Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine and his friends and enemies aren't either. That's why I'm so freakin' broke! jk...

A/N: This takes place after Sasuke left to gain power with Orochimaru and he's since returned about six months ago. Sasuke and Naruto's friendship, still on shaky ground, is slowly rebuilding itself. And as for Sakura, she still doesn't really know where she and Sasuke stand. In this story, Itachi isn't a missing nin, he's actually an ANBU in good standing with the Hokage and Konoha. He's one that has watched over Sakura, in Sasuke's absence, along with Kakashi and her other friends. Other than that, everything else remains the same unless I change my mind and change something else.

This fic will be rated Teen for now and will probably go up later due to a few ideas I have...there is language is this fic so be forewarned.. and a couple lemons might be thrown in if I receive enough reviews. Hint, hint...This will probably be more than a little OOC since that's easier than trying to keep them in strict characterization. I hope you you all enjoy:)

Also, I dedicate this fic to all the Sas/Sak lovers out there and I pray I won't do you wrong:)

Nothing Else Matters

Approximately six months has passed since Sasuke Uchiha had returned to the Leaf Village of Konoha. After informing the Hokage and the Council of the events that had kept him away, he'd had to prove himself time and time again that he was still loyal to Konoha. Working hard, the youngest Uchiha more than proved himself; eventually elevated his rank to Jounin/ANBU. At first, he'd been restricted in all his movements and couldn't even go to the bathroom without his big brother, Itachi, on his heels right outside the door.

Tsunade finally agreed that it was time to lighten said restrictions and he could begin training with his former team mates and sensei if he so wished. And he did wish to rejoin them.

On a daily basis, he met Sakura and Naruto at the Team Seven training grounds prepared to push himself harder and see how much more powerful his favorite dobe had become. His black hair, now shoulder length, swayed gently in the wind as the two appeared before him.

Both of them had changed. Sakura, her hair grown out again, was taller, thinner and more beautiful than he could've imagined. But he'd never tell her so. Looking at his former best friend, Naruto had grown much taller, built so much more like a Jounin/ANBU than when he was at the Genin level. One thing didn't change, however, and that was his ability to be the loudest mouth around.

Slowly as time passed, they fell into an easily friendship again, and due to Sasuke's tutelage, Sakura grew in strength and speed. At least a couple times a week she managed to surprise him, catching him off guard and knocking him flat on his ass. Which he hesitatingly congratulated her on.

Sasuke and Sakura spent more time together since his return than in the days before he left. Hour after hour they spent training, side by side, until one or both collapsed and couldn't move. They'd shared meals, walks and other friendly intimate moments together and everyone in Konoha was sure they were dating. Strange thing being that there were lots of times when the stoic Uchiha refused to accompany her anywhere or even train with her. Times like that stomped on her still tender heart.

Their camaraderie was tighter than ever before until the the biggest, fateful day of the pink haired kunoichi's life.

Sasuke faced Sakura as they were sparring. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."

Hands cupped together in front of his mouth, a flaming fire blast shot forward towards the kunoichi. After releasing this, he immediately prepared to go on the defensive.

Watching her, he wondered what counter move she'd make now. She smirked at him, and Sasuke was taken aback by the mischief held in that one smile.

Throwing up an arm, Sakura disappeared in a flurry of cherry blossom petals. Her laughter echoing all around at the shock on his face. "What'd ya think of that...Sasuke-kun?" She purposefully drew out his name and emphasized the "kun" part. It seemed she wanted to play with him. So play they would.

"Damn! That's a new one on me!" Loudly, he called out,"Where'd you learn that, Sakura?"

"I'm not telling you." Her voice rang out from the trees in a sing song manner.

"Where are you? You know I can find you. It's not like it's that hard!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, kunai flew towards him at a high rate of speed with something attached to them. "Oh, shit!"

On the other side of the field, she appeared. "Sakura Fubuki no Jutsu!"

Her eyes danced as the tags and sacks attached to the kunai exploded the second they struck the ground five feet away. "Wanna try that again? I dare you to say that I'm so weak you could easily find me."

Taking out a kunai from her pouch on her thigh, she twirled it around her index finger. "I know why you said that. You wanted to draw me out, and the only reason I allowed it was to show you a little something new that you've never seen before. So what did you think? Did I go a little over the top with it?"

"What the hell, Sakura? You could've fucking killed me! I never realized you'd grown into a sadistic bitch!"

"Oh, please! Naruto can handle more of my new jutsu's than you can." Her voice grew cold, all emotions wiped away. "How pathetic. And I'd thought you'd gotten stronger, or is it you're taking it easy on me? If so, you know how that pisses me off to be coddled and protected."

Flipping forward, he attacked using his strong point...taijutsu. Sakura had always sucked at that, but lately she'd improved. Throwing a punch at her face to distract her, she blocked it with ease. While her attention was diverted, he kicked, sweeping her long legs out from underneath her.

Sakura's back smacked the ground hard, almost driving the very breath from her. Sasuke collapsed on top of her holding her arms and legs down using his own appendages to keep her from moving.

Both shinobi were breathing rapidly, their eyes locked tightly on the other's. Inch by agonizing inch, Sasuke leaned down, closer and closer.

Sakura's eyes widened. He was going to kiss her. Sasuke was going to kiss her! Oh my kami, she thought. I'm going to die and and go to Sasuke heaven! Even though he's kind of been an ass at times lately. Attempting to slow down her breath, she closed her eyes in anticipation of a Sasuke taste test.

He was but an inch from giving her one of her life's dreams when a crashing sound occurred in the bushes along with a loud shout. "Damnit! He's got the lousiest damn timing I've ever seen!"

"Sasuke! Man, you're the luckiest bastard I've ever met in my life!"

A robust, louder than usual Naruto sprang throught the brush and bushes surprising his friends. His curiosity was roused when he saw then on the ground and they instantly sprang apart.

Impatiently, the Sharingan user snapped, "What it is, dobe? Sakura and I were in the middle of training!"

"Whatever, teme!"

Reaching over, the blond grabbed Sasuke's hand pumping it vigorously. "Congrats, man, you hooked the big one!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Sakura was with Sasuke on this one. She had no idea what Naruto was referring to at all. But she had a really bad feeling stirring in the pit of her stomach. It almost felt like she'd eaten rocks for lunch instead of ramen. Forcing herself to be patient, the kunoichi hoped Naruto would just get to the point and stop draggin it out.

Shaking his head, Naruto smirked. "As if you didn't know. Daisan Moko. The entire village is talking about it!"

Daisan Moto was a tall, willow-thin brunette with striking green eyes. She was a fairly nice person who happened to be a jounin herself on a joint mission from another smaller village not too far away. Daisan also just so happened to be a rather strong kunoichi whose specialty rated interrogation tactics. In other words, she was the female opposite of Morino Ibiki. The female shinobi was also the same age as team seven, which happened to be nineteen. They all were young, but powerful.

Sasuke's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Naruto. Now's not the time to talk about this. Wanna go for ramen after Sakura and I are finished sparring? My treat!"

The former missing nin couldn't look at his sparring partner right now. He knew her eyes and mind would be brimming with curiosity with so many questions. Questions that he really wanted to avoid because he didn't really have an answer for her.

"Come one, Naruto, don't keep me in suspense. What's going on?" Green eyes stared directly into large, blue ones.

"Sasuke's engaged! He and Ino's cousin are getting married in two weeks!"

"What?" Sakura gasped in absolute shock. Surely her friend was mistaken and no such event would be taking place. Her and Sasuke both rose from their positions on the ground.

Looking at him, she hoped it was false. She wanted him to say that it was a lie and that Naruto was a stupid baka for starting a horrid rumor. "Sasuke, is this true?"

Green eyes pleaded with his onyx eyes. He could barely look her in the face, much less her eyes. He could only imagine the emotion flying through her head. But it was only going to get much worse in the next few seconds. Deny everything, his head told him. But Sasuke found he couldn't lie to her. They'd gotten to close for that since his return. Taking a deep breath, he began his explanation.

"It's true."

Her mouth dropped. Tears gathered in her eyes, ready to fall at the least provocation. Pain speared her chest, her heart. A tight feeling gripped her and she could barely breathe. How could he?, she thought. I thought we were friends and yet he said nothing. The entire time they were together he'd spoken of none of this!

Sakura wondered how she could compete with a female shinobi with such shining attributes all wrapped in such a neat package. Bowing her head, she stared forlornly at the grass littering the ground she sat upon. What the hell had he been thinking? Obviously he hadn't been thinking about her at all, the idiot!

Inner Sakura angered by this kind of betrayal fueled Sakura's next actions.

Before Sasuke could react to protect himself, the hurt kunoichi jerked her fist back. Using her monstrous strength, she sent Sasuke flying backwards to the other end of the training grounds.

"You selfish, son of a bitch! I thought we were friends! But I guess my friendship meant nothing to you! More like I meant nothing to you! What the hell is so wrong with you? I never stopped loving you all the years you were gone! I thought about you constantly and for what? Nothing!"

The bright tears that threatened to fall earlier, flooded down her pale cheeks. "I guess what you told me on the night you left still holds true." Her anger, for the most part spent, her shoulders drooped in defeat. "I guess I'm still the annoying, useless, weak, pathetic, girl you left behind and never gave another thought to, aren't I?"

Eyes wide open, Sasuke couldn't believe she'd been hurt this bad by Naruto's announcement. He knew she'd probably feel hurt that he hadn't told her, but this...there had to be more behind her emotional outburst. "Sakura", he began, "you're none of those things. You don't realize how much stronger you've gotten. You managed to impress me with all the new things you've learned. And during our constant training, your speed, strength and chakra stamina have grown substantially! And as for you being weak, even back when I left, you were never weak. I was the weak one. I pushed you away because I didn't want you to get hurt in my quest for power!"

Walking over to her, her reached out to gather her in his arms, but he was rejected.

Furious, Sakura slapped his hands away. "Don't you dare touch me, Sasuke, Uchiha! How could I have forgotten so easily?" Shaking her head, attempting to clear her tears, "This is the second lesson on betrayal you've taught me. I guess there was never any real trust between us, was there? At least not on your end anyway!"

Keeping the usual stoic expression on his face, he couldn't let his feelings for his fellow kuniochi show. He was an engaged man after all. His fiance wouldn't approve of this situation and that's for sure.

"Sakura, wait!"

"Have you ever trusted or cared about me? Ever? I want to know the truth?"

Naruto watched the scene of discord unfold between two of his best friends, feeling uncomfortable, he scratched the back of his head. He also wondered if after this the ramen offer would still be available.

Sakura posed her question to Sasuke regarding trust, and to see if he'd ever felt a smidge of feeling for her at all. "Well, Sasuke? I think I deserve an answer!"

Silence.

All Sasuke could do was stare at his former team mate confused, and without words. He didn't know what the hell to say to her. More than likely, whatever he'd say would be taken out of context and used against him. Better to stay silent than to be stupid, like Naruto, and crucify himself.

"Hmmph. I guess that's my answer then, huh, Sasuke?"

"Sakura you're being unfair!"

"Screw you, Uchiha! You've always been such a cold hearted bastard who ignored me or thought me annoying, and in the way! From now on stay the hell away from me, and I mean it!"

"Sakura!"

She'd turned to walk away and briefly, she glanced over her shoulder at the man she'd loved since the first day she'd seen him at the academy. "Go to hell ,Sasuke!"

Throwing her hand up in the air the young pissed off woman disappeared in her signature move of multiple, floating cherry blossom petals.

Naruto shook his head at Sasuke's situation. "Teme! You've fucked up big time! I don't think she's gonna forgive you this time." The blue eyed ninja stared at the spot Sakura had vanished from and sighed. "Man, this is gonna be hell!"

Agreeing with his friend, "Dobe, you have no idea."

Black eyes followed the same path as Naruto, staring at the space Sakura had vacated. He'd been about to make a huge mistake when his friend had showed up, but perhaps it'd been for the best that he had. Now he had to think of a way to salvage his friendship with Sakura before it was too late.

Clearing his thoughts, he placed his cold, uncaring mask back into place. Smirking momentarily, he threw a challenge at Naruto. "Race you to Ichiraku's, dobe!"

"You're on , teme!"

Both males took off full speed towards their favorite ramen stand. Naruto, happy as always tried to make Sasuke smile all the way there, and Sasuke tried to oblige and found it hard.

He felt that something irrevocably had changed between him and Sakura forever. Could they ever gain back that which seemed lost to them now? Or had everything been broken forever? He could only hope that she wasn't completely lost to him. The youngest Uchiha had come to depend on her so much, and he didn't know what to do without her. Between thoughts of his fiance and the kunoichi he'd held firmly in his arms moments ago, he was torn. He cared for Daisan, but he wasn't entirely certain what he felt for Sakura. Oh, what the hell, another sleepless night would plague him, but what difference did it matter. Without Sakura, nothing else mattered.

She'd always been there for him. Even when people had harshly judged him for leaving and returning under the conditions he had, she'd stood by his side. Very few of his friends had done that one small thing, but she had.

Lifting his face to the breeze, he thought about all the events from childhood leading up to today. So many things used to matter to him. Not anymore. Sometimes it seems that nothing else matters. Nothing but him and a certain spirited kunoichi. He repeated that little mantra, nothing else matters, and for now, nothing did matter.

A/N: This was a little idea that struck me this afternoon that I had to write. Of course I don't know how many people have had ideas like this and written them out, but I hope this isn't exactly like someone else's plot out there... just lemme know what you guys think. :)