The Time it Took
Summary: Haruno Sakura can never forget what he did to her. Her parents moved her to a new place with new faces...just to forget. Two years can do a lot to change one girl. SakuraxOC
Chapter Five: Year Two Part II
Sakura sighed lazily as the summer sun beat down harder on her figure. She brushed away a few beads of sweat and stretched out her arms. "This has got to be the hottest day of the year…"
"Saku-rin! Where are you?"
Sakura looked down from the tree branch and spotted Sanosuke, his ponytail swinging behind him. "Saku-rin!"
"Sano-kun, I'm up here!" she yelled, waving down at him.
"Ah, I found you. I thought maybe you were avoiding me…"
"Sano-kun, I'm not avoiding you. I can never be that mean."
He smiled at her, and sighed. "Then come down from there! Are you wearing a skirt?"
She looked at him, puzzled. "No, why? Thinking something perverted?"
"Saku-rin! What kind of man do you think I am? I'm just asking…so you can jump into my arms!"
"Excuse me?" she exclaimed, crossing her arms in front of her.
"Jump!" he said gleefully. He outstretched his arms and smiled. "Jump into my arms!"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "I would rather die," she said sarcastically. "Besides, your lovely Himiko would get jealous of that…"
"Please? Jump?" he pleaded, pouting. He pretended that the Himiko comment wasn't heard.
Sakura smiled at him. "Fine," she said, jumping.
His grinned and caught the girl with ease. "Jeez, Saku-rin! You are so very light." His eyes wandered from her emerald eyes to her shirt, which happened to rise above her shorts revealing a little more skin then intended…
"Why thank you." Sakura released himself from his hold and fixed her shirt. She really didn't like that fact that he was staring at her waist like that.
He offered her his arm and asked charmingly, "Shall I escort the princess to her kingdom?"
Sakura took his arm and nodded, ignoring the rosy blush on Sanosuke's cheeks. Sakura held down the urge to laugh as he held his head high, smiling as if there was no tomorrow.
Himiko bit on her nail harder. In these past few months Sakura has been nothing except a total nuisance. For Kami-sama's sake, she was flirting with him! She watched them carefully, move by move, step by step; she hovered like a vulture over those two. Her dear Sano-chan was practically a puddle of goo at the pink haired, emerald eyed freak! Sanosuke could do way better with someone as beautiful, as talented, as beautifully talented as her, the one and only Himijima Himiko!
"Sakura, I swear this is not over!"
"Say, chief? You have been hanging around Sano-temme a lot. Is there anything happening between you two?"
"No, why ask?" she replied, fiddling with Natsumi's hair, fixing it into a nice braid.
Nami shrugged her shoulders. She leaned back into the hammock and grinned at her.
"Na-kun thinks you guys are lovers," Natsumi said, her lilac eyes shining. "I mean, the whole village does, and you are with him plenty, Onee-chan."
Sakura looked at them in disbelief. "Me? And Sano-kun? Not at all! We're just good friends is all. He's really sweet and he's been diverting my mind from home."
"That's not so good." Nami said lazily, her eyes sealed shut. "Sano-temme is such an ass."
Natsumi shook her head disapprovingly. "Sanosuke-sempai is really nice. He must really like you, Onee-chan. Yeah; he must have fallen in love with you."
Sakura blushed. "Me? Impossible…" she mumbled, tying the band to hold the neat braid.
"Whatever you say, Sakura-neechan," Nami sighed, swinging the hammock back and forth. "Na-chan, you know Sakura-neechan will never believe you."
"Hey, but Sempai told me himself!" she said, covering her mouth quickly.
"What?" Nami and Sakura said in unison.
"Nothing!" she said quickly, standing up.
"NA-CHAAAN! TELL MEEE!" Nami whined, pulling on the braid that Sakura has worked so hard on tying together.
"OWW OWW OWW! LET ME GO!" Natsumi yelled, clawing her nails out at Nami.
Sakura just sat there…almost two years with the two taught her not to go in between their little fights. Besides, Natsumi will yell something smart to her older sister and have Nami stop whatever she is doing trying to figure out what her younger sister just said. That was all routine to Sakura.
Nami pulled off her sister, looking at her with confusion. "Huh?"
Sakura smiled. "So, Natsumi-chan, tell me about Sanosuke-kun…isn't he deeply in love with Himiko-san and vice versa?"
Nami stopped short. "No…Sano-temme and Himiko-san…were engaged…that's why…she came here…in the first place…"
"Engaged?" Sakura asked, "Talk about young."
"Himiko-san use to live at another village…but in order to strengthen some ties with them they had her be engaged to the most suitable bachelor…"
"Suitable bachelor? Sano-kun? You have got to be kidding me."
Natsumi shook her head. "Not at all! When he was younger he was quite handsome…he got engaged at…age…uh…"
"Thirteen," Nami said, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, that. He was happy when he found out Himiko-san was pretty. And when you think about it now, Sempai is really more handsome looking now at seventeen. And Himiko-san is getting there, fifteen is still too young, and when she reaches sixteen then I guess that's okay." Natsumi said.
Nami smiled. "But when Sakura-neechan first came here two years ago she was really pretty."
"Onee-chan does not count!"
"Why not?" Sakura asked, putting on a hurt face.
"Just because! You're sixteen…and you haven't changed much at all!"
"WHAT?" Sakura said.
"I think Na-chan means you don't count because you just keep getting pretty…no change needed, right Na-chan?"
Natsumi nodded, blushing at her slip.
Sakura sighed in relief. "So what about their engagement? Are they really going for it?"
Nami shook her head. "I guess…not."
Natsumi stared at her feet, "Didn't he break the engagement with her?"
"Yup…the Elders told me he broke it because he loves someone else."
Sakura walked slowly towards her home, thinking about what Natsumi said. She really liked Sanosuke, in the friend sense of speaking. She wasn't ready to fall in love again…she still needed time to heal some wounds.
I'm not ready for love, Sanosuke knows that!
"Sakura-san!"
Sakura looked in front of her to meet only a pair of ruby eyes. "Himiko-san!"
Himiko gave her a friendly smile and added, "Have you seen my Sano-chan anywhere?"
"No, not since earlier today…did you check with the Council? Maybe he had some business there."
"No, I checked there already. He wasn't at any of his usual places…odd really; I haven't seen him around much. I honestly miss my dear, Sano-chan." She said lovingly, batting her eyelashes at her. She said that a little too lovingly for Sakura's comfort.
Sakura forced herself to smile.
"Sakura-san, if you see him, please tell him that his dear Himi-rin is looking for her Sano-chan?"
"Yeah, of course, no problem," she said, scratching the back of her head. She reminds me of Ino-pig!
"Thank you, darling. I truly appreciate it!" she gave Sakura one last smile and walked off.
Sakura sighed. Himiko has been coming up to her a lot asking about Sanosuke and his whereabouts. "Why me…"
She shook her head.
Are you thinking about Sanosuke-kun again?
No!
Sure, you're not.
Oh, please.
Her inner-self laughed. Maybe you are starting to fall in love again…with Sanosuke-kun! Forget about Uchiha-san…Sanosuke-chan is way sweeter.
"Saku-rin!"
Sakura looked ahead of her and saw Sanosuke standing at her doorstep.
'Hey, Sano-kun," she said, plastering a smile.
He smiled at her and said, "Saku-rin, I've been thinking. I've known you for almost two years now, and I still haven't asked you out on a date yet!"
"So?"
"Will you go out with me?"
Sakura half laughed. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah."
"No."
"What?"
"Sano-kun…I'm sorry. But you are my friend…and I only think of you as my friend."
Sanosuke sighed and forced a smile. "Alright then, but next time, you will go out with me."
"Uhuh sure I will." Sakura smiled at him and looked at his onyx eyes. "Aw, don't be sad!"
"I'm not," he started, "I'll just try again."
She giggled and pushed back her bangs. "You go ahead and do that!"
He leaned in closer and whispered, "I will…but only because I love you." He kissed her gently on her cheek and grinned. "Ja!"
"Sano-kun…" She watched as he walked away into the small crowd.
"Damn her!" Himiko screamed, tossing boxes across the floor. "That witch! She knows where he his! SHE JUST WON"T TELL ME!"
Himiko sighed in frustration and threw a folder of papers in the air. She sat on the floor and shifted through the papers once more. Himiko was in the filing room of the Elders, looking for the paper on the shinobi…just to see if Sanosuke was doing his job. Instead she found Sakura's citizen papers…the very ones she was not allowed to read.
"Oooh…might as well," she whispered, before reading the information, "'Name: Haruno Sakura. DOB: March 28. POB: Konohagakure. Weight…'" she paused and looked at the paper again. "Konohagakure? What kind of village name is that? How stupid…"
Himiko threw that folder aside and sat there in silence. She picked up another folder labeled "CLASSIFIED" in big red letters and looked at it. She opened it and squealed in delight for she recognized the handwriting.
"Sano-chan! Yay!"
She opened the folder and began reading its contents.
Sakura collapsed on her bed, rubbing her eyes. She had a very long day…a very, very long day. The more she thought about it, the more she wished to return home.
"Sano-kun…is Sano-kun…" she whispered lightly, pushing the bangs away from her hair, "and Uchiha-san is…"
Sakura sat up and looked out her window at the setting sun. She rubbed her eyes again, holding back tears.
I want to go back to Konohagakure…I want to go home. I want to…
"Honey! Are you home?" her mother called from the kitchen. "Can you help me out here?"
…I want to go back to Sasuke…
"I'm coming mom!" she went to her dresser and brushed her hair.
I don't want to stay here anymore…I miss everyone…
Sakura tied her hair into a ponytail and opened her bedroom door.
I want to see all of my friends again…
She closed her door and sighed.
I don't want Sano-kun to love me…I just can't have that…
She went to the kitchen and smiled at her mom. "Hi honey!" her mom exclaimed.
I cannot have him love me…
"What do you need?"
I love some one else.
"Mom…" Sakura said, chopping the onions, "when are we going back home?"
"Home? But we are home darling, this is our home."
"No, I mean back to Konohagakure."
"Sweetie, we're not going back there. Besides, you're happier here!"
"Mom, I'm not happy…I miss Konoha…"
"Sakura, I do to, but this is our home from now one. End of discussion."
Sakura looked down and continued to chop onions. "But…"
"But?"
"I'm a shinobi!"
"Here, you are not. I'm glad, too. You are safe here."
"Mom…I'm not…"
"Not what?"
"Never mind…" You'll never understand, Mom, I'm sorry…but I have to go back.
"No…way…" Himiko said the folder on the floor. She blinked her head spinning with the new found information. She picked up the folder again and read it:
'The shinobi attacks of four years ago and the attacks now have no connection what so ever. The shinobi of this time, marked Shinobi A (pictures of supposed shinobi on page 12C), is posing no threat after the Council meeting last year. Based on this evidence, Shinobi A is in the village acting as a civilian. Based on the evidence on page 3A, Shinobi A came from one of the villages to the East: Konohagakure. The name of said shinobi is unknown as of now…
"Liar, liar! My sweet Sano-chan is a liar! He knew all along whom the shinobi was!" She sat up on rushed out the door.
Sakura closed the back door to the house quietly and walked towards the forest, dragging her feet. She threw the bag over her shoulders, sighing. "The fastest way home is through the night!" she exclaimed, plastering a smile on her face.
She stopped short and turned around to meet a pair of fiery eyes…
"Hey, bitch."
"What the…?"
Sanosuke walked around the office, looking for his files. He spotted the opened file and clenched his teeth.
"Crap…"
"Himiko-san! You scared me!" Sakura said, clutching her bag tighter.
"Cut the act," Himiko snarled, "you filthy shinobi."
Sakura gasped. "How did you…"
"Please, Sano-chan, my dear sweet Sano-chan, he found out first. I just had the liberty of reading his files."
"Himiko-san…"
"Listen prissy, I do not like you. You ruined my life with Sanosuke…"
"Himiko-san, if this has to do with your engagement I'm sorry okay?" Sakura said, "I didn't mean for him to break his engagement with you! That wasn't my fault!"
"Fault? IT. WAS. YOUR. FAULT! He loves you Sakura-san! That's why he broke our engagement…I would do anything…for him to love me again. We were fine together, and then you came. You made him fall in love with you! Why the hell did you come here in the first place?" Himiko screamed.
"Himiko-san…" Sakura felt something tighten around her heart. She…wasn't like Ino-pig at all…Himiko was like…Sakura. All this time Sakura believed that Himiko was like Ino with her love her Sanosuke…but she was dead wrong. Himiko acted as if she herself were Sakura…in love with Sasuke. "Himiko-san…I know how you feel…I'm sorry for taking him…I didn't mean to!"
Sakura felt bad. She took Sanosuke away from Himiko the same way Ino took Sasuke away…
"LIAR! Why didn't you just stay in that stupid village of yours with the rest of the filthy shinobi?"
Sakura stared at her, her pitying emerald eyes burning with anger; forget about what she just thought, Sakura and Himiko are two people…different people. "How dare you," she said fiercely, "how dare you talk trash about Konoha and its people…about my people!"
Himiko smirked. "So? Trash is trash. Go home to the big garbage can."
Sakura snapped. She drew a kunai from her pouch and threw it at Himiko. The girl screamed as the knife pinned her to the tree. She struggled and struggled but managed to get herself stuck even more.
"One more wise ass crack from you and I swear I will not miss."
Himiko stared at her with frightened eyes. She gathered what little courage she had left and said, "I know you were going to leave, so leave! And don't you dare come back, shinobi."
"I don't plan on coming back." Sakura picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Oh, Himiko-san, one word of me being a shinobi…and I swear it will hurt you more than it will hurt me."
Himiko stared at the pink-haired girl as she disappeared into the trees.
"Himiko!" Sanosuke ran up to Himiko and pulled her off the tree. "What happened to you?"
Himiko didn't respond as she quietly sobbed into his shirt.
"Himiko!"
"She…" she started, "left…I'm sorry Sano-chan…I found out from your file…I made her leave."
"Who?"
"Sakura-temme…she's gone. She went back home to that trash village…oh Sano-chan…we can be happy now."
Sanosuke looked down at the sobbing girl and gently pushed her away. "No Himiko, Sakura is my happiness. And I'm going after my happiness."
Sakura ran faster and faster, her surroundings becoming nothing but a blur to her. She was panting heavily, but she didn't care. She wanted this. She wanted to leave. She wanted to go back. Sakura pushed back tears as she remembered why she left Konohagakure…she left without a word and now she's just returning.
She stopped and leaned on a tree, breathing deeply. Sakura's cheeks were flushed as she stood there, the sun beating down on her. She got up from her position and began running again.
Why are you going back there? Her inner-self asked.
I have to.
No you don't! Turn around!
I can't.
OH! You are so stubborn! Uchiha-san doesn't care about you!
I don't care…I have to go back!
You're just hurting yourself.
I know.
Sakura ran faster, ignoring the sun that has just risen from the horizon. She kept on going with only one thing on her mind…
"Sasuke-kun…wait for me!"
The End
Author's Note: FINISHED! Haha…I said six chapters…but I got lazy in the long run! So five it is! Sides…I like the number five instead of six…XD…haha that's the real reason why I wanted five chapters instead! Thank you so much for all those who took their time to read this thing! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! If interested to know what happened the and what will happen from this point on to Sakura and such and such…just hop on over and read my other fic Believe Me, It's True! Yup yup…this was fun while it lasted! Reviews/comments/suggestions/flames/anything else is welcome! Thanks again! Till next fic! Ja ne!