Reviews make me oh so happy! I'm glad you all like it! I was really surprised that within an hour after I posted it, I had reviews. I started working on this chapter right away. This is the eplination of how Sakura got so cold. And now for the the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in any way, shape, or form! So don't sue me!

Yay! Onto the story!

Repentance

Chapter II: A Cold Heart

The pink-haired kunoichi drew a fake smile on her face as she went to meet her friends and teammates for ramen at Ichiraku. It had become a regular activity for the Konoha twelve; they would meet and chat about missions, catch up on gossip, and just hang out. Sakura would offer a smile or a laugh here or there, but would mostly just stay so they know she's actually alive.

Sakura had become somewhat cold and distant over the past years. As she rose in the ranks as a shinobi, she became more and more reclusive and cut off from the world. Her life became routine; work at the hospital, go on missions three times a week, throw in some assassinations, and train.

Everyone was worried about this new girl that had taken over their old friend. What disturbed them most was that she trained under Minoru Ibiki in torture and interrogation.

They didn't, however, know of her current predicament with the two Akatsuki members. She had apprehended them on her own and therefore she and the Hokage were the only ones to know they were in the village. Security was doubled to help ward off any rescue attempts from the Akatsuki. The sudden increase in guard around the village was alarming, but no one dared question it.

The lights shining from Ichiraku brought her from her musings to the friends that awaited her inside the little ramen shop. As she walked in everyone immediately turned their attention to her with bright smiles, two smirks, and one fox-like grin.

"Sakura-chan!" Her blonde teammate yelled, "Come on and eat all you'd like! It's on Sasuke-teme tonight!"

She smiled her fake smile and looked over at her other teammate for a few seconds. Sasuke, it seemed, was still Sasuke. He picked up right where he left off when he left. He was still on probation, but since he killed Orochimaru, coupled with being one of the two (Three!) Uchiha's left alive, that was his only punishment.

The probation meant: No outside missions, no solo missions, for the first month he will be watched by ANBU at all times, he must have his team leader with him while he trained, and for the first two weeks he could not live alone. Naruto stayed with him…

Sakura walked over and joined her friends. They didn't expect her to talk much, she never really did. The only one who was surprised by her behavior was Sasuke; it's only his second day back and they only saw each other once on the first day.

"Sakura…" He began, drawing everyone's eyes to him, including her surprised gaze traveled to the Uchiha, "How… have you been?"

Everyone held their breath at this. That was the question everyone was afraid to ask her, because they knew the answer.

Sasuke kept his eyes on her as she debated on what to tell her comrade.

Tell him off!

As much as I'd love to do just that, I want to remain calm.

Screw calm! KILL HIM!!!

Sakura let out an audible sigh as everyone awaited her response.

"Sasuke-san," She began, making sure everyone knew she didn't call him "Sasuke-kun", the venom in her voice was noticeable, but she maintained her façade, "I have been fine."

To say Sasuke was shocked by her short answer would have been an understatement, and he made to point to hide it.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" He pried.

Her eyes met his fiercely, and it was then he noticed how cold they had become.

"Nothing is wrong." She said sarcastically, "Everything is just fucking perfect!"

This was the most she'd said in a long time and everyone was scared, to say the least, by the murderous intent in her eyes and words.

"Sasuke, do you have any idea how long you clung to me after you left?! I cared about you and you left! For three years I killed myself over you! For three years I tore myself to pieces trying to get you back! For three years, the fact that I was to weak to stop you ran through my head!" She yelled, "Then it vanished! You disappeared from my mind as I began to prove myself strong! I finally forgot! I was finally over you!

"But now, a year after I got over you, you had to come waltzing back here as if you never betrayed your friends. I'm supposed to accept that and move on?!" She continued, her anger building up. Her control was slipping and a spike in the chakra she usually suppressed elicited a gasp from everyone. They knew that she was strong, just not exactly how strong, "Well sorry Sasuke, but you've already lost my trust, friendship, and love. Good luck trying to get it back!"

She finished by storming out of the restaurant full-on murder mode. People moved out of the First ANBU Captain's way as she strode past, anger rolling off her in waves.

See, I told you that would work

Yeah, sure, having all my friends finally scared shitless of me 'works'

I don't care, as long as Sasuke knows his place…

As Sakura cooled down and made her way to her house, her friends back at Ichiraku all looked down guiltily.

"How could she have changed so much…?" Sasuke asked in a barely audible voice.

"It's just as she said, it was you," Shikamaru said shooting a glare at the Uchiha, "In order to finally be able to let go of you, she had to let go of everything. She not only stopped caring about you, but about everything. She focused only on her training, only getting stronger. And, hell, get stronger she did. She rose through the ranks quickly and was the first of us to make Jounin, and then ANBU."

"ANBU?!" Sasuke said shocked, "Sakura?!"

"Hai," Sakura's blonde rival/best friend said, "She surpassed Tsunade-sama and took a break from missions a while to learn from…" she gulped before she continued, "Minoru Ibiki, on torture and interrogation."

Sasuke slowly processed what was being said to him as the Hyuuga heiress now spoke.

"S-she was s-sent on a l-lot of 'information gathering' missions after that." The girl shuddered. Unable to continue she turned to her cousin for help.

"Sakura-san kept growing colder and more distant. That's when we started meeting like this… mostly just so we know she's actually still alive. She became an ANBU captain, and soon after, she was promoted to First ANBU Captain."

"First ANBU Captain?! That's impossible!" Sasuke protested, but Kakashi continued to tell of Sakura's achievements.

"Sakura-chan is now, also, the head of the interrogation squad, and has eliminated three Akatsuki members; Sasori, Zetsu, and another that was new to the organization, Arashi. She goes on plenty of solo assassination missions as well as working with her squad." The silver-haired jounin said.

"B-but how?! God damn it! How could she get so strong, while I stayed so weak?!" Sasuke said more to himself than anyone else, "Damn it all! She was the weakest! We were always protecting her! How could she have done all that?! It makes no sense!"

"It makes perfect sense," Kakashi said, "She always had the potential, but we were too focused on our own strength and goals to notice it. If we had seen it before, maybe she wouldn't have become what she is now."

Sasuke clenched his fists in frustration as he left the shop heading for the Uchiha estate, where he had taken up residence, so he can rest enough for a long day of training in the morning.

Yay, another chapter done! I'll work on the next one right away! Oh and by the way, this is right after Sasuke kills Orochimaru, with some twists to the story here and there. R&R (still don't know what that means, but whatever!)