Words Unspoken

'She looks a lot better...' Sasuke thought as he gazed down at Ashita's sleeping form. As if she had read his mind, Sakura said, "She was badly hurt, and still is, but she'll be fine." The Uchiha shot a glance at her, then stared at Ashita's left wrist. Sakura had mended the broken vein in it and now the cut was clean and stitched up. 'She almost died...' Sasuke's eyes widened as he relived memory of how his beloved had come to be in the Konohakagure hospital.

It had been four years since he had first left Konoha to go with Orochimaru, and now he had returned. The first thing he had to do was find Ashita. He knew how much he had hurt her when he left. He had felt the same pain. The Uchiha had lost count of how many times he had forced himself to stay with the snake Sannin, instead of going back to Konoha...and Ashita. After four years, he couldn't take it anymore. He had to come back. Konoha hadn't changed a bit in the years he had been gone and he could only hope that the same was true of Ashita. She had been sitting in her bedroom writing something, completely unaware that Sasuke was watching her through the window. He had failed to notice the tears streaking down her face and the razor glinting in her hand. This was why he had been unable to stop her. The razor had flashed and Ashita had fallen to her bedroom floor, the blood that was gushing out of her wrist staining the carpet crimson.

Sasuke shivered. The image of her laying there, her life slipping away, would be burned into his mind forever. With a jolt, he remembered that Ashita had been writing something before she had used the razor. Had that been a suicide note? "Sakura," Sasuke began, breaking the silence. "Do you still have that piece of paper Ashita was holding?" "Yes." Sakura gave the note to him and got up out of her chair. "I want to stay, but I have other patients to tend to." Sasuke watched her go, then moved his chair closer to Ashita's bed and unfolded the note.

'Sasuke, if you're reading this, I'm sorry.' The note began. 'I just can't take it anymore. I don't even dare to hope that you're going to come back some day. But I've never stopped loving you. So if you ever get to read this, just remember that.' "I love you."

Sasuke read that last line out loud. When he did, Ashita opened her eyes and gasped. "Sasuke, you're-!" The Uchiha cut her off by putting a finger to her lips. "I love you too, Ashita." He whispered. Ashita sighed and closed her eyes

'I love you...' He had never said that to her before...

The End