Why didn't Tsunade find these earlier?

Sakura sat on the wooden floor with her legs crossed, while one of her hands unconsciously stroked her pink tresses. Her apartment was dark and the only thing that lit the room was the dim moonlight coming from the window and an aged white candle that offered little light for her sore eyes.

She had been researching on the sharingan for an approximatesix hours now. The sun had gone down long ago and she wondered briefly if her own eyes would be damaged by the lack of proper lighting. Everything is here. The basis of the sharingan was all here, along with many small footnotes that helped her understand the sharingan with even more depth then anyone could possibly imagine.

It turned out that the three main differences between the sharingan and a normal eye were: the lens, the ciliary muscles and the chakra passages at the back of the retina. The lens in an Uchiha eye was made of a different material, though Sakura had not figured out the entire mystery behind the Uchiha lens. She did, however, discovered that the Uchihas were all born with this type of lens and those who developed the sharingan were those who were able to use the lens correctly. According to the journals, the lens allows an Uchiha member to see five times clearer and farther then the normal eye can. Because their ciliary muscles are able to tighten and angle the lens at exactly north and 87 degrees west, they are able to see objects move 10 nanoseconds before anyone else could.

Sakura had almost flipped to the chakra passages to research more on the third difference when she heard a knock on her door. Whoever it is will definitely get it, Sakura thought bitterly.

Sakura got up from her position and staggered as she struggled to stand up fully. Her chakra gates were still closed and no matter what she did, she couldn't reopen them. Limping slightly, she walked to the door, ready to slap the person the moment she saw them.

Low and behold, it was Hyuuga Neji.

"Good evening, Sakura-san."

"Sakura," she snapped. "There is a certain time when guests are not welcome, and this just happens to be that time."

"The nurses told me you were looking for me," Neji said with a smirk as his pale white orbs glanced briefly at her legs. Sakura had been trying to stand as straight as humanly possible but obviously failed somewhere because he would not wipe off that grin of his.

"Come in." Sakura mumbled and stepped aside for him to enter.

Feeling that it was no longer necessary to appear fine, Sakura allowed herself to limp back to where she was sitting before but this time with her legs outstretched.

Sakura looked up from her sitting position to see Neji glancing around with somewhat of an amused look on his face. Had she not been angry at him, she would have been shocked to see his face display an expression that did not involve the usual stoic look.

"I don't have all night," Sakura stated bluntly.

"Of course."

"Then hurry up," Sakura replied stubbornly, turning her back to him and returning to her pile of journals.

Before Sakura could react, she felt a light tap on her ankle and the relief came almost instantaneously.

Neji activated his Byakugan and then tapped a series of other places on her legs, each time making Sakura wince in surprise at the feeling. When he was done, he stood up to leave and Sakura got up as well.

"I can actually stand now," Sakura commented sarcastically.

"My humble apologies for not coming sooner. It was forgetful of me," Neji replied.

"…Aa.."

"May I ask what is it that you are so diligently researching on in such late of a night, Sakura-san?" Neji asked as his eyes fell on the pile of books near the dim candle.

"No need to be so polite, Neji-san. Sakura is fine," Sakura said and then turned to point at the journals. "Those are the findings of the infamous sharingan."

"Sharingan," Neji repeated softly, his eyes narrowing on the top-most book.

"Yes. Tsunade found them recently, I'm not sure where but they've proven themselves incredibly useful," Sakura said softly. "Almost everything on the mystery of the sharingan, the most prized bloodline of the elite Uchiha clan, in those pages."

There was a short pause. "Then I shall not distract you from your work. Good evening, Sakura-san."

"Sakura. Good evening," Sakura replied, absent-minded as she sat back down to return to her research.

"However," and the tone was so serious that Sakura had to look up from her book. "Know that he was a traitor and that, as a new friend, I suggest you forget him."

His voice was soft and gentle, and she knew he was only saying it for her benefit. Touched, she smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Neji-san."

Suddenly, there was a loud crashing noise in the living room making the pair stand up abruptly and dash towards the designated room.

There, dripping with dark red blood, stood Uchiha Sasuke. His face was drenched with sweat and dirt, his once handsome black hair was now matted to his head, and his eyes were a dull black.

"Sakura," the voice was deep as ever, though it was now hoarse and filled with pain. His eyes suddenly glimmered and began to glance around the room –possibly because he sensed a second presence-, though unseeing as usual.

Sakura did not move. How had he managed to bypass the Konoha guards and villagers in his state?

Neji, Sakura suddenly remembered.

Her face twisted around to see Neji in full stance, ready to attack Sasuke, his own bloodline limit fully activated.

"Foolish traitor," Neji said in a low tone, his teeth gritted.

Sasuke's eyes darted around, trying to source Neji's voice but failed when he let his eyes rest on the object a few feet away from where Neji was standing.

His eyes… Neji focused his Byakugan and saw that the chakra channels stopped before reaching Sasuke's eyes and the pale eyed ninja tensed at the sudden discovery.

"Neji…" Sakura could only whisper. Her voice had practically abandoned her the moment she saw Sasuke's pained shadow.

As calmly as she could, she walked towards the Uchiha and wrapped her arms underneath his arms and aided him to walk to the nearby chair. Sasuke grunted painfully as she helped him sit.

"Sakura!" she heard Neji yell her name sternly, the honorific dropped. The Uchiha was wordless and she knew that in his state, he understood that he was leaving his life in her hands and if she chose to destroy it, so be it.

I can't possibly be the one to end it. I've tried before and failed. I am a healer. I cannot kill. I love him. I cannot kill.

"Neji-san, if you've developed any sense of trust, please trust me that I will not betray Konoha." Sakura said as calmly as possible.

"You've already betrayed Konoha by stopping me from killing him, Sakura-san." The reply came quick, and she knew he had expected her reaction long before she could decide.

Sakura paused, "Then if you've found any respect for me, please respect my decision to keep this a secret."

Sakura looked up from her crouching position and observed the angry Hyuuga's face. He was scowling with deep resentment and she saw rage behind those usually stoic pale orbs. A part of her felt a certain pain she had felt only a long time ago and now she greeted it with bitterness.

"Neji-san… please," Sakura begged softly. She stood up quietly, her arms temporarily leaving those of Sasuke, and she rushed to the pale-orbed prodigy to embrace him gently.

The tears came out and it suddenly felt as if it was harder and harder to beg. Her hands tightened on Neji's chest and burying her face into him, she began to sob loudly.

"Please…" All the strength she had shown Neji in the past few days disappeared. It was as if the presence of Sasuke only brought her weakness.

She felt the warm and calloused hands of Neji surround her shaking hands and she looked up at him with teary emerald eyes.

"Tomorrow at dawn, I expect him to be gone," Neji's voice seemed strained and torn between anger and sorrow. Sakura, in her state, could not detect the lace of sorrow behind those words.

"Thank you… again."

"If, Sakura, he is not gone when I come, you would not be able to stop me next time." As he said this, his hands left hers and traveled to her shoulders to push her gently off of him. Without another word, he passed the half conscious Uchiha and disappeared.

A few hours later, Sakura was found with her head lying wearily on top of Sasuke's newly bandaged chest. The Uchiha had been awake for a few minutes now but he could not move in his state, especially with half of Sakura's weight on his chest like that.

He was laid so that his upper torso was slightly upright, allowing him to look down upon Sakura's tired figure. Her pink tresses were spread on the white sheets like Sakura petals, gentle and light. Sasuke tried once more to move but only managed to lift move his arm slightly. By doing so, his fingers accidentally brushed one of her pink strands. His face showed no expression while he studied the tiny lock of hair in his bruised hand. Sasuke's eyes soften as his thumb ran over the few tresses and before he knew it, he was caressing her hair, letting the silky hair slide between his fingers. He felt abnormally calm and he allowed his mind to relax and think in nothing in particular.

While she is asleep, it will not hurt to enjoy their moment together in silence. In truth, the night they had battled in the forest and what happened afterwards held more meaning to him than Sakura thought. The morning afterwards, however, Sasuke had realized that if he were to admit anything, it would be nowhere near what she wanted him to admit. He was and still is a missing-nin. It would be weak of him to willingly return to the village and if he were to tell her how much that night meant to him, it would only make things more difficult. For both of them.

He had held back, because he was arrogant in nature. But as the battle drew on, he began to focus more and before he knew it, he was fighting like he would fight any other enemy. She had gained his respect, though he would never say.

After the respect came so much more. So much more…

Sakura stirred suddenly and his hand stopped immediately. When she opened her weary emerald eyes, his face hardened and his hand dropped to his side, away from her pink tresses.

"Sasuke-kun, how are you feeling?" Sakura asked him softly, her voice still weak from a deep slumber.

"Better," he replied simply, suddenly raising his hand to touch her hair once more. Shocked by his intimate gesture, Sakura pulled away.

"What is it?" Her voice was shaky.

Sasuke observed her confused face with absolute silence, his face stoic as usual.

"Sakura…" he paused, "come closer."

Like a bewildered but curious child, Sakura inched closer. With a sudden strong grasp, he pulled her even closer so that the tips of their noses touched and before she could react, he caught her lips in his. Sakura caved in to the kiss, her body pressing against his bare but bandaged chest. Her heart raced and she unexpectedly felt lightheaded. Sakura's eyes were now heavy and half lidded as she felt the dark haired missing-nin continue to kiss her. He is warm, she thought when she felt both of his hands raised from her sides and gingerly held her wrists. The waves of pleasure rippled down her arched body and memories came flooding into her half conscious mind.

Her hand began traveling up his chest and then around his neck to reinforce their proximity. Sasuke broke the kiss temporarily to breathe but she pressed her lips back on his immediately, craving for more.

I can't.

But how it felt good to have his lips on hers. He deepened the kiss once more while one of his hands reached up to cup her cheek.

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura moaned and bent her head as he began dusting kisses along her jaw and down her slender neck.

I can't.

His fingers began fumbling with her top.

"I can't!" Sakura screamed and pushed herself away from Sasuke.

"What do you think you're doing!" Her voice was higher pitched and she could tell her voice was going to crack in her upcoming sentence. "You can't just... come in, ask me to heal you after the way you've treated me then start doing this!"

"What was that bastard doing in your house so late?"

"Nothing!"

"You can't trust that man."

"We didn't do anything, " Sakura began defending herself, suddenly scared at the conclusion he was going to make. Then, realising that she had no need to be guilty, she glared back at him and said, "Why would that matter?"

The Uchiha paused. "You're right, it doesn't."

"He was here to heal me."

"Aren't you a healer, are you so weak that you can't heal yourself?"

"Yes, maybe I am weak. I've been blind to fall for you for so long. I should've seen what was before my eyes, that Neji is an absolute gentleman!" Sakura screamed, her hands shaking. "Its an endless cycle that you play with me isn't it? You treat me like you do and then come to me asking me for favors and using me! I've had enough!"

Sasukes stoic face turned into an angry grimace. "He does not deserve you."

"I'm surprised, I thought I was weak. Then, Sasuke, tell me who deserves me?" Her voice was shrill.

"Not him." Sasuke replied bitterly.

"Then who? Naruto?" Sakura asked her eyes starting to tear once more."Yeah, you know what, maybe Naru-"

Sasuke slammed his hand on the side table, his eyes filled with fury.

"No one deserves you!" He bellowed, his fist noticably bleeding now.

Sakura stared at him, her tears blurring her vision.

"...What do you mean?" Sakura asked, choking on her own overflowing tears.

"Like I said, no one deserves you."

Oh shit. Sorry for the extremely long wait. So much work as usual and I kept procastinating this chapter when I DID have time because I wanted to make it longer. In the end I couldn't add it all together so you'll just have to wait till the next chapter. Please review! As always I love critism, feedback, anything. See you next time!

BTW there is some sasusaku fluff for you, just for the lack of withdrawl. And for those nejisaku fans. :D