Hey peeps,
I know you had to wait a long time for the finally chapter. I still feel unsatisfied with the ending. If you don't understand it read more carefully. I put enough hints into the end to understand what happened, though I did kept you al a little in vain because I am reconsidering some plans. Not considering this story but a future one.
In addition, I would like to introduce you to another story of mine that is going very well. It's called Santé d'esprit. Which is also about Sakura and slightly Sasuke but I do need to warn you that it's a completely other story where there hasn't been such a romance between them both but something different.
Feel free to read the prologue below and I am still searching for a Beta-reader for this new story.
May be something for you.
Thank you all for your support on this story and off course thanks for the reviews, they have been very useful. And I hope to hear more from you all in the reviews of Santé d'esprit.
Santé d'esprit: Don't bother
After all these years Sasuke finally re-enters the gates of the well-respected village. Sakura knew she should be happy maybe even thrilled. Finally seeing her crush again, she should be relieved. But there is that thing, a girl hiding behind his back.
"Sasuke-teme who's that?" Naruto ask always the first to burst out with questions everyone thinks, especially Sakura.
Pushing her foreword he makes everyone curious, what does she means to the heir of the Sharigan? Does he love her like he never loved Sakura? Is there even a possibility Sasuke loves?
"The cold-hearted Uchiha has a girlfriend." She hears someone yell from behind her. Everybody looks back to see the dare devil that yelled something about Sasuke. Sakura is the only one that doesn't looks back, hypnotized she looks at his red cheeks. Is he blushing?
After some random talk Sasuke introduces her to team seven. Dark brown hair, a look that defies gravity, the best cook you ever known and she is fat free. She has been to a private school, speaks perfectly Japanese, and has the perfect friends. Oh how cool is she. Do not forget she practice Tai Chi, never lose her nerve, can you not see she is more then you deserve, she is just far better then me. Will she become Sakura's replacement? Did he have enough of having her around?
Everyone is so curious they forget about Sakura, what it means seeing her crush again; Sasuke and this girl, his girl. Sakura gives up in defeat she can't blame them; they always saw her as an adolescent with to many hormones, love-hormones to be exact. They never tried to understand the real Sakura, the Sakura Sasuke liked, or disliked from this point.
Sasuke doesn't notices Sakura standing next to Naruto. He's to busy flirting with his girl that has been taken away from him by some elders. Silently they exchange smiles, grins and every other emotion Sakura never saw. Do not bother. A person can't die from deception, can they? Smiling like a brainless sheep Sakura takes her replacement in, accepting her. After all she promised Sasuke would never see her cry. He found his love; Sakura would be just fine knowing that, right?
Finally he sees her standing beside his sworn rival, looking puzzled at her hair he asks. "Haruno?"
Getting a mental kick in her stomach for calling her that she wondered if she changed much. Did he really need her hair colour to recognize his female teammate? Slowly his eyes shift between his girl and Sakura. Sakura still wondering about the puzzled look Sasuke gave he she remembered Naruto seeing she turned really hot. But was it hot enough for Sasuke?
Sakura noticed Sasuke's eyes show more emotions then they ever did before, how this girl did it would remain a mystery. Two perfect onyx eyes look at Sakura like it is his fault Sakura changed so much.
A polite nod to recognize her is al she gets before the replacement calls Sasuke to her like a pet. A vein pops up above Sakura's eyebrow how dare she call him that? Was he okay with this?
" She is waiting." Sakura smiles a fake smile and looks behind him seeing the girl walking their way. Seeing the girl smile back at her, she wonders if she's blind? Sakura had enough time to study her fake smile in the years Sasuke was away but she never thought she could smile like him in that way.
Sasuke throws an arm around her waist and walks away; starts showing her the beautiful places of the city, the ones Sakura and himself made it theirs on their own way. But he walks away leaving her standing there alone in the dark. Never looking back, like she was the worst thing ever happened in his life.
-
Weeks pass, and Sasuke's engagement is the gossip of the year. But it is not, it is no rumor it is a fact build on that silver decorated with at least three diamonds ring. She is showing every new-made friend his family ring. But like everything it will lose its shine. She definitely doesn't know the real Sasuke. The cold-hearted bastard he was to her for years. She has no idea of his past or his future plans. She is Sakura's replacement, the replacement that took Sakura's place, what took Sakura's artificial lover.
-
After a lot of complaints from the Fifth and some wise words from Hataka as defence Sasuke is back in team seven but refuses to spare with her, he just passes her by. No looks not even a polite nod. She gave in, trying to ignore it, but still feeling a fresh wound in her heart.
Kakashi and even Naruto ignore the suffocating atmosphere around the two of their teammates. Sakura feels their eyes sting in her back, but she feels useless what can she do to prevent this from happening. Sasuke is engaged; there is nothing she can do.
She is sure Sasuke didn't told his soon-to-be-wife his love sick past with one of his team members. His rough nights out in the forest, all the 'matches' he played with the pink haired female. His own voice betraying him; screaming Sakura's name while reaching his climax. She does not know how to touch him like Sakura would have done. She finds comfort in that, no one can touch him like she had done so many times.
-
A few day's later, when Sakura went out for groceries shopping, she bumped into the girl. Excusing herself before finding out it was Sasuke's fiancé she saw the girl examines her features then she walked passed, 'accidentally' bumping the grocery bag out of Sakura's arm. Grinning the girl left the other defeated on her knees putting her supplies back in her bag.
Sakura was having a hard time the next weeks, not coming out of her apartment gave her too much time to think. An unpleased time filled with unpleased thoughts and feelings. Thinking about her world, which would only revolve around the Uchiha, how she gave up very thing. Doing anything, meaning anything to be acknowledged by the raven-haired boy. How she adjusted her appearance for him, how much she trained to give him a worthy spare. But in the end it didn't matter, he chose another. Someone from outside their village. Without knowledge of competing against this brown haired girl.
-
When time was there for the big event Konoha was talking about for weeks, no invitation has been send to Sakura. Mentally kicking herself for allowing her the thought he would invite her she scrawled up in a corner of the hall. Everyone, the whole city, but not her. Why off course not her inner voice yelled at her for being so stupid.
-
She wasn't clueless; she saw enough movies, read enough romances to know exactly what was happening in the Fifth's office. A black tuxedo, a white kimono, two silver wedding rings and the magic words. Answering the question that will break the bond between her and Sasuke forever; Do you Uchiha Sasuke take - - to be your beloved wife, in health and sickness, till death do you apart?
"I do." She silently whispers against a mirror that reflects a crying girl. But she knows she doesn't, she will, at least never with him.
-
The city is celebration the wedding; the revival of the Uchiha's will not take long. The city will again become the strongest in the county. Everyone, everyone except Sakura, will again honour the famous Uchiha family.
Closing her dirty old window to stop the happy laughter's vibration through the air, Sakura starts throwing her personal stuff in a bag. Yeah she's getting ready to leave, to leave this Uchiha-mania.
"Goodbye" is the last thing she will says to him; sadly he will never hear those words, the last words his artificial lover spoke to him.
-
Promising you would never see me cry was the hardest promise from me to keep. But I am glad I did, because I am leaving without a tear, I will start over, leaving you far behind.
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Thanks for reading.