After an afternoon of shopping for household items, food and clothing we are finally able to return back to my house. Ino corners me every once in a while to find out what's going on between Sasuke and I. Truthfully, I don't want to tell her just yet. Even in the ninja world, arranged/forced marriages are something that doesn't happen very often. It won't be long before she forces me to tell her. I notice the lights are finally up on the outside of my house when we reach the porch. Neji, Sai and Naruto are lounging on the couch watching TV when we enter the warm house.

We kick off our wet boots and snowflakes have melted on our clothes, making us shiver as we take off our jackets. Each of my female friends are greeted by their significant others with sweet words or kisses. That's something that I will never experience in my life. Sasuke isn't one for romance or any type of physical contact. Sasuke and I enter the kitchen with the groceries, as I begin to put them away Kakashi appears from the dining room.

"Let me see it Sakura."

"What are you talking about Kakashi?"

"Tsunade called me. Give it here."

Each word was harsh and direct. I reach into my pocket and hand him the piece of paper that now controls and dictates my entire life. Kakashi read the document and with each word he read, you could see more wrinkles appear around his eyes. He placed the scroll on the counter and let out the breath he had been holding in. Continuing the task at hand, I finished placing the food in the pantry and found the items to make barbeque and rice. I stopped in my tracks as Naruto walked in, picking up the scroll.

"Naruto that's private."

But before any of us could react, Naruto dropped the item and stared at us with angry blue eyes. Kakashi grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to my office. Sasuke and I followed right behind our sensei. Things are about to get worse than they already are. The door quietly shut behind us, now Team 7 is locked in a room together to discuss the arranged marriage of two members. How much worse can this get?

"Has granny lost her fucking mind? They can't really force them to marry each other. Sasuke just got back and now this?" Naruto walked in circles around the room while Kakashi was sitting at my desk with his hands supporting him chin.

"Naruto, it's already over. Nothing can change that. Sasuke and Sakura don't even have a say in this and it's their lives." His voiced is filled with remorse and sadness. I know Kakashi thinks that there was something he could've done, but he said it. It's already over.

"Do you really think we are happy about this Naruto? It's either we do this or we are executed. It's pretty clear in the scroll." I walk over to my blonde friend and place a hand on his shoulder. I can see the tears swelling up in the corners of his blue, glossy eyes. Turning to look at Sasuke, he looked defeated and at a loss. His head raised and met my gaze.

"Sakura is right. In the end, there's nothing we can do." His voice somehow relaxed my body and I couldn't help but smile slightly. This situation is clearly something out of an old romance novel, but it's not romantic in the least bit.

"We can only live our lives by the rules that are written. Sasuke and I have to figure out a lot before we tell anyone. So please, no spreading the news."

Naruto pulled me against his chest into a tight hug. I can't help the tears that fall from my eyes as I stay in my best friend's embrace. Our relationship may be weird to most but I wouldn't want it any other way. Someone cleared their throat causing Naruto and I to pull away from each other. Sasuke isn't in the room now and Kakashi is standing in the open doorway now.

"Sakura, I think you should go talk with Sasuke. Both of your lives are about to change. Do you remember the first lesson Team 7 was taught?"

I feel guilty now. This marriage is going to need teamwork to get through without killing each other. I can feel both of their eyes watching me as I leave the room to find Sasuke. His chakra is radiating from the room he's staying in, so I knock on the door and enter quietly. Sasuke is sitting on the bed messing with the scroll that is turning our lives upside down.

"Can we talk Sasuke?"

"Hn."

Great. This is going to be harder than I thought. Why does he always have to be so stubborn? My back is leaning against the door and I can't help but stare at him. Even as a genin, it was hard enough to get him to talk.

"We really do need to figure this out. There's no escape so we need to work on our friendship at least."

Red eyes burn into me and I'm trying to stay firm. Just because he is still intimidating to me, there's no way in hell that I'm dropping the subject. Sasuke stood from the bed and walked closer to me, before I could move his face is an inch away from mine. His breath is warm against my face and I can feel my cheeks getting more and more red by the second. Sasuke brings his hands on either side of my body, trapping me in place.

"Sakura, do you understand how hard it is for me?"

What? What's hard for him? I know that he will never, ever love me or even care for me. I understand that very well. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I know my voice will be shaky.

"What's hard?"

His lips move into a smirk and he moves closer in to where his lips are against my right ear. Now I'm frozen and can't escape. Yes, Sasuke and I have been physically close before but never like this. My heart is about to jump out of my chest. A dark chuckle leaves his mouth before he answers me.

"To keep myself away from you. In every way possible."

Oh…I swear I just died. Sasuke Uchiha just…my brain can't process what was just said. Sasuke backs away and like an idiot I run from the room. Naruto and Kakashi have returned to the others in the living room, everyone looks at me with completely humor all over their faces. I know my face is still red but there's nothing I can do. Ino gets off of Sai and drags me down the hall to my bedroom, the other girls follow right behind the blonde.

Ino pushes me on my bed while Tenten and Hinata shut the door. Curiosity is written all over their faces but other emotions play on their faces.

"Okay forehead, spill it. What in the world is going on with you? All day you've been acting completely weird and distant."

The other two just nodded in agreement. Today is a terrible fucking day for an intervention and therapy session. I love my friends dearly but they really don't know when to leave things alone.

"Just don't worry about it. You will all find out in due time." I'm not lying but I'm also not spilling the news about the marriage. I really do want to tell them, it's just the facts. An arrange marriage is nothing compared to death for something small or stupid.

"We are your friends Sakura. Ino, Tenten and I just worry about you since Sasuke is back and all. I mean have you two even really talked?"

"No Hinata we haven't talked. It's not like we need to anyways. So can we end this little interrogation? Dinner needs to be started."

"We started it while you four were talking about who knows what. Now spill it before I open a scroll."

Tenten reached into her pocket producing a small scroll for storing weapons. No. They cannot bully this out of. For fuck sakes they are in my house.

"Absolutely not. This is my house, so if you don't respect my decision then leave."

All their faces dropped from defeat; one by one they left me alone in my room. My back dropped onto the bed and I let out a huge sigh of relief. In less than a month and a half I'll have to marry Sasuke, then within two years we will have to have a child. Great, just fucking great!

'You know what we should do?'

'If you have an idea then tell me because right now we are screwed, Sasuke just did whatever that was. The girls are getting suspicious and on top of that I'm confused as to why I want him so bad.'

'The girls are going to question you until the information comes out. You need to show Sasuke exactly what he's been missing out on for all these years. A night out to get wild and show him up.'

There's no way that could work. But…maybe it could. A nice evil plan is developing in my brain and for once it may actually work. Looking over at my clock, it's still early enough but tomorrow may be better since I can have more time to prepare. A smirk went across my face; I jump up from my bed and walk back to my group. They were eating dinner in the dining room. Chatter and laughter are filling my home, which is nice compared to the usual quietness. Joining the group I smiled at Naruto and ate my dinner happily.

Everyone just left and we decided to go out as a group, well minus Kakashi. Ino told us about a new club that just opened that sounds fun. Now I'm curled up on the couch as a show is playing in the background while I read over hospital files. Tsunade may have given me a few weeks off but there are still cases that haven't even been reported and filed yet. A tap on the shoulder brings me out of my file to see Sasuke dressed in black sweat pants with a white shirt; mentally I'm keeping myself from drooling.

"Oh sorry."

"Hn. Can I join you?"

"Uh…sure."

Sasuke sits on the opposite end but our feet are almost touching as he sits with his back against the arm. Two coal eyes are locked on my emerald ones, it's as if he's trying to read right through me.

"You said you wanted to talk."

"That's what earlier was about but you seemed to be distracted." My eyes go back to my file and I flip through the charts and information. A 14-year-old Chunin was wounded during a mission and now suffers from heart complications. A poison was left in his system too long but I have a feeling I can fix it.

"I'm not good at this Sakura." His voice is firm but quiet. I understand that he isn't good with emotions or relationships but that doesn't mean the rest of my life has to be miserable.

"I've known that forever Sasuke. You have to understand that I'm not asking you to love me, just tolerate me. If we can just fool everyone else then it will work." My eyes never leave the page. The temptation to cry or throw myself into him is too much to handle. My heart is breaking with each word that leaves my mouth.

We stay quiet for a long time; the only noise is my fingers flipping the page. My folder is taken from my hand and put down on the coffee table. Sasuke's eyes are filled with something I've never seen before. My body feels as if it's burning me alive. Sasuke inched closer and closer until he is hovering on top of me.

"Sakura, I said I'm not good at this. I didn't say I wouldn't try. After all, before long we will be married." With the last word, Sasuke kissed my neck causing my stomach to tighten and I held in my breath. My pulse is racing while he continues to move down my neck to the hollow below my throat. Instinctively my hands are trying to push him off but honestly I don't want him to move. The heat between our bodies is building and I can feel something hard against my thigh…no, no no!

Using my strength, I throw him off of me and a smirk is covering his face. How dare he? Just because we are supposed to be getting married doesn't mean Sasuke can pull a stunt like this.

"What the hell was that Sasuke?" My voice is shaky but angry all in one. Sasuke leans back into his previous position on the couch and shrugs his shoulders.

"I said I would try."

"That's trying to get into my pants, not trying to build an understanding relationship." It's been obvious since our childhood that Sasuke doesn't understand relationships, emotions or even friendships. Although it's understandable, the massacre of his clan did cause an emotion block. Naruto and I have talked about it a lot and now it makes more sense.

"Hn." He leans back with his arms crossed behind his head and closes the coal eyes. The lack of communication is going to cause more rifts and arguments. Our lives have always been intertwined but now it's on a completely different level.

"We have to figure out how to be friends again or actually just friends. Before you left we really weren't friends. Until you figure that out, I'm going to my office to work on these files." I gather my files and slowly walk down the hall. He's so used to being the one that walks away, I know this has thrown him for a loop.

Sasuke has no clue on what to do and neither do I. Why did the council have to interfere with our lives like this? We aren't the same people from all those years ago. Sasuke doesn't know me anymore, just like I don't know him even though I'd like to say that I do. I shake my head and block out everything about Sasuke for now, my patients need me more than he does.

What I thought was an hour of reading turned into four before I realized it. Now it's well past midnight and Sasuke is most likely asleep. My tired body carries me to the kitchen to get something to drink, when I see something out of the corner of my eye causing me to become defensive. The figure steps out of the shadows and its just Sasuke, I lower my guard and pour myself a glass of water. He takes a seat at the counter and I can feel him examining every movement I make.

"Sorry for earlier."

"Okay."

"I wasn't lying either. Even though it's going to be hard, I'm going to try" That's a surprise to me. Since when did Sasuke actually let a little emotion come out when he speaks? I place my glass down in the sink and turn to face the last remaining Uchiha.

"Sounds like a plan. We have to get married next month, so now we have to fool our friends. That means in public we have to pretend to be happy and together."

A hand runs through the silky, raven locks and stops on the back his head. We both know that this is going to be tough and awkward. Ever since I was a kid, I wished for nothing ore than to Sasuke to admit his undying love for me but since I've grown up I just want his respect. I want to be someone he can rely on in combat and see me as someone that can handle their own.

"Hn. We can start tomorrow then. Good night Sakura." He exits the room and now I'm frozen. Tomorrow? Maybe I need to recruit someone to help me through this. Naruto isn't the best and neither is Kakashi, I'd rather die than ask for help from my friends. Maybe Tsunade has some words of wisdom? He's been home for two days now and I'm trying to figure out how to fool our friends into believing that we are a happy couple…Can I go back to being a genin and restart everything? Bringing myself out of my thoughts, I go to my room to sleep off the confusion and utter disappointment of the day.

For those who have read the original, I'm tweaking the story just a tad but from here on out it should stick to the first story. I rushed things too quickly last time so everything will be dragged out slightly. Also a mission will be added in that will test everyone's patiences.

I hope to update by tomorrow, Friday at the latest.