Hey, everybody! I'm back with another chapter! I'm sorry it took me so long, but I was a bit busy (pulls piece of duct tape off shirt) Read and enjoy, I hope this chapter is long enough for your tastes.

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Disclaimer: I own it, I own it not, I own it, I own it not. I own it not!

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Standing in the bathroom, her hair a complete and utter mess, Sakura could not believe she was standing in the house of one of the most dangerous ninja she had ever met, and one of the only ones she had ever truly befriended. Sure, Naruto had been a good friend, but sometimes she just couldn't stand him. It was like trying to talk with a 4 year old! Sasuke had never really liked anybody.
At the thought of his name, Sakura teared up once again. The hole Sasuke had left in her chest when he ripped her heart out still hadn't healed; it actually hurt more when she tried not to think about it.

Sakura had met Gaara after the chuunin exams. He hadn't been nearly as nice and forgiving then, for he had still had Shukaku. When he came to Konoha with his family (on Temari's orders, of course) he had walked right by Sakura without noticing her, so it seemed. IT was just as well, because Sakura's last encounter with him left her cowering as he passed by.

They eventually began to talk, as the ice and frost left over from Gaara's old personality started to fade. They became good friends, and talked to each other whenever possible. Sakura found out about Gaara's shady past with Yashamaru, and Gaara found out about Sakura's problem with Sasuke. Up until about two years earlier. Sasuke returned to the village, having killed his traitorous brother. Tsunade agreed to let him rejoin Konoha, and so Sasuke immediately set about making things better.

'Flashback'

Knock. Knock. Knock. Sakura stood in her kitchen. Who could have been visiting her? Gaara thought it impolite to visit somebody's house without being invited, and Sakura had estraned herself from everybody else in the village.

"I'm sorry, can I help you, si-"

Her voice faded off into a squeak as she recognized the shadowy figure standing before her. He confidently strode into her living room, not bothering to ask her if he could come in. The cocky attitude, the dark hair, the spinning red eyes, it all pointed to the only person it could be.

"Sa... Sasuke."

"Sakura. I have returned to Konoha."

"What are you doing here?"

"There was something I needed to do."

"Get out of my house."

"No, I told you. I need to do something important!"

That did it. Sakura snapped.

"Like what, rip my heart out again?! Did the first time not satisfy your sadistic self?!"

"Sakura, listen-"

"No, Sasuke! You listen! I have not spent all these years getting stronger just to be knocked down by you again! I hate you, Sasuke! I hate you!"

"You... hate me?" said Sasuke, stunned. Could she really mean it?

"Yes, I hate you. I hate you..." The words faded off into jagged sobs, wracking Sakura's body. Sasuke found the whole thing incredibly unbearable. When he had killed Itachi, he had seen something that reminded him of Sakura. He wasn't sure what, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing, but when a strange feeling caught him off guard, he realized he was in love with her. Possibly too late.

Sasuke pulled Sakura into a hug. Not the panicked, urgent feel of the last one she had given him, all those years ago, but a true, light-of-the-moment hug. Moving his face over to the side of hers, Sasuke whispered "Do you really hate me? Or is it something else?"

Sakura's fists bunched into Sasuke's shirt at that, and he knew he had hit a weak spot. He continued to badger her with soft pepperings of "Who?" and "Really? Me?" until, finally, Sakura screamed. Writhing in his arms, she struggled to get free, with no effect.

"I hate you... I hate...you...I... hate that I love you."

Sasuke felt a warm rush of emotion at those words, and before he knew what he was doing, he had lowered his face to Sakura's and swiftly closed the distance between them. Sakura's tears soaked his cheek, but he didn't care. He knew that it didn't matter when you were in love.

And Sakura froze to the spot. How could she trust Sasuke after what he had done? It's hard to forgive somebody who leaves you after you confess your undying love for them. Was it really worth it to try again? Sakura wasn't sure, but something had changed over the years. When Sasuke hugged her, she felt none of the electric current that she had so long ago. It didn't feel right...it felt strange.

"I love you, Sakura." murmured Sasuke. And with that, Sakura was once again captured by him. She was his, once more.

'End memory'

Sasuke had forbidden Sakura to talk to Gaara after he had found out about the close friendship between them. Sakura couldn't be sure, but she was almost certain that Sasuke was scared that a little more than friendship was between them. He was jealous. And Sakura grew lonely as Sasuke forced her to close all contact of anybody from Suna.

That was when Tsunade decided to give Sakura a break from hospital duty, and send her on a solitary mission to -of all places- Suna. The mission was to take place in 5½ weeks. Sakura tried to hide it from Sasuke, knowing he would be angry and try to stop her. So she wriggled away from all his questions of why she wasn't at the hospital, and why she was packing her things. Until one day, he approached her with a mysterious glint in his eye. It scared Sakura.

"Sakura, are you going on a mission?" Sasuke asked.

"N...no..." stuttered Sakura.

"Then why have you been packing?"

"Uh...um..."

"Are you going to leave me, Sakura?"

"No!"

Sasuke moved in closer, and pushed Sakura up against the wall. Tipping his face near her ear, he continued.

"Where are you going?"

Sakura began to feel unsteady. He always did this to her, and he always got his way. She tried to resist.

"N...nowhere."

"Are you sure?"

"Ye...muh." Sakura moaned, for Sasuke had just began to kiss down the side of her neck. It made it impossible for her to form sentences at all. Sasuke never played fair, only used his advantages against her.

"For the last time, where are you going?" Sasuke purred.

Sakura gave in, and told him what he wanted.

"I'm going to Suna, Tsunade gave me a vacation from hospital work."

Sasuke immediately grew furious, and shoved Sakura harder against the wall. "You accepted the mission?!" he prompted.

"Well, of course I did, why wouldn't I g-" Sakura broke off, cowed by something in Sasuke's face. He looked almost murderous, and Sakura knew better than to aggravate him further.

"Sasuke, calm down, I'm not going to see Gaara!"

"See, you admit you were thinking about him!"

"No! Stop putting words in my mouth!"

"I'm sorry, Sakura, but if you're going to be seeing other men, then I have to leave."

And Sasuke walked out the door, leaving Sakura to curl up into a ball on the floor, her body shaken by the sobs that had come the last time. And so she began to set about getting ready for her mission (she just had to deliver a package of goods to a market) with a smile pasted on her face, and a second hole in her heart.

When she had finished her mission, she realized that Tsunade had given her seven more days than she needed. She wasn't sure whether that was on purpose, or she had just thought about the fact that bandits might attack (it had been a relatively safe journey).

So Sakura made reservations in a hotel for the week, and began to mope. That was when she found herself in the bar, drowning her problems with sake. She certainly hadn't expected to see Gaara there. She never thought he would even go into a bar, let alone get himself drunk. But he was there, and he noticed Sakura in the nick of time, for she passed out soon afterwards.

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Having finished recapping her story for the readers, so that they would understand why she was sad, Sakura turned back to Gaara. Her worries about how she looked zoomed away as she realized that Gaara looked just as bad.

But it was the look on his face that confused her. He looked like he had just gotten hit in the head, and didn't know where he was. He pretty much looked like he had a concussion and lost his memory.

"How are you feeling, Sakura?" So much for the lost memory theory.

"My head hurts like hell, but other than that, nauseous."

"Yeah, me too."

Silence.

"Why are you in Suna?"

"I'm on a mission."

"When are you going back to Konoha?"

"Well, actually, I finished it...yesterday?"

"So are you leaving now?"

"No, Tsunade gave me extra time, and I might as well take a vacation."

"Why? Life rough at home?"

Sakura clamped her mouth shut tight, and immediately took on a cold expression. She crossed her arms, and began to speak in a strained tone.

"No, why do you ask?"

Gaara was bewildered. Sakura had never acted like this before. It was strange to see such a happy girl struggle to keep her emotion bottled up, and Gaara was slightly frightened by the intensity with which Sakura's eyes burned.

He decided to drop the topic after a short debate with himself. She needed to calm down, and badgering her wouldn't help anyone.

"Come on, Sakura I'll show you to Temari's room. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you borrowing some of her clothes."

Sakura went inside Temari's bedroom and closed the door. Gaara was glad that she did, because it couldn't be worse if he saw her changing. He set about getting food for breakfast (although he wasn't sure he could hold his down) and got himself washed up and dressed.

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After Sakura ruffled through Temari's closet for a few minutes, she came to a firm conclusion. She would never ask what Shikamaru was doing on his weekends ever again, and she would never ask why he had scars from a whip on his shoulder. (Figure it out, I know you can...) She found the least revealing thing in Temari's wardrobe, which happened to be a snug-fitting tube top and a ruffled miniskirt. It surprised Sakura that Temari's stuff fit so tightly, since Temari was almost 3 years older than her.

As she walked down the stairs, Sakura tried to tug the miniskirt. It just felt too airy and revealing. The tube top was barely better than the skirt. It was so tight, it showed Sakura's every curve, and wasn't any better than wearing just a bra.

When Sakura walked into the kitchen, Gaara's mouth fell open, and he knew that this was definitely worse than seeing her change. Luckily, he had enough self-restraint to not get a nosebleed. He had forgotten how Temari dressed, because he thought that she should wear girl's clothing. He didn't mean for that to happen.

'At least she didn't wear what Temari packs whenever we go to Konoha.' And that thought did it. Gaara rushed to the bathroom, holding his nose, being careful not to let it drip on the expensive carpet.

Sakura stared after him, shrugged, and grabbed a bowl of cereal.

Later that day, Sakura went into the bathroom, and found the garbage can full of bloody tissues.

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I controlled myself this time, and I didn't interfere with the characters too much. I've learned my lesson (pulls another piece of tape off shirt). Can you figure out anything about the hints that I put in about Temari? If you have laughed out loud at least once during this chapter, send me a review.

Ja ne!