Summary: He thought it was only a childish crush, but what happens when a mistake causes everything to change?What happens when she won't even look at him? Can he win her back?Or will the past of a broken heart and shattered world keep everything apart?
What happens when someone else wants to be apart of her life? Can Sasuke keep her? Or will he lose?
Chapter One: Torn apart? Not at all.
He had left, he took everything from her... and left with only these words.
"Thank you."
What did that mean anyway? Thank you for what?
The petal haired women sat up out of her bed and looked at herself in the mirror.
She had changed since that day five years ago...
Her hair was long again, for it hung to her waist, but she had moved her bangs, some hung in her face hiding half of it, and her once wide bright eyes were now narrowed and darker.
Her skin was pale, but not too pale. It was an ivory that stood out.
She looked over her shoulder at the black tattoo emended into her skin.
ANBU
That's what she was now, Hokage Apprentice, Head medic nin, and leader of the ANBU and now she was following in Tsunade's footsteps... she was on her way to the top of the ranks.
She had accomplished a lot in life, trying hard to prove herself to everyone.
She stood up and got out of the bed.
Reaching into her closet she pulled out an ANBU uniform and put it on, letting her fox mask hang around her neck, and then sliding her gloves on.
After that she pulled her hair into a tight bun, held by two chopsticks with two bells on one stick and put a cloth over her bunned hair... to hide the bright color.
After that she took her Konoha head band and tied it over her forehead taking one last look at herself she turned away.
She let a sigh escape as she jumped out her window and vanished only to appear outside in the market place.She let her eyes scan the stores before walking into one.
The flower shop.
As she walked in she saw her childhood friend Ino and her husband Shikamaru.
Ino perked and ran to the counter smiling. "Sakura! Hi there! How are you?" she asked happily.
A small forced smile came to Sakura's face. "Just fine Ino. Just stopping by to say hi." she said emotionlessly.
Ino frowned.
She could tell Sakura was trying hard to be friendly, forcing a smile and even trying to sound cheerful.
But... the sakura Ino had loved as a best friend died after Sasuke left.
Sadness came to Ino then... she had watched Sakura break off from everyone slowly, her smiles stop and her laughter empty.She watched how Sakura improved, watched her best friend grow...Into an emotionless ANBU.. But even worse she was the commander.
"That's good, Oh! Sakura... I want to give you something!" she said disappearing into the back.
Sakura raised a brow when Ino returned with a smile on her face.
"Yes?" she said calmly. Ino frowned but then reached up, placing something on the small chain like threads that held the bells on her chopsticks.
When Ino was done Sakura looked in a mirror.
Sakura blossoms had been attached to the chain on the chopsticks and in her hair lightly.She looked pretty.
"Thank you Ino." she said with a smile before disappearing instantly. Ino sighed sitting down next to her lazy husband. "I miss the old Sakura..." she whispered.
Sakura reappeared on a high rooftop of Konoha, her eyes staring out into the forest floor of the surrounding woods.
'I'm like this... this is my life... because of him...' she thought bitterly as she took off in one direction, and jumped to land in a circle of Anbu.
She pulled up her mask and nodded.
Hyuuga Neji, with his wolf mask on, walked up to her and bowed slightly.
"The mission today is as usual scout the forest for signs of any possible threat." Sakura called out, her voice ringing in the ears of the Anbu.
"We'll be splitting into teams of two again. Naruto, your with Kiba today." she called pointing to the boy with the dog mask on his shoulder. Naruto sighed, pulling on his red fox mask and taking off in a flash with Kiba. "Chouji, I want you with Lee today. And Hyuuga... your with me. Everyone else you know your teams! MOVE OUT!"
With that all the anbu vanished in a flash running in separate directions at top speed.
Neji and Sakura darted through the forest, jumping from branch to branch or switching to the ground and jumping over the roots, darting in-between trees and occasionally jumping off the sides of them.
After three hours of searching their part of the forest. Sakura and Neji both stopped, panting and sweating. They sat down by the nearest river and cooled off. Neji watched sakura take off her mask only long enough to splash her face with the freezing water. "Another uneventful patrol.." she whispered as she slipped her mask back on. Neji took a good look at her. Her hair was pulled back to where you couldn't see the pink, her canvas vest made it impossible to see her chest and tell if she was male or female.
Her mask was black and red, a deadlier color than the other masks except for his.
His was a black mask with blue marks. They were the two most powerful ninja in the village hidden in the leaves.
Actually... Neji had taken Sakura on about three or four dates and found they had more in common then most would think...
They were close...
Sakura packed the things up they had pulled out like cantines and motioned for them to continue. After that they were moving at top speed again, the wind smashing against them and their chakra pushing them faster. But... what they didn't know was that a surprise was waiting for them.
A lean dark figure moved along the ground, his black hair was pushed out of his face by the impacting wind. His pale tanned features showed a handsome man, strong... but emotions were hidden in his eyes. His dark onyx eyes, that were searching for Anbu of the village he used to call 'home'. He almost chuckled at the thought. Home... something he turned his back on so easily. Something he left behind withought a second thought... and the people he left...
His black clothing made him stand out against the bright background of the Konohagure forests.But he moved fast determined to make it.
He had realized what Orochimaru's true intentions with him were and he realized his mistake. Taking his chances and all he had learned from private lessons with Orochimaru he fled in the night to make quick progress 'home'.
On his way home thoughts of people he knew had flooded back to him.
The annoying loud blonde haired girl, and the lazy no good smart boy... had they ever gotten together? The shy girl in the corner of the room with white eyes... has she learned to talk yet?
The annoying taijutsu expert who wanted to prove himself... the bushy brow... has he gotten a date yet? The White eyed prodigy... has he opened up to anyone?
The number one hyper active, loud mouthed, knuckle headed ninja... Naruto.
And then... a certain petal haired girl...
"Sakura.."
Her name escaped him before he could stop himself... how much had she changed?
He expected she still looked the same and was still waiting for her precious 'Sasuke-kun'.
A smirk played at his lips as he could already envision it... him walking through the Konoha gates and her waiting there with tears in her eyes.
'Oh Sasuke-kun! You finally back!' he could almost already hear her say.
But his thoughts were cut short as he suddenly stopped, when a kunai barely missed his head.
He turned his gaze to see two ANBU standing there, one with a black and red mask the other with a black and blue one.
He was going to shrug them off and continue on his journey when the fox masked one jumped at him and punched at his head.
He easily ducked, but watched as the tree behind him exploded from the impact of the blow. After that more attacks were thrown at him and then the second ANBU member came into action.
He jumped back and threw kunai and shuriken at the Anbu, the wolf masked one jumped aside, but the other took out the same about of weapons and deflected each one. Quick eyes, and quicker reflexes.
He activated his Sharigan expecting a more 'fair' fight now, but a loud whistle rang throughout the forest echoing. The fox masked one had sent out a message. Then three or four more ANBU came into view and surrounded him.
"UCHIHA SASUKE!" a loud voice called.
The dark haired man now revealed as Sasuke almost fell when he recognized that voice. How could HE ever make it to the rank of ANBU!?
"Naruto.." he said calmly, when a white and red fox mask was pulled back to show none other than Naruto Uzumaki, his spiked blonde hair clinging to his face slightly, drenched from sweat.
"Where ya been teme?" he said a grin on his face, hissing out the last word.
"None of your business dobe."
"So.. This is the Uchiha." another familiar voice called, amusment clear in teh emotionless voice. The black and blue wolf mask was drawn back and moon white eyes met dark onyx.
"Hyuuga Neji."
"Uchiha Sasuke."
"STOP WITH THE GREETINGS!" Naruto cut in obviously annoyed. He never liked it when greetings, especially with jerks, lasted forever.
A whistle echoed slightly, not as loud as the last, but loud enough to go over Naruto's loud voice.
All anbu turned to the black fox Anbu, as the anbu made his/ her way to the center of the now formed circle made by the Anbu. As the leader passed Sasuke noticed how the Anbu flinched, as their leader walked in front of them. Their leader must be powerful...
Sasuke braced himself for it to be Kakashi or someone but wasn't prepared for the slap that collided with his cheek.
Force was behind it and he was thrown to the ground, his face smearing across the soil.
"Uchiha Sasuke, tratior and deserter of Konoha the village hidden in the leaves. You are wanted by the Hokage Tsunade and by the entire village. Come peacefully and we will not be forced to harm you." said a muffled voice. He couldn't make it out...
Sasuke looked at this one for a while, studying everything and then noticing the Sakura blossoms hanging from their chopsticks.
"Sakura..." her name came again at the sight of the blossoms. What was he thinking!? Saying some girls name when he was getting his ass beaten by ANBU!?
"How'd you guess?" came the voice again.
Sasuke's jaw dropped when the Anbu reached up and pulled off their mask, revealing none other than Haruno Sakura staring at him with deep emerald eyes.
"Sakura..."
"Sasuke." she came back her eyes still a glare. Her voice held no tone, no emotion.
His entire scene of his return shattered in his mind, looking at Sakura carefully...
She was ANBU leader?
Her partner Hyuuga Neji walked up beside her and motioned for the ANBU to move in closer.
But one glare from Sakura kept them all in place.
"Come peacefully Uchiha." her voice was harsh and cold. Nothing like the girl he had known so well five years ago.
"No." he answered, but before he could even crouch into a fighting stance, he found himself pinned to the ground, face flat in the ground, arm pulled behind his back, and kunai at his neck. The cold of the steel slightly cutting into his flesh, a hot sensation of pain with the icy cold sting of the blade.
"Then, I am authorized to use force.." she hissed in his ear. She knew the law of Anbu and knew how to hurt someone to get information or just for the bliss of their torture.
She pulled more on his arm, till he heard a pop and felt like she was tearing it off. She was pushing chakra into his body, using her skills to rip apart his muscle tissue.
"Let go.." he hissed emotionlessly, although inside of his skull thoughts were buzzing like crazy, refusing to leave him alone.
What happened to Sakura?
What happened to all the smiles? All the Sasuke-kun's?
What happened to the girl who loved him so much and would never lift a finger against him?
She pulled out several needle like weapons and forced them into various areas of his back. Feeling it puncture something else in his body probably bone, and feeling the pain of the invasion of his skin.
Sasuke's eyes widened at the sudden surge of pain and then the loss of pressure on his back.
Sakura had gotten off.
Sasuke tried to move, to jump up and attack but his body wouldn't respond.
"That needles paralyzed you. They have chakra strings at the tips and are in your chakra coils system and then the chakra on the needles are supposed to explode and destroy all tissue in the area it is placed, so basically I busted your ability to move. When we're close to the village the idiots will take the needles out and you should be capable of movement again. Uzumaki, Inuzuka! Take Uchiha here back to the village! Everyone else, finish up your rounds and meet back in two hours. DISMISSED!"
At the sound of her voice all of the ANBU flinched, but obeyed. Such a cold, and deadly voice... that even the blood thirsty backed away...
Many disappeared in a blur except for Naruto, Kiba, Neji and Sakura.
Who all remained staring at the tratior of Konoha.
Sakura kneeled next to him with a wicked smile on her face. "When you return, don't expect warm welcomes... and you will be sent to the Hokage immediately for punishment. So, have a nice day Uchiha." the last word escaped with such, spite and venom, that Sasuke was taken aback.
She despised his name. From the venom and hatred... she cursed his name.. cursed his very being.. and hated his existance...
She stood up and looked down at Sasuke with a blank look... the same one he had always given her... and then he watched her lips move and the words escape. "You're so annoying." she whispered before reaching up to place the mask back over her face, and turn to walk away. The crunch of leaves beneath her feet echoed in his mind, every sound seeming to scrape away a piece of him.
Naruto shivered. "Damn... she's pissed." he said as he picked up Sasuke and flung him over his shoulder.
"I haven't seen her this mad since the meeting where you brought up Sasuke's name.." Kiba said picking up their packs and starting to walk.
"Oh yea! And then after that she wouldn't stop training for a week... oh, remember when she wore the head band over her eyes for a month? She was really strong! She said that now she can see chakra aura from that..." Naruto said following.
"Oh yeah! She looked kinda funny going everywhere with that over her eyes though..." Kiba said chuckling.
Sasuke listened to them and felt his eyes start to blur. "What... happened to Sakura?" he managed to ask. The question was bothering him.. and he was never one to want to be confused.. so he was getting his answer as soon as possible.
Naruto stopped for a minute. His ocean blue eyes glazing for a moment before a bitter chuckle escaped him. "You did." he answered.
"Me?"
"Because when you left she told me she felt weak and powerless and that she was always left behind. So after that, she became the Hokage's apprentice, the head medic ninja and then... Anbu captain.." Naruto's voice was so small... almost gone when he said the word Anbu. No one had ever thought she had it in her to be such a blood thirsty, vicious killer... but they were wrong.
"Yea... but the good part is now she actually accepts dates!" Kiba said laughing.
"That's true, I've taken her out at least eight times now... oh! And on our last date I got her to laugh!" Naruto said a smile on his face.
"No way! Stone cold Sakura? Laugh? WOW! How'd you do that?"
The two chatted like fanboys... like how Sasuke used to hear girls always talk about him... admiration in their voices but also the distinct dissatisfaction of knowing who they loved was so cold.
As the two seemed to ramble on, Sasuke felt something inside him seem to crack... and shatter.
The girl... who had loved him...
Who had told him, 'I love you with all my heart' and was the only one to ever beg for him to stay, the only one to ever cry for him...
That girl who he had tried to love... was dead.