AN: I'm so sorry for the long wait…my schedule is pretty tight. I haven't had time to continue with this…but anyway…I was granted a little break…:)
Well then enough excuses…here goes…
Chapter 8: The Way to Dream
Morning came slowly for Sasuke, it seemed ages ago since he waited for the sun to rise. Now that he got his wish though, he was reluctant to face what lies beyond his bedroom door. He dreaded facing his three companions. What to say? How can I explain?
After moments of contemplation, he finally went outside. He was an Uchiha, there is nothing he would be afraid of. Sasuke only wished he could convince himself of that before seeing her again.
The sound of cooking reached his ears, he found Ino at the kitchen while his companions bickered in the dining room.
"Ohayo! Sasuke!" Ino's cheerful voice greeted him.
He nodded curtly.
Naruto and Kakashi looked at him at the same time. Their faces breaking into a grin (he assumed in Kakashi's case) before abruptly turning into a shocked expression. Without a backward glance, he knew why.
He felt her even before she spoke, and with lightning speed, he grabbed the two's shirts and disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving Ino and the pink haired girl staring curiously at each other.
"You have weird house guests Ino-chan." The girl said sleepily.
"I know, but you have to admit, they're hot." Ino replied.
"Well, there is that."
She smiled as red eyes flashed in her brain. Confusion filled her when she felt both fear and pleasure at the image.
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They reappeared in the backyard.
Sasuke was conscious of the window behind him. Where everything went from bad to worse.
"What the hell was that for teme?! She was right behind you! We found Sakura at last! Why are you acting so strange!" Naruto yelled at him.
"I want to know why as well Sasuke." Kakashi said quietly.
He wasn't facing them yet, he had to steel his nerves and school his features. They must not see.
He counted to ten before answering calmly. He knew the answer would intrigue Kakashi and break Naruto's heart. As for him, it was more than anything anyone could feel.
"She…has forgotten." He found that he could not go on.
"What do you mean?" Naruto and Kakashi asked at the same time.
But he had to.
"She has forgotten about everything…about us…" about me…He then faced them fully.
Their reactions were the ones he had predicted. For the first time, he hated the fact that he was almost always right.
And he told them what had happened the night before.
Flashback
"Who are you?" she had asked him.
He still couldn't understand why she had looked so scared. His brain wasn't able to process what she had just asked. All he knew was she was right there in front of him, same bright pink hair, same green eyes, and same melodious voice. But there was something that made him gain his senses.
She was afraid.
Of him.
"Sakura?" he didn't recognize his own voice.
"H-how did you know my name? Who are you?!" she asked again, this time with more courage.
"Stop playing games hime, I've found you at last. We've been searching for you for two years now."
"Why do you speak to me as if I know you? Who are you?" she asked for the third time, now with a plea in her voice.
"It's me, Sasuke! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
He said as he grabbed her shoulders and shook her with so much force. His sharingan turned on and turned black again as soon as it came.
"Y-you're hurting me!" there were tears in her eyes.
He let her go immediately, as if his palms burned with shame. He looked at her and steadied himself.
"Forgive me, it was not my intention to hurt you or scare you. It's just that…" he trailed off.
"Just that?..." She queried.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he sensed her change of demeanor. She was no longer afraid of him. Then the impact of what was happening slowly crept through his mind. And with the consequences weighed, he made his decision.
He walked towards her in a slow pace, her eyes remained fixed on his. Transfixed, trusting, and he hated it when fear replaced that look when his eyes turned red. The tomoes swirled.
She was trapped
He caught her as her knees gave away. Cradling her with a gentleness he didn't know he was capable of. Then he laid her gently on her bed.
He was breaking, he did not think that was even possible. With his every being already shattered. Yet here he was, dying in every way possible.
Denying her the memory of this night, denying himself of the answers he had wanted to know a while ago.
Sasuke stood by her bed, he bent over to kiss her forehead. Then he went out of her room with a heavier heart.
And over again, he was wishing it was a dream.
"You made her forget? Why?" it was Kakashi who first spoke.
"I didn't want any complications."
I didn't want to be feared by her again.
"What do we do now?" Naruto finally found his voice.
"We'll figure out what has happened. Without her knowing of course." He said as indifferent as he could.
There are answers I must know for myself.
"We better head back, we made quite a scene back there." Sasuke told them, then went ahead.
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They were introduced to her over breakfast. She was somewhat awed by them. In a matter of minutes she was already fond of them, she couldn't help but associate them with colors.
Naru-chan was yellow, a fierce creature yet mellow when it came to her to ask for a pat. He seemed enamored of her and never left her side the moment she cooed over him (he became quite ecstatic when he first saw her)
Naruto was orange, she felt so energetic when they talked to each other. His liveliness gave way to her own, she knew he was someone she could easily get along with.
Kakashi was green, aside from his perverted books, which he showed her a second ago (earning him a kick from Naruto and a glare from Sasuke), she saw in him a cool personality, one who simply goes with the flow and enjoys it immensely.
Sasuke was midnight blue, mysterious yet familiar at the same time. Cold, yet undeniably soothing. Silent, but she swore she heard his heart beat coincide with her. Detached from anyone yet she felt drawn to him.
Sakura had tried to strike up a conversation with him, but every time, she turns on a dead end. After a while, she gave up and ate her breakfast quietly.
The three men looked at each other, a silent message was passed between them.
The mission begins
"Hey Sakura-chan, what is your relationship with Ino-chan? Are you sisters?" Kakashi asked.
"Uh, no…actually, I have no idea who I am. My name is all that I can remember." She gave them a feeble smile, wondering why she felt so comfortable telling them about her memory loss.
"Oh, you mean you really can't remember anything? How you came here?" It was Naruto this time.
"Not at all. Sai found me, and brought me here. So now I live here." She said cheerfully
At the sound of that name, Sasuke looked at her directly. Sakura couldn't help but fidget in her seat, he was so unnerving.
"And what is your relationship with that man?" he spoke to her for the first time.
She was speechless. There was no way she could speak after hearing that incredible voice. They stared at each other for a long time before Ino finally broke the silence.
"Oh they're good friends. People say that they are really good friends, but if you ask me, they look more like married couple!" Ino said as she laughed.
Sasuke's dark look stopped her though.
"Hn."
"Ohayo! Ugly are you awake?"
A voice suddenly rang out of nowhere, Sasuke went rigid right away. He had heard that only yesterday. And the feeling that came with it was not pleasant.
"Sai! Come in!" she said a bit hurriedly, thankful for something to do than stare at Sasuke.
Sai entered the dining room, his face was plastered with that smile of his. He greeted everyone the same way, although the air seemed to be much colder when he and Sasuke said their greetings.
To everyone's surprise, Naru-chan suddenly bared his fangs at Sai, then poised for attack.
Sakura felt the tension, on impulse she suddenly grabbed Sai's hand and pulled him outside the house.
"I'll be back before dinner!" she called out to them before disappearing behind a curtain of snow.
Naru-chan made a move to follow, but Sasuke's hand stopped him. Reluctantly, he sat down. But his ears remained perked, ready to take action when needed.
"W-well, I think I'm going out to buy some groceries! We're running out of stock, I'll see you all later." Ino said then she went to her room to change clothes.
"What had happened to him? Yesterday Naru-chan was happy to see Sai." Naruto asked, bewildered.
"I think I can explain." Kakashi's muffled voice drew Naruto's and Sasuke's attention.
"You see, I think it was Sakura's scent Naru-chan picked up from Sai, because of that, he thought Sai was her."
"You mean she was all over him yesterday?!" Naruto's eyes went as huge as saucers.
He tripped suddenly, falling face first on the floor. He looked up and saw Sasuke staring down at him.
"What did you do that for teme!?"
"Shut up, dobe."
Without a word he walked away from them, pausing only to whistle at Naru-chan, the wolf ran excitedly after him. Then they too, disappeared behind the falling snow.
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In the land of everlasting winter, two people walked along a narrow road, ankle deep as they treaded through the snow laden ground.
They were on one of their 'walks' again. As usual, silence hung over them. Each quite content with the other just by their side. There was something that was bothering her though, and he wanted to know.
"What are you thinking about?" Sai asked her.
"Nothing." She answered.
"You wouldn't be making that face if there was nothing on your mind."
Sakura laughed lightly.
"Since when did you get so good at reading people?"
"I'm only good at reading you. You're too transparent."
She glared at him and he only chuckled.
"So what is it?" he asked again.
"Sai, what do you think of Sasuke?" she answered his question with her own.
She was so absorbed at the white in front of her that she didn't see how Sai's face had darkened
"You know, I read in a book somewhere that it's not nice to talk about a man in another's presence."
"Don't tell me you're jealous?" her eyes twinkled with amusement.
"Is that what it's called?" he was as serious as ever.
"What is 'it'?" she asked, confused as to why he didn't rise to her bait.
He had stopped walking and she only realized it after she had walked a few paces ahead, she half turned and waited for him to answer.
"This feeling of wanting to pummel his face to the ground when I saw him looking at you, as well as the times when other men gathers up the courage to talk to you." His eyes never broke contact with hers.
"Sai…" she didn't know what to say, she wasn't expecting this from him.
"This is your answer then, Sakura? Is that called jealousy? Because if that word justifies all that I have told you, then yes, I am indeed jealous."
There were no words she could tell him, so she just stood there as he walked towards her. Then he gave her that usual smile and she knew the moment has passed. He let her go for now.
"I've made you quite uncomfortable. Forgive me. Well then, I must go, or else I just might do what I have told you earlier."
Before she could comprehend what he had said, Sai had already disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Her mind reeled back to reality when she heard a familiar bark. Sakura looked towards the deserted street and saw Naru-chan running towards her. She crouched low to pet him, and to avoid seeing the man behind the wolf.
"You ran away abruptly, I brought you a cloak."
He went on his knees and draped the cloak around her frame. She looked up in surprise and found herself once again locked in his gaze.
Everything suddenly came, yet she was able to understand nothing.
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"Sasuke-kun, I'm not dreaming am I?" she looked at him tenderly, and he fought hard not to swallow.
"I don't think so hime, as promised, I have returned." He smiled.
"Sasuke, who are you really?"
It was the first time she said his name since that night. There was a haze in her eyes. He knew she was traveling in a world solely hers. Where he could not follow, only watch and wait for what would happen when she returns.
"Who do you think I am?" he had wanted her to look at him and see him.
"Demo, I'll always love you Sasuke-kun, no matter what you say or do."
"I don't know, I can't remember." Her hands went to his face of their own accord.
"Don't you want to?" his eyes were somber.
"The truth is, I hate you."
The haze was lifted from her eyes, he saw how her emotions had changed from caring, dare he say loving?...to complete indifference. He felt like being trapped in eternity with nothing but his own expression mirrored at him.
She walked passed him, then stopped when he was no longer in her line of vision.
"Maybe there was a reason why I can't remember. That I'm better of not knowing anything at all."
Sakura left him standing there, his hair in great contrast to the white all around. She took one last glance and regretted it. Her heart suddenly felt heavy, he was proud, that much she could tell. But now, there was something in his stance that made her think he had lost something precious.
And for one fleeting moment, she wished that it was her…and that she was just waiting to be found.
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He ventured all over the town, he didn't want to go back yet. He needed time away from her, he knew she needs it as well. Naru-chan trotted obliviously behind him, tongue lolling out and enjoying the colorful displays on every shop.
There had been too much tension between them, it was something he didn't want yet reassured him at the same time. He felt that it was the only connection they have left. And despite its negativity, he was willing to hold on to it if only to bridge the gap between them.
Besides, there's still a lot of time to forge new ones with her. Now that he had found her there was no way she'd be pulled away from him again.
There was no romantic interest in what he was doing, he reasoned with himself. He was only doing it because she was a constant in his life, a fixture that is one of a kind. What he was doing was merely to set things right.
Why though, was he feeling as if the world was dead when she uttered those words?
"Maybe there was a reason why I can't remember. That I'm better of not knowing anything at all."
He wondered of one frighteningly possible outcome, if it might be for the best; that she would be spared from much pain if she remained ignorant of who she was.
And of who he was in her life…
"Goodbye then."
She had said that on the last day he saw her.
He realized at last, that he had never accepted her farewell…and he vowed he never will.
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You were standing out on all that is white.
Yet there was no difference, both of you were falling.
The farther you go, the deeper you get.
It won't be long 'til you never get out.
I would watch as I see you come forward
Hoping, waiting, praying…
That you'd reach me in time.
Before time runs out.
Before fantasy turns to reality.
And there, I could never reach out for your hand.
AN: I hope you enjoyed it, although it's kinda boring, this chapter is needed for the whole story though..so please bear with me…things are gonna get more exciting in the succeeding chapters…: )