Bitter Sweet

A/N: Sorry for the late update. Sorry this chapter is a littl boring. Its almost like a filler to get the story going.

Chapter 2

A small patch of sunlight filtered through the lavender curtains that covered the large bay windows just across the room. Sakura's eyes fluttered open slowly adjusting to the morning light. Slowly, rising to a sitting position, she brushed a loose strand of hair, tucking it behind her ear. Somehow, she had been able to fall back to sleep but still couldn't shake the dream from her mind. It had been so vivid.

Getting up from bed, Sakura begins her daily routine before leaving for work at the hospital but to then she remembered that it was her day off. She felt like hell, she hardly got any sleep, the bags under her eyes were proof of that. Quickly, she thought of dressing in her training clothes but decided against it. Instead, she opted for a dark blue dress and a thin white sweater. Her long, pink locks were loose over her shoulders as she replaced her regulation Leaf village head band with a silver ribbon. She looked more like a civilian than the kunoichi she was which was fine because today, she wanted to feel like a regular girl.

The last thing she had to do was put on her ninja shoes and walked out the door of her bedroom. Not feeling like cooking breakfast, she left her apartment, locking the door behind her. Outside, the village was already bustling with villagers going about their daily business. Sighing, she slowly makes her way over to the Yamanaka flower shop. She was going to buy some flowers and visit Ulquiorra's grave. After that dream, she had to go more for her sanity than anything else. She also felt guilty for forgetting to visit him.

Arriving at the Yamanaka shop, she looks around, not quite sure what flowers to buy before walking over to the register. Mrs. Yamanaka stood behind the register writing something down in a ledger in a meticulous handwriting.

"Hello Sakura," The older woman said with a smile, looking at her. "How are you, dear?"

"I'm fine, ma'am." Sakura said trying to sound cheerful but failing miserably. She hoped that Mrs. Yamanaka didn't notice. If she did, Mrs. Yamanaka didn't let on.

"Ino isn't here. If you're looking for her, she's off on training with her team at the training grounds." Mrs. Yamanaka said.

"No, I'm not looking for Ino. I'm actually here to buy some flowers. I'm going to the cemetery to visit my parent's grave." Sakura said, her voice wavering.

"Oh dear, are you alright?" Mrs. Yamanaka asked, motherly concern seeping in her tone.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just had the day off from the hospital today and I thought I should see my parents. I haven't really gone in a while." the rosette haired girl responds.

"Do you need help choosing the flowers?" she asked. Sakura simply nodded and followed the blonde woman as she gathered the appropriate flowers. In the end, Mrs. Yamanaka held a bouquet and walked back towards the register. Sakura noticed a single dark red rose in a vase near the register. It was beautiful.

The older woman noticed her eyeing the rose. "That is a very beautiful rose, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. What does it mean?" Sakura asked.

"That rose symbolizes heartfelt sorrow and regret."

Sakura nods and picks out the rose handing it to Mrs. Yamanaka who places in the middle of the bouquet and ties an ivory silk ribbon to hold them together.

"How much will it be?" Sakura asks.

"Nothing, dear. It's on the house." Mrs. Yamanaka smiles handing the flowers to Sakura. Noticing that the younger woman hesitate, she gently places them in her hands. "You just take them. Take them up to your parents. Alright."

"Thank you, ma'am." Sakura replies, smiling and heads out of the shop and heads towards the cemetery to her parents grave.

They had died when she was 17 when they had were attacked as they were returning to Konoha, leaving her alone in the world. They had been killed by rogue ninja. She still didn't understand why. Her parents hadn't been shinobi. Just regular villagers. Their death devastated her. For weeks afterward, she had become depressed, refusing to leave her parents home or see anyone. It had taken the combined efforts of all her friends and a few threats from Tsunade to snap her out of the grief she felt and move on. Now about a year later, Sakura still feels the pain but hides it. She knows that her parents wouldn't like for her to be sad.

At the cemetery she finds their grave and gently places the flowers on the small vase that her mother had always loved that she had left here but not before taking the rose out. She offers a prayer before heading off towards his grave on the other side of the cemetery.

Seeing the state of Ulquiorra's grave causes her to break down crying. His grave was covered in weeds and looked like if nobody has visited in years. Sakura knew that Mrs. Cifer left the village unable to live here with the memory of his son. And his stepfather had been sent to prison on a lifelong sentence after it was discovered that he had killed Ulquiorra. Knowing that still didn't lift the burden from her shoulders. She was just as guilty even if she hadn't killed Ulquiorra.

Carefully, she pulls out the weeds and tidies up as best as possible. "I'm so sorry, Ulquiorra. I'm so sorry, for not coming to visit you sooner. I miss you."
Wiping her eyes with her hands, she gazes at the headstone, reading the words inscribed in gold lettering.

Ulquiorra Cifer
December 1,1986-May 12, 1998
A heroic boy who died saving the life of the person he cherished most.

Thinking back, she realizes that today was the anniversary. He has been dead for 12 years already but for Sakura it felt like if it were just yesterday. "Ulqui...I promise that I'll try to visit you more often. I'm sorry that I haven't come to see you in a long time."

Kneeling on the ground, Sakura kisses the rose and sets it gently atop the headstone. She remains their for a couple more minutes before she stands up.

Just as she's about to leave, an earsplitting roar followed by a loud crash echoes through the cemetery. Sakura's shinobi skills kick in as looks around, trying to locate the cause of the sound. Her eyes widen in fright as she sees a large hamster-like creature with a skeletal face standing not far from her. It had a lure hanging from it's forehead. It's glowing eyes red were staring right at her.

"How fortuitous...I've found a snack." it spoke in a guttural tone, as it moved slowly towards her. Goosebumps rose in her flesh at it's words. It talked and it wanted to eat her.

Sakura could only stand in fright as the creature came closer. She'd never seen such a hideous monster in her life. It was a creature from her darkest nightmares.

"Delicious." it continued.

Snaking out of the fear, Sakura reacts instinctively and runs for her life. She doesn't make it very far before the creature suddenly appears before her in lightning speed and it's claw strikes her sending her hurling back, knocking her body to a nearby tombstone. She hears a loud crack as her head hits the hard stone. A sharp pain shoots up the back of her head as blood starts pooling around her, staining her pink hair.

Ignoring the pain, she manages to sit herself up, her hands glowing green with chakra. She attempts to heal her wound but is once again thrown by the creature. Screaming in pain, she manages to drag herself towards Ulquiorra's grave before she collapses. The pain is unbearable and Sakura knows that she has lost too much blood and her skull had suffered severe damage.

"I'm going to die." She thought, her vision already failing. The creature was closing in on her, a wicked smile grazing it's grotesque mouth. Then the creature scooped her up but just before it was able to devour her, she saw a man with spiky orange colored hair appears out of nowhere and attacks the monster with a large black sword. He was dressed in black kimono. He cuts the creatures arm and catches Sakura before she crashes to the ground. The last thing she sees is the saddened expression on the man's face before she loses consciousness.

xxx

Time seemed to go by in slow motion in the Konoha Hospital. Countless injured shinobi were being brought in with broken arm or legs or just a couple of scratches. Something had attacked them but no one had seen who or what had attacked them.

All they could tell Tsunade was that whatever it was was not human and it was headed towards the cemetery. At least they thought so. Everything had happened so fast. Tsunade dispatches the ANBU to scour the area and search for the creature or other injured civilians or shinobi.

Time passed by slowly again before she was brought. Sakura had been found lying in a pool of blood in the cemetery. She was still alive but her life was hanging by a thread. Tsunade gasps in shock to see her student broken in such a manner.

Quickly the Fifth Hokage goes into medic mode and orders that Sakura be prepped for surgery. News of Sakura's attack circulated quickly and soon her team and all her friends flood the hospital waiting room. Their faces etched with worry over their friend. It took many threats and Kakashi and Yamato's help to help to keep Naruto and Ino from bursting in the operation room where Sakura was.

Tsunade promised to keep them informed of Sakura's condition before she went in to operate. The hours passed by before the blonde woman appeared. The sad expression on her face told them all they needed to know before she even said a thing. Sakura was gone.

The girls broke down in tears, crying for their friend. The guys could only console them but their eyes reflected sadness. Sakura had been the one who kept them together. She had always been their for them.

Naruto demanded to see his friend who had been like his sister. It broke everyone's heart to see the blond Hokage-to-be cry. But during it all, no one saw the orange haired man who walked into the room where Sakura's body lay.

xxx

In the operating room, Sakura opens her viridian eyes she looks around the room seeing her surroundings. She's in the hospital. She didn't know how she had gotten here. Memories of the cemetery came flashing back. She looked over on the bed at where a body lay covered by a sheet. Curiosity overtook her and she slowly made her way towards the body carefully uncovering it.

Her eyes widen in horror and she suddenly feels faint. Lying there beneath the sheets was her! She was dead but how could it be if she was standing right here.

"This cannot be happening. I must be dreaming." Sakura said, horror struck. "This is just one horrifying nightmare."

"It's not a dream. Unfortunately it's reality." a man's voice said from the doorway of the room. It was the same man that she had seen in the graveyard. It had to be. He had the same brightly colored orange hair and he was wearing the same black kimono. The only difference was that his sword was now strapped behind him.

"Who are you? Why are you here? What's going on?" Sakura asked.

"My name is Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki and I'm a substitute Soul Reaper." the man replied. "I was sent here to kill that Hollow before it could devour more souls or kill, but I failed."

"A Hollow? What's a Hollow?" Sakura asked. "Was it that thing that attacked me?"

"Yes, that thing was a Hollow called Grandfisher. It was a hollow that devours the souls of people with high spirit pressure. It also attacked others but it didn't kill them. Grandfisher prefers the souls of women." He said. Sakura noticed that the last part seemed to affect him most.

"You said it was. Does that mean it's dead?" She inquired.

"Yes. I did. That is one of the jobs of a soul reaper. To destroy purify Hollows. The other task is to perform a konso. A konso is a spirit burial. And I think I should do it now before it's to late." He said as he removed his sword from it's place on his back.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked, looking confused.

"I told you. I'm going to perform a konso on you. If not that chain on your chest will begin to erode and you too will become a hollow. You'll lose all conscience of yourself and kill those you care about the most."

Sakura shuddered at the thought of becoming a hollow. All this was just too much for her to understand in such little time. Ichigo noticed her worry and tried his best to help her as much as a temperamental guy like him could.

"Don't worry. You're going to the Soul Society. There you'll get all the answers you're looking for." He said as he raised the hilt of his sword towards her.

"The Soul Society...will I see my parents there?" Sakura asked and my friend...The one whose grave I was visiting when l this happened. Will I see him?" She said.

"I don't know. I won't lie to you. It's shit but at least it's the truth. Sometimes souls find their families but the majority of the time they don't. I wouldn't get my hopes up." he said.

It hurt to hear him say that she might not see her parents or Ulquiorra but she was glad to know the truth.

"Can I say goodbye to my friends before I go?"

"Whatever, but you're friends won't see you? Perhaps they might if they have high spirit pressure. I could sense that some do but perhaps it's best that they don't. Choice is yours."

"I just want them to know that I'll be fine. Naruto must be devastated. He's like a brother to me."

Ichigo shrugs and walks out of the room, Sakura in tow. Back in the waiting room, Sakura finds all of her friends. Her heart breaks at the sight of Naruto crying into Hinata's shoulder. Ino is in Shikamaru's arms. Kakashi stands beside Yamato, both men look saddened. Tsunade is the first to look up. She stares at the spot where Sakura stood, too shocked to even utter a single word. All the others turn to see her and they also look shocked. Sakura slowly walks towards them and she whispers her farewells to all before Ichigo uses his sword to send her spirit to the Soul Society where she would rest in peace. Forever.