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Forgetting Sasuke	By : CutieSakura Category: Naruto > General Views: 1229 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Disclaimer: Not mine.
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The sun had begun to set, turning the sky brilliant shades of orange and pink. Everything was still and silent but for the occasional breeze rustling through the trees, and quiet footsteps on the forest floor.
The group moved at a slow pace, most having exhausted their chakra throughout the day. Sakura was conscious, walking of her own accord, Sasuke beside her, holding her hand. They stayed at the front of the group, keeping their eyes focused only ahead, unwilling and unable to face the constant looks of sympathy and concern coming from their teammates. Kakashi walked directly behind them, rounding out all that was left of Team Seven.
Asuma had long since relieved Kakashi of Naruto�s body; Kakashi had expended far too much chakra during the attack, and then the mission, especially considering his already weakened state, having left the hospital to fight. Asuma walked alongside Shikamaru at the back of the line, carrying the once boisterous ninja�s body on his back.
Shikamaru once would have laughed at the absurd sight of his masculine, macho sensei carrying anyone piggyback, let alone Uzumaki Naruto. Now however, the genius nin�s expression, usually so calculating and unreadable, reflected what all those present felt.
Even Izumo and Kotetsu, usually so talkative, felt the weight of the loss. They walked in silence in the middle of the group, Neji between them.
Neji was drained, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Behind him was being carried the body of a good friend; waiting at home was the body of another good friend, his teammate of several years, not to mention how many countless others they would discover were lost during the battle.
It was too much to bear. Neji watched the three in front of him, understanding what they were going through, and yet knowing he could never fathom how deep their loss actually was. Lee was his friend, his teammate, an exuberant idiot, but someone he could always count on and someone he cared for with his entire being.
So why was the loss of Naruto, of obnoxious, loud-mouthed, �just-doesn�t-get-it� annoying, �never-gives-up� Uzumaki Naruto affecting him even more deeply?
Naruto had enabled him to understand his past, and to redefine his future. Naruto had given him a gift so great he had believed it impossible until the stupid, unyielding idiot slapped him in the face with it, changing his life.
But he had ten years with Lee, from the academy, to their placement on Maito Gai�s team, and all of the years that followed. Ten years of camaraderie, of friendship. Years with missions they accomplished, with Lee�s ridiculous one-sided rivalry with Neji, years of talks they had as a team-
-of talks they had as a team regarding the events that unfolded with Kakashi�s team. They admitted then that they could never understand what Naruto and Sakura went through when Sasuke left, betraying them and everything they had built.
Neji had come to realize, in getting to know Sakura, that Naruto was the glue that held her together; he was the glue that held everything and everyone together. Inspiration; in no other word could Naruto be more defined. Idiotic, moronic, goofy Uzumaki Naruto was the heart and soul of Team Seven, the inspiration of Konohagakure.
Neji�s eyes drifted back to the three in front of him. Kakashi�s shoulders drooped more than usual, and, even from behind, made him look older, worn, beaten. Through Kakashi, he could see Sasuke and Sakura, walking side by side, their fingers laced together. Sasuke walked with his shoulders back, always the Uchiha, proud and tall no matter the circumstance, yet Neji could see the discrepancies; the slight shaking of his arms at his sides, the shallowness of his steps, the gaze fixed forward, as though unaware of his surrounding entirely.
Beside him was Sakura, broken. Her shoulders slumped, her head hung low; nothing of the strong, willful, feisty woman Neji knew and loved existed in the hollow shell in front of him. She was able put one foot in front of the other only by drawing strength from the hand entwined with hers.
She stumbled, tripping over some imaginary obstacle. Sasuke unlaced his fingers from hers and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her to him as they walked.
The brilliant orange-pink hues of the sunset, reminding Neji so much of the inseparability of Naruto and Sakura, faded away into the darkness of night. �Night has fallen, for all of us��
Kakashi took the forward position, stepping around Sasuke. He led them off the path into the trees toward a small clearing. His voice, though soft, rang out, breaking the silence, �We�ll stop here for the night; continue on in the morning.�
* * * * *
Izumo started a fire. Kotetsu had gone out to gather food, bringing back ample amounts of berries and a rabbit, although no one had any appetite.
Neji watched as Asuma laid out Naruto�s body a few meters from the group in an effort to spare everyone as much pain as possible. Kakashi sat down next to the blond�s still form, unwilling to move. �Kakashi, you can�t keep torturing yourself,� Asuma said gently.
Kakashi nodded absently, his gaze fixed. Asuma returned to the group in silence, lighting a cigarette and inhaling deeply. Shikamaru wordlessly grabbed the butt from his sensei�s lips, putting it to his own and taking a long drag before handing it back.
Neji turned his head to Sakura, sitting beside him on a log. Her long legs stretched out in front of her, her arms supporting her from behind; her green eyes stared, unseeing, into the flames. He fought the urge to reach out to her.
Beside her sat Sasuke, his dark eyes taking in every motion and movement of the group, at times flicking over to Kakashi and� only to turn away seconds later, trying to hide the pained expression that kept creeping across his features. He would frequently turn to Sakura, occasionally meeting Neji�s gaze. They would hold eye contact for a moment before looking away, only to repeat the process seconds, or minutes, or hours later.
Izumo, Kotetsu, Asuma, and finally Kakashi had gone to sleep. Shikamaru wordlessly joined Neji on the log, hunching over, his hands joined together at the fingertips.
Neji had lost all track of time. How long had they been sitting there in silence? It felt as though it had been several hours, several lifetimes.
Sakura was the one to break the silence. �I don�t understand�� she whispered into the flames. The three men turned to her. �I don�t understand what went wrong��
�Wrong?� echoed Sasuke questioningly.
�I had the research, the texts� I studied the theory, the application� it should have worked, but it didn�t� it didn�t work and I don�t understand why.�
Neji turned to her, finally taking her hand into his. �It doesn�t matter why,� he said gently, �attempting it, Sakura, regardless of its failure, was incredibly foolish.�
Sakura turned sharply, jerking her hand out of his, getting to her feet. She glared down at him, her expression one of cold fury. �That you would say that to me, Hyuuga Neji,� she said slowly, her tone low and dangerous, �you don�t know me at all.�
She turned, walking into the darkness of the trees. Neji jumped up to go after her, but Sasuke�s hand on his chest stopped him. �What does she mean?� he asked, his eyes narrowed on Neji. �And what did you mean?�
Neji stepped back; Sasuke�s arm dropped to his side. The two men stared at one another. He sighed. �The ninjutsu she tried to perform,� Neji explained, �when we found Naruto, it�s a jutsu that transfers a user�s chakra life force into the dead, reanimating the dead, at the cost of the user�s life.�
Sasuke�s eyes widened in comprehension; he nodded. He looked into the direction Sakura had taken off in, before glancing back once more at Neji. �She�s right. You don�t know her.� He took off after her.
* * * * *
The full moon provided dim light through the forest canopy. Sakura sat on a boulder, looking out at the diamonds of light reflected in the running water of the stream. Tears ran down her cheeks.
She sensed the chakra presence nearing. �Go away.�
Instead the intruder approached, sitting down behind her. �Sakura��
Sakura sighed, instinctively leaning back into Sasuke�s chest, feeling his arms wrap around her. �I had to get away.�
He rested his chin on her shoulder, putting his cheek to hers, whispering, �I know.�
She took his hands in hers, wrapping his arms more tightly around her, squeezing. She leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder, looking up past the forest canopy into the starry sky. A gentle breeze chilled the tears on her cheeks. �I feel��
��empty,� he finished.
�Yes�� she whispered.
�I know.�
Silence fell between them. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest. She listened to the sound of the stream, the sound of his soft breathing beside her, the sound of his heart beating in time with her own, with every single life affirming beat punctuating her grief.
�This is so hard��
�I know.� He gave her a gentle squeeze with his arms, pulling her more tightly to him.
She blinked back more tears. �Nothing is ever going-�
�-to be the same.�
She turned to him, her eyes meeting his, �How are we supposed to go on, Sasuke?�
He looked at her desperately, shaking his head, whispering, �I� I don�t know.�
She studied him, taking in his fair complexion, translucent in the moonlight, and his obsidian eyes, reflecting all the pain she felt as they bore into her soul.
Her hand reached up to his cheek, turning him to her more completely. She leaned forward, pulling him to her, kissing him.
It started softly, slow and unhurried. Finally he pulled away, locking his eyes on hers. Wordlessly, he turned her body around to face him, taking her in his arms and kissing her once more, this time deeply, desperately.
Sakura wrapped her arms around him. Her hand slipped into his raven hair, her other down his back, kissing him with every fiber of her being. She could feel Sasuke�s hands in her hair, on her waist, gripping her tightly, kissing her with ferocious need.
They pulled apart for a moment, breathing heavily, staring at one another intently. Suddenly they were kissing again, unable to keep apart. Sasuke�s hands flew over Sakura�s body as her hands danced over his. Sakura pushed herself against him, knocking him off balance. They went tumbling to the ground, still entwined and uncaring, breaking apart only long enough for comfort before Sasuke�s lips were once more on hers. He pulled away, kissing down her neck, her clavicle, sliding the zipper of her shirt down for access to her chest.
Her hands ran through his hair, down his back, gripping his shoulders as his tongue teased the delicate skin of her breast. Finally she could take no more and grabbed him by his hair, pulling him back to her lips, which he desperately captured in his own. Her hand slipped down between their bodies to his erection. He groaned, leaning into her touch, against her.
He kissed her deeply before pulling back, looking at her. �Sasuke�� she whispered, her eyes filled with desperate need.
�Sakura...� he said softly, the heat and passion he felt suddenly extinguishing. He pulled away.
She looked up at him in confusion. �Sasuke� what is it?�
He could only stare at her, speechless.
�I� thought you wanted me�� she whispered sadly, turning her head away as tears filled her eyes once more.
�Sakura,� he said firmly, his hand on her cheek, forcing her to look at him, �I do want you� but not like this.� He sat up, pulling her with him. �Sakura� when we�re together, like that, I want it to be because we both want it-�
�But I do-�
�-for the right reasons,� he stated clearly. �I don�t want to worry that you�re going to have any regrets come morning, and right now, with everything that�s happened� we both would.�
Sakura stared at him, her eyes filling with tears as she nodded. Sasuke wiped away her tears, leaning forward and kissing her gently. He helped her to her feet, zipping her top and brushing the dirt from her clothing. She did likewise before turning to walk away.
Sasuke stopped her, grabbing her wrist, pulling her to him in a powerful embrace �Sakura�� She wrapped her arms around him in turn.
They stood there, just holding one another.
* * * * *
Neji had stared after Sasuke as he walked away. He slumped back down beside Shikamaru.
�You alright?� asked Shikamaru.
�No,� Neji shook his head, �I�m not.�
Shikamaru reached over, grabbing Neji�s arm and squeezing reassuringly, unable to do anything else. The two sat there for quite some time in silence, watching the fire.
�Shikamaru?� said Neji after a long while.
�Yeah?�
�Do you ever feel like-� Neji stopped at the sound of footsteps approaching.
Sakura stepped out from the trees, Sasuke behind her. She gave Neji a contemptuous glare before walking around the fire to an unoccupied area, curling up on the ground.
Sasuke acknowledged both Neji and Shikamaru with a nod before lying down next to Sakura, who took his arm and wrapped it around her.
Neji sighed, turning to Shikamaru who could only shrug helplessly.
~~~~~

A/N: I�m not big on author notes, as you all know; I don�t like to divulge too much going on, but I figured this chapter needed it. Shorter, as you�ve noticed, it�s really kind of a breather after the last few intense emotion-charged chapters. I should be posting the next one shortly. In the meantime, please check out the gorgeous artwork the fabulous Fay-chan did at http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/40833820/ And as always, leave love!
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Forgetting Sasuke