Only Time Can Tell

WHY

CHAPTER 20

WHY

SAKURA UCHIHA

I don't remember what happened. I....Hinata....? I remember her eyes, her eyes were so scared. I remember, I was with Naruto, he was...he was...what happened? I was trying to diagnose him...he had collapsed...in a coma maybe? My thoughts were disjointed and brief colors only flooded through my mind. Hinata...her eyes were so wide, she had collapsed too...on the floor...with Boruto. Boruto....was he crying? Yes, he must have been crying, I told him to do CPR on his mother, she was unconscious now, and I felt the hemorrhage deep inside of my heart, I could feel myself slipping away, my hands slipped that had been holding me up, and I fell, Boruto....he was in even more pain than his parents. I told him to scream. The overwhelming darkness of unconsciousness filled me like the darkest of nights. Like the darkness in Sasuke's eyes.

"Sasuke..." I reached out to him. His back was turned to me. His dark raven black hair untouched by the night breeze. He walked right past me, without even meeting my eyes, his pack tight on his shoulders. I stood in the middle of the road, the road that left Konoha. I remember the hours standing there. The hours of praying that I wouldn't see him come down this road. That he wouldn't leave the village. That he would stay here with me.

"Go home." He said his voice like knives into my heart. As he continued to walk, I turned tears running down my face.

"Why?" The tears falling down my face as the crickets played their songs to the moon. "Why won't you say anything to me?" Sasuke continued to walk, almost like he hadn't even heard me. "Why do you shut everyone out? Why won't you tell me anything?" My fists clenched as I watched him go.

"Why do I have to tell you?" Sasuke said back, never turning around. His voice was cold, it made my heart shiver as it froze over with loneliness. "I'm telling you that you meddle too much. Stop bothering me all the time."

I felt my face wrench with sadness. "You act like you hate me, Sasuke-kun." My heart thudded as I continued to cry. I looked back up at him, though he wouldn't look at me. "Do you remember? When we became genin?" I smiled at the memory. "The day the three-man teams were decided we were alone at this very spot. You were angry at me weren't you?"

I remembered when we were genin, I insensitively talked about how Sasuke didn't have any parents. I talked about how having no parents would be better, you would never have anyone to yell at you or tell you what to do. I called him unruly, just because he was an orphan. I was horrible, my own words flash back at me and I cry with bitterness. Sasuke had every right to be disgusted by me.

"Loneliness." I remember he said. "You can't compare it to how you feel after you get scolded by your parents." There was anger in his eyes when he looked at me, his eyes were so cold. I was hated by him. "You are annoying."

"I don't remember." Sasuke said his back still turned to me.

I felt as the tears in my eyes splattered to the pavement. I tried to turn my tone cheerful. "Of course. That was a long time ago." I smiled. "But it started on that day. You and I...Naruto and Kakashi-sensei..." It was the day that all of our adventures as a squad began. The days when we worked as a team, running simple missions. We got to grow as genin together. "The four of us have done a lot of missions together. It was difficult...it was terrible but," I smiled back to when the four of us had trained together. "Even so...it was fun!"

My smile slowly disappeared. "I know about what happened to your clan. But with revenge alone," A cloud passed over the moon and the scene turned dark. "You will not be able to make anyone happy. No one." Sasuke's figure turned to a dark shadow. I looked down to the pavement. "Neither you, nor me."

"I know that." I looked up hoping to see his eyes meet mine. "I am different from you guys." He said coldly his back still turned. "I follow a different path." His shoulders tensed slightly. "The four of us together...It's true I thought of that as a possible path. But despite the four of us being together, my heart has chosen revenge." I felt his voice grow angry. "That's why I have grown stronger." The crickets went silent. "I can't be like you or Naruto."

"Aren't you going to be lonely by yourself?!" I cried out, my hand tightening over my chest, tears running fast. "Sasuke, you told me that being alone is painful!" I felt my heartbeat pounding in my chest to the rhythm of my tears. "I understand that so well it hurts!" I sobbed. "I have family and friends...but, if you leave...for me..." My eyes squeezed shut as my heart ached. "It will be the same as being alone!"

"From this point on, new paths will start." Sasuke said ignoring my words.

"I...!" I struggled for words. "I love you more than anything, Sasuke-kun!" My heart felt like it had been broken and was leaving, bleeding out through my tears. "If you are by my side, I swear that you will not regret it! I will make every day more enjoyable...and you will be happy!" My hands shook. "There is nothing I wouldn't do for you!" My voice was choked with tears, "That's why...I'm begging you! Please stay!!!"

I held my hands clasped over my heart. "I would even help you with your revenge. There must be something I can do! That's why...please, stay here with me!" The moon started to come out from behind the clouds. "And if that is not possible...please, take me with you!" My entire body shook with tears.

Sasuke then turned as the light of the moon hit his face. His look was indifferent to me and make my whole body cold. "After all this time," He smiled cruelly, "you're still annoying." He turned and started to walk away again.

"Don't go!!!" I screamed running after him, trying to fill the space between us. "If you go, I'll scream and-" I felt Sasuke appear behind me. My heart stopped.

"Sakura..." He said, so close I could feel his words against my skin. "Thank you." I felt my eyes turn wide, and I knew that there was nothing I could do. My heart felt like it had lost it's purpose to keep beating. I felt his knock me in the back of the head, and I fell forward, my head spinning into the darkness once more.

The next time I saw anything was when Naruto was in the hospital. He was covered in bandages, I was barely able to see his eyes. He managed a grin. "It's okay Sakura, I'll get him next time, I promise!"

He could barely move. He would break every last one of his bones if it meant getting his friend back. If he could bring Sasuke back, he would do anything. That is what I said I would do right? I promise I would do anything for Sasuke. To be with him. And here I am? Watching Naruto go through so much pain to try and bring him back.

A voice like venom in the back of my mind hissed hideous words to me. "Useless girl. What worth do you have? No wonder Sasuke wouldn't stay."

I am worthless.