My words from me to you: Hey! Sorry guys! For updating this story so late! Just a foreword, this story is going to take an 'angst' turn. But I can promise you, it won't be a bad ending. Hope you guys continue to support this! As usual, don't forget about my reviews! Also, thanks to Shujouteki Kumo and krn-kimbap for all those wonderful reviews and ways to improve. But anyway… Enjoy! (This may not be a very good chapter compared to others though… Apologies for that…)

By the way… I've a new story entitled: untainted. Give it a try!

Chapter 6

(Kiba)

For the first few years, Neji and Sakura were really happy together. They rarely quarreled. Amazingly, I, Hinata and the both of them got into the same school where we have our tertiary education.

Like before, Neji was still the hunk of the school. Girls stalking on him everywhere he goes... And a bit of pity for Sakura for most girls see her as their love rival. But come to think about it, Neji wasn't living very well either. There were tones of admirers for Sakura too. There were even guys who challenged Neji face to face in front of Sakura. They were… like the limelight. Everyone is looking out at them.

But I really admire them.

They were like the perfect couple. Despite all these obstacles, misunderstandings and jealous evil-doers out there, they managed to hold on to their relationship. Instead of tearing this couple up, these I-got-nothing-better-to-do freaks only strengthen their bond. They only trust each other more and more. So does their affection and love for each other.

But it never lasted long like we all thought it would be… Like how a perfect happy ending should go… The mystery laid in Sakura herself…

She just disappeared for no apparent reason after we graduated. And this… it almost drove Neji to insanity…

(Hinata)

Recalling the few days before Sakura went missing, she had been acting a bit weird. All of us knew it, yet we didn't really bother about it. We thought it was maybe… like she said… She wasn't feeling really well.

She didn't talk much to us or even Neji. She went home alone almost everyday without even telling Neji. She was practically avoiding him and when Neji confronted her and asked her what's wrong, all she did was keep quiet and cry silently to herself.

It hurt Neji a lot to see her in such state. Yet all he could do was to watch her, for everytime when he tried to help her, she kept mum about it. Few days after… after our graduation… she went out of sight… She was nowhere to be seen…

I was the first to realize that she had gone missing when I thought of visiting her to see if she was alright. I approached her house and knocked several times on the door. There wasn't a single reply.

I continued knocking for I knew that Sakura's parents should be at home at that time of the day as they held their own family business. They usually stayed at home on the weekends. "Hello? Is anyone home?" I called out, repeatedly knocking on the door, not quite believing that nobody was in. This was when their next door neighbour opened her door and talked to me.

"Looking for the Haruno family aren't you?" That old lady asked with a slight warm smile. I nodded in return. She seemed surprised. Then she told me.

"They have migrated to Sweden, my dear…" She said.

I was too shocked to register that news. Why didn't Sakura tell us? Why did they have to go there for? "Do you have their address there then?" I asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry dear… They didn't speak of it…" She replied, after which she closed the door behind her with a wave. I didn't think twice. Immediately, I called up Kiba and told him what happened.

(Kiba)

I was astounded when I heard the news. Without hesitation, I called up Neji. I told him that Sakura had migrated to Sweden and we didn't know what her address was either.

Neji was, in fact, lost for words. He was shaken. But he didn't sit down there and do nothing either. He became sort of insane when the news was broken to him. Immediately, he called up all the available airline companies and asked whether Sakura had traveled through them before and which part of Sweden she went. Yet, all he could gathered was she had went Stockholm, the capital of Sweden for the rest were highly confidential.

Neji didn't cared much. To him, this was good enough. He called me and Hinata up and suddenly shocked us with another piece of news.

He's flying to Sweden to look for her.

We tried to stop him from going to Sweden for everything had just happened in such a hasty and absurd manner. Besides, you will never know whether what would happen when he reaches there.

"I don't care. I love her. Even if it meant looking for her for eternity… I would do it. I'll wait for her forever if that's what it takes…" Neji answered us with absolute determination in his eyes. His decision was final. No matter how much we tried, he refused to listen to us.

(Neji)

I didn't know what had gotten into me… But when I heard Sakura was gone… I felt helpless… All I thought and can only think about was finding her. Kiba and Hinata tried to stop me from it, but I was determined about it. I don't want to let her go… After all the pain we went through to be together… I don't want to let this relationship go so easily… I treasured her more than anything else in this world…

Sakura meant everything to me…

This may sound stupid. I went to Sweden without my parents knowing. What I did there was to hold a picture of Sakura in my hands, walking through in the midst of the snow and ask everyone I see on the street… whether they have seen this girl… the girl that I loved… the girl that I've been missing. Yet… Everyday my effort seemed futile. I felt helpless, desperate and lost. I tried to call her through her cell phone. But she never kept it on. I knew she was avoiding me… yet I never gave up…

I stayed in Sweden for 2 months. Everyday, I've spent my days there, walking about the streets, asking around with a picture in my hand… and giving her voice messages… hoping that somehow she would call me back one day…

(Sakura)

I didn't tell Neji what was my current condition… My parents had to migrate to Sweden just for my sake. I love him… I didn't want him to get hurt either…

I thought by leaving him… He would be able to forget me eventually and proceed with his life… I felt miserable… Staying by his side with my condition will only implicate him and bring him more pain… All I ever wanted for him is to be happy…

But… Neji held onto this relationship tightly… He didn't want to give up… He even reached to the extent whereby he forgo everything in his hometown and searched for me everywhere in Sweden… My heart broke when I knew about this…

I switched on my cellphone every morning and see numerous voice messages… All of which were Neji's…

"Voice message 1…" it read. "Sakura… I've come to Sweden to look for you… It had been a week… I asked about for you in the streets… Yet I couldn't find you at all… Give me a call back will you?..."

"Voice message 2… Sakura… My search for you today is just as futile… Holding back my tears, I went back to the hotel… When I couldn't find you… I really wanted to cry out loud… I felt desperate… I need you…"

"Voice message 3… Sakura… You know I've never been the praying kind… But lately I've been down upon my knees… not for a miracle… just a reason to believe… that there's still hope… that you still love me…"

"Voice message 4… Sakura… Why are you avoiding me? Please don't do this to me… Every bit of these is torturing me everyday… I'm like stuck in a boundless sea of sorrow… swimming hopelessly around just to look for you… Every night… I have to cry myself to sleep…"

"Voice message 5… Sakura… I've changed a lot lately… I don't seem to have the courage and will to live anymore… I was never like this in the past… But after knowing you… everything changed… I really need you… Please come back to me…"

It broke my heart to hear Neji like this… I wanted to go out there and find him… But I couldn't… All I could was to cry over his love and feelings for me… I owe him too much…

"I'm so sorry… Neji… I didn't mean to… I'm so sorry…"

End of Chapter 6.

Next Chapter will be better. I promise! So don't be cruel in my reviews! Sorry!