Memories from a distant past

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I have manipulated the plot of the actual events of Naruto to match my plot and story so don't be mad at me and leave mean comments because you don't agree with it. Please enjoy it an don't forget to rate and review. Thank you guys and have an awesome day.

Chapter 1: Words that cannot be forgotten

It had only been a month since the end of the war, obviously they had won. While the ANBU and Jounin went on A or S ranked mission earning large quantities of money, it was the chunins and genins and pretty much anybody who can's job to rebuild the village. Most of Konoha was destroyed during the war, so they expected to be doing this kind of mission for quiet a while. In the mornings they would be assigned a site and each team will go to their assigned site and work there for the day.

Needless to say, Sasuke has been forgiven for his crimes at the end of the war. The hokage had actually planned on punishing him, though the village along with Naruto as their big leader protested against it. It wasn't that hard to convince the hokage since she had other more important things to do anyway. So for the past month Sasuke had been doing missions with his team, team seven.

Well...most of team seven anyway. Every morning he had come to their assigned meeting place to find Naruto and Kakashi, who wast late by the way, already waiting. The first week it happened Sasuke was surprised to find the two of them walking towards him even before he reached the destination. He hadn't questioned them when they had walked straight to their site. But the longer it happened the more he thought about it. First he thought the reason she never seems to be with them is because girls weren't doing construction. But then he had seen other girls at the sites. He would know, they never stopped drooling when he took off his shirt that one day when it was too hot. He never made that mistake again, even if he boiled to death.

It only bothered him more as a whole month passed by without him even having a glimpse of her. He had been wondering why the hell he was spending all his time thinking about Sakura. Then on a very very very tired day, his mind had gotten himself to admit that he missed her and that he wanted to see her. Needless to say, he had been very surprised with himself moments after but the next day he had come to the conclusion that he did not have to hide from his feelings anymore. He didn't have any goals that needed to be completed. He did not have to resist any feelings he would have as a healthy young man.

So that's why he had sneaked into what Naruto said was her office in the hospital. He had thought about the possibility of Naruto lying to him about where her room is to embarrass him when some other crazy girl opened the door, in which case Sasuke had already thought of seven different ways to torture the blond. His personal favourite was using mangekyo sharingan on Naruto and puttying him in a world where everyone praised Sasuke's skills while Naruto watched. But Sasuke was sure he could come up with more beautiful ones.

When he was in the middle of his eighth idea, sitting on the brown leather couch, did he hear the door open to reveal his former teammate in a white coat. He felt like he hadn't seen her in forever and didn't miss when his stomach did a great flip at the sight of her.

Sakura looked tired. Rally really tired. She had slightly dark bags under her eyes and her pink hair was in a messy pony tail. He watched in amusement as she walked into the office, took off her coat and put it on one of the chairs in front of her desk revealing her normal pink skirt and red shirt completely oblivious to her unexpected visitor. She pulled out the hair tie from her hair and ran her slender fingers through her pink hair to straighten it out and getting rid of the knots.

She sat down on her chair at the desk with a heavy sigh and lifted her head to find her visitor. She stared at him for a total of two seconds before she shot up from her chair.

"Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed as a wave of head rush hit her due to her abrupt stand.

Sakura was so totally surprised to see Sasuke of all people sitting on her couch. She was also embarrassed that in her state of tiredness she had completely missed his presence. She was also shocked because Sasuke had seeked her out for whatever reason he deemed worthy.

The last time Sakura saw Sasuke was close to a month ago when he had been treated for injuries he received during the war.

When the hokage had said all teams would be doing missions to help build the village, Sakura had felt lost and uncomfortable. Sasuke's words during the war had been echoing through her mind since the moment they left his lips in every time she had a quiet peaceful time. She didn't want to see him, she didn't want to even be near him.

She loved him, yes, but the words he had spoken had caused her so much pain that she wasn't even aware she was capable of. The reason they hurt so much is because she loved him so much.

So when the hokage had ordered Sakura to stay in the hospital to help treat the injured, she was so happy she would've hugged her mentor of she had had the time. She had of course told Naruto and Kakashi-sensei where she will be, but she hadn't felt the need to tell Sasuke because he wouldn't have cared anyway.

But she was fairly certain he hadn't come to her to check on her well-being. That's just going too far. So then why was he here in her office sitting on her couch on her only fifteen minute break?

"Where were you." he didn't ask it like a questions. He demanded an answer and his question clearly implied that you better answer or esle, so she answered because she doesn't have the strength not to right now.

"Here." she replied sitting back down on her chair because it didn't look like he would leave soon anyway.

"For a month?...Why haven't you been doing missions?" he asked narrowing his eyebrows at her. So maybe he did come here to check in her. Why?

"Its been busy. A lot of people were injured during the war." she answered with a sigh. She wanted him to leave. In her younger days she has chased after Sasuke without building a life for herself. But now she had a life. Now she was her own person. Now she could handle Sasuke's harsh attitude without having to be weak in front of him. But...she was still Sakura. She still loved him. It was one thing to ACT like his words didn't hurt but for them to ACTUALLY not hurt is a whole other thing. And she knew there would never come a day when they wouldn't hurt. So the best she could do was pretend they didn't and hope that some day she will be able to look at him and not remember the things that hurt.

"Lets go get dinner." he said bringing her out of her thoughts. Oh man, she did not want to have to hang out with him any more than she had to.

"I'm not really in the mood for ramen."she said turning her chair to face the window, so that she wasn't facing him and his smugness that seems to follow him even when he isn't trying to be smug. The sky was unbelievably blue today. They were the colour of Naruto's eyes. There were no clouds to obscure the beautiful sky from her view and so she enjoyed it. The sun shone down on the village as people got ready for lunch but it didn't look like Sakura was going to be able to take advantage of her much needed break.

"Not ramen." Sakura could hear the annoyance in his voice, she only inwardly smirked. somethings never change.

"How did you get Naruto to agree to that?" she asked with a smile. He must have done something awful to the blond for him to agree a meal that consisted of anything other than his beloved ramen.

"Just...just you and I." Sakura was more more surprised at his stutter than the actual words that he spoke. So she had to turn her face towards him to understand his implication. She was yet again surprised. He wasn't looking anywhere else but at her. His onyx eyes were fixated on her as if he was waiting and would be waiting for as long as it would take.

She stared at him for a while longer and in that while she saw the seriousness in his words and understood the implication very well. She was surprised by it . Hell yeah, of course! At first she couldn't figure out what he was planning. But the longer she stared at him the more real it became.

For a moment, she contemplated on saying yes and jumping into his arms. But the next moment, his words assaulted her innocent mind.

"Eyes up from Naruto! Naruto...I'm going to say this clearly right now...

you and I...if either one of us dies, that will mean the end of this world.

No matter what happens, we absolutely cannot allow ourselves to die.

Like when the infinite tsukuyomi took place...and you just happened

to be by Kakashi and Sakura. You understand what I'm saying don't you...?

she almost lost control right then and there. After the war was over, her attempts to keep his words from repeating over and over in her mind had been complete failures. So in the end, she ended up running to the bathroom of what remained of the hospital and cried. Because there was only so much she could pretend. At one pint she does become tired of holding everything in. Like a soda bottle that had been vigorously shaken. After a while, she had to return to treating patients because her feelings come second...always.

It was easy to pretend when he wasn't here that he cared. But when he was in front of her and saying things to her, it was hard to hold on to that lie she told herself all the time.

"I'm sorry. But no." she said as strongly as her voice allowed her to. She was happy she hadn't looked away because the shock that came to his face at her answer was priceless. His eyes widened a fraction for at least three seconds. She loved it. She loved the fact that she managed to make him look like that with just a few words.

"Why?" he demanded with narrowed eyes, clearly displeased with her answer.

She smiled at him. She truly smiled at him because by telling herself that she was okay and smiling is the only way she would not let the tears in her eyes drop.

"You hadn't meant to save me...or Kakashi-sensei. You were fine with me possibly dying. A month later and you expect me to believe you care?" she asked quietly. The smile never leaving her face. She wasn't mad at him. No, if she was mad, she would hit him. She would really punch him so hard that he wont be able to get off of bed for weeks. But it was more like finally accepting what was always in front of her. She was strong enough to accept it now.

"I had no choice." he growled at her, standing up from the couch and walking to her desk.

"I know. Its okay. I don't mind." she assured him quickly looking up at him with the smile still in place. And she didn't, she really didn't mind. It was a kind of an awakening for her and for the hurt to go away, it'll take some time..

"don't you understand? I'm asking you to be my girlfriend." he said angrily, leaning forward to rest his palms on her cluttered desk.

Her futile attempt to slow down her beating heart was quiet embarrassing for a ninja and her brain's comment to not feel such happiness at his words went totally ignored by her heart as well. Such words coming from Sasuke...she could hardly believe it. But she was happy for him. He was starting to speak his mind, even if his methods are a little unorthodox.

"We wont be happy together Sasuke." she said getting up from her chair to stand at her window to look out the window at the buzzing streets, because she would much rather look at that than at the determined onyx eyes of her visitor because they were tempting her to throw her resolve away.

Sasuke could hardly believe what she was saying. Sure he didn't love her yet. But right now he knew that he liked her...a lot. He knew he wanted to be with her. He wanted to be near her. It was an odd feeling that he wasn't used to but he felt it none-the-less. And though he would never admit it, he liked it as well.

"I will always question your feelings for me. Always wonder whether or not you are pretending." she stared out the window of her room as she talked.

"I would never do that." he said looking at her back hoping she would turn to look at him. Hoping she wouldn't avoid his eyes anymore.

"It doesn't matter. I wouldn't believe you." she said as the smile finally disappeared from her face. She turned around, finally facing him, looking at him with no reluctance. "I will always love you Sasuke. I don't even know how to stop. Nothings changed...not me...and not you." she finished as he continued to stare at her.

Why is she saying such contradictory things? He was very confused. And its not true. He HAS changed. If he hadn't, he seriously doubted he would be here asking her to be his girlfriend.

"This is ridiculous." he muttered closing his eyes and frustratingly running a hand through is raven locks.

"I think...we should not see each other." she said making his eyes snap open to stare at her. But she had returned to staring out the window. So he glared at the back of her pink head, hoping she would sense the hole he's trying to bore through her head. "that way, I will be able to continue to blindly love you...while you continue to hate me for whatever reason...like always." she murmured the last part that he barely heard it. But he did. So he stomped his way up to her and grabbed her wrist and turned her to face him. She didn't look fazed by his action at all. She only stared at him with blank eyes that he wasn't used to seeing in her.

"I never hated you." he said as calmly as he possibly could because she was really pissing him off.

"Even if you loved me...I would never believe it Sasuke." she said shaking her head as if to get something out of her head. "I would much rather spend my life loving you from a far and knowing you are happy than constantly wonder if you really loved me or if you truly are happy being with me." not only was he angry at her words, he was also aware of the slight pain her words caused him as well. It was like the flipping of the stomach right before a battle, only...it hurt...a lot.

"Sakura, do you realize how stupid this is?" he asked angrily shaking her shoulders to snap her out of whatever depression she had gotten herself stuck in.

She pushed his hands off her shoulders angrily with force. He was surprised at the fiery look on her eyes because she had never looked at him like that.

"Sasuke...what you said...during the war...even if I forgive you, I can't forget them...I never will." her voice wavered because she finally let the tears sting her eyes and he didn't miss them when they gathered at the rim of her emerald eyes. He was surprised she hadn't started crying sooner. She must have really been holding back.

"I already told you, I had no choice Sakura."

"I know that. But I will forever have those words in my mind Sasuke. What am I supposed to do? They wont stop repeating...over and over and over again. I can't stop." she screamed at him finally letting out her true feelings and emotions. She held on to his shirt mid way through her rant and fisted it in her hands. She shook him back and forth as the tears she had been working so damn hard to hold in finally escaped her eyes and ran down her face.

He hadn't meant for what he said to stick to her that much. He stared at the top of her pink head as she leaned her forehead on his chest, her fingers still fisted in his shirt. At the time, he had wanted to save the villae his brother had sacrificed everything for. To be honest...at the time...he wouldn't have cared if she died. He would have been sad afterwards and regretted it , but in that one moment, it hadn't mattered to him. And now he felt guilty. Out of all the thing he had done to her, he had finally managed to break her resolve and hurt her enough to have an impact in his own life. He never thought this day would come.

Is a month enough for someone to change how they look at another? Is a month long enough for him to develop feelings for her? Is that one moment long enough for him to break her to such fine small pieces? The kind of pain he had caused her for three years combined wasn't strong enough to break and hurt her the way that one moment had. He realized it was too late to realize this because she was already so broken.

"Sakura..." he managed to murmur in a weak voice.

"If we were to be together, I would be sadder than I was when you tried to kill me Sasuke." she said, her words muffled by his shirt.

He didn't want to hear her say something like that. He didn't want to think that being with him would make her sad. He wanted her to go back to being herself. Being the Sakura who thought nothing was happier than being with her Sasuke-kun. How can he bring her back? Because he desperately wished to be with her.

"I wont let you be sad." he said though his dry throat seems to not be helping much. She raised her head then and moved her hands back to her sides as she stood in front of him with puffy red eyes and a pink nose.

"You can't give me happiness...no one can." she breathed with a pained smile that made his stomach tumble painfully for some reason.

"If ...if we learned to love each other...we could be happy." these words coming out of his mouth are so foreign to him. Yet he felt he had to say them because he wanted to be with her more than he previously realized. She smiled at him then. As if he were a child and had said something naive

"Love isn't the only think needed to make a relationship work." she said wiping her tears away.

She was being impossible. To everything he said, she had something to say to oppose him. He could not get her to meet him half way and it was making him angry, but he knew that most of all, Sakura deserved some patience from him, so he gave it to her.

"I'm not going to give up." he said determinedly looking at her emerald eyes so she knows he's serious. She seemed surprised by his declaration because her movements stilled for a moment and her yes widened ever so slightly. He inwardly smirked at his success. But her shock was gone the next moment just as she was, because she started walking towards the door of her office. He stared at her back as she headed for the door. He thought she wouldn't say anything but she did and he didn't like it.

"Then you'd be wasting your time." she said putting on her white coat on her body, still keeping her back to him.

"I wont let you be anyone else's." he said again because he wanted her to know he would not be giving up. He was happy with her reaction because she stopped walking and her hand held the door knob, one leg inside the room the other outside. He saw the smile appear on the side of her face that was visible to him and before she closed the door all he heard her say was, "Silly Sasuke..." and he stood there in her office not sad or mad but determined to make her accept him again.

As soon as the door closed behind her she let the smile drop from her face. "...I could never be anyone else's" she whispered to no one and walked towards her patients to carry on with her day as if Sasuke Uchiha just hadn't said everything she ever wanted him to say to her.

The second chapter will be out soon.

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And again don't be mad because its different from the actual story because its supposed to be different.

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