Sasuke was working for Konoha for the past 3 years

This story came of nowhere while I was bored at work (bad me!!) This is my first try to a Naruto fanfic and I hope you'll like it. Sorry for any grammatical mistakes (and God knows that there might be plenty)

Of course I don't own Naruto, if I was I wouldn't be fighting with my Japanese lessons…

Chapter one

New life

Sasuke was training in the forest. After his work, it was a way for him to relax and think about his life. Sasuke was working for Konoha for the past 3 years. After he came back, avenged, Tsunade decided that whatever his reasons were for deserting the village, he needed to be punished. So the elders held a trial to decide what his sentence would be. Sasuke didn't really care. They could have put him in jail for the rest of his life or even been sentenced to death, he would have accepted it. He thought that was what would happen. Everybody in Konoha despised the remaining Uchiha member. But he hadn't planned that he still had so many friends after betraying them so many times. One by one they stood out for him. Saying to the elders what great team mate/student he had been. How, in fact, he never killed anybody except for Akatsuki members and that it indirectly served Konoha. They also told about how he didn't try to escape when he was found by Konoha's special unit in charge of bringing back. The fact that he was greatly injured and filled with the strange feeling of accomplishment at the moment might have is part in the successfulness of dragging him back to the hidden village.

During the way back to their hometown, Sakura had tended to some of his wounds. Naruto and her never said a word to him nor looked at him. He didn't notice at the moment too caught up by the realisation of the goal of his life. But some time later we he had too much and nothing else to do, he had think about it. Once back, they put in a highly protected cell where he didn't receive any visits. Not that a mind, he had things to think about after all. While being judged, he wondered why did they defend him? It might had an impact on the judges as they decided that would be for the better if they made him serve Konoha. After all there was no way they could hold the apprentice of Orochimaru in jail even if they wanted to. He also was an Uchiha, one of the most respectful family and he was the last one of them. At first they made him accomplished some random little missions probably not worth his capacity but he never complained. His goal was achieved so whatever they wanted him to do, he would do it.

But as time passed, as he spent time with his longtime friends, he started considering himself lucky to be able to live like that. He hadn't realised how much he had missed his friends, especially his team mates Naruto and Sakura. Naruto was as loud as ever but there was something else. He didn't look as carefree as before. As for Sakura, he was completely lost. The girl who had claimed to love him since they were seven or so never looked at him in the eyes and avoided talking to him as much as she could. She was much more mature than when she left and also much more beautiful.

Now, at eighteen, he was considering her as a woman –a very strongwoman- and not a crying girl anymore. It bothered him that she was trying to avoid talking to him and when she was it was just to say banalities like "Hello Sasuke-kun", "Bye Sasuke-kun". At first it didn't bothered him more than that. But as time passed, he wanted to share more with her than greetings.

He also noticed many guys turning around her. Lee, of course, still madly in love with "his" cherry blossom but not only. The look on Kiba and Sai's faces were speaking for themselves. There were also others guys he didn't want to know about graviting around her. He also noticed how Naruto and Sakura had grown closer to each other. Not in a romantic way. Or was it? They seamed very protective to each other. But Naruto was interested in Hinata, right? Wait! What did it mean? Was he interested in Sakura? No, he couldn't. He was Uchiha Sasuke, the great s-ranked criminal who defeated Orochimaru. He couldn't be attracted by Haruno Sakura, as breathtaking as she was. Even if he was, she wasn't anymore. Her reserved attitude specially for him spoke for herself. She had no longer any feelings for her childhood love. Yes that's what it had been, a childhood love, nothing more. Maybe he should ask Ino out. Since he was back, she had spent her time shoving her big breast (but not as beautiful as Sakura's, he noted) to him. But why bother? As much as he wanted a family and rebuilt his clan, he didn't want to spend the rest of his life with such a superficial girl. He wanted a sweet caring wife who would understand his past and not questioned him about it. But it might be difficult for him to find someone precisely because of the said past. Who wanted to enter a family where the son killed the entire family expect its youngest member and when the said member had to deal with the greatest criminal Konoha had to face in order to get power to kill his older brother, the murderer of his family.

He was suddenly pulled out of his reflexions as he sensed someone approached behind him. He turned to see Shikamaru walking toward him.

"Hey" the lazy Nara boy greeted Sasuke.

"Hn" was Sasuke's only reply.

"We're having dinner altogether tonight." Shikamaru continued while looking at the clouds in the already darkening sky.

"Hn." With that, he reach for his kunais stuck on the tree he had been training with and put them away in his pouch, still not the speaking a word.

Then the two men left and took the direction of the Hyuuga mansion. As soon as they arrived, they were greeted by a fuming Temari. Sasuke enjoyed her company. She was one of these rare persons not uncomfortable when close to him probably because her brother had been a murderer as well.

"Where have you been?" she asked Shikamaru crossing her arms in front of her and tapping her foot. Shikamaru's eyebrows joined in annoyance.

"Troublesome woman."

"Troublesome? Troublesome!? Oh yes, I'll show you how troublesome I can get when I'm pissed."

She began reaching for her big fan when Shikamaru grabbed her waist and pulled her to him. Soon enough, she found herself being kissed by her boyfriend and forgot about her anger judging it better to enjoy the kiss.

Sasuke looked away. He wasn't very comfortable with such displays of affection. He walked to the group seating in the garden, Naruto sparring with Lee while Kiba and Neji were preparing meat on the BBQ.

"Look at me, Sakura-san," Lee said excitedly winning over Naruto, "If I win you'll go out with me!"

Sakura's peaceful face turned angry.

"What? No way in Hell!"

"Me and my Cherry blossom, under a tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G" Lee was singing with dreamy eyes, ignoring Sakura's comment. Sakura reached for her black gloves, sign that she was extremely pissed and intended to use extreme violence. Naruto's face went pale and Hinata let out a little squeak. If Sakura was this pissed off, there was a chance that she would destroy the antic house of the Hyuuga. Neji quickly put a hand over Lee's mouth to silence him as Ino and Ten-Ten went to Sakura.

"Oh Sakura-chan, calm down would you?"

Since she had become so inhumanly strong, Ino was somewhat afraid to insult her old rival and didn't dare call her 'Forehead girl' anymore. They managed to convince Sakura not to kill Lee and the rest of the evening went uneventful. Soon, they decided to go home.

"Sasuke, bring Sakura-chan home safely. I'll help Hinata-chan clean everything" Naruto asked his Sasuke.

"I don't need to be bring back home!"

"Yeah, I agree. I'm more worried for the poor guy who would dare attack her." Kiba commented and everyone agreed.

"Come on Sakura, let's go."

Sasuke started walking away before Sakura could do anything. Sakura frowned at Naruto. Why was he always pushing her toward Sasuke? She sighed and went after the Uchiha.

XxXxX

She was walking head down. She was feeling awkward when she was with Sasuke. Why, she didn't know. Maybe it was the way he looked at her that embarrassed her. She had always been the one staring at him. Not the other way around. It felt un-logical. She was still lost in her thoughts when Sasuke spoke.

"Sakura?"

"What?" she said suddenly lifting up her head. Her green eyes met with his onyx ones and once again she looked away.

"Are you uncomfortable with me? You're always trying to avoid looking at me or act distant."

Sakura stopped. So it mattered to him. She thought he would be happy to be freed from the clinging Sakura but apparently she was wrong. After so many years, this guy was still a complete mystery to her. Or maybe it was nostalgia. Really, he needed to decide what he wanted. She was annoying when she was always on his back and now he thoughts she was distant!

"Do you want me to come back to the clinging Sakura I was at eleven? Sorry Sasuke but I grew up. While it was cute at eleven to follow you everywhere trying to get you to look at me, it would just look ridiculous at eighteen."

Sasuke looked at her. She had really gained in maturity. He realised that she was all a man could wish in a woman. She was intelligent, strong –very strong-, sweet and if it wasn't enough she was also breathtakingly beautiful. It wouldn't take long for her to get married, he thought. And lucky this guy would be. That's when he realised what he was actually thinking.

I need her to rebuild my clan!

XxXxX

Well that's it for chapter one. Chapter 2 is ready but I want to know what you think about this start before posting it, so please review!! Constructive criticisms are welcomed!!