Prologue

How long has it been since the last time I was here? It seems like a lot of things have changed.

I looked around the peaceful village that once became my home and smiled to myself. The streets were bustling with people buying from the various stalls displayed on either side of the road while children were running around pretending to be heroes.

Some shinobis who were on jounin level were patrolling the area while the others who seemed to be on their day off were leisurely taking a stroll, enjoying the cool summer heat.

"Hey, wait! Don't leave me behind!",a young girl protested as she ran up to catch up with her friends.

"That's because you walk too slow! Hurry up!",one of the two boys replied impatiently.

"Shut up! It's your fault we are late in the first place!"

I watched them bickering on the sideline and chuckled in interest. Back when we were on genin level, our team also squabbled quite often. I remember Kakashi sensei having a headache because of Naruto and Sasuke's endless fighting.

I continued walking around for awhile, feeling amazed at the changes on the various establishments. The bakery around my apartment used be small and run-down but now, it became big and spacious. Back then, I would drop by every morning and buy their specialty.

I wonder if Mrs. Hatachi is still managing the place. She was a sweet and loving old woman who treated me like her own granddaughter. Often times, whenever I would pass by her store, she would call my attention and give me snacks.

I took a peek inside and saw her managing the counter. All of her hair has turned white and the lines on her face were more visible than ever nonetheless the warm smile on her face was still there. Just then, a couple came out from the back and approached her. If I remember it correctly, they were Mrs. Hatachi's only remaining family. They started talking about something and a soft smile appeared on my lips when they all started laughing.

I'm glad to see that she is doing just fine. I glanced at them for the last time before turning away.

I walked around some more and came to a stop when I saw the familiar ramen shop. The name of the store, Ichiraku was written in bold letters. We used to often eat here because this was Naruto's favorite place. It used to be just an ordinary ramen shop but now, it has become popular with the crowd. There is even a queue outside.

I stared at the ramen shop for awhile as my memories with the team flashed back inside my mind making me smile in melancholy.

 Sighing heavily, I turned around only to spot two familiar figures walking along with the crowd. My heart automatically thumped noisily in my chest when I recognized who they were.

Sasuke was in his black overall coat listening to Sakura who was happily talking about something. Most of the people were looking at them in admiration and amazement. Along with Naruto, they were the heroes of the recent ninja war so it wasn't unusual that they were holding the crowd's attention.

Just looking at them made me realize how good they look together.

"Look at those two.They are together again!",one of the old lady who was standing in front of me commented.

The woman beside her nodded and tapped her shoulder. "I saw them yesterday as well. He even walked her home you know.I think they are dating already."

I already knew that they were going to end up together. I was aware of this and I thought I was prepared for it but this pain in my heart is saying otherwise. Tears pooled in my eyes as I clenched my fist.

Isn't this how it is supposed to be?

Everyone in here seems to be happy and they are already living their life according to the novel. If so, then why was I dragged in here again? What is the point of me even being here?

I am not a hypocrite. There is no way that I can be genuinely happy for the two of them. My feelings for Sasuke has reached the deepest part of my soul. To be honest, I don't think I can ever love someone again in this lifetime.

Sasuke coincidentally turned to my direction, making our eyes meet. His black midnight eyes widened in surprise while I smiled at him as my tears fell. I averted my gaze and quickly fixed the wide brimmed hat I was wearing and tilted it, hiding my face. From the corner of my eyes, I saw him stop while I hung my head and walked away.

I guess I should leave now before I get discovered.

I have only taken a few steps when a middle aged woman suddenly screamed at the top of her voice. I stopped and saw a man in a white mask running away in full speed while tightly clutching a black bag.

I can't believe he is stealing in broad daylight. Some men tried to apprehend the thief, but he took out shurikens from his pocket and threw them. However, before the shurikens could hit the civilians, Sasuke appeared and easily parried it away with his sword.

Sakura on the otherhand, managed to snatch away the bag from the thief who immediately knelt down on the ground in surrender. It seemed like it was all resolved but then I saw the thief sneakily take out a smoke bomb from his back.

He quickly used a smoke screen however Sasuke immediately cleared the air with a wave from his sword. When I spotted the thief running away, I subconsciously used my jutsu and froze his feet to the ground.

Before I could even realize what I just did, Sasuke turned his head to my direction and that was when I noticed, I was standing alone in the middle of the street. When the commotion happened, everyone immediately moved to the either side of the road, for their safety. Me, being a shinobi who have seen and experienced worse case scenarios viewed the situation as a trivial matter so I calmly stood my ground.

I could hear my heart hammering inside my chest in panic as Sasuke kept his piercing gaze on me. This is bad. Why did I have to use my jutsu and help them?

"Ice? W-Who are you?",Sakura asked turning to me in suspicion.

Instictively, I took a step back about to run away when Sakura who noticed this, immediately lunged and punched the ground, making the road crack and split.

I easily jumped midair and was about to land on the side of the building when out of nowhere a kunai shot through the air nearly hitting my head. I swiftly twisted my body to avoid the kunai and simultaneously froze Sakura's lower torso to slow her down before jumping to the roof.

I'm sorry Sakura-chan. Just when I thought I was safe, a startled gasp came out from my lips when Sasuke appeared in front of me.

"You. Who are you?",he asked seriously while I gulped in anxiousness.

I glanced at the buildings behind me and was about to jump back to create a distance when my hat suddenly got caught by a black fire. I bit back a scream in surprise and quickly took off my hat, throwing it away.

What the hell! I can't believe he actually used amaterasu on me. I turned to Sasuke in disbelief while he stood there frozen in shock. His face was filled with various emotions. Shock, confusion, sadness and hope.

"Shizuru...is that...you?",he asked in a shaky and hoarse voice.

I flinched and slowly lowered my gaze.What should I do? Should I pretend I don't know him? After all, I am supposed to be dead in this world.