Hey everyone! I don't know about you guys, but i'm really tired... Anyway, here is the next chapter, much longer (as promised). I'm having some issues with creating enough problems to keep the plot line going, but i think i'm finally beginning to see the light.

Thank you again C.A.M.E.O.1andOnly, and for reviewing. :) :)

Seriously though guys! Review please! *insert whining puppy dog face* Love you all.

-Jollyrancher

The Promise - Chapter 5

Second Chances

By Jollyrancher :D

I sighed and glanced out the window. The sun was shining and it was beautiful outside. It was late afternoon, two days after Sasuke had shown up again.

I had made excuses to everyone. I told Ino and Naruto that I had a terrible cold and no one should come see me because it was extremely contagious. Thus, I had been holed up in my house for two days straight, waiting for Sasuke to wake up.

I wanted desperately to call Naruto and scream through the phone, "SASUKE IS BACK!!"….but I knew I couldn't. I would have to see if I could handle his brutality before I let Naruto face him. I wouldn't let Naruto go through that. I couldn't protect him from Sasuke's ill humor before.

But now I can. And I will.

I was fully prepared to take any verbal or physical blows he would deal to me, as long as he didn't hurt anyone else. I had not really expected him to change any.

When we reached my apartment two nights ago, I laid out a shirt for Sasuke in case he woke up, after healing his wounds. I glanced into the living room, seeing the same shirt still hanging over the back of the chair. I'd had to place five or six jutsu's on my house and Sasuke the night we got back, before going to the Uchiha Mansion and raiding his wardrobe.

I sighed again and got up, getting out the things I would need to prepare dinner. I looked in the fridge and saw nothing very appetizing. I decided to make some Ramen. For old time's sake, I guess you could say. But it would be homemade, not that instant stuff Naruto always makes. I suspected that Sasuke would be waking up soon, if only because he hadn't had adequate sustenance in two days.

And before you go accusing me of anything, no I wasn't purposely trying to starve him… He was the one that pushed the food away every time I tried to feed him. Humph. Stubborn brute.

I pulled out the brittle noodles and set some water to boil, breaking up the long strands. I set them aside and pulled out spices, broth, chicken, and some hard-boiled eggs. I chopped up the chicken and eggs and set them in a bowl. Then I put the broth on the eye next to the heating water, turning it on high as well. Adding the spices I stirred it. Then I added my noodles to the water.

I had an itch on my leg, and reached down to scratch it. My clothes were itchy. They were just uncomfortable today. …or maybe I had just been restless. Ever since I had woken up that morning, I had been anticipating Sasuke waking up. Deciding to change, I entered my room and pulled on my favorite pajamas. Ino gave them to me last year for Christmas. They consisted of a pink T shirt with a black cat on the front, and pink felt-ish pants with black swirls on them. Feeling much more comfortable I gathered my jeans and t shirt and tossed them into the laundry basket. I began humming as I self-consciously checked my appearance in the mirror. I wrinkled my nose for what seemed to be the fiftieth time. Sighing, I turned back to my door and-

Froze.

Sasuke's chakra level had flared, followed by it being masked completely. If I listened closely, and pumped some chakra to my ears, I could hear him moving around the living room. Taking a steadying breath, I walked out of my room and back into the kitchen. I stirred the broth again, adding the chicken and eggs.

I got out two bowls and spoons, and set them on the island in the center of my kitchen, opposite each other. There was no way I was sitting next to that murderous son-of-a-bitch. I wanted him right where I could see him, clearly and non-threatening. Stirring the noodles, I poised myself carefully, all the while listening for Sasuke. He was in the hallway now, no doubt wondering where he was.

But if he was being a good ninja, he would have noticed the pictures on my desk, and couch tables. Then, entering the hall, he would have smelled the food, and felt my chakra, leading him in my direction. He would have come up behind me though, kunai at the ready and-

Cold metal on my neck and Sasuke standing right behind me are not things that go well together. Add both of my arms pinned to my lower back, and the eggs of my Ramen sticking to the bottom of the pan, and you get a pretty questionably-sane situation. I voiced my opinion of this.

"Sasuke get off of me."

He didn't move. I rolled my eyes.

"It's me I swear, and if you don't let me go, the Ramen won't taste right. I have to stir it so the eggs don't stick to the bottom of the pan."

Slowly, the grip on my arms, and the arm around my neck dissipated.

"I can never be too careful." He said gruffly.

"Nice to see you too," I answered turning around. He stood near the sink, studying my kitchen. I turned back around to stir the broth.

"Well don't just stand there. Come sit down." I said, questioning whether or not he was really that intelligent. Surely he knew he shouldn't be standing when he had fatal wounds.

His eyes narrowed, "No."

I rolled my eyes again, "You have fatal wounds; soon to be followed by injured pride if you don't sit down. My kitchen. My house. You are my patient. So follow my rules." I wasn't going to take his stupid macho shit. Especially not this early in the game.

I could practically feel him glaring. But I did hear him sit down at one of the tables. BINGO. Score one for Sakura! I smirked to myself.

I poured the noodles into a strainer and turned the stove off, moving the broth-soup stuff onto the turned off eye. I put noodles and broth into both bowls on the table and slid one to Sasuke.

"What do you want to drink?" I asked, rummaging through my fridge.

"I don't care."

"Coke it is then." I tossed him one, which he caught expertly. I knew he would. But I secretly wished it would have hit him in the head.

I pulled myself a coke out of the fridge and sat opposite from him, watching amusedly as he picked up his spoon and warily poked the food in front of him. He must have thought I wasn't looking because he jumped when I told him I didn't poison it.

"What?"

"I said I didn't poison it. I promise."

"Humph." He sniffed it once or twice as I rolled my eyes. He seemed to cause that reaction a lot I thought.

Finally, he put some in his mouth. He seemed to like it because he kept eating. I ate my own, and we sat in a nicely comfortable silence. For a while I just looked at him, searching for something. What I didn't know. Maybe a glimmer of an emotion; other than cruelty? I don't know.

I quickly found myself captivated. He was the only man that I knew worthy of the title, beautiful. His hair was raven colored, and when the light hit it, it shone with a bluish-purple tinge, painting an image of dark perfection. Jealousy stabbed at me. Now why can't I have beautiful hair like that? I wondered disdainfully. His skin was the color of peachy porcelain, and his muscles rippled clearly, even under the shirt and bandages. His face had a chiseled elegance that also somehow managed to boast a certain masculinity that only Sasuke could achieve.

He looked up at me. Shit! I cursed at myself as I looked away, knowing that I was blushing. Caught red handed. Some ninja you are Sakura. I scolded myself. I dared to glace back at him and saw him smirking into his Ramen. Great. Just great. Fan-freaking-tastic.

Remember that comfortable silence I mentioned earlier? Yeah, then he just had to be blatantly ignorant (a fairly dominate trait the male kind possesses, or so I've noticed in the past five years) and talk, shattering my own, (admittedly) rather shaky, illusion of calm.

"What happened to me?"

"Hell if I know. You were the one that stumbled into the village after midnight last night."

He looked irritated. I smirked, in my head. "I meant after I blacked out."

"Ohhhh okay," I said, as innocently as I could manage, "You stumbled into the village, cut and bruised. I couldn't very well leave you there to bleed and die now could I?" I said, slurping down my Ramen.

He grunted.

"Besides, if I left you there, the whole village would know by now that the Uchiha Sasuke had returned."

He looked up.

"That's right. No one knows you're here. Surely you noticed that the ANBU aren't tailing you everywhere you go?" I saw a nod of agreement, "IF you would have even gotten that. I didn't want to take the chances of you getting immediately thrown out of the village; because that very well could have happened you know. And you would have lain there and died. A bit morbid for my tastes. You've been out for two days. I took care of your wounds for you," I continued, finishing up my dinner. His stare regained its usual chill as I continued talking.

"You don't need to protect me," he said icily.

"Oh yeah? And just where exactly would you have gone once they threw you out of the village, unconscious and bleeding? Huh?" I scowled. "You could at least try to be a little thankful." At least now I knew he hadn't changed. Still ungrateful. I don't know what I expected; I guess a little more concern would have been better.

He just finished off his Ramen, purposely refusing to meet my eyes. I began gathering the dishes up, setting them in the sink. Then I instantly reached back in and grabbed Sasuke's.

"Sasuke." I said adamantly. I didn't want to be accommodating, but my accursed nature prevented me from doing so. I didn't bother looking to see if he was listening. I didn't really care, seeing as I was still peeved. "Did you want seconds? I mean, you never did before so I assumed you wouldn't, but you haven't eaten in two days…" I trailed off feeling a little awkward. I looked to him for an answer.

"No."

I proceeded to put the left-over noodles and broth in the fridge and began washing the dishes and pots I used, setting them out to dry on the rack next to the sink.

Needless to say I was extremely surprised when, amid my thoughts of lining up all of the torture jutsu's I knew and devising ways to kill him, Sasuke came up beside me and began drying them off for me. I didn't show any gratitude, but on the inside I smirked. Maybe he had changed just a little. I could now "guilt" to my list. I just continued with my washing, him drying in silence. When we finished, I (reluctantly) thanked him and told him to get his bruised ass back on the couch and rest, before I bruised it even more.

He raised an eye brow at that.

But he did it nonetheless.

"Humph." I wandered back into Sakura's living room, sitting down on the couch.

I couldn't believe she was ordering me around like that! And what's more, I was still letting her! You're going soft, Uchiha. I need to tighten up. Examining my wounds, I decided they were fairly well enough dressed, but that is all I would admit to.

I looked around the room, seeing a picture of Naruto and Sakura. It looked like a recent one, if you were going by how Sakura looked now and how she looked in the picture. She was on Naruto's shoulders, and blindfolded. She was looking a little nervous, and waving her arms around to steady herself, while Naruto stood below, laughing at her. I felt my lips quirk at the way Naruto's smile lit up the picture. At least Naruto was still the same, even if I wasn't.

I sighed. I could never let Sakura know. I just couldn't. I had killed Orochimaru, but the mark was still there and worse yet, it still affected me. Even after killing Itachi and getting my revenge. All I could do was hope she hadn't seen the mark before I donned the shirt she left out for me. I had noted with mild interest that it was indeed mine. I guessed she got them from the mansion.

Clenching my fists in frustration I growled and crossed my arms, choosing not to find a sensible solution to my problem, opting to glare at my reflection in the blank TV screen before me. (The typical male reaction.)

"What are you glaring at? Did you decide my TV was your mortal enemy or something? Why aren't you lying down? Did I not tell you that you have fatal wounds?" I relented my glaring momentarily to glance at the form of Sakura walking by. She was wearing pink pajamas. Not that I cared.

"Nothing, No, because I don't want to, and yes you did." I said.

She came over to me and stood looking down at me. I looked up and met her gaze.

"Can I help you?" I said, more vehemently than I meant to.

"Yes. You can lie down so I can check your wounds."

I huffed and lay down, turning my head to stare at the back of the couch.

When I walked back into the living room to check his wounds, he was sitting up, just like any other person who insisted on doing what was bad for their health. I approached with caution. After all, he was unstable. I needn't have worried. He didn't even notice me enter the room, although his chakra was still masked. Must be automatic. He was currently glaring daggers at my TV.

I couldn't help myself. "What are you glaring at? Did you decide my TV was your mortal enemy or something? Why aren't you lying down? Did I not tell you that you have fatal wounds?"

He glanced at me, but when he went back to looking at the TV he wasn't quite as…glary (sp? Microsoft said so, O_o). For lack of a better term.

"Nothing, No, because I don't want to, and yes you did." He said.

I hadn't expected an answer.

I walked over and stood, attempting to produce an image of control over him. Not so much though.

"Can I help you?" he said quietly, venom lacing his voice. No need to be rude.

"Yes. You can lie down so I can check your wounds."

He did so, albeit grudgingly.

I unwrapped the bandage, willing myself not to gasp at the ridiculously large gash in his side. It had gotten a little better since yesterday when I changed it. I tried not to focus on the fact that he was ridiculously ripped to go along with his ridiculously large gash. It made him seem rougher. I wanted to think that the "rough" wounds didn't fool me and that I knew there was a Sasuke down there, but honestly, I wasn't sure. I didn't know that at all. For the past five years I had led myself to believe that there was not a person inside his shell of a man.

I finished changing the bandage. As I was putting away the trash, I heard him call my name.

"Sakura."

I turned.

"Yes?"

"Why did you help me?" he sounded like he was struggling with his words.

I made a thoughtful face, "Because I'm a good person?"

"Perhaps. But I am not."

I paused. This was true.

He continued hesitantly. "I have killed too many to count. I have attempted without remorse, at the current time, to kill both you and Naruto, and…and I have hurt you more times than one. So why help me at all?"

I threw away the blood stained bandages and stood, facing the wall. I couldn't look at him.

"Sakura."

I lifted my head slowly.

"Because everyone needs a second chance."

I left him with that to think about for a while.

"Because everyone needs a second chance."

I guess she was right. But even so. If there was someone who didn't deserve one, it was me.

I had killed so many. It didn't bother me, but I knew it bothered her. Maybe she still cared about me. I turned the idea over in my head, liking it more and more. Maybe I still had a chance to gain back some of her trust. I mentally growled with frustration. There were too many "maybes" in this situation for me to like.

~ One Week Later ~

It had now been one whole week. Sasuke's wounds had not fully healed but they were coming along nicely. Tsunade still had not returned. Sasuke hadn't spoken to me, hardly at all. He asked me one night one week ago for a blank notebook and a pen, and a sketch book and a pencil, and I gave them to him. Since then, he only spoke when necessary; using any free time he had to scribble away in that notebooks I gave him.

It had been getting exceedingly more difficult to keep my friends away from my house, and whenever one of them did stop by, I'd had to use high-level genjustu's to make myself seem sick with a bad case of the flu, while hiding Sasuke in my storage room.

My phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Sakura, it's Naruto." Speak of the devil," I don't care what you say; I'm coming to your house. In fact, I'm at the door. This is me coming in."

"NARUTO WAIT-"

click.

"SASUKE HIDE," I yelled.

Shit. I ran to the living room, hoping to get to the door bef-

Shit.

Naruto was standing in the open doorway, frozen. His phone was on the ground next to him, and he was staring directly ahead. I followed his gaze, landing on a rather calm looking Sasuke.

He had much the same expression, looking like someone had paused him, mid-pencil stroke. His sketchbook was in his hand, the pencil stilled on his paper.

Shit.

It felt like the two of them stayed like that for hours.

Then Naruto turned to me and said, "What the fuck?"

All of the actions around me sped up at once. Sasuke got up, closed his book and came over to Naruto.

Naruto's face broke out into a rage, and he yelled and slammed the door shut, turning to face us both.

"SAKURA WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? WHY THE HELL IS HE IN HERE? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN DOING BACK HERE? WHEN DID HE GET HERE? OH MY GOD. FUCK." He whirled and punched Sasuke, who blocked it, "FUCK," Punch, block, "FUCK!!!" punch, block. I saw his eyes start shining… oh no.

All I could do was look at the floor in shame.

"Quiet down Naruto." Sasuke said softly.

Must have been giving him a head ache too.

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO ME YOU FUCKING TRAITOR. I LOOKED FOR YOU! I LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR YOU! WHEN I FINALLY FOUND YOU, YOU TRIED TO KILL ME…so don't you even think of talking to me!" Naruto yelled, tears streaming down his face. I felt my own eyes starting to spill over with water.

"DAMNIT SASUKE, I DEFENDED YOU!" his tears were uncontrollable now, "I STOOD BY YOU. WHEN EVERYONE ELSE FOUND A REASON TO HATE YOU, I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO BELIEVED THAT YOU HAD A GOOD REASON FOR LEAVING. THE ONLY FUCKING ONE!" He shook violently, tear streaming down his face.

"I tried. I tried so hard. You never gave a shit about any of us at all you bastard. I wanted you to come back. But you hated us. Why here? Why now?" Naruto spat, venom in every word.

"What the FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Naruto belted, tackling Sasuke to the ground. Sasuke didn't respond, until a punch was aimed at his face.

He caught the punch and pushed Naruto off the ground, and up against the wall, pinning him there.

"Naruto, calm down. You're upsetting Sakura and yourself." He said calmly.

I was suddenly aware of my own tears.

"SHUT UP. DON'T EVEN PRETEND THAT YOU GIVE RAT'S ASS ABOUT EITHER ONE OF US. JUST Shut..up." he sobbed, finally quieting, tears of rage pouring mercilessly out his eyes.

I broke out of my stupor. I needed to be with Naruto. I realized this was like a betrayal to him. I pushed myself in between Sasuke and Naruto and threw my arms around him, holding him as close as I possibly could.

"Naruto," I said, my tears soaking his bright orange jacket, "Naruto, I'm so sorry. I just didn't want anyone to know he was here until Tsunade came back. Naruto I'm sorry." I croaked. My throat was dry and cracking.

Great. I was reduced to sobbing and whining. Go Sakura.

He stood there, still shaking with his silent rage. Sasuke took my arm, and gently (if I can be so bold as to use that word in same sentence as Sasuke) pulled me back. I let go of Naruto, tears still streaming down my face.

"Sakura, I want him out of here. I want him out now." he said quietly, menacingly.

"Naruto please-"

"NO SAKURA. I want him gone!" I jumped as he yelled again.

He began trying to push Sasuke out my door. I couldn't handle this. It was just too much.

"NARUTO PLEASE JUST LISTEN!"

He didn't listen. I tried again.

"You told me one time, that every one deserves a second chance!" I managed to choke out.

He stopped.

"Please Naruto…" the blasted tears were still streaming down my face, "Just give Sasuke his."

The tears continued, but he let his arms drop.

"I'm sorry Sakura," he said quietly. He turned on his heel and slammed my door on his way out.

I just stood there for a few seconds, letting the shock sink in.

"Dammit!" I said angrily. I slid to the floor against the bar wall. I pulled my knees up and lay my head (which now hurt like crap) down on my arms. I had betrayed Naruto and there was nothing I could do.

"He'll be back."

I raised my head a fraction of an inch. "What are you talking about? Were you here a few seconds ago?" I said wearily, feeling my tears ebb a little.

"He always comes back."

I looked up at Sasuke. He was looking at the door Naruto had left out of, blankly. Sudden anger flooded my being. My vision became glazed with brand new tears of cold fury. "How would you know?" I said stonily, "You haven't been here to know if he's changed or not," I continued, not feeling remorse for what I said.

"I deserved that."

Until he said that. My anger ebbed. The tears didn't.

Damnit. "Sorry," I mumbled.

"Don't be. I deserved it."

I sighed giving up on talking. I didn't want to talk right now. I wanted to bury my head in the sand. Maybe that way I couldn't ruin people's lives.

"Sakura," I felt him right in front of me now. I peeked through my arms and saw him kneeling in front of me. "He will be back. I'm sure of it."

I looked at him doubtfully.

"Even if he isn't, why don't you just go after him? It's not like you're not allowed to leave your own house." He said, standing up.

I hesitated. I didn't want Sasuke to leave again, and if I wasn't here to make sure he didn't, then…

"I won't leave." Startled that he knew what I was thinking, I looked up at him.

"How do you know that I was thinking that? I could have been thinking about what I'm going to make for dinner for all you know." I said, my tone sounding mopey.

He held a hand out to me, presumably to help me up. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. His hand was surprisingly soft, I noted.

"Because if someone I cared about ran away for five years and just showed up a week ago, I wouldn't trust them not to leave again either."

"Oh." I almost smacked myself, as he turned to walk back to the couch. Then it occurred to me.

"What makes you think I still care about you?"

He paused, and turned his face to the side, not quite meeting my eyes. "Lucky guess?"

"Guess again."

He smirked. "Whatever you say."

I sat on the couch, attempting to finish my drawing. But it was bothering me. Did she still care about me? I wanted... Well, I needed to know. I sighed in frustration, as Sakura's pots and pans continued to clang loudly on the flat surfaces of her kitchen.

She was just intriguing. She was different from the Sakura I used to know.

"Sakura." I called. She paused. I used a jutsu to appear in the kitchen. I was right behind her. Whoa. My eyes widened a fraction. Didn't expect her to be right there.

"You're giving me a headache." I told her.

Her arm began to rise with a large pot in it.

I pulled her around to face me, wary of the pot in her right hand. I placed my arms to either side of her on the counter.

Her voice was shrill when she talked, "Sorry, I'll stop." Her face was turning red, I noted. Well, I mused, I must have some sort of affect on her.

"Can…can I help y-you?" she squeaked.

"Do you feel anything for me?" I asked. I had to know.

"Whatever you say," he smirked.

Peeved that he didn't believe me, I stalked into the kitchen and began making dinner, not caring that the pots I took down were banging against the hard surfaces loudly.

"Sakura." He called from the living room. I paused in my drum session.

"You're giving me a headache," Came his voice…

From right behind me.

My eyes widened and my arm rose with a pot in it, fully intending to give him a lesson on "headaches" for sneaking up on me, when I was aware of being spun around. Suddenly I was facing him and he was two inches away from me. I tried not to show it as I felt my face heating up.

Oh god, oh god, he's reeeally close. Oh god. Oh god. My mind went into panic mode.

He was looking at me intently. The urge to kiss him rose from my gut and I quickly suppressed it, mentally hitting myself with the pan I was holding.

"Sorry, I'll stop." I said shrilly.

He didn't move.

"Can…can I help y-you?" I squeaked.

His arms were on either side of me, holding onto the counter.

"Do you feel anything for me?" he said. It felt like his intense glare was pouring into my soul. I decided I didn't like that feeling.

The recently familiar feeling of instant anger washed over me. How dare he? Why the hell did he need to know? So what if he broke my heart five years ago? So what if I had always secretly wished he would come back? So what if now that he was back, I was secretly a little glad? He didn't need to know. He didn't care. I got mad.

"Why does it matter? You could care less about me anyway," I spat, anger flaring.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think you need to know!"

"Need and want are two different things."

"UGH," I cried, setting the pot on the counter behind me, "I should have just left you lying on the ground at that stupid bridge!" I attempted to push him away, but when he didn't budge, I settled for crossing my arms and glaring out the window.

"So why didn't you?" his voice was at least two decibels quieter than mine, but he spoke with the same intensity.

Why didn't I… Realization struck me like lightning. I knew exactly why I hadn't left him there. But there was no way in hell that I was going to tell him that.

"I… I told you. Everyone needs a second chance." I replied.

He didn't like that. "There's another reason! I can see it in your eyes! If you don't tell me I'll…I-"

"You'll what? Kill me? Go right the fuck ahead." I hardened my voice again, putting as much ice in each word as I possibly could, while also trying to relay the seething hate I felt for him right now with my eyes.

His eyes bored into mine for what seemed like ages, until he finally closed them and lowered his head in defeat.

He glared, backing away from me.

I almost fainted with relief.

But when Sasuke bent over, grasping his head and groaning in (what sounded like) pure agony, alarm came rushing right back.

I turned around, very pissed off and wondering when she had grown so stubborn, to leave her alone and try to get back to my notebooks, but the scar on the back of my neck began to burn.

Sudden shooting pains coursed through my entire body, making me feel like I was going to split in two. My head throbbed, and my hearing became fuzzy and incased, like I was underwater. I had my eyes closed, but had they been open, I wouldn't have been able to see straight.

I had a feeling in my heart, and it wasn't a pretty one. Death, blood, massacres flashed before me in my mind's eye, tormenting me. It was like a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from. The feeling in my heart grew, and with stinging remorse, I realized what it was.

It was hate. Pure hate.

I heard Sakura scream and I was vaguely aware that I was moving. She sounded desperate, but all I could see was red. I couldn't see her.

She screamed again, this time in fear. I briefly had the notion to ask her what she was afraid of, but that notion was dismissed swiftly.

My skin felt like it was burning. The pain was so awful. I cried out in agony and collapsed on all fours. I didn't have time to try and know what was happening. I could feel my body shifting, but I didn't why.

Then, for the second time since I'd returned, everything went black.

Sooooo what did you think? Make me happy and review? =D

Btw: i just figured out that the lines i was making on Word weren't appearing on here to separate Sakura and Sasuke p.o.v.'s, so yeah... SORRY ABOUT THAT. =S