The Beginning of the After (SasuSaku)

Chapter 3

I didn't know what to think. Maybe I wasn't thinking at all. I just let my feelings channel through my lips. Wanting him to know how much he is loved. How much I care.

I pulled back slightly to see a pained look on his face.

"How can you ever love a guy like me? A man who is swallowed in darkness...I don't understand.."

I slowly let my arms fall to my side.

"I've always watched you, you know. Even before the accident with your family. Your smile made me happy. I wanted to speak to you for the longest time, but I was too afraid. Then things changed with you. Your smile dissapeared and I slowly watched you fade away. I felt a piece of myself go with you."

He stood in silence. I felt Naruto's eyes boring into my back. I clenched my fists.

"We got older and things never changed. I wanted to be near you so I decided to be like all the other girls and fawn for you to get some attention. To my realization it never worked. I became a burden to you. I was just a crybaby who always needed you or Naruto to rescue me from danger. I hated that. Eventually those empty girly feelings turned into something else. A girl in love. I wanted to mean something to you. To take care of you and make you smile everyday. To fill you with happiness again."

By now tears began to fall from my eyes. I now forced myself to make eye contact with him.

"You tried to kill me many times and even so I still saw that lonely boy behind your eyes wanting to feel alive again. I couldn't bring myself to kill you on that bridge. How could I kill the one who holds my heart? Even now I'm trying my best to save you from being swallowed by darkness. I'm here now to pull you out of that. You deserve to be happy, Sasuke! You deserve so much more than what's been given to you. I won't say that I understand you. There's no way that I can. But even so! Only you can make yourself happy, Sasuke. The question is...are you happy? Will you be happy killing your best friend? What good is it being all alone? I care about you. Naruto cares. Kakashi-sensei. How can you be happy without those who helped you get this far?"

I lowered my voice and choked back a cry.

"Are you happy?"

I saw something flash in Sasuke's eyes and he slowed down his breathing. He slowly raised his right arm and wiped a tear that was beginning to fall fown my cheek.

"I wanted to create a world fit for people to be free. A place where nothing like the incident of the Uchihas can exist. I believed that was the best choice I could make. The current ties I have would only bring me down. I have been decieved all this time and in the end I found out the truth of the world. It needs a change. I wanted to be that change it deserves. I swore off having any kind of relationship to people to achieve that goal."

"And where has that gotten you, Sasuke?" I asked.

"No left arm, a beat up best friend, and the girl with undying love for me crying and giving everything her all."

My eyes widened. What?

"This battle is over." Sasuke stated.

"There's the Sasuke I know." Naruto smiled clutching his arm.

I placed my hands on my mouth to hold back a cry. Finally. I did something useful. I was useful!