Different
-Sakura´s POV-
He's back. Or so they say. And you know what? I don´t really care.
I was wondering what would it feel like if he ever came back. I thought that I´d be happy to see him, that I´d run up to him. But now, I don´t feel like doing anything. A lot of things have changed since he was gone. I´m grown up, 18 years old kunoichi. The girl that was his fan isn´t here anymore. She disappeared when he did.
-End of POV-
Sakura got up from her bed. She looked out of her window. She could see the whole Konoha. Today was the day. She was going to meet Sasuke again. He came home just yesterday. Sakura didn´t see him but she heard a lot of people whispering about the comeback of the Uchiha. People said that he came back willingly but that was all they knew.
Sakura was ordered to come to Tsunade´s office today. All the members of the team seven were going to meet there. Sakura didn´t understand her feelings. She didn´t hate Sasuke but she also didn´t need to be in his presence at all. When she thought back about these days when she followed Sasuke constantly, she had to frown at herself. Was it really her back then?
Sakura closed the door and locked her apartment. She lived alone now. When Sakura turned seventeen, her parents allowed her to leave their house and live by herself.
As she was walking down the streets, Sakura saw a girl with long blond hair standing in front of the Yamanaka flower shop.
"Hey, forehead – girl, what are you doing here?"
"Shut up, Ino – pig, I´m not in a good mood today, "said Sakura.
Ino noticed that Sakura really looked annoyed. Even though the two girls were still fighting, they were also best friends. Ino knew very well what was bothering Sakura.
"Does Sasuke still have so big effect on you? I heard he came back yesterday. What are you going to do?" asked Ino, eyeing Sakura carefully.
Sakura just frowned, "What do you think I´ll do? I´ll just go there, hear what Tsunade – shishou has to tell and then leave. Nothing else."
Ino knew there was nothing she could do, so she just wished Sakura good luck and went back to the flower shop.
When Sakura came in front of Tsunade´s office, Naruto was already there.
He smiled at her," Hi, Sakura-chan. I finally fulfilled my promise. It took some time, but I did it, believe it!"
Sakura was happy to see him. She and Naruto became really close after Sasuke left. They were there for each other; when one needed help, the other came to him immediately. They shared the pain of betrayal, the pain of losing best friend. Together they could handle it somehow.
"Good morning, Naruto. I know, I heard about it, the village isn´t talking about anything else than Sasuke. Thank you for everything," said Sakura and gave Naruto friendly hug.
Exactly in that moment, Tsunade opened her office door. Sasuke was in the room already. Sakura blinked. Sasuke surely changed. When she saw him the last time, Sasuke wore that Orochimaru´s creepy outfit. Now he was wearing dark blue pants and black shirt with Uchiha symbol on it. The shirt showed his muscular body pretty well and Sakura had to admit that Sasuke looked even more handsome than when he was twelve. His hair looked still the same-same raven color and the same spiky strands which were falling in his onyx eyes.
Naruto was the first one who stepped in the office.
"Hey, Sasuke-teme! You´re here already?" shouted Naruto. Then he noticed someone was still missing.
"And Kakashi-sensei is late again! Can´t he at least for once arrive in time?!"
Just after Naruto said it, Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke. He was standing right behind Naruto and now he was patting Naruto´s head.
"My, my…no need to be angry, Naruto. It´s not my fault. On my way here there was an old lady-"
"Don´t lie, Kakashi-sensei!" shouted both Naruto and Sakura.
Sasuke just smirked and said his infamous 'Hn'
Tsunade watched the whole scene with her eyebrows twitching. Finally she couldn´t take it anymore and shouted at them," Will you shut up?! Or do you want me to send you on some suicidal mission?" she added, grinning evilly.
When the arguing trio heard this, they closed their mouths immediately. They knew very well that Tsunade wasn´t joking.
"So, Sasuke, I wanted the whole team seven here because I think they deserve to know everything", said Tsunade. Sakura looked at her curiously. What did Tsunade mean by everything?
"Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura. Sasuke killed both Orochimaru and Itachi."
Sakura´s eyes widened. He did? When? How?
Tsunade continued, "And because he helped Konoha a lot by liquidating them, I decided to forgive him. But Sasuke, you´ll be watched. So don´t do anything stupid."
Sasuke simply nodded. Then he said," Believe me, I don´t plan on doing stupid things."
Sakura was surprised by the sound of his voice. It was much deeper than she remembered. Sasuke seemed like a man now. As Sakura was looking at him, she noticed something. Sasuke´s eyes. They weren´t full of hatred like they used to be. In fact, they were filled with something other. Was it sadness that Sakura saw?
"So what do you want from us?" Kakashi spoke up, " I think there´s something else you wanted to say. Am I right?"
Tsunade looked at him," Yes you are. I want the rest of team seven to keep an eye on Sasuke. You will be with him the whole day and I want to know how things are going. Understood?"
Everyone nodded, "Hai!"
"That´s all then. Dismiss!"
With that our now complete team seven left the Hokage building. Kakashi said that he had something else to do and he simply disappeared in a poof of smoke.
Sakura was angry," He just left to read that perverted book of his! I´m sure. Now he left everything on us!"
Naruto was now acting very nervous. He was scared of annoyed Sakura.
"Eheh…Sakura-chan… Um…you know…."he stammered.
"Na-ru-to…,"said Sakura dangerously. She smelled betrayal.
"Eh…I have a date with Hinata-chan today….And I would really like to help you but…"
Sakura knew that she couldn´t say to Naruto to stay here. She was so glad that he was dating the young Hyuuga now.
"Okay, Naruto, I understand. Just go and say hi to Hinata from me. But don´t you think I´ll be doing this for you every time. This is exception, understand?"
"Yay! Thank you so much, Sakura-chan! You´re the best!"He jumped on Sakura and hugged her.
" Okay, okay, just go already," said smiling Sakura. After she looked back at Sasuke, her smile faded almost instantly.
"So, welcome back, Sasuke. Is there some place you want to go?"she asked, more from politeness than from anything else. She didn´t feel the urge to call him Sasuke-kun anymore. Why, she didn´t know.
It looked like Sasuke noticed the lack of the –kun too. But he didn´t say anything about it. Instead he simply answered," I don´t really know. You pick up something."
Inner Sakura grinned evilly," Let´s take him to the training grounds. There we can kick his ass! Hell yeah!"
Sakura agreed with her inner self and told Sasuke to go train a little. He didn´t mind so they went to the team seven´s old training grounds.
When they got there, Sasuke eyed Sakura and asked," Are you sure you want to fight? You know, I´m not used to go easy on my opponents."
Sakura just smirked," Well that´s great, cause I don´t need your mercy at all."
Sasuke was taken aback a little by her words. He could see that Sakura was more confident than before. The truth was that Sasuke was in disadvantage now. He knew nothing about how Sakura improved since he left her on that bench. But as arrogant as Sasuke was, he thought that Sakura could do nothing to someone like him.
Sakura took her fighting stance and said, "Let´s fight!"
With that she launched at Sasuke in full speed. When Sakura thought she´ll get him, he disappeared from the place where he stood just a second ago and Sakura hit only the air. In a swift moment Sasuke reappeared behind Sakura and put a kunai on her throat.
"Looks like I won," he smirked.
"I don´t think so," said Sakura and then she disappeared in a puff of smoke. It was only a clone and Sasuke fell for it. He was startled and Sakura used this opportunity. She accumulated chakra into her fist and punched Sasuke into his stomach. Sasuke hissed from the sudden strong pain. Then he went flying almost ten meters before he hit a tree and fell down, his eyes closed.
"Oh my god, did I overdo it?"Sakura panicked. She ran to Sasuke who was currently lying on the ground not moving. She kneeled next to him and looked at his face.
"Hey, Sasuke, wake up!"She shouted. Sasuke´s eyelids slowly rose. He couldn´t believe what just happened. Did Sakura really kicked his ass? Well, she did. And it hurt like hell, he had to admit.
"Sorry, Sasuke. I thought you´d block my attack so I didn´t hold back… Okay I did, but only a little. And thank God I did, because you´d have had some pretty serious damage if I didn´t."
Sasuke was in awe. She even held back? He didn´t think that she grew up so much.
"Stay still for a while, I´ll fix what I can," said Sakura, a green light on her hands. Sasuke could feel a warm feeling going through his whole stomach. He could also feel the pain going away. What was Sakura doing? It almost looked like…
Sakura answered his questioning stare with a simple," Yeah, I became a medic nin. When you left, I wanted to be stronger like you, to impress you somehow. But as the years flew, I knew that would never happen. Now I don´t really care what you think. Just live your life as you wish. I will live mine. The days when I was running after you are gone. Now you´ll have it like you always wanted. I won´t bother you anymore."
With that she finished healing Sasuke´s wound. Then she called," Come out, Kakashi-sensei! I know you´re there. Now it´s your turn to babysit Sasuke."
Kakashi chuckled. He was sure Sasuke didn´t like what Sakura said, but he didn´t say a word. He just stared in awe at her retreating back.
Sasuke thought only one thing,' Is this really Sakura? I don´t know what to think. She is so different from before. I think I´ll change my opinion of her…. '
So that´s it people. What do you think? Maybe I´ll continue this story, I´m not sure yet. Some reviews would make me happy and I´d write more for sure. So please tell me some ideas :-)
Petrushkaa