Ack! I'm running out of ideas for the story and I'm quite alarmed by that...Well, not that surprised since I always seem to run out of ideas for this one...DONATE IDEAS!!!!

Anyways, I'm once again pondering on what life will be like after Sasuke and Sakura come back to Konoha...Anyways, the story is pretty much boring from now on in my POV. But heck, I never like my ideas.

Once again, THANK YOU MIZU-CHAN!!! YOU FINALLY MADE A FF ACCOUNT!! x I'm so gloriously happy!

Disclaimer: Aizy owns nothing but her diminishing stock of stale bread and rainwater.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter: When Love Hurts...

The skies were littered with clouds damp and grey. They hung with a forlorn woeful look as if to celebrate the disappearance of Konoha's most promising kunoichi. Not a single bird flew in the cloudy skies above, and the cold stale winds that blew on the turning-brown leaves of the trees was desperate. The heaven seemed to wail in sadness for the missing girl, and the people below suffered as well. For Sakura had touched each and every one of their hearts.

The streets below were seemingly empty of people, and the few that wandered around were but zombies of their old self. Sitting at the Ichiraku ramen stand, was but two customers. Naruto and his sensei, Kakashi.

The sadness that hung on the usually cheery face of the blonde made Ayame (ramen girl) cringe. Kakashi was just sitting there, a look of pity stretched on the lone eye that showed. The blonde wasn't his usual self. How long had it been? Three weeks? Or was that three months? How long had it been since the last time they saw their dear Sakura-chan's beautiful indearing smile? How long has it been since they last saw her? How long...How long...

"...Kakashi-sensei?..."

The masked man turned toward the quiet blonde boy with a questioning look. And without even looking up to see if his sensei was listening, Naruto started, "...I hope...I hope she for-..." the blue-eyed protagonist looked down at the ground and sighed, "I hope she forgets...me..." This made Kakashi blink in surprise, never, NEVER had Naruto given up his love for his dear Sakura-chan. This was a change...Why?

"Why do you want her to forget you, Naruto?" he asked curiously, this was such a change of heart. Naruto sighed once again, now looking up at the cloud-filled sky, "...I once hoped that I could have someone to love me...Someone who would accept me for who I am and never back down, someone who would stay by my side forever...I always hoped that Sakura-chan was going to stop loving Sasuke-teme and love me..."

Kakashi waited for the boy to continue.

A bitter smile brushed onto the pale lips of the demon fox carrier. Sky eyes, rimmed with sadness and tears looked straight at him. The courage, the determination, all that glorious happiness was erased from the boy's face. Not a single trace of that endearing smile remained on the face of the boy that was always so happy. It was all blown away, replaced with the sadness of an orphan child, lost within hundreds of faces and thousands of paths.

"...I...I was selfish...I can't keep Sakura-chan to myself...I want to hate Sasuke...I want to hate Sakura-chan...But I can't.." Naruto paused, the salty tears that started to fall from his watery eyes were quickly wiped away on a sleeve. Kakashi could only simpathize the poor boy who's dreams and hopes had been shattered. His heart could only tear at the sight of the wounded ninja, his own student, one of his family.

Naruto choked on, not caring for the rushes of tears falling off his cheeks, "...I...I love Sakura-chan so much...Since we were in the academy...Then there's Sasuke...He's...He's always been better at me in everything... I always wanted to prove myself to Sakura-chan...But Sasuke was always there to steal my glory."

The sky is cloudy forever on...

It was here, that Kakashi regretted favoring Sasuke. Even for the tiniest bit that could have remained secret.

"...I just hope...That Sakura-chan will be happy with Sasuke..." and that was how Naruto, the benevolent Naruto put it. Before Kakashi even knew, the golden-haired hero had gone.

----------------------------------------

The silence between them as they walked on the forested path. The chirping of birds echoed in the thick forest, and sunlight shined through patches. She had never seen this place, her curiousity was immense, and her happiness was overriding and she could barely contain herself.

...Yet...

Evertime she saw the ebony-haired boy ahead of her, her happiness deminished and sadness took over her heart. The feeling sank into her. She wondered about that boy. No, it was a man in a boy's body.

Sasuke...His name was foreign to her mouth. Yet she couldn't help but keep mouthing that perfect name...How the s's in the name curled and rolled off her tongue... She couldn't but help liking the silent boy even though all her memories about him and everything had been erased.

Her memories...She lusted for them...How dark and forbidden the world seemed to be when she had no dear memory to hold to her heart...No family or friends to think of...She couldn't remember anything... How much she wanted to remember Sasuke's face...How much she wanted to remember who he was to her...She couldn't shake off the feeling that he was someone that was important to her life. And it sort of scared her...Why wouldn't Sasuke say anything? If he was important to her, why didn't he just tell her who he was...

She wanted to know...So badly...It hurt...To think about all those people that would be hurt knowing that she couldn't remember them...Maybe...Maybe that's why Sasuke didn't want to talk...Maybe it hurted him too much to think about it.

Her eyes were downcast.

Did she really cause all that pain? She...How? Was she very important? Could she have been a princess from a white-stoned castle that stood on a emerald-grassed slope that overlooked a beautiful village with the kindest people?

...No...Her clothes...She was nowhere dressed good enough to be a princess...Maybe she was the fiance of a business man...She let her imagination run...But deep in heart, she knew that all those fantasies were false...And that she would just be another common village girl...

Who could she be in the vast world?

...Gently take me into your arms...

...Maybe if we hope hard enough...

...That our love would come true...

...For real...

...Why do you love me?..

...Maybe now...

...You truly undestand my feelings...

How does love feel? Will it be sweet? Will it be bitter? Will it bite at your hands?...

...Tell me when you truly love me...Remember...Who I to you... Then we're truly be together... Love me...Forever on... And when skies rain their tears, we can stand together and face the future...

She wondered...

Sweet hours have perished here;

This is a mighty room;

Within its precincts hopes have played,-

Now shadows in the tomb.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Wow...Listening to Jay Chan and reading Emily Dickenson really helps the soul process sadness... Anyways, the poem belongs to the Emily Dickenson, "Time and Eternity" collection. The song words were inspired by Track 6 of Jay Chan's album, "Falling Tears" I think...

Happy almost Chinese New Year!

Aizy