Chapter 2: Sakura

They entered Sasuke's house and sat facing each other across the table.

"So?" said Sasuke, but Sakura sat silent not knowing what to say. "Tell me what's going on, Sakura!" Sasuke shouted angry, but not at her. Sakura cringed away and sunk back into her seat. "Sorry… Sakura, can you please tell me why you've never said anything to us? Me and Naruto, we're your friends, we could've helped."

"It's not like you've been around to help!" She shot back at him then started crying again.

This time it was Sasuke's turn to cringe, he wasn't exactly good with emotions, but he tried to calm her down with a cup of tea.

When she was finally able to speak she said, "It was just after my mum left… I was nearly four. He got really depressed and started drinking. Sometimes he got angry, he would say I was just like her, he would hit me… Once we were in the kitchen and he got his hands on a knife…" she rolled up her sleeves, showing him the scars and bruises, "I couldn't tell Naruto, he would've tried to kill my Dad."

"Don't worry I won't tell him," Sasuke reassured her. He wasn't sure how to avoid the subject but he'd have to, why was Naruto the only person he couldn't lie to! Every time he looked into those sky blue eyes he just couldn't, as if something was stopping from doing so. That's why he didn't look at Naruto when he asked him to go back with him. When Naruto asked him to look into his eyes and say those things, he couldn't and, angry with himself for being so weak around Naruto, attacked him.

"Sometimes I wished he would die," she spat out, then said in a softer voice, "but I realised that he was…" She stood up and headed for the door.

"Sakura, you are not going back there." Sasuke said in a firm tone.

"I've got to go, don't you see, he's all I've got!" when she tried to open the door it was locked, she kept trying to pull it open and even started hammering on the door. She was in hysterics, but she finally just leant against the door and sunk to the ground. Her face was stained with tears and she was worn out.

"I can't let you go back there, I'm sorry Sakura. I'll get your things from your house and tell him you won't be coming back. He knelt down beside her and she put her head on his shoulder.

"Please…" she said in an almost inaudible whisper.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, I care too much to let you go back to somewhere that you will be harmed, you and Naruto, you're all I have left." She hugged him tightly and cried, they stayed this way until Sakura had cried herself to sleep. Sasuke picked her up and put her on his bed, he pulled the blanket over her and hoped that she would feel better in the morning but he knew that it would take time and that no matter how much time passed it couldn't heal all her wounds… he knew this all too well.

He got in beside her and placed his arm over her protectively, the situation was not very appropriate – a teenaged boy and girl sharing a bed – but Sasuke didn't see it that way, he saw Sakura like a younger sister that needed to be protected, she was like family to him. He had lost one family; he wouldn't lose another…

…

Sasuke entered through the kitchen window, which Sakura had gone through to leave. He went upstairs and found Sakura's room; he went in and looked for stuff to take for Sakura. He got a bag and threw in whatever he could find. Then, in the trash, he noticed bandages stained with blood and shards of glass. He walked down the stairs and left Sakura's bag outside the window to make it easier for him to climb out. But then he saw that teme lying on the couch, stinking of alcohol, not even caring about where his daughter might be.

He walked over to him and punched him square in the face. "Get the fuck up you bastard!" Sasuke didn't often lose his calm composure, but that was usually because that dobe, Naruto, would always do what he was wanting to do. "Aren't you at all worried that your daughter isn't here!" Sakura's father grabbed Sasuke and pushed him backwards on to the floor, he then got one of his bottles and hit him over the head with it. He tried to hit Sasuke again but he rolled out of the way. Sasuke grabbed a bottle and slammed it into that teme's head knocking him out cold. He could feel the warm liquid starting to trickle down the left hand side of his head, he knew then if he didn't stop this bleeding he wouldn't be conscious for very much longer and therefore got unsteadily to his feet and stumbled out the door. He made it on to the street beside the Ichiraku ramen shop, just south east of the hokage's main building and collapsed.

…

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as he ran into the room having just found out that Sasuke was injured.

"Shut it, Naruto, I'm fine." He tried to sit up but that made shooting pains start his head, "Ah!" he clutched his head. "What the hell happened to me?"

"You're not the one who should be asking that! All I know is you collapsed in the street with a gash in your head, and you're lucky that Akamaru and Kiba found you as soon as they did or... you could've… you might've…" Naruto's voice kept trailing off; he didn't want to finish that sentence, ever.

"Died." finished Sasuke.

"Yeah…" Naruto never wanted to hear Sasuke's and that word in the same sentence. "How did you get that wound?"

"Leave me alone, you're just making my head worse." Sasuke complained.

"I'm not leaving you while you're hurt, dattebayo." The look in Naruto's eyes made him realise that the dobe was serious and it would be a hard task trying to escape from him, he probably needed help walking home anyway… home… Sakura, he had completely forgotten that she was at his house! Crap!

He needed to distract Naruto long enough to escape. "Naruto, if you insist on staying could you go get me something to eat."

"Sure, I'll go get some stuff from the vending machine down the hall, I'll be back in a minute." He said with a smile, remembering that Tsunade said that when Sasuke's appetite came back he was getting much better.

"Thanks." As soon as Naruto had left the room Sasuke got out of the bed wincing slightly, he staggered a bit but then regained his balance. He went to the window hoping he wasn't on a high floor; luckily he was on the ground floor so he could get out easily. He went as quickly as he could, in his current condition, and collected Sakura's stuff. He made it home but it took a lot out of him, he just wanted to sleep.

…

"Sakura?" Sasuke called as he entered the house, "I've got your things." Sakura appeared at the door of the kitchen with a knife in hand which scare Sasuke for a moment but she put the knife down and ran over to him.

"Thank you." She said sincerely and took the bags from Sasuke. She bowed to show how grateful she was.

"I'm tired, so I'm going to bed, see you later." He said since the room was starting to spin slightly and he didn't want to pass out and worry her – she has enough problems as it is he thought. He turned to go up the stairs and she noticed the stiches.

"What happened to your head?" Sakura said shocked.

"It's nothing, I'm fine." He said not pausing to look back.

"It was him, wasn't it?" Sasuke ignored her and kept walking up the stairs. I'll take that as a yes then, I shouldn't have let you go on your own."

"I can take care of myself!" Sasuke said coldly, "I don't need you! I don't need anybody to care or worry! I don't need anyone, just leave me alone!"

Sasuke went to his room and fell to his knees. Every time he heard things like that it always reminded him of Itachi, the hate filled him up and even though he swore to give up his quest for revenge, he couldn't let go of his hate. He clutched his head as it was painful whenever he thought of Itachi or any of the past. But it wasn't just mentally painful it was physical too, as if something wasn't allowing to remember. He went over to his bed and lay down trying to calm himself not wanting the pain to go on any longer.

…

"Sasuke! Sasuke!" shouted Naruto banging on the door. Sakura opened it which confused him, "Sakura aren't you sick?"

"Em… I heard what happened to Sasuke and came to see how he was feeling?" even to her, that sounded like a question. "Do you want to start studying? I doubt Sasuke will be join us." She said bitterly.

"Sakura… are you okay? Maybe you should lie down."

"I'm fine!" she snapped.

"Okay…" Sheesh, girls can be so complicated, he thought. Though, he assumed, it was because of that and therefore didn't say this out loud, as he didn't want her to punch him through a wall.

After hours of painstakingly working through Japanese with Naruto, Sasuke finally came to help. Though when it was time to go they had to think quickly, so that he didn't find out about their 'living conditions.'

Sakura claimed that she wanted to make sure Sasuke was actually alright. She told Naruto to leave and she'd go home herself, by the way she'd acted towards him before he thought he'd better leave, rather than be thrown through the door.

"So," said Sasuke, "What are we going to do now?"

I didn't really want to feature Sakura as I really do hate her but there wasn't much else I could do, they're a team. Hopefully I can get rid of her somewhere along the line but for now, I can torture her muwahahaha! she's now mine to manipulate XD