Disclaimer: I, Aznkizz, do not own Naruto. If I did, it would probably be changed to SasuSaku. I am a beginner at fanfics so I may not be the best writer but read if you really think I have a chance. Every review counts to me even if you say you hate it. That is how much I appreciate your reviews! -

Sequel to "The Importance of the Cherry Blossom Tree"

I received 4 reviews and I was filled with joy whilst reading them. I know I am strange. I mean, I do not think many people would write in reply to four reviews but they made me so happy reading them so I'm making the sequel.

Thank you Melting-Ice, Sister-of-the-Light, and my good friends ThunderAnn and EagerReader93!

Okay, well this story is what I think is going through Sasuke's mind and what he happens when he returns to Konoha. I'm sorry if it seems OOC but can't Sasuke be OOC in his own mind?

Deep thoughts are in italics

Sasuke's Return

I'm home Konoha. I'm home.

Did you miss me? Does anyone still care?

I am sorry, Konoha. Maybe, I shouldn't call you home. Home is a place of comfort and a place you protect. I don't remember feeling comfort here. My family died in this place. My father neglected me. I did not protect you. I hurt you as I almost caused the deaths of 'my friends'. My selfish acts…

Do you think she'll forgive me? Do you think her obsession died? Do you think her feelings disintegrated along with me? Do you think her heart followed me? Why do I bother to think about this? My cold, cold heart trapping any possible emotion yet beating in the silence of what I have become, confusing my soul but obtaining strength. What am I?

I am an avenger. As an avenger, I am a betrayer. I not only betrayed you and myself, Konoha, I also betrayed her. To what extent? For what purpose? To see the end of a brother who might have loved me? Why does he 'loathe' me? Must I betray him to gain self-respect? Am I truly betraying me, my own person?

There must be some light in the endless sea of dark words. There must be some thought, some dream, some… love.

"Oh, Sasuke" she breathed into the silence of the town that had once prospered under the name of Uchiha, penetrating my thoughts. I looked up to see her staring down at the ground. She still didn't recognize my presence. How foolish of her. Then I saw it. It pierced my heart. Tears. Running down her face. Tears she seemed to keep in for so long. "DAMN!" she cried out as she slammed the ground with her might. The earth trembled, shook and finally, it cracked. Not just a few cracks that barely scratched the surface, cracks that split like fault lines. Cracks that usually appeared during earthquakes. She ran into the woods where I was hidden with speed that astonished me. She had trained for me. "Damn it..." I whispered. Suddenly, she looked back. She heard me. She slowly turned around and kneeled. Finally, she did some hand seals. What is she doing?

The sky had become pink and the woods were no longer green and brown. Instead, it had erupted into cherry blossom petals dancing around me. What is this? What is happening? Where she once kneeled was a Cherry Blossom tree. Where is she? What has she done? In confusion, I tried to run out of what once was the forest. I couldn't. I was drawing closer to the tree in my struggle to get away from it. "SHARINGAN!"

The petals, the sky…they returned to normal. The tree still lingered there. Then I looked closer.

"Sasuke…"

I immediately looked into the branches to find her. "Sa…ku…ra…" the syllables rolled off my tongue as they tried to remember how it felt to say her name. How annoying! She used an illusion! How could she trick me? I could kill her right now… I can forget her this moment… But, can I leave her in the darkness again? Can I lock her away? WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT? SHE'S IN MY WAY! I WANT POWER! I NEED POWER! I HAVE TO KILL MY BROTHER!

"Do you still want power?"

"Hn..."

She sighed in disapproval.

"Please, Sasuke…Where will power bring you? What are its benefits?"

I answered her with silence.

"Can I tell you something?"

Wait. Where is the '-kun'? Doesn't she still love me? I guess I was wrong…

She continued anyway. "I once met a boy and I had a crush on him." It's one of those stories? I don't need to hear about her past love! I don't care! She doesn't love me anymore! I can't love her! I CAN'T! SHE HAS BETRAYED HER LOVE FOR ME! I feel no regret in betraying her…

"I lost my only friend over him and I became obsessed with just the thought of him." Who cares? YOU DON'T LOVE HIM ANYMORE!

"He was everything I wanted to be. I guess opposites attract, ne?" Hell! I'm not answering you!

"Well, as I got to know him more I finally realized him for who he was. I no longer was an idle fan girl…I became someone in love…"

"SCREW LOVE! Love is BLIND! It shows weakness and no one should give a crap about it!" I spat.

She calmly continued as if in a trance of her own words. "He called me annoying but he was there when I needed him most. He called me weak but he still protected me. Then he left me to pursue a dream, a dream that I fully supported because he supported it. I had my doubts about his goals but it didn't matter. He left me on a bench with the words of 'Thank you' escaping his lips and forever ringing in my mind and today I wore the shirt he gave me years ago." She still remembers…

Finally realizing what I said before she answered, "If love shows weakness then how do you explain what I have become? Sasuke, ashiteru. I need to show you that I am not the weak ninja you knew. I have become strong. I challenge you to a fight!"

She wants to fight me? Is she crazy? WTF is this?

"I'm not going to fight you. Why don't you fight that dobe, Naruto? Leave me alone, Sakura. Get a life!"

"You are my life…"

I had to get out of there. I had to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. She still cares for me. I ran. I ran to the lake where my father finally approved of me. I jumped in. Hoping my thoughts would never be consumed of anyone ever again. Hoping all my troubles would just go away. Dreaming that I could just die so that others may not suffer from me ever again. The darkness soon took over as I lost consciousness in the water.

I awoke in a familiar room. My room. In my house. MY HOUSE? WHAT AM I DOING HERE? Oh well, it's good to be home. I wandered around until I found myself at the kitchen.

"Ohayo," she simply stated as she continued to slice something.

"Hn…"

She sighed and continued to slice the food. She cursed under her breath. Since when does she curse? "Hn?"

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about. I just cut myself. No big deal."

She began to use her chakra to heal the wound. Then, she gave me a plate of sliced tomatoes. So that's what she was cutting… "Arigatou," I politely responded to the gesture and put the plate on the table. "Why?"

"What do you mean why?" she said haughtily.

"Why do you give me treatment I don't deserve?"

She took my wrist and pulled me to her. She bit my neck and whispered in my ear, "You deserve the world because I love you."

I need her… NO! I NEED POWER! I MUST…I must… have power…

"Saku-" she had cut me off by kissing me. She's mine…NO! I don't want to hurt her! I need power! I can't let her get hurt in my goal! But, I have already hurt her… She doesn't deserve me. I pushed her off. I caressed her cheek with my rough right hand. I worked my hand down to her sleek neck, to her smooth shoulder, to her satin arm and finally to her hand. Her silky hands were forbidden to my touch. They were worked with torturous training but still found some way to stay smooth. I looked away, dazed by how she must have waited for me. Then, she did the unexpected.

"Sasuke-kun... Thank you" and with that she knocked me out.

I awoke again in my house, in my room. I lifted my head but my neck gave off sharp pains to my nerves. What happened? Where is she? I strolled around my mansion to find her in Itachi's room. She sat there delicately, watching the world get on with its busy life from a window. She glanced at the doorway and found me there. She stood up and came to me. She went behind me and massaged my neck until the pain drifted away. How did she know my neck hurt? How did she know what to do?

"I harnessed the power of the seal for you…"

WHAT?

"The seal can no longer take over you. You can finally control it. You are no longer Orochimaru's puppet to boss around. You have the power you always wanted."

How? What? Why?

"Heh… you always had it in your grasp. All you had to do was ask…"

What the hell does she mean?

"Instead of a cursed seal, you now have a seal based on your mind and emotions. I came up with it when you left. The ability of Sharingan helps you even more in controlling this new seal I gave you. You can still use the power of Orochimaru's seal as well. I have disabled its ability to take over you."

She figured this all out in less than three years? I wish I had left you with more than a 'Thank You' when I abandoned you and Konoha.

"Go ahead, Sasuke. Defeat your brother. Just… don't forget me…that's all I ask of you…"

She's always thought about me. She has always been there for me. She has always loved me. What did I give her in return? Declines to go anywhere with her. Hate meant for my brother. A cold attitude. Through all this, she dares to still help me? She dares to still love me?

I left her but this time with a sweet kiss and swollen lips. "I can't forget you, Sakura." There I finally said her name. Happy? Very… Her tears dropped from her face again.

"Don't cry, Sakura. I'll come back. I have another goal to fulfill besides killing Itachi." The goal to restore my clan…

A/N: How did you like it? Good? Bad? Review! I think I could have done better so if you have any suggestions I will see if I can change it in this story! Maybe I'll have a whole collection of point of views! Maybe my next one will be from Itachi's point of view! I'll continue a sequel to this later maybe… I have other story ideas to finish!