Sorry for late and short chapter. :P None of it was AuroraeCanta's fault. Just mine. Please review and follow!^^ Sorry for any errors too. ~TheWolf-RabbitDoubt

Chapter 4: Sasuke's Confession...?

'Why so tense at such a question...?' she thought, arching an eyebrow. Sakura remained curious, the Uchiha still refusing to meet with her gaze. His grip on the yellow cushions only tightened as she continued to tend to his wounds, touching a sore spot underneath his left arm. She tried her best to ignore the sudden awkward silence between them, beginning to lightly hum to herself. When the rag she was currently using became filled with blood, she left the room to get more cloths, soaking the fresh fabrics into warm water after retrieving them.

When she was done washing his injuries and healing them with chakra, she began to dry his upper torso off with the towels. The Uchiha patiently waited for her to be finished, studying her closely while she stroked his tough skin, his eyes becoming mesmorized by the way her small hands caressed his biceps and other hard muscles. He inhaled deeply at one point, her sweet smell consuming his nostrils when she got closer to him than necessary to dab some dried blood off of his face. She smelled of cherry blossoms.

The girl tentatively paused when she realized the male was intensely staring at her, making her heart skip a beat. Why was he looking at her in such a way? She was astonished to see the man suddenly grab her by the wrist, preventing her from moving. He was now looking at her directly in the eyes. She found herself in a trance, lost in those onyx eyes of his.

"Sakura." he muttered. "I... have something I need to tell you." He waited for a moments, seeing if she'd have something to say. She slowly nodded her head instead, gesturing for him to proceed on. He was silent for another minute. "The reason why I came back here is... is because..." He abruptly groaned, trailing off. He slammed his fist against the back of the couch.

"Dammit! I thought I had this!" he yelled in frustration. Sakura looked at him, worry evident on her features. "It's OK, Sasuke. Whatever it is, I can wait on it. You don't have to tell me right now if you don't want to." Sasuke glanced at the kunoichi, his teeth clenching together. "But I do want to tell you! I want you to know! No - you have to know. I-I just don't know how, I suppose..." he said.

Sasuke exhaled, displeased with himself. All of those days spent talking to himself in the mirror wasted. Sakura looked at him with concerned eyes. "Sasuke, you can tell me anything. I promise to never hurt you nor let allow anyone else." she soothingly said, placing a right hand on top of his own, gently rubbing the limbs together. Sasuke closed his eyes tightly, liking the warm sensational feeling evoked from her touch. She made him feel so calm and...loved. He knew that he could tell her now.

"Sakura?" he began.

"Hm?"

"Do you remember what you said to me?" he asked her. She cocked her head to the side. "What are you referring to Sasuke?"

"The words you spoke to me on the night I left Konoha." he answered. He became anxious when he heard her sigh. Did she not remember?

"Yes, I do. It was the night that I confessed to you...the same night you rejected my feelings." She faintly smiled. "But it's alright, Sasuke. I now understand that you don't reciprocate my feelings. I don't wish to annoy you anymore with my childish ways." She patted his hand before trying to leave the couch, Sasuke's grip though still holding her in place.

"You told me that you would be just as lonely as me if I were to leave. You said you loved me with all your heart. Sakura, did you really mean those things?" His eyebrows narrowed, a focused look on his face. Sakura stared, stunned at him. "Of course! I would've never said them if I hadn't meant it. But Sasuke why do you want to know?" She had already figured out the answer. She needed to hear him say it.

He huffed. "Sakura, the hugest mistake I've ever made in my life wasn't just leaving Konoha. It was leaving you."

"What do you mean?" she pressured.

Sasuke fidgeted, his nervousness increasing. He decided to be blunt. "I like you, Sakura." A pang of pain stabbed through the girl's heart. He only liked her? Not love? As if reading her mind, he murmured, "I would be lying if I said I loved you. We haven't seen each other in years and I know you probably hate me now. I abandoned you all for revenge and power, two things not nearly as great as friendship and love. And I'm sorry. But if you could just give me another chance..." He stopped talking, trying to search for more words.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Sakura's front door stood a shocked and aggravated blonde, his fists balled at his sides. So teme was back? His happiness was boiled out by the jealously abruptly coursing throughout his body. He stepped away from the door, dropping the pink roses on the ground. It was becoming harder for him to not burst through the door and beat down the already injured Sasuke. He groaned. What on Earth was he going to do? Sakura would be back in love with Sasuke for sure! He kicked a rock near him, trudging through the dark streets of Konoha.

Hinata's eyes locked with her teacher's, the shy female blushing. The eyes were so beautiful with their aqua green color. Dark rings surrounded the male's eyes, fitting him perfectly. The word "love" was a red tattoo on his pale forehead. Seeing the word brought an unfamiliar feeling to her heart about her sensei, causing her to smile warmly. But what surprised Hinata the most was who her mysterious person turned out to be. She stretched out a hand, urging for him to take it. "H-hello Gaara-kun."