Haunt: Where all starts have a end and another whole new beginning
She thought she heard something. Soft footsteps paced lightly in front of her doorstep. The sound echoed endlessly within her house, bouncing off the walls and into her ears. Sakura sighed, it had to be her hallucinating again; and overworking really deteriorates one's health. She really got to stop her bad habit of caring too much about others and ignoring her own health. She rubbed her forehead tiredly with her index finger and thumb stressfully before trudging upstairs to her bedroom before plopping down to bed, never noticing the keychain with the Uchiha crest encrusted in silver hung on the window grills glowing under the moonlight.
- - -
"Ne, Sakura-chan…I do you have this weird creepy feeling ever since we…you know, moved into Sasuke's house? Like someone is following you all the time, stalking you, staring at you?"
"Don't be an idiot, Naruto. You might have been dreaming it up or something."
"But Sakura-chan…!"
Sakura wacked him on the head viciously before looking around nervously as if she was scared somebody might have eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Ouch!"
"Shut up Naruto!"
"So you feel it too?"
"For the last time there is no such thing as ghosts!"
"But I didn't even mention a single thing about ghost…"
Naruto mumbled under his breath blinking bewilderedly at her. He turned around to glare at the person that was chuckling lightly at his misery. There was no one there. He shivered slightly and scrambled out of the house.
- - -
They thought they would have a peace of mind, or at least feel a little more comfort if they had stayed in his house. Perhaps his lingering presence in his house could provide a little relief to them. However it brought more unease to them. Objects move around the house every now and then and neither knew who did it; though they believe that the other was playing a prank on them. Once in a while they could hear a Sasuke-like laughter/snort/chuckle ringing throughout the house when Naruto did something really silly like ripping his pants when sitting or choking on a bowl of ramen.
And yet, once in a while, for example, when the food was about to be over cooked; which often happened when Sakura was being interrupted by the doorbell or just plainly, Naruto, the fire would be mysteriously turned off.
And at other times, Sakura swear she could feel someone sleeping beside her, wrapping their arms affectionately around her and Naruto's arms, their legs tangling with her own. But if Naruto ever felt it, he didn't mention it.
- - -
"I'm telling you there's someone stalking us I'm sure of it!"
"What? Some ghost? Like Sasuke?"
Sakura replied sarcastically. An amused snort stilled them.
"Did you just hear that Sakura-chan? That bastard is here after all! I bet he is the one that have been following us around the house."
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"I'm going to have to check if you have suffered any brain damage from all the fighting you have done. Stand still Naruto."
"Sakura-chan, you can't possibly dismiss the fact that you feel him at times!"
"No I don't!"
"How about the times when we were sleeping?"
"That's just the wind!"
"The mysterious moving objects?"
"You did it."
"Okay fine. Answer this Sakura-chan. The lighted stove. Our food have never charred ever since we started staying here."
"W…well that's…an automatic function…?"
She stuttered. Naruto shook his head at her.
"You just keep telling yourself that, Sakura-chan just keep telling yourself that. I'll prove you wrong one way or another."
- - -
"Naruto…"
He whipped his head around once more gritting his teeth irritated.
"Stop it bastard and out with it. What do you want?"
"Hn. Dobe."
The air swirled and a translucent figure materialised in front of him. Naruto leapt back in shock.
"Holy shit. Give me a warning at least before doing something like that."
"You are as childish as ever."
The figure smirked.
"I knew it! You are still alive after all! Damn it. Making all of us grief over nothing."
Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"I am technically still dead you know, dobe."
"But…how? Don't tell me that you are a g…gh…ghost!"
"Took you that long to figure out?"
"Bu-…but…"
Naruto curiously went to poke Sasuke. It was a strange wispy feeling, cool to the touch.
"Stop that."
Naruto grinned widely and went to disturb the irritated Sasuke more. It's been such a long time since he could do something like that.
"Cut it out Naruto! I need to tell you something important."
Naruto continued to poke him endlessly. Sasuke snapped and grabbed both of the blonde's wrists before pinning him to the wall, glowering at him fiercely. Naruto struggled within the cold grip without avail.
"Bastard you-mmph…!"
The brunette nipped the blonde's bottom lip bruising it slightly before licking the bruised area in apology. Naruto kissed back as fiercely, not wanting to back down from the fight. Sasuke gripped both of Naruto's wrists in his left hand freeing up his right one to caress the blond.
"Aah! Watch where-ngh…you put your hands-mmph…"
Sasuke paused to allow Naruto to take a breath. Naruto panted glaring back at him with glassy eyes.
"What did you do that for?"
"To shut you up dobe. Now listen up."
"I'm listening."
"Tell Sakura to let me go. Set me free."
"What do you mean by that? You know very well how much she loves you! "
"I can't leave this world in peace if she keeps on pinning after me."
He blinked.
"But she is not-"
"She is. I know. Sakura just doesn't want to tell you or anyone because she didn't want people to worry about her. She has become selfless like that."
"Well you do it! I don't want to be the one that keeps telling her those kind of things! It's hard to face her like that."
"Please Naruto. This will be the only time I'm begging you. What do you think will happen if she sees me?"
Naruto looked away from the penetrating gaze that was filled with so much anguish.
"I don't want her to suffer anymore."
Naruto turned to stare at him once more.
"And you think that I'm not suffering you bastard! We have been searching for you so long. 7 years, damn it! 7 years!"
Sasuke looked at the wall avoiding his gaze. The blonde could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. Furiously, he blinked them back. He wouldn't let the bastard see his tears.
"Please Naruto…"
He sighed feeling the pressure on his wrist lessening.
"Fine. But you will have to explain yourself to her if she wants the truth."
- - -
Sakura groaned at the piles of paper work she had to complete before the day ended. Tsunade really knows how to push her workload to others at times. Much too skilfully. She turned her head curiously to the door when she heard someone knocking.
"May I come in Sakura-chan?"
She cocked her head to one side. Was that really Naruto? But he was never this polite. Normally he would come barging through the door demanding her to tend to his injuries or drag her out to eat.
"Yes of course."
Naruto walked in cautiously into the room, locking the door behind him.
"Why did you do that?"
"I got my reasons. You might overreact to the things I'm about to tell you."
"Spill."
He sighed. She was never going to make things easy for him was she?
"Give up on Sasuke. Stop pinning after him."
"But I'm not-"
"Sasuke told me you have been doing so."
"Sasuke-kun…?"
"Yes Sakura-chan."
"Hahaha…that's very funny and all now please get out and stop interrupting my work process before I have to resort to kicking you out instead."
"But Sakura-chan, that's what he told me to tell you!"
"Stop it Naruto! He is gone! The dead can't come back to life!"
"Sakura-"
"SHUT UP NARUTO! I don't want to hear it. He's gone. He can't speak to you!"
He sighed and glared balefully at the empty spot beside her.
"You tell her Sasuke. I told you I cannot convince her already."
A sudden mist fogged up the area and a dark figure soon stepped on slowly from the fading clouds.
Sakura's eyes widen and stumbled back. It can't be. Her palms were immediately brought up towards her mouth, cupping it when she gasped in shock. That dark ebony locks that spiked out from the back like thorns, that flawless pale porcelain skin, that beautiful dark onyx gaze, she couldn't be mistaken.
"Sakura."
Thickly pearly tears sprung up in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks rapidly.
"B…but…this…why?"
He smirked fondly at her.
"Tch, you are still are emotional as ever."
"Sasuke!"
She reached out to grab him only to realise that she passed through the translucent figure and into Naruto's arms. She froze in shock. What had happened?
"Sakura I'm sorry. My time here is limited. "
"What do you mean by that?! You can stay here with us as a ghost until we die right?"
He looked away from her desperate pleas.
"RIGHT?!"
"I'm so-"
"I don't want to keep on hearing your apologies! Damn it! Why did it have to end up like this?"
Naruto watched her, his own emotions in turmoil. However he knew Sasuke didn't have much time left and he didn't want him to leave her on such a note. He licked her salty tears and whispered into her ear.
"Sakura-chan, don't make it difficult for him. He won't pass on to the next world peacefully if you continue to cry like this. You don't want him to make him worry about you in the other world don't you?"
She let out another breathy sigh and steadied herself. She had to be strong! What was she doing? Only thinking about oneself. And to think she took pride in not letting others worry about her. Sakura mustered herself to give one last smile and looked up from the ground.
"Sasuke, I'm sorry, for being so selfish just now."
She paused, wondering when her voice would start to crack.
"I…I guess this is goodbye then."
He nodded silently, staring at her.
"Don't beat up your brother too badly over there."
He grinned slightly.
"Oh he won't get injured. But I'll make sure I'll pay him back on what he has done."
"…if he doesn't whoop your ass first in heaven that is."
Naruto couldn't help but add. Sakura let out a giggle. Sasuke settled with rolling his eyes. Slowly, his profile began to fade. Sakura began to panic and was starting to have second thoughts well she felt a tug on her sleeve from Naruto. She took a deep breath and composed herself watching Sasuke vanish from her sight.
"I guess I'll get going…to get back to my brother."
He turned and began walking away and soon disappeared.
She had no more tears left to cry.
It could have been a trick of the light but she had thought Sasuke's eyes had glistened before he left. Naruto embraced her tightly, whispering little nothings of comfort.
- - -
"I'll come to get you when it is your time."
- - -
All was well as another few years flew past. But Konoha was never meant to be peaceful as another war broke out between the five great ninja nations. Many lives were lost and hope was dim, Tsunade, Ino and many others had died trying to protect Konoha but in vain.
"Naruto you stupid, don't do it! You are going to kill yourself!"
"Sakura-chan, you know that this is something I must do, or the war will never stop."
"But you don't even know whether it is going to work or not."
"But we have to try."
A 25-year-old Naruto said, his eyes glinting with ever burning determination. Even after all these years, no matter how much he had aged, he had never lost that fiery passion to protect what was his. It was what had drawn Sakura to him. That unyielding flame within him had struck a chord in her when they first met. He shrugged her off and got up before giving her a thumb up and teleporting into the middle of the bloodstained battlefield.
"I'll be back before you know it! Don't worry, Sakura-chan!"
It would be last time she would ever see that characteristic smile of his.
Wind Style: Rasengan Shuriken!
The entire place within 10 kilometres was bathed in crimson blood as the red paint stained the entire suit that Naruto was wearing. The lone figure that was standing in the middle of the blood fountain swayed and collapsed onto the ground panting.
"Ah…I always hated this colour."
Sakura teleported a few minutes later and kneel right by his side, cradling his head in her lap, her fingers running through his blood soaked hair. She wouldn't cry. She had promised that to herself ever since then. Immediately, she started on healing the worst of his wounds. Sakura was horrified to find out that nearly every square inch of his skin was ripped off brutally from him.
"Naruto! I told you not to do it. I knew that you had ignored my words as soon as I saw that beam of light!"
"But Sakura…"
He was barely recognisable with all the layers of blood covering him. He chuckled slightly before heaving and choking out blood.
"Shut up and focus on healing right now. We can talk later."
He shook his head, his hands gripping hers which was healing him weakly.
"Don't, it is too late." He croaked out.
"Don't say it!"
"Be strong for me, be strong for us Sakura-chan. You can cope without him around. Surely you can do it now."
She shook her head stubbornly and continued with the healing process desperately. He nudged her briefly.
"Hey look up there. I can see Ero-sennin! Tsunade-baa-chan, father and mother!"
He pointed towards the empty sky, making futile grabbing movements. Sakura increased the process of the healing to the maximum. She couldn't lose him. Not just yet! It was too early.
"Sakura-chan, I can see that bastard as well!"
He gurgled happily as blood continued to pour out of his mouth.
"Don't Naruto, there's no one there!"
"Ne Sakura-chan, he's calling out to me and offering his hand, he says it's time for me to leave."
"No, no, no….NO!"
Naruto closed his eyes and breathed in painful, spitting out the last of the metallic tasting liquid that was in his mouth.
"We'll come and get you too, I promise."
"Why can't you take me along with you now?"
She mumbled, close to hysterics.
"Just because Sakura-chan, just because…"
He trailed off. With another shuddering breath he fell limp in her arms. Sakura gripped the cold body, glaring at it almost too painfully. The other bodies laid littered on the ground that were still alive started moaning for her, begging for her help. She was tempted to ignore them and scream at them for causing her beloved to die but them weren't exactly the ones to blame.
She sighed and started wistfully at the cold body that she was still grasping on so tightly. Sakura knew that the dead couldn't very well come back alive and there were tons of other lives to be saved. Right now wasn't the time to be grieving. Gently, she laid the body where is was and started on her mission.
They were always so selfish, her boys, but she had loved them all the same.
- - -
"…and that was what happened."
"Waa! That was so sad, shishou! Shouldn't love stories all have happy endings?"
A girl, no less then twenty, whined at her ex-teacher. The pale pink-haired woman laughed at her student and bonked her lightly on the head.
"Not all stories are meant to be happy, Haruko. Besides it was you who asked for a story."
"But shishou…"
"Ah…that was so boring…right Ryusuke?"
"Shut up idiot."
"Oi! What was that for bastard?!"
Her boisterous two ex-students started a glaring death match right in front of her. Ah, they had reminded her so much about her past. She stared fondly at them before deciding to interrupt their squabble.
"Stop fighting in the hospital! The patient needs her rest! If you want to do it, do it outside."
"Gomen, hokage…I mean Sakura-sensei…oi bastard why are you following me!"
Sakura smiled when they continued once more, sighing.
"If you two don't settle down once more I'm going to prohibit you both from going on missions for the next month!"
The two immediately clamped their mouths shut. Just then, the unusually quiet Natoru decide to speak up.
"Ne sensei, have you ever hated them, Naruto and Sasuke for leaving you behind?"
Sakura laughed.
"What are you talking about it was just a story…"
"It isn't just a story right, Ryusuke?"
"Ah. Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto was the one that stopped the great fifth shinobi war 30 years ago, Uchiha Sasuke was actually the one that took out all Akatsuki members to stop them from controlling the world, though it was not found out until 10 years later, all of this was stated in the textbooks of Konoha's history. And that Nana girl in your story, isn't that you, Sakura-sensei?"
She let out another sigh, her ex-students were just too perceptive sometimes.
"No I didn't. I couldn't hate them for it. Their time was just…you know, up before mine."
Haruko butted in anxiously, not wanting to be left out.
"But they could have prevented it from happening right, shishou?"
She shook her head sadly.
"Akatsuki would have taken over the world or the war would have still been going on right now Haruko."
She coughed once more, getting the attention of her students.
"Sensei, take care of yourself, Konoha still needs you."
"I know. Hey, isn't the cheery blossom viewing festival about to start?"
"Ah! We had forgotten about that! We will see you later then sensei."
The trio left the room happily. Sakura congratulated herself upon the little ruse she used to make them leave. There are going to be an hour earlier for the festival. Besides, she unexpectedly felt extremely tiredly from the chat she had not long ago. Her silly pestering but none less adorable students are going to grow up into nice young adults soon enough. She breathe in deeply, wincing at the pain it brought and closed her eyes before opening them weakly once more. A bright light engulfed her vision.
"What in the…?"
"Sakura I'm so proud of you, you have done well."
Tsunade shishou?!
"Forehead, don't think you can beat me just because you became the hokage!"
Ino…
"The lotus has finally bloomed into such a beautiful flower!"
Even Lee too. She laughed lightly. Everyone she knew who had gone due to the war was just right in front of her! They all had looked well and happy. She tried to reach out but they had started to float further and further away from her. She widened her eyes. Was it because it wasn't her time yet? No! She couldn't give up now! Not when they are within her grasp! She frantically tried to reach and grab them without avail. She started running and chased after them. Was it because she was too old? Her aged body began to slow her down as they vanished into the light.
"No don't leave me all alone again! You don't know how hard it was all these years to try to live without you guys! Damn it! Damn it all! What have I ever done to deserve this?"
She croaked and crumbled to the ground panting heavily as salty tears began to flow down her wrinkled face. It was such a long time since she had allowed that to happen but the impact from seeing them was just too much. Wait, where was Naruto or Sasuke? Hadn't they promised that they would come to pick her up? Or did they found some beautiful babes in paradise and decided to abandon poor old wrinkly Sakura?
She chuckled hollowly and looked at her aged palms. No sane man would want an old bat anyway. Two hands suddenly take hold of both of hers, one tanned, one pale. Her breath was caught in her throat as she tentatively looked up, scared of whom and what she might see.
Naruto.
Sasuke.
She gasped in shock.
"Let's run Sakura-chan! Or we will get left behind."
Sasuke nodded, a small smile adorning his handsome face.
"You both…?!"
Sakura was rendered speechless as she was forcefully dragged up from her position to run. She heaved tiredly as the run was getting too strenuous of her and allowed her hands to slide away from both of theirs when they were running. They turned to look at her curiously.
"What's wrong? We got to run!"
She waved her hand in a negative response.
"But I can't! I'm so old and tired, I will never catch up. You two go on ahead first."
There was no way she did ever make it. And why would they even want her? She was so old and ugly compared to them. The tell tale vein marks all over her flabby arms had said much more then she could.
"Come on Sakura-chan, we can't just give up now!"
"Don't be stupid Naruto! Why would you and Sasuke want an ugly old woman who can very well be your grandmother? Forget it, I'm going back."
Naruto and Sasuke turned to look at each other amused. That was what she was so worried about?
"Sakura, have you ever looked into the mirror lately?"
She rolled her eyes and took the mirror Sasuke had got out of his pocket.
"Of course! What's there to see anyway? I'm still as old and hideous as ever-"
She gawked at her reflection. Her aged lines were receding back into her face slowly and her eyes, hair and skin complexions regain their youthful look once more. She smiled and handed back the mirror to Sasuke, her eyes shining.
"You know, I always thought that I was going to stay ugly even until death."
She joked.
"Sakura-chan! How can you say that? You are as beautiful as ever."
She laughed and ran ahead towards the blind light.
"Try and catch me you lovable idiots!"
"She is so going to get it when we catch up with her."
"I hear ya."
The 55 year old lady smiled in her sleep as the first petal of the Sakura tree began to fall.
Wow, that is the longest chapter I've written...I had planned to split it but it would have lost all its meaning.
Review? Make an author's day happy today!
Luki