Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Conflicts ❯ Past to Present ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto… just the plot.

A/N: Chapter would start in Sakura's POV

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9:00 am, Thursday, its exactly five and a half years when Sasuke left Konoha. He talked so much about leaving. I never thought he'd really do it. He told me, that day, after our training. I could still remember his words ever so clearly, and still, even if five years had passed, its still fresh in my mind. As I he had just said it, and it still hurts me just as worse as the first time.

I tried to stop him, I told him how I felt about him. I told him that the love I have for him isn't the childhood crush I had for him before. But he just smirked, telling me that all of those I just said are merely a childhood hallucinations. He told me that he'll never be capable of feeling love, especially for a girl like me. He wanted to leave, but I didn't let him go. I grabbed his arm, but he yanked me away and threw me down. His sharingan eyes glaring at me.

I tried to stop him but he didn't even look back. He did not see the saline droplets staining my cheeks. He didn't care at all… He left for power, he left because he wanted revenge. I want him to come back. Back to us… to me. But im afraid he wont.

Five years passed, I became a chuunin, then a jounin, and now, a strategist for the ANBU team. I became one because of him. I wanted very much to be a hunter-nin then. Why? Sasuke was declared a missing-nin, exiled ninja of the Leaf, but I wasn't good enough to be a hunter-nin, but I have been placed in the strategist's team. Being an ANBU helped me change, and im proud of it. I've finally gotten over Sasuke. I've lost all my emotions for him. Im no longer the Sakura who hopelessly chased after the child prodigy by the name of Sasuke Uchiha. The moment Sasuke left the Leaf, the Sasuke I knew died… he died.

Right now… in Tsunade's office. A new mission was placed upon my feet. I have longed to be involved in this kind of mission. Retrieval. Tsunade had not told me who to retrieve. She wanted to wait for another individual. A hunter-nin. The one who would be my partner during this mission.

"Sakura?" Tsunade's voice rang out the room.

My thoughts snapped back to reality once more as I turned to the door. I thought my partner had arrived. But still, he hasn't. Considering how long I have already waited, he would be almost as late as Kakashi-sensei when we had meetings. I turned to the clock and frowned, actually he was not really late, its just 9:30 in the morning, I arrived at 9:00. This meeting should still be held at 10. I have turned up early that surprised even the Hokage. Its clearly my fault that I have to wait this long.

"Sakura? Are you ok? If you want, you can still take a walk outside and wander around. Its too early anyway." Tsunade smiled.

I turned to her and nodded. I walked out of the room and into the forest. I really don't know why my feet lead me here. Tears sprang to my eyes again. Too much memories have returned at the moment I stepped into this clearing. The place where our first training was held and also… our last…

==End of POV==

Sakura sat down under a tree, overlooking the river. She sighed and closed her eyes. After a while, she heard a thump against wood… kunai… another thump, lighter… shuriken… clash against metal, this one struck her a long time to register the sound. Her hand crept to the tattoo on her shoulder, somehow it comforted her to know that she is an ANBU. She took a deep breath and placed the mask upon her face and went over to the noise. Hiding her presence as well as her chakra, she walked over to the source of the sound. She smiled slightly, she recognized fully the mocha-colored hair and the pearly-white eyes of the person in front of her. "Neji-san…" Sakura placed a hand behind her.

"Kunoichi, what do you want?"

"You do know me right?" She then entwined her fingers, smiling behind her mask.

"Haruno-san, don't underestimate me."

Sakura dropped her hands beside her limply and slumped a little. "How did you know…?"

"Beside your voice, the hand behind your back are one of your mannerisms whenever you greet a person. Second, when one entwine hands, it means that he or she had seen the person before or at least, knew the one he or she is talking to, its familiar. Lastly, slumping like that with your arms limp indicates that im correct."

Sakura sighed and nodded, removing her mask. "Neji-san, you're too observant. Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"If it isn't too obvious enough, then I'll tell you, im training."

"Oh…" she laughed nervously.

Neji broke her gaze and walked past her to gather his kunai. "Now, if you will excuse me, I should be leaving, I still have more to do."

Sakura looked up at the sun and flinched, "its high up…" She gasped as she saw the positioning of the sun, almost mid-day, about ten o'clock. Her eyes widened and turned to Neji, but he already left. She then headed back to Tsunade's office. "Tsunade-sama!" she burst inside.

"Sakura" she smiled, "don't worry, you're still the first one here. You're partner hasn't arrived still."

Sakura sighed and sat down, looking at the clock, "9:52, still not that late." She then closed her eyes and waited.

Eight more minutes passed when a knock was at last heard upon the door.

"At last…" Sakura smiled as her gaze went to the door, but due to some unknown reason, her face was heating up while her heart rate increased as the door slowly opened.

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A/N: Ok, first chapter done… I hope you already know why I called this fic "Conflicts". If not then update more… also reviews are appreciated. See you in the next chapter! "Missions"