Chapter 2
" Just a few…concerning you." he said calmly, seeing her weaken under his smile. "You remember of course, 8 years ago, how I left you on the bench unconscious after lamenting how annoying you were. What you didn't know was that I was dying inside when I said those words. And then, when I walked out of Konoha, ready to accept my fate and get the power I longed for, I realized how it wasn't worth it, and yet…I couldn't turn back. So I went with Orochimaru, and stayed in his lair…where time was unknown, and I was confined as a prisoner, waiting for my power. There were rarely times when I was left to venture out on my own, when the sky was pitch black, and I was blind to everything. Then, those one or two times I actually saw the bright blue of the sky, I imagined you up there, painting it an even brighter shade of blue. Once, I completely lost it, and broke out of the lair, aimlessly calling for you, not knowing who I was, but knowing very clearly who you were. I was a monster that night, and I was battered when I returned that night, having ripped down half of the trees in a nearby forest. I only remember clambering into bed, then , when I awoke, it was already a week later." He chuckled. " How stupid I was. But I had prepared for the worst. The night before I defeated Orochimaru, I vowed that if you were to attempt to kill me, I would deserve it, and therefore, make no struggle." He smiled sadly. " But I think I never expected it really to happen." He coughed, sending a fresh stream of blood down his chin. Sakura had bowed her head, so her pink bangs hung over her face. But Sasuke could see it: the smallest glimmer of a tear, and a drop, as clear as crystal, hit the floor in front of him. "You're crying."he concluded as best as he could with his a stomach pulsing with pain. "I promised myself never to make you cry, and I can't even achieve that. So much for the great Uchiha Sasuke." He tried to joke. However, he suddenly felt two arms wrap around him and pull him away from the wall. Sakura had finally broken down, sobbing hysterically into his chest. Yet all he could muster was a faint smile. He wrapped his arms around her tiny frame, and felt her lean closer, holding him so tightly it felt like a death grip. Gradually, her cries subsided, and she looked up at him. " Forgive me?" he whispered, melting in pools of emerald. " Forgive me?" she asked back, devilishly. But his answer was self-explanatory as he captured her lips in a single, passionate kiss.