Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I don't own Naruto, I don't own Naruto. (There, I won't get sued now, will I? xD)

THANK YOU REVIEWERS! (jumps up and down squealing with happiness)
I GOT MY 100th REVIEW!

THANK YOU SabakuNoBrandye! You were the one to post the 100th review!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU readers/reviewers for sticking with me! Without you guys, I seriously wouldn't have ANY motivation to keep updating! I mean, I would want to finish my story, yes, but you all make it SO much more fun and enjoyable! YOU ROCK!

Ok, I'll stop gushing. xD Here's chapter nine!

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Stained Cherry Blossoms

Step Two

Sasuke looked down at Sakura. Her face was buried in his bare chest, and he could feel her small arms around him. He responded instantly, pulling her close to him and resting his chin on top of her head.

"Thank you Sasuke-kun." She whispered.

He smirked. Here she was, dressed in his clothing, hugging him while he was half dressed, and he was hugging her back!

I'm so proud that you've finally grown up… Inner Sasuke said smugly.

Just shut up, you're ruining my moment. He thought angrily.

Hehehe. You've got all night…

Fuck…just go away already!

Sakura pulled away from him. She wiped her eyes quickly before saying, "Sorry, I know you don't like people getting close to you…" He pulled her back by her hand. He could feel her shocked expression as he held her. "It's ok." He said hugging her tighter. "You've had a lot happen to you recently. It's ok to cry if you want."

Sakura closed her eyes against her tears. Oh. That's all? She thought, her heart falling more.

"You should probably get some sleep." He said after a moment.

Sakura pulled away, her eyes glued to the floor. "Yeah. Oyasumi." She whispered. She turned and walked back down the hall, her eyes never leaving the floor.

Sasuke turned to go back in his room. Nice work BAKA! What are you stupid or something? His inner self was yelling.

Shut up.

You know, for being a genius, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet…

I don't need you to tell me something I already know…

Hn. Whatever! If you already know dumbass, then why not act on it?

I don't want to rush it.

Pfft, you really are and idiot.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, closing his door more fervently than he need have. He flipped his light off, collapsing on his bed. He lay there for a while, and then turned his gaze over to the left side of his bed, imagining a pink-haired someone there lying next to him…

Sakura sat down on her bed upon turning the light off. Her heart was extremely heavy, and her eyes were filled with unshed tears. Throwing herself backwards so that she lay completely horizontal on the bed, she grabbed a pillow and covered her face as she screamed into it. The events from her dream still replayed in her mind, mentally driving her insane. She felt so empty now.

I've gotten my revenge, but what do I do now? She thought hopelessly. I don't know what to do! There's no one left important to me to fight for!

Pfft, you really are a dumbass. Inner Sakura admonished, smirking.

Go away. You're the last thing I need to worry about right now.

I disagree forehead freak. I happen to know of someone…

If you're talking about Sasuke-kun then I—

You're gonna hear it so shut up. He's the only one left in this village that can still affect you. Why the hell do you think Tsunade-shishou had you moved here?

I, I don't know…

Exactly. So stop pretending to be stupid and start listening to me. Sasuke loves you. You love him—

USED to love him. All he ever did was push me away. Why the fuck am I even having this conversation? I'm going schizo just talking to myself!

Oh stop stressing. You'll strain that big-ass brain of yours. Just use your heart. That's big enough for a reason.

…

Sakura fell asleep, stretched out and lying across her bed. She didn't bother with getting under the covers.

Sometime later on that night, Sasuke woke.

Screaming could be heard coming from the hallway.

He bolted out of bed and threw his door open, kunai in hand. The screaming was coming from Sakura's room! He dashed down the hallway, rubbing sleep from his eyes as quickly as he could. He nearly kicked her door down and his eyes quickly searched the room for any sign of her. His heart relaxed and his breathing calmed immediately as he saw her curled up in a ball in the center of her bed. She'd stopped screaming, but she was crying hard.

Sasuke dropped the kunai and it clattered to the floor. He approached the bed, reaching out and pulling her pillow away as she'd had it pulled over her in a defensive position, as if using it to guard herself against whatever it was in her dream.

Her hands flailed as their shield disappeared. He grasped them and pulled her up into a sitting position, being careful to not aggravate her healing wounds. He gently took her by her shoulders, and gave her a slight but firm shake. "Sakura!"

Her eyes opened and she blinked several times before she was able to clear the fogginess of the dream away. Her green orbs focused fully on him and her eyes widened. "Sas-Sasuke-kun? Wh-what're you doing here?" She asked, her voice cracking from crying.

He didn't reply immediately, but Sakura's eyes searched his face and they widened again before dropping to her lap.

"I woke you up, didn't I?" She asked in a low voice. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Sasuke honestly didn't know what to say. Here he was, sitting on her bed at three in the morning, (his quick glance at the clock had told him the time) his kunai lying forgotten on the floor, and Sakura staring at him numbly.

Sakura chose this moment to get up. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. You can go back to sleep." She whispered, her voice sounding ashamed. She headed for the washroom. Closing the door behind her, Sakura turned on the tap, splashing hot water on her face. She furiously rubbed her face with the scalding water, hardly wincing at all as she washed away her tears. I can't believe I woke him up. I'm such a dumbass. She thought angrily.

She emerged from the bathroom to find that he wasn't there. Sighing deeply, she took four steps towards the bed and froze as she felt a pair of arms embrace her from behind. She shivered as she felt his breath tickle her right ear. He buried his face in her hair as he pulled her closer.

"It's ok." He whispered softly. Sakura didn't know what to do. She slowly let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Y-you can let me go now, Sasuke-kun. I'm fine." She said softly. He turned her around. Sakura looked up into his eyes, forcing a smile.

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" He asked, his voice almost sounding concerned. Sakura's forced smile dropped off of her face as she merely nodded. He should go back to sleep. He's probably got a mission tomorrow. It wouldn't surprise me…

Sakura gently but firmly pushed him a step towards the door. "I'm fine!" she emphasized, stepping back from him, gesturing to herself. "Please, go back to sleep." She said in a much softer tone, almost mimicking how Hinata used to talk.

He stared at her, eyes narrowed slightly on her in a scrutinizing frown before he turned and exited her room. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. She felt extremely stupid for not having enough control over her thoughts that had germinated into the nightmare.

Sakura plopped down on the bed once more. She cuddled close to her pillow and fell asleep almost instantly.

No more nightmares haunted her the rest of that night.

Sasuke woke pretty early the next morning; well, later that morning rather. His gaze found the clock near his bed and his eyes narrowed as it read 7:30am. "Kuso!" He muttered, getting up and quickly heading to the bathroom to freshen up before getting dressed. After brushing his teeth he pulled on his ANBU uniform, grabbing his mask before racing down the hallway. He skidded to a halt at Sakura's door. He silently pulled it open, his gaze finding her small form curled up on the bed…

Sound asleep.

He smiled. She needed it. He thought to himself. He entered her room silently, coming to stand beside her bed. He gently brushed several strands of pink away from her closed eyes. Leaning forward, he spoke softly by her ear. "I'll be back soon, I promise." He whispered. With that, he lightly placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving just as quietly as he'd come.

Sakura woke to a gloomy day. Her eyes searched for the clock she'd seen sitting on the dresser across the room. It read 1:45pm. "Holy shit." She muttered. She rolled over, looking at the ceiling. Her eyes widened just slightly as she remembered what had happened earlier on that morning.

Why did he come? He only allows me to stay here because Tsunade-sama asked for me to. She thought bitterly.

You can be so dense sometimes, it's funny. Inner Sakura said, snorting.

Sakura rolled her eyes and swung both legs over the edge of the bed. She went to the door and froze. "Someone was here earlier…" She said, her hand lingering on the door.

Well gee; I wonder who the hell it could have been? Inner Sakura said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sakura went downstairs in search of some water. She found a note on the table. Heh, I knew it. She thought to herself.

Picking it up, she read:

Sakura, I've got a mission for the next two days. I should hopefully be back early. Take care of yourself.

Sasuke

Sakura rolled her eyes. She pulled the refrigerator door open and pulled out a bottle of water. A sudden thought ran through her head. "I can at least try to train a little today…" she said quietly. She ate a quick breakfast/lunch, before heading to the door to grab her shoes. As soon as she'd checked to make sure everything was neat and orderly, Sakura headed out the door. She walked down the street, scuffing her feet as she trudged to her house.

…

The door opened with a creak. Her green eyes scanned the living room. It looks exactly as it did before I left…Sakura froze as her eyes came to rest upon a dark figure at the top of the stairs. She heard muffled voices upstairs and her eyes narrowed as she silently slipped into the house, doing her best to shut the door noiselessly behind her.

Slipping her shoes off, she crept to the stairs, wincing slightly from her still-healing injuries. She grabbed a kunai from her holster (she'd always had it stored near the door for quick access on her way out) and ascended the steps, making sure she avoided the third step, as it would creak loudly when stepped upon.

"Heh, so this is the one who is preventing him from coming after you…" a rough voice spoke. Sakura froze at the top of the stairs. Her heart pounded so hard against her chest she feared that it could be heard out loud.

"It would appear so." Sakura's eyes widened as she saw a flash of red and black in front of her. A sharp sting was felt on her throat as a kunai was pressed into her skin. "Do not scream, do not struggle, and do not cry out for help. I will silence you before you can even draw your next breath of air." Sakura involuntarily took a step back—

And froze as she backed into a hard chest.

"Kisame." Sakura heard the same voice say. Before she knew what happened, something hard hit her in the base of her skull, knocking her out instantly.

…

Sakura woke to find herself in a dimly lit room. Voices could be heard nearby, and she opened her heavy-lidded eyes to survey her surroundings. Her hands were bound behind her back, her head was pounding and she was shivering from the cold. She was in a cell of some kind, with absolutely no idea where she was.

"What the hell are you thinking!" A familiar voice nearly shrieked. "Let me see her, now!" Sakura's eyes widened as she recognized the voice of her best friend. The door to the room burst open, revealing Yamanaka Ino, dressed in a long black robe with red clouds on it.

"Sakura?" She asked softly. Sakura lifted her head from the floor to stare incredulously at her best friend. "Ino?" She whispered. "What are you doing here? Why are you dressed like that?" Sakura asked, forcing herself up into a sitting position. She looked her best friend in the eyes, lost for words.

Ino dropped to her knees. It had been weeks since she'd seen her best friend. Not since their last confrontation in Konoha. "SAKURA!" Ino yelped, yanking her best friend into a tight hug. Sakura cried out in pain as her still-healing injuries were aggravated. Ino pulled away, tears in her blue eyes.

FLASHBACK

Itachi carried Sakura into the Akatsuki stronghold. He handed her off to Kisame who not-so-gently tossed her into a cell in the interrogation chamber. Itachi went back to the room where Ino had been sleeping. She was awake and reading a scroll that she'd kept carefully hidden. As soon as she heard the door open, she hastily shoved it into her pack, burying it at the bottom so it would remain hidden.

"Keep an eye on her Kisame." Itachi's voice could be heard in the hallway as he paused in the doorway. Ino's eyes widened. 'Who is he talking about?' she wondered. She watched as Itachi entered the room. He closed the door behind him, unfastening the button on his cloak, and letting it fall to the floor. Ino stood up and walked over to him. With a small smile she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. She felt his arms go around her waist and she smiled as she closed her eyes.

"Itachi, I—" Ino was interrupted as Kisame knocked hard on the door. Itachi released her and walked to the door, yanking it open with a fierce glare on his face.

"She's bleeding." Was all he said.

"Who?" Ino asked, curiosity getting the better of her. After all, Ino herself was the only one she knew of that was there.

"Pink haired kunoichi. Bait for the little Uchiha bastard."

Ino's eyes grew wide. She shot a glare at Itachi, her boisterous personality driving away any fear towards him as she brusquely walked by him, shouting, "What the hell are you thinking!"

END FLASHBACK

Sakura had tried to get one of her hands free, but the bindings were much too tight, and her skin was rubbed raw. She gave in and looked up at her best friend as Ino let her go.

"Ino, what the fucking hell are you doing here? You've been missing in Konoha for weeks now." Ino's chin dropped as she drew in a deep breath. "Sakura, I—"

"I think that you are in no position to be asking the questions, young kunoichi."

Both girls jerked their heads up and looked in the doorway only to find Uchiha Itachi leaning in the doorway. His arms were partially crossed over his muscular chest, twirling a kunai menacingly in his hand, and a frown on his face. His gaze went from Ino to Sakura, then back to Ino.

"Wait for me in the other room." He said, gesturing for her to depart. Ino bit her lip, her blue gaze traveling back to her best friend. Sakura gave her a betrayed look as Ino hugged her quickly and stood up, exiting quickly. The moment Ino was gone Itachi closed the door behind him. Sakura's eyes were wide as she scooted back a little bit on the cold stone floor. Itachi smirked as he took a step towards her.

"It's been a while Haruno Sakura."

Sakura looked fearfully up at him as she backed herself into the wall behind her. No where to go. "Wh-what do you want?" She asked, biting her lip to keep her trembling in check. "…"

"Why is Ino-chan here?"

"You ask a lot of questions." Sakura drew a deep breath, gathering her courage for her next comment. "You would too if you were me."

"I wouldn't be in your predicament." He countered, stepping closer, kunai clearly visible. Sakura shut her eyes as he kneeled down beside her, his hands going behind her back. The kunai easily sliced through the tight bindings, freeing her hands. Sakura let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She tenderly rubbed her sore and raw wrists as Itachi stood again, fixing her with a scrutinizing look. "You seem to have gotten closer to my foolish little brother, kunoichi."

Sakura's breath froze in her throat. Her heart skipped a few beats as Itachi smirked. With wide, frightened eyes, she looked up at him, awaiting his response to her reaction.

"As I thought." He murmured. "Tell me, young kunoichi—"

"Sakura." She said, interrupting him. "My name is Sakura." His smirk grew wider. "Tell me, Sakura. Do you value your life?" Her already scared look changed a little as she frowned slightly.

"Yes." She replied, wondering what the hell he was going to do. Surely he wouldn't kill her now, especially since her best friend was in the other room. Ino would hear her scream. But then, why the hell was her best friend even there in the first place? Itachi wouldn't kill her if he didn't plan on killing Ino…but-

"Why is my best friend here?" Sakura blurted out, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Answer my questions first Sakura." Itachi said in a stern tone. "What is your relationship with my foolish little brother?" Sakura swallowed hard. What AM I to Sasuke? He's been so nice to me lately, but, he wouldn't want me to tell Itachi anything, regardless. She thought; weighing her chances on living depending on what she told him.

"We're just friends." She replied calmly.

Itachi smirked. "Really…? Do not lie to me Sakura." She shivered involuntarily.

"We're good friends." She responded truthfully.

"Is that so?" Itachi asked, his eyes narrowing. "Good friends and nothing more?"

Sakura frowned, her eyes dropped from Itachi's face as she felt tears start to swell in her eyes. She did not dare wipe them away. Itachi smirked wider. Hn, I knew you couldn't hide from me. He thought to himself.

"If you wish to live longer, you will tell my foolish little brother that I grow tired of waiting." Sakura's eyes jerked back up to his face, a glare on her features. "I'll never tell him that! You can go to hell you bastard! Leave Sasuke-kun alone! Haven't you done enough damage already!" She screamed.

Itachi was on her in a split second. His kunai held against the tender skin of her throat and his other hand fisting a handful of her hair as he jerked her head up to look him in the eyes. "You will do it; otherwise I will find you again and kill you."

Sakura shivered in his grasp. Her eyes widened in fear as she saw his eyes change from angry onyx to furious red Sharingan. "Remember what I said, Sakura. I know how to find you again." His eyes changed to Mangekyou. Sakura felt her eyelids drooping and she slumped sideways against the wall, the kunai slightly grazing her skin as she fell over.

Itachi smirked. Seeing that he'd accomplished his goal, he stood up, releasing his hold on the pink haired kunoichi. He slipped the kunai back into his holster and exited the room. "Take her back to Konoha Kisame." He said, closing the door behind him.

…

Sakura woke when a drop of rain smacked her in the face. She opened her eyes to find herself lying in the grass of one of the training fields.

She was back home again.

Sakura sat up quickly, looking around her for any sign of Itachi. She had no doubt that he would make good on his word, and it scared her to know that he knew how to find her again. She tossed the idea of leaving Konoha again around in her head. Tsunade would grill her ass if she left the village again, and Sasuke would more than likely be sent after her again. He would want to know why she'd left, and if Sakura tried to get him to come along, he would still ask questions she refused to answer. Also, Itachi probably would have a harder time finding her again, but she knew without a doubt that the elder Uchiha was much too clever to just let her go.

Sakura glared angrily at the ground. Hot tears sprang to her eyes as she mentally came to grips with what she was going to do. "I won't let anyone else I care about get hurt." She decided, muttering to herself. She stood up, heading for her house again. Upon getting her weapons, she left and went back to the training ground where Team 7 used to train on a day to day basis.

"I WILL get stronger Sasuke-kun. I won't let that fucking bastard of a brother hurt you anymore!" Doing a few handseals, she created several bunshins and started training. It was hard, as her wounds were still healing, but she forced her body to comply. She would not be weak anymore. She also had to find out why the hell Ino was being held in the Akatsuki stronghold. Worry and fear for her best friend's safety added to her reasoning for getting stronger. "I will protect everyone who is important to me." She growled, defeating one of the clones she'd made to look like Naruto.

Sakura continued training. She felt the wound on her side open again and she screamed as she fell to the ground. Blood seeped through her shirt staining the grass red. She lay there for a while, breathing hard. The two remaining clones disappeared with a poof.

…

He entered the house, dropping his katana against the wall and slipping his sandals off. He'd managed to get home before the rain started, but he listened for a few seconds as the rain started to come down hard. He walked up the stairs, hoping to find the one he'd grudgingly had to leave behind the day before. Arriving home a day early, he hoped to find her somewhere in his house. As he slid her door open, he found her room to be neat as a pin, but no sign of her.

Sasuke frowned. "Sakura?" He called.

No response.

He went back downstairs again, searching the entire house. His worry grew as he found no sign of her. Sasuke went back to the entry hall and slid his shoes back on. Grabbing a light jacket, he raced out and down the street, heading for her house. His speed got him to her front door within a short time and he entered her house warily. The bad feeling in his stomach growing with his worry.

"Sakura? Are you here?" He called, looking around the downstairs. The living room and kitchen were empty, and he headed up the stairs to where her room was. Once again, he found no sign of her. "Kuso…Sakura, where the hell have you gone?" He murmured. He saw that her weapons were gone and revelation struck. He dashed out of her house and back out into the pouring rain again. This time, heading for the training grounds.

Sakura felt someone approaching. Her heart beat faster as she realized she had no strength left. Was Itachi coming back for her again? Surely he knew that the several hours that she'd been gone from the place wasn't enough time to tell Sasuke his stupid message. The guy was still on a mission for crying out loud! Sakura's defensive stance relaxed, however, when she heard, "SAKURA!" It was Sasuke. Relief washed through her like warm water. He yanked his jacket off and started to put it around her, but then he noticed the blood. "Sakura! You're injured! What the hell have you been doing?"

Sakura dropped her gaze from his face. She couldn't tell him what had happened. "N-nothing. I guess I wasn't paying attention…" Her voice trailed off. She dreaded his response, but thankfully, she didn't have to wait long, as her strength finally gave out on her. Her knees buckled underneath her and she started to fall…

But was stopped as a pair of strong arms caught her before she hit the ground. Her last conscious thought was, what am I going to do? I love him, but I can't let him get hurt anymore!

Darkness took over.

Sasuke felt her go limp in his arms and he cursed as he quickly wrapped her up with the jacket. Her skin was cold to the touch and she shivered even as she was unconscious. He raced her back to his house.

Upon literally tearing her shirt from her worn-out body, he found the source of all the blood. The deep wound on her side had re-opened, the stitches tearing at the strain she had put them under. Sasuke sighed deeply. It wasn't fatal, but he knew it hurt. He gently changed the bandages on the wound, then stripped her of all of her wet clothing, save for those that kept her decent. Her upper half, he noticed, was wrapped tightly with bandages.

Those have to come off. He thought to himself, pulling a kunai out of his holster. Her skin is bruised around the edges from these things. What the hell was she thinking?

Sasuke ripped the bandages off, only to find bruised, bare skin. He blushed deeply as he turned his head, finding another one of his smaller shirts and tugging it over her head.

Sakura's shivering continued and worry etched its way onto Sasuke's face. He immediately took her into his arms, being careful not to disturb her freshly dressed wound. He put her under the covers of his bed, and climbed in next to her. He'd already removed his shirt too, as it was soaking wet. His pants were changed for a pair of shorts as he pulled her shivering body close to his.

Sakura woke up then. Her green eyes widened as she found herself in her current predicament. "Sa-Sasuke-kun?" she stuttered. "Wh-what ha-happened?" He only pulled her closer. "Your body is close to hypothermia. One of the main skills of survival, Sakura: exchange of body heat. I need to get you warm so you don't freeze." His arms went around her, pulling her close to his muscular chest. Sakura's heart fluttered and through the pain and cold, she felt herself smile inwardly.

She allowed her head to fall on top of his chest as she snuggled closer to him.

Maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all… She thought to herself.

Pfft, DUH! What are you completely stupid or something? You're in the same BED as Sasuke-kun for crying out loud! Inner Sakura ranted.

I'm trying not to think about that you know.

What the fuck is wrong with you? Haven't you WANTED this? You should be using this situation to your full advantage!

No. I'm only here because I'm cold. He's just trying to help, that's it.

Oh HONESTLY! Sometimes I wonder where the hell you would be without me in your head.

Maybe I would be sane…? Sakura countered, silencing Inner Sakura real quick. She decided not to dwell on it, and closed her eyes once more. Her shivering ceased about 10 minutes later, and Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.
But he didn't let go of her.

…

Sakura woke up the next morning, feeling oddly refreshed and extremely warm. The sun's rays spilled through the window and she squinted as she tried to get them out of her eyes. Rolling over, she then felt something wrapped around her waist. Her eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder at the person sleeping peacefully next to her.

Sasuke-kun? She thought, shock coursing through her mind. She saw that he was shirtless, and her heart jolted as she realized she wasn't in the same clothing as the day before.

We didn't, you know…? She wondered.

Pfft, no. You were too much of a fucking baby. Inner Sakura was awake.

Oh leave me alone!

Can't do that Forehead Freak. I'm a part of your head. You lose me, you lose your mind.

Sakura grimaced. Sometimes she hated having an alter personality. It could be so annoying at times. She rolled back over again, enjoying the warmth that Sasuke's body provided…And everything else… Inner Sakura commented rather crassly. Sakura's eyes widened and she shut her eyes tightly, mentally kicking and screaming, threatening to punch Inner Sakura's lights out.

"Ohayo." A deep voice said from behind. Sakura froze. He WASN'T ASLEEP! OH FUCK! She rolled back over to look him straight in the eyes.

Onyx met emerald and the intensity behind his gaze made Sakura shiver involuntarily. When she did she felt his grip around her tighten. "Are you still cold?" he asked, his tone sounding concerned.

"N-no, I'm ok." Sakura said, trying her hardest to hide the blush she knew was on her face.

"Hn." She looked back up at him, the blush gone, and a confused expression in its wake. But she relaxed instantly as she felt him pull her closer in his embrace. Sakura rolled over and cuddled into his chest, not wanting to let the moment end.

It was pure heaven.

"Sakura…" Sasuke's voice sounded husky. Sakura found herself looking up into his eyes.

"Hai?" She whispered. "You sure you're ok?" He asked, keeping his voice soft. She nodded, wrapping her arm around his neck and pulling him closer.

"I am now."

Something in Sasuke's heart leapt. He felt Sakura hug him closer and he smiled. Genuinely smiled. He held her embrace for a long moment before he pulled away, brushing a stray strand of pink away from her eyes.

"Step two…" He whispered softly, "Learning to let go. You're almost there." He said, smiling slightly down at her, his look apparently betraying how he felt because Sakura's eyes widened a little before she too smiled.

"Sasuke-kun…" She whispered her hand running along his jaw line until her fingers came to rest on his cheek. He gently held her wrist as he leaned in close.
Sakura's eyes closed as she felt his lips capture hers.

At that moment, all the pain she'd endured in the years of his absence seemed to melt away. The most dramatic change she felt, however, was the gaping hole in her heart…

It was being filled.

Sasuke felt her hands go into his hair and he felt wetness on her face. He opened his eyes and looked at her, suddenly concerned. He gently pulled away, cupping her chin in his hand. "What's wrong? Are you all right?" He asked softly. Sakura's eyes opened at the break of contact and she looked up at him. Her fear barely bridled within her. She wanted to scream out, telling him exactly what had happened in his barely 24-hour absence, but she knew it would send him into a fit of rage.

Which was exactly what Itachi wanted.

Sakura drew a shaky breath. "Please, Sasuke-kun. I don't want you to feel this."

His eyes widened.

"What?"

Sakura sat up, her head in her hands. "I don't want you to seek revenge anymore."