Rating: M

Summary: What happens when Sakura doesn't forgive Sasuke after the War? Untold feelings, hurt and pain all distilled into a series of chapters... the story of Sasuke's redemption and guilt, Sakura's paraonoia and her team's fear for her life. Slight Sasusaku. Set in Narutoverse. (ONGOING)

Chapter 1

Sakura descended downhill in a sift swoop as she arced past the boulders unhindered and her sight locked onto the two bodies lying still on the rubble below her. She gently landed onto the rocks and took the view in front of her in. Naruto and Sasuke lay there, still, injured, battered and bruised from their overstretched battle resulting in the loss of an arm in both of them.

Sakura walked towards them, shaking off her disbelief as flashbacks of Sasuke's genjutsu trifled with her conscience. Upon reaching their sight she kneeled in between the two and brought chakra to her palms to stop the bleeding and infection in their now severed arms. "Thank you Sakura", Naruto mumbled with the little energy he had. A few seconds later Sasuke spoke hoarsely, "Never mind me, Sakura". Sakura immediately jolted back to reality and replied, "Keep quiet and let me concentrate".

Sasuke hopelessly eyed her and gently spoke, "Sorry…"

"Sorry? For what?"

"For everything".

Naruto's frown deepened as Sakura did not react. He knew what she was feeling right now, her feelings were boiling up to the surface almost as if she were going to break into a stream of tears upon hearing Sasuke, yet she forced her face to remain calm and winced at the constant plunge of emotions brimming in her skin.

Moments of silence passed by as Kakashi who towered up on the cliff watched the three rise and sit, staring into each other's deadpan eyes searching for the words to speak to one another.

Naruto broke the silence by saying, "Sakura, I kept my promise didn't I?"

Sakura sat still, staring into Naruto's eyes expressionlessly as her face pushed forth a smile that seemed unbelievable to them both. Sasuke's eyes drifted lower as he felt a stinging pain in his chest, an almost unimaginable feeling that shook him out of his mentation and carefully looked at Sakura one last time before she rose up onto her feet and said, "You should release the Tsukuyomi now".

Naruto immediately looked at Sasuke's now composed expression and made the Rat hand sign with him.

Immediately a loud crash of branches could be heard as thousands and thousands of branches plucked out of their roots and crashed onto the ground unwinding the cocoons cast on the figures trapped inside them. Figures rose out of their unconscious state and starting to examine their surroundings and the bright light that hit them blinding some causing them to rub their eyes.

Naruto looks towards the sun rise as Sakura stood beside him watching the clouds make way for the light, while Sasuke slowly raised his eyes to look at Sakura one last time before she turned around and climbed up the cliff to where Kakashi was. Naruto soon followed suit and beckoned Sasuke as he too climbed up after him.

Kakashi looked at the sight before him and reveled in the emotions of watching his old Team back in their previous form. Sakura walked towards him and spoke, "We should make a move for the village and check up on everyone don't you think?" Kakashi agreed and immediately headed into the trees leaving the three of them behind. Sakura tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear and hailed Naruto and Sasuke to follow him. All three of them glided past the trees as they made their way to Konoha.

The village almost shattered from every angle looked miserable in its state as Naruto placed his left arm on his forehead to watch clearly immediately recognizing the Hokage's tower. Sasuke almost couldn't even recognize the same village he once grew up in and Sakura too watched in disbelief. Almost in a matter of time, many shinobi made their way past them and into the blocks of buildings alongside the Hokage's tower as well as inside it. Sakura quickly spotted Shizune aiding a battered Tsunade walking towards the Hokage's tower and quickly ran towards them.

"Tsunade-sama are you alright?"

"I am alright Sakura, don't worry about me just go and aid the injured in the Hospital as much as you can. Go!"

With that, Sakura immediately turned on her heel and made way for the Hospital and disappeared into the thick concrete buildings.

Sasuke watched her closely almost frozen in his step until Naruto yanked him out of his stupor and guided him to move towards the Hokage's tower where Kakashi had gone to.

Many months passed by, Naruto recovered fully and became more confident in yielding his now prosthetic arm made from the cells of Lord Hashirama. While Sasuke's sentence was announced right about after his time of arrival in the village after the War ended. He was sealed and locked up in the dark dungeons of one of the most highly guarded prisons of Konoha located underground and know to only the elite in the ANBU and the Council.

Sakura had taken to working overtime at the hospital to calm her dismay towards his sentence but she had expected no less as she realized his crimes had only piled up beyond belief. There would be times she would try to retreat into her emotional safety by remembering all the good times she shared with Sasuke back when they were a team, but they would all shatter in front of the person he had become causing her to bounce out of her fictitious stream of thoughts of her ever forgiving Sasuke for his crimes and for most importantly hurting her the way he had.

The Council had a overdrawn discourse on Sasuke's sentences upon all the advances made by the now, Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake and the testimony of Naruto Uzumaki who made it their very own mission to let the Council give Sasuke another chance at reclaiming himself. Upon considering their testimonies and realizing Sasuke's role in helping to break the Tsukuyomi, the Council decided to release Sasuke from his confinements and set him free with a warning and criticizing his behavior clearly stating that if he were to turn rogue again the actions would be severe.

On hearing of the news of his release, Sakura felt a pang of fear in her heart. What would Sasuke do now? Would he leave again? Would he try to earn her forgiveness? Or would he rather avoid her and live on his own terms? She clearly could not function without knowing. Yet she actually hoped he would rather keep his distance from her as she feared for own safety. She wasn't sure if this time Naruto would be there to protect her from him. She felt a tumultuous emotion within her and she could hardly focus on work.

Every night, she would double check her locks before sleeping. She would switch off every light and lay down every keenly thought of trap and make sure no one could disturb her slumber. She felt insecurity like no other, memories from Sasuke's disturbing genjutsu of him stabbing her repeatedly would revisit her in her dreams and she would wake up with a terrible scream almost choking the air out of her. She would feel his presence around her sometimes; she felt that he would watch her sleep. She would check her windows repeatedly and pull the covers up to her face and slump into deep sleep knowing no one could hurt her now. Little did the medic know that she was right after all, Sasuke was watching her. He watched her every night, whether it was through the windows or right beside her standing over her limp body gazing into her face. He was never too sure why he did this, but he felt the urgent need to be there to protect her or was it guilt?

Days turned into weeks and soon Sasuke decided to leave the village on a journey of redemption. Kakashi walked him to the gates of Konoha making sure he bid him a proper good bye as he wouldn't be seeing his former student for God knows how long. Sasuke felt pain inflicted into his chest when he asked Kakashi why Sakura wasn't there.

"She's busy at the hospital, I did insist but she said she didn't have the time. She wished you good luck on your journey although" he had meekly replied.

Sasuke knew it was just her excuse to never see his face again, he knew he couldn't ever redeem himself unless he gained Sakura's forgiveness yet he felt helpless and lost because he didn't know how he would ever make it up to her. As he walked past the gates holding onto the last shred of hope that she would at least see him off now, he felt a twist in his stomach when he turned around not to see her. Naruto stood beneath a tree waiting for him to come by a few yards away.

"She hates me doesn't she?"

"Sakura will forgive you in her own time, Sasuke".

"Those are just words"

"She has always loved you, don't forget that. You just need to really focus on what you need to do right now and make the best use of your freedom in all the right ways".

He handed him his old headband which has a slash running past the engraving of Konoha's emblem signifying how Naruto really wanted Sasuke to earn his right to the headband like he had all those years ago.

"I hope she does".

And with that, Sasuke trudged down the path disappearing into the sunset as Naruto watched him walk away. He turned around making his way towards the gate while thinking to himself, 'But will she?'

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