Sakura lay on her bed in her room staring at her ceiling. Konohagakure had become quiet since the Neko Clan had left. She sighed. She missed Hanako and how she brought the girls together and for once she and Ino weren't fighting over something so stupid. Since Hanako left, everyone seemed to be out of it. She noticed Naruto had been down, Hinata, Ino, and Ten Ten hadn't been the same, and the guys were just as bad as Naruto. Sakura also started remembering how Hanako acted when they dropped in on the commotion. The way she flung her arms around the weak Sasuke with tear streaming down her hurt face. Sakura felt the tears come when she saw how hurt Hanako was to see her lover in so much pain. She then knew that was true love. What she had for Sasuke before he left was only a crush. What Hanako had for him, was true love. She knew Sasuke would be happy with Hanako. Her train of thoughts were interrupted when she hear a thump in her room. She looked up and she saw a smiling Hanako in her laid back clothes with her hair down in its lovely curls. Sakura jumped off her bed and run to Hanako to engulf her in a huge hug. The two twirled as they giggled.
"What are you doing here? I thought you could never come back here," Sakura said as she pulled out of the hug.
"That what I thought when I was leaving, but your sensei, Kakashi, pulled me aside and gave me a pass to come and go as I please," Hanako told her as she held up the pass. Sakura grin grew bigger at the sight of the pass. She had to remember to thank Kakashi for this.
"So what brings you to my doorstep?" she asked.
"Sasuke," Hanako said as her face fell as well as Sakura's.
"What about him?" she asked.
"You and Naruto know him better than anyone else besides Kakashi. I could look through his file, but I don't want to lose this pass over breaking into private documents," Hanako said as she sat on the bed.
"Well what do you want to know?" Sakura asked as she joined her.
"What was he like as a kid?" she asked.
"Quiet, I guess, but cool in a way that got every girl in school wanting to be his girlfriend or at least his friend in some way. He never really had any friends or bonds with anyone. The closest he got to a smile was a smirk. I actually had a crush on him and thought I was the luckiest girl in the world when we're teamed up. He had a goal to seek out revenge on his family to kill his brother and to restore his clan. He was the one of the top students in the school… I guess that's all," she said.
"So, if his life was so great here, why did he leave this place?" Hanako asked.
"I don't think that is my place, Hanako. How about we talk about something else? How have you've been since you've left?" Sakura asked trying to change the subject.
"Look, Sakura, I can't get Sasuke to talk, because he avoids the subject, too. I tried to get it out of him yesterday and he just yelled at me," Hanako said remembering back.
"Why did you leave?" she asked him.
"We make love and all you can ask is why I left. I told you, it's not you concern," he said as he put his shorts and pants on.
"But what if I feel it's my business, Sasuke. You're such a mystery to me. I just feel like I need to know something about you and the one thing I don't get is why you leave Konohagakure for this crazed man. Did something happen? Sasuke tell me," she said.
"No. That was the past. You'll need to leave soon. Kabuto will be coming to check up on me soon," he said as he leaned on his balcony.
"Sasuke," Hanako said as she pulled on her clothes, "I love you. I always will. So, whatever reason you left I'll still love you."
"Just go," he said getting annoyed.
"Sasuke," she said as she hugged him from behind. He wrapped her from him, turned around to face her with anger in his eyes.
"GET OUT OF HERE, HANAKO!" he yelled as he grasped her wrists tightly. Hanako started to shake and her face went from hurt to anger.
"FINE! LIKE I CARE!" she yelled back a disappeared to find herself back at the camp the Neko clan set up. She needed to find out why he left.
"So that's why I came to you first," Hanako explained, "I would prefer hearing it from Sasuke, but I don't want to upset him anymore than he is now. Please Sakura, tell me."
Sakura's face fell remembering the night Sasuke left. She didn't want to tell Hanako the reason he joined Orochimaru. She didn't want to tell her how he got the curse mark and how it felt to see him as a monster. She didn't deserve to know any of that. She deserved the new Sasuke that she had changed into something good, but as the lover of the Uchiha, she did have a right to care about him.
"To seek vengeance on his clan. He saw Orochimaru as a way to become stronger and defeat his brother, Itachi. Hanako, you don't deserve to know this misery. It's not you burden to carry," Sakura said.
"Sakura, you just helped me understand him more now," Hanako said with a smile. She hugged her friend and left.