title: Road to Sakura
pairing: possible eventual SasuSaku.
summary: Sasuke finds himself staring at the door Sakura had walked out of. He has a strange urge to check to make sure she's definitely there. And when the meeting is over, Sasuke has a hard time trying not to run to the kunoichi's room.
notes: Okay, I didn't really get as many reviews on the last chapter as I had intially thought I would. None of you really care if I made Haku a girl? Wow, that's a lot different than from my other story where everyone's begging me to keep him as a guy, so thank you for being very . . . . um, I don't know the word for it, but I am grateful that you guys rally don't care if I made Haku a girl.
notes 2: I don't really like this chapter...
notes 3: Lyrics from ayumi hamasaki's A song for xx

°∴✿° ·°✿∴° .·°∴°·. °∴✿°· °✿∴°

Road to Sakura

"I've been told that I'm strong
I don't cry, and they are proud of me"

It is only two days later when Kaiza calls for an emergency meeting with his family and with Team 7. "I've gotten a note from Gato," he says, his hands folded in front of him. "I am to meet him on No-Name Bridge tomorrow. If I don't show up then he'll hang Tazuna from the railings."

"What would you like to do then?" Kakashi asks. For once, he refrains from his hotheadedness, analyzing the situation and any possibilities that could occur if different actions were to take place. "Like I've told you before, my team is at your disposal until your problem is solved. We'll do as you say we should. Do you want us here at your house to protect your wife and son or at the bridge with you negotiating?"

"Well, the note isn't very specific," Kaiza explains. "I believe Gato wants me to go alone but, since he didn't mention it, I'll bring your team along with me and—"

"Are you crazy?" Inari screams, standing from his seat and slamming his hands on the table. "Do you want Gramps to die?"

"Inari, that's enough out of you!" his mother scolds him for talking out of place. "How dare you talk to your father like that! I know where you're coming from, but we have to see the bigger picture! It's not just our family who will be affected by the outcome of this! It's our whole country! We can't afford to be selfish!"

"But, Mom! Gramps is your Father!" Inari argues. "How can you—"

"Inari, your mother is correct." Sakura tells him, though she knows it isn't her place to be barging into their family's conversation. "You can't afford to be selfish. Your country is at stake. What more can you do but choose the country over your grandfather? Don't trouble your mother about this anymore. It's clear that she's already stressed enough about this without you yelling at her."

"Like you're one to talk!" Inari yells at her. "Have you ever been in this sort of situation before? Has anyone close to you ever been this close to death? I can see that you haven't by the way you take your teammates for granted! You don't know how it feels to be this close to losing someone precious to you! How would you feel if your family was in this situation, huh?"

Sakura doesn't answer him, choosing only to look him in the eye. But Sasuke, who is sitting right next to her, can see her shaking fists clenching onto the hem of her dress.

"See?" Inari sneers at her. "You don't know at all how I'm feeling, so you should just shut up! You only care about your mission! You don't care if my grandpa's going to die! You just want to finish this mission so that you can run home to your mommy and daddy!"

"Inari!" Both of his parents are reprimanding him now.

"How could you say something like that?" his mother asks, appalled by her son's behavior. "These shinobi have gotten your father home safely! How could you—"

"You're right, Inari," Sakura says, a false smile on her face—a smile because that has been and always will be how she will hide her pain. "I wouldn't know how you feel right now, and I never will. And do you know why? It's because my parents have already given up their lives for our village." It doesn't matter to her if Inari's eyes have widened because of guilt or because of regret for his words. She continues as if she doesn't notice. "You're lucky, you know that? You actually have the luxury of worrying for your grandfather's life while I, on the other hand, didn't even know I would never see my parents again."

"Sa . . . Sakura-chan..." Naruto doesn't know what to do when Sakura stands from her seat and excuses herself from the room.

"Inari," Kaiza says with his arms crossed. "I'm going to let your behavior slide this once because I know you're just concerned about your grandfather. However, if you ever act that way to our guests again or ever say something like that to Sakura again, I'm going to give you a good talking to. You hear me?"

Throughout the rest of the meeting, Sasuke finds himself staring at the door Sakura had walked out of. He knows she only just retired to the room she's been using ever since they've arrived in the Land of Waves, but he has a strange urge to check to make sure she's definitely there. And when the meeting is over, Sasuke has a hard time trying not to run to the kunoichi's room.

"So what's the plan of attack?" Sakura asks him once the light from the hallway floods her room. She's laying on her futon, her back towards the door.

"We're going with Kaiza tomorrow at noon," Sasuke tells her, sitting down on the floor right next to her futon. "We're to take Tazuna to safety while Kakashi and Kaiza take care of Gato's goons."

She nods her head, surprised that it is Sasuke who has come to check on her. "Then you and Naruto have better get enough rest," she advises him. "You two have been training nonstop and have only finished today. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know, but Sakura . . . what Inari said, you don't have to worry about it," Sasuke says, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know you don't mean to seem like you're taking Naruto and me for granted. You're just going through a hard time because of your parents' deaths and because you had no one to help you through those tough times. I know it's hard for you to open yourself up to us because you're afraid of getting hurt like that again, but I want you to know that if you need a shoulder to cry on or just want someone to talk to then you have me here. And . . . Naruto too." He adds that last thought after much deliberation.

"I know," she tells him, taking a deep breath so as to hide her breaking voice. "I know..." It is only when he leaves her room that she lets the tears continue down her face. I can't . . . I can't open up... I'll only end up getting hurt... And I can't risk that... I can't, not again...

"Trusting someone
Will only let me down
And in the end,
I'll be the one who is hurt"