Awakening Hope

Chapter 4: A Once Upon a Time

He had fallen his lowest then and she almost fell just as low. But at the end of the day she couldn't go through with it, she couldn't end the life of the man she loved. Because back then, she still loved him. And for whatever reason he couldn't go through it either, he couldn't end her life, she knew Naruto and Kakashi had interfered but if he had really wanted to kill her she would be dead.

Sakura knew there was truth in Ino's words, forgetting something like that… it was easier said than done. But Sakura knew she would do anything in her power to regain the team she lost long ago, after all it was all she had left.

The next morning Sakura woke up in a jolt, she brought herself to a sitting position and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Looking at her hands she could see herself tremble and she tried to even her breathing.

'It was just a dream.' She tried telling herself again and again. 'Just a nightmare.' But it seemed so real.

Ino's words the day before had stuck with her through the whole day. "A team that went through what yours did can't just retake from where they left off. Sasuke leaving will never be undone and you can't just pretend it never happened." She was right.

She dreamed about him, about her parents, and about them.

She dreamed about how he had fallen, about the sadistic laughter and lost onyx eyes. She relived that moment in vibrant colors, that moment could have been her end. She heard the Lightning Blade, felt the proximity of it and relived the fear she had felt in that moment, but this time the focus hadn't been on his attack, but on him.

In her dream she saw his eyes recognize her just as the Lightning Blade was about to pierce her, she saw the way he bit his lip and regret flash across his features. Long ago she had stopped questioning the way he for only a moment hesitated, because when it came to Sasuke one could never expect answers.

She remembered the feel of his hand around her neck, wanting to choke the life out of her. He almost succeeded then. But a part of her never blamed him for it, he was lost then, he wasn't her Sasuke.

Then the dream shifted entirely, she was in her house and suddenly there were bodies falling to the floor; her parents, falling again and again, dead. And each time they would fall their eyes would turn to hers asking "Why? Why didn't you save me?"

The bodies continued to fall, there was no Kabuto, he didn't matter then, it was just her mother and father's dead bodies falling to the floor continuously. The dream had been so real she had felt the tears streaming down her cheeks, seeming never ending.

It was then that she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, trying to provide comfort and all the dead bodies piling up on the floor disappeared. All that remained was him and her. "I'm here." His voice spoke reassuringly and suddenly the setting changed altogether and she wasn't in control of her body.

Her lips and her body moved with his. His hands were gentle against her skin while hers were rough as she pulled him closer and closer still. She willed her body to stop, but it wouldn't listen all it seemed to want was him. She gave herself over to him willingly and he took her.

Their bodies moved together as one until her body gave in and he slumped on top of her his face resting in the crook of her neck. All that could be heard then was their breathing.

It wasn't until his breathing evened out that he propped himself on his elbows and when she saw his eyes her breath caught in her throat. His hands trailed up her arms until they reached her neck. His eyes were lost as he put pressure on her neck slowly choking her.

It was then when she woke up. She thought she was over that, but she had just repressed it and now it came back in full swing. She knew it probably had a lot to do with the changes lately. Sasuke had just come back, her parents had just died, and even she almost died.

It was bound to make unwanted memories resurface.

"It's not something easy to get around." Ino was right, but she would get around it, she was strong she told herself and it's not like she had a choice.

When Sasuke stepped into the room there was Kakashi sitting in the corner of the room, Sasuke's usual seat, with book in hand. While Naruto talked amiably with Sakura and she pretended to hear.

She had a small smile on her face but it didn't take a genius to see she was trying hard to maintain it. The smile on her face didn't reach her eyes and that's how he knew there was something wrong.

She should be happy, he thought. She'd been waiting to get out of the hospital the last few days. He shrugged it off as Naruto turned to him a grin spreading across his face.

"You're finally here, teme. We're going to Ichiraku once Sakura's out of here." He declared.

Kakashi sighed. "I don't think that will be possible Naruto, as soon as Sakura's let off we have strict orders to report to Tsunade." Kakashi threw a knowing glance at Sakura who bit her lip as her gaze turned to the floor.

Sakura had left the village without permission, put her life in danger, and all for revenge. She still hadn't faced the Hokage about that. But Sasuke had to wonder how strict the Hokage would be with her considering she was her student.

From the expression on Sakura's face she wasn't expecting anything good.

"Oh, yeah!" Naruto scratched his head as he thought it through. "Then we can go afterwards, right Sakura?"

Sakura turned to him again. "Of course, Naruto." She spoke halfheartedly.

There was a knock on the door then before the nurse entered the room. "Miss Haruno." The nurse spoke as she walked over to the bed where Sakura sat beside Naruto. "If you would please sign these."

Sakura quickly took the papers and the pen from the nurse and began signing, she didn't need to be told where to sign. A moment later she was already handing the papers to the nurse.

"Can I go now?" The desire to be out of the hospital could be heard loud and clear in her voice.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade told me to remind you and your team to pass by her office as soon as you can." Sakura nodded in acknowledgment and the nurse took it as her cue to leave.

After a moment Kakashi stood up from his seat closed the book and stashed it back into his pocket. "We should get going." There were no objections.

The walk toward the Hokage tower was mostly spent in silence, Naruto tried to form conversation with Sakura but she seemed to be too preoccupied with facing Tsunade to play along and every conversation Naruto tried to form with Sasuke followed with one word replies. Kakashi just pretended to be reading as he walked as he watched Sakura closely.

He knew there was something bothering her and although it had a lot to do with their meeting with Tsunade there was something else too.

He had noticed it the moment he entered the room in the morning, but decided not to mention anything. It was Kakashi who knocked on the door to Tsunade's office and when he heard no protest from the other side of the door he stepped in, the rest of Team 7 behind him.

Tsunade turned to them her expression serious and her hands folder beneath her chin. Sakura stood firm with her back straight in the middle of the room facing her teacher, ready to face whatever was to come.

Kakashi couldn't help but feel proud of her, none of his students knew how to face their mistakes as well as she did, head on, head held high.

"How are you feeling today?" Tsunade asked concern clear on her voice.

"I'm alright, still a little sore, but that's probably from being in bed so long." Her voice was filled with respect so unlike the way Naruto or even Sasuke would reply in such a situation.

"Very well." Tsunade nodded before sighing and fixing her gaze on Kakashi. "I know you're her teacher, but so am I and you know that as Hokage I can't let this pass by."

Kakashi nodded once. "I understand."

"Do you understand?" Tsunade turned to Sakura.

"Of course. I am very much aware of my action and I'll accept all responsibility for them." Her voice was calm but Kakashi knew she was anything but that.

"You can't seriously be thinking of doing something to Sakura, she left the village to kill Kabuto because he killed her parents." Naruto intervened and Kakashi wished he would have kept his mouth shut.

"She left the village without permission to kill a wanted ninja without permission, and to top it off she did it all to get revenge. She should know better than most how that ends up." Kakashi saw both Sakura and Sasuke flinch at Tsunade's words.

"Revenge doesn't bring anyone happiness." Sakura spoke in a low voice, a simple comment, but Kakashi caught the way Sasuke turned to look at her then; as if there was a deeper meaning behind her words.

"Then why did you do it?" There was real curiosity behind Tsunade's question.

"I felt like I needed to, I felt that if I didn't kill him he would just keep hurting the ones I love." Sakura's gaze fell to the floor then. Naruto bit his lip then and Sasuke continued to look at Sakura.

Tsunade sighed. "I'm glad you didn't kill him." Sakura turned to look at her a question in her eyes. "You're not a girl for revenge, Sakura. You said it yourself, it doesn't bring happiness, it may bring a sense of fulfillment but that's short lived."

There was a moment of silence in which everyone seemed to agree that Tsunade was right. It was then that Tsunade opened a file revealing Sakura's picture. "Kakashi already filled me in on what happened. And again, I have to thank you Sasuke." There was a look of confusion on Sakura's face then and Kakashi realized that she didn't know. "If it weren't for you my student wouldn't be here alive today, you put my student's life above everything else. Of course I also have to thank Kakashi and Naruto, but you were the one who brought her to me alive."

Realization crossed Sakura's face as it dawned that it was Sasuke who had saved her. Her gaze turned to him a question in her eyes that was easy to read. 'Why?' But Sasuke only looked ahead and pretended not to notice.

"Sakura you know what you did has consequences and you know how grave they can be, but because you're my student I can't help but be somewhat lenient with you. You are prohibited from going on missions for four months and for the first two months you are not allowed to work in the hospital either." Sakura only nodded, her face betraying nothing.

"Isn't that going a little too far, granny? Four months?!" Naruto complained unable to keep quiet.

"The two months you'll be absent from the hospital will be taken out of your vacation and sick days. And I don't want you to overwork yourself, so no training, at least for a week. That is all."

"Thank you , lady Tsunade." Sakura spoke as she bowed her head and Naruto slightly glared at her not understanding that Tsunade was being beyond soft with her student. Sasuke was the first one who turned to leave the office and Naruto followed close behind when Kakashi and Sakura turned to leave Tsunade spoke again.

"Sakura, I would like to talk to you." And so Kakashi left the room and closed the door behind him leaving Sakura in the room with Tsunade.

"What about Sakura, we have to go to Ichiraku?!" Naruto complained loudly as he saw that Sakura had stayed behind.

a/n:

Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter. Took me a long time to write this one I know but it's finally here and the story will finally progress.

Btw I will post another story soon, maybe this week so be sure to check it out when I post it. :)

Let me know what you think up 'til now.

And remember, you review, I update. So make my day! :)