Note to the reader: Thank you for the support! Thank you for the readers! Sorry for the late update guys…

Summary: Love requires trust…always…

CHAPTER V- "I'm sorry"

Winter was slowly paving its way to the city. The people walked out their homes lesser times than usual and many preferred to eat a lot instead of burning fats. Those were some of the alternating effects of winter to every living being that month. But even if winter had its power cast upon the helpless humans, there was still that scorching heat bleeding to cool down but unfortunately couldn't. For some reason, that heat was called anger.

Uchiha Sasuke blinked about twice before recognizing the faintest clue that he was in the hospital. The clue was… white surroundings. He did not have the strength to sit up nor slide down the bed. He was stuck in a supine lying position with both arms stiffly stretched at his sides. He blinked again before he got a faint response from his muscles that he was stiff as a log. Great. He thought nonchalantly and decided to stop urging himself to move.

That was, he was sure, a lasting effect of Charlatan. The numbness of his muscles and the constant pangs in head visited him at least once in two months. The side effect was either because of too much intake at that moment, or his body pleaded for more, or he was too stressed. The Uchiha moved his gaze at the wall clock and thought, it's almost six.

Sasuke suddenly remembered the first time he was rushed into the hospital because of the Charlatan overdose. He was vomiting blood and was bleeding in and out as well. The man who was at his bedside was someone who growled at the very sight of the hospital bill. The man who rushed him into the hospital was the same man who threw him intimidating looks and paragraph-long threats. That man was the man he wanted to forget.

His mind was brought back to the clock when the door opened and a doctor came in. He scanned Sasuke as he wrote notes on his pad. The Uchiha watched the same doctor he met yesterday take his status and then smiled wearily at him. "Good evening Mr. Uchiha."

Sasuke raised his brows in replacement of the worded greeting.

"You must be alright now."

Hope I was better. Sasuke thought after feeling a slight slash of fresh pain. Even my mind seemed to taste like copper. Copper…The familiar taste of blood… At that very instant, Sasuke sprang to life and forgot about the stiffness of his muscles. He almost flew off the bed—almost successfully—and landed painfully on the ground. If there's a will, there's a way—only that his muscles felt no will to be mobile.

"Sasuke! What are you doing?" the doctor rushed to the patient.

"What—do—you—think?" Sasuke managed to let out exasperated words as he lied on the floor. "Would you mind helping me stand?"

The doctor obliged and placed him back on the bed. "The lasting effect of the drug would take about another hour. To lessen the pain, I recommend you refrain from moving for a while."

The Uchiha didn't hear what the doctor said. "Where's Haruno?"

"Your friend? Ah, she's quite alright." There was a sad tone in his voice. "She'll be back to her own grace after three days or so…only…"

Only what? Sasuke's eyes were calm yet there was a winding sign of anxiety.

"Only we're not sure if—"

The doctor was interrupted by the sudden knock on the door. A nurse moved her head in and called. "Dr. Haust, your appointment sir."

Dr. Haust nodded and let out a sigh. "I need to go."

The old doctor move to the door and gave him a last backward glance before he left. The Uchiha watched the door slowly close leaving the emptiness and curiosity unanswered. What happened to Haruno? He thought and then he realized that there was an awful possibility… he somehow could not speak it to himself though he was well aware of those tragic situations.

Haruno Sakura opened her eyes due to the sudden change of the environment. There was a shift of weight on the bed and it seemed like there was someone else on the bed. The room was dark, cold and yet very cozy in fact. It was just right for her tortured body. Torture? She didn't want to remember if ever she recalled even a scene. And yes…she did…though the scene was the most unwanted.

Sakura adjusted her eyes to the darkness and saw a silhouette of someone sitting at the edge of her bed. The person was inches from her right and somehow, she could make out a figure of a man.

"Haruno…" there was a hushed whisper from the figure.

"Sasuke?" she reckoned the voice of the man.

There was a reflection of something white. Perhaps it was Sasuke's teeth exposed by a smile. "How are you Haruno?"

"I'm quite fine." Sakura replied. She didn't comprehend the joy she felt when she heard his voice. "You?"

"I guess I am better than your state."

There was seconds of silence before Sasuke parted his lips to spill the words he wanted to say. "I'm…"

Sakura felt herself flush. "What?"

"I'm…going out somewhere so rest now." Sasuke felt the sudden urge to stand despite the ache in his legs. He just recovered from being numb. Before another word was uttered, the Uchiha left.

Sakura watched the door close and clasped her hand on her forehead. She twitched upon feeling pain on her wrists…

Uchiha Sasuke escaped from the vicinity of the hospital—how, no one knew. Perhaps it was one of the skills he acquired from being an army student. The only reason why he joined the army was not because he loved it but he wanted to show everyone that he was strong. He believed he needed to look strong so he could not be harmed anymore. It was later proven futile after all.

Before he continued to his destined place, he dropped by the usual venue where he felt at home—the church. He didn't like religion but the sacrament of confession kept him going into that house with enthusiasm. Sasuke walked into the church and went directly towards the confession box.

"Father?" He asked, dubious of the silence he experienced in the box.

There was no reply.

The young Uchiha became irritated for some reason he could not accept as deep. It felt weird knowing that he might not have his confession that night. "Father?" he asked again with patient anticipation. Still, no reply. His hand automatically slipped into the pocket of his trench coat. Too bad, it was confiscated. Damn! He cursed inwardly after realizing that the pack of 'cigarettes' was gone. He needed to calm down… and he needed Charlatan… He slowly moved out of the confession box and then he sighed for a couple of times.

Sasuke fought the urge to kick the box; instead he placed his arm against it and rested his head there. For about seconds of thinking, he went to a stand and saw printed papers piled up with a neglected pen at its side. He had an idea. He began writing his sins on the papers and then went off.

Bless me Father for I have sinned…

I am to kill somebody tonight…

Neji's mansion stood out from the rest of its neighboring houses which, as compared to others, were already grand. He walked casually into the Hyuuga residence yet not recognized by other guards. They almost rang for security when Sasuke had successfully punched them out of their wits. He acquired their guns and moved into the "garden"—which actually represented a meadow because of its size—as silently as possible.

Sasuke halted at a certain spot and looked around for any sign of the Neji. So far, he seemed alone. He took some more cat steps and stopped when he heard a voice calling his name. "Sasuke…"

The other did not reply. He kept on walking as he tracked the source of the voice. The breeze intensified the decreasing temperature and the trees wildly reacted to the cool passing intruder. Then for a second, everything went still. Uchiha Sasuke saw a figure leaning against a tree meters from him. The figure represented a man with long black hair shining under the half-hidden moon. His eyes were silvery white, glowing menacingly yet calmly. His posture showed how comfortably he leaned and he seemed not to be surprised by Sasuke's appearance. He expected him.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was clutching the pistol he got from the swooned guard rather tightly. His eyes were sharp and were clear of any pain from the Charlatan. He seemed possessed in a sense… he wanted to hurt Neji because of a reason he could not consider significant to him at all.

"I knew you'd come." Hyuuga Neji's lips moved. "And I knew you'd be bringing something with you." He added and gave a side glance at the pistol.

"Your weak guards supplied me with one." Sasuke replied with mixed sardonic and mordant tone.

"I ordered the others to have a nice short break."

"So you're expecting to die now?"

"I expected you to come…but I won't die in your hands."

The Uchiha gritted his teeth. "Fuck you Neji. Why do you have to get her into this?"

Neji gave an innocent gesture of acknowledging the name. "The rank 1 student—Haruno Sakura?" He moved away from the tree revealing a rare agonizing smile. "Why do you care?"

Sasuke was taken aback by his past lover's words.

"Why Sasuke? Why did you care when all the while you did not care for me?" There was pure emotion in his voice—pure yet somehow concealed by deep spite.

The same silence answered the Hyuuga's question.

"Do you love her?"

"No." There was a stinging truth in Sasuke's retort.

"Soon you will, perhaps…" Neji responded. "But you'll never realize it since you'll die tonight." He cocked his head to the side and articulated words the Uchiha dreaded to hear. "You'll die because I loved you… and yet you didn't care." There was felt pain yet subtly heard in those words. It chastened Sasuke but he didn't know why.

The raven head walked toward the Hyuuga and pointed his gun to him as he approached.

"I'm sorry…" is all that you can say…?

Neji's hair flew past the breeze as he watched his beloved move towards him.

Days flew by and still…

Sasuke couldn't stop walking until he was only a few feet from Neji. There was weakness in him…in his mind, body and soul… he cocked the gun and placed its tip against the Hyuuga's head.

Words don't go easily…

"Sasuke…" Neji muttered and smiled.

Sasuke pulled the trigger slowly and—nothing. His eyes widened…

"I told you Uchiha Sasuke… I expected you to come for me." Neji pulled a gun from behind him. Everything suddenly moved in slow motion. Sasuke did not move. Neji pointed it to the Uchiha's abdomen…

"Neji…"

A tear… a tear fell from Neji's eye… He pulled the trigger…

Like "I'm sorry…"

The wind blew rather strongly like it wanted to scratch everything with its materialized claws. The leaves fluttered past two frozen figures in the dark. Their faces were barely illuminated by the silvery yellow radiance of the moon. Their lips were together… their breathing united until one of them fell to his knees and dropped cold on the ground.

The one standing was too startled to react. The tears which were supposed to flow were petrified by shock. He didn't know what he'd do or what he'd feel now. He was lost and perhaps he didn't expect this…

Uchiha Sasuke stood still with Neji's pistol in his hands. Hyuuga Neji was on the ground with blood on his abdomen. The memory of how Neji shot himself began creeping up into his mind. Neji pointed the gun to Sasuke's abdomen—the Hyuuga placed Sasuke's hand on the gun—he turned the direction of the gun to himself—he kissed him passionately for the last time—and then, he pushed Sasuke's finger to finish the job—his life.

The gun fell from his hand as he fell on his knees. Sasuke clenched his fists and yelled out the pain and guilt he felt. That was all he could do… that was all he felt like doing… and it was over…

There was a knock on Sakura's room that midnight. Fortunately, she was still awake due to curiosity and hour long pondering on what Sasuke meant and what happened to her. She believed she was alright thought the memory of what seemed to be a crime against her showered her with disgust and fear. There was another knock on the door which brought her back to the present. The door slowly moved ajar and she saw the same man who visited her hours before.

"Sasuke, "she let out a smile and sat upright, "where have you been?"

Sasuke had a weak curve in his lips recognized as a smile. "Somewhere."

Sakura reckoned anguish in his pretentious voice and asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Really?" She held out her hand to feel Sasuke and it landed on the Uchiha's cheek. It was slightly damp. "Sasuke—?"

Sasuke suddenly held her hand and kept it in connection with his skin. He closed his eyes and muttered two words, "I'm sorry…"

Haruno blushed yet she felt strange worry and pity for Sasuke. She knew that Sasuke was the type of person who didn't know the word "sorry". She knew that Sasuke was the naughty unconcerned popular guy who was accidentally linked to her. She knew that Sasuke didn't cry… or so she thought now that she felt Sasuke's hold on her hand against his damp cheek.

Why Sasuke? Why are you telling me this? She thought—unsure if she was to say those words out loud. She just sat silently and placed her other free hand on Sasuke's head. Suddenly, the Uchiha let go of her hand and embraced her torso with his face on her lap. She heard him clearly…yet she was unable to believe… Sasuke was silently crying… letting out moans and sobs at certain intervals. She could hear him say Neji's name… she could hear him say her name… she could hear the heart rending muffled words of Sasuke saying "I'm sorry…" all over again…

END

Well guys, I am also supposed to say I'm sorry because this chapter is altogether sad and short. Sorry for the late update! I will assure you that the next chapter is not as agonizing as this any more! See you! And thank you!

I hope you liked how I showed Sasuke's melancholic human side.