A/N: Actually, wrote first chapter faster than I thought. Maybe, it's because of your wonderful reviews.)))
I thank everyone, who reviewed, alerted, favorited and also just silent readers.
Answering some of your questions:
2mdtiger: It have the straight chronology. Naruto is Sakura's first boyfriend.
2crazymel2008: this chapter is 3 times longer, hope you be happy, the first one was just a prologue. Actually I don't know in which time frame it's happening, I stopped watching anime or reading manga long ago, I think after Naruto dealed with Pain. I just don't see logic in characters' actions anymore. Sorry to those, who still read it. For my story, Sasuke has returned several years ago, after killing Itachi. Why? How? I don't know. It's just necessary for my plot.
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.
Uchiha Sasuke wasn't stupid. If he was, he would never won against his brother or Orochimaru, and he would never make his return to Konoha seem like gift for its authorities and citizens without facing any unnecessary consequences or punishments.
No, Uchiha Sasuke was smart.
That's why he knew that simple persuasions or logical explanations, that would most likely work on him, wouldn't have any effect on two of the most stubborn people he knew.
It was enough to remember Sakura hitting on him for so many years, which strangely had a nostalgic effect on him, to be convinced how persistent she is.
And don't make him even started with Naruto. For Sasuke Uzumaki was an epitome of stubbornness and persistence.
The dobe could even attain Sakura as his girlfriend, which he thought would never happen.
Yes, talks wouldn't result in anything, especially considering Sasuke's reticence.
Thus, the break-up plan should be not about words but rather logical sequence of actions and mental influence.
Out of two, Sakura was the weakest element in terms of faith and confidence.
At the same time Naruto was always a true believer. If he decided something, it was impossible to make him give up.
Naturally, Sasuke decided to play a little with Sakura's mind (even to him it sounded kind of bad and creepy) to make her believe her relationships with Naruto wouldn't work.
"The couple won't see what hit them." Sasuke thought with a smirk.
It might be unpleasant and a little bit heartbreaking but at the end of the day everyone would benefit from it.
.
.
Sakura's Break-Up Files
.
.
File #1. Uzumaki Naruto: Because he is in love with someone else.
.
Sasuke's plan was simple: to make Sakura believe Naruto doesn't love her.
And what could be the best way than convince her he was in love with someone else?
Candidacy of Hyuga Hinata as Naruto's object of affection came naturally.
She was cute, shy, strong-willed, the kind of person Naruto always liked and respected.
More importantly, she was desperately in love with the blond, which was obvious to everyone, except Naruto himself.
The first thing Uchiha needed to do is to plant small grain of doubt in girl's head.
It was the time, when he needed to use his imagination, which wasn't much developed.
.
The pink-haired kunoichi was leisurely walking across lively Konoha's street. This was the path she always taken, when returning from hospital to her apartment.
What was unusual, however, this time she wasn't accompanied by her loud-mouthed boyfriend, who hadn't showed up, as planned.
The girl thought of all different bad names that could describe her boyfriend because it was just so boring to walk alone.
Unknown to her, Uzumaki was fighting with Rock Lee, who run to the blond shouting that he stole his "lovely Sakura-chan". This act was ignited by one dark-haired ANBU, who with all his nonchalance told Lee that he was as worthless in love as he was in ninja art. Also the same male mentioned that his teammate always bragged about winning Sakura from Lee. Considering Rock Lee's short-temper, when his pride touched, it was not unexpected that he wasn't at the same place next second.
And that's why Sakura was unusually walking home alone.
Suddenly, someone took her by hand.
Kunoichi was surprised to see old woman dressed in strange baggy clothes of swamp color.
She had a frantic look in her eyes.
Instead of being scared, Sakura's medical skills kicked in.
"Grandma, are you hurt somewhere? Do you need help?" She asked.
"I think you are the one, who need my help." The strange woman answered.
"Um… Me?" Haruno was confused.
"Yes, dear. Aren't you worried about your love life?"
"Love life? It is fine." Sakura was confused even more.
"There is no girl that isn't concerned about relationships with her boyfriend. Even when it seems perfect. I'm sure you often think what future will make of you? Will you be together? Married? Will he hurt you?"
"And you are the one who can give me an answer to all this questions?"
"Yes, I am. From my childhood I have an ability to see the future, to see more than any other person could." Her voice became mysterious.
"Do you want to tell me that you are a prophet or something?"
Now, that caught Sakura's attention. She never believed in extraordinary powers but always was curious of what so-called witches could tell her.
"I prefer to be called the Gifted one."
"Ok, Gifted-baachan, why and how do you think you can help me?"
Why not? She was bored anyway.
"Let's go to my tent." The witch indicated to a creepy-looking piece of material thrown over steel beams.
Strategically speaking, it wasn't safe and wise to go into some unknown tent with unknown person. As Sakura was one of key person in Konoha's defense structure, it could easily be some trap to kidnap or eliminate her.
However, curiosity took best of Sakura, as the next second she was already walking in.
It was dark inside. There weren't much furniture, only a table and two chairs next to it, which were soon occupied by Sakura and the prophet.
"Give me your hands." The older woman instructed.
The girl compiled.
When their hands were connected, the Gifted looked straight in Sakura's eyes.
The rash of adrenaline ran through Sakura's body. Her companion's eyes were dark and it seemed like she could see through her.
However, Sakura didn't look away.
"So?" After awhile of gazing at each other, Sakura couldn't stop herself from saying.
"Hn?" was one-syllable reply of the woman, she seemed a little confused.
"Is there something terrible?" Sakura wondered.
Was the old lady confused because she saw something horrible in girl's future?
"Probably. I see you recently became romantically involved with one of your closest friends, some blond boy."
Sakura wasn't impressed with prophet guessing the truth. Her relationships with Naruto were widely-known and often-discussed.
"Yes, that's true." She confirmed.
"These relationships will not last long. You're not destined to be together."
"What are you talking about? I and Naruto are perfect together, we've known each other since forever, we trust…" Maybe, following that woman wasn't a good idea after all.
"Don't you confuse friendship with love? At least, Naruto definitely does, because it is crystal clear that you're not the one his heart desires. His soul mate is nearby, waiting for him. He already loves her. He just hasn't realized it yet, being too busy clutching to his long-gone crush for you."
"I think I had enough." Sakura abruptly stand up. Indeed, it was a bad idea. She put some money on the table and run out of the tent, promising herself she won't involve in any supernatural anymore.
She didn't believe in what the woman said, it's just that she touched the questions, Sakura sometimes asked herself, when alone and uncertain.
No, she won't worry about what some crazy woman said.
She shook her head.
She already forgot all about it.
.
Several minutes latter Uchiha Sasuke went from the tent.
He smirked.
Almost everything went as planned.
By almost he meant his slip, when he took Sakura's hand and looked into her eyes.
He didn't know why but when he did, his mind went blank with only one thought lingering.
"Why haven't I noticed before what a beautiful green eyes Sakura had."
He still didn't know the reason why it happened. Maybe, just hormones.
Sakura's voice brought him back to the reality.
"Hn" came naturally, as it was his most used word. Thankfully, the girl didn't make any connections.
Except for this mistake, the scene was played perfectly.
He knew Sakura didn't believe his words but there still will be a small feeling of doubt.
For Sasuke it was enough to start preparing for his next step.
.
.
Second step in the plan was to make Sakura consider an option of Naruto loving someone else.
Now, after a doubt has been put into her head, there need to be stimuli that will make her think that such an option was possible.
.
Sasuke was lucky.
Only after a week after "the Gifted one" accident, he found out that Hinata Hyuga would be alone and bored for the following weeks. Inuzuka Kiba was assigned an A-Rank mission with Hyuga Neji and Yamanaka Ino, Aburame Shino had his strange "Bugs experiments" time, during which he disappeared in the forest for few weeks, while their mentor Kurenai decided to spend some quality time with her child.
Thus, Hinata had nobody to train with.
That where Sasuke comes to help a poor girl.
Rather indirectly.
"She seems lonely." He indifferently pointed, when Team 7 passed Hyuga heiress sitting on the grass near training grounds.
A minute later Hinata was dragged by Sakura to where Sasuke and Naruto stood.
"I asked Hinata to train with us." Sakura happily exclaimed.
Hinata blushed at the sight of her crush.
"The more the better." The blond send the girl a reassuring smile, which made her blush even more severely.
Sasuke just Hn-ed as always.
The group decided to train two against two.
The draw identified who would choose his teammate first. It became Naruto, not without some of Sasuke's manipulations.
Naruto pretended to think who he should choose.
Sakura mischeviosly smiled at him, indicating that she expected him to choose her.
However,
"I choose Hinata." The blond said.
Sakura looked confused; Hinata blushed again, while Sasuke silently smirked.
Naruto was so predictable. One word was enough to provoke him to do something.
Uchiha flashed back to a few hours, when he and Naruto were arguing, while waiting for their third teammate.
.
"I can easily beat you." Naruto shouted.
"Dobe, five years passed and you're still just trying to beat me, you never actually did? Do you want me to show you statistics?"
"What about last time? Among three of us, you was out the first?"
"That's because it wasn't balanced battle. You and Sakura because of your so-called love acted together against me. It wasn't three people fighting against one another but rather you with your girlfriend versus me. In the fair battle you won't have any chance"
"Do you doubt my strength? I show you it right here right now." To prove his point, Uzumaki took fighting stance.
"Useless. Maybe, if you had that Byakugan kekkei genkai that Hyuga clan possesses, you would have a little possibility of winning. Now, you're just stupid to even think about overwhelming me."
It would have ended in another epic fights between them, if Sakura didn't come, ending their argument.
.
Back to present, the pairs prepared to start a fight. Sasuke looked at Sakura, who looked uncomfortable and thoughtful. She kept staring at Naruto and Hinata, slowly transferring her eyes from one to another.
Sasuke gave himself a silent praise. Just as he thought.
The idea of Hinata being her boyfriend's "soul mate, who waits for him", probably circulates in her mind right now.
.
The fight was long and tiresome.
After 4 hours of running, jumping, attacking, blocking, throwing kunais and surikens, as well as using numerous ninjutsu and genjutsu techniques, it was finally over.
Naruto and Hinata won.
Never Sasuke thought loosing won't bother him.
Although, it was intentional.
Uzumaki was all happy and excited, looking triumphantly at Sasuke and continuously clapping Hinata on the back or even hugging her.
"Dobe!" Sasuke just commented annoyed.
After that Naruto persuaded them to go to Ichiraku.
He almost run, dragging poor Hyuga girl and complementing her fighting skills.
Sakura and Sasuke went silently behind.
The girl observed their ex-opponents, while Uchiha observed Sakura.
Suddenly, Naruto exclaimed.
"You are so great, Hinata-chan. You know, I love you!" He laughed.
Sakura abruptly stopped, causing her partner to do the same.
"I think I go home. Too tired." She immediately turned and proceeded to go the opposite direction.
"Aren't you going to tell Naruto?" Sasuke inquired.
"I don't think he even notice I'm not there." She smiled.
The bittersweet kind of smile. Strangely, it clenched something in Uchiha.
"I'll walk you. I'm not fond of idea of eating ramen right now."
Sakura just nodded and Sasuke followed her.
.
Half of way they walked in complete silence.
The girl was deep in thoughts, while the boy prepared to make another move.
Sakura already was sad and seeing her like that made Sasuke want to stop his manipulations.
However, he won't.
Not after almost succeeding.
Thus, he made a final blow.
"You know, seeing Naruto and that Hyuga girl walking-by together, made me think about some things. I always thought that dobe would end up with her. She seems his type of girl. Despite his obvious crush on you, never thought it would lead to something. I was wrong… Maybe…" He said.
He knew that his words would have more effect on her, than someone's else, considering his closeness (and he will never mention it again) with Naruto and that ever silent Uchiha said that.
He saw her shrink.
"Yeah, strange…" She had that smile again, the one that didn't touch her eyes.
.
.
Next morning, lovely birds had the biggest fight Sasuke witnessed between them.
It happened during the training.
All three of them were fighting against dozen of Kakashi's clones.
They thought they killed all of their enemies, when one particularly clever decoy tried to attack Sakura from behind. Naruto, as always, protected his girlfriend, disintegrating the opponent with sharp shuriken throw.
That's when the girl lost it.
Sasuke never saw her that mad.
"Damn it, Naruto, how more times should I tell you I can defend myself."
"Sakura-chan, you know I do it because I love you." Naruto brightly smiled. Usually such words had calming effect on Sakura.
But not this time.
"You love me? Pff… If you did, you would have trusted my abilities. I'm not a fucking little anymore!"
Naruto was shocked.
Kakashi put down his beloved book.
Sasuke twitched one brow…
Because Sakura never used foul language, especially that "F" word. She never allowed Naruto or Sasuke to spoke them in her presence.
"Sakura-chan, just calm down. I don't…" Seemed Naruto figured it wasn't their daily childish fight.
"You don't what? See me as a grown-up woman? It's like I'm a child that needs constant supervision from you. And you know what? You don't suppose to be in love with a child! Do you even love me as a woman?"
"That's nonsense! You know I've been in love with since forever!" Naruto seemed to lose his patience too.
"You're right! We were young, when it's happened. You can't have true feelings, when you ten or twelve. It was just a childish crush, like mine for Sasuke-kun."
Somehow, the way he said her words affected Sasuke.
Sso dismissingly, like her infatuation with him was so unimportant, like it didn't mean anything.
"If it was just a simple crush, why would I date you now?" Natuto inquired.
"Maybe, because you just get used to me, to be my protector. Maybe, you're just confusing your "I-need-to-protect-everyone" with love? Because that's what's you always do!"
"I can't believe you, Sakura-chan! After all we had, after all we lived through, you still doubt my feelings." "I just…" The sound of blond's pained voice seemed to return some senses into Sakura.
However, that was the moment Hyuga Hinata came.
"Good day, Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan, Sasuke-san, Kakashi-san," the girl addressed everyone.
"I'm a little late. Do you still practice?" She shyly looked at Uzumaki.
No one answered her.
"We do. Just decided that it's better to practice separately today. Let's go, Hinata-chan." Naruto finally answered her. He led confused girl out of training grounds.
Uchiha looked at the pink-haired girl from the corner of his eyes. He saw how her expression changed, when Naruto said that words. She looked angry and hurt at the same time.
Sasuke was definitely lucky.
The blond was helping his plans.
In Sakura's eyes he practically choose Hinata over her, confirming her doubts.
"Whatever." She mumbled before leaving the grounds too.
.
.
For several days the couple ignored each other.
However, as time passed, Sasuke noticed that Sakura was reconsidering her actions.
She didn't look so angry at Naruto anymore.
It was predictable.
As good as Sasuke was at manipulations, Sakura wasn't stupid.
After initial anger and frustration wearied off, she probably started asking how plausible her actions were. Wasn't it just overreacting and her imagination?
Especially since she saw that Naruto didn't do any moves towards Hinata.
That's why Sasuke needed to play one more card.
.
"Can't you just talk? This idiot killing me with his depressed mood. I don't even need to tease him anymore." Sasuke said to Sakura one day.
And she did.
Just like he planned.
Just the time he expected.
Just to make things even worse between her and Naruto.
.
Sasuke invisibly followed Sakura to Naruto's apartment.
He just needed to make sure that everything would go as planned.
Not because he had guilty pleasure watching them argue.
Sakura knocked on the door.
Just to be greeted by smiling Hyuga Hinata. Naruto can be seen behind enthusiastically eating the cup of ramen.
"Hinata-chan, you're the best!" He said not seeing, who decided to visit him.
Sakura looked shocked. She looked at smiling Hinata, then at several cups of ramen and finally at girl's jacket on Naruto's armchair.
Sasuke smirked. It was just perfect.
Here was Sakura, seeing her supposedly heartbroken boyfriend happily having a dinner with the girl in love with him.
Uchiha had praised himself again. The timing was just ideal.
All his actions had the exact effect he wanted.
.
An hour earlier.
"Naruto, I don't have any ramen left. Come tomorrow." Said Teuchi, when Uzumaki Naruto visited him in the evening.
"Then what's that?" Naruto inquired pointing to the bunch of instant noodles on the table.
"That's… That's ordered. I'm sorry." When leaving, the blond looked actually devastated.
Half an hour later Hyuga heiress was passing Ichiruku too.
Someone called her.
"Hinata-san, would you be kind enough to pass it to Uzumaki Narut?. He passed by some time ago and I couldn't provide him with his favorite dish. It wasn't ready. He looked so sad and hungry. Now I made him some ramen." Teuchi asked the girl.
Being kind and worried about her crush, she, of course, agreed, taking packed bowl of noodles.
When he left, she didn't see the sole survivor of Uchiha clan coming to Teuchi.
"I don't like lying, especially to my most precious clients." The older man said.
"That's why you're taking money for that." Sasuke simply answered.
.
"Naruto," Sakura called, composing herself.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto stopped eating when saw who was at his doorstep.
"Can we talk… alone." She looked at Hinata.
Hyuga girl didn't take much time to leave them.
"Let's go somewhere outside." Sakura asked. She looked calm.
Looked like she finally made her decision.
.
Five minutes later they were sitting on the grass on nearby meadow.
"Today I was going to apologize, to give us one more chance. Now I see, it's not what I should do." Sakura started, Naruto remained silent.
"It's not working, Naruto, it's not…" Her voice cracked.
"Sakura-chan…"
"And you know it too. It's just not we should be. Maybe, we…"
"I thought a lot about what you said that time. I still insist that my feelings for you always were sincere. All I ever said is true. Maybe, it is actually you, who mistakes friendship with love. That's where all the insecurities comes from." Naruto interrupted her.
The kunoichi carefully looked at him, considering his words.
"I don't know anymore. The only thing I'm sure about is that it's not working." She repeated.
"Can't we be just friends again?" She smiled sadly.
"We never stopped to be."
"At least, we tried." After a pause Naruto said.
.
.
Sasuke didn't know what made him follow her.
His mission was accomplished. The pair broke up. He should just go and celebrate.
Maybe crush some Sound's buildings…
Suddenly, he saw Sakura stop.
Something made him approach her.
"Sakura…" He started before the air was pulled out his lungs.
The girl tightly hugged him.
"I know I don't… don't confuse anything… What I'm feeling for him… I know, it's not just friend's love… It something more… But how can I? When he doesn't even realize he is in love with her… He will, I know he will. And I just don't want, I can't love him, when it happens." She told between the sobs.
He didn't push her.
When Sasuke hugged her back, he realized that his heart painfully squeezed at her pain.
All this manipulations led to something more…
Because…
He realized…
He cared…
For her…
A lot…
A/N: As you can see from the chapter's ending, this story is not only about how Sakura and Sasuke deals with Haruno's boyfriend. For me one of the main ideas is to make Sasuke, little by little, realize his feelings, as well as Sakura learning to love him again. That's why each chapter Sasuke will discover one feeling he has for Sakura.
Just to make you intrigued, the next chapter would be about him realizing he is actually jealous.)))
As any other author, I wait for your reviews, just because desire to write is stronger, when you know you're being appreciated.