As promised, here's chapter 3! A few of you asked what was going on between Sakura and Sasuke - well, in this chapter, part of their past will be revealed. The rest will be...until later, but I promise you won't be disappointed ;)

IMPORTANT NOTE DUE TO STORY: (I'm just gunna copy this on each chapter...) The way I'll go about this story is that I'll update a new chapter every friday. If I miss one week, then I'll put up two chapters in the next. Got it? Great.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! Just the idea of this story.

Enjoy! :)

Sakura walked through the field in front of her house with her red bag over her shoulder. Looking up, she realized that there was a chance of rain, but she didn't feel like going back for an umbrella. Besides, she loved the rain. Sure, it's a pain when she gets a harsh cold, but it was always worth it, and that thought made Sakura burst out laughing. For some reason, whenever something pleasant ran through Sakura's mind, it made her feel lighter, and carefree – and what's the best way to express that other than through laughter. Exactly: nothing. At least not for the pinkette. Soon, the feeling of ease grew even more inside the pinkette's slender frame, and even laughter was not enough. Putting her arm through the other strap of her backpack, Sakura stopped walking for a second. Taking in a deep breath, she ran a few steps, each step gaining more momentum, before she raised her arms over her head, and jumped forward into a front flip. Not wanting to stop when she landed on her feet, Sakura jumped again into a front aerial flip, then again to a side aerial, jumping into a one-handed cartwheel, and finishing with a full twist layout. Breathing heavily, the pinkette smiled and continued her way to school.

:)(:

Walking into homeroom, Sakura managed to spot Ino, Shikamaru, Kankuro, and Lee in the far back. The pink-haired girl didn't even reach the middle of the room before Lee ran up to her, kissing both cheeks and aiming for a third kiss right on the lips, causing her to blush furiously and slap the boy across the head before he reached his target. The two boys in the back were already laughing on the floor before Ino made her way up to the bushy-browed kid, pulling his ear all the way down.

"I thought I made it clear Lee," growled the blonde. "Leave Sakura alone! She needs to adjust before she looks to start dating, you moron!"

That's when their teacher walked in: Kakashi.

"Uh," said the man, eyebrow raised at the trio at the front of the room. "Well, I have no idea what's going on here, but how about you three go take a seat..?"

Ino pulled Lee by the ear behind her with Sakura on their tail, as they headed to the back. The other students just watched with amusement at the scene before them. Not long after did they all quiet down and started talking amongst themselves. Shikamaru and Kankuro also came around, wiping away a few happy tears, patting the rejected boy on the back.

"Nice try kid," said Kankuro, smirking. "But like Ino said, you gotta give the girl some space."

"And," added Sakura, "if you ever kiss me like that again, without my permission, I swear I will throw you out the window." And she meant it.

"So what classes do you have today Sakura?" asked Shikamaru trying to change the subject from the poor boy.

Sakura sighed. "Let's see. I have Shizune for Medical Education, Kakashi for Creative Writing, Guy for Gym, and after lunch I have Iruka for Science, and then a free period."

"Hey!" exclaimed Ino. "Hinata and I have Shizune's class too! And we all have Kakashi for second period."

"All, as in, everyone?"

"Yup," said Ino, excitedly. "That's one of our favorite classes 'cause we're all together, and Kakashi always gives us fun assignments rather than boring ones. Oh, everyone pretty much have free period at the same time too."

"Sounds fun," said Sakura. After a moment of thinking she said, "I was wondering, why do they give us a free period at the end of the day? Wouldn't it be better if they just let us out early?" Kankuro shrugged.

"It would be better," said the boy, "but there's no use in complaining. Usually we all just leave anyway, get something to eat, or just find an empty classroom to hang out."

"Oh."

The bell rang and all the students piled up by the door trying to get out. The small group in the back decided to wait until most of the mess was cleared out before leaving. Lee, who hasn't spoken a word since the ear pulling, grabbed Sakura's elbow and gently pulled her to the side. Sakura eyed him warily, but said nothing because the boy had an ashamed expression on his face. The others just watched as the boy opened his mouth to speak.

"I am sorry for my behavior Sakura," muttered Lee. "This morning I acted childish, and I hope that you will not hold a grudge against me. I did not mean to anger a beauty such as you." Sakura's expression softened at the boy's apology.

"It's alright Lee," said the pinkette. "Just don't do it again. Like Ino said, I want to adjust before looking for anything."

"So you forgive me?" asked the bushy-browed boy.

Sakura laughed and answered, "Yes Lee, I forgive you."

"And once you have adjusted, you will allow me to pursue you?"

"I – wait, what?"

"Once you are acquainted with your new life here, I will have a chance at having a date with you?"

"Um, I never -"

"Then it is settled! Once you Sakura are ready for commitment, I will not rest until you are mine!" With that, the boy ran out the door, determination written all over his face, leaving a confused, and frankly scared, Sakura standing in the same spot.

"Uh….what just happened?" It was quiet before Shikamaru shrugged.

"You're not ready for commitment." The others laughed at the statement, Sakura's eyes widening, and her cheeks becoming a darker shade than her hair.

"I am so ready for -! That wasn't what I had meant -! I – grrh!"

:)(:

Three classes passed, and Sakura couldn't be more relieved about it being time for lunch. Medical Ed was very insightful, and she really liked what she learned; Creative Writing was pretty fun, and allowed a person to use their imagination, even though the Kakashi was late like he was for homeroom; Gym was…uh, entertaining? No, that's not the right word. Weird? Hard? Ok, let's just stick with unusual. The teacher had the class do suicides, where they would start from one side of the gym and run to the nearest line, and back; then to the line after and back; then to the line after that and back, and then to the other side of the gym and back. The coach had said that if everyone finished 5 complete suicides in 5 minutes, he would do 20 suicides. No one managed to finish within the time limit, but the coach did them anyway. Now, Sakura was at her locker, putting in her sweaty clothes, and taking out the lunch that her Baba made her in the morning.

"Hello Sakura."

That voice. That deep, unemotional, empty, heartbreaking voice. It couldn't be. Not now. Oh, please not now. But sure enough, when she turned around, she stood face to face with none other than –

"Sasuke."

:00:

"I can't believe you did that to Sakura, Lee!"

Lee threw himself behind a blushing Hinata as Tenten raised her hand to smack him. When she saw his reaction, she quickly lowered her hand, growled as the boy stuck out his tongue smugly at the brunette. Everyone was at the gazebo again for lunch, with the exception of Sakura and Choji, who had ran to his locker to get a few snacks. The word had gotten around about Lee's bold move on Sakura, and all the girls were nagging at the boy for doing it. The guys, with the exception of Gaara and Neji, were laughing at Lee's suffering; the other two were simply unimpressed. Yeah, lunch was definitely one of the group's favorite times.

"I am sorry Tenten!" cried Lee. "I do not know what had come over me once I saw the youthfulness of the beautiful Cherry Blossom. It is as though my body was magnetically drawn towards the pink-haired beauty!"

"It's called hormones," said Kiba. "You think she's hot. Don't blame you there, but you really should try to control yourself Lee. The more you throw yourself at her now, the more she'll want to push you away. It's best if you give her some space, and once she is ready, she'll decide whether she will want to give you a shot or not. If not, the rejection will hurt, but at least she'll consider your feelings, instead of wanting to run away from you." While Lee had tears streaming from his eyes with pride, the rest of the group gaped at the dog-like boy, causing him to smirk. "Oh yeah. I'm deep."

"Wow," breathed Temari. "But anyway, uh, yeah. Lee, I have to agree with Kiba, as I'm sure the others do as well." Everyone, once getting over their shock, nodded.

"So," said Ino suspiciously, walking over to sit next to Kiba, "you think Sakura's hot?" Kiba's eyes' widened, clearly not expecting the question.

"Uh, well. I – you know," stuttered the boy, putting Hinata to shame. "I mean, she's not…Ok yes! Yeah, I think Sakura's hot, so what? It's not like I'm gunna do anything about it."

"You better not," muttered Lee under his breath.

"Why not?" asked Neji, finally getting interested in the conversation. "Sakura's nice, smart, and as you say 'hot'. Why not go after it?"

"Did you not hear my insightful speech Neji?"

"After she's ready for a boyfriend," said Temari, smirking. "Will you go after her then?" Thinking it over, Kiba shook his head.

"Nah," replied the brunette. "Sakura's great, and I'm sure any guy will be lucky to have her, but I don't think it would work for us."

"Why not?" asked Kankuro.

"What the hell? What is this? 20 Questions? Why don't you go after her – Kankuro, Neji, Shino, or any of you guys?" All the guys stayed quiet, until Ino spoke up.

"So what are you guys gunna write for Kakashi's homework assignment?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't change the subject! I want to hear what these guys have to say!"

"I might write about a person's emotional ties to unrelated objects," said Neji, completely ignoring the boy in front of him.

"I was thinking of writing about the feeling of déjà vu," said Temari, trying not to laugh at the situation.

Kiba sighed and said, "Fine, I get it. But I'll find out what you guys think sooner or later."

"What are you gunna write about Gaara?" asked Ino, still ignoring the brunette. The crimson haired boy didn't show anything on his face, but he thought hard before answering:

"I'll write about the enjoyment that comes from ignoring a babbling idiot."

:)(:

She didn't know what to do. Obviously the guy in front of her had seen her, and there was nowhere to run or hide. Why did he have to come up to her today? Why couldn't he just wait a week, or a month, or not even bother with it? Seeing Sakura's distress just made Sasuke smirk. 'Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?' thought Sakura over and over.

"How have you been Sakura?" asked the raven haired boy. "I haven't seen you in, how many years has it been? Five? Six?"

"What do you want Sasuke?" said Sakura through gritted teeth. The boy just laughed.

"I just thought we could catch up," replied Sasuke. "We haven't seen each other in so long, I've missed you."

"Bullshit."

"Ouch," was the reply. "That hurt Sakura -"

"Goddamnit Sasuke!" growled Sakura. "What the hell do you want!" He shrugged as his expression turning into a bored one.

"How's Naruto doing?" he asked. "Last time I saw him, he wasn't exactly himself."

"Can you blame him?" countered the pinkette. "You were a jerk to him for no reason. Even when he tried to talk to you about why you were acting the way you were, you just turned your back on him, even after -... Why did you leave us like that Sasuke? Why would you do what you did?"

The conversation became silent after Sakura's question. Sakura's expression was filled with hurt as she remembered how one of her best friends abandoned them without so much of an explanation; as she remembered the pain and shame that the boy in front of her had caused her. But seeing Sasuke devoid of emotion, obviously not caring about how painful the memory was to the girl in front of him, made her expression harden. He didn't care about what he did to her or Naruto. He didn't care how hurt they were after he abandoned them and moved here with his Uncle – what was it? Oh yeah – Orochimaru. He didn't care that Naruto was an inch from losing his life when he left. He didn't care when Sakura declared her love for him, just so he wouldn't leave. He just….didn't care.

"Do you still love me Sakura?" asked Sasuke. Wide eyed, Sakura scoffed.

"What kind of stupid question is that?" she said. "It's been six years! No, I don't love you anymore. What you did to me was bad enough, but what you did to Naruto, the way you left him behind, after all he did for you, was unforgivable."

Unfazed, Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, leaning on the lockers. Smirking, he said, "You would have forgiven me." Sakura remained silent, not giving him the pleasure of making a comeback statement, so he continued, "I remember when Naruto went to Jiraiya's house; you and I would walk around your backyard by the lake holding hands -"

"Shut up Sasuke."

"I would say something to make you blush, and kiss you on your cheek and on your forehead."

"I said shut up."

"What was it that I would say to you? Oh that's right -"

"That's enough!"

"You are so beautiful Sakura," whispered Sasuke in a husky voice. "You really are unlike anyone I've ever met. You're funny, and caring, and simply amazing. I can't tell you how lucky I am to be able to call you mine." At that point, Sakura was on the verge of tears, not from remembering, but from the anger she felt towards the boy standing in front of her.

"I bet that wasn't the only time you said that to a girl," muttered Sakura. That statement made Sasuke lean his head back, letting out a humorless laugh. When he was done, he took a step closer to the pink-haired girl, placing his hand on her cheek, caressing it softly.

"Oh Sakura," said Sasuke, feigning his sympathy. "What made you think you were that special?"

Tears ran down Sakura's face from the fury she felt. Slapping his hand away, she shouted, "Go to hell Sasuke!"

"What's going on here?"

Both teenagers turned at the sudden interruption to find Choji standing there. He had a bag of potato chips wrapped up by his hardened fist, and his expression was deadly as he glared at Sasuke. Sakura couldn't be more relieved at seeing the boy. She had just met him a day ago, but right now, there was no one in the world she would rather see. Sasuke on the other hand, just raised an eyebrow at the brunette, seemingly bored. Choji's eyes narrowed as he crunched the bag in his hand even more.

"Why are you bothering Sakura, Uchiha?" spat Choji.

"What do you care fatty," said Sasuke, leaning back on the lockers. Sakura gasped. Even though she had never seen what happens, Sakura knew never to call Choji fat; Shikamaru and Ino warned her more than enough times. But surprisingly, the boy stood calm, other than his fists hardening even more, and his black eyes practically on fire.

"I asked you a question," he said dangerously low. "Why are you bothering Sakura?"

Sasuke stared at the boy with empty eyes and a smirk. "I didn't know it was crime to talk to my old girlfriend." Choji's attention turned to the glaring Sakura. That was clearly not what he expected.

"Sakura -?"

"Didn't she ever tell you?" said Sasuke, visibly enjoying the pinkette's discomfort. "We used to date back in Jomae. Sakura was always so willing."

"Shut up Sasuke," snapped Sakura. "I – you were a mistake. Whatever happened between us was a mistake. And don't you dare make it seem worse than what it really was."

Sakura turned around and started to walk away, but felt a hand grab her arm pulling her back. Just as she turned around though, the hand let go, and there was a loud echo in the hallway. Sakura had shut her eyes, scared of what she would see, but when she opened them, they widened at the scene before her: Choji was pinning Sasuke against the lockers by his collar, his face full of fury, and a low growl coming from his throat.

"Don't you…dare…lay a hand on Sakura EVER again!"

Before Sakura could even react, Sasuke shoved Choji away from him, pulling his arm around to punch him straight in the jaw. Sakura covered her mouth, letting out a scream as Choji staggered back from the impact. Once he got his balance back, Choji tackled the other boy, both of them stumbling to the ground. Everything became a blur to the girl. All she could make out were the boys on the ground, punching and kicking, and someone far off yelling at them to stop. Wait – was it really that far off? No, it was closer…right? Yeah, it was her. She was yelling and pleading for the boys to stop when someone came and pulled Choji off the other boy.

"That is enough, both of you," roared Kakashi-sensei as Choji struggled to be released. Sasuke stood up from the floor and wiped away the blood from his nose, his expression deadly.

"Bitch" he spat.

"I said enough," snarled Kakashi. He let go of the now calm Choji and faced the three students. "One of you tell me what the this was all about. Now."

Sakura put a hand on Choji's shoulder before replying, "It was because of me Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke and I were talking, and when he took it too far, Choji came and that's when they started fighting. Choji was just standing up for me."

"As noble as that sounds," said Kakashi, "All three of you will report to the principal's office during your free period. You two -" he looked pointedly at the boys "- are facing suspension. Sakura, since you had no part in the fight, I can only guess that you'll get a warning. Now, Sasuke, go your way, and I don't want you starting trouble. If I hear you causing any problems, I won't hesitate on suggesting expulsion." Sasuke let out a 'ttch' sound and walked off. "Choji, I would like you to stay outside the classroom while I have a word with Sakura."

Nodding, Choji gestured Sakura forward, earning a small, hesitant smile. Sakura followed Kakashi into an empty classroom, standing a few feet from the door as the he leaned against the teacher's desk. Sakura rolled back and forth on her feet, not even bothering her to hide her discomfort. 'Today is your second day Sakura,' thought the pinkette. 'Your second day, and already you're in trouble for being involved, even if not physically, in a fight. So much for the good feeling from this morning.' Kakashi let out a cough as if knowing that the student's attention was thinning, and tried to get her attention.

"Your answer was vague Sakura," said Kakashi. Seeing her confused expression, he continued, "When I asked you what that was all about, you did not answer me directly."

"I-," started Sakura, at a loss for words. "I didn't – I mean…I…I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei. But the reason why the fight even started was because of personal issues between Sasuke and me."

"You two have a past?" asked the gray haired man. "That's a surprise."

"We lived in Jomae together a while back," explained Sakura. "He left a long time ago and I haven't seen him since." Kakashi motioned for her to sit before giving a small, 'Go on'.

Sitting down on a desk, Sakura continued, "I was always defenseless back then, always clingy and not able to stand up for myself. My friend Naruto and Sasuke would always protect me, made me feel safe. Sasuke and I had a small, kinda-sorta relationship on the down-low, but it just – it was a mistake. Before, he would always tell me that we would never work, and he didn't see me like that, but one day, he changed and I fell for it. He was with another girl at that time, and he started being a jerk to me and friend Naruto. It sucked 'cause he was always there for us when we needed him, but then, he just decided we weren't good enough…"

Kakashi leaned on the teacher's desk quietly after Sakura finished her story, knowing that she was hiding something, something big, but decided not to pry. From what he's seen of the girl in front of him, she was anything but defenseless. Just today, he witnessed her beating four guys, twice her size, at arm wrestling. But from reading a journal entry about her deceased grandmother, he knew she had a soft side. 'This girl is a walking contradiction,' thought the older man, and he didn't keep it to himself.

"You are a walking contradiction Sakura," said Kakashi with a lopsided smile, getting a small one in return. "You are a good student Sakura, and anyone who got the approval of 12 people as good as your friends – you shouldn't look down on yourself because you saw someone who makes you think of the person you were. The person you are now is who matters, and don't let Sasuke, or anyone else, tell you otherwise." Sakura smiled. She just met the man this morning, and already she felt like she could talk to him. 'Weird,' thought Sakura, 'but I'm not complaining.' The pinkette thanked her teacher before walking out of the classroom, immediately her mood faltering at the sight of Choji's bruised up face.

"Oh Choji, I am so -"

"Don't you even worry about it," interrupted Choji, grinning. "I should be thanking you actually. You don't know how long I've wanted to give that Uchiha a piece of my mind."

"I'm glad," said Sakura. "But still, about what he said -" Choji interrupted her again, putting a hand on her shoulder this time.

"I heard what you told Kakashi," stated Choji. "And don't worry about it. Whatever happened between you and Sasuke is in the past, and it doesn't matter to me, and it won't matter to any of the others. Whenever you're ready to tell them, you'll see that it won't change their opinion of you." Wrapping his arm around Sakura's shoulders, Choji pulled her along, heading to the outside.

"Thanks Choji," whispered Sakura. "It means a lot that you said that."

"Just remember one thing Sakura," said Choji, coming to a stop. He looked at the girl next to him with a serious face. "What happened before – it's over now. You are who you are now. Whoever you were before, well, she's gone." Sakura tilted her head in thought.

"Who I used to be," muttered Sakura under her breath, "she's…gone…"

Before she knew it, Sakura realized that they were standing in front of their friends, all of who stared at Choji in complete bewilderment. She felt Choji's arm lift from her shoulders, and saw Shikamaru to be the first to stand up and walk over to them. Sakura hadn't seen him so angry and confused before, and it really caught her off guard.

"What-who did this to you?" asked Shikamaru.

Choji sighed before muttering, "Uchiha Sasuke." Everyone was silent when they heard the name, but then it clicked. Instantly, everyone ran to Choji, throwing out questions one after the other.

"What happened?"

"That bastard did this to you?"

"Are you alright?"

"Did the Taka jump you?"

"GUYS SHUT UP!"

Everyone became quiet once again and turned their attention to Shikamaru, who looked like he was on the verge of breaking something. Hinata tried putting a calming hand on his trembling shoulder, but he roughly shrugged it away. Sakura knew that he would regret snubbing the sweet girl, but from the looks of it, he was trying very hard not to turn around and shout at the person trying to touch him. From what everyone told her, Shikamaru and Choji have been friends since they were little kids. Shikamaru would be like Choji's older brother; he would be protective of him, made sure he didn't take things too far, and talked to him whenever he needed a boost. Choji would return the favor by supporting him and lending a hand whenever he had the chance. Now that Choji was hurt, Shikamaru had no problem in showing that he had a problem with it.

"Now," said Shikamaru, clearly attempting to keep calm. "Tell us what happened." Everyone sat back down and listened to Choji's recap. Sakura blushed to where it was suppose to be about Sasuke telling him about her, but was surprised when the robust teen next to her left it out. She knew he did it on purpose, and was grateful; he knew she was by the way he gave her a thumbs' up. When he finished his story, everyone's gaze went from Choji to Sakura, and finally to Shikamaru, who was looking up at the cloudy sky. But it was Kiba who broke the silence.

"The nerve of that guy," growled the brunette. "I say we go over there and beat his ass right now!" There were cries of agreement from most of group, but there were a few that kept quiet until they all calmed down.

"Fighting will be pointless," said Neji, receiving many glares from his friends. "The only thing we will accomplish is getting into detention or worse."

"We cannot let that guy get away with this!" yelled Kankuro, banging his fist to his palm. Lee nodded in agreement next to him.

"He must pay for injuring and insulting our friends!"

Gaara, who hasn't spoken for a while, raised his hand to quiet his friends. When he had their attention, he said calmly, "Choji and Sakura were the ones involved in this situation. It should be up to them on what they want to be done."

Choji and Sakura looked at each other, knowing that all eyes were on them. Shaking his head slightly, Choji faced his friends and said, "Let's just let it go for now." They heard Hinata and Tenten letting out a breath, and some of the guys letting out groans. Sakura smiled at Choji's decision. Looking over at Shikamaru, she realized he hasn't moved since Choji told them what happened. He spent the whole time looking up at the gray, cloud-filled, sky. Remembering that his house was on the way to her own, Sakura decided to leave him alone for the moment.

:/\:

The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful. Science with Iruka-sensei was informative, but dull, especially because Gaara wasn't much of conversationalist, and Tenten and Temari had to sit a few seats away due to a seating-chart. For free period, Sakura went with Choji to Tsunade-sama's office to find Sasuke already there. There was tension in the air, but they all kept their distance and tried not to acknowledge each other. Once they were all done meeting with a very angry Tsunade, (all three of them getting detention, with extra janitorial duty for the guys,) they all went their separate ways. Now, Sakura walked between Shino and Shikamaru, and like the day before, Shino was the first to part from the group. When he was gone, the silence became awkward. The pair walked side by side until they reached the edge of the field, indicating they had to go separate ways. Before either made an attempt to leave, Sakura decided to break the ice.

"You've been quiet since lunch."

"Hn," was the only reply.

"Listen," sighed Sakura, "I know you're upset about Choji being hurt. Everyone has told me how close you guys are, and I can only imagine how you felt when you saw him all bruised up and stuff. I just want you to know that I'm really sorry." That caught him off guard.

Frowning, Shikamaru asked, "You're apologizing? What do you have to be sorry for?"

"It's because of me that Choji got hurt," responded Sakura. "I should've walked away the moment Sasuke came up to me. Choji just stood up for me, and he got wounded because of it."

"I wanted to ask you yesterday," said Shikamaru. "What's between you and Sasuke?" He noticed Sakura's eyes widened at his question, and he gave a tiny smirk. "I saw your reaction when you saw him in Asuma's class, and he clearly knows you too. So, what's the story?"

Sakura sighed. It was way too early for this. "I…It's a long story Shikamaru." Feeling a drop of rain on her nose, Sakura looked up. The sky was darker than it was in the morning. After a few seconds, there was a light downpour. Completely forgetting she had company, Sakura took a few steps into the field and lied down on the wet grass, allowing the rain to fall all over her face. She felt so at peace that she didn't even notice a body lying right next to her. Shikamaru sighed as cold droplets hit his face.

"It looks like we have more than enough time," said the brunette, earning him a light laughter from the girl next to him. Sakura decided to tell him everything, even some stuff she left out during her talk with Kakashi – he was out, on the ground, in the middle of a field, during a light shower of rain. 'Might as well,' was her only thought. When Sakura was done with her story, Shikamaru got up on his elbows and looked at Sakura. He knew she was hiding something, but decided that she would tell him whenever she was ready. His expression was serious at first, but then he offered a small smile.

"I don't blame you for what happened to Choji", he said. "If anything, it just proves that he can handle his own. And it if he's willing to pick a fight with someone for messing with you, then it just means that you're really one of us. It's not your fault Sakura."

Sakura sighed. Looking up at Shikamaru, she said, "Doesn't it change what you think, or thought of me? I mean, the girl you guys met just yesterday was strong, confident, and independent. But, I just told you how I was before. I was weak, insecure, clingy, gullible, and everything that fits under those categories. I was pathetic."

"Troublesome," said Shikamaru. "'Was' Sakura. That's the most important part of that sentence. You're not anymore. Just because Sasuke made you believe that you weren't worth it, it doesn't mean that it's true." Sakura smiled as she sat up crossing her legs, and facing her friend as he continued. "And you are not pathetic. Don't ever think that you are, because if you do, I'll never forgive you."

Sakura knew that he meant what he said, even if his face had a playful smile on his lips, but she couldn't help but feel more at ease. They both lied back down and continued to let the droplets fall all over them. A good half hour passed before they decided to head for their separate houses. After a tight hug, Shikamaru mirrored his action from the day before and waved a hand over his head without turning around. Sakura walked slowly to her house, still enjoying the feeling of the cold water. Once she was at the house, she announced of her arrival before running up the stairs to put on a warm set of clothes. Putting on some blue sweat pants and large, red t-shirt that Naruto had given her a while back, (A/N: I just typed in whatever first popped in my head….I looked in a mirror ha!) Sakura felt a shiver run down her back. 'I know what that means,' thought Sakura, 'I wonder if Shikamaru will wake up with a cold in the morning too.' Making her way downstairs, Sakura found her Baba in the kitchen working on dinner.

"How was school Sakura?" asked Baba. Sakura sniffed the air and sighed with contentment.

"That smells delicious Baba," breathed Sakura. "And school was -" cough "- good. I really liked some of the classes I had today. And one of my teacher's seems really cool."

"That's great to hear sweetheart," said Baba. Turning to face his granddaughter, he frowned. "Sakura, your hair is all wet. Did you get caught in the rain?"

Sakura laughed. "Sort of. I knew it was going to rain since the morning, but I didn't feel like coming back for an umbrella. When I was walking home, it started to rain and, uh, heh, my friend Shikamaru and I kinda-sorta sat in the middle of the field for a while." Baba immediately stopped what he was doing at the mention of Shikamaru's name. Sakura blushed as his eyes narrowed suspiciously at her.

"Shikamaru?" repeated Baba. "And just who is this Shikamaru fellow?"

"He's a friend Baba," answered Sakura. "Just a friend."

"And why were you two sitting in the middle of the field while it was raining?"

Sakura sat down, her stomach grumbling. "We were talking Baba; we were just getting to know each other. And before you ask, I was the one who laid down on the grass first. I guess Shikamaru didn't want to just leave me there, and went to lie down with me." Baba stared at her with narrowed eyes for a few more seconds before turning back to his cooking.

"Shikamaru huh," muttered Baba. "Well at least he had enough gentleman qualities to not leave a young lady on the ground by herself. But still, you should have known better than to lie down on wet grass during some rain. It'll be a miracle if you don't wake up with a cold tomorrow."

"I know, I know," said Sakura. "I'm sorry. But you know how much I like the rain. Especially since there's barely any back in Jomae. But anyway, is dinner almost ready? I'm starving."

"It should be ready in twenty minutes. Go do your homework, or chill or hang, or whatever it is you teenagers do nowadays."

Sakura laughed as she walked out the kitchen and went upstairs to get her red, not to mention wet, backpack. Bringing it down with her to the living room, she sat with her legs up on the sofa and a notebook on her knees. 'Hmm, let's see. I have to write a full page essay for the question Ibiki wrote on the board on Monday. Shikamaru said that it's just coming up with an answer that we can argue through. Ok, let's see the question... Whoa! What is this!' Sakura reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Looking through her contacts, she found the number she was looking for.

"Hello?" answered the person on the other line.

"Hey Ino," replied Sakura, "It's me Sakura -"

"Hey Sakura!" exclaimed Ino. "What's up?"

"I have a question," said Sakura. "It's about Ibiki's Logic question he gave us for homework. It's different than the question he asked us yesterday." Sakura heard the girl on the other line start to laugh.

"You mean the question he asked you," said Ino, still giggling. "He only asked the question yesterday because he wanted to torture you – he did that in the beginning of classes too. But his classes are usually based on the questions he asks in our homework. What question did he give us again?"

Sakura pulled up her notebook and read out loud, "'Would your life be better or worse if you knew the day, time, and place that you were going to die? Make an argument for both, yes and no answers.'" Even though she didn't see her, Ino nodded on her side of the line.

"Yep, he usually gives questions like those. Just write an argument on both sides."

"But it seems more like a personal question," said Sakura. "There doesn't seem like much logic is involved at all."

"Because there's not," explained Ino. "It's just about what you think, and how well you can stand in your argument."

The pinkette took it all in before replying, "I see. Alright, thanks Ino."

"No problem," said Ino. "Call me if you need any more help." With that, Sakura ended the call and started tapping the end of her pencil on her notebook. 'I definitely wouldn't want to know when I would die' thought Sakura, 'I would be so paranoid about how it would happen, and even the smallest thing would scare me. And it would suck if the date turned out to be the day after I found out, or an hour later…but then again, what if it was years before it happened? I would try to do as much as I could before that day: do things that I have only dreamed of before I would die…Hmm…' After 15 minutes of writing down her thoughts, she heard her Baba calling out that dinner was ready. The pasta that her grandfather made was undoubtedly amazing! Sakura was definitely hungry, and the third serving of pasta proved it. When dinner was over, and all the dishes were clean, Baba joined his granddaughter in the living room as she continued with her homework. He put on a soft song that filled the room. It was, by far, the most relaxing thing Sakura had ever heard.

"What song is that Baba?" asked the pinkette, closing her eyes, and focusing on nothing but the music.

"'Slow Down' by Paul Collier," answered Baba, his eyes also closed. "Relaxing isn't it. It brings a sense of peace to me whenever I play it. Do you like it?" Sakura simply nodded her head. When the song was over, Baba went over to play another song; this time there were words and a tiny bit of country in it. "'For the Good times', Kris Kristofferson," said Baba before she could ask (A/N: You guys should listen to it. Not only does it fit with the mood of the story, but it's a really good song). As the song continued, Baba started swaying with the music, his eyes closed. Sakura watched silently as her grandfather danced by himself in the middle of the room. When it hit the chorus, Baba walked over to Sakura, lending out a hand. Sakura was at first confused, but then she put her notebook and pencil aside, and took her grandfather's hand. Baba pulled her to the middle of the living room, placing a hand on the middle of her back, and holding out her hand with the other. They danced quietly to the music; the only other sound was the distant rain.

Sakura rested her head on her Baba's shoulder, feeling a mixture of tranquility, serenity, and peace, fill her whole body. She had never heard this song before, but it immediately became one of her favorites, especially when she heard Baba singing under his breath. "…I'll get along; you'll find another," he sang, "And I'll be here if you should find you ever need me. Don't say a word about tomorrow or forever, there'll be time enough for sadness when you leave me…" Something about that verse brought tears to Sakura's eyes. She let go of Baba's hand and wrapped it around his round waist, hugging him tight. Baba placed his free hand on Sakura's head, running his fingers smoothly through her hair. When the song was nearing the end, Baba kissed her forehead and rested his chin on her head, a soft smile gracing his lips.

:)(:

Just to make it clear - Baba's character will be a very important subject for future chapters, and don't worry - Sasuke and Sakura's past will be revealed. I won't say when because that will just ruin the surprise ;) Anyway, that's Chapter 3! Review and let me know what you think, I'd appreciate it! Until next week! :D