title: scar tissue.
prompt: Triangle by LazyBaby
rating: M
summary: She's not sure whether it's the physical scars or the mental ones that are killing her. Maybe it's both. Because after all, some scars don't heal if you keep on picking at them.

warning: SasuSakuNaru/NaruSaku


scar tissue

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Sasuke mentally cursed, seeing her shocked expression, along with Naruto's. He wasn't supposed to attack her first. The plan was to ask Naruto and lure him in, but his hormones got the best of him. Now she'd never agree.

Naruto frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. "What do you want, Sasuke?"

He rolled his eyes, and stared at Naruto. "Nothing, dobe. Don't get in the way."

Now, the two boys were looking at each other, face to face, their eyes boring into each others'. Sakura clutched her clothes tighter to her body, as if Sasuke's eyes could see through every weakness she had. She was scared.

"Naruto, please stop," she muttered. "Please, let's just go," Sakura begged. Go where? She didn't even know. Away from him.

Sasuke broke his gaze off from Naruto's to look at Sakura, so beautiful and innocent and fragile...it was as if she was scared of him, holding herself together tightly, which made her seem even more breakable.

"Sakura, answer my question," he said, looming over her. She whimpered even more, refusing to look into his eyes. To solve this problem, he took her chin forcefully and made her look into his own pair.

Then, he repeated it.

"Would you like to go out with me?" he said, clenching his teeth. Damn, he could feel his arousal against his pants. However, he smirked, held her tighter to him, and she flushed bright red at the feel of his erection against her stomach.

"No, no, I don't want to," Sakura said, shaking her head and trying to push him away. "I don't want to!" she said again, more forcefully.

Naruto pushed Sasuke away, and held Sakura in his arms while Sasuke growled. All eyes were on the three, now.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked at Naruto, pushing his own arms away from her. She felt the sting of tears behind her eyes and ran away, just by herself, from the both of them. Naruto frowned at Sasuke, while the Uchiha got up, smirking while rubbing his head.

"She's a little spitfire, she is," he muttered to Naruto.

That comment was enough for Naruto to hit Sasuke so hard his face was bruised and bloody.

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"I don't want this, this can't be happening," Sakura said, whispering to herself as she shook her head repeatedly, sitting on the toilet in the girls' room. "Why me? Why does it have to be me?"

The tears fell freely down her cheeks, and she wiped them away with toilet paper, throwing it in the disposal made for tampons and pads. She laid her elbows on her knees and held her face in her hands, just crying softly as she wondered what was going on with the world now.

She honestly didn't know. Everything was so wrong, and so weird, it was like she wasn't even living anymore. She was only living in a nightmare.

Sakura remembered Sasuke's handsome face smirking as he used his eyes over her body, and the feel of his...his arousal against her stomach, the heat radiating off...

And when he touched her, prying her clothes away...she was lucky he didn't get to see the scars that marred her skin, which probably would've turned him off, but he'd continue as he'd please. And what the other people would say about her...a cutter? She wished that people could put two and two together to save her. But they couldn't.

They were all so stupid.

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Naruto was suspended for a week for fighting. Sasuke, too, was suspended, but only for three days. It was so unfair, but he wanted to teach Sasuke a lesson. Honestly, Naruto thought, he didn't know how he once was friends with someone so revolting. It disgusted him, and he wanted to wash the memories away.

But it was too painful. Sasuke was his brother, and was everything he had. And now he didn't know what they were anymore. Friends? Rivals? Enemies? Naruto buried his face in his arms.

He didn't even know what happened to Sakura. He saw her running away, and she was crying, but otherwise he didn't know what happened after that. How dare he go after Sakura like that, so straightforward and blunt and everything! He had no morals, and no sense, and didn't even care for anybody but himself. He was an arrogant bastard, and egotistical jerk, and...

And his best friend.

Underneath the monster was a gentle heart that could care for people when it wanted to. But it was hidden by thorns and thimbles. To get through, you had to climb and scratch and bleed through the maze just to find it.

Naruto was the only person who had.

Minato and Kushina were upset, yes, but even more at Sasuke, whom they never actually approved of. They were glad, however, that their son stood up for someone who couldn't, and that itself was a great feat, they said.

He didn't mind being suspended, Naruto thought as he ate his ramen happily. It wasn't bad at all.

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Sasuke's face hurt like hell. He forgot that Naruto could pack a punch, and it hurt to eat, drink, or even breathe.

He had girls come in to take care of him, whine at his flaws, and then he'd get on top of them and play with their breasts while they rode him.

And then he made them go.

But Sasuke had something to think about while he was like this, in a state of...well, un-Sasukeness. He saw how Naruto stood up for Sakura the same way he stood up for him, a long time ago. The way Naruto protected Sakura and cared for her, and even looked at her with those eyes...he even went up against his best friend to protect her.

Sasuke realized something.

Naruto was in love with Sakura. Truly and deeply in love with her.

His mind wandered off to Sakura, then. He saw how her face was twisted into horror at the very look at him, and how she scrunched up, as if to hide herself from his view. He didn't like it. She shouldn't have to cover her beauty from him. He wondered what was under those clothes of hers.

Was she so self-conscious about her body? Her face was pretty, so she most likely would have a nice figure, too. Did she just not want him to see her naked? Maybe her breasts weren't that great? Sasuke frowned. Sure, that would be a disappointment, but he could work without it.

Ever since he had met Sakura, his mind was full of her, 24/7, even while he was fucking other girls. He probably just thought of her because she was a challenge. No other girl had resisted him before, so she was different.

But damn, he wanted her. He wanted her badly, and the want was so powerful it seemed like he needed her.

Everytime he saw her with Naruto, he felt a twinge in his chest, like it burned.

He'd never felt this way about a girl before, but he bet it was only the adventure.

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one week later.

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Both Sasuke and Naruto were back in school, and everything, including Sasuke's face, was back to normal.

Well, almost everything.

Sakura was nowhere to be seen, Naruto thought as he searched the whole school for a glimpse of pink. It was like she wasn't just avoiding Sasuke. She was avoiding him, too!

Naruto knew that he should give her at least another week's worth of time to let everything settle down. After all, it probably was a big change for her.

But he wanted to be there for her and to protect her, even when she didn't need protecting. He wanted to be by her all the time, with him at her side. He loved her, he realized, and wanted her so much he couldn't even stand it. He felt so strongly for her that he would give up everything, just for her. Only for her.

The only other time he felt this way about someone was with Sasuke. But he loved him in a sibling-like way, not the way he felt for Sakura.

He loved seeing her smile with him, the smell of a faint cherry blossom and sweet fruits surrounding him, the soft touch of her hand on his.

And the scars...

Naruto froze, every time he thought about them. He couldn't hide this forever. He needed to help her. Who knows what she was going through? Hell? He had to rescue her from it, because he knew that he was her Prince Charming, like in the fairytales.

The only thing that stopped him was the break of friendship lingering in the air.

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Sakura was still shaken up, and tried to avoid Sasuke and Naruto as much as she could. She didn't want to be associated with either of them, anymore. It was just too painful and too scary and too dramatic. She already had enough drama in her life.

She knew that she couldn't hide from them forever. Someone's always going to find you, wherever you are. Like in Hide 'n' Seek. But she could hide, just for a little bit, until it was time to come out.

It hurt her to hurt Naruto. She knew that he liked her very much, and she cared for him too, but not in the same way that he would want it to be. And then, for some reason, whenever she thought about Naruto her mind drifted off to Sasuke. His person just oozed masculinity...

He was so beautiful, yet so evil. Like a demon in disguise. She knew everything was a fake about him, and that she couldn't ever associate herself with him because of who he was, but she just couldn't help herself.

In all honesty, she hated him. She wanted him to die, to burn in flames and go back to hell where he came from. He wasn't even human by the way he acted. She didn't know how Naruto was friends with him a while ago, but she knew the influence he had on Sasuke.

Naruto influenced her, too.

There had to be something about Sasuke that made Naruto want to keep working hard at to find. Sakura didn't want to find it.

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The three of them were in a "health" class, talking about controversial topics that were on everyone's minds. It was like a philosophy group, where everyone had a say and every opinion was heard and argued with. The first class was abortion, brought up by Hinata. Sasuke listened intently, knowing that in the past he hadn't used condoms because the girls were on "the pill." They had lied, and he had gotten himself mixed up with some of the wrong crowds.

The second topic was suicide, which had come from Lee, a normally happy person who was best friends with the Gym teacher, Gai. The two were like father and son. Then, Sasuke found out that most of the time the happiest people are usually the saddest.

He wondered if Lee was going to commit suicide.

And then he shook the idea off.

This class, there was nothing for discussion. Everyone had no topics to share, and was bored out of their minds. Most people took the class just for an easy A to talk, and very few were actually interested in what the class was about.

Naruto raised his hand.

Iruka called on him.

"Yes, Naruto?"

Naruto gulped silently to himself, and closed his eyes before saying softly, "I want to talk about child abuse."

Sasuke saw Naruto slump, and Sakura jerk up, as if she was scared or shocked. He thought nothing more of it other than an interesting topic.

"Child abuse..." Iruka began. "It's a very serious topic, and I'm glad you brought it up, Naruto." He reached into his desk for flyers and pamphlets and handed them around to everyone. Sakura took hers slowly, and began shaking. She couldn't even open the pamphlet up.

Naruto took his and slowly opened it, not taking his eyes off Sakura's back. She was trying to control herself, but for some reason, it was as if she was scared. Or was panicky. Maybe both. But why?

Sasuke's own flyer and pamphlet went onto his desk, and he viewed the flyer first before opening the pamphlet.

If you know someone who has child abuse, don't hesitate to call 1-800-555-0328...

He threw it aside and opened the pamphlet, explaining what child abuse was and how to get help, quick. Under the side flap, which he then uncovered, he saw the symptoms of child abuse.

Physical Signs of Child Abuse

Frequent injuries or unexplained bruises, welts, or cuts.

Injuries appear to have a pattern such as marks from a hand or belt.

Untreated illnesses and physical injuries.

Sasuke looked around. No one seemed to have those kinds of symptoms.

Excessively withdrawn, fearful, or anxious about doing something wrong.

He looked around the room, and saw people reading. Then, his eyes locked on Sakura's back.

She was always scared around people, especially him, but he thought nothing more of it. But she was so quiet, so secluded, so isolated...she wasn't shy like Hinata, but scared, somehow, as if someone would find her and hurt her...

Is always watchful and "on alert," as if waiting for something bad to happen.

Sakura always was careful of her surroundings. Maybe too careful...

Shies away from touch, flinches at sudden movements, or seems afraid to go home.

He understood that she didn't like when he touched her, but even when Naruto hugged her, she pulled away...

Wears inappropriate clothing to cover up injuries, such as long-sleeved shirts on hot days.

She wore baggy layers of clothes to school all the time, even when it was 80 degrees out.

Is frequently late or missing from school.

Then again, Sakura's always late to homeroom...even later than Kakashi.

Sasuke took a look at Sakura thoroughly and nearly dropped the pamphlet.

She matched all those descriptions.


Found the symptoms online at northridgehospital website