Tiger- I have officially lost Sasuke for a while. --hears crash-- Uh.. well I think I know why. --hears second crash-- Hey! I'm talking in here!

Sasuke- --yells-- DIE ITACHI!!

Tiger- --sighs-- And I thought my little brother and I didn't get along. –hears third crash--

Itachi- Foolish little brother…

Tiger- Aww, brotherly love, this chapter has a little bit of SasukeSakura, uh, in some way… Carry on…

Ch 5: Hate

It was still early, just barely after ten o'clock in the morning. Training had ended sooner than she would have liked. Her mind was filled with thoughts, she never felt this way before. With extreme bloodlust! It consumed her completely. A shadow of darkness had blanketed the far reaches of her mind and blocked all senses of recognition. Her friends suddenly were her enemies, her enemies suddenly her allies, but not friends. Hate clouded her judgment. Wait! Hate? Why hate? She hated no one. She loved, not hated. Sakura saved lives and doesn't destroy them. Giving people back their lives is what she did, not take them away. 'Something's not right,' the kunoichi told herself. 'What would cause me to change? I almost killed Sasuke… at least I tried. I may not love him anymore, but I certainly would not kill him. He looked at me with surprise if not with concern, the small amount that he could show - or would - before his emotionless demeanor returned.'

The medic sighed, her chest rose and fell with disapproval of her actions. 'Actions speak louder than words. What does he think now? What do all of them think?' she lifted both of her hands to her face as she stopped. They were trembling terribly, her skin had become pale. 'What if it happens again? My body suddenly was no longer under my control. I felt like a puppet, strings manipulating my every move. My body was no longer my own. The sudden need to kill-'

"Sakura!!" a familiar voice broke her from her thoughts. When she turned she had seen none other than a boy wearing green spandex and a green vest over it running toward her, waving his arm madly to get her attention. His bowl-cut dark hair was swaying from side to side with each step closer to the pink haired kunoichi.

"Oh, hey Lee," she smiled, trying to hide the fact that she really wanted to be alone at the moment.

"Sakura," he came to a halt and bowed his head in respect, "I am glad to see you out of the hospital so quickly. Did you get the flowers I sent you?"

"Yes, thank you. The daffodils are beautiful." Sakura's smile brightened. He seemed pleased to hear that she did. Since he had heard that she had returned from her mission, but upon hearing her condition he went to find her flowers, spending a great deal of money on her. While he was heading to the hospital, he came across a few dogs that didn't seem too friendly. He backed away slowly not to anger them any further than they were already and as he went down another path they started chasing him for apparently no reason. After such an ordeal, he was surprised that the flowers were still intact.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, clearly concerned for it was in his voce which had become a little deeper.

"Much," she lied. The fact of trying to kill someone after your condition was nothing to confess.

"I hope you will go to the festival in a few weeks," Lee stated. "It wouldn't be any fun without you there."

"I'm sure I will, at least if I don't have any missions." Sakura answered honestly.

"If you are here, would you like to come with me?" the boy asked with a soft pink on his face.

The kunoichi smiled, "I'll think about it. Thank you for asking me though. I may consider it. Oh, would you excuse me, Lee; I have somewhere I need to be."

"Not at all, Sakura." He replied. "I too have somewhere I have to be, training with Neji, Tenten and Gai-sensei. I will see you around." The bowl-haired boy waved as he turned in the opposite direction.

Sakura waved, she was grateful to Lee. He was one person that would always make her feel useful, when she felt she wasn't or that no one thought she was. But now she had confidence in herself. Some of that had come from Lee. 'Thank you, Lee.' Somehow she sensed that everything was better as if a heavy weight was lifted off her shoulders.

----

"I think that's enough for today," Kakashi interrupted the boys match. Currently all three of them were on a free for all battle, all against each other. It was good practice to keep them on their toes, when they were their own ally and fighting multiple enemies who could be from more than two enemy villages. The three had taken a good beating from each other.

Naruto started whining, "What?! I would have won. Beat'n them both. Believe it!"

"Hn," Sasuke looked away. "You're such a loser, Loser."

"What was that?" the blonde asked.

'Just like old times,' Kakashi thought, giving a small smile barely visible through his mask, 'I wouldn't trade it for the world.' He looked back at them and the two were currently glaring at each other. The tension was there, sparks flashing between them. "You are free to do whatever, but anything that endangers yourselves or others." The copy-nin quickly added.

"Oh go read your book," Naruto cracked.

No sooner had he said this, his face – and Sasuke's – turned to disgust when their sensei did as he was told. "I was going to." His face buried in a yellow cover as he walked away.

"Stupid. Traitor." Both friends' eyes narrowed before turning to the ANBU behind them. He was digging his own grave. Now that Sasuke had a nickname, he wasn't going to let this replacement live much longer. There have been a few fights between the two after Sasuke was back in Konoha.

"What, Idiot?" the Uchiha asked, with equal hate for him as he had for his brother.

"Take it easy, don't want to get into another fight, do you?" he smirked at the thought. "Anyway, I'll see you both around after my mission is over. Try not to kill each other." With quick ninja speed, he left them alone.

"I'm really gonna get him for that name," Naruto growled. "… I wonder how Sakura's doing," he said suddenly. Sasuke looked at him at the corner of his eye before returning to his usual expression.

"Hn."

"What do you think got into her?" Naruto and Sasuke were walking side by side now, going to do who knows what.

"She probably wanted to kill me because of what happened just before I left." He answered, seemingly not fazed by her sudden behavior.

Naruto shook his head, "I don't think that was it." His friends' attention was fully on him now, hands in his pockets.

"What else would it be?"

"Sakura's never been the one to take a life. She's always the one giving people their lives back. You know for sure that she couldn't fight in battle when we were Genin. We always protected her from harm and she certainly wouldn't attack anyone she calls friend. Even if she does hate you, she wouldn't try killing you! You may have been gone for a few years and changed so much to where you would take our lives, she wouldn't do it. She promised to save lives not destroy them. Even yours…" his voice trailed off before he continued after a minute of silence. "She's saved mine a few times, from the Akatsuki and any others. Kakashi and Sai have been saved as well as the rest of our generation. Not only ninja has she saved but the townsfolk. Those with pneumonia and anything else that is dangerous. Sakura wouldn't have attacked you willingly, or none of us. Honestly… I'm worried."

"Don't worry about her, Naruto." Sasuke brushed it off. "She can take care of herself. After what I've seen, she's increased in every way possible. My leaving was a good thing."

"A good thing?!" Naruto half-screamed. "Do you have any idea what you did to her?! What you did to me or Kakashi-sensei?!"

"I'm back now, so why does it matter?"

"You have no idea what we went through for you. What she went through. Don't ask me why it matters. It just does! Her parents-" he stopped when he realized he said too much. Sasuke looked at him, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"What about them…?" he looked surprised when he had seen the expression on Naruto's face. It was of sadness, hurt, and some anger.

"You never met them, have you?" Naruto asked quietly, slowly looking up at him.

"… No…"

"Huh," the blonde looked away, "do you really want to know?"

"If you're going to tell me," Sasuke said impatiently.

"Will you be able to handle it?!" Naruto slightly demanded. Sasuke nodded as his friend looked at him. Naruto took a breath, "Actually… you already met them… once. Sakura's parents were on a mission… one about three months after you left. They were gone for a month, before they returned, near death. Sakura was informed immediately as she rushed to heal them. Upon her arrival, her mother was already dead and her father was giving his last breaths. He managed a choked 'I love you and I'm so proud of you' and a few other words she didn't tell me. Before he passed, she managed to get a name out of him who it was that attacked them… Sasuke Uchiha."

Paralysis had taken hold over Sasuke's body as his name was mentioned. He hadn't moved as he looked at Naruto, as if asking him silently if he was lying. "I'm telling you the truth, Sasuke." He said honestly, "I could never lie to you and I was there. When I mentioned it last night when we were walking her home… it was you we both were thinking of."

"How could it have been-"

"Don't you understand, Sasuke?!" Naruto shouted, taking him by surprise. "You caused Sakura more pain than you caused any of us. You broke her heart twice, first by leaving then by killing her parents." His voice softened again. "… She doesn't hate you for it. She told me she doesn't want to turn out the way you did. Driven by power and hate and the need for revenge. I think she still loves you… somewhere. I haven't seen it, but she doesn't hate you after what you've done to her."

Sasuke could picture her in his mind, crying upon seeing her parents barely lifeless bodies and hearing the name of the one responsible for taking them away from her. Sasuke Uchiha echoed in his head. No matter how hard he tried to shake it, it still replayed. 'I remember fighting some shinobi from Konoha,' he thought back. 'But I had no idea they were my teammates parents.' He remembered when he had come across his slaughtered mother and father. Helplessness consumed him as he seen his older brother standing over them. Now he was responsible for the same exact thing, though he wasn't related to the victim in any way, just a friend. Was she a friend? Or just some annoying fan girl? 'Now she's seen what I have seen. Her parents massacred bodies. Only I was the cause of it.' Hands still in his pockets, he walked away.

"Sasuke…" Naruto asked quietly watching him leave. After a few moments, the future Hokage went his own way.

----

Sakura stood there, motionless in front of the memorial stone, those who were killed in action. Two lilies were in her hands as she looked at two familiar names, her mother and father. It had been over two years. Since they had passed… she remembered that day perfectly.

"Sakura!" She jumped when the door to her office was thrown open by none other than Shizune. Her voice was panicked as she ran in. "Sakura, you're needed in the infirmary now, you're parents are injured badly!" at this the woman rose to her feet and sprinted passed her fellow medic. Down the halls as she ran by patients and other hospital staff, her mind and heart raced. 'Have they found anything? How are they? How bad?' she was about to go on until she arrived.

Nurses were gathered around two people, who Sakura recognized as her parents. "Mother! Father!" her feet moved faster than ever before. If the nurses didn't move aside she would have pushed them out of the way. "Mother!" water stung her eyes as a nurse shook her head, indicating the worst possible outcome. "Father! Who did this?" her hands emitted a green glow of chakra after she took a quick glance over his wounds. Her father was in bad condition. He had green eyes and black hair. He was attractive for being in his forties. Gashes were all over his body, but blood loss was not the reason for his suffering. Two small circular marks were noticeable at the base of his thick neck. She reached over so she could place her hands on him to heal the wounds.

He grabbed her wrists with one large hand; Sakura looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm dieing, Sakura. I'm lucky I survived long enough to get here." He gave his only child a smile that shown everyone in the room that he was proud to have her as his daughter. When he let go he raised his hand and stroked her cheek, "I love you and I am so proud of you. You're mother is too. You've grown so beautifully. My only regret is that I won't be there to see you on your wedding day… to hold my grandchild for the first time." Just then Naruto entered, after hearing what happened to his teammates' parents. He quickly ran over and knelt down beside her.

"Mr. Haruno…" the blonde choked. Seeing him in this condition sickened him.

"Naruto…" Haruno said with a grateful smile. "Would you do me a favor...?"

The kyuubi carrier nodded, "Of course."

"… Protect Sakura for me… and her mother. She's all we have left. Watch out who she goes out with, boyfriend wise." Just like him, trying to lighten the mood.

"You bet. I'll protect her with my life. Believe it." He promised.

"I know you will, Naruto. You've protected her from so much. You're a true friend; one she needs to know is always there." Sakura's father choked as his breathing became even more labored.

"Father!" Sakura panicked, readying her hands again. "Let me heal you."

"I'm almost dead, Sakura." He moved his hand to her chin, cupping it in his hand. "There's nothing you can do for me. I lived and died for this village."

"Who attacked you and mother?"

"Huh," the man was trying to avoid the question.

"Father, who did it?" her voice was cracking even more.

"Sakura, my beautiful Cherry Blossom, one of the loves of my life. You've made you're mother and me proud."

"Father…" her voice was but a whisper as she looked at him, his eyes rolling back and his hand falling as she held it in both of her hands.

"… Sasuke… Uchiha…" his breathing ceased. Sakura's eyes trembled with emotion. She felt so much pain, so much pain to her heart. During her training with Tsunade she had picked up so quickly the lessons and was skilled. It was only four months after Sasuke had left. So he had to have been learning quickly in order to have killed her parents, the only family she had. Now, she felt alone, so alone. And the boy she loved was the one who caused all of this grief. Pain, was that all he knew how to cause?

"Sasuke…" her voice trailed off. Naruto was trying his best to control himself. That's when it was decided he had to get stronger. The next time Jiraiya came to Konoha, he would help him in his training.

Tears streamed down her face as she thought back on the memory. She gave up crying, crying for Sasuke – though she still calls him a friend, she only cries for her parents. Her heart constantly pained her. The lilies in her hands were pulled to her chest, tightening her grip as she thought harder, collapsing to her knees. "I love you," she sobbed softly placing the flowers down before she rose to her feet. Footsteps were approaching just behind her, fairly close. She bowed her head toward the memorial stone with respect for the fallen in battle.

Sakura wiped her wet face from the tears as she readied herself to leave. Sasuke watched, hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry for earlier, Sasuke." Sakura apologized, lowering her head. She still felt a sharp wave of guilt.

"You shouldn't let things get to you so easily." He answered coolly, as if she didn't really try to kill him.

"I don't know what came over me, but I do apologize for my actions."

"You couldn't have killed me even if you were possessed."

"Can I ask what brings you here?"

"I was just walking around."

"Oh," Sakura said, a small smile greeting Sasuke. Her eyes were a little pink, indicating that she cried a little.

"What are you doing here?"

"Nothing," the medic replied after a few moments pause before she started walking. Sasuke looked at the names engraved on the large boulder. Finally, his eyes scanned the names he was looking for.

Mr. and Mrs. Haruno

"Sakura…" the sound of Sasuke's voice made her feet cease their movements, though she kept her attention forward. "Who did it? Who killed your parents?" he was watching her fully to catch any action she may take when he asked.

She didn't answer.

"Sakura…"

Nothing.

"Sakura…"

"Why would you like to know?" she asked quietly.

"Last night, when Naruto brought it up…" he covered his story somewhat, though he was curious about it when his blonde friend mentioned it. Sasuke didn't want to ask, thinking it would show that he was inquisitive and affected to some degree.

"Would you really like to know?" there was a tremor in her voice as she inquired.

He answered reluctantly, "… Yes…" He wanted to hear what she had to say, to clarify if what Naruto had said was true. Hearing it from one person wasn't enough.

She lifted her head just enough to look at him over her shoulder, "… You…" her head quickly snapped back in front of her, her feet didn't move.

'So he wasn't lying,' the last Uchiha thought, still watching her carefully.

"I don't hate you…" Sakura continued. "I don't what to turn out the way you did. You hurt me more than once," by now she was looking at him, her body turned slightly. "You've taken away so much from me, everything I could give to any single person, and I gave it all to you. I never could bring myself to kill someone I loved, maybe still do. But it ran away from me. I've chosen a different path than the one you did. Hopefully yours turned out to be everything you hoped it would be." By now her feet were working to their own accord.

Sakura left, leaving a surprisingly feeling guilty Sasuke behind, though the pride of the Uchiha is too great for even the last living member to admit this to anyone… or himself.

Sasuke- --glares at Itachi-- I hate you!

Tiger- Can't you guys just feel the love? I was planning to have the sleepover but another idea stirred inside my crazy head. Anyway, how'd you like it? Let me know by a review.