And so, Sakura confronts Sasuke about her parents death and the mission report...
Today, Sasuke would confess.
He hated the way it sounded. It wasn't like he was a lovesick teenager going to declare his undying love to some girl. It was much worse than that. He would walk up to the training area where he would meet Sakura. He would watch her smile to him for the last time before telling her the truth behind her parent's death. This didn't sound like a confession; it was more of a death wish. It wasn't like he had any other choice though. He couldn't go on and pretend everything was fine between them. That was out of the question. He was sick of Tsunade's and Naruto's dirty looks.
Sasuke sighed as he sat up on his bed, watching the sun come up slowly.
Somewhere, down in the pit of his stomach, he didn't want Sakura to know. Maybe things were better left unanswered…
"Shut up Sasuke-kun…" she said "Please…just shut up…"
Maybe Sakura didn't want to know either. They could pretend nothing ever happened and continue their training... A small, sad smile made its way on Sasuke's face. To think that after cutting off every bond he ever had, after living without a friend or family, he, Uchiha Sasuke, would be scared to lose a person dear to him. He shook his head from side to side, shocked at his pitiful state. Was he really that weak? How was he supposed to kill Itachi if he couldn't even keep his emotions in check?
"Foolish Sasuke" He said simply "Did you really think you could defeat me in your current state?"
Of course not. Sasuke wasn't that dumb. In order to defeat his older brother, sacrifices had to be made, bonds had to be severed and love…unrequited.
With that in mind, Sasuke got off his bed and left for the training area.
'Damn it, she already knows.'
Before he even talked to her, Sasuke knew she knew. It wasn't because the mission report was laying on the ground right next to her (although it had been a great hint). Nor was it the fact that she was completely ignoring his presence. Just the way she was sitting, leaning on the dead tree he had been sleeping on the day of their first encounter. Just the way her emerald orbs were dulled by anger, confusion and sadness. That was enough to tell Sasuke that Sakura knew the truth.
He sighed before walking up and standing right in front of her. He closed his eyes a moment, took a deep breath before…
"If you tell me it isn't true, I'll believe you."
His eyes snapped open and he looked down at her. She got off the ground, standing mere inches from him. When he saw her eyes he felt like beating the shit out of him.
She didn't sleep last night, he could tell. Sasuke couldn't stand looking at her like that knowing that everything was his fault…
"You're not answering…So it is true." Sakura said slowly
"…Sakura…" He said, as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"DON'T TOUCH ME YOU SICK BASTARD!!!" She yelled before crashing his face with a chakra-enhanced fist.
Sasuke had never felt a punch like that before. It had sent him crashing though five trees. The pain he felt in his back was beyond description. He spit some blood and wiped his mouth, unable to get up. He couldn't complain though. He deserved it. He deserved much more than that actually.
Soon, Sakura was next to him. She quickly took him by the collar and pinned him to a tree. Since her face was so close to his, Sasuke could clearly see how her tears formed in her eyes and slowly fell down her cheeks.
"How could you?" she asked with a shaking voice. "All this time, you were acting so familiar with me. Talking to me, touching me so casually…What?! Did you enjoy watching me falling for you carelessly? Without knowing that you…you…"
"Sakura…" Sasuke managed to say, as blood dripped from his mouth. He felt her hands shaking against his neck.
"You killed my parents, Sasuke!!!" She said, smashing him against the tree once again. "YOU KILLED THEM!!!" She yelled. Swiftly, her right hand went to her pouch and she took out a kunai. Sasuke didn't even flinch as the sharp weapon stopped millimetres away from the flesh of his neck.
Sasuke could only watch as she stood immobile, her sobs occasionally making her body shake. Her left hand keeping him against the stem of the tree, her right hand holding to kunai dangerously close to him, Sasuke wondered if she was about to kill him.
"I…I can't believe I loved you." She said
At this, Sasuke felt his heart break. Sure, he couldn't say he wasn't expecting it, but it still hurt to hear her use the past tense when talking about loving him.
Suddenly, Sakura dropped her kunai and fell to the ground. She couldn't stand anymore of this. She couldn't even avenge her parent's death. She couldn't even kill the person who had made her life so miserable throughout all these years. Why? Only because she once loved him and maybe because, somewhere, deep inside her heart she still did…
"I can't…I can't…" she sobbed
Sasuke stared at her, not daring to touch her or speak to her. He simply did what he always had to do in order to be stronger; what he had to do to cut off all bonds.
He stayed silent, stood up, and walked away.
Sakura silently walked down Konoha's busy streets. The sun and the joyful atmosphere seemed to mock her in an ironic way. Some shop tenders selling their merchandise to their customers. Some kids playing 'ninja' with their friends and families. Some lovers walking happily, holding hands…Sakura felt like she didn't fit in anymore.
She was physically and emotionally tired of everything.
Her eyes seemed to close on their own, her feet felt heavier with each unbalanced step she took and she seemed to be headed to a random destination. The villagers might think she was drunk but she couldn't have cared less.
Was she cursed by someone from above? Did Kami-sama not take any pity on her?
First she had to lose her parents, had to endure the loneliness and rejection during her gennin day and now this? Finding out that the first person, probably the last one you truly deeply loved was your parent's murderer?
Sakura's train of thought was soon interrupted as she came in contact with what felt like a giant brick wall that made her step back.
"Hey! Watch where you're going pinkie!"
Sakura opened her eyes realizing that she didn't bump into a wall but into a very tall and very wide tanned hairy man. Sakura resumed her walk, ignoring the ape-looking guy before her. Said man took her arm and made her face him. By then, a crowd had formed itself around the two of them
"What? No apologies?"
"Fuck off, fatass" Sakura answered, not in the mood for the man's silly games.
"Why you little…" The man was ready to make her regret right here and then.
Sakura didn't respond as she concentrated her chakra in her right hand…
"So you haven't seen Sakura around much either…" Naruto said, placing an arm on Ichiraku's counter.
"It's more like she's bee avoiding me." Ino answered. "She's kinda mad at me…"
Naruto sighed. Ino had called him out at Ichiraku to talk about Sakura. Although he was it had felt weird to be invited by Ino to eat at his favourite ramen stand, the Sakura topic had the blond loudmouth worried sick.
"Why is she mad at you?" Naruto asked while using one of his chopsticks as a toothpick.
"I think it because I reported their relationship to Tsunade-sama…"
This last sentence got Naruto frowning. If Tsunade-Baa-chan had heard of it, she was most likely to scold Sakura about it. And Sakura didn't like to be reprimanded. Being the smartest in her class, she was used to being praised by her teachers not beeing reproached by them. And one didn't have to be with her for too long to understand that she was a sore loser.
"I had to inform Tsunade about it, Naruto" Ino said. "Sakura seemed so lost…"
"Then you should've talked to her in person about it first."
"Well… I kinda tried but…"
Their discussion was cut off by a loud scream.
Both blond turned their head in the source of the yelling and saw a fair amount of person that seemed to look down at the same thing. Naruto could hear the sounds of punching and blood spilling. He ran towards the pack of villagers and, followed by Ino made his way through the crowd.
When he arrived at the center of all the commotion, his eyes widened in shock. There was Sakura, on top of another man punching him again and again.
"You tricked me! You lied to me! I'll never forgive you!!" She yelled as she punched the man beneath her. The hairy man's face was bleeding but Sakura's eyes were closed. She punched some more.
"I loved you! I trusted you and you deceived me!!" She said
"Sakura-chan! Stop it, that's enough!" Naruto yelled as he ran to her.
Upon hearing her friend's voice, Sakura's fist stopped in mid-air. Naruto ran up to her and gently pried her off the large man.
"Sakura!" Ino said "Are you okay?"
"A-are you sure you're asking the right person?" The ape-man asked.
Ino disgusted by the man's feature took a step back and looked at Sakura once again.
"Sakura…what happened to you?" She asked.
Sakura ignored the girl's question and threw herself in Naruto's arms.
She buried her face in his chest and sobbed into it.
"It's alright" Naruto said, stroking her hair. "It's alright. You're really tired right?"
Sakura nodded.
"It's
that teme's fault isn't it?"
Again, she nodded
"Want me to take you home?"
Another nod.
"Ok. Let's go" he said taking her hand in his and leading her away.
In the middle of the crowd, Ino stood alone, her head bowed in sadness and shame.
Sasuke packed his weapons carefully. Some kunais, shurinkens, smoke bombs and exploding tags would be enough. Besides, he wasn't going to use half of this stuff. He was more of a taijutsu person anyways. When he was done with his fighting gear, Sasuke went in the kitchen and took his ANBU mask that was on the counter. He looked at the demon painting that was on it. The one week mission that would start tomorrow was all he really need to take the load of stress from his shoulders. While he was off killing ennemies, maybe he would forget about her...
KNOC KNOC KNOCK
Sasuke sighed and placed his mask back on the counter. Who would be dense enough to visit him now? He wasn't in the mood for anyone; all he wanted was some sleep before going on his mission. But maybe it was just too much to ask seeing as some mighty one from above took pleasure in torturing the poor mortal that he was.
KNOC KNOCK KNOCK
That was it. 'Whoever that person is, he or she is dead.' Sasuke thought, furiously making his way to the door.
KNOCK KNOCK KN…
When the door opened itself violently, Naruto eyes widened in surprise, his hand still in mid-air from banging at the Uchiha's door.
Sasuke carefully analyzed his visitor.
Blond, spiky hair
Blue eyes
Idiotic look on his face
Whiskers-like marks?!
"Sasuke, I…"Naruto started
BAM!
The door brutally crashed on the poor boy's face.
When Sasuke said he wasn't in the mood for anyone, he meant it; especially if that anyone was a stupid blond loudmouth Sakura had for team-mate. He calmly walked back to his kitchen and continued his packing.
Outside, Naruto was raging. How dare that Uchiha slam the door on his future Hokage. Naruto swore, after he got the Rokudaime title, he would make that bastard pay. For now, he just needed to settle things with him for Sakura-chan's sake.
"Uchiha Sasuke!" He yelled, hitting the poor door with all his might. "If you don't open this door right now I'll Rasengan it down!!"
Sasuke cursed. That kid was just too irritating for his own good. He sighed and opened the door just in time to see the chakra forming itself in the palm of Naruto's hand.
The boy just looked at him.
'Humph, What is it Sakura-chan sees in this guy anyways?' He thought.
"Sasuke, we need to talk"
Sitting on her rooftop, Sakura sighed as she pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. She saw the sun setting slowly, bathing the village in its soothing orange rays. Today's event spun in her head, giving unfortunate Sakura a long-lasting headache. The encounter with Sasuke, the fight with monkey-man, the chat with Naruto…everything seemed so blurry in her memory. Sakura sighed. Sometimes she really wished she could just fall in love with Naruto. Now that she thought about it, it would've made things a hell lot easier.
'But Naruto isn't Sasuke-kun…' Sakura thought sadly. 'Naruto doesn't make my heart go wild, Sasuke-kun does…'
"Now, now Sakura, why the long face?" A tranquil voice asked behind her.
"Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said, "I'm really not in the mood to talk to you right now."
"I see. And why would that be?"
Sakura turned around to see the masked jounnin seated in a relaxed manner, waiting for an answer. He really looked like he didn't know what was happening.
That pissed Sakura even more. How dare he pretend he wasn't aware of the situation between Sasuke and her!
She stood up and threw one of her powerful punch at her sensei. However, the second her fist made contact with Kakashi, he disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.
'A kage bushin.' She thought bitterly.
Indeed, the real Kakashi was standing four meters away from her, his orange book in his hand.
"Good thing I sent my clone behind you instead of talking to you in person. That punch was well-aimed. It seems your training did pay off …
Sakura looked at him and frowned.
"You knew Sasuke killed my parents yet you make us train together!! What the hell is wrong with you Kakashi-sensei?!"
Kakashi closed his perverted book and placed it back in the back pocket of his pants.
"Sakura," he said, "I won't lie to you. It was indeed Sasuke that killed your parents. But did you, even for one second asked yourself how or why it happened?"
Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief. Kakashi-sensei was right. She never asked herself why Sasuke had killed her mother and father. All she had in mind was the fact that he murdered them. Was there really more to it than she originally thought?
Kakashi sat down on the rooftop and patted on a spot next to him.
"Come and sit down, Sakura. I think you might want to hear my version of the story."
Hello fello readers/reviewers! Yet another chapter of mature love is ze complete! How will Sakura react upon hearing what Kakashi has to say? What is it Naruto told Sasuke? And what's this about Sasuke going on a new mission the next day? Next, on the next chapter of...Mature Love!!
Man, I sounded like the narrator in some stupid show, lol.
Reviews are most welcome. I love reviews. I live for them. Please. Give me some reviews
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