AWS v.2.0!
I already rewrote this. I thought for sure it take at least a few months, but I don't know. I really like this fic, but it wasn't very goo, so I rewrote it. Who knows if I'll do so again. Why, oh why, did Sakura cover my muse for a sick day? I guess I'm grateful. Anyway, here it is.
"A Woman's Strength"
All her life, Sakura watched from the sidelines, but for a long time, she didn’t realize it. She thought she belonged there, behind the barbed wire fence she built herself but could never see.
She hid behind her bangs for so long, that when Ino pulled them out of her eyes, Sakura saw only the other girl’s dazzling brightness. When she saw Sasuke she wanted to pull them back down, to hide herself from his view, from his entirely too pretty eyes. When he didn’t see her anyway, she liked him. She felt safe behind her fence, and he let her stay there.
The other girls stayed behind Sakura’s fence as well. Except for Ino. She broke through it, leaving a gaping hole for Sakura to painstakingly repair. Only Ino ever touched Sasuke. Sakura pretended to run beside Ino, to compete for Sasuke, but only the blond stood on the field with him. Only she could reach. When they became a team, Sakura tried to reach Sasuke, to slide her fingers through the fence. Just a little. Not enough. She though she finally had a chance, but she never took it. Sakura never joined Ino on the field.
She stayed beside Tazuna, blinded by mist and as useless as the old man himself, while her teammates fought Haku and Zabuza. While Sasuke almost died. While Naruto became strong. While Kakashi fought with all his might. Sakura waited for them to finish, to win. She waited, useless. Weak.
She finally reached her arms through the fence during the chuunin exam. To protect Sasuke from the Sound. To protect Sasuke from himself. Even then, it wasn’t enough. She scratched and scarred her arms. But they felt free, open. She wanted to leave her safe place, but didn’t know how. She wanted to leave, but more of her wanted to stay, so she never found out how.
She reached her arms through again to fight Sasori, but it took an old woman to pull them out. Alone, Sakura would have hidden. Alone, Sakura would have died.
She tried the hardest when Sasuke left. She told him, she reached through the fence, offered to leave her safety and live with him on the battlefield. He understood too well though, knew her too well. Sasuke told her to remain in safety, behind her ever growing barbed wire fence.
Sakura took all the Kunoichi classes in the academy. She studied hard to learn what they taught, to become a strong Kunoichi. They taught that a woman needed a different strength than a man. The strength to stand against different fears. The strength to give up her body in a way a man never would. The strength to do what a man never could. The strength to let others fight for you because a Kunoichi’s strength wasn’t meant for battle.
Then she trained under Tsunade. She taught that a Kunoichi must be twice a strong as any man. Strong like they taught girls to be in the academy, and strong in battle too.
Sakura took the lesson to heart-at least she thought she did. She learned Tsunade’s lesson, but never used it.
Until now.
Naruto lay moaning on the blackened ground from bloody wounds, too many of which he gave himself, drawing on the Kyuubi’s strength. Kakashi lay on the charred earth a few paces away, dying. And in front of her, stood Sasuke. So close she could touch him.
She almost did.
Finally, Sakura demolished her fence and stepped onto the field. She made herself strong. Stronger than any man could imagine. Strong enough to love Sasuke with all her heart. Strong enough to kill him.
"A Woman's Strength"
All her life, Sakura watched from the sidelines, but for a long time, she didn’t realize it. She thought she belonged there, behind the barbed wire fence she built herself but could never see.
She hid behind her bangs for so long, that when Ino pulled them out of her eyes, Sakura saw only the other girl’s dazzling brightness. When she saw Sasuke she wanted to pull them back down, to hide herself from his view, from his entirely too pretty eyes. When he didn’t see her anyway, she liked him. She felt safe behind her fence, and he let her stay there.
The other girls stayed behind Sakura’s fence as well. Except for Ino. She broke through it, leaving a gaping hole for Sakura to painstakingly repair. Only Ino ever touched Sasuke. Sakura pretended to run beside Ino, to compete for Sasuke, but only the blond stood on the field with him. Only she could reach. When they became a team, Sakura tried to reach Sasuke, to slide her fingers through the fence. Just a little. Not enough. She though she finally had a chance, but she never took it. Sakura never joined Ino on the field.
She stayed beside Tazuna, blinded by mist and as useless as the old man himself, while her teammates fought Haku and Zabuza. While Sasuke almost died. While Naruto became strong. While Kakashi fought with all his might. Sakura waited for them to finish, to win. She waited, useless. Weak.
She finally reached her arms through the fence during the chuunin exam. To protect Sasuke from the Sound. To protect Sasuke from himself. Even then, it wasn’t enough. She scratched and scarred her arms. But they felt free, open. She wanted to leave her safe place, but didn’t know how. She wanted to leave, but more of her wanted to stay, so she never found out how.
She reached her arms through again to fight Sasori, but it took an old woman to pull them out. Alone, Sakura would have hidden. Alone, Sakura would have died.
She tried the hardest when Sasuke left. She told him, she reached through the fence, offered to leave her safety and live with him on the battlefield. He understood too well though, knew her too well. Sasuke told her to remain in safety, behind her ever growing barbed wire fence.
Sakura took all the Kunoichi classes in the academy. She studied hard to learn what they taught, to become a strong Kunoichi. They taught that a woman needed a different strength than a man. The strength to stand against different fears. The strength to give up her body in a way a man never would. The strength to do what a man never could. The strength to let others fight for you because a Kunoichi’s strength wasn’t meant for battle.
Then she trained under Tsunade. She taught that a Kunoichi must be twice a strong as any man. Strong like they taught girls to be in the academy, and strong in battle too.
Sakura took the lesson to heart-at least she thought she did. She learned Tsunade’s lesson, but never used it.
Until now.
Naruto lay moaning on the blackened ground from bloody wounds, too many of which he gave himself, drawing on the Kyuubi’s strength. Kakashi lay on the charred earth a few paces away, dying. And in front of her, stood Sasuke. So close she could touch him.
She almost did.
Finally, Sakura demolished her fence and stepped onto the field. She made herself strong. Stronger than any man could imagine. Strong enough to love Sasuke with all her heart. Strong enough to kill him.