This time, when she opened her eyes, there was no sign of a struggle, no blood shed, no bodies, no sign of attacks. She sighed and looked over the edge of the cliff she was standing on, down into the shimmering water below. She intook a breath at how pretty the water looked.. how pure. If only she could just..

She took a step towards the edge of the cliff, fully intending to walk off of it and into the water below, but a hand gripped the back of her shirt, and shoved her to the ground. She bounded onto a pile of rocks, whimpering at the jabbing stones in her back and looked up at the shadow of a man looming over her. The katana at his hip and his notorious hairstyle already told her who it was. Sasuke's Sharingan eyes lit up the darkness, and he smirked, his eyes never leaving Sakura's face.

"Trying to escape again?" He jibed darkly at her, bending down to pull her up to face him by the front of her shirt. She gripped onto his arm, trying to let herself go, but he held on tightly, his smirk growing larger.

"So how much do I care for you now..Sakura?" He deadpanned, his free hand moving to pull out his sword. He aligned the blade so that it rested on his knuckles, against Sakura's neck. She felt the cold steel once more, and again struggled to free herself from Sasuke's grasp, but she couldn't move.

"P-please.." She whimpered, but he laughed shortly.

"Too late."

The last thing she heard was a flow of liquid and the snap of bone. This time she couldn't scream.

Sakura shot up from the bed, breathing heavily once more. This time, she had not uttered a noise to wake herself up. And it was a good thing, because Sasuke was beside her, lying still in the bed, and probably still asleep. She swallowed heavily and pulled the sheets up around her to cover her nakedness. She pulled her knees up to rest her chin on and closed her eyes, thanking that the sheets were cool so that she could cool her face. She wiped a small dab of sweat off her cheek, and then under her eyes. She had cried a few tears this time, but it wasn't many.

She peered from her side of the bed over Sasuke's body and out of the curtain covered window. She could see a hint of sunlight in the distance, and her alarm clock said it was about 6:30 in the morning. She bit her lip, and realized she was still a bit tired. She resumed her position, this time turning on her side to face Sasuke's back, watching his shoulders move with his calm breathing. She let a ghost of a smile grace her lips as she closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

This time, when Sakura awoke, it was calmly, without any nightmares, and the sun was shining through the curtains. She yawned, and stretched in a cat-like manner. She sat up, looking to her right, and realized that Sasuke had already left for his meeting. She rolled over and stood up, stretching once more, before reaching down to pick up her bathrobe that had been previously discarded. She blushed remembering said event, and tied her robe. She made the bed, and hurried into the bathroom to get washed up and ready for the day.

After making a list of food items she should get, she decided to pay a visit to Hinata's, stop into work and then do the groceries on the way home. She pulled her hair up into a bun and put on a pale lipstick and left the Uchiha compound. It was a warm summer day today, so Sakura decided that she was going to wear a light tanktop instead of her thick, cotton gear.

She stopped outside of the Hyuuga compound and knocked lightly on the heavy door. It creaked open and a pair of arms flung themselves around her neck.

"Sak! Where have you been, I feel like we haven't talked to you in months!" Tenten screamed happily, and Sakura laughed, returning her eager hug. She pulled away from the brunette, ignoring that the girl was only clad in a sweatshirt (probably Neji's) and shorts.

"Same to you, Mrs. Future Hyuuga." Sakura teased, pointing at the engagement ring on Tenten's finger. The girl blushed, laughed, and pulled Sakura into the house, dragging her into the kitchen.

"Well... Mrs. Uchiha, you caught us just on time! Neji is getting ready to leave for a mission, and Hinata isn't out with Naruto until later." Sakura looked in the doorway for her second best friend and ran up to her. The two embraced happily and the purple haired woman kissed Sakura's cheek sisterly.

"God, Sakura, it's been ages." Hinata said smiling warmly. She poured Neji out a cup of coffee and stood by the counter, drinking her own cup of tea. Tenten plopped down next to her fiance on a barstool, and kissed his cheek loudly. Neji smirked and smiled at Sakura, nodding warmly.

"Good morning, Uchiha-san." He winked and continued to sip his coffee. Sakura blushed and put her hands behind her back.

"Morning, Neji. But really, we've been friends for years, call me Sakura." She winked back and leaned on the counter next to Hinata. The four sat in happy silence, until Neji finished his coffee, and looked at the clock. He placed his cup in the sink and stood up, stretching his arms over his head.

"Well I'd better get going. I'll see you tonight, Hinata. And bye, darling. Nice to see you too, Sakura." He kissed his cousin's cheek and walked over to Tenten, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, placing a long kiss on her lips and then her forehead. She giggled, and smacked his behind as he walked past, earning a small grunt from Neji. Sakura watched the two, and couldn't help but feel a tad jealous at their loving actions towards each other. What she wouldn't give to have Sasuke treat her like that. As soon as the door shut behind him, Tenten stood up, munching on an orange. She shrugged at the two women in front of her.

"I'm gonna get a shower and head out to train with Lee. You two catch up, okay? And Sakura, I better be getting some more phone calls from you soon." She winked at the pinkette and disappeared down the hallway.

Hinata turned to Sakura, her calm eyes dancing. "Okay, so who tells who what first?" Sakura giggled, and took Neji's seat on the barstool. She tapped her chin and shrugged, pointing at Hinata.

"I really would like to hear about this romantic relationship between you and Naruto." Hinata blushed deep red and twiddled her fingers.

"Well I mean, ever since he asked me out about a year ago, we've been doing just about everything together. And I'm happy, Sakura, I really am. Naruto wants to take it slow, and I understand completely, he has a lot of training to do, so he's under some stress. Anyways, we've been doing a lot of missions, going to Ichiraku's, he took me out for a picnic, and he bought me roses..."

Hinata stopped herself from going any further into the details of the blonde's romantic ways, seeing that Sakura was just looking at her, smiling softly. Hinata held a hand over her mouth and looked at her friend apologetically. But Sakura smiled, motioning that she continue. Hinata pulled her hand away from her lips.

"S-Sakura, are you sure-"

"Of course. I am so happy you're telling me about your own happiness, Hinata. I love hearing about Naruto's romantic ways." Sakura smiled at her friend, and she was being sincere. She did love to hear about all of Naruto's little romantic tricks, and she loved seeing her friend happy, but.. it did hurt her deep down. She never got to have such a relationship with Sasuke before she married him. Sakura swallowed and bid Hinata to continue. She did, and after a while, the two were giggling wildy, and Hinata was holding a hand to her mouth once more.

"I swear he does, Sakura! When we were training one day, we took a break, and I was folding his things and a box fell out of his jacket! I was sort of curious, so I opened it, and it was a ring! Like an engagement ring! It was so beautiful and I know that he wants to continue to take things slow, he must just be waiting for the right time."

Sakura looked at her beaming friend. Hinata was practically glowing as she spoke of said memory, her cheeks glazed over pink, her eyes gleaming. Sakura smiled sadly at her friend, and nodded at her words. No matter what, she wouldn't show what she really felt, and that was jealousy. After a while, the two became silent, as Hinata ran out of things to tell her friend. She looked at Sakura, realizing that her marriage to Sasuke had taken some of the light out of Sakura's bright green eyes. It was as if Sakura spent her time wishing more than experiencing. She placed her hand over Sakura's, making the pink haired woman meet her eyes.

"So what about you? How is Sasuke? Is everything going okay?" Hinata smiled gently at her friend, who returned the smile.

"He's good. He's always off on missions, or training, but when he's home, he always likes to sit down and enjoy the silence. We like to sit outside on the back porch for an hour before the sun goes down, and I usually work on my research and work while he reads a scroll. It's... it's nice. Tranquil. I only wish that-", she hesitated, licking her lips, as she thought of the right words, "that he would open up to me a bit more, as his wife. I know Sasuke is a naturally quiet person, but he barely forms a sentence when I ask him something, let alone a full conversation. I just want the warmth of his companionship."

Sakura laughed, embarrassed by her words. She rubbed her arm, and shrugged. "It must sound stupid, I guess because you and Naruto can open up to each other about anything."

Hinata gripped her friend's arms and pulled her into a strong hug. "Oh, Sakura, it's not stupid. It's Sasuke, he's a man of ice, you know. But I bet, once you're carrying a child, he'll be all over you. I know, deep down in that abyss of a heart, there's caring for you. He loves you, I know it."

Sakura laughed, not realizing that she was getting tears on her friend's shirt. She pulled away, wiping her eyes and kissed Hinata's cheek.

"You're amazing, Hinata. I wish I could stay longer and take your advice all day." The two laughed, and Hinata walked Sakura towards the door, realizing she'd kept her friend for two hours. She hugged Sakura tight once more, wishing for her happiness.

"Be well, Sakura. Everything will work out in the end. Sasuke cares for you deeply. Believe it!" Sakura laughed at her friends words, wanting to make a joke about the mirror to Naruto's words of wisdom. She smiled and left the Hyuuga compound with promises of calling Hinata more often. And she planned to keep this promise.

After leaving the Hyuuga's, Sakura headed towards the hospital, passing by the small stores as she did. She giggled, placing her hands behind her back, watching the passerby's. Many acknowledged her, recognizing her pink hair and of course her new title as Mrs. Uchiha. She received their greetings warmly, and smiled at the small children around the stores. There were times when she realized that she really wanted to be a mother. She sighed to herself. This was one of those times.

She headed into the lobby of the hospital, feeling the cool air hit her face. She walked up to the desk, smiling at the woman named Hana as she did.

"Haruno-san! I-I thought this was your day off! Is everything okay?" Sakura laughed at the flustered woman and held up a hand to steady her.

"Everything is fine, I'm just here to pick up some of my research notes so I can work on them at home. And, I thought I might make sure there isn't anything I can help out with." Hana nodded, bowed at Sakura and took her seat once more. Sakura strolled past the desk and towards the stairway, heading up to the third floor, where her office was located. She greeted everyone happily as she passed by, and headed into her office. She headed towards her filing cabinet and opened it, searching through the semi-organized files and paperwork.

"S-Sakura-san! Isn't it your day off?" Sakura smiled, recognizing the woman's voice, and stood up, with a bunch of papers in her hand, to face her friend, Shizune.

"Yes, but I thought I might take home some work, for another time. Is there anything I can do while I'm here?"

Shizune shrugged, adjusting Tonton, the small pig in her arms. She smiled back at Sakura and bowed. "Not that I know of Sakura-san. It's been a lazy day here and for council, even Tsunade has taken a two hour nap. In fact I bet she's in her office now, drinking sake to pass the time. Ah, you know Tsunade. Well I should be going, I have to run some errands. See you tomorrow?" Sakura smiled at her dear friend, nodding. She walked past her and pulled the door shut to her office, whilst organizing the papers in her hands into a neat stack. She escourted Shizune down to the lobby and the two exited the hospital together, parting ways. Sakura looked up at the sky, seeing that the sun had gotten lower.

"Must be about 4 o'clock. I guess I should do some food shopping and get home to make some dinner." Sakura, turned and headed towards the market place, her hand grasping the small list of items in her pocket.

When she finally arrived home to the compound thirty minutes later, Sasuke was already home and waiting for her. She opened the door, balancing her papers and bags in her arms, and kicked the door shut behind her. She whistled a tune out as she walked into the kitchen and dumped her bags on the table. She huffed, pushing stray hairs out of her eyes and headed into the office area to dump her papers and keys on her desk. She straightened her shirt and walked back towards the kitchen. As she did, she passed the living room, and peaked in to see Sasuke sat on the couch, reading a scroll.

He looked like he was thoroughly concentrating on the information, but Sakura couldn't help herself from giving his shoulder a light squeeze and kissing his cheek. He jumped slightly, but continued to read his scroll.

"Aa."

Was that a hint of red on the tops of his ears? Sakura decided not to dwell on it, but peered over his shoulder, reading the scroll. Hm.. fire style techniques, eh? She shrugged, and stood in the doorway to the living room, her back to Sasuke.

"Pasta or rice for dinner?" She called over her shoulder. She headed back into the kitchen and began to unpack the bags of food, placing the items in the correct place. She heard his curt answer from the living room, and she nodded to herself.

"Pasta."

"Got it." She said out loud, to no one in particular, and opened the fridge, bending down to place the milk on the right shelf. She stood back up, unpacked the rest of the bags and threw them in the cupboard. As she turned back around, she almost ran into Sasuke, who had emerged from the living room and was leaning against the counter munching on a newly brought tomato. Sakura giggled, and grabbed two more from the bowl, and washed them in the sink, and got out the chopping board. She continued to sing as she prepared the meal, and even started to put a little dance to it as she stood by the stove, stirring the pasta.

"Hn." She jumped a little bit, but continuing her singing. She hadn't realized Sasuke was still in the kitchen. She would have thought that he would return to the living room to finish reading. Her cheeks felt hot as she could feel his gaze on her back, and her backside. She bit her lip and calmed her blushing, before turning around to strain the pasta in the sink. When she was done, she placed down two dishes of delicacy in front of herself and Sasuke's seating place on the table. She turned back around to get the cutlery, but Sasuke's hand on her arm stopped her. He didn't meet her confused glance.

"I'll get it." He said and headed over to the drawer. Sakura shrugged and sat down, licking her lips, realizing her stomach was growling. She thanked Sasuke as he placed down a pair of chopsticks before her and took his own seat. The two exchanged the words of gratitude before the meal, and began to eat. As she did, Sakura looked out the window, acting as if she was intrigued by the bird that had landed in the lemon tree outside. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts, and thinking about what Hinata had said to her earlier that morning, that she almost didn't hear Sasuke.

"How is Hinata?" She jumped at his question and turned towards him, but again, he looked as if he hadn't spoken in the first place. He picked up a piece of tomato, placing it in his mouth. Sakura smiled, and looked down at her food.

"She's good. She told me all about her and Naruto, I think he might propose to her soon, when his training load lightens. I also got to see Tenten and Neji too, I hope they get married soon, I can't wait to see it."

"Aa."

She took in a breath and continued eating. It had been a while since she really said her opinions on something to her husband. Usually, she figured he wasn't interested in her affairs, so she wouldn't waste time telling him. She guessed Naruto had had a word with him today and convinced him to do little things like that. And the cutlery retrieval. She took another large bite of a piece of olive and shot Sasuke a small smile. He looked back at her in question.

"How is Tsunade-sama? Shizune told me that today has been a slow day, and that Tsunade didn't really do anything today." Sakura closed her eyes, letting out a small laugh. Sasuke continued eating.

"Aa."

Sakura let out a small sigh, and placed down her chopsticks on her almost empty plate. She had left a few pieces of tomato. She was about to stand up and place her dish in the sink, when Sasuke's chopsticks shot out to her plate and picked up the small pieces of tomato swiftly, before returning them to his plate. She let out a small, girlish laugh, and stood up, now placing her dish in the sink. She went over to stir the left overs in the saucepan, and lifted it off the stove, bringing it over to Sasuke. She served him a smaller second helping, and washed out the little left over pieces. She ran the water for the dishes, and turned back around to watch Sasuke as he finished, her arms crossing.

"It's gotten a bit cooler now. I guess it makes sense, since it's getting dark." She grabbed her shawl from the coat hook in the hall and pulled it around her, rubbing her arms to warm herself up a bit. She looked out the window over the sink, and hummed to herself, waiting for the familiar chink of the chopsticks on the plate to signify that Sasuke was finished. When she heard it, she retrieved his plate from the table and discarded it in the sink and began to wash the dishes.

"Do you have any big missions coming up?" She asked over her shoulder.

"Not until next week." Came the stoic reply. She nodded, and looked out the window again, squinting into the setting light.

"Good, I was hoping you could help me out in the garden. You have a few loose stones on the walkway that need replacing, and I wanted to plant some Azaleas for the spring." Maybe some jasmines. And his fruit trees needed to be harvested. She nodded to herself, knowing she had a lot to do to make this house seem homely. She heard him let out a sigh from behind her.

"I'll pick up some stones from Jin's soon." She nodded once more, finishing up the dishes and beginning to dry them, still avoiding his eyes.

"Thank you, Sasuke." She said gently.

"Hn."

He stood up, pushing in his chair, and dissapeared into the office, appearing once more with three scrolls under his arm. She watched him pass the kitchen in the hallway, and she heard the back screen door open. She smiled, and finished placing the dishes back on the shelf, and headed into her office to pick up some papers to work on. Then she followed his lead and seated herself out on the porch next to him on the wooden bench.

Truly, the content silence was one of the things she enjoyed most about their marriage.