Child Who Never Smiled

It seemed that it was a part of him, the ability to show no emotion, the ability to become anything for anyone. They say he didn't even cry when he was born; a still child who was always obedient, as if he'd known his fate from the start.

Born with an amazing gift, he was brought up to be proud and to never trust so easily. After all, you never know who's your enemy or your friend when you have what everyone wants.

The first to notice was his mother, after all she birthed him and it was their bond that was supposed to be the first one to form. She tried her best to get him to smile and laugh like the other children his age, but with his father constantly pulling him away for examination, she could never spend much time with her first born son.

"He will be great one day." Itachi's father would grin with pride when his wife gave him a saddened look.

"We must prepare him." She would nod and her son would be gone from her arms again.

The small Uchiha started talking sooner than most children, started walking and running within the first few months.

"He is amazing isn't he?" his mother had asked once when Itachi was asleep in his bed, she couldn't recall ever putting him into a crib.

"He is, can you imagine all the wonderful things he'll be able to do as he gets older?" her husband asked standing beside her as they admired their son. She couldn't help but frown, she was proud of her prodigy child, but she also wanted to be a mother. Her talented boy was being pushed to bring out even more of his talents, but she just wanted to hold him and maybe play a game, sing him a lullaby.

By the time Itachi was seven, he had already mastered everything the village had thrown at him. One afternoon when he had finished with his usual training, his mother came to him with a plate of cookies and some milk.

"Itachi-kun, come here," she sat down on the steps of the porch.

"Yes mother?" he walked over, his solemn expression never changing.

"Eat, you've trained hard today, you deserve a treat!" she pat the seat next to her and Itachi sat. Even with the growing man before her, she refused to let go of the motherly things she should have been able to do. She always looked for SOME reaction in her son; his emotionless stares often scared or saddened her.

"Father says sweets aren't good for me." He commented.

"Nonsense, your father isn't omniscient, you shouldn't believe EVERYTHING he says. Besides these are good for you, I made them especially for you, so they're very healthy."

Itachi stared at the plate on his mothers' lap for a moment and his mother frowned when she saw his reluctance. Itachi suddenly chose a cookie and took bite, staring straight ahead while munching.

His mother smiled and watched him for feedback.

"It's good." He replied when he noticed she was waiting.

"Here," she handed him a glass of milk.

"Thank you." He replied taking a drink.

His mother frowned again; he was always so formal, even with her. With any adult he was always polite and mature but he could never get comfortable enough around any of them to extend a conversation or act like a child.

"What's the occasion?" he asked suddenly looking over at her with a white milk streak across his upper lip. His mother laughed and wiped it off with her thumb, then laughed again at Itachi's surprised expression.

"A milk mustache." She told him.

"Oh." He felt his face curiously to make sure it was all gone.

"I got it for you." She smiled.

"Thank you." He said his face falling into a placid glance again. He waited and watched her for an answer to his earlier statement and she finally sighed and placed the cookies in his lap.

"Itachi, I'm pregnant, you will be having a baby brother or sister soon."

His mother watched with intrigue as Itachi's face struggled to find the right expression. Finally a look of shock and pleasant surprise told her that the statement had been registered.

"Brother or sister." He repeated.

"Yes, and they will be so proud of you, and they will look up to you." She smiled. A moment of awkward silence began to worry his mother but suddenly he did something that caught her completely off guard; he smiled.

"I hope….I have a sister." He replied. His mother chuckled lightly, mostly out of shock, as her son continued to smile.

"A sister? Oh that's strange, most little boys want little brothers." She said trying to prolong her son's happiness.

"I will be happy with either, but a sister will be much more fun for you."

"What?" his mother asked in surprise.

"You could do those girly things that other mothers and daughters do." Itachi said munching another cookie, "You would have fun raising her."

His mother paused a moment to stare at her gleaming son, his smile still apparent but his eyes lost as he thought over the information she'd given him. Soon she realized what he meant; he wanted a sister so that SHE could have a child to raise. Perhaps a child not so prone on being a ninja, someone her husband wouldn't drag from her, someone who she could give a childhood to. She smiled as her eyes slowly rimmed with tears. He understood what had happened to him, his childhood was gone. He understood that his mother rarely got to hold him or sing to him. He wanted HER to be happy.

"She would be very pretty." Itachi commented, placing the empty plate back onto his mother's lap.

"I must go train again, thank you for the snack mother." He stood and walked off to his training area once more. His mother only sat stunned and let her tears slide down her cheeks and splash onto the empty plate below.

(My son, I wish I could give you back your childhood…..)

Her heart hung heavy but her sadness slowly pushed itself into the back of her mind; she would make it up to him in a sense, she would love her new baby as much as she'd loved Itachi, but she would give him the childhood Itachi had lost.

That's what he wanted of her, that's what he asked for in return for his fate. He wanted his mother to be happy and he wanted his siblings to live out what he could not.

(Still so young but you understand so much) she looked up wearily in the direction her son had left, a weak smile finding its way to her lips.

(I hope someday you can find something that will take you far from here, Itachi, something that will make you happy….maybe a person…who can love you and understand you.)

She placed a hand on her stomach and took in a deep breath.

"You will be very proud of your brother, he has sacrificed a lot for you." She murmured to her unborn child.

(Perhaps he will find it easier to smile if we help him, we need to smile at him before he can. He wants to know we're happy.)

"We'll be very happy, our family."

Betrayal

Soft impressions marred the smooth earth. To a casual observer, the marks would have been virtually invisible. To shinobi on a mission, they were all that was needed. Footprints. Someone had been here. A quick sniff of the air confirmed that person's identity.

Sasuke had been here.

The tracker rose, nodding to indicate their success. Twin red markings adorned his cheeks, almost fang-like in their shape. A set of true fangs protruded over his bottom lip, enlarged human canines that indicated his clan's bond with their animal familiars. Inuzuka Kiba may not have been the best when it came to genjutsu or bookwork, but when it came to dog-like specialties, he was top of the class. In the past three years, his sense of smell had increased, so that it was now stronger than a ninken's. If he said that Uchiha Sasuke had been here, Uchiha Sasuke had been here.

And that was what was making Sakura so afraid.

When she had first been called to the office of the Rokudaime Hokage, she had tried to bury the instinctive resentment that stirred in her heart. It wasn't Danzou's fault that Tsunade was in a coma, and to blame him for obeying the daimyo's orders to take over the leadership position was pure foolishness. As a shinobi, Sakura should be able to push aside her own personal feelings about his appointment and obey him, as the laws required of her.

In retrospect, she probably should have listened to that initial resentment.

The pink-haired kunoichi had not been the only one summoned. When she arrived in Danzou's office, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata had been present as well. She should have known then what the mission would be, but that simple answer had eluded her. So she had stayed, unknowing and foolish, until Danzou had assigned them their mission and it was too late to back out.

Recently, Danzou had granted all Konoha ninja permission to annihilate Uchiha Sasuke as a missing-nin and a threat to the village. For this mission that permission had been reshaped. Instead of a mere request that Sasuke be killed, it had become an order. Three chuunin-level trackers and a medic-nin were not the first choice of most Hokage, but Danzou had appeared to think that they would serve well enough. Bitterly, Sakura couldn't help but wonder if he even thought they had a chance against Sasuke. She had seen with her own eyes the sort of damage Sasuke had caused to Naruto, Yamato, and Sai. Team 8 was talented, she knew, but against someone like the person Sasuke had become, they stood no chance. Against Sasuke's team as well as the Uchiha himself, the mission was practically suicide.

In the world of shinobi, the stakes were often kill or be killed, slay or be slain. Sakura gazed at the team that now stood around her: quiet, mysterious Shino; loud, brash Kiba; and shy, sweet Hinata. They had grown up together, first as Academy students and later genin of Konohagakure. She was not as close to them as she was to Naruto, or Ino, but they were her friends nonetheless. And she couldn't condemn them to death. Were it only her life, she would gladly give it to keep Sasuke safe. But she couldn't ask Team 8 to die as well for a man that they barely knew. It simply wasn't fair.

Sadly, emptily, the pink-haired medic obeyed the orders given to her. Wait while Shino reported what his kikaichu had found. Follow as Hinata lead them in the direction he had indicated. Heal Kiba when he misjudged the distance of a jump and wound up scraping his leg on a sharp branch. Prepare to use her inhuman strength to apprehend the target.

Logically, she knew that Team 8 wouldn't be enjoying this mission any more than she was. They probably loathed the idea of killing a former comrade just as much as she did. But no matter how much they hated the mission, it couldn't compare to how badly she felt.

Sakura wasn't just betraying Sasuke by carrying out this mission. She was betraying herself.

Their camp that night left the team mere kilometers outside of Konoha. Were a different Hokage in charge, they probably would have simply operated out of the village for the duration of the mission, patrolling the area surrounding the village each day and returning to sleep in their own beds each night. But with Danzou as Hokage, any time away from the village was a blessing. The radical, extremist views of the new Rokudaime were so vastly different from those that had existed under the Godaime that many of the shinobi had volunteered for distant missions, simply for the chance to get away. For those too inexperienced to receive such missions, camping within a kilometer of their own bed was the predominant choice.

Though the day had been long and grueling, full of the precise and difficult business of tracking a target as skilled as Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura found herself unable to get to sleep. At first she blamed the hard ground, then the loud chirping of the crickets, then Kiba and Akamaru's snoring. Eventually though, she was forced to accept that even with these distractions, she should have been able to get to sleep. Shinobi were trained to take advantage of opportunities to rest during all manner of uncomfortable situations. The only one they'd never been trained to sleep through was a broken heart.

Quietly, trying her best not to rouse the sleeping Kiba, Hinata, and Akamaru, Sakura rose from her sleeping bag. Shino, who was taking the first watch, stared at her questioningly.

"I'm just going for a walk," she mouthed to him. He nodded, though whether he was acknowledging her emotional turmoil or simply thought that a walk might tire her enough to finally sleep, she didn't know. You could never tell with Shino.

The trees swallowed up any signs of her team almost as soon as Sakura left the campsite, yet she didn't stop. Even if she fully lost her way in the dense woodlands, the pink-haired kunoichi was not so far from Konoha village that the mountains surrounding it had vanished from her sight. If all her other training failed her, their peaks could be her guide. So she kept walking forward, each step taking her farther and farther away from her team, away from the mission she could not bear to complete.

The woods were lovely, dark and deep, their color faded by the moon's pale light. Immersed in them, it was almost easy to forget that there was anything else to the world. The crater that had once been her home village lay only a few kilometers away, yet here the forest was untouched. Trees as old as the Shodaime Hokage rose around her, stretching their leafy branches towards the endless heavens. Sakura could almost imagine living out here, seeing this breathtaking beauty every night, feeling as though she was the last human in the world. It would be so easy to make that choice, to never return to Konoha.

To never kill Sasuke.

The thought filled her with joy, and yet at the same time with a terrible pain. Unbidden, the faces of those she would leave behind appeared before, painting themselves with perfect clarity before her mind's eye. Naruto, Kakashi, and Tsunade. Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru. Lee, Neji, and Tenten. Shino, Kiba, and Hinata. Gai and Asuma, and Shizune and Kurenai. Sai and Yamato. Her parents. All of them precious to her. All of them beloved.

And yet one final face painted itself before her. Fathomless onyx eyes, as dark as two drops of night and yet holding more warmth in them than night ever could. Hair the color of a raven's feathers, with just the faintest hint of blue in it. Pale, perfect skin. Uchiha Sasuke was without doubt one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen in her life. And yet her love for him was not because of that. The gentleness he would sometimes show when she had hurt herself on a mission, the way he would strive to prevent harm from befalling her or Naruto, the small flashes of humanity he would show that belied his normal frosty demeanor—those things were what had made her truly fall in love with Sasuke. They were why she could never move on, why his face still haunted her mind at night, why even three years later she was still determined to bring him back to the village. Even now, she would give anything to bring him back to the village.

"Even now," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut in an effort to hold back her burning tears. "I'm sorry, Naruto," she murmured, her voice trembling. "But I don't know what to do."

*"I'll bring Sasuke back to Konoha. It's the promise of a lifetime, dattebayo!"

"Sakura-chan, I'll definitely keep my promise!"

"It feels like you and I are getting closer to Sasuke together…"

You said all that to me Naruto, and I believed it. I really thought that you would be able to bring back Sasuke-kun. And I thought that, this time, I would be able to help you. But now… now I'm… I'm just the same as back then. I'm still not able to do anything to help you bring back Sasuke-kun. Naruto, I'm… I'm…*

Her thoughts faded off as she began to cry in truth, holding herself as her body shook with silent sobs. The twenty-fifth shinobi rule forbid ninja to show their emotions, ordering them to slay the feelings in their own heart. As a child, Sakura had written out that rule with pride. Now, she destroyed it once again. Tears flowed like trails of hot flame down her face, dropping one by one onto the earthy forest floor. The stains they left behind looked like spots of blood.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Sakura whispered again. "I'm sorry." Sobs ravaged her body, shaking her from head to toe with the full force of her grief.

"Pathetic."

Sakura spun around in shock, her hand reaching for a kunai. The voice alone had been enough for her to identify the speaker, but the sight of him froze her all the same. Uchiha. Sasuke.

Lounging against a nearby tree was the man that haunted her nightmares and her daydreams. His posture appeared to be relaxed, almost casual, but Sakura's trained eye could tell that this was not the case. His feet were planted in such a way that he would be able to spring to a guard position at a moment's notice, his weight balanced perfectly between them. The sword Orochimaru had given him was unsheathed, held in a hand that could shift itself to a proper battle grip within seconds. Sasuke's famous Sharingan was inactivated at the moment, leaving his eyes the color of obsidian. A smirk adorned his handsome face, as though the sight of her lying there, crying and broken, amused him.

"Wouldn't you agree, Sakura?" he asked her. Coming from any other man, the question would have been a taunt. From Sasuke, it sounded almost genuine.

She whispered something, the sound of it muffled by a sob.

"Sakura…" he began, a faint trace of contempt coloring his voice.

"No!" she cried. "No... It's not… pathetic."

Sasuke stared down at his former teammate, his expression unreadable. Sobs continued to shake the pink-haired girl's frame, forming a stark contrast to her words. Sakura, he knew, was part of the ever-growing number of shinobi that believed that showing your emotions was not the weakness that the rules made it out to be. Sasuke had seen with his own eyes the strength that emotions could grant to Naruto and to those like him. But this, this broken crying? No strength could be gained from something like this.

Even with this thought in mind, Sasuke did not interrupt Sakura's lamentation. Instead he waited as slowly, gradually, her sobs stopped on their own. Only then did he open his mouth to question here once again.

"Why are you here?" Sakura froze again at the words, the last words she wanted to hear. Sasuke was here, right in front of her. And, instead of focusing on that small miracle, she instead had to remember what it was that had brought her here.

"I was given a mission," she answered, biting her lip as more tears threatened to fall. "To kill you."

Apple green eyes sought midnight black ones, searching for some sign, some sort of reaction within them. There was none. Just as Sasuke's eyes were as black as night, they were as empty as the moonless midnight night sky. He closed them slowly, sighing.

"Will you complete your mission?" Sasuke asked. His eyes remained closed, unable to see the world around him. If Sakura wanted to strike, now would be her chance. Before the legendary Sharingan was given a chance to see through her, Sakura had to make her move. Somehow, through all her shock and tears, the kunai she had initially reached for had remained in her hand. If she threw it now, Sasuke would dodge, leaving him open for an attack with her super strength. It might work, if she timed things just right…

"I must," she answered him calmly, evenly. Deceptive calm, Kakashi had called it, the calm before the storm.

Like the lightning of that breaking storm, she struck.

The kunai left her hand in an instant, its path of flight directing it straight at Sasuke's heart. As she had expected, he dodged, swinging back effortlessly as his eyes open, the bloody red of his Sharingan shining within them.

Sakura launched herself forward, calling forth her chakra, focusing its full destructive power into her right hand.

"Haaah!" she cried. Her fist glowed with green light, filled with enough force to smash a boulder to gravel.

Sasuke's eyes flashed, his Sharingan taking in every detail of her attack. With a burst of speed she would previously not have believed possible, Sasuke dodged once again, this time reaching out to catch her forearm as it extended. A burst of Chidori Current shot through her arm, numbing it and causing her to lose the precise control of her chakra required to use her inhuman strength. The glow around her fist died as the feeling fled her arm, leaving it dangling lifelessly beside her.

Blindly Sakura lashed out with her left leg, hoping to force him to release her before he could do any more damage. This blow too Sasuke blocked, but his success was not without its price. The chakra flowing through Sakura's leg had remained under her control just long enough for her kick to carry a part of its inhumanly strong force. Sasuke's leg crumpled, his muscles going instantly slack as they were shaken to their core. The bones around her point of impact shuddered as hairline cracks fissured through them like as spider's web, eliciting a cry of pain from the young Uchiha. Sakura tried to ignore the agonizing twist her sore heart gave at the thought of Sasuke being hurt badly enough to actually scream.

The pink-haired kunoichi took advantage of the temporary weakness in her opponent's guard to twist her captured arm, forcing him to release her. Panting, she leapt back to survey the damage she had dealt.

Sasuke clutched his damaged leg with both arms, his head down. His sword lay, discarded, on the ground beside him. Apart from his initial shout, the nukenin was almost quiet. His pained, irregular panting was the only auditory indication of the agony he must be enduring.

Sasuke stared at his all but destroyed leg in shock, still unable to fully comprehend what it was that Sakura had done to him. The pain beat dully at him, like a blow from a hammer muffled by thick cloth. He had always had a high pain threshold, but he knew that the shock accounted for a fair portion of his resistance.

He raised his head, his bloody Sharingan eyes seeking the form of the person who had done this to him. Haruno Sakura. He had been careless, and now he paid the price for it. The Sakura he had known would never have been able to do something like this to him. Not only was she not strong enough as a ninja, but she had always been too kind, too gentle to even consider harming one of her own teammates. When he had heard her crying, it had been that Sakura he had thought of, and that Sakura he had treated her as.

That assessment had been wrong. This Sakura was strong, far stronger than she had been. And yet…

Their eyes met. Sakura's eyes had always been open, always shown people more of what she was thinking than was safe for a shinobi to reveal. For an opponent slightly skilled in the art of reading people, looking into her eyes could glean small hints of her plans, valuable little clues that could hint at her true thoughts.

For an opponent with the Sharingan, reading Sakura's eyes was easier than reading an open book.

Sasuke smirked, closing his eyes once more in amusement. When he opened them again, the rich crimson of the Sharingan had faded, leaving behind their natural deep black.

"What are you doing?" Sakura demanded, starting forward in bewilderment.

"Stop." His former teammate froze, whether obeying the order or shocked that he would dare try to command her even in a situation where the advantage was so clearly hers, Sasuke wasn't sure.

"Why?" she cried again.

"You don't want to fight me," he explained calmly.

"That's not true! I will do what is necessary to serve my village—"

"Then kill me," Sasuke cut across her coldly. Her eyes widened, her face paling.

"What?" He smirked at the confusion and fear in her voice.

"You heard what I said. If you are willing to do whatever is necessary to serve your village, then eliminate one of its greatest threats." Taking care not to jostle his injured leg, Sasuke extended his right hand, reaching for the sword he had dropped.

"Fulfill your mission," he ordered, closing his hand on the sword. Sakura started forward once again at the sight of the weapon in his hand, only to freeze in place when he extended it, hilt-first towards her.

"Kill your opponent." He gently placed the hilt in her hand, moving her arm so that the side of the sword kissed his throat. Exerting the smallest pressure, he forced her arm to move the sword the tiniest bit sideways, digging it lightly into his neck and causing a stream of red blood to well up.

"Stop!" Sakura cried, jerking her arm back, away from his neck, flinging the sword away. Her eyes were wide with fright as she panted, her breathing fast and uneven. Sasuke smirked.

"Unless…" he began, "you can't."

Her frightened eyes met his, pleading for an answer. Calmly he stared back at her, watching as her bottle-green eyes filled with tears once more. Only when her eyes dropped and the first sobs began to shake through her did he respond. Coolly, as though he was still her teammate, as though the last three years had not happened, as though he was not the target she had been assigned to kill, Sasuke extended his hand forward, stroking her cheek lightly. Sakura froze for a moment before she leaned into his touch, welcoming it like a child welcomes the return of a mother that's been gone too long. Gently Sasuke pulled her into his arms, holding her lightly against him as she cried. Sakura sniffled, trying her best not to touch his damaged leg as her tears flowed freely once more.

Sasuke threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her close to him as she cried. Soft pink hair tickled the backs of his hands, just like… just like it had, back then.

*The crescent moon illuminated the night, bathing the scene taking place in bitter, perfect clarity.

"Don't you leave me!" Even without seeing her face, the raw pain in Sakura's voice was unmistakable. Sasuke tried without success to ignore the agonized twisting in his heart as the full realization of how much pain he was causing his teammate sunk in. He had left under the cover of night in the hope of protecting her from this kind of painful farewell, and now…

"One more step and I'll scream—" That alone he could not allow. Without giving her a chance to protest further, Sasuke performed a quick Shunshin no Jutsu, teleporting himself behind the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Sakura," he addressed her. "Thank you."

She gasped quietly, her body relaxing for the briefest of moments in undisguised relief.

Sasuke's hand came down on the pressure point at the back of her neck, causing her to fall over unconscious. Before she could hit the cobblestone path, Sasuke had caught her, holding her in his arms. Her soft pink hair ticked the backs of his hands as he carried her to the nearby bench. Ordinarily, it would have annoyed him that her hair was tickling him, but this one time, he almost savored it. Tonight would be the last time he saw Sakura. If Sasuke had harbored any delusions about what his defection would do to his teammates, the conversation he and Sakura had just shared would have destroyed them completely. He knew full well how much pain he was causing Sakura because of his actions this night. It was only right that she cause him a little discomfort in return.*

Sasuke could feel the muscles of his face relax, forming an expression that he had not used in years. Uchiha Sasuke smirked, Uchiha Sasuke grimaced, Uchiha Sasuke glared. But it had been years since Uchiha Sasuke smiled.

"Even after all this time, Sakura… you're still annoying."

Everyday

"Marry me."

Sakura blinked.

It was an order, not a request. It was not a question. It was a statement. Notice the absence of polite 'will you' in the beginning of the sentence.

Sakura fought the urge to giggle but a wide smile brightened her pale pretty face. "Oh, Sasuke-kun," she said, grinning at her boyfriend's handsome, somewhat blushing face.

The Uchiha grunted, looking down at her face, the beautiful face of his girlfriend of three years. Her face was pale but the brilliance of her smile and eyes made up for it. His grip on her hand tightened, dark eyes narrowing irritably.

"Sakura," he growled impatiently. The look on his face amused Sakura and she resorted into childish giggles.

"You're so cute." She grinned when his brow twitched in annoyance.

"Sakura," Sasuke repeated, his tone guttural and clearly infuriated. His large hand cupped her cheek to tilt her face up. His eyes darkened as he glared at her as if to threaten her to say what he longed to hear.

"Why?" asked Sakura. Instantly, his glare darkened.

"Why not?" he snapped, pulling her closer. Sakura smiled.

"Well…" she took steps backward until his hands left her face and hand. "I will marry you…IF—" Sasuke glared at her dangerously. "…you accept my challenge."

He raised a brow. "What challenge?"

Sakura clasped her hands behind her like a child. "Live a day without me."

Sasuke's face darkened. "No way—"

"A day without communication between us for 24 hours."

"That's shit."

"You can only talk to me after 24 hours.

"…"

"And I promise, I will marry you if you pass the challenge."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why are you doing this?"

She laughed. "Oh come on, Sasuke-kun… Don't be a chicken."

He threw her a reproachful look. "After 24 hours, you will marry me?"

The girl looked down to the ground. "…"

"Sakura…"

It took a long time for Sakura to look up and smile.

"Yes."

Sasuke grunted. "You better keep your word, Haruno."

Sakura chuckled and hugged him. "You're so Uchiha."

"Hn."

.

At first, it was hard. Sakura had been an integral part of his routine.

Wake up.

Brush teeth.

Go to Sakura.

Spend time with her.

Train with her.

Let her punch him.

Let her heal him.

Punch him again.

Heal.

Punch.

Heal.

Punch.

But he endured, knowing after this day, tomorrow, she will marry him.

.

One day later.

It was 8am. It was early but he wanted to see her again. 24 hours without seeing her, he will never admit it, but he missed her. Her and her annoying voice and monstrous strength.

He frowned, confused. In front of the house, the house left to her by her parents, were people. Ino, Shikamaru, Hinata, even Neji.

"What's happening here?" asked Sasuke, his frown deepening as he saw Ino's eyes watered.

No one answered. Sasuke searched the faces and found Naruto's.

"Dobe."

Naruto looked up, pale and shaking. "Sasuke…"

"What happened? Why are you all here?"

"…"

"Damn it. Just fucking tell me." Sasuke growled impatiently. Oddly, he felt his stomach twisting. What's wrong?

Finally, Naruto spoke.

"It's… Sakura-chan." He said quietly. "She…" he trailed off and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "…she's not here."

"What? Where is she?"

Naruto turned away.

"Naruto…" Sasuke growled threateningly. He was about to grab his collar but Neji tapped his shoulder. "Tsunade-sama said that you should meet her in the cliff overlooking the sea."

Sasuke scowled. "I have no time for her. I have to find Sakura—"

"She's with her."

Sasuke frowned. Neji nodded.

"Alright…" he turned to go but stopped. "Thanks."

Neji nodded curtly.

.

When he arrived there, Tsunade was not alone.

"Kakashi,"

The two spun around.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said, hands inside his pockets.

Sasuke walked towards them. "Where's Sakura?"

Tsunade casually jerked her head towards the tree. Sasuke's gaze followed where she indicated.

A cherry blossom tree.

He walked closer to the tree, his knees shaking.

Then, looked down.

.

A tombstone.

Silver and bore no name except for a single cherry blossom flower.

.

Kakashi tapped him in the shoulder. "Sasuke,"

He ignored him, clenching his jaws together.

"She asked me to give this to you." his gloved hand held a white folded paper.

Sasuke looked up to him and took the letter.

"…"

Kakashi stepped back, giving him privacy.

Sasuke opened the letter.

It contained one line.

.

*"You made it, Sasuke-kun! Can you do it again everyday?"*

20 Truths

1.

Sakura takes a moment to thank him each day for everything he had given to this village that he loved. She hopes he would be happy to know, that a person who had never known him, has the utmost gratitude to him.

2.

Every time her fiancé flicks his eyes open to a deep crimson red, she is longer afraid. Because of the man called weasel, she's reminded that not everyone with blood for eyes, had blood on their mind.

3.

When her first child is born, she smiles when her husband suggests his brother's name. Her chest flutters a bit when she sees that he's finally at peace. She smiles a bit wider, since he couldn't be here in person, to see his nephew.

4.

Her little child wobbles towards her, with a big, goofy smile plastered on his face. He's the spitting image of what he was named after. The signature facial lines were even beginning to show on his face. She wonders if her husband would be flabbergasted to see that his son looks like his uncle more than his father. Nah, he'd probably be proud.

5.

Her son bravely puts up a apathetic face, but his habit of finger twitching tells her otherwise. Sakura puts the scissors down, and gives a dramatic sigh as she raises her hands in defeat. Maybe short hair wasn't for everyone.

She felt slightly alarmed that her son was beginning to become a living replica of the man he was named after, but her worries vanish when her husband returns after a year-long mission, and he bounces their son on his shoulder, despite the poor stitch work on his stomach. Her son, and him would never be completely alike because of that. She knows he's relieved that they aren't.

6.

Sakura asks her husband if he knew how to draw. He gave her a long pointed look. She remembers how Naruto caught him using his Sharingan to cheat in their drawing contest. Naruto still isn't letting him live that down. She gives a little smile when she secretly looks over her son's sketches, because no one in her family could draw either.

7.

When cleaning up their son's 5th birthday celebration, she's shocked to hear her husband murmur that it was his death anniversary as well. She takes out the piece of leftover cake, and places the least melted candle on top. Sakura settles into the lap of her husband and quietly sings a happy birthday. For a person was reborn, each time one thought of them.

8.

As young as he was, he maturely and quickly grasped the concept of what his parents told him. Sakura tried to tell her husband that he was too young to know the past and truth behind the clan, but there are things even she can't stop her spouse from doing. Despite her efforts, she couldn't stop her son from bearing the heavy burdens his ancestors created. She apologizes.

9.

Her baby daughter cooed happily as her son gently rubbed noses with her. He gave a little smile and wave in a familiar reserved manner, and made his way toward his first day at the academy. Even though he was barely 4'4, the strength and charisma in his gait, told her that he was more than prepared to protect the facade his uncle gave his life for, as much as it hurt.

10.

He is teased and tormented at school, and she's come marching to Iruka many times already, but the simple, honest cruelty that young children are capable of, is hard to stop.

Before she could even begin to fret over his cuts and bruises when he comes home, he squeezes her hand lightly, and says, "Don't worry. I didn't kill them." It's a sudden jolt of realization that he could've done that without batting an eye, but he endured the blows instead. With that, she knows that everything's going to be alright.

11.

Sakura thanks him in the back of her mind, for allowing her son to take after him in that aspect, instead of taking after his father.

12.

His father gives him the tattered forehead protector of his uncle when he asks for it. The slash in it sticks out like a sore thumb.

13.

That day, he asks to participate in the "Capture the flag" graduation tournament. She looks at him curiously, because he was already an unofficial jounin, and the only thing keeping him from obtaining official status and advancing well onto Anbu, was his parent's connection to the hyperactive Hokage. Nobody picks him for their team.

14.

It seems he already predicted that, and with everyone's eye upon him, he ties the taboo headband on. At that point, any notion of blue or red team subconsciously vanish, and the only separation are between him, and them.

15.

He moves gracefully, and efficiently, never wasting time with any extra motion. In a matter of moments, he has all 47 flags in his hands, and the only scratch on him, is the one on his forehead.

16.

He stands like a proud Uchiha, with the graduating class groaning on the floor. The only ones smart enough to not participate, were the children of the Rookie Nine, and that was only because their parents had forcefully kept them from going. Their parents are horrified, and are complaining loudly and rudely into her ear, about how he cheated with his bloodline.

She smiles and says that they have a right to complain only if their children trained a straight 6 hours each day, by their own will. Her husband smirks when she cheerfully rubs it in their faces that he didn't even activate his Sharingan.

His prodigious talents were tightly kept under wraps, in hopes of giving him a normal childhood, but she sees with a motherly eye, that this was his own way of declaring himself upon the world. She's never been more proud, and afraid.

17.

Soon after that, he advances swiftly through the customary rituals of Chunin, and Jounin, even though it's more than obvious he's overqualified for it. Sakura wants to hurl when the letter of "request" from Anbu comes. Sakura sees her husband yelling and arguing with Naruto near the hospital. She thinks about complaining to Naruto as well, but she knows that he probably already did everything he could, since he felt the same way as them.

18.

She laughs a bit ruefully, as she watches her son reject a girl as politely and kindly as possible. "Your father was a jackass to all of them, and he managed to score a fan club of 250. He still has one.

Being a nice guy isn't going to help." Even though she sympathizes, limits get pushed when poorly cloaked chakra signatures, and footsteps can be heard on the ceiling at 3 in the morning. Sakura thinks about setting traps that will hang them by their pinkie toes outside the front door in the morning.

She walks back in her house when she sees over 30 girls crying and wailing upside down outside her front porch.

19.

She makes sure he gets placed in the same squad with as much of the Rookie Nine as possible. He wasn't allowed to be in the same squad as his father, since according to the council, "had too much emotional bonds that could endanger the well-being of the mission."

Eleven was a young age. She wanted him to be with people who'd try to preserve that age as much as possible.

20.

Both father and son arrive home with blood soaked hair, and clothes. His father gives a little nudge for him to make his way into the house, and gives a little nod before vanishing off in a puff of smoke.

She is relieved upon so many levels that the blood isn't his, and frankly at the moment, she doesn't give a rat's ass about whose blood it was.

At least not yet. His little 5 year old sister stays up with her to wash the blood and mud out of his hair. She's a little trooper, and despite it being 5 hours after her usual bedtime, she runs her little pudgy hands quite alertly through the dark strands.

She only stops once to brush her black strands out of her face. After Sakura finishes washing the clothes, and she walks in the siblings' room to make sure the littlest one was asleep. Almost walking out, she catches a glint of metal in the corner of the room. It was him seated against the wall, with a kunai in ready position. He puts it away smoothly in frightening speed, but it was too late.

She kneels down with him.

"She's alright. They won't reach us here."

He doesn't raise his head up. She settles down next to him, and places his head down on her lap.

"Would you like to be eleven?" She mildly asks him.

He nods his head, and tears soak into the fabric of her pants.

She lays her head down on him and runs her fingers through his slightly damp hair.

"You've never had the chance to live your own life. Have you, Itachi?" She murmurs faintly.

She doesn't know which one she meant.

Shatter

"Your heart shatters beautifully." It was the only compliment he ever gave me.

I had expected it to be different somehow. Maybe something dramatic, with rain gushing down, and confessions of love to be pouring out.

I thought I'd be on the brink of hysteria, and tears would come bursting out. Even a anguished cry or two, but life doesn't work that way.

The only part it got right, was the location. Of course, it'd be this place. Valley of the End..What a fitting name.

Naruto's body laid a few feet away. His peeled off skin-still healing on its own- despite its owner having the life drained out of him.

His head nearly lopped off, with only a sliver of skin keeping it attached. It was like a hinge on a door. Needless to say, I'll never look at a door the same again.

He was right. They were going to kill each other if they fought. When is Naruto ever wrong?

The air was still. Kakashi's blood stains still sprayed upon the corner of Hashirama's eye. It gave the illusion of him crying blood, and blood was indeed spilled.

Sai was by the shore. His body soaked jet-black from the very ink he used. He looked like a elegant stroke of a kanji character he used to make.

Ugly hags actually know what elegant means?

Sai would've said something like that for his last words. If only he had time to say it. I guess explosions don't wait for anyone.

And then there was him. The boy who chipped away at my heart from the time he knocked me out on a bench.

People think I had my heart broken on that day I confessed my love, or maybe the day when the retrieval team came back with members tight-rope walking on the line between life and death.

However, it was a gradual process, really. A dab of hope, a sprinkle of dreams, and a pinch of longing aged out, and became love over a span of two years.

But, love doesn't break hearts. It was the thought that the pointless little thing I carried deep within myself, would never be enough for him. That was probably what dealt the killer strike.

Funny how the one person I prayed to be dead and gone-before I reached them-would be alive. He was the one person I had hoped to not hear his final words.

Naruto, Kakashi, Sai...I could bear with theirs, because there was so much more for me to remember them by, other than their-

Regrets

Dreams

Goodbyes

But him? What's there to block out his ending scene? The fleeting moments of childhood nostalgia? The ache that came from lying on a stone bench? The ache that came, grew, and stayed?

He was lying under the green glow of my hands, with his right side nearly entirely gone. He was breathing on purely one lung, and his left leg was burnt to the point where it seems like the muscle and skin had melted right off.

I had managed to stop further bleeding in his leg, and had started to work on what remained of his abdomen, when he regained consciousness.

It was remarkable that he was still living, nonetheless conscious. He was pushing through it, on will alone.

This man never ceased to amaze me, even in his final moments.

"S-Sakura.." he managed to rasp out, with his bangs flicking in his eyes, and mixing in the red liquid.

"..." There was no point in telling him not to talk, when it was obvious there was nothing to stop him if he wanted to. I couldn't look at his face.

"Burn me.. in it.." He had to take breaths between each word."The com..pound..burn it all...yours."

I popped in a few soldiers pills, and decided to regenerate his lung. If he wanted to say his will, then he will have his fucking god damned will, whether Kami likes it or not.

I just hope I'll be alive enough to carry it out, or at least write it down.

"Are you..afraid?" He hacked out some blood.

"I knew it was coming."

"...Are..you afraid?.." He asks again.

"...Yes."

"Glad..you were..the one...alive." My eyes flickered to him when he said this. "..I won't...say sorry."

"I know."

"I wish..it could've..been..different."

"Don't do this." Let me hate you. Let me blame you, and pretend that everything's okay.

He ignores me.

"They'll...build a memorial for him." He faintly nods towards Naruto's direction.

*And for you? The title of the monster, created by the very flames of Konoha's corruption. A beast, denied of even a grave stone. A monster who will forever be the hated symbol of that accursed clan.*

I don't respond.

"Just..like the day.. after the massacre." He smirks lightly.

At his comment, I realized that the sun was beginning to rise. Rays of light were shining warmly down, but somehow I still felt numb to the core.

It was like when you have a fever, and no matter how many blankets you shovel on, you'd have this sick feeling in your stomach that'd never fade. It was like that, and more.

"You choose now to display your sense of humor." His stomach started to look normal-with the skin reforming back enough to close the gap of stomach that was missing.

His right lung was crudely grown back, but it was working at least.

I knew I could never stop the massive internal bleedings within him, and just the sheer amount of blood loss already chained him to his fate.

"Must be..from the lack of blood."

I feel his chest twitching underneath my hands, when I scoff at this.

It was probably cough from the blood seeping into his lungs and all that, but one part of me still wants to interpret it as a laugh.

My eyes fade in and out of focus, as I near the point exhaustion. No one speaks for what seems to be like hours.

I hardly even noticed when he raised his remaining hand to my face. He runs his calloused thumb across my jaw line, too tired to even make it to my cheek.

"No tears?.."

"..."

"Your heart shatters beautifully." For some reason, I hear that line loud and clear. He said it no louder than the hum of my glowing hands, but it resonated throughout.

I finally forced myself to look at him. He was battered, bruised, with lacerations filled with puss and blood, decorating his face.

Yet, some part of me still managed to bubble up with the same feeling I had so many years ago.

His eyes were the pure pools of black, that I stared shamelessly into each morning, as we sat in the academy desks.

The same eyes that stared hopelessly, just before collapsing in the Forest of Death.

And those very same eyes, closed for the very last time, as I watched helplessly.

The funerals were quick. Everything felt like I was watching a movie. It was a disconnection from the world.

There were lots of tears. Some from people that knew them. Most from people that didn't.

Ino blubbered. Always was a loud crier.

Shikamaru smoked. Even though he hated it.

Chouji dieted. Because food didn't taste all that great.

Kiba cursed. To bring some life.

Shino stood. When others couldn't.

Hinata broke. Shattered, without her spine.

Neji spoke. As if to make up for the times he didn't.

Tenten hugged. Didn't know what else to do.

Lee ran. But he could never outrun the truth.

As to me..I was alone.

People gave their sympathies. They praised me for being so strong. For not shedding a single sob or cry from then, until now.

*Poor girl. Losing her best-friend, mentor and teammate. Had to see the traitor.

How tragic. It'll be alright. They'd want you to be happy. She was so lucky. Such a tough woman.

Her whole team decimated. Who'd have known? Heard she loved the psychopa-Shh!

I heard her tempers off the chain now. Must be. Better watch her. Gonna lose it like him.*

How silly. They should know not to measure things in liters of tears.

His funeral was the simplest and easiest to clean. I watched it all burn down. Ino wrapped her arms around me. I think it was all just a formality.

No one really ever talked to him. I doubt they even knew who he was. Not counting the whole massacre, vengeance, and destroying the whole village part.

They were just there because of how much he mattered to Naruto.

They were just there because of me.

I planted rows and rows of Sakura trees on the compound. The ashes made the trees flourish more than any other tree in Konoha or any other village.

"Ino, you can stop with the hiding." I called out to her, as I plucked out another weed.

"Forehead! Who said I was hiding?"

"Your piglet snout did." She rolled her eyes at me.

"We aren't twelve anymore."

"Twelve was a long time ago, wasn't it?" I mused. It almost sounded like I was talking to myself.

Ino cleared her throat, to fill that awkward space. "You look well, Sakura."

I could hear her subliminal message in between. *Better than what everyone expected.*

"Why don't you move in with me, Sakura? I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind. "

"Ino." I stood up to meet her eyes, "We've been over this. I'm fine here. I'm content."

"Don't you lie to me. Living here? They wouldn't want you to be content. They'd have want you to be hap-"

"Please don't finish that."

She stared at me, as if to read what was going through my mind.

Without saying a word, she squeezed my hand, and left.

The rain drummed down quietly on my patio awning, as I nursed my cup of sake. A summer shower.

*Your heart shatters beautifully.*

"Is that why you loved breaking it, Sasuke-kun?"

Broken Angel

She was an angel. He was a demon. That was what they always said.

She was the heiress to one of the most prominent clans in the Hidden Leaf Village. He was the scum of the earth. It was almost funny. They didn't know how wrong they really were.

It was she who was unworthy of him.

naruXhina/ brokenXangel

They all thought that she was an angel, a gift granted to the mortal world to help them through the darkness that they had created. Maybe that had been the case once. Maybe she had been an angel once, back before all the "she is of less value than her sister" and "if only Neji hadn't been born into the branch family." But now, saying that she was a pure being sent from the heavens was a lie. She was a fallen angel, if anything.

*Not like him.*

Back during their days at the Academy, everyone had shunned him, calling him a failure and a dropout and things far worse. She had seen his tears, his pain, but she had lacked the courage to stand up to those others, to be his friend, to let him know that he wasn't alone.

*She was weak.*

Weak. Everyone said that she couldn't be weak. She was a Hyuuga, they said. How could a Hyuuga be weak? But she was. Everyone had always been forced to protect her, to save her when it turned out that she wasn't able to handle even the simple ninja tasks set to rookie Genin.

*She couldn't do anything.*

He wasn't like her. He was strong, a fighter. From the beginning, they'd told him that he couldn't be a ninja; that he'd never graduate; that he could never become Hokage.

*He'd proved them wrong.*

Naruto had graduated, the same year that Hinata had. Admittedly he'd been dead last in their class and he failed the actual graduation exam, but he'd graduated all the same. He'd already proved that he was stronger than they thought he was.

*He forced everyone to acknowledge him.*

Everyone had been amazed that his team even bothered to enroll in the Chuunin Exams. They attributed it to the success of his teammates. Sasuke was the top of the class and the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, and Sakura had scored 100 on every test they'd taken in the Academy. It would practically be a crime to hold them back just because they'd been assigned a moron for a teammate.

*No one had known it then, but he'd grown as well.*

He was assigned to fight her teammate, Inuzuka Kiba, in the preliminaries to the Third Exam. At first the fight had gone as everyone predicted. Kiba was winning, Naruto wasn't even managing to score one hit. Then, Naruto had revealed his true strength.

*His amazing, Hokage-worthy strength.*

He'd won. Naruto had gone on to the Third Exam, where he battled her cousin Neji.

*She'd lost her preliminary match.*

By the end of the Exams, everyone's view of Naruto had changed. He was no longer thought of as the failure, the demon, the loser. Everyone finally saw him for who he was: Uzumaki Naruto, the strongest Genin in Konohagakure Village and the future Sixth Hokage.

*She'd been so happy for him.*

But she was still the same. She was still just quiet little Hyuuga Hinata, the only failure ever produced by the main branch of the Hyuuga clan. No one had wanted to say it to her face-

*Not to sweet little Hinata.*

-but the thought was there. Even Shino and Kiba, even her teammates who were so kind to her, even they had to have noticed that she was weak, hopeless, a nothing. And it wasn't changing.

*She'd tried to change.*

For two and a half years she'd tried to change herself. She'd put every ounce of her being into her training, hoping to change herself.

*Hoping to become worthy of him…*

But nothing had changed. He'd returned, and just like that, all her hard training had vanished. She was no longer the strong, confident kunoichi she'd worked so hard to become for him. She was just weak little Hinata, the same stuttering failure she'd been before he left.

*Please, notice me.*

She wasn't worthy of him. He was so strong and confident and pure, and she was weak. Maybe that was why. Maybe it was because of how wonderful a person he was that she couldn't let go.

*Please, look at me.*

Maybe that was why she dared to love someone who could never love her back, who deserved to be loved by someone far better than the likes of her. Maybe that was why she still tried to better herself, still wished that someday, somehow, he could love her like she loved him.

*See me.*

She was a broken angel.

*Naruto-kun.*

hinaXnaru/ brokenXangel

I stare into the mirror.

My face stares back at me.

Just like that, I let all my barriers dissolve,

I finally show my pain.

I can see it all:

Tears yet to be cried, brimming in my eyes

Cries of anguish forming upon my lips

The tired beating of heart that wishes it could all end.

I stare into the mirror.

A broken angel stares back at me.

Loving

The first pale fingers of dawn filtered through the bedroom window, chasing away the shadows of the night. Uchiha Sasuke awakened, opening his fathomless onyx eyes to face the new day. Beside him, the spot where his wife, Sakura, slept was already empty.

He felt a brief flicker of annoyance that she hadn't waited for him to wake, as she had done in the early days of their marriage. She used to say that those few minutes where she could watch him sleep, all traces of anger and hate driven from his face, making it appear vulnerable and oddly peaceful, were precious to her, reminding her how fortunate she was that he had finally fallen in love with her. No more did she do this. Now, whenever he awakened, the spot beside him was already empty, the warmth left over from Sakura's body already fading, just as their love had begun to fade.

When was it that their love had begun to fade? He could not remember. It wasn't really something that had suddenly happened. Rather, it had begun long ago, and they had only recently begun to realize it.

Angrily, he pushed the thought out of his head, moving to get dressed. He had another mission for ANBU today, an S-ranked assignment to spy on Otogakure Village; he could not afford distractions. Emerging from their bedroom a few minutes later, clad in his ANBU uniform and prepared for his mission, Sasuke proceeded to the kitchen of the Uchiha Mansion.

Sakura awaited him there.

She looked much the same as she always had. Her pink locks were still cut short, as they had been since Sasuke told her that he liked it better that way. Her porcelain skin seemed to shimmer with vitality, speaking of her miraculous ability to heal any wound she may receive in battle to the point of invisibility. Gazing at her back, Sasuke could almost pretend that things were still peaceful and loving between them as it had been during his first few days back, when Sakura had sat beside him in the hospital every day to make sure that he was recovering alright, singing softly to him and healing his every wound. It was only when she turned to face him, forcing Sasuke to look into her sea green eyes, that he could see any trace of the heartbreak she had gone through. In her eyes was none of the laughter or happiness that used to sparkle so plainly in them. Instead, there was the shadow of an unspoken pain, grief that was always present and yet never cried over. Bitterly, Sasuke reflected that he should feel pleased with his efforts. After all, the one who had done this to her… was him.

When he first came back from killing Itachi, he had finally realized the great purpose of his life, and he was now free. Free to return, free to live, and free to allow some of his emotions, those besides the hatred that had been so potent during his youth, to grow and manifest. And he had begun this by acknowledging his love for Haruno Sakura.

She had loved him too, and they had been happy together. He never wanted to let go of her, never wanted to allow her to be taken from him. He had already lost his entire family. He wouldn't be able to stand losing Sakura as well. In response to this feeling, within Sasuke sprung a fierce protectiveness of the one he loved, and a refusal to allow any harm to befall her. That same desire, the desire to protect Sakura from harm, was what had led to her, and by extension his, undoing.

It had started with little things. Protecting her on missions, becoming increasingly protective when she was hurt, small things that were actually rather sweet, and Sakura enjoyed that he was finally warming up to her a little. Then he began to realize the potential of losing her to someone else; after all, she was a very popular woman. He would not have been able to bear it if that happened, even if the person she left to be with was someone he only wanted the best for, like Naruto. At odd times, Sasuke would lash out at her in expression of these fears, becoming inexplicably harsh with her. Unable to find another reason for his sudden anger, Sakura blamed herself for these temper tantrums, shouldering the guilt on top of any physical blows and harsh words that Sasuke would rain upon her. This suffering on her part continued to increase as Sasuke's attacks became more frequent; the burdens he placed upon her strengthening his belief that she would soon decide to leave him. Still she would sit beside him whenever he asked her to, and dutifully tell him that she loved him and would never leave him. Even while he shouted at her, telling her how much he despised her, she would try to comfort him and ease his pain, the way she alone had been able to ever since they were Genin.

Now, she didn't even try anymore. He no longer lashed out at her, for her beaten appearance had driven away any chance that another would love her. But the damage had been done. The broken woman that sat before him was merely a pathetic shell of the Haruno Sakura he had fallen in love with all those years ago. Still, she had stayed. Even though he had given her every reason to leave, she had stayed.

He felt her gaze on him as he crossed the kitchen to his chair. Her haunted eyes still stared at him as he sat down, choosing to face the table rather than face her and be forced to see her eerie stare.

"Why, Sakura?" he asked suddenly, looking up at her with a fevered look in his eyes. "Why have you stayed with me all this time, when I've never treated you as finely as you deserve? Naruto would have been kind to you; he loved you once, before he truly met Hinata. He would have married you in a heartbeat, had you asked. There was Lee as well, and countless others. Why did you choose to remain with me, the man who is probably the least deserving of you?"

For a heartbeat, he thought that she wouldn't answer. She turned to the kitchen window, staring out with a forlorn look in her eye.

"I don't know, Sasuke-kun. I just don't know. It's just… I've never felt that I could leave here. I can't explain it." She dropped her gaze to the floor as she finished, as though embarrassed that she had confided in him so. She probably assumed that he would think her weak for being so cowardly as to fear leaving a man who treated her so harshly. However, Sasuke had no harsh feelings about her decision. No matter how harshly he may treat her, Sakura was his. She was his Sakura, and he would be heartbroken if she ever decided to leave him. She was all that he had left in the world.

Looking at her pitiful expression now, Sasuke felt a deep regret stirring within him. He had not meant to bring such pain upon her. He had just been so afraid of the idea of losing her, and he had misdirected that fear into fury at Sakura. She didn't deserve for him to treat her like this.

Mentally he shook himself. Would he lose all his pride here, over this girl? He was an Uchiha, and Uchiha did not plead for forgiveness. He could start to be a little warmer towards his wife, though. Yes, he would do that; starting as soon as he got back from his mission, he would be nicer to Sakura. She deserved it.

That thought reassuring him, Sasuke exited the mansion, without once looking back at his wife or saying any words of farewell to her.

If he had looked back, he would have noticed the single pearly tear that fell from her jade eye onto the wooden floor, leaving a darker spot of wet on the otherwise spotless ground. A small sob escaped Sakura's lips once the door had shut behind him, forever unheard by the rest of the world.

"Have a nice day… Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke closed the door behind him, attempting to shake off the feeling that he at least should have said goodbye to her. He was Uchiha Sasuke, for Kami's sake; he didn't give words of parting! His idea of telling a girl who had just confessed her undying love for him that he cared about her as well was to thank her before knocking her out and running off to join some creepy old snake guy with a disturbingly long tongue. Despite all this, the feeling of guilt in his chest didn't go away. Not to be deterred by such trivial things as a conscience (he'd more than mastered the ability to ignore it during his stay with previously stated creepy old snake guy with a disturbingly long tongue), Sasuke furiously shook his head to clear it, before turning towards the direction Tsunade's office, where a new mission awaited him. Hopefully the danger of the task he was to be set would be sufficient to keep him from dwelling on unpleasant thoughts about the way that he treated Sakura.

His famous temper already being tested, Sasuke kicked a pebble as he walked, the unpleasant feeling of guilt nagging at him. Stupid conscience, it had to pick right now to begin to exist.

No one called out greetings to the head of the Uchiha clan, or stopped to chat with him about the weather. By now, everyone in the village could recognize the signs that Sasuke's temper was manifesting, and knew enough to allow him to pass undisturbed. (Well, Naruto still had yet to figure this out, but he didn't count. There was a reason that one of Sasuke's nicknames for his best friend was 'idiot.')

With Sasuke's naturally fast walking pace, he soon arrived at the Hokage mansion (though not soon enough for his liking; he still had had ample time to dwell on how harsh he had been treating Sakura lately). Without even bothering to knock, he entered Tsunade's office, displaying none of the internal shock that he felt to find his ANBU team already assembled. The blonde Hokage looked up at him, too used to Sasuke's lack of what most people call 'common courtesy' to be effected by the idea of him barging in unannounced. She noted the obvious signs of his temper, as did Neji and Shikamaru, two of Sasuke's ANBU teammates. The other member of the cell, who was only an ANBU until his promotion to Hokage was finalized, was completely oblivious, however. But what else can you expect from Uzumaki Naruto?

"You're late, Teme!" he cried, pointing an accusing finger in Sasuke's direction, much like he used to do to Kakashi years ago, when they had been Genin subordinates of the notoriously tardy Jounin. If Sasuke had not been in such a foul mood, he would have smirked at the irony. As it was, he merely glared at the blond knucklehead, radiating a murderous intent that made everyone else in the room shudder. Before Naruto could do anything else stupid, Tsunade began her description of the mission, trying to keep her future successor from being killed by the ill-tempered Uchiha.

"ANBU Team Seven," she addressed the assembled group. All four of the shinobi perked up at this; even Shikamaru was interested for once. "Your mission is to spy on Otogakure Village. You are not to go looking for battles, though if you are attacked you are more than welcome to fight back. However, you must be cautious. Rumors are that Kabuto has merged his body with the remains of Orochimaru. We do not yet know if Orochimaru has succeeded in taking over his body, but it is only a matter of time until this happens. No unnecessary risks. Do you understand?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

"Yeah, yeah. How troublesome."

"I understand Tsunade-baa-chan, dattebayo!"

"Aa."

"Alright then, dismissed!" With that, the four ANBU disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the office empty but for the Hokage.

"Shizune, bring me today's lottery. I want to see how I did." A groan of 'Tsunade-sama, not again' could be heard as Shizune's footsteps drew near. The black haired medic stepped into her master's presence, the results of that day's lottery clutched in her hand and a frown upon her face. She really did wish that her teacher could overcome her addiction to gambling. It wasn't like she ever won anything.

Sasuke pushed off a branch, leaping into the air alongside his comrades, his earlier temper driven from him by the thrill of a new mission. He was a little like Naruto in that way; all negativity vanished once he had a mission to occupy his thoughts. The blond was slightly behind him, the way Sasuke liked it. It was after all his squad, due to the simple fact that Naruto would be leaving it shortly to assume the role of Hokage. (Sasuke preferred not to think of how it would be if the blond hadn't had his lifelong ambition to aspire to. Being under Naruto's direct command in a squad was something that he would never have been able to tolerate. He could, however, handle the idea of his friend becoming Hokage, as long as he still wasn't expected to show respect to Naruto or anything. There was only so much you could ask of a guy, after all.)

"Sasuke," said Neji, the Hyuuga moving beside him. He wore his mask, as all ANBU did on missions, but Sasuke felt certain that beneath it his Byakugan was active. "Directly ahead of us, by about two kilometers, are eight shinobi of the Sound. They appear to be unaware of our presences at the moment, though that shouldn't last for long. We'll be forced to a fight, no doubt about it." Beneath his mask, Sasuke smirked. He could sense Naruto's grin as well, and even Shikamaru's usual aura of boredom had been replaced with some anticipation. A fight was exactly what his team needed.

"You all know what to do," he informed his squad, activating his Sharingan as he spoke.

"Yes, sir!" Naruto shouted, saluting him.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered at the blond's antics, shaking his head with amusement at their friend's immaturity. Even as an ANBU, Naruto was still Naruto.

With a final smirk of amusement at how Naruto still failed to grow up, Sasuke leapt away from his teammates as the squad scattered. He knew without checking on them that each of them was preparing their own attack for the waiting Otonin. Sharingan active, Sasuke moved in closer, readying his chakra to perform the Chidori at a moment's notice.

This was what he had spent his whole life training for.

Tsunade doubled checked the numbers listed on the paper Shizune had given her with the ones on her ticket, her amber eyes wide with shock. 96172, 96172. They matched. She had won.

"Shizune," she called, a trace of panic making its way into her voice. "Send a medic after that ANBU team I just sent. I have a feeling that they'll need it."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," Shizune responded, already rushing off to do her master's bidding. Shizune had long known that her master only won at any form of gambling as a prophecy of ill fortune. She only hoped that the warning had not come too late.

Sasuke ducked under the swipe of a kunai knife, cursing. It had been an ambush; instead of the eight Otonin that his squad had been prepared to face, there had to be at least forty enemy ninja here. The Konoha ANBU's skills were by far superior, but even still the odds were overwhelmingly against them. In this now drastically changed battle, they were forced to fight off up to ten different attacks at the same time, instead of the two they had been prepared for. All the talent in the world was useless when the odds became too high against you.

Across the battlefield, he heard Shikamaru cry out in pain as he was hit yet again. The Nara was fairing the worst out of all of them; his Kagemane no Jutsu was a midrange technique, and this was a close range battle. None of the others were fairing much better: Naruto was bleeding from numerous gashes, the Kyuubi's chakra unable to heal all of them at the same time; Neji's Byakugan had been restricted after his eye had been slashed by an enemy kunai, leaving him vulnerable to many attacks, including a second kunai that had nearly taken him out through his blind spot; and Sasuke himself was scarcely standing, having used up most of his chakra on a Chidori designed to take out the two opponents that he had believed he would have. Even to the most optimistic, any chance they had of winning was getting slimmer by the moment. Instead, their priority now was to take as many of them with them as they could.

Sakura leapt through the trees as fast as she could without using up unnecessary amounts of chakra. The other medics accompanying her had repeatedly cautioned her to slow down, saying that she shouldn't push her body so hard if she hoped to have any strength remaining to heal the ANBU upon their arrival, but she paid them no mind. She had to make it in time, she just had to. Sasuke and Naruto were counting on her, and Neji and Shikamaru as well. She couldn't fail them. She had spent ten years training as a medic nin; there was no way that she could fall short now, when the people in danger were those she cared about most.

Sakura bit her lip, a troubled expression on her face. The truth was, even though Sasuke treated her like dirt, even though he had not said one kind thing to her in months, even though now he was only a shadow of the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago, she had never stopped thinking of him as one of the people dearest to her. No matter what he may do to her, in her heart he would always be her Sasuke-kun, the one that she loved and could never stay mad at. Throughout her youth, during her first bittersweet year as a kunoichi, Sasuke had always been there to save her when she was in danger. Now, he needed her to save him, and she couldn't bear the thought that she might be too late.

*Please, Kami-sama, let me make it in time!*

Sasuke cried out in pain as a wall of earth cannoned into him, pushing him painfully backwards several feet. He heard as well as felt the cracking of several of his ribs fracturing, and suppressed with great difficulty the desire to scream again. He coughed, some of his blood coming out to stain the dirt floor a sticky crimson. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, the Uchiha turned to face his opponent. It seemed that every time he took one down, another rose to take their place. This new one was a Douton user, judging by their choice use of the earth wall he had just been hit with.

He smirked, the small movement of his facial muscles causing him to wince in pain from the wounds that he had received to his usually flawless countenance. Still, he could not help but appreciate the irony of his situation. Here he was, facing someone whose earth would be helpless against his lightning, if he weren't so horribly weakened that using the chakra necessary to perform the technique would probably leave him either dead or dying.

Across the clearing, Shikamaru fell, wounded fatally through the heart. Sasuke felt a small pang in his heart at the death of his comrade, though he was too preoccupied with his own battle to properly grieve at the moment. However, Shikamaru's death forced him to realize the very real possibility that he would die here. In fact, it was more of a probability than a possibility. There was no reason to hold back. It was the Chidori, then.

The Uchiha gathered his chakra into the palm of his right hand, converting it into lightning as he did so. The electricity gave off the chirping sound for which it had been named, casting a blue light over his features. Uchiha Sasuke would die here. The idea gave him a sick comfort.

The fearlessness granted by the certainty of his death spurring him on, he charged forward at the Sound ninja, his Chidori blazing as he poured all of his remaining chakra into this one final blow. Uchiha Sasuke would die here, but he would not go out without a fight!

Several things happened at once, appearing to those involved to occur in the slow motion of all major action scenes in the movies.

Sasuke's Chidori struck, slicing straight through his target and into the man behind him.

Naruto used his Fuuton: Rasenshuriken to demolish five Otonin with one blow.

Neji struck at his opponents with his Hakke Hyaku Nijuhachi Sho (Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms; I had to look that up to know how to say it in Japanese, please tell me if that's wrong so I can fix it), incapacitating or killing nearly twenty shinobi in the space of a few minutes.

They all watched each other's successes out of the corner of their eye, hearts soaring that their teammates were also making their final stand a fight to remember. Sasuke found himself wishing that Sakura could see them then; he knew that she would be proud, no matter her recent feelings towards him.

Time appeared to return to its normal speed as they fell. Hard, unforgiving ground rushed up to meet them, bringing new aches to broken bones and stinging dirt into open wounds. Sasuke collapsed, nearly all of his chakra gone, feeling the now familiar stabs of pain as the marks of the curse seal spread over his body like fire. Painfully, he turned his suddenly heavy head to face his also dying companions. Naruto had the same idiotic grin Sasuke had seen countless times before.

"We did it, Sasuke-teme. We beat them," his best friend managed to gasp out before passing out, his face planted firmly in the dirt. Beside Naruto, Neji nodded, lacking the necessary strength to do anything else.

"Uchiha: in the end, we are equals," the Hyuuga prodigy told him before passing out as well. If Sasuke had not been so tired, he would have smirked that he and Neji had finally managed to forget their differences and die as friends. It was one of the few comforts that he would be able to take with him to the next life.

I never did get to… treat Sakura better, his tired mind bitterly reflected. Perhaps this was his punishment for ignoring his conscience this morning. Now, he would never have that chance to treat Sakura better. He would die here, the last of the Uchiha. Somehow, now that the time had finally come for that to pass, he had lost the calm acceptance of it that he had managed to maintain throughout most of his life. He had always known that he would die in battle, and there was a very real possibility that that battle would occur while he was still young. He had just never thought that it would be this one. Now that it was, it seemed that the end had come too soon.

Even in the end, his thoughts mainly comprised not of shattered dreams of restoring the Uchiha clan, but of a certain girl, with cherry blossom pink hair… and the words that he would never again be able to tell her, the words that he knew could have saved her much of the heartache he had forced her through. In the impossible chance that she would somehow hear, and know that he was thinking of her as he died, he spoke them aloud now.

"Sakura… I love you."

He never fully lost consciousness. Throughout the entire ordeal, a small part of Sasuke was still aware of his surroundings. His eyes were closed, but he could still feel the hard ground beneath him, he could still here the voices surrounding him. He could feel when the aches and pains from his wounds began to ease, and it was this easing of pain that eventually prompted him to open his eyes and fully regain his awareness of the world.

He groaned as his eyelids slowly eased open, revealing his dark orbs and bringing blinding amounts of sunlight into his vision, nearly forcing him to close his eyes again. He resisted the temptation, however, refusing to show weakness to whoever had found him, even though the fact that they had healed his wounds suggested that they were a friend.

Painfully, he levered himself into a sitting position, wincing at the pain in the wounds still unhealed. The person healing him ceased their actions to attempt to push him back down, telling him gently that he shouldn't try to move yet. He identified the voice with a jolt of surprise, obeying its command in his shock. The person who healed him so tenderly, who appeared so completely concerned for his wellbeing was Sakura, the same Sakura that he had refused to even say goodbye to that very morning. Why was she here? …Why did she care?

"Rest now, Sasuke-kun," she commanded him, tender concern evident in her voice. Gently, she closed his eyes, her soft touch communicating the love that had been so absent from their relationship these past few months. Sasuke allowed her to do this without displaying any signs of protest, save for one word.

"Why?" he asked as the darkness of true sleep began to reclaim him. Allowing himself to drift down into the comfortable blackness, he almost didn't hear her reply.

"Because I love you."

Sakura gazed tenderly at Sasuke's still form as he slept, the marks of his curse already receding as his resting body regained some of its strength. The two other medics that had accompanied her had already dealt with the injuries of Naruto and Neji, leaving her free to handle her husband. It was odd, really. Just this morning, she had thought of Sasuke as her jailer, her oppressor, the one who denied her her freedom. And yet, from the minute that Shizune had told her that his squad would be attacked, any enmity that she felt for him had been driven from her, replaced by an almost blinding fear that she would lose him. When she had seen him lying on the ground, as still as the dead, her heart had almost stopped in the fear that she had lost her Sasuke-kun. It had been relief beyond words to find that he was still alive.

She had thought she hated him. She had had every reason to hate him. He had used her like a toy, and left her broken. He'd promised her the world, and then he had laughed in her face while watching her happiness shatter. And yet, through it all, she had still loved him. It had been just a tiny bit, a small piece of her that she had tried to deny these last few months, yet it had been there all the same. No matter what Sasuke had done to her, no matter how harshly she had been treated, she had still loved him. She would never be able to stop having those feelings for him.

She was his Sakura.

And she loved him…

And he loved her.

Mosaic

I.

The Five Second Rule states that it only takes that amount of time to fall in love with someone.

Neji wants to say that he follows this rule when he meets her for the first time, but the truth is that it takes only one second and a well-aimed kunai at another boy who makes fun of her professed undying love for Dickens.

Dickens.

He concludes that she's someone after his own heart, and he falls for her — hard.

II.

When Tenten sees him at the playground that she frequents often, she's in a bad mood: the pale-yellow ribbons her mother had given her — her absolute favourites — had been missing since yesterday.

She stares at the unknown boy in front of her with her doe-like eyes as he wordlessly places her ribbons into her lap and walks off. He goes home and collapses into bed, because his eyes aren't used to so much strain at a young age and searching all over for hair accessories has tired him out.

Tenten doesn't know his name, but she never forgets him or his opalescent eyes.

It's not that she can't; it's just that she won't.

III.

They meet again on their first day at the academy.

The teacher makes everyone introduce themselves at the front of the class, and Tenten tunes out most of the others but is fixated when it's his turn. He mumbles his name quietly and a whole throng of girls sitting at the back complain that they didn't catch it, but she hears it loud and clear.

He returns to his seat, and momentarily, their gazes lock. Silently, she mouths his name to herself again and again.

Somehow, she knows that she'll be seeing him a lot more after this.

IV.

Due to some troublemakers in their class, the teacher, Iruka-sensei, rearranges the seating plan. He leaves both Neji and Tenten in the same spot, though, because it just doesn't feel right otherwise.

Iruka will never admit it, but truthfully, their glaring at him when he announced his plan swayed his judgment.

V.

Unfortunately for Neji, he has a club chock-full of admirers, many of whom get out of hand and pester him incessantly. Sometimes he takes action and scares them off (though it does little to help, since they come back in larger numbers than before — a fact that he finds very disturbing); other times, Tenten does it for him, insisting that it's only because they bother her too.

Both are aware that a small part of her is lying, however.

VI.

Exams come and go, and soon, it's time for them to graduate. He's ranked first in class and is titled a genius and a prodigy. She's not far behind in second place, but no one praises her much, even though she's extremely skilled with weapons for someone her age.

He thinks that everyone else is a blind idiot and curses them. She only laughs and hugs him in gratitude when he tells her so.

Neji is as stoic as ever when this happens, but he doesn't forget to thank the blind idiots in his mind when the warmth of her embrace encapsulates him for days after.

VII.

She's on Neji's team, along with a carbon copy of their overenthusiastic green-spandex wearing teacher. They're basically left to their own devices, since their sensei is too busy with Lee.

Considering that they get to spend time together, neither of them minds at all.

VIII.

They meet at five 'o clock in the morning on Monday for training. (Later on in life, 'training' will become a term that's interchangeable with 'date'.)

It's their first sparring match, and both get a taste of each other's battle styles.

She has a little habit of hopping on her right foot before she casts a jutsu, and her techniques aren't exactly normal either. In short, Neji finds her a bit unusual; at the very least, more so than him.

Tenten just snorts in response. "So says the person that perpetually pokes people at painful points."

He can't argue with that.

IX.

At first, Tenten thinks that the two Green Beasts of Konoha are completely deranged, but they become endearing to her after a while.

When she notifies Neji of this fact, he only looks blankly at her as though she's now stark-raving mad too.

She shrugs, smiling. "But you do like them — and me — anyway, right?"

He vehemently denies the former, albeit he can't help but agree wholeheartedly on the latter.

VIII.

They first meet their supposed rivals (according to Gai-sensei, at least) during the Chuunin Exams. Tenten's slightly enamoured of the Uchiha boy and thinks he's cute.

She never tells Neji this little nugget of information — or the fact that she thinks he's cuter than the Uchiha by infinity and beyond.

IX.

The Forest of Death is no challenge for them, since they're seasoned ninjas, and their team completes the task on the first day itself and makes their way to the designated destination.

It's early in the morning on the next day, and she's leaning against him with her head on his shoulder. She had told him that she was cold and that it was fundamental that they conserve heat, but, really, she only wants stay close to him. They wake up to find their teammate missing and innately know that he's probably off causing a commotion somewhere.

Though they've learned to appreciate Lee, both let out deep sighs of frustration inwardly: they'd have liked to stay in that position for just a while longer.

X.

They bicker for the first time while Tenten's in the hospital, having been admitted after her battle with the female Sand nin.

Although Neji is worried sick, he does little to show it; he has never been good with wearing his heart on his sleeve or emoting as a whole. And when he voices out his concern, it comes out like a caustic remark.

She cannot believe her ears when he expresses, "This wouldn't have happened if you were stronger." His arms are crossed over his chest as he continues, "You're too weak."

He means to add that he wants to protect her, but no sound emanates from his lips.

The air is thick with tension as she stares at him with chestnut-brown eyes full of hurt, because that's the one thing that she just cannot bear to hear and to have it come from him just sends a knife right through her heart. Tenten turns onto her left side, facing the wall.

She refuses to see him for a week.

And he never feels as alone as he does then.

XI.

It takes a few days for him to swallow his pride and apologize for the first time in his life, but he manages to do it for her.

She still thinks that he's a bit of a prat for saying that, but knows that though he's brilliant in many aspects, he's not exactly phenomenal in the EQ department. And truthfully, she's missed him for the past week or so.

Life is lonely without her genius.

". . . I'm sorry," he tells her quietly.

She forgives him.

XII.

His match with Naruto is just around the corner, and she helps him train by throwing barrage after barrage of weapons at him.

As he spins and deflects her offensive attack, she marvels at him; although she was sure that she was out of breath after expending all that energy, it still manages to hitch in her throat.

He looks imploringly at her once he stops, and his eyes ask her what exactly it is that she's staring at.

"Nothing," she says finally, but what she really means is everything.

XIII.

Neji doesn't win his match, but she knows that he came out of it a winner.

He seems so much more at peace now and even starts talking a bit more, which leaves others gobsmacked because they didn't think that he actually spoke other than to ramble about fate.

It's something that she finds particularly odd, because she always did think that he talked too much.

XIV.

She sees him off at the gate of the village when he's assigned a mission to bring the Uchiha kid back. An ominous feeling settles in the pit of Tenten's stomach, and she's in ruins on the inside because she knows that there's a chance he won't come back.

"Don't die on me," she manages to choke out before he leaves. He says nothing in return, prompting her to hold out her pinky finger. "Promise?"

It's so childish —

— but he promises anyway.

"Three days from now," she tells him solemnly, "we'll start training. Same time, same place." She adds, "Don't be late."

He's silent once more, but his unspoken words ring through the air.

"I won't."

XV.

He's late.

By two whole days.

She loses a bit of weight although it's only been a couple of days and her eyes are bloodshot; her under-eye bags and dark circles also become increasingly obvious. It's because she's so worried, to the point where she's unable to sleep and spends days feeling like a nervous wreck as she awaits news of his return.

And he does come back, but bruised, battered and broken. She's not one to cry, but she breaks out into sobs when she sees the gaping hole in his chest and God only knows what else as he lies on the brink of death.

Tenten is there throughout his two day-long operation, and it feels like the weight of the world has been taken off her shoulders when the doctor finally tells her that he'll make it.

He's still alive—

— and so is she.

XVI.

It's a while before he wakes up from his near-comatose state.

The sight that greets him is one of her with her hair out of their customary two buns, tumbling down her shoulders, and her gaunt, tired face.

Neji wonders whether she's been by his side the whole time. The nurse denies it, citing that visiting hours are strict, but he knows better.

When he is finally discharged from the hospital, she is the one to take him home and stay with him for days straight until he feels completely rejuvenated. Tenten is very much aware that Neji is not a man of many words; it's very the reason why she's so startled when he thanks her.

She brushes it off, telling him that it was nothing much and that she'd do the same for the other members of their team, but honestly, she does — and will do — more for him than anyone else.

XVII.

They grow up, becoming more skilled as time passes and helping each other hone their abilities as they have always done.

It's a sunny day, and the clear sky made up of amalgamating blue hues hangs cheerily above them. She grins at him and states the obvious: "We make a good team."

He concurs wordlessly as he always does when he agrees with her, and ponders on when their partnership will come to include matters of the heart.

As it turns out, it's not soon before long — and it's something that they're both grateful for, because it was getting hard to concentrate on anything else when they just wanted to take each others' hands and go.

XVIII.

The aforementioned turning point of their relationship takes place when her mother introduces Tenten to a 'lovely, young gentleman'. Her mother doesn't say anything more, but her tone heavily implies thoughts of a future romantic relationship between the two.

The other boy has stormy, grey eyes and copper-brown hair; he's also considered to be gorgeous by the female population.

The boy holds out his hand in greeting and annunciates, "Nice to meet you."

Neji can't say the same.

XIX.

He finds out that the other boy has a name, and it's one that he considers stupid because which sane parent would name their son Kurosawa Ryuu?

It's just one more factor that convinces Neji that they're meant to be, because in all honesty, Hyuuga Tenten has a much nicer ring to it.

She agrees.

XX.

It's about an hour before Ryuu and Tenten's first date when Neji storms up to her front door and notifies her that he's sort of-kind of-almost-completely-definitely in love with her.

She beams and cancels the date instantly, while her mother smirks knowingly in the kitchen.

The plan worked out, after all.

XXI.

The two of them go to great lengths to keep their relationship a secret; it's something that the rest of the village doesn't fathom, because they knew that romance was imminent for the two of them.

Konoha's population only wonders what took so darn long.

XXII.

The worst is when their (dense) teammate finally figures out that they're dating, having stumbled upon them while they were training in a more romantic sense. The lunatic starts screaming about the Springtime of Youth, and soon, their sensei joins in with tears streaming down his face.

They both creep away silently to enjoy their Springtime of Youth elsewhere.

XXIII.

Tenten's very much aware that Neji's never been good at romantic gestures, and his proposal a few years later only cements this statement.

He attaches the ring to the end of a kunai that's engraved with her name and sends it whizzing by, narrowly missing her head in the process, thanks to his terrible aim.

She appreciates the effort, but muses on why he couldn't ask her to marry him without trying to kill her.

XXIV.

He proposes to her again, because even though she's not bothered by his (terrible) first attempt, others are disgruntled and nag at him to do it right. So he drops onto one knee with a bouquet of chrysanthemums — her favourite — in his hand and a faint blush colouring his ears.

Neji's obviously embarrassed, but Tenten finds it completely adorable and touching that he's blushing because of her.

She says yes for the second time (and for many more times after that), and when he's not looking, she takes a picture of him for memories — and future blackmail.

XXV.

Their friends come out in droves for their wedding which is a cause célèbre. Though she complains that she can't breathe in her dress and he's quaking in his boots on the inside, it all goes off without a hitch.

The priest utters the words "'til death do us part", and they happily repeat after him.

They both know, however, that their story is one that will last long after that.

XXVI.

When she gives birth to their first child, the boy looks a lot like his father.

Neji is beyond pleased and happily mutters, "He's so handsome."

Tenten's still in a bit of pain, but she has enough strength left in her to roll her eyes at her husband. With any luck, the new addition to their family won't be as egotistical as his daddy. Honestly, though, she knows that it'll never happen and makes plans to order more mirrors for their home.

But she doesn't really want it any other way.

XXVII.

Their daughter comes five years later and she's the spitting image of her mother. Tenten gushes at the thought of having her own mini me, but Neji isn't too happy and gripes a little every time people mention how beautiful his daughter is.

It appears that his years of chasing away the male admirers of his loved ones weren't quite over yet.

XXVIII.

They grow old together, acquiring countless memories through it all.

He ceased saying a particular word often years ago, because in his opinion, their relationship is the only thing that warrants its usage.

There is no other way to describe them.

They are fate.

XXIX.

They are well into their twilight years when kismet decrees that she'll be the first one of them to go.

Neji doesn't want to sound like a complete sop but he really doesn't have a clue on how life will go on after her passing. He tells her so as he sits by her side, their fingers interlocked.

She states softly, "You'll learn." A knowing smile graces her tired face. "You're my genius, remember?"

XXX.

They don't believe in the Isles of Blest or reincarnation or what-have-you, but somehow, they know perfectly well that they will meet again.

And when she dies in his arms hours later, she tells him confidently that she'll be waiting for him. He holds out his little finger to make her swear on it.

She laughs, because it's so childish —

— but she does it anyway.

XXXI.

Neji joins her after what feels like eons, although it has only been three years at most.

And when he sees her for the first time again, it does not take one second or a well-aimed kunai at a boy who made fun of her professed love for Dickens to make him fall in love with her.

The truth is that it takes nothing at all.

*Because when he fell for her — hard — so long ago, it was for forever and always.*