Haruno Sakura sat in the cold stone bench as the sun had shed it last rays of light upon the Leaf Village.

She sat there for hours into the night. It was the same place, same time. She couldn't believe it happened five years ago. Five years since…

Sakura buried her face in her hands, "…Sasuke-kun!" Her voice was muffled through her hands.

Flashback:

"You really are annoying,"

Tears ran down her cheeks, "If you leave I'll scream!" She cried out.

Sasuke appeared behind her, "Thank you, Sakura."

The last thing she remembered was whispering his name as a soft darkness engulfed her.

End of Flashback.

And here she was, sitting there in the same spot years later. It had become a sad holiday for her to come here every year reminiscing.

The feeling of cold rejection wandered back into her heart.

It started to rain. Droplets slid down her cheeks and through her fingers. The cool rain calmed her nerves. She raised her head a bit and asked herself aloud, "Why Sasuke-kun? Why did you leave me for revenge?"

Nothing but the rain answered. Then a quiet weary voice sounded through the rain, "Because I couldn't forward in life with a good conscience knowing that man was still alive. That I had let him live."

Every hair on Sakura's body rose. She lifted her head and looked on the direction she heard the voice from. His voice was deeper now and he almost sounded like a who different person.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura stammered afraid to believe it. Praying it wasn't her imagination playing with her again.

He stood a few yards away from her now. He wore his Sound Village outfit which was now soaking wet and caked with mud and old blood.

Sasuke looked at his old teammate through his already blurred vision. The only way he knew it was Sakura was he pink hair that stood out through the dark downpour that night. H held his sword weakly then let it fall from his grasp; it clanked loudly on the pavement.

Sakura barely breathed as she watched him. His black eyes were blank and empty as if he wasn't really there, but somewhere else in the depths of his mind. His legs buckled underneath him in exhaustion.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura whispered.

Almost shyly, she stood up on her uneasy legs. She walked cautiously towards him. Sakura's breath caught in her throat the closer she got to him. Sasuke was no longer a boy, but a man. His face was less boyish and now had, even in this state, a proud look. His hair was a bit shorter and maybe a bit spikier.

Sasuke's eyes watched her every move as she came towards him. Too exhausted to stay up any longer he closed his ebony black eyes and let himself fall to the ground.

Sasuke-kun!

She ran forward and caught his unconscious body in her arms before it fell to the hard ground. Sakura lay his head in her lap and shielded his face from the rain with her body. She brushed his raven blue bangs away from his face and looked at him. Sasuke's brows were somewhat furrowed and his lips were bent in a small frown.

She saw his partially exposed chest rise and fall with each breath he took. Sakura felt around his neck and sighed.

It's still there.

With Tsunade's training Sakura focused her charka and was able to easily carry him back to her home. When she arrived at her apartment she laid him on her bed and stripped him of his wet clothes, but leaving his pants on.

Sakura covered him with her blankets to keep him warm. She pulled a chair up next to the edge of her bed and sat down to watch over him.

She was numb with shock. Finally after she let go of him and tried moving on with her life, he suddenly decided to reappear again. She wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing for her. Sakura was afraid of his cold treatment and harsh words; to reopen scab that were still healing.

Later in the night Sasuke broke into a cold sweat. Sakura checked his forehead. It burned to the touch.

"He has a high fever. I'd better get some cold wash cloths." She murmured to herself.

Sakura folded the wet cloth and put it on his forehead. He stirred slightly as the cool rag touched him. Sakura sat there all night rarely getting up except to use the restroom or get more cold rags. She couldn't let his fever get out of control. She was also afraid that it was all a dream and if she fell asleep he would be gone again.

Sakura thought back five years ago to when she had become a Genin, back to the Forest of Death when she had tended to both Naruto and Sasuke who were both injured with fevers.

She was brought back to the present as dawn's warm fingers touched her worn face. Sakura got up and left the room to change the cold water. When she came back Sasuke's half-lidded stare was upon her. She avoided his gaze and set the water on her nightstand. She sat on the chair saying nothing.

What could she say?

Then she took the cloth off his forehead and felt it, "You're fever had barley gone down. Do you have any open wounds?" She asked quietly.

Sasuke stared at her then said, "On my leg." He kept his unreadable gaze on her.

Sakura kept her eyes lowered but felt his eyes piecing through her,

"I need to see it." She said as calmly as she could.

Sasuke struggled to sit up and Sakura wordlessly propped pillows up behind him. He took out a kunai and cut of his right pant leg up to midthigh. Sakura's emotion never changed. She remained emotionless; she'd had worse cases than this before.

A deep gash was torn into his thigh almost showing bone. Unfortunately, it had become infected.

Sakura stood up and left the room. A few moments later she came back with hot water, rags and towels. She dipped a rag in the hot water and began draining the wound. Sasuke visibly clenched his teeth together, but showed no other sign of pain.

When the wound was clean she did some hand signs and green charka glowed around her hands. Sakura held them above his leg and he watched as the muscles and skin began repairing themselves.

Tears silently coursed down her face, but she made no attempt to wipe them away. She couldn't break her concentration. When she finished healing the large gash she cleaned up the rag mess and sat down; eyes lowered.

Sasuke, I didn't think you would ever really come back! Back to Konoha, back to me. Even the villagers said you wouldn't return. I had to force myself to forget about you, but I never could. It was like you were a part of me. I could never stop loving you after all of these years!

All at once Sakura felt the hours of sleeplessness creep up on her and her vision suddenly blotted out. She allowed sleep to take over her tired body and she swooned slightly. Sakura felt something slowly pull her forward and her cheek lay upon something warm. The last thing she heard before she fell into a deep sleep was, thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.