Disclaimer: Sigh. I don't own Naruto.

AN: Well this is really late and I guess I wasn't really motivated to do it. I only got 6 reviews for the last chapter so I was kind of bummed out. But I realized it was the first week back to school for a lot of people so I'm trying to get back into the groove.

*That AN was written 3 years ago. :/ )

Akatsuki Hideout,

Outskirts of Suna

Sasuke's brow furrowed in confusion.

He held his gaze firmly on his ancestor as he wondered what the older Uchiha meant but no matter how hard he thought, he didn't have a clue what was going The former Konoha nin snapped out of his reverie when he noticed the masked nin turned around and walked to a stone alter near the statue.

Madara then placed the necklace in a small groove on the altar, so the crystal was standing straight up, before backing away.

At this point Sasuke was very irritated. Not only did he have no idea what was going on, but the older man was taking his time going about his movements. Sasuke would have thought, with Madara being an Uchiha, that the latter would know just how much impatience runs through their blood, much less the annoyance at being ignorant to what was going on.

Sasuke scowled.

"Stop wasting my time and show me," he ordered in his low monotone voice.

The leader of Akatsuki glanced over his shoulder, obviously bored with the demand.

"Hai, hai."

The younger Uchiha's scowl was set to deepen at the carefree attitude, but alas, he did not have time. For no later than Madara's words reached him, the Akatsuki leader suddenly clasped his hands together and flashed through hand seals that even Sasuke could not make out.

The Konoha co-founder then clasped his hands together loudly in a praying position and before he stilled.

Sasuke inhaled deeply as he waited for it to happen….. Something…. Anything….. He waited…and waited…..and waited.

After a few moments of nothing happening, the young man's face scrunched in anger. "I said stop wasting my-"

Before he could continue, he was cut off. The cave had started to shake. Not by much. In fact, by Sasuke's guess, only a ninja would have felt the tiny vibrations he felt throughout the hollowed out cave. At first, he barely noticed them.

But slowly….. the tiny tremors grew.

"Whoa!"

Suigetsu almost lost his footing with the shaking. Sasuke quickly applied chakra to his feet to remain in place. But he noticed….. the tremors were not dying…. No… they were STILL getting stronger!

Eventually the whole cave was shaking and Sasuke had to hold onto the wall for support as he watched pieces of rock fall from the roof and the rest of team hawk, stumbling and trying to hold their footing as well.

It lasted for probably half of a minute before Sasuke felt it. The air in the cave had gotten heavy. And it only grew heavier by the second. Like an oppressive force pressing down on his shoulders and sucking the breath right out of him. The menacing chakra, made Sasuke dropped to his knees. Sweat starting running down his brow, and he struggled to breathe. He held his throat while trying desperately to fill his lungs with much needed air as the cave continued to rock.

It seemed like it was going to last forever and Sasuke's vision got blurry. His eyes drooped, and corners of his vision were turning black. He was passing out.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, everything stopped.

The cave was still, and the air had lifted. Oxygen poured into his lungs like a pipe that had just been broken.

Quick, desperate breaths in and out he took.

He looked around and saw the rest of his team in similar fashion on their hands and knees trying to breathe.

"Calm down….Sasuke."

Weakly, his head turned to the source. The oldest Uchiha standing right beside him.

It was only then did Sasuke realize that Madara and the Edo Tensei resurrected Akatsuki members were un-phased by the sheer power of the ominous foreboding feeling brought on by the demonic chakra.

'How much stronger has he gotten...' the former Konoha Nin asked himself. His leader was already overpowered during the last war five years ago. It seemed impossible for someone to become even stronger than that!

Suddenly, a bright light caught his eye. He looked towards it and his mouth nearly dropped.

The origin of the chakra that almost made him pass out was made known. The statue, now glowing and eerie purple, was pouring all its chakra into the necklace!

"N-…..nani ga okottan da!" (What the hell happened/is going on?)

The outburst came from Suigetsu, but it might as well have come from the raven haired Uchiha as it was the exact words Sasuke was going to put forth anyway.

Madara cast a lazy eye over the water composed man before looking back to the crystal.

"Have you ever wondered….. Sasuke?"

Sasuke's head visibly jolted. Wondered? Wondered WHAT?

"Have you ever wondered, if the Bijou are creatures made up of near infinite chakra….. then why do we only have one Jinchuuriki per tailed beast?"

Sasuke's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Nani?"

His elder merely cast the now seemingly permanent bored look his way.

Looking into the man's eyes, he could see that even though Madara was looking at him, he was not truly seeing him.

"I said I would show you didn't I?"

The former apprentice of Orochimaru looked on with curiosity as a white Zetsu came up through the ground and stood near the crystal.

"I thought they were all dead?" he asked Madara.

"They are far from dead. I have much more now than we did five years ago."

Sasuke's eyes widened till his eyes burned. He couldn't believe it. They had over one hundred thousand Zetsu for the war which the alliance BARELY won. Now he was claiming to have even MORE than that! The last time Sasuke was as much disbelief as he was feeling was when he heard about Itachi's true role in the Uchiha massacre.

"But that's beside the point," said the man once known as Tobi.

As Sasuke looked on, he saw Madara activate his mangekyou sharingan. And then….. as he watched…. Madara focused on the chakra pouring into the crystal, and it immediately began to transfer to Zetsu, Nagato, Konan and Kisame!

The reincarnated Nin screamed and writhed in agony as the demonic chakra burned them. Their screams, bloodcurdling, lasted for a seemingly eternal ten seconds. Their forms stayed still. Skin bleeding profusely. Clothes smoking.

But that was not what preoccupied Sasuke's thoughts. No. For there was something else much more heinous. He was gasping for breath again, and the ominous feeling was back as the four deceased Akatsuki members were now harnessing the Bijou chakra!

"Temporary Jinchuuriki," he heard Madara say.

He could not reply to the masked man because he was struggling to breathe again. Madara seemed not to notice…. Or maybe not to care, as he continued his explanation as the world faded to black.

Sunagakure,

Hospital

Laughter, it flooded her ears. She stared at them from the doorway, having not been noticed by either party yet. Naruto was sitting on the bed talking animatedly to Hinata about some poor dog that had accidently eaten a whole wasabi ball by itself. The blonde sat facing Hinata, who was sitting up, with his legs off the left side, and his right hand supporting his weight on the other side of the Hyuuga heiress' hips. They were so close together. Their smiles…. So happy….. So content….. It hurt her.

Sakura stood, in the doorway, broken. Her conversation with Ino had already opened the floodgates of the mixed emotions that haunted her the past few years and it was impossible to not feel incredibly pain at the sight before her.

'She's always loved him….. and always treated him like he deserved to be treated…' was the rosette's thought as she cast her burning eyes to the floor. 'They look so happy together'

That thought seemed to do it as she could feel the dam about to break. But Sakura was no weak little girl she used to be. She was a proud Kunoichi. She could not cry for this. It was only the man she loved with another woman in front of her face. Right? She clenched her fist tightly as she thought about that because it was all she could do to hold back the onslaught of tears. 'Don't cry…..Don't cry. Don't cry! DON'T CRY!'

"Sakura-chan."

Her head snapped up upon hearing the velvety voice of the silver eyed Anbu member, just in time to see Naruto turning his head around to see her.

"Sakura-chan!" beamed the energetic blonde. Her heart fluttered for a bit as she saw his smile, but then, Sakura noticed confusion and worry take over the features on his face.

"Sakura-chan? Are you okay?"

She didn't understand at first. Confused as to why he would ask such a thing.

Then, felt it. The coolness on her cheek, from the trail a single tear that had managed to squeeze out or her eye made.

Quickly her hand rose to her face and wiped it away.

"Ah. I'm fine."

Needless to say, the two Nin on the bed were not convinced. Sigh

A smile graced her features as she entered the room.

"I promise! It's because Ino-buta saw some cute Suna medic and flicked her hair and it hit me in the eye," said the apprentice of the Godaime while stressing on the nickname to feign anger.

It seemed to work as Naruto's eyes softened before he nodded and smiled.

Butterflies.

'Dammit'

Sakura averted her gaze to the patient chart at the foot of the bed.

She picked it up and scanned the report. When she saw everything was to her liking she smiled and her eyes rose to meet her lavender haired friend.

"Well Hinata seems like everything's ok. You can leave and rest up in our-…"

A thought hit her head and slowly, the butterflies went away. Something else ebbed at her. Her body got warm. Her cheeks too. Her heart pounded. Ah yes. She was familiar with this emotion. It was…. Anger.

"….."

Said blonde jumped off the bed upon heard her threatening growl, worry and fear in his eyes. "S-s-sakura chan?"

"Speaking of REST!"

She glared at him with an intensity that could make Orochimaru cry. As her green eyes stared into the cerulean orbs she waited for even the slightest hint he understood what she was talking about.

"S-sakura chan? Rest? What are yo- ….. Oh….."

An eyebrow went up. "Oh." It was a statement. She knew she did not have to remind him the last thing he told her in his hospital room was that he would indeed rest. The future Hokage nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Heh heh…. Heh heh… funny story… you se-…"

The next thing Sakura and Hinata saw was a blonde blur running down the corridor. Dust kicking up and papers from the nearby receptionist desk flying from the speed of his escape. He was almost out of sight when they heard Naruto down the hallway shouting, "PLEASE DON'T HIT ME!"

….…. The two women sweatdropped.

"…..Baka…"

It was simultaneous, and the two friends looked at one another and couldn't help but share a small laugh.

"As I was saying. All of us have lodging not far from the hospital. We'll get you discharged and you can rest up there."

Sakura heard a sigh of relief.

"I told you Sakura-chan. I was fine. I even checked myself over twice while I've been in this bed."

Even though Hinata wore a smile, Sakura could tell she was very impatient about getting out of the hospital.

As the pink haired woman looked over the other Kunoichi she couldn't help but wonder, 'When exactly did this confident and self assured woman replace the timid and shy Hinata we knew.'

She felt a small surge of pride. Her friends never ceased to amaze her.

Sakura grinned while holding up her hands in defense and adopting a mock chiding tone. "Ok ok. You'll get to leave soon. Sheesh. I swear you are sounding more like Naruto the…..more time you spend around him…" she said as the childish banter apparent disappeared.

She could not help her voice failing her when her mind processed what she had said. Ah. There it was again….. pain.

"Sakura-chan?"

Once again, the velvet voice of the Hyuuga brought her out of her trance. She shook her head and tried to put on her best smile. "Gomen. Was thinking about something."

"…I can see that….."

Now the medic was curious. She cocked her head to the side, a silent indicator for Hinata to elaborate.

The other woman stared at her without blinking.

"It's your eyes."

Sakura stiffened.

Naruto always told her,

'Your eyes alw-'

"Your eyes always betray what you're feeling."

Sakura gasped in shock. Her friend did not seem surprised by the reaction.

"Naruto told me that. Since then I've often realized he was right."

The young Haruno's eyes returned to normal, because a new feeling took over her body at the last statement. Envy.

"Oh?" she managed to squeeze out, but no matter how hard she tried to, she could not keep out a slightly malicious tone to it.

As she looked to Hinata, the woman either seemed to have ignored it, or not have noticed. Sakura desperately was hoping it was the latter.

Hinata cocked her head and smiled knowingly while her pale silver eyes bore into Sakura's soul via her green.

"Of course. That boy can never shut up about his Sakura-chan."

Once again, eyes grew wide.

The young Hyuuga did not let Sakura get a response in though and looking ahead before closing her eyes she put a smirk on that would make Uchiha Sasuke proud.

"Even in the middle of our Sparring dates he would always go on about his Sakura-chan." A wistful sigh escaped Hiashi's oldest daughter before she turned her head to look Sakura dead in the eye once again, a smile on her face.

"He would do something amazing and be all happy one minute, then sad the next because she wasn't there to see it."

The medic Nin swallowed.

"I could never understand how those two never got together."

Sakura felt her knees get weak and held onto the foot of the bed. She stared incredulously at her friend.

A soft 'Nani?' escaping her lips.

"I mean they're both single. And it's obvious they love each other. Hell everyone we know can see it. Seems like only those two B-a-k-a-s can't."

All Sakura could do was slowly shake her head left, then slowly back to the right, and repeat. Her hand in front of her chest. Almost as if guarding her heart.

"No…" she said. "No…. You've been going out on dates… You….. You spend nights at his apartment regularly… You've loved him since you were twelve… Why are you saying this?"

Even though she asked in disbelief, her tone betrayed the pleading, begging, that was underlying.

"Sakura-chan," Hinata started. "I spend nights at his apartment because after we finish spar he insists that I rest rather than walking home in the wee hours of the morning after I'm exhausted. And the other 'dates' are like the ones you would go on with him when we were younger. Two friends hanging out."

Sakura's brain was going fifty miles a second. She couldn't process, she couldn't think. SHE. Couldn't think?

"But! What about the fact that you've loved him since we were twelve?"

"I still love him."

Sakura now, was slightly confused. That is, till Hinata continued.

"I love him as much as I love Neji. He's like a brother. Someone I can never replace. I'm just not IN love with him anymore."

As Hinata leaned back against her raised bed she near sunk into the mattress with an amused look on her face. "When I asked him all those years ago how he felt about my confession when Pein attacked, he told me 'I love all my precious people. But as for giving you my heart, I'm sorry, but it's not mine to give away anymore'

The rosette's mouth opened slightly. Her face still scrunched in a mixture of emotions. Disbelief. Pain. Regret. Confusion. But…. Why was there no happiness?

"Why aren't you happy?"

Sakura stared brokenly at Hinata. She looked around the room while not noticing anything. Finally she brought her face back to her friend, still in utter shock.

"I….. I don't know what to say….. I've held onto this for so long….."

She saw the look on her friend's face followed by an encouraging nod.

She inhaled and continued.

"For years I've thought I'd lost my chance with him….. I thought…. I thought you guys were a couple…I…."

Her ramblings would have continued as the distraught Kunoichi tried to think how she got herself into this mess if the contact of skin upon hers did not stop her. She looked down, seeing the pale hand of the Byakugan user on hers.

"Sakura-chan… that doesn't matter anymore. What DOES matter is…. That you love him."

Sakura was about to interrupt, but as her mouth opened Hinata was quick to stop her.

"He's done so much for us all. You, me, the village, the world. Everyone…. Don't you think….. It's about time that one of his dreams comes true?"

This time she WAS going to interrupt.

"If it was his dream I'd GLADLY make it come true. I'm just not sure that is one of his dreams anymore Hinata…"

The lavender haired girl only smiled knowingly back at her and said softly, "But what if it is?... Even if there's the slightest chance it still is… doesn't he deserve it?... Isn't he worth the risk?"

Sakura felt Hinata's grip on her hand tighten encouragingly. As she sat there pondering. Thinking about the implications and consequences of her actions should the apparent feelings he felt be nothing more than a misunderstanding. But… if he did have those feelings…. Didn't he really deserve it like his friend just said… That thought seemed to outweigh the others, because no sooner as it entered her mind than green met silver and couldn't help but find her friend's smile infectious.

"…. You really are getting more like him you know."

"Tch…. As are you," was the retort from the bedridden woman.

AN:- Wow….. Three years since my last chapter….. I can't believe it. Hell. I don't even remember HOW to write anymore. But it doesn't matter. I'll get better again the more I write. I'm going to finish this story for me. If anyone else is still reading then thank you so much :). For the new readers that are going to drop by. Leave a review. ^_^