As this is story is becoming very similar to the memory plays I'm working on through these flashback scenes... I'm going to say this again. I will not be putting any line breaks or italics on the flashback scenes. This is a transition technique. It is supposed to be disorienting, this is my goal. I'm not going for a simple: "Here is everything in absolute simple terms so everyone knows exactly what is going on at a given time" type of story. You guys may end up confused for a little while, but think of how much fun you get to have connecting the fragmented pieces of story together on your own!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter Four:

"Will you stop that!" Sakura giggled, slapping the hand away from her thigh. It had been the third time his hand wandered up her skirt, caressing her sensitive skin in a slow, teasing motion. However, each time she laughed and played around with him, enjoying the little game they were playing with each other.

Sakura started to relax when his hand lay dormant on her knee while he moved closer, as if to cuddle with her to finish watching the movie but instead, his lips attached to the very sensitive spot on her throat.

"Cut it out!" She laughed, pushing him away with a smile on her face and a smirk on his.

"Okay, okay. I promise." He chuckled, cautiously moving back to cuddle with her. Sakura was suspicious of him, but she let him closer and allowed him to wrap his arm around her shoulder.

Her trust, however, was broken when the hand that was positioned on her shoulder traveled lower to grope her breast. Sakura squealed instantly and shoved him clean off the couch.

"I'm serious! You're not doing anything like that until we're married!"

On the floor, he had been doubled over in fits of laughter at his childish behavior, but once she spoke, he restrained his laughter and sat himself up on the floor.

"What if that were happening?" He said as he knelled in front of her, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the ring box.

"Oh my god..." Sakura's scolding stopped instantly as she covered her mouth in anticipation.

Slowly the ring box opened to reveal a beautiful diamond ring with two smaller pink diamonds sitting on either side of the larger diamond.

"Sakura, there is no other person I would rather spend the rest of my life with than with my best friend."

With a gasp, Sakura began to cry at his soft spoken words.

"What do you say?" He nudged her knee and instantly she was down on the floor with him, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Yes! Sasuke, of course I'll marry you!"

Sakura sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes as she gazed down at the wedding picture. They were smiling, they were happy, and Sasuke's arms were wrapped around her in the tightest hug. She had thought he was going to squeeze her out of her strapless dress at how tightly he had been holding her as he lifted her into the air.

"No one you'd rather spend your life with, huh Sasuke?" Tears splashed on the glass as the rosette gripped the picture frame so hard that the class began to crack.

She could no longer express the rage and humiliation she was feeling in a healthy manner anymore. She'd been doing yoga and meditation, really any classes she could find to distract her from punching a hole through the wall of their... her bedroom. Now it had been months and she'd finally decided to spend some actual time in her home... the home she had shared with Sasuke for years.

Over the past few months, Sakura had been taking so many classes and working overtime so she wouldn't have to return to the house in the daytime. Then she'd wake up as early as possible every morning so she could shower and be out the door as quickly as possible. The cafe down the street became accustomed to her early routine and her order of a bagel with extra cream cheese, one espresso and a french vanilla coffee with extra whipped cream topping.

Sakura simply couldn't stand to be in the house that was so full of Sasuke. He was everywhere and it killed her to be around him like that. She had been betrayed, humiliated and left to rot... but she still loved him. It wasn't that she couldn't let him go... she simply didn't know how to. He was everything to her and he always had been. Without him, she wasn't sure who she was anymore.

Today she found herself determined to come back to her home and spend actual time within the house. Her plans consisted of packing up everything that Sasuke had left behind. He had taken most of his belongings with him when he left but there were the things that had belonged to the both of them that had been left behind.

"How could you do this to me?" She yelled at the smiling photograph as she tossed it violently into the box of things that reminded her of Sasuke. One of his sweaters that he'd forgotten because Sakura was always wearing it, some of the stuffed animals he had bought her during the time they had dated, photos of him or photos of them together, and random pieces of jewelry he had bought her. It wasn't as if she could really bring herself to really get rid of them... but she couldn't go on walking by it everyday and crying upon seeing them.

Getting up she picked up the pictures on the mantel she had been in the process of packing and threw them all off the shelf onto the floor. Sakura reveled in the shattering sounds the glass emitting into her house and, despite the guilt she felt at her anger, she was glad to finally be expressing this terrible emotion that had been welled up inside her for so long. She hadn't wanted to be angry at Sasuke once he left. She wanted to live positively and rid herself of negative energy... but it was there. The hatred and rage was always present, even though she loved him.

Dropping to her knees, she buried her head in her arms, gripping her hair tightly, as if she wanted to pull it out in frustration but was too conflicted.

"Why... Sasuke... Why?"

Sakura jumped suddenly at the sound of her doorbell. After a few more sobs, she attempted to pull herself together and she wiped her eyes on the sleeves of her blouse as she stood up. Breathing deeply, she removed as many tears or signs of crying that she was able to in the small amount of time that it took for her to walk from her living room to the front door.

Slowly she opened to door to nearly slam it closed once again but she refrained and managed to keep the door open by gripping the handle as tightly as she could.

"Sasuke." Sakura greeted as politely as her voice would allow her.

Sasuke smiled sadly. It was obvious she had been crying and for quiet some time. Her eyes were red and puffy, and some tears were still gathering. Seeing her like this... made him want to hurl himself off a cliff for having caused her such grief.

"Hi, Sakura... I'm sorry for coming by so late."

"Late?" Sakura asked, obviously put off balance by his presence. She was unsure of herself or the space around her and it wasn't a mystery.

"It's... eight o'clock." Sasuke explained.

Frantically Sakura looked down at her wrist, surprised by the time. She had gotten home from work at four o'clock in the afternoon and had planned to clean out the entire house of Sasuke's things, starting with the living room. Which meant she had spent four hours in the living room with only half of one box packed while she stared at photos.

"Are you..." Sasuke stopped himself. He didn't want to ask if she was all right. She clearly wasn't and it was all his fault, he couldn't be the one to ask that question.

"The time just... flew by I guess." Sakura attempted to brush this off, despite being upset with herself for being drawn so deeply in by her memories with the man standing before her.

Sasuke nodded understandingly. He didn't want to intrude on her or pressure her to reveal what was on her mind. Sakura was upset and he was rather positive that he was still the cause of it, considering she still had not signed the divorce papers. Added to the fact that this was the first time she had seen him since their meeting about the divorce.

"Um... Sakura?" Sasuke finally broke the incredibly awkward silence.

"Yeah?" She started, jumping ever so slightly at his voice but never actually looking up at his face.

"We've been standing here for five minutes." He stated as softly as possible. He could be lying if he hadn't come here for a reason but he didn't want her to think that he was pushing things on her. Sasuke loved her... and he missed having her in his life. Honestly, he just wanted to make everything right again but considering what he'd done... he didn't know how that was possible.

"I'm sorry!" Sakura exclaimed and moved out of the way of the door, allowing Sasuke passage. "Please, come in."

Some part of Sakura couldn't believe that she had to saw these things to the man who, not long ago, was her own husband and who had lived in this house... it was his house as much as it was hers yet through the divorce, he was leaving it to her.

Sasuke cautiously walked in, not wanting to offend her by coming off as too familiar with the space even though he had been living there for years with Sakura.

Sakura closed the door behind him and he slowly made his way down the hall, stopping at the first open door frame which led into the living room. He couldn't say that he wasn't shocked by the general disarray of the living room which was normally tidy and orderly, but he was quite capable of hiding this surprise. All his detective work was paying off, he could easily mask any emotion if he tried.

Sakura followed him in and fell short behind him. She stared at the room in disbelief. Moments before she hadn't been paying close attention to the space around her and now that she had a break and was able to view the room with a slightly clearer mind, she was astounded at herself. Her half packed box was sitting in the middle of the floor but the area surrounding it showed the reasons why it was taking her so long to pack. Pictures had been knocked off the mantels, shattered glass surrounding them, broken frames and fractured ornaments, even a stuffed animal that Sasuke had bought her for Valentine's day five years ago was ripped open.

"I... um... was packing and..." Sakura floundered for words but couldn't find any reasonable explanation for the anger displayed by her obvious destruction of the property before them.

"Sakura," Sasuke turned around to face her with a calm and sympathetic expression, "it's alright. You don't have to explain."

Sakura squinted as tears threatened to form once again but she looked down and held them back. She didn't want Sasuke to be so understanding and good to her. It wasn't how this was supposed to work. He hadn't been good to her at all! He'd cheated on her with a man of all things for a year! Sakura had every right to hate him and be mad at him, to yell at him for stepping into their home and she didn't need an excuse to destroy the things he'd given to her when all along he'd been lying to her face.

"Why are you here, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, finally allowing herself to be confrontational.

Sasuke breathed in deeply, attempting to calm himself. He didn't want to draw this out any longer than they had to, considering how much his presence was damaging his ex-wive... or rather soon to be ex-wife. He didn't want to simply get straight to the point but given the circumstances, Sasuke didn't know if he really had any other choice.

"Sakura..." Sasuke started off, catching her gaze and staring her straight in the eyes.

Sakura's eyes were watery, quivering and it was apparent that she did not want to look Sasuke in the eye, however, she couldn't look away. Sasuke's piercing eyes captivated her and warned her in a gentle manner not to look away.

"It's been four months..." Sasuke continued, trying to delay the subject for as long as possible.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Four months?"

"Since we... since we decided to get a divorce."

Sakura's eyes averted at the last word but Sasuke could tell they hardened, just as her voice became sharper. "I'm aware of that."

Sasuke sighed inwardly. Sakura had every right to be upset but, as Kakashi kept assuring him, four months was a long time for a woman, who'd been cheated on, not to sign divorce papers.

"Sakura, I know how hard this is-"

"Oh do you?" Sakura's sharp voice cut through Sasuke's calm, cautionary words. "You know exactly how I feel? How difficult it is for me to come home to my own house because you're everywhere? You understand that, do you Sasuke?"

Sasuke frowned, She had every right to yell at him, to make him feel just as miserable as he'd made her... not that Sasuke didn't already feel like his heart had been ripped out. Sasuke simply knew that his damaged heart was his own fault, which was why he stood and took the much deserved abuse.

"I can't even turn the light son when I come home, Sasuke." Sakura glowered at Sasuke's chest, as she refused to look at him directly. "I get up at first break, get dressed and go to the cafe down the street and then I don't come back until it's too dark to see my own hands in front of me." Sakura breathed in hard through her nose as her tears, hushed previously, began to rise again in the corner of her eyes. She locked her jaw, staring Sasuke dead in his dark, calm eyes. "And you think you can tell me that you know how hard that is for me?"

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in sympathy but he said nothing.

"And that." Sakura pointed an accusatory finger at Sasuke's face, turning his expression into one of confusion. "That sympathetic look is all people give me yet they congratulate me for the very things I do to avoid this house. I go to yoga classes, pottery classes, art classes. You want to know how many times I've been to the gym this week?" Sakura's voice grew in volume and hatred. "Yet all I ever hear is how good it is for me to be doing things with my life, how proud they are that I'm moving on, how they can't believe how strong I am to return to work so soon, how much they look up to me for handling this so well - Well I'm not Sasuke!"

Her tears fell off her cheek and Sasuke took a slow step forward, moving to comfort the rosette. Immediately, Sakura slapped his hand away as it approached her face. "Don't touch me!"

"Sakura, I'm sorry." Sasuke spoke in a hushed tone, lowering his arms to his side.

"Sorry?" She questioned him with an offended look. "You're sorry for what, Sasuke? Sorry for sleeping around on me?"

Sasuke lowered his eyes, ashamed. "Yes..."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Are you sorry for spending a year with that man?"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at her harsh words that almost appeared to be dripping with venom. He stared up at her piercing, pale green eyes before he breathed in slowly. "No."

Sakura's strong, steady and angered glare faltered and her head tilted in an aggressive confusion. "What?" She asked sharply.

"Sakura... I can't explain how much I hate myself for betraying you, for hurting you."

Sakura's eyes hardened but she didn't say anything, prompting Sasuke to continue... or rather threatening him that if he didn't give her a proper answer, he'd regret it.

"But I... I could never regret meeting Naruto."

Sakura's eyes flickered with acknowledgement of that name. She didn't recognize it, or who it belonged to, but now she had a name to associate with that person. He wasn't simply a faceless gay man who'd stolen her husband from her. She had wished to never hear a name because if that man had a name... it would make him just as human as herself and she couldn't bare that. She wished to hate him as a nameless, faceless entity of evil... and now she felt guilt for this man rising in her chest and she had to force her anger to grow in order to stifle it.

"Then it's me." This wasn't a question, it was a statement which made Sasuke's determined expression falter back to confusion while Sakura's became hard and stoic. "You regret marrying me."

Sasuke's eyes closed briefly as he inhaled deeply. When he opened his dark eyes again, he stared at her with soft, compassionate eyes. "I don't regret being with you, Sakura."

"That's not what I said, Sasuke." Sakura practically hissed.

Sasuke sighed quietly. "We both know our marriage was a mistake, Sakura."

The rosette winced before glaring at her husband. "I don't believe that."

"Sakura..." Sasuke attempted to console her but she cut him off.

"No, Sasuke. You loved me!"

"And I still do." Sasuke assured her.

"You fucking liar!" Sakura bit out. Sasuke could tell that she forced the swear word out, because Sakura wasn't used to swearing, especially on that level.

"Sakura, I'm not lying to you." Sasuke once again attempted to comfort her, but she backed away violently.

"If you... if you still loved me you wouldn't be asking me to sign those... damn papers!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed for a moment at how much effort Sakura was putting into her anger. She never swore this often and the given stress on her curses, along with the hesitant pause before she spoke them, cued him to believe she was forcing herself to express her anger in such a way.

"Sakura..." He spoke slowly, calmly and tried to get his point across as least confrontational as possible. "I'm gay."

Sakura sobbed at the word and shook her head in express denial. "No... NO! We were together for eight years! Eight years, Sasuke! Since October 2002. I remember! It was our first year at STU."

Sasuke's eyes lowered as he recalled the first time they met at a party on campus during their first year at St. Thomas University. Sasuke was there for his major in Criminology and minor in Psychology while Sakura was majoring in Women's Studies and minoring in Political Sciences. They had both wanted to help people... Sasuke in law enforcement, in particular detective work, while Sakura wanted to work as a social worker, focusing on cases concerning women. They had so much in common that they became friends quickly. Living in the same residence building made their communication much easier. They had both been living in Harrington Hall, Sakura in a female wing on the second floor with her roommate named Ino, while Sasuke was living in the basement floor of all male single rooms.

For four years they were always found together and they both stayed on residence for those four years, as did Ino... which made them all close friends. Sakura and Sasuke even stayed together when Sasuke applied to the Atlantic Police Academy and moved to the campus in Miramichi, two hours away from Fredericton, where Sakura stayed to get her Bachelor of Social Work. For two years they were apart, except during the holidays when Sakura moved to Miramichi to live with Sasuke in his apartment. They finished their programmes in two years, April 2008. The thing that probably kept them so close during those two years is that before Sasuke moved to Miramichi to attend the police academy... he had proposed to Sakura with the condition that they not marry until they completed their programs. During those two years they... mostly Sakura and Ino... planned their wedding for June 14th 2008. Which was when they were married. After that, they moved to Nova Scotia where they had both found work in the same city and that's where they've been ever since. Sasuke remembered too... all the details which made things that much harder. To remember that eight years he'd been lying to himself and his best friend... who had the misleading title of girlfriend, fiance and wife... when really she shouldn't have been any of those three things. (1)

"I know... Sakura... I remember too. You're my best friend. You always have been, since the first day I met you. It's my fault for not realizing sooner. I knew there were things about me that were different but I pushed them aside and ignored them. I should have faced them but I was a coward and because of that, I ended up hurting you. I love you so much Sakura."

Sakura choked back a sob, putting her hand to her mouth as the tears flowed. She didn't want to hear sweet words from his mouth when he was explaining once again that he preferred men and that their eight years together were a mistake.

"But I don't love you like you want me to." His words were soft and gentle but that didn't cushion the blow to Sakura's heart.

"Two years, Sasuke! We were married for two years and one of those years you were sleeping with-" Naruto... "-that man for half of that time!"

"I know... Sakura... I'm sorry."

"No! No you're not! You said you weren't! You claim to love me but you couldn't do that if you did!" Sakura cried.

"I do, Sakura. I do love but as a friend... as my best friend." Sasuke desperately tried to explain. God he just wanted things to return to normal but he realized that things had never truly been normal. He'd been a gay man hiding behind Sakura all these years.

"Why didn't you figure it out earlier?" Sakura breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure.

The question threw Sasuke off guard. It felt out of context and he wasn't sure what she meant. "What?"

"You had two years! Two years when we weren't together everyday like we had been in university. You were two long hours away from me. You could have done anything and I wouldn't have found out about it!" But for a year he's been cheating on you with a man in the same city and you wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't confessed. Sakura reminded herself. "Why couldn't you have figured it out then, before we got married?"

Sasuke's expression fell. It was a mix between sorrow, sympathy and, most of all, it was apologetic. He didn't know how he could explain it but he hadn't known that he was gay during those times. He felt inclinations, sure, but he dismissed them. He thought he was deeply attracted to Sakura and he wouldn't accept the idea of him being attracted to males... not until Naruto. Naruto made him realize what he was, but it was Sasuke's fault for going about his discovery all wrong.

"I'm sorry, Sakura." Was all he could say. He couldn't likely say that he wished he could have figured out his orientation before they got married because that would only hurt Sakura more... despite how much truth the words would contain.

Sakura shook her head, averting her eyes. "I think you should leave."

Sasuke's head tilted and he tried to make eye contact with her. "Sakura-"

"Just go, Sasuke." Sakura nearly snapped, but he could tell her energy was waning and she simply wanted to be alone.

Sasuke sighed in disappointment, disappointed at himself for failing to make amends with Sakura and for only causing her more grief. He nodded slowly before turning to walk out, but not before leaving the papers he'd brought with him on the table, next to the phone. He exited promptly, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Once he was gone, Sakura felt her legs wobble and she moved to the couch, sitting down and burying her head in her hands as she curled up on the upholstery. She lay there, sobbing for some time before the faint ringing of her telephone prompted her to stand up and drag herself over to silence the irritating sound that infiltrated her eardrums.

"Hello?" She murmured, putting as much energy into her voice as possible.

"Hello, Sakura Uchiha? I'm calling because I'd like to-"

"That's not my name." Sakura spoke shortly, cutting off the woman on the other end of the phone conversation.

"Excuse me?" The woman sounded confused and slightly offended.

"My name isn't Sakura Uchiha anymore." The rosette spoke as she picked up the divorce papers that Sasuke had left on the stand next to the phone currently occupying the space next to her ear. "I've recently been divorced."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." The voice sounded concerned but less anxious now that she understood the reasoning behind Sakura's previous words.

"I'm Sakura Haruno now." Sakura stated with confidence as she walked back to the couch with the papers and the cordless phone. She placed the papers on the coffee table and picked up a pen, flipping through the papers to begin signing in the appropriate places. "What may I help you with?"

I hope you guys enjoyed the fresh new perspective on the situation. To those who hate Sakura... deal with the fact that she's not a bad person and she's suffering just as much as Naruto. I don't believe Sakura should be hated, she's a good person.

(1) Sorry for all the details but I recently did a lot of research into their backgrounds and I'm pretty OCD about dates and getting back stories in proper order - I make a lot of character profiles. I really only did it for myself to figure out times and how everyone met, etc, but I figured you guys deserved to see what I worked out for these people.