Yin and Yang

Chapter 3

Sakura

She sat on the bench she'd woken up on, all those years ago. Woken up to heartbreak, and a life of suffering and the feeling of failure that had etched itself into her bones since then.

So much has happened since that day. She smiled, not knowing if the memory and its aftermath brought her joy or sadness.

They were certainly a generation that was one of a kind. Nobody had ever known as much tragedy and struggle as them, and they didn't intend on letting the future generations know it either.

Thinking about the next generation, she wondered if she would have kids, and then suddenly dismissed the thought. How could she care about such a thing right now?

But suddenly, it dawned on her that it was the next step everyone was thinking about. Family.

Shikamaru and Temari were dating, and had been attracted to each other all along. They were doing pretty well. Naruto and Hinata were extremely serious about each other, and Naruto was already planning to propose to her. So were Ino and Sai.

Sai had someone and she didn't. She facepalmed.

What has my life come to?

Her life would definitely have been easier if she had fallen for any of the guys that had asked her out. All of them were wonderful, kind-hearted and doting. But every time she looked into the eyes of the person confessing to her, all she could think about was how she wished it was Sasuke saying those words.

She gave away to the memories she had been repressing all this while. Protecting each other, defending each other, acknowledging each other as though no one existed around them in the moment they reunited, even if as enemies. The stolen glances, and the admiration. The promise of return...

She sighed sadly, completely lost in her thoughts, allowing herself to be consumed by them, giving into the currents of sorrow and joy, belongingness and isolation, cold and hot, need and independence, strength and weakness. All the ironies that had characterised her life after falling for Sasuke Uchiha.

She has been cursed with loving you.

She faintly remembered Kakashi-sensei's frustrated voice through her dissolving consciousness. She wondered if it really was a curse to love someone as complex as Sasuke.

Dwelling deep into her thoughts, she hadn't noticed that she was being followed. Out of the blue, four ninjas jumped at her. Caught off guard, but still not defenseless, she instinctively reached to pull out her kunai, only to realise that she'd forgotten it home.

Crap! She cursed herself for being careless. But then, she hadn't thought much about protecting herself inside the village.

She mustered all her chakra into her fist, and punched the attacker closest to her. He wailed in pain and flew back into the bushes. With a sudden realisation that working all day, throughout the month and not eating that day had drained her chakra, she began looking for a way to escape, or to at least call for help.

"None of that. Your life is in our hands now." a deep, rough voice said. She tried to turn around almost instantly, to defend herself from the man, but it was too late. He moved quick and bludgeoned her into unconsciousness.

The next day, Sakura didn't come to the hospital. She wasn't home, and she wasn't with any of her friends either. Shizune and Tsunade dismissed it as her needing an impromptu break, until it was almost nighttime.