Torn between her first crush and the two people who taught her so much…and an unknown factor…

Hyuuga Neji…

Sabaku no Gaara…

Uchiha Sasuke…

Haru…

Previously…

"What is it Neji-Kun?"

Unsure of what to say, he decided to go for actions. He gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her forwards and kissed her.

"…!" her eyes widened but she was too shocked to push him away. He broke the kiss after a while.

"I think I've fallen in love with you, Sakura…" Neji spoke but still holding onto her wrist. She gasped.

"Sakura?" she turned and she saw Gaara standing just a few paces away having witnessed everything that just occurred. Neji let go of her hand.

"Gaara…"

"Sakura…" he looked as if his heart just broke in half. Unaware that he grabbed the fabric that covered it, as though someone just stabbed him. He looked down, his eyes filled with sorrow and betrayal. He didn't know what to do, so he did the one thing that might help, he ran away.

"Gaara!" she tried to reach out for him but he was too fast.

"GAARA!" she called out his name but he ignored it, his eyes welling up with tears.

The next day had been a drag, and so was last night. She couldn't sleep therefore she had bags under her eyes, Neji couldn't sleep but he didn't look half as bad as her. Haru and Sasuke noticed something but wasn't sure what it was. Gaara never slept but even so, he would always stay in the apartment but last night he never came back. They heard a knock, it was a messenger with a request from the Kazekage. Haru was the one to open the door.

"Kazekage-Sama would like to see all of you at his office today…" the masked messenger told them.

"Hai…we'll come as soon as we're ready…" Haru informed him and the messenger bowed slightly and left in a puff of smoke, Haru closed the door.

"Are we ready?" he turned around and looked at everybody, Sakura more specifically.

"What about Gaara-Kun?" she looked up at the mist-nin but he just shrugged.

"We can leave him a note or something to tell him we're with the Kazekage…" Sasuke suggested.

"Hai, I'll do that…" Sakura got up from her seat and went to retrieve a pen and paper, and started writing down a message for him.

Gaara-Kun.

We've gone to meet with Kazekage-Sama, please meet us there and we'll wait for you.

Sakura.

PS- Can you and me talk later on? Please. I'll see you then.

Once she was done, everybody made a move for the door, leaving slowly one by one. She left the note on the kitchen table and walked out of the door, taking one last glance at the note before fully closing it.

"Kazekage-Sama…" Sakura took a step closer to the table with a look of worry on her face.

"We really don't have much of a choice sorry." He bent his head down in disappointment.

"But that's suicide! At least send two instead of just one!" she took another step towards the table.

"I can't sacrifice that. One is enough."

"But two would have a better chance of surviving!"

"ENOUGH! Please Sakura-San…you must understand this. Besides, I'm sure Gaara-San would be fine, I mean he is a great shinobi after all." He smiled half-heartedly.

"But-" she tried to discourage him from his decision but he spoke before she could finish.

"I know that you are worried about him, but he won't die without a fight. And he's more than capable of looking after himself." He continued to smile forcedly.

Knowing that she couldn't make him change his mind, she decided to keep quiet as she lowered her head in depression.

"Please give this to Gaara-San." He handed over a scroll to Sakura but Neji took it for her.

"Wait, I'll give it to him." She looked over at Neji with a look he hadn't seen since her parents died. He hesitated giving it to her, but she took it before he could change his mind.

"I won't make Gaara accept this mission." She looked at the Kazekage while holding onto the scroll in front of her.

"Gaara-San asked for this mission."

"What?" she widened her eyes in disbelief.

"No way…" she stepped back from the desk.

"I'm afraid it's true Sakura-San." He looked at her with sympathy in his eyes.

"NO! I don't believe it!" she grabbed her head while still holding the scroll and ran out of the office.

"SAKURA!" Neji shouted out to her but she ignored it.

She ran, as fast as she could, down the corridors of the building and through the village of Sand. Running blindly as her tears stung her eyes and blurred her vision, clutching onto the scroll as if it was her source of life.

'Gaara…Why are you doing this to me?'

She tripped over a small rock on the road but she pushed herself back up as she ran into an alleyway. Unaware of her surroundings, she leaned on the wall and sank down onto the ground, still gripping onto the scroll as she buried her head on her knees, gently rocking herself back and forth on the same spot. Only her soft sniffles could be heard.

'Now where did Sakura go?' he thought to himself as he walked around the village with searching eyes.

'I can't believe she cares that much for that guy.' He stopped in front of the fountain as he took a deep breath and sighed out loud.

'What's with her anyways? She's been so different since last night, and so was Neji. As well as Gaara…' he began to walk again, trying to sense out her chakra but they only came in small bursts at irregular intervals.

'There she goes again, a little bit of chakra somewhere close but not long enough to pinpoint her exact location.' He made a turn to the left of the fountain square.

"Now where would Sakura go if she was sad or possible angry?" he spoke out loud to himself as he made another left turn he stopped in front of an alley and listened carefully.

He heard sobs and sniffles, her distinct cries and gasps. He took a step into the dark alley, hoping that it would be her and maybe not her at the same time. He stepped cautiously into the alley and saw a figure sitting on the floor. He realized that it was Sakura because of her pink hair so he crouched down beside her and soothingly rubbed her back to calm her.

'Gaara, please don't leave me, I don't want to lose you. Please don't leave me…' her mind droned on over and over again as she rocked herself gently in her cries. She was unaware that someone was watching her as that person stepped closer to her personal space, rubbing her back up and down. She was finally aware of his presence and looked up to see him better.

"Haru-Kun?" her voice was soft and broken.

"We should get back to the apartment, you need to sleep and get something to eat." His gaze softened.

"But, Gaara…"

"Don't worry about Gaara, you and I both know that he'll be fine." She remained silent as he spoke but as he stood up, she didn't follow.

"Come on, I'll help you up." He held out his hand for her but she didn't move. "Don't make me drag you back." He smiled at her.

"Last night…Neji kissed me and Gaara saw it."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want." She shook her head as she continued to speak.

"Before me and Gaara were going out together, Sasuke confessed to me. And while me and Gaara were going out, Neji confessed to me. We didn't exactly tell anyone that we're going out together so I guess they never knew." She looked at the wall opposite her as she spoke.

"And?"

"Don't tell me you're going to confess to me too." She looked at him, searching for an answer.

"Hehe, as much as I like you, you're pretty much like a sister to me than anything else. Don't take it too personally." He smiled at her as he scratched his head.

"What can I do?" her grip on the scroll tightened and loosened as she spoke.

"What do you mean?" he crouched down beside her again.

"I'm torn…" she whispered out.

"Between what?" he spoke softly.

"I'm torn between my first crush and the two people who taught me so much…"

"Sasuke, Neji and Gaara."

"Hai…"

"Please worry about this later, you need sleep and something to eat, once you do that I'm sure you can think much more clearly." He stood up again and held out his hand to her.

"Come on, I'll walk with you, unless you want me to carry you." He smiled at her.

"You smile at the weirdest of times…thank you." She forced out a half smile at him.

"Smiling helps in some ways but not everything. Don't strain yourself ok?"

Wah! Guess Haru is just a brother to her then! I bet she needs one since my fic is sooo complicating her life! DON'T KILL ME! I BEG OF YOU!

You can kill me when this fic is done if you don't like it…Laters.