Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own Naruto.
I stepped out into the cold winter air, my short pink hair following me with every step. My feet felt heavy as I walked, placing one small and delicate foot in front of the other. My foot steps were loud, and it seemed like I was walking for an eternity, when in reality it was only a few short minutes.
STOMP. STOMP. My footsteps echoed along the path.
I had heard the news that morning.
"Hey, Sakura-chan?" Naruto had said to me, an awkward small smile on my face. We were sitting at Ichiraku Ramen, because Naruto had just come back from a mission and of course the first thing he wanted was ramen. I just happened to be dragged along. Naruto suggested that it was to celebrate his successful mission.
"Yeah, Naruto?" I hesitatingly replied. I wondered what he wanted to get off his mind.
Naruto took a deep, long breath and paused before speaking. "You know Sakura-chan, I never told you what my mission was about. Do you want to know?"
I immediately got curious. "Naruto, what do you mean? Sure, tell me what your mission was…"
"Sakura-chan. Tsunade granny told me not to tell you this, but I think you have a right to know." Naruto's expression got hard, and by this time the usual brightness that was always in his eyes was gone. He stared at his empty ramen bowl.
I didn't know what was coming.
Something was wrong. Usually Naruto ate at least nine bowls of ramen after a mission. He had only eaten two. My heart ached for him; I was worried. Naruto and I were as close as siblings.
His head rose to face mine. His eyes were gray, not his usual ocean blue. "Listen, Sakura-chan. That mission I went on… it was a mission to bring back Sasuke. Kakashi, Neji, Shikamaru, Lee and I were sent on that mission…" His dead eyes pierced right through me.
I could feel the color drain from my face as I soaked in the information. Why haven't I heard anything about this? "Why? Why didn't anyone tell me about this sooner? Why didn't Tsunade want me to know…?"
He sadly shook his head before answering, "Granny Tsunade knew that if you found out you would want to come along. But Sakura-chan, she didn't mean to hurt you. She was trying to protect you. Protect you from the dangers, the emotion, and the expectations."
I held myself, and I could feel my body trembling. I immediately knew what it was all about. Why I hadn't known about this mission that was a secret only to me. I sat there, shaking, thinking silently and sadly about the truth.
I was weak.
Finally, I spoke, my words coming out in strangled tones. "But, Naruto, you said your mission was a success."
"It was." That was his simple answer. I could feel myself dying inside.
"Sasuke... h-he's back?" I asked Naruto. Naruto slowly nodded. I gulped. My throat was dry; I was finding it hard to speak. It was as if all the words I once knew were slowly fading away from my tongue. I quickly found myself fighting against the emotion, the tears.
I was so close from cracking, so close from breaking down right there, in front of Naruto. I didn't want him to think I was weak, even though deep down inside I knew it was true. I wanted to at least be able to control my emotions in front of him. My composure and words were quickly running out, so I uttered the last thing my sore throat allowed me to say.
"Where is he?"
STOMP STOMP.
And then I was walking, slowly dragging my feet along the hard pavement. My head ached from the previous information Naruto had forced into my head through my not-so-wide-anymore forehead. I blamed myself for everything. I hated myself for being so weak, and for being a burden to everyone.
Even when I tried and trained, in the end the results were the same.
I was weak. And we all knew it. Naruto knew it, Kakashi knew it, and I was sure… Sasuke still knew it.
I hated how pathetic I was. I couldn't even help bring back the one I loved dearly in the past, the one I still had feelings for.
That's right, I still loved him. I knew I always would. I couldn't bring myself to stop loving him, no matter how much it hurt. I couldn't erase the memory of him that was etched in my mind for so long now, like a wandering ghost; no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't do anything.
I had even gone home after talking to Naruto, to cry. I wasn't a true shinobi because I broke the rule; I cried. I could never be a true shinobi.
In the end, in every way possible, I was weak.
My train of thought ended, when the STOMPs that were once so horribly loud completely disappeared. I rose my head up. My once bright green eyes searched for the entrance to the building. They found a white sign that read in large letters, "Enter". The hospital stood there, like a tower about to tip over and fall to the ground. I have been there countless times before; I knew the hospital like the back of my hand.
However, for some odd reason, it now seemed to me like this large building towering above my pink covered head was a complete stranger. It seemed different; darker.
But I knew he was there. I knew he was lonely, whether he wanted to admit it or not. I knew for a fact I needed to see him. I knew for a definite fact that I missed Sasuke Uchiha.
So my sad little feet picked up speed and carried me over to the entrance of the building Naruto had told me that Sasuke was in.
This time there were no stomps. Just a quiet TAP with every step I took. I quickly walked up to the front desk in the hospital, and I slammed one hand on the desk. Shizune was there. I looked up at her with narrowed eyes and said the sacred name.
"Uchiha Sasuke." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. I was surprised at the monotonous tone that left my mouth when I said it. I tried to pierce through Shizune with my eyes, for I assumed that she wouldn't tell me the room number. I immediately learned that there was no need for that.
She already knew what it was about. "Room 329," She told me, briefly. I bowed my head slightly in appreciation and relief. She smiled at me, but I could see the worry shining from under her mask. "I knew you would find out soon enough," She spoke in a hushed tone.
But it was too late for me to hear. I was already long gone, making my way down the halls of Konohagakure hospital.
I breathed in and out deeply as I stepped up the steps. My bright green eyes were wide. I could feel a drop of sweat trickling down my neck. I was getting nervous.
But still, I continued upwards, and every step I took seemed longer. My feet attempted to move faster, but they were unable to. I stopped for a second to catch my breath and to calm down, and once I did then I started walking again.
I wasn't thinking. I just continued to walk, listening to the quiet noises my feet made running up the steps. I couldn't think. There were no thoughts in my mind left to think about. The only image left in my mind made me panic. I didn't see anything but the image. The image of Uchiha Sasuke the last time I saw him.
Finally I reached the door that said "Floor 3", and I stopped. I put my delicate hand gently on the door, but then slammed it open, earning a bunch of stares from visitors and patients that were out in the hall. But no, he, Sasuke, was not there.
And so I let out a dark sigh, and continued onward. I raced down the hall of floor 3, as I counted all the room numbers in my head.
326…. 327… 328… 329. Bingo.
I didn't hesitate, not even for a brief second. As soon as I reached the door that read, "329," I gripped the door handle harshly and tugged the door open.
Or did I? I took my hand away from the door knob. "Tsk…" I said to myself. The door wouldn't open. I looked at my hands which were red from gripping the door knob so hard. My eyes narrowed into tight slits. I placed them on the door knob again. I tried to pull it open.
It wouldn't budge. Just as I was struggling to open the damn door and about to try knocking on it, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, slightly surprised. It was a nurse. She had long black hair which she tied up in a tight bun, brown eyes, and she was tall and slender.
"Um… miss? This room is off limits to visitors." The brown eyed nurse started. "I was told specifically to not let anyone in there, except for nurses and doctors. So if you would please lea-"
I sharply cut her off. "Listen lady. This is going to be either easy or hard. Either you unlock that door for me and let me in, or I knock it down." I paused for a second to listen to her reaction. I heard her gulp. Good. "So which one is it going to be?" I finished with a fake and frightening smile on my face.
"I think I have what it takes to stop a little wimp like you." She said, but I highly doubted it. "Now get your fake pink hair and get out of this hospital." She smirked a little.
I laughed, of course. "It's real. And do you really think you have what it takes?" I put my hand to the door, and knocked on it just a bit. The nurse's eyes widened with fear. I looked back at the door, and admired the slim but definite crack I had made down the middle of the door.
"Oh and by the way, I am a nurse." I added, before motioning to break down the door completely with my iron fist. Right before i did, I felt a hand tight on my shoulder.
"Okay, okay, I'll unlock it." I was face to face with the nurse, and she had on a look of ultimate defeat. I felt quite satisfied. I just shrugged. She took her bunch of keys and searched through them until she found one that was engraved with Sasuke's room number. 329.
She put the key in the door knobs keyhole and I could hear a CLICK as the key turned. I felt excitement swelling up inside me. She opened the door for me, and I entered. Right before she closed the door I could hear her say, "Don't threaten to break down the door every time you come here."
Aw man, that was my plan.
I abruptly remembered my reason for being there. Then again I didn't have much of a reason. Nevertheless, I remembered why I wanted to be there, and I spun my body around to face the room.
I looked around, quietly. It was a plain room. Grey walls, no decorations, plain floor. I couldn't help but laughing at the window that had thick jail bars covering it.
Wow, the guy has his own bathroom in here.
I walked towards the center of the room and spotted the patient's bed. It was white, of course. The sheets were ruffled, and I could make out a body in the midst of the sheet. I stepped closer, quietly, careful not to wake up the man that may have been sleeping. I approached the bed, and stared.
There he was, laying there in bed. It was Sasuke, I didn't doubt that. I peered at his face, which was pale and soft-looking, the way I have always remembered it. He was sleeping, his back facing me. I leaned over him, trying to see more of his face which I haven't seen in a long time.
He had 3 or 4 purple and black large bruises on his face. I cringed slightly at the sight of it. His eyes were closed, and his eyelashes hung over his shut eyelids. I noticed that even in his sleep his eyebrows were furrowed. His dark hair was spread out slightly out on the pillow, and his bangs were on his face. I wondered if they tickled him.
I had the sudden urge to move his bangs out of his face. But I knew I couldn't.
I felt many emotions swell up inside of me all at once. I felt happy to be able to see him again, but also sad to see him injured. I felt relieved to see him back in Konoha, but worried as I wondered what would happen next.
I pulled up a chair and sat down, but stopped admiring his luscious features. I looked down at my hands which I put down onto my lap, and I could feel sadness engulfing my face. I had many questions soaring through my mind about Sasuke. And where he had been all that time.
I sat like that for about ten minutes, and stood up to leave. I moved the chair back to where it was before. The chair gave out a short screech as I moved it along the hard floor. Just before I turned around I felt a cold glare staring me down.
"Sakura…" A voice that was ice called out my name. I was frozen in place, like an icicle.
I finally managed to turn around slowly and stiffly to face Sasuke, who had called out my name. I opened my mouth to speak, but he beat me to it.
"What are you doing here?" His words were harsh.
"You know Sasuke, I could ask you the same question." I spit out, almost matching his level of harshness. I gulped, and I could hear him sigh.
"Sakura, just go home." He glared at me. He looked tired; tired of everything. Tired of the world, tired of his fate, but mostly, tired of me.
"You still didn't answer my question." I started again, with determination shining bright in my eyes. "Why are you here?"
"Naruto dragged my ass back here, that's why." He said, monotonously.
There was a long, dragging silence. Finally, he spoke again. "And why are you here?" He said in almost a whisper.
"I live here, in Konoha." I stated, obviously.
He just shook his head. "I mean, why in this room?"
I pretended to wonder about that for a brief second, and then I began. "I wanted to see you," I paused for a while, and then smartly added, "Also, I'm a nurse. I have every right to be here."
He snickered. "Hn."
"So… what do you think is going to happen to you now?" I asked the cold-hearted boy, who was laying there, his arm that was in a cast propping up his head.
There was a long pause, and then he finally monotonously replied, "Who knows."
I stared at him, my eyes wide with horror. He could go to jail for a lifetime. He could be forced to work to repay the village. He could even be killed.
The thought of the man I loved to the end of the earth being in this situation made my heart tremble.
"It doesn't matter anyway. I don't have anything left to live for." A hard voice whispered in the room.
It almost made me cry, because I knew that for him, that was true. But of course, I argued. "That's not true. Sasuke, you're only 19. And you can have so much, so much more to live for!"
My voice echoed silently in the room. But he didn't say anything. I felt a tear drop leave my eye slowly but surely. I wiped it away quickly.
Sasuke winced suddenly, and he put his head back down on his pillow. He had a painful expression on his face. I noticed and walked up to him.
I could tell that it was his arm that bothered him. I rushed over to him and took his arm. He looked like he was going to move away, but he didn't.
Light green energy rushed out of my hands as I tried to heal Sasuke's hand. He looked like he wanted me to stop, like he wanted to say something, but he didn't. I continued to slowly and cautiously heal his arm.
When I was finished, I backed away and looked at him. I asked him, "Does it hurt?" He looked up at me, his dark eyes that looked empty and lost pierced through my heart. He shook his head quietly.
I was slightly puzzled. For some reason I felt like treating him like a lost puppy. I wanted to take him in my arms and hug him so that he would feel safe. I knew that Konoha wasn't his home anymore. It stopped being familiar to him a long time ago.
I was saddened at seeing him like this, beat up in a hospital bed, not knowing what would happen to him next. He just continued to stare at me. But I would never know what thoughts were going through his mind.
I felt the sudden urge to hug him, to hold him. I reached out my arms towards him gently. He just continued to stare, and when he realized what I wanted, he swiftly turned his head in the opposite direction and kept it there.
I knew it, I thought to myself, inwardly sighing. But yet I couldn't find myself to withdraw my arms. So I didn't. Instead I sat down next to his laying figure on the bed and I stretched my hands out even farther and put them around him. I was hugging him. I buried my head into his neck, and just stayed. I felt him tense up. But he didn't turn his head to face me.
I felt a tear drop forming at the corner of my eye, and I wiped it off with my sleeve. But yet I continued to hold him. Finally he turned his head, wearing his expressionless mask. I looked up at him, and I knew my eyes were wet. But I wasn't going to cry, not in front of him.
"Sakura," That was all Sasuke said. His tone had some force in it.
But still I couldn't care less. "Sasuke," I said with sarcasm, playing his game.
He grunted. He seemed annoyed. Did I care? Of course not. "Sakura, get off." He commanded me. I shook my head. My green eyes met his black ones.
"I'll get off when I feel like it." I just tightened my grip on him. His body was very tensed up by now. "And relax, will you?"
"Don't make me make you let go," He warned me. His voice sounded… weird.
"Hah. A trained medic ninja in perfect condition with tons of backup, versus a beat up patient who is missing his chakra at the moment?" I snickered. This was true. I knew that Tsunade had temporarily sealed away his chakra so that he couldn't try anything sneaky.
I sensed his arm move to try to knock me out just like when he left the village, but I trapped it in my hand. Then I put the hand I caught around my waist. I looked up at the man I loved so much, only to see him staring down at me. His expression was different than I remembered. His face seemed more fluorescent, and his eyebrows were less furrowed. His eyes were still empty, but there was something in them; something that I couldn't quite figure out.
"Sakura," He sighed, and I felt his breath against me. By this time I had my arms wrapped around his neck and one of his arms were on my waist, the place I had placed it myself, but his other arm lay limp on the bed. He seemed a bit more relaxed than before. "What's it going to take to get you to let go?"
I thought about this for a moment. Then the corners of my lips went upwards into a tight smile, and I licked my lips. I reached up to his ear and whispered.
"I'll let go," I felt my mouth form the words as I whispered in a hushed tone, "If you kiss me."
Of course I wasn't expecting much. I was just trying my luck, because hell, I loved him so much! In the situation we were in, he could've pushed me away. He could've knocked me out easily because of the dazed state I was in. He could've beaten me up, right then and there.
But you can trust the Uchiha to surprise anyone. Because what he did next, sure as hell surprised me.
He picked up the arm that was not holding me and he put it around my waist along with the other one. He held me close and stared me down with his mysterious eyes. He pressed his cold lips hard against my warm ones. It all happened so quickly.
Before I could respond to his kiss, his lips were off mine in a blink of an eye. Then he let go of me.
I was puzzled, and my green eyes were wide. I was blushing. "Sa-suke?" I murmured, as he sat there and looked at me, the proof of his embarrassment colored on his cheeks.
"You said you'd let go," the words rolled off Sasuke's tongue. I suddenly realized that I was still holding him loosely. I immediately dropped my arms and shrugged. But I knew that my face was shining bright with satisfaction. I smiled a little.
No matter how simple the kiss was, it was a kiss. Uchiha Sasuke had kissed me. I couldn't help but smile to myself, even though I knew it couldn't have meant anything.
As Sasuke watched me, I guessed that he had had enough of me. I assumed that he wanted me to leave.
So without saying another word, I stood up and left.
I sighed deeply, standing outside of Tsunade's office. Yet, I knew I had to face her sooner or later. I lifted up my knuckles and knocked on the door, and then I waited. Within a few moments a strong female voice hollered, "Come in!"
So I opened the door and stepped right into the old woman's cave. She glared at me, but she didn't look surprised. "Sakura," She asked, playing dumb. "What do you want?"
Gosh, everyone is being so rude to me today.
I took a deep breath and spoke, "Don't play dumb. Why didn't you tell me… about Sasuke?"
Tsunade continued to stare at me, and there was something sad in her hazel eyes. "I was trying to protect you. I'm guessing you already found out in the end, though."
"Of course I would find out sooner or later. I thought the Hokage is supposed to have common sense,"
I spit out at her. She rolled her eyes.
"Better later than sooner, in this case."
For some reason I kind of understood that reasoning. But still, it hurt.
There was one more thing I needed to know from Tsunade. "What… is going to happen to Sasuke now?"
Tsunade hesitated before speaking. "Honestly, I don't know. Many things could happen to him…"
"What would be… the best?" I asked, fearing the answer.
There was a long, unsure silence in the room. I could hear birds singing and people going on with their happy lives. But no, not me.
Finally she spoke in a very low voice, "I think in the best case scenario, he would be stripped from all his ninja status and be trapped in this village, under watch by trained ninja." Her eyes were serious, but worried for my reaction.
I was astonished. It was so much punishment. Did he really deserve it all? Was his crime really so large? "Isn't that too much? He was the one who killed both Uchiha Itachi and Orochimaru who were both major threats to this villag-"
"That would only be the best case scenario. If Sasuke has dangerous intentions…. The whole village could be in grave danger. We couldn't risk that." I felt my eyes stinging me a little bit. But I knew I had cried too much that day, so I didn't allow any tears to fall out.
"I see… Thank you, Tsunade-sama," I said quietly, and then bowed formally. Then I walked out the door and went home. It was getting late.
The next morning I felt like I had woken up from a strange dream. But no, the events from last night were definitely not a dream. They were real.
I stretched and opened my mouth wide to yawn.
I pondered what I was going to be doing that day. Hmm… I haven't been assigned any missions lately. I guess I should go train. Another idea came across my mind.
I'm going to visit Sasuke.
I knocked on the door that seemed so much taller than me, but really wasn't. I felt pathetic for going to see him again.
Somebody answered the door. But instead of Sasuke's face coming out, it was some random old man's. "May I help you?" he asked me, but I just shook my head and apologized for getting the wrong room.
I wondered where Sasuke might be. I ran down the stairs and reached the hospital's front desk. "Excuse me," I asked. "Where is Uchiha Sasuke?" I gulped, expecting my answer.
"Sasuke hmmm? He was here yesterday, but this morning he was discharged by Hokage-sama's orders." The nurse behind the desk told me, staring me down with curiosity.
I sighed, "Do you know where he might be now?"
"No idea." I looked into her eyes and I knew for a fact that she wasn't lying.
So he wasn't in the hospital. I left there immediately and decided to go to Tsunade-sama and ask where she was hiding him. So I made my way over to the Hokage's tower.
Getting anxious, I picked up the pace until I was in a fast sprint. I ran and ran and ran, but I stopped when I heard Sasuke's name mentioned within a group of people I was nearing. I eavesdropped on their conversation a little more.
"Really?" I heard a middle aged man say.
"Yes, I heard that the last Uchiha came back to Konoha! He stayed in the hospital for 2 days, but then-"
"WHAT? Is he looking for trouble? Why would they let a traitor like him back in our precious village?" An older woman croaked.
"Well I think he's pretty much under control-" A younger woman suggested. At this time I walked up to the little group of gossipers.
I tapped one of them on the shoulder but they all looked at me. "Tell me where he is now." I commanded with determination in my eyes. They were all puzzled.
One of them spoke up, the middle aged man. "I heard he was in Konoha's prison." He looked at me seriously.
But I was already long gone, making my way quickly over to the place he had just mentioned.
I didn't know what I was planning to do at the time. I had no idea why I even bothered with him. But I felt like I could help him somehow.
I made it over to Konoha's prison, and there were very few people around. Nobody dared to come near that place.
The huge guard looked at me, and wonderingly looked me up and down. Either that or he was just checking me out. I walked up to him, and asked him seriously, "Let me see Uchiha Sasuke."
He snickered, and looked at me directly. "Sorry girl, he's going to be off limits for a while." His face looked nasty and despicable. I thought about what I should do. I needed to get in, somehow.
"Hey, mister. It's quite important," I started, attempting to make an adorable face then looking up at him, "Please?" I added sweetly. I smiled a little bit. Yeah, now I could tell that he was checking me out.
Eww.
"Oh I guess I can let you in for a bit" he snickered. "But you should pay me back later." He winked and I wanted to puke. But instead, I nodded, even though I knew for a fact I would never pay that pig back.
And then he opened the door for me and led me through the dark halls to a certain chamber cell. I looked through the cracks of the window of the cell and saw a shadow. I grabbed the keys from the guard. "I wouldn't do that if I were you" he told me, but shrugged and walked away.
I searched through the keys for the right key. I tried at least 10 different keys until the door finally opened. I put the keys down on the key rack, then took a deep breath and walked right into the cell confidently.
I could now see his face, even though it was still quite dark. "Sasuke, this is some mess you've gotten yourself into," I talked to him. "You know that, right?"
He didn't say anything; he just stayed seated against the wall, motionlessly. My stomach felt sick. After a long silence, I sat down against the wall next to him.
"So? What now?" I whispered gently. "Are you going to stay here for the rest of your life?" Finally he looked up at me. I couldn't decipher what was in his eyes. I felt like I was sitting next to a complete stranger.
"…" Nothing came from his mouth.
"And what about reviving your clan?" I murmured very silently, even I could barely hear myself. His eyes darkened at the mention of his clan.
He opened his mouth only to say, "Sakura, why are you here?" His tone was so quiet, so dead. I tensed up a bit at his words.
"Sasuke, I'm only going to say this once more," I began. My voice softened and got very small. "Even though it hurts, I still love you."
He looked at me and something moved inside his eyes. It hurt because I couldn't figure out what it was. And people say that the eyes are a passage way to the soul. So why couldn't I read him?
He didn't say anything for a while. But when he did, shivers went down my spine. "I wonder, if I could really break out of here," He turned to the window that was way up high and had incredibly thick glass and steel bars blocking the outside world. "They said I'd be here for half of the rest of my life. I don't think I'll be able to take it."
I was surprised. It had been a while since I had seen him like that. His eyebrows were so furrowed and the color from his face was drained. He looked frustrated.
"By the time I get out there won't be any more paths left for me. Everything will be over." His gaze went to the ground, and it stayed there. His expression got cold and expressionless, like it had always been. But I knew he was hurting deep down inside.
I couldn't believe what I wanted to say next. "Sasuke, leave Konoha." His head abruptly turned to me. I never thought I would tell Sasuke to leave. "Get out of here. You can continue your life somewhere else." I looked at him straight in the eyes and I felt like my gaze was powerful. I wondered if it really was.
"I can try sneaking you out, if you want. The keys are right ther-"
"Sakura. Go home." He spit out at me sourly.
"Sasuke, I'm serious. You should leav-"
He cut me off again. "I am too. Go home." His voice was bitter. My heart stung inside my chest. I nodded sadly and followed his order.
I left the jail cell and went home.
When I did reach my house I realized that it was already around dinner time. I had spent a lot more time that day then I thought I did. I quickly went to my kitchen and made myself some food. I noticed in the corner of my eye that my answer machine was lighting up. I had a new message.
I pressed the button and listened.
"Hey Sakura-chan! Umm, I'm just calling to see if you're okay, and if you would wanna go out for ramen or somethin? Yeah, call me back if you wanna, kay? Bye!" BEEP. END OF MESSAGE. [A/N: lolz.]
I laughed at Naruto's bad grammar and rudeness. But that's what made him Naruto, after all. I decided that it was too late for ramen, and ate the dinner I had just made myself. And I thought, thought, and thought about Sasuke.
The next week went by very swiftly. I hadn't visited Sasuke at all. I wasn't scared to, I just felt like I wasn't welcome there.
I spend my nights wondering about him, but once I fell asleep my nights went by fast.
This one particular night I was sleeping soundly when I heard my window rattle.
I shot my body up and grabbed my kunai which I kept under my pillow just in case. I gripped it tightly and waited quietly. I looked at the window but saw nothing. I searched around the room with my fearful green eyes and saw a shadow.
It was a tall figure standing by the door in my room. The figure flicked on the lights. I gasped loudly.
I was surprised to find out that the figure was Sasuke.
"Wha-" I was cut off rudely.
"Pack your bags, we're going." That was all he said, and his voice was hard but quiet.
I was confused. I stared at him with a puzzled expression on my face. He just told me, "Hurry up before I get caught and put in jail again." His tone had bite to it.
I was still completely confused, but I started packing anyway. Then a thought struck my mind.
"Sasuke, what the hell do I need to pack?" I said sourly, kind of pissed at the lack of information he had given me.
He grunted. "Just bring a change of clothes, some weapons, and whatever else you need." I rolled my eyes and packed my bags. I wondered what was going on. I packed a change of shirt, underwear, and shorts like he had said, and I added my kunai pouch, my toothbrush, and my hair comb. I could feel his glare piercing me the whole time I moved.
When I was done I stood up and stared at him as he leaned against my window sill. Then I finally realized what I was wearing; my cherry red pajama shorts and tank top. I blushed a bit, and then I spoke.
"I think I need to change," I spoke the obvious. "Do you mind?" I looked at him and he just turned around impatiently. I was hoping for him to leave the room or something, but I shrugged and quickly changed.
I grabbed my usual ninja attire, and dressed up quickly, blushing the whole time. That bastard better had not been peeking with his sharingan that whole time. I used my ninja band to pull my hair back. Then I grabbed my shoes and bags and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around.
"You won't be needing that." He pointed at the leaf ninja headband that was tied on my head. Realization hit me. We were going to leave the village.
My eyes were wide as I thought about this. But why was he bringing me, I thought silently inside my head. DAYUMNNN, my inner screamed. But I knew for a fact that I couldn't refuse him. Because I loved that man so very much, I could never refuse him. And he knew that; He was taking advantage of it.
The thought made me cringe a bit. He was such an egotistical selfish bastard. He never even once considered my feelings.
Even so, my heart was drawn to him and my mind was under his control. I felt like I couldn't disobey him.
So when he nodded at me and silently led me out the window, I followed and landed on my feet on the soft green grass of my backyard.
As we walked out of the village, I didn't turn my head around. I kept my head propped up, but I let a single tear slide down my cheek and fall to the ground. We didn't say a single word to each other.
Later, we were walking side by side in the middle of nowhere. After that long silence I asked Sasuke, "Where are we going?"
"…" He didn't say anything. He just quickened his pace, and I caught up with him and followed. We passed a place that I have never seen, but have heard about; the Valley of the End. Finally we reached a village that I didn't remember seeing before.
"Where are we?" I asked the cold man who was walked next to me, hands in his pockets.
He grunted, "The village of Sound." I nodded, and entered the village gates with him. I was a bit frightened to be in this unfamiliar place. But I kept my head up high and I confidently walked into the village.
Villagers stared as we entered. Sasuke started whispering to me, "Don't worry, we're welcome here," I was puzzled. "The villagers know me from when I was here with Orochimaru. They know I was the one who killed him." He stopped.
We kept walking, and finally someone shouted out. "IT'S SASUKE-SAMA!!" A male villager cheered, and everyone started staring at Sasuke and the female next to him; me. A drop of sweat dripped down my neck. I ignored it.
Sasuke didn't even flinch. He just grunted his Sasuke grunt and kept going on his way. I followed like a love-sick puppy following her loveless master.
Then an old man spotted us as we walked through the village, and he stopped Sasuke. "Sasuke-sama! Your back! Thank you, thank you so much for defeating Orochimaru!" He kept talking in Sasuke's face. He should've known better.
"Whatever." A monotonous reply.
"Hey, er, Sasuke-sama?" Sasuke glared at him. "Do you and your friend need a place to stay?" The old fart asked Sasuke, while looking me up from head to toe. I felt my face redden a bit.
"Yea," Sasuke arrogantly said. I shook my head inwardly at his rudeness.
The old villager continued. "We have an open room for you. It's not much, but it's a room. We don't want you and your pretty lady friend out in the cold all night, do we?"
Sasuke turned his head to face the old man, "Hn." His one word vocabulary was starting to piss me off, but I shrugged it off. Then the villager starting leading us to an inn, which apparently the old man owned.
"I'll let you have the room for free. After everything you did for us, it's the least I can do." The old man grinned sheepishly.
Sasuke didn't look very impressed, but nodded anyway. We were led into the inn and into an empty room with two floor beds (A/N: I don't know what they are called xP) that were about a foot away from eachother. I blushed a little at the thought of sharing a room with Sasuke.
Then the old man said, "Breakfast is at 8, lunch is at 12, and dinner is at 6." He then left with a wink and closed the door behind him.
What the hell was that wink for? That old fart. My thoughts spoke to me.
I threw my bags on the floor and sat down, expecting answers from the cold-hearted Uchiha. I stared him down with my expecting green eyes.
He read me like a book and started, "You're the one who told me to leave," He said arrogantly.
I sighed deeply. "But why did you bring me?" I said slowly.
He didn't say anything, and I made a disgusted face at the way he was currently acting. "And what now?" I asked yet another question. "What do you plan to do now?"
"Its better here than where I was 2 days ago," He said, furrowing his eyebrows. "And now I can actually…"
He stopped speaking right there. Confusion took over my face for the zillionth time that day.
"I can train and get stronger." He somewhat answered my question.
"What does that have to do with me?" My voice was as silent as a butterfly's wings flapping.
He paused, and then walked up to me. His face was like it had always been, emotionless. I couldn't see through him, not one bit. Then he parted his lips to speak.
"I'm being selfish, I know that," He started. I couldn't understand what he would say next. "But even after everything I have done, I still want to restore my clan."
I didn't know what to think at that time. I didn't understand why he had brought me to that place.
"Sakura, marry me."
It was completely silent in the room. I couldn't hear anything, not even my own breathing. Was I deaf? Or did I stop breathing all together?
There were no rings, no heart-felt confessions. There was nothing; just those few empty words.
My thoughts were going wild. I could hear them buzzing around like a tornado in my head. But when my thought tornado ended, I could clearly see the remains thrown in my face.
He just wanted to use me.
I knew that he would never feel the same way I felt about him. I knew for a fact that his frozen heart was too cold for me to melt.
My mouth was wide open in an "o" shape. I was shocked beyond comparison. Sasuke snapped me out of my thoughts when he softened his tone and whispered, "What's your answer?"
"You never asked me a question." I pouted, starting a small fight.
"Sakura." My name rolled off of his tongue like the air that he breathed every day. "Stop being annoying."
"Stop being all bossy and emotionless," I played along with his game, and I smirked when I saw him frown. He looked just a bit cute. Okay, maybe a lot.
"So are you going to marry me or not?" Okay, now he was just getting bitchy.
Nonetheless, I replied with an almost inaudible "Yep".
I knew that I was getting overexcited; that I was expecting too much. Frankly, I didn't care.
I was leaning against the wall smiling at him innocently as he stepped up to me. He dirtied my innocence almost immediately, pressing himself closer to me and trapping me in between him and the wall behind me, snaking his arms around my waist. He then caught my lips vulgarly with his own, and I responded greedily. Our kiss deepened, and I was sure that I would have bruises later. Yet, it felt amazing. Then we parted.
My grassy eyes looked up into his onyx ones. I saw something flicker inside them again. Just like before, I couldn't tell what it was. Maybe it was a small flame rekindling in his soul; a flame that was lit a long time ago but had been buried inside the masses of winter's snow.
I doubted that he would ever love me. And I doubted that he would ever truly be happy.
But perhaps spring could finally be reborn inside him after all those years of a never ending winter. Maybe that tiny rekindling flame can grow and melt the ice in his cold eyes.
Who knows? Maybe I can be the one to save him.
A/N: I feel like such a nerd. SIXTEEN PAGES. Woah, I am wiped out. This was supposed to be a 9 page oneshot, but as you can see that didn't work out so well. So this was supposed to be a oneshot and it kind of is, but if you want me to continue PLEASE SAY SO. Because I bet I could find the inspiration to continue writing this story. Until then (if ever), this will stay a oneshot. =P
Rate and review, my loves! =D