I don't know why I do these things to myself.

Disclaimer: I am too tired and lazy to own things.

"I should probably go make sure they don't kill each other." Sakura sighed as more crashes boomed and a girl (Four Eyes, Sakura thought with a grin) screeched, "YOU! YOU IN THE ORANGE! GET OFF MY SASUKE-KUN RIGHT NOW BEFORE I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING DRASTIC!"

"That would probably be best, although I think Naruto is just welcoming him home." Kakashi paused and scrutinized her.

Why is he looking at me like that? Inner Sakura shouted.

Stop exaggerating! And stop looking into all his glances. He can only express so much through one eye, so shut up for once! She shouted back.

"Sakura, you be careful now, alright? You know how…they can be." With a frown and a cryptic glance, he seemed to hesitate before disappearing with a poof.

Uhm, do you see where I am coming from now? What was with that last look, and that pause before he said they?? Inner Sakura really got on her nerves sometimes…

You know what he meant by it as well as I did, don't be more annoying than usual! And while it's really nice of him to worry about my wellbeing around Sasuke, I can totally handle him! I'm older now, more experienced—

Experienced in WHAT? Inner Sakura snickered.

How does a person argue with THEMSELVES? It was surprising Sakura hadn't completely lost it by now.

How can you say that about me—US, actually? I am an excellent medic, I've nearly beaten Naruto in a fight, I beat Sai once, and I can beat Ino without a problem! I am NOTHING like I was when I was twelve, I have dated other guys and I am totally over him! Sakura concluded with a scowl, speeding off in the direction of the crashes.

When Sakura reached the bench, she couldn't believe her eyes. Sasuke and Naruto were outside the gates and surrounded by mass destruction.

Fallen trees littered the ground, some broken in half or knocked over entirely. Some looked like they'd been lifted out of the ground and thrown at something…or someone.

Sakura cackled gleefully. Tsunade was going to bust their asses for this one!

They were moving so fast that if they weren't both dressed in basically one color, she wasn't sure she could've discerned who was who. Naruto was an orange blur, charging over and over again at a blur of black and white.

As Sakura got even closer, she realized Naruto was talking to Sasuke, sometimes in shouts and sometimes at a normal Naruto level (which was still loud).

"You broke her HEART, you bastard! You left her on that bench, but you might as well have killed her! After you left and ABANDONED us—"Naruto emphasized his point with a well aimed blow to the gut, "—Sakura was like a different person! She tried to act normal, but Kakashi and I saw through it! Sasuke, you no good son of a bitch, after you left she stopped SMILING for us!"

He broke off, panting from exertion as Sasuke did the same. Naruto looked enraged and ready for more, and Sasuke was as unreadable as ever.

Sakura guessed some things really never change.

But Sasuke's eyes seemed a bit…troubled? She shook her head. At this distance she was surely just seeing things.

Sakura could only stand by in mute horror as Naruto threw himself back into the fight, as well as his rant.

"You really don't know what you did to her. It took her years to recover, teme! Her eyes died. She was a frickin' zombie with the way she dragged herself around trying to convince everyone there was nothing wrong, when it was so completely obvious she was half a person! You took her fucking heart when you left and you damn well better GIVE. IT. BACK."

Naruto ended his point by grabbing Sasuke around the neck and shaking him for all he was worth.

"You put her back, Sasuke! You took her away from us and you'll put her BACK!"

Sakura had definitely heard enough…and then some.

"NARUTO, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Naruto froze immediately and began babbling incoherent words.

"Naruto, you get off of Sasuke RIGHT NOW, do you understand me?!"

He dropped Sasuke quickly and turned around with a sheepish expression... Well, as sheepish as one can look with their face smashed in, that is. Now that she was up closer, she realized they both looked like shit.

"Eh, sorry, Sakura! I just saw him and he made me so mad, you know, because—"

She set her hands on her hips and hit him with her fiercest glare.

"I don't care about your reasons, Naruto. No one gave you any permission to reveal my personal problems to the ENTIRE VILLAGE, least of all ME! Now you drag both of your sorry asses over here so I can look at you!"

Naruto swallowed thickly and nodded, spinning around to grab Sasuke and bring him over.

Sakura decided she was never coming near that bench ever again. She would keep a fair distance from it for the rest of eternity, if that's what she had to do to avoid these upheavals in her life.

She buried her face in her hands and sighed. Was this really happening? It had to be a dream…

But no. When she looked up, Naruto and Sasuke were still there, looking at her expectantly. (Well, Naruto was looking expectantly, Sasuke just seemed a bit confused…)

"Alright, Naruto, you know the drill. Sasuke, shirts off!" she commanded with a confidence she definitely did not feel.

I can do this, I can do this. Sakura coached herself. I have healed hundreds of men before with less on, hell, with NOTHING on. I am nearly twenty years old, and not a teenager, and Kami are they GORGEOUS.

Who was she trying to convince anyways? It was a lost cause. Being a ninja went hand in hand with having a defined body, but Naruto and Sasuke were immaculate. With Naruto's healing abilities he had no blemishes or scars on his skin to speak of, save the wounds he had just suffered from his spar with Sasuke.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had tiny lines in random places across his torso. Slivers, mostly, but they gave his skin a special something that—

What am I thinking? I am completely off my rocker!!

Clearly she could NOT do this. But she had to; she was the one who had done this to herself. As one might say, Sakura had dug her own grave, but boy was the view nice from down there!

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and sighed (again). She crouched down in front of Naruto and ghosted her chakra filled hands over his torso to inspect the damage.

Worried she was sending him the wrong message, Sakura gave him a swift jab to a particularly sensitive bruise that would remind him he wasn't off the hook.

He had two cracked ribs, his shoulder was slightly dislocated (Kami only knows how he managed to pummel and throttle Sasuke like that), and he was covered in black and blue.

"You're both idiots! Who does this to each other, honestly? You could've died if someone hadn't interfered!"

That someone being, obviously, her. She gave them both pointed stares.

"One of these days, Naruto, you're going to exceed your limit. That fox can only do so much, and I really don't know how you manage as it is. How are you even still alive?"

Naruto broke into a grin, but stifled it when Sakura threw a swift glare at him. He winced, but couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice.

"Well, teme here puts up quite a fight!"

"Hn."

I will ignore it, I will ignore it, I will ignore—

"He speaks!" she joked.

Fuck!

Sasuke eyed her warily. She would've too, if she were him. She rolled her eyes, however, and finished up on Naruto.

"Alright, moron, you're as good as new. If I see you again today, it'll be too soon. You got that?" She finished threateningly, but softened it with a smile to let him know he was forgiven…for now. He winked, pecked her on the cheek, ducked her swipe at him and squeezed out a quick, "Thanksbyeseeyouguyslater!" and sped off, leaving her alone.

With Sasuke. (And his freaky team…)

Stupid Naruto.

She turned to Sasuke and scanned him.

"Naruto sure did a number on you, huh?" She said in a jovial tone that was mostly to herself.

He had two broken ribs, three slightly cracked ribs, his collarbone was broken, and his neck was completely covered in bruises as was most of his chest and back. His nose was broken, his cheek was fractured, he had two black eyes and three dislocated fingers. And that was just his upper body!

"Well, he had someone to fight for. At least some things never change."

The glow in her hands faltered.

W-What?!

"W-What?!" she spluttered. Was she hearing things now, too?

Sasuke glowered at her. "Well, if that's the way you're going to be than fine."

Oh, THAT'S rich coming from HIM! Her Inner self crowed. And Sakura really couldn't help but agree with her.

Instead of voicing this out loud, she chose to concentrate more heavily on healing his several injuries and definitely not dwell on what he'd said.

And failed.

"How I'M going to be? That's pretty hypocritical, coming from the King of Monosyllabic Answers with Differentiating Meanings! I swear that's the most I've ever heard you talk in one sitting in my life!" Sakura shot out. She couldn't help it!

He scowled at her for a moment and looked pointedly over her shoulder.

She was beginning to think she was finally out of the woods (when had woods ever been good to her anyway? Especially where HE was involved. What did she do to deserve this?) when Sasuke spoke. Again. (!!!)

"Was he telling the truth?"

Sakura jumped a bit and vowed she would eventually adjust to hearing him talk.

"Was Naruto telling the truth? About when I…left?"

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. She totally didn't need this right now. She just wanted some sort of jutsu that could send her back in time so she could tell her twelve year old self not to fall for this brooding, egomaniacal, psychopathic, sadist. Because only a sadist could keep talking to her when he knew that it must be causing her extreme loads of agony to even be near him.

She was over him, that was for sure. She had absolutely no doubt in her mind, and being a little happy at seeing him shirtless was not a weird response. It just meant he was hot, not that she LOVED him!

Tell him, or don't tell him. Tell him, or don't tell him. Tell him or—

"It's really none of your business." She said briskly. She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "If you cared, you would've been there. But you weren't, and so I was left to pick up the pieces. Naruto may not be over the whole situation, but I definitely am. You're done Sasuke, and there won't be any scars left over. You and your, uh, friends, should probably go see Tsunade."

She flicked her gaze over to his assorted team, consisting of two boys (one of whom HAD to be Shark Boy) and the one girl who was clearly Four Eyes. Sakura suppressed a smirk and a giggle as she pushed herself up and clapped her hands, turning around to leave.

But Sasuke had to go and open his mouth and talk. AGAIN. (!!!!!)

"Don't think this is the end. I had a question, and you failed to answer it."

He turned towards his teammates, but not before turning his head and adding, "And don't get used to me talking. This is a one-time deal."

(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

How did he know?!

"You know, you're still easy to read. And one of these days I'll get the whole story out of you."

"Why do you even care?" Sakura bit out, before clamping a hand over her mouth in shock.

What was it about Sasuke's presence that made her say the stupidest things? It seemed all she ever did around him was say the wrong thing, and then run off.

Which she found herself doing….Again.

She sighed a bit, but not without devising a plan. So he says it's not the end, but nobody could get the story out of her, not even if they killed her. This was an extreme situation, though, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Sakura changed direction and found herself running to the one person she knew (hoped) could (would) help her.