Disclamer: I do not own Naruto.
Next morning...
Sakura walked into the Hokage's office for resuming her lessons. She had a good sleep and a
nice
breakfast before Naruto drag her to the ramen shop. He wanted her to spend some time with
him and
Iruka-sensei before he goes off on another mission with Kaka-sensei again.
"I asked if Sasuke could come but Kaka-sensei and Ero-Sannin said that he had to stay
because of the ANBU and obaa-chan's orders. It's not really fair!" Naruto pouted. His cheeks
were puffy indicating that he was stilling chewing.
"Welll rules are rules Naruto." Sakura tried to calm him.
"Kaka-sensei had always spent time with Sasuke when we're kids…and now he doesn't want
to…hehad to always take me along now." Naruto complained.
Iruka and Sakura laughed.
"Don't you remember that no matter what the mission is…a shinobi must carry it out fully?"
Iruka pointed his chopsticks at Naruto.
"Yeah I know…but I want Sasuke to come too."
"Enough Naruto…Sasuke can't go." Tsunade appeared inside the ramen shop. This startled the
Fox boy and he almost choked from eating. Iruka and Sakura were startled as well.
"Tsunade-sama!" The pink haired kunoichi replied, "Sorry for not coming…Naruto wanted me
to—"
"Yes I know…that's why I came here." The fifth said.
Sakura looked down at her bowl of ramen.
"I'm not angry Sakura." The blonde woman gave her a smile.
"Obaa-chan! Why do you have to make such a scary entrance?" Naruto frowned.
"Now, now Naruto…don't address the Fifth like that." Iruka warned.
"But I almost died Iruka-sensei! It would sound so humiliating that I, the great Uzumaki
Naruto will go down in history as never becoming a Hokage or accomplishing anything
special…all because old hag Tsunade scared me to death by causing me to choke on
ramen…which happened to be my very own favorite food…The very same food that will
become national once I become Hokage." Sakura and Iruka stifled their laughter as Tsunade's
eye twitched.
"Oops…look at the time." Naruto nervously glanced at his wrist….which contained no watch at
all.
"Kaka-sensei must being waiting for me. Thanks a lot for making me lose track of time
Tsunade baa-chan….later everyone!" He ran off before the Fifth completely lost it.
"That little piece of crap." Tsunade scowled.
The sun rose in the sky and the early rooster crowed in Konoha. It was yet again another
warm beautiful morning. Sakura sat on the steps of the Uchiha manor waiting for him to come out. At the moment, her mind was clouded with things that she wished to stop thinking
about. Uchiha Sasuke the avenger. Uchiha Sasuke the traitor to Konoha whom she was
assigned to keep an eye on. She had decided since then that he is only an assignment to
look after. But that feeling of loneliness won't leave…why does it continue to stay? She
couldn't explain it at all. There was always that same longing
that still dwells deep in the back of her heart. For these few years she still yearns for his
affections it seems. Feh…as if he will ever have any.
The more she thinks about him...the more confused and angry she becomes. Did she hate
him? Yes.
Does she want him to leave again? No. Putting Team 7 back together will never be the same.
Naruto can adjust to Sasuke right away, but for her…it will take much longer…
Sakura ignored the warm breeze that touched her hair. She will take care of Sasuke and she
will carry out her mission just like any other.
Besides, it was unpredictable when Sasuke will turn against Naruto and them. The idea of
being so close to him…watching him and monitoring him…kind of scares her. If she was twelve
again….doing this with Sasuke, she would absolutely be all over him. Pink-hearted eyes,
tending to his every need,
providing words of appreciation, and gifts. But that was not her anymore. This time she will
have to be serious and more mature…because Sasuke is a symbol of danger to her village.
She can't forgive him for what he had done. Even though Sakura had her monstrous strength
and new jutsus; Sasuke would still be able to defeat her in a way that no one could. He had
already shown how ruthless he can be.
Even if you look at him, you can tell it in his posture and his face. There was this aura around
him that just seems to tell people to back off. She rubbed her eyes and tried not to think
about it. But the memories come back anyway.
Two years ago, he almost killed her if Yamato-sensei had not intervened. (manga chapter
309) Sakura
still remembered the shaky feeling in her chest when the team captain was impaled by
Sasuke. If it werher, Sakura would have suffered a life-threatening wound…possibly leading to
death. She promised herself during that time to show Sasuke her true power. After he had
been away from so long, he did
not see how much she has changed. But what was there to prove anyway? He would never
acknowledge her.
Then there was Naruto who was always trying to catch up to Sasuke. She remembered the two boys
sparred when they were younger. It was for training and she would always be cheering for Sasuke and
nag at Naruto. That was normal because they never did anything that would involve death. The first
time she saw them actually fight with hatred, it happened when Sasuke was at the hospital…she
brought apples for him that day. He was quiet as always…never questioning her advances, while she
was too stupid to notice how much he loathes her presence. Until the moment Naruto entered the
door…Sasuke wanted to fight him. She never saw this side of him before. From the looks of it; she
remembered those cold and malicious eyes of Sasuke's sharigan. Red as blood. When they fought on
the hospital roof; for the first time…..she felt it was wrong. Sasuke never really used his sharigan when
facing Naruto…so why did he activate it? Their punches and kicks turned violent. With each hit, she
wished for it to stop. It didn't look like sparring…they were trying to hurt each other….especially
Sasuke. Since she felt weak….pathetic…and ignored…Sakura did the only thing that she could to
stop. She ran towards them when they were about to hit each other with their chidori and rasengan….
At age sixteen when she, Naruto and the others finally found Sasuke. He had changed immensely.
Sasuke was not moved by any of their words of going back. His soul showed no intention of returning.
She couldn't say anything except his name because it has been so long. Sasuke however appeared at
Naruto's side and attempted to kill the fox-boy. That was the second time she had witnessed him
wanting to hurt Naruto. She remembered him saying that he had no bond with anyone except Itachi.
That sort of killed her hopes for bringing him back. But now it will be different…it will be.
'So when will he be ready?' She directed this question to no one but herself. The truth was that when
Sakura first arrived at Sasuke's house; she didn't bother to knock or enter at all. Instead she came and
just sat there on the Uchiha steps because she didn't want Sasuke to get the wrong idea of her being
another fangirl. Once when they heard of Sasuke's return; fangirls had been banging on his door and
offering him gifts that no man would believe a woman could spoil them to such a level. Of course his
house was bombarded with presents and fangirl mail. She wondered if he even bothered to read them.
Plus, knocking on his door will make her feel like her childish years. The old naïve Sakura would have
fainted and jumped at this very opportunity to spend time with Sasuke. She would have brought a
thousand things for his every need. Feed him food and care for him like she used to.
Sakura looked up as the door opened and Sasuke walked out wearing a dark blue shirt and black
pants that stop below his knees. His Konoha head protector rested in his pocket. Sasuke stood there,
a bit annoyed and surprise that Sakura was waiting for him.
"What are you doing here?" his eyes suspected her.
"I was assigned to watch you Sasuke." Sakura said, not looking at him. His eyes seemed to bore upon
her hiding face. Sasuke frowned; she reminded him of that Hyuga girl…the one who always look at
Naruto in a timid weird way.
"Hmm…." He muttered and walked off into the path. He did not care if she followed or not. But
Sakura knew the cue and just walk after him. He was free to do whatever he wanted except cause
havoc or escape. "Where are you going?" Sakura realized when they came across the forest part of
Konoha. He didn't answer her but gave sort of angry glare. Didn't she know that this place was his
training ground? Well by the looks of it, the prude never came to see him or Naruto spar at all. That's
why she doesn't recognize this area.
"I train here." Sasuke stated simply.
Sakura hesitated thinking that he was just trying to fool her. But then she remembered that the old
Sasuke would not act like that. Sakura just nodded and stood there not really knowing what to expect.
When the wind brushes the trees; the leaves detached themselves and dance around the forest. Shades
of the trees hid the sun's rays but not enough to darken the under story. Sakura thought this was a very
good place to train. It almost….fits Sasuke's personality. Sasuke? She turn to see him and his shadow
disappear deeper into the woods. "What is he up to?" Sakura said to herself. She hated it when
someone leaves like that. Wait Sasuke! Come back here…where are you going? She wanted to say
this to him. But that sounded too whiny. Instead, Sakura just followed his trail.
This is very much like him…he would always leave like that without warning…if she remembered
correctly.
"So you finally decided to watch him?"
Sakura stopped and followed the voice coming from a tree.
"Sai-san?"
She was surprised.
"Top of the morning to you too." The masked shinobi nodded. He fell off the tree and walk towards her.
"I was beginning to think you will never come." Sai said. Sakura just shrug softly.
"Gomen, I didn't mean to leave all the work up to you." She apologized.
"So why are you trudging so slowly behind him? You don't seem to be too happy."
Said Sai skeptically.
"You saw us?" she replied. It was hard to predict what his expression was behind that mask.
"Every day I stay hidden and wait for Sasuke to get out of his house and then the same
routine of following him happens all over again…until this morning…you showed up. Let's say I
was glad because I couldn't stand watching him from dawn to dusk."
"You mean…you did not monitor him side by side?" Sakura asked.
She could tell that Sai was giving her an annoyed look.
"That's Naruto's job. Like I had said before….the guy just hates me. I don't even want to be
near him in person. Besides…I've never tried to befriend him. He would just push me farther
away."
"But that's not really fair…" She said. Sai was a capable friend…why can't Sasuke accept him?
Sai seemed to notice her thoughts.
"Don't think about it Sakura-san…you and Naruto are his former comrades. He has never met
me…so I don't have a place in your team."
"Aren't you bothered, to be excluded?" Sakura asked him.
"No…I don't feel anything…its nice to be alone sometimes." He answered.
Alone? Why do some people want to be like that? Its very painful…isn't it? She hated it when
He mentions about solitude. It's been two years since she and Naruto knew Sai. Though their
first impression of him was rude and conceded; the more they get to know him…the deeper
the friendship becomes. Sakura didn't know why but when Sasuke was not here. Sai was the
one to cheer Naruto up. But it still doesn't feel the same without Sasuke. Unlike him, Sai was
more accepting and less ignorant. She swore they could have been brothers.
'You're almost like Sasuke?' Sakura thought…'But somehow….you're different.'
And to be continued sorry for bad grammar and spelling.