"Sakura!" Naruto pounded insistently on the wooden door to his best friend's apartment. "It's three already!" He exhaled wearily. "Don't be like sensei," he pleaded. "Come on, Sakura! You promised to go to lunch with me today!"
Nothing.
Naruto put his ear to the door. Frowning, he noted the obvious lack of noise. No rustles, no voices, no footsteps.
Nothing.
Naruto felt the beginning tinges of suspicion begin to filter to the surface of his mind. "Sa-ku-ra-chaaaaaan!" He accentuated each syllable with another blow to the door. "Open up!" Sighing, he let his head fall forward, hitting the door with a dull thunk. "You promised" he muttered into the door.
Nothing.
"I'm going to come in, 'kay, Sakura?" Naruto tried to ignore the burn of worry in his stomach as he slid his identification card out of his pocket. Putting his ear to the door, directly over the lock, he pushed the plasticized card into the space between the doorjamb and the door itself. He narrowed his eyes, listening carefully for the eventual click of the locking mechanism. With one more slight tap to the lock and a quick twist to the knob, the door swung open. In spite of himself, Naruto smiled. So, I haven't lost my touch after all.
Standing in one fluid motion, Naruto stepped cautiously over the threshold and into the hallway. His slow footsteps seemed to echo, even in the small space. "Sakura? Are you here?"
Nothing.
Naruto stopped in the small kitchen, noticing the abundant amount of dust. Swirling in the symmetrical blocks of afternoon sunshine, the brilliant motes bespoke something much darker. Naruto frowned, wondering aloud. "Where could she have gone?"
We've seen less and less of each other, it seems, Naruto thought absently. But I asked her if she wanted to go to lunch for just that reason. She seemed happy, at the time. He began to walk to the living room. Happy like usual. This, though, this isn't like her at all; not like Sakura at all. She was probably called away on a sudden mission. But still... His footsteps shuddered to a halt, eyes roving over the living room as he surveyed it carefully. I can't help but worry.
It was simple, really, like the rest of her apartment. The colors were muted, which made the stark white of the envelope placed oh-so-precisely in the center of a low table all the more conspicuous. Naruto frowned at the envelope, as if it were all the paper's fault, as he picked it up. What is this? And where in hell is Sakura?
His hands fumbled as he opened the envelope, untucking the flap from the envelope itself with some difficulty, unfolding the letter within with even more trouble.
Naruto's eyes widened as he began to read. He heard the sharp intake of breath he couldn't believe was his own, because this was not happening.
If you're reading this, I'm dead. No what-ifs or...
This was not happening.
...white noise, static leftovers of something better...
It was not.
Don't touch me, because what I want you could never give; would never give.
Because, of course, that scenario was impossible.\
...bet your life on it. Or at least mine, I would tell you, because it's worth so much less...
completely
You don't have to see what I've become.
utterly
And remember, I love you.
impossible
See you on the other side.
In the bottom left hand corner, a graphic was placed precisely in a way that spoke 'Sakura'.
...I love you...
A small, crudely drawn heart, the blood it was drawn with clotting along each vertice, screamed it.
"Sakura." Naruto closed his eyes. The words burned from the paper into his hands, into his eyes. "You promised."