The Dango Gesture...

Chapter 3: I Say Dreams, But I Mean Nightmares

March 26
Almost One Year After Last Encounter
Sakura's Pov
Land of Waterfalls

Sakura sighed as she walked up to the river. Dropping to her knees sent pain through her legs, but she was to tired to care. She quickly put her hands in the freezing water, ignoring the jolt the cold substance gave her.

Slurping on the water, she sighed satisfied that her throat no longer hurt. Falling to the ground also hurt, but her exhaustion made her less palpable to care really.

It was in the dead of night. She heard the faint chirping of crickets to her left, the sky was illuminated in the beauty of the world that no Shinobi or regular human could reach until death. The thought made Sakura feel strangely hollow inside.

She was tired. She was cold. She was hungry. At the moment all she wanted was to be in a warm bed, her stomach full, her exhaustion gone completely.

But such luxuries were for people who were 'alive', and that was something that Sakura was not. She was dead to the world, with the exception of a few people whom she'd come to trust but couldn't stay with, in fear of their safety.

Rolling over Sakura expected to see green grass, but she then realized that she wouldn't be able to see anything, the dark was something that Sakura didn't co-exist with as well as she wanted.

Sighing for about the thousandth time that day, Sakura barely made it to her knees, before wanting to collapse again.

Still the weak link?

The thought alone pissed her off. No, because she wasn't a link anymore. She wasn't apart of them anymore. She was no longer weak little Sakura. Useless, annoying, supportive Sakura.

Now thoroughly pissed, Sakura shot up to her feet, albeit a bit shakily but none the less she was on her feet and heading back to her make-shift camp for the night.

When she arrived, it appeared that nothing had been touched, but she knew better, her backpack, which had been securely sat up against the tree when she'd left, was tipped over.

Oh no...

Walking over slowly, Sakura knew what to expect. Peering over the edge she found crumbs on the ground.

The only good that she'd had left was now sufficiently gone, and she was left hungry yet once again.

Sakura fell on her tailbone with a large sigh. Slumping against the tree Sakura felt a familiar lump in her throat, and a constricting pain in her chest.

Breathing deeply, Sakura began to shove the feeling down again, just as she'd been doing for two years now.

But the lump just wouldn't go away! She tried swallowing air to make it easier, but that only increased her pain. It soon became hard to breath, causing her to pant in a way that made her whole body shake in tremors.

Not long after, Sakura felt her tears strewn down her face, her nose scrunched up as she tried to suppress the sob that she felt coming on, she brought her lips back as it escaped her throat.

She was tired! She was hungry! She was cold! She barely had enough money for food, let alone a hotel room to keep her room! Her only good had just been eaten by a fucking animal! No good work was available! Who was she kidding!? She should've just stayed where she was safe, because all she felt right now was pain, utter gut-wrenching pain that she'd been suppressing for two fucking years!

She couldn't do this, she thought as she fell forward, curling into the fetal position. She could not do this! She was so stupid!

Thoughts came rushing back, hurting her already pulsing head.