A/N: So I had this idea that after I complete this story I'm going to publish a one-shot deal with most of Sakura's memories from during the war and up to the accident. Let me know what you guys think!

Disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies

Chapter 4

Ino had been smart in choosing to linger in the shadows, her keen eyes watching the couple. She watched as Sasuke and Sakura spoke about something- probably about Sakura going home to their house together, she guessed- and how Sakura looked extremely puzzled.

Sasuke continued to say something that caused Sakura to stiffen emerald eyes wide and Ino knew that she needed to intervene. She didn't quite make in time to catch Sakura as she fainted, but she didn't need to. Sasuke caught her easily.

"Sakura!" Ino called out running towards the two.

Having already sensed her presence, Sasuke was not taken by surprise. His focus rested solely in the woman in his arms. He gently lifted her in his arms, her body almost weightless. Her head lolled into the crook of his neck and Sasuke couldn't help feeling slightly comforted by this familiar gesture.

Ino ran up to him, her eyes on the pinkette shining with concern. "What happened? Why did she faint?"

Sasuke grunted once before saying, "Her parents."

"Oh," she said in realization. She probably should have scolded Sasuke for saying something as monumental as that to her friend, but Sakura would have to find out anyway. "Was she trying to convince you that she wanted to stay with her parents?"

He nodded.

She raised her hand and pushed pink bangs away. "This poor girl. She has to go through everything again."

XxXx

The feel of soft sheets was the first thing that computed in her clouded mind. The next was the warmth beside her. Sakura let out a hum of delight as she curled closer to the warmth.

The last thing that processed was the fact that this bundle of warmth was a person. She then realized that not only was she snuggled up close to this person, but whoever it was, had their arm around her shoulder, their fingers tangled in her hair.

Almost fearful of what she would see, Sakura opened one eye tentatively and was greeted by the sight of a toned bare chest. She looked up to see that Sasuke's sleeping face was turned towards her and was so close that if she craned her neck enough her lips would touch his. She let out a squeak at the thought and almost instinctively, proceeded to push Sasuke off bed.

He landed with a loud thump and a groan.

"What the hell," he growled rolling into a sitting position, his eyes glaring at his wife who was kneeling on the bed her eyes still wide. With his legs stretched forward, one arm holding him up, his other hand rubbed at his eye. He had just been rudely awakened from the most rest he had gotten in the past three weeks. Having his wife sleeping beside him put him at ease enough that he was actually able to get some sleep.

But no. Sakura had to be all antsy again. He scowled.

"What are you doing in my bed? And better yet, why the hell aren't you wearing a shirt?" She hissed. "You better not have been taking advantage of me!"

It seemed like Sakura's cold attitude had returned.

"I didn't do anything," his voice was hard.

She glared. "And where am I?"

"My house." Our house he had wanted to add.

Green eyes glazed over as she recalled her last few moments of consciousness.

"Sakura, your parents are dead."

She gasped her eyes beginning to glisten with her tears, "Is it true, then? Are they really gone?"

Sasuke's ill mood had immediately dissipated at her words, his stomach churning at the sight of her tears. All he ever seemed to do lately was make her cry or piss her off.

His lack of response was all the confirmation Sakura needed. She dropped her face into her hands, her sobs breaking through her chest.

On instinct, Sasuke pushed himself to his feet and sat beside the crying woman. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. She didn't fight his touch. One hand was rubbing comforting circles on her back while the fingers of his other hand tangled in her pink locks.

Sasuke shushed her gently. Sakura cried harder. He held her tighter.

It took her a few minutes to calm down enough to where she was only sniffling. Sasuke turned his head down and nuzzled the top of her head with his nose.

"How?" Despite her distress, Sakura was still overwhelmed by the masculine scent that Sasuke emitted. It made her feel dizzy.

Sasuke was torn. He could remember their death like it was yesterday. It was his entire fault. He couldn't save them.

They were nineteen years old and Sasuke was ready to ask Sakura to marry him, but before he could do that he needed to complete one more mission.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura had begun to use the suffix again, "I have a mission for you," she smiled. "Tsunade is actually letting me choose who to give this mission scroll to and I think you are the best candidate."

Naruto pouted. "Aw! Why does the bastard get to do it and not me?"

"Because," she slapped the back of his head, "I said so."

Sasuke was the only person that could roll his eyes without actually going through the action. "What's the mission?"

Sakura fished out a scroll from her pocket and tossed it at Sasuke. He caught it without pause. "You are going to escort a merchant couple to the Wave Country and back. You'll be leaving tomorrow the duration of the mission will last about a week."

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I don't get it, what's so important that Sasuke has to be picked for this. It's not like the two people are royals or anything. They're just merchants. They don't seem like anything special."

Sakura gave a sadistic grin to Naruto. "Those two people," she cracked her knuckles, the air around her turning sinister, "are my parents."

Naruto froze. "Oh, shit."

"You got that right."

The blond was in the hospital for the next three days.

It really was a simple escort mission. It went without trouble, but he couldn't say the same about the return trip.

Sasuke spent that whole week trying to bring up enough courage to say what needed to be said. Sakura's father, Haruno Kizashi, with his dull pink hair that vaguely resembled a cherry blossom, his sideburns, and angular mustache, was very carefree and smiled a smile that Sasuke had associated with Sakura.

Throughout the whole trip he would crack jokes only to be the only one laughing at them.

Sakura's mother, Haruno Mebuki, was the complete opposite and not what Sasuke expected at all. He expected her to be sweet and gentle, but she was more reserved and quiet. While Sakura had a soft face, Mebuki's was slightly harsh. She didn't smile as much as her husband and Sakura did. Her hair was short and blonde with the middle, and longest point, of her bangs falling between her green eyes. Sakura got her eyes from her mother.

"Kizashi," she scolded, in a similar manner that Sakura lectured Naruto, "would you stop that nonsense?"

The older man just laughed while nudging his elbow at Sasuke. "Do you see that, my boy? The married life isn't all that great."

Sasuke tensed at the word and Kizashi seemed to notice. His smile dropped and he stopped walking turning to fully face Sasuke.

Sasuke figured that if he was going to be scorned he might as well have a reason. Meeting the man eye to eye, he spoke with true sincerity.

"Haruno-san, I intend to ask Sakura to be my wife." Both blue and green eyes stared back at him, but he didn't falter.

"Huh," Kizashi finally said, "will you look at that, Mebuki-chan. The Uchiha boy is being completely upfront with us."

"Well at least he's being courteous and asking for our blessing," she crossed her arms, "Do you care for our daughter?"

Onyx eyes turned towards the woman. "Yes."

She closed her eyes and nodded once. Sasuke returned his gaze on Kizashi. This is the man he needed approval from.

Kizashi took Sasuke in while rubbing his chin. "Well I don't see anything ba-".

He never got the chance to finish his sentence when a kunai with an explosive tag attached stabbed the ground between them. Sasuke cursed barely having enough time to react. Quickly he summoned twin snakes to wrap around the tag just as it went off, but the repercussion was still strong enough to throw the three of them into the distance. Sasuke flipped to land on his feet in a crouching position, both Harunos landed more roughly.

Seeing that other than having the breath knocked out of them and bearing a few scratches, the two were fine, Sasuke activated his Sharingan scanning the trees around them for the enemy.

Sensing them easily, Sasuke flash stepped into the trees drawing his Kusanagi from its sheath.

This was his first mistake.

With the precision of a trained assassin, he slit the throat of one male ninja, twisted around and slammed the hilt end into the other's back, hitting the kidney to rupture it. He followed up by switching his grip on the blade and stabbing the man through his abdomen with a backward jerk.

Before the two even hit the ground, his body tensed when he picked out two other enemy ninja and they were too close to his charges. Sasuke jumped back and landed on the side of a tree trunk. He bent his knees and then pushed himself off the trunk with chakra, shooting himself through the foliage and towards the Harunos and his enemies.

Drawing out shuriken, he threw them in front of his foes making them halt in their attack.

The man, who seemed to be the leader of the group, acknowledged him, "Well if it isn't a Uchiha." He pulled his own katana out. "You're battle is with me." And then he lunged at Sasuke a battle cry on his lips.

Sasuke was quick to defend and counterattack, but his opponent seemed to have true skills as a swordsman. Their blades clashed right and left, swiping and jabbing, but neither seemed to budge. This had Sasuke concerned. This was taking too long.

This was his second mistake.

His opponent swiped at him from above with a sweeping motion. Sasuke flipped on his hands to avoid the attack, but when he replanted, his eyes were drawn towards the last ninja who was making his way to attack Kizashi who was still slightly dazed from the earlier attack.

Sasuke made to intercept the attacker, but was immediately cut off but a flurry of swift combinations from the other swordsman.

The last ninja pulled out his katana and made to stab at Kizashi. Blue eyes widened finally seeing the weapon.

"No!"

Blood splattered in Kizashi's face. He was frozen, but there was no wound. In front of him, knelt his wife, her arms spread out to protect her husband, her back to Kizashi.

"Mebuki!"

Blood dripped from her mouth. "You, foolish man," Mebuki said softly with a smile.

The katana wielder was unfazed as he pulled the blade out of Mebuki's torso. She let out a cry of pain. The enemy ninja swipe his blade to the side to rid the metal of her blood before swinging his right leg around, his leg making contact with the woman and sending her rolling across the ground. She didn't get up.

"Mebuki!" Kizashi struggled to get to his fallen wife, but was intercepted by the man who was lifting his blade to deliver the killing blow. Kizashi didn't care, his eyes remained trained on his wife. Oh, his beautiful wife!

Before the blade made contact, Sasuke appeared midair and his Kusanagi stabbed right through his throat and trachea. The trajectory motion continued and his blade stabbed into the ground, pinning the man that was currently choking on his own blood to the ground.

With all their enemies defeated, Sasuke ran towards Mebuki's unmoving body. He turned her body so that he could see her injury, he raised his hand over her wound, but the woman grabbed his before he could do anything. "Sasuke, look at me." Sasuke looked at fleeting green eyes. She gave him a small smile. "I'm happy to die protecting my love, but what I want you to promise me is," she gasped, short of breath before continuing, "that you will do the same for our little Sakura."

Sasuke's throat was dry, his heart was pounding. "Yes, I promise."

She closed her eyes. "Good." She breathed her last breath.

"No."

But before Sasuke could grieve further there was another explosion behind him. He leaned over Mebuki to shield her body from the blast. His eyes widened.

Kizashi!

He turned around to find the man, not at his previous spot, but sprawled a few feet away. Sasuke quickly ran to the other man. Kizashi began to cough up blood. Sasuke lifted his head so that he wouldn't choke. Using his basic knowledge of medical ninjutsu that Sakura taught all her teammates, Sasuke tried to heal whatever was wrong. He gritted his teeth to find that he couldn't figure it out. He didn't have enough knowledge to know what to do. Was he suffering from a punctured lung? Or was it his stomach? Blunt force trauma?

Despite his outward appearance of calm, Sasuke was panicking.

"Sasuke-kun, I trust you to take care of my parents. Promise me that you'll protect them."

That was what Sakura had told him right before she saw them off. And he had completely shattered that promise.

"Sasuke, my boy, don't worry," he struggled to speak, his breath short.

Stricken Sharingan eyes looked into blue eyes. "I want you to take care of my little girl," he wheezed, "I'm putting my trust in you. You have my blessing to marry her. Don't break her heart, or I'll haunt you," he gave a weak chuckle.

"Haruno-san," Sasuke didn't know what to do. He knew the tone of his voice. He had heard it from many people in his days. It was his dying wish. His last words.

"Don't worry about me," he turned his head towards the body of his unmoving wife, "My daughter is in good hands and my wife," despite his dying body, he smiled, but the smile was sad, "I'll see her soon."

With a shaking hand, he reached into his kimono shirt and lifted a cherry blossom pendant. A sharp tug was enough to pull the necklace off his neck. He urged Sasuke to open his hand. He complied without a thought. Placing the pendant in his palm, he forced Sasuke's hand to close over it. "Give this to my Sakura-chan."

Satisfied that he had said and done what he needed, Kazashi closed his eyes. They didn't open again.

Just as he did years ago, Sasuke struggled to retell the story that would break the pinkette's heart further.

Never in all his years did Sasuke make as many mistakes as he did that day. He knew he shouldn't have left the two unprotected. It was basic knowledge. Even a genin knew this. He knew he shouldn't have gone after the enemy, leaving his charges defenseless. He had been careless and stupid. His mistakes cost him and he had no one else to blame but himself.

But furthermore, it cost Sakura. Because of his mistakes her parents were dead.

Sasuke had been so careful with his words. He had been afraid that Sakura would leave him.

After years of trying to regain her trust, she had finally opened up to him and her feelings appearing, her heart on her sleeve, but this time it was reciprocated. He was afraid that when she found out what happened, she would return to her old self and resent him, that she would shun him, resent him, and condemn him to be alone forever. He was so damn afraid that she would refuse to marry him. He refrained from telling her Kazashi's last words.

Just as they had been then, they were still words that were exchanged between a concerned father and his future son-in-law.

"I," she sniffed while pushing Sasuke away, "I need to be alone." And instead of demanding him to leave, she stood from the bed and walked out. The sound of her retreating footsteps resounded in his ears. Sakura seemed to find her way easily because the sound of front door opening and closing resounded in the house.

Sasuke punched the mattress his eyes clenched shut. "Damn it!" Just as she had done years ago, she left him and closed herself off.

XxXx

Sasuke found her an hour later. She was at the cemetery. She stood before two graves that he was very familiar with. Her eyes were downcast tears falling along her cheeks. He kept his distance. Sakura needed this time. He needed to give her space to come into terms with everything. Sasuke struggled to keep his body in place when Sakura stumbled to her knees. He watched as she squeezed her eyes shut, her arms cradling a bouquet of pink carnations.

"Why are you getting those flowers?"

"Hm?" Sakura looked up as if he had just pulled her out of her thoughts.

He cleared his throat feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Why those flowers?"

"Oh, these? Carnations are a flower of mourning. Pink stands for remembrance." She gave him a sad smile. "I will never forget them."

She placed the bouquet between the two head stones. With Sasuke's trained ears he was able to hear her voice.

"I love you both. I don't know what was the last thing I said to you two, but," she sniffed, "I love you." She wiped at her eyes. "I'm married, you know?" she cracked a small smile and a short laugh, "I'm married right now and I don't even remember. I didn't even know you two were gone until just hours ago. I can't even remember anything."

She shook her head. "I love you both so so much."

"Sakura."

The pinkette sniffed once before acknowledging the new presence. "Kakashi-sensei, I haven't seen you all day."

"Yes, well I've been busy getting lost on-"

"-the road of life," Sakura finished for him.

After staring at the graves of her parents, she had a better understanding of that phrase.

"Does it ever get easier?"

"Hm?"

"Missing them. Moving on. Does it ever get easier?" she elaborated.

Kakashi let out a sigh as he looked at the orange tinged sky. The sun was setting. "Not really. It's more like..." he tried to find the right words, "learning to live without them."

"I see."

Silence ensued between them, and then, "How are you doing, Sakura?"

Sakura laughed without humor, "I don't even know anymore."

"Where is Sasuke?"

"I don't know. I can't stand to be around him. There's just too many conflicting emotions."

"Ah."

"I think he's annoyed with me. It wouldn't be a first, but then again, he probably doesn't care."

Kakashi chose not to reply, but he knew the young woman's words weren't true. He looked over his shoulder towards the tree off in the distance. He could make out Sasuke's form standing beside it. "I know you're going through a difficult time, but as your old teacher," Sakura's lips quirked up minutely, "I have to say that you just need some time. And think about it this way," he said as he turned to leave, "You managed once. What's stopping you from doing it again?"

Sakura's eyes widened as she turned towards the silver haired male. He gave a retreating wave and poof-ed.

The young woman returned towards the two small monuments. Those were words to think about. Maybe she was looking at everything in the wrong perspective.

"Sakura."

She didn't turn around easily recognizing the voice. "Did I hate you?" This question took him by surprise. "I mean, back then. Did I hate you when it happened?"

No, she hadn't. Or at least that's what she had told him, he never believed her, especially not now.

"No."

"Oh."

Suddenly he began to wonder if she might start. At least back then he had known that she loved him, but now he didn't know what to think. His worse fear was that she would blame him and spit at him for his carelessness. He was afraid that she would condemn him, never to love him again. He didn't think he would be able to handle that.

"I know what you're thinking," this broke his thoughts, his heart thumping in apprehension, "and I don't blame you."

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I think I should though." This made him tense. "But I don't." She raised her hand to her lips and then placed her finger tips along her mother's name. She repeated the action with her father's. Then she rose to her feet and turned to him, but did not meet his eyes. "Did you kill them? Their murderers?"

She had asked this of him before. "Yes," he said slowly anticipating her answer, not wanting to hear it.

"Good." She walked away. Sasuke stayed behind to pay his respects before heading towards the training grounds. Sakura needed this time alone.

XxXx

The walk towards the memorial stone was not an easy one. She walked by headstone after headstone of other fallen ninjas. There were so many. Most of them held names she had known, the ones she failed to save. She remembered all their last words to her.

"It's okay, Sakura-san."

"I don't want to die."

"There's nothing you can do."

"Just kill me."

"I'm scared."

Sakura finally found herself standing before the memorial monument. Green eyes skimmed over all the names. She fell to her knees, her arms hanging limply at her sides. A soft cry of pain left her lips as she leaned forward, her forehead hitting the stone ground. She didn't even wince. Fists clenched tightly.

"I'm so sorry!" she sobbed, "So sorry that I couldn't save all of you!" Her body began to tremble and shudder with all her grief.

XxXx

Sasuke was punching and kicking the wooden stump with built up frustration. His knuckles began to bleed and his shins bruised, but he did not stop. He let out a shout as he sent a particularly hard punch. There was a resounding crack, and then the structure shattered. He finally halted his attacks, his pants coming out harshly.

Just as Sakura was dealing with her grief again, Sasuke was dealing with his gut wrenching regret all over again.

XxXx

Uchiha Sasuke was not pleased.

She had kicked him out of their room.

Uchiha Sasuke was also worried. He knew she needed her space and he knew that he wasn't the best person for her to be around. She still looked at him with cool stares and always kept her distance. She had arrived at their home before him and was cooking dinner.

"I thought you'd be hungry," she had muttered without giving him a glance. He tried very hard not to notice the glaringly absent Uchiha emblem from her clothing.

Of course, rather than doing such a thing as a sign of affection, she was only doing this action as a sign of obligation.

After he had bathed and eaten, he went to help Sakura with cleaning the dishes, but his close proximity made her stiffen. In silent admission, he returned to his seat at the table.

This is when she made the request that made his jaw tighten. "I would like to sleep alone."

This is how he found himself, arms crossed and standing at the foot of the bed that resided in the spare room. He had never been kicked out of their room, but he had to concede to his wife's wishes.

Sasuke dug his hand in his pocket looking for the object he desired. When his fingertips brushed against it, he fished it out. Holding in front of his eyes, it was the cherry blossom necklace that Kizashi had given him. He had taken it from Sakura after she had gotten out of surgery for safe keeping. Next to her wedding band, this was the most important material item that she valued. He should return it to her, but almost chose not to when the memory of the first time he gave it to her crossed his mind. He lowered the pendant in his palm and closed his eyes. He had done all of this before, but why did it feel like it was all happening for the first time?

Sasuke turned and headed towards their room just as Sakura emerged from their kitchen. He stopped right outside their doorway. She gave him a cool curious glance before walking up to him, questions in her eyes.

"Sakura," he said softly.

His wife said nothing, only seemingly staring right into his soul.

Sasuke lowered his gaze as he went to grab her hand that rested at her side. Sakura flinched and made to step back, but Sasuke persisted, stepping forward and keeping the grip on her hand tight.

"Sasuke," Sakura admonished almost desperately.

He ignored her and lifted her hand up, forcing her to reveal her palm. Her eyes widened when he dropped the pendant in her grasp. She let out a shuddered breath before clenching her hand shut, over the item. She bit her lip and a small whimper left her form, her eyes now closed. Sasuke's hold on her hand grew gentle and grazed its way up her arm, over her shoulder to cup her cheek. He felt her tears slid along his skin.

"Sakura."

The pinkette abruptly pulled away and brushed passed him.

"Good night, Sasuke." And then she closed the door behind her, leaving Sasuke alone in their darkened hall. He ignored the way his heart squeezed at her dismissal.

With a tightened posture and a churning gut, Sasuke returned to the empty room. He tried to ignore the fact that his wife's scent was lacking from the room. He removed his shirt before crawling into bed. With his body face down and his face turned to the side he let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep.

XxXx

Sasuke woke up with a start. Shooting up into a sitting position, he automatically fished out the kunai that he had placed under his pillow hours earlier. With Sharingan eyes activated, he scanned the room for any danger. Seeing none, he closed them and used his chakra senses to try and detect any sign of the enemy. It was all clear. He deactivated his Sharingan and lowered his weapon. What had woken him?

"No! Don't!" The sound of Sakura's muffled scream sent him into motion. He sprinted to their bedroom down the hall and kicked open the door. Eyes darted around frantically only to land on Sakura who was writhing in the tangled sheets. She was still asleep.

"Please!" and she was talking in her sleep. She let out a whimper and Sasuke was by her side in an instant.

"Sakura."

"No," she moaned out, "Don't die on me."

Sasuke placed a gentle hand on her cheek remembering that Sakura, even before the accident, would have nightmares of her time during the war. He sat at her side with one hand stroking the wrinkles her forehead made with her distressed expression and the other holding her hand.

"Sakura," his voice was barely a whisper, "I'm here and it's okay."

Her face relaxed and Sasuke leaned down to kiss her forehead his hand moving to the back of her neck. This time she hummed in content a smile emerging. He kissed her again, but this time on her lips. It almost felt like years since he last kissed her. It was barely a brush of their lips, gentle almost fleeting.

"Sasuke-kun," she mumbled before turning on her side, her hand holding onto his with a tight grip her forehead now over the edge of the bed.

Sasuke smirked at her antics. With her grip he wouldn't be able to pull his arm away. His eyes were drawn to the reflective light on his ring finger. Sakura's finger was bare because before every mission they would both remove their rings so that it wouldn't interfere with any hand signs. He would have to give her ring back to her. His gaze softened. One day, when she accepted their marriage, when she accepted him, he would return it to her.

Instead he settled himself on the floor, his back against the bed. Just as he thought, Sakura didn't release his hand. It would be numb in the morning. He leaned his head back and turned it towards Sakura's face. He laid his head close enough that his forehead was against hers. His eyes took in her peaceful expression in. He continued to stare until he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

A/N: Daw! How cute! Sasuke's stealing kisses from Sakura when she's sleeping!

While reading up more on Sasuke's character I found out that he wasn't entirely respectful to his superiors, meaning he never add the proper suffix such as –sama, -san, and –sensei, but I would think that he would respect Sakura's parents enough to refer to them with said respect.

Note: And before anyone of you guys get on me for Sasuke's mistakes. Stop. Don't even go there.

I'm aware that Sasuke is a badass ninja and this would never had happened to him, but I tried very hard to steer away from this chain of events. I couldn't. I thought some more and I would like to say that while Sasuke is a strong, inexplicably strong, he is, first and foremost, cocky and arrogant. He would only use his full strength if he knew that his opponent was strong. Sasuke could easily underestimate someone. He hadn't expected to be attacked and by skilled ninjas by no less.

And this is my point, I will stand by it.

Anyway,

Review please! I appreciate it!