Summer

Summer 1999…..

The first time he saw her he was six.

She was clinging to her mother's legs as they made their way through the village square.

"Aniki" Itachi looked down "yes?" Sasuke smiled briefly showing to missing two front teeth, before pointing at the strange pink haired girl "who's that?" Itachi smiled and scooped Sasuke up into his arms "that is Haruno, Sakura she the heir to the Haruno clan."

"Why's her hair pink?" Itachi resisted the urge to role his eyes and instead shifted the six-year olds weight. "Her hairs pink, because that was the way she was born" Sasuke's face scrunched up in thought "does that mean that all her babies will have pink hair too?"

Itachi looked down at Sasuke in exasperation, before smirking slightly "I don't know Sasuke, are you going to find out?"

Sasuke looked appalled, and Itachi chuckled at the way his nose was scrunched up "EWWWWW NOOO!" Itachi chuckled "you won't always feel that way Sasuke."

Sasuke scrunched his face up again "like you and Yuki-chan, cause she's really nice, and you gotta care about her cause you where sucking the poison out of her neck the other day, and saving her life and everything."

Itachi blushed and thanked his lucky stars that Sasuke was still young enough to not understand what was really going on, and also decided he should probably shut his bedroom door from now on.

"Aniki, you were saving her weren't you?"

Itachi hastily nodded, "yes of course Sasuke, I know, why don't you go invite Sakura to your birthday party?"

"YES" Sasuke quickly scrambled out of Itachi's arms before skipping over to the pink-haired female.

When he reached her he planted himself straight in their path and shot out one small hand in an awkward handshake to Sakura's mother before turning to Sakura "Hey you must be Sakura on account of you have pink hair and everything."

"So Sakura, my birthday is coming up soon and it's going to be awesome and everything, and Aniki isn't going on any missions or anything cause he promised, so will you come."

Sakura looked up at her mother who looked as bewildered as she did before turning to Sasuke "Um what's you your name?" Sasuke grinned "my name is Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke."

"Okaa-san?"

Sakura's mother smiled, "of course Sakura-chan, when is it Sasuke-kun?"

"July 24th on account of mom wanting to have it the day after my birthday, so all the stinky old people from the clan can come and pinch by cheeks even though I tell them to stop every year but they never do!"

Sasuke huffed and crossed his arms before walking a few paces and bending down to pick a star lily and handed it to Sakura "Aniki gives these to Yuki-chan so I guess you're supposed to give them to girls" he placed a finger on his chin "I can't remember what it's called though, oh well here you go Sakura."

Sakura smiled and took the flower before tucking it behind her ear "thank you Sasuke-kun, I'll see you later."

Sasuke beamed "I know can Sakura come play with me please Sakura's-okaa-san?" Sakura's mom laughed and nodded "go ahead, I'll come get you around six Sakura?"

Sakura nodded before stepping away from her mother and walking over to stand next to Sasuke, who in turn grabbed her hand and dragged her along behind him racing through the streets wild and laughing the whole way.

Sakura beamed and let the raven-haired male pull her through the streets, it would be a two years before she would enter the academy (much to her grandmother's approval-she was the first Kunoichi in generations, and was proud that her granddaughter would follow in her foot prints).

She didn't have many friends, so it was a welcome surprise to not only find someone who seemed to like her but hadn't said at thing about her forehead. It was also a welcome surprise to escape her dreary home; it hadn't been the same since Otou-san left.

She jerked to a halt in front of a shinobi –she could tell by the kunei pouch- "Aniki Sakura's coming with us, she's my knew bestest friend."

Itachi just shook his head at the two beaming children "very well then, let's head back Sasuke, Sakura" both nodded before breaking out into mischievous grins, well Sasuke did Sakura just smiled brightly because this was new but she could tell it was great.

"LET'S GET HIM!"

And with that Sasuke tackled Itachi dragging Sakura down with them, and landing in a pile of laughing bodies.

Autumn 2001….

Sasuke trudged down the path to the academy, his Aniki beside him.

"Aniki can Sakura-chan come over tonight?" Itachi pierced his lips, the mission date was coming up a week, and the weight of what he must do weighed on his shoulders. He felt very selfish right now denying his brother the right to spend time with a friend however he would like to spend as much time with his family as possible before he must do what must be done.

"Sorry Sasuke not today, maybe tomorrow?" Sasuke's face fell momentarily before breaking out into a full blown grin "that's okay Aniki; I'll just play and train with Sakura-chan during break, like always."

"Sakura-chan is really smart, and really sweet although I think she likes me, which would be really bad cause then she would be like all the other creepy girls, and that would really suck." Sasuke took a brief breath before launching into another round.

"Cause the other girls are really scary and all stalkerish and it would be really suck if Sakura-chan turned into someone like that, like Ino cause she's really freaky."

Itachi chuckled "so you have some fan-girls little brother?" Sasuke nodded and shivered before started to dash up to the entrance calling a hasty goodbye over his shoulders dashing into the classroom he saw Sakura sitting in the back row her red shirt a stark contrast to the boring beige walls.

Plopping down in the seat next to her he opened his bag and pulled out his books before turning to Sakura. "Hey Sakura-chan."

Sakura looked up from her book quickly "huh" before realizing that Sasuke-kun was sitting next to her "oh hey Sasuke-kun what's up?"

"Not much, you wanna play tag at break I won't make you it first and everything."

Sakura seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding "Sure, Sasuke-kun but we have to practice to, I still can't throw the kunei right." Sasuke nodded "okay, so whatcha reading?" Sakura flipped the book shut before showing Sasuke the cover.

"A Kunoichi's guide to the rules of being a Shinobi?" Sasuke glanced curiously at the cover before turning to Sakura "why you reading that?"

"I'm reading it because, I want to be a good Kunoichi to make my grandmother proud of me" 'and because I want to be as strong as you.' "If I don't know the rules then I can't know what not to do and what to do, now can I?"

"You'll be a great Kunoichi" Sakura nodded hesitantly, she didn't quite believe him but at least someone thought she could do this because she wasn't so sure. "Thank you Sasuke-kun" Sasuke beamed "no problem Sakura-chan"

He was about to say something else when the other students came bursting into the class room yipping and chattering loudly. Class started and both students turned their heads to the Iruka. After all they were still tyed for the best marks in the class.

-&…&-

"No like this" said Sasuke directing Sakura's hand into the correct position, before instructing her to throw the kunei at the target, It hit off center but it was better than the six previous and she was improving slowly but steadily.

Sakura allowed herself a brief smile before picking up the next kunei and prepared it before flicking her wrist and sending the projectile straight into the center. Sakura beamed before turning to Sasuke and tackling him to the ground.

She landed on top of him before promptly hugging him even tighter to her "thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you thank you." She breathed before lowering her head to his chest "Sasuke-kun I can hear you heart, at least that's what I think I'm hearing."

Sasuke went red, he wasn't used to being this close to Sakura, and if he was red before she laid her head on his chest then he'd reached a new shade by the time she was talking about his heart. "S-Sakura-chan get off of me."

Sakura lifted her head to look down at him. "Why?" Sakura breathed out and Sasuke felt her warm breath dance on his face. "Cause your heavy." Sakura was years away from worrying about her weight but it bothered her that was the only reason he could come up with.

Sakura huffed and rolled over and off of him. "They're happy." Sasuke fought to control his flaming cheeks; he glanced at Sakura out of the corner of his eye. She was laying spread equal wide her legs spread out to form V's her head was tilted back to the sky and it took him a moment to realize what she was doing.

"Are you seriously watching the clouds?"

Sakura nodded slowly before rising to her feet. Smirking she bent down, placed a kiss on his cheek and took off running "YOUR IT!"

Sasuke blushed and scrambled to his feet, quickly following Sakura's laughing figure, speeding up he caught sight of her bent over giggling. He smirked to himself he had her right now sneaking up on her he tapped her shoulder.

"Tag your it."

Sakura shrieked in surprise before racing after Sasuke who was already too far ahead for her liking. Racing ahead she tried to get as close as she could before he got too far ahead again.

It was childish, it was not going to help them with their shinobi carrier, it would not serve to make either stronger, or smarter. However it was allowing them to be children, it was allowing them the freedom of running and running to feel the wind through your hair. It was unpractical but neither would trade it for the world.

For Sasuke it was the last moment like that he would share with Sakura, he would never be able to be so carefree again, he had seen too much, it had aged him, changed him, after all he was an avenger now. Avenging his lost family and vowing to hunt down his brother, their murderer so that perhaps he and his family could rest in peace.

Winter 2005…

Sakura heard his feet before she saw him.

And when he finally was in her sight, her heart sank, just like she thought. He was leaving Kohana, he was leaving his home, he was leaving their team, he was leaving Kakashi-sensei and Naruto, and he was leaving her.

"Why are you prowling around her in the middle of the night?"

"I knew you'd come this way if you were to leave….So I just waited here."

Sasuke closes his eyes. This was already hard enough, couldn't she understand that he needed to do this. That he couldn't become powerful in Kohana. That Orochimaru could offer him more power then he could ever dream about.

Itachi needed to die so he could have peace and so could the family he lost, his aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers, great-grandmothers, great-grandfathers, his parents, oh god his parents. He was their son, for god's sake.

Turning to his childhood friend he spoke "get out of here, and go back to sleep."

Sakura tensed and he could tell there were tears streaming from her eyes without looking, and for a brief moment he hated himself for it, only to remind himself that this was for the best. Reminded himself of what he lost, and marveled at the way this little girl could shake his nerves in to frayed threads.

"Why won't you say anything to me?" 'It wasn't like this when we where little kids starting at the academy' "why do you always keep so quiet? You never say a single word to me…"

"I told you, I don't need your help….don't try to look after me"

Sakura doesn't believe him, she can't she remembers before he shut down, before he became so cold, she remembers tag, and kunei practice, she remembers kissing him on the cheek, she remembers holding him at the funeral, as he shook and quaked.

She remembers trying to stay close to him and stop him from pushing her away, she remembers falling in love with who he used to be, she remembers how he started to hate her, she remembers falling in love with him as a person not an idea, she remembers everything and it plays forth in a sick and twisted slideshow.

She forces a small sad smile.

"No matter what, you hate me, don't you….."

Sasuke almost snorted he doubted he could hate her, he hated many things, his brother, at times Naruto, sweets, but never had it crossed his mind to hate Sakura. No he disliked her because she turned into a fan-girl, but he didn't hate her. Not yet anyway.

"You remember, don't you?"

Sasuke remembers a lot of things and for a moment he is lost in memories of a childhood, of games of tag, and hide and seek.

"When we became genins, the day when our three-man team was first decided….The first time we were here by ourselves, you were so mad at me…."

"I don't remember that." But he lies oh he remembers, and he thinks he will till the day he dies.

She laughed lightly and Sasuke realized how broken the sound was. "Yeah, I guess you right…that's all in the past huh?"

It's a rhetorical question he knows, but he still bites back an annoying and a glare.

"That's when it all began though, you and me…"

"Naruto and Kakashi-sensei."

"We did all sorts of missions, just the four of us; it was painful and difficult at times, even with that though…"

"I still enjoyed it." 'I thought you did too….'

"I know all about your past Sasuke, Even if you get revenge though, it won't bring anyone happiness, not you Sasuke, no me."

Does she think he doesn't know…that this will hurt people? He knows but the rewards are far greater right now for him to worry about that.

"I already know…I'm different from you all…I can't be following the same path as you guys."

But he wished he could, oh god he wished he could.

"Up until now, we've done everything as a group. But there is something else…I must do…"

Sakura thinks he's trying to convince himself when he utters the last words in a mutter, and it gives her hope, perhaps she could save him, perhaps they could be happy, perhaps he could be happy, perhaps Sasuke wasn't too far gone, maybe she was strong enough finally to do something useful.

"Deep inside my heart, I've already decided on revenge…for that reason only, do I live…"

And Sakura thinks that is dumbest thing that has ever come out of his mouth, there is so much more too life then death, and revenge.

"I'll never be like you, or Naruto."

Sakura sobs loudly and brokenly, and if Sasuke wasn't so sure seeing her face would make him stay then he would have turned around and hugged her, but he couldn't falter in his resolve, this had to be done and he would do it, he had a goal and it would be completed. Whether they liked it or not.

"To me…..To me I would be just as alone as you…"

And as much as he wants to disagree with her, it's all in her voice, her tear choked voice.

"From here on out….we all begin new paths…."

Sasuke hoped she used this to start a new path for herself, one that would lead to her being the Kunoichi she dreamed of, he hoped she became strong, hoped she didn't hate him for this, hoped that someday she could forgive him.

Sakura clutched her hand to her heart, it hurt so terribly bad, and it made her cry harder and she decides that it's now or never if she doesn't tell him now then she may never, it would kill her if he left (but he won't she told herself) without knowing how much she loves him, how much he means to her.

"I…ILOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!"

Sasuke's eyes widen, he'd had girls throw themselves at him, tell him that they like liked him, but not one of them had told him they loved him. But Sakura just did, and he can tell that she wasn't lying no one could lie with that much feeling.

And suddenly he's so angry with her, was she trying to make this harder on him? Did she think she could truly change his mind?

"If you were to stay with me…there would be no regrets….because every day we'd do something fun, we'd be happy I swear!"

"I'll even help you with your revenge…I don't know what I could do…but, I'll try my best to do something!"

She took a long shuddering breath "or take me with you if you can't stay here…just please stay with me."

Sakura sobs, and Sasuke finds the idea to be a tantalizing one to take Sakura with him? But sound was no place for a little pink-haired girl who was just starting to develop steel in her bones. It wasn't a place for him either, but he needed to go, Sakura didn't, Sakura could live happily here in her home.

So even if he wanted to, even if he found the idea to be tempting he still had some mercy and he would save her from this.

"You really are annoying."

Maybe she is, but she can't bring herself to worry about that, couldn't bring herself to even contemplate that thought when the one she loved was leaving home, leaving her. And she's desperate now.

"DON'T LEAVE!"

"IF YOU DO I'LL SCREAM!"

She feels the air rush past her and suddenly she's not staring at his back and she can feel him behind her "Sakura" and she feels hot breath against her neck, her pulse races and her palms sweat.

"Thank you, for everything."

And that's the last thing she remembers.

Spring 2010…..

Sakura shifted her weight from foot to foot as she trudged towards Kohana.

She and her team where the last to return to Kohana after the end of the war and the end of Madara Uchiha. However she was quite unhappy with whom she was carrying "Kaka-sensei can't I carry Sai I don't want to carry him, I really don't feel comfortable with this…"

She trailed off when she felt the glare on the back of her neck raising her hackles she glared at the packed dirt; she couldn't get home soon enough. "No Sakura you can't for the billionth time, we need you to carry him."

She knew she was whining but this was ridiculous "but you haven't explained why, the only difference between us is that I've been pissed and cautious the whole way while you've been your normal self if not a little tired, which reminds me, are you still having nightmares?"

Kakashi snorted "Sakura, language" Sakura glared at him before launching into a bout of profanity that would make Tsunade and a seasoned sailor proud. Kakashi just shook his head "where did you learn to talk like tha-oh right, yeah, never mind."

"But seriously why do I have to carry him, I would gladly carry our dear emotionally constipated friend and you could have this one?"

Kakashi sighed "Sakura the fact is that I'm already carrying Sai, now I know you'd rather carry Sai, however it's safer for you to carry him because you're so on guard, and frankly I don't want to carry him."

Sasuke glared at his former teammate and sensei who were conversing back and forth, did they really have to talk about him like he wasn't here? It was bad enough he was being dragged back to the village, he may not wish to destroy it anymore, but he felt no warm fuzzy feelings at the mention of Kohana.

"So what's the first thing you're going to do when you get back?"

Sakura sighed "drag this bastards sorry ass up to Tsunade-sensei's office so she can send for the necessary professionals, I healed everything, so they could get straight to the interrogation, then I'll probably head over to the hospital, their bound to be over flooded."

"Which means lots of OR work and trying not to pull my hair out at some of the medics." Kakashi laughed "ah yes you and those new recruits don't get along very well do you?" Sakura grumbled "that doesn't even describe it, I'm honestly starting to believe there hopeless cases and ready to fire their asses."

Kakashi chuckled "weren't you in charge of everything because of your status of head medic?"

Sakura sighed and shock her head "I was at a point, however because I'm a field medic I was required on the battlefield, so I still have the title of head medic, but all my paperwork and responsibilities have been handed off until the war was over and I can return."

She shook her head "however the medic I trusted to take over, hired some more medics, which by the way where truly unneeded Kohana only has four field medics and one is the hokage."

"So the last time my team rotated back to the village, I went to work to find the hospital in a terrible state, patients weren't being healed correctly, people were healing minor wounds while letting people bleed out on the operating table, it was a mess."

"Out of seventy-two of them I had to fire sixty-two, the last ten I worked with and tried to train them the best I could before I was rotated out again." Sakura tightened her hold on Sasuke's leg's "if I come back to find my hospital in shambles again then there will be hell to pay."

Sakura shook her head her petal pink hair tickling his cheeks, Sasuke didn't like how right it felt to be able to smell the strawberry shampoo (where she got strawberry shampoo he had no clue) and to have the wind sending her shoulder length hair flying around her and tickling his face.

Suddenly Kakashi burst out laughing.

Sakura glanced at him "do I want to know?" Kakashi chuckled again before speaking "oh I just thought of something, me and you are on Anbu level, while Naruto and Sasuke are still genin, looks like they have some cat chasing to do while me and you do all the fun stuff."

Sakura chuckled "you know Kaka-sensei I think that just made my day, thank you."

"Now who's going to tell Naruto, that after helping to end a war he's back to chasing cats?"

Sakura smirked "I'm not going to tell him" her smirk faded to a strained smile "things have been…tense to say the least without me adding any more reason's for him to resent me."

"Hn, you two worked fine together on the battlefield."

Sakura almost laughed at the jealously that simple statement contained, he was the one that left and it wasn't her fault that her and Naruto worked so well together, again he wasn't here to participate, so he can reap none of the rewards.

"He speaks, of course we work well together, and we've had years to work together, to collaborate our techniques, to learn where each other's blind spots are and to cover them, you weren't here Sasuke so you can't reap the hard work me and Naruto put in to be able to work so seamlessly together."

"But things are very tense between the two of us right now."

Kakashi glanced at her "you know he doesn't blame you right Sakura? He knows what you thought had to be done, he knows that you only wanted to protect him."

Sakura clenched her eyes shut "you don't understand I lied to his face. I told him I love him in the way he's wanted for so many years, I tried to get him to give up on the "promise of a life time" but he wouldn't budge."

"Was I wrong to try and protect him, to try and do what he's done for me so many times before?"

Kakashi sighed "stop over analyzing it Sakura, hell even Kiba has forgiven you for knocking him out."

Sakura shook her head "in any case I know I did the wrong thing, I'll just have to find a way to make it up to him, maybe help set him and Hinata up on a date…"

Sakura sighed "well at least were less than five hours away from the village, we'll be home soon, thank the kami."

-&…&-

Sakura stood in front of her sensei her mouth dropped open in shock.

"EXCUSE ME YOU WHAT?" Tsunade stared at the tired female. "Sakura, I said that your going to have to watch the Uchiha, it's your mission."

Sakura glared "Why though, there are plenty of other anbu, hell Sai would be a better fit then me, plus you know both of us would be amused by that situation." Both chuckled deeply identical smirks on their faces, Sasuke looked over at the hokage's dark-haired assistant with a questioning stare.

Shizune just waved it off "don't worry there always like this, there to similar to each other for their own good."

Finally both quieted down.

"Sakura let me ask you this, why is it that your home is open to all the boys on your team, however the one boy you fought so hard to get back, isn't allowed?"

Sakura glared "my home is open to them any day at anytime of the day, because my boys are my life and I would do anything for them, hell I would die for them, just like they would for me, I love them with all my heart."

Tsunade laced her fingers together "So wasn't Sasuke a part of your team once, didn't you love him once."

Sakura glared "He tried to kill me" she hissed Tsunade simply stared at her "Didn't you try to kill him as well?"

Sakura glared "For his own good, he tried to kill me in cold blood." Tsunade sighed. Was this what it would have been like if Orochimaru returned home with Jiraiya?

"And you of all people should know better than to use love against me, love is my motivation, it can't be used against me, and yeah maybe I did love him once I truly did love him, but he tried to kill everything that means the world to me."

Finally Tsunade sighed "you don't trust him, I understand Sakura I would have been the same way if Orochimaru ever decided to return home" Sasuke snorted, it wasn't like he'd had much of a choice, injured and poisoned after Madara's downfall.

"However you and Naruto fought far too hard to get this bastard back to just give up" Tsunade smiled at her student "besides wasn't it you that said that everyone deserves a second chance in life, So why are you denying Sasuke his?"

Sakura sighed and sank into a chair in defeat "fine fine, you win Sensei he can move in tonight, just give me a while to go home and clean a bit, it's really a mess I come home and literally drop dead on the couch."

Tsunade nodded "which reminds me Sakura what are you going to do about those medics that Kimiyoki hired I understand you fired most of them leaving ten who you tried to train yourself, what is your final decision on them?"

Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her hastily braided hair "honestly they've improved greatly and the hospital was running as best I could expect it to be with you, me, and Shizune out of the village for such a long period of time. Are they our level, hell no, but their sufficient and work very well with the patients."

"And with a little more training honestly they could become great."

Tsunade rubbed her chin "I'll give you another two weeks but Sakura you really need to make a decision, also your ass is not to set foot in the hospital for a good week or you'll be taking D-ranked missions for a good solid month"

Sakura thought about protesting but just nodded "Hai, if that's all I really want to get home, it seems like it's been so long."

Tsunade nodded, she knew the feeling.

"Go Sakura and take the damned Uchiha with you." Said Tsunade with a wave of a hand.

Sakura grabbed Sasuke by the arm and pulled him out the large double doors leading into her master office stopping outside the doors she did a set of hand signs before launching onto his arm just in time for him to be transported with her.

They popped into existence in Sakura's living room and in a scene that Sasuke compared to a war zone.

Cloths were strewn everywhere. Some items that made Sasuke want to blush scarlet, and picture some things he shouldn't, did she really wear that much lace?

Glancing at his former teammate who was gathering cloths into her arms, he decided he better not think about it too hard, he may need to look her straight in the eyes.

"Sasuke stop glaring at my underwear" Sasuke immediately snapped his eyes away from the red and black lace object lying in the center of her floor, and instead turned to Sakura "where can I sleep?" Sakura sighed and deposited her arm full of cloths onto the couch.

"Come on Sasuke, you might as well get comfy, who knows how long sensei will have you living with me."

Sakura led him down the sort hallway and stopped at a plain door, opening it she stepped inside and flicked on the lights. Sasuke was surprised by the lack of pink and red. The walls were painted a light green color that reminded him of the sea foam, there was a bed against the far wall, a dresser, a closet, and a large window that opened up to a fantastic view of the hokage monument.

He would have preferred the walls to be a navy blue or black but he decided that it was tolerable and he could grow to like it.

Sasuke threw his bag on the bed before turning to Sakura who was about to leave the room, so he could unpack or at least that's what he presumed "Sakura who is Sai?"

Sakura laughed "give me a minute Sasuke I'll be right back and then I guess I'll explain, since you two are bound to meet up, while he's conscious this time."

Sakura quickly hurried into her own room before undoing her braid and changing into a pair of black boxers and a shirt that Naruto had left one of the times he had stayed the night before padding back to Sasuke's room finding him in the same place she had left him she sat down on the bed.

She patted the spot next to her on the bed and Sasuke sat almost hesitantly. "After Naruto came back from training we were sent on a mission to Suna to help retrieve Gaara –the Kazakage- from the Akatsuki."

"I don't care that you were trying to undo that cursed organization from the inside like your brother, they've been hunting Naruto for years, and it misses me off so much that you even thought of joining them. "

Sakura sighed "anyway we managed to get him back, although the one tails had already been removed, lady Chiyo was able to bring him back from the dead at the cost of her own life, actually I wouldn't be alive today if it was not for her."

Sasuke glanced at her sharply "I was run through my Sasori of the red sand" said Sakura pulling up her shirt to reveal the long scar that traveled the length of abdomen, gently letting the fabric fall back down she returned to her story.

"However Kakashi-sensei had overused the Sharingan, and we were to be sent out on a mission to investigate some information I had received from Sasori for being able to kill him, but we did not have a team leader or a fourth member to our team."

"Yamoto became our team leader and our third teammate was Sai. Me and Naruto hated him at first, he called us horrible names and was so rude, I nearly killed him right then and there." She said shaking her head "it wasn't until we were halfway to the Tenshi bridge that we found out why Sai was the way he was."

"Sai was a part of root a branch of the anbu that were completely loyal to Danzo and no one else. Root has a terrible practice however, it makes its members forget their emotions until they can feel nothing."

"Anyway I'll skip ahead, because really you don't want to hear the whole thing and I'm too tired to tell the whole thing, we encountered Orochimaru and Sai left with him, leaving me and Naruto more pissed than ever before."

Sakura sighed and ran her hands through her short hair "I'm sure you remember what happened at the base, so I don't need to describe it to you?" Sasuke nodded "anyway after the mission ended Sai requested to stay with team Kakashi, to learn more about bonds, he wanted to know how we still had a bond with a traitor."

"After that wherever we went Sai came along, he still struggles with emotion, but despite that he's one of my best friends and he's fiercely protective of me and Naruto, that's why he doesn't like you at all, he thinks you'll hurt us again, and you have done nothing to prove to him that you won't."

The or to me, hangs suspended in the air with what seemed like steel chains.

Finally Sakura yawned and stood "I'm going to bed, night Sasuke."

Sasuke watched her stand and make her way towards the door, when she was just about to leave he sighed and spoke. "

"Goodnight Sakura."

Sakura smiles and Sasuke smirks, and both think it could be the start of a new and better chapter of their lives.

Summer 2013...

"I still can't believe this is how you train."

Sakura and Naruto both glared at Sasuke "seriously Sasuke-kun let it go, it improves our stamina and it's fun not all training is about mindless fighting, now I wanna be it first."

Both Sasuke and Naruto shook their heads at her. She was nineteen now, but sometimes she acted half her age.

When they reached training ground three Sakura let them have a five second head start before she started to follow her teammates trail, she wasn't the best tracker but she was good enough to tell that Sasuke was the closest.

Speeding up she masked her chakra and jumped up into the trees. Seeing him running beneath her she quickly jumped to the next branch and when he was directly beneath her she jumped down on him tackling him to the ground.

Sasuke panted as he stared up at Sakura who was smiling like the cat who ate the canary, and suddenly he's over whelmed by the need to kiss her, to kiss this beautiful creature who was so strong and so pretty, and who had always been there.

And he's struck by how much this scene resembles the one from their childhood. But Sakura's not going to make the first move this time and so he pushes himself up and he kisses her.

And both think it's the best thing that has happened in a long time, because time came full circle, and it's pure bliss until-

"WHAT THE FUCK SAKURA-CHAN, SASUKE-TEME I LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR ONE MINUTE AND YOU START MAKING OUT!"

"Naruto…"

Naruto was gone in a poof of smoke.

Both smirked before launching back into where they had left off.