" Mom, can't you just stay with me for the night. The rain might get heavier, the nights can't be trusted in this season " said Sakura.
Sakura and Mrs Haruno stood out, in front of the building housing Sakura's apartment, underneath the cover of Mebuki's umbrella (which had been given her by Sasuke). While the rain poured heavily, with occasional short tremulous sounds of thunders.
" I have nothing to worry about. My two guardian angels will protect me, " said Mebuki with a smile.
Sakura groans. " Mom! I told you it was Naruto and Sasuke, " she said with a frown.
" Those two had not been around for one and half years. The Naruto you usually spoke about, was different from the blond angel whom carried my groceries, and the Uchiha boy you spoke so harshly about was nothing like the beautiful gentleman whom caught me before I could fall. I do not deny them being the people you claim them to be, but the boys you once knew them as left more than a year ago and never returned " said Mebuki calmly watching the heavy droplets hit and splatter on the already wet ground before them.
' Yeah, mom is right. They have changed. I noticed Naruto's, but I didn't get to see Sasuke's. Him being like that, it makes him appear so unfamiliar, ' thought Sakura.
" I don't feel like I know this angel Sasuke, he's just so different from who he used to be. How can I be with a guy that changes like that, " she said.
Mebuki gazes at Sakura with a furrowed brow, " isn't that rich coming from you? You complain, about how he's never around and he has never treated you like a real person. And now that he is finally doing so, you say he's a stranger. No, I don't think the Uchiha is the stranger. I think it's you ".
" Mom...! ", " hey don't mom me. I'm telling you the truth. Now it's time for you to face your truth. Confirm with yourself, whether you still have feelings for him or not, " Mebuki places her hand on Sakura's shoulder.
" I'm your mother. I'll always support you, but you have to come to terms with and understand your own feelings. You don't want to get stuck in your youth " said Mebuki.
Sakura didn't know what to say, except watch her mother smile at her and withdraw walking away from her. Mebuki expected her daughter to go back inside, to avoid the rain, but the pink haired medic kept watching her mother stroll on, as the rain poured over the same clothes which she had on the previous day.
The pink haired kunoichi, whom is known across the elemental nations, not just for her skills and dexterity when it came to medical ninjutsu, but also her unparalleled strength as a ninja and student of the fifth Hokage: Tsunade Senju.
Could only watch as an horror unfolded before her, when her mother had gotten a twelve feet distance from her...
Drenched in rainwater, Sasuke woke up with a slightly blurred vision, he tried rubbing his eyes with the back of his index to clear his vision. That didn't help much, so he pressed his hand against the wet ground, which had a puddle of water and got himself up unto his feet.
" Falling asleep in the rain, this can't end we- " He coughs.
Sasuke touches his clothes, and he was completely drenched, his clothes were sticking to his body and he could feel his chest was cold. The only temporary heat he had, was from coughing, which barely lasted a second.
" Crap, catching a cold is even more pathetic than sleeping in the rain, in this dark alley. Now where is that umbrella, " Sasuke said to himself.
While he searched around for his umbrella, which he feared the wind must have carried off somewhere. Noticed Sakura and Mebuki.
Immediately, Sasuke forgot about the umbrella and stepped closer to the alleys exit, but hidden enough to not be caught by either women. Suffering the rain, Sasuke watched keenly as both women spoke.
The Uchiha couldn't hear them, so he focused on the movements of their lips, and began to translate and understand what they were talking about. Learning that Sakura thought of him a stranger, got Sasuke feeling slightly forlorn.
He wasn't sure what else he should be doing, as Mebuki began to walk away from her daughter. Had he been less proficient, or had weaker ocular prowess, he might not have seen it.
That small tear in the clouds, which from it cascaded that grey, thick and jagged streak of lightning. It's evident course was Mebuki Haruno; right above the umbrella, which was above her head.
Like one would toward an hostile, the Uchiha reacted. On an impulse far greater than his thoughts, feelings or desires, Sasuke moved. Every cell in his body wakes up with alacrity, blood vessels warms up and the luminous mangekyo Sharingan reappeared. This time, it blazed with passion.
The chirping sounds of birds filled the ambiance, as chakra infused electricity generated by the Uchiha's entire body crackled violently behind him. Thus his position in the alley became vacant, under the span of a second.
Sasuke closes the considerable gap between Mrs Haruno and him, he knocks the umbrella out of her hands and before the inevitable lightning could strike down on her.
Tearing through the back of his drenched clothe, huge 220cm long purple wings unfurls. Sasuke's wings came forward, as he pulled Mrs Haruno down with him.
Sasuke brings her close to his chest, then shield her underneath the cover of his wings, which though heavily resilient became the target of the lightning strike. The Uchiha on the verge of recovering, felt his wings twitch as three more hot, and shocking bolts of lightning fell and struck them hard.
At the end of them, Sasuke's wings had gotten completely shrivelled, scotched and slightly smoking.
Sakura's hands flew to her mouth, stifling a scream, at the sight of Sasuke's evident pain. Sasuke with trembling hands, let go of Mrs Haruno and tried withdrawing.
However, the Uchiha had only managed to turn, and fall on his face with his shrivelled wings down on the floor, whilst sticking out of his back.
Mebuki rose up slowly, heart palpitating. Her eyes widens in horror, and disbelief, recognizing who her savior was. Immediately, Mebuki ran over to Sasuke and knelt down at his side, careful not to touch his wings which scotched parts seemed dangerous.
Sakura wasn't sure what to do, and she couldn't even hear her mother calling out to her to join her in helping the Uchiha. She just stood there frozen to the spot, till a brain bursting thunder roars and the world around her reverberated.
Sakura wakes up, and her left foot went forward first, before the other followed towards the fallen Uchiha. . .
- SOMETIME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT -
With a groan in the night, Sasuke stirred slowly awake from his slumber. The Uchiha's first action was sitting up, while his eyes were yet shut. Sasuke's eyes twitched, then he opens them.
The sight of an unfamiliar bedroom, which only source of light was from that of a small lampstand on the bedside table at his left. Sasuke flexes his arms, and though he found it odd that he was fine, he also noticed he wasn't in his wet clothes; instead, he was donned in a black on black pajamas.
' How strange ' He thought.
Sasuke reaches for his back, and his wings were neither out, nor was his Sharingan active. It confirmed the involvement of an external factor, whom was able to force his body into a resting and recovered state.
' It has to have been Naruto. But then, this place is unfamiliar. Where am I? '
Sasuke began glancing around, till his eyes eventually found the most beautiful person he'd ever known. Haruno Sakura, sitting in slumber with her back against the closed door of her bedroom.
Sakura's face was down on the back of her hands, which were resting upon her knees. And Sasuke could not help but smile at the image, of a slumbering Sakura.
' There is not a shred of worry. Resting without fear, ' thought Sasuke watching her.
The Uchiha decided to make as little a sound as possible, as he stealthily approached the sleeping pink haired, with a wide precious forehead.
Sasuke stops one foot from Sakura, and goes down on his feet, hugging his knees has he watched her with a satisfied smile. Sasuke notices a strand of hair hanging loosely, at the side of her hair, thus he raised it with his left index and traps it behind Sakura's ear.
Withdrawing his arm, Sasuke remained as he was, and continued watching Sakura devotedly for several minutes.
" I'm awake you know, you can stop staring now, " said Sakura with her eyes closed. " I know, but I don't think I can stop looking at you " Sasuke replied.
The honesty and the coolness of his voice, tempted Sakura to take just the shortest glance at him. But Sakura refused, shooting down the temptation.
" How long have you been staring at me? " Sakura asked, " ten minutes perhaps. Though I would be willing to spend hours doing so, if only to make up for all the times I have ignored you and starved myself of your love and warmth " said Sasuke.
" Hmm, you're even good with your words now... Well you never really lacked in any aspect, " said Sakura.
Sasuke wasn't too surprised, though saddened by Sakura's indifference.
' Nothing I do, seems to be able to shake her. I've I really lost her? ' Sasuke thought.
Sakura gets up and turns her back to Sasuke, turning the door knob and opening the door. Pulling it open, Sakura proceeds out from the bedroom towards her apartment living room; which had one couch, a punching bag hanging down from it's ceiling, a safe distance away from the ceiling fan which was spinning round and round. Filling the room, with cool night air.
Sasuke watched Sakura go to the small kitchen of her apartment, and retrieve a pink cup. In which, she found and picked up a jug filled with water. Sakura pours herself a full cup of water, and chugs it without ceasing, till all the water had gone down her throat and into her belly.
Sakura grabs hold of her kitchen's sink, and subconsciously strengthened her hold on it while looking at the white tiled wall in front of her in the light of her kitchen's blue electric bulb.
' No. I cannot give up, even if she gives up. Sakura has held unto me for way too long, for me to desert her again after all that I've done, ' Sasuke thought.
Feeling more resolute, Sasuke got back on his feet, abdicates the bedroom and walked over to the kitchen, and as he advanced Sakura speaks.
" Sasuke, stop. You've already done enough, leave. Just go, I don't need you, " said Sakura in protest, while refusing to turn and look at him.
Sasuke refused as well to turn away from his decision, and kept advancing till he came and embraced Sakura from behind. The pink haired kunoichi stood shocked, by the warm embrace she had never got from him.
" I know I'm a douchebag, a jerk who doesn't deserve your love... Not once in all my rogue years, did I think a day would come when I would really curse at the day when I knocked you out cold and left you on the cold floor of the village's exit, " Sasuke frowns,
" thinking of it, makes me want to curse and go back in time. I want to tell that thirteen year old fool, who let you alone and wandered off into the darkness, that he's a fool and that he was making a big mistake. There however, is no excuse, that can ever erase the fact that I tried to kill you, "
Sakura felt Sasuke's body shudder at the mention of that day, the day in which she had also wanted to kill him so they all might stop hurting one another.
" I have continuously done you wrong, and I feared I would keep doing so. But this heart of mine, keeps screaming your name, loud into my ears that I thought I was going mad. Death seemed like the best option, but there you were again, smiling at me, hoping that I would return into the light with you.
" Sakura, I've hurt you. And that is precisely why. I cannot leave you again, no, not for a moment. I don't mind being a nuisance, the bothering Uchiha. Your very own, number one fanboy. You may not need me anymore, but I still very much need you. Because, Sakura Haruno. I'm madly in love with you "
Sakura turns around to him, looking him in the eye, searching vehemently for deception. " What did you say? " Sakura asked.
Sasuke notices another loose strand on the other side of Sakura's hair, and with a smile he tucks that strand behind her ear, an action which made Sakura's heart start racing.
Sasuke's eyes tilt up to Sakura's wide forehead, and he couldn't help himself from reaching out and gently pressing his right thumb against it, before swiping from left to right over the surface of her forehead's diamond.
" I've known it for a while, but I know now I can say that I love you... I went around, and found that there was no one like you in this world. I need your love, because you complete me, Sakura " said Sasuke with a smile.
' I shouldn't, but I want to. He might hurt me again, but I still want to, this is not right but I really still want him. My heart hasn't changed, it still beats for him, my heart still beats for Sasuke Uchiha ' thought Sakura.
Sakura reached out, and cups Sasuke's face in her hand, staring him dead in his eyes.
" Make a vow to me, that if you break my heart. You will die, " said Sakura.
" I vow to you Sakura, that the day I break your heart. That will be the day it stops beating. My heart, my soul, and my body I dedicate to you wholly. I have asked the heavens, to let a breath that does not live for you escape my being and never return to me. I also, vow to drink deep of your love, till you hate and grow tired of me " said Sasuke.
Needing no more words concerning the matter, Sakura and Sasuke drew near to each other till their eyes closes and their lips met for their first of many kisses.
Thank you for reading. Remember to vote and drop a comment.