Title: Follow Me
Author: mitsuki0tennyo (Mitsukino Tennyo)
Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto, if I did I would’ve changed some outfits. As some (like Sasuke original Shippūden outfit) make me cringe.
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: SasuSaku (Uchiha Sasuke x Haruno Sakura)
Rating: M-15 / T
Word Count: 1119
Chapter Summary: The night they left Konoha, Haruno Sakura swore to herself she would follow Uchiha Sasuke wherever he would go. She would become his shadow, his ever loyal companion.
Sasuke-kun’s shinobi sandals made a soft sound that preceded his form. She walked till she reached the point where their paths would cross and waited.
His gaze shifted from the ground as he noticed the shadow in front of him and when he saw the familiar pink hair of his teammate before him, Sasuke rolled his eyes. Of course, he should have known one of teammates would try to stop him. He just had expected it to be Naruto. Without true interest in her answer Sasuke broke the silence between them. “Why are you out so late?”
“This is the only road that leads you out of Konoha.” Sakura said sadly, refusing to look him in the eye.
“Go home.”
“I knew you would leave without saying goodbye.” As Sasuke walked passed her, a single tear ran down her cheek. “Why won’t you talk to me? Why won’t you let anyone in? Why don’t you tell me any—”
“Why should I tell you anything?” Sasuke cut her short, anger laced in his voice. She was crying now, tears falling freely and a weaker part of him, one that was still attached to his teammates, wanted to wipe away her tears. “You meddle too much. Stop bothering me.”
They were quiet for a moment before Sakura’s lips formed a sad smile. “You act like you hate me, Sasuke-kun.” The words were spoken with aguish filling her voice and Sasuke couldn’t help but stop to listen to her. “Do you remember the day we graduated from academy… and the three rookie teams were formed? Together the three of us became Team 7. Right here on this spot… you were angry with me, weren’t you?” She looked up hoping he’d turn around. “I spoke of things I had no understanding of. I believed that Naruto was so obnoxious because he was alone and didn’t have any parents. You said I didn’t know what it was like to be alone. You said I was annoying.”
“I don’t remember.” He said flatly.
Her heart broke a little. “S-sure, that was a long time ago…” she tried to be strong and continued despite her slowly breaking heart. “But it started that day… you and I, and Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. The four of us went on so many missions. Those were tough and difficult but… more than anything… we had so much fun!” She watched him to see if he would respond, but when he didn’t she started talking again. “I know about your family. But revenge will never bring you nor me happiness…”
“You would say that.”
Sakura looked up at Sasuke when he finally spoke but the coldness voice made her wince.
“I’m not the same as you, I can’t walk the same road as anyone else. The four of us have worked together and it’s true that I once believed that we could continue to do so.” He still didn’t look her way, his back still turned to the green eyed girl. “I once believed that we would always be teammates, I wish it could be that way but I’ve always known this is my destiny. I am an avenger. Revenge has always been my reason for living.” Sasuke’s eyes narrowed in hate as his thoughts returned to that man, to Itachi. “I can’t be like you and Naruto.”
“Are you going to isolate yourself, Sasuke?” Sakura yelled, tears were now freely streaming down her face. “You taught me that loneliness is a horrible thing!” Her voice lowered to almost a whisper. She had seen Sasuke struggle, but she’d also seen him with his guard down. She longed to see his porcelain mask disappear and for boy beneath it live his life freely. “Now, I know exactly how it feels. I will have my family and friends… but if you are no longer a part of my life, Sasuke, if you aren’t here for me… that would be the same thing as solitude.” Tears fell down like raindrops on the pavement beneath her feet. “Don’t abandon me, please.”
Sasuke thought of his friends, the happy days they shared. He knew he could no longer walk besides them. Their world was about to change and he would change with it. “From here… we’ll begin walking our separate paths.”
It was like he hadn’t heard a word she had said, and she became frantic with fear that this really was the end. “I… I love you with all my heart, Sasuke-kun! If you stay with me, I will make sure you regret it, no matter what! We’ll have fun every day, I promise you. I can make you happy. I will do anything for you, Sasuke-kun. I’m begging you, please stay here! I will even help you with your revenge.” She couldn’t believe she had said it, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was him. “I will make it happen somehow, I promise you. So stay here… with me.” The clouds lifted and the moon shone on the two of them. “Or if you truly can’t… then take me with you…”
Sasuke turned, “What about your family? Kakashi? Naruto?” He asked almost angrily.
“None of them can’t make me happy like you can,” she whispered.
“Have you ever thought to give him a chance?”
“What about you? Have you ever considered giving me a chance?” She yelled, desperate for him to stay. “No one out there will love you there! Orochimaru… he only wants your body.”
A smirk appeared on Sasuke’s face as he started walking again. “You haven’t changed, you’re still annoying.”
The scratching sound of metal clash against metal filled the silence of the night froze the Uchiha heir on his tracks. Closing his eyes for a second, Sasuke tried to shake off the forbidding feeling that formed inside his chest the second he heard the sound. Slowly he turned and took in the sight behind him, only vaguely realizing he had unconsciously activated his Sharingan. Sakura stood on the place he left her, trembling like a leaf in the wind
She was still tightly clutching a kunai in her shaking hand. Sasuke however couldn’t pull his gaze away from the slash on her hitae, right through the Konoha symbol. “I am coming with you.”
His eyes snapped towards back toward her face, green eyes ablaze with determination. Was this what she looked like when she protected Naruto and him in the Forest of Death? When did Sakura, his frail, little teammate who needed to be protected get so strong?
“Even if you don’t want me to, I will do whatever you want me to.”
Closing his eyes Sasuke spoke the words he knew he would regret. “Do as you wish.”
(04. Rolling in the Deep ←| Love Like Winter |→ Interlude I)
Author’s Note: I’d like to thank my friend and kick-ass beta-reader halfkyuubikat for making something of this chapter. She wove her magic over this chapter to make this far better then I’d hoped
mitsuki0tennyo 