Only in dreams

Sakura lounged easily underneath her namesake tree. It was a glorious spring day, and seeing as of how she had no training today, she decided to just be lazy. A sad smile graced her pretty features as she thought about what Sasuke would say if he saw her. He would probably yell at her because she wasn't training. After all, she would her to protect her 'weak' self. She angrily pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. Sasuke had left four years ago, and yet Sakura could still envision his face like he had just left yesterday. Now, at the age of sixteen, she was a beautiful young lady. She had a huge fanclub, and many suitors, but her heart would always belong to the midnight hair, obsidian-eyed boy who's eyes were as cold as his heart. Sakura let out a humorless chuckle, tears now falling from her emerald eyes.

"I miss you so much, Sasuke-kun." She whispered to herself, drawing her knees up to her chest. Unbidden images surfaced to her mind as she remembered the day Uchiha Sasuke became a missing-nin. She had told him that she loved him, and would've done anything for him. His last words to her had been a whispered

"Thank you'' before he knocked her out. Sakura had woken up the next morning, cold, alone, and heartbroken. It had taken awhile, but she eventually convinced everybody but herself that she was over him. Well, almost everybody. Naruto knew that she was still in love with the spiky-haired boy. However, for her sake, he didn't say anything bad about him. Naruto had grown up in the time Sasuke had been gone. He and Hinata had been dating for a year and a half, and Sakura hoped that they would marry soon. She smiled bitterly as the tears ran faster down her porcelain face. She lowered her head.

"Please come home, Sasuke-kun. I still love you, no matter how much I tell everybody else that I don't. I still see you in my dreams, and it hurts." She sniffled.

"Crying again, Sakura?" Asked a voice behind her. Sakura froze. She knew that voice... An image of a pale, smirking young man appeared in her mind. Then, that same image appeared before her. She blinked. Sasuke was right in front of her. He only looked older, and Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat. He was so handsome...

"S-Sasuke-kun..."She stuttered, cursing her face for blushing. Cursing herself for feeling her heart pound furiously in her chest. Cursing him for making her feel the way he did. His smirk got wider, as he began to walk towards her slowly. Sakura couldn't move. Her feet felt like they were bolted to the ground. She could, sadly, still feel her body feel like it was on fire as he was still walking towards her in that ever-slow pace. Now, he was right in front of her.

"Sakura..." He murmured. Sakura closed her eyes. She could feel his hot breath on her lips. She could feel him smirk for a moment.

"I missed you." Without warning, Sasuke's lips crashed onto hers.

A young woman with vibrant pink hair awoke with a cry. She groaned as she ran a hand angrily through her hair. She had been having this dream for the past week. Glancing at her clock, she groaned. 3:08 in the morning. Punching her pillow, Haruno Sakura laid back down. She missed Sasuke enough without having these heart-wrenching dreams. A tear slipped down her face, and the sixteen year old made no move to stop it. She could still see Sasuke, still hear Sasuke, and it was killing her inside. She missed him so much that it hurt. There was an ache in her heart, and a large empty space that would forever belong to the raven-haired boy. These dreams weren't making it any easier. Sakura was trying in vain to forget him, forget all of the memories, but she couldn't. She smiled bitterly as she remembered a quote. She knew that the moment she heard it that it was hers and his. It read, You could slit my throat, and with my last gasping breath, I'd apologize for bleeding on your shirt. It hurt on how true that was. Sighing, Sakura snuggled in deeper beneath the blankets. Even though she knew that they were only dreams, they were the only thing that got her by. And despite herself, she found herself looking forward to those dreams. As she fell asleep, Sakura whispered his name, the darkness the only witness to the young woman's broken heart.

Far away, a pale young man smirked. He was glad Orichimaru had taught him how to manipulate dreams. He knew that this wasn't exactly what the snake-man exactly had in mind when he had taught him, but Sasuke didn't care. So long as Orichimaru didn't know what he was up to, then he was safe. Sasuke couldn't help it, though. He didn't think that leaving Konoha, leaving Naruto and Kakashi, and Sakura would be this hard. But her voice haunted his day, he saw her smile whenever he closed his eyes, and he heard her laugh when he was trying to sleep. Smiling a real smile, Sasuke closed his eyes. His dark hair gleamed from the light from the only window.

"Goodnight, my little cherry blossom. Until tomorrow night."