Haunted by the Past

Main: Sakura & Sasuke

A/N: Hmmm...where to go now? Oh yea! What happened with Sakura and Sasuke! 'starts typing frantically' Wait! 'stops typing' Another note, it may have seemed wierd that Sakura was wearing a bikini given how THAT NIGHT affected her personality, but it was supposed to be a girl's day for her, Ino, and Hinata. IOW, no guys should have been there. Sasuke came home a day early which threw out that plan. So that's why she's wearing a bikini. Now, to the story! 'starts back typing frantically'

Sasuke was still holding Sakura in his arms when he heard the footsteps right outside. He didn't want to drop Sakura on the floor but he knew that it didn't look good for him to be holding her after her outburst so he quickly positioned her in a lazyboy chair in the corner of the room and backed away just in time.

Ino burst through the door, still in her bathing suit. She was furious, Sasuke could tell. He backed away from Sakura quickly, hoping that Ino would see that she was fine, just resting. Well, he didn't actually know if she was fine, but still.

Ino pointed her finger threateningly at him and stomped across the room in three strides. She was in his face now, her brows furrowed, her face turning red with anger. Sasuke had never seen her like this before. She was scary! Then, he remembered what Sakura had said just before her episode. Had he looked like that when he got mad? No wonder Sakura freaked out, he thought smugly. He couldn't believe that he'd done that to her.

"What did you do to her, you monster?" Ino shrieked, pulling her hand back to slap him. Sasuke wouldn't hit a girl but he wasn't going to be beat up by one, either. As her hand came flying towards his face, he instinctively grabbed it tightly with one hand. She tried the other and he grabbed that one, too.

She was in a rage, going insane. Meanwhile, Sakura was lolled out on the chair nearby. Suddenly Sakura felt Ino's weight shift. She was about to kick him! He pushed her away from him forcefully. She fell backwards onto the bed and lost her breath.

"Ino, chill out! I didn't hurt her!" Sasuke yelled as the blonde pulled herself back up, still mad.

"Really? Then why was she screaming? And how do you expect me to believe that after what you just did?" Ino yelled, this time keeping her distance as she massaged her wrists.

"You were going to hurt me!" Sasuke defended. He felt like a little kid again.

"Because you hurt my friend!"

"No, would you listen? I didn't hurt her! She was just...well, I don't know. It was like she started having flashbacks and she scratched me and then she just fell out. I don't know what happened to her, but I think she's going to be okay. I didn't let her hit the floor so she didn't actually get hurt," Sasuke explained, using Ino's fear against her. At least it allowed him to explain without being assaulted.

"Why was she having flashbacks? Did you touch her? Did you try something?" Ino asked it in a deathly tone. Obviously, she knew Sakura's secret, whatever it was.

"No, I just...we were...arguing. And then she started crying because I freaked out over something stupid and I tried to comfort her. I...I touched her arms. I didn't think anything of it. She was okay at first and then, all of a sudden, she started flailing her arms and she scratched me." He explained it again, starting from an early point this time. "I didn't hurt her," he added in a more serious voice as he looked down, knowing either way that he had caused this.

Ino was calm now. She looked back and forth between Sasuke and Sakura. No, he didn't hurt her. He scared her was all. And that made her think of him.

She ran over to her friend who was apparently unconscious. "Leave us," she said, glaring at him again.

"No, I want to know if she's okay," Sasuke protested.

"She'll be better if you're not here when she wakes up," Ino said, not knowing how deep her words cut him.

Sasuke, sad and defeated, walks out of the room and as soon as he closes the door, Ino speaks to Sakura. "Saku-chan, open your eyes. It's okay, you're safe," she says in a soothing voice.

Sakura's eyes open slowly and then she looks around, scared, searching for him. When she only sees Ino, she jumps into her friend's arms, hugging her neck. She cries on Ino's bare shoulder and the blonde comforts her.

...

Sakura and Ino walk out together ten minutes later.

Sasuke is sitting on one of the poolside chairs, Naruto on his right with Hinata sprawled out on his chest, playing with a few of his stray hairs. Sasuke has a sad look still on his face. He glances up when he hears the door open then looks away quickly. Sakura does the same.

Ino glares at Sasuke, and then they all ignore each other. It's in the air now. Things will never be the same between the three of them again.

...Two weeks later...

A knock is heard. Sakura is downstairs when she hears it. She looks through the peephole, smiles, then opens the door.

"Hey Ino," she says addressing her best friend. She lets her in the house, and is surprised to find her dressed up. "What's with the clothes?" she asks, noting how Ino is wearing one of her nicer tops and her cutest skirt.

"Oh, Naruto convinced me to go to a party at Sasuke's house this afternoon. I came to invite you, if you want to anyways."

"Ino..."

"I know, I know. He scares you now, but then again, doesn't every guy except Naruto? And that's only because you've known him since you were, like, five! Sakura, he said he didn't actually hurt you, is that true?" Ino said with a sigh.

Sakura was silent for a while. Then she answered slowly, "He...didn't hurt me...He made me...remember."

"Well then why are you afraid of him?"

"I'm not afraid of him, Ino. I'm afraid I'll remember again. When he touched me..." She smiles for a second, then it disappears. "I felt safe-for a second!" she said, covering her tracks quickly. "Then, I remember..."

Ino smirked. "Sakura, maybe he's the one. He might be the only person that can heal you."

"I'm not sick, Ino! And besides, he has a girlfriend, how can he be 'the one'? He's taken!" Sakura exclaimed. Her friend, she loved her, but she was too quick to draw conclusions.

"Well, why were you in Hinata's room anyways? He was upset about something and he wanted to talk to you," Ino prodded. Naruto hadn't known what was wrong with Sasuke or he would have already blabbed to everyone.

"I probably shouldn't say. He didn't even tell Naruto about it. He knew I wouldn't blab his secrets," Sakura rambled, hoping Ino wouldn't pressure her. She didn't do well under pressure.

"Exactly, he didn't want someone else to know his secrets. He would only tell you. Doesn't that mean something?" Ino said, her eyes wide and suggestive. At least she hadn't pressured Sakura.

"I...guess. Maybe...but still..."

"But still what? You don't have anything, do you? Now, get dressed and come with me to the party," Ino said, knowing that she'd won.

"Ino..."

Ino gave her the puppy-dog eyes.

"Fine..."

"Yay!" Ino hugs Sakura and then pushes her the whole way to her bedroom to get dressed.

-End-

A/N: A filler! Yay, you guys like those right! You must if you watched the episodes of Naruto instead of reading the manga, Ha! REVIEW Please!