Thank you sooooooo much for all of the encouraging reviews! I sincerely apologize for this chapter in advance. There isn't really much action, yet it is entirely necessary. I hope you enjoy it all the same, I promise the next one will be better. The next chpater is going to be a tidal wave of emotions so it will certainly make up for this one :).

Thanks again for all of the lovely reviews!

xX Aya Marie-chan

Sakura just kept walking until she called out quietly her volume just above a whisper, "Come on Naruto, let's go home." Her eyes were blank, and she seemed distracted. She appeared as though she was completely unaware that she was alive, she was just too caught up in her thoughts.

'I can't take this. I can't take anymore. I love him still, and yet I hate him just as much. They are opposite elements that balance each other out. He is my perfect shade of gray,' Sakura thought to herself as she tried to decipher her true emotions and feelings. She was trying to figure out what lay beneath the void, what if there was nothing?

She glanced towards Naruto to see if he was coming. The Sound Four and Kabuto had stopped to look toward the now collapsing Sasuke. They received no orders; Sasuke didn't even seem to notice anyone's presence other than Sakura's. He was staring at her as if she had just torn his heart right out of his chest and mutilated it. Perhaps in a sense she had.

Sakura didn't bother to even so much as glance at him; it hurt too much. Simply standing near him caused pain to lacerate her heart as had happened so frivolously in the past when he ditched her.

Naruto nodded and they were off. They were running and Sakura wasn't going to look back now, it was too late for that. She wanted out, and so she left. She left him behind, just as he had her three years before. History repeats itself too easily.

She was running from her past. Yet, it seemed to keep chasing her, and what should make her think that would suddenly stop now?

'I wonder what he wanted to talk about, you should've stayed to listen you stupid jerk!' Inner Sakura scolded angrily even though she was slightly relieved.

Sakura was becoming swiftly aggravated, 'Shut up! Just shut up for once in my life! I just can't deal with any of this stress right now! And maybe I never will be able to… I will always just be running, like I am now…' She was hiding from him. She didn't want to hear what he had to say in fear that those words might entirely annihilate the scant few remaining pieces of her shattered heart.

Inner Sakura instantly changed her voice to a more comforting and understanding tone, 'You're right… he was always toying with us… What did he expect? He was asking way too much… Do you think that maybe he's finally made up his mind?'

Sakura replied to her inner-self dryly, 'He did that a long time ago; you know when he abandoned, discarded, and rejected me three years ago? He doesn't seem to comprehend just how much it hurt. I always put up with his insults and rejections, that was just the last of the pain my heart could take though… Urgh, I want to cry so badly… Yet it shows my weakness and it doesn't help at all.'

'Whoa! What do you mean, "It shows my weakness"? That doesn't make any sense, that idea is completely outrageous! Everyone has emotions whether they hide them like the human ice cube, or display them for all to see!' Inner Sakura contradicted.

Sakura didn't reply. She knew that it was ridiculous as well, since she had once said the exact same words to Sasuke.

"Sakura, you are weak and you allow your emotions to get in the way," Sasuke reprimanded for the umpteenth time. Sakura just shook her head and smiled at him slightly like he was innocently blind to the facts.

Sakura replied gently, "No, Sasuke. You've got it all wrong. Everyone experiences emotions; we just can't help it! Sometimes, they can even make us stronger, like when we need to protect something! Didn't you know?" Sasuke in return shot her a disgusted look and walked away. He left Sakura there, entirely perplexed, to sort things out by herself.

When he was out of sight Sakura whispered to herself as a warm tear slid down her face, "What did I say wrong this time, Sasuke-kun? Are you afraid of how you feel?"

That was when she was young, innocent, and had a heart. That heart which Sasuke demolished with his words and departure. Still, her every emotion and thought was directed to him and only him, which only crushed her more.

She sped up her pace. Sakura felt that she wasn't going fast enough, even though she had proceeded to leave Naruto behind.

"Sakura-chan, can you slow down, you're going a bit too fast?" Naruto called out. His words didn't reach her ear though, it was as if she was moving faster than sound itself, but that would be an over-exaggeration. Naruto just shook his head and let her go; he understood how she felt. No speed would feel fast enough; nothing could take her away quick enough.

In a few minutes, the village gate came into Sakura's line of vision. Naruto was now approximately ten minutes behind her. Luckily for the Sound-nins, Sakura didn't run into any on her way home. It was lucky for them because she would most likely have sadistically tortured them without a single guilty thought due to her mood.

She saw the same Chuunin from earlier standing there, he appeared as though he waiting for someone or something. Then it clicked that he was awaiting her and Naruto's arrival, on orders of Tsunade obviously.

He didn't even notice her, probably because she was moving so fast that you weren't able to see her, until she came to an abrupt stop right in front of him.

The boy jumped, quite startled and exclaimed cheerfully, "Sakura-chan! You're okay! I was so worried that my future child-bearer would be injured!" Sakura shot him the most terrifying glare she could possibly muster for his comment.

'Who in the hell does that little dickhead think he is? He's so damn ugly he'll probably never have a wife!' Inner Sakura roared completely outraged.

Sakura replied through clenched teeth while shaking furiously, "I'll pretend that I didn't hear that. Now why did the Hokage send you here?" Under her glare, the boy shrunk to the ground a bit while shivering with fear.

"I-I'm sorry-y S-Sakura-chan, n-no offense m-meant," he stuttered in apology and then continued in a steadier voice, "Tsunade-sama sent me here to direct you and Naruto towards her office. Speaking of, where is Naruto?" Sakura looked around since she was beginning to wonder the same thing. She suddenly recalled him asking her to stop but she didn't quite process his words at the moment, her brain tuned them out…

"Eh, opps… He kind of fell behind, tell him I went there already when he gets here," Sakura said as she waved goodbye and darted off towards the Hokage Tower. She didn't worry about Naruto; she knew that he was more than capable of taking care of himself. It's too bad people didn't use the same logic with her every now and then…

When Sakura found herself in front of the thick wooden door she raised her hand to it to knock yet stopped when she heard voices.

"…Yes, people believe that she is to thank for the Sound's sudden retreat. I think that he ordered them to back off after he talked to her, she should be here with Naruto any minute," Tsunade said. That's when it hit Sakura that they were talking about her. That was unless someone was supposed to arrive at her office with Naruto… that she highly doubted.

'Wait, the Sound-nin are leaving? They are retreating because of me? I don't get it…' Sakura thought to herself but was interrupted when she heard Tsunade beginning to speak again.

"I just received word from the ANBU that he's headed toward Konoha right now. He's obviously not coming to attack, but for personal reasons… I hope she gets here soon," Tsunade sighed. Since Sakura wanted to find out what was going on, she swiftly knocked. Her sensei simply grunted in response, signaling her to come in. Sakura strode in quickly as she exerted a sophisticated and controlled air.

Sakura spoke first saying, "You summoned me here, Tsunade-shishou?" The Hokage nodded, her expression slightly grave regardless of the fact that they just avoided an all-out war that may have meant the end of Konoha. Remembering that she heard a conversation going on before she came in, she looked around and saw that Kakashi was sitting in a chair.

"I'll be leaving now, I'll see you later, Sakura," Kakashi said as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Tsunade then looked serious when she questioned, "Sakura, what happened?"

"What do you mean, Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura asked putting on a confused face. She deserved an award for that sort of acting!

Yet, Tsunade wasn't fooled so easily and said, "When you saw him Sakura? Whatever happened caused him to tell his troops to retreat; it saved all of Konoha. I know that whatever transaction took place in between you and him was to thank."

Sakura sighed in a resigned manner before replying, "We fought a bit. He kept trying to talk to me but I didn't want to hear it, so I left. I must have shocked him so much he shit his pants…" Sakura laughed a bit at the last part, as she envisioned Sasuke doing that.

"Well, the odd thing is, he didn't leave with his troops, he went the opposite direction. Sakura, he is headed straight for Konoha as we speak. I have every reason to believe, especially with what you just told me, that he is coming here to finish talking to you…" Tsunade said truthfully and gently. In her head she was plotting a million ways to torture him for leaving Sakura behind and heartbroken three years ago. The first idea that came to mind was locking him in a room with all of his rabid fan girls. It would certainly serve him right. He probably wouldn't survive something like that. And if he did, his ego would be completely squashed.

"What a shame, I suppose it's time that the pretty boy realizes that he doesn't get everything he wants. I have no reason whatsoever to comply with his wishes. I actually have more reasons not to agree… Why does he have to be so difficult? Can't he see that I want nothing to do with him anymore?" Sakura asked rhetorically. Tsunade didn't respond; no words could take away her student's pain, unless they came from the source. It was Sasuke's job to fix what he broke, and that was Sakura.

A knock on the door ended the silence. Tsunade grunted, allowing whomever it was to enter. That is when Naruto in all of his orange glory came inside. He looked upset about something.

"Tsunade-baa-chan, we have a visitor," Naruto announced wearily. After he said that, another dark figure entered the door. Tsunade and Sakura were rendered speechless when they identified whom it was. For the second time that day, Haruno Sakura had to face Uchiha Sasuke.