Chapter Three

Sakura walked back into the hospital, Kakashi was stoic as always, she had to giggle she could see Naruto standing there one day becoming Hokage. Her face smile faded a bit but would Hinata be by his side? Surely the Hyugga clan would love have to Naruto in their family especially with him being Hokage. She shook her head she couldn't think about that, that wasn't her concern. She walked towards Sasuke's room and saw Karin standing leaning against the wall. She stopped short when she looked at her.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh about what? Sasuke's vitals are just fine, we're still not sure when he'll wake up." She tried bypassing her but Karin blocked her path making Sakura look at her.

"I'm sorry but when Sasuke wakes up I'm gonna confess…well not as soon as he wakes up but eventually I will." Sakura clutched the clipboard. "I know how you feel about him and I know you've been with him as his teammate but I love Sasuke with all my heart at first I was a total fan girl over him but…I truly love him. I can't stand seeing him like this." Tears fell from her eyes Sakura just stared at her not knowing what to say. Her own eyes began watering. She blinked her tears away and cleared her throat.

"I won't stop you but I will confess my feelings too, excuse me I have to check his vitals." She opened the door and the clipboard fell from her hands. "Sasuke." He looked over at her before seeing Karin standing behind her. He placed his hand on his head before looking at his missing arm. "Sasuke-Kun." She ran over to him and hugged him tightly. "Sasuke, how do you feeling?"

"Why am I still alive?" He whispered before closing his eyes. "I was certain I would be dead."

"You're not, you and Naruto are both alive." He looked at her before looking down.

"Tsunade-Sama made a prosthetic arm for you, we can attach it to-"

"I don't want it." He stated. He looked down at his missing arm. "This is to atone for my sin and I must live with it." Sakura looked down before looking at Karin. He looked at Sakura before looking at Karin. "Karin, are you well?" She nodded her head and hugged him tightly while sobbing.

"I'm so glad you're alive, I thought you were never going to wake up."

"Thank you." He whispered.

Sakura got up and walked out the room leaving them, she didn't know what do anymore.

She made her way to Naruto's room to tell him Sasuke recovered when she looked in the room she saw he was gone

"Where he did run off to?"

"Sakura-Chan?" She turned around and saw Naruto and Hinata together with his arm around her. She looked between them before forcing a smile on her face.

"I just stopped by to say Sasuke woke up."

"He did?" She nodded her head.

"That's all, I'm going now and congratulations." She then quickly walked off.

"Oi Sakura-Chan? Congratulations?" He scratched his head. Hinata stared at Sakura's back before looking down. "What she mean by that?"

Sakura sat in the office in the corner on the floor sobbing. Why did she feel so alone? Naruto had Hinata and Sasuke had Karin so where was she? She hugged her knees tightly to her chest, for some reason she felt upset about both of them loving someone else. Was she selfish? She really couldn't have both?

"Sakura, are you in here?" She quickly wiped her eyes and stood up as Tsunade opened the opened the door. She looked at Sakura in shock. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." She sat at the desk and cleared her throat. "I have so much paper work to fill out." She laughed sheepishly. Tsunade walked over to her and stared into her eyes.

"You're not ok and you need to talk now." Tears swelled up in her eyes.

"Why do I feel so upset? My heart hurts when I think about Naruto and Sasuke, I don't know what to do anymore." She sobbed. Tsunade gently placed her hand on her head.

"It's ok, we as women always come to a point in our lives where our feelings are conflicting. I sometimes wondered if I had picked Jiraiya over Dan would the both of them would still be alive today." She whispered, Sakura's eyes widened and she looked at her in shock. She gave Sakura a gentle smile. "You only get one chance, once you make your decision you can't change it, so now is the time for you to sort out is it Naruto or Sasuke, life is so unfair you can't both and if you don't decide you can risk being alone. Sometimes…the right choices you think you made were the wrong choices and you still end up alone." She looked away as Sakura nodded her head.

"You're right Tsunade-Sensei, thank you."

"Anytime, you're apprentice after all and we can't have wrinkles on your pretty little face so early." Sakura giggled and nodded her head.

For the past two weeks Sakura avoided Naruto and Sasuke, Naruto was soon going to leave the hospital so she had to give him a checkup before his discharge.

"Sakura-Sensei." She turned around and saw a nurse panting.

"Patient Uchiha Sasuke hasn't eaten anything during your two week absents we're afraid for his health if he doesn't eat something soon."

"Thank you, I'll head over there now." She gripped her clipboard and stormed towards his room. She saw Karin holding a slice of apple towards but he turned his head away.

"Sasuke you have to eat!" Karin pleaded with him but he didn't say anything. "If you don't eat you'll die, you're still weak!" He still didn't say a word. She growled and took the apple slice and shoved it in his mouth. He automatically chewed it and swallowed before glaring at her.

"I told you I didn't want to eat!"

"I don't care, I'm not gonna let you die! If I have to chew the food up myself and shove it in your mouth I will." His face faltered and he looked away making eye contact with Sakura. Karin then looked at her. She forced a smile on her face.

"Am I interrupting, I heard you didn't eat so I was worried."

"No, no, no." Karin stood up blushing, she was mortified Sakura witnessed that. "Sasuke hasn't eaten so I had to make him eat, I really wasn't trying to be rough with the patient."

"You're rough with me every day." He retorted.

"I am not! I'm sweet loving and caring." She placed her hand on her hips as he scoffed rolling his eyes. Did they really have that type of relationship, where they could go back and forth like that? She didn't think she could ever do that with him.

"You need to check him right, I'll leave."

"You can stay." Sakura told her, Karin looked at her in shock before looking at Sasuke who was looking at Sakura. She forced a smile on her face.

"I think its better I leave." Sasuke looked at her as she left out the room. Silence filled the room, Sakura stared at the clipboard.

"You can't move your legs?" She looked at him in shock. He nodded. "Can you feel them?" He shook his head no. She walked over to him and placed her hand on the sheets. "May I?" She felt herself blush a bit. He moved the sheets revealing his legs that were covered by gray sweatpants. He looked away when she began touching his legs, even though he couldn't feel her touch just the thought of her touching his legs made his cheeks warm. "So you feeling nothing at all?" She used a pen to rub against the heel of his foot. He shook his head no. She nodded and began writing on the clipboard. "It seems you could have nerve damage in your lower spine, seeing that you've been like this for two weeks it's possible you could be paralyzed from the waist down." His eyes widened.

"P-Paralyzed?" She nodded. He looked down gripping the sheets. He wanted to travel the world but if he was paralyzed how could he do that?

"Ok, I'll look more into it, until then let me check the rest of your vitals." She pressed on his back. "Any pain."

"No." She rubbed his temples.

"Any pain?"

"No." She stared into his eyes and saw him staring back at her. Tears swelled in her eyes. "Sakura." He whispered. She hugged him tightly.

"Sasuke-Kun." She cried uncontrollably. He automatically hugged her tightly.

"It's alright, Sakura don't cry anymore. I'll get better I promise."

"Baka!" She yelled at him and pulled back from the hug, he looked into her angry jade eyes. "You were trying to kill yourself." She pulled the knife from under his pillow, he swiped it from Karin after she cut the apple. "Naruto put his life on the line so many times to get your back here alive and you wanna throw your life away! You don't want to live with everything you did? Well too bad, you have no choice. Kakashi-Sensei became Hokage for your sake! Just so you he could pardon you, everyone is giving you another chance so it's time you give yourself one too! I know deep in my heart you're a kind, gentle person you've been hurt and clouded I understand, but I don't want you to suffer anymore." She cried.

"Sakura…" He whispered before looking down. "I couldn't love you back then because I was so intent on revenge."

"I know." She tucked her hair behind her ear. He noticed how beautiful she's become. "Sasuke-Kun, please for me, live and restore the Uchiha Clan, you're more than this." She held up the knife and he nodded.

"You're right." He gave her a smile.

"Just so you know your ninja days are over." He froze looking at her. She then smiled. "That's what I would've said to a normal shonobi, however you are a part of team seven and we aren't your average run of the mill ninjas. Sasuke I will heal your legs."

"Am I allowed to be a shonobi again?"

"Kakashi-Sensei is working on it and besides if you ever betray Konoha again Naruto and I will you this time." He chuckled softly.

"Alright, I'll hold my end of the bargain and eat and gain my strength up."

"Hey Sasuke what's this about you not eating? Shizune came in my room telling me you haven't eaten for two weeks. What the hell is wrong with you?!" Naruto burst through the room. Sakura stared at him in shock this was her first time seeing him in two weeks. "Ok Sakura-Chan, are you well? You're discharging me today right? Please discharge me today, I need ramen in my life, I'm going crazy." He begged her. She giggled and nodded her head.

"I'll discharge you today."

"Alright!" He jumped up and down laughing out. She laughed looking at him.

Sakura stood in front of Tsunade and Shizune as they stared at her.

"Do you think you can do this, you're only seventeen Sakura?"

"Tsunade-Sensei, it doesn't matter my age, you took me as your apprentice when I was only thirteen, you've taught me so much and I know I can heal his legs, I'm positive."

"Sakura, if you make a mistake he'll die, you wanna operate on his nervous system that's a high risk surgery." Tsunade tried reasoning with her.

"I don't plan on making a mistake." She stared her mentor in the eyes. Tsunade sighed deeply.

"I don't know, let me think on it."

"Ok." Sakura bowed her head before leaving the room. Tsunade sighed deeply.

"I think I changed our cute little cherry blossom into another me." She moaned making Shizune giggle.

"Well look who our cute little nine tail kitsune turned into." They both laughed, Tsunade looked at the picture of her, Jiraiya and Orochimaru on her desk.