Summary- Sakura didn't have anyone to bond to, she felt washed out and ashamed for the feelings she had towards a man she thought could be her everything. No one could possibly understand how she felt, that is until she came along.
Pairing- Mainly Sakura and Karin might add more parings later
A/N- Hello everyone I have been looking for some SakuKarin fanfictions for along time a lot of them are meant to be hot, so I decided to make one that could be closer to canon, and my wishes of what is happening in Konoha while Naruto is away. I don't want to make a graphic lemon, so sorry if that was something you were looking for. I have nothing against graphic lemon or any of the other Karin and Sakura fanfictions, this is just the way I would like to make mine. Thank you and please review.
"They say Pink is just a washed out form of red, who is to say pink was once red? It loved once, it hoped once, maybe it needed some red in its life.."
-Anonymous
Chapter One
Sakura walked the same way home from the hospital as she always did. She had spent countless hours informing Tsunadea of everything that had happened during her 'break'. It was painful to talk about. Of course she couldn't leave out the fact she had pretty much set up Naruto.
Sakura doesn't know what she is feeling, is what Shizune had said. It rang in her ears over and over again. She couldn't help but remember what she had once told herself years ago to convince herself she still loved Sasuke.
There is no such thing as letting go, you either loved them or you never did. At one point in time Sakura found this very true. But now she found it far from true. You could still love someone and let them go, you need to find your happiness. What was the point in chasing after someone who would never love you.
At one point in time it was possible to Sakura. At one point in time, in one point in time! How many times will I tell myself that! She yelled to herself.
The fact was that point in time was over. Far from over it was destroyed. Hope dies sometimes that is just what happens. Sakura still had hope Sasuke would return but she didn't expect anything better than that.
Sakura was so lost in her thoughts she realized she was just walking past her door. She quickly caught herself and slowly twisted the knob to her familiar front door.
The sun was disappearing behind the tall buildings, and the sky was being lit up in a brilliant red glow. Crows flew past the sun completing the image of pure beauty.
Red, it was a nice color. The way it lit up the sky almost made it Sakura's favorite color.
Red? What else was red besides the sun. Sakura thought to herself. Blood of course Sakura had been exposed to that.
Blood, and her. Sakura still didn't know her name after all Sakura was dragging the sleeping Naruto all the way back to Konoha as the girl with that red hair was on Kakashi-sensei's back. She had red eyes to that seemed to mingle with a brown. The girl had warned her that Sasuke was not the Sasuke she once knew. She didn't listen of course. Sakura never really did listen.
The red haired girl had felt the same way about Sasuke, was it possible she was thinking the same things as Sakura just now? There were odds of course.
Sakura quickly slipped off her clothes and changed into more comfortable ones as she slid under the covers. It was still early but she couldn't help but want to go to sleep. She was doing to much thinking lately. Maybe sleep would help her take all her worries and thoughts away.
Even when Sakura closed her eyes the light from the sun seeped through her window and reached her closed eyes. Sakura fell asleep in a world of red.
If there was one thing Sakura hated it was when people knocked on her door so early in the morning. Was the news that urgent you couldn't wait until a sensible hour? She groaned as she ripped the covers away and walked downstairs to the door that was still being banged on.
She brushed her hair down as best as she could with her fingers before opening the door, revealing a young man she recognized from the hospital.
"Sakura-san the Hokage requests to have a word with you, she says it is urgent and also concerns your work in the hospital," the man replied giving her a slight bow.
Sakura tensed, work? Did she do something wrong. Sakura was never known for screwing anything up.
"H-Hai right away thank you!" she replied to the boy with a mop of brown hair and gleaming blue eyes.
Sakura silently shut the door and ran up the stairs to her bedroom. She had bought her own house just recently, even if she was only sixteen she loved the peace. Even if she did miss her parents sometimes at night, the familiar sounds of them moving around it was all so empty now.
It was a sad thing being lonely. Sakura had gotten a lot of loneliness lately.
She quickly put on her headband and the ordinary clothes she wore when walking around Konoha.
She gave her hair a quick brush and stared at herself in the mirror sighing. Flat, petite body, emerald eyes and light pink hair. And of course her big forehead, she couldn't escape that.
She never did tell herself she had good looks. She rolled her eyes to herself and made her way out of her house and towards the Hokage Tower.
She missed Naruto that was no secret, she still wanted to apologize for the stunt she pulled only a day ago. It felt like weeks Naruto had been gone but he had only left yesterday.
Sakura ignored the knocks on her door which were from Ino, she didn't feel like talking to her best friend. Especially someone who had no idea how she felt…..
Sakura took a deep breathe before she tapped on the door leading to her shisou's office.
"Come in!" Tsunadea called loudly. Sakura smirked, thank Kami she had woken up.
Sakura slowly opened the door with a smile still on her face.
Tsunadea met her eyes a smile in them.
"Good to see you Sakura," Tsunadea said as she leaned back in her chair. Shizune was off somewhere probably getting her some Sake. Sakura realized it wasn't just her in the room.
She was in it to. Sakura turned to meet red eyes boring into hers.
"Sakura I believe you two already met, you healed her after all this is Karin," Tsunadea introduced her sweetly.
"Sakura" she replied sweetly. The girl nodded at her giving her a very slight, short smile.
"Karin here was already interrogated and asked everything that needs to be known. Her punishment hasn't been decided yet so until than she is to stay here in Konoha under the watchful eye of you. It wouldn't be fair locking her up so I am going to entrust you into watching her," Tsunadea all but commanded.
Sakura raised an eyebrow, she had to watch this girl she barely knew? She looked over at Karin who was staring at the floor her face unreadable.
"Sakura, I feel it would be for the best after all you both had the same love interest," Tsunadea spoke up again.
"Had," Karin growled. Anger flashed through her red eyes. She has cared for Sasuke once, much like any other fan girl in Konoha. She felt he would protect her, but he sacrificed her and held no regret in his eyes after stabbing her in a vital organ to get his revenge. He was just happy he had gotten his revenge.
Going far enough to call her a burden. She would never give that man an ounce of her heart except hate. Maybe one day she would have it in her heart to forgive. Like Sakura had done so many times.
"Well ok Shisou, I have no problem with that. There is plenty of room in my house. Does this mean I will have a break from my job?" Sakura asked putting her hands behind he back and fidgeting from the awkward situation.
"Hai, temporarily, make her feel at home, that's all. Now get out I have some important stuff to take care of. Play nice you two!" Tsunadea threatened and looked own at her paperwork blocking out their presence.
Sakura walked out of the door first sensing Karin's presence walking directly behind her.
Sakura waited for Karin so she could walk side by side.
"So, the day is still young, I figured we could grab some ramen at Ichirikus's before we headed back to my place. If we walked around we might bump into my friends, and I don't feel like talking to them at the moment," Sakura said absent mindedly playing with a strand of pink hair.
"Hai, thank you I'm hungry," Karin answered trying to keep her voice from coming out icy.
She was bitter, and didn't feel like taking it out on Sakura. After all she hadn't done anything.
"My friend Naruto and I come here all the time, he loves ramen," Sakura tried starting a conversation.
After all they would be spending a lot of time together.
"I can tell you two are close," replied Karin looking straight into Sakura's eyes.
Sakura looked away and smiled. "Naruto-kun is like a brother to me, nothing more and nothing less," the pink haired girl replied.
"You couldn't possibly still love Sasuke could you?" Karin asked with curiosity.
"No, perhaps the same way as Naruto now, I care about his well being, but I don't think I can entirely forgive him," Sakura quickly realized what she had said. She had never shared any of this with anyone before. Not even Ino, Ino knew everything about her almost and here she was telling her biggest secret to this stranger.
"I would rather push Sasuke to the back of my mind, he has only caused me pain and made me bitter. I want to move on I am a strong woman and I don't dwell on the past. I lost my parents at an early age, that is why I joined Orochimaru. He offered me something I never had before. Family, and a meaning in life. I was following Sasuke blindly not seeing the pain he was causing anyone, and I plan to never be that blind again," Karin finished strongly.
Sakura looked at the girl who was staring straight ahead.
"You are a strong woman Karin, and you know what you want," Sakura gave her a smile. Karin turned, looked at her for a few seconds, and smiled back.
"It's funny I told myself I wouldn't speak with you, the enemy. But it's kind of hard to do to someone like you," Karin answered her voice gaining some life back into it.
"Same here, you know I have never shared that with anyone, and it was good to finally get that off my shoulder. Thank you Karin,"
They walked like that talking about silly things, having an honest conversation. Sakura liked the fact Karin was mature and didn't start an epic rivalry of love like Ino.
Karin liked the fact Sakura seemed so trustworthy and easy to talk to.
They reached Ichiriku's all smiles.
They both ordered the shrimp ramen and ate at least two bowls each as they carried on talking and even laughing.
They had become friends easily, the pain they both felt seemed to link them together. Their loneliness and betrayal made them strong. It was what made them who they were.
After Sakura paid the girls walked back into the busy street and made their way back to Sakura's place.
"So Karin, I know you said you didn't want to dwell on the past but who else was in your team?" Sakura asked curiously.
Karin gawked. "This annoying ass shark-boy Suigetsu , and this freak that never talked and was obsessed with killing Juugo," she replied a smile on her face.
"What happened to them?" Sakura pried.
Karin grew pale and stopped walking.
"I-I don't know, and that is selfish of my I was so dam concerned with Sasuke I never once thought if they were ok. Sasuke just abandoned them! And I was fine with it. I should have said, done something. Been the strong person I was, like I said earlier Sakura. I was blind.," she answered shaking he rhead in anger and frustration.
"Sorry I'm not trying to get you worked up," Sakura apologized.
"It's fine, to be honest I'm a bitch to everyone I meet I never act like this to anyone. Your just so easy to talk to, and so understanding. You understand what I went through. Something no one else would understand," Karin said shrugging her shoulders with a grin.
"We were the real fan girl bitches," Sakura said and burst out laughing along with Karin.
"Damn straight!" Karin declared.
Sakura swung the door to her house open and led Karin up the stairs.
"I have two twin beds in my room just because my friend Ino used to come over all the time. You can have the one on the right, we will even go get you some more clothes tomorrow. There is food in the fridge downstairs, and the bathroom is the third door on the right," Sakura explained to Karin who knodded and plopped down on the bed.
"I don't remember the last time I slept in an actual bed," she said exasperated.
Sakura also plopped down on her bed.
"I know what you mean missions are fun but I miss my bed when it comes to the forest floor," Sakura said jokingly.
Karin smiled and looked up at Sakura, "I'm tired if you don't mind do you have any pajamas I could borrow?"
"Sure top drawer," Sakura replied and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Sorry but they are all pink,"Sakura laughed without humor.
Karin laughed to. " It's fine I like pink, pink and red go good together to," Karin said as she slipped her shirt off exposing her scars.
Sakura winced a little at them. They looked painful.
"Orochimaru had his best fighters come to me and suck out chakra, it was painful and they came so much. Never thinking of my pain, they were selfish. But it was Orochimaru what should I have expected.." Karin's eyes seemed to go to a whole other time, whole other place.
"You don't have to talk about it," Sakura replied.
So they talked like that for awhile getting closer every word that was spoken. They talked until it was dark outside.
Eventually they both fell asleep after talking. Sakura's mouth was dry from all the conversation.
For the first time in a long time she fell asleep content.
So what did you think? I know it didn't start of like a romance but I am slowly going to get my way their just to keep it more realistic. You didn't expect them to jump each others bones on the first day did you? Lol now please REVIEW
