A/N: So, yeah. This is the sequel to Never Letting Go.
Disclaimer: Psh, like I'm awesome enough to own Naruto.
"I can't believe they gave you guys an extra week! They're so going soft…"
I sat between Naruto-kun and Sasuke. We were just talking. It was something I'd made them promise to do. If this Team 7 thing was going to work out again we had to work on some things and just being friends was one of them.
"We were almost dead. Neither of us would've made it through the first attack." Naruto was playfully shoved me. "Did you want us to die?"
Sasuke, trying to get used to this, put on a hurt face. Or something like that. He wasn't very good at acting. "Evil."
"Look who's talking!" Naruto-kun and I both shouted.
We tried not to mention Sasuke leaving but it could get hard. We didn't really know what else to talk about. Naruto wanted to know what Sasuke had learned more than anything. He wanted to know how much stronger Sasuke had gotten.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
Naruto, being they annoying kid he was, made fun of Sasuke. "Did we hurt poor little Sasuke's feelings?" He made a pouting face at which I bit back a giggle.
"Shut up." Sasuke shoved Naruto. "You want me to go Chidori on your ass?"
I smacked them upside their heads. "Stop it. You guys are supposed to be friendly." I paused, trying not to burst into laughter. "'Cause you know you love each other!"
I took off running, not wanting to get smacked, pinched, or hit. That comment always pissed them off, though they know that I was joking. They'll get back at you for that… The little voice in my head was telling me to apologize and be gentler with them. Sasuke was still sensitive to comments about him leaving or anything that he would normally roll his eyes at. He was still getting used to being back in Konoha.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto-kun was barely a yard behind me. He had produced two Kage Bunshins which coming closer every second.
"That's not fair! It's four on one!" I stopped, Naruto running into me.
"That wasn't funny, Sakura." Sasuke appeared next to me, sulking.
In another burst of white smoke Kakashi-sensei appeared on the other side of me. "Actually… that was very funny." You could tell he was smirking.
"Was not!" Sasuke and Naruto yelled in unison.
I bit back my sarcastic retort and yawned. "We have a mission today, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Nope." He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "She doesn't want Sasuke out of the village."
I nodded, my face becoming serious. Sasuke was now guarded day and night and it was virtually impossible to get in or out of the village. You had to have mounds of paperwork and the departure had to be planned weeks in advance.
Naruto-kun was watching us closely. "What? Why are you all… serious now?"
"Nothing. Just thinking." I paused, wondering what we had been doing a moment before.
Sasuke face was dark. "It's because of me, isn't it?" he whispered. "'Cause I'm not allowed out of this place?" He shook his head and began his walk home.
The rest of us didn't want to lie so we didn't say anything. I gave Naruto-kun a questioning look and he nodded.
"Sasuke! Hold on!"
He slowed as I caught up with him. "What?"
"Tsunade-sama's just doing this in case… he does something." And because she doesn't trust you.
He shrugged. "Whatever." His voice was back to it's normal cold tone. The one I'd thought he'd gotten rid of.
"Look, we're just doing this to protect you." I put my hand on his shoulder and turned him to face me.
"I don't need protecting!" Sasuke looked me like I was stupid and I sighed.
"Fine then." I let go of his shoulder and he turned to walk away.
Sasuke stalked off, leaving me wondering why he had to be like this. He thought we were doing this because he needed protecting. We were doing this because we cared. None of the villagers wanted to see him leave again. They didn't want to feel that something was missing again.
I sighed. So things weren't going to be as simple as I'd thought.