Sasuke was watching the children from the window. He'd seen the littlest girl send a glance towards his window before leaving. She must be Momiji's youngest sister.

He cupped his cheek and leaned on the windowsill, staring up at the sky. They were beautiful children. How he would have loved talking and laughing with them! But Sakura was keeping them from him.

Why? Sasuke thought with a sigh. There wasn't any reason for Sakura to hate him… was there? He suddenly wished he knew. It was so hard to have no memories at all.

"Sasuke-kun, ohayo," Sakura greeted cheerfully as she came in. She didn't look surprised to see him awake and laid the tray of food on the bed before sitting down. Her eyes were twinkling as she watched him eat toast.

"What are you looking at Sakura? Don't tell me you didn't eat breakfast again…" Sasuke joked. She shook her head with a smile. His forehead creased as he chewed. Sakura's behavior was a little strange. Usually when he ate she would fill the air with chatter about new jutsus, the latest gossip or answer his questions. Her silence was a bit frightening to tell the truth…

He ate his toast, juice, and apples without complaint. Sakura seemed intent on keeping quiet all morning. It only fueled his curiosity more. The pink-haired woman must have something planned.

"I'm done!" Sasuke announced and put down the apple core. She took the tray wordlessly and left the room. The dark-haired man scratched his head in confusion. What was his wife up to?

He must have been kept waiting for half an hour until Sakura came back carrying a huge paper bag. She placed the bag on the bed before settling there herself. Sasuke watched curiously as she withdrew three photo albums and laid them before him. The most expensive one contained all their wedding pictures.

"I want you to look at these-"she said. "Our wedding pictures, do you want to see?"

Sasuke nodded. He was so eager to relive his memories that he sat up straighter to get a good view of them. Sakura opened the album. On the first page was their wedding invitation and its motif was on gold.

"I wanted silver but you insisted. You didn't want Naruto to be your best man until Kakashi-sensei forced you to…" Sakura said but he cut her off.

"Naruto, who was that again?" Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to produce the image on his mind. He only succeeded in having a slight headache. It was always like that whenever he tried to force his memories.

"He's our teammate and your number one rival!" she laughed.

"Oh…" he nodded as she opened the next page. It showed Sakura being dressed. She looked so young and so beautiful! Sasuke stopped her hand from turning the page as he stared at it some more.

Sakura's dress was simple but beautiful. It fitted her perfectly and was perfect for spring. She was radiant, yes, but there was also something else. Her exotic green eyes showed a little fear. Why?

"How old were we when we got married?" he asked, curious.

"Oh, we were very young. We're about 19," Sakura answered as she stared at the picture. Very slowly she brushed away a small tear. She could see determination in her own face but there was fear. She was so afraid that maybe Sasuke would not appear at the wedding and leave her standing alone in the altar.

They continued browsing the pages. Suddenly Sasuke pointed to a person in the picture.

"Who's he?" asked the Uchiha.

"He's Naruto. Do you want me to call him? Maybe he can help you remember…" Sakura suggested.

"Maybe you shouldn't. He looks like he doesn't know right from left." Sasuke said as he crinkled his nose. She giggled; Sasuke didn't change one bit.

The next picture was when Sasuke was slipping their wedding ring on her finger. He traced the picture gently with his forefinger. "So I did marry you…" he breathed.

"Yes, you did. It was the only thing you ever wanted…" Sakura's voice hinted a little sadness. She turned away as not to meet her husband's eyes.

It was a marriage of convenience, not of love. He married her because she had a suitable background and reputation. He knew that she loved him too. Sakura Haruno was therefore perfect to stand as his wife to continue the lineage of the Sharinggan.

He looked at her, searching her face. "What are you thinking about? You look sad…"

Sakura shook her head with a smile that convinced no one. "No, don't mind me. I was just reminiscing about it. I won't forget the moment you put on my wedding ring…"

"What were you thinking when this picture was taken?" asked her husband.

"I was thinking about the wonderful future we would have, our future children, and how happy I was to be marrying you…" she replied with a nostalgic tone. And in a moment, Sakura seemed to have been transported back to that fateful day when she should have been the happiest woman on earth.

She looked at his face as he solemnly slipped their wedding ring on her ring finger. He wasn't smiling nor was he showing any emotion. Sakura wanted to burst into tears.

I should be happy. Sasuke-kun would learn to love me in time… she desperately tried to convince herself as she gazed at her ring.

Ah, yes but who are you kidding? He married you to stop the gossip… and to procreate more heirs for the Sharinggan. You're just a tool… a sly voice in her ear whispered. Sakura blinked rapidly to stop the tears from falling. As much as she wanted to protest there was nothing more she could say about it. What her alter ego was saying was really true. She was just his baby-making machine. And he would never, ever love her.

Sakura couldn't stop herself from crying loudly this time. She put her face into her hands and started to shed tears to ease some of the pain. It was too much to bear sometimes. If only she didn't love him so much, if only he wasn't her moon and sun…

"Sakura-chan, please don't cry…" she didn't realize that she had somehow ended up in his arms and his hands were stroking her hair. How warm it was to settle against his embrace! His dark eyes echoed so much emotion. How many times had she dreamed of him looking that way at her?

She tried to talk but he only tightened his hold. Tears were rushing faster now. She couldn't stop them. Her head leaned on Sasuke's broad shoulder and she started to cry harder. His warm arms held her tenderly as he whispered soothing words.

If I only I knew… why do I make you cry… Sasuke wanted so much to tell her but he kept quiet and let her cry. His hold tightened around her small, fragile frame as he kissed her soft pink hair.

One of Sakura's tears dropped on the page and slowly slid to the middle of the picture. Neither Sakura nor Sasuke took any notice of it.

oOoOoOoOo

She'd left him sometime ago. He didn't even notice her departure from him. They had both fallen asleep somehow and ended up lying together in bed, arms wrapped around each other.

It was already late afternoon. Sasuke watched the red and yellow rays dance on his wall. Another day had passed without him recovering anything from his past except for the confirmation of his marriage with Sakura.

But what did her tears mean? It was bothering him more than his loss of memories. Sakura looked so sad and forlorn when they were looking at the wedding pictures. Her usually cheerful eyes bore that haunted, sad look when they both stared at the photograph. Sakura lied about what she really felt that day…

Sasuke didn't care about that. All he cared about was why Sakura cried. Why she sometimes gazed at him with eyes brimming with held back tears. And why, oh why, she felt so sad.

Sakura will definitely deny it. Women were like that. She'd say that it would not concern him but he is concerned for her!

They were married, weren't they? They were supposed to share joy and sorrow together. Why was Sakura keeping her pain form him? Was it something he did in the past?

It hurt Sasuke that she was keeping it secret. He wanted so much to share that pain… Sakura didn't serve to get hurt… and he was so lost now. There was no memory of the past left in him. He had no choice but to cling on Sakura because she was the only person who seemed to know a lot about him.

Sunshine was shining down on the photo albums. He pulled it towards him and flipped it open. These should hold some answers for him. Somewhere in the photographs would give him a clue about who Uchiha Sasuke really was.

He scanned the pictures quickly and took in moments captured in film. It contained their after-wedding photos, obviously taken by Sakura's parents. There was one when they were both cooking together; having a picnic with Sakura's parents… almost all of them contained Sakura in the picture. If he was in there, it must be because he got dragged in or was forced to.

I must be camera-shy… Sasuke thought as he traced a good shot of his wife and him sitting together in the dinner table. She was smiling brightly but he wasn't. He was looking at the camera too but it was as if he was very uncomfortable with it.

He tried to read the emotions in his face. Anger, frustration, and even indifference… his eyes were so fierce-looking. It was as if he could eat anyone alive. Sasuke suppressed a shudder. What kind of man was I before?

Then he flipped to see more. Every picture contained the same stony expression even though Sakura was smiling happily. His finger traced her face tenderly. Happiness was evident, yes, but there was also that elusive sorrow.

The first real smile he saw on his face was when he was holding a baby girl. He detached the picture and looked at the back. Uchiha Momiji; two days old, it said.

Sasuke stared at it thoughtfully as he drank in the sight of the love of a young father for his firstborn. His dark eyes didn't mask his happiness. Momiji was asleep on his arms, looking very angelic. There was even a small smile on his lips as he seemed to show off his daughter to the camera.

He returned it and started to scan the other albums. Maybe then he will find the truth.

oOoOoOoOo

Sakura sighed in frustration. Her first plan didn't work out. She had ended up crying all over her husband. That wasn't supposed to happen.

I should have pretended to be happy. So, he should've thought that we were happy too. I didn't have to show him the pain… she laid her head on the kitchen table and stared at the wall. Maybe my plan would not work out…

Don't give up hope you ninny! Inner Sakura shouted at her.

"You're right. I should not give up just yet." She said loudly. It would work… and then we would be happy…

She straightened up and looked around the kitchen wistfully. It was in this kitchen where she had felt some of the worse pains of her married life.

Sakura wasn't really a good housekeeper when they were first married. Sasuke used to criticize her about the house, always saying that it was so messy even though she'd tried her best to clean it. He always yelled at her for every mistake. She learned to cook the hard way. Sasuke never seemed satisfied by the way she cooked her dishes.

She closed her eyes as an episode replayed in her mind.

"What's this! It tastes like a duck drowned in it!" Sasuke yelled and nineteen-year-old Sakura closed her eyes instinctively. She felt her body grow rigid with fear as her husband got up from the table. His breath tickled her ear as he leaned closer to her face.

"You are not worthy to be my wife. But you bear my name…" Sakura forced herself not to flinch at his touch "You are worthless. Always keep that in mind."

She felt him leave and heard the door bang close. Tears rushed into her eyes and she started to cry unabashedly. She had given her best to give him the most delicious dinner and he still found fault.

"Yo, is anyone home?" Kakashi-sensei knocked on the back door three times before coming in. His eye widened as he saw his only female student sitting on the floor, crying. "Sakura, is everything all right?"

"Kakashi-sensei…" she mumbled and tried her best to wipe away her tears. He knelt down and gave her a handkerchief. She took it gratefully.

"Why are you crying? Did he hurt you again?" asked the Jounin. Sniffling, the pink-haired woman nodded. He sighed. "I don't understand it."

"I don't understand it either…" Sakura murmured as she placed her face on her hands. "What do I do wrong? He's always angry at me. I never seem to please him… What do I have to do to make him happy?"

The silver-haired man smoothed her hair paternally. His dear cherry blossom was as fragile as ever. The cold was killing the cherry blossom. But he couldn't interfere in this matter.

"I don't know too," he sighed "I wish I did. Cheer up, Sakura. There's bound to be better days. He'll love you…"

"As I love him," she finished as a small smile broke out in her face like sunshine on a dark night. Sakura knew that to hope meant getting hurt again but she didn't care. She loved Sasuke and was willing to endure everything to make him love her too.

"Now, do you have anything to feed your teacher?" he asked with a cheeky smile.

Sakura smiled reminiscently. She'll never forget that day. Kakashi-sensei had helped alleviate some of her pain. After that, she always played his word back on her mind to gain hope. No matter what, she'd continue loving her husband.

"I won't give up," she repeated firmly.

………………..

To be continued…