, both cross-legged and facing each other. She waited eagerly.

"Well, we're both from the same village, you see. And I, uh, knew you for a lon g time... We're ninjas of The Hidden Leaf village. We met at school, The Academy, and…"

She nodded slowly, absorbing the information as he gave it. Her memories were sketchy, obscure. But when he had said 'Leaf', she saw glimpses of what was being hidden from her. And as he talked, it was as if a veil was being lifted. Like holes being punched through a brick wall, letting her see what was on the other side.

A mountain of four faces. Standing on a bridge, looking over trickling water, and waiting. A ramen shop and a loud, excited voice greeting her. Her own feet moving eagerly, her own voice responding sharply but affectionately, Why don't you ever wait for me, N--

The yearning she had always felt but never understood suddenly intensified. It became so real and clear that she felt tears in her eyes.

"…Dad was always off on missions so there was really noone at home. I really hated being stuck in an empty house, so sometimes we'd train together. That's how we became good friends, I guess—hey, are you ok?"

He'd seen the tears. She wiped at them hastily, but they only seem to flow harder. His thumb was suddenly at her cheek, tenderly stroking away the drops the second they met her skin.

"Arigatou… Sasuke-kun."

Idiot, she thought to herself at the same time, You don't even know why you're crying. And it was true, for the images of Konoha had disappeared as quickly as they had come.

He nodded, as if surprised by his own initiative and then let his hand fall.

"Now where was I?"

"Your father?"

"Oh yeah, him." Scowl. Then a long, weary sigh, "Well, I guess it wasn't the same after my mother died. She died on a mission, you know. Some bastard from the Sand Village got her from behind. There was… a lot of damage to the body. They didn't want to have an open coffin at the funeral."

He stopped, as if remembering. The face remained unaffected but his voice became hoarse, coated in pain, "I... didn't go. Couldn't. I was ten and sick in bed that day. I didn't know until afterward that she had died."

She took his hand and squeezed it.

He smiled, grateful, and then resumed, "After that, my father just started going on missions like crazy. One after the other. Home was too painful for him. Everything there was a memory, like salt in unhealing wounds. I told him we should move out of Konoha, move on… But he refused and I knew then that he wanted the salt. He never wanted those wounds to heal. Crazy, huh?"

"No… I understand."

And she did because somehow, this felt familiar. All this talk about unhealing wounds and undying memories. Even the way he stared straight ahead of him, refusing to look at her even while he poured out his heart.

There had been rain. Lots of it and she was cold, numb to anything and everything until his warm hand grabbed her freezing one—

"…always a hypocrite to me. Going on tons of dangerous missions himself. But if I was assigned even a C-rank mission, he'd go ballistic."

"Maybe he was just worried," she offered, "Maybe the thought of losing you was too much to bear." Somehow, that idea seemed familiar, too.

"Maybe. But I worried about him, too! All those dangerous missions, never resting before leaving again. It was as if… as if he couldn't wait to die and leave me behind." Another sigh and the rigid shoulders shook slightly. Suddenly, he sounded young and vulnerable, "I wanted… to be a good ninja so I could go on high-level missions. I wanted to go with him. Protect him."

I'll protect you, Sakura-chan…

"Mom had been stabbed in the back; I wanted to be there to make sure that didn't want happen to him. But…"

He looked at her then, all sorrow and grief,

"…in the end, I was the one that left him behind."

Sakura… Thank you…

Something tore at her heart. The hard, unrelenting sense of the past and she saw someone's back moving farther and farther away… Then, it was gone, snatched away by some invisible force.

"I caught an illness in one of the countries I infiltrated. I died within three days. And if I ever saw my father again, I don't remember it. Even though I've said a lot, there is more that I don't remember. I've been down here for so long, waiting, it seems. But waiting for what, for who I don't know."

He turned to look at her, a wry smile on his lips, "Kinda crazy, huh? Before I started talking, I didn't even know that these memories existed. It feels as if they were within me this whole time and I didn't even know it."

Her heart beat faster with hope. Did that… that mean that there was something within her that she didn't know? Some past, some memory of home that only had to be triggered? She searched within herself, but found nothing and was disappointed.

"Kinda crazy, huh?" he said again, "But these memories are all that I have left and I don't know why."

"Sasuke-kun…"

She wanted to comfort him. This being before her, despite its bewitching demeanor, possessed pain within. She wanted to offer a hand squeeze, maybe a hug. But his sadness was like a barrier, keeping her back.

They sat, quiet for a moment before he spoke again, "Neh… I have a question. More like, a favor."

She nodded, too touched by his story to refuse, "Anything. I'll do my best, Sasuke-kun."

He tried to keep his tone casual, as if what he were about to ask was a little more than insignificant. A mere trifle. But the nervousness he kept out of his voice spilled over into his face. Those flawless features now took on a shade of anxiousness and his hands fidgeted nervously.

"…Can I stay with you?"

Her eyes widened and she repeated, "You want to stay with me? Here?"

"If you want me. I said I was waiting. But I'm… tired… of that. I don't want to wait anymore, but I have nowhere else to go."

She held back her delight. The loneliness had been unbearable for some time now. She had thought she would never be able to escape this field, whose flowers could never compensate for people. Endless days of walking, wandering, crying, and singing when the sadness of being by herself had no other outlet. And now, here was someone who could end it all, who gave her a reason to enjoy the eternity that fate had given her.

"Of course," she said, beaming so much that this time, it was he who was mesmerized. Her voice lifted with grateful joy, "Of course you can stay!"

Well, this chapter's purpose was to give some background on the shadow. (Yes, Neptune47, you were right.) Thanks to all the reviewers! Please continue to give feedback!

Anyways, I'm thinking about writing a one-shot, but I don't know what kind of pairing? Character study? Any requests? Please suggest some and I'll be sure and try my best to fulfill them! (Er, no yaoi please. Nothing against those, but I just don't know how to write that.)

The Next Chapter: Gifts