Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters.
A/n: this was just a story I was thinking of when I was watching charmed. Ino, Sakura and Tenten live together. But I must stress this. THEY ARE JUST FRIENDS. This is not a yuri fic. There will be hints of SasuSaku and NejTen but that is it.
Edited: 5th march 2013. Okay I had made it a two-shot but now I've put the chapter together to make a really long one-shot.
A knock echoed through the old Uchiha manor.
Sasuke groaned, looking over at the clock. Who the hell would be at his front door at three in the morning? Anbu would've have just transported in if it were a mission.
Barefooted, he got out of bed and went downstairs to the hallway. Sighing at the silhouettes in the hazy window of the door, he opened it.
"What is it?" he asked the two people in front of him. Naruto rubbed his eyes still trying to get the sleep out of them, before looking over to Tenten who was standing next to him.
"She left the house while I was asleep" whispered Tenten, looking ashamed. Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, looking more annoyed then ever.
"Give me a moment to get ready then we'll go the library, she's probably there"
Sasuke turned back in to his house.
Tenten looked down at the ground sadly. She rubbed her eyes, not sure, if it was due to stress or being tired. She had panicked when she didn't feel Sakura's chakra signature in their house earlier that night. She decided to get Naruto and Sasuke to help her search for her pink-haired friend.
"I'll take over tomorrow if you want?" said Naruto, straightening himself out. He tried to hide his worry with a reassuring smile but Tenten could see through it.
"No, I think she needs me, I am her closest female friend now" sighed Tenten "she'll need us more though, especially with the funeral tomorrow"
The closing of a door interrupted their conversation, as they saw Sasuke locking it. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he signaled the two to follow.
Sakura flipped though another book; she marked another page number on the sheets in front of her. Sakura's face was flushed, her cheeks stained with dry tears and her eyes red raw from crying. A stray tear trailed down her already wet cheek as she read more passages. The medic was currently in one of the practice rooms of the library. These rooms where specifically designed for shinobi practicing low-level jutsus from library books.
Sakura took two sheets of paper in front of her and looked at the jutsus on them. On a separate piece, she tried to make a jutsu merged of the two.
Summoning chakra to her core, Sakura added blood from a vial to the palms of her hands, as she performed the jutsu but when nothing happened, she tried again.
Closing her eyes, more tears escaped as she ripped up the papers in anger. Sakura threw them in the corner with the other piles of discarded paper as she rubbed at her already sore eyes with the heels of her hands
Sobbing, Sakura covered her face with her hands. She looked up when she heard someone say her name.
"Ino?" She called out desperately.
Sakura's face fell when she saw Sasuke, Tenten and Naruto in front of her. She hadn't even heard them enter. She quickly wiped the salty tears from her face
Tenten walked over to the girl. Standing her up, she gave her a gentle hug.
"Sakura it's half three in the morning" the brunette said softly, rubbing her back. Naruto moved over to his friend and gave Sakura a hug from behind. "You have to get some sleep"
Sakura looked at the table where there was a picture of her blonde best friend. Ino and Sakura had been on a mission a week ago. Both, she and Sakura had been brought in critical states. Sakura survived... but Ino had not.
Releasing her friends, Sakura sat back down and looked down at her notes again. "I don't understand why medical jutsus can't fix this. Why can't I bring Ino back?"
More tears fell from her eyes as her friend looked at her heartbroken form.
"We've cheated death so many times. I don't understand why this time is any different. Why be a medical nin when I can't bring her back her?" She cried, lifting up the papers before letting them fall to the table.
"Sakura, Tsunade couldn't even save her," stated Sasuke. "You can't heal the dead,"
Naruto glared at him for his bluntness, but bit his tongue for the sake of Sakura.
"We could have saved her, using chakra, a jutsu, a scroll, ANYTHING!. I just don't... UNDERSTAND," shouted Sakura, standing up. She slammed the book in front of her shut.
"Sakura, you lost your best friend, you're not expected to understand. And you've tried every possible way to bring her back ... but … you… you can't" explained Naruto softly. "She's gone"
Sakura looked up into his blue eyes, facing the truth once more. Tears streamed down her already flushed face as she embraced her blonde-haired friend.
Sasuke sighed for the umpteenth time that night. He looked at Sakura's eyes, in their constant state of sadness. He couldn't remember a time they didn't look red.
But still, Sasuke silently thanked Kami that he hadn't lost her as well.
Leaving the library, Tenten walked Sakura to their house, which they had shared with Ino.
"Sakura we have to get some rest, Ino will never forgive you, if you look bad at her funeral" smiled Tenten sadly. Sakura laughed sadly, tears still apparent in her eyes.
Holding her hand Tenten gently led Sakura down the street.
Tenten opened the door to the house letting the boys of team seven in.
She was dressed in black as were the other shinobi in the house.
"Where is Sakura?" asked Sai, looking around for a hint of pink.
"Upstairs getting ready" replied Tenten, she turned to the door where she saw Neji and Lee walk in, also dressed in black. She gave Neji a quick hug before turning to Kakashi.
"How is Inochi-san?" she asked the grey-haired sensei.
"Taking it hard. Losing his wife two years ago and now his daughter," he sighed "but Shikaku and Chouza are helping him. Shikamaru and Choji are handling it well though. They believe she somewhere with Asuma. Everyone is dealing with it in their own way, I guess"
Sasuke looked at the clock nearest to him then up the stairs. It was nearly time to go. He ran a hand through his hair before starting up the stairs.
Creaking open the door, he saw Sakura sitting in front of her vanity table, just brushing her long hair. Her face in a trance as if she was drifting somewhere else.
"Sakura"
The pinkette looked to the voice but continued aimlessly brushing her hair.
"We have to go," continued Sasuke, entering the room.
Sakura shook her head slowly, her voice broken "I don't want to go"
Sasuke came up behind her, taking a seat on the bed next to her. "Why not?"
"Because if I go…." Sakura took a shaky breath "…that means Ino's really not coming back. And I don't think I can handle that"
"Sakura" Sasuke placed a hand on her shoulder but Sakura kept running the brush through her long tresses "we'll help you handle this"
Sakura stopped the brush, holding it tightly to her chest. She didn't even realise the other occupants of the house where standing in the doorway.
"Sasuke…" she started her voice almost cruelly broken. With shaky breaths, she started again. "She's been there my whole life... I've always had my best friend. And I don't know how to live without one."
Neji tightened his hold on Tenten as she started sniffing at the medic's words. He turned her away, deciding to take her to the where the funeral was taking place. He knew Sasuke and the other would handle Sakura.
Kakashi face fell; old memories of his own were resurfacing. All the comrades he had lost and now Sakura was experiencing the same. He looked over to Naruto, nodding before he too left to check on the other visitors who were attending the memorial service. Naruto quietly entered the room with Sai.
Sasuke rubbed Sakura's shoulder in the best way of comfort that he could, but she pulled away from his touch.
"Why didn't Tsunade save her too?" she asked with a little anger in her voice
"She tried, Sakura-chan" defended Naruto sensitively.
"But she didn't" retorted Sakura, her voice quiet "why couldn't she have saved her too?"
Sakura got up and threw the brush at the counter; she walked over to her window to get a tissue.
"It's okay to be angry," stated Sai, he knew had read about anger being present in the event of such distress.
"I'm not angry," said Sakura, turning around "I am pissed off. Don't you understand, Tsunade saved the wrong kunoichi. She healed me first because I was her damn apprentice. And she should have saved her because she… was the best… because she….."
Sakura's voice was growing shakier and her tears had started again, making it harder for her to talk.
Covering her face with her hands, Naruto walked over to her and held her. She cried deeply into his jacket.
"Why do we have to go through so much… just for it to end this way?" asked Sakura, soaking Naruto's jacket. Sai's heart broke as Sakura's sobs echoed in the room.
People formed an orderly cue as the lined up inside the big building where Ino's funeral was taking place.
On the podium in front of them was a priest and next to him a big picture of the smiling blonde girl that was taken from them.
Inochi lit a candle next to the picture of his daughter, before sitting back down in the front row. His face was impassive but the heartache was apparent in his eyes. On ether, side of him was the heads of the Nara and Akimichi Clans and in turn, next to them were the heirs. Sakura was sat in the row behind them. Naruto on one side of her and Sasuke on the other.
She, too, got up to light a candle before taking her seat again.
The priest gave the same blessing that was usually done for shinobi funerals. Sakura looked around to see who had come. Behind her was Tenten and her team, while in the far corner was team 8. Kurenai was sitting with her child in front of them. Standing against the back wall was Tsunade and Shizune.
Sakura tried to keep her mind else where other then the smiling picture of Ino in front of her but she couldn't.
Sasuke felt Sakura's shaking form and before Naruto could even try, he had already pulled the distraught kunoichi into his arms. Sakura cried through the funeral, her sobs quiet in respect of the priest.
Once the funeral had ended, Sakura went up the front with Inochi, who had asked her to stay and help with guests. He knew that Ino would have wanted her best friend involved and even though the pinkette was worried about his reaction, he knew he held no sour feelings that she had survived where his daughter hadn't.
They both stood there and thanked the guest for coming and the guest in turn gave their condolences.
As the last of the guest left, Sasuke and Naruto waited with Sakura and the Ino-Shika-Cho clan heads and heirs as they in turn waited for the caretaker to take the Ino's coffin to bury it.
A kunai missed Sakura's face by inches. She looked over to see a few missing nin's appear from nowhere.
"Body-snatchers" exclaimed Chouza. Sasuke and Naruto got into to stance, while Shikaku took out his kunai and stabbed one of them.
Shikamaru and Choji took on two of them as Sasuke and Naruto took on a group of their own.
Sakura just watched the commotion in front of her. Anger bubbling up inside of her. Her hands wrapped around herself and she started shaking.
"Stop it" She whispered. "Stop it"
But the fighting continued.
Body snatchers were a group of missing-nin trying to make money off dead shinobi. They would wait until last moment to get the bodies. Clan heirs and ninja from the bingo book were highly sort after for their secrets.
With the last missing-nin dead, Sakura's body shook more in fury.
"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! DAMN IT" she shouted, "this is Ino's funeral for Kami-sake. Can we at least bury her in peace? IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?"
Sakura stomped her foot causing the whole building to shake. She turned on her foot and left the other ninja behind.
The men watched her stumble shakily out of the door. They decided to leave her be, she need to be alone now.
Tenten entered the quiet house, taking her weapons scrolls off her back. She could hear dishes clattering in the kitchen. Quietly walking into the room, she saw Sakura resting her hand on ether side of the sink.
"Hey" she said quietly "the mission was a success"
"Okay" was her reply.
"Sakura we got the men that ambushed you and Ino" Tenten added, hoping it would cheer her friend up. "So you okay?"
"Yeah, sure... why not?" answered Sakura, wiping her hands on a dish cloth and throwing it in the sink, before turning around "we could have another funeral tomorrow. We've still got the flowers and chairs, and we pretty much know who to invite"
"Saku…"
"Just tell me one thing," asked Sakura, looking at her friend directly "are you insane or just plain stupid?"
Tenten was taken aback when Sakura's voice broke and a tear fell from her eye.
"We buried Ino yesterday" she continued, shouting slightly "and you go off tonight and nearly join her. What the hell is the matter with you?"
"Sakura" Tenten walked closer to her "we owed Ino to find her killers and stop them."
"No you could have gotten killed," argued Sakura "I don't want to lose anymore friends but what's the point. As shinobi, our only destiny is to die, but you're making it way too easy. You're walking right into it"
Tenten embraced her angry friend hoping to calm her down. "I'm sorry if I worried you"
"I can't handle anything right now… And I definitely can't handle losing you as well" Sakura hugged Tenten back tightly.
"I know" Tenten tightened her hug before letting Sakura go. "I'm going to take a shower, then we'll talk"
Sakura entered the living room where a newly washed Tenten lay in her pajamas on the couch.
"Here" said Sakura, offering her a cup of tea "this should help. It's chamomile. I've had three cups"
"Thanks." said Tenten, nodding her head as she took it. Taking a sip, She placed it on the table beside her as Sakura sat next to her. "It doesn't seem real does it?"
"No" said Sakura, Tenten sighed at her reply "what are we going to do with all of her stuff? Inochi said he didn't care for her clothes and things. He took everything he thought was worth keeping"
"I don't know," replied Tenten. "We could sell her things, but it wouldn't feel right"
Tenten placed her head in Sakura's lap and held her hand "we'll get through this you know. We just have to stick together"
Sakura smiled at her brunette best friend, but inside she knew she was still so angry. Ino's killers may have been dealt with but she knew there was other ninja out there who were the same and she wouldn't rest until she got them too.
A month later
A kunai flew through the trees, hitting another missing-nin square in the forehead. He dropped down dead as Sakura stood over his body.
Pulling out a book, she crossed out another name. She turned over to her team of the week.
"There's another bingo book ninja dead," she said smiling over at Tenten and Neji behind her.
"Sakura I think you need to calm down with your missions" stated Neji, slightly out of breath from running after the pinkette.
"Look it's better to kill these ninja before they kill you. I've already eliminated two this week. The faster we kill them all the better it will be"
"But you'll get yourself killed in the process" replied Neji, his forehead furrowed but he relaxed slightly when Tenten placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Huh" answered Sakura "that's a price I'm willing to pay. And don't worry I'll take someone else on my next mission if you have a problem with it. I can't wait for Naruto and Sasuke to be back from their mission this week. I'm sure they'll be eager"
And with that said, Sakura leapt back up into the trees heading back to Konoha.
"Neji don't mind her" appeased Tenten gently "she's still not alright from Ino's death"
"Then she shouldn't be doing missions" retorted Neji.
"It's keeping her busy." was all that Tenten could say.
"There is another mission completed Tsunade-Sama," stated Sakura, smiling at her mentor.
The amber-eyed woman looked at her apprentice carefully. Sighing she took the mission report from her.
"Okay you've done a lot of missions lately, I think you've earned a break Sakura" said the woman calmly. Sakura's face fell at the words.
"No Tsunade-Sama, I was hoping to get one more mission in before my teams return."
"Sakura, I think you should listen to Hokage-Sama" interrupted Neji from behind her.
"Look if we don't go after them. They'll come after us. So how about another mission?" Sakura said turning back to Tsunade.
"Sakura you keep risking you life, not to mention your team-mates, which this time included me and my girlfriend" argued Neji, Tenten tried to calm him down but it wasn't working.
"Neji, as I said before, you don't have to come, nether of you do, but I will continue killing the enemy" Sakura turned to face Neji fully, anger showing in her eyes.
"If you insist on taking these missions, you force me to be there because there is nowhere in hell we're going to lose another friend" he accused "you can't even control your chakra anymore"
Sakura turned and looked at Tenten, shock on her face. "You told him"
"I had to, he asked why you weren't using your super strength on mission anymore" Tenten defend
"Sakura what's wrong with your chakra?" asked Tsunade, standing up. She looked at the young woman in front of her with concern and anger.
"Nothing" Sakura said quickly, "it's fine"
"Sakura you nearly knocked down half the house yesterday when you rested your hand against the wall to put your shoes on" explained Tenten.
"Well that's why I need missions, to help me control it again" argued Sakura, crossing her arms in front of her.
"Sakura I can't have you going on missions anymore if you're not able to look after yourself" settled Tsunade. Sakura turned to argue but she could see the finality to her mentor's words.
"Fine, but tomorrow I'm going to train outside of Konoha to help my chakra control," shouted Sakura angrily before leaving.
Tsunade sat down and the door to her office slammed shut.
"Hokage-Sama why can't Sakura control her chakra properly?" asked Tenten curiously.
"Well you know chakra is built up of mental and physical energy. Sakura, physically, is fine but mentally, and by that I mean emotionally, she isn't, so it's affecting her chakra" clarified Tsunade.
Tenten nodded in agreement before her and Neji left the office.
"Mission done with a week to spare ha-ha" exclaimed Naruto, pumping his fist in the air. The morning was bright and nothing could damper the blue-eyed nin's day, or so he thought. He looked over at Sasuke who smirked at him
They sped through the Konoha gates, on their way to Hokage tower but were incepted by Neji and Tenten
"What do you want Hyuuga?" asked Sasuke, glaring at Neji. Neji glared right back at him.
"You have to talk to your team mate?" blew up the Hyuuga prodigy. Tenten squeezed in between them.
"Neji what did I say about being gentle?" Tenten turned towards Naruto and Sasuke
"What about Sakura?" asked Naruto, with a serious expression. Tenten opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted.
"She's out of control" criticized Neji. Sasuke took a step forward, his fist clenching but Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Neji!" chided Tenten, she looked over at Sasuke before continuing, "we're just worried about Sakura"
"Why? What happened?" asked Naruto again, pulling Sasuke back to create space between him and Neji.
"She's just very very angry," explained Tenten.
"Well of course she's angry, she just lost her best friend," sighed Naruto.
"Yeah and if she was punching walls I would happily call a builder…"
"The problem is she prefers to punch A-rank and S-rank missing nins" interrupted Neji again. Tenten looked over to her boyfriend but nodded, sadly, agreeing with him.
"We'll talk to her" appeased Naruto.
"She has no regard for her own life, or anyone else's," added Neji, still angry over the last few days
"As Naruto said, we'll talk to her," snarled Sasuke once more taking a step towards Neji.
Tenten stepped in between them and gently placed her hands on Neji's chest, looking up at him "can I have a moment with them… please?"
Neji glared at the sharingan-wielder before walking away. Tenten turned back to the pair and took a deep breath.
"It isn't just that she's violent, she's acting nothing like herself. She won't listen to anyone and her chakra still isn't normal… I don't know what to do anymore" Tenten bowed her head. Naruto smiled gently at the girl
"Tenten, me and Sasuke will deal with her but also, we just wanted to thank you for helping her. We know how much Ino was your friend as well but thank you for putting your own hurt aside to look after Sakura."
"What can I say; I love them both" smiled Tenten, sadly "erm...so not to rush you but Sakura said she was going to train later outside Konoha"
With that said, Naruto and Sasuke ran off to Hokage tower to drop of their reports before going to Sakura and Tenten's house.
Sakura sat on her bed, looking through her bingo book and researching the more dangerous ninjas in it. She looked up when she heard the front door open and close but she could tell it was Naruto and Sasuke from their chakra signatures.
"Sakura" called Naruto, entering her room, "can we talk?"
"What?" asked Sakura, not lifting her eyes from the book.
"Sakura, you're being dangerous and you can't control your chakra" stated Sasuke, bluntly. He heard Sakura scoff as she looked up to talk to them.
"You're one to talk about being dangerous" she retorted. Sasuke glared at her and opened his mouth but Naruto beat him to it.
"Look Sakura, it isn't just that it's dangerous…" he started but Sakura cut him off
"Naruto, team-mates are supposed to help not judge. Just because I'm doing things a little bit differently doesn't mean there's a problem" Sakura said, still reading the book.
"Sakura" fumed Sasuke, crossing his arms over his chest "we're your friends, not just your team-mates. And when you speak to us like that, there is a problem,"
"We can't help you... not unless you talk to us," added Naruto, sitting down next to her. Sakura quickly got up from her bed, creating space between herself and Naruto. She turned away from them, not wanting to look at them for a moment. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, her body shaking slightly
"It hurts to talk, Naruto, it hurts to breathe," She whispered, before turning around to look at them with her glassy green eyes, "so unless you or Sasuke or Tsunade have any idea on how to bring Ino back. I don't want to talk."
"Is that what you don't want to say?" asked Sasuke "that you still blame Tsunade; you blame yourself for not saving her."
"No Sasuke I don't blame Tsunade. I blame missing-nins," shouted Sakura, her face scrunching up in anger and pain "why… why do you think I'm doing all of this? For kicks?"
"Honestly" interpreted Naruto "I think you're doing this because it's easier then confronting what you're really feeling"
"I've got to go train," Sakura stated ignoring what Naruto said before exiting her room.
Sakura ran further into the forest surrounding Konoha; she knew there had to be some missing-nins around these areas. What she didn't know was that Sasuke and Naruto had asked Tsunade's permission to trail their pink-haired team-mate.
Standing against an old sturdy tree, Sakura fanned out her chakra to see if she could sense any ninja in the area. Sasuke and Naruto had already masked theirs when they had started pursuing her.
Sakura's eyes lit up when she felt a particularly dangerous chakra in the northeast region of her forest.
She ran towards it quickly and ducked down in some bushes.
In front of her was a big burly ninja with only a green tuft of hair sticking out on the top of his head. He held up an old man against a tree, a kunai placed against his throat.
"I want all the money you have on you, then maybe I'll kill you quickly and painlessly." slurred the big man, smirking.
Sakura jumped out behind the bush "not if I have anything to say about it"
The missing-nin dropped the man before turning to the girl behind him "what are you going to about it?"
His smirk grew at the anger that radiated off Sakura. Sakura charged at him, her fist glowing with chakra but he sidestepped her.
Sakura's hand went threw the tree. As she pulled it out, the tree groaned before cracking as it started its descent downwards.
The old man lay right in the path of the tree and didn't have enough time to move out of it's way.
Sakura hadn't even realised the tree was going to fall on the man but when a figure appeared in front of her, with the man on his shoulder, Sakura stopped.
"Sasuke what are you doing?" she asked, her teeth grinding together in fury.
"Sakura, you nearly killed an innocent man," Sasuke said slowly, his sharingan spinning.
"Well you saved him, so take him and leave" Sakura, replied, pointing the direction of the village.
Naruto jumped down next to her and was about to say something when three more ninja appeared from nowhere.
"Cat, we have Kyu in front of us," said a man with a dog mask on. Sakura looked up to see that the new ninja were all Anbu, but not of Konoha. They all had the mist symbol on their masks.
"Affirmative, take him down immediately"
The mist Anbu all charged at the green-haired missing-nin from early.
"Hey wait," shouted Sakura dodging past Sasuke and Naruto, "that's my missing-nin"
Sakura jumped back as one of the Anbu tried to grab her.
"Sakura let them go" shouted Sasuke after her.
"Other ninja present. What shall we do?" asked the Anbu to his leader.
"Leave them. If they interfere, execute them too"
Sakura eyebrow furrowed at the command. No way was she going to let them kill her enemy.
Sakura once more ran at the same Anbu as before. Naruto ran after her to stop her but was intercepted by another.
"We're … just … trying … to get … out … team-mate" he tried to explain, dodging the blows from the boar-face nin in front of him.
Sasuke watched as the Anbu flipped Sakura on to her back, before doing some hand signs and blew smoke into her mouth.
"WAIT" shouted Naruto, once more. "Take your guy and leave. We don't want to fight you"
The Anbu had already successfully knocked out the missing-nin as they turned to the kyuubi-vessel.
"If you get in our way again. We will kill you," said the leader of the group. The Anbu who had fought Sakura turned to his leader, but the leader shook his head before they all disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Naruto walked over to Sakura and helped her up.
"What the hell was that Sakura-chan" he seethed through gritted teeth. Sakura just looked at him angrily before storming off towards Konoha.
Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other before following her. The old man was still on Sasuke's back, as he carried him to safety.
Upon entering the Konoha gates, Sakura was about to storm to her house when Naruto grabbed her arm. Sasuke set the old man down, who thanked him and walked away.
"You're going to Tsunade-baa-chan's," scolded Naruto. Sakura ripped her arm from his grip.
Sakura stepped back and covered her mouth and a coughing fit raged through her.
"Look you're already hurt" examined Sasuke, stepping closer. Sakura took a few deep breaths before she shook her head and walked towards Hokage tower.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" bellowed Tsunade to her apprentice. She slammed her hand on her desk nearly breaking it in half.
"I was helping an old man," answered Sakura, arms crossed over her chest. She continued to glare at her teacher, who in turn was being more wound up.
"Sakura, you know what, this has gone on too long" started Tsunade, her eyes narrowing "to take on mist Anbu, did you even think what would happen if that news got to Mizukage? You know what; you're suspended from being a ninja until further notice"
"What?" exclaimed Sakura. She too, slammed her hands down on to Tsunade's desk but this time it did break. Sasuke and Naruto stepped forward, worrying something might happen.
"Get out of my office now" Tsunade whispered through clenched teeth. Sakura looked like was going to say or do something but started coughing instead. "Naruto, take her to the hospital to get her checked out"
Naruto carefully tugged away the still coughing woman before she had a chance to retort.
"Tsunade what about the jutsu the mist nin preformed on her" asked Sasuke once he heard the door close.
"I've asked Shizune to send a message to the Mizukage, to apologise and ask about it. We should get an answer within the hour hopefully"
Naruto carefully walked Sakura to the hospital, every few seconds pausing due to her coughing.
"Who does she think she is?" moaned Sakura "and how dare she suspend me, after everything I do for this village"
Naruto stayed quiet not wanting to anger Sakura anymore then she already was.
Ahead of them was a girl crying on the floor. Two boys were pulling her hair making her cry even more.
"Hey stop that," shouted Naruto, making Sakura look at the commotion ahead. Glaring, Sakura stomped her foot hard against the ground. The whole street shook with the amount of chakra she used. A small crater formed under her and Naruto as cracks dispersed everywhere.
"Sakura-chan" shouted Naruto, helping some civilians regain their balance, "you could have hurt someone"
"It wasn't meant to be that strong" Sakura shrugged her shoulder, still glaring at the now crying boys "I took a chance"
Naruto grabbed Sakura by the shoulder and turned her to look at him "okay, are listen to yourself?"
"Naruto shut up" Sakura growled. Looking behind her Naruto saw Sasuke approaching them.
"What was that?" he asked eyeing Sakura.
"It was nothing" Sakura raged, flapping her arms up "I swear to god, I want to kill you both"
Naruto was taken aback by the comment. "Sakura-chan what's wrong with you?"
He stepped closer to her. Sakura growled before pushing him back hard.
"What's the matter with you?" snapped Sasuke, going to help Naruto up "we need to talk Sakura. NOW!"
"Sasuke, you know what?" smiled Sakura, walking up to him slowly. He froze when she stroked his cheek "I'm sick of talking"
She punched both him and Naruto hard, making them fly back into the store behind them. Doing her necessary handsigns, she disappeared in a whirl of cherry blossoms.
"What the fuck, just happened?" asked Naruto, getting up and wiping the blood from his chin.
"I don't know but look," pointed Sasuke at the cherry blossoms that Sakura left behind. They were all charred, as if they had been burned.
"I'm going after her, get Tsunade and if you can Tenten. I'll try to get her to team 7's training ground"
After transporting herself outside of Konoha, Sakura jumped through the trees, more coughs emitting from her. She stopped on a branch after a particular bad fit had her kneeling over. Looking into her hand, she could see blood staining it.
Sakura tried to heal herself but without her chakra control, nothing was happening.
She heard a twig behind her snap. Turning around, she glared at Sasuke.
"What do you want?" she seethed. Sasuke stayed where he was so not to set her off.
"I want you to come home, so we can help you," he said calmly.
"Ha-ha" Sakura smirked, crossing her hands over her chest "it's funny how the tables turn. Remember when you left, I begged you to stay but you didn't. I think I'll return the favour"
Sakura turned to leave but once more, she curled up on her self, choking to breath through her coughs.
Sasuke jumped to her side but before he could help her, she'd jumped up and punched him.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME" she screamed at him. Jumping closer to him, Sakura punched him again, but was blocked by his hand.
"Sakura stop this," Sasuke reprimanded, but Sakura didn't listen and continued to try to fight him. Sasuke defended against, knowing he couldn't attack her or she would get hurt.
"Sakura, okay you're angry," he shouted threw the flurry of punches and kicks "so lets fight. You and me at our old training ground"
Sakura faltered back, thinking for a moment before she smirked at him "I think I'll just kill you now"
Sasuke pushed Sakura back into a tree.
"Fine but you have to catch me first," he said, running towards Konoha
"I hope Sakura-chan and Sasuke are alright" worried Naruto. He, Tsunade and Tenten were hiding around the area of team 7's old training ground.
"Naruto, we got word back from mist," informed Tsunade. "Sakura was hit by a jutsu; the jutsu looks for an unexpressed emotion and turns it against you"
"What do you mean baa-chan?" asked Naruto, rubbing the back of his head. Tsunade growled at him before explaining further.
"Okay says you secretly love someone, this jutsu will take that love and slowly use it against you, the more love you feel the more damage the jutsu causes. It uses that feeling to burn from the inside out. Sakura won't express her anger, yes we know she's angry, but why and who, we don't know. It can't be at missing-nins like she said, because if it were she would have moved on from it now. There is something she's not saying."
"Which is?" asked Tenten, keeping her eyes on the training ground.
"I don't know" sighed Tsunade "but I think I might have an idea"
A blast up a head interrupted their discussion.
Sakura was standing a few feet away from Sasuke, whose black top was torn from the shoulder down to the middle of his chest.
Sakura fell to the ground, coughing up blood all over the floor. Naruto jumped out of his hiding place to help his friend.
"Sakura" he shouted, bending down to her level "come on Sakura, you're a good person... the best, you can fight this"
Sakura started to shake under Naruto's touch. Silently grabbing a kunai out of her pouch, she aimed to stab her friend but the ground shook before he had a chance.
Tenten leapt towards Naruto, pulling him away before Sakura could get up and regain her balance.
Naruto jumped over to Sasuke side to inform him of what Tsunade had explained to him.
Sakura turned towards Tsunade who came at her. She successfully kicked the pinkette's in the stomach, making her kneel over.
Getting up slowly, Sakura started to advance towards the Hokage, who was already in her fighting stance.
Tenten summoned her weapons throwing them at Sakura, but just to distract her rather then hurt her.
Turning quickly, Sakura ran towards Tenten, grabbing her by the neck and lifting her up.
"Tenten's not your problem Sakura, and you know it," shouted Tsunade from behind the kunoichi.
Dropping the brunette to the ground, Sakura punched at Tsunade aimlessly. Tsunade blocked each punch, leading Sakura away from Tenten. Naruto ran over to the weapon's mistress to help her.
"You're mad that I didn't save her" started Tsunade again, still dodging "you think it's my fault Ino died. You blame me and you should just admit it"
Sakura anger grew and this time her punch landed straight in Tsunade's face. Throwing her back into the clearing.
Tenten stood up, which caught Sakura's attention as she went over to her and Naruto.
"Sakura, you don't want to kill us" Tenten exclaimed "we're you're friends"
"It's not about us or Tsunade is it?" interrupted Sasuke, gaining Sakura's attention. Sakura grabbed both Naruto and Tenten by the throat, once more.
"Tsunade isn't the one you mad at. It's Ino," shouted Sasuke, blinking over to help his friends. Doing his handsigns quickly, he transported the four of them away.
Tsunade got up, wiping the blood from her lip "so that's the source of you're anger"
Sakura released Tenten and Naruto when she saw where she was. Looking around she saw gravestones everywhere.
She stumbled backwards when she spotted a certain gravestone. Reading the name on it, Sakura tried to run but her friends blocked her in.
"Tell her Sakura, it's alright to hate her," said Sasuke calmly.
Sakura tried once more to escape but Naruto and Tenten moved in closer. She looked at the gravestone in front of her. On it was Ino's name.
"Sakura you should hate her," continued Sasuke "when my parents died, I hated them. I was alone and I hated them for it. It is okay to hate Ino"
Sakura looked at the floor and growled, "How dare you?"
Naruto and Tenten became defensive when they thought Sakura was going to attack Sasuke but she did not.
Sakura dropped in front of Ino's gravestone and slammed the ground hard, "how dare you! How dare you leave me! How could you die and leave me here all alone"
Sakura kept slamming her hands against the ground.
"Please come back," she cried, "I need you. Please come back"
Looking up, she screamed in anguish as smoke emitted out of her mouth. Sakura curled up, crying, next to Ino's grave, a hand placed over her name.
Sasuke kneeled down next to her, bringing her closer to him, "its okay Sakura. It's okay"
"It's not okay" shuddered Sakura, her voice breaking "she risked her life everyday, she never thought what would happen to me or her dad or her team if she was gone."
"I know" reassured Sasuke the best her could. Sakura grasped at his hands.
Tears streamed down Tenten's face as she watched the scene in front of her. Naruto too looked sadly onwards.
"How could she think... that I could live without her?" cried Sakura, she pulled Sasuke closer as she continued to cry into his shirt.
The next day
Sakura placed two cups of coffee on the table as she heard Tenten enter the room.
"Hey" Tenten smiled, taking one of the cups "so … did you sleep?"
Sakura smiled back "Yeah. Better then I have in a while"
"It's quiet isn't it?" commented Tenten, looking around as she sat at the table "early and late. Just really really quiet"
"Ino was always the first one up" said Sakura "and the last one down. It's strange the things that you miss"
Tenten took a sip of her coffee, nodding in agreement.
Sakura walked around the table to sit next to her friend, "so how scary was I?"
"We've seen worse," Tenten, laughed at the pinkette "we've been worse. But Sasuke, he handled you well, better then most people I think. He saved you're life"
"I know what you're thinking Tenten" started Sakura "but after losing Ino, and god I miss her so much, love just seems like an invitation for more pain. Especially in our lives"
"So maybe you don't start with love" said Tenten, taking Sakura's hand comfortingly "maybe you should start with thanks"
Sakura knocked on the door in front of her and took a deep breath. Holding the basket in her hands, she waited as the door opened.
"Sakura" answered Sasuke. Sakura held up the basket in front of her.
"A little I'm sorry/ thank you present" Sakura smiled. Sasuke opened the door wider, letting the young woman enter.
Sakura went into the kitchen and placed the basket of food in on Sasuke table. Turning to face him, she was surprised when he pulled her to him.
"Sakura" Sasuke started "how are you?"
Sakura laughed as the question came out like an ordered but she quietened when she saw the serious look on his face.
"I've had bad hours" Sakura sighed "and some not so bad hours. I guess you know how it is"
Sasuke released her, but laid his forehead on hers, "you scared me for a minute. Don't do that again"
Sakura smiled in reply.
"Sakura, it'll never be okay that she's gone, but I promise you it will get better," he stated, lifting his hand up to cup her cheek.
Sakura eyes widened when she saw the scratch marks down them, "you should have gotten them healed"
Sasuke followed her gaze to his arm. Quickly summoning chakra to her hands, Sakura traced over his arms. Sasuke placed one hand over hers when she had finished.
"Your chakra control is back," Sasuke observed.
Sakura squeezed Sasuke's hand gently "thank you Sasuke. For everything"
Turning back around, Sakura started preparing breakfast for her and her… friend? boyfriend?
The end.
A/N: I thought I'd let you all decided on what Sasuke and Sakura are right now. Haha hope you enjoyed my awesome story though I totally stole the plot from charmed XD. Please R&R.