Sakura Petals
Authors' note: Our response to Mokora's fanfiction challenge.
Criteria: Sasuke's thoughts about his former life, coughcoughmostlySakura before he left Konoha as he's walking in a scenic area one fine day, alone. It's after the time skip, of course, and he's significantly stronger, we'd assume. It's a shorty, 400 words or less. Can be whatever time of the year, can be night or day.
Sakura Petals
It was that time of the year again. It was cherry blossom viewing time, the period where the blossoms bloomed to their prettiest.
He stares at the sakura trees, silently admiring the beautiful pink blossoms. Much as he hated himself, his thoughts swung back to a certain pink-haired girl in Konoha. Haruno Sakura, his teammate.
She reminded him so much like the cherry blossoms on the sakura trees. Everything of her reminded him of them in fact. She looked as delicate as them, so delicate and vulnerable to her surroundings, just like the cherry blossom.
He wishes he could go back to Konoha to see her, but he knows that it is impossible. He was no longer a Leaf shinobi; he was a Leaf missing nin.
He gazes at the sakura blossoms in the tree, remembering her cries, remembering her begging him to stay. He had been so tempted to stay, but power promised by Orochimaru made him leave. The cursed seal would give him power. The power needed to kill his brother, to avenge his clan.
"Take me along! Please, Sasuke-kun!"
She had also begged him to take her along. He had refused outright, although inside, he had that selfish desire to bring her along, and leave the village together. But he knows it is impossible. She is too innocent, too pure. She has not even experienced her first kill, while he and Naruto had killed before.
"No,"
She was innocent and pure, just like the cherry blossoms, and he would not tarnish her, will not expose her to the cruelty of the real shinobi world, where assassinations and killings took place daily.
She would never understand how he felt. After all, she had a family who loved her, while he had none, courtesy to his brother. She will never understand his need and desire to avenge his clan.
That's simply because she never needed to watch her parents being slaughtered mercilessly in front of her eyes.
He walks on ahead, his obsidian black eyes continuing to admire the blossoms. A strong wind blew across; the blossoms fell off their trees, dancing in the air. One lands on his palm. He closed his hands around it and smiles.
Although she is not with him physically, in his heart, there would always be a place reserved for her.
Authors note: Please read and review!