This is actually a translation from my own fic in Indonesian. Although actually I plant this story in English at the beginning, but since it's not my first languange I wrote it on Indonesian first cuz it's hard to put in words (some part I adjust for the right vocabulary, but the actual plot is the same). Sorry if there's any grammar mistake.
Plot start when Sasuke and Itachi fought Kabuto.
2nd Person POV (Sasuke)
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Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto
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A blurry image melts into memory, tickling the rash of the old one. Maybe it was barely yesterday, a week, or maybe something rusty rebukes the soul caused by idiocy.
That girl is there, standing tall even though her body is no longer dazzling as marble without a scratch like what you secretly crave. Her eyes once sparkled like polished emeralds, now full of sorrow looking at you for its yearning. Her once-white sclera irises are now dark, a vivid sign that she is not a human.
"Sakura." your voice crack.
Eyes meeting, filling with suppressed emotions. The shock is abysmal—even for a moment, why because your beloved brother also standing before your eyes.
That girl is standing still, gripping her right arm. Her pink strands fell gently grazing her cheek when she tilts her head. She replies with a soft voice, calling your name just like the old days.
"What a nostalgic right, Sasuke?" A voice echoes, bringing back, which you realize belongs to Kabuto. Your gaze blazing with thunderous anger demanding an explanation.
Again, disinterested eyes looking down at you, Itachi always does that. He's explaining that the ninja war had been raging, that he and the girl are from the past whose get resurrected with a forbidden technique. Telling you to help him punch that half-snake creature so everything can go back to normal, but don't kill it. You snort, fuck with the war, what do you care?
Yet you follow him anyway.
When you come ready, the girl lunges forward, her veiny fists punching the ground beneath you. You don't know that she's changed, once just a passing wind in the corner of your eye, now become a powerful pawn with a sledgehammer lying in her fist.
Kabuto is looking at you with an amused gaze, mocking, how's that my shield and weapon?
A few times coming in a slash, you could notice the pinkette is trying to hold back even though her body is moving on its own to hit you. Her face stiffens, growling under her breath.
Not a single word is exchanges.
Neither you, nor her.
You don't even look at her eyes.
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It took time, but both of you did succeed. Kabuto is motionless, looping in Izanami.
A familiar melody tickles the ears, yet a foreign name is mentioned. You see her exchanging words with your brother, asking if he could free her from the cursed technique for a while, give her a little time to stay. Explaining that she secretly had been conducting research since being resurrected.
Itachi blinks, he says it's possible.
Even when Itachi asked what make her want to stay? You only watch silently, say nothing, do nothing. Then the girl smile, her eyes look so distant, soft yet wistful. "For Naruto."
A gaze those two understand, but you don't—or just don't want to?
You don't even know that Itachi can trust others, let alone a half-witted like Naruto.
Since when? Why him? Not you?
It hurts.
Yet, when Itachi released the jutsu, this is the real farewell you think. The next thing, Itachi tell you everything. Finally you know the truth, making you waver.
He's staring between you and the cotton candy girl, still considering you like he always did. A foolish little brother.
You don't like his gaze seeing you like a hawk who knew everything. In the end—he said he will love you, always.
His soul disappears into thin air.
You stand still, a bombing of old emotions burst up in your chest. You're restless and anxious looking for answers, many questions spreading in your mind.
You see the girl, she's still here, facing the hole in the wall. You couldn't see her face, make you wonder what expression she wears. Yet you notice how her shoulders are tense.
"Naruto still needs me, us." She disappears in a blink.
You're on the verge of doubt, the turmoil of the soul guessing what and who you are. When the chance do come, you decide to go to them from the past.
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The next time you meet her is on the battlefield. She's treating that idiot blonde.
You could see the shock of those you once considered as comrades yet you had left behind. Their anger, sadness, disbelief, and the betrayal. The ponytail blonde girl hisses at you, calling you a traitor. Murderer.
You could feel Naruto staring at your back, wanting to dig a hole.
He says nothing.
The girl interrupts, giving word of reassurance. "It's okay. Our enemy is juubi now, we are allies for now, more power can be used."
Then you think it's a nostalgia. The three of you stand side by side, something you had long forgotten—Team 7.
A diamond mark appears on her forehead. You see the girl hits the ground, tearing it up like a slab of flour. The corner of your lip quirk up.
This time on each other's backs.
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Everything spinning so fast, you almost got stabbed to death. Somehow, the uninvited old gramps showed up telling you about his history, another truth was revealed—again. The reincarnation cycle of Indra and Ashura, the heck, fuck that shit.
That time, you decided the future revolution.
You still didn't look at the girl, even when she asked about the Susanoo barrier you created or when she was about to fall into the spreading mass of lava.
But then, for the first time. You're mesmerized when her body goes limp, running low on chakra to open the portal behind Obito.
You catch her.
Your eyes meet.
Ah, how the tires bead your girl are visible, her sweat pouring down, her ragging breath, and how her body feels so right in your embrace.
No wonder your blood is boiling.
You see her.
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The Sage of Six Paths smiles and says that all of you have succeeded in saving the world. It's the time for the spirits to return. Slowly the edo-tensei vessels fading one by one.
Sakura is there, gaze upon you.
Sakura turns and walks towards Naruto. Her fingers slowly approach the boy's broad chest with green chakra covering it, then to Kakashi, and lastly to you.
Her smile is stunning, whole-hearted. "A parting gift from me. However the seal is just for once."
"What kind of seal is that?" You could hear Naruto shouting. Sakura chuckles, saying that it's a secret, hoping it will never be used. The spiky one scoffs, then why was it given?
You don't realize since when the sharingan had been spinning, filling in memory of her crisp laughter, the winks of her eyes and how the details of her body makes meaningless movements.
Sakura stops, taking a deep breath and then staring intently at the three of you.
"I'm sorry I couldn't stay with team seven," your eyes narrowing, thinking why she says that even though it's not even her fault to begin with. "I hope this team can still go along together."
You don't know what expression Naruto and Kakashi make, you don't care. The existence of the pink girl in front of you is the one grabbing all your attention. Her clear irises are the only thing you looking at. In a vague you could hear Sakura say thank you. Her eyes are sparkling, about to spill drops of water and wet her cheeks.
Her body begins to glow, and her soul detaches from her body. Her fingers reach out to caress your cheek, which of course she can't touch.
"I love you three." You.
She's gone.
This time forever.
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You say about revolution, they're against it. Kakashi says that this is not how the world works, a meaningless affection, then Sakura. Do you not respect her feelings at all?
A bitter laugh with a wry smile emerges, eyebrows knitted into a deep frown. Your eyes scorning, saying so what?
It all should end here. You ran with Naruto following. The two of you are here again, the valley of two shinobi—Valley of The End.
The argument with fists pounding against each other. Those suppressed emotions are now released, forming in scattering punches. Naruto shouting, angry at your revolution, about you, and Sakura.
"What do you think about Sakura-chan?! You killed her!" He said he would not forgive you for that.
Your anger is flaring. Truly, what does Naruto understand about you?
Your fists clenched tightly, Chidori whittling in your left hand, stomping on the ground, then charging towards Naruto.
Chidori and rasengan explodes.
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Ah, the memory is coming back, the ones you desperately want to push away.
That day on the bridge.
You killed her.
The first time you saw her, she was on the other side then jumping to get closer.
Her appearance was still the same just like you remembered. Her pink hair was still short about the shoulder, eyebrows knitted, and those same emerald eyes staring at you warily. Her cherry lips pursed. Sakura came to offer herself to go with you, just like back then.
Yet you felt nothing.
But somehow she always managed to get you to open up. You scoffed at her, talking with full of venom about vengeance to destroy Konoha.
She was shaking. Heh.
You spun around, ready to stab her with chidori. But failed, Kakashi arrived just in time. You were sneering about the irony since he was always late for the team meetings.
The second time was when you have your guard down. Going blind was the last thing you wanted, fucking mangekyou sharingan shit.
You noticed her familiar chakra. She ran towards you but then stopped an inch behind, you didn't know why she did that. When your vision returned, you immediately turned around and grabbed her by the neck, snatching her kunai.
You stabbed her, right in the heart.
Her green eyes were the ones you remembered the most, staring at you wide-eyed, full of agony. Was it either because of your stabbing or the fact that you stabbed her? Her glassy shining eyes were full of tears.
A second later it was dull, lifeless.
You who had lost your mind suddenly froze, went blank losing your breath.
Look Sasuke, you made a hole in her chest.
Time seemed to stop.
After all, this was just one of the bonds that you wanted to break. Right?
At first you thought it was because she was annoying, didn't know anything about you, and spoke as if she was carrying all the burden. Every time she saw you, those tears would be coming down.
Why was Sakura will always crying when she saw you?
You always tried to deny it, about that feeling that you understood so well. You rejected it, the pain aftermath. You wanted to not care. Locked it away in the depths of your soul, to you who had lost everything.
Don't feel anything.
Maybe at that time, you could put your feelings aside because Naruto came in a rage by transforming into a Kyubi vessel. Suppressing everything you felt, couldn't think just fighting staggeringly, get tossed by the savage roar of the jinchuriki before Obito pulled you forcibly into his dimension.
Now all those feelings are pouring away.
How it throbs shredding your heart, tearing your body up without a trace.
Then darkness swallows you completely.
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Lights slowly invades your vision, is this the afterlife? You think. However, a twitch in your left arm brings you back to reality. Ah, damn your arm have been cut off.
You realize that Naruto is beside you, lying on his back with blood on the tip of his right arm, whom also lost his. He's chuckling, saying that his body going numb, even moving a little will cause him to bleed out.
You talk to him, about your perspectives, about everything. Pouring out all of your deep burying feeling, to him—your best friend. You finally understand, admit and accept everything.
It's over between the two of you—and everything. For a moment you think, ah, this is empty.
"It's not bad to die here, Kakashi-sensei can definitely do something later." Your friend chuckles softly. You looking up at the sky, the sun still seems shy to appear behind the horizon.
You will leave, soon. Meet those whom you missed the most. Father, mother, Itachi, and also that girl—Sakura.
For a moment you hesitated, what kind of greeting you should say when you meet. You truly are not good with words, and will never be.
The sky seemed to be dimly lit, no energy left, you are at the end of consciousness. For a moment you thought you saw green chakra enveloping your body and when you fully awake, you realized it's real. The green chakra come out from the seal on your chest, spreading heal to the wounds on your body before disappearing slowly.
You could hear Naruto mutters, it's Sakura-chan. Ah, the kindness is still the same. She saves you. Chuckling softly, your gaze softened into a feeling of relief.
It's not your time yet.
Naruto looking straight at you, his sapphire blue eyes gleaming in the light of dawn. "Do you regret it?"
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Stepping on the stone steps, some of them are quite mossy. Your mind wanders, but your steps move silently towards your destination according to your heart's will. You stop, staring at the stone sculpture in front of you. It feels quiet, even though there are dozen of tombstones as far as eye can see.
You know you should bring something, a flower maybe. But you don't know what she liked. You could say, you don't know anything about her. So you decide to just come, accompany her in silence.
"I knew you would be here, you always come when there's no mission." The noisy, spiky boy has now transformed into a wise man. His eyes are calm, his aura comfortably embraces everyone in the village. His dream that used to be ridiculous to you, he proves it now. His white robe flutters softly blown away by the gentle breeze of the dusk, Naruto stands beside you.
You don't look at him.
He's rambling on about the many documents on the table, his wife delicious cooking, and his children, especially his eldest son who seemed to be such a brat just like him before. Laughing a little while shaking his head, he sighs. He seems hesitant, choosing his words. "You know Sasuke, I think this is enough,"
You unperturbed, not moving. Naruto looking at you sympathetically, he always has been. "You can be free, you deserve to be happy. Saku—"
"This is my journey for redemption." You cut him, just like this is enough. In return to be given second chance at life.
Your finger moves to grab the hawk mask from a knot at your waist, placing it on your face. You take a lingering glance at the grave awhile, then turn around to leave for the next mission.
"For her."