edellin

Title: The Journey of Life
Pairing: Kakashi/Sakura
Rating: T
Summary: A cynic will always be jealous of an Optimist because he is meant to lose everything while the Optimist will have the world. Written for the Fable Challenge of the KakaSaku community.

Sakura lay on the grass and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the sun's warmth. It was such a beautiful day! The sun was warm and shining, the sky was big and blue and made the whole world seem more beautiful and lively. The grass was greener, the flowers smelt stronger...

… Everything was extremely beautiful today. She felt more beautiful than ever today.

She was traveling along with her carriage to a village where her best friend lived, Ino. She received a message from the blond haired woman a few days ago about her being pregnant and planning to get married soon and wanting to have her best friend as a bridesmaid at her wedding.

Sakura just couldn't not come... her smile grew wider at the idea of her friend being round and happy and married. She let herself dream of the future; she would be the favorite aunt that would visit from time to time the village and bring to her little nephews and nieces presents and secrets from all over the world.

She would keep traveling, exploring new places in the world and enjoy their uniqueness and beauty. She would find beauty in everything as she would find as many medicines as possible for as many diseases as possible. She loved her job; she was medicine-creator specialist. She traveled and found ways and ingredients to create new medicine.

The pink-haired woman loved her job indeed. Loved being free to go wherever she pleased.

She could never understand the joy Ino felt by staying at a place, getting married and raising kids. She didn't have anything against marriage or children or family, she actually loved weddings, kids and her family but not for herself. She would rather be the aunt than the mother, the sister-in-law like friend to the groom than the wife.

Sakura knew that this was what Ino dreamed since childhood and for that she was happy; it was a dream coming true to her best friend, the person that supported and encouraged her to follow her dream, even though the blond-haired woman couldn't understand how that way of living would bring Sakura joy.

It wasn't just Ino that liked that type of life after all; Hinata also chose to stay in a stable place without doing a full of risks job and did her best to remain in serenity and peacefulness during her life.

On the other hand, her friend Tenten had chosen to leave their hometown as well, leaving behind more than Sakura did; a boyfriend and an engagement. She now worked as a martial arts teacher that took students and trained them while traveling, doing her best to make them human-beings with dignity and inner strength, to help them be free and unafraid of how they perceived freedom.

She hadn't returned to their hometown after she left and met with Sakura outside of it while she just exchanged letters with Ino and to a lesser extent, Hinata. She had not interacted in any way since she left with her ex-boyfriend and Hinata's cousin, Neji and it was better this way since Neji was now married and his wife was expecting their first child. Tenten didn't have a place there, in his life.

Sakura felt something move close to her and put her under its shadow; she cracked an eye open and found her horse looking at her from above. She smirked at it playfully and raised her hand to caress its face. She loved her horse dearly; Paton was her only companion in her travels and shared with her the same love for adventures. He was, in a way, the only one who understood her love of running and being close to nature.

“We have to go, Paton?” she asked her horse that neighed and raised its head a bit to tell her that it was time to go. She stretched and raised her hands as she sat up and caressed her horse's snout. After a moment she sighed and got up, picking her stuff from the grass and putting them at her horse. After making sure that she had everything she needed and that the saddle was not loose, she climbed up her horse and started traveling again.

After some hours, when the sun started hiding behind the mountains, Sakura saw from afar her home village. It was small as always... with its small, simple and beautiful houses, the roads, the alleys... all the visions of her childhood, corners of her memories... if such a thing could be said.

She missed it sometimes... she missed her home and everything she had there... the people.... but not enough to relocate. She knew that she'd miss the adventure of her current lifestyle more. She lowered her head close to Paton's ear and smiled softly.

“It's a little more, my friend. A little more.” she encouraged her horse who slowly started moving again, obeying his mistress' wish.

After an hour the reached the gate and Sakura jumped at the ground and walked to the guards, recognizing them as the same people who were guards when she left the village so long ago. “Genma? Kotetsu?”

The two men looked at her with a doubtful expression on their faces and walked closer to her. She smiled at them and put her hands on her hips as she raised an eyebrow at them.

“Come on! You haven't seen me for a year and some months and you completely forgot me?!” she shook her head and smirked at them playfully. “I am disappointed at you.” she said and looked at the two men. Genma's mouth opened slightly, making his trademark senbon fall down as he took a big breath and smiled widely at her as he hugged her.

“Sakura!” he said and took a step back to look at her. Kotetsu from behind waved at her warmly. She offered him a bright smile.

“Welcome back.” the dark haired man told her and offered her his hand to shake.

Sakura took it and smiled at the man. “Nice to be back!”

There was a moment of silence until Genma looked back at Kotetsu, still holding Sakura close to him. “I am going to escort Sakura back at her home, you don't mind being alone for an hour, right?”

Kotetsu smirked and shook his head. “No... go and show the lady the way to her home.” he smirked at Sakura. “Who knows... she may have forgotten the way.” he teased her and Sakura found herself slightly annoyed by his statement. Kotetsu wasn't bad.... he just had the worst type pf humor... to the point that sometimes she thought it would be better if he just gave up on even trying to make a joke. They always came out as slight insults.

She smirked slightly at him and then looked at Paton, who immediately came closer to her. “Don't worry... no one forgets their home.” She turned to Genma and crossed their hands. “Shall we? I am tired... I was travelling for days during which I haven't slept on a bed. The aspect of sleeping with a pillow right now is extremely appealing right now.”

“Sure,” Genma said. They waved at Kotetsu and started walking towards her house, with Paton following them from behind.

For some minutes they walked without talking and just stayed close to one another. “It's been a while since we've been alone, Sakura.” he said to her in a deep voice, without looking at her face.

“True.” she admitted. Suddenly from behind them, Paton neighed and Sakura laughed and turned to look at her horse. “Yes, Paton.... we are not alone... you are here too.”

“He's a clever one.” Genma said as he regarded the light brown horse.

“He's magnificent!” Sakura said and send a kiss at her horse, who moved closer to her and caressed his face on her back. “You are the best, aren't you Paton?” The horse neighed again and the pink-haired girl giggled slightly.

“We met at the road... he escaped from a place that used horses to carry cars and we fell in love.” Sakura told the man beside her and she took her eyes off the horse and looked at the man beside her.

“So you're the same?”

Sakura raised her eyebrow at that.

Genma stopped walking and looked at the horse. “You both wanted more from life and you both had the courage to go and get it.” he sighed slightly and looked at the sky. They had the courage to go against what others expected them to be and do, unlike him.

Sakura went closer to Genma and hugged him, burying her face at his chest. “It is never too late, Genma.” she hugged him tighter and felt him tense because of her touch. He slowly raised his hand and cupped her cheek and leaned his head closer to hers and placed his forehead against hers.

“Let's go to your house, Sakura. It's late.” he said after a moment and she shivered feeling his breath on her skin.

XXX

Sakura woke up at her parent's house and sighed as she hugged her pillow and buried her face into it.

It was nice to sleep on a bed, warm and cozy.

She stretched and after a moment she got up and walked towards the window that looked at the front yard where Paton was. It was actually rather fortunate that her house was not an apartment... what would she do with Paton, if she had an apartment?

She smiled slightly at her horse that was still sleeping and she moved to the stairs and then at the kitchen. She looked at the empty room and remembered the time when she was young and her mother was always making pancakes at the morning, her father was reading his newspaper and she ran and hugged him.

She had been such a daddy's girl.

Until he died.

It was an accident... he was walking down some stairs while carrying some books he needed for his studies and he slipped.

And fell.

And as he fell, he broke his skull and died some moment later. Some people found him after some hours and informed her mother.

She had only been nine when that happened. She was nine when her world change so suddenly.

It was like a huge part of her life was taken away, not only because her father died and he wasn't with her but because her mother never recovered from that loss. After that day, Sakura could always see in the edge of her eye the sadness of having lost the love of her life.

He never left her mind.

And she never tried to do anything to conceal her pain, even though Sakura was young and needed help to overcome her father's loss. She remembered her mother crying the nights, sobbing as she made tea or coffee, trembling as she cooked and remembered something from hers and her father's common life.

The pink-haired woman moved closer to the sink and looked at the window ahead, as her mother tended to do during her life.... looking outside the window and admiring the sun as it went up, proud and mighty.

She was now dead too... her mother. The plague that had attacked the village a few months before Sakura left the village killed her. It was a quick death. Her mother didn't fight it.... she actually seemed glad that she was dying, not caring what she was leaving behind.

Sakura didn't want to blame her for that... it was good that she was in peace now with the one she loved the most in this world but she couldn't help and feel jealous that she, the daughter, the outcome of her parent's great love, was not the one her own mother loved the most.

She sighed and filled a glass of water and walked outside at the yard. She sat at one chair and watched as Paton woke up and looked at her. She smiled at him warmly.

“Good morning Paton” she greeted her horse that neighed happily at her and got up and marched lazily towards her “you will have to stay here during the morning, I fear” she told her horse and caressed its head. “I am going to go visit Ino and see he wedding dress and take measurements for mine as the head bridesmaid but I promise at the evening we will go a small trip outside of the village, to visit my shishou, Tsunada-sama.” she kissed the horse lightly and scratched it behind the ears. “You'll see... you'll like her Paton. I've talked to you often about her... she is my role model and the woman who came to be like a second mother to me.” she caressed the horse again and giggled as it neighed at her and brought his face at her chest. “She was also a traveler like me and she loved animals too... she is really fun. You'll see... you'll really like her, Paton.”

XXX

Sakura closed the door behind her and waved at Paton once again. She started walking down the familiar rode and took the turn at the left and saw from afar Ino's house and her family's flower shop. She smiled warmly, feeling very anxious at seeing her best friend after such a long time. Had she changed? If yes, how much? How did her relationship with Shikamaru had evolved into the one they had now? Last time she had read a letter from her friend, around a year ago that she had met Lee and Tenten with their students and they gave her that letter, Shikamaru was just her best male friend, Sakura's replacement in a way perhaps. And then she received a very small note from Ino, less than a month ago, that she was getting married and she wanted Sakura to be her made of honour.

What happened?

Did Ino miss her as much as she did? Did she find another girl to tell all her secrets to, forgetting about her? She supposed not. The bond she and Ino shared went way back at their childhood.

She slowly walked in the shop and saw Ino's beautiful mother arranging some flowers. That woman would never change. No matter how much she aged, she would always seem young and fresh with her long blond hair and light blue eyes, wearing her light blue dress and smiling at everyone that walked in her store.

She was such a nice woman.

“Mrs Yamanaka?” Sakura called from the door and the woman looked up at her. At first she didn't react but after a second she covered her mouth with her hands and ran at her. Before Sakura could blink the woman had trapped her in a tight hug.

“Oh Sakura!” she exclaimed and took a step back to look at the young female. “You're really here! Ino will be so glad that you are here.... you can't imagine how much she wanted you to come in time. How much she agonized that the letter wouldn't find its way to you and you'd miss the wedding.” She placed her hands on the young woman's face and caressed her.

“I wouldn't miss Ino's wedding for anything in the world, Mrs Yamanaka... and the world, the whole universe I think, would not allow me to not know of my best friend's wedding.”

The woman hugged again for some minutes and then took again a step back. “Are you all right, Sakura?” she questioned the young woman, the concern clear in her voice.

Sakura nodded. “I've never been better.” she replied.

And it was true. She had never been happier. Although it was lonely sometimes, even though she had Paton with her, she didn't regret it.

She felt alive.

“Ino is upstairs at her room, preparing the invitations.” she said and looked at the ceiling, above which was her daughter's room. “I am sure she'd take a break for you.”

Sakura nodded smiling and ran upstairs. She stopped in front of her friend's door and raised her hand to knock. For a moment, there was no response and she knocked again, slightly worried.

Then as she was about to open the door, Ino opened the door from the other side of the room and the two old friends stared at each other for a silent moment.

Then – like with her mother before – before Sakura could react, Ino let out a scream and grabbed Sakura into a death-gripping hug. “Oh my god! Oh my god!” she squealed and took a step back to look at Sakura again and then let out another scream and hugged her again. “You really are here! I missed you SO much!” she said and pulled the pink-haired girl inside her room, kicking her door to close. “I was so scared that you wouldn't make it, that you'd never get the letter. It is really annoying that you don't have a permanent place to stay, you know. But it doesn't matter” she said and grabbed Sakura again into a hug “because you are here!”

That was Ino. Cheerful, full of life and spirit Ino. The Ino she loved and admired all those years they knew each other.

“I missed you too, Ino.” Sakura said and hugged her friend. “Very much... maybe more than everyone else.”

Ino didn't say anything, just smirked a bit and hugged her friend back. Sakura was the one who first pulled back and looked at the room of her childhood playmate. It hadn't changed. And then onto the desk, along with a pile of invitations to be folded, there was a small photo frame that inside had not a photo but a small piece of paper.

Sakura recognized it immediately and smiled at her friend and looked back at it.

“You kept it?” she asked although the answer was obvious.

“Of course I did!” Ino exclaimed. “It is one of my treasures.” she said to the pink-haired woman in a matter-of-fact-like tone. “Did you expect otherwise?”

Sakura stayed silent for a second staring at the small piece of paper. No, she didn't expect otherwise but it still made her feel so nice that her friend had kept that small, insignificant piece of paper that was simultaneously so very important to the two of them.

The pink-haired woman shook her head and sat on her friend's bed. “So... you are getting married.” she stated and Ino nodded in response, although her friend hadn't really asked her a question.

“Are you happy?” That was all that mattered to Sakura; for Ino to be happy now and in the future.

Ino nodded again. “Yes, very much. I love Shikamaru with all my heart, even though he is so lazy most of the time.”

“You are marrying a lazy guy?” Sakura asked in a slight higher pitch of her normal voice and giggled lightly. “You? A lazy guy? How are you gonna live together? You will either get bored or he will feel trapped because of how hyperactive you can be?!”

Ino adopted a fake offended look and crossed her arms on her chest. “Just so you know, we are having an amazing time together and we have actually been living some months together, to test that we can actually exist in the same house.”

Sakura widened her eyes exaggeratedly and gave Ino a fake-impressed expression. “You have been living with a male?”

“Not with any male. With my soon-to-be husband please! My male.” Ino defended herself.

The two girls didn't talk for a moment and then they burst into laughing. Sakura looked at Ino with a small smile on her face. Her friend had changed.

But it was a nice change.

XXX

Sakura smiled as she watched the small house in front of her. How many times had that house been her refuge, her shelter from the cruel reality she despised?

That house and the huge heart of its owner.

She knocked lightly the door and waited for it to open. She looked at Paton behind her that was eating the grass at the yard of the house and smiled at her horse. She had troubled it today, leaving it for so many hours at one place without being able to move around. Paton was like her.... he despised small places.

He loved freedom and to have the space to run and play. Like her.

That's why they were together all these years.

The door opened and she turned her head. A huge smile spread across her face and she felt her heart skip a beat out of happiness when she saw the familiar face of a blond-haired man with blue eyes like the sky.

“Naruto?” she asked as she opened her arms and hugged the man in front of her. “Naruto!”

The man stayed still for a second and then returned the hug tightly and she heard from his mouth a sigh of relief coming out. He had been worried about her all that time and she knew how she felt. It was the same way she felt when he and Sasuke had left to train.

After a year she left too and they met again 3 years later, after he had been left alone since Sasuke had abandoned him and their teacher.

“Sakura-chan, is that you?” the blond man asked and took a step back to look at her face.

She smiled at him and nodded as some tears rolled down her face. “I missed you Naruto.”

“Me too, Sakura-chan!”

They hugged each other again until Sakura pulled back this time and Naruto invited in his house. “Come on, Sakura-chan, let's get inside. It's been so long since you've been here so you shouldn't stand at the door.”

Sakura nodded and turned at her horse that was stil eating. “Paton!” Her horse raised its head and looked at her, immediately. “I am going inside for a bit. Don't go away.” she instructed her horse who neighed in response and she turned to get in but noticed Naruto's frown that was directed at her horse. She looked at her friend and then at her horse again. She bit her bottom lip and then looked at Naruto again that was not frowning at her.

She gave him a small, uncomfortable smile and turned at Paton again. “Don't eat the garden as well Paton....” she glanced at Naruto for a second and then looked at her horse again. “It's rude.”

Naruto loved his garden; Gardening was his most favorite hobby – especially now that he was without his two best friends at the village – and he considered his garden as one of his precious treasures and achievements.

Sakura had to agree that he was indeed very good at it but she sometimes found his obsession with it silly and nearly unhealthy.

But this was how he was and she wouldn't have him any other way.

She hugged her friend again from the shoulders and then went at sat at his couch. “Do you want anything?”

“I'd like some juice, if you have.” she replied as she was taking off her shoes and sat at the couch more comfortably. Naruto nodded and he went to his small kitchen.

He returned after a moment with a glass of a mixture of orange juice, apple juice and apricot juice. “How long will you stay?” he asked as he sat next to her and looked at the ceiling.

“Until Ino's wedding, that's why I came actually. So I guess for a few weeks, nearly a month.” she told him. “You?”

“What about me?”

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Come on Naruto! You don't really want to stay here.”she proclaimed.

He made a weird grimace and looked at her and then outside of the window. “I don't know.... I don't really have anywhere to go.”

“Then come with me!” the pink-haired woman immediately offered to her friend.

Naruto looked at her questionably and then frowned slightly. “I don't know... I don't want to be a burden and slow you with your job...” he replied in a low voice.

It was then that Sakura suddenly felt how many things she had lost because of being away. Naruto, her Naruto, had changed so much. The blond-haired boy she remembered would have immediately agreed to follow her, would have been so happy that he wouldn't be alone anymore.

This Naruto.... thought maturely... considered her and her job, not so much what he needed.

He had also changed, like Ino...

… but she found his change disturbing.

She did love Naruto's childish side even though she always whined about it. And although she was happy that he had grown up, she didn't want him to ever feel that she wouldn't really want him with her. He was her important friend, the only friend who knew and understood her story with Sasuke.

She leaned closer to him and brought her face close to his. “Naruto?” she called him and he rolled his eyes to meet hers. “You will not be a burden.” she kissed his cheek lightly and then offered him a bright smile. “Believe me, you won't.”

“And what will I do?” he asked her after a moment of silence.

Sakura opened her mouth and then closed it again. Then she looked away and back at him. “Nothing specific.” she finally said. “But you will be my companion.... you will help me whenever I need someone to take something while I do other works and you will also have the time to find what you want to do.” she added quickly, knowing that Naruto didn't like to feel that he was not able to help and offer to the people he loved. “After all, traveling with me will be temporary... just so you will do something more interesting than just playing with vegetables and flowers.”

“I am not playing!” Naruto exclaimed and pouted at her in a cute, adorable way. “I am taking care of them.” he crossed his arms on his chest and looked at her with a comedy like serious look. “I am being productive!”

Sakura just looked at him with dump look on her face. Then she took a breath and rolled her eyes. “Well.... maybe you should try to be productive in a different way.... with me.”

Naruto looked away and then at her again. “I'll think about it.” he promised her and Sakura smiled at him.

“Ok.... I have to go now. I'll go see Tsunade-sama... do you want to come along?” she asked.

“Prepare myself for when we'll be traveling together that I'll just go and do what you say?” he asked in a joking tone and she laughed at it.

“Maybe.” she answered cryptically and closed her left at him.

“Ok then.” he agreed and got up. “It's been a few days since I saw Grandma anyway.”

XXX

Kakashi walked tiredly towards the hotel room he was staying for the night and opened the door lazily. He had wasted a whole night of his life by drinking and pretending to be interested in some local men's stories of how they made their sheep move and escape some wolves that were for sure made up, exaggerated stories in a stupid attempt to impress each other.

Such a waste.

The fact that he had come to be so desperate of something to make his life more beautiful, more meaningful as to lower himself to their level and force his mind to have fun with them was very sad.

He wanted something else... something more important from life than that.

That was so awful in reality that his current solitary life was in fact more rewarding and appealing than spending more nights with all that noise and awful odor of drunkenness.

He walked towards his bed and fell on it as he closed his eyes. He sighed in defeat and rolled on his left.

Maybe it was futile to try... maybe he was meant to live like that. He could be one of the unlucky souls that were cursed for an unknown reason and became tragic heroes that no one knows.

Maybe he wasn't meant to be the lost soul that would find his light... like what happened in the books he so much loved to read. He wouldn't find the romance he read about.

Or maybe he couldn't do it because he was so clever that he recognized from the beginning that such things didn't exist and although his heard wanted the tales to be true so much, his heart always reminded him of the truth...

Happiness in this world is not meant for people like him... it may not even be meant for reality...

It could just exist within tales where humanity was as it meant to be.... not as it was.

He sighed again tiredly, feeling deeply disappointed with himself and fell asleep after a few moment, giving in to his desire to stop thinking and dreaming and travel to that magical place called dreamland, where he could have what he didn't have in his real life.

Light...

Somehow very bright light fell on his face, forcing him to wake up. He cracked annoyed one eye open and looked at the sun rising from the open window... the one he was so tired last night that he forgot to close. He tried to get up and felt his head so heavy that he just lay down more and turned to his other side so the sun wouldn't disturb him so much and he could sleep some more.

But it wasn't his best day because suddenly a noise was heard.

A noise that didn't stop and was so loud that he felt his-already-in-pain-head ready to explode. He could nearly hear the BOOM inside his head as he covered his ears with his pillows.

It didn't help, just slightly eased the headache he was feeling but the result was the same. He couldn't fall asleep again.

This was so rude. This was outrageously unacceptable. How could they give in a hotel - where they take money from you! - a room that was impossible to sleep because of that noise. He angrily got up and walked dizzily to the window where he saw some workers trying to fix something.

That something was the reason he couldn't sleep.

He turned his head and using all his strength he went to the bed again where his watch was, ready to fall down on the floor.

It was early... very early... he was planning to sleep two more hours and then wake up to leave and continue his journey to find Naruto, his once-upon-a-time student. They hadn't stayed together for long but the blond kid had managed to get under his skin and they had fun... the two of them and Sasuke, the genious student who was so much like him.

So much that he also made the same mistakes Kakashi had done in his youth. Getting obsessed with things instead of focusing on the simplicity of life, he left to pursue an unknown dream... a nearly unattainable dream that he had briefly mentioned in their talks. He hadn't even said to them anything about leaving... he just did one night.

Naruto was devastated and, although he didn't admit to the young boy, so was he. But he was also very guilty for not to teach the young boy how to love what he had...

Well... maybe he should have expected it... he also didn't have anyone to teach him that and he wasn't really sure if he knew it even know.

If he knew how to appreciate life with all its ups and downs.

That was something that came so naturally to Naruto, who had been badly treated for most of his life. The blue-eyed male was always so bright and warm.... so lovable in the end. He might have been jealous of the attention Sasuke received from the opposite sex but in the end women’s hearts craved for men like Naruto, men with an understanding heart and a huge hug.

Ready to give.

Sasuke, despite his good looks, would not be enough for a woman. He was not able to offer the emotional response a female wanted from her companion, the response Naruto wanted to give so much to someone who would give it back to him.

Like Kakashi, Sasuke would be left alone in the end.

Because like Sasuke, Kakashi was in a way unable to give that emotional response women wanted. He had tried to but he failed.

It was ironic... he was a prodigy in so many departments, able to learn so easily and quickly, perform attacks so effortlessly but he ended up being a total failure when it came to personal matters.

After two hours he had packed his stuff and went down the stairs and quickly paid for the room he occupied the night and continued his way. It was going to be a long way until he could reach the place he was supposed to find Naruto. It was a small village, the birthplace of Naruto and Sasuke.

Kakashi was actually originated from there from his father's side but after both his parent's deaths he was taken in by some distant relatives and hadn't returned to the village, more than twenty years actually since he was five when his parents died.

He didn't really remember the place but he felt kinda happy with the idea of seeing places that he had seen as a child, go to an alley he might have played when he was young.

It was strangely appealing and satisfactory, even though he didn't expect himself to remember anything.

If everything went well, he would be there by night.

XXX

Sakura walked inside Ino's room wearing her light purple dress as one of the bridesmaid and looked at her friend that was so desperately trying to decide how to have her hair. The blond-haired woman had changed her mind so many times about that matter it was becoming annoying.

But she was happy.

Sakura could see the happiness of her friend surrounding her. Everything she did – the way she did everything – showed that she was genuinely happy about what was taking place.

It was her dream.

Shikamaru was also very nice. Sakura could see how much he loved Ino, how much he wanted to be close to her and although he was lazy and uncaring about most things, she saw that for Ino he would do anything. He would be there, loyal and steady.

He was that type of guy.

And he was also very intelligent, someone that could always find a solution to all types of problems, someone that Ino could depend on.

They were a great match; each one completing each others' weakness. Shikamaru got more determination and dedication on any goals he had and Ino got someone that would help her keep her feet on the ground and show her how to do whatever she needed to do. She'd have someone that wouldn't let her panic.

“I say you just leave them down.” she proposed to her friend.

Ino turned to look at her with a nearly offended expression. “Down?” she repeated as she couldn't believe what she had just heard. “That is very simple. Tonight is a special night... I want everything about me to be unique.”

Sakura sighed and paced slowly towards her friend. “Ino...” she said as she placed her face next to her blond, excited friend's and looked at their reflections on the mirror. “You are so beautiful with your hair down.... you don't need a fancy hairstyle to impress... you are very beautiful without it.”

“You think?” Ino asked and touched her face without taking her eyes away from the mirror.

“I do.” she replied and kissed her friend's cheek. She looked at the hairdresser at the door and then at her friend. “I think she's decided so you can begin.”

XXX

The wedding was beautiful. It was so happy and full of energy and life and Sakura loved every minute of it. Everything had gone according to plan and Ino had never seemed happier.

She took a big breath as she looked at the sky. Soon she'd be leaving again this place.

But not alone this time. Naruto had nearly admitted to her that he was coming with her and she was excited about it. She couldn't wait for all the adventures they'd share together once they set out on the road.

As she looked one final time around her and was ready to go back inside to find Genma and make his dance with her, she spotted a mysterious man standing at the other side of the road, nearly invisible as he was hiding within the shadows.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the form and tried to see if she recognized him. Somehow his presence startled her, made her feel threatened.

Like that man could do something to ruin that wonderful night.

Who was he?

Could he be one of Ino's ex-boyfriend's that hadn't gotten over the young bride? Was he here to say his final goodbye to Ino?

Or someone else?

Somehow in the back of her mind, Sakura thought that she was being irrational and over thinking this man's presence... but she couldn't stop feeling so much negative energy around him.

She looked back one more time and then decided to cross the road and confront that man, otherwise he wouldn't get out of her mind and he would have really ruined that night for her.

As she walked closer to him, she noticed that he was covering most of his face with a mask, something that made him even more mysterious and in a sense dangerous than she thought before.

“Hello?” she called. The man didn't move at the beginning and then slowly turned his head to face her. He didn't say anything, just raised his eyebrow at her, urging her without words to continue whatever she was planning to say.

The pink-haired woman was not sure what she wanted to say, the only thing she knew was that she had to have something to say to him.

So... she decided to go with the basics. “Who are you?”

Although it was dark and his mouth was covered from the mask, Sakura knew he smirked at her question. It was a bit blunt, she admitted to herself but he was not helping make it easier with his silence.

“Someone.” he answered cryptically after a moment. Sakura felt her anger ticking inside her head as a clock. And it was driving her insane.

“That's not an answer.” she replied to him after a moment with a restrained voice that didn't manage to hide her annoyance.

He shifted slightly and started walking away a bit. “That's the only one I've got.” he told her and stopped at the middle of the street. “Someone is getting married.”

Sakura didn't say anything and paced closer to the man while keeping some distance from him at the same time. “Yes.... my friend.”

He sighed and looked at the sky. “The poor people....” he said and started walking away.

Sakura opened her mouth and then closed it again. She felt her anger boiling inside her, the clock inside her head ticking like crazy making her ready to explode and grab that man from the collar and....

….. and do something. She didn't know what but she wanted to do something.

“Hey!” she yelled at him and followed him quickly. “What did you mean by that poor people?” she demanded to know.

He stopped on his tracks and looked at her with the corner of his eye. “That they will grown to despise each other as time goes by and the love they may have now for each other will vanish and be turned into indifference.” He turned to look at her face to face. “Isn't that sad?”

Sakura stayed silent for a few minutes and opened her mouth, ready to answer back.“You don't know that this will happen.”

He raised slightly his shoulders and closed his eyes for a moment. “It's what usually happens with marriages.” he replied. “You friend may be lucky though and live.... live the marriage out of reality, the perfect one.” he added after a moment ironically and turned his back at her and left again.

Sakura didn't follow his this time or say anything at him. She just stared at his back that soon vanished as he turned from a corner.

In the end he did manage to do what she feared.

He had ruined the night for her.

“Sakura!” she heard Genma call and turned to face him. “What are you doing in the middle of the street?” he asked her as she approached him.

“Nothing.” she told him and took his hand. “Let's go dance.” and she dragged him at the dance floor.

XXX

Kakashi soon found the small house where Naruto lived and knocked the door but nobody answered. It seemed he wasn't there now. But it was late at night.... where could he be?

Then he remembered the wedding and the strange girl. He could be at the wedding.

Naruto was actually the type of person who enjoyed these types of endeavors. He sighed and looked at the sky above him again. The only thing he could do was wait for Naruto to return.

How would he react when he saw his old teacher? He had after all, in a way, left him as well.

Like Sasuke.

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair and sighed. For a moment he regretted coming here and wanted to just get up and go away but he stayed still. He had come all this way to find Naruto.

XXX

Sakura with Paton following reached again the familiar small house of Naruto. Today she'd know for sure if he'd be coming with her or not. She had already packed and was ready to leave...

She knocked the door and waited for her blond friend to open it. She was pretty sure he was still sleeping so she banged the door loudly again and called his name.

The door suddenly opened but instead of facing the young face of her friend, she saw the man from the night of the wedding in front of her.

He seemed startled with her appearance.

“You....”

“Where is Naruto?” she demanded and forced her way inside the room. “Naruto!” she turned at the man and grabbed his by the collar. “Have you done anything to him?” she asked him.

The man didn't answer and as she was ready to start talking again, demanding for answers, she heard from behind a familiar voice. “Sakura-chan? What are you doing here?”

“Naruto!” she left the man and went close to her friend. “I wanted to see what you decided.” she looked at the man again and then at her friend. “Who is he?”

“He is my teacher, Kakashi.”

“You teacher is Jiraya.”

“Yeah... well before Jiraya, while I was still with Sasuke, Kakashi was our teacher.” he explained to her.

Sasuke.

He was the teacher Naruto and Sasuke had. The one who, like her and Naruto, had failed to keep Sasuke safe. “And what does he want?”

Naruto didn't answer and just looked down with a sad expression on his face. “He came to tell me something.” he looked at the silver-haired man. “Something you will also find interesting.”

“What?” she asked her friend and glanced at the older man.

Kakashi closed the door and leaned against it as he sighed. “It's about Sasuke. There is a rumor about him being dead.”

XXX

Sasuke could be dead. And even though she hadn't had contact with him for so long, he'd never done anything but call her annoying and dismiss her as someone unworthy of his attention, she cared.

She cared enough to want to know if it was true or not.

So she ended up traveling with the two men that were currently arguing in front of her. Well... it was mostly Naruto that was arguing and Kakashi answering calmly, something that annoyed the blond-haired man even more.

They had been together for nearly a month, trying to reach the village where Sasuke had been confirmed dead. They didn't know what they'd find there but they all felt that they had to go.

Sakura admitted that the Silver-haired man was not as bad as he first seemed to be. He was very clever, strong and perceptive.

But he was also so negative about everything. Not ever able to see the bright side of things. It was such a huge contrast with Naruto that was a source of light.

He was like Sasuke. Or maybe how Sasuke had turned to be.

Well she couldn't be sure since she hadn't seen the young man for so many years. Sasuke could be like Kakashi, worse than him or maybe better.

Although she doubted about the latter one. Her instincts and intuition told her that he was actually far worse than Kakashi. The silver-haired man was a bit grumpy and cynic about the world around him but he did appreciate the good in others, something that in the end Sasuke didn't find important.

They weren't friends. They actually tried to avoid each other but they weren't enemies either. They had never really been.

In a way he intrigued her even more now that she had a more round opinion about him. She knew he wasn't what he looked like to be but she had so many gaps about who he really was. And the adventurer inside her... the curious person that really wanted to find answers in all the enigmas of this world, wanted to pursue him and get to know him.

“We should camp soon. It's getting dark.” Kakashi told his two companions, pulling Sakura outside of her thoughts.

XXX

They stopped when they found a small cave to stay in and light a fire. Sakura, after bringing Paton inside the cave – the horse was somehow afraid of small and narrow places - went and sat next to Kakashi, who tensed at her unexpected move. He looked at her curiously and she just smiled at him.

Soon Naruto had fallen asleep and it was just the two of them awake.

“What do you think we'll find?” she asked the silver-haired man in a low voice.

“A grave.” he answered her.

She nodded. She didn't want to admit to herself but he was right. The only thing they'd find was a grave. “Then why are we going there?” she asked the man as some tears rolled down her face. She didn't know why she was crying. She didn't want to cry for Sasuke. He wouldn't cry for her.

But she was not him and she needed to express how she felt, even though she didn't exactly know how she felt. It was sad... she was sad. Not because Sasuke had died but because he had lived the way he did and died.

“Because we want to be sure that he died.” the man next to her murmured.

“And what if he's not?” she questioned. “What if this is a false rumor and he's alive.”

“Then we'll have no reason to search anymore.” he told her.

Sakura let out a sound and lay down. “I wonder if there is a reason we are searching. Maybe we are just doing it because we have nothing else to do.”

“You have things to do.” Kakashi reminded the young woman.

I am the one who has an empty life. The old man.

Sakura rolled on her right and looked at the older man. “Do I?” she questioned. “I just travel around for whatever plant I may find.... I don't have a purpose, I just move around. I think and believe that I will find something eventually but at times like this I wonder.... if I am just a stupid dreamer.”

Kakashi didn't know what to say to her. He usually wouldn't say anything but he felt suddenly the need to answer. To tell her something because she was the type of person that shouldn't think like that. She was positive, bright, warm... like Naruto. Men like him were supposed to think like that, not her.

“You will find it.” he said. It was a lame thing to say, he knew it but he couldn't find anything better to say.

Sakura laughed slightly at his answer. “That's so not you!” she said. She looked at him and smiled slightly. “Come on.... tell me what you think. Your realistic view about how everything is not always we want them to be and I am naive for thinking the way I do. That all this mumbling is just the proof of how immature I am.”

Kakashi didn't speak. He just looked at the girl in front of him. “I believe you'll find your plant.” he told her again.

Sakura sat up and looked at the man next to her suspiciously. “Are you all right Kakashi?”

The man next to her sighed slightly. “You see... I always saw he worst... I always saw how things we'll fail... in everything in my life. And in the end they did fail.” He looked at her and for the first time since she met him, he smiled.

A true, genuine smile.

“And now that I've met you.... I think I brought this to myself. By thinking the worse of everyone and everything, showing them indirectly how suspicious I was of them, I forced them to be like that and they left me. All of them. But you....” he gulped a bit. “You have the world at your feet because you expect it to be wonderful. You have friends.... you find a friend in everyone – even men like me – you find something in everyone that is worthy of love.”

Sakura opened her mouth, completely shocked by that unexpected revelation and confession. “You have the world, Sakura because you are you and I have nothing because people like you take everything.”

Sakura shifted and went closer to Kakashi, caressing him slightly. “Kakashi....”

He grabbed her hands and brought them at his chest as he pulled her closer to him. “You have the world, Sakura.... and you will find your plant.”

From that moment Sakura knew that she had suddenly seen a part of Kakashi that gave light to the enigma he was, the mystery.

“Trying to see things realistically, I saw how and why everything is important in this life..... but only in theory. In my life, I never saw the truth... that I create the world I live in instead of accepting the one that is around me.... because then I make it an even worse place to live in.”

Sakura slowly moved closer to Kakashi, who had let go of her hands and she hugged him. She slowly caressed him and kissed his hair. “Thank you.” she whispered to him.

“For what?”

“For helping me remember.”

The End

This is probably the worst thing I've written and I was actually nearly ready to stop it. I made a quick end today and didn't even have time to re read it so I feel that I shouldn't even ask anyone to vote me.... Anyway... I do know it's crap... so feel free to tell me that it is. XD

And this is my prompt fable.... for anyone that may want to read it.

The Optimist and the Cynic

A Man who had experienced the favours of fortune and was an
Optimist, met a man who had experienced an optimist and was a
Cynic. So the Cynic turned out of the road to let the Optimist
roll by in his gold carriage.

"My son," said the Optimist, stopping the gold carriage, "you look
as if you had not a friend in the world."

"I don't know if I have or not," replied the Cynic, "for you have
the world."