Sweetly Sounding

Sakura's hands flipped through her mail: bills and market-store ads until she came to a pretty purple envelope. It was an invitation to the Uzumaki-Hyuuga wedding.

I do not own Naruto.

Based on the song 'Let's Go' by Stuck in the Sound.

Chapter One: Leg Day

"You know, we really are the most selfish kunoichi out there."

Sakura's inner voice had been troublesome since the moment she read through that invitation, switching between anger, confusion, and sadness. Bipolar, almost, in the way she spun the emotions on a dime.

But Sakura couldn't blame her. At least she was being emotional, unlike her. No, she was blocking it out, letting her inner self do all the ranting and questioning while she packed a scroll with her belongings. It was a petty thing to do, but the moment she saw the invitation she sent an acceptance letter to the offered month-long mission in Suna.

She was going to get flack from everyone.

Well, fuck it.

Piling the last of her heavy textbooks onto her low-set coffee table, Sakura let out a sigh as she scratched at her cheek. One month in the hot desert to avoid watching her best friend get married to someone else. Fine. That was fine. Maybe she would get citizenship and train with their shinobi forces. Sakura chuckled dryly; "Everyday is leg day when you're running from your problems."

Pulling a scroll from a drawer under the coffee table, pen and ink ready, Sakura prepared to use the enclosing technique when a loud tap came from her kitchen window. She stood there, her hands posed for the seals, hoping it was a figment of her imagination. Of course, it was simply because her house was a mess and not at all related to her inner angst. Not at all.

It, however, was not a figment of her imagination when the tapping continued; louder this time in a rapid staccato. To her utter displeasure.

Sakura sighed and let her hands fall from in front of her, slapping against her thighs loudly as she gave off a short sigh. No point in running; she had forgotten to mask her chakra. So, with her mind on the fact she would be leaving in the next hour like the coward she was, Sakura stepped into the kitchen. Falsely determined stride and her mouth in a straight line, she walked to the window where the blinds were closed tightly. With delicately scarred fingers, she pulled them open with a hard tug to reveal Sai, perched at the window like a bird.

Sakura subtly hoped he was there to tell her good luck on her mission to Suna, but the little deep-periwinkle envelope clutched in his hand was the sign he was there for much more. Silently she wondered how far shutting the blinds on him would go.

Sai seemed to make the decision for her as he pushed open the unlocked window before fearlessly stepping into the half empty sink, crushing a saucer under his foot. Sakura studied his cold face, unrelenting as he slaughtered her pour china as he fully stepped into her house.

"I have a front door, Sai." Sakura grumbled as she walked away from him and to the fridge, which had only water bottles and a single rotting pineapple. She made a face as she pulled two water bottles from the top shelf.

"Only have water, but I am sure-" He was in her face now, right up against her as she turned from the refrigerator. Choking back a shout of question, Sakura took an automatic step backward as Sai's dark eyes seemed to stare straight through her. A flush of embarrassment crossed her face, as she looked right back with a slight glare.

"Sai! You can't just-"

"You're heartbroken."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement, spoken like a fact.

Sakura's face formed into a slight grimace, her features drawing in as she tried copying Sai's emotionless reverie. It was useless. She silently noted to burn all his dumb psychology textbooks next time she had free time.

"As long as he's happy. I want him to be happy." The words had burned her mouth in their truth. Of course Sakura couldn't shake her inner selfishness, no, she would not go to the wedding. She had cried over a boy that would never love her and lost the only one that truly ever had. Her heart couldn't take this much abuse anymore, but she truly did hope that Naruto would be happy with Hinata. She hoped he would grin and be loud as possible.

"What are you going to do, Sakura?" Sai's words coaxed her out of her mind and she silently mused about he hadn't called her ugly. She was feeling ugly.

Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her disheveled hair before side stepping her teammate to reenter her sparse living room. Sai's measured footsteps followed behind her as she made her way to the coffee table sitting down one of the water bottles before downing the contents, one after the other.

"A mission?"

"To Suna." Sakura responded breathlessly as she put down the now empty bottle of water. "I'm going to train their medical staff."

Sakura didn't meet Sai's gaze. She refused too. Cowardice seemed to be her middle name and she didn't want to see it confirmed in Sai's eyes.

"I see."

"Give them my best. I don't know when I'll be back."

Silence met her ears, so Sakura simply rechecked her books and medical stock on the table. Thumbing through herbal diagrams and diagnostic symptoms, she knew she had it all. Stalling until she was due to go.

Sai didn't give any indication of his inner thoughts as he studied her, his burning black gaze gouging a hole in her jounin uniform. She wished he showed some form of anger at her, instead of being so dead gazed, but it seemed that was all she was going to get.

'What would you expect?'

"Look Sai, I am going to leave in a few, so…" It was her subtle way of telling him that she wanted to be alone. She would be alone for a very long time after this and it was time to get started.

"Naruto will want you to be there."

Sakura gave a harsh chuckle before giving him a wave of her delicate hand. "It doesn't matter. He'll be fine. He bounces back."

Then he was there, really close as he clamped a hand around her upper arm. It was a knee-jerk reaction on her part to fight back, but something about the situation was in stark contrast to the usual behavior of the boy. It made her freeze.

"Sakura." Sai whispered into her ear, being annoyingly quiet in her empty house. "Something isn't right."

Then she noticed where he was looking; right at the windowsill in the adjacent window. It made her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth when something swayed by. A shadow. Could have been a bird. Could have been a cat. But the familiar chink of kunai was all she needed to break out in a cold sweat. There was nothing more to talk about.

"I need to go Sai."

"I know."

Then he was gone. In a flash of ivory and black he vanished out the way he came and Sakura was left alone. Again, to her small home.

I wanted to start off by saying that I was pissed to the T about the Naruto ending. Bashing is unfavorable and I find it ruins the integrity of a work. That also means I will look over my work in detail to make sure nothing 'angry' slips out.

I wanna say this is gonna be AU-ish, but like...not completely?

Sasuke and Sakura are not together and some of the content is switched around.

I pulled this out of a folder dated back from 2016. I figured it wouldn't hurt to submit it, even though the fandom is a bit dead. Does that also mean my style might be different in the next chapter? Maybe, but I hope it's still enjoyable. It'll be a bit melancholy.

Thanks for reading!