DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto.

AUTHOR'S (long) NOTE: If you haven't noticed, I've reduced my use of Japanese phrases within my story while editing. Honorifics are still kept in tact, but I figured that if I have readers who know absolutely no Japanese whatsoever, I don't want to distance them too much with an overuse of Japanese phrases, especially since Naruto is on the verge of exploding here in the US. Besides, I don't really have enough time to include a glossary.

I've also decided to slightly change Sasuke's relationship with Naoko along with the Sasuke & Sakura break-up scene. This chapter in particular never made me very comfortable since I do like to keep the characters in-character as much as possible in the given situations, and I figured that Sasuke doing what he did was a little too much out-of-character. Also, I've decided to plant more plot seeds in this chapter about a certain moment that I quickly alluded to in the conversation between Kakashi and Sasuke in the first chapter. When rereading this story, Sakura and Kakashi's relationship seemed almost too perfect, so I'm going to elaborate on some trust issues that I had originally planned to put in the story but failed to do so when I got carried away with the melodrama.


Never Forgotten
By: JDArc

Kakashi's heart sank when a familiar look took possession of Sakura's face, one that she had always worn years ago when she and Sasuke had been together. However, it wasn't so much Sakura's reaction that bothered Kakashi.

It was Sasuke's.


Chapter Five: Unexpected Rivalry

"Kakashi-sensei, good morning!" Sasuke greeted Kakashi with a grin when he approached the laughing couple.

"Sasuke," he nodded in response, and the young Uchiha's smile faded a little at the coldness he detected in his former teacher's voice.

"What are all these scrolls for?" Sakura asked, unaware of the tension between the two men, and her interruption was welcomed as Sasuke's grin was restored back to its original brilliance. Sakura's heart stopped momentarily as she gazed at him, now knowing why her younger self had been so excited about him in her diary entry.

'He's gorgeous! Inner Sakura squealed, making a sudden, rare cameo in her mind. It had been a long while since her inner thoughts had been this active, and Sakura started a little at the sudden voice in her head. That smile of his could make any girl - or guy - swoon! Heheheh-'

"I'm on the way to meeting the team of Genin that I lead," he explained, interrupting her thoughts as he pointed to a classroom a few doors down. "They're a bunch of bright kids, but these scrolls should help them improve their techniques-"

"Sasuke-kun!" a female voice called out, and they all looked to the entrance to see a stunning young woman with bright green eyes running toward them, her jet-black hair flying behind her in one long braid. She froze mid-step when her eyes landed on the pink-haired kunoichi, and she gasped, clutching the pack she held even closer to her chest.

"Sa-Sakura…?" she whispered in disbelief, a tiny twinge of fear creeping into her green eyes, and Sakura frowned in confusion, looking to Sasuke for explanation. Sasuke stared back and forth between the two woman, visibly squirming while Kakashi was inwardly pleased with the turn of events.

"Who is she?" Sakura whispered to Kakashi, though she kept her eyes trained on the woman before her, sizing her up as if she were a rival…a rival for Sasuke's affections, Kakashi realized, his heart doing an unexpected flop. He frowned and cleared his throat.

"I think Sasuke should explain, right, Sasuke-kun?" Kakashi said in a loud voice, enjoying the sight of Sasuke cringing. Ha, bastard, get yourself out of this predicament, Kakashi thought evilly, though a part of him felt slightly guilty for taking his frustration out on his former student. He had, after all, seen a part of himself within the Uchiha boy when he had trained Team 7 years ago. He shook his head slightly, amazed at what the love of a woman could do to the friendly bond that he and Sasuke had shared. He knew, however, that that wasn't the only reason the tension between the teacher and his former student had suddenly grown hostile. One of the last memories Kakashi had been able to make with Sakura before her disappearance hadn't been a happy one.

"Naoko, what are you doing here?" he heard Sasuke hiss to the woman, jolting Kakashi out of his thoughts.

"I saw you rush by my house, and I got worried when you didn't stop by to pick up the lunch that I usually make for you," she stammered, her cheeks flushing as she stared at the carefully prepared box in her hands, and Sasuke's eyes softened just a little.

'Oh, HELL NO!' Inner Sakura screamed insanely. Sakura gulped, knowing that the interaction between the two was making her jealous...and incredibly so. She hadn't felt this jealous since…'since Ino and I were rivals,' a thought continued, and she blinked, wondering where in the world that had come from. She studied Sasuke with her peripheral vision as she kept her gaze on the Naoko girl, who flinched under Sakura's heated gaze.

"So is it true that you don't remember anything?" Naoko asked her, finally raising her eyes to meet Sakura's. As it had already happened several times that day, her mind burst with sudden energy. Sakura teetered on her feet, her eyes rolling to the back of her head before they closed, and the last conscious thought she had before everything turned black was: 'Her eyes are the same as mine…'

Kakashi caught her in his arms just before she blanked out into another memory retrieval sequence.

"Is she alright!" Sasuke fired at his former teacher as if it were his fault, and Kakashi glared right back at the Uchiha, his voice harsh.

"Of course she is," he growled out when Sasuke tried to aid him in holding her, but Kakashi pulled her out of his reach. "It's been happening all morning; her memories are coming back little by little, but it hadn't been so intense as to make her pass out like this." He shot Sasuke another glare before concentrating all his attention to the woman he held in his arms, his anger melting away as he settled himself on the floor, cradling her close to his chest. His fingers traced over the curve of her cheek, and he hoped she'd wake up soon. "It must be a bad memory," he whispered to himself, when she twitched slightly, letting out a sob. "I'm here," he muttered into her ear when tears began to build in her eyes. "I'm here, Sakura…I'm here…"


Sakura twisted her head from side to side, hearing satisfying cracks as she relaxed the tension in her body. She paused every few minutes or so on her way home to stretch out muscles that threatened to cramp up. It had been a tiring day of training with Tenten, whom Sakura had asked help from to train for the Jounin exam.

Sakura had been too shy to ask Sasuke to help her, especially since she was scared that the boundary between work and their love life would intermingle. Insults that might have flown between the two in training wouldn't be forgotten at night when they had dinner together, and it would have strained their relationship into something that they wouldn't want to be a part of. She knew that training with him would be a bad idea, no matter how much time she wanted to spend with him.

However, because of all her training, there seemed to be no time left at all for their relationship. She frowned as she reached into the empty space above her head to give her arms a good stretch. Sakura realized then that she hadn't seen Sasuke at all in the past couple of weeks due to her intense training, save for the time she came back home at night when she would pass out on the futon next time him, too exhausted to say anything more than "Good night" after her nightly bath. It was hard not being able to be there for Sasuke, especially since he'd finally been able to open himself up to her little by little after the shock of finally killing his brother Itachi had eased away. Although he wasn't one to show too much emotion, he did eventually come to smile much more whenever she was around, and it had been much too long since he had shared one of those rare smiles he kept just for her.

A sudden knot formed in her calf and she stifled a groan as she immediately reached to her toes in an attempt to ease the tension. Her thoughts went back to Sasuke, and she smiled to herself, letting her thoughts roam freely, flirting with the idea that maybe he would one day propose to her and officially make her his wife. It was enough to leave her giggling in the middle of the street, but she kept her cool as she continued on her way home. A couple caught her eye as she passed by Ichiraku, and her smile reduced slightly to a smaller one as she recognized Naruto and Hinata.

She also hadn't asked Naruto to train for the Jounin exam with her as he was much too busy with his own training with Jiraiya as well as saving time for his newly found relationship with Hinata. There was also that one incident...

As Sakura slowly walked by the couple, Naruto immediately looked in her direction, and she gave him a feeble smile. He grinned back at her, but it pained Sakura to see how forced it actually was. Their eyes met briefly, and Naruto abruptly turned away, breaking their contact as he focused on the oblivious Hinata. Sakura hung her head, sadness creeping into her tired demeanor. If only things hadn't turned out the way they had-

"Oof!" A book dropped to the ground in front of her, and Sakura immediately bowed to whomever it was she bumped into.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologized as she reached for the tome, but as she read the cover, she quickly picked it up, her cheeks aflame, and thrust the book into the waiting hands of her former sensei. Kakashi chuckled at her reaction and quickly waved her apology away. He quietly told her to return home and rest, and Sakura did nothing but nod in response and silently watched as he continued on his merry way, deeply engrossed in his favorite reading material.

As she watched him, Sakura wondered why she never felt comfortable enough asking Kakashi to train her for the Jounin exam when she had trained under him for so long, but even after all the years she had known him, he was still an enigma that she couldn't quite figure out.

In any case, Sakura knew she would feel much better training with a kunoichi like herself, someone who was more her peer than someone who held authority over her, like Tsunade-sama. The Hokage was her mentor afterall, but she was constantly busy with all different kinds of business that it would have been difficult to ask her just to spend the day sparing. Sakura also needed someone who didn't have a relationship to consume her time, and someone who already knew what the Jounin exam was all about, which left only one person in Sakura's mind: Tenten.

They had been training for months, and Tenten had said that although Sakura was a little slower than most when it came to taijutsu and ninjutsu, Sakura was definitely improving. That day's session had gone so smoothly that the elder kunoichi had ended their training much earlier…at least that had been her first excuse.

When prodded a little with burning questions, Tenten finally admitted that she actually had the courage to ask the person she had liked for the longest time to go on a date with her, and he readily accepted with a toothy grin. Tenten was finally going out on her first date that night with Rock Lee, and Sakura had been so happy for her that she nearly strangled the older girl with an enormous, excited hug.

Sakura sighed as she finally arrived at the house she now shared with Sasuke, and she wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand. Now that she was able to return home early for once, she hoped that she could finally spend some quality time with the man she loved.

"I'm home!" she called out, taking off her sandles by the doorway. The smile that had spread across her face in anticipation for Sasuke's, "Welcome home," greeting faltered slightly as she heard no response. 'He probably didn't expect me to be home so early, so he probabaly went out,' she thought to herself as she headed toward their bedroom to gather some clean clothes and take an early bath. Her hand paused on the door as she heard muffled voices, and upon hearing Sasuke's urgent voice, her heart began to hammer with dread. Staying silent, Sakura leaned in closer toward the closed door.

"Look, I was wrong, and I don't want this," he said, his voice growing angry.

'Who the hell is he talking to-?' Sakura started to wander when a familiar female voice cut in.

"You know I'm in love with you," the girl sobbed. "You didn't push me away before-" Sakura's eyes widened at the revelation, and almost immediately, her heart began to burn with an indescribable pain. She refused to give into the impulse to clutch at her chest, though the ache was rapidly growing unbearable. 'What the hell does she mean by that?' Sakura's thoughts rushed to find a logical reasoning that didn't involve a betrayal on Sasuke's behalf, but her mind failed in its desperate search for an answer.

"I don't love you," Sasuke replied coldly. "Leave me alone-"

"You are alone!" the girl snapped back. "She's never home for you when she promised she wouldn't leave you. Where the hell is she now?" Sakura could almost see the world in a sea of red as her anger flowed through her veins. Without knowing what else to do, Sakura lifted a trembling hand to the door, silently sliding it away to reveal her presence.

"Sakura!" Sasuke stared at her, unable to do anything as Sakura scanned the scene before her. As her eyes landed on the other occupant of the room, her hand formed into a fist and she felt herself readying a punch, but two arms suddenly held her back. Sasuke's scent washed over her, but she refused to grow weak as she struggled against him.

"Let me go!" she cried out, but Sasuke spun her around until she faced him. His hands reached up and wiped the tears she didn't know had been streaming down her face, but she wouldn't allow herself to succumb to his touch. It rushed back to her at that moment how she had waited for so long to feel Sasuke hold her so tenderly like he was. She had pined away as a child, as a teenager, and as a young woman for such a moment when he would look so lovingly into her eyes as he wiped her tears away. Under any other circumstance, she would have gladly melted into him, but the moment was tinged with irony because she wanted nothing more than to be as far away from him as was physically possible. "Sasuke, let me go, damn it!"

"No!" he refused firmly, holding her against him. "You have to listen to me-"

"Why should I?" she spat. "All this time I've been training hard, and you go and cheat on me with Naoko of all people-"

"We didn't do anything-"

"Shut up!" Sakura cut in. "If you hadn't, then why is she here?" With surprising strength, she pulled free from Sasuke before spinning around to face her cousin. Naoko's eyes travled to the doorway behind Sakura, the only exit out of the room, but before she could come up with an escape plan, she was at the receiving end of a roundhouse kick. She found herself airbourne, and the sickening crack of her body slamming against the wall was the only sound that registered as she fell into unconsciousness.

Sasuke stared at Naoko's lifeless body in complete surprise, and his sharp eyes caught the subtle movement of her short intakes of breath. She was still alive, but she was going to be out cold for a long while. He looked at Sakura who had huddled herself at the nearest corner, and he immediately rushed to her and reached out his hands to her, only to have her recoil from him as if his mere presence burned her.

"How could you...?" Sakura accused him, her eyes bright with anger. She shakily got up to her feet and walked unsteadily toward the door. Sasuke grabbed a hold of her arm, and she immediately found herself slapping him hard before shoving him away. He could've avoided the hit if he had wanted to, and they both knew this as they stared at each other, but she refused to look into his eyes longer than she had to.

"Nothing happened between us," Sasuke explained softly before adding with more thought, "...Nothing that meant anything." He hung his head guiltily as she glared at him, knowing exactly what he meant as she read between the lines.

"...Is this how lightly you think of me?" Sakura hated how her voice quivered, especially when she didn't want to show just how broken she felt, but her resolve was slowly fading as she took in Sasuke's remorseful face and his dark eyes, those eyes that always beckoned her despite her wishes. She shut her own and turned away, her mind screaming at her to get a hold of her senses. She could feel him approach her from behind, his arms reaching out to hold her, but she knew that if she stayed there any longer, she would not be able to walk out while she could. In a burst of uncontrollable pain, she fled.

"Sakura!"

Ignoring the sound of his voice, she rushed out of the house almost blindly, her vision distorted with tears to the point that she could barely identify anything as she ran past.

"Sakura!" Sasuke still called after her as he recovered enough from his shock to chase after her, but as she quickly zipped through the crowded streets of Konoha, it was becoming more and more difficult to follow her, especially since her emotions were causing her to make thoughtless, erratic movements.

But try as she might, Sasuke was gaining on her as she ran out of the house, and ignoring the stares she was receiving for her wild appearance, she fled blindly into town. A hand grabbed her arm and swerved her around, and she stood face to face with Sasuke.

"Sakura, let me explain-" he pleaded, and she forced her eyes away from his, knowing that the more she looked into his eyes, the weaker she became.

"Let me go!" she hissed at him angrily, trying to pull away and failing miserably. Her lips trembled as she tried to hold in her sobs, resulting in a choking sound that was breaking Sasuke's heart the longer he listened.

"No, Sakura, please," he said, desperately grabbing onto both her shoulders, but no matter what he did, she wouldn't look at him.

"I loved you," she whispered, stopping her struggles. "I loved you so much that I begged for you to take me with you when you fled with that rogue band of ninjas long ago. I would have done anything for you, Sasuke-kun." She lifted her head to finally look up at him, her green eyes flashing angrily. "I defended you when the village hated you for choosing the life of a missing-nin especially with Orochimaru! I argued endlessly with Hokage-sama when everyone wanted to execute you when you came back after killing Itachi, and-" she sobbed harder, "-I rejected Naruto-kun when he proposed to me, when he promised to make me happy! I did all of this for you, and the only thing I wanted was for you to be with me. That was all I asked…"

"Sakura…" Sasuke had no idea how to reply, as if only realizing then how much pain he had caused her even before his brief interlude with Naoko. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered. "I just had a moment of weakness-"

"J-just…FUCK OFF!" she raged, her eyes flashing dangerously at him, and before he could react, she swung her fist in his face. His feet lifted from the ground before he roughly landed quite a few feet away, his eyes wide at being the target of her insanely powerful punch, and he barely lifted his gaze up in time to see her quickly escape.

Sakura formed the seals for the replication technique as she turned a corner and ran into a crowded street. Sasuke gaped in disbelief that Sakura would use her ninja skills to try to get away from him, but as he turned the corner and spotted eight different Sakuras fleeing into different alleyways, he called out his Sharingan eyes to spot out the real one from the fakes.

However, as he glanced at each of the eight figures, he came to a halt. None of them were real, and his heart sank, wondering how in the world he could have lost her so easily. His Sharingan faded back to intense black, and he took a moment to wipe the tears that had slipped down. Not caring who was watching him, he began to look for her the old-fashioned way, bringing his hands around his mouth as he yelled, "Sakura!" He walked slowly down the street, glanced from side to side, calling her name every so often, but yielding the same result. She was gone.

Once he was out of range, Sakura slowly let down the sheet she was hiding behind when she had leaned against the fence she had utilized as part of her disguise, using one of Naruto's old tricks from when they were young. She didn't think it would have been that easy to deceive Sasuke, and she allowed herself a small, bitter smile before her tears blurred her vision again.

Her stamina was never one she boasted about, and the chase she had just experienced drained nearly all of her energy, especially since it happened so soon after her training session with Tenten. Her knees unceremoniously buckled beneath her, and she gave out a startled cry, closing her eyes to ready herself with the inevitable crash to the ground.

But it never came.

Through her tears she could make out the fuzzy outline of a masked face and one visible eye. Kakashi's arms supported her as she rose to her feet unsteadily, and he clucked at her as she leaned heavily against him.

"I thought I told you to hurry home and rest," he said gently, though his eyes conveyed his worry. "If you train this much, you won't have any energy left for the test itself!" She shook her head at him, tears flowing freely this time as she thought of Sasuke.

"I-It is-isn't th-that, sensei!" she bawled, circling her arms around him as she sobbed against his chest, her tears soaking his green vest. Alarmed, he immediately moved the two of them away from prying eyes as she spilled the news to him, her shoulders heaving and her cries interrupting throughout the entire rant. She wouldn't let go, needing the warm comfort he provided for her, and he merely held her as she wept.


"Shh, it's alright," she heard when she came to, and with effort, she lifted her heavy lids to see Kakashi's masked face just above hers. His mask wrinkling, she knew he was smiling in relief. As she blinked, she realized that her tears were real and not just part of some memory, and she sat up slowly, leaning heavily against Kakashi. Sasuke kneeled before her, his concern written plainly on his face.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" he questioned, and she recoiled from him in alarm, her angry gaze flashing at him before turning to Naoko.

"I-I…you-" she began before looking away.

"Sakura…?" Sasuke placed a hand on her shoulder, and she immediately slapped it away, as if his touch burned her.

"I-I remember!" she sputtered at him, and with effort, she pulled away from Kakashi and stood up, wiping her tears away. "You…and her…You cheated on me…"

"S-Sakura," Naoko began in a quiet voice, but Sakura glared at her, her hands forming two angry fists.

"Don't talk to me-" she snapped, turning her heated gaze to Sasuke.

"No! You don't understand! You weren't the only one in love with-"

"You're my cousin," Sakura hissed at her, watching as Naoko's face crumbled with guilt, "and yet…y-you…"

"I couldn't help myself," Naoko whispered. "He looked so alone all that time you were training. I only wanted to comfort him-" At those words, random images began to flash in Sakura's mind, but in her rage, she gritted her teeth and embraced the pain of her recovering memories, focusing only on the girl in front of her.

"I was there for him when he needed someone the most," Sakura spat out, trying desperately not to pass out while trying to make sense of what her mind was trying to tell her at the same time. "Because of you, something that took years to establish was tarnished-" Letting out a sob, Sakura reached an angry hand out, knocking the boxed lunch out of Naoko's hands before she landed a swift roundhouse kick, hitting Naoko precisely in the back of her neck with just enough force to knock her out without breaking her bones. Surprised with just how much skill she had in ninja techniques, Sakura tore out of the building with impressive speed, her talent in the molding chakra to her feet never having faded.

"Shit!" Sasuke exclaimed, staring at his fallen fiancée before kneeling down next to her. "Who would've know that Sakura would do this again to Naoko," he muttered. "She used the same moves and everything."

"That bitch fucking deserved it," Kakashi snapped, moving to follow Sakura. "I wouldn't have liked for Sakura to remember that event so quickly, but now it can't be helped. You and Naoko both were…are fucking idiots." Before Sasuke could retort, Kakashi was gone in a puff of smoke, and doors slowly slid open, faces peering in wonder at Sasuke-sensei and his unconscious fiancée.

Sakura ran, her tears blinding her as the pain she had felt back then was once again tearing at her from the inside. The love she had felt for Sasuke was back, as well was the bitter taste of his and Naoko's betrayal. With that emotional memory now restored, smaller, but rather significant memories were still rapidly buzzing inside her head. Visions of her waiting by Sasuke's bedside in some sort of hospital wafted through her thoughts. She had peeled an apple for him and had cut it up into sections, attempting to feed him, but he angrily flung the platter out of her hands, the lovingly cut apple scattered on the floor.

Another memory came of her hugging Sasuke from behind in the middle of a dark forest, as if to prevent him from doing something dangerous. His whole body seemed to be covered in black swirls, as if he had gotten into an accident with a huge bottle of ink. She remembered how scared she felt when her arms wrapped around him, how her heart jumped nervously when his dangerous eyes locked with her teary ones, just as the black swirls began to fade from his skin.

"He had a cursed seal," she found herself whispering into the air, as she finally slowed her running to a stop in the middle of a green clearing. She had absolutely no idea how she got there, but she found herself in front of a black marble cenotaph. She closed her eyes tightly as if to finally stop the painful images from resurfacing, but one more managed to slip into her conscious mind as she sank to the floor in painful agony…


It was a dark night, but the moon and the stars were shining brightly above with a deceiving sense of calm. Sakura shivered slightly as she waited in a deserted walkway just a short distance from the Academy. She hoped she was wrong in her premonitions, but she waited for him just in case. Her heart dropped when she finally saw him emerge from the shadows, walking through the archway that separated the school and the part of town that led out of the village. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the pack that he carried on his back, and she could tell from its bulkiness that he intended to be gone for a long while. Her gaze then fell on his face, his forehead protector absent. She gulped, praying that this wasn't going to be their last meeting together. The thought alone made her want to cry, but she restrained her tears, for the time being anyway.

"Why are you prowling around here in the middle of the night?" he questioned first, breaking the silence between them. His voice was colder than usual, and she flinched, wanting to yell the same question back at him.

"I knew you'd come this way if you were to leave," she answered instead, looking at the ground before her. "So I just waited here." She could feel his penetrating eyes on her, and it took all of her will to keep herself from breaking down.

"Get out of here and go back to sleep," he ordered harshly before looking away, and she panicked momentarily as he began to walk away, his footsteps almost so quiet she hardly heard them. He had just brushed past her when she felt her will diminish.

'This isn't how it's supposed to happen!' her mind was yelling insanely. 'This…this can't be the last time I see him! No! He can't leave me…Sasuke can't leave me!' Her lips trembled as she heard him walk farther and farther away from her when suddenly, she spun around, unable to keep the tears from falling.

"Why won't you say anything to me!" she demanded softly, her frustration and hurt mingled together in her tone. "Why do you always keep so quiet? You never say a single word to me…?" The words she really wanted to say continued within her mind, her Inner Sakura crying softly for once. 'Sasuke-kun, can't you see this kills me! Don't leave me, please gods, don't walk out of my life…!' He paused his steps though he didn't turn to face her. She could only watch as the wind did what she wanted her own fingers to do as it blew playfully through his dark strands, caressing them lovingly as if to plead with him to stay.

"I told you I don't need your help." His words were blunt and sliced cleanly through the outer layer of her heart. "Don't try to look after me." They both fell silent, unsure of what to say next, and Sakura succumbed to the sniffles that had attacked her once her tears had started flowing. She felt the corners of her lips curve into a small grin as her eyes caught sight of the bench that she had sat on when she had waited for Sasuke to return to her the first day they had become Genin. She felt her heart crack even more when she recalled how cold he had been when she had blabbered too much about Naruto and about her theories on why he was so 'selfish.' She admitted to herself after the incident that she had spoken more than she needed to and that her words probably hurt Sasuke as much as it would have hurt Naruto, had he had been around to hear them. She flushed slightly, thinking of how foolishly naïve she had been; it was no wonder Sasuke never bothered with her much. She always said the wrong things around him, but it wasn't her fault at all, she mused. Being around him always made her nervous, as if she always had to impress him with words since her ninja skill wasn't as remarkable as she would have liked.

"No matter what, you just always hate me, don't you…?" she thought aloud, her words laced with the tiniest hint of bitterness. "You remember, don't you?" Sasuke remained silent, and she took it as a sign of agreement. Her heart tumbled further down her chest, almost refusing to beat. "When we became Genin, the day when our three-man team was first decided, the first time we were here by ourselves, you were so mad at me…" Her voice trailed off a bit, and she mentally slapped herself for saying too much the way she always did whenever rejection became too much for her to handle. She trained her eyes on his feet, wondering how in the world she was going to get herself out of the conversational disaster she had put the both of them in.

"I don't remember that," he finally muttered, startling her out of her worries, and although she suspected he was lying just to spare her the humiliation of recalling such memories, it hurt to think that an episode that had affected her so much meant nothing to him since he couldn't even remember it.

"Hahah, I guess you're right," she blabbered with no real mirth. "That's all in the past, huh?" She risked a glance at him before she returned her gaze to stare at his blue sandles. "That's when it all began though," she continued, a genuine grin fighting its way onto her lips as she allowed nostalgia to take over. "You and me…along with Naruto and Kakashi-sensei…we did all sorts of missions, just the four of us." Her voice began to tremble. "It was painful and difficult at times…even with that though…I still enjoyed it!" Her voice had become stronger as her resolve once again became clear in her mind. It was her own self-imposed mission to make him stay, and it was a mission she refused to fail without putting up a good fight. However, she sighed and gentled her tone. "I know all about your past, Sasuke-kun. Even if you get revenge, though, it won't bring anyone happiness. Not even you, Sasuke…" She wondered if she said too much once again, but there was no denying how much she wanted to express how she truly felt to him. If getting to him through harsh words was the best way to go, then she would give it all she had.

"Nor me…" he muttered softly. "I already know."

'WHAT!' Inner Sakura screamed indignantly, wanting to pommel her fists at him. 'Then why the hell is he doing this! Why the hell is he-'

"Up until now we've done everything as a group," he continued, and for a moment Sakura fleetingly thought of how ridiculous it was to keep a conversation with his back turned to her and suppressed her urge to make him face her. She was sick of always staring at his back, especially when he walked away from her. "But there is something else that I must do. Deep inside my heart, I've already decided on revenge. For that reason only do I live. I'll never be like you or Naruto!" At those words, a fresh bout of tears fell down her cheeks, and she was overwhelmed with her desire to scream at the injustice of it all. 'Can you see that there is much more for you to live for!' she wanted to beat into his head. 'Can't you see that happiness is right there within your reach, you fucking idiot!'

"Do you really want to go back to being alone!" Sakura blurted out to him, desperation clinging to every syllable. "You told me how painful it was to be alone! Right now, I know your pain! I may have friends and family, but…" She began to sob, unable to keep her composure, "…if you were to leave…to me…to me, I would be just as alone as you!" She hiccupped as she took in a breath to calm her erratic breathing, but the realization that he might actually be leaving was only starting to hit her at that moment. There was no way she wanted to go on living in Konoha without Sasuke there; he was the reason she got up every morning, he was the reason she tried so damned hard to excel, and he was the reason she lived. He was stubborn, stoic and downright cold most of the time, but she accepted him, her childish crush evolving into that of real, pure love. Their missions together allowed her to see him as he was, and it became her own life's goal to show him that he didn't have to be alone anymore.

"From here on out we all begin new paths," he said, emotionally detached from his words, and Sakura nearly growled out in frustration with him. She wasn't going to restrain herself any further, and the words she had wanted to say to him for the longest time came tumbling out of her mouth in one huge breath.

"I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!" Her body shook with devastating hopelessness that she nearly collapsed. "If you were to stay with me, there would be no regrets! Everyday we'd do something fun, we'd be happy, I SWEAR! I would do anything for you…so…please stay with me!" Her hands gripped into tight fists at her side as her head drooped in vulnerability. "I'll even help you with your revenge…I don't know what I could do, but I'll try my best to do something. So please…stay with me…or take me with you if you can't stay here…" She sniffed before gulping in the crisp night air, wondering if he'd finally understand how much she cared about him with her proposition. If taking on the life of a missing-nin meant being with Sasuke, she would kiss Konoha good-bye and fling her headband protector into the river. She didn't care anymore; she'd give it all up for him…just for him.

He finally moved, and Sakura looked up eagerly, daring to hope that maybe she had in fact reached him with her words. However, reality came crashing down when he muttered, "You really are annoying." Her eyes widened at him in disbelief, though as she studied his face, there was a warmth in his smirk that hadn't been there previously, but before she could analyze his reaction any further, he continued to walk down the his path, and cold dread filled her bones. 'No…NO!' Inner Sakura cried.

"DON'T LEAVE!" she tearfully pleaded, her breath now labored. "IF YOU DO, I'LL SCREAM!" She watched as he froze, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared only to reappear behind her. She let out a tiny yelp of surprise but was rendered motionless as his scent wafted around her, and he was close enough for her to feel heat emanating from his body. She had longed for him to be near her, she had dreamed of it forever, but it frightened her out of her wits just then.

It actually felt like good-bye.

"Sakura…" he whispered tenderly, and her face crumpled into a wrinkly mess. His breath was hot against the back of her neck, and she wanted to spin around and cling to him, though she knew he was too fast for her to do so.

'Why is he doing this…?' she wondered. 'Does he really…could he love me back…?'

"Thank you," he said wistfully, and she let out a silent gasp, not knowing what to make of the words. Was he really, truly thanking her after all this time-

She couldn't finish the train of thought as a warm hand made it's way to her neck, and she barely had enough time to register the loud crack that ensued. She felt her heavy lids close as her body slowly bent to gravity, and her conscious mind slipped into darkness. 'No!' Inner Sakura protested. 'Don't let this be good-bye! Don't let it end this way! Please-'

"Sasuke-kun…"


Sakura blinked, noting the salty drops that continued down her cheeks. She wasn't quite sure why exactly Sasuke left her the way he did. As curious as she was to remember his reason, she clutched at her head, forcing herself to breathe, hoping that once she calmed down, the inundation of memories would pause…just for a while. She wasn't sure if her heart could handle anymore memories of heartbreak. It had all happened too quickly for her to cope with.

Her eyes focused more clearly on the cenotaph before her, her gaze drawn to a bouquet of beautiful sakura blossoms lying on top of the memorial. She rose to her feet, dusting her clothes free from the grass blades that had clung to her, and she approached the black marble cautiously. The bouquet was still fresh, though it was damp with the morning dew; it had been lying there a day or two at most. Her hand instinctively brushed the soft pink petals, and as soon as her fingertips grazed them, an image of Sasuke's smiling face flashed in her mind. She recoiled from the bouquet, wondering why it made her think of him. The tears that had stopped momentarily sprung to life, and she let out a resentful laugh. She had been so taken with him when she had first come back to the village. Ignorance had truly been bliss when she hadn't known that he was the cause of so many wounding memories. It seemed their past together was nothing more than a tearful melodrama.

"I see you've found the bouquet Sasuke-kun left for you yesterday."

Sakura whirled around, her hand reaching for a kunai holster that no longer hugged her right thigh. The motion was useless as she knew that she had no weapons to protect herself with, and instead, her hand went back to her eyes and swiftly wiped the tears away.

"How'd you find me Kakashi-san?"

"Your body is also responding to your memories," he noted, not answering her. "Returning to a familiar environment must be bringing back old habits."

"How'd you find me?" she repeated again, refusing to be deterred, and he shrugged casually.

"Instinct," he drawled. "You really knocked out Naoko back there, by the way. I don't think she'll wake up for another hour or so-"

"That bitch fucking deserved it," Sakura spat, amazed by the venom in her voice. Kakashi's one eye crinkled with delight, and she was sure he was smiling at her.

"That's exactly what I told Sasuke when I left to follow you," he sang in a happy tone. "Seems that even though we're both a little older, we're still compatible, aren't we?"

"Don't tease, please," she replied tiredly. "This is becoming too much for me!" She let out a growl before glaring at him accusingly. "I don't think I should have come back here! If I'd known that my life had been this screwed up, I wouldn't have left my home-"

"It wasn't always so sad," he said quietly. "We were happy…when we were together." Almost at once, she felt tactless and readied an apology, but he shook his head to dissuade her from doing so. "Don't, Sakura. You'll understand when you recover all your memories." He looked away from her, moving toward the cenotaph, caressing his fingers over a name. "Even if you do decide to leave later on after this is all over, please promise me that you won't regret coming back," he whispered to her, keeping his focus on the marble. "The woman I loved may really have died the day she lost her memories, but knowing that a little part of her survived to live a happy life is enough closure for me," he added softly. "That's all that would matter, even if it means sacrificing my happiness for hers. It's entirely worth it."

"Even after all that you've been through, after all that's happened, you'd still let me go if it meant I'd be happier living back in the Hidden Village of the Cloud?" Sakura sounded awestruck, as if she wasn't entirely worthy of such a deal, but Kakashi merely turned around to gaze at her.

"Of course."

"But why!" she shot out. "Why would you just let that happen?"

"I've given you the reason before, Sakura," he sighed. "When you love someone, you have to learn to let them go, especially if that person doesn't wish to stay with you. I honestly wish I could be selfish and keep you here with me for all eternity, but who am I to do so? Holding you here against your wishes would only make you unhappy, which wouldn't make me happy, and we'd both be miserable," he explained in a cheerful voice that did not suit the subject at hand.

"It would still hurt you very much though," she said, lowering her eyes as she scanned the cenotaph, and with a start, she recognized her name among the many on the memorial. Noticing her reaction, he merely nodded at her.

"You're right, as always," he muttered, running his fingers once more over the marble. "All I would have left is…well, this." He paused his hand over her name for a moment, before turning to look at her. "Well, the day is still young. Don't you want to see more of the village?"

"I want to see you," she stated quietly, her eyes focused on him. "And don't you pull out that trashy novel this time-"

"Sakura, no," he protested firmly.

"Why not!" she huffed in a whiny tone that reminded him of the times he had always shown up late to their meetings for daily missions. His eye crinkled as he smiled beneath his mask, drinking in her image as much as possible, knowing that should she leave his life once more, he wouldn't get another opportunity to stare into her beautiful emerald eyes, which were glaring at him right at that moment, though he didn't exactly mind. When he didn't reply, she let out a frustrated groan as she scowled at him. "UGH, you're so…you're just so…so-"

"Handsome? Cool? Smart? Did I mention handsome-"

"IRRITATING!" She shot out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's what you loved about me," he informed her matter-of-factly.

"No way," she growled. "I never-"

"I was a mystery to you," he recalled wistfully. "That was what really attracted you, you know. That and the fact that I'm also really cool and handsome-"

"You're so full of yourself!" she sighed, shaking her head at him.

"I'm only joking," he said, his cheerfulness deflating somewhat.

"How do you do it?" she wondered outloud, and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Do what?"

"Know exactly what to do to distract me from trying to get you to remove your mask?" she replied. "You always manage to go off on tangents and digress, and I never get to see you-"

"Why is it so important that you see my face?" he inquired, raising his one visible eyebrow.

"It's just…I-I…you…well…" Her voice trailed off as she looked completely stumped. "I don't really know," she finally answered, sighing in defeat.

"Good, since that's settled, let's go to Ichiraku," he said, turning on his heel and walking away.

"What for?" she questioned as she hurried to his side, and if he hadn't had his mask, she could have sworn he was smirking at her.

"It's time to reacquaint you with Naruto-kun," he said pleasantly.


TBC…