"You look beautiful," Hinata chimed in cheerfully, startling Sakura out of her thoughts.

She had been staring at herself in the mirror, covered in a sea of ivory and crimson silks, wondering how the hell she had got to this point. The formal kimono swamped her petite frame, and was heavier and warmer than she thought it would be. Beads of sweat began to form along her forehead at the hairline, and even though the gown was beautiful... something felt off.

"Thank you," Sakura laughed awkwardly, forcing a smile as she continued to stare at the unfamiliar reflection looking back at her. "It feels so strange. Hinata, did you feel this nervous when you got married?"

"A little nervous, I guess," Hinata offered, gently folding the vermilion obi belt around Sakura's waist, "More excited, really. I couldn't wait to spend the rest of my life with Naruto-kun. I've loved him for so long. I'm sure you know the feeling."

"Oh, yeah... of course," Sakura agreed halfheartedly, taking in a deep breath as she felt constricted by the all-consuming regalia.

"Forehead, you are going to knock Sasuke's socks off when he sees you in this dress," Ino practically sang, her nimble fingers busy finishing the hem along the bottom of the lengthy gown.

"You think?" Sakura questioned, anxious hands spreading across the front of her dress, enjoying the softness of the luxurious fabric beneath her fingertips. "It's not too much, is it?"

"Are you kidding? You're getting married for crying out loud!"

"I know, but isn't this... too much, too quick?"

"Not really, Sakura-chan," Hinata confessed, securing the obi with a braided rope of pale pink, tying its tasseled ends into a bow that resembled a cherry blossom. "Naruto and I confessed our feelings for each other, and were married soon after. Sure it was swift, but when you love someone, does the timing really matter?"

Sensing the lack of response, Ino looked up from the hem she was sewing, frowning at the look of dread on Sakura's face.

"Sakura, you've loved Sasuke for years. I'm sure you're just a little apprehensive now that the day you've been waiting for your whole life is right around the corner. I think you just have a mild case of cold feet. No use in overthinking, and blowing this hole thing out of proportion. Just look forward to the future, you'll be an Uchiha. Because of you, his clan will rekindle its flame. That's gotta feel good, no?"

Sakura didn't know what to say. She could only feel the slow, choking grip of the fabric inching closer towards her neck. She was warm, too warm, and felt her body begin to sway in the dizziness that now plagued her.

"I... I can't... breathe," she whispered faintly, stepping down from her stool and walking towards the door.

"S-Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Hinata worriedly called after her, "Did I tie the obi too tight?"

"I just need some air," the pinkette mustered, rushing through the door and into the backyard of the Hyuga mansion.

The cool spring breeze seemed to chill her flushed cheeks, but she still felt a crushing weight on her chest. She was supposed to be elated, gushing over the lovely dress she was going to wear for one of the biggest days of her life, but here she was, in the middle of a full blown panic attack. Before her mind could process any further thought, her feet moved on their own. She was running full speed through the forest, wanting to get as far away as possible.

At first she thought it was just the dress, then it was the room, then it was the whole town of Konoha that was closing in around her. It all began to suffocate her, she couldn't breathe, her heart pounding in her chest as she burned what energy she had left in her. It wasn't long before she was no longer within city limits, and slowly, she felt relief. It seemed the farther she got from Konoha, the better she felt. Hands gripped tightly into the sides of her dress, holding the garment up as she continued to run, not wanting to stop anytime soon.

It wasn't until she reached the crumbled banks of the Valley of the End, that her feet actually halted. Staring down into the precipice, she closed her eyes as the roar of the waterfall filled her senses and calmed her gasps for air. All that remained of this once great landmark, was the waterfall and the shattered chunks of statues piled around its base.

This was where she found them.

Naruto and Sasuke had their final battle here, and when she found their mangled bodies, she had to act quickly to keep them from bleeding out. As the memories flooded her mind, she gulped, remembering Sasuke's words to her all too well. His apology was everything she had wanted to hear, but it felt like too little, too late.

Stepping away from the jagged edge of the cliff, Sakura backed away slowly, no longer wishing to look upon the rubble. Unlike physical wounds, painful memories were not so easily erased. Try as she might, these scars would take much longer to heal.

Tortured by the past and future alike, Sakura released a scream. Her cries echoed across the vast crater that was now the valley below, her piercing wail only amplified by its walls. She felt completely insane yelling across a hole in the ground, but the restless energy of panic and adrenaline needed to come out somehow.

Collapsing to the ground, Sakura lashed out, slamming her fist repeatedly into the dirt. She felt the soil crumble beneath her hand, tremors rippling through her surroundings. The impact of her chakra laden punches was so jarring, it shook petals and leaves free from nearby cherry trees, covering her in a floral flurry.

Had she been in the right frame of mind, Sakura would've thought the sight of the petals raining down around her to be rather beautiful. But currently, she couldn't help but feel trapped inside an unfortunate snow globe. Caught inside a beautiful bubble, all on her own, and unable to share the wonder with anyone else.

Why? Why can't I just be happy? Aren't I supposed to be happy?

All her life she had been dreaming of Sasuke, watching him, chasing after him, trying to heal the invisible wounds that caused him so much pain... and now that the moment she had been fantasizing about all these years had finally arrived, she was uneasy. It was what she had been wanting, after all, but the reality of the situation felt lacking.

In her mind, Sasuke would come back to the village a changed man, beg for her forgiveness and take her in his arms. He would hold her tightly, too scared to let her go, not wanting to go another day without her. He would whisper all the things she had been wanting to hear, he would confess his love, and they would succumb to their desires.

But, there was none of that.

There was no emotion behind that callous, unchanging face of his. When he looked at her, there was no softening of his features, no change in his face at all... he might as well have been looking at a pile of dirt.

Slowly, she realized that he would not change for her, or anyone else, and it was hopeless to think otherwise. What she struggled with now, was whether she could accept that the rest of her life. She loved him, that much was true, but deep down, a small part of her was questioning the whole situation.

Sakura simply wanted more.

She wanted someone to look upon her like she was the only thing that mattered. She wanted to feel their affection. She craved the intimate touch of another, wondering what that would be like with someone like Sasuke.

She couldn't help but struggle with feeling left behind once again, as she watched all her friends and colleagues from the sidelines. They were busy finding love and starting families, while she sat by herself, wondering where Sasuke was and what he was doing. He had returned to the village, but never spent any time behind its walls. He would rather be off by himself, than spend any time with her it seemed. Even when she had begged him not to go, or pleaded to take her with him, he refused.

Others often made comments about how lucky she was that such a powerful shinobi, the last of his clan, had chosen her. But she found the sentiment to be ironic, more than anything. She did not feel special... she was not hugged or kissed. Hell, she couldn't even get the man to give her a smile, let alone show her any affection. His face remained placid, with or without her presence. To Sakura, it was painfully clear that she had no effect on him.

After all this time, she still felt like an annoyance to him.

Perhaps that was the real reason he volunteered for such lengthy reconnaissance missions. Maybe he just didn't feel like dealing with her, preferring to be alone over being with her. Regardless, it didn't sit well with her.

How was she supposed to be okay with that kind of decision the rest of their lives?

The niggling pang in her chest kept her up at night, it settled in her throat when she thought about voicing her concerns, and it had chased her out of that fitting session just a few hours ago.

She could no longer ignore the facts. She was bothered by the thought of feeling like an abandoned prop. Sakura hated feeling like the crutch he refused to use because he would rather endure the limping pain on his own. If she was going to be a crutch for him, he could at least lean on her when he needed to... by choosing not to, he rendered her completely useless to him.

Raising her head to the sky, she wept.

Flashes of his face made her heart sink, for they were not real, merely hopeful delusions. They were idealistic images which vastly differed from reality. In real life, there were no smiles and no romantic gestures. The version of Sasuke she had concocted in her mind was not who he was, or would ever be. Which left her with one simple grain of truth.

He would never love her the way she loved him. Sasuke would never be capable of loving her the way she had dreamed of... wanted... needed.

What was she to do about that now, though?

Despondent, she leaned back against a tree, her dress pooling around her frame, hugging her like a blanket of remembrance. Forcing her tired eyes open to forego any more of the fictitious images, Sakura watched the clouds above slowly drift by.

"How appropriate," she scoffed, her voice cracking with emotion.

They keep moving on, while I'm stuck here. By myself.

As the sun began to set, Sakura pulled her knees up to her chest, sniffling as she hugged them tightly. Alone in the thicket of cherry trees, she sat, the distant roar of the waterfall lulling her to sleep. She was tired of thinking, wishing for sleep to find her quickly, thus releasing her from the confines of her own mind.