A/N: Yo everybody! This is my fastest update ever! But more importantly thanx for the reviews and I have to tell you all, that I'm going to keep writing new chapters, but I'm only going to post it as soon as I get at least 10 reviews for the previous one, ok? This is because 90 people read my story 5 people added it to alerts and 3 people reviewed. That is not fair, ne? so don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Sasuke's POV

I woke up at around sunset feeling well rested.

There was only one very serious issue on my mind, and it was that Sander-the-rubber-bander wants at least 10 reviews for a chapter before she is going to post the next chapter.

Meaning if she doesn't get at least 10 reviews the story is not going to advance and a million chapters are going to sit in her My Documents never to be posted.

This is bad.

( sorry about that I just wanted to let you all know and I know that many people (like myself) don't really read the author's notes, so there ya go. Anyway, here's the real story.)

The REAL Sasuke's POV

I woke up at around sunset feeling well rested.

The issue of that mysterious message was still very vivid in my mind.

When should I respond?

How should I respond?

Would Sakura forgive me if I did it again without telling her?

I ignored the last question and settled on the other two.

It was more of a warning than a message, but if they sent me another one, then I would have to go.

I sat up and headed towards the bathroom.

Letting my mind linger on the problem as I washed my face etc.

I headed down the stairs to find Sakura's father on a computer and Sakura's mother sitting by the fireplace, knitting.

It was such a typical "happy family" scene I felt disturbed and wanted to leave but Mrs. Haruno noticed me and said "Oh, Sasuke you're awake!"

She really had a knack for stating the obvious but I nodded politely.

Hunger gnawed at my stomach but I ignored it.

"Where's Sakura?" I asked, the pink-haired kunoichi was nowhere to be seen.

I saw her father visibly stiffen. So that was the problem.

Her mother glanced at a clock on the wall, "She went out to train about 2 hours ago, she should have been back by now."

She looked at her husband uneasily. "She was supposed to help me prepare dinner…" she muttered semi incoherently.

I decided, for her father's benefit, not to say anything as I headed towards the door.

No one said anything as I stepped outside into the cool dusk air and closed the door behind me.

I didn't know much about sakura and what she had been doing since I left to Orochimaru. Apparently, she had become a medical nin, but that was the extent of my knowledge.

Training, was something new. Was it because of me? It was likely.

Sakura was a chuunin as well, I had forgotten about that. I found myself wondering what other abilities she had gained.

I walked past the ramen bar and found, just as I expected, the one and only blonde dobe sitting there with hyuuga hinata wolfing down his ramen like a pig. I smirked.

"Naruto," I called. "Have you seen Sakura?"

He gave me a suspicious look.

"Her parents are looking for her." I clarified and only realized a moment later that I only confused him more since he knew nothing about my having to stay in the Haruno residence.

Hinata frowned at me, but I ignored her. There were many people who had not forgiven me for leaving konoha. The only ones who mattered however, were just the same as they had always been. Naruto was one of these people.

"Yeah," he said, "I saw sakura-chan training by the forest by the meeting spot. She should still be there."

"Ano, Naruto-kun, It's getting late, I really have to go home." Said hinata getting up.

She gave me a stiff bow and walked off. Naruto watched her with a sigh.

I took this opportunity to leave, I had just turned a corner when Naruto shouted, "WHa-?! Where'd he go?!"

I smirked with satisfaction. The afternoon was growing steadily darker and I was surprised at Sakura's irresponsibility.

I arrived at the "training grounds" in a few minutes and Sakura was perfectly unaware of my presence.

She executed a 16-hit combo against an innocent tree, and collapsed heaving a great sigh. I stood still, wondering when she would notice me.

She panted heavily, sweat was coming down her face in torrents. She released another sigh and closed her eyes.

She hadn't noticed my presence, I had better do something before she did something stupid.

Too late.

"Here comes the rain again,

Falling from the stars,

Drenched in my pain again,

Becoming who we are," she sang softly and looked up at the stars that were illuminated against the dark sky.

"Summer has come and past

The innocent can never last

Wake me up when September ends"

Then she stopped singing, struggled to her feet, and yawned. If I revealed myself now, would she think I was spying on her? I decided it was irrelevant and called her name.

She looked up in surprise, "Sasuke-kun? What's going on?" She asked her face slightly red from embarrassment.

"It's late, your parents were worried" I said simply.

"Gomen, ne," she said "But I told mom…Never mind. Arigato, let's go." She said mixing together a bunch of sentences.

She had changed a lot, I realized looking at the dozens of shredded trees in the surrounding area.

We walked back towards her home, and I felt an odd ache. I frowned freely in the darkness. It was the uncomfortable feeling of going to stray in a place you didn't belong.

Sakura looked up, and saw my frown, despite the darkness. "Gomen, ne…" She said softly.

There was one thing that hadn't changed, she still apologized a dozen times a day.

"When you apologize too much, it becomes worthless." I told her matter-of-factly.

She looked startled, and then nodded with a small smile. "You're right."

When we finally reached the door, she stepped inside and then held it open for me.

"I'm home!" she shouted. I stepped inside and she closed the door. We took off our shoes and seeing Mr. Haruno glare at me, I decided it would be wise to stay away from Sakura.

"Sakura, would you please set the table?" Her mother asked her.

"Just let me go get ready really quick, ok?" she said heading towards the bathroom, leaving me for the umpteenth time to feel like the fifth wheel.

I headed towards a small table that was in her family room, and pulled out a few scrolls from my bag.

It was some information on the sharingan I had been looking up from the Konoha Library, I had been copying down everything of relevance until yesterday and had decided to take it with me, because of course I anticipated such a situation.

Her father was observing me intently, but I ignored him. He was very emotional, as fathers go.

I didn't know much about any fathers except my own, but this guy was pushing it, just a little. Who did he think I was? Some lowlife? I was an Uchiha, and above all else, Uchihas had an impeccable sense of pride. I scowled as I copied down the last sentence. "Uchihas and their sharingans are like Hyuugas and their byakugans."

I paused and frowned as I realized I had not intended to write that down, because I already knew it. I frowned and crossed out the offensive writing.

At this moment there was the sudden sound of the bathroom door opening. Sakura emerged with a clean face and I was about to return to my scrolls when I noticed that her father was glaring at me.

I resisted the urge to bang my head against the table.

Sakura walked into the kitchen oblivious of the agony she was causing me. I shut all thoughts of her father firmly out of my mind, and continued copying information.

There was the clatter of dishes as she set the table.

It was an awkward feeling. It had been years since the last time I had been in such a family atmosphere.

The feeling was awkward because they were not my family.

After a grueling five minutes, Mrs. Haruno called out, "Dinner is served!"

I rolled up the scrolls, put them back in my bag, closed the bag and put into its proper place in the closet before returning to the table.

Her father was giving me a strange look and I avoided his gaze. It was unnerving.

"Dinner" was delicious. (Im not going to explain what it was because I don't know what to make them eat.)

There was an awkward silence at the dinner table and sakura watched her relatives edgily as she chewed the whatever-it-was-just-imagine-your-favorite-food.

"So…" she said struggling to begin a conversation. No one helped her.

It reminded me of how I had tried to hold things together when that argument broke out between my father and Itachi.

Sakura decided I was the easiest victim and said, "Ano, sasuke kun…"

I noticed her father wince.

"We have missions tomorrow and, since you don't have an alarm clock, should I wake you, or how is this going to work?" she asked.

"I wake up on my own at 4:00." I replied simply.

There was pin-drop silence. I was the only who remained calmly eating the whatever-it-was-just-imagine-your-favorite-food.

"You get up at fo- four?!" Her mother exclaimed.

I didn't even bother to reply to that. I just said I got up at four, didn't I? What was the point of saying it again?

They stared at me like I was the alien that I felt like, and eventually returned to their meals of whatever-it-was-just-imagine-your-favorite-food.

This was going to be a long week.

The next day I woke up at 3:30. Well, my routine varies occasionally. I (got ready, brushed teeth, took shower, etc.) and headed downstairs. 3:45.

I took out my scrolls again and worked in peace for fifteen minutes.

Then Sakura came downstairs.

"I thought you said you get up at four." was the first thing she said with a stupefied expression.

"My routine varies occasionally." I replied.

She had clearly put some effort into getting up before me.

She sighed, "Have you eaten breakfast yet?" She asked looking at the contents of the fridge.

I shook my head in the negative.

"Alright then, pancakes, waffles, cereal?" She asked.

I sighed knowing that she would not leave me alone now.

"Cereal." it required the least amount of effort.

She placed two bowls, a gallon of milk and three boxes of cereal on the table.

I stood up and headed towards the bathroom to wash my hands.

I returned and sat down at the table. I surveyed my options.

Kix- definitely no. Frosted flakes - maybe. Honey Bunches of Oats… it will have to do.

I was three spoons into my cereal and Sakura was on her fifth when I suddenly had to face my worst nightmare.

Mr. Haruno walked into the room.

He graciously gave me a VERY understanding … glare.

I had another I-think-I'll-just-bang-my-head-on-the-table-for-a-while moments.

"Ohaiyo" I said in my usual monotone, he didn't even bother to reply.

"Ohayo gozaimas otou san!" said Sakura noticing her father's presence.

"humph!" and with that very complex and interesting statement he headed back up the stairs.

Sakura had one of those I-think-I'll-just-bang-my-head-on-the-table-for-a-while moments.

Unlike me, however she didn't bother restraining herself.

We finished our cereal dumped the bowls in the sink, and headed out the door.

We arrived early. Kakashi would be late, we had about 5 hours worth of spare time on our hands.

I leaned against the railing of the bridge and said nothing. 5 hours, I should find something really interesting to think about.

Sakura sighed and sat down next to me, letting her feet dangle off the side of the bridge.

After an hour, I resorted to sitting on the railing and Sakura's head was leaning against the railing poles that connected the railing to the bridge. (I don't know what theyre called, sorry.)

She was probably asleep.

"Sasuke-kun?" she asked suddenly.

I was wrong.

"What is it?" I replied

"Will you tell me today?" she asked.

I was quiet for a moment, again that question.

"No" I answered.

She was quiet a moment, waiting.

It seemed she was always waiting, and in her eyes and in the eyes of every person who knew her, she had waited long enough.

I knew it, but she would have to wait a little longer.

FLASHVACK

I glanced at her emerald eyes with a scowl on my face. She looked me with an emphatic expression.

As if she understood.

She pretended to understand, but she didn't.

Not even close.

She was quiet.

I came back, that was what she wanted.

As she stood there quietly, I knew she wanted more.

"What do you want?" I asked somewhat angrily.

"Answers." She said quietly.

Answers.

Everything depended on answers.

I needed them myself.

So many questions, not enough answers.

The main question was "Why?"

But I wasn't ready to answer that question yet.

If I couldn't answer it, did that mean I was also not ready to hear the answer?

We all want to know so many things, but to understand… we need to understand…

"Someday. But not today." I said.

Someday.

Someday.

"I'll be waiting." She replied.

And she waited.

End flashvack! (yes, Im doing that on purpose.)

And she was still waiting, but I still couldn't tell her, not yet.

It was at this moment that Naruto decided to show up.

"Ohaiyo! Minna wa!" he shouted waving his hand in greeting.

"Hn" I replied.

Sakura smiled, "Ohaiyo."

Then it was the three of us, together, waiting.

We waited together and individually.

And we are still, waiting.

Why did you kill the clan?

Why did you leave?

Why did you come back?

Too many questions.

Not enough answers.

A?N: Yatah! Chapter 2 done! YAAAAY! I am so happy I can hardly breathe! And yes, sakura still likes sasuke. SO! don't forget to review or you wont get a 3rd chapter. And that song is from GreenDay "wake me up when september ends."