A/N: Guess who finally appears in this chapter? Yep, it's Sasuke! Sorry I haven't brought him up in such a long time, but I thank all of you who have waited so patiently!

Chapter Seven: Bitter Feelings

As Sakura left a very speechless Ino behind, she herself couldn't believe what she'd just said. I just told Ino that she could have Sasuke she thought in disbelief. I, Sakura Haruno, just told Ino Yamanaka, my biggest rival, that she could have Sasuke, the one person who I've loved all my life! Sakura hesitated. …At least, who I've thought I loved… Sakura gazed forlornly at the rose in her hand that Lee had just given her when he'd treated her at the Ichiraku.

A rose… a flower symbolic for love… I remember when Ino and I picked out flowers at her shop not too long ago for Sasuke… Ino had chosen a single red rose—just like this one, in fact—while I had chosen a daffodil. That day, I told her that a rose was so predictable—so unoriginal… By now, Sakura had reached the stairs to her apartment building and began to climb them. …And even today, I still believe in those words. A rose is a rose, and its meaning is starting to wear down to nothing…

When Sakura reached her door, she went straight to her bedroom and gently shut the door behind her. Glancing around her room, the first thing Sakura noticed was that the sunlight was streaming in from her window in a perfect line that shone directly on her most treasured picture: a photo of Team 7.

Sakura walked over to her dresser and picked up the frame picture. Surveying it from the right, Sakura noticed a pouting Naruto with crossed arms, glaring at Sasuke. She smiled a little. Typical Naruto…always trying to be better than Sasuke…

A smiling Kakashi. Even with that mask on, you can still tell he's happy…

A very cheerful and energetic Sakura. If only I could be as enthusiastic as I had been back then…

And Sasuke.

Sakura stared hard into his picture, instantly recognizing his bored and grumpy look that screamed, "I wish I could be anywhere but here!"

Sakura began to feel her anger rise. Probably because he's standing right next to someone as annoying as meshe thought bitterly. Tears began to form in her eyes, and Sakura wiped them away furiously. She then griped the photo tightly in her hands and was about to slam it to the ground…but stopped herself at the last minute…

Sighing, Sakura gently set the picture back down on the dresser. Scowling, she thought, I'm mad at you, Sasuke. I'm mad at how you treated me. After all I've done for you, I deserve better! She caught sight of the rose. …I…I deserve Lee!

Suddenly, Sakura heard her mother calling her. "Sakura! Sakura, it's time for dinner!"

Startled by the sudden interruption that broke her trail of thought, the rose slipped from Sakura's fingers. She tried to catch it before it fell, but she was too late. The rose had already touched to the ground, and at the time, had lost one of its crimson petals.

Two weeks passed, and Team 7 hadn't received any new missions from Kakashi. Some were really disappointed (a.k.a. Naruto), but others didn't mind the break…at least Sakura didn't. 'Course she was too busy going on dates with Rock Lee about every other day…until one morning, Kakashi called a meeting.

"Man! We haven't had a mission in forever!" Naruto exclaimed, smiling broadly as he and Sakura walked side-by-side toward their destination. "I've been dying for a day like this one, don't you agree, Sakura?"

"Um, yeah," Sakura muttered, adjusting the straps of her pale brown backpack. I don't mind going on a mission, but I do mind seeing Sasuke there… That is, if he even comes… She gazed straight ahead toward the same arced bridge where they had all met at (minus Sasuke) a few weeks ago. I just don't know how I'll be able to work with him to accomplish anything. Not after what he did to me…

By the time they reached the bridge, Naruto dropped his bag down on the wooden floor. Stretching himself, he enthusiastically proclaimed, "Ah! Here we are! Finally!" He then looked around, and—suddenly realizing that they were the only ones there—instantly frowned. "Hey, where's Sasuke?"

Sakura set her bag down and leaned up against the bridge's railing. "Don't expect him to show up," she replied spitefully. "I'll bet he's not coming…again."

Naruto gave Sakura a quick double-take. "Are you…sick or something, Sakura?" he asked curiously, "Maybe you haven't recovered from that cold yet—"

"I'm fine, Naruto! That was a long time ago!" Sakura interrupted loudly, "Just forget about it, okay?!"

Naruto backed away in surprise. Gee, she's scary when she gets angry like that! However, Naruto was determined to find out what was bothering her. "But why would you ever doubt Sasuke?" …You always seem to agree with everything he says…

Sakura stared at the ground, her anger quickly transforming into sorrow. "He…he's gone too far this time," she said softly.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Huh? What the heck's she talking about?

Now apart for the gentle lapping of the stream beneath them, the bridge had become dead-silent. But little did Naruto and Sakura know that their fellow teammate was silently watching and listening into their conversation the whole time, concealing his presence behind the thick trunk of a nearby tree…

Gritting his teeth in irritation, Sasuke thought: Don't tell me she's still moping over what I said. That was weeks ago! She should be over it by now! It's no big deal! Sasuke glanced down at the grass and dug his shoe angrily into the dirt. …But who cares if she's going to wallow in her misery? She chose to be that way, and I'll gladly let her be that way! I'm not going to let some annoying worrywart get in the way of the mission. The mission is all that matters.

Now having cleared up his thoughts, Sasuke finally stepped out from behind the tree and casually began to walk toward the rest of his team. Naruto was the first to notice him.

Running up to his rival, he greeted, "Hey, there you are, Sasuke! Thought you wouldn't make it to the mission today!"

Upon hearing Sasuke's name, Sakura glanced up at him. Glaring, she thought: Well, well, well. Look who actually made it today.

"'Course I made it, loser," Sasuke teased, though a slight grin revealed that he was just messing with him. He then looked pointedly at Sakura, who he was a bit surprised to see glaring at him for once. However, he just glared right back at her.

Naruto noticed this, but had no idea what was going on. Whoa. Did I miss something?

Yet before tensions could flare, Kakashi suddenly appeared before them. Make-Out Paradise in hand, he said, "Oh, look. It seems like all three of you chose to show up on time today. What a surprise."

"And you're actually early today, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto argued.

Instead of answering Naruto, Kakashi introduced the mission, "Well, since everyone's here today, we will for sure start today's mission…"

"Okay! Okay! I get it!" Naruto blurted, "Now just hurry up and tell us the mission, Kakashi-sensei! I've been waiting way too long for this day!

"Don't get too excited, Naruto," Kakashi warned, "…Because what I had planned was a nice and simple..." He paused dramatically. "…D-rank assignment."

"WHAT?! D-RANK?!" Naruto repeated in disbelief, raising a threatening fist in the air. "But, Kakashi-sensei! We're already on our way to becoming Chunin! …"

At least some of us are… Sasuke thought.

"…We don't need D-rank missions anymore! We're not gonna be lousy Genin for long! Believe it!" Naruto protested fervently.

"But for now, you're all Genin. And until you do actually become Chunin, it's strictly D-rank," Kakashi stated bluntly, finally closing his precious novel.

Though in some cases, Genin are assigned C-rank missions, Kakashi thought. However, he made sure to leave that detail out: "Anyway, here's what I want you to do…"

With no more arguments left in him to protest, Naruto reluctantly resigned himself to simply asking, "Okay. What is it?"

A/N: That, I'll reveal in the next chapter!