the past

thoughts

Back to Crying

As soon as Sakura closed the door behind her, her perfect mask crashed to the ground. When she was alone she never had to worry about faking it for her friends or anyone else for that matter. Sakura alone was a Sakura that could afford to fall apart. In the outside world she had to be her normal happy self. She couldn't have her friends worrying about her, especially if they were leaving for a mission or, even worse, already on one. Them worrying about her meant that they weren't going to give their full attention to their mission. Them not paying attention meant that there was a higher risk for injury. Her friends getting hurt was not something she wanted to be a part of. So that decided it for her, she would act like nothing was the matter on the outside even if it meant falling apart on the inside.

She dragged herself to the nearest piece of furniture and collapsed. In the sanctuary of her apartment, not home, never home without them there, the girl allowed her forsaken memories to put out a full frontal attack on her emotions.

"DAD! MOM!"

Sakura was waiting at the front gates for the return of her parents, but she wasn't expecting anything like THAT to happen. The explosion rang out in the clearing, the echoes haunting her. The two guards restrained her, kept her from entering the potential one of fire. All she had the strength to do was go limp and cry.

(Tsunade's Office)

"Sakura, the only thing found at the ... site, was this."

Tsunade lifted a kunai and handed it to Sakura.

"It's not much, but there is a mark on it."

Sakura turned it around until she saw it. The tag containing the white mask and red scar running down the middle.

Sakura had no idea how long she bathed in her memories until the knock on her door broke her of her trance. She was defiantly not in the mood to be disturbed. She closed her eyes and was about to return to the darkness of her past until...

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK"

Well, someone was persistent. No matter, she was NOT going to open the door. This was Sakura time. This was self pity time. Besides, it would be hard to explain the tearstained cheeks.

"Sakura, are you there?"

What the... Sasuke? Of course, of all the god forsaken people to be at the damn door, it has to be him.

"Come on, Sakura. Let me in. I know things weren't exactly, ideal, this morning but..."

Where the hell is he going with this? Don't tell me he wants to apologize ... or ME to apologize?

"Sakura, please..."

Is that desperation in his voice? Very un-Sasuke like.

"...I'm starting to look like an idiot!"

Ah, that sounds more like it. Reputation as usual.

Sakura so hadn't as moved an inch and she sure as hell didn't plan to. Or at least, that's what she told herself. But somehow, she found herself moving towards the entrance of her apartment. She leaned against the wall, listening to what the boy on the other side was saying.

"Sakura, come on. Let me in. This is getting ridiculous. I know you're in there ... or at least I hope you're in there. It would be really bad right now if you walked up behind me with your hands full of groceries or something like that..."

The next sentence was laced with impatience. "Sakura! Open the damn door!"

Wow, bipolar much. I guess you can only make a boy wait so long.

The next thing she knew, she was unlatching her door and putting on her best fake smile.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?"

Sasuke could barely see through the opening in the doorway, but he knew that this was not the same Sakura who acted so brave that morning.

Sasuke softened his voice slightly, "Sakura, let me in."

"I would, Sasuke, I really would. But the thing is, I have no idea why you're here and how you know where I live. Not a very good start. In fact that's a little creepy because I highly doubt anyone told you this location. You have some explaining to do before I open this door."

Sasuke was getting frustrated, she was putting on that damn act again.

"The old lady told me."

Sasuke should have tried to have more patience, but he should be inside. This was going to give neighbors the wrong impression.

"What old lady..."

Obviously from the realization on her face, Sasuke had suspected she remembered what old lady he was talking about.

"Inside." Her voice clipped, hostile, even.

"Sakura, wait a..."

"INSIDE."

Well, there was no arguing with that tone.

Once the door closed, Sakura still would not face him. Gathering her thoughts, by the look of it. When she turned around, Sasuke took note of nothing she was saying. Instead he saw something he should have noticed earlier.

"Crying."

Sakura stopped in the middle of her little rant to ask, "What?"

"You've been crying. There are tears in your face. Don't hide it Sakura."

Shit, Sasuke is the last person I want to know about this.

"Ah, well, you see. I've been chopping onions."

Sasuke didn't look like he was buying it.

"Ano... I dropped a medical book on my foot."

"Sakura, you're a ninja. There is no way you cried from merely dropping a book on your foot."

"Well, it was a rather big book." By this point Sakura was getting nervous.

Come on, Sakura. Lead him away from the tear thing. This is getting a little to close to unwanted territory.

"Why don't you just admit that you were crying over your parent's death."

A chill went through Sakura's entire body when she heard that.

"Why don't you just admit that you were crying over your parent's death."

Crap. He knows. I need to have a talk with that Old Lady to set some serious boundaries.

"So she told you, huh?"

"Ah."

"Well, I guess I might as well tell you the whole story. All the parts I didn't witness were pieced together by a top level jutsu. If I told you what is was, I'd have to kill you. So don't ask any questions."

Sasuke couldn't help but admit that he was somewhat bothered by Sakura's demeanor. She was still making jokes even though she was talking about her parent's murder.

"Sakura, be serious. You don't have to pretend in front of me."

Sakura said nothing, but continued anyway.

(Flashback)

Daichi and Taira Haruno where on their way back from their mission when something started to go wrong. Before either of them knew what was happening, a kunai whizzed past Taira's head, the singing of the steel slicing the air still ringing in her head. The couple turned around only to be greeted by, nothing. An ambush, perhaps? Whoever it was, they were good. Daichi couldn't even detect said person or persons chakra, and he was a renowned chakra expert. Something wasn't sitting right with him, he turned to instruct his wife to get word back to Konoha; but that was when all hell broke loose. He tried to count but there were to many. Ten, twenty-five, thirty ... they kept changing positions, never standing still. The fact that they all had the same uniform on was no help at all either; black body suit with the strangest mask hiding the ninjas faces. The mask was pale silver, like pale moonlight on the darkest night. Right down the middle was, what seemed to be, a red angry gash. Fake, of course, but very visually disturbing. No markings of any sort to indicate any relation to one group.

No village sign, a personal job then?

The most disturbing thing was, they weren't attacking. Just flitting about, changing positions with one another in a rhythmic pattern.

If I can figure out the pattern then I might be able to pinpoint one and take him down.

Daichi signaled to his wife, she got the message. Take one out, keep him (or her for all they knew) alive and get said assassin back to Konoha for questioning. Easy, right? They could only hope so, their lives were depending on it.

Slowly, the couple drew out their weapons. With the deadly accuracy and synchronization that could only belong to the infamous Haruno Duo; they aimed their weapons at what they believed to be the first one in the line up.

"Thwack."

The dull sound of metal striking wood echoed through the forest. The thing was, they didn't miss. The hit was dead on. Instead of the kunai slicing through flesh, it went right through the body.

"Poof. Poof. Poof. Poof. Poof."

All their, "pursuers," had just vanished into thin air.

Clones? Impossible, the amount of chakra levels in each one of them indicated they had to be real people. No one can pour that much of their reserve into a clone without being completely drained. It makes no sense, if they wanted to take us out before we reached the village, then why send clones...

"Daichi, genjutsu. It's a trap."

Shit.

He sent a worried look over to his wife, the whole, genjutsu department, was her area. Before another word, or thought, could be prompted, a loud clap reverberated against the trees. Still, no one there. Daichi was getting pissed, he didn't like being played and manipulated with. Whoever was doing this had serious issues. Suddenly, the entire surrounding area was alive with flames. A fire in a forest, a place full of wood and fuel to keep it alive.

This is not good, we need to get out of here, and fast.

He grabbed his wife's hand and continued to lead them into what he hoped was a clearing. That was his first mistake. A katana was aimed straight for his heart, a vital point. The next instant was the only one in the world he wished he could change. Taira stepped in front of him, stopping the blade with her neck. When Daichi felt the heat of his wife's blood against his face, he let out a mangled cry.

"TAIRA!"

He moved his love so that she was cradled in his arms. She reached up her hand to wipe away the tears forming in his eyes. Her touch also left the trace of her blood along his cheekbone.

"...make it out of here, for Sakura, my love..."

Her eyes were slipping closed now, never to reopen. With that, he made his last promise to her.

"I promise, for Sakura, for us."

Again, a cruel, mocking laugh was released into the opening. Followed by silence. Daichi could take no more, he had lost his wife, his daughter had lost her mother, it was time to end this.

"Where are you? Show yourself to me! What kind of coward remains sheathed in the shadows!?!"

"Do the smart thing, Haruno-san, head towards your village."

Daichi wanted to stay and gain justice for his wife, but he had a promise to keep. Shifting his lifeless bride so she was more secure in his grasp, he headed towards the gate of Konoha.

(Three Miles Later)

I'm there, I've almost made it. I can see the gates.

The next thing he felt was the cold steel embedding into his back.

Dammit, he's still coming after me. Gotta move faster.

Now he could see the guards at the gate, he forced his legs to pick up the pace. Unfortunately, he was losing blood, and fast. Another kunai was thrown but this one had something attached to it. An explosive tag. The explosion rang out through the trees.

Taira, Sakura, I couldn't keep my promise. I'm sorry...

(Gate POV)

Something was wrong, why wasn't Haruno-san moving? The smell of blood was lingering in the air now. Before the shinobi could make another move, the explosion happened.

"DAD! MOM!"

The two guards had forgotten the youngest Haruno said she'd be coming over to welcome back her parents. She tried to make her way towards her fallen parents, but the two guards held her back. It was heartbreaking to watch. Tears were falling freely from her face, her pained sobs echoing into the distance, but they couldn't let her go out there. Someone might try to kill her too. The girl collapsed in their arms, to emotionally drained to do anything but cry.

When the bodies were brought for examination there was only one thing tying an identity to the brutal murder. A kunai embedded in the ground, after the explosion. It was marked with a pale white mask containing a crimson scar running down the middle.

(Normal)

Throughout the whole story, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to look at Sakura. This was something so intimate, so personal, that looking at her would violate her privacy. Now that it was over, Sasuke faced the girl. Her shoulders were hunched over, as if the entire world were trying to crush her. He could tell by the sobs racking her body that she was holding back her tears. He knew what that felt like. Before he could reason with himself, Sasuke walked over to the girl and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Sakura, I'm..."

Sakura pivoted her body so she was facing his chest. With a loud gasp she let all her tears flow free. She buried her face into his chest and proceeded to say,

"Don't. Don't say it. I'm tired of hearing it. Please, just stay here."

Sasuke should have said no. He should have walked away. He should have, but he didn't, he couldn't. Instead he wrapped his arms around her and drew her even closer. He didn't whisper sweet nothings into her ear, rub circles on her back, or even rest his head on top of hers. Sakura knew that this was as close as Sasuke had ever been to a person since the death of his clan. It was enough for her and more than she would have ever had asked for. The two of them sat there in her apartment, not counting the time. When the light turned to dark outside, Sasuke took his leave. No more words were spoken but then again, none more needed to be exchanged.

______________________________________________________________________

Sorry that this one took a little bit longer. I really had to think about her parent's murder. fight scene's aren't my forte so if it's lame, I apologize. I hope you liked it! Reviews much loved =]

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