The next several weeks passed slowly and leisurely in Konoha. It was late July, and while the mission demand had increased, they were usually easy things such as harvesting tomatoes or watering plants, which the Genin could easily handle. As a result, the more senior shinobi of Konoha, Jonin in particular, had large amounts of free time.
Sango and Lee had repaired and cleaned their house, replacing the broken door and shattered windows and wiping the bloodstains from the floor and walls. They went on almost daily outings with Jitchi, and they had even adopted a young black wolfdog pup, who they named Akira. She was shy and wary, but loving and with a vivid intelligence in her clear amber eyes that Sango knew would enable her to be a great ninja hound someday.
Disura and Kakashi had been spending many romantic evenings together lately, so Sango hadn't seen them very often. Kiba and Tatsumi had been doing much the same, and the Hyuga and Uzumaki families were busy raising their own children. Ruku and Jakku were busy with solo missions and their own private lives. In fact, everyone but Sakura and Sasuke seemed to be having the time of their lives.
The more Sasuke recovered, it seemed, the less time he got to spend with Sakura - or anyone at all, for that matter. Sakura was a surgeon and an ICU nurse like Tsunade, and her days were long and exhausting, often lasting into the evening and sometimes into the early hours of the morning. He was usually asleep when she checked on him, so he was unaware that she did so every day without fail. Even so, after three weeks of minimal activity and boredom in his hospital room, Sasuke was restless and edgy. His love for Sakura gnawed at his mind like nothing but his goals for revenge ever had before.
Finally his patience was exhausted. He couldn't stand it anymore. Taking one last look at his over-used hospital bed, he slipped on his black shirt and pants over the rust-colored bandages on his arms and torso. His back throbbed as the healing wounds stretched, but that was the worst of it. His mouth twitched into a determined smirk. Today, he would make Sakura his!
"Sakura, are you sure you know -"
"Of course I do, Sai! Don't you trust me?" Sai shrugged nervously. "Don't you think I know what I'm talking about here?" He smiled.
"Yes. Of course. It's me, though. I don't know if I can go through with -" Sakura slammed her palm against the table, silencing him.
"Yes you can!" She glared into his eyes. "Don't always rely on 'relationship books' to help you! What if it was a dunce like Naruto that wrote them?" She smiled sensually, her voice softening as she smoothed her pink kimono with gentle hands. She sipped from her glass of champagne, and Sai gulped nervously, tugging at the collar of his black men's yukata. Sakura giggled. "Now then," she whispered, "let's start, hmm?"
"Are you waiting for a table, sir?" A petite young woman addressed Sasuke, blushing and giggling as he glanced absentmindedly at her. "Or are you... um... alone?" Sasuke flinched, his hand tightening around a small black velvet box.
"I'm meeting someone." The young woman's smile faded in noticeable disappointment. "By the name Haruno."
"Ah, yes," said the woman, patting her bun of shiny black hair distractedly. "I seated her fifteen minutes ago. Let me show you to -"
"No," said Sasuke. "Thank you, but I'll go alone. I need to freshen up first, anyway." He set off with slow, determined steps, breathing deeply in a constant rhythm as his eyes searched anxiously for Sakura. Through one hall, down another, past one empty table, then a second, a third, a fourth. Sasuke's steps were beginning to falter; his breathing was shallow and rapid. His heart pounded in every cell of his body as he saw her seated alone. A thin waiter with short black hair stood talking to her. So far, so good. All he had to do now was muster up the courage to -
Suddenly the man, who Sasuke quickly recognized as Sai, dropped to one knee before Sakura and offered her a small purple velvet box. Sasuke gasped. Inside was a sparkling diamond ring. Sakura smiled and slipped it onto her finger, giggling and jumping into Sai's arms. Sasuke's heart sank through his feet and into the floor. He couldn't believe his eyes; only one second too late.
Numb and emotionally empty, he turned around slowly, his fingers dropping the black box onto the hard tatami mats. He never even noticed the sound.
"Okay," said Sakura, releasing Sai and standing calmly before him. She slipped the ring off of her finger and secured it safely in its box. "Was that good?"
"Yes, thank you," Sai said happily. "Now I should know what it will feel like to propose to Ino." He smiled lovingly. "Although we will have to take her last name, since I cannot remember having one."
"I'm happy for you," said Sakura.
"Thank you." He paused. "Aren't you meeting someone here tonight?"
"Yes. I didn't expect you to drop by, but I'm meeting Sasuke here."
"Ah," said Sai, standing to leave. "Then I'll let you two -" He froze as his toes touched something firm and smooth. He stooped down, picking up a black velvet ring box. Stitched into the protective satin inside was a red-and-white fan, and a sparkling diamond ring with Sakura's name engraved into the band glimmered with loving intention. Sai's face paled.
"Sakura," he said hesitantly.
"Hmm?" He fingered the box before he spoke.
"I think Sasuke's been here already." He tossed the box to her, and her eyes widened in shock. "And if you don't follow him, there could be some serious consequences for what he thinks we've just done."
"It's over! It's over!" Sasuke thought as he dashed through the forest. "She chose him, not me! Who was I kidding? She's too good for someone like me." His breath was ragged and shallow, his body near exhaustion and his wounds reopening. "I'll never be good enough now..." His legs buckled and he stumbled, sliding through the mud along the bank of a small creek. Silent sobs wracked his body, salty tears dripping into his wounds and burning them as blood spread in patches over his clothes.
"Unh..." Sasuke groaned as he stood. His shaking legs lifted him from the soft river-soil, staggering down a path he never recalled seeing before. Sand squelched between his toes as he left the river's path, becoming dry and rocky as he ascended a steep slope. Loose rocks lost their holds in the thin soil, clattering over large boulders with a sound like rain as they fell. Reaching the top of the small mountain, Sasuke slowed to stand atop a narrow boulder on the summit, the cool granite soothing his tired feet and relaxing his mind. The miniature cliff jutted out a few feet into empty space, offering a perfect view of the wild areas outside of Konoha. Beneath the ruby-colored sunset, a glistening lake shimmered with a red hue, making its crystal-blue waters appear purple-black.
Sasuke sighed, turning his head skyward and smiling numbly as a breeze tousled his now tangled, brush-filled hair. The gentle gusts dried his tears, leaving clear streaks through the mud on his cheek. Life could be so complicated for some people, he thought. And yet, the harder you tried to fight the current, the quicker you drowned. Between birth and death, then, what truly mattered? Love? Family? Wealth? These muddled thoughts coursed through Sasuke's empty, emotionless mind, not staying long enough to leave a hint of emotion behind. He sighed, placing his palm against the rock as he moved to sit on his knees.
Before the ear-splitting crack could reach his ears, he was already airborne.