I would like to thank my new beta HomeSkilletBiscuit.93 for being so amazing :] She helped me a lot and gave me so many tips! This chapter wouldn't be as great without her.

Anyway, enjoy!

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, her teeth biting the insides of her cheeks. She stared at the empty white bed before her, her eyes scanning them with an insightful look. Uneasiness fell over her as she shifted in her spot, his indent on the bed no longer there. It was freshly made, adorned with matching white sheets and a comforter. Her eyes traveled to the neatly placed machines on the side of the bed. It was no longer beating, no longer showing her he was still with her. Instead it was blank and glaring at her. Moving towards the door, the girl sighed.

Sasuke was released from the hospital this morning, his form no longer here when she came in this morning. The note on her desk from the Hokage told her she was to move in promptly. Grumbling, the girl walked towards her house, her duties taken over by Shizune who practically kicked her from the hospital.

Arriving at her home, the girl made no effort to release her feet from the confinements of her shoes. Dragging her body to her room, the girl stripped in an uncaring fashion. Sporting herself in fitted black shorts and a red tank top, Sakura looked into her closet. She was going to be living with Sasuke Uchiha. It was going to be her home for at least a month, so she would need to pack a substantial amount.

Sighing, the female began pulling clothes from the hangers, tossing them carelessly onto the bed. Yes, she is a precise person. She puts time and effort into things, making sure they are absolutely perfect. But, that is work and right now, she could care less about the clothes that lay sprawled and disheveled across her bed.

Looking about, she moved to her desk, pulling out several medical scrolls and books that she could use and entertain herself with while she was there. Packing other necessities, the girl was done within the hour.

"How did I get dragged into this again?" the girl asked herself as she approached the door. She hesitated before knocking, stepping back as she awaited an answer.

A yell was heard from the inside, one she found all too familiar. The door flew open and standing in her line of view was a large blonde haired male, his grin spreading ear to ear. His smile was like a contagious disease. Sakura found herself smiling as her head tilted upwards to look into his eyes.

"Hey Naruto. What are you doing here?" Chuckling, he gave her a thumbs up.

"Just making sure the Teme doesn't run away again." His laugh made the girl giggle. Moving to the side, she motioned towards the bags beside her.

"Want to help me out?" she asked, tucking a small strand of pink behind her ear. Nodding, he grabbed a bag.

"You couldn't handle this yourself? Aren't you supposed to be super strong like that old hag Tsunade?" If the bag wasn't in her hand, she would have hit him. Shaking her head, her eye twitched in annoyance.

"Stop calling her that, Naruto! She knocks you out every time you do." Naruto laughed at her statement, knowing the truth behind her words. Following him into a room, the girl looked around.

It was much bigger than her own domain. The walls were an offset white. The bed covers were a pale brown while the pillow coverings were a lighter hue. There was a nicely sized desk and two side tables on either end of the bed. A lamp lay on one while the other was bare. There was a lamp on the ceiling above her bed that provided enough light to fill the room. The others were most likely for decoration, she figured.

"Well here you are, Sakura-chan!" Sakura nodded, smiling towards her hyperactive friend.

"Thanks Naruto."

Footsteps caught the two off guard. A hand appeared, followed by a spiky haired man. Sasuke's onyx hair hung in his face while his black eyes stared off in a different direction. He was dressed in a simple navy blue short-sleeved shirt and long matching pants.

"Who did you let come into my house, Naruto?" His voice was husky, as though he had just woken up. He refused to direct his head in their direction as he spoke. His eyes looked empty from her position. A large hand was felt on her shoulder, causing the girl to jump in surprise.

"It's Sakura-chan! Say hello Sakura." Sasuke shot his head to the side, his eyebrows stitched together in what seemed to be surprise and confusion. Swallowing hard, the girl couldn't find anything intelligent to say to the man. She would be the first to admit that it's easier talking to the man when he didn't have a history with you. Well, what you could call a history, that is.

"Hello, Sasuke." She winced, waiting for her words to sink in. His mouth formed a straight line as his hand moved further onto the wall. Walking into the room, he stopped before them. He bent over slightly, a small frown now gracing his features. Breathing in, he paused before stepping back. He moved his head to the side.

"What is she doing here, Naruto? I'm sure the Hokage wouldn't appreciate you bringing visitors," Sasuke stated, his face void of emotion.

The girl before him, the Sakura he knew stood just a few feet from him. She smelt the same, from what he could tell. His mind traveled to the woman tending to him at the hospital. The woman with the same smell. He was calm however, unlike when he found out that woman had the same perfume. Her voice sounded oddly familiar to him, like a whispered melody that was sung to him long ago. It was bittersweet, just like their so many unfaithful encounters before. He felt his heart beating hard against his ribcage. He wasn't ready to face her yet. He wasn't sure he would ever be ready to face Sakura again. She was a nuisance that he threw away and yet she always came back, similar to a lost puppy. He would try so hard to rid her from his life yet she always found her way home, no matter how many times he moved.

Sakura felt her breath hitch. He had just smelled her. Knowing he was trying to identify her, she let him. Many people don't realize it, but the first thing the body picks up is scent. Attraction comes from scent. So, standing still and watching Sasuke breath in her perfume made her slightly uneasy. She was used to his hurtful words as he stated she was a guest that shouldn't be here. Her heart quickened. She knows he wants no part of her. She was the little girl on the sidelines, looking to him and everyone else to pick up the slack. She was never able to confess that she knew of the burden she carried on her teammates. She wouldn't tell either of them the hate she felt for herself when she knew she couldn't do anything to help. It made her sick knowing she was the only one that had close to no potential in being a shinobi. The thought stung.

Naruto eyed Sasuke, confused by his words. Exchanging looks with Sakura, he seemed to miss her distressed expression. Stepping forward, he scoffed, causing Sasuke's attention to be directed towards him.

"Are you serious, Sasuke? Sakura has been taking care of your sorry ass this whole time and that's what you say to her?" She was doomed.

Of course Naruto was the one to ruin her plan. She was doing perfectly fine keeping her distance from Sasuke, healing him and then attending her own duties at the hospital. She wasn't his main priority. She wasn't the reason for his return. She could already feel a thick tension growing and forming a wall between her and Sasuke.

Sasuke shot him a look, his head slightly off as he stared at the wall behind Naruto. Naruto was taken aback by his actions, slightly confused by the situation at hand. Sasuke took a step forward, his head moving to the side and down slightly. How did he know she was short. His black, empty eyes stared at her. She didn't bother masking her worry, knowing he couldn't see it anyway.

"You what?" Sakura swallowed hard. Sasuke seemed to sense her nervousness as he backed up, his hands forming fists. He felt betrayed. He felt as though he put trust into that woman, knowing he would never have to deal with her again, and now it was his teammate. It changed everything. He treated her in a way that he used to treat Sakura and yet it seemed entirely strange for him to find out it was her who was taking care of him. Maybe it was the sense of comfort he felt when he was around the woman that he never experienced with Sakura before. It was the lonely nights that she tended to him as he smelt her perfume and listened to her heart beat. It all seemed surreal as he pictured his pink haired teammate, the weakling, caring for him as though she hadn't known him. How didn't he catch it?

He had known Sakura since they were in the Academy. Sure, they weren't friends, but the time they spent together should have been enough to trigger some recognition of her when she first spoke. He refused to put two and two together. The woman from the hospital smelt like Sakura, had a temper like Sakura always had, and even sounds a bit like Sakura. And yet he didn't believe it was her. His mind held one question though, one that bugged him greatly.

"Why didn't you tell me, Sakura?" His voice was stoic, yet laced with an emotion the girl couldn't place. She couldn't stop the sigh coming from her throat. The two men glanced at her, Naruto with his usual worried expression and Sasuke with his blank one.

"I thought it would be best if you were to think we were strangers." Her words caught her by surprise. She could feel her heart skip a beat, wanting to take back the words that just flew from her pink lips. Who was she kidding? They are strangers.

Sasuke frowned, small lines forming on either side of his lips. His face, despite the constant frown that adorned it, was beautiful. Sakura had time to stare at him while he was in the hospital, and his face attracted her the most. Sure, he had a nice body, but his features were so defined and aristocratic, it made the girl jealous. She had loved such a beautiful creature. She would then frown and remember how ugly he is on the inside.

Sasuke had no comment. Turning, he moved from the bathroom, using the wall as guidance. Making a left, he made his way towards the living room. Arriving shortly after, he felt the couch, remembering where it was and sitting on it casually. His eyes were towards the wall while his breathing was steady, his face void of emotion.

Sakura sighed, running a hand through her pink locks. Naruto frowned towards her.

"I didn't know Sakura-chan. I'm so-" Sakura waved her hand, sending him a small smile.

"Hey, don't worry about it. He was bound to find out anyway," The pinkette mumbled. Naruto didn't seem content with her words, but let the subject go. Moving from the bathroom, he sat next to Sasuke on the couch, who seemed to frown and move towards the opposite end.

Sakura stood behind the two, a frown present between her porcelain cheeks. Looking towards them, she felt alone. It always seemed that she was the failure of the group. Despite Naruto's lack of intelligence and his ignorance that got him into sticky situations, he always pulled through victorious. That's just the way he is; a rare being that is able to bring themselves from the hardest of times and come out on top. Sasuke on the other hand has always been good at everything he's done. He's cocky and ambitious, even though his acts aren't always pure. He knows what he wants and how to achieve it. He sets his mind to something and he always gets his way. He's strong physically and mentally and someone that was bred for success. Where did that leave her?

Running her hands through her hair for the umpteenth time, the girl moved to the kitchen, opening several pantries as she looked inside. Frowning, she turned to the two men on the couch.

"Sasuke, you have no food in the house." She could almost feel him roll his eyes.

"Well I haven't been here in awhile. Maybe that's the reason for the absence of food, Sakura." He hissed her name, folding his arms over his chest. He was brooding again. Naruto turned to Sakura, his mouth in a frown.

"Sakura-chan!" he whined, "I'm hungry!"

Sakura shook her head. It was like taking care of children. Hell, she's not supposed to take care of Naruto anyway. Grumbling, the girl closed the open pantry. Her feet carried her to the couch where she stopped to stare at the too grumpy young men. She couldn't help but smirk at their antics. They were practically opposites, yet they both became cranky when lacking food. It was funny to watch.

"Come on. We'll go to Ichiraku." Sakura suggested, defeat slightly lacing her tone.

Naruto sprang from his spot on the couch, his excitement radiating through his pores.

"Ichiraku? Yes! It will be just like old times! Let's go Teme, Sakura-chan!" His body was out the door before either of the two could react. Eying Sasuke, Sakura moved towards him. Grabbing onto his shirt sleeve, she smiled.

"Let me help you." Pulling away from her, he quickly swung his hand, surprising the girl as she fell onto the couch. Her expression was that of shock as she stared at the man whose face was shadowed by his bangs.

"I don't need your help." His voice was cold. The stoic Uchiha moved past her towards the door. Sakura looked down and slowly rose from her spot, following him with guilty footsteps.

The walk towards Ichiraku's was much farther then she thought. Trailing Sasuke, she kept him from harm, while trying to avoid pulling him out of other people's way. He seemed to know which way to go as he trudged along the dirt path towards their destination. His steps were small compared to his usual long strides, but she figured it was because he was trying to find his destination without her help. Stubborn jack ass.

Upon arriving, a bubbly blonde whose face was nose deep into a ramen bowl emerged his head, his eyes traveling to the two of them. Grinning, he showed them the empty bowl.

"I already finished my first bowl! What took you guys so long?" Sasuke shot him a glance that was a bit off target and Sakura simply chuckled.

"We ran into some traffic. It was my fault, sorry Naruto." Naruto blinked, tilting his head to the side. He gave her a look that told her he didn't believe any of that, but she ignored it. Sitting beside Naruto, she made sure to keep her distance from the Uchiha.

She's happy her teammate is back. She truly is. Having him in Konoha makes her feel complete. Yet, the emptiness in her heart that he used to hold is still a gaping black hole of anguish and uncertainty. She knows that his body and his form is back. The man that looks and acts like Sasuke is back. But Sasuke is not. This living, breathing form of him is just a shell that he uses. The real Sasuke is somewhere in him, and she has yet to find it. Struggling to catch her breath, she turned away from the two as they made small talk. Gathering herself together once more, she hesitantly glanced towards Sasuke.

He was looking upwards as Naruto talked to him, a set of hot ramen before the three of them. As he loaded food into his mouth, Sasuke was obviously hearing his loud mouthed rants, yet his mind was somewhere else. It seemed as though he was in an unbreakable daze. Though his eyes were mere clouds of black and gray, she could tell he was thinking of something in the depths of his mind. Only Kami knew of the things he has done. This Sasuke, the one who stares off into nothingness. This is not her Sasuke. Just a pathetic chunk of him.

Breaking her chopsticks, she stuck them in her food, twirling the hot noodles around in the bowl, she watched as the steam hit her face. She wasn't sure how long she had been doing it, until a voice broke her gazing.

"Hey Sakura." She almost gave herself whip lash as she turned around quickly, her long hair hitting her face and part of Naruto's face. Naruto looked around confused as pink hair came flying from nowhere and hitting him. He turned around too and raised an eyebrow.

"Tenshi? What are you doing here, man!" Naruto stood, chuckling as he slapped the man on his shoulder in a friendly way. Tenshi nodded towards him, a smirk on his face.

"Hey Naruto." Sakura watched with wide eyes as his eyes met hers. "I came to check up on Sakura, actually." She wanted to faint. Holding onto the table, she swallowed hard and forced a smile to her face. She gave a weak wave. Naruto looked between the two with a raised eyebrow.

"You two have a thing?" A snap caused the group to look towards the Uchiha, his face calm but the chopsticks in his hand broken. Placing them on the table, he grabbed a new set and separated them, as he continued eating his food. Sakura blinked, but her attention turned towards the man that sat beside her.

His eyes pierced through hers as he rested his elbow on the counter, placing his chin in his palm. His eyes held an unfamiliar look that made Sakura shift uncomfortably. He seemed different. His sapphire orbs held an emotion she couldn't quite place. Eying Naruto, he smirked as he looked to Sasuke who was trying to mask his anger. Looking towards Tenshi once more, she hesitantly smiled.

"H-hello, Tenshi. How have you been?" Tenshi flashed her a charming smile. She would have melted, if she didn't feel this strange tension forming around them. It was odd having someone, much less a man, approach you while you're with other men. It made her feel uncomfortable.

"Oh fine. How have you been? I know that mission has been stressing you out lately. You still owe me dinner, by the way," he chuckled, finding it humorous. Sakura's mouth opened in shock. He had mentioned her mission in front of the man that was technically her client! She shut her mouth, eying Naruto who looked at his back, dumfounded. Even he wasn't stupid enough to say that. It was almost like he was instigating. But why?

"Tenshi I don't think this is the best ti-" A sudden bang caused her to blink in confusion. Met with a flurry of black hair, she felt the wind hit her face by the passing bodies. In the time that she had managed to get the few words from her lips, Sasuke had gotten up and punched Tenshi across Ichiraku's. Turning, the girl sent him an angry glare while placing her hand on his chest in an attempt to stop his progression.

"What do you think you're doing? He didn't do anything to you!" Sasuke grabbed her wrist, bringing her closer to him. His face was close to hers, his hot breath fanning over her face. She winced slightly at the sharp pain from her hand.

"He's obviously trying to make me angry. Are you stupid?" Sakura paused, her eyes settling on his glazed, onyx ones.

"Why would that make you angry, Sasuke?" Her voice was low, just above a whisper, but she knew he heard it. Backing away, he let go of her, turning his back on them.

"No one mocks me." Sakura watched as he took heavy strides towards his house. Looking towards Naruto, he signaled her to follow him. Sighing, she silently knew that was the true reason for his anger. Sasuke was a man of pride and for someone to damage it would be an issue.

Sakura turned, emerald eyes looking sympathetically towards the man on the floor, rubbing his jaw. Frowning, she looked between the two men. She wanted to help Tenshi, but leaving Sasuke alone wasn't an option. Tenshi looked to her as she turned her back, only mouthing a 'sorry' towards him.

Jogging towards the Uchiha, Sakura followed the brooding man home. His eyes remained straight ahead as he walked, seemingly well. Sakura felt a pain in her chest that she associated with guilt. It was her fault that Tenshi came to her. She didn't think he would say that in front of him. She would certainly confront him on it later on but right now, Sasuke was her priority. It was her mission after all.

"Sasuke, wait." Sasuke's steps grew wider as she spoke his name. Blowing a strand of pink from her eyes, she frowned. He was so damn stubborn. "Sasuke, please wait." He refused to halt to her words. Running a hand through her hair, she knew her words meant nothing to him. They never have, and they probably never will.

They soon reached his house-much sooner than Sakura had expected. Leaving her shoes at the door, Sasuke didn't seem to bother with it. Walking into the house, he moved towards his room. Sakura followed, her determination flaring in her bright emerald eyes. As he reached his room, Sakura was about to walk in until Sasuke slammed the door on her. Shocked, she stood still for a few seconds, registering the action. He was borderline childish before, and now he has officially crossed it. He doesn't talk he simply rages and runs. It was pathetically rude and so typically Sasuke-like.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled his name from the other side of the door. Ignoring her, he removed his shirt, throwing it on the floor. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he ran his hands through his raven hair, messing it up. His hands moved to rub his face tiredly as he let out an exasperated sigh.

He couldn't get over the fact that the unknown man had mocked him so openly. The respect he had obtained from those while he was away was immense. It was a feeling of respect laced with fear. That's all he's been exposed to the past few years. People were afraid of his presence, knowing what he is capable of. But here, he was an equal. The word made him frown. Sasuke Uchiha can't be an equal. Equals can't overpower.

The doorknob of his room moved, and a pink haired girl walking into the room. The moon reflected off her skin, causing her to glow. Her pink hair shone numerous colors while her emerald eyes sparkled like the diamond itself. Moving towards the bed, she sat beside him, her eyes drifting towards his body. He seemed distraught and hurt, something she hasn't seen with him in quite some time. Moving closer to him, she blinked, noticing he didn't react.

"Lay down." Her voice was loud compared to the silence that had engulfed the room. He didn't move and Sakura simply pushed him down. Her brute strength caught him surprise. Trying not to show it, he moved his head so it faced the window, allowing her to only see his profile. His hair formed waves behind him as his bangs framed his face. Kneeling beside his head, she placed her hands on his eyes. As they glowed a familiar green, they hummed against the silence. There, they stayed. Sakura healed him as he closed his eyes, the silence bringing him to a place of sincere calmness. His breathing steadied as he slept, nightmare less.