Sasuke couldn't quite say he loved her.
In fact, he thought she was beyond annoying. She did everything for his attention, she swooned whenever he even looked at her, she adored him in a most unhealthy way –
And this was wrong, stupid, pathetic, he knew, and he feared it all, because there was no way around the fact that he enjoyed this, and didn't this make him pathetic too…? He couldn't ask the question, since he knew the answer, an answer that made him twist inside; because he saw his brother's face in his memories, in his mind, heard his voice mutter, as a side note, almost a sigh, "Pathetic," and he couldn't allow it.
And she was so – so dumb, so frustrating, so utterly naïve and uncomprehending – and all this weakness was nothing compared to his wish of keeping her this way, adoring, loving. Willing to give up anything for him and his (oh-so) greatness – ah – thinking about it wasn't even allowed, because someone might see (byuakuugan, sharingan, who knew what else?), nothing was sacred in this world, and his weakness could not show, must not show.
And thus he came to the conclusion that he had to kill her, just to avoid the weakness that was not allowed in the world of shinobi. But when it came down to it, he didn't want to. What did she matter, anyway? A pink-haired girl with a dream never fulfilled – let her hope. Let her wish. Let her dream her silly, pathetic little dream. One day, when his goal was reached, he might come back and let her help him reach his second goal of rejuvenating his family name. Maybe he would then allow her weakness to grow, and his too, maybe, knowing that this time, no voice would be there to haunt him, since the dead is gone, and he would have it no other way.
There is many "maybe"'s in this equation, and he is well aware that 'maybe' has no place in the shinobi world. When he is drunk, whether on sake, carnage or memories, he will think that maybe, this could still be, but in reality, he will reach his goals one at a time and worry about the overall picture later. And worry, perhaps, about the pink haired girl and the abandoned blonde too… later. When it is all over. He promises his wrecked mind, his torn body, his dying conscience, that later; later everything will be as they all wished, a long time ago; he will have his revenge, and his new family; she will have her beloved, and her self-respect; and the first (andlast) will have his happiness, and the only family, he ever knew, together again.
Foolish dreams. Pathetic, still. Oh, he knows. So he ignores them, pretend they are not there. Hides them. But he is human; and he can't deny the wishes. Can't deny the someday…
… maybe…
Sasuke falls asleep, and dreams of pink hair and blazing, blue eyes. In his dream, they confront him in screams of why, why, why, and he answers, "Because this was how it had to be," and believes it.
Believes, perhaps, in a future still, anyway.