Author's Notes: Hiya! Wow. I'm already on chapter six! I can't believe I've already written this much—I'm very happy with how well this story is going. It's all thanks to you guys, my reviewers! We're closing in on 100 reviews—I would love you guys forever if we could reach that mark soon! Thanks guys! And Only Secret—you're the best freaking beta ever. I know most of these chapters would be nowhere if it weren't for your help! Also, c.pham… I could have sworn that was what I put up! I think when I was putting the breaks in my chapter, the cursor accidentally popped up in weird places and I might have deleted what I was writing with that. Thanks for the notice—that's embarrassing, considering I made sure I spelled the jutsu's right by going to a website and copy/pasting the names.

Sacrifice: Wilted Blossom of Spring

Chapter 6: Self Condemnation

The gate was finally in view. After six days stuck in a forest full of deadly traps and deceptive enemies, it was a relief. Sakura could feel the pent up stress and fear slowly sliding off her body and into the ground. She was home, she was safe… no one could hurt her within the walls of Konoha. It surprised her how she was now keenly aware of every ANBU member prowling on the rooftops—it made her feel secure.

Shikamaru's orders were for everyone to check into Konoha hospital before heading home, something Sakura found comforting. Most of her time was spent in the hospital, and she knew the security system like the back of her hand. She would be even safer inside of the hospital. Once they cleared the gates and entered the village, she felt a hand grip her arm, pulling her away from the team and behind a building. Her heart pounded inside her chest and her breathing ceased until she was turned.

It was only Sasuke.

Without much thought, Sakura whipped her arm out of his grasp and held it close to her chest, averting her gaze to the dirt on the street. She could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn't decipher if he was angry or if it was something else.

'No!' Sakura chastised herself. 'I'm safe in Konoha!'

"You were very stupid."

She winced at the insult, although she wasn't sure what he was talking about.

Sasuke eyed her reactions, glowering with distaste and anger. He wouldn't deny it—he was completely enraged with her, and he had been ever since she'd taken those hits for Hinata. The way she filled his thoughts and withdrew concern from him… he wanted to pull his hair out. She was never this annoying, this irritating or this frustrating… and he couldn't bring himself to say so out loud.

That's what really scared him, the way he was forced to stop and think before he spoke.

"You know there were other ways to protect Hinata as opposed to using your body as a shield." He reprimanded. "Why didn't you think? You could have died out there, Sakura! Use your head, you're supposed to be the smartest member of our team."

She didn't bother to apologize.

"One day we won't be able to protect you. Stop being so hesitant, it's annoying and eventually will cost you your life. If Jounin level missions are hard for you, then just quit being a kunoichi. Naruto and I shouldn't be forced to come after you." Sasuke continued, unable to stop himself. "You're just proving how weak you really are."

Sakura looked up at him, the rage in his gaze causing her to take a few steps backward. She knew he was right—she was weak, so weak and stupid that she fell for a hollow threat and ended up giving her body to someone thinking it would protect the people who meant the most to her. Just as he was saying, she was worthless as a ninja… so why was she still playing the part? Lying to everyone, and to herself, was only placing everyone else in danger.

Suddenly, she felt dirtier than before.

Sakura walked down the street, staring toward the ground. It hadn't taken long for Sasuke and herself to catch up again. Naruto walkednext to Hinata, his face grim and his steps calculated. Behind him were Neji and Kiba. Shikamaru walked behind them, planning to wait while Tsunade estimated the injuries that had befallen his team. Sasuke walked behind him, hands in his pockets and intending to go directly home despite Shikamaru's orders to head to the hospital.

"Sakura!" a high pitched voice called.

"Oi, Ino-chan." she smiled lightly, drawing her gaze from the floor and toward her friend. "What brings you here?"

"I came to steal Sasuke-kun from you!" her voice stated, obviously enchanted with her own joking answer-- everyone knew she was over Sasuke, it was just an inside joke between herself and Sakura.

Spinning on her heel, Sakura split away from the group and headed toward her apartment—defying orders. She couldn't stand being around them anymore… her body and mind were jumbled, screaming at her to retreat somewhere she'd be safe.

"Go ahead Ino... he's all yours. You can have him."

Ino wanted to retort, but Sakura was already gone. She fell into a calculating expression before turning to head back into the Yamanaka flower shop. Sasuke's glare caused her to stop in mid step; he had heard the exchange as well. Ino nodded, reading his thoughts by his simple expression- He wasn't upset with her.

Something was wrong with Sakura. The day she gave up on Sasuke was the day hell froze over.

"You should have been easier on her."

Sasuke halted in his trek, turning on a dime to face the person talking to him. Needless to say, the moment he caught glimpse of the man who was once his sensei with his forehead protector pulled up, he was surprised. It was obvious he had just recently returned from a mission, so that eased some of Sasuke's anxiety of the anger radiating off Kakashi. Watching as the leaf in crested band fell into place over his Sharingan eye once more, Sasuke lost his rigid poise and waited for an explanation to his chastisement.

"I wasn't being harsh. I've always spoken to Sakura like that when she's not performing her part, and you've never complained before."

Hands in pockets, Sasuke waited for a response.

Kakashi pushed himself off the wall to the restaurant he had been leaning on, taking a few steps closer. "Maybe, but she was never in the position she is in now."

"What do you mean?" he inquired, an eyebrow rising in question.

"You'll know when she wants you to, Sasuke." Kakashi responded. "Start watching how you treat her and how you speak to her. She's frail… more so than I thought, if she's giving you up to Ino and can't perform correctly during missions."

An internal grin flew into Kakashi's mind the moment Sasuke showed some alarmed irritation—the boy never did like being the last to know things.

"What do you know that I don't?"

Kakashi shook his head. "She doesn't know that I know yet. I'm sure you've noticed some changes… aren't you curious as to the cause?"

"It's not any of my business." Sasuke responded, turning his head away.

'… but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop before I find out.'

"You want to know, don't you?" the interrogation continued. "I'll talk to her and make sure she knows you didn't mean any harm."

"Hn, don't waste your breath. It may be better this way."

Kakashi smirked. "Then I guess it's your treat for buying ramen, then? I do believe... after every mission, you three take turns buying the meal? Seems to me there have been far too many times it was only Naruto and yourself. You can't tell me you'd choose Naruto's company over hers."

"Stop trying to put me on a guilt trip." Sasuke grumbled. "If you wanted me to apologize, you should have just said it."

"I don't." he reasoned. "I'm going to talk to her. Don't act before you know all the facts and the situation—that's a rule of the shinobi… it's funny how someone like yourself, a prodigy, has yet to learn how to follow it, Sasuke. I'm not so sure you'll take what she has to say, when she says it, very well."

He met Kakashi with a glare. "There's nothing that could faze me when it comes to her. She's just my teammate."

"She's your friend, Sasuke… and you make me wonder, with how defensive you get, if that's all she is to you."

"Hn."

Sasuke stomped off, irritated with his teacher, angry with Sakura, and very willing to take it out on the next person he'd be with. Kakashi watched him walk away, his suspicions confirmed. It was time he told Sakura what he knew.

Sakura scrubbed relentlessly at her skin, refusing to stop until it became a rash and bled. His scent was back. The water in her shower went cold hours ago. She ran out of soap almost a half hour earlier, but Sakura continued scrubbing with a scrub-brush she found beneath her bathroom sink. The pain was drawing her away from what happened.

It wasn't until she noticed the tub was turning pink that she stopped. Most of her wounds had reopened in the process of scrubbing, the blood running in rivulets with the ice cold water. Heaving a sigh and wiping at the tears on her face, Sakura shuffled out of the shower, dressed in a baggy sweatshirt and pants, then filed out into her kitchen. She was drained—she needed something to drink.

Going past the juice and milk, Sakura pulled out a large bottle of sake—something she had received as a housewarming gift— and inspected it. She had told everyone she'd wait to drink it until she was 20, but temptation and circumstance spoke differently. Without taking the time to contemplate her motives, she began turning toward the cupboards in search of a glass.

"Sakura… put the sake away."

A loud crash was heard as the bottle slipped from her grasp and shattered on the kitchen floor. Sakura could feel her body begin to fall into small, internal convulsions from fear. Desperately trying to control her reaction, she held onto the counter and forced herself to spin around and face her assailant.

Kakashi smiled lightly as she turned, hoping the familiar look would ease the chill that shot through the room the moment he spoke. The fear in her eyes drew pity from him, instilling natural impulses to advance and comfort. It took a lot out of him to stay standing nonchalantly in the doorway to the kitchen, his revealed eye crinkled with the plastered grin. He hadn't expected such a violent reaction simply from hearing a male voice—she was doing worse than he expected.

"Ka… Kakashi-sensei? How did you get in my apartment?" she stuttered, turning her face toward the floor before finishing her turn and land roughly against the wooden counter behind her. "I didn't know you had a key…"

He pouted a bit. "Would you believe me if I said the landlord let me come in when I said I was your uncle?"

A small grin escaped her lips as the adrenaline in her body calmed down. Relieved that his attempt at bringing out familiar things she was comfortable with was calming her down, Kakashi leaned on the doorframe. He waited to see if she'd notice he hadn't popped out Icha Icha Paradise, if she realized he was purposely keeping his distance from her, or if she knew he had planned this visit. She was calming down, meaning she, more than likely, was taking comfort in these facts if she observed them.

"You're pretty jumpy. I'm guessing your mission was pretty bad." He noted. "Would like help cleaning that sake up?"

Sakura turned her eyes in the direction Kakashi indicated. The sake had spread across most of left side of the kitchen, large fragments of the bottle littered in it and floating like boats. With a sigh she opened a drawer, pulling out towels and tossing them onto the mess. Taking this as a yes, Kakashi drew in closer and dropped to the floor, mopping up the alcohol. His movements were methodical and slow, signaling he was in no hurry

Depositing the soiled towels into her kitchen sink, he decided to continue with the reason he'd come in the first place.

"Sakura… I didn't know you took the mission so hard."

She turned to face him. "Huh? I always take my missions seriously. This was a bad mission… of course I'm going to take it hard. It was my fault."

"I'm not talking about this mission." Kakashi reasoned. "I'm talking about your assassination mission."

"I… it was my first assassination. I'm not used to killing like that." She answered, her body frozen in place. "I'll get over it."

He sighed, and moved away from Sakura, stopping when he was halfway across the room and turning back toward her. "I know what happened in there. I got to the window right after you killed him… I'm sorry I didn't make it to you sooner."

The shaking started again, images racing through Sakura's mind. Kakashi watched as she backed away into the wall, her eyes racing around the room, trying vainly to focus on anything that could draw her away form the situation. Her hands held her cheeks, her tears racing around the fingers as they fell.

"What happened in there, Sakura?" Kakashi questioned, his voice barely above a whisper. "How did it…?"

"I didn't have a choice!" she cried. "He said his men were waiting for the call to kill Naruto and Sasuke, and if I did what he said then he'd let them live! I did what I had to in order to save everyone! Even if I had said no… when I fought him, I landed on the assassination needle and got enough of the poison in my body to paralyze me. I couldn't fight him off… he would have had his way with me anyway. But I agreed! I agreed to it, Kakashi-sensei, because I thought the rest of you needed my help!"

He watched from across the room, trying to figure out if he should be angry at the manipulation used against Sakura or feel sorrow and pride for the distance she was willing to go to protect her comrades. She slid down the wall, covering her head with her arms and drawing her knees toward her chin. Sobbing and stuttering through her hyperventilation, Sakura continued; her self loathing and disappointment permeated through her words.

"He tricked me! I gave myself away for nothing. Everyone was fine when I was done!"

Kakashi lowered his gaze toward the floor. "Sakura… if you were paralyzed… even if you had said no, he would have done something."

"I don't want everyone to worry about me. I know I'm letting this affect me… I'm trying not to. Still… I make stupid mistakes and…"

Kakashi coughed to interrupt her. "Sakura, you're reacting normally. Don't listen to what Sasuke says… he's frustrated because he's used to protecting you as Team 7. Now that you're jounin, he can't watch over you like he usually does. Naruto's the same way… I've heard them discussing you on more than one occasion."

His response was met with silence, which prompted him to look at Sakura. She had calmed down considerably, her sobbing quieting and her eyes focus more on the floor in front of her instead of tightly closed. That was a good sign, he supposed.

"You need to tell them, you know."

"What should I do, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura wept, pulling her knees closer to her face. "I can't face him... neither Naruto nor Sasuke..."

Kakashi sighed, pulling a hand through his silver hair. "They need to know what happened, Sakura. Even if you're separated, you are still a team of three."

"I don't want them to see me as weak as they used to."

"They won't see you as weak. If anything, they may become more protective of you around other men." Kakashi tried to explain. "You will still be the same Sakura to them. Naruto, and even Sasuke, care about you deeply."

"But they'll be afraid to be natural around me. They'll think I'm frail." she stated, burying her face in her knees. "I... don't want them to feel like they need to be different around me."

"Would you rather I told them?"

Sakura's head popped up, looking at her teacher with blank eyes. "You already told Tsunade-shishou, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"I... I don't want them to feel like they need to do me any favors."

"Sakura..." Kakashi's voice was smooth and gentle, reassuring her of his intentions. "I can tell Naruto. But you need to tell Sasuke on your own."

"What... why?"

"Because he's the one who's going to be affected by it the most." came the response. "You may not notice it, but he's been keeping an extra careful eye on you ever since we came back from that mission. He has noticed your changes more than anyone else. There is a reason behind that, and I'm sure even he isn't sure what it is."

"Do... you think it will scare him away?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Sasuke's too stubborn. If anything, he'll try to protect you better and berate himself for letting it happen."

Sakura turned away from Kakashi. "I… alright… I'll try."


Author's Notes: Well… the end of the chapter and the plugging in of a scene I had previously written. What do you all think of this chapter? Kakashi hasn't been in the story in quite a while…and now you see the reason he knew what happened to Sakura (see, it did have a reason for being written!). Remember to read and review, everyone! Also, so much excitement—I'm part of FIVE C2's now with this story! The funny thing is… one of them is an anti-Sakura C2. shrugs

Love and hugs—

Crystal Renee