Note to the reader: Angels is the sequel to Confessions of a Sinner. I recommend you to read Confessions first but it's still fine if you don't. For the benefit of all readers, I will try to avoid yaoi pairings and stick with SasuSaku. I hope you still enjoy this fic as you enjoyed Confessions!
Who knows, maybe a good ending will be written here. wink
Summary: There are always second chances not meant to be missed.
CHAPTER I- The Raven
It has been years…
Dingdong! "Haruno-sama, Haruno-sama, please proceed to room one seventeen. Thank you."
And yet it is just like yesterday…
Dingdong! "Haruno-sama, please assist the patient in room one seventeen. Thank you."
"Coming…" The lady muttered as she placed her chart on the desk and walked briskly to the third floor. The lady was Haruno Sakura, the respected head nurse of the Fire City's best hospital. She had the distinguishable pink hair which was now tied up (like Anko's) to appear clean and pleasant. Her clever emerald eyes met both patients and staffers with much respect and humility that everyone could only praise her more. Sakura was also known to be Dr. Tsunade's personal assistant for she trained her herself.
Sakura went into the elevator and then exited when she reached the third floor. She passed through quiet corridors and then stopped in front of room 117. She knocked and then opened the door slowly. She gazed at the clean room and then smiled at the old lady. "Good morning Mrs. Johnson."
The old lady sitting on her bed took her time to examine Sakura before returning a smile. "Good morning Sakura." She placed her eyeglasses down and extended her arm for Sakura to hold. The pink head sat beside the bed and took the old lady's blood pressure.
"How are you Mrs. Johnson?" Sakura inquired as she observed the gauge indicating the blood pressure.
"I am fine my dear." The old lady placed her hands on her lap after the check-up. "With your great care why wouldn't I be?"
Haruno slightly smiled. She said a soft "thank you" before gazing out the window. Her smile faded upon seeing a meadow bathing under the morning light. The hospital building had a vast meadow beside it. There, patients could get fresh air and rest. But that meadow brought a cold slicing pain in Sakura's heart. I miss you… She felt her hand tremble as she slowly placed her fingers against her lips. But… That meadow was very similar to the meadow where her beloved slept—eternally. I can never have you back. There was a rising lump of an escaping sob in her throat and her emerald eyes were starting to water.
"Sakura?"
Sakura's head quickly turned and then she clasped her hands together.
Mrs. Johnson's wizened face depicted a sapient look. "My dear, do you have a lover?"
The younger lady's beam was pained. "Yes, I had one."
"Had?" the old lady's eyebrows arched. "Well, I could not understand why you don't have a new one. You are pretty, lovely, caring—" When Mrs. Johnson noticed the silence she was getting, she gradually nodded and then smiled. "You really love him…I see…"
Sasuke. Sakura was speechless but she could feel the banging pangs of longing.
"Do you believe in second chances?" Mrs. Johnson asked.
There was a thoughtful silence before Sakura replied faintly. "I wish I could…" She bowed and then walked towards the door. "Take care Mrs. Johnson." After which, she left.
Haruno strode through the corridors to her office. As she walked past people, she recalled the last time she kissed Sasuke even though he was not even corporal at that moment anymore. She kissed him under the remorseful rain and that short kiss reflected everything: from regret and anguish, to acceptance and love. That final meeting was just perfect—perfect yet final.
Sakura reached her office and locked it upon entering. She pulled out a civilian dress from the cabinet when her cellular phone rang. She picked it up and then answered it, "hello?"
"Sakura, it's me."
"Itachi," a beam crossed her face, "I'm taking a half day. How did it go?" She placed the cell phone in between her cheek and shoulder.
"Cleared." The voice sounded grave but enthusiastic.
"Innocent?" Sakura was jovial once more. She heard a "yes" in a low tone thus, making her gasp. "I really need to go there. We must celebrate!"
"I'll be there. Bye." The caller said before ending the call abruptly. Sakura placed her phone down and then hastened in dressing up.
Uchiha Itachi, the older brother of Sasuke, had been Sakura's friend even when Sasuke was still alive. When Sasuke died, he spent most of his time somewhere in Konoha. The irony was that he used to do a lot of city to city traveling before. Sakura did not question why Itachi abruptly changed his lifestyle for she did not want to offend the guy. Itachi had often volunteered to go with Sakura to distant places. Sometimes, he would even ask the pink head if she needed practically anything. Haruno had always believed that maybe Itachi was trying to make her feel better after the death of Sasuke. She knew that Itachi love his brother a lot. Little did she know, the irritation was altered a lot more.
Sakura finished tying up her hair after dressing up. She took her bag and then went out. She went straight to the first floor front desk to inform them of her scheduled half-day. She paced out of the hospital and then called for a taxi cab. She became quite impatient because of the medium flow of traffic but nevertheless, she reached her newly bought house before Itachi came. She almost jumped out the cab as she exited. Sakura paid the driver and went straight to the kitchen. She was just about to prepare the ingredients when someone rang the doorbell. "He's here." She muttered to herself as she wiped her hands on the kitchen towel. She fixed her apron and then went back to the front door.
It was him.
"Congratulations!" Sakura gave her friend a tight hug. Itachi smiled slightly and then motioned Sakura to the sofa set. Sakura's house was just like the second home of the older Uchiha. When they were already seated, Sakura spoke again, "How did your side win?"
"Evidences proved that Orochimaru killed them." Itachi inclined his head to the side. Uchiha Itachi was also accused of killing his own clan that was why he went from city to city. And now, it was proven that Orochimaru, who also had a great fault why Sasuke died, massacred the Uchiha clan. Why? No one knew. Orochimaru could not speak for himself for he was already shot dead by the younger Uchiha even before the younger died.
"Oh I almost forgot!" Sakura exclaimed as she stood upright. "What would you like? Sashimi or Tempura?"
"Tempura."
"Just wait here and I'll prepare the food." Sakura hastily went to the kitchen and prepared the ingredients. Itachi's red attractive eyes followed Sakura to the kitchen. His look seemed to tell her a lot of things no one would believe he would say. He stood up and caught up with the pink head. He moved towards her quietly until he was just about inches from the lady. Sakura suddenly stopped upon feeling the closing surrounding. Itachi was near—too near to her. It was awkward and uncomfortable—and definitely not right.
"Itachi—"
The older Uchiha was just silent though his look took away Sakura's voice. He moved his hand on Sakura's and then placed away the knife she was holding. Their eyes were still in contact: Emerald eyes asking and Ruby orbs unraveling a secret. Itachi's hand went up on Sakura's shoulder while the other held her chin. This is wrong. Sakura thought but she could not move. Itachi was already leaning towards her but she was rooted to the spot without the least strength to move or complain. Sasuke… Sasuke… She squeezed her eyes shut and that was noticed the older Uchiha. Itachi stopped and studied the face of Haruno. He released her chin and brushed her bangs instead. "I'm hungry. Make it fast."
Itachi and Sakura had a silent dinner that night. Itachi was at the other end of the table while Sakura was across him. There was a picture frame on the table just in front of the seat beside Sakura. That frame held a solo picture of Sasuke wearing his grave handsome look. Every now and then, Sakura would take a glance of the picture and smile to herself. During those years of Sasuke's death, Sakura had grown accustomed to eating with Sasuke's picture at the dining table. Then, she'd feel like he was also there eating dinner with her.
"Is it alright?" Sakura opened a topic as she was about to take a slice of fish. She watched the expression of the older Uchiha for an answer.
"Yes." Itachi replied without even looking up.
Sakura waited for another word from Itachi but he did not say anything else. Silence went up in the air again for another set of minutes. "So, you'll live here permanently since you're cleared right?"
He did not say no or yes.
"Itachi—"
In a flash, Itachi glared at her with those deadly scarlet eyes before resuming in eating. Sakura felt the sudden fright of being threatened though Itachi did not mean so. She dropped the slice of fish she was about to eat and then looked down into the almost empty bowl in front of her.
Itachi gave her another glance and then spoke softly. "I didn't mean that."
"It's alright." Sakura immediately forced a smile though she was confused herself.
"Why do you have to hold onto the past Sakura?"
It was way weird for Itachi to ask a serious question. "What?"
"Sasuke is dead Sakura. Why do you have to keep him in your heart?"
That was not Itachi. Sakura bolted upright and raised her voice a bit. "What is the matter with you?"
Itachi decided to end his meal and took his bowl to the kitchen. Without a word he washed it and then left. Sakura was still in shock for minutes, wondering why Itachi suddenly said something like that. After which, she fell back to her seat and then looked at Sasuke's picture. "I need you here… now." She finished her meal and then washed the utensils. She closed the lights and then went out to the grass field just beside her lot.
Sakura's sandals brushed against the grass as she sauntered through the field. She watched the clouds hide and show the moon which was in the crescent form at that moment. The stars were evident though were unclear because of the city's atmosphere. The breeze was just right enough to send all to sleep without much problem in ventilation. Her pink hair danced in the wind as she moved to the farther side of the field. Her eyes swept over the silent place before she stopped and looked up.
Sakura sighed heavily and then looked down on the ground she was stepping on. Heaven is way beyond earth's reach and comprehension. She closed her eyes and then breathed in.
WHOOOOSH!
Sakura's eyes opened upon feeling the quick change in the speed and power of the wind. She held her skirt down as she looked around. And from the heavens, her eyes caught sight of something falling down in a gravity-defying speed. That something was falling as if it had a protective air beneath it. That something gradually lessened its distance from the ground until Sakura realized that that something was not something but someone. She followed the figure with her eyes as it lowered down until it reached the ground… inches from her feet.
Sakura gaped even though she tried not to for the person was bleeding. The person was not even human. He had a pair of clipped black wings which was the very first thing to be seen since he was lying on his stomach. Sakura bent over and poked the mutant with a trembling finger. He did not move. She tried poking the man again but now, he responded with a moan. The creature-like human moved his elbows against the ground and pushed himself up. Sakura gasped and backed away as she watched the man move.
The man coughed several times before opening his eyes and staring hard on the ground. Because of shock, which Sakura did not know what had caused, he shouted. "DAMN IT!"
Sakura had the initial reaction of jolting backwards and crying out, "who are you!"
The man with raven wings sat upright and then looked at the mortal right in front of him. His back was hurting like hell for his wings had been clipped leaving him bleeding seriously. His onyx eyes studied the features of the lady who was equally shocked as he was.
Sakura's lips parted but her eyes did most of the talking.
"Why are you looking at me like that human?" the raven asked.
Sakura did not know if she was to be happy or she was to let herself faint into oblivion. "This is a dream." She told herself loudly.
The partial human eyed her as if asking if she was crazy. But apparently, she was just in the state of disbelief. "Hn."
The moon uncovered itself after hiding behind the clouds and shone over the whole field. The wind settled in its own comfortable speed and the grass danced still. The two individuals studied each other's faces but only one seemed to recall the past. "S-Sasuke…?" Sakura's voice trembled and her heart beat increased a hundredfold.
Still twitching because of the pain, the raven head stood up. He stared at her for the last time before responding. "How did you know me?" He paused and then added, "Do I know you?"
END
I'm sorry if this is way too short. I don't know but unlike Confessions, I have an incomplete plot here. I'm running out of ideas…and the ideas that appear in my head are for the latter chapters. Sorry again. To all new readers, I once again recommend you to read "Confessions of a Sinner" first for clarifications.