Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I only own this story. This is my first fan fiction...probably re-edited for the billionth time.

Word Count: 10K+

A/N: First chapter back up and revised! Readers, I'm so sorry for changing the storylines and chapters over and over due to my dissatisfying taste of my own fan fiction. Thanks for the reviews, I'll take your feedback seriously! And I will consider story requests.

Chapter One

"Soap: C15H31CO2Na. Long molecules designed to suck up dirt, sweat, and humiliation." - Kate Malone, Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

'Late. I'm late. I'm late. Late. Kami, why?' A splash of pink hair flew through the gates of Konoha High. The frantic chick skidded to her first class, passing by many other late students. First day at this school and she was already late. 'I spent too much time chatting away with Tsunade.' Her emerald orbs quickly processed her surroundings and the familiar layout of the building. She was here just yesterday. The door to Kakashi-sensei's class was just ahead of her and...

"Today, we're going to be-" The gray haired man was rudely interrupted as the door slammed open. He raised his left brow and examined his former student from many years ago. Any more force and my door will crack. She's as violent as I remember her to be. "-expecting my favorite pupil, Haruno Sakura."

"Gomen, Kakashi-sensei…" The flustered girl tried to catch her uneven breathing. Her sudden unannounced appearance had some students on the edge of their seats.

"Haha, no worries, Sakura-chan." He turned toward the class that was still a little frozen in shock at the rosette. Her wild and unusual hair was enough to attract crowds from far away. Not to mention her unusual eyes hiding behind ridiculous frames did a fantastic job at hiding her face. "Lovely as she is, she'll bite your head off if you upset her." Sakura almost smirked at his comment.

Rude, disrupting comments flew through the air as the class expressed their first impression of her. The not so silent whispers erupted from the class who was trying discreetly to talk to one another.

"Why does she have pink hair? Did she dye it?"

"I dig chicks with crazy hair! Hahah!"

"Che, another nerd. I think we have enough smarties here."

"Why are her glasses so thick?! Is she blind?"

'Lucky for us, we always dress so crappy for school. There's no dress code, but you could at least do better than a green tea jacket, ripped jeans, and black sneakers.' Inner chirped. The comments were unwelcoming as Sakura scanned the room for a familiar face. Naruto was the first she saw. He waved when they made eye contact. Sakura smiled back.

Kakashi was a little annoyed at the off handed comments the class threw at Sakura. New students like her had it hard at school. Sakura, he knew, could handle it. "Alrighty, Sakura…you can sit next to Sasuke-kun over there." The only empty seat next to the window with great view of the soccer field. The pinkette starred in the direction of sensei's finger.

"Sasuke-kun is sooo cool!" One girl giggled. Tch. Fan girls. Said Uchiha grunted as he kept his gaze down at his textbook. He had been skimming the context with zero interest until his name was called. Right, so he was gonna have a neighbor. A girl no less. Could things get worse?

"Oi, teme!" The Uchiha's blonde friend shouted from a seat right behind him. Yea, he could lose his hearing one of these days.

"Hn." He answered boredly.

"It's a very pretty girl, teme. It's Sakura-chan! She went to the same primary school with us!" Naruto continued to banter away.

'Sakura…' The Uchiha turned his head to see a petite shortie with long pink hair. Why the hell was she wearing such nerdy glasses? Her bubble gum hair hid most of her face and she wore her wrinkly uniform as if she slept in it. Did she dye her hair? It was hard to make out her waist or bust and for kami's sake, she barely looked 5'5" (five feet five inches) according to his calculations. Was she even pretty? Well, the dobe did think every girl that wasn't a fan girl was pretty.

Naruto snickered. "Aw, teme, you checkin' out Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke sent him a glare. "There's nothing to check out."

The pinkette frowned as she pulled up next to him, Sasuke had expected her to be drooling over him like every other female he's ever met. But she had kept her lips sealed. Sakura on the other hand did not feel so fond of her desk mate. He had this dark aura gliding around him, it was almost intimidating to even look at him. But she could agree with those noisy girls that he did have a set of god-given genes that made him...very good looking to say.

"She can't sit next to my Sasuke-kun!" A redhead screeched. A gang of girls behind stood root with her, holding their hands to their hips with a bossy attitude. Sasuke almost wanted to agree with them. He didn't want anyone near him. A girl no less.

"Karin, another word from you it's gonna be suspension for the rest of the year. Am I clear?" Kakashi-sensei's words held a mocking tone as if daring her to object. "I think those two are fine sitting together. After all, they do have the highest scores in the entire school. Part of the top ten, hehe."

Every student was tested and scored midterm and finals. The top ten students out of the entire school that score the highest usual got better chances of entering their dream college/university. But competition was tough with students from all four years. Then again, the students that were in top ten were unbeatable in all areas in and out of academics. Being popular didn't play a major part. Test scores ruled everything. Students were vicious trying to secure a spot and maintain it.

Sasuke stole a glance at the quiet girl next to him. 'She's got a brain, eh?' Smart enough to be grouped with him at least. And it was not easy to play on the same level as a Uchiha. The girl looked bored as she rested her chin on her hand and tapped her open textbook with her pencil lazily.

The redhead, Karin, frowned deeply and sent a glare towards Sakura. Sasuke was waiting for the usual routine to happen like in all the other situations and this Sakura chick would fight with Karin and bitch about rights to owning him. No one could own him. However, the pinkette remained emotionless and returned the glare behind her lenses even though no one would be able to tell. It was her first day back and she did not want to cause more attention and trouble.

Her voice was clear cut. "If you don't like it, you can cry about it." The Uchiha almost wanted to praise this girl for her ability to keep calm and not start screeching. His fangirls were always noisy and annoying everyday. Inside and outside of school. The torture was endless. The school didn't allow bodyguards to follow him.

Karin was taken back and was about to retort, but Kakashi was already a step ahead. "Karin, sit." If class didn't start any earlier, today's schedule would have to drag into tomorrow's and he was gonna give them a test tomorrow too. "Today's lecture is going to be tomorrow's test." This meant, whatever you write down in class today and study tonight would reflect on the test grade you get on tomorrow's pop-quiz. Kakashi's pop quizzes are no less than a hundred questions covering the hardest topics and points of the lesson. All for the kids, do it for the kids.

The class settled down and the fangirls returned to their seats. Sasuke eyed the pinkette who not only ignored him like he didn't exist, but was instead engaging in a normal conversation with the blonde behind him. She didn't even bother to acknowledge him or greet him.

"Psss, Sakura-chan!" The blue eyed blond grinned widely at the pinkette.

A small smile danced at the edge of her lips. "Hey. Talk to you later at lunch. Kakashi's looking this way."

"Okie-dokie." He gave a thumbs up in acknowledgement.

Throughout the whole class, Sakura felt unwelcoming stares coming her way. Especially her seat mate. Sure he was cute, but-'Cute? He's hot!' Inner gushed dreamily. Either way, it was evident enough he was staring in her direction, but she pretended to not notice. Yes, she had seen him staring. Yes, he was very handsome. But something about him irked her. It was like he had the bad boy aura that got all the females trippin'. Something Sakura did not like in a guy.

Yes, Sasuke was staring. Yes, he knows that she knows he's staring. Does she know he knows? Occasionally, her thin, pale fingers would move by its own control and scribble a few notes down. She didn't smile at anyone else the entire period and didn't even bother to greet him, much less look his way. He didn't see much of her face, mostly just her annoying pink-ish hair. But her profile wasn't so annoying. Sasuke had chose not to say a word to her thinking she would be the first to make all the moves on him. Clearly, he was wrong and she did not seem a bit interested. It was a bit shocking to Sasuke since everywhere he went, every female would try to impress him or something! His eyes narrowed. Was she playing good girl till she was out of everyone's sight? Was she really like the rest of his bitchy fangirls? It's hard to guess what girls are always thinking. One thing the Uchiha did know was that every single one he met either chased him because of his looks, money, and sex. They didn't love him, they just worshipped him. A disgusting feeling to the young Uchiha. But it wasn't like he wanted a girlfriend. He had his one night stands and flings.

The second the dismissal bell went off, the little pinkette had packed her things and bolted for the door. 'Maybe we'll get to see Sasuke-kun again!' Inner cheered.

'What? You like him now?'

'We, girl, it's we! You and me! Even though we really didn't get to talk to him, I know we both like him! Who doesn't?!' Inner giggled again.

'Whatever. You only like his face.'

'And body. He probably has chocolate abs hiding underneath his clothes.' Inner was such a pervert.

Hn. The handsome Uchiha was assuming she'd drool all over him or at least gawk at his face or ask him out. She was a strange one….or maybe she was just one those quiet fan girls who admired people from the shadows. Ugh. He knew exactly how those girls roll. They'd manage to be in the background whenever and wherever he was. The quiet fan girls never speak or make conversation with an idol. They just exist and admire the stars. It wasn't even cute. It was just plain stupid. But Sasuke wasn't getting that vibe from the girl. It was more of a I-don't-know-don't-care attitude. Fan girl or not, Sasuke's interest in the pinkette grew by the second. Sure she appeared to be nerdy, but she was the first to show zero interest in an Uchiha. He then rushed out after the pinkie left. Fan girls will no doubt track him to his next class.

Before lunch rolled around, he had seen the pinkette introduced to several of his advanced classes. So she was a nerd. The teachers seemed to know her well enough to trust her and let her do her own thing. But the Uchiha refused to see a girl any better than him at this school. The only intellectual beings that would make it on his list included Hyuuga Neji and Nara Shikamaru. That was it. Konoha, like his brother had once said, was full of "wonderful" people. Not smart, but "wonderful". In Sasuke's opinion, the civilians here were just naive. Probably one of the reasons the city has tight security. Under Uchiha forces no less.

The name Uchiha was widely known across Japan. They had their roots in Konoha, but certainly branched to the outside world carrying their power and fame. The Uchiha family has been in charge of the police and military forces. They've dominated the stocks and markets, building their corporation to the top of the top. The family tree was huge and only governed under the heir from the main branch. For many generations it's been males who've been the head of the family. That was not to change. The heir would theoretically inherit all the family fortune and business. There was no way around that unless the heir was to be disowned, which would no doubt bring shame to the family. From birth to death, the lives of Uchihas were paved for them. Sons and daughters would receive the best education and discipline. When they were at the appropriate age of 18, one would be engaged to a cousin in the family to keep the bloodline pure. The heir would succeed before the previous and the cycle was repeated. It may have been true that the council did not trust others besides their own kin. The council was there to enforce these laws and remove distractions and obstacles.

From the main branch as of now, it was only Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke left. Both drop dead gorgeous and bachelors no less. Any girl would be lucky to catch the eyes of either brother. Their parents had passed in a car accident many years before and everything was shoved to the elder son, Uchiha Itachi. At the time, the council had made the decision to put 15-year old Itachi as the chairman just so it seemed as if there was someone in charge. Itachi was sent to England for his studies and Sasuke was allowed to do as he pleased. The distance between the two brothers grew as the seasons flew by. Their relationship was strained and cold for all the media could know. In reality, Itachi had kept close strings to Sasuke even though the council was constantly bugging him with endless tasks. Itachi only wanted amuse the council so they wouldn't touch his younger brother. But attention was directed at the elder son the most, perhaps this was why the second son always felt shadowed by his own brother. At 21 years of age, Itachi had returned to Japan with unknown means and Sasuke was on a roll to finish his studies and be forced into family business by the council.

"Sakura! Over here, girl!" Ino's familiar voice rang through the café as Sakura walked through the doors. Ino's voice was probably the loudest of any female in this city. She wasn't a singer, a model, an actress, as much as she would like to be. She was just a blonde at a flower shop with a very loud voice. A great attraction for customers? "Forehead, you never change." The blonde shook her head.

"Hey, girls." The tired pink fuzz ball murmured as she took a seat.

"How's your first day back?" Hinata asked.

"Fine." She began to open the store bought snacks she had graciously purchased in a stampede of students down in the lodge. There was strawberry pocky, strawberry and choco yan-yan, sweet bread, Chinese buns, Japanese rice balls, dango, some Korean sweet cakes, and a mix of other delicious Asian snacks. Near the vending machines, she purchased two canned drinks and a bottle of water. She had a little sweet tooth, but Sakura ate pretty healthy...sometimes. But good metabolism and constant exercise had kept her body fit and Sakura loved herself the way she was. There was no need to be on diets or try weight loss pills. She was fine 100 (lbs) on the scale and close to being five feet five inches. Oh, if only she was a bit taller...

Homemade lunch was just…too time consuming in the morning. 'Well it's not like you even have energy to drag your ass outside at six in the morning.' Inner was definitely on a roll today.

"You mean having Sasuke's fan girls stare you down all day is fine?" Ino screeched. So she knew. Ino didn't let a snip of gossip escape from her ears. She might as well work for the school newspaper or better yet, host her own reality show. Yea, she would definitely like that.

Tenten looked up from her curry in surprise. "Really? That Sasuke-bastard? 'Cause everywhere I go is Sasuke-kun this n' that. Or it's Neji-kun this n' that."

Ino clasped her hands in a loud smack. "Tenten's just jell-o." She gave Tenten a shoulder pinch. The brunette just chewed away at her rice.

"Right and you don't like Nara Shikamaru one bit?" Tenten returned the pinch. Ino shut up this time. Hehe…

"Anyway, it's nice you're back from Suna. We all missed you." As always Hina-chan is the sweet one.

All was interrupted when the fangirls gave out their mating call:

"OMFG! It's Sasuke-kun!"

"Neji-sama, marry me!"

"Shika! Shika! Look over here!"

"NARUTO! Move! Idiot! You're blocking my view! God damn it!"

…crazy screams rose from many of the girls surrounding their table. The said boys strolled casually through the crowd into the café with their homemade lunch. Damn 'em fancy bentos. The girls sighed inwardly. How could you eat lunch in this commotion? Why don't they eat elsewhere?

"Can't blame the other boys for eating outside." Tenten mumbled. So that almost explained why the cafe was full of girls. Fan girls. Crazy, psychotic fan girls out to get people. What an uneasy thought.

"They're like the kings of the school. Except Naruto. He's the Ace. Wanna get close to the kings, ya have to get through Naruto. " Ino stated firmly. "Which is not hard if you bribe him with a month's worth of ramen coupons." She too was no longer interested in her rice bento. Her focus was on the guys.

Sakura yawned tiredly. "Wanna go outside?" Before any of them could answer Naruto interrupted.

"Sakura-chan! Can we sit with you?" Naruto's obnoxious voice boomed through everyone else's voice. The pinkette could only twitch her eye and nod. He found her fast!

'We're the only ones with pink hair in this room. Ain't that hard, Sakura.' Inner commented sarcastically.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan! You're just as nice as I remembered!" He exclaimed. 'Not really.' She wanted to add. The boys sat down and Sasuke was sitting directly in front of the pinkette. Of all places to sit…

'He's interested in us, maybe?!' Inner popped up once again.

'Not likely. At least a thousand girls at Konoha High. Not us.'

'You never know! We attract so much attention! You said so yourself this morning!'

'Negative attention. He could be a playboy for all care. Handsome face, quiet attitude, probably rich as hell.' So typical...

The crew was unpacking their bentos to show off the glamorous homemade lunches, except Naruto's maybe. The blonde came from a rich family also, but he had kept a low profile and never ate anything besides cup ramen. Unhealthy but he digs it.

Shikamaru's bentos were always packed with protein, nutrients, and all the love a mother can shove in plastic box. He never ate school lunch and was too lazy to make his own. At least his mother was caring enough to not let her son starve at school even though most of his energy contributes towards naps.

Neji's bento and Sasuke's lunch were made by the professional chefs back at home. Fancy and it's definitely five star quality. The meals were different everyday and poison-free unlike what some fangirls present them with. It was simply appetizing to even look at their lunches.

The girls on the other hand all had homemade bentos except Sakura. Bags of processed sweet bread and juice boxes made her meal. The pinkette did have a bento box at home, a brand new one bought the day before she came to school, but didn't use it for obvious reasons. She would have to wake up early in the morning to make her own food and her daily schedule didn't give her the time and energy to pack a bento.

Naruto kept yapping. "Sakura-chan, where have you been?"

"Suna." She replied shortly. The rival of Konoha in education, sports, and even good looking people. But allies nevertheless.

As if he remembered, Naruto made a point to introduce the rest of the guys. "Sakura-chan, meet my friends! This is Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji, and Uchiha Sasuke."

"Hn." Hyuuga grunted. Bastard didn't even look up.

Shikamaru gave a quick 'Yo' and resumed eating. Ino was busy pestering him.

Sakura gave a brief smile the boys, her eyes avoiding Sasuke's. He was staring at her and she knew it. That guy didn't even greet her once out of all the times she's seen him in and out of class today. She gave another bite from her bread before tidying up. The extra company made her uneasy. The chair scraped the floor as she stood up.

"Sakura, you're leaving already?! We just started!" Ino protested.

Naruto noticed too. "Yeah, Sakura-chan! You didn't even eat all your food!"

Right. The petite girl casted her friend a look. "Hm. I need to talk with Tsunade-sama about a few things. Catch you guys later." Not a total lie. Besides, she could eat on her way to the office.

She turned to walk away, carrying her backpack over her shoulder, her cream bread in one hand, and the juice box in the other. The rest of her lunch shoved into her backpack.

"Sakura…" Hinata murmured.

Naruto grumbled unhappily. "Teme, you freakin' scared her away. You've always been doing that to her."

'Since when? I don't even remember her.' Sasuke grunted. "Do what?"

Smack! The blonde idiot punched him hard on the shoulder. "Scare her away! Are you even listening to me?!"

"Dobe, did I meet her from somewhere?"

Naruto crossed his arms unhappily. "Are you kidding, teme? It's Sakura-chan. The very girl that proclaimed her love for you in preschool! She would chase you around and around asking you out. But you'd always reject her, bastard. She's the prettiest girl in class!"

Ino let out a sigh. "Every girl in school wanted to get with Sasuke back then." And girls still did. Nothing changed when the crew got to high school.

Sasuke nibbled at his rice. 'So she's no different. A fangirl after any rich Uchiha.'

"Teme, you're still a wuss. Breaking her heart over and over. I'm not surprised pretty little Sakura ditched you before she left Konoha." Naruto slurped his ramen loudly.

'Huh?' Sasuke looked at his best-friend. A girl, one with pink hair no less, ditched the Uchiha Sasuke? Only Sasuke ditched girls, not the other way around.

Tenten poked at a slice of carrot. "Che, I would too if I was Sakura. All she wanted to do was pay you back for the one time you saved her from Ami's group of bullies. Silly girl thought she could make you happy if you went on a date with her. At least that's the idea she got from other girls."

'So there is story behind all this.' Sasuke cut in. "I don't even remember her, much less anything I did to her in preschool." That was all more than ten years ago!

"So cold, Sasuke, so cold." Ino jested. She clapped her chopsticks together in a scolding manner.

Like karma struck upon the group of friends; Sakura, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, Tenten, Neji, Hinata and Naruto all had gym together. Or hell sung because fan girls gathered in the same gym. Gai and Anko were the assigned gym teachers. Both known to be strict and…bad influences…well…most of the teachers here were amazing at being bad influences. Who cares? Tsunade approved 'em.

Anko chewed on her fresh dango as the students were finished dressing out in appropriate attire and sat at the bleachers. "You suckers are in for game day!" She announced as she finished off her last stick. "Thirty seconds! Get in groups of four!"

"Losers will have to do one hundred push-ups across the gym floor before class ends." Gai finished with his 'cool' guy pose. His smile was so radiant everyone had to turn their heads from him. Youth…something you didn't want to discuss with Gai-sensei. You'll regret it.

The kids groaned and soon everyone was paired. Bad luck struck the group of girls. Sakura and her friends were up against Karin and her bitches. In every game. Every single one of 'em.

Volleyball: Sakura spikes Karin in the face. Easy win.

Soccer: Tenten trips Ami who then trips Ino and Akane fighting for the ball. Match cancelled. Ice packs were called in.

Badminton: Hinata accidentally lets her racquet hit Umi on her left cheek. Apparently her inner strength allowed the racquet to fly past the net over to the opposing side. Umi didn't think so.

Dodge ball: Ino lets out her rage when Akane aims at her butt. You just don't do this to people!

After several dreadful games outside with Gai, all the boys were let in to watch the final basketball match. The sweaty boys draped all over the cool bleachers catching their breaths.

"Teme! Teme! Cheer for Sakura-chan, okay?" Naruto was still full of energy.

Sasuke could be less interested since most of the girls didn't play serious anyway. Sports to them were recreational, not competition. "Hn."

Moving on the court was a blur of pink hair flying across the floor. It was that girl again. Needless to say, those onyx orbs found something interesting to look at. He was a bit surprised someone her size could run with a great flow of speed. At least she could end the game sooner. The whistle tweeted as she scored a three-pointer. Not bad. Not bad at all. Whether or not she scored the next point her team would still win. They were a good thirteen points ahead of that redhead's team anyway. He was more focused on the pinkie. She was just about to jump and shoot until a girl grabbed her foot from behind. The two toppled over.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto roared right next to him. His sea blue eyes showed worry and anger. But he wasn't the only one.

For a second Sasuke couldn't see her and an uneasy feeling rose in his chest. Her friends ran to her side and both teams engaged in a heated debate. A commotion started until Anko dispersed it. Pinkie had a sprained ankle but she said she was okay. Stubborn girl.

School ended and Sakura was one of the last groups of students to leave the building.

Tenten had an school sport's meet, Ino needed to help out at her mother's flower shop, Hinata apparently had some date so she bid all her friends farewell. She slowly paced to the front of the gates. Her ankle hurt like hell. Damn Ami. And shit, she missed the final bus back home.

'Ha…guess I'll be spending thirty minutes trying to walk home. Or maybe an hour thanks to my ankle.' Sakura let out a frustrated huff. She needed to walk fast. It was getting dark quicker these days. Daylight savings again?

Just as she stepped past the black metal gates, a small 'Sakura.' was uttered. Her small ears wouldn't have picked it up if there were people in the yard. Sakura turned to the owner of the voice. Sasuke. It was the first time he called her. Standing there in his wrinkled white button up with his backpack slung over his shoulder, no one would deny he looked like the sexiest man alive. He approached said girl closer. Sakura didn't let go of the metal bar. Her grip tighten.

"Sakura." He said again. Ok, so maybe she did think his voice was deep and rich especially when he uttered her name. Even Sasuke secretly liked how her name easily rolled off his tongue. Sakura. Just Sakura. He smirked. Sexy, ignorant smirk! Only he could make the common name, Sakura, sound so good.

"Need a ride home?" Sasuke was planning to let her true colors show. Was she a fangirl? He just wanted to know for some darn reason. Getting in her in his car was an easier way of trapping her. He still wanted to talk to her.

Sakura, however, was not so fond of Sasuke. Sure, he was friends with Naruto, popular, good-looking...very good-looking. It didn't prove him to be a good guy. Not especially when they didn't get a chance to properly talk. Now getting in his car at the moment didn't sound pleasing. Neither was walking home with a dislocated bone.

"Eto…haha…I'm fine." Kindly rejecting him appeared to be a better idea to Sakura.

Sasuke, on the other hand, wanted her in his car. No, needed her to get in his damn car! "Hn." He got close enough and picked her up carefully heading for the parking lot. She was so light weight, did she eat? Ha, girls...always trying to watch their figure.

"Waa…? Lemme gooo, Uchiha-san! Right this instant!" The girl wiggled in his arms. She did not want to get in his car. Not now, not ever. "NOW!" No matter how much Sakura struggled, Sasuke found her attempts to escape naïve and cute. "This is kidnapping, you know?! Kidnapping!"

Just as they reached Sasuke's Ferrari, Sasuke deposited her gently in his car and strapped her seatbelt. He then ran to the driver's side and got in. Windows locked. Check. Doors locked. Check. He proceeded to start the engine and drive off school grounds.

After a moment of silence, Sakura spoke up. "What do you want?" Her face marked a cute pout. Those lips…

"Hn." Sasuke turned around a corner. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.

"Where are you taking me?" So, pinkie was irritated. Heh. Matters won't settle in the car.

"My place." That single reply got the day lights to fly from Sakura. First he kidnaps her to his car, now he's taking her to his home. What the hell?! Too scared to move, Sakura kept quiet hoping Kami was on her side.

'Ima be raped, murdered, and it hasn't been my second day yet!' The list of unpleasant ideas scrolled through her mind the entire ride.

Haruno Sakura had a very petite body frame and a mighty hell Tsunade-like strength. Typical girl. She could take down a gang of men twice her size, throw a good size boulder down a cliff and drown a dozen bottles of sake before she was at her limit. But breaking off an Uchiha's grip was by far the most ironic thing she couldn't do.

Sakura let out an irritated puff as she was once again held captive by the Uchiha. His death grip on her wrist was dragging her into his estate-like mansion. The minute Sasuke had pulled into the driveway; he dashed out into the passenger's side and forcefully but gently led Sakura out. Servants were already bustling in and out to fix the master's needs. If anyone noticed, no one said a word about the girl.

And here was Sakura, being pulled off to who-knows-where by the so called Uchiha. Poor girl didn't get a good chance to take a look at her surroundings because everything was a blur. Sasuke wanted nothing more than to just lock said girl in his room for closer examination. Creepy, but it's Sasuke we're talking about. He could do anything. Literally. And probably get away with it. Laws don't exist to the Uchiha clan.

The duo rushed into what looked like a living room or a room that equaled the size of her entire apartment in Sakura's view. They stopped for a brief moment and Sakura took this chance to admire the fine décor and size. This place is so big it takes forever to walk from one place to another. Minus the fact that Sasuke was lugging around human cargo a.k.a. Sakura, her short, creamy legs and small height barely kept up with him from the car walk to the living room.

The girl swung her imprisoned hand in a weak cry. For once, the Uchiha had noticed her discomfort and realized he had literally cut off the blood flow to her wrist. Her face restricted a little but she seemed a bit relieved when released her gently. Oh, her poor wrist! The man was a little surprised at her quiet aura. Her complaints had died out during the car ride which oddly made him skeptical.

A tall, stern brunette megane stepped into action and swiftly walked toward Sasuke.

"I see to your arrival was pleasant, Sasuke-sama." The man certainly did not look very old nor very young. His posture was firm and his voice was sharp and cut. He redirected his eyes to the pinkette next to the young master. Sakura was fidgeting in her spot. He face was robbed of warmth and replaced with a cold demeanor.

'Does he think we're sluts or something? We're innocent captives! Innocent!' Inner Sakura did not appreciate the look.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted again. "Alan." The man looked at Sasuke once more. "Fix dinner and I want it brought to my room this time. I do not want to be disturbed at all. Dismiss the maids when their work is done."

"Yes, Sasuke-sama."

'Is that guy the butler?' Inner reaped.

'Shut up. We got bigger issues to worry about. Like getting outta here without losing my arm.'

'Or virginity.' Inner wasn't helping.

Sakura sat on the edge of the king sized bed that was covered in fine, navy sheets made of feathers and everything nice. Her wrist was a little pink and her ankle hurt even more when that Uchiha had dragged her! The girl had a cute blush on her upset face. She didn't look at him though. Her button nose sniffled a little. Was she cold?

'His room actually is more tidy and clean than most high school boys. It smells nice. Really nice.' She noted.

Sasuke let out a tired sigh and chucked his backpack across the room. He headed toward the bath to get a first aid kit. It had completely forgone him to think about her injured ankle.

Sakura had watched him walk to another door in the grand room and leave to who-knew-where. Judging by how the furniture was set up and the colors of the room, she could only guess that this was his room. For the time he was gone, Sakura did a quick check-out of the room. Three doors, one was the exit, the other the Uchiha had walked into, and the last one was in front of her. No pictures anywhere, just a wooden desk, a nightstand, two bookshelves, a plasma flat-screen TV, a coffee table, a few chairs and lamps. The floor was made of a shiny marble tile which Sakura guessed made the room colder when one didn't have carpet. The room had mostly blue, white, black, and a smidge of red. Two large windows faced the left side of the bed, both covered by the white drapes. Sakura had almost considered ninja jumping the hell outta here, but this was not the first floor.

Her head snapped to the sound of soft foot steps. He was back. Sasuke approached the stiff girl with a white, plastic box. When he reached her, Sakura scurried away to the opposite bed post. Trapped like a prey. How cute. Sasuke wanted to grin at her foolishness. Perhaps that would scare her more?

Pinkie let out an irritated sigh. "What do you want?" Now there's that angelic voice. 'She's just as cute when she's angry.'

"I want you..." The words just came out. Part of Sasuke wanted to smack him, the other congratulate the moment.

Sakura's pretty emerald eyes went wide. "What?!" 'Pounce him!' Inner Sakura was enjoying every minute of this.

"...to come closer so I can look at…" He had one knee on the mattress, coming closer. The box was forgotten at the edge of the bed.

"…" Sakura was speechless for a second. "N-no. No. NO!" She pointed an accusing finger in his face. One of Sasuke's eyebrow perked up.

The man's large, coarse hands grabbed her injured ankle gently. The cheap school bandage was coming apart in seconds and both of them could see the discolored skin and pain the pinkette held in. The room was filled with tension and having Sasuke so close to her sent shivers down Sakura's spine. To Sakura's surprise, he carried her bridal style closer to where the plastic box was and set her easily in front of him.

As it on auto pilot, Sasuke started to tend to her wound, kneeling before here. "This should hurt. Yet you refuse to show your tears." The blotch of skin had gotten worse on closer examination. Sakura bit her lip. The plastic first aid kit was popped open and pinkette took a peek. It was full of white gauze, band-aids, bandages, ointments and other medical supplies she had familiarized before. His large hands made contact with hers skin once more. Her ankle felt so tiny in one of his palms. She braced for any pain that was to come, but didn't feel anything. Sakura almost felt lucky that Sasuke was gentle with her. Not a lot of guys knew what the term "gentle" meant.

The duo was silent the entire time the Uchiha tended to the wound. It was a peaceful five minutes before Sakura uttered a quiet thanks. But any personal space left was broken when the man attacked her, knocking the girl on top of the mattress. Sasuke buried his face in her neck. For a nerd who was not only short and cute she smelled nice. Strawberries, vanilla, and every other sweet treat. Sasuke wanted to take a good look at her face. Like full examination. The girl did a pretty good job at hiding all her facial features from his view. Was she as pretty as Naruto boasted?

Sasuke murmured. "Don't you like me?" His voice turned deeper if possible.

"No. Not at all." Sakura's answer was fast, she almost regretted it. 'Love, we love you, Sasuke-kun!' Inner was raging uncontrollably again.

Sakura, deciding all this touchy-touchy-ness was enough, struggled from Sasuke's tight hug. However, Sasuke was having none of that. He like hugging her small frame, not gonna admit it, she fit perfectly in his arms. He felt comfy just holding her. The male tightened the embrace even more capturing the pinkette. She squealed all so cutely adding to Sasuke's pleasure. She continued to wiggle her way out, unsuccessfully.

"Sakura, I bet you're hiding that beautiful face of yours under those thick glasses and bangs. Won't you show me?" Seduction. Worked with every girl, so she would not be an exception. 'If she is a crazy fan girl, I'll drop her this second.' Sasuke promised even though he did secretly enjoy her scent and body against his.

"Bastard." Sakura whispered. Sasuke's eyes blinked a fraction wider. "For a second I thought you were really nice since you are Naruto's friend and you did treat my ankle." With her sudden brave strength, she shoved him off her and kneed him in the shins. Sasuke let out a pained groan. "But I suppose it's wrong to judge someone I've met less than a day." Sakura was about to turn and leave until she felt a hand lunge for her arm and her body was tackled onto the bed once more. The pinkette gasped. This time Sasuke had put half his weight to hold her down and still.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." It came out so natural, he wasn't even thinking. He never apologized to anyone for anything. "I was just making sure you aren't one of my rabid fan girls."

Sakura grit her teeth in annoyance. "You have a pretty big ego for someone who just assumes every female out there is after you."

The Uchiha smirked. Boy, did she not know...all the nightmares he could get from females of all ages chasing him from every corner, all the trouble he doesn't bypass when he goes out in public, and all the bad things that came with drop dead beautiful looks, endless piles of money, and never dying fame. The life of a Uchiha can be both a blessing and a curse. What would a naive girl like her know?

"It's not easy being Uchiha Sasuke." His onyx eyes glistened in the dark room. The only light peeking through the curtains only reminded them on that the day was ending faster.

Sakura's eyes narrowed a bit. A Uchiha. Yes, she had heard of the name countless times since she was a young girl. The Uchihas did have power that overwhelmed the Harunos, but not enough to crush the relationship between the two. Her brothers are currently busy settling things between the two. As far as she knows, her brothers had a really good relation with a man named Uchiha Itachi.

"Figured. It's still the same with you since our last encounter." Sakura murmured. Right. How could she forget a little heart throb like him that rocked the school board? Girls swarmed to him like bees to honey.

"Preschool...right? If it weren't for Naruto's big mouth, I wouldn't have recognized you." Sasuke didn't recall much of Sakura. He did remember a blob of pink hair that followed him everywhere just like those crazed fan girls of his. She did ask him out constantly and the only reason Sasuke could think of at the time was because he was rich and famous, not to forget, good looking too.

Sakura tilted her head a bit. She squeezed a handful of the sheets in her grasp nervously. "Do you remember?" Like...all the embarrassing things I did and the countless times I shamelessly asked you out?

The Uchiha chuckled a bit. Sakura stared still a bit mesmerized. He was still beautifully pale up close and practically had a good profile no matter what he did. Thank kami her lenses were designed to be thick so no one could see her wandering eyes. She didn't want people to see her eyes even if they were making direct eye contact. It was a bit intimidating with the Uchiha.

"I remember a bit." She was the same girl that hung out with the dobe and him at the same time. She had befriended Naruto and tried countless times to pursue him. He had always thought she was just like the rest of the girls. "If I ask you now...why were you so obsessed with me when we were younger...would you give me a direct answer?" He whispered.

Her pale, pink lips pulled into a small smile. "Hmm, what does Sasuke-kun wanna hear?" She teased.

Fingers bigger than hers came up to pinch both her cheeks gently. "Anything Sakura-chan wants to say." Sasuke seemed pretty comfortable in her presence without noticing it.

"I was dumb, little girl with a large forehead who became a target for constant teasing. You saved me that day when I was shoved into the river in the back of the school." The event replayed in her head and she still recalled the tight grip he had on her that prevented her from being swept with the flooding river. It was a rainy day and terribly windy. She had been led to the back of the school and cornered. Sasuke just happened to be at the right place, right time. If it had not been him to stop by…

"And you decide to repay me with constant dates and bugging me?" It was just like the dobe had said at lunch today. Yes, she had been been very annoying even though he had some tolerance for her.

That hit an ugly spot in her heart. "Like I said, I was naive and-!"

Sasuke cut in. "It's fine." His eyes softened a bit and he continued. "I just wanted to clarify things between us."

The pinkette huffed a bit angry. "You drag me out and over just to clarify this one little memory?" It seemed so childish and insignificant.

'Yes, so I can make sure...' Sasuke didn't finish the thought. "Sakura…"

The unwelcoming tension and dark aura was back. "It's about time I go home."

Before Sasuke could answer, two knocks came from his wooden door. "Sasuke." That deep, masculine voice behind the door was the one and only man Sasuke didn't want to see at the moment.

'Can Itachi have better timing?.' Sasuke cursed. 'Now you come find me of all times.'

The knocks stopped after three but the man remained behind the door. "Otouto." He was getting impatient now.

Because at serious times like these, Sakura could not resist the urge to sneeze. A cute muffled sneeze echoed through the room. It was adorable to Sasuke, but now was not the time to ponder things like that. Keen ears behind the door picked up the sound.

"Idiot." Sasuke scowled at the pinkette. The girl was now hysterical in his arms, slapping him playfully on the arm. Can't force a girl to hold in her sneeze!

BAM! 'There goes my door.' Metal or not, no door could stop Itachi. "Itachi." He greeted. 'Thanks for ruining my moment.'

'Uchiha Itachi?' Sakura thought. The taller Uchiha was equally handsome and had a parallel complexion with Sasuke. They were brothers after all.

Said man stared straight back. He spotted a pinkette in his otouto's arms. Their clothes were a bit ruffled and their positioning certainly gave hints to the older Uchiha as to what was going on before he interrupted. Naughty, naughty...it didn't surprise him that his younger brother would engage in many short relationships and switch flavors all the time. Last time he was caught with a purple haired model and now a pink haired school girl. "Having fun?" Itachi smirked darkly.

Sasuke remained glaring at his aniki. "Tch." His hold on Sakura got tighter. He didn't want Itachi to meet Sakura. Girls swooned at the feet of Itachi as much as they did with Sasuke. But the two certainly had a fair share of gorgeous women in the past. They brothers didn't share women...the female sometimes just went from the one to the other. That wasn't really bothersome since the two only had one night flings. Sasuke just didn't want Itachi to corrupt Sakura. He had eyes on her first. The elder brother noticed the possessiveness, but didn't acknowledge.

Itachi's pale complexion remained passive as he studied the two. 'What's so special about her, Sasuke?' He wasn't really interested in women, ahem girls, as young as the pinkette in his brother's arm. He didn't think Sasuke was either since he never brought home a girl from school...especially the nerdy type. She was covered head to toe in casual clothes.

'Well, ain't he hot? Burning hot!' Inner Sakura was swooning over Itachi. Both Uchihas were the mysterious, tall, dark, handsome type. Both oozing with sexiness. However the older Uchiha looked more mature than the younger one. 'I wouldn't mind if we were dating both of them!'

'You tryin' to get us raped or something?! I wanna go home!' Sakura squashed Inner away for the time being.

'But I don't mind!' Mental smack.

Itachi felt the duo glare at him intently. So he did interrupt something important. The dark room made tensions even stronger.

"I was on my way home." Sakura cut the silence. Sasuke helped her up and she picked up her stuff before walking out. Itachi leaned against the door frame making room for her to pass. The flustered girl stepped over the broken door and scrambled out. He caught a whiff of strawberries and other fruity smells. 'Nice. She smells refreshing compared to the expensive, pungent perfume I've smelled before.' He thought. Yes, there were a lot of women out there who thought the fake and cheap perfumes lured men to them. However, it wasn't a pleasant scent to the nose. He never got over that no matter how many females he'd been with.

Seeing Sasuke follow close behind, he shoved his arm to block the door just a second before Sasuke was about to dash out after her. Itachi sighed. "Otouto…dinner with the Hyuugas at nine. Don't be late."

Onyx eyes clashed and the younger Uchiha grunted. "I'm never late." Sasuke was getting really impatient. He wanted Sakura back. They weren't completely finished with the convo.

"Foolish brother, don't let an unnecessary distraction guide you away from what's important." He warned.

"Aa." Sasuke left to find the shortie. He skidded down the stairs and into the grand living room.

'Oh foolish brother, you seem like you've already fell into her web.' Itachi's wise eyes narrowed a bit. This was the first time he'd seen Sasuke run after a girl. Normally he wouldn't even bother since it was the girl who'd act first and contact him the day after. "Why is so hard to find someone with honest feelings around here?" He asked to no one in particular since he already knew the answer.

The young master spotted Alan and the some house maids bantering away. "Alan." Sasuke's husky voice beamed through the air. The maids immediately spotted the handsome master approaching them quickly and swooned with visible hearts in their eyes. Sasuke kept his teeth clenched and face emotionless. When will they hire maids who were more professional and dedicated to their work? Alan straightened his back and faced the young master.

"Sasuke-sama." Alan's steady voice remained unwavering. After all these years serving in the Uchiha household, Alan had kept his loyalty and was one of the few employees that actually resided in the house and could handle the commotion and drama that went down behind the gates. He didn't have to guess what the young master wanted to know.

Sasuke finally approached the butler. "Where did she go?" He wasted no time asking for the nerd's whereabouts. The maids squealed to his voice in which Sasuke ignored.

"If you are asking about Miss Sakura, I showed her the way out." Alan replied. Yes, a polite one she was. Had better manners than most women that entered and left this compound.

"Tch." Sasuke jogged out to the lot leaving the swooning maids and Alan. Alan readjusted his glasses and dismissed the maids. The pinkette had certainly asked him to show her the exit. Alan had asked no more but fulfilled the small request. Now seeing the frustrated young Uchiha he may have figured what happened. Alan let out a held in sigh. Women were troublesome. They were even more so a problem in the Uchiha household.

Sasuke had gratefully offered her a ride home which she accepted after all that fuss to bandage an ankle. A limo was sent to take her home since Sasuke himself had to stay and settle more important manners. But, Sakura didn't blame him. A car ride with Sasuke would have been more awkward after everything that went down in his room. The ride wasn't too long, but silent. She bid the driver good-bye and thanked him too.

The tall, glass building loomed over her. Sakura had rented a nice, comfy place in the middle of town. It wasn't too expensive or cheap at all. She liked the building for the scenic view of Konoha and the compartment layout. She scanned her keycard and punched in her numbers. The locked door clicked and she pulled the door open. As usual, she greeted the lady at the window desk and walked ahead. An elevator took her up to the third floor. Normally she would take the stairs since elevators were not her favorite. But not today with the ankle. The building was overall silent and calm. Most of the residents here were students, young adults working alone, and a few seniors. There were patrol guards that did their normal routines every hour. Needless to say, living here was pretty safe compared to other places. There was a bus stop a block away and transportation was not a problem for Sakura. She would have brought her car over from Suna but decided against it. One less thing to take care of.

The keys jingled when small hands pulled 'em out from their hiding spot. The now exhausted pinkette slammed her door shut and locked. "Tadaima." Her soft voice echoed in the empty room. There was no reply. There had never been a warm reply. Not when her parents were alive anyway. There was little remembrance for Sakura as to what happened in her childhood. Her parents worked to death for the company and it seemed as it all they cared about was the money. They spent very little time with the youngest in the family and had already dragged the brothers to work. Sasori and Gaara were still very young, but it was already decided that they would hold the fort down if anything happened. Something did happen. That night of the car crash was the end of Haruno Kizashi and Haruno Mebuki. Things spiraled down and Sakura would had to spend the rest of her schooling at a private school in Europe, something that had already been decided before her parents death. She had no say in anything. Luckily, her dear brothers revolted against their wishes and let her stay in Suna. But that didn't mean much since the girl was left in the dust when her brothers had to deal with the company.

She set her shoes aside and locked the door. Her beloved nii-sans were not here to greet her and they loved her most. They were still dealing with business in Suna. It'll be a long while before they'd come join the lonely girl.

Sakura dropped everything in hand and made her way to her room. She walked by a few cardboard boxes that were left unopened and searched for the lights. Dim lights flicked above her and it illuminated her small living compartment just the way she liked it. The movers had safely delivered her white coffee table and the white, faux leather couch. The pinkette hadn't bought a TV yet and she didn't plan to get one. There was a mini dresser and a body sized mirror in the corner. Two tall, bright lamps were set in the corners. More boxes to unpack. There wasn't any kitchen decor or anything for dining. No kitchen tables or chairs, only cooking appliances and that was all good in her mind. There wasn't much furniture or decor, but the simpler the room, the easier it was for her to clean. The curtains had been left open this morning, now giving a full on gorgeous night view of Konoha. Something a little different from Suna. The weather was cooler here even though she had spent countless cool nights in Suna. At least it wasn't always sandy in Konoha. Each day was a little different.

'So tired…' Tiny hands reached up to remove the nerdy, old glasses revealing her bright emerald eyes now sullen once more. The clock that hung from the wall ticked silently toward seven. "Today was eventful." She whispered. Her small hand ruffled her hair and she headed for the shower, ready to drown out her problems.

The shower was relaxing and did wonders to her body. If Sakura stayed any longer though, she would be as dry as a prune. She blew dry her hair for a few minutes before letting the damp locks dry. Donned in a white crop top that had the word "NEXT" imprinted in black ink and denim shorts, the kitchen was the next destination. She knew she rarely wore street style to school, but this was the way she dressed at home and no one was the boss of her. When she stepped foot into a professional place like the hospital or school, she wouldn't complain about covering every inch of her skin and play the good girl. But at home, she was queen. And flashy, street style clothing it was. Her flashy clothes often revealed an ink design she had gotten. A beautiful, intricate butterfly wrapped in thorns was tattooed near her lower hip in the front. The thorns and a few mini butterflies circled around the hip to the back. Something she got when she turned fifteen. One of her brothers did the design, the other held the tattoo gun. No regrets. Both her brothers had tattoos. It was actually something Ino had complimented as "sexy" when she showed her. The other girls thought it was cool since she was the only one in the group with a tattoo. Sakura was placing bets on Ino getting one soon.

'I'm starving! Feeeed meeeee!' Inner was restless as ever. She never shut up about the whole leaving Sasuke's place on Sakura's trip home. But, the Uchiha was the last person she wanted to think about.

A sigh escaped her pink lips. 'I'm hungry too. I think I still have ramen and udon I bought from the convenience store.' Yep, packaged noodles covered her kitchen counter along with a first aid kit she purchased when she moved here. The fridge wasn't as empty as she thought of it to be either. Well, it was never empty. Sakura always, always shoved the fridge and cabinets full of food. She did her weekly grocery shopping and every time she went out of the house, she was bound to buy food. Takes a lot to raise a girl, ya know! Within minutes she had fixed herself a quick and easy meal. The small kitchen was just as empty like the rest of her apartment, but it was fine in her opinion.

She had just moved in a week ago, but didn't find time to unpack her things. But it wasn't like she carried a lot with her. She didn't have much to begin with anyway. It was planned that she would finish school here and maybe even university before returning to Suna.

She stared at the magazine on the kitchen counter that she collected this morning. In bold print, the headline read: Harunos Sign Contract With Uchihas, Three Years To Rebuild Medical Facilities...Can they do it?. On the front cover, there was a picture of the ever so famous Sasori and Gaara shaking hands with Uchiha Itachi. Neither man smiled or looked straight into the camera, but they still looked dashingly handsome. It almost made her ponder if they wanted to work together. The Haruno family hadn't bothered with the Uchihas when her parents still had influence with the company.

Her eyes lingered on her brothers a bit longer. They wanted her home soon to help with the family business. Aspiring to be a doctor didn't mean she was interested in the medical business the Haruno family dealt with. It was still on her mind whether or not she would involve herself in the corporations the Haruno name carried. It seemed too much. Too much work for a little pink haired girl who just wants to save lives.

Author's Post Note: I'll make this brief. This is my first fanfiction and I'll try to update weekly...maybe not weekly. More like once a month at best. Sorry for changing stuff around: title, storyline, post notes, etc. My apologies.

I'll try my best to avoid grammatical errors and all the spelling. I don't always post long, dramatic, unnecessary author 's notes cuz not everyone reads them and I don't need to be posting useless crap for my readers.

Thanks for reading and your support, reviews, favorites, and precious time! Once again, my greatest apologies for all the changes! (/T-T)/ Forgive me!