As long as I want it to, this story will live. Oh, and keep reviewing my story as much as you can. See you readers later. Eternal love, Emma Karazuki.

Escaping the Past

Sakura woke up when someone knocked at her bedroom door. Thinking it was Jun, she fell back asleep.

"Sakura! God Haruno wake up!" Someone urgently shook sakura awake. The blind girl opened her eyes, but she, of course, didn't see anything.

"Sakura, it's Sasuke. Get dressed. I'll be back in 10 minutes. You better be ready or I will drag you outside naked."

When Sasuke left, sakura brushed her hair and teeth and took a shower. After she wrapped a towel around herself, sakura realized that she had left her clothes in her room. 'Oh lord.' Sakura thought.

Sasuke sighed as he sat on sakura's bed. How long did it take for her to get ready? The door opened. Looking up, Sasuke's eyes popped out of their sockets.

Sakura stood there, dripping wet, in only a towel. Under his breath, Sasuke whistled. She looked wonderful. The only thing standing in his way was a towel.

Sasuke's face flamed up when he realized that she was only wearing a towel.

Sakura was in the doorway, shocked to find Sasuke sitting on her bed. He saw her in a towel, how embarrassing. Well, she had a favor to ask him anyway.

"Sasuke, you're not staring at me are you?

"N-no sakura, I was just wondering why y-you w-were in a t-towel."

Sakura started fiddling with her fingers. "Umm, Sasuke, since Jun is out of town. Can you help me get dressed? I mean, I really need help because I cannot see what shirt I pick out."

Sasuke's heart was thumping uncontrollably. Sakura wanted him to help her get dressed?

"Sure sakura. You stay right there." Sasuke went to her closet and picked out a simple, yet cute, outfit and threw it to her. "Go put it on. Come and find me when you are done."

The pink-haired girl was wearing a black shirt with a big, blue butterfly in the middle; a black mini skirt, long black boots, and blue hair barrettes. It was very simple, just like sakura.

"You look perfect, so let's go." He picked up his car keys and dragged her to the car.

Sakura was playing with her hair, wondering where Sasuke was taking her. She wondered why he was so eager to get there.

"Ok sakura, we are here. I wanted you to meet my family and have lunch with us." He took her hand and opened his front door. "Mom, dad, Itachi! Come and meet somebody!"

Itachi poked his head out of the living room. "Mom and dad are already in the kitchen. Let's go join them."

Apparently, Itachi hadn't seen sakura. She was hiding behind Sasuke's back.

Sasuke and sakura walked into the kitchen. His family looked at sakura and his mom started to speak. "Sasuke, who's this?"

"Mom, dad, Itachi, this is my friend sakura. I invited her to come eat lunch with us."

Sakura sat next to Sasuke and ate the food that was offered to her. "So, sakura, honey, how are you?" Sasuke's mother inquired.

"I'm fine. How are you Mrs. Uchiha?"

Mikoto squealed. "Ooh, she has manners. I love her already." She watched sakura eat her food. "Darling, you don't seem to be picking up your food. Are you ok? Do you not like the food?"

Sakura put her fork down. "Oh no, Mrs. Uchiha, the food is fantastic. It's just, I am blind, and therefore, I cannot see the food in front of me."

Mikoto gasped. "You poor child. How awful. No wonder your eyes look so lifeless. Do your parents know that you are here?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure they couldn't do anything about it."

"Sakura, what is their number? I will give them a call."

"I'm sorry but I can't give it to you."

Sasuke stopped eating. "Why not?"

"They won't answer."

Mikoto pulled out a phone. "Dear, why can't you give me their number?"

"Because they don't have a phone."

Sasuke looked at her and Itachi stopped eating. "Why not sakura?"

Tears came to her dead eyes. "Because, because they died."

A silence followed her words. "Please excuse me." Sakura got up and ran out of the room and into the backyard.

Itachi glared at Sasuke and his mother. "Great, you made her cry. You people are so nosy that it's pathetic." Itachi went to his bedroom.

Fugaku went upstairs too, leaving Mikoto and her son.

Sasuke looked at where she used to sit. "I…I never knew about her family. I wonder how they died."

Mikoto cleaned off the table. "Now Sasuke, don't go bothering that poor girl. We made her cry enough already."

"I know. I'm still going to go talk to her." He got up and went to his backyard.

"Sakura! Sakura please. We didn't mean it. Don't hide, I just want to talk." Sasuke searched his backyard for her but she was no where in sight.

Sasuke saw a flash of pink running, and he chased it down the street. "Sakura, please slow down. I only want to talk."

Sakura ran and ran. She bumped into somebody. "I'm sorry. I should watch where I'm going but I can't."

The person grabbed her hands. "Sakura, its jun. why are you crying?"

Sasuke came running up. "Sakura, I'm sorry. Please, don't leave."

Jun pulled sakura towards him. "Uchiha! You made her cry, didn't you? I thought I told you to leave her alone. You are no friend of hers. And I don't want to see you anywhere near her ever again."

"Jun, I didn't mean it. It was an accident. I just asked but I didn't mean to make her cry. I only wanted to know about her parents."

Jun was enraged. "Never ask her about her parents. You should have known that she was sensitive about them. How heartless can you get?"

He pulled sakura away from Sasuke. "You're dead meat the next time I see you within 20 feet of her."

He left Sasuke, who was standing on the sidewalk. Just what happened to sakura's parents?

Jun took sakura home and he was sitting on her couch, rocking her in his lap. After a while, sakura stopped crying. "Thank you jun. I should have never gone with Sasuke. But I feel terrible for leaving like that."

"Sakura, listen to me. That Uchiha is bad news. I told you that but you didn't listen to me. Now he made you cry and I just don't think you should go near him anymore. He only brings trouble, trust me."

"Ok jun. but I'm tired now. Can you spend the night over here? I want some company."

"Sure sakura. Let me go and get my stuff and I'll come right back."

At school on Monday, Sasuke sat next to his friends. Neji looked at him. "Whoa Sasuke, what happened to you? If I didn't know any better, I would say that you look a little depressed."

Shikamaru put his book down. "Sasuke, tell us what happened."

Sasuke sighed. "I…I invited Haruno over for lunch on Saturday. My mom and I… we asked her some things. And you know my mom, she's really nosy. But I was really curious too. And when she told us, she started crying. Then she ran away, but I tried to bring her back. And then, we ran into Jun, and he told me to stay away from her. And now sakura won't even talk to me."

Naruto whistled. "Damn Sasuke, you're an idiot, believe it. I can't believe you hurt sakura-Chan like that. She must think you're and asshole."

Sasuke buried his face in his arms. "I know. I feel terrible. But I'm not allowed within 20 feet of her so I can't apologize. Even if I did, she wouldn't listen."

"Well, she just came through the door. Go talk to her."

Sure enough, sakura came through the door, looking as stunning as usual. She was wearing a black shirt with a big, glittery, red heart in the middle, a black mini skirt, long black boots, and a red hair ribbon. Her hair was nicely done and her skin was shining. All in all, she looked wonderful.

"Wow, she looks marvelous." Sasuke mumbled. "But I can't come near her."

Neji stopped working. "And just why not?"

"That's why?"

Jun came up behind sakura, looking as cool as usual. Sasuke would never admit it, but Jun intimidated him. Something told Sasuke that Jun was bad news. He wondered why sakura trusted him so much.

Shikamaru looked at jun. "you know Sasuke, Jun isn't all that bad. He just really wants to protect sakura from people like you. No offense. Just give them some time, they will come around."

Their teacher walked in and sat her books down on her desk. "Good morning students. I have a special announcement. Two of them actually. The first one is that the entire school is taking a field trip to the beach." She paused as the class cheered. "We will have to stay in beach houses for about a week. The second one is a school project. I am going to partner each one of you up with someone else, and the team will have to come up with a presentation for class. You have one week. Now, to pair some people up."

She pulled out a list. "Neji and Ino, Shikamaru and Tenten, Sasuke and sakura."

"No!" Came a shout. Jun was protesting about sakura and Sasuke working together.

"Why not Jun?" their teacher asked over her glasses.

"I forbid it. That Uchiha is a fool and will destroy the life I have worked so hard for sakura to get. She will never pair up with him. She is going to be partnered with me. Do you have any questions?"

"I will only allow this if sakura agrees to it. Sakura, who do you want to work with?"

Sasuke stared at sakura. If he got to work with her, he would have a chance to apologize. She just had to pick him.

Sakura pushed her hair behind her ear. "Umm, I … I pick… I want to be partners with Jun."

"Very well sakura. Sasuke, you will be partnered up with Hinata. Naruto, you will be with Lee." The teacher partnered up everyone else, but Sasuke hardly listened.

He couldn't believe that sakura would pick Jun over him. As tough as this may be for him to figure out, sakura and Jun were too close to be just friends. They might become…more…if they wanted to. They were probably already dating.

During free period, Sasuke wandered around outside. Jun didn't have free period right now, so he was searching for sakura.

After spotting her near a lake, Sasuke sat next to her. "Sakura…I'm here to talk to you."

After hearing his voice, sakura scrambled away from him. "Sasuke…what are you doing here?"

"Sakura, please don't leave. I am here to apologize for what happened. We were only curious, so please…"

"Stop it Sasuke." She stood up, shaking with…anger, or was it fear? Sasuke couldn't tell. "Go away from me."

He reached out to her and she stepped back and fell into the pond with a splash.

"Sakura!" Sasuke dived in after her. Underwater, he saw her pink hair. Grabbing her, he pulled both of them on to the shore. "Are you ok sakura?"

"Sasuke, why did you let me fall? I… how could you?" she stood up and backed away from him.

"Sakura, I was only trying to help you. Don't be mad."

"Sakura!" Jun came running towards them. He looked at sakura's soaked body. "Uchiha, you threw her into the river. I'll kill you."

Jun lunged for Sasuke and the two rolled back into the water. After they had climbed out, Sasuke slammed Jun's head into a tree. Blood started trickling down his forehead and sakura felt her tears forming. She could hear that they were fighting each other.

Jun punched Sasuke in his mouth and in his stomach. Sasuke jumped back on him and a flurry of kicks and punches were given and received.

"Stop, please!" both boys stopped what they were doing and looked at the blind girl. She had waterfalls of tears coming down her face, she was soaked, and she was dirty. The girl looked like she was just in a hurricane or something. "Please, don't fight each other. I … I'm sorry. Jun, don't hurt Sasuke. Please, I just want to go home. Please."

Jun got off of Sasuke and ran towards sakura. "Sure sakura, let's take you home."

They walked away, leaving Sasuke all alone.

XXXXXX

Mikoto sighed in relief and satisfaction. She had just finished cleaning her entire mansion. "I am so tired. All I want now is a cup of tea."

She enjoyed the peace, that is, until Itachi came home. He brought a party with him. "Hey mom, the house looks great. Is the little rodent home yet?"

Mikoto shook her head, knowing that he was referring to Sasuke.

"Oh, well, see you guys later." He closed the front door and took off his shoes. "How are you today? Oh, let me go make you some tea." Itachi raced into the kitchen.

Mikoto had to admit, whenever Sasuke wasn't around, Itachi acted like the perfect child. Although she would never say this out loud, Sasuke was her favorite son. Itachi was his fathers' favorite. Speaking of Sasuke, she wondered where he was. She was sure that he was supposed to be him by now. What could be keeping him?

Someone knocked on the door and Mikoto groaned. "Itachi, can you please get the door?"

She heard footsteps and the door open. "Mom, come and see this." Itachi called to her.

Sasuke was in the doorway/ he was bloody, bruised, muddy, and soaking wet. He also looked miserable.

"My poor baby, what happened?" Mikoto tried cuddling him, but Sasuke pushed her away. "Leave me alone mom. I have to go clean myself up." He walked up the stairs, leaving a trail of mud behind him. "Aww, my floors are ruined." Mikoto complained.

In Sasuke's bathroom, he was soaking himself in the tub. He felt so sore. "Oh, sakura, ever since you came, I have been so stupid. I get everyone hurt including myself. Maybe people would be better off if I left you alone."

He got dressed and went into his bedroom. Shikamaru, Neji, and naruto were sitting on his bed. Together, the four cleaned all of Sasuke's cuts and bruises.

Neji cleaned off the cuts on his lips. "Damn Sasuke, jun got you good. These things are serious."

Shikamaru sighed. "Poor sakura. It must be hard to be caught in the middle of these things. By the way Sasuke, just what did you ask her to make her sad?"

"I asked her what had happened to her parents. Nothing big."

Neji stopped cleaning. "Sasuke, the memories that she has of her parents are worse than hell, you know that right? No wonder she was so upset."

"Neji, you know about what happened with her parents?"

Neji nodded. "My parents were close friends with the Harunos'. I was devastated when I learned what had happened to them, but I didn't know that the daughter survived it."

Shikamaru stopped working. "Neji, think Sasuke wants to know. Why don't you tell all of us the story?"

"Ok, but you guys listen closely. This is the side of the story that I was told."

(Back flash)

11-year-old sakura had just come home from school. "Mom, dad! I'm here! Guess what happened today?" she threw her book bag on the floor and started searching her mansion. "Mom, dad? Where are you guys?"

She opened the door and heard her mothers' voice. "Please, just leave us in peace. We don't want to harm anyone."

Sakura walked into the room her parents were in. two strange guys where with her parents. "Mom, dad? What's going on? Who are these people?"

One of the men turned around. "Oh, you didn't say that you had a daughter."

"Please don't hurt her. It's us you want. She hasn't done anything wrong."

"That doesn't matter anymore. You're all going to die." He pulled out a gun and so did the other man.

To sakura's horror, he shot her mother and father 3 times. "No!" sakura screamed.

"Too bad. Let's go, the bomb is about to go off." The men jumped out the window and sakura ran to her parents.

"Sakura honey, run please. Don't die in the explosion. I love you."

The bomb went off and the entire house was engulfed in flames and ashes.

(End Back Flash)

"And that's what happened. I don't know how sakura survived that explosion. Now you know why she hates people talking about her parents. It's a hard life for her."

Sasuke stood up. "Can we pay a visit to sakura's house? I mean all of us. Maybe she will tell us what happened to her after that."

The boys' agreed and they all walked to sakura's house. "Who's going to knock on the door?"

Naruto knocked and sakura opened the door. "Sakura-Chan, we came to visit you. How are you?"

She giggled. "I'm fine naruto, but who's we? Oh wait, don't tell me. I'll figure it out."

She stepped up to Shikamaru and felt his face. "You are Shikamaru." She felt Neji's face. "Neji." When she felt Sasuke's face, she back away. "Sasuke, go away from me."

"Sakura, it's ok. We're just here to ask you something. Don't worry, Sasuke wont touch you." Neji assured her.

"Well, ok. Come on in." she let them sit in her living room.

"Ok, sakura, we want to know about your parents."

"b-but why? It's old news. They're dead."

Sasuke leaned forward. "Sakura, we all want to know how you survived that big explosion. It doesn't make any sense."

"It's not really that significant. I thought that I was going to die too."

"Oh, sakura, before you start the story, I need to apologize to you." Neji looked at his hands. "When you first came to the school, I was really mean towards you. I feel awful about that. So, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. Can I make it up to you?"

"Umm, ok. Come sit in front of me. While I tell the story, I want you to let me braid your hair. Then you don't have to pay me back. Deal?"

"deal." Neji sat in front of her and she took some of his hair. "Ok sakura, start the story."

"Ok this is how it really happened."

(Back Flash)

11-year-old sakura bent over her dead parents. "Mommy, I'm going to die with you guys." She curled up in a ball and sat beside her parents.

Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy was walking by the house just in time to here 6 gun shots and a scream. Racing inside, the young boy saw pools of blood. In the middle of the blood, there lay 2 bodies. From the looks of it, they were dead. Lying next to them was a body of a little girl. She was still breathing and the boy picked her up. Then, he heard the ticking of the bomb. "shit." He swore. There was only one thing to do.

Grabbing the girls' body closer to him, he dived out the window. The house burst into flames behind them. The boy used his body to cover the girl. When they landed, he laid her on the ground. Her eyes were covered in burnt pieces of the house.

Quickly, he rushed her to the hospital. After and hour, the doctor called him in. "son, who is this girl to you?"

"Umm…she…well, uh…She's my…friend! Yeah, she's my best friend. Is she hurt badly?"

The doctor leaned back in his chair. "There is an issue. She was burned with the embers. They got into her eyes, therefore blinding her. So, I'm afraid she will no longer be able to see."

"Sir, can I go see her?" the doctor nodded and the boy walked into the little girls' room. "Hi."

The girl sat up and looked around the room. "Why is everything so dark?"

"Umm, you are blind. Do you want me to go get your parents?"

She looked at her hands. "They are dead. How am I still alive? I thought I had died with them."

"I saved you. My name is Jun. jun Yoshitami. Who are you?"

"Well, my name is sakura Haruno. Why did you save me jun?"

Jun scratched the back of his head. "Nothing really important. I just heard guns and some screaming and I came to your rescue."

"Jun, I don't know what to do. My parents are dead; I don't have anymore family, and I'm blind. No one will take care of me."

Jun grabbed her hand and held it in his. "Sakura, look at me, or at least in my direction. You can live with me darling. I also have no family, so I can take care of you. Trust me, I am filthy rich. Besides, you're pretty cute. Maybe I will make you my girlfriend when you grow up."

(End Back Flash)

"So, from then on, I was under Jun's care. He defended me, supported me, and even protected me. I owe Jun so much, but I know that he only does it because he cares for me. He once told me that I was the best friend he never had. Jun is someone special to me, and a great guy. I never would have made it this far without him."

The boys had taken the story hard. Naruto was crying, Shikamaru was wiping his eyes, Neji looked miserable, and Sasuke looked like his family had just been murdered.

Someone knocked not eh front door and Sasuke went to open it.

Jun looked at Sasuke and then grabbed his neck, choking him. "What the hell are you doing here Uchiha? Do you want to die?"

Neji, Shikamaru, naruto, and sakura ran to him. "Let him go, he was just here with his friends. I let him in." sakura argued.

Jun let go of Sasuke's neck and ran upstairs to his room.

Sakura looked at them. "I forgot to tell you. Jun moved in with me yesterday."

Shikamaru looked at the stairs. "Someone should go talk to jun. I'll be that someone. Be back in a few minutes." He climbed the stairs and knocked on Jun's bedroom door.

After 5 knocks, Shikamaru opened the door. Jun was sitting on is bed. "Jun, sakura wants you to come downstairs."

Jun and Shikamaru went downstairs. Sakura was hugging Sasuke, and naruto and Neji left. After seeing sakura, Jun ran back upstairs and shut his door.

Sasuke let go of sakura. "Maybe I should take sakura somewhere so Shikamaru can talk to Jun."

Shikamaru nodded and went back upstairs. Jun had locked his bedroom door. "Jun, open up. I want to talk to you." When no one answered, he called out again. "Jun, please open the door."

Shikamaru pulled out a knife and unlocked the door. Jun was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. "Jun, tell me what's wrong."

Jun shook his head and sat up. "The Uchiha, he's ruining me. I was always the only person sakura ever trusted, I was special to her. But now, she's getting really close to the Uchiha, and I feel forgotten. I mean, I want her to have friends, but I feel like he's trying to replace me. I didn't want her to leave me."

"So, when did you realize that you were in love with her? I mean, you talk like you love her."

"The truth is, I do love her. Ever since I took her with me, I felt a connection with her. We help each other and I really like her. I don't know what I would do if she left me. And because of the Uchiha, I'm afraid that I might be losing her. I can't deal with that."

Shikamaru sighed. "Why don't you tell her how you feel about her?"

"I want her eyesight to come back first. That way, she will know how I really look. I'm just glad that we will be leaving next week."

"Yeah, well, I'm going to go home now. I hope you feel better." Shika left and Jun went downstairs. He saw sakura and Sasuke talking quietly.

"Sakura, let's go pack."

Sasuke looked from sakura to jun. "pack? Where are you going?"

The blind girl smiled at him. "Oh, we're leaving to another country."

"Leaving? What do you mean leaving?"

The chapter is over. Wait for the next one. Later suckas! Love, Emma Karazuki.