Sleepwalking Past Hope

Chapter 2: Avoided

Everything's unfair in our lust and war.

-HIM

"Uchiha Sasuke." She spoke with an even voice.

They stared at each other for a moment while neither of them said anything. Sasuke began to wonder about Sakura, about who she was now. Sakura on the other hand cursed her luck and made a note to strangle Naruto. Hadn't she made him understand that there was no use in trying to bring him back? That there was no longer a place for him?

She didn't spare the Uchiha another glance or another word and turned to Naruto, glaring at him. "What is he doing here?" She asked her voice hard, no longer friendly as it had been just moments ago.

He was suddenly taken aback by the sound of her voice, cold and detached. It was certainty not the Sakura he remembered, the one that smiled brightly whenever she saw him, the one whose eyes lit up whenever he looked at her, the Sakura who begged him to come back home, the Sakura who confessed her love for him.

She didn't look at him with any sort of affection or emotion like she looked at Naruto and Kakashi with kind and gentle eyes or her fiery eyes. When she looked at him there was nothing in her eyes. He realized maybe she didn't love him anymore like she once did.

The realization bothered him more than it should have, more than he cared to admit.

"He came back." Naruto spoke quietly biting his lip; he knew being over enthusiastic would only piss Sakura off further.

"Oh, I see that. You probably dragged him back. What I mean is what is he doing here in my office?" She asked glaring over at Naruto and eyes flashing dangerously over at Kakashi. She knew he had helped.

"Well can't you see? He's beat up, he needs medical attention. He's your patient. By the way, I didn't' drag him here, he came willingly." Naruto looked over at Kakashi for help, but didn't receive any from the silver haired jounin.

"Well what a surprise Uchiha Sasuke came back to what once was his home, probably to restore his clan. Because let's be honest, where else would he do it? And why else would he come back?" She laughed and Sasuke blinked in surprise, if he wasn't mistaken she was being sarcastic. "But know this Naruto, he didn't come back to pick up his friendship with you, everything he does is with a purpose." She hissed staring once again blankly at Sasuke, not even anger in her eyes and that's what bothered Sasuke the most.

Both Naruto and Kakashi stared at her not knowing what to say, since whatever they said about the subject wouldn't matter to her and would be used against them. While Sasuke stood there watching Sakura for any sign of the pink haired girl he used to know.

He figured she was just mad at him, it made sense. He had left her on a bench unconscious and had tried to kill her. That was more than enough reason for her to be mad. It was either that or she had grown to hate him, either one of the two and he concluded that he didn't care either way.

"I will not heal him." She spoke smiling slightly, but everyone could see the smile was forced.

"But Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined loudly.

"It was an order from the Hokage." Kakashi spoke and watched her as she clenched her teeth. There were other medics, but of course it would have to be Sakura. She should have felt elated that Tsunade trusted her with healing the last Uchiha, but she didn't. She thought she had made it clear; she didn't want anything to do with Uchiha Sasuke.

"Then I guess I have no choice." She spoke bitterly glancing at the Uchiha to inspect his wounds, it was nothing really serious, and it wouldn't take much time. "You two get out of here and wait outside." She spoke to both Naruto and Kakashi who without another word left the room, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone.

He thought when alone she would smile at him and suddenly turn into the Sakura he remembered, but he was wrong. She didn't spare him a glance as she moved in the room getting ready to heal him. She treated her patients in her office and so she went to ready the bed.

"Take off your shirt and lay down here." She spoke finally looking back at him for a moment to let him know she was talking to him.

He took off his shirt watching her as he did so, but she turned away from him to look through the window in her office as soon as he started raising his shirt. After taking off his shirt he did as she told him to and it was then that she finally looked at him.

She looked over at his body covered in bruises and some cuts, nothing serious. Something any medic could do. She had to admit he was handsome, he had gotten even better looking over the years, but she ignored the fact as she walked up to him and placed her hands on him starting the healing process. She tried healing him quickly but throughout, she didn't need him of all people questioning her medical and healing skills.

He watched her as she healed him and it was sort of a relaxing experience, he watched her hands glowing green as she healed his body. He had been healed by Karin before, but it wasn't anything like this. He had to bite Karin to be healed it was a somewhat disgusting experience. This however felt nice, for a lack of better word. He closed his eyes for a moment, his eyelids heavy. When he opened his eyes it was because he didn't feel her healing him anymore and as he looked up at her he noticed she was already done.

"There. Don't do any strenuous activities during a few days and the bruises should go away in about a week." She spoke as she made her way to her desk.

He stood from the bed and looked at himself in the mirror. He was as good as new aside from the bruises caused by the fight with Naruto. He could admit she had done a good job healing him. "Hn." He grunted agreeing to what she told him.

"Good." She spoke as she filled some papers.

He put the shirt on and when he turned back to her she saw her raise from her desk and made her way towards the door. He followed knowing that she was done. When they were both outside Sakura smiled at Naruto and said, "I'm done. The patient is alright just make sure he doesn't do any strenuous activities, in other words no training in at least a week." She smiled over at Kakashi and without another glance at Sasuke entered back to her office closing the door behind her.

He had gone from being Sasuke-kun to Sasuke to Uchiha Sasuke to patient.

It had been a horrible week to say the least and thanks to no other than Sakura Haruno. She had practically prohibited any training, something he was used to, something he needed. Being without training for a week to Sasuke was like Naruto being without ramen for a week. He would've done training anyway if there hadn't been anyone to stop him, at first he expected Sakura herself to stop him from training and to even try and scold him.

But no, she hadn't even made an appearance in the week at all. He hadn't even gotten a glance of pink hair in the seven days he had to go without training; he guessed she was probably in the hospital.

Instead of his former pink haired team mate the one stopping him from training was no other than Naruto. Everyday Naruto would bug him and since he was forced to live with him for the time being there was nothing he could do about it. He had to live with Naruto while he waited for the Uchiha compound to be in living conditions.

Naruto wouldn't even let Sasuke train even in his dreams. The first day he was going to do a bit of training and got up early to go to the training grounds. Sakura had said no strenuous activities and so he was only going to do some light training but Naruto found him and dragged him to Ichiraku to eat ramen. He didn't understand how Naruto could eat ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Naruto of all people started scolding him not to train going on about. "How dare you do this teme, Sakura said no training. If you got hurt again so soon after her healing you she would surely have our heads!" Naruto had whined and Sasuke could barely leave Naruto's sight afterwards. It had been a boring week, an annoying week.

"Let's go teme! We're gonna be late for breakfast!" Naruto whined loudly as Sasuke stood up from the couch following him out his apartment.

"Can't you just eat normal breakfast?" Sasuke muttered.

"Well that's what we're going to do, what we've been doing all this week." Naruto said not knowing what Sasuke meant by his comment. Sasuke followed Naruto but when he took a different turn than usual Sasuke stopped.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke asked slightly confused.

"We're going to get Sakura-chan, she's been avoiding me all week and I miss her." Naruto pouted as he kept walking and Sasuke sighed before he too kept walking. They were on their way to the hospital to look for Sakura and Sasuke could guess why she had been avoiding Naruto. The answer was no other than him, Sasuke Uchiha. He was starting to think she was avoiding him.

Naruto suddenly stopped and called "Bushy brows!" and Sasuke noticed Rock Lee walking toward them. He did remember how he hated this guy.

"Naruto! How are you today?!" Lee spoke in a loud voice as he smiled and did a Guy pose. Why did they have to run into him of all people?

"I'm alright, going to the hospital. Do you know if Sakura-chan is there?" Naruto asked Lee smiling.

"I don't know. I haven't seen my beautiful youthful blossom since I don't even remember when. Oh, my dear Sakura-chan!" Lee cried his eyes sparkling.

Sasuke wanted to punch him; the guy was insufferable with his 'youthful' phrases and his stupid unrequired devotion to Sakura. Wait…was it unrequired? He remembered when they were genin that Sakura didn't like him in the least, but what about now after all these years?

"Well thanks I guess. I'll go check in the hospital." Naruto sweat dropped before he kept walking Sasuke by his side.

As they made their way inside the hospital Naruto noticed it was more crowded than usual, but paid no attention to it and made his way to the front desk where the secretary sat. "Hey!" Naruto called her attention.

"Naruto-san, what brings you here?" The young woman spoke sparing a meaningful glance at the Uchiha before turning his eyes back to Naruto.

"Well I'm looking for Sakura-chan, is she here?" Naruto asked the secretary.

She replied after a moment. "No, she left for a mission a few days ago." She replied confused, Naruto should have known that.

"What?! She didn't tell me anything!" Naruto whined loudly drawing attention from everyone in the room.

"When will she be back?" Sasuke asked sighing; he wanted nothing more than to get out of that hospital.

"A few weeks maybe, she didn't give a specific date." The young woman informed the Uchiha batting her eyelashes at him but she Uchiha ignored her turning to his blonde haired friend who was still whining in the background.

"She won't be back in a few weeks dobe." He spoke as he made his way out the hospital with Naruto following closely behind.

"I can't believe she didn't tell me she was leaving on a mission!" Naruto whined once again and Sasuke ignored him the rest of his way to Ichiraku.

Once at Ichiraku Naruto already on the second bowl Sasuke was barely eating any of his. Now he knew that Sakura was indeed avoiding him, there was no doubt about it. She hadn't told Naruto anything so she wouldn't have to see him. He was starting to accept the fact that Sakura maybe didn't want anything to do with him.

'I don't care.' He thought and believed it.

A/N:

Well thanks for the 9 reviews in the first chapter. I'm glad you guys like the story and for that reason here is chapter number 2. I hope you guys like it too.

Next chapter will be up soon. And let me think what you thought of this one. Of Sasuke? Of Sakura? While I update you're free to check out my others stories and let me know what you think. Btw! Did you see the new manga chapter?! Obito practically did that for RIN!

Anyway, thanks for reading. :D
Any ideas, comments, questions write in the box below.

You review, I'll update. I think it's a fair deal. Right? ;)