After he left, Sakura saw Sasuke everywhere.
But not really – it wasn't him, just... memories and wishes.
Anytime she visited The Bench (as she had come to dub it in her mind), she thought – hoped – she saw him on the road, smiling, waiting to surprise her with his return. But then the wind would blow or the clouds would shift, and he would be revealed as a shadow, a trick of the light.
Dreams were the worst.
In a dream, you think things are real, no matter how illogical or impossible they may seem. You're too far gone into the realm of sleep to consider reason. So when Sakura dreamt of happy days with the complete, original Team 7, or Sasuke whisking her off her feet and begging to marry her, or any other personal fantasies, it was all the more disappointing when she woke up and discovered reality.
So it was hard to shake the feeling that she was dreaming when, years later, she finally saw him, bruised and battered but alive and real, right where he belonged in Konoha.
Author's Notes: Hm. Not much to say about this one. xP Kinda like it, kinda don't. Meh.
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Naruto' or any of its characters.