Author Note: This One-Shot is the prequel to "The Real Reason Why Sakura Chose Sasuke Over Naruto For The Last Time!" which represents Manga Chapter 700.

This story represents Chapter 699, so you can read this as a stand-alone fanfic. But I suggest you read the sequel as well, to understand the aftermath a little better. Or at least, my twisted interpretation of the ending. (I think Kishimoto is tired of writing Naruto, doesn't want anything to do with it anymore, thus everyone's happiness is canon so whatever underlying schemes people come up with aren't official. Still, the ending isn't logical, so I'll make it logical. With this ^_^)

春野サクラ

Sakura was scared. She stood next to her Sensei, afraid. She was in love with Sasuke, but she'd moved on from her feelings. She had to. But Sasuke was finally back, right?

"Well…to be honest…" Kakashi-sensei said, "Under any normal circumstances, you would have been locked away, imprisoned for life…"

Sasuke watched his Sensei apathetically. Heh, so I'm let off the hook.

"This is mainly thanks to support from the hero and central force in ending the war: Naruto, and myself as the Sixth Hokage. Make sure you keep that in mind," he warned lightly, "So try to keep yourself under control this time, yeah? Because it'll be my ass on the line this time…"

Sakura stood beside Kakashi, tuning out her Sensei's words, just impassively as the raven himself, if not more so. Her eyes were glazed over, lost in thought and paying no attention, reminiscing.

It felt so surreal. Whenever it involved Sasuke, it was always a gamble to lose everything important to her.

Even before they became ninja…she threw away her friendship with Ino…all to chase after Sasuke-kun.

Ino was the one who gave Sakura confidence, Sasuke was the one who took it away. Yet, Sasuke was just that captivating, to have so much power over her without exerting more than a passing glance, even more than Ino, who had defended her aggressively from the start…

Sasuke-kun was always so captivating…

It made her feel self-conscious.

It didn't help that she had no other friends, not since Ino left and every other girl was a fangirl. The other boys? Why would she choose any of them when there was Sasuke-kun? It would only give him competition, if he ever chose to look her way.

Essentially, Sakura was alone. She would never admit it, but she knew there was nothing for her, no one there for her…

With nothing left to lose, all she could do was chase Sasuke…and maybe hope to get something back. Anything. Punishment. Love. Ino.

But that was the one thing she was wrong about. In place of Ino, there was Naruto.

Naruto came second, but it felt like Ino was the washed-out imitation. They shared blonde hair and blue eyes, but Ino's were paler, and Naruto's more sharp and contrasting in colors.

Their outgoing personalities matched when they interacted with Sakura, but Naruto's was more extreme.

He was always complimenting her, boosting her ego, cheering for her, asking her out on dates. Subconsciously, he built her weak confidence, manifested her Inner Sakura, which never failed to emerge and berate Naruto whenever he got on her nerves.

It was too bad she would make the same mistake twice.

Maybe it was because Sasuke was always wherever Naruto was. Maybe they were rivals, or fated spiritual brothers, or just polar opposites. Regardless, Sasuke was always around Naruto, even if he didn't want to be.

So it was no surprise that she would overlook Naruto when Sasuke was in front of her eyes.

If Ino was a small candle, Naruto was a warm lamp.

If Naruto was that, Sasuke-kun was a bonfire.

Bonfires always overshadowed everything they surrounded, and burned everything that got too close.

Sakura's confidence was burned.

'You're annoying,' Sasuke had said back then.

I know.

The night Sasuke left Konoha for power, Sakura knew she would die. The only thing that existed was Sasuke, and without him, she would be all alone. She had new friends; Rock Lee, and maybe some others (she couldn't list, Lee was the only new friend she acquired) but they were just that. They were lesser versions of Ino and Naruto, who paled to Sasuke.

She would throw it all away if it could bring her closer to Sasuke. She said so, but Sasuke rejected her…in such a way that chained her.

'Thank you, Sakura.'

Sometimes Sakura wondered if it was his plan all along. Those three words were the last she heard of him, and they gave her hope, binding her to it. That night, she knew she would never be able to let it go, not since he said those farewell words…

Or at least, not until he returned, and settled things between them.

When Sasuke comes back, I'll be able to move on.

..

..

..

.

'Naruto, promise me you'll bring Sasuke-kun back!'

Naruto's lip had trembled, a movement she barely caught. She wondered why. Then, he hid it with a grin, and a thumbs-up for extra measure. 'That's a promise of a lifetime!'

A lifetime it was…

..

.

..

When Sakura realized Sasuke was set out to destroy Konoha…she knew there was no chance to settle things between them. There was no way she could let Sasuke go.

She had to kill him.

Apparently Sasuke had the same idea. Goading her into turning her back towards him in order to stab Karin, Sasuke pulled out his Chidori and aimed it towards her chest.

He was really trying to kill her, and if Kakashi hadn't shown up in time…

春

It happened again.

This time Naruto saved her life.

春

Then, there was the war against Madara and Obito…

She expected Sasuke to be on their side, but when he joined her in the battlefield, Sakura couldn't help but cry. In happiness, she told herself.

春

"Revolution," Sasuke elaborated, after confining the 5 Kages. They've gone through so much to defeat Kaguya…and yet Sasuke-kun still…

"I really did love you, Sasuke!" Sakura confessed.

She was stabbed in the heart by his Chidori.

She could tell herself Sasuke-kun was just angry she was speaking of her love in past-tense, but Sakura couldn't lie to herself. It was genjutsu, she always had an eye to such things, and for once Sasuke wasn't trying to kill her…he was protecting her, Sakura told herself.

But Sasuke didn't love her.

春

When Sakura arrived to the aftermath of the final battle between Naruto and Sasuke, and heard the latter apologize to her, she knew Naruto had finally fulfilled his promise. He brought Sasuke back to her.

But did she really want Sasuke back?

She tried to conjure up memories of her happiest moments, but all the images were of Naruto when they didn't involve her in dilemmas.

Sakura shivered as she sent healing chakra to their arm stumps, stopping their bleeding.

It was a selfish thought. Sasuke was a brother to Naruto. Best friends. Of course she wanted Sasuke-kun back.

Sakura forced a smile, tears flowing out her eyes. If she was certain of anything about him from all their times spent together, and as she was no longer blinded by love, she could be certain that Sasuke was never sorry…but she wasn't going to point it out, not in front of Naruto, or it would ruin the moment, destroy Naruto's dreams. It was this subconscious hesitance that she would later regret.

"Shannaro…You'd damn well better be."

春野

"…yeah, sorry," Sasuke replied, snapping Sakura out of her chain of memories.

Sasuke was never sorry.

Something was up.

Sakura knew Sasuke best, she was the realist of Team 7, with her bright mind. She couldn't drown herself into the fantasy that everything was okay. Nothing was ever okay when it came to Sasuke-kun.

"….You're really gonna leave?" Sakura questioned in trepidation, "Tsunade-sama is just about to finish creating your artificial arm out of Hashirama's cells…"

"…Right now, I need to see the world for myself. I must know what kind of state the world is in," he responded with a frown, "I feel like I'm finally able to see all the things I've overlooked and missed up until now."

Sakura hesitated. Could he be…?

"And if I don't seize this opportunity…I might miss my chance to see with this kind of clarity again,"

What did Naruto make you see?

"On top of that…there are a few things that have been on my mind," Sasuke finished, looking intently into Sakura's eyes.

Again, she felt a familiar compulsion. She felt her cheeks heat up, her years of hard work and training nullified, and her inferiority complex being pulled out, as always with Sasuke's presence.

And Sakura was suddenly very shy, and insecure.

Sasuke was leaving Konoha again.

Sasuke was leaving again.

He was leaving for a different reason than last time, a better reason, Sakura knew that, but why were her emotions telling her otherwise?

Why did it seem like Sasuke-kun had other goals in mind, that something was wrong with this situation?

That if Sakura if she didn't follow after him, she'd lose him permanently. Just like last time.

Sakura was the type to make the same mistakes twice.

"Well…what if…I asked you…to take me with you…?" She tentatively glanced up to his eyes, afraid to see confirmation of her suspicions.

But she didn't see anything, Sasuke had his eyes closed. "This is a journey of redemption for me. My sins have nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do…with me…?" Sakura slumped. Perhaps I was wrong. Yeah, I'm being paranoid about him.

Kakashi regarded her coolly, she's still fangirling for Sasuke.

She heard Sasuke's footsteps, and looked at him in askance as his hand reached for her eyes. She shut them by impulse, and felt a tap to her large forehead.

But it was more than a mere fingerpoke.

With Sasuke's newly awakened Sage of Six Paths powers, he easily loaded her mind with images, memories, genjutsu, threats and commands….the same way Itachi transferred Sasuke the Amaterasu.

She watched it all;

Naruto was Hokage. But he didn't earn his position; it was passed down by Kakashi.

"Heh. This Village is disgusting, the only reason I am allowing it to exist is because of my clan. I don't believe this peace will last. Naruto hasn't changed the Ninja System. He's merely become its Monarchy," it was Sasuke's voice.

Then, she saw him raise his hands.

"Shinra Tensei."

With a single jutsu, Konoha was incinerated, but not just that.

The entire world was destroyed.

And what's worse…Naruto didn't get up to fight back. Despite achieving his dream, Naruto was jaded.

When Naruto died, Sasuke laughed. 'You should be grateful, Naruto! I put you out of your misery! You can finally forget about your failure to bring peace!'

Then, Sakura saw the Genjutsu rewind itself, for another replay.

Naruto was Hokage. But he didn't earn his position; it was passed down by Kakashi.

"Heh. This Village is disgusting, the only reason I am allowing it to exist is because my clan has more value than any kind of peace the world deserves," it was Sasuke's voice. "My revived Uchiha clan, thanks to you, Sa-ku-ra," he huskily whispered into her ear.

She glanced him stand intimately close beside her. She saw herself holding an infant in her arms, with black hair and black eyes. Their child.

"Naruto would be so happy for us," Sakura felt herself saying against her will, "do you think he'll come to our wedding ceremony?"

"Of course, and we'll go to his," Sasuke answered with a smirk. "His and Hinata's."

Sakura felt her stomach coil.

Whether it was out of distress or excitement, she couldn't tell.

春

It all happened in the blink of a forehead poke, she relived Sasuke's life and motives. Sasuke forced her to.

And now that she knew what Sasuke was thinking…

Sasuke finally cracked a smile.

For the first time, in three years, a genuine smile, directed directly towards her, and no one else.

But it was a sinister smile, full of hidden intents and evil. This was Sasuke, after all. Nothing about him was pure.

"I'll see you when I'm back," Sasuke promised.

O-Of course. We'll get married. Then you won't destroy the world to chase after your 'revolution,' right? We'll have children, Uchiha children; you're satisfied with just your clan restored. You only want me, right?

Sakura swallowed. You value the Uchiha legacy more than world peace, you were willing to destroy Konoha for it…and now, you're willing to leave the world alone, for the Uchiha legacy…

You won't hurt anyone again, not even Naruto.

"And thank you."

Those last three words dug themselves into her soul, rejecting her while still keeping her chained to him. Just like before.

Her lips twitched. That was it?

Bestowed with the Sage's power, her two teammates were the strongest shinobi alive, godly, and untouchable. A serious fight between them would destroy the world.

And yet, this was all it took to end the 6th Shinobi War before it began?

It was a small price to pay. She was lucky to be born a woman.

Naruto didn't change Sasuke…Sakura did.

She watched him walk away, his figure shrinking and shrinking, until she could no longer see him over the horizon.

Sakura looked to the side, and realized Kakashi was gone, probably off to do his Hokage-duties.

And Sakura was left alone, again.

春野

'You name it, Sakura.'

'…Sarada.'

'Uchiha Sarada.'

Explanation: Sasuke tricks Sakura into rejecting Naruto for him, knowing this will break Naruto, so that he won't get in his way when he tries to destroy the world.

Sakura doesn't know this obviously.