A/N: Sorry I skipped a week! As you know, I'm in college and our semester is quickly coming to an end so I'm rather pressed for time as we get closer to the holidays! Speaking of, for those of you who celebrate it, Happy Early Thanksgiving! As far as this chapter goes, I'm typing this up off the top my head so I hope you enjoy. As always, I love hearing from you, just a quick comment about how you like the story or how you'd like to see something happen really motivates me! 3 Tsu

Everything was going great. Sasuke was actually talking to Sai, Naruto wasn't being a complete idiot, and Kakashi and Sakura were having meaningful conversation. He just had to ruin it, didn't he?! The moment he opened his mouth and his confession escaped, she was certain the world had stopped. LEAVE?! He had just gotten back, they were all finally finding a sense of normalcy in the world. How could he? How dare he?!

Apparently the world hadn't stopped, Sakura had just blacked out, although still seated upright.

"Saku…Sakur…. Sakura-chan!" Naruto belted. She jumped slightly in response, finally blinking. She didn't know how long she'd been staring off into space but her eyes were wide open and dry. She realized her eyes stung a little and nonchalantly wiped under her right eye at an angle with her index finger.

Sakura looked at Naruto, she wore an expression of shock, one eyebrow slightly higher than the other.

"Hai, Naruto?" She replied, practically screaming mentally that he'd tell her she just spaced out and Sasuke hadn't just admitted he was leaving.

"You, uh, okay? D'ja catch anything Teme said?" He asked, looking mildly concerned for his best friend.

Sakura' s mouth gaped a little, she thought about his question then averted her gaze to Kakashi and Sai, who were looking at her with expressions of concern and confusion themselves. Had Sasuke said more? How much had she missed? She took a silent gulp of air, trying to speak with control.

"I… I guess not. I thought all he said was," she looked at Sasuke who was blankly staring at her, "I thought all you said was you were leaving," she stated. Her eyebrows had relaxed, she making the conscious effort to not give herself away.

He studied a little longer, right when he opened his mouth to speak, Kakashi interjected.

"Sakura, that was 10 minutes ago," was all Kakashi said through a cool expression, already seeing through her like glass. Naruto and Sasuke still needed practice when it came to understanding Sakura, but Kakashi read her like one of his Ichi Ichi books: with as much as ease as breathing.

She found reserve in Kakashi's gaze. As her first sensei, like Naruto and Sasuke, she, too, had a bond with him that the others wouldn't understand. Sakura never connected to her parents, especially after finding out her true family history. It was Kakashi who shouldered her, who protected her; it was her bond to him that kept her anchored. He wasn't 100% her sensei but he wasn't 100% a father figure. He was more like a doting uncle that took the responsibility as a parent because she needed him to be there for her. After a few moments, she felt at ease. She was collected and Kakashi saw the wave of relief rush over her face.

There. You can do this, Kakashi thought, practically convinced that Sakura knew what was going through his mind.

With complete confidence, Sakura bounced back. Although it was an act, she could have fooled even Tsunade. She smirked and let out a small giggle.

"Sorry! I was thinking about something potentially super serious back in my office. It's a long story but when Sasuke said 'leaving' it reminded me of what I might have left at the hospital," she bite her bottom lip and looked diagonal to the ground making it look as if she were still concerned over her 'situation' at the hospital. She exhaled and smirked again, looking back at Sasuke.

"What was it you said?" she asked, eyes glistening with curiosity.

Sasuke was stuck, he really wasn't sure if she was being honest or covering up. His eyebrow twitched, not wanting to think too hard about it. He let his shoulders relax, inhaled and resumed a normal state.

"I said I was thinking about leaving soon," he looked at her, "I need to find out who I am. I did a lot of things while I was away the first time. I lost myself," he looked outside the restaurant into the busy night street of Leaf. "I'd rather not go into detail, but I feel that I can't move on like everyone else until I've seen the world through my new eyes. I can't have a future until I redeem, or at least come to terms, with my past," his eyes were glazing over with memories. Memories team seven wasn't a part of, they could all tell.

A lump got caught in her throat. She couldn't deny him this. She couldn't try to stop him like before. When he left the first time, he was going to destruction, and every bit of her attempt to block his way was in the right. This, though, was his way to redemption, something she wouldn't understand and something she wasn't a part of, like always. God, how she hated this! She hated it so damn much! Why was it always Kakashi or Naruto who was able to be a part of his life but she was just a bench warmer?! Sakura knew Kakashi and Naruto were rooting for him, she already saw it on their stern faces as she looked at them. Her face hardened, her lips went into a piercing line. At least Sai looked indifferent, but still not as indifferent as she would have liked; even the fact that Sai was being able to show more emotion without trying now pissed her off because he was looking at her and she knew Sai knew what was really in Sakura's heart.

She looked back at Sasuke, sickening at the look of pain and confusion on his face. Her jaw was trembling with disgust, loathing the idea of what she was about to say.

"When do you leave?" she asked though gritted teeth.

Her voice broke his trance; he looked back at her and leaned his chair on the back two legs, thinking of his answer.

"I have to get permission from Tsunade and the elders first, but hopefully within the month. The faster, the better," he exclaimed, then taking a swallow of sake.

She let the words sink in. There was nothing she could respond with or do that would make the situation better or help her heart stop hurting. She was feeling the loneliness she felt when he left the first time.

Three days before Sasuke left the first time, Sakura had found out that her 'parents' were actually hired caretakers for Sakura until she was 14. Her mother's frustration and father's lack of compassion over the years hadn't been typical, like she thought, and so she was right; they were acts. Haruno wasn't just a last name; it was a forgotten clan from the northern lands in the Fire Country. One Tsunade had failed to mention that she, too, was a distant member of. Sakura was the surviving daughter of the head, who had perished with the rest of the clan when a chakra disease infected their lands. Just like Sasuke, Sakura was the only one left of her people, and just like him, she felt alone and isolated. The secrecy, the lies, everything about her was almost an exact reflection of his and Naruto's! Only, they didn't know.

The truth came bombarding on her like a rock. She had come 'home' to an empty house, her 'parents' had already left, and in their place stood an elder and three ANBU members. It took about an hour to explain, it was the day Sakura understood why she was able to control her chakra so well. Like that of the Hyuuga and Uchiha, the Haruno clan trait was unmatched chakra control. However, what had been their treasure was also their demise. She had learned their clan wasn't large in numbers, her people had a habit of breaking off and with this came diminishing numbers of true Haruno. Tsunade was the granddaughter of her father's great uncle. Due to Tsunade's mixed blood, she trained for strength with her Haruno roots, which is what lead her to position as sannin. This familial discovery is also why, upon the return of Tsunade to Leaf, Sakura became her apprentice. Now, however, Sakura's ability to control her chakra is her ultimate evidence of being the Haruno head. As far as her 'parents' were concerned, they left without a trace. Truthfully, Sakura felt almost indifferent. She never felt a bond to them, she was different. It pained her to think of all the times Ino or TenTen had scolded her for not listening to them or for avoiding home, now she understood why she didn't want to be around them. After she had learned the truth, Leaf allowed her to stay in the house, to keep up pretenses if she had so chosen and that plans for Tsunade returning were in progress.

Sakura felt the chill of loneliness more than she ever had before. Then, both Sasuke and Naruto left her. She had years of isolation to be alone with her new truth, years to go on missions without company, years of pain that she hadn't told her team because with this new beginning she thought she could finally tell them! Now, he was leaving again.

Sakura put her hands firmly on the table and stood, she locked her eyes with the plates.

"Well, I have to get back to the hospital. I have that thing to attend to," she stated then looked at Kakashi, Sai and Naruto with a smile. When she got to Sasuke, her smile faded. He locked eyes with her, curious beyond reason what was going on in her head.

"If you need help, with Tsunade, I can be pretty persuasive with her," her kind offer didn't match her expression, "She can be pretty unreasonable at times, especially now that her term is coming to an end." Sasuke nodded in thanks, never leaving her gaze.

Then, as simply as she had come, she walked out. The four of them a little taken aback at her sudden departure, she hadn't eaten much.

Naruto sat in silence, then he looked down at her plate. His eyes widen and his goofy nature returned, "Ah! Waitttttt, who's gonna pay for Sakuraaa-channn?! She didn't even leave any money!" he wailed with his arms in the air. Sai shook his head and said Naruto should do it because he left Sakura for Hinata. This started a huge, loud debate between the two that Kakashi and Sasuke blocked mentally.

"She still loves you, you know that right?" Kakashi said softly to Sasuke.

"Hn," Sasuke replied.

"Sasuke, I understand you have to do this, but don't you think you could have been… a little more delicate with her in this matter?" Kakashi's eye squinted in distaste for how Sasuke handled his execution.

"She's a sannin, Kakashi. She's surpassed you and I don't see you asking for delicacy," he reputed.

Kakashi sighed. "I know her skills as a ninja, Sasuke, but perhaps what you'll learn on your journey is that people are human before they are shinobi. She's been through more than you know." (Kakashi's the only one that knows Sakura's past, fyi.)

Sasuke glared at him. "Like what? So she trained with Tsunade and had some good missions. She wouldn't understand like you or Naruto. There's no point in telling her in a different manner just because she thinks she loves me. Her parents love her. Her friends love her. She's my teammate, nothing more."

Kakashi stared at him with a blank expression. "You're a fool," and with that, Kakashi got up, squinted a smile under his mask at Naruto and Sai, and flashed away.

Naruto blinked at Kakashi's now sudden departure. He had his hands around Sai's throat in a playfully irritated manner, his big blue orbs looked down at the table again.

"Kakashi-sensei!" he exclaimed upon realizing he hadn't left money either. Sai snickered and went to speak but Naruto gritted his teeth and blurted, "Not a word!"

Sasuke sat in silence. Why was Kakashi so adamant about Sakura? Did he really not know something? He frowned.

"Dobe. Shut up," he said to Naruto. Before Naruto could argue, Sasuke spoke again.

"When was the last time you saw Sakura's parents?"

Naruto looked annoyed, letting Sai go, who then straightened his clothes, Naruto closed his eyes and was going to confidently answer, but as quickly as Naruto's index finger found its way upright, it curled. Naruto opened his eyes and took on a look of thought. Thinking harder, his expression hardened.

"Well. Erm. I haven't. I mean, I know what they look like, but that was because I saw them a long, long time ago. Like before you…," Naruto replied. He looked at Sasuke, "Why are you asking anyway?"

Sasuke met Naruto's eyes with a cold look. "I was just curious." Naruto's face slowly lit up and his mouth curled into a cat's mouth.

"C'mon! I know you like her! Scared to meet her dad?" Naruto started to tease, poking Sasuke's side. Sasuke closed his eyes and inhaled.

Bam! Sasuke struck Naruto in the face. "No, baka. I just think it's strange."

Naruto rubbed his face and muttered curses at Sasuke under his breath. "If you're so curious, why don't you go see if they're home? She still lives in the same place."

"Hn," Sasuke said. Then, without Naruto even comprehending what had happened, Sasuke was gone.

"…Argh! There's no relying on these people anymore! Sai, at leas…," Naruto began when he looked up from his position on the floor to find Sai had left him a picture. It was a self portrait of Sai flipping Naruto off. Naruto was left with the bill!

Next Chapter: Sasuke discovers the truth about Sakura Haruno!