I am so sorry you guys. Exams are coming up and I didn't have time to type please forgive the university student who does not have enough time in the day to finish all of her work :'(

Chapter 7: Her Friend

"He came back four years ago. Exactly 4 years after you left." Sakura continued after not getting a response from Sasuke for awhile.

"How?" Sasuke finally spoke, his voice as cold as ice. A completely different Sasuke from a few minutes ago and last night. She took his hand in hers and he stared at her. He couldn't understand why she was taking so long to answer him and it was getting on his nerves. But he remained quiet. She led him to a big oak tree farther down the path and sat down leaning her back on the tree trunk and from that he knew that this is something that he will not be prepared for no matter what.

He stood beside her waiting, but she looked up at him and patted her hand on the ground in front of her. He sat down crossed legged in front of her just as she had done knowing she wouldn't continue unless he sat down.

He was becoming increasingly inpatient with her actions and lack of explanation. But he knew it wasn't her fault and that he could not take his anger out on her. So he patiently waited for her to begin.

"Sasuke, promise me? Promise me after I tell you, you won't do anything hasty?" she asked, her green eyes pleading for him to agree.

Sasuke was getting irritated. He needed answers. He couldn't understand anything and a confused Sasuke is a very unhappy Sasuke, more than usual.

"Fine" he muttered wanting for her to continue more than anything.

"He's...been part of team seven since his return." she mumbled barely audible. He glared daggers into her wanting for it to be some kind of joke, some kind of...sick joke she made up to get back at him for leaving her. He was replaced by...Itachi?! He wanted to charge up his chidori and break as many trees and his chakra would allow. He wanted to get up, get up and run and never ever come in contact with any one of the human race. But Sakura took hold of his hand in both her hands as if she knew what he was thinking. He breathed heavily trying to calm himself down because he was dangerously close to pulling his hand from hers and disappearing off the face of the planet.

"Sasuke please. We didn't forget you, you have to know that." she continued in desperation trying to get through to him. "Our team was the only one without a member and it just happened. He didn't want to be part of ANBU so soon, so Tsunade-sama put him with us." she said with Crystal her eyes begging for him to believe her because she could not lose him again. Not when they are so close to reaching their happiness, team 7's happiness.

"Do...do you...love him?" Sasuke asked, finally, the question that has been bothering him. Itching at his skin, his heart.

"Wh...what?" she asked looking at his face with wide eyes.

"You...two are...together?" 'why was he having such a hard time formulating sentences?' he wondered. He held his breath waiting for the answer. He continued to stare at her wide open emerald eyes that he loved to look at, he has recently discovered.

"What are you...talking about? Sasuke...we are just friends...nothing more." she said in bewilderment like what he had asked is absurd.

He let out a sigh of relief, glad at her answer. Although he hadn't meant it to be visible she must have noticed this became she smiled happily at him seeing his reaction.

"You...are his friend?" he asked shocked, comprehending the other information she had given him. 'What the hell is going on?' he thought running a frustrated hand through his dark hair.

"Of course Sasuke, we've been working together for four years now."

"Why?" he asked suddenly, getting angry as relief washed away, bringing back his earlier concerns.

"He...was ordered to kill the Uchiha clan." she answered his question. The answer to the question he'd constantly asked himself. She finally answered the question that has been eating him alive.

But this answer made his whole body go numb. It made his heart ache. It made his limbs give out and it brought on more and more questions that he did not have the strength to ask or to now the answer.

He slumped down, moving his body forward to rest his head on her shoulder because he couldn't hold it up anymore and it was spinning. Everything was spinning. He closed his eyes, processing the information she threw at him. He breathed in her scent, vanilla mixed with her sweat, which he found to be oddly calming, so he let it, he let her scent calm him down because he needed to make the spinning stop.

She lifted up her left hand and stroked his head lovingly, comforting him. Because she knew he needed it.

"I don't understand." he admitted confusion evident in his quiet voice.

"Uchiha clan was plotting war to overthrow the hokage." before she could answer the question, they both heard Itachi's gentle voice from behind him. "I had no choice Sasuke." he added quietly. Sasuke didn't lift up his head to look at his brother. He still had no energy to do anything. He just listened to his brother's voice, the voice he grew up with, the voice that taught him how to throw a kunai properly, the voice that is finally answering all on his unanswered questions. "Forgive me Sasuke." Sasuke thought his heart would break hearing the guilt in his brother's voice.

"You...you killed mother and father...because of...orders?" Sasuke asked his voice breaking at every word. Tears streamed down his face unknowingly and fell on to Sakura's lap.

Sakura put her right arm around his shoulder as she continued to stroke his head. He felt relieved with each one of her gentle strokes.

"Forgive me Sasuke, for robbing you of a happier childhood. But war...was something I could not live seeing anymore." his brother pleaded yet again, asking for Sasuke's forgiveness.

It was a wonder to Sasuke, because this is not how he had expected to react when he met his brother again.

But then again...the words coming out of his brother's mouth wasn't something he ever expected either.

"Come home Sasuke. We will move forward together. We will face the future together...along with everyone back at the village." Itachi said and Sasuke looked for the strength to turn to his brother but he still couldn't. "Besides..." his brother continued, "Sakura's been waiting for a long time." his brother finished and Sasuke heard the smile in Itachi's voice as he said the words.

He finally lifted up his head, finding the strength in what his brother said.

He looked at her tear filled emerald eyes and only then did he realize that she had been silently crying with him, crying for the pain he was going through.

He lifted his hand to her cheek and wiped away her tears.

"Sakura." he said to her making her look at his onyx eyes. She pursed her lips together, trying to hold back the new tears forming behind her eyes. "Lets go home." he said to her with a genuine smile. A smile he hasn't shown to anyone in well over a decade.

Her eyes widened before it was replaced by her beautiful smile that reached her eyes. "Yes! Lets go." she said letting the tears fall down her soft, pink cheeks.

He stood up from his place on the ground and offered her a hand. Her soft hand reached for his hand and circled around his long, rough fingers and he pulled her up to her feet.

They both turned to face Itachi. He stood in front on them with a bright smile adorning his face.

"Lets go home...brother." Sasuke said feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Itachi nodded, smiling at the bright future before him.

I am sorry if got the details of the massacre wrong. I don't know much about it. So I used what I know and to match my story. Sorry again. I didn't update as soon as I promised so as a peace offering I am going to add the last chapter as well so forgive me :D