Disclaimer: Can I pretty please have the rights to Naruto with sugar on top? No? Ok, I don't own it.

A/N: Well, only a few more chapters left! I hope you've enjoyed reading this more than I've worked and slaved writing it. :) If you'd be so kind, I'd love to get some feedback as we're heading into the final stretches of the story.

Chapter 13: Usefulness

Naruto hurried up the steps of his apartment building. He was a few minutes late, and hoped Sakura wouldn't be too mad at him. He quickly opened the door, and found her sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hinata!" he called out in surprise. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"Um, well, I ran into Sakura just a little bit ago, and she gave me her spare key and told me to wait for you here."

Naruto rushed over to her, almost frightening the girl as he grabbed her tightly by the shoulders, his bright blue eyes staring intensely down at her. "Is she ok? What happened?"

"She was fine when I talked to her," Hinata reassured him. "She told me before I said anything else, though, that you were supposed to tell me the truth about the marriage and the baby." When Naruto just stared at her not responding, she quickly added, "That's what Sakura told me to say, honest." This is all very strange. What could Naruto have to tell me? And why did Sakura ask me to do this?

"But she's ok, right?" Naruto asked again.

"She seemed all right to me," Hinata replied again.

Sighing as he plopped down in the chair across from Hinata, he asked, "And she said I'm supposed to tell you the truth then, right?"

Hinata nodded at him.

"Well, if that's the case, then I'm supposed to tell you that Sakura and I aren't really married. She's really married to Saskue, and he's the father," Naruto said a little too casually for the situation.

"Oh, ok. Well, Sakura wanted me to give you this envelope then," Hinata replied automatically as she stared unfocused into space due to shock from Naruto's sudden confession that had yet to register completely. She held out the envelope Sakura gave her in somewhat Naruto's direction.

Reaching over and taking the envelope from Hinata's loose grip, Naruto immediately ripped it open and began reading through its contents. In it, Sakura apologized and once again asked for Naruto's forgiveness for keeping something from him. She described the conversation she had with Sasuke after Naruto was knocked unconscious, and the decision she had reached. She also explained that she didn't tell him in person, but wrote this letter, because she knew he'd either try to stop her from leaving or come with her, neither of which she could let happen, followed by another apology. She also asked him not to bother trying to find them because they would have already left the town by the time he was reading this.

She also left a note for him to give to Tsunade for whenever the hokage lost her temper at discovering Sakura's absence; that way Naruto could just hand over the explanation and quickly leave the room. She also left it up to Naruto whether he wanted to tell everyone about the fake marriage, but that there was no longer a need to hide it. She thanked him for doing that and being there for her all those months, and that she was truly grateful and indebted to him.

She ended the letter apologizing to her precious teammate one more time, but saying that this was something she had to do. And that she hoped that team 7 could be fully reunited soon.

After reading through the entire thing, he set both his letter and the one he was to give to Tsunade gently down on the table before standing up, slamming both fists violently down on the table in frustration. Hinata let out a small shriek at the sudden outburst as the piece of furniture wobbled, but held together under the force. The voice reminding Naruto that he wasn't alone, his temper quickly diminished as he immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Hinata, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you ok?" he asked kindly although his fists were still clenched tightly.

"Um…yeah, I'm fine. Are you all right? What happened? Um…you can tell me…if you like," she offered, although she was still a little shaken by Naruto's reaction to the letter. "But only if you want to tell me, though, I mean. I can leave you alone if you prefer that." Hinata immediately stood up and started to walk toward the door when Naruto spoke up.

"If it's ok, I'd rather not be alone right now," he replied.

Stopping in her motion, Hinata simply nodded and hesitatingly made her way back to the kitchen table. She watched Naruto as he slowly sat back down, folded his arms in front of him on the table, and buried his face into them. Prior to just a few moments ago, she had stopped feeling anxious around him after the wedding since she had nothing left to be nervous about; she was too late in telling him her feelings, so she just accepted the way things were. But now, knowing that he wasn't taken…

As Hinata sat back down, she desperately tried to think of something to say to him, but what could she say in these circumstances. She didn't really understand what was going on or what was in the letter, or even what happened with Sakura. It wasn't long, though, before Naruto just started talking without being prompted.

"Hinata, can you tell me what Sasuke has that I don't have?" he asked her with his face still pressed into his arms.

"Um, well, I'm not sure if I'm the person to be asking that question-"

"I mean, she still chooses him even though I've been here for her all this time. Is there something wrong with me?"

Hinata tried again, "Well, I don't really think it's that she doesn't appreciate what you do for her, because I'm sure she does. I think sometimes a person's heart just chooses for itself, and it doesn't always make logical sense." She glanced over at him for a few moments, but soon realized he wasn't responding to what she said. "Um, but don't let that make you think you're any less of a person because of it. Because…I think you're a really great person, Naruto-kun," she quickly encouraged.

"You're just saying that, Hinata."

She wasn't sure what to say next. I have to think of something. Come on, Hinata, think of something brilliant to say to him to help him feel better! "I mean it, Naruto-kun. I think…I think any girl would be lucky to have your attention and to be with you. You never give up, you're someone to rely on, and you care a lot about others. You really have a big heart, and it is because of that that you seem to have the power to change others. For the good, I mean." She wasn't exactly sure what she was saying, but was just kind of letting the words flow out of her.

"If I'm so great, then why doesn't Sakura like me?" he voiced with emotion.

"Well, if she's already in love with someone else, you can't force someone's feelings to change no matter how much you do for her. It may happen, her feelings may change, but if she's already set on someone else…you gave it your best shot, but if it doesn't work out, that doesn't mean it's because you're lacking anything, or that someone else won't come along who will like you," she rambled with an uncertainty that any of this was actually helping or even making sense. Of course, Hinata thought, Naruto may never change from liking Sakura to liking me either. But it's always worth a try, she consoled herself.

"But that's what I'm trying to say. No one will ever like me! I'm just that type of person that everyone says is nice, but no one actually wants to be with me."

"That's…that's not true," she stammered. Can I really say this? Am I ready to tell him? Ok, before I have time to second guess myself, if he asks me 'who', then I'm going to answer him honestly, she resolved as her knuckles were already turning white underneath the table from anxiously squeezing her hands together so tightly.

"You're right, Hinata." Naruto suddenly lifted his head. "I'm just feeling bad about myself because Sakura still chooses Sasuke over me, but I had promised I'd bring him back for her. So what am I doing complaining about it when this was what I was trying to do for her anyway?" He smiled encouragingly as he said this.

Hinata, slightly taken aback by the sudden change, managed to squeeze out the words, "So…so you aren't…um, you aren't upset anymore then?"

Naruto let his head fall back into him arms. "Who am I kidding? I still feel like crap about it and wished more than anything she had chosen me."

Hinata slowly stood up and moved over into the chair next to him. She hesitantly, but gently, placed an arm around him as she thought, Well, I guess now isn't the right time to tell him how I feel about him. But I can still do what I can to comfort him as a friend. "It's ok to be upset about it, there isn't…isn't anything wrong with that. I just hope you won't be sad for too long because you're too strong of a person to let something like this keep you down."

"Thanks, Hinata," Naruto acknowledged, although his words were muffled through his arms.

They sat together like that for some time in silence before Naruto eventually complained of hunger. Smiling slightly, Hinata offered to treat him to ramen to help cheer him up, and he accepted enthusiastically and was practically out the door before she even realized she had asked him out. I guess that wasn't so difficult after all, she thought to herself, although he still doesn't know. Maybe in time I'll have the courage to tell him. Let's just take things one step at a time.

"You really are a great person, Hinata," Naruto complimented her as she walked up beside him. "You really cheered me up back there, so thanks!"

"I'm glad, Naruto-kun," she replied timidly, praying desperately that she wasn't blushing.

Sasuke quickly put on a shirt as he cautiously walked over to the door and slowly opened it to find Sakura standing behind it. Opening the door fully, he stepped aside so she could walk into the room before closing it behind her while still trying to get rid of the image of her lying on top of him.

Turning around to face him, Sakura spoke up first, "Sasuke-kun, there's something I have to tell you before we go."

"Ok."

"We're going to have to travel slowly the next few days. I mean, slower than we'd already have to because of the pregnancy."

"Are you sick?"

"Um…no, it's not that. It's just that, I just woke up from a coma yesterday," she spoke quickly.

"Coma?" he asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, I kind of let my chakra level get a little too low and I passed out for a little bit." She then quickly added, "But I'm fine now, and the baby's fine. I'm just not fully recovered yet."

"I told you that you were running low on chakra and to not use up more if you didn't have to," he reminded her.

"I know, it's just that, well, I was trying to help revive Jiraiya-san because Kabuto had stopped his heart during the battle," she explained.

"But you're all right now?" he asked despite the fact she already said she was, although it came out sounding more like a statment. She was unconscious for 4 days. She must have really depleted her chakra then.

"Yes, I'm fine. And Jiraiya-san's ok now, too," she answered.

"Fine, if that's all then let's go."

"Wait, one more thing."

"What is it?" he asked as he gathered up his few things.

She unclasped the necklace and removed the two wedding rings. "This will make it easier to travel together. Less questions that way, don't you think?" she asked as she held out his ring to him.

"Yeah, I guess," he replied gruffly as he took his ring from her and hastily placed it on his finger as he watched her do the same out of the corner of his eye. "Ready then?" he asked a little too quickly.

Sakura nodded, and Sasuke led the way down the hall and through the lobby. Sakura turned to give the innkeeper a friendly way on her way out. The innkeeper only mused that now she was with the first guy again, and that this time they were wearing matching wedding rings. I really am curious now as to what's going on with those 3 kids. But figuring he'd probably never know the answer to that puzzle, it soon left his mind as he went about business as usual.

"I still can't believe you're all right with just letting her go like that," Sakura's mother commented to her husband.

"Well, she had already gone ahead and married him, and I don't think she would have done that if she thought he didn't care about her at all. I know, it's not easy to just sit here and hope that she returns safely. But she is a ninja, and we do that for every dangerous mission she's assigned. So why not also for love?"

"I guess so," her mother replied without sounding too convinced. "But I still think it's crazy for her to-"

"Well, I think you were that crazy about me once. You had to have been to convince me to run off and secretly elope with you like that. We didn't know how things were going to work out. We didn't know how either of our families were going to take the news. We didn't know where we'd end up living or if we'd be able to support ourselves financially. But I let you convince me, because I had faith that we'd find a way to make it work. Why don't we give Sakura the same benefit of a doubt?"

"You let me convince you, huh? It was all my idea then, was it? I remember it happening a little bit different than that."

"Well, maybe I contributed a little to the idea," he smirked at his wife.

Her mother finally smiled a little herself. "Are you still that in love with me even now after all these years?" she asked him.

"You bet. In fact, why don't I show you right now?" her father suggested with a cunning look in his eye.

"WHAT?" Tsunade screamed aloud the next day. "She lied to me!" she shrieked at Naruto.

"Well, she hid it from me, too, so you aren't the only one," he tried to explain without much success.

"I specifically told her to tell me if she remembered anything. I'm going to kill her the next time I see her," she spoke rather calmly, although her eyes looked so furious fire practically burned in the pupils.

Rather fearing for his life, he quickly laid the letter Sakura had wrote in front of the hokage and immediately exited the room. I really don't know between the two of them who has scarier temper, Naruto mused to himself as he left the building in a hurry, but I sure am glad Sakura wrote that letter so I wouldn't have to explain everything myself and risk being on the receiving end of that wrath. Actually, now that I think about it, Sakura kind of saved me by not letting me know so I can't be held accountable for helping her leave. I wonder if that was part of why she didn't want to tell me. But Naruto didn't think too long about it. It still pained him regardless, but he had gotten a lot of his feelings off his chest to Hinata, and he had to admit, he was starting to feel a little better about it. But only just a little. Noticing the time, though, Crap! I'm going to be late. I promised I'd meet Hinata for a picnic lunch. He paused in his thoughts. Wait, Hinata wouldn't beat me up for being late so I don't have to worry…what am I thinking – I still shouldn't keep her waiting! he scolded himself as he quickened his pace. Hinata sure is nice to cheer me up so much like this. I wonder if I should do something for her in return…I'm not really sure on these kinds of things.

Back to the previous night.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called for the third time.

"It's just a little farther to the next town. You can make it," he replied.

"No, I can't. Please, I need to stop. Why don't we just sleep out here anyway? We're used to camping outside while traveling."

"It's just a little farther."

"You're the one who insisted I needed to take better care of myself, so that's what I'm trying to do," she explained, and a little more quietly added, "and I don't want to take the chance of hurting the baby like I've been doing," before raising her voice to a normal volume again with, "And why are you so against sleeping outside? It's certainly cheaper," she pointed out.

"I've got money, and you'd be more comfortable in an inn than sleeping out here," he said in reply. "It shouldn't be more than an hour or two from here."

"I'd be more comfortable if we stopped," she remarked back.

"No."

"Why?"

"Don't you think they might have sent someone to find us? We should at least stay in an inn the first night."

"Who's 'they'?" Sakura questioned, slightly confused.

"Konoha!"

"We have a good head start, and they don't know which direction we went," Sakura tried to reason.

"They could easily overtake us with how slow we've been going, and Kakashi-sensei's dogs could probably search us out, for example. We'd be better concealed in a town with lots of people than out in the woods."

"I don't think Tsunade will miss me until morning."

"Wait, you didn't tell her?" he asked, trying to mask his surprise.

Sakura shook her head.

"I thought you were going to ask for permission."

"I was, and then for the very reason you brought up I thought it'd be best to say nothing."

"So no one knows you left."

"Well, I told my family, and I left a note for Naruto – that way he wouldn't be able to catch us before we left…since you had said he couldn't come."

"One of them could have told her," he suggested.

"Do you think any of them would really want to be the one to give her the news?"

"You have a point," he conceded. He didn't know much about Tsunade, but he had heard about her temper before he left.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"But we should still stay at an inn."

Sakura just slapped her forehead in disbelief. "Then why did you just agree with me that it was unlikely?"

"It may be unlikely, but it's not impossible."

"Well, if you want me to make it to the next town, you're going to have to carry me there," she presented as an ultimatum.

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Yeah," he said as he turned around so his back was facing her as he held out his arms behind him to carry her piggy-back style.

Hesitatingly, she stepped up close to him and rested part of her weight on his shoulders as she lifted one leg up for him to hook his arm around. She then did the same with the other leg as she pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are you good?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

And after her response, he set off again jumping from branch to branch until he reached the next town about an hour later; he put her back down once they had reached the gates. After a little searching, they eventually found an inn with a vacancy.

As they entered the room they were given, Sakura made a realization. "Huh, well, I guess the bad thing about traveling with the pretense of a married couple would be getting a room with only one bed. I guess I didn't really think about that." She let out a nervous laugh. "I can go back downstairs and ask for another room."

"This is fine. The bed's big enough. We should have plenty of room between us."

"Ok then, well, I'm going to get ready for bed," she announced as she went to change into her pajamas and brush her teeth in the bathroom. When she walked back into the bedroom, she noticed Sasuke had stripped down to his boxers.

"I, uh, don't have any pajamas with me," he explained sheepishly.

"It's fine. I've seen you more naked than that before," she attempted to reply casually, although it only made the situation more awkward instead. "Right, well, good night," she said to him as she climbed into bed as Sasuke took his turn in the bathroom to brush his teeth.

A few minutes later, Sasuke climbed into the other side of the bed. "Um, good night," he said, although so quiet she probably didn't hear him.

Sakura rolled over to face him, but instead found herself looking at his back. She hesitatingly reached out a hand toward him, but quickly pulled it back before making contact. She couldn't believe how much her heart was racing from sharing a bed with him. I thought I'd be used to this after all those months sleeping in the same bed with Naruto, so why am I so nervous now? But she focused on relaxing and, coupled with her exhaustion, it wasn't long before she was able to fall asleep.

Sasuke then fell asleep soon after her, but not without first pleading with his subconscious not to have a dream like he had had earlier that day. He was already self-conscious enough sleeping next to her in his boxers; he'd feel really uncomfortable in the morning knowing he had dreamt about her like that during the night.

They left early the next morning and continued making their way ever farther from Konoha. They still had quite a few days worth of traveling: Sasuke had suggested the Grass Country as a good central location to stay for the time being. And the following nights Sakura was able to convince him that she was fine with sleeping outside, and so they did until they finally reached a satisfactory town in the Grass Country and found a furnished apartment to rent. Sasuke also made sure to go out and buy pajamas right away, along with a futon for him to sleep on in the living room so they wouldn't have to share the one bed.

Within a few weeks, Sakura was really starting to look like she was pregnant. She had to modify her shirt a bit and loosen her skirt to accommodate the extra volume she was taking up. Sakura stood a slightly extra distance away from the counter than she used to as she started preparing lunch after her usual study of the scrolls she had brought with her. Sasuke would be back soon from his morning training, which was his usual routine.

Just as Sakura was finishing up, sure enough, she heard the door open and turned around to see Sasuke walking into the apartment. "How was your training this morning, Sasuke-kun?" she asked.

"Fine. What are you making for lunch?" he asked absently as he dropped his stuff near the door and took off his shoes.

"I thought I'd try making some curry. I picked up a recipe from the restaurant," she explained cheerfully despite the lack of emotion in his question. Sakura spent her evenings working part-time waitressing to help pay for the rent. She enjoyed the company of her co-workers, who were slightly more conversational than her roommate. With that as part of it, she didn't mind taking the job so Sasuke could focus completely on training, although they had no leads to finding Itachi.

"Sounds good," he replied as he started to set the table.

Come on, just say it. It's no big deal, so just say it, Sakura tried to encourage herself as she stirred the pot of curry. "So, Sasuke-kun. I was…thinking that, well, if you want to, I mean…um, if you want to sleep together, that's ok with me," she blurted out. "I don't mind, it's not like we haven't already. And we certainly wouldn't have to worry about me getting pregnant." She laughed nervously after the last part.

"Don't do it on my account," he replied, "I'm fine with how things are."

Sakura's hand began to tremble slightly as she continued to mindlessly stir the curry. "You're right," she agreed timidly, "I don't know what I was thinking. Of course you wouldn't want that." She let out another short laugh.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked as he let out a small sigh.

"Nothing, I just…nothing."

Sasuke walked up behind her reached past her to turn off the stove. "Why don't you go sit down on the couch, the food can wait."

Sakura just nodded and followed his direction. After making sure everything was turned off, he sat down next to her on the couch. Sakura just stared blankly ahead of her.

Seeing she wasn't going to say anything, he asked rather bluntly, "Why did you say what you did just now?"

"I don't know," she answered. "I guess I just felt like it."

Sasuke just looked at her for more of an explanation.

She continued, "I guess I just thought that if we, you know, that maybe I could…"

"That you could what?" he prompted, sounding almost impatient.

"I don't know," she whispered. "Feel…something…I guess?"
(Track 13)

Feel something? Sasuke thought. He once again waited for her to give more explanation.

"This may sound crazy, but…I feel like on the surface, I can feel happy, or even sad. But deep down inside, it's like there's this hole, like I'm missing something. Most of the time I'm fine, I don't even notice. I…just get this way sometimes. I'm sorry," she quickly finished as she began to stand up, but Sasuke grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back down.

"This is my fault, isn't it?" Sasuke spoke quietly. "I didn't mean to…I didn't think it would affect you like that."

But Sakura just shook her head. "No, I think I've always been like this. I've been thinking lately about how everyone keeps telling me to take better care of myself. Why is that? Do I really not take care of myself?" She paused for a moment before continuing. "And then I thought back to that fight. Do you remember the scar?" she asked him as she lifted her shirt slightly to reveal its faint remains stretched out over her swollen stomach. "I took a blow to protect someone else. And as determined as I had been to survive so I could find you and be there for Naruto, what I felt for a split-second was…relief. Isn't that funny?" she spoke as she turned to him and smiled. But Sasuke wasn't smiling back.

Sakura turned back to facing forward again, letting the smile gracefully drop from her expression. A few seconds later, she spoke up again. "I guess I felt relieved that I wouldn't have to worry about whether I was good at things anymore, or if I was useful to other people. In fact, I almost think I might have subconsciously thrown myself in front of the sword with that being part of the reason. I quickly snapped out of it and started healing myself, but I didn't forget what I felt in that one moment." She smiled weakly as a tear rolled down her cheek. "You know, I've been trying to learn from everyone how to be confident in myself. First from Ino, then you, and Naruto and Lee-san. But this seems to be one lesson I just can't grasp. You must think I'm really pathetic, huh?" Sakura questioned out loud as a second tear slid down her cheek.

She turned back to face him and leaned in to hug him. But instead of receiving her, he harshly said, "No." Slightly taken aback by his response, Sakura just looked at him in confusion. "Come with me," he ordered her.

"What?" was all the more she could get out before quickly trying to catch up with Sasuke who was already walking out the front door.

He led her to a small open patch in the woods outside of the town. Once Sakura had caught up, he quickly pulled out a kunai and stabbed his hand with it.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out as she quickly rushed over to him to pull out the weapon and start healing his gash. "What are you-"

"See, you are useful," he interrupted.

"But I-"

"And medical ninjutsu isn't easy to learn, and how you've become so proficient in a few years is amazing, Sakura," he spoke sternly. "And ever since our sparring match, I've been trying to be able to punch like you do, with that kind of added strength…but I can't. I don't have as good of chakra control as you do to be able to do that. I can strengthen my hits by some, and that's only in a training situation; you can not only increase your strength by a significant amount, you can even pull it off in battle."

Sakura just continued to silently heal his wound without looking up, although his words were falling heavily down upon her. When she was just about finished, he added the remark, "And even if you didn't have any talent as a ninja, you're still a better person than I am. You should at least be able to realize that." After saying that last sentence, he pulled his hand back from her and started walking away. "Stay here as long as you like and come back when you're ready." He slowed his steps to stop and confess, although without turning around, "And even though it may not have been the cause, what I did to you I'm sure didn't help. I'm sorry." He then quickly picked up his pace again as he left the clearing.

Sakura just stared in the direction of his retreating form, too dumfounded by his words yet to make any sort of response. She eventually collapsed down to the ground. She felt like she was that kid stumbled upon by Ino all those years ago. Her memory of that day and how she felt was crystal clear in her mind. She cried then, and she was crying now. But this time, Ino wasn't going to come and cheer her up. No, this time, she had to figure out how to do that for herself.

A few hours later and after many, many thoughts, reflections, and revelations, Sakura slowly stood back up and stretched her stiff muscles. She finally looked around her and guessed that this was where Sasuke did his training every day. Taking a deep breath, she took her first step back to the apartment, hesitated, but then casually strolled the rest of the way, almost laughing from the light feeling of a very great burden having been lifted from her. Although she knew that she still had a long way to go. She had found her path to becoming physically stronger 3 years ago, and now, she realized that she had already been strong, as a person, all along.

Pushing open the door, Sakura entered the apartment to find Sasuke sitting at the table waiting for her. Seeing that she had returned, he stood up and took the bowls over to the stove to fill with the lunch they hadn't eaten yet.

Sakura sat down across from him and took the bowl he offered to her. After swallowing her first spoonful, Sakura spoke up. "You didn't have to wait for me to eat, you know."

Sasuke shrugged in response. "I didn't mind."

"But then I guess you were too busy watching over me in the woods," she contemplated.

His spoon paused in mid-air before he set it back down. "You noticed?"

"Only when I went to leave." She had hesitated after the first step trying to figure out who it was. "Um, thanks, by the way. I guess I really needed to do that, and I am feeling a lot better now," she spoke with a genuine smile. "And I mean actually better and not just covering it back up."

"Hn."

Noticing the time, Sakura quickly stood up and exclaimed, "Crap! I'm going to be late for work."

"I already told them you weren't feeling well and wouldn't be in tonight on my way back."

"Oh, ok," she replied as she slowly sat back down to finish eating as she thought about how considerate that was of him.

"I was thinking," Sasuke started to say, surprising Sakura by initiating something in the conversation, "you could come with me this evening, and I can show you some genjutsu…if you'd like to learn." When she just continued to stare at him blankly, he cleared his throat before continuing, "Didn't you say you never learned too much about it, mainly just defense?"

Snapping out of her daze, Sakura quickly answered, "Oh, yes. That would be useful. Yeah, I'd love to go with you."

When they were done eating, Sasuke quickly stood up and took both of their bowls over to the sink to wash, hoping Sakura didn't notice how nervous he had been to extend the invitation. When he finished a minute later, he asked, "Ready?"

"Yeah," she replied with a smile. As they walked out the door, Sakura suggested, "You know, I could try teaching you some medical ninjutsu. I bet you can pick up on the basics fairly quickly, and it might be useful to you in battle."

"Hn."

So from then on they practiced together in the mornings before lunch, Sasuke teaching Sakura genjutsu, and Sakura teaching Sasuke basic medical ninjutsu. Sakura also noticed that from then on Sasuke started to be a little less aloof toward her. And maybe even acted slightly more open around her. She wasn't sure if it was because he pitied her, or that maybe he felt he could relate to her a little better knowing he wasn't the only one with emotional burdens, but even though she didn't understand why or how it came about, she certainly was grateful for it.