CHAPTER 1: Sakura’s Final Goodbye

Clatters, gags, coughing, and thrashing were heard inside a room, yet no one came. A woman with pink hair dropped her glass and coughed out blood.

The poison drained her chakra and immobilized her, inside the empty hospital room, which was surrounded by a chakra barrier that cancels out the sound. The place where she will die, alone.

Her most trusted assistant has poisoned her. A man in black flies into her window, unnoticed by the passerby and ninjas alike. A true assassin has come to take her soul. What would this woman do? Who is this woman? Her name is none other than, Sakura Haruno.

Sakura Haruno is a ninja. She's not the best, but she tries her hardest to serve Konoha because it is her home.

To serve, you must never show your true emotions no matter what. All ninjas wear these four types of faces, coldness, indifference, normality, and happiness.

To be frank, happiness is a very vague and far away emotion that sometimes could not be explained. Sometimes, we don't even know what makes us happy. We only know the basic, simple things, like family, friends, food, training, money, alcohol, fighting, gambling, and love.

But does that make us truly happy? Perhaps. Family, friends, and love made her happy...but it didn't last.

Happiness never lasts. Why? Her parents left. They died because of a fire while they were just eating dinner. Being happy. How cruel. Then again, she was quite the fool too.

She took them for granted because she thought that now that she had the strength to protect a country she could protect them, and see them again? How stupid and naïve she was.

Since that incident and even before then, she has had this personal task, a duty she must fulfill and carry out all the time. An act that must never fail nor fall.

She calls it 'Deceitful Smiles'. Must be wondering why she would call it that? Simple. It's because she smiles all the time to show that she is happy to do her work but she always feels trapped.

The only person she could talk her problems out would be Kakashi or Ino but they have problems of their own, and she doesn't want to bother them, for something as trivial as letting things out.

In her last moments, memories and flashes of her sensei Kakashi, come to mind. He treated her well, and always respected her. She could always trust and talk to him.

Although he never replied to it, he never laughed or made fun of her. Sometimes he would give her some advice but that's it.

All in all, he just listened, smiles at her, and treats her out. Asks if she was ok? She says "I'm feeling much better now" but she knew he didn't believe it, but never pushed her, and she's grateful for that.

However, even if she wanted to form some sort of romantic relationship, he was far too old for her, and that was a problem.

To be fairly honest, she'd love to be a 12-year-old again. To meet her family again, maybe even her soulmate. She doesn't want to be the same lovesick puppy that always chases after a man who wouldn't look her way. She doesn't want to experience that love again, a love that would never be returned. She hates it.

If this assassination of poisoning works, she will die, and she will be missed.

Using her last bit of strength, she said, "Goodbye."

Kakashi sneezes rubs his nose and wonders to himself if someone is speaking ill of him. Until an abrupt clamor of people toppled down the doors to the Hokage's office. "Hello, there informants~" Kakashi cheekily greeted. "Lord 6th! Sakura Haruno is dead! She has been assassinated!" after listening to the report, Kakashi dropped his brush pen. It's too sudden. He needed to check. He had to see her body first. He needed to know if it was real or fake.

Arriving at the scene, he searched the room and found out that it is indeed real. He couldn't believe it. He refused to believe it.

Tsunade barged in and crumbled at her side. She checked her pulse, her breathing, her temperature, and infused chakra into her body to the point of exhaustion. All in hopes of reviving the dead that would not come back.

She too did not believe it. No one did. No one wanted to believe she is dead, but it was too late. Sakura Haruno has passed away, and worse of all, no one was there to accompany her, she died alone.

Her assistant was begging on her knees for Sakura to wake up. This traitor is truly the actress of the century. Applause to her.

The next day, all of Konoha was dark and gloomy. It rained that day. Just like it did on the 3rd Hokages death. No one cried. They all just blankly stared at her memorial.

Her name was then added to the lists and names of people on that black, obsidian stone. A stone that reminded people of not only heroes but sorrows as well. It was a sad day for Konoha. A sad day for everyone.

Kakashi went back into his office and wondered about the whereabouts of Sakura. 'Did she move on to the afterlife? Or was she stuck at the border because of revenge or guilt?' he thought. His heart was pained.

He never wanted to admit it, but he has fallen for his female student. On the other hand, pursuing her is out of the question because of the age gap and because she is still his student. He is still her sensei. She also loved someone else and only loved him like a sensei. Their relationship is purely platonic.

A romantic relationship is something he dares not think about because he doesn't deserve it.

However, he wishes to have that one special connection with someone. A woman he would learn to love and accept him for who he is, not because of his reputation.

He needed someone to support him. A wife, a family. He wanted that. He wanted that so much, but he could never.

Despite this, he wished he could be young again and meet that destined someone properly. Going back to the past is never a good thing, he is already happy with what he has, but he just feels empty. Unfulfilled.

Perhaps the past is the answer to his problems. But the past is also his biggest fear. He already fought Obito and saw him die again. This time for real. Still, he wanted to try. He wants to see Sakura again.

That day...two souls intertwined. Both are desperate to find closure, safety, and happiness. Will God help them? Or will He let them rot in misery?