STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIED.
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I really want to push Sasuke away from me.
He's still hugging me, his arms wrapped around me tightly, his grip tightening by the second, making it harder and harder for me to breathe.
The one single thought that Uchiha Sasuke had initiated a hug with me, Haruno Sakura – the annoying, pink-haired, miss average – made it hard for me to breathe.
I really want him to let go.
Not because of the fact that his grip is hurting me, but because of the fact that he's too late.
That, if he had done this sort of action years before, I truly would've understood his appreciation.
All I feel now is bitter irony – seriously, it was so ironic it hurt; all those times I was younger I had always wanted him to hold me tightly, like he was doing now.
Yet here I am, being held tightly by Sasuke, and wishing I had the strength and courage to push him away from me.
I can the feel that familiar dryness in my throat worsening by the second – it was if the more of my saliva I swallowed, the worse it got.
I know – it must be hard for him to show his appreciation, so he probably thought hugging would help me understand his appreciation.
I really want to push him away from me and start screaming; he doesn't understand me at all.
No, it wasn't the understanding that made me want to scream – it was the irony that made me want to scream.
I had always, always, ALWAYS tried to understand him, but, knowing me and my luck (!), all those times I tried, I always failed.
I though Sasuke, however (knowing how intelligent he was), would understand me; because he was the invincible, perfect-in-every-aspect, Uchiha Sasuke.
But I was wrong, yet again – he didn't understand me.
And I didn't understand him.
Story of my life.
I shut my eyes tightly; tears were gathering in my eyes, as my fingers clench his shirt tighter, pushing my face harder into his shoulder.
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UMI WA
The
Ocean
I carry your image
Always in my head.
Folded and yellow
And torn at the edge.
And I've looked upon it
For so many years.
Slowly I'm losing your face.
The Sea of Souls…
The
Ocean.
Chapter 3: Sweet
Nostalgia
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Even now, I can still remember the day I first met Sasuke and Naruto.
I was just a young girl, about 5 or 6, when my mother first told me we were going to go and see some "old friends".
I, of course, stared at her with an utterly adorable confused expression (most 6 year olds did have cute face expressions, so give me credit (!) and asked "Old Friends, Okaa-chan?"
"Yes, Sakura-chan," She said softly, letting out an airy laugh.
I loved it when my mother laughed – her laughter reminded me of the spring, when I was out in the fields at my Aunts home in the country, collecting flowers, as the wind blew.
Her soft chuckles consisted of warmth; purity; it was cleansing, in one aspect – in another aspect, it was just like the wind.
Her laughter could take your breath away.
I know it took mine.
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My mother had dressed me in my favourite red dress – it had long, elbow length, puffy sleeves and went up to my knees. It had cherries sown onto the edges of the sleeves, the collar and the actual dress.
(I still have this dress, tucked away in one drawer I kept empty for my nostalgic times.)
I wore bright dolly shoes and knee-high white socks, walking hand in hand with my mother, after we had got of the car.
We were then met with this huge, dark gate, a small buzzer and speaker located by the gateway.
I could still remember the shock surge throughout my body – the house, no, mansion was so big!, I had thought at the time, letting out a loud, audible gasp.
The biggest house I had seen at that time was my aunt's house in the countryside, though it didn't look as..."WOW" as this mansion did.
I could see the bright green grass glimmering from outside the gates – it was a sunny day.
My mother had walked me to the gates, before pressing a button and speaking softly.
Whilst she spoke softly into the speaker, I stared at the mansion.
It was a bright, vivid (almost blinding) white on the outside; the roof was a dark grey-black colour and contrasted greatly with the walls.
I could see a few trees and shrubs as well; all the leaves shone a bright emerald green, whilst the bark and branches were a dark, murky brown, still managing to contract.
Bright and bland.
Light and dark.
They were opposing – the emerald green and the murky brown.
And, though I didn't know it at the time, this mere contrast between the bright leaves and dark tree trunk would be an accurate metaphor of mine and Sasuke's relationship.
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After the gate was opened, we were greeted by (what I thought at the time) 'A really pretty lady.'
She was more than pretty, however; she was stunning.
Waist length, dark sable strands of hair fell upon her flawless but pale face, whilst the rest of her hair was pulled up into a disorganized, yet sophisticated; two dark, coal-black eyes twinkled with joy and excitement.
"Rin!" She greeted excitedly, hugging my mother. Her voice was soft, warm and deep, almost in a sultry manner. Her voice was almost as nice sounding as my mother's – Almost.
They pulled away after a few moments, beginning a conversation before we'd entered the mansion.
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From what I had gathered, at the time, they looked like best friends.
They were both talking animatedly, the dark haired woman gushing about her recent holiday with husband or something or other; I wasn't really listening to their conversations, I only heard small sentences.
I was too busy staring at the inside of the mansion.
The floor was covered in a soft, midnight blue carpet that would probably feel even nicer underneath my bare soles.
The walls were a warm golden brown, contrasting greatly with the midnight blue carpet. Several paintings and family portraits or photos covered the walls slightly, but one in particular caught my eye.
"Wow…" I remember mumbling, shocked by the beauty of this family – all four of them had black eyes and hair!
The father hadn't aged a lot, though a few wrinkles on his forehead were visible; his lips were set into a perfectly straight line, his face void of emotion.
The mother, as to be expected, was smiling warmly, her eyes twinkling with joy, just like I had seen earlier when she first saw my mother.
They had two sons, from what I tell on the photo.
The older son had his dark hair tied back into a low ponytail (which I thought was strange at the time, so I giggled to myself), his dark eyes staring blankly into space –he was probably bored–.
However, the youngest son captivated me most.
A dark, sable mesh of hair, messily spiked up (his hair, no matter how wonderfully soft and shiny it looked, reminded me of a chicken's behind, like in my aunt's house in the countryside– to this thought, I laughed loudly, still ignored by my mother and beautiful woman).
Onyx irises, lined with equally dark and long eyelashes, stared into space, a slight smile on his features.
And, after a just a few seconds of staring at the photo, I was already asking the beautiful woman if I could meet him.
And just like that, within the click of two fingers, I had become infatuated with him. If only I knew just how much pain this "innocent infatuation" would bring me.
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After a few minutes of annoying the beautiful woman by asking her over and over again, "When can I see him?" (Which she had laughed off, but she was probably annoyed), she had brought me outside, multi-tasking by listening to my mother rant on and on about something or other and talking to the two of us.
And, the first thing I was shocked by, was that they had their own playground!
There were a few pairs of swings (probably two, at maximum); a sandbox along with a plastic red bucket and shovel; a small climbing frame; and toys in general (including the occasional Barbie, to which I smiled happily).
But, before I could scrutinise this playground furthermore, I heard a loud voice.
"SASUKEEE!" I couldn't help but cover my ears, whilst my eyed darted all around the playground, searching for where the boisterous voice came from.
And, that's when I saw him.
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My eyes had widened; my mouth was wide open; I was…shocked, to say the least.
There, on the emerald green grass, sat the same boy, same as the one I had seen in the photo.
However, this time, he was glaring at his blonde companion.
"What?" He growled, managing to intimidate me, though the blonde wasn't fazed.
"Ask Mikoto-nee-chan to get me ramen!" When I look back on that one time, I can't help but admit that Naruto was definitely the cutest out of the three of us.
He was loud; he was blonde and blue eyed; he was innocent; everything about him was cute, when he was a baby.
(I think, if I were in Mikoto's place at the time, I would've had to be restrained, so I wouldn't pinch his cheeks (!)
"Ask her yourself," My attention was diverted to the dark haired boy, and lingered on him for a quite a while.
I still wonder, to this day, how I managed to fall for him, even at the tender age of 6.
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Mikoto (or the beautiful lady, as I had called her at the time) chuckled softly at their argument, took my hand and walked towards the two boys.
"Sasuke-chan, be more nicer to Naruto-chan," She cooed playfully, giving his cheek a light tap, as he pouted and folded his arms, looking off in the other direction when he saw her give Naruto a hug.
"Arigatou, Mikoto-nee-chan!" Naruto yelled loudly, hugging her tightly, as she chuckled and tapped him on the nose.
"But first, Naruto-chan, Sasuke-chan, there's someone I'd like you to meet," At this point, she and the other two turned around to face me.
"This is Haruno Sakura-chan. She's a good friend of our family, so make her feel at home," She said softly to the two, as they both gave me a curious look, "Say hello, Sakura-chan."
I was quite shy and bashful at the time, so I just hid behind Mikoto's back.
"…Hi…." I murmured softly, blushing from the amount of attention.
Mikoto chuckled once again, before getting up from her crouching position, and walking into the mansion with my mother, leaving me with the two of them.
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"…." I was quiet, still blushing and smiling shyly, as Naruto began to grin.
"Hi Sakura-chan! I'm Naruto, but you can call me Naruto-kun!" If it weren't for the fact that Naruto was a loudmouth, I'd have probably never become best friends with the two of them.
"And, this guy is…" He began, gesturing to Sasuke, who was now glaring, making me flinch at the time from the intensity of his stare, "…the teme!"
I couldn't help but giggle, as Sasuke glared at Naruto, who was completely oblivious to the glaring.
"…Naruko-dobe…" This one comment made me burst into hysterics, as Sasuke grinned in triumph at the expression on Naruto's face.
"TE–TEME?!"
I loved those days – where me, Naruto and Sasuke would play together, and Kakashi would watch over us. They were so fun.
If only I could turn back time, back to those days, the good old days, where we young and carefree.
Where we didn't need to have responsibilities, careers, or maturity.
Where we could act freely – where we could act like complete and utter idiots and get away with it.
Where we were naïve and new to the ways of this devious, self-centred two-faced world.
Where we had never experienced true pain.
Where we had been loved and cherished.
Where I hadn't experienced heartbreak or rejection.
But, those days are long gone. And, as much as I hate that single thought, I can't deny the fact that I've grown up.
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Yeaaah, these next few chapters, where Sakura is pregnant and expecting the baby, will be about her memories with her, Naruto and Sasuke, and well, her life in general. So there won't be much action, only slightly.
BTW, this is part one of the fanfic. There are three parts, and the real storyline is revealed at the end of part one, which should be after chapter 6 or 7….? Well, basically, the second part will start around the pregnancy and after I typed all of their memories. Sooo…sorry if you wanted SasuSaku action; there won't be much.