Sakura could feel heat from a fire warming the left side of her body. The rest of her felt chilled and damp. Opening her eyes, she looked up at the ceiling of a cave. The darkness around her told her that it was night. What was strange was that she could not smell the ocean anymore, nor could she hear the sound of waves crashing. Putting her hand to her forehead, she had a pounding headache. Arching herself up, she used her other arm to boost herself into a sitting position.

As her vision slowly returned, she looked up to see out the entrance of the cave. Standing in its archway was Sasuke with his back to her. Edging herself up, Sakura swayed back and forth, putting a hand on the cave's wall to steady herself. Her breath was short and she could hear her own heartbeat. The effects of the anesthesia had not yet worn off.

Inching her way along the wall, she could at least feel the rocks crumble beneath her hands as she dragged them. As she looked back up at Sasuke, she could tell that he hadn't moved. Just as she made her way to its opening, she paused to try and see where she was.

She couldn't see the moon, nor did she recognize her surroundings. One thing was for sure, and that was that they were nowhere near the ocean anymore. Sakura didn't even know if they were still on the penninsula.

A sharp pain ran through her head and Sakura once again lifted her hand to clutch at the source of pain.

"Where..." she gasped. "...aaaaahhh..."

The pain ran strong again and she couldn't finish her sentence. Suddenly the world swirled about her and she lost her balance, her hand slipping off the cave wall so that she began to fall. Just as she was about hit the ground, Sasuke caught her and swept her up in his arms. Walking into the cave, he sat with her on his lap.

Strange... she thought. He's so much like Itachi...

Bringing her hand up, she felt his face.

"You've grown so much," she whispered, her eyes barely open. "Why did you leave us?"

Her stream of conciousness was hindered by the drugs, and everything that she had always meant to say, suddenly came streaming from her lips.

"I waited so long..." she whimpered, beginning to tear. "...Naruto waited..."

Sasuke did not respond, he just stared into the fire. His face did not even soften to the sound of her questions. After a moment of silence, Sasuke's brow furrowed, revealing his anger towards her.

"Why Itachi?" he asked. "...Of all people, why Itachi?"

Sakura's hand slumped back. Looking down, a solemn look crossed her face.

"...Because you never came back..."

As Sakura passed back into a deep sleep, Sasuke was left alone once again. Sitting there he stared into the fire, unmoved, and not breathing. The last words that Sakura spoke seemed to have sucked the breath from his body. His heart suddenly wrenched in pain and his stomach churned.

...How did this happen?... he thought. ...I lost everything. Anything and everything that was worth anything...lost.

Looking down at Sakura, Sasuke suddenly realized the consequences of his actions. He had lost Sakura, he had lost Naruto, and now, now he didn't know how they could ever take him back.

Closing his eyes, Sasuke remembered the most painful moment in all the years that he had been gone from Konoha. It was the moment when he had actually hurt Sakura. Hurting Naruto and other shinobi from Konoha was different. SHE was different.

Suddenly a swarm of what he had done to Sakura back at Orochimaru's lair came flooding in. In this whole time that Sasuke had kept this in his memory, he had finally stopped to look back at the moment he beat Sakura to near death.

...Her face... he thought, looking down at Sakura.

The look that Sakura had while he beat her crushed his heart. Only now did he see what really happened.

...She didn't fight back...

Tears began to stream down Sasuke's face. He finally understood. It was not that Sakura couldn't have fought back, it was that she didn't. Sakura had chosen not fight back, simply because she knew that what she had done was hurt him, betrayed him, but ultimately for her this was her consequence for being with Itachi, and she had accepted it. However, the most disturbing thought was the look on her face, how she shut her eyes in fear whenever he got close, how it immediately turned to sorrow after every time he struck, and in all those moments of fear and pain, her eyes still looked at him with love lost.

...How? How could I have done that?... Sakura... She loved me unconditionally, more than anyone else...and I did that to her...

Picking Sakura up, Sasuke laid her gently by the fire. Standing up straight, he walked outside to the nearest tree and punched his bare fist into the bark. The texture of the tree sliced his knuckles. He didn't want to puncture the tree, just hit it hard enough so that it hurt. Switching fists, he punched with the other one, rotating between the two so that they began to bleed. As he repeated the act again and again, eventually he heard a crunch. He had broken a knuckle. Switching to the other hand, he punched with it until he heard a crunch from that hand too.

"Stop!!" cried Sakura, suddenly flinging herself at Sasuke. Her aim was a little off from the anesthesia, so she missed and fell before him, making him catch her in his arms.

As Sakura clawed at Sasuke groggily to stand, she looked up at him with an angry look.

"Baka..." she said.

Sakura's legs gave way and she fell to her knees taking Sasuke down with her. Following his arms so that she could find his hands despite the haze that still clogged her vision, Sakura took both his hands up, and began to use whatever chakra she had to heal them.

Sasuke was dumbfounded. Even now, after their fight and all that he had done to her, she still loved him unconditionally. Staring at her as she swayed, Sasuke blushed as she held both hands against her chest to steady her movements.

When Sakura was finished, she brought his hands to her face.

"Don't do that," she whispered, before falling forward into his chest, exhausted.

Sasuke froze. He didn't know what to think. After a moment or two, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. Putting one hand over his face, he began to cry. The guilt had overwhelmed him.