Act 3: Spring Reunion…
She took out her anger and frustrations out on a whole bunch of clones and targets.
"Damn! Why did he have to come here!" she yelled over and over again in her head. For the past 2 days, Jin had been pestering her to come back to the ANBU base with him. And each time he asked her why, she would fall silent, threaten to kill him, or just storm away entirely.
Sakura had failed to tell Jin about Sasuke. Why would she have to? Why would she tell Jin about an ex-ANBU and ex-teammate who supposedly hated her? Why would Sakura have to tell Jin about someone who she was never really involved with anyway? There was no need to.
Poof, bang, ping, and another poof… Sakura continued to blow off steam. She had slept in the park for the past two nights as she had sold her home before leaving Konoha 3 years ago. Besides it was much more convenient. The day was spent training and blowing off steam as well as threatening to kill Jin if he bugged her so it was a lot easier to fall asleep where she fell from exhaustion.
Sighing and falling on her butt to catch her breath, Sakura pondered about what she had been doing the past 3 years: hanging around the ANBU base between fire and wave serving as a base medic, not really doing anything she considered "worthwhile". Her mind then started to wonder to 4 years ago…her last year in Konoha…
She remembered waking up and him not being there. She remembered learning that while being in a comma for 6 months the war was over and her services no longer required. She remembered learning that in the course of those 6 months her parents had died… Waking up and learning that now….she was… alone…
It took her about 3 months afterwards to get over it and move on. Even then the happy-go lucky Sakura Konoha once knew… has never been the same. As part of moving on she had tried to find Sasuke, she searched for him for a long time in-between missions. Unsuccessful, she gave up and took up an offer at ANBU headquarters then a year later was moved to the fire-wave ANBU base. She left… taking all she had left with her.
But now she was back, and he wasn't here… he was supposed to be here! "Damn you Sasuke!" she thought. "Why do you still haunt me!" angrily, she punched the ground, parting the earth beneath her. "Why am I still alone?" Sakura continued to scold herself.
Faces flashed through her head. Friends, family, and people she had killed over the years on A-rank missions. "They're all matched up now…" she continued to see these faces in her head. Ultimately, Sakura felt as if she was left behind. Her friends were getting married and having a family of their own, something she had always wanted. Wanted to share with "him". But now, it was as if she was standing still, and left behind...
"Sakura?" She turned her head to see who was calling her.
"Hokage-sama!" Sakura stood up and greeted Tsunande formally. Tsunande just laughed and pulled Sakura into a deep hug.
"It's been a while..."
Sakura nodded smiling at her mother-figure. The two of them chatted away over tea at a nearby tea shop. They told each other events that have come and gone through the course of the last 3 years.
"Ahhh…" Tsunande calmed herself exhaling calmly after laughing like mad at Sakura's impression of one of her ANBU commanders. They talked a bit more, and of course being women, the topic shifted towards men.
"So are you married now Sakura?"
"Oh wow no…" Sakura said blushing slightly at the question. She had wanted to marry but never found the right guy. Jin had asked her before, but she was so unsure and lost, and not ready so she had asked him to wait.
"Really?" Tsunande pressed on as if she didn't know when to stop. "No? What about Jin-san?"
Silence… Sakura looked down, her smile faded and she stared blankly at the tea in her hand.
"Never mind…" Tsunande said realizing she had pushed the wrong button and regretting it now.
"Its ok, really, it's ok." Sakura assured her with a fake smile. "I'm still to immature to get married" She said playfully recovering from Tsunande's rather blunt question.
"Liar" Tsunande thought as she watched Sakura shift her gaze out the window to the not-so-busy at this time streets of Konoha. Deciding not to keep this seriously depressing atmosphere, she changed the subject smiling as she succeeded in getting the still young medic to smile and engage in conversations again.
"Thanks…" Popping an envelope of money into his vest pocket, a 6'3" raven-haired Jounin found himself wondering the streets of Konoha. Hands shoved into his pant pockets.
"OI! SASUKE-BASTARD!" Sasuke stopped in his tracks, grinned and turned to find his blonde loud-mouth bud.
The next thing he knew he was having a bowl of ramen with Naruto.
"Your best man?"
"Yeah! Come on, please Sasuke?"
Sasuke sighed "Fine" He couldn't help but smile a little bit as his idiotic best friend went on and on and on and on and on… about his wedding plans. He was happy that Naruto was finally getting married and to Hinata. But hearing all this made him think about "her". The way she used to follow him like a shadow when they were still gennins, the way she'd get so mad at Kakashi for being late even when they were Chuunins. Right up to the way her chakra flow tingled inside when she healed him as ANBU. He missed her… period!
It took him a while to get over that day at the front 4 years ago. 5 months to be exact. And when he was finally ready he went to go see her at the hospital while she was in a comma. He walked into the room and as his eyes settled on a pale sleeping beauty; different emotions of in-superiority rushed him. He grew angry and blamed himself for her state of being. Unable to see her like that, and being Sasuke, he took off and trained telling himself that he wasn't going to let her end up like that again. EVER! So he left. He returned about 10 months later only to learn that she was alright, has been alright for a while and was now on a mission. So he waited for her, but unfortunately had to take on a mission due to lack of interest from other Jounins. When Sasuke got back, he was informed that Sakura had taken a position at ANBU headquarters. She sold her house and took everything she had with her. Poor Sasuke though that she didn't want to see him so he never did go after her or try to contact her. He mentally and sometimes literally kicked himself for it everyday.
"Oi Sasuke! Are you listening to me?"
"Huh? Uh… yeah."
"Ok good… Neh! I was thinking all the guys…" Naruto's voice seemed to fade as Sasuke started to zone out once again. He was shocked out of his dazed state as his eyes caught a glimpse of pink hair at the tea shop across the street.
"Sakura?"
"Huh? Neh Sasuke, you think I should put sakuras in my hair?"
"No you moron! It's Sakura LOOK!" Sasuke grabbed Naruto's head and jerked it just in time to see Sakura and Tsunande walk out of the tea shop.
"AHHH! Yeah, Sakura's back, she's been here for what, 2…3 days now."
SMACK
"Oww! What's that for?"
"Why didn't you tell me she was back?"
"Oh... I forgot"
SMACK again. Sasuke left Naruto and watched her. He watched her smile, he watched her flip her hair off of her face. He watched her innocent emerald eyes flutter with interest as she bid farewell to Tsunande for the day. He was frozen…stuck…unsure of what to do. He wanted so badly to run up to her and hold her in a long embrace but that was so unlike him, and there was also the way they parted that stopped him. To him, at that moment, she was untouchable.
He continued to watch her as she waved goodbye one more time to Tsunande and took off to the nearest flower shop. Sasuke decided to follow her in hopes that an opportunity would present itself.
Sakura's smile slowly depleted as she left the flower shop. She sighed greatly as she left town and headed up a stone path. Her heels clicking against the ground as she passed an iron gate and continued up the stone path. She walked through rows and rows of erect stones until she came to a halt under the oldest sakura tree in the area. She gazed down at the two erect emerald stones with "HARUNO" written on them. Despite her best efforts, tears started to fall.
"Hello mother… father" Frowning, she gently placed the flowers down in front on their graves and continued on her knees. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come and visit…" Sakura began to confess aloud the story of her past 3 years to the two cold emerald stones. "I'm such a coward" Tears rolled down her soft cheeks as she regretted her life. She yelled aloud how much she wished she had died 4 years ago at the front… during THAT battle. Breaking down even more now, she confessed that she had missed everyone greatly, especially her parents and of course… "him".
"What should I do now?" her sobs softened as she tried to control herself. She buried her face into her palms. "I'm all alone now…" tears leaked though her fingers and landed every so gracefully onto the petals of the daffodils she had brought with her.
Sasuke wanted even more at this point to take her into his arms and just hold her. It hurt him so much that she was suffering. He had gone through it, but it sucked even more for her, she grew up with loving parents and she lost them while she was in a comma. He didn't want her to suffer. He wanted to take care of her, to be with her… but he never moved, he just watched.
After about an hour or so, Sakura got up and left the cemetery, she still didn't realize that Sasuke was following her, of course she wouldn't, he's a master at stealth. She took the long way back to the park that served as her current residence. The Konoha sun started to set. Shades of orange, yellow, red and gold fell upon her fluorescent hair. She had deliberately taken the long route so she could have more time to think. Now, more than ever she was considering leaving the ANBU unit that she worked for. Then she remembered what Tsunande said earlier, about settling down. She smiled, that's all she ever really wanted anyway.
The truth was, Jin has already proposed to Sakura several times. Three actually. The first two times she had said that she wasn't ready to settle down yet, it hurt them both, but Jin understood. Then, he asked her again before she left. But he made the mistake of asking her right after she heard that the Uchiha was back in action. She had asked him to wait and that she had to make sure of something first before she answered.
Sakura had been thinking more and more about Jin's proposal, and since Sasuke wasn't anywhere to be found she was leaning more towards "yes".
Her eyes widened upon hearing a slight sound. And she whipped around and saw "him" standing there. Sasuke looked at her unsure of what to do. Sakura just stared at him.
"Sas… Sasuke…"
"Hey…"
