Author's Note:The goal had been around 6,000 words but a family occurrence disrupted my writing progress (it happens) and I am out of time to go beyond 4,407 words. Sorry for the high hopes, but I wanted to give you guys an update before my July class starts tomorrow. This particular chapter is dedicated to Elyssadora for her consistent funny reviews. I hope this chapter doesn't damage your "nerve endings" too much, Elyssadora. Same, for the rest of you. One step at a time. Love you all!

Chapter 28: Wherever You Are

Sakura was already closing the inches between them. Her fingers were already brushing his cheeks as she brought his face to hers. She hesitated. Just for a second. Just long enough for him to pull away from her. But Sasuke barely took a breath before Sakura touched her lips to his.

Sakura placed her lips on Sasuke's carefully. Although she held his face, she did not pull him to her in desperation, but simply guided his mouth to hers gently. Their lips touched for a very long second, brushing each other as Sakura leaned into it. Sasuke wavered for just a moment and then Sakura felt his body bend toward hers. His fingers brushed her left hip hesitantly and Sakura responded by deepening the kiss. The very moment their kissing became more substantial, Sasuke's hand rose from her hip and took hold of her left hand. He pulled it from his cheek.

Sakura's soaring heart suddenly dropped to her stomach.

"Stop," he whispered, and turned his head away from her. He held onto her wrist for just a little longer before dropping it. He took a step back and Sakura wanted nothing more than to grab hold of him and pull him back to that moment, but Sakura knew that if she spoke, the tears would come and her voice would break.

"What are you doing?" he asked her coldly and the question felt like a knife in her gut.

"Sasuke, I…" she began, stumbling for what to say. Had she misunderstood? No, Sakura had been sure of what she saw in his face just moments before she kissed him; she had been sure that Sasuke had entwined their hands together. There was no mistaking it, but maybe she had moved too fast which startled him. Sakura cursed her eagerness. She had wanted to kiss him ever since they were genin together; had been imagining this very moment for so long.

"Do you think I brought you with me for this?" Sasuke finally asked, eyes downcast and blank.

Despite the cracking in her chest at his harsh words, Sakura tried to think clearly about what she could say to fix this. Her thoughts returned to when Sakura had fought Sasuke back in Konoha as an attempt to get through to his stubbornness. When she had been suspended in the air by Sasuke's Susanoo arm and he had demanded why she expected him to play at love with her, Sakura's answer then was her answer now.

"No," she responded in the gloom. "I don't expect anything from you. I told you that."

Sasuke made brief eye contact with her through his shaggy hair. The fear that Sakura had seen just seconds earlier was now shaded by anger and confusion.

"Sakura," he began, rubbing his forehead with his hand. "We can't do this."

Sakura wanted to shake him for saying that. She didn't understand his logic. What was going on in that head of his? She had told him before that they didn't have to be together; that she didn't expect him to stay in Konoha; that she had absolutely ZERO expectations if they could just love one another. So what was it for him? What had him so hung up and determined to keep his distance? Frustrated, Sakura could only think of one reason. It always came back to one thought for Sakura. "Why can't we?" she finally demanded. "Am I wrong? Do you really not feel love towards me?"

"It doesn't matter!" he dismissed her heatedly. He was glaring at her now, no longer avoiding her eyes.

That statement was only more confirmation for Sakura. Sasuke would be lying to her face if he said he didn't love her. It was true that he had feelings for her and they both knew it. Then what? Before Sakura could ask any more questions, Sasuke's sharp voice pierced the space between them.

"I'm getting tired of repeating myself. I told you I can never be that person for you."

Sasuke had said that to her before. When he had chosen to walk away again after her confession since he had returned to Konoha. The way he said it now was a little different, Sakura realized. His exact words to her before had been "That person is never going to be me." This time he said, "I can never be that person." Maybe she was reading too much into it, but there was a subtle implication there like it wasn't Sasuke's choice. Like there was something else preventing him from being so.

Sakura concentrated on her breathing to calm her thoughts which were speeding up while she watched Sasuke turn away from her toward the counter. He was beginning to gather the food pills from the container and placing them in his travel pouch.

"Where are you going?" she asked, comprehending what was happening.

"I need space to think," he spoke distantly. Sakura began to take a step towards him. She wanted to demand that he stay put. To tell him that they could work through this together; think together and be on the same page.

But it was too late to change that stubborn Uchiha mind. A crackle in the air split open the space between them and Sasuke stepped through it without even so much as looking at her. Before Sakura could even think of racing in the portal after him, it sealed itself, leaving no option for her to follow him. The sensation was deeper than rejection; it felt like she had been slapped in the face.

Sakura immediately sat on the ground in shock. Sasuke had left again. Again. When Sakura grasped this, she felt suddenly so tired that she slumped completely to the floor and stared up at the ceiling. There were no tears this time; she was not angry. She was not sad. She felt confused and everything else was empty.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When Sasuke landed firmly on his knees in the airless dimension, he immediately slammed his fist in the sand out of frustration. He cursed into the air as if it was personally at fault. It was at fault, he decided as he gave the ground another swipe. These dimensions, his mission, Kaguya, himself and his past—it was all at fault.

God, what had just happened!? He threw himself back against the sand and stared up into the green sky which was suddenly so similar a shade to Sakura's irises. He moaned and turned himself over on to his side.

He replayed what had went wrong in his mind. Sasuke had been caught. Sakura had caught him loving her and when she confronted him with his own feelings, Sasuke couldn't convince her otherwise any longer. If only he hadn't given in to his impulses; he had been chastising himself for so long now about it—what had he been thinking and why did he suddenly give in?

And that kiss. When the secret had been revealed, Sakura had crossed that line Sasuke was so desperate to keep undisturbed. And he had kissed her back! When her lips touched his, Sasuke hadn't pulled away; in fact, his instincts took control as he began to reach for her. He had wanted to pull her closer, cup the back her neck, part her lips with his own and never stop. And it was that intense desire for her that surprised Sasuke and had him pulling away.

Damn.

Damn.

Damn.

All he knew in that moment was that he desperately needed space from her. He needed time to clear his head and come back to his senses, because if he didn't, Sasuke knew that line would be crossed indefinitely. If he had stayed any longer, Sakura would have successfully been able to persuade him. And if Sakura was able to persuade him to pursue a future with her, then what?

Sasuke listed the reasons again to himself, to remind himself just what.

First, if he and Sakura kept hurtling towards this direction, then Sasuke could no longer consider her just a friend which would have various consequences. For instance, Sasuke knew that if he gave Sakura that kind of hope, she would never stop waiting for him. Despite her claims of never looking for someone else, if Sasuke did give in, she really would never look for another guy to make her happy, and while that was a satisfying thought for Sasuke, he admitted that it was also very selfish. And he could not in good conscious leave her waiting for him for the rest of her life.

Which leads him to his next reason. Sasuke was duty-bound and secure in his promise to the Leaf, like Itachi, to take on the hard tasks and ultimately protect the leaf. This life was a symbol of selflessness and his ultimate punishment for his sins. This path was how he would atone for everything he did in the past.

Thirdly, being associated with Sasuke had already been detrimental to Sakura. Her run-in with Kido was a prime example. He had told himself this a thousand times. Sakura already had a target on her back because she was his friend; imagine the penalty for being his wife.

Finally, the scariest one of all. If Sasuke decided to allow himself the happiness of a relationship with his teammate, what would happen to him if that happiness was taken away? If his relationship with her was the reason she was ultimately taken from him, Sasuke was afraid of who he would become again.

Sasuke kept getting hung up on these reasons. He sat up in the red dirt of the sand and thought about the past few weeks with Sakura, their conversations, and advice from Naruto. With this in mind, he reassessed his reasons.

For the first reason, Sakura had already reassured him that his absence would not guarantee her future happiness with someone else. Sasuke allowed himself to believe that one. Sakura had made sure he would by giving him a throbbing black eye to remind him. But was it right for him to make that final choice?

The second reason, concerning his journey of atonement, Sakura had said multiple times: "All I would need to know is that you love me back. We don't have to be together to love each other." To which Sasuke's train of thought always brought him back to this: what a miserable life. Which is why he had vowed not to tell her his feelings. Doing so would give her hope, but now she had figured it out without it coming directly from his mouth. So perhaps this reason was invalid now. He had screwed up and revealed it all, and now she knew. Would he be creating a miserable life for her by continuing to reject her after letting his true feelings become apparent?

Sasuke shook his head, moving on to his third and fourth reasons. Naruto had assured Sasuke that he would protect Sakura, but if anything ever did happen, then Naruto would get through to Sasuke like he had in the past. Sasuke believed in Naruto more than anything, but just as equally didn't believe in himself.

Sasuke slumped forward against his knees, a headache forming quickly with is pent up energy. All of his reasons seemed to be becoming invalid which is why the Uchiha was slipping dangerously. If all of those sound objectives were becoming gray, Sasuke still believed it all boiled down to this: did he deserve any of it? He knew that Sakura did. He decided to just stop thinking for a minute—he was confused and didn't know about anything anymore.

Frustration soon coursed through Sasuke's body in the form of chakra. The way it always had in the past when he was angry and felt like taking his anger out on the world. Soon his body was crackling with electric chakra as it sizzled down his arm and exploded from his palm into the sand.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When Sakura woke the next morning, she forgot where she was for a second. She was curled on the small sofa in the medicine preparation room where she was with Sasuke in the middle of the night… before he left. She groaned as her memories came back to her and jumped when she heard a familiar voice say, "So this is where you've been all night, Miss."

Sakura rolled over quickly and found herself looking up at a grinning Mako. He must have woken her up, and in embarrassment, Sakura immediately sat up and patted down her staticky hair, a result of tossing and turning against the microfiber fabric in her sleep. "Mako," she acknowledged as he sat beside her on the snug couch as if they were lifelong friends. And like a lifelong friend, Mako was pressing a cup of warm tea into her palms, a habit of his that Sakura was recognizing.

"Did you pass out up here because of your medicine?" he inquired learnedly, a doctor assessing a patient. Sakura had been heavily dosed with antihistamines before she and Sasuke had come up here.

"Sort of," Sakura mumbled dejectedly into her tea as she took a sip.

"Sasuke, then?" he asked knowingly, and Sakura spat the tea.

Mako laughed and explained, "The pills are gone. I'm assuming he ditched you."

Sakura cringed at his bluntness because it was technically and brutally true. "I kissed him."

"Whaaat?" Mako dropped his mouth and spun toward Sakura with the expression of surprise. His reaction reminded her of a combination of Ino and Naruto, someone who was both dramatic but expected all the details. Maybe it was because of Mako's kindness, familiarity, and constant presence, that Sakura felt like she could confide in him.

"Yeah. I was reckless and acted too quickly. And then he just left." Sakura placed her palm on her forehead. "I can't believe myself right now."

"Huh," Mako stated, turning back around and pinching his chin in contemplation. "I didn't get the impression that he would leave like that."

Sakura laughed. "Are you kidding? It's a special talent of his."

Mako patted his co-worker's shoulder in comfort. "Don't worry. He'll be back."

Sakura looked over at him after he said that and then she took another thoughtful sip of tea before asking, "What makes you say that?"

"Well, it's obvious that he likes you. To be honest, I thought you were already a couple."

Sakura coughed on her tea again which made Mako chuckle in amusement. "Give me that before you choke," he said, taking her tea into his own hands.

"What…gave you…that idea?" Sakura questioned between coughs and punctuated each part of the broken sentence with a pat on her chest.

"Actually, I guess it was his conversation with Satou yesterday that made me think that."

"Really? What happened?" Sakura sat up, both nervous and excited about the content of what Mako would say next.

"Well," Mako began, considering the ceiling tiles as he recalled the scene, "the first thing that stood out to me was when he told Satou something along the lines of 'I care more about her and her goal than the few minutes I could be doing something more beneficial than talking to you.'"

Sakura's mouth fell open in disbelief. "He said that?!" The Sasuke that Sakura knew would never say something like that. Well, maybe the second, rude half of that statement, but not the first part.

"Yeah," Mako responded with a smile, continuing with "then the genjutsu was awfully showy, followed by the threatening."

Sakura jumped out of her seat. "He did WHAT?" She raised her hands to frame her wide-eyed expression. Just last night, Sasuke had told her the talk with Satou had gone fine! He called that fine? She dragged her palms down her face in anxiety. She knew she had been right to eavesdrop on them; what did she honestly expect to happen?

Mako explained that it turned out to their benefit despite the possible violations to several codes of conduct. Sakura couldn't agree that the genjutsu approach was beneficial, but Mako explained that they both had tried to talk to Satou, but he was the type of person to only respect a show of force. Sakura let out an unsure sigh. She felt like she would have to bring it up with Sasuke later. No wonder he tried to change the subject last night.

"Oh!" Mako exclaimed, jumping back to their previous topic of conversation. "And his reaction to you going into anaphylactic shock was extreme, even for a friend."

Sakura started to disagree with Mako, relaying that Sasuke's reaction was far, far less dramatic than Naruto's would have been. She stopped herself though, wanting to believe in the fantasy of Mako's perception of their relationship. It was somewhat a relief for Sakura, to see Mako's opinions as missing puzzle pieces to the question of whether or not Sasuke loved her.

"Thanks, Mako," Sakura smiled sadly, leaning against the wall to the right of the couch, "but we aren't a couple."

Mako stood up then, and started shepherding Sakura towards the door, stating "You know what they say! Work is the best remedy for worry. Let's go do what you're good at!"

Sakura laughed and let Mako escort her downstairs, grateful for a friend.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Isao was awake in his room, staring out the window when Sakura opened the door, revealing the delicious lunch she had brought for him. When Isao saw that it was Sakura coming into the room, he gave her a surprised smile.

Hisa, the female medic whom Sakura had taken a liking to, had informed her of Satou's current episodes of anger at the hospital. Apparently, Gaara—wherever he was—had issued a warrant for Satou's arrest since he had taken to destroying the hospital machinery in his room. Ninja had come for him this morning, escorting him out publicly. Isao had seen his father's apprehension from one of the top story windows. Hisa explained that Isao had not cried or seemed distraught, but instead just watched silently as his father was escorted down the road.

Sakura had decided she had better check up on him anyway. Placing the food on his bed, Sakura crouched on the floor like she had done only a few days ago when the child was having episode of night terrors. The good news was that Sakura's prescription seemed to be doing its job by helping the child pass on to REM sleep more quickly, bypassing the night terrors. According to the staff, Isao had yet to have another episode. Sakura was still mindful of the child's trauma despite this, so she took the humble position of sitting.

"Isao," she whispered as the child ate ravenously. "Do you want to spend some time in the Leaf Village?"

Isao's head jerked, and he swallowed his food before answering, "What?"

"Your father won't be in prison forever. Gaara will make sure he is punished for what has happened to you, but he will get out eventually."

Sakura hated to be so blunt with an eleven-year-old, but she had to make sure that Isao knew the ins and outs of the entire situation. She was certain that Gaara would allow Isao to spend some time in Konoha, but she wanted to make sure it was what Isaowanted.

Isao took another bite of his rice and nodded in thought as she continued, "If you spent some time in the Hidden Leaf, you could train as a Genin there without fear of your father. We all know he hates Konoha. You would be safe there and could continue treatment at our facilities."

Suddenly Isao spoke with a hopeful voice, "Will you be there?"

Sakura gazed at the boy as he shyly dropped his head and looked away from her. Sakura considered his question before replying honestly, "Yes, but not immediately."

When he met her eyes again, Sakura explained further. "I am traveling with my partner right now. I don't know when I'll return to Konoha." It was true that Sakura would not immediately return, whether it was a few days or a few months. The way things were with Sasuke right now, she wouldn't be surprised if he didn't return for a while, leaving her to find her way back to Konoha on her own. She was determined to find him herself, crossing dimensions and whatever else, if this was the case.

"Then yes," Isao announced, startling her out of her thoughts of Sasuke. "I want to be wherever you are ma'am." Sakura's heart melted instantly for the little boy who was looking at her as a long-lost family member. Maybe Sakura had been the first person to care about him since the loss of his mother. He had clung to her so desperately the first night she had spent comforting him through his terror. This was a sad realization that almost made Sakura cry.

"Then it's settled," she smiled sadly. "I'll begin confirming everything with the Kazekage and Hokage."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Later that evening, after seeing all her patients, Sakura sat down at a desk upstairs at the hospital and began to write letters.

Her first letter was to the Kazekage, requesting official permission for Isao's relocation to the Hidden Leaf Village for continued treatment. She informed him that she wasn't aware of how much time he would be spending, but that she predicted for as long Satou remained a threat to the boy's person and health. She relayed her wishes for the village's fostering of the child to strengthen the bond between villages.

Next, she wrote to the Hokage and her sensei, Kakashi Hatake. Despite her close bond with her mentor, Sakura remained formal in her letter. She requested permission for the child's temporary stay and care, along with his continued education. She informed Kakashi of the entire situation, including Satou's resentment towards the leaf (although she had yet to figure out exactly why). Sakura explained the basics of Isao's situation but included another letter for Lady Tsunade that covered the details of his illness, along with his treatment history and medical notes. Sakura requested that once permission was granted, that Kakashi pass this note immediately to Tsunade after an envoy had been sent to retrieve the child from Sunagakure; Sakura informed Kakashi that her hope was to remain with Sasuke for a little while longer.

As she sealed both letters, Sakura imagined Naruto's disappointed face when he comprehended that she included nothing for him. He would say, "That old granny gets a letter, but I, a fellow member of Team 7, does not?" Then he would push in over Kakashi's desk, cramming his face next to his and insisting to see what all Sakura had wrote, 'just to be sure.' She laughed aloud to herself at that particular scenario. She suddenly missed that idiot so much that her eyes pricked with tears and she quickly wiped them away afraid that once her tears started, they wouldn't stop. There seemed to be a lot to cry about recently.

Unexpectedly, tea was being placed down before her. She jumped at Mako's sudden appearance, catching her once again in a state of vulnerability. "Sorry," he smiled, leaning his hip against the desk. "You seemed a little down."

Sakura returned his kindness with a smile, taking up the tea and taking a drink of the warm sweet liquid. "Just a little homesick," she explained. She didn't want him assuming it was about Sasuke, although the Uchiha had in reality been occupying her thoughts for most of the day. How different and similar lovesickness and homesickness were. To Sakura, Sasuke would always be her home away from home. When he was gone, lovesickness consumed her. Yet, away from Konoha, Sakura felt a similar grief.

"Is that why you are writing?" Mako questioned, pointing towards the letters on her desk.

"Oh, this is for the Kazekage and Hokage about Isao's transfer," Sakura clarified. "Writing home does remind me of my friends, which is why I might have seemed down." Sakura took another drink of the tea.

"I see," Mako answered emotionlessly, peering up at the ceiling. As she watched him, Sakura wondered suddenly how he knew she had been up here. She hadn't seen him for most of the day, the two deciding to split the work. Not knowing what else to say, Sakura took another full drink from the steaming porcelain cup in front of her. And another. After the fourth gulp, Sakura began to taste something beneath the sweetness. Anyone else might not have been able to sense it, but Sakura's palate was trained to detect oddities. She coughed a little, clearing her throat of the bitter aftertaste.

Mako turned to fully face her suddenly and Sakura frowned as she realized that his outline was a little fuzzy and she couldn't blink hard enough to read his facial expression.

When Mako reached out before her and took hold of the two letters, Sakura's body wasn't responding to stop him. When he stuffed the letters into his whitecoat, all Sakura could do was drop the cup in shock, watching it as it rolled across the table.

"It's nothing personal," came Mako's detached, unfamiliar tone of voice as Sakura's consciousness began to slip. "I just can't let you go on any further."

"You," she managed to spit out as she forced her body from her chair, knees hitting hard on the ground. She didn't understand what was happening, why Mako would be doing something like this to her; she cursed herself for blindly accepting his tea as often as she did. Even her thinking began to fade as she tried to army crawl toward the door. Her voice was suddenly gone, the possibility for screaming for help suddenly damned.

The last thing she remembered was hearing Mako's footfalls get closer the door being shut in front of her closing eyes.