안녕 (ahn nyung)! That's Korean for 'Hey there!'. Once again, I thank you for having the patience to read this undeserving story and I bow to you for making it this far.
-bows-
As for those who read AND reviewed, well, you guys deserve a special bow just for you.
-bows again-
Ok, ok, enough with the bowing. It's showtime. Aaaand ACTION!!
"On the contrary..."
He reappeared behind me. Just like that night...
"...You were mine from the very beginning."
I caught his hand before it hit my pressure point and thrust my fist right in his gut. A cloud of smoke appeared and a log was where Sasuke was seconds ago. Predicting his next move, I spun my leg around in a ninety-degree angle. My foot landed smoothly on his jaw. He did a back flip and landed on a branch. He wiped off the slight blood from his mouth as if it were nothing and looked completely unaffected.
I wanted to strangle him. Did he really think I'd fall for that same old trick again? And what was he going to do to me afterwards, huh? Rape me in my sleep? Dear God, I hope not. It's a good thing I saw that coming when I did.
I started to walk away, too disgusted to even look at Sasuke. I was sick of everything and I was sick of HIM. I had to get away while I was still clinging to the last remaining bits of my sanity.
My dignified exit somehow transformed into a desperate escape. I heard a faint "Sakura" in the distance, but that only encouraged me to run faster.
It wasn't Sasuke himself, that frightened me. It was what he would do. What he would say. Truth is...
I was afraid of falling in love with him again.
Even though I had gotten over him years ago, it's always been there. That slight possibility that I would end up falling for him. I just didn't know how to get rid of it. What truly scared me the most though, was the fact that it could happen at anytime. And I had no control.
Due to my panicking, I clumsily slipped off a tree branch. I was expecting a painful impact to the ground, but instead, something broke my fall. I looked up to see Sasuke and immediately pushed off him. I tried to escape once more, but Sasuke grabbed my arm with a grip so tight, I thought he was going to snap it in two. I was about to pry him off until he said the most unexpected thing that had me glued to the ground.
"Sakura, I'm sorry."
Right when those words left his lips, I felt hot tears form in my eyes but they weren't tears of joy nor sadness. In fact, they were tears of rage. In all my life, I have never been so furious at an apology like I am now.
How dare he...
Why now? Why did he decide to apologize now? Why not then when he left me for revenge? For power. I would've understood if he apologized then. I would've accepted it and I would have known that despite his actions, he cared. But instead, he thanked me. Thanks for what? For being annoying? For getting in his way? This is all a game to him. ALL of it. And I fell for every single one. Never again.
I bitterly started to laugh.
"Do you remember...?"
He raised an eyebrow, obviously not finding the humor in the situation. Not that he ever did.
"...Back when we were Genin. You called me annoying, weak, and a hindrance to the team. It's not like you were the only one, but it always hurt the worst when it came from you and most of the time, it did. Nonetheless, I brushed off your ruthless insults, foolishly thinking that you never meant any of it. That although you never said it, you were sorry for what you said." My voice began to break but I quickly regained control.
"I was naive and perhaps I still am. I waited and waited for you to give off some hint of remorse or regret to show you were sorry..."
A tear fell.
"...But it never came."
I turned to face him, a look of vehemence clearly shown on my face.
"I've always wanted to hear that from you. Just to know what it sounded like. Just to be able to say 'I forgive you'. Now after all these years, you finally said it."
I clenched my fists.
"After all of the insults, the resentment, and finally, after you abandoned me for your precious revenge even though I offered you my heart, SORRY is just not gonna cut it anymore!"
In a blind fury, I swung my fist aimed for his face with so much chakra that I couldn't control it. Next thing I know, I'm pinned to a tree with my wrists held above my head and my feet tied tight in a string of chakra. I struggled to get free, cursing myself for letting my emotions take over. Sasuke merely smirked at my useless attempts.
"And to think, I was actually planning on taking you with me this time. How foolish of me," Sasuke scoffed. I scowled at him.
He leaned forward, his lips next to my ear. My body shuddered in response to his hot breath.
"Goodbye, Sakura," Sasuke whispered and it was the last thing I heard before I fell into darkness for the second time in my life.
I opened my eyes to find that I was in my bed. My...bed. Not bench, BED. So...was that all a dream? I hoped so.
I walked over to my bathroom to brush my teeth and I noticed something rather perturbing about my appearance. It wasn't the fact that I was still in my work clothes, or how I slept with my shoes on that caught my eye. It was the odd shade of color that covered my wrists. It looked almost as if...
"Shit."
Suddenly, everything that happened the previous night came rushing back.
"I was actually planning on taking you with me this time..."
I ran towards Sasuke's place.
I reached his apartment and kicked open the door, "forgetting" my manners. It was empty.
I hadn't realized the meaning behind his words until it was too late. Sasuke was gone and I let him go.
"Damn it...I fell for it again!" I punched the wall, waking every resident in the building and rushed to the Hokage's tower.
I frantically burst open the doors to Tsunade's office, abruptly waking her up from her sleep.
"Sakura! What is the meaning of this?!" She clutched her forehead due to the pain of the headache she had from her hangover.
"Sasuke's gone!"
She looked up at me, eyes wide with shock and seriousness.
"Are you sure?" she said in a voice so low and grave, I cringed.
I solemnly nodded and began telling her the whole story. She looked down at her desk, analyzing every detail. When I finished, I stood there; waiting for her to tell me what to do.
She hadn't moved. I waited patiently and contemplated as well until it hit me. I tried to hide it but it was hard not to. Fortunately, she didn't notice.
Even after everything that happened, I couldn't help but smile just a little.
Sasuke left me...but this time, he carried me to my bed.
I opened the door to Neji's room. He wasn't there. I started to have a panic attack and searched everywhere in the room, thinking he had escaped again for the sake of his training. I looked out the window and I felt relieved but at the same time, stupid for being so paranoid. Neji was sitting under a tree, meditating. I observed his peaceful appearance and decided to have a little fun with Neji. A mischievious smile curled its way up on my face.
Using my knowledge of the hospital and its surroundings, I sneaked over behind the tree without being noticed. I stealthily climbed up. I was ready to pounce when-
"Haruno, I know you're up there."
THUD
"Oww. Darn you, Neji. How'd you know I was here?" I asked while rubbing the new headache present in my skull.
"I don't have to be a genius to notice you tripping on your way here and then cursing rather loudly at the rock that tripped you."
I felt my face heat up in embarrassment and I laughed, nervously.
"Why can't you meditate inside? You nearly gave me a heart attack back there!" He raised an eyebrow at me. I thought about my choice of words and immediately turned redder than I already was.
"You know what I mean!" I said defensively.
"If you haven't noticed, the hospital can be noisy during this time of day. It's hard to concentrate," Neji said as if it were obvious.
I nodded and noticed another reason why Neji decided to meditate outside. It was beautiful outside. The sun was shining, the sky had a few clouds here and there, and there was a pleasant breeze that went by every so often. It's no wonder why Neji came out here.
"Mind if I join you?" I asked, pushing the check-up aside for later.
"Hn." I took that as a no and sat down next to him, imitating his appearance.
I never really meditated before so I wasn't exactly sure if I was doing it right. I closed my eyes and just went to my happy place, deep inside my mind. I began to feel relaxed, carefree, and thought that I should do this with Neji more often. It would definitely help relieve some of the stress I've been bearing.
After about ten minutes, I started to feel uncomfortable. The day was beautiful and all but it does not make the ground any softer. I could feel my butt falling asleep and wondered how Neji was able to do this for hours. I stood up and an idea came to mind.
"Hey, do you wanna go somewhere?" I asked, eagerly.
Neji looked up at me.
"Where?"
"I don't know! Anywhere is good. A day like this shouldn't be wasted by sitting around all day." Neji raised an eyebrow at the word, wasted. Apparently, he didn't find all this meditating a 'waste of time'. It must be his idea of fun...
"Are you sure that's allowed?" Pshh, like he cares.
"Don't worry. As long as you're with me, we won't get in trouble. So do you?" I asked with what I thought was an innocent and hopeful expression.
"Hn."
"Great! Oh, but first you gotta change clothes. You look like a GIRL in that hospital gown and I CANNOT have you looking prettier than me," I teased while pushing him toward the hospital.
Neji glared at me.
We wandered around the village, looking for somewhere to go and enjoy the perfect weather. When we passed Ichiraku, I happened to see Naruto and my face brightened a bit but then I saw Hinata with him and I wasn't surprised in the least. Actually, I'm happy for those two. Hinata's a great girl and they make a cute couple. I've been thinking during the past couple of days and I don't think it would ever work out between Naruto and me. If it didn't the first time, then why would it a second time? Naruto's just like a brother and a best friend to me and it'll always be that way.
I spotted an ice cream cart and instantly ran to it while dragging Neji with me.
"Where are we going?" He asked, a bit irritated by the sudden change in direction.
"To get some ice cream," I said while ordering two ice cream cones. Neji looked at me peculiarly.
"Don't tell me you've never had ice cream before," I said, not believing how this man could live without such a delight. He shook his head.
"Wow, you don't get out much, do you? Well, first time for everything, I guess. Try it." I gave him an ice cream cone with chocolate ice cream and started to eat my vanilla ice cream.
Neji looked at it and then looked at me, unsure if it was safe.
"It's not poison, Neji. Just trust me. You'll like it," I assured him.
He stared at it as if deciding whether or not to eat it. Finally, he tried it and he seemed to like it. I flashed him a Naruto grin.
"See? I told you, you would like it!" I said as I continued eating my own.
I led him to a secluded area in the woods where we could enjoy the rest of our ice cream without being disturbed.
"Why are we here?" Neji seemed confused as to my choice in spots.
"I come here all the time to just think or unwind. I thought it would be a perfect spot to relax without a care in the world. You can meditate here if you want. It's way more comfortable than the cold, hard ground at the hospital."
Neji simply nodded. I turned my head to look at his expression to see how he thought of the scenery but I didn't get to see it for I was caught off guard by something else. I laughed. Neji looked at me as if I were crazy.
"Neji, you have chocolate all over your face!" I couldn't help but laugh. He looked almost cute.
"Here, let me get that for you. I brought napkins," I said as I started wiping his face. He grabbed my wrist and took the napkin from me.
"I got it from here. Thank you," he said as he nonchalantly wiped off the chocolate. I could've sworn I saw him blush, but I didn't think anything of it. Neji would never blush. He's Neji! And last time I checked, Neji doesn't blush.
"What happened?" Neji asked suddenly.
I looked at him, puzzled by his question. He motioned towards my wrists. It seems I was rubbing my wrists without realizing. I tried to come up with a valid lie as fast as I could. Finding one, I was about to reply until-
"Don't lie." Darn you, Neji.
I sighed and just decided to be honest.
"I...I don't want to talk about it." And we left it at that.
A silence grew between us and I felt slightly discomfited. I always tend to have sudden, uncomfortable silences with Neji. I'm not sure why, but I can never get used to them.
I looked out at the sight before me. The pond was glistening beautifully from the sunlight. My mind wandered to the time with me and Sasuke and the events that unfolded that night. Another recent memory entered and my face grimaced.
Tsunade slammed her fist on her desk, nearly breaking the poor thing.
"Damn it, I should have seen this coming. Sakura, get Shizune. I need to talk to her in private," Tsunade ordered. She turned around to look out her window, a habit she picked up when deep in thought.
I fetched Shizune who was on her way up and I left them alone to talk. That is, I left them alone in the room. Being the ever nosy Sakura, I couldn't just leave without knowing what Tsunade is planning to do so I masked my chakra and listened with my ear to the door.
"It appears that the rumors were true," Tsunade said. Shizune gasped.
"You mean..." Shizune started but she couldn't seem to finish.
"Yes. Orochimaru and Sasuke have been in contact for the last several years. It seems they were waiting for the right time to team up and now the time has come." I refrained from gasping. I never heard those rumors, but then again, they never tell me anything. I always have to find out. I pressed my ear harder against the door.
"I don't know if you know this Shizune, but there's another rumor. People are saying that..." Tsunade was mumbling so I couldn't hear the last part. She probably doesn't want anyone to know about the second rumor. She tends to mumble whenever she's telling something top secret.
"Do you suppose it's true?" Shizune asked in a worried tone.
"I'm not sure. You can never fully trust a rumor." I could hear her pace up an down the room in nervous anxiety.
"We have to tell her! Who knows what might happen if-"
"No! Whatever you do, do not tell her. She has a lot on her mind as it is. If she were to know about this, she might collapse from exhaustion. Or worse, she might confront him on her own. I think it's best if she doesn't know. It's only a rumor, but just to be safe, keep a close eye on her."
Who are they talking about? Ino? Hinata? Tenten? ...Me?
"Yes...but what are you going to do about Sasuke? He's probably miles away by now and he could be anywhere. Sending a team to retrieve him would just be a waste of time."
"Yes, I'm aware of that. That's why I've decided to do what I should have done in the first place. I'm sending an elite ANBU team to search for Sasuke and on first sight, assassinate him."
I left after that. I ran to my spot in the woods and fell flat on my back, not believing my ears. Even though sometimes I hate Sasuke with a passion, he was on my team and I care about him. We had so many great memories together. He's my teammate. My first love. My...friend.
I wanted to cry. I wanted to cry just like the time Sasuke almost died in my arms. Just like the time Sasuke had left me. I wanted to cry...but the tears wouldn't come.
"Is something wrong?" Neji asked, disrupting me from my thoughts.
I thought for a moment, asking myself the same question.
"No. Nothing's wrong."
o0o
Didn't see that coming, did you?
Anywho, just to clear up some stuff, I just HAD to get rid of the whole NaruSakuness. I just realized in the last chapter that this story is WAY more SasuSakuNeji than NaruSakuNeji and plus, it was obvious that that pairing wasn't going anywhere. I originally had a different idea in mind which was the reason for the NaruSakuness until I noticed a bunch of stuff that made no sense and decided to go for a different approach. As a result, "The Tears Wouldn't Come" was born!
I like this idea a whole lot better than my other one, anyway. I just hope that I got rid of that pairing smoothly and casually rather than some random thing. But if not, I'm just glad I got rid of it. Oh, and what Sakura meant by "If it didn't the first time, then why would it a second time?" you gotta refer back to the prologue where she says in this one paragraph that she gave Naruto a chance and yadda yadda. Well, I hope you liked this chapter! Another one is soon on its way!
Yaaay for NejiSaku moment! Sorry, I just had the urge to say that before I ended this little author's note. Ok, bye-bye!