A/N: LONG chapter. If you skimmed my past 21, please take your time on this one. The detail may be annoying, but it's important (at least to me...)

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That evening, Sakura noticed Sasuke getting restless. He had barely been out of the apartment for two days. He seemed to have slept well, but when he was awake she could clearly see the anxiety in his face. It was almost like he was trying to retrace his steps and make sure he had not missed anything.

As Sakura was putting freshly laundered clothes away, she noticed that one of the pictures was turned face down on top of the dresser. She wondered whether it had been accidentally knocked down, and she picked it up again. That is when she saw that it was that picture of team 7 as genin with Kakashi-sensei standing behind them. Sakura smiled slightly as she recalled how ecstatic she had been when she found out that Sasuke-kun would be on her team. She was the envy of every girl in the academy.

She had grown accustomed to the photograph and had never stopped to really look at it again. She thought to herself out of all of them, Naruto had changed the most. She could still remember when his voice was high and squeaky and he was the shortest of them all, but now he was be the tallest and perhaps the most powerful as well.

Still not the sharpest kunai in the sack though, Sakura thought to herself with an affectionate grin as she stood the frame up again.

She bent down and picked up the laundry basket and noticed the last few pieces of clothing belonged to Sasuke. He had not wanted to lounge around without his clothes on while she did the laundry so he had gone to take a shower.

Just then the bedroom door opened again, and Sakura's eyes fell on Sasuke who had entered with just a towel around his waist.

"Are the clothes ready?" he asked curtly.

Sakura reached into her basket and handed them to him.

"Thanks," he said quickly before disappearing again.

When he returned a few seconds later fully dressed, he walked slowly past Sakura and sat on the bed. His gait was not so labored anymore, not like the previous day. He was making quick progress.

Sakura put the basket away in the closet and sat on the bed next to him. She could smell the light scent of his freshly cleaned body.

"I was thinking," Sasuke said, "I could leave tonight."

Sakura turned to face him with a concerned look on her face. "Sasuke, it's only been two days."

"You said yesterday that you sensed less poison in my body, right? So the only thing that hasn't healed completely is my arm. But even that I can move on my own now."

"Yes, but—"Sakura paused and asked herself if she was only objecting because of her personal feelings and her subconscious desire for him to stay. But she eventually decided that no matter which way she looked at it, it was practically impossible for someone to heal so fast after an injury like this. Sure, if he concentrated his chakra to his arm, there was a chance that he could escape successfully, but it was extremely dangerous. Even someone of his skill and stamina still might find himself collapsed somewhere in the forest. It was still too soon in Sakura's opinion.

"You...you're not ready yet," she said softly. Sakura took his right arm gently and studied it. She noticed that the bandages were getting bloody again.

"I feel my strength returning."

"It's too soon."

Sasuke withdrew his arm from Sakura's grasp but the gesture was not abrupt or forceful.

"We can't keep this up. I don't want to burden you anymore." His voice was quiet but resolute, and Sakura had a feeling he was going to be stubborn about this.

"I don't mind. You might die if you leave tonight."

Sasuke sighed and he looked into her face. "I'll die for sure if I someone finds us. The man yesterday...he might have recognized me." Sasuke didn't like talking about the past, but this time he wanted to identify the person. He hesitated, but eventually asked, "He was the same guy we met in the Chuunin exam, right? Rock Lee, was it?"

Sakura nodded.

"He's a powerful ninja, isn't he."

"Yes."

Sasuke paused.

"You two are..." His voice trailed off while his dark eyes searched for the answer in her face.

Sakura blushed suddenly and looked away.

"Friends," she whispered uncomfortably as she brushed her hair to one side. Her gaze fell on the photograph on the dresser that had been turned down.

Wanting to change the subject, she said, "Do you remember that picture?"

Sasuke's eyes turned to where she was staring.

He had been the one who turned it down. "Yes."

"You got one too, didn't you?"

"That was a long time ago."

Sakura looked at his serious expression again and smiled slightly.

"Your appearance...hasn't changed that much." With a hand, she shyly brushed a strand of hair out of his face. He had dried it, but she noticed it was still a little damp.

His eyes narrowed slightly at her movements but he did not recoil.

Sakura pressed her lips together nervously. His silence was making her uneasy.

She cleared her throat and got off the bed, knelt down and pulled a box from under the bed. After opening it, she pulled out a large book.

Sitting back on the bed again, she asked him, "Do you want to look at some other pictures?"

Sasuke shrugged. He could not leave until the streets were deserted, which would be a few hours from now, around midnight or later.

Sakura sat cross legged on her bed and opened the book, resting it on one thigh so he could see. Her mind was instantly taken back to the moments she had captured on film.

"These were taken from last year's festival," she said with a hint of excitement. She wanted to show him the people that he had not seen in so many years.

"Here's a picture of Naruto and me in front of the restaurant. He was being stupid as usual," she said as she pointed to it.

Sasuke shifted slightly. It was uncomfortable for him to see faces from his childhood, but he found himself compelled to lean in and look.

So that was what Naruto looked like now...

The face was older, but it still had that mischievous, clueless grin. In the photo Naruto was grabbing Sakura around the waist attempting to lift her up while Sakura was struggling and had an angry expression on her face.

"Here's Lee-kun and me." Lee was flashing the trademark "nice-guy pose," complete with thumbs up and proverbial ding. His arm was around Sakura who was giving a nice smile.

"Some of the girls," Sakura pointed at Ino, Hinata, and Tenten who were seated around the table. "I still remember it took Ino a month to find the right dress."

Sakura turned the page.

"These pictures were taken while we were eating. Ignore this one. I don't know when Naruto stole my camera and took a picture of me putting food in my mouth." Sakura covered it with her hand. "He must have also thought the waitress was cute, so here's a picture of her...Naruto and Kiba drinking. All the bottles they drank."

Sakura turned the page.

"Team 10. Chouji, Shikamaru, and Shino. Me and Ino," She pointed to each picture momentarily and paused after each one so Sasuke could get a good look. "Neji-san and Tenten. He didn't want me to take a picture, so that's his hand in the way."

"On this page, these were some displays that were on the street...Now we're at the parties. Here is a picture of all of us together...Ino dancing with Naruto. Some decorations. Chouji with some chips eying Akamaru. Naruto and Kiba hitting on Hinata at the same time....I remember that. She was sandwiched between them and just so red I just had to take a picture," Sakura laughed before continuing, "Lee and me. Tenten and me."

For the whole next hour, Sasuke sat studying the photographs that Sakura went over in her albums, occasionally asking questions about where the places were. She seemed to be so lost in the memories that she had forgotten that Sasuke planned to leave later that night. It felt good to show him the people that were important in her life and the fun that they had together.

When she reached the end of the last album she had, she shut it and gave a satisfied sigh.

She smiled at Sasuke again and said quietly, "Well that's it."

"They were nice, Sakura," Sasuke said. He meant it earnestly; she had reminded him of things he had long forgotten. Yet, this was a life that he could never take part in again. By making his decision long ago, and especially after breaching the law so many times and committing countless acts of violence, there was no way he could return. This kind of lighthearted camaraderie was not for him.

For a second, he felt a strange feeling, but he quickly shook it away.

"You think so?" Sakura said, pleased, as she hugged the album close.

"Yes."

Sakura's eyes lowered and her shoulders fell a little. "They're not perfect though..."

She paused meaningfully.

"...I wish you were in them."

Sasuke remained silent for a few moments, but then he said softly, "You looked happy."

Sakura sighed and shook her head sadly. "You don't understand," she said gently. "I have friends...but...without you..."

Sasuke felt like he knew what was coming next. He had heard it all before. However, he suddenly realized then that this was the last night he would hear her voice. Perhaps forever. There was something reassuring about it; over the last few days, he had gotten used to the feminine ring. Surprisingly, he found himself not too eager to part with it. But he had to.

"There's no use in saying any more, Sakura. I'm going tonight," he said as he turned his body away from her.

Sakura's head was lowered.

He heard her sniff, but she said in the calmest voice she could, "As long as it's what you want...It's your decision."

He would not tell her that there was a part of him that did not want to leave.

Sakura got off the bed and put the photo albums back into the box. After she pushed the box under the bed, she stood up again.

"I'm going to take a shower. When I get out, I'll change your bandages one last time."

She waited for some sort of response, but there was none. After a few seconds she turned away. Sasuke remained still as she left the bedroom.

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When Sakura got out of the shower she was dressed in the clothes she normally slept in, a tank top and pink shorts. Without saying a word, she walked over to where Sasuke was still sitting on the bed and paused in front of him. Sasuke didn't meet her gaze as her hand lightly lifted his healthy one.

He stood up momentarily and followed her to the bathroom, which was still a little foggy from the heat of her shower. Sakura cleared the counter and wiped it off so it wasn't too damp. Then she gathered her materials from the drawer, lined them up neatly, and supported herself on the counter again.

He saw her hair was tied up tighter tonight.

She beckoned him closer and he walked toward her, giving her his injured arm. With a soft sigh she unwrapped the soiled bandages and took a look at his wound. It looked better, but not by much.

As Sakura proceeded to clean his arm, Sasuke unconsciously fixed his eyes on her. He noticed now that he had never thought of her in terms of being pretty or not—to him she was just Sakura. But there was nothing disagreeable about the way her soft face looked when she was concentrated, or the way the muscles in her slender arms tensed while she worked. Even if he could, he would not have changed a thing about her.

There was an awkward silence when Sakura finished.

Their eyes met briefly before Sakura focused somewhere on her hand, which was rested at the edge of the counter.

Sasuke grabbed his wrapped arm lightly. For some reason he recalled the moment when he first saw her, clutching to her partner's injured body in the night rain. He was aiming for her next, until the ANBU shinobi had called her name. It had made him stop.

"I remember, when we first met...I cut your neck and never apologized." He hesitated. "I'm sorry."

Sakura's hand instinctively shot up to the location he was talking about, rubbing it. The cut had healed quickly as expected and had disappeared completely. Her arm slid down again.

"It's...it's okay," she said with a shy smile. Her eyes darted around, trying not to focus on his serious expression.

She expected him to move back like he usually did so she could hop off the counter, but he did not budge. Sakura wondered what he was thinking—his gaze was making her uncomfortable. It was as if he had not seen her for a long time and was debating something in his mind.

After some time, he took a step closer to her so that her knees were almost touching his legs.

"Where was the cut?"

It was an innocent question, but the soft tone of his voice insinuated something else. Sakura was completely taken aback. Her heart started beating faster.

After a few moments, his upper body leaned in closer and she drew a deep breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched his arm moved up slowly and felt his fingertips stroke a line along the bare skin of her shoulder, catching the strap of her tank top slightly before skipping over it. Electricity was shooting through her nerves, and she wondered if she was hallucinating.

"Here?" His finger grazed a spot on just above her collarbone. Sakura tried to control a shiver of pleasure.

His gaze remained on her shoulder. His hand dropped and settled just outside of hers on the bathroom counter and his face moved in close to her neck. Sakura's eyes widened, but she didn't pull back. At first, she felt only his warm breath. But soon, she sensed the light brushes of his nose and his lips teasing her skin. It made her feel like she was on fire.

She trembled helplessly as he moved up the curve of her neck.

"Or is it...here?" he mumbled. His distinct voice vibrated on her skin.

He then pressed his lips lightly against her neck, causing Sakura to automatically close her eyes and tilt her head back. As his kisses became stronger and more urgent, she felt faint and used a hand to grip the back of his neck.

"Tell me, Sakura..." he insisted softly.

The pressure on her skin was giving her goosebumps and her mouth opened in attempt to provide a release for the torrent of emotions. She wondered if he could feel her pulse racing in response to his touch.

"Where did I hurt you?" he murmured without diverting his attention from her neck.

Sakura was silent, afraid that answering him might make him stop. Something tingled at the back of her throat and her vision blurred. She swallowed hard and bit her lip.

After some time, he repeated himself.

"Where did I hurt you?" he mumbled to her neck a little breathlessly.

He wanted a response. The cut had healed and she wondered why he persisted.

But...there was one part of her that he had wounded...

Sakura forced herself out of the trance-like state in which she accepted his caresses and took hold of his free hand. She pressed its palm at the center of her chest.

"Here."

Sasuke stopped.

The labored, throbbing beats of her heart surprised him and he straightened up to meet her gaze. As Sasuke stared at her misted green eyes, he was surprised by all the undiluted sadness he saw in them. For a moment, she looked much older than she was—almost defeated, as if the cause she had been struggling for so long was crumbling before her. But there was also a trace of hope.

There was no doubt in his mind that she was no longer the love-struck, silly schoolgirl anymore. He remembered a time he could do no wrong, but a glance at the tired face in front of him told him things had changed. It was clear she did not condone what he had become: an S-class criminal wanted by all major villages and perpetrator of countless gruesome acts. But she was still here, daring to hold on to him despite his faults. Ever since he last left Konoha as a child, Sakura had somehow been able to distinguish between what he did and who he was.

So that was why she had done what she did for him.

He wondered if she always looked at him with those eyes. If so, it was the first time he really understood them. He read the unconditional devotion on her face and sought comfort in it for the first time. But there was something else, too, written in her expression. After a few moments he identified what it meant and it made him burn with guilt.

Sasuke eyes closed momentarily as he felt the full force of the blame seething in his gut. All this time he had worked to perfect his Sharingan in the hopes of achieving perfect insight, staying one step ahead, and seeing through everyone's intentions. Yet, it had taken him so long to notice the woman in front of him. The irony dug like a sharp knife in his side.

Of all the mistakes he had ever made, perhaps this was the biggest.

When his eyes opened again, they were filled with newfound wonder and empathy. Sakura tried to read what it meant, but she didn't know—she had never seen him like this before.

His hand moved to her chin and he stroked it lightly. Then his thumb gently traced her lower lip. Sakura felt the sting of his touch and noticed a singular intent in his expression.

Is this a dream...

He seemed to move in slow motion as he brought her face toward his. When their lips met, Sakura's eyes fluttered shut as she nearly fell unconscious from the swell of emotion that engulfed her body. Her muscles that had tensed in the last few minutes relaxed and went limp as she surrendered her body to the sensation.

Sasuke felt her sinking, and slipped his hands over the small of her back to push her body up and towards him.

Sakura responded by lifting her hands up to rest on his shoulders and neck.

As a girl, she had fantasized about their first kiss. She had imagined it would be in the park or by the stream on a warm summer day. She would say something sweet that would cause his hard facade to melt. Then, much to her surprise, he would steal a shy peck on the cheek.

The reality of it was different from the way she had planned as a child. They were in her bathroom of all places, and she was in her pyjamas. It was not a summer afternoon, but a fall evening. She had not said the right words; there was nothing timid about the way his lips pressed against hers.

But it was perfect—so perfect.

Sakura swallowed down a sob, not wanting to end their kiss but almost choking with joy. She recalled the way he held her on the first night they met and the content way he slept in her arms in the woods. His body told her then he was comfortable, but at this instant...it told her something more.

All these years, for this one moment.

It was worth it.

When their lips finally broke apart, Sasuke kept his eyes closed and rested his forehead against hers. They stayed in this position for some time before Sakura silently reached up and tightened her arms around him in a warm embrace. Tears fell uncontrollably from the corners of her closed eyes as her fingers pressed hard into his back. Her face was twisted in a sob that Sasuke could not see, but he felt her body trembling and slid his hands around her waist.

"You know..." he began softly. There was a tone of weariness in his voice. "You're the only thing that has ever redeemed me."

Sakura kept silent. She started clenching his shirt, causing her knuckles grew white. Then, she buried her face in his shoulder. For the first time, Sakura knew exactly what he felt for her. No matter what, she couldn't lose him again.

"It's not too late," she whispered into his shirt, staining it with her tears.

It was the same voice she had used that night when she begged him to come home with her to Konoha. The same night he had left her cold and alone on the rock.

She lifted her head slowly and pushed his shoulders away lightly to look into his eyes desperately.

"If you surrender willingly, the Hokage might be more lenient...She remembers you...tell her that you changed...that you're sorry for everything and that you're back."

"Sakura..."

He could not believe he was actually considering it, but the occurrence of the most recent events had fogged his judgment. His stomach twisted slightly, thinking about the prospect of returning to his old home.

In order to survive alone, he had forcefully dulled his emotions. He recalled how difficult it was the first time he killed another man, but the next assassination went smoother. As he grew desensitized, it became easier. Eventually, the voices of the deceased stopped coming back to haunt him. His world fell silent and cold; it was as if he operated in another dimension from everyone else. But it was necessary...right? To kill the man who murdered his family?

He had never slowed down long enough to ask himself if his ambition gave him satisfaction and if there was really no other way. Suddenly he found himself wondering what he had to live for. The hatred for Itachi, for some reason, no longer felt like enough to justify everything he had done, everything he had lost.

He was tired of running. He realized then the best sleep he had had in seven years had been the last few nights with her.

But there was one thing.

"She will kill me," Sasuke said hopelessly.

"Then...I'll die with you..."

Sasuke didn't respond.

"It's worth a try. I know it's a lot to ask, but please...stay. Please, Sasuke. I would do anything for you. If you'd just--" Sakura's voiced stopped. She had said this so many times, but always failed to convince him. The growing lump in her throat made it hurt to talk. She reached up to his cheek and pressed the side of his face against hers.

"Just don't leave tonight," Sakura whispered painfully.

For the first time, Sasuke let the tenderness of her voice ring in the depths of his soul. His faltering will began to collapse completely. He tried thinking about his goals and his life before her for these past seven years, but everything now seemed trivial in comparison to the woman in his arms.

Perhaps he would pay the consequences tomorrow. Maybe one day she would be the death of him. It all didn't matter. He had lost enough, and he was not about to leave the only person who still cared about him. Tonight, he could not refuse.

His lips traveled to her ear. She could feel his breath again as he spoke in a low voice.

"Okay."