The Heartache

Uzumaki's residence.

A lump grew in Sakura's throat as she saw Hinata run out the door. Instantly she regretted telling her, but she felt a strong need for justice and to set things right.

Hinata's love for Naruto is the same as her love for Sasuke. Sakura felt she had a duty as a women and a mother to protect Hinata. But no matter how she put it, the hole in her chest felt as empty as it was before she told her the truth.

Sakura grabbed her stuff and locked up. She stopped at the front door for a moment and thought to wait for Hinata. But with all that raw emotion she couldn't justify staying, so she left.

Sakura's thoughts were so clouded, it led her to a patch of forest quite awhile away from her apartment. Her body felt heavy as her her thoughts drifted.

'Did I really do that right thing?' She continued to asked herself. She stopped in her tracks looking down at her feet.

Fear creeped up on her as she thought of Sasuke. 'What would I do if he ever cheated on me?' She thought. With her head hanging over her shoulders she could feel her blood boil. In a wave of brief rage, she jabbed the air punching a whole in the trees near by.

"I would ring both their necks! Sharrrrano!" She barked before coming back to her senses. She stood in the underbrush and wiped her tears that had fallen down her cheeks.

This was unfair.

Why couldn't she shake this horrible feeling.

Sakura wasn't sure what to expect. She hoped that if she told her the pit in her stomach would disappear. She felt terrible keeping this secret and even worse now she had told her.

What good did it bring?

"Stop it." A stern voice called from the shadows.

She turned quickly.

"Stop crying."

"Sasuke.." She sighed relieved.

"You're really pathetic you know." He said endearingly. "Why do you always end up in the forest when you're upset?"

Happy to see her husband back from his mission, she turned and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. She briefly nuzzled her face in his chest and looked up at him with sad eyes.

"It's when you're gone that I end up here. It helps me think," She sniffed. "it makes me feel closer to you... Welcome home."

He gave her a soft smile.

"What's the matter?" He said in a soft voice curling her hair behind her ear. She slowly averted her eyes to the ground, than back to his.

His eyebrows knitted together. "You told Hinata, didn't you?"

It was when her eyes darted away that Sasuke pushed her from his chest and forced her to look him in the eyes. "I thought I told you to stay out of it?

"W-what?" Sakura replied both guilty and shocked. "How could I not?"

"That is none of our business Sakura, I told you."

Refusing to back down she argued the only point she could. "If it happened to me I would want someone to tell m.."

"It will never happen!" He roared cutting her off.

Sakura was taken aback. His words struck a chord in her chest and made her quiet. She was relieved. Having him say it to her face gave her that little boost of reassurance she needed. As her feelings fluttered and dance on her skin, it would soften the scolding she was about to receive.

"You've made a mess of things."

She hung her head low and closed her eyes. Sakura knew deep down he was right.

She stood still as Sasuke made his way down through the underbrush, closer to the city. Sakura pulled her arms closer to her chest to make herself as small as she could.

"Go home Sakura." he ordered frustrated.

She looked up once again to see the back of his cape billow in the wind. In her last effort to fix what she had done, she lunged forward to try and catch his shoulder.

"I didn't mean to..." She called out as sincerely as she could, but in a blink of an eye he had disappeared.

A slow second later she felt Sasuke stand behind her. He placed his cold palm to the base of her neck and held it gently.

Sakura knew it was her fault, she knew there was nothing she could do, but she needed to tell him it wasn't out of spite. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but keeping this a secret was eating her inside.

"I know where you were coming from, but you should have listened to me." He said in a softer tone. "Don't do anything stupid. I want you to go home."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. "I'm sorry."

Her voice broke as she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes before he left.

It was a battle Sakura could have never won. To tell her or not tell her, she was going to find out from one person or another. By being the one to tell her she thought she could spare Hinata, but really it was to satisfy the deep sorrow she had built up in her chest.

She hoped that what ever the truth was.. It would show itself it all it's glory.