A/N: I AM SO SORRY. I meant to update sooner but somewhere along the way I ended up continually an original novel I was writing and now I'm participating in NaNoWriMo for this month so it's been non-stop writing for my novel and no time to write for this story. BUT. I realized I had written this chapter a while ago and meant to finish it and upload but hadn't gotten around to it until today! So here you are! I'm sorry for the superr long wait, and any typos you find, and I will no doubt be late with the next update too, but I ask all you amazing people for your amazing patience. THANK YOU.
The taste of autumn was in the air. Just a touch. The chill air blew against the red-leaved trees and Sakura breathed a sigh as a rosy blush grew in her cheeks to match her hair. The orange and red sun was setting over the water's horizon while Sakura sat on the edge of the pier with a beautiful dark-haired girl.
"You wouldn't imagine how oblivious he is," Hinata smiled, staring at the sun. Sakura imagined that the white-eyed girl could see nothing but Naruto's bright smile and yellow hair in that sun—while she saw the darkness of Sasuke's heart in the shadowy waves that lapped at her feet.
"I can imagine," Sakura laughed, even though she didn't feel much like laughing, it felt good to let out her held breaths. "He was never the sharpest tool in the shed."
"True, but there's no doubt he was always there to get the job done."
"Look at you, Hinata. Always talking well of your man, while here I am ranting and complaining about Sasuke."
Hinata turned to her with a sad smile. "I can't find it in me to curse him. Sometimes I want to cry or shout and hold up a big sign to tell him—show him that I still feel something for him, but then I think even that won't make a difference if he's not ready for it.
"I told I loved him during that fight with Pein. In the weeks after, he made no mention of the confession and I understood because there were just so many problems going on. But now…" She broke off with choked back feeling.
"And now, he's been living with you for weeks and still—nothing." Sakura said. I'm in the same boat, she thought.
It had been two weeks since that day in the forest when Sasuke had asked his questions and Sakura had given the only answers she could. Since then, all training had ceased. Sasuke's prosthetic seemed to be hurting him more than he let on but since that day he hadn't asked her to train with him at all. She supposed it was the for best if she didn't see him. Obviously he was trying not to lead her on by asking her to join him, but the absolute lack of contact still stung. The last two weeks had felt like a dance, Sakura leaving in the mornings to see Tsunade and beg Shizune to let her help at the hospital despite being on "break" according to Kakashi—and Sasuke, disappearing all night and returning in the early hours of the morning when he thought Sakura was still asleep, and then sleeping late into the day.
She hadn't been getting much sleep. She was perpetually in a state of half-consciousness at night, trying to sleep but with ears still listening for the moment when Sasuke's feet would finally glide as barely a whisper on the wooden floor, and the lock on his door would reassuringly click shut.
She waited for that moment everyday. She could not get a moment's proper rest without knowing that Sasuke was safe in her home. Every moment before that felt like a state of constant worry, constant fear, that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't return to her. That he had decided to leave indefinitely once again. And those thoughts terrified her.
Because she knew just how true they could be.
"Still no word from Sasuke?" Hinata asked.
Sakura looked up at the darkening cloudless sky, wondering whether Sasuke was looking at the same sight only on the other side of the village. "Silent as the eye of a storm. As always the case with Sasuke it seems." She laughed. "But I think I might be the storm, because I feel ready to burst."
"Maybe you should talk to him, Sakura. Ask him what's going on. You can't let him train all by himself, you said so yourself. And we both know you'll blame yourself if something happens to his arm."
"Since when did you give active advice, Hinata? I thought you were all about watching from afar, and wishing for more," Sakura jested at her friend, giving a gentle shove of her shoulder into Hinata's.
The dark-haired girl laughed. "It's because I know you have much less patience than I do. Besides, I'm starting to think that I should take a chapter out of your book and stop waiting around." She smiled, and the sight was so bright to Sakura's eyes, she wished Hinata would do it more often.
"I know I should ask him, but I just don't know what I would say! I already gave him all his answers, now I feel like all I can do is wait for him to give me his answer. Either he cuts it off clean, or…" She couldn't even think of the other possibility because to think so would to hope that she had a chance with Sasuke. Hadn't all these years taught her anything?
"We all try the best we can to be true to our hearts. Give him time, Sakura, and you will get your answer soon." Hinata reassured her.
I hope so.
When she returned to the house it was empty as far as she could tell.
The water on the tap had not been shut properly so it dripped, droplet by droplet, keeping time with Sakura's flitting thoughts. She looked around herself and everything was as it had been when she'd left that morning. Her things lying around in a mess, books on medical research in stacks by the couch, hair clips on the table, and coffee mugs and ramen cups on the kitchen counter.
A wave of sadness rushed over Sakura.
There was nothing that spoke of Sasuke's presence in the house. Nothing to convince herself that she wasn't crazy. That she hadn't dreamt his return. Nothing to give her the slightest hope that he intended to stay.
Because Sasuke was never one to leave anything of himself behind.
Like fire, he had burned through her life and her heart, and now like water he slipped through her fingers and out through the cracks.
"What is the point anymore?" she asked herself aloud. She breathed a sigh and dropped her things on the floor. Taking only a key to the house with her, she left to check the training grounds for Sasuke's elusive presence.
Unfortunately for her, and not surprisingly—he was not there. The grounds too were devoid of any mark of him. Of the boy who had stolen her heart, and of the man who could not return it.
She found herself wandering towards the sparring dummies, running her fingers over the aged wood that had seen rain and shine and her ruthless strikes. "I bet you've seen him far more often than I have all this week," she told the dummy.
She let out a frustrated scream. "What am I doing?" she muttered. "Talking to a dummy, that's what."
With a huff she sank down behind the open wall of swords that hung on it's other side, resting her head against the metal mesh. The sun was barely visible over the horizon.
He'll no doubt come here at night. I'll won't be waiting long.
The distinct shing of a sword being drawn snapped Sakura to consciousness.
The night was pitch-black and the stars were barely visible. How long have I been sleeping here? she thought.
The noise of grunting and panting sounded behind the wall and remembering the sound of the sword, she peeked around the side of the rack with groggy eyes.
Sasuke danced shirtless in the dark with his sword, swinging and slashing, sweating from what seemed like hours of practice. He must have been here much earlier and she had only just woken up.
She watched the arc of his muscled arms and the tension of his shoulders. It was not only an admiration of his form, but of his impeccable swordplay. She would need years of practice before she could achieve an elegance such as that.
Without realizing it, she had moved from behind the wall of swords and had drawn closer to watch Sasuke. Therefore, it was impossible to hide her stifled scream when Sasuke swung his arm in a slash and instead doubled over in pain, falling to his knees. He clutched the wound where his prosthetic attached to his elbow and his face was etched with agony.
At the sound of her gasp, his eyes snapped open and he turned to stare in surprise and anger at where she stood. She watched as he swallowed his pain and stood up with effort. She wanted to rush forward and help him, but she doubted he would appreciate it, the furious set of his jaw told her that he was not happy she was here.
"What. Are. You. Doing. Here," he asked, grounding out the words between his discomfort.
"I-I was waiting for you here in hopes that we could talk but I seemed to have dozed off…" she rambled. "Your arm. Please, let me see it, Sasuke-kun."
His eyes glazed over in detachment. "No. Just…go."
Sakura screwed her nose up in annoyance. "You can't just train that hard and expect your arm to be fine! Especially without medical attention!" she yelled. "Sasuke, you need to let me tend to your arm or you're going to lose it altogether."
"I don't want your help."
Sakura felt the weight of her heart, crush her chest. "Of course you don't, Sasuke. But you do need it," she replied. "Honestly, I don't know what I've done to deserve such distain. All I'm trying to do is help you. Is that so hard a concept for you to accept?"
Sasuke clenched his jaw, his left knuckles turning white where they held on his prosthetic. "You shouldn't have been here, Sakura. You weren't supposed to see…this."
There was something about his voice when he said that. It was soft, but without malice. Almost defeated in tone, as if his plans had gone terribly wrong. A wave of realization flooded Sakura. Her lips parted in surprise.
"You didn't want me to see you powerless with your arm," she breathed.
Sasuke's eyes snapped to her with something like fear that she had figured him out.
She pressed on. Stepped forward. "You don't want the world to see you as weak, so you hide away in the dark and build yourself until you are lethal as a weapon. You refuse to let anyone see you when you are most vulnerable."
She had neared close enough to him to put out a hand and touch him. She bared her gaze at him.
Then as if a phantom desire overtook her, she lifted her hand to his chest and laid her palm flat against his stomach, the muscle hard beneath her fingers. Sasuke did not flinch away and breathed a gasp of surprise.
She spoke with clarity. "I am not sorry that I have caught you in this moment, Sasuke."
A/N: Sorry that was so short! but I had a lot of fun writing that scene between Hinata and Sakura. Hopefully we'll see more of Sasuke's thoughts and actions and feelings in the next chapter! ;)
As always, I will love you forever if you review with your thoughts, worries, reactions, criticisms, or anything at all! And thank you so much to all the reviewers and followers and favouriters! You guys brighten my days when I'm down :)