Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Save Your Last Dance For Me ❯ Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Pain Vanishes Away

 

Sakura went straight to fix some things in her locker after Lee treated her to some snacks at the cafeteria. She was humming a tune, glad that she knew to be true to herself and sad that she had to turn down good guys (are Lee and Gaara good guys? Haha…). But she felt okay about herself even if she wasn't even sure of coming to the dance.

 

She continued fixing until a figure of what seems to be a guy, emerged beside her. She glanced at the guy and saw just the boy she loved all her life. She gazed at him full of love and at a moment, the memories came back all of a sudden. Sasuke managed a small smile. “Oh hi, Sasuke.” Sakura greeted softly. They were the only persons in the locker hall since it was almost about five in the afternoon. Sakura went back to fixing her locker, pretending that she didn't care that Sasuke was there.

 

“What do you need, Sasuke-kun? Need to borrow some notes? I have all in here. Need to share a problem? I can listen but maybe later and well, if I can help you. What is it?” Sakura asked, still pretending to fix her locker and ignoring Sasuke. “We need to talk.” Sasuke replied softly in his usual serious voice, but this time it seems to be full of emotions. Sakura stopped abruptly. It seems something else. “What about?” Sakura asked dryly. She tried as much as possible to show that she had no interest about it, which is completely the opposite. Sasuke sighed. “We need to talk about us.” He said. “There had never been an `us', Sasuke.” Sakura was shocked of the words that came from her mouth. She called Sasuke by the first name - without `kun'. The pain came back all of a sudden and suddenly her heart ached. The tears I did not cry, she thought. Sasuke was even shocked about it.

 

“Sakura, everything changed between us when I came back to Konoha. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way - I know you knew this too. I feel that every single day that passes; the distance is becoming father between us.” Sasuke said. “Changed? Nothing changed, Sasuke-kun. I'm the same old Haruno Sakura, you're most annoying fan girl and teammate… and you're still… the same Sasuke. What's the matter? Maybe you're just imagining.” Sakura said, trying hard not to take Sasuke's statement seriously. But deep inside, she knew that everything has changed. Her feelings changed and she had to distance away from Sasuke. But she did not want to let him know about it and the reason behind everything.

 

“I don't know. I just feel that way. Things weren't the same as it used to be. I know you well, Sakura. Yeah I don't know if I'm imagining, but I feel like you're not the same fan girl and teammate I had. You became less cheerful especially around me. What is the reason, Sakura? Your feelings changed… toward me.” Sasuke said with all concern. He wanted to know the truth badly. He had noticed this since he came back to Konoha. But he wasn't sure if Sakura just became matured or if he did something wrong.

 

Sakura did not answer. She felt like tears wanted to come from her eyes but she had promised herself that she would never cry again because of Sasuke. She shook her tears away, and tried to continue fixing her things. “Sakura… why? I want to know the reason.” Sasuke said softly.

 

Sakura slammed down the book she was holding and stood up to face Sasuke. She wouldn't run away now. “You want to know the reason why, Uchiha Sasuke? Why I stopped being so close to you? Why I changed toward you? It's because I want to forget all about you. I want to erase you from my memory. I did not want to remember you. Do you know all the pain you've caused me? I want to forget about all of that.” Sakura felt tears welling down her cheeks. Sasuke was tongue-tied.

 

“You know, when you left Konoha I couldn't stop thinking about you - especially what you did to me before you left the gates of Konoha. I wonder why you had to go and leave me here yet there's still hope in my heart that someday you'd come back for me and someday you'll love me like I did for you. You know what? I hoped and hoped that someday I'll see you again. I can't sleep at night thinking of you especially when Naruto left to find you… But when he returned without you, I lose all my hope. I lost all my dreams. I lost you, Sasuke… I lost the joy of my life…” Sakura paused for a while to contain herself.

 

“After sleepless nights and grieving days, I decided for myself that I will forget about you. I promised that I will never cry and I'll never think about you. Do you know how hard it is, Sasuke? It would take a lifetime to forget you. It's hard but I almost achieved it before you came back to Konoha. And when you came back… everything came back. The painful memories of you and me came back… The love and pain came back to me…”

 

“It's been hard, Sasuke. It's hard to forget a person when you see him everyday. I had to distance from you even if it hurts me so bad. All I can keep is the fact that you'd never love me like I did for you and you'll just hurt me and leave me here again if I'd love you still. Ino said she wants to be closer to you so I gave her a chance… Sasuke, that's the whole reason… Now you know… I hope you're happy now.” Sakura had tears in her eyes. She can barely contain herself. All the things she kept in her heart - she released all of them; the pain, the love, the things she had long to let go. She grabbed her things in her locker and started walking away but slowly and slowly…

 

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He himself was hurt of what he learned about Sakura. He felt so guilty and at the same time he almost wanted to kill himself for causing so much pain to the girl he loved all his life. There was only one thing he could say to Sakura…

 

“I'm sorry, Sakura.” Sasuke mumbled softly but enough for Sakura to hear. Sakura stopped but tried to ignore it. She didn't turn back but Sasuke did turn to her and walked near her. “Sakura… I mean it. I'm really sorry. I know `sorry' couldn't make up for all the pain I've caused you. I knew the pain you went through was hard. I'm sorry if I hurt you. I'm sorry if I left you here alone. I'm sorry if my heart was full of hatred and I didn't appreciate the things you did for me. I'm sorry if…”

 

Sakura faced Sasuke but still with tears. “It's alright, Sasuke-kun. You don't have to be sorry… you don't have to be sorry that you didn't love me… I'm sorry if I bursted out and had to say these useless things… Besides, it was not any of your fault… I was just so foolish… of loving you… Well, never mind these things…” Sakura said, managing a small little forced smile.

 

“No, Sakura. It was my entire fault. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to show you that I loved you too.” Sasuke had finally said it. The moment was right, but not with all the tears Sakura was crying. What Sasuke said had gotten Sakura's attention. “What do you mean, Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asked. She was puzzled about it.

 

“I mean it, Sakura. I wasn't able to show you that I loved you. I ignored you, I showed you that you were so annoying, I pretended that I didn't care about what you did to make me impress of you. What happened at the gates of Konoha - that's the thing I regret most in my life. Really, Sakura. I love you even from the start. I really do…” Sasuke said. He can't look straight at Sakura. She made him remember the guilt and both the pain of leaving her. “Oh, Sasuke-kun… I don't believe this.” Sakura mumbled both in disbelief and uncertain happiness.

 

“If you won't love me anymore, I'd accept that. After all the pain I've caused you, I don't know if you'd still love me. I understand that, Sakura…” Sasuke's voice trailed off. He wished that she still loved him yet he could see that that was impossible to happen. But Sakura held Sasuke's hands. These were the hands she would really love to hold - not Gaara's, nor Lee's. Now she can hold Sasuke's hands without his permission. This was the moment she had waited for though she couldn't believe that it was happening. Her dream boy, Sasuke-kun had just told her that he loved her back.

 

“Oh, Sasuke-kun. I still love you… It's true and I have already accepted that it would really take a life time to forget you. I loved you since the very start, Sasuke-kun… I am still loving you and I'd always do… oh Sasuke, the moment has finally came…” Sakura mumbled.

 

Their faces neared each other inch by inch. They both closed their eyes and fell into a deep kiss. Sakura could never imagined that the greatest Uchiha loved her back. The Uchiha Sasuke a lot of fan girls are running into, the greatest genius ever known, the best-looking boy in the whole wide world loved her back. Sasuke loves me! Sasuke loves me! This phrase rang back in her mind as they were kissing.

 

Sasuke on the other hand never felt this happy in his whole life. Yeah, he was happy and relieved when he made up with Itachi and found his family but nothing so different and joyful as that moment. So this is love, he thought, which Naruto, Neji and even Lee talked about.

 

When they've recovered, they looked at each other full of love. Their eyes met for a long time. Then suddenly, Sakura felt so in loved with Sasuke's eyes again. The pain was starting to vanish away. After all the tears she cried, she thought that it was all worth it.

 

“You know what, Sasuke-kun? I really love your eyes. They're too dark and I really love it. You are so cute…” Sakura said, giggling. Sasuke smiled and gave her a sigh. “You're being a fan girl again, Sakura-chan.” He said, smiling. Sakura giggled more with the thought of Sasuke calling her with a `chan'. “Haha… I'm the number-one Uchiha fan girl but I'm different from the others. I'm the only one Sasuke-kun loves.” Sakura said, and smiled. Sasuke pulled her closer for a hug.

 

“You'd forgive me for everything, wouldn't you?” Sasuke asked Sakura. “No I won't! No I won't!” Sakura teased. They both laughed.

“There's one thing more, Sakura-chan…” Sasuke said. Sakura paid attention. “Would you go with me to the Christmas Dance?” Sasuke asked, without nervousness or uncertainty in his voice. “Of course, Sasuke-kun! Dancing with you is my greatest dream!” Sakura exclaimed happily. She was really so happy.

 

“So that's why you turned down Lee and Gaara - because of me… I'm so flattered, Sakura-chan. I feel like I'm blessed to go with the most beautiful girl in the whole universe.” Sasuke said with a smile. “You should be, because you're the only one I agreed with out of seven boys who asked me.” Sakura teased. Sasuke laughed and so did Sakura. They were so happy they couldn't express it in words - just with smiles and smirks.

 

“You know, Sakura? I love you.” Sasuke said. Sakura smiled. “Of course you do. And I love you too, Sasuke.” She mumbled. They fell into a deep kiss once again…