Sai's POV

"So it seems..." he answered, I looked at the fretting figure of a man following the woman and her child. It would likely be a portrait of a happy family with a dark background and handful of disagreement and loathe from people around us.

I remember when it started.

It was years ago, when that person left a hole in the hearts of two maidens. Leaving without a word to them which left them saddened but one of them continued to look and persisted to bring him back home.

They were best friends and when things get rough they would stick to each other and lend a shoulder when they couldn't stand it no more. When tears were the only way for them to wash away the pain and sadness that they could not even describe, they cheer each other up and try to pull them from the hole that he left in their hearts.

I came to their lives with no idea of what 'friendship' is, but because of those two, I learned to be more expressive and valued them, both. The girl with a pink hair, Sakura, knew what exactly she felt for him. The blonde girl, Naruko, would always express what seemed to contradict what she really felt.

The understanding they had was something I could not understand. One wanting to bring back someone, who is dear in their life and going to extreme extents for a 'friend', showing that she wasn't really that matured or so I thought. The other whose hope quivers with every failure they collect and slowly try to mature faster and move on.

When they finally succeeded on bringing him home, the 'friendship' I saw came crumbling down slowly. The guy had come back and things were supposed to return to the way they want it to be, but it seemed that they lost track of time and forgot that things can't be the same anymore especially when you have all matured to be better than your past selves.

There was nothing to bind them back again. No glue that would be good enough to mend their broken hearts. They matured and evolved, but so did how their minds interpret feelings they once and always had for a 'friend'.

After knowing how Naruko felt for Sasuke, she felt like she was betraying Sakura and so, she distanced herself from Sasuke. Making sure that her heart won't beat faster than it should be, she made it clear to herself that Sasuke was off-limits.

Sasuke, on the other hand, never liked how she distanced herself from him when, before they would fight over small things and get on each other's nerves.

The distance was unflattering for him, no, it was giving him an ache somewhere in his chest and he knew what and why it does that. He could no longer deny and lie to himself, not when he is so close to her yet with one hand trying to reach out, she runs.

I remember how it all crumbled down like a candle that deteriorates slowly, their way slowly devoured in darkness.

FLASHBACK

We were done training in the woods, then Naruko suddenly walks away from us saying a lame excuse about looking for her watch in her apartment, although we all knew that she didn't even own a watch. To my surprise, Sasuke suddenly runs after her,

"Naruko!" Sasuke dashes at the fleeting figure of Naruko, until he finally catches up and grabs her hand,

"Ahh... Sasuke-kun, Let go..." Naruko said as she struggles to break free from Sasuke's grip,

"Not, until you tell me what's going on!" Sasuke said in a firm and angry tone. He looks straight into her eyes with determination,

"What do you mean 'what's going on'?" she said lowering her head with her bangs covering her eyes,

"What's happening to you?! Why do you keep avoiding me?! What's wrong?" Sasuke said, his face full of regrets and pain,

"It has nothing to do with you... I just need to be far from something," Naruko said as she looks up and faces Sasuke, seeing his face made her heart ache,

"It has everything to do with me! If you can't see it then let me tell you..." he said with his eyes pleading for a moment with her, "... Let me tell you how painful it is for me to see the person I care about most drifting further away from me... Just when I have finally... Finally decided to be true to what I frequently deny..."

"Sasuke-kun... Please... Stop talking to me... stay away from me... If we keep on doing the things we used to do... I'll end up..." she said hesitating for a brief moment, "... Falling for you... I'll break the friendship we made... and for me, it's not worth it at all!" she shouted,

"Then... Coming back was not the best choice I made after all..." Sasuke said with a sad smile on his face,

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruko asked with a worried face,

"I came back because I knew that you felt the same way for me... that if I face these feelings and accept them... I could have a chance to be happy with you... that I may not be simply your best friend... but more..." he said as he finally let her hand go, "... I thought that it was all worth it... but it seems that I was wrong..." he added, turned around and started to walk away,

"Where are you going?" Naruko asked, both worry and hesitation lingering, he halts,

"There is nothing for me here... therefore, there is no need to stay at all..." he said with his back facing Naruko, "... Naruko... This may be the last time I may be able to say this... but... I love you ever since we became friends... ever since you came annoying me every day... ever since I saw you that day... It turns out... I wasn't really annoyed because you were being too naïve and smiling... and constantly trying to prove something... I was simply jealous that that side of you was for everyone and not just for me..." he confessed and starts to walk away,

Naruko dashes and hugs him from the back, "Don't leave... Please..." she said with her face buried on his back, her tears wetting Sasuke's shirt,

"Then... What do you want me to do? Act like I don't know... Act like I'm some kind of rock that doesn't feel anything? Tell me, Naruko! What?! I endured long enough to keep my stupid façade... But I can't do it anymore..." He said without Naruko seeing, he was crying his heart out clutching his hand on his chest trying to keep his heart from feeling anymore painful than it already is feeling...

"Sasuke... I don't ...know... I don't want... you to ...leave that... is all... I know..." Naruko said in between sobs,

"Tell me truthfully then... Does Naruko love me?" Sasuke asked, earning a silence from Naruko, "Naruko, please... tell me..."

Both of them was still caught up in this moment and never even notice the presence of two people hiding behind big trunks of trees.

I and Sakura decided to walk home together when I heard their voices, but instead of intervening, Sakura grab hold of me and we hid by the tree. As the conversation gets more emotional, Sakura begins to tear up and covers her mouth,

"I... I love... you... " She said in a soft tone, soft enough to be heard by anyone in the perimeter, "I love you, Sasuke..." she repeated as she embraces him in a tighter hug,

"And I love Naruko... Does this mean that I can be with you? I promise that I will make Naruko happy... And that you will not regret this..." Sasuke said, he slowly loosen the grip of Naruko, turns around and cupped her face, "May I?" he asked, earning a small nod from Naruko.

The picture of the new couple kissing for the first time in the middle of the woods with the ray of the sun illuminating their figures, the trees and leaves dancing with the wind as if celebrating would have been a wonderful sight but with a woman in the background whose eyes are puffier than a pillow clearly stated that in every happy moments there is an equal amount of sadness...

End of FLASHBACK

Ever since then, Sakura and Naruko never were the same again. Sakura never spoke to Naruko unless needed and Naruko was kept approaching her friend but always failed to fixed what was now in pieces.

---------

Konnichiwa minna! Ogenki Desuka? 

cause i am clearly not... XD I have exams coming up and deadline on the corners... hope the you leave a comment and vote... 

tell me how you feel... got a new haircut... XD