An extreme THANK YOU to Sasusakuhart for the grammatical correction and the general correction given to this chapter !

Chapter 6 : Honesty

A sharp knock sound resounded through her balcony glass door. From her bed, Sakura could see Sasuke standing there, waiting for her to open the door. She didn't want to confront him yet, so she decided to pretend she wasn't at home, grateful for the curtain hiding her from his view.

She had no intention to talk to him so soon after the last night's events. She was still upset and hurt and really felt like garbage about it.

After a few moments, his silhouette seemed to retreat. Her muscles relaxed in relief, glad that he was gone.

After just a couple of minutes though she was worried again, preoccupied that maybe he could go and try to ask her parents about her whereabouts. Then she would be forced to talk to him. What an annoying situation. Sakura left her bed and was starting heading downstairs when the sudden soundof Sasuke's voice made her halt before leaving her room.

"I can see you through this wall. Open."

Dammit! Sharingan! Sakura thought. If she had stayed in her bed, she could have fooled him into thinking that she was still sleeping, but there was no point in hiding now… It was obvious that she was trying to avoid him.

When Sakura opened the window, her sullen face and posture worried Sasuke somehow. He had no idea what exactly was going on at the moment. He heard her crying the night before, yes, and didn't bother to ask her what's wrong.

Silence. Again.

Sakura's eyes weren't distracted nor trembling, she was looking at him straight in the eyes.

Silence.

Sakura was wondering how long would this silence last. It was always her the one feeling anxious about that silence, and the one who always did her best to break it. Was Sasuke even bothered by the silence sitting between them? Maybe. But this time she wouldn't be the one to break it.

Silence.

They kept gazing at each other for five full minutes. Sakura's eyebrows were knitted. She looked furious at Sasuke. His face and his all demeanor on the other hand seemed completely calm and serene, while looking at her in a domineering way. Superciliously.

"What's wrong ?"

His question sounded like one of Naruto's foolish remarks and she pondered for a moment about sending him back to his apartment.

"Nothing."

"I see. – Then we are summoned by the Hokage."

Cold arrogant.

Sakura felt angry at her pitiful self, perplexed about how to react to Sasuke's behavior; she couldn't understand him neither know how to be happy anymore.

Not able to retain her tears, she shed some of them in front of him on her balcony. When he just reacted with a destabilized "Sakura?", she reentered her room and slammed the door shut on his face.

She instantly regretted doing that. He may have no idea about what was going on in her head, and he would maybe end up thinking that she was upset at him for a completely different reason, such as his sterility. Although still angry at him, she didn't want him to misunderstand her intention or think that she had changed her mind. Later she was going to apologize to him for her manners.

Later.

"Come in!" replied Kakashi to the door knocking.

"Ah, Sasuke. – How are you?" asked the older man, before adding soon after "I need your advice and authorization on some things regarding your family."

The word family had long lost all meaning to Sasuke, since the day Itachi killed their entire clan, and again when he felt for the first time the weight of the truth his brother carried in secret all his life and was permanently shattered when he found out about his sterility. Now the word was just a soulless term to him, devoid of warmth or hope. But still, he has to hold the name of the Uchiha to his grave.

Once he was sure he fully had Sasuke's attention, the Hokage explained the situation: "Pein destroyed Konoha some years ago, and it has been under reconstruction since then. The Uchiha compound has been half destroyed, as you know. We're in need of the architectural plans that can be found in your archives. Most of them are sealed with the Uchiha blood or with some seals that can only be read with Sharingan… And since I lost mine… You're the only one remaining."

Rebuilding the compound. Like it was in the past… Sasuke kept thinking why? What for? What was the purpose of having a place for the Uchiha clan? A clan is based on family, and there will never be an Uchiha family. His blood will never be shared with someone else. It hurts somehow… For a glorious clan like his.

"Demolish it."

Kakashi thought he misheard Sasuke.

"There is no Uchiha clan anymore. I'm the single remaining Uchiha. An apartment is enough for me."

Something didn't add up over there, but the Hokage thought that he had no reason to question him about something so personal. Nevertheless he had a duty to inquire some more, even at the cost of intruding Sasuke's privacy : "Believe me, I'm only asking this on a professional and political standpoint; are you thinking about marriage ?"

A bitter question. Thorny. But the answer was ready, a vague "I don't know" would be enough.

Sakura opened the door without knocking, the Hokage was her teacher and she was very familiar with him after ten years spent together.

"Hello Hokage-sama."

"No ! No ! I've already told you a hundred times Sakura! No Hokage ! No sama ! There's no need for these formalities, I'm simply your teacher!"

Kakashi then proceeded to explain to them about some troubles with a temple within the Land of Fire. They may be sent on a mission soon.

But Sasuke's mind was still occupied by his family's destiny. The Uchiha blood had no future. Maybe cloning could offer a solution? Or should he try to find a cure? He quickly disregarded both options: he didn't want to check a doctor. He wasn't ready to share this secret with anyone except the woman standing next to him.

He looked at her, remembering the last night, how she had kept herself a virgin for so long just for him, just in the name of her love… What a fool. How could she go this far for him? He didn't know. The memory of her mute cries, of all the pain he gave her, was making him feel so ashamed of himself. Feeling himself lost once again, he entertained for a while the idea of leaving the village again for a longer mission.

He couldn't stand her presence. He couldn't stand himself either. "I have to go."

Sasuke left.

Sakura and Kakashi kept talking professionally, but once Kakashi sensed that the Uchiha was far enough to not hear them he cut Sakura with an apology and started exposing his concerns about the last Uchiha : "Sasuke gave me the authorization to completely demolish the Uchiha compound and fuse their archives with Konoha's archive or library."

Sakura, who had managed to keep a stoic, serious and cool face until now, suddenly felt sadness taking over her features while pain squeezed her heart. She closed her eyes in pain. She understood Sasuke's authorization and request. She knew why. And now Kakashi wanted to know too, obviously.

"He said that there is no Uchiha clan for now. It's just a vast area occupied by ghosts. It would be better to put the compound to other use, something the village could benefit of. He also thinks that his current apartment is enough for the Uchiha…"

The kunoichi felt defeated. Again, She realized that her pride was nothing compared to the pain and burden that haunted her lover. She had to be strong for him, and stand her ground. She had his trust.

"I even asked him about marriage…" the sentence made Sakura rise her chin, her attention now fully on Kakashi. "He only answered me with a vague I don't know…"

Looking at his sad student Kakashi added his last thought: "I thought you two were together."

"No! We're not… Just… Hanging around as… friends! – I'll try to talk with him about the compound."

Throughout the day Sakura couldn't concentrate on her work at the hospital. The sun was setting and her shift was ending, but all her mind was thinking about the whole day was Sasuke. She had to make up things with him. After all, he had come looking for her in the morning.

A huge bookshelf, covering an entire wall of Sasuke's apartment, was being filled with books and scrolls. Many of them showed the Uchiha emblem on the cover. Sasuke was reorganizing his apartment. Soon, all this would just be History, Konoha's history. It would blend with it and face eternity through it. The past.

He felt depressed and overwhelmed by apathy. Between him and Itachi, the one who deserved to live a long and happy life was without doubts his brother. He deserved to be loved, to be forgiven, to see the future, to live peacefully, to have a family and children and to rebuild the clan.

He felt so sad. In such state, he would have cried, but his tears dried long ago.

If Itachi had survived their fight, maybe he would have been forgiven for his mass murder, for deserting Konoha for a noble cause, for all that he had sacrificed, he would have been reintegrated as a shinobi and lived happily. On the other hand, probably most of his friends from the past had died or abandoned him long ago. After all, no one went after Itachi when he left the village like Naruto and Sakura did for him. No one went as far as them in forgiveness. Itachi would have been alone. To find a woman to love him would have been even harder. Was there a woman strong enough to deserve to bear an Uchiha in her womb? The Uchiha blood? His mind wandered to Sakura. She was young and strong, the strongest woman he knew, even stronger than Tsunade and destined to surpass her mentor in any field. Could Itachi have a chance with Sakura? Surely not. She had always been so insanely in love with Sasuke, probably she would have done anything in her power to get a revenge.

Revenge.

The very word is sickening. In his past, it had blinded him. If he had thought more rationally instead of being controlled by his emotions, he would have tried to understand Itachi's reasons. He maybe wouldn't have killed him.

Sakura, who he had always considered more emotional, was more rational than him. After all he did, she didn't let her sorrow and her hurt get the better of her, pushing her to abandon him. Instead, she had pondered rationally and understood his situation. Maybe if Itachi had survived instead of him, she would have understood him too. Maybe she would come as far as to forgive him. Maybe even love him.

Was she really rational? She's still upset at him and his mind is too torn with the Uchiha's future to wonder what's wrong with her.

Door knocking.

"Sakura." He said, when he saw the person just outside the threshold.

She looked tired but happy. She was tenderly smiling at him when she said "Sasuke-kun?".

Lost in his thoughts gazing at her with the ghost of a smile on his lips, he mechanically answered with a questioning "Yes?"

"May I come in?"

"Come in whenever you want, however you want. Make it your home."

His words held a deeper meaning: it was an affectionate answer telling her she was always welcome, and maybe even a subtle invitation to move in, but they also revealed his downhearted situation; at the moment he wouldn't even care if he was sentenced to death.

Sakura is somehow shy, but she has stopped being so from time to time. Like now. She threw herself in his arms, covering his neck with hers. "I love you." Sakura wants no answer and his "Hn" was more than enough for her. She will do all she can to make the last Uchiha happy. In any way he wants.

Next chapter : Recovery

Post Scriptum : Another thanks to Sasusakuhart !