Unexpected || MadaSaku ||

Epilogue: See You Later

A/N: To be quite honest, this was the song I listened to on repeat while writing the epilogue. It brutally wounded me emotionally listening to it. SO, know that this was written with tears and love. Thank you again to all my devoted readers. I hope you've enjoyed my story. Also apologies, if you've read any of my oneshot stories, you know I love a non-generic ending, the more angst the better!

-Temari Blossom

Years Later: The Fourth Shinboi War

The sky was etched in black and scattered with stars, the moon illuminating over this deadly battle ground—a place decorated with spilt blood and bodies, some that would soon be fortunate enough to be caught in the light of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. The four of them fixated on me as I appeared before them: the dark-haired Uchiha that shared a lineage with me and apparently Indra's will, a overzealous blonde that reminded me every bit of Hashirama, a grey-haired shinobi that dared to stare back at me in resentment over returning the Uchiha kekkei genkei that he stole to it's rightful place—an Uchiha like myself, and a woman who glared at my in complete defiance her pink locks not properly painting her rage. And strangely enough, I couldn't shake the familiarity of her face. My head pounded as if there were memories begging to resurface, but the harder I tried to remember the more I failed. They all stood there baring their teeth at me as Obito stood behind me completely defeated that I managed to overtake him by sheer force, restoring what was rightfully mine. I could see the seal on that woman's forehead glow and expand in black markings, wrapping over her face and neck, an ability of hers I presumed. She shouted back at the three behind her as she rushed towards me. Foolish, girl. In less than an instant, she was impaled with my staff, the entirety sticking out of her back, but she refused to let that stop her. And there it was, a moment of rushing, unfiltered memories racing—no, no crashing back like they had been banging on the walls of my mind to remember. Seeing her there, emerald eyes full of pain and fury, a will of fire I never seen in such a woman before. All this time, I forgot, I forgot about her...that ability she shared with Hashirama's granddaughter, the seal she shared with Mito. It was her, undoubtably that same woman I found in the field all those years ago...

Sakura raised her fist high above her head as I prepared myself for the impact of her punch. My force fields would keep her from harming me though. She doesn't remember does she, any of it? No, it just hasn't happened just yet. She couldn't remember even if I wanted her to, none of it was there, none of it happened. If that were the case she wouldn't even be alive, would she? I recalled my last hazy memories of holding her hand in mine, begging, yearning just to feel that warmth from her once more. There was no begging, there was nothing. I kissed her forehead just before I rushed to fight Izuna, leaving her there to bleed out and fade away...Ah, my brother, the biggest lie I'd ever been told. I killed him myself, of course Tobirama would take credit for such a heinous act. And Hashirama, Mito, they had to have remembered, right? What an idiot I was to let them let me forget about her. Then again, I guess it would have been far less trouble to let me believe that the Senju killed him than him dying at my own hands when I didn't recall any of the events after the day she arrived. Such a pity, no—such a waste for you not to have existed to me. All that time wasted on war, suffering, revenge, when I could have just had you. Sakura was young now, she and my Uchiha incarnate would get married, would have a life, a daughter...she would have to die many years saving her friend from a similar enemy to be able to feel anything for me. I promised all that time ago that I'd find you again, didn't I? I suppose you could say that I'm good on my promises. But I won't let a silly thing like time keep us apart, fate was a lot stronger wasn't it?

I took one glace at Sasuke racing to her aid, the worry plastered on his face, his concern for her safety only mildly evident for a mere second. A dreaded Uchiha through and through that tried terribly hard to conceal his true feelings. It seems that he did care for you. Maybe there was a reason you were so drawn to him. A reason, a feeling you couldn't exactly put your finger on, but you just seemed to gravitate towards him. Seems the two of us shared more than just a reincarnation and bloodline—the words I said through sobs and gritted teeth and blurry vision came to mind like a hint that was telling me to get it already, I promise I'll find you again, over and over again, Sakura. 

It all seemed to click as I repeated those words over and over in my head. I watched as the Uchiha attempted to use a lightening attack to strike me as the blonde rescued her from my hold, a hold that dared me to pull her in and embrace her like I had all those years ago, but there was no point when she barely knew who I was and I was an enemy in her eyes, those beautiful fierce eyes. That's why she fell for the Uchiha, my reincarnate...that's why there was this unexplainable magnetic pull that begged for us to stay near each other. That promise was my promise to find you in every life, and it so happens when you found me, the real me, you wanted nothing else and neither did I. It would explain why you started to care for me more than that husband of yours, or at least I hoped that was the case. It was why you came after me instead of returning home, right? It would be a continuous cycle of finding you. Even when it was my time, we would find each other again, just like you found Sasuke. Promise me that no matter how stubborn I choose to be in my next life that you'll break me down like you know how to.

For now I guess playing the part wouldn't do much when the future seemed inevitable. Forgive me, Sakura. Forgive me for every second I spent in hatred, for the time I lived forgetting you. Forgive me now even as I stand here as your enemy. I love you.