The night was both warm and cold. Both serene and bustling. Both sad and happy. But the spectacle did not prevent Sakura's disappointment. She was just that miserable right now.
She tried to block him—Sasuke— but failed. She kept on repeating his words to herself
"You want to know something sakura! I despise you. I hate you and your lousy giggles. I never understood why such wimps were created! I don't want to work with you. Hell, I don't even want to see your face…Ever!"
That hit her as strong as Naruto's appetite for ramen did. She couldn't understand why the Uchiha boy had insulted her, when she wasn't doing anything stupid…yet.
Frustrated tears rolled down her chin as she looked up at the tree she was sitting under. She never said anything about it, but she was willing to sacrifice her life for all of the "boy's" safety. That's how she loved him, and this was why she was crying hard right now.
At least the rustle of the tree comforted her a bit.
"Hey. Permission to sit with you?" came a voice from behind. Sakura nodded, wiping her tears on her collar. She was never used to let her hair down with someone like…
"Hyuuga Neji, something troubling you?" Sakura asked passively, motioning him to sit beside her. She was both utterly amazed and surprised; Neji never talked to her, except of course when it was need.
"Actually, nothing's bothering me." Neji said, falling to an Indian-sitting beside her. "You? What happened?"
Sakura shrugged. "Nothing much either, just the usual life."
"Ah, I see. So that's why you've been crying?"
"Tell me, Hyuuga, since when did you let your hair down both literally and figuratively?" Sakura asked, as she looked and saw that for once, Neji didn't tie his hair, and hoped that he'll change the subject.
"I-uh…had a fight."
"It includes tenten, right?" Sakura said, half-murmuring to herself.
"Funnily, it does." Neji said sarcastically, freezing for a moment to breathe in the breeze.
"Oh, I alwa—" Sakura said, but Neji shushed her. "Don't you shus--"
"Silence!" Neji whispered furiously. "Dammit!"
"Wha--" Sakura asked, but Neji was gone in a breath.
Sighing, Sakura pulled her legs closer to herself again. But this time, with a distinct feeling she was not alone. A shadow stood, half-hidden behind Sakura.
"Why were you with Neji?" The figure demanded, in a voice stern yet soft.
"Actually, I can hang out with everyone I like." Sakura said coolly.
"Don't you give me that kind of answer!"
"Oho! So now you're getting angry at me for talking to your so called rival? Well fine! Blame me for everything! Blame me! It's always me, I'm always wrong!" Sakura screamed, more angry tears pushing out of her eyes as she unconsciously stood up.
"Calm down!"
"I WON'T CALM DOWN FOR YOU! AFTER ALL YOU'VE DONE TO ME, YOU THINK YOU COULD STILL COMMAND TO SIT STILL, WHILE YOU TELL ME YOU HATE ME!"
"You're making everything hard for me, Sakura! Calm yourself or I won't get this right."
Sakura knelt in defeat, her arms around herself, tears still falling, but in a more consistent way. She was tired, tired of being tossed around like a geisha, tired of being a girl, tired of being a ninja and most of all, tired of running after Sasuke.
"Alright…Now, I'm here to tell you I'm sorry and that I--"
"You made a hell of a racket just to do so"
"I'm not finished yet" He said sternly "I want to ask for your forgiveness, and I hope everything that I did to hurt you will be forgotten."
"Did that came from you?" Sakura asked unbelievingly "…or did naruto just persuade you?"
"W-Well, you see… Naruto half-persuaded me. But, I- I swear, everything else came from the heart." He said, his heart skipping a beat as he saw Sakura stand and took a step closer to him.
"Good. 'Coz, I've forgiven you already."
And so, dear readers, my story will end, as young Sasuke and Sakura kissed, under the cherry blossom tree.