Sakura watches the dark-grey clouds maneuver their way across the sky, hindering the sunlight and it's warmth to pass through. A cool breeze tousles her pastel pink hair, obscuring her vision. She waits for the breeze to die down before reaching up a hand to tuck her hair behind her ears. She finds herself, almost daily, on her balcony watching the citizens of Konoha that passes by. But mostly she watches the sky.

There is something enchanting about the sky that always draws her vibrant green eyes to it. It must be the mesmerizing colours the sky is streaked with at sunrise and sunset; or the way, at night, the stars decorate it to produce captivating constellations. Mostly, it's because they are under the same sky.

Another cool breeze dances over her smooth ivory arms causing goosebumps to form. She hugs herself, rubbing her arms for warmth as she heads inside. Locking the balcony door behind her, she walks over to her desk, staring down at the scattered medical scrolls and textbooks from her research.

As she starts to straighten up her materials she hears a faint knock at her front door. She sighs as she leaves her tidying unfinished, and heads towards the door. Not bothering to look who it is, she swings open the door as she comes face to face with the last individual she expects to see.

Sasuke heads towards the front gates of Konoha, to continue his journey after his meeting with Kakashi. It's been two years since he started his journey of redemption and within those two years he has only visited the village seven times.

He glances towards the sky watching as the storm sets up. A cool breeze brushes past him blowing his dark cloak in the same direction. Strands of pink catches his attention, as it flutters around her head. He watches as the breeze ends how she tames her hair behind her ears.

He hadn't expected his feet to take him to Sakura's apartment. He assumes it's due to a habit he's formed when she offered for him to stay by her apartment whenever he was in Konoha.

He ascends the stairs and finds her door. Standing before it, he contemplates if he should knock. He doesn't plan to stay as he intends to leave today. He has been in the village for a day, staying at Naruto's since he arrived late last night and he did not want to disturb her. But he doesn't want Naruto to tell her he had been in the village and left without as much as saying bye to her, so he holds his knuckle against her door and knocks. He could hear her footsteps getting louder, from behind the door, as she approaches and almost as soon as her footsteps stop, the door swings open and he is met with a shocked emerald eyes.

Sakura hadn't expected to see him standing in front of her door as she was told, by Kakashi, that he would be back in the village in a month's time.

"Welcome back, Sasuke," she chimes, replacing her shocked expression with a playful smile. "Kakashi never told me you would be back in the village today."

She steps aside so he could enter, but he doesn't move forward.

"I'm not staying, Sakura," he explains.

He watches as his words causes her smile to slowly falter. She, instead, replaces it with her infamous fake smile she always seems to display whenever he's about to leave. He hates himself for causing her to wear such a smile; for causing her such pain each time he leaves, not knowing when will be the last time she has to display such a smile.

"Do you know when you'll be back?" she mutters, turning her glance towards the ground.

He notes that she's upset as she shifts she takes her emerald eyes off him and onto the welcome mat he is standing on.

"I don't know when I'll be back, but this is definitely the last time I leave. I'll see you when I'm back," he says as a smirk graces his face.

Hoping to see her smile before he leaves, he raises his index and middle finger to poke her forehead like he always does, but before his fingers could connect with her forehead, she takes a step back.

"No. Stop, Sasuke. Stop it with the forehead pokes and your promises," she says, fighting back tears. But one betrays her as it glides down her rosy cheek. She quickly tries to wipe it off hoping he didn't notice, but he does.

"Sakura," he sighs, "you've got it all wrong. These are not empty promises, I do see you every time I'm back-"

"No," she abruptly cuts him off, "not that."

She meets his mismatch eyes which are filled with confusion.

"About it being the last time," she clarifies. "I'm tired of you saying it'd be the last time when there never really is a last time is there, Sasuke," she bluntly states, not bothering to ask him because they both know it's true. She leans her slender body against the door for support. "I guess you're right Sasuke. This is the last time… I'll let you in. I'm tired of waiting and waiting, hoping that you'll return for good. It's too painful for me," she mutters below her breathe. "I- I just can't take this kind of suffering, each time you leave."

She turns her head to the left and drops her glance and watches the passersby as they quicken their gait in hopes of making it home before it starts to rain. She can feel more tears struggling to escape, but she manages to keep them at bay.

"Okay, I understand," he declares, stepping back and turning his side towards her. "This is the last time, Sakura. I wouldn't hurt you anymore." He turns his head towards her and with remorse bids her farewell. He drops his mismatch eyes to the ground, turns his head and leaves.

He regrets walking away from her. Every step he takes, pains him knowing he's breaking her heart. It's like a habit for him, to break the heart of the one girl who loves him so unconditionally; to the one girl he truly cares about. But he has to go and complete his journey. If he stays, he knows Sakura would blame herself for taking that away from him. He'll see her when he's back for good, he decides. When he could finally put her first and make everything better.

She watches him leave. She sees the apologetic expression in his eyes and the way he faces away from her to say his final good bye. She clenches the door as he walks away. Shutting the door, she falls to her knees sobbing uncontrollably in her hands just as the clouds opens up to soak the ground.

A/N: any feedback/creative criticism you may have is greatly appreciated. Let me know what you think!