Sakura turned her back for good.

— “Don’t follow me, Sasuke.” — she said, without turning around. — “Enough.”

He stood still for a second. Two.

Then he caught up to her.

His hand grabbed her arm, uncertain.

— “Let go.” — Sakura asked, her voice far too steady for someone who was breaking apart inside.

He didn’t let go.

— “You always do this.” — she continued. — “You stay when you’re afraid of losing me… but you’re never there when I actually need you.”

Sakura finally turned to face him. Her eyes were shining, but her expression was hard.

— “I’m tired of being the only one trying.”

Sasuke opened his mouth. Closed it. His jaw tightened.

— “Look at me.” — she asked.

He lifted his gaze slowly. Red. Tired.

— “Do you have any idea how much this hurts?” — Sakura said, her voice faltering only at the very end. — “Because to me, it feels like I’m never enough for you to stay.”

She pulled her arm again.

— “Let me go.”

Sasuke tightened his grip without realizing it. His chest rose and fell too fast.

— “No…” — he tried, the word dying before it could become a sentence.

— “No what?” — Sakura replied, bitterly. — “You won’t change? You won’t talk? You won’t choose?”

His silence answered before any words could.

Sakura swallowed hard.

— “See?” — she said, with a sad smile. — “It’s always like this.”

She took a step back.

That was when he broke.

Sasuke pulled her hand back, now completely out of control. His body sagged slightly, as if he were about to fall apart.

— “Stay.” — he said, his voice rough, almost failing.

Sakura shook her head, tears finally spilling over.

— “I want to stay.” — she replied. — “But staying like this… it’s destroying me.”

Her words were the final blow.

Sasuke’s eyes burned for real now. He turned his face away, breathing unevenly, trying to hold back something that was already slipping out.

— “I’m trying.” — he murmured, nearly broken.

— “I know.” — Sakura said, quieter. — “But it’s not enough.”

She didn’t let go of his hand. Not yet.

Sasuke stayed there, holding on as if it were the last thing he had, his shoulders tense, his eyes begging without words…

waiting to see whether Sakura would still choose to stay — or if that really was the end.