Chapter one

OK, I thought to myself, one more time. I flipped backwards three times, giving myself the momentum to rocket tin the air. While airborne I turned myself upside down. I felt the wind rush in my ears, I couldn't concentrate. Shaking my head I forced myself to focus. I began spinning myself continiously in the air, like an upside down ballerina. Kunai spun on my fingers and I opened my eyes to aim at the ten trees that surrounded me in the clearing. God damn it! I wanted to scream. All I could see was a tangly mass of my own disgustingly bright pink hair. It's now or never. Picturing the clearing in my mind, I aimed blindly at my surroundings. Before I crashed to the ground I flipped myself over to land on my feet, panting.

"Not half bad."

I turned to see Sasuke leaning against a tree with his infamous smirk on his face. My expression immediately turned sour. It wasn't entirely fair of me to hate Sasuke as much as I did, but I couldn't help it.

One year ago Naruto had left again to look for Sasuke with Jiraiya. He had only been back from his previous training with Jiraiya for less than one year. I had just gotten used to laughing again, I had just gotten used to not worrying that he was dead every second of the day. The nightmares I had used to have stopped for the months he was back. After Naruto had mastered his Wind Jutsu he told me he was leaving. I begged Tsunade to let me go with him, but she refused. Looking back I guess she was right, but back then I was so angry.

Six months after Naruto went after him, Sasuke came back. It wasn't dramatic in the least. He told everyone he had defeated Itachi and left Orochimaru, who in a weakened state couldn't stop him. Sasuke had gotten his revenge, but somehow it made him even more aloof. I had waited for Naruto to come back the week after Sasuke arrived. Exactly eight days later Jiraiya returned…without Naruto.

Jiraiya told us that Naruto and he had been separated about a month after they set out. Jiraiya had looked for him for five months but couldn't find him. When Jiraiya got news that Sasuke had come back he thought that maybe Naruto was with him, and returned. It was obvious that Jiraiya thought Naruto was dead. I didn't dare believe anything else.

Belatedly, I turned to see where my marks had hit. Sasuke's remark had been a definite understatement. Every kunai had hit a tree trunk dead center besides one. It was the tree Sasuke was learning against. From a distance I could see that the puncture was shallow and askew, definitely not a shot that would kill an enemy.

Sasuke pulled the kunai out of the tree and twirled it on his left index finger. He looked at it with utter concentration, and for a moment I thought it was hypnotizing him. I stopped myself mid-thought and moved forward to take my property. Still concentrating on the throwing knife, the dark haired boy jumped away from me, only looking up when he started talking.

"You're not even going to say hello to me, Sakura? Isn't that a little bit rude? The Sakura I knew would never be impolite." His tone was light and teasing, but I wasn't in the mood to talk to him, actually I was never in the mood to talk to Sasuke.

"A lot of things have changed since you knew me, Sasuke, if you haven't noticed." There was a warning in my tone. Sasuke looked taken aback, whether it was because I actually said something to him, or the hatred in my voice I'm not sure.

"Nice of you to spare me a whole fifteen words! How thoughtful. This breaks the one month standing record of eleven. Don't you remember what you said to me when you first saw me? Let me refresh your memory: 'if you think things can be the same, you are wrong.'" As he imitated my voice he put on a falsetto that made him sound squeaky and annoying. I wondered fleetingly what Sasuke would be like as a girl.

"I doubt you said more than one hundred words to me the whole time we were in squad seven. Don't talk about being ignored to me."

Sasuke's voice took on a pleading note that I had never heard before. "Sakura you have said scarcely thirty words to me this whole month. It isn't my fault Naruto isn't here. If I remember what Lee said correctly, it was you who made him pro—"

Before he could finish his sentence I grabbed the kunai out of his hands and pressed it against his neck. I could feel the knife scraping against his skin every time he took a breath.

"Naruto didn't go after you just because of one stupid promise I tried to retract years after. Naruto loved you, Sasuke. You were his best friend, he thought of you…like family."

"Don't talk in the past tense; you couldn't kill me if you wanted to."

"Oh, I do want to, but that's not why. Naruto's dead, Sasuke, he died trying to bring you back, you asshole."

"…"

I withdrew the kunai from his throat, and for a second I wanted to smile. Sasuke hadn't even flinched through the whole exchange. Looking at him for a moment I felt a twinge of regret for what I had said. His skin was so white that it made him look sickly. Exactly how much time did he spend outside when he was with Orochimaru? Now that our conversation was over Sasuke had withdrawn back into his shell. He gave me the cold expressionless look he gave everyone else. It was almost too bad, that was the longest conversation I'd ever had with Sasuke.

I sighed. I suddenly realized that that was probably the longest conversation he'd had with anyone for the whole month he was back. Hell, it probably was the longest since he left Konoha. Being proud did have its set backs. No one would talk to Sasuke anymore. They were all afraid of him and resentful that he had betrayed them.

"Let's get some ramen, Sasuke. Help me get my kunai?"

"Whatever," he said, lazily walking around to get my throwing knives.

We walked in silence to Icharaki's. When we got there the old man beamed at Sasuke.

"I haven't seen you in a long time! What has it been? Three, four years?" I sat down as the man continued. "You used to come here all the time…who did you come with…?" Sasuke began to look uncomfortable. "…wait…don't tell me…it was with my favorite customer NARu—" It was amazing the way the man's face lit up at the sound of Naruto's name and then was instantly put out by the remembrance that Naruto was gone, was dead.

I felt so bad for the poor man, he looked close to tears. He didn't want to cry in front of us. I put on a fake smile, ugh, why did I feel like everyone was my responsibility?

"Your ramen really is the best! Naruto was right to make us come here when we were still Genin! It's too bad he can't be here with us right now! Knowing that dunce he's probably lost somewhere in the Sound Country too remote for anyone in their sane minds to go! I bet he's dreaming about ramen right now!"

I really was impressed with myself; I hadn't winced once at the sound of Naruto's name. I had just ignored the fact that I had a stab of pain in my chest every time I thought about him. I really should get an award for best actress. The old man looked like he genuinely believed Naruto was alive and reaming about ramen. Looking at the hope in his face I realized suddenly how much I wanted to believe Naruto was alive. It really was possible, the way he persisted. I doubted he was lost…but…even if he was captured and being tortured I'd be happy. I'd be happy that maybe I'd get to see him again, that maybe he was able to make someone laugh who was in prison with him. Just the fact that Naruto could be alive made my life feel so much more meaningful…yet…

As soon as Icharaki turned away Sasuke looked at me.

"Are you sure it's ok to make him believe that Naruto's alive? He'll be devastated when he knows Naruto's dead. Sakura, really, you should know better. You're acting like Kakashi, saying anything to make people stop worrying. It only makes things worse, you know. The worst thing you can give a person is false hope. It crushes them when they know. Sakura! What if he kills himself?! You will feel so bad! Sakura? Why are you smiling? This is serious! Are you even listening to me?"

Suddenly I couldn't take it any more. I burst out laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" Sasuke looked miffed. I laughed even harder.

"Did hahahahaha you haha hear hahahahaha yourself? Hahahahahahaha. I was doubling over with squeals of mirth. The ramen had come but I had no desire to choke and die so I just sat there and laughed.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Sakura?"

"Yeah Sasuke." I replied while trying to stifle giggles.

"Did I just say all that out loud?"

"Yes, Sasuke, that's probably more that what you've ever said to me in your whole life."

"That sentence didn't really work, Sakura."

"Give me a break I just freaking had a spasm attack."

"Spasm attack?"

"Shut up and eat before your food gets cold."

Sasuke and I were grinning at each other. I hadn't felt this happy in so long, I'd never seen Sasuke really smile like that before. Without thinking about it I got up and gave him a big friendly hug.

"I really did miss you…I was just so upset about Naruto…and plus I'm not the way I was before……I …you can be such an asshole sometimes." I mumbled into his shirt

"Was that supposed to be an apology?" Sasuke asked, hugging me back.

"No." I let go and sat back in my chair. Smiling at him the whole time. We kept glancing at each other and laughing, and then we would start to choke and would have to stop. I was eating ramen with one of my best friends in the world sitting next to me. I would do everything in my power to get my other one back.