Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters

Renewed Love's first chapter! I hope it came out all right. To be completely honest, this chapter is pretty depressing—especially for a first chapter, but I hope you like it anyways. The M rating is of course for future lemons, as usual. Enjoy chapter 1 :]

It seemed like an eternity since those wedding bells could be heard, singing and promising happiness, love, and everything that would hearts flutter. You would think that after three months of marriage, things would be going better—that the couple would know each other well enough to not argue. You would think that after three months, the differences would have been worked out and there would be smiles instead of grimaces being tossed from him to her and the other way around.

There was not happiness. No one's heart was fluttering. Maybe there was love, but who knew? It certainly wasn't showing. All that was showing was the ever present tension: the tension that said "This isn't going to work." Maybe it wasn't that it has been three months; maybe it was that is has only been three months. Either way, it was torturous. No one was happy, and everyone knew that.

Sakura stared at the ceiling, her arms crossed over her chest as she lay on the bed. Her pink hair was tousled about the pillow and her cheeks were flushed red in anger. It had happened again: they argued. And it wasn't her fault either—that's what she had always told herself. Why did she have to fall in love with such a self-centered, impassive, cold, and unromantic man? Every single characteristic was flawed. What on earth did she see in him? I don't even know anymore… she breathed out harshly, raising her eyebrows in a show of annoyance.

He was right beside her, expressing similar actions. His hands were resting behind his head, but his onyx orbs were focused on the ceiling and on the ceiling alone. His lips were curved down into a frown full of aggravated anger. Sasuke's jaw clenched as he blew out air from his nostrils. She did it every single time. It was like they couldn't have a normal conversation. "Sasuke do this", "Sasuke, why can't you be more like this", this and that and then some. She was ungrateful, unsatisfied, and bossy. She was obviously unaware of what it meant to not get her way, and she obviously thought that he wasn't good enough for her—so there she goes trying to change him.

The pinkette tapped her index finger on her arm, impatiently waiting for the stoic to break the silence. She knew she was just proving a point to herself: he didn't care enough to start an apology—it always had to be her, but she was sick of that. After three months of marriage, Sasuke should understand he needs to step up and give a little too. She couldn't just bail him out every time because "he didn't feel like it". So there she sat, waiting.

The tapping was beginning to get annoying. Sasuke didn't want to hear it anymore, but he wouldn't move. No, there was no way. He talked last, and now it was Sakura's turn. He made a point to answer every last one of her questions, and he was sick of how she used dead silence to her advantage to get her way and make him talk first. In fact, he wouldn't even grace her with a glance from him. All she ever did was try to get him to comply to her every want, and that wasn't happening this time.

Thirty Minutes Earlier

Sasuke returned home from hanging out with Naruto—he seemed to be doing that often. He had been out for hours and he was late; he didn't even bother to call home and tell Sakura that he wasn't going to be home when he had originally planned to: which got Sakura wondering. Where was he?

She was sitting at the desk in their bedroom, pretending to be occupied by reading a book. It was a test: would he come in the room to put his things away without saying a word to her, or would he actually apologize for being late and not telling her? Would he even bother to explain himself? That's what Sakura wanted to know. When she heard him enter the house, she acted as if she was engrossed in her book. He would have to break her concentration.

The man entered the room, his face completely impassive. His eyes barely veered over to Sakura when he came into the room, and she noticed. Continuing to ignore him, she turned the page of her book, leaning her face into her palm regally. Just as Sasuke was about to leave the room without a word, Sakura snapped a sentence out of her lips: "Do I get a 'hello'?"

"Hn," he grunted in annoyance, once again making his attempt to leave. Sakura wouldn't have it.

"That's not a 'hello'. Where were you? Why are you late? Is Naruto here with you?" She sent him a flurry of questions, turning to face him. He failed her test with flying colors. Sasuke groaned, rolling his eyes and running his fingers through his hair.

"I was at a place that's none of your business and I'm late because I am, and whether or not Naruto's here doesn't matter," he said simply, obviously wanting to end the conversation, or rather, the interrogation. Sakura gawked, but snapped her mouth shut soon after. If she was going to talk to Sasuke, she would have to try to keep a cool head.

"That's not an answer to my questions."

"Hn."

"Can you please speak English?! You didn't learn the language for no reason you know! Or are we going back to caveman times?!" Sakura stood up from sitting down, looking up at him furiously, her emerald orbs dancing with flames of anger. That was it. He wasn't cooperating—he wasn't even trying to. Did he even care about her? Of course he doesn't! She told herself inwardly. He gave her no answer; Sasuke just simply stared down at her, his face unchanging. "Answer me!"

"Don't boss me around," he snapped, his lip curling. Sakura flinched at his action, but it didn't take long for her to counter him.

"Then stop being such an idiot about everything!"

"Are we going to start insulting now? Because that's when I know this is going nowhere," he commented, the calmness in his voice causing Sakura's blood to boil.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child!"

"Then stop acting like one!" He finally raised his voice, no longer being able to contain his anger. Sakura knew how to push all of his buttons, and she seemed to like to do it often. Onyx and emerald clashed in a stare that was not veering. Sasuke clenched his jaw; he would not be the first one to look away, and quite frankly, he didn't want Sakura to look away either. Let them stay like this: staring into each other's eyes in anger.

He continued to wait for her counter—to wait for her to say something, but she said nothing. This got on his nerves the most, but he was not going to say a word. Not one single—"Why can't you be more like Naruto? He actually cares about Hinata…" she mumbled, an obvious bitterness underlining her tone. Sasuke's eyes widened in infuriation.

"What. Did. You. Say," it was barely a question. Anger was seething through in his voice, and his eyes flashed a dangerous crimson from his Sharingan. His fist was clenched at his side. Oh, how he wanted to punch the wall—better yet beat the wall. How dare she compare him to another man! Did she even know what that meant? Sakura looked away from him and made her way to the bed, laying down on the white sheets and slumping her head onto the soft pillow, which didn't feel very comfortable at the moment.

Sasuke watched her. Did she honestly just walk away? He asked her a question. She had to answer. That's how it works. And she should especially answer a question like that. What kind of question was that? You don't go around comparing your husband to someone else. Why not marry Naruto then? Sasuke drove the thought out of his mind and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He swallowed hard, giving the desk a quick slam of a punch before slumping onto the bed next to Sakura. The closer he was the more likely she was to answer, so if he had to endure that then so be it.

The Present

Sasuke had begun to tap with his index finger himself. This was getting annoying. He was tempted to look over at her and order her to speak, but no. That wasn't going to happen again. Sakura was a talker; she wasn't supposed to stay silent. But to get under his skin, it felt like she would do just about anything sometimes. He continued to sit there, in silence, a cold expression overcoming his pale features.

Sakura didn't like this. Yes, she was upset, but having this tension with Sasuke stabbed her heart. She didn't want to be at odds with him, but she also wanted him to understand where she was coming from. Naruto did treat Hinata like a total queen—they loved each other from day one of their marriage, and no one ever saw them arguing! So why is it that she and Sasuke had to argue about literally everything?

They argued about who woke up first. "Stop moving around so much when you get out of bed," he would mumble grumpily in the mornings. She didn't have time to argue with him: she had to get to the hospital for work. Sakura would just roll her eyes and keep going. They argued about who went to sleep first. "Why are you always so tired the one time I can actually spare time for you?" He would say when she told him she was going to turn in for the night. Time he could spare, he says. He was supposed to make time for her. She was his wife.

They argued about who would get in the shower first. "I've been doing missions all day whereas you were washing your hands at the hospital. I'm getting in first," he would snap when she would try to get in before him. It was always about him, wasn't it? It wasn't ever an "Oh, are you exhausted, baby?" No, it was me, me, me with Sasuke Uchiha. It was always him, him, him. That certainly hadn't changed.

They argued about sex. Those were some of the worst. That was one major way to really kill the mood, but he always wanted to make thing weird. He always wanted to try a new position, or kiss somewhere other than her lips. He always wanted to touch her in the most obscene ways. I mean, who actually likes getting their breasts groped? Certainly not Sakura, and Sasuke had a knack for doing things she didn't like.

And what was so sexy about necks? Why did he always constantly try to kiss and suck on her neck?—the sucking was the worst. It just kills the mood almost immediately. Sakura didn't want her rear to grabbed or groped, she didn't want her breasts to be fondled or simply touched, and sucking anything was absolutely off limits. Why couldn't they just have sex for what it was for: children? There was absolutely no need to "mess around" as he called it. It was just disgusting.

Sasuke knew they were polar opposites when it came to just about everything. Sakura was an early riser, and he was a late sleeper. He was a night person, she was a morning person—and all they did was argue in the afternoon. She liked clean sex—if you could even call that sex—and he liked dirty sex—real sex. A love making that was substantial, passionate, and exciting. Something that he would remember and want to repeat, not something that felt monotonous and forced as she insisted on having it.

He expressed himself in the physical. Sure, his words were lacking in the romantic area, but he could make up with that with kisses and touches—something that he's actually good at. But Sakura wouldn't allow it. She would continue to limit him at what he can and cannot do with her body. Sakura's his wife for Kami's sake! She should want him to touch her and kiss her and hold her! That's what she acted like she wanted, anyways, but every time he would try, Sasuke was pushed away. He had gone too far, touched something wrong, or had become "obscene".

Silence continued to hang in the air over the two. Sasuke took a deep breath. "Listen," they both said and looked over at each other in unison. Sasuke bit his bottom lip, and Sakura's eyes veered away slightly. "You go first," Sakura said slowly.

"No, you," Sasuke responded, looking away from her again. Sakura made a firm line with her lips.

"It's fine, Sasuke, you can go first."

"I said for you to go first," he persisted. It was her turn to talk anyways. If only he hadn't given up.

"Why does it always have to be me that goes first?" She snapped, glaring at him. Sasuke didn't look her way, nor did he answer her, causing her blood to boil. "Everything's always about you—"

"So now we're going to argue about who talks first, is that it?" He snapped back, glaring at her straight in her eyes.

"Well I guess so!" She couldn't help the sarcastic laugh that was plaguing her voice. Sasuke turned his jaw, not liking her tone one bit.

"Don't talk to me like that," he ordered.

"You deserve it," she countered, slipping off the bed and grabbing her keys. Sasuke just watched her with a careful eye.

"Where do you think you're going?" He questioned, sitting up straight. Sakura only glared back at him, her lips in a tight frown.

"None-of-your-business," she spat. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" She finished as she strode out the room, not giving him a chance to answer.

Tears ran down Sakura's eyes as she sat on a bench, far enough from her house that Sasuke wouldn't find her, but close enough that she could walk back. She was secluded from the others in Konoha, surrounded only by nature. She didn't want to be around anything else right now. She didn't even want to be next to an apologizing Sasuke. Why does it always have to be like this? Why do we always have to argue? She asked herself, her tears painting her cheeks with wet stains.

It felt as if he would never understand: that he would never care to understand. He was just a cold, impassive, self-centered Uchiha, wasn't he? Then why had he married her? Why had he proposed? Why were they so happy when they were dating and now suddenly everything's terrible? It was almost as if fate had it that she would never be happy in this marriage. She knew Sasuke wasn't happy either, but that didn't do anything to change the way he acted.

A breeze brushed by her, shifting her pink tresses from side to side. Sakura listened as the leaves of trees rustled in tranquility. Nature was never disturbed. There was a certain calm about it that never wavered. Like Sasuke… she couldn't keep the thought from passing her mind. She was trying to take her mind off her husband right now and think of something more joyful, but he always managed to creep his way into her thoughts. She doubted she had that same effect on him.

By now, Sasuke had probably already left the house to go see Naruto—not to look for her. He would never do that. He was Uchiha Sasuke: people looked for him, or they came to him. He never would go out of his way to find other people. That's just not how his world worked. There was only one time in the whole world when he went out to find her: and that was when he proposed. I could call him sweet then… Sakura mused, the tears tugging out of her eyes again as she whimpered softly.

She couldn't help but bring herself back to the times when her and Sasuke could laugh with each other—smile at each other… it felt like an eternity ago. Whenever they saw each other now, there was the ever present tension, the pent up anger, and the unsolved arguments. They still had their moments when they would smile for a bit, or laugh and joke around with each other, but those times were so few and far between that they also were a distant memory.

Sasuke sat in the bed, his fingers enmeshing his charcoal mop of hair, practically pulling as he mumbled incoherent insults at himself. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks. "Baka… you baka…" he mumbled to himself, cursing and grunting as he spoke. He got up from where he sat and paced back and forth in the room, slamming his fist on the wall continually. He knew Sakura had left the house, so he was free to scream: "You're a freakin' idiot, you baka! Where is she now?!" He kicked the base of the bed.

Nothing ever worked out. The arguments were never solved just because he managed to say something stupid. Just because, from what she said, he wasn't as good as Naruto. She's comparing me… to him? Sasuke frowned, pinching his lips together as he looked up to the ceiling. Yeah, he was stubborn: he knew that. Sasuke wasn't ignorant of his actions. Sakura was stubborn too. They both had their quirks, but these quirks weren't supposed to get them into arguments that literally dragged on for days. When would it end?

She was constantly calling him selfish: self-centered, impassive, cold… the list could go on. He knew it was true. He had closed her off a considerable amount, but that was because he no longer felt comfortable with their relationship. When he and Sakura were dating, they didn't keep secrets from each other—they didn't compare each other to their opposite gender friends. When they were engaged, they were literally inseparable. But now when they were married, you couldn't keep them together in the same room. What went wrong? What happened?

Sasuke trudged over to the desk, slumping down onto the chair and reading the page Sakura was on in her book. He scoffed at the contents. Of course it's a romance novel… he mused. What, is she comparing me to him too? His mind fumed angrily as he slammed the book shut. He needed fresh air; he needed to go on a walk. After a sharp breath, the raven grabbed his own set of keys and made his way outside.

The weather was refreshing. It was spring, after all. A cool breeze washed by the stoic, brushing his charcoal bangs out of his face temporarily. It was wonderful: just him and nature. Sasuke leaned his head back and basked in the glorious feel of freedom, and perhaps even a bit of temporal peace as his worries washed away from him with the breeze. He and Sakura would calm down, she would come home, and maybe things would be settled by the time they went to sleep. Hopefully… Sasuke mused, a frown curving his lips downward.

While Sasuke was walking his cell phone rang in his pocket. He honestly didn't want to pick it up, but now that his thoughts were veering towards depression, he figured it would be best to get his mind off of everything. "Uchiha Sasuke," he said as he answered.

"Hey! It's Naruto! What're you up to?"

"Dobe, we just hung out an hour ago, what do you want?" Sasuke snapped, not in the mood to deal with Naruto's cheery behavior. He heard the blond Uzumaki whine on the other line before responding.

"An hour's too long! Now tell me what you're doing!" Sasuke rolled his eyes, and after a quick sigh he answered.

"I'm out on a walk."

"I thought you went home?" Sasuke took a bit to answer, pinching his lips together. He had told Naruto he had went home to Sakura, and that was true, but what Naruto didn't know is that the two had been nonstop arguing for about three months straight.

"I… did," he responded hesitantly, hoping Naruto wouldn't ask for details. He did:

"Aaaand?" The Uzumaki dragged out impatiently. "Tell me, Sasuke!"

"Sakura and I got into an argument," he said simply, not wanting to expand any further than that, until Naruto started acting as if he understood:

"Oh, that's normal! Trust me, me and Hinata even still argue sometimes, married or not—"

"We've been arguing for three months now. Straight," Sasuke cut him off before he could continue. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with the Dobe—then again, it wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with anyone.

"THREE MONTHS?!" Naruto screamed on the other line so loud that Sasuke had to pull the phone away from his ear. "That's as long as you two have been married! What's going on?! Why didn't you tell me?!" The Uzumaki was freaking out, while Sasuke just listened to him placidly, not knowing how to respond. Why should he have told Naruto? Talking about it won't do anything. Things like this took action—action got them into arguments, hence the three months problem. "Well, where is she now?"

"I'd like to know that myself," Sasuke mumbled, taking a quick glance at his watch to keep himself occupied. Just as he looked up, he saw the pinkette walking towards where he had come from: home. "I got to go, Dobe, I see her."

"Wait, I'm not done—" Sasuke hung up the phone and walked up to Sakura, who had her head hung sadly in depression. She looked up only to catch the onyx gleam of her husband's eyes. He was looking down at her. Did he come for her? Was he looking for her?

"Sakura…" he mumbled simply, clenching his jaw. He looked torn, confused, hurt, upset—everything was mixed up. She was sure her face was portraying similar emotions. Her eyes veered away from his; she didn't want him to see how hard she had been crying only moments earlier while his eyes looked completely fine—as if nothing had happened at all. She felt his hand on her face, gently stroking her cheek with a touch he rarely ever used—a touch she hadn't felt in a while.

Sasuke didn't want to swallow his pride, but he also didn't want her to stay looking as she did. It had been enough for one day. He knew everything would come back to bite them the next morning, but right now, it would be better to push it aside. It was late. "Let's head home… all right?" He urged her, his voice calm with a tinge of kindness plaguing it.

The pinkette knew what her husband was doing, but she was ready to let it go if only for today too. They would solve it tomorrow—or at least, they would try. It would be another argument—maybe more ignoring, more going out with their friends to forget about everything, but right now, it was enough. "Okay…" she mumbled, letting her tears fall once again as she rested her forehead on his chest.

OooO

Arguments, pushing aside apologies, being mad at each other… all new to me lol if you've read my other fanfictions you've probably noticed that Sasuke and Sakura never really end up getting into major arguments. Their problems usually came from other people (like in Professor Uchiha: My Tutor). To be honest, this is somewhat evilly fun to do because now I can put my snarky tongue to use xD Anyways, I hope that the depression in this chapter didn't ruin anyone's day or anything. Don't forget to R&R! Arigatogozaimasu for all your support.

InaGaTa