Warning: The following chapter contains depictions of sex, violence, blood and slight hints to PTSD and depression. Read at your own risk.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, goddamnit!

Chapter 5: The Great Haruno Circle

Where is all my warmth going?

I'm pretty sure it'll vanish by tomorrow.

If I synchronized our heartbeats,

Would I fall down the same as you?

Remember I'm always, always, by your side

No matter how far your heart strays

By the time we drift into the night,

Like little innocent birds, huddling together our wings,

You, the one who hides behind a smile when feeling lonely,

Are a blade of unmelting ice.

So, I'll bare my heart and hold you tight…

Forevermore.

"Synchronicity", composed by Yuuki Kajiura (translated).

…

"You're right. I have."

She sensed Sasuke shifting slightly by her side, probably in astonishment. Later, she would have to make an excuse as of what she meant by that, because she couldn't picture herself telling him she was some freaky time-traveler, nor to the spooky spirit in front of her. But a half-truth was always better than any lie. She wasn't about to elaborate. After all, there was a possibility the damn being could tell if she was lying. Just imagining being exposed in front of Sasuke gave her the heebie-jeebies. The questions would be endless, and the mistrust would never go away. Sasuke was the type to hold a grudge. If she was going to try and save his butt from screwing up a second time, she needed him to trust her, but it was a shitty job to do if she had to lie all the goddamned time. Regardless, it was necessary. It felt wrong to reveal the truth to him, because no matter how strong he was, or how good a shinobi he turned out to be, Sasuke was an unstable person who didn't take bad news well. His impressionable mind was fodder to people like Orochimaru or Madara, who fed on other's despair to manipulate them at will. The hypocrisy in there wasn't lost to her. After all, she was trying to do the same, even if she believed it was for his sake.

She needed —and wanted— his trust.

Suigintou stepped away from her, humming to herself. "As much as I would like to hear about it; it seems our time has just been cut short. They're here."

There was a disruption in the air, and Sakura felt her consciousness being pulled in all directions, the background once again blurring until the figures of Sasuke and Suigintou faded away. She was the first to open her eyes, feeling rotten and disoriented, as if she had a hungover. However, sensing a disturbing presence coming their way, she sobered quickly. There were three of them, possibly jonin or high skilled chuunin. Just by the feeling of their chakra signatures she could tell the battle was lost. Sasuke, as much of a prodigy as he was, could not dream of defeating three jonin with only her help, and as for her, even if she was decent and improving fast, she couldn't take on them. Her body wasn't up to par with her past self in the slightest. Besides, her companion wasn't awake yet. All that was left was either make a run for it or stay and defend Sasuke's unconscious ass, praying Kakashi would pick up on their tardiness.

The decision was made for her, as one of the three shunshined onto the room, blocking the door, a Kiri symbol covering his forehead in glistening metal.

Sakura reached for her pouch and grabbed a kunai she had personally poisoned. If she took him out, she could ensure an escape route through the window before his companions arrived. She positioned herself like Guy had taught her but stayed on the defensive. She would not let Sasuke all vulnerable.

"Wake up, damnit!"

"Well, well, look what we have here... I wasn't expecting to find two unprotected Konoha brats. Isn't your village the one preaching companionship and all that crap? You must have pissed off those two jonin real bad if they're sending you two off on your own..." The man chucked. His features were disguised by the night sky, but the moonlight left an eerie glow to his hair, his eyes darkened by the shadows of his side bangs.

Out of the corner or her eye, she saw a discarded vial, a plausible plan forming on her head.

"No response? How boring..."

Needing a distraction, she created a clone, as draining as it was. Then, she retrieved a smoke bomb from her pouch and stamped it on the floor. The room was filled to the brim with white smoke. The guy only laughed at that, probably baffled at the fact that she was trying to fool him with genin tricks. If anything, he was humoring her, the asshole. However, that could work on her advantage, him underestimating her. Sakura hid her chakra signature until it was nonexistent. Then, out of nowhere one of the Sakuras ran straight to him, kunai in hand, while the other skidded away.

He threw a kunai at her, expecting the clone to disappear in a burst of smoke. Instead, the dark blade stabbed tender flesh, spilling some blood and ripping at her left thigh. She bit her lip to silence a shriek, her body not yet accustomed to pain. Closing on him and taking advantage of his surprised state, if the widening of his irises was anything to go by, she attempted a clean stab to his side. He reacted just in time, as expected of a jonin, and moved aside. However, he couldn't avoid the slight gracing of the cold blade on his skin, which left a superficial cut.

It was enough of an opening for Sakura, because the amount of venom embedded on her dark blade would have paralyzed an elephant. The man gripped his side, gaping at the sudden loss of feeling, his skin itching slightly. His leg gave away as he started to growl in annoyance.

She felt the two shinobi left coming their way, so as quickly as she could, Sakura grasped the kunai encased on her thigh and pulled it out at the same time she activated her seal. The wound closed instantly, as if cauterized. She gestured her clone for the vial, and when she caught it, she gave away the order: "Take Sasuke with you. I'll play cover and distract the other two. Protect him at all costs. Ah, and alert Kakashi." At the sight of her clone nodding in understanding, she punched through the closest window, making the hole on the broken glass even wider. Her clone jumped out with an unconscious Sasuke on her back, and Sakura fought really hard not to worry about him not waking up yet. She didn't have the time anyways, not even to worry about the shards of broken crystals stuck in her gloves and picking at her skin.

As they advanced further towards the Ashen Village, Sakura stopped, turning around, knowing the two jonin were heading that way. They weren't even covering their chakra, and she couldn't quite decide if it was a trick to intimidate her or if they were simply stupid enough to underestimate her like their comrade had done. She prayed it was the second. Her clone paused as well pondering if she should stay and lend a hand, but Sakura chastised her as she fumbled with her pouch and pulled out a bundle of herbs. Smirking knowingly at the sight, her clone felt reassured enough when she watched the stack of herbs, so she sprinted away with Sasuke still on her back.

Oleander wasn't much of a threat, unless burned or ingested in copious amounts. If it happened to be in contact with fire, the resulting poisonous gas would leave the victim feeling sick for a while, but the right quantity of burned oleander could have them fainting. Sakura filled the vial with plants and lit a match, burning them inside while holding her breath. When she made sure they were combusting, she closed the vial for a moment, not enough for the flame to be consumed inside, but still long enough to produce some concentrated smoke. She felt the warmth of the gas though the glass and against her glove, and the sticky sensation of drying blood alongside the bite of crystal pointy edges piercing her knuckles.

The moment they appeared; she didn't waste a second. Without looking at their faces, she waited for them being close enough, and threw the vial to the ground with enough force to break it. The glass shattered, and the smoke covered her surroundings. While the other two coughed, she held her breath and high-tailed out of the clearing. However, she didn't have time to be glad, because just as she heard the thud of them collapsing on the ground, the memories of her clone came rushing back to her:

It was the other one; the ninja she had paralyzed at the hospital. He had confronted them, somehow getting rid of her poison. And now that her clone was gone, Sasuke was defenseless against him.

"Shit."

She cursed under her breath, speeding up to where she knew her clone had dispersed. The fucking bastard had appeared from under the ground; probably an earth type user. Her clone hadn't seen it coming, not sharing her sensory abilities, and had been gutted with a kunai as she shoved Sasuke out of the wayon a last ditch effort. When she reached them, the only thought process she could muster was to protect Sasuke at all cost, ninja knowledge be damned. So, before she knew it, her body had closed the distance between them, placing itself between Sasuke's unconscious form and the dozen poisonous kunai the bastard had thrown at him.

Her seal activated, but as she felt the burn of the poison coarse her insides, she knew she was in for a hard ride.

…

"Get me out of here!" Sasuke snarled, clearly agitated at the fact that Sakura was all on her own against the jonin while his body laid unconscious. The shinobi who had dispelled her teammate's clone was evidently pissed. He almost wished Sakura didn't make it in time to save him; the guy was out for blood.

Suigintou shook her faceless head. "Are you not interested in what she is willing to do for you, boy?" She sounded amused, and Sasuke had to repress a shudder, succeeding only out of pride. However, Suigintou could tell he was conflicted, maybe even scared for the pink haired girl. "Why do you want to go? So you can preserve your pathetic body?"

"She is on her own. Get me the fuck out!" The boy grunted.

She approached him, every new step eating away at his personal space. He refused to back up, stubborn as always, until he was faced with her flowy hair and blamk visage once again. He wondered belatedly if this is how intimidated his female teammate has felt when faced this close to the spirit.

At her silence, he snarled. "What?"

"Why should I let you go? You have purposely invaded my realm with your intrusion, defiled my connection with the girl. And you are extremely rude and spiteful for someone your size." She pointed dejectedly to his height.

"I can't die like this! I have things to do!" He snarled; his glare even more prominent as he gritted his teeth.

There was a brief pause.

"Fine then, you may go."

He blinked, surprise betraying his features for a moment. "Just like that?" The damn spirit couldn't make up her mind for the life of her. Just this conversation had him getting whiplash.

She laughed. He could only tell by the sound of it, which seemed so alien considering she had no mouth. "Just like that." Her finger pointed to something happening in the background, where the real action was happening. As in slow motion, Sasuke saw how Sakura came out of the tree line, engaging the half assed jonin in combat, as if the difference in level was nothing. She purposely covered his unconscious body with her own, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the enemy.

"Are you not curious about the outcome of this battle? I know I am." Suigintou chided. "If not, why bother follow her all the way here?"

At his silence, Suigintou twisted the knife even more. "Men step all over those who love them; they bask in the sacrifices of those who are willing to pay in their place for their ambitions." She flipped her hair, brushing it out of the way. "I wonder…"

Sasuke simply stared, resisting the urge to battle the wretched thing and growing anxious as seconds went by. He was growing dizzy.

"Would you sacrifice the girl or your hatred?"

"I am an Uchiha." He spat; his chin tilted up in pride. "I can have both."

The spirit chucked, or at least it sounded as if she had. "Not bad, for a human brat. I might even learn to like you." She snaped her fingers once, the sound resonating through his ears as his eyesight became a blur. "Tell her I will visit soon."

…

When his eyes opened, he wasn't even disoriented. He knew where he was and where he had been. His knee-jerk reaction was to curse Suigintou under his breath, then the urge disappeared as he realized he was face flush against something soft. Looking up, his still activated sharingan met strained emerald. The moment he understood Sakura had him against her chest though, he attempted to pull away like a scorned cat, half ashamed, half skittish. However, the pink haired kunoichi managed to stop him in time. That's when the young Uchiha saw the trail of blood coming out of her lips and the lines of her seal caging her skin.

"Thank kami… I made it." The relief on her eyes was so overwhelming he could hardly process what had just happened. Before he could say anything though, she collapsed over him, and Sasuke could do nothing but catch her, shocked as he was. In the distance, he could hear the tell-tale sounds of battle, but his brain could only stare at Sakura's back while her face was crouched against his chest now. He cradled her, watching the many kunai knives stuck on her backbone, some dark lines spreading around her wounds.

"Why…? Why?!" All Sasuke could see was his hands drenched in her blood as her skin and seal tried to close up the wounds around the edges of the knives. He heard her chuckle and put some distance just to look at him. He couldn't quite understand what was in her eyes when they exchanged glances. Hers seemed filled with relief, even though she was in pain. So much so, that when she answered, that relief passed on to her response, settling awkwardly over him.

"Why, you say…?" She coughed up some more blood, still holding onto her pleased smile. "Because… Because…"

"After all this time, I still care."

"Because I want you to live, Sasuke-kun." Immediately after, her eyes closed, and she lost all consciousness.

"Sakura!" Suddenly, his ears were ringing. Sasuke could only hear his own heartbeat. He could only cradle her even closer, as if she were some kind of lifeboat and he was about to drown. Memories of another time came to him, of not so long ago, when he had held onto his mother's still corpse. Mikoto had been the only other person who had looked upon him with the relief and tenderness Sakura had just showed.

He could see no more. His mind was filled with something else at the moment: Sakura's smile. Sakura asking if he was okay. Sakura crying over his unconscious body shredded by Haku's senbon, Sakura beaten to a pulp by the sound nin while protecting him, Sakura avenging them by killing Zaku, Sakura sparring with him, Sakura's bright chakra inside of him; healing his split lip. Sakura. Sakura. Sakura.

"Poison…" Absentmindedly, he managed to pick up Kakashi's voice by his side; the man seemed serious, the kind of serious he had been in the land of waves, when Zabuza and Haku had been moments away from finish them off. He understood then, Sakura was facing that same threat now: death. All because she had protected him. All because of him.

Thus, all he could think of, as he obeyed Kakashi and pulled the knives off her skin, is that she had been foolish, and that he couldn't understand why. She had said she wanted him to live, but that wasn't a real reason. It was just a statement. There had to be a justification as of why she wanted him alive.

But then again, he himself had saved the dobe's life by stepping between him and death. What had he said back then? That he moved on instinct, that he wasn't thinking straight at the moment. He had just moved.

Was it the same this time? He looked at her pale face bloodied face once more.

No matter. Those were questions for another time. For when she woke up. Because there was no way she wasn't. She simply had to.

…

The man had come to the makeshift camp with a gaping hole on his chest, bleeding to death. She could see his pale face turning to white ice. Tsunade had told her he was one of her renowned generals, a seasoned middle aged shinobi with a wife and a child waiting on him at home. Sakura had half a mind to remind her of the debris their village had become, that there was not a home waiting for them anymore. She stayed quiet, though. If she were the man who was now dying on the operation table, the last thing she would like to hear is that her precious people, for whom she had been fighting all this time, had possibly perished already.

The intervention lasted a grand total of five hours. The internal organs were deeply damaged, lacking pieces here and there, so they had had to force his chakra into regenerating the missing pieces by supplying him with their own and guiding his way through. Had it been anybody else and they probably would have moved on to another patient, but apparently, the man was a magnificent strategist. One of the few who were qualified enough to lead a battalion of a thousand men without breaking his vows to each of the soldiers under his command. Stable enough not to get distracted with revenge and doom them all.

Personally, Sakura couldn't have cared less about that. She healed him because he had grey, spiky hair. Like Kakashi's had been.

Perhaps that is why, when the man woke up on a frenzy, adrenalized, still believing he was on battle defending his comrades, she allowed him to drag her to his dirty, bloodied bed. The man was feverish, jumping from a mindset to another, like a madman at the verge of death. And for a moment, he started talking to his wife. He called her Kyoko. And while he declared his love for the umpteenth time in his life to this unknown woman who was probably long gone, while he undressed her believing it was the last time he had to taste happiness, she thought of Kakashi, with whom she hadn't shared a last moment. Sakura closed her eyes and pictured an eye grin, a familiar hand patting her pink hair, a man willing to die for his team, the sensei who protected Team 7 against Zabuza when they had felt threatened for the first time, and she thought of the same man dying alone somewhere. She still hadn't had the time to mourn him, to make piece with the knowledge that he was no more.

So, she let this man, who she couldn't put a name to, take whatever he wanted from her, just in case he took away her memories with him. Just in case he would rip away the face of her Genin sensei from the bottom of her shredded heart.

The man survived, but she didn't see him again. Not that she cared about it. Thou she figured, if she ever did, she wouldn't recognize his face anyways. That measly half an hour they had shared was to never be spoken of. In the man's mind, he had been making desperate love to his wife, and in Sakura's, she was simply indulging in physical comfort when nothing else had worked. Later on, when facing alone the dark fabric of her tent, she would think of her first time, and she would acknowledge to herself only that she had just wanted to be embraced in whatever way possible, that she could cry now.

So, she did.

He parted one week later to the frontline again, and she returned to her healing, the face of her sensei still very much present on the forefront of her conscience.

…

Someone was talking. There was a familiar sound, a familiar voice. She was cradled in familiar arms, warmth, safety… It smelled like dogs, sweat and aftershave.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Her voice sounded meek even to her, eyes half-lidded and clouded with fever. "I'm—"

"It's alright, Sakura. We're getting you a medic. Just hold on." He sounded slightly alarmed. What could he possibly be scared of when she was feeling so warm and cozy?

On the back of her mind, though, she acknowledged her own drowsiness and movement, as if they were making their way to some place she couldn't imagine. On her right, she heard another voice, also strained, but a little more high-pitched. Maybe even tainted with anxiety. She recognized it as Sasuke's.

"Has she woken up?!"

He sounded really stressed. She wished she could turn to him and soothe his breath, his concerns. Sakura didn't know what was wrong, but she was sure they could work through it. They were a team after all. Where the hell was Naruto? She could have used some of his positive vibes!

"Don't worry, Sasuke. I won't let anything happen to her." Kakashi's voiced lured her into his masked face. His eyebrows scrunched together. His sharingan was unmasked, staring at her in concentration.

"Kakashi-sensei—"

"Shhh… It's better if you don't talk right now, Sakura-chan." He tried to calm her, eyes tensed but showing off some misleading confidence, as if he was absolutely convinced of what he was saying.

"No, you don't understand!" Agitated, she gripped his jonin vest with an iron grip. "I'm sorry!" Some tears escaped her eyes, but she didn't know if they were of physical pain or emotional sorrow. Probably both. "I'm sorry I failed you! I'm sorry I left you alone. I didn't know you would—" She coughed hard, and to her stunned sensei's gaze, she fell unconscious under her own agitation. The poison was spreading rapidly.

"Sakura…" He nearly choked on her name.

At their side, Sasuke frowned, now extremely pissed off because the asshole didn't even care for her own current situation. Instead, she was talking nonsense about abandoning Kakashi, as if she didn't have more pressing matters to worry about.

The most interesting thing, thou, was the slight hint of recognition and grief in Kakashi's usually unbothered face; it looked as if Sakura had struck a chord there.

…

Mebuki liked singing to her only child. When she married Kazashi, they tried for years to conceive. She wanted a beautiful girl, one she could share her stories with, one social butterfly she would dress up to take the world by storm. One charming being with otherworldly beauty, conniving and intelligent. Her husband had wanted a boy, an heir he could show the intricacies of commerce. Someone who could take on their humble familiar business.

Apparently, kami wasn't on their side back then. No matter how much they tried, no matter how many fertility beverages Mebuki took, she would not be with child. She had cried every night then, thinking her marriage was doomed, that the hollowness of their house would catch up with them, and destroy them both.

However, just when she had lost all hope and her marriage was indeed at the verge of rotting from the inside, kami decided to bless her with a baby. Her little baby.

So, at night, when she was still pregnant, and for the many years to come, she would sing to her baby girl the same song her mother had sang to her, and her grandmother to her mother before her:

"The great family of dango dumplings…

Hold out their hands in mirth to the moon shinning.

And they form a circle of love and happiness,

Because their little sweet hands melt together as one."*

And one evening, when her sweet but timid child sat by her on a bench at the park, still not engaging with other children no matter how hard Mebuki tried to introduce her to some of them, Sakura asked:

"Mommy, why is our family crest a white circle?" She looked up from her three-colored dango stick, which had been her source of focus all afternoon. Mebuki sometimes worried her child struggled with attention deficit disorder or something. She would always be distracted, as if looking away at another plane of existence.

"Why ask that so suddenly, Sakura-chan?"

Little Sakura ignored her question, only adding: "Papa says it means unity."

Mebuki snorted, knowing all too well her husband and his tendency to keep the matters of their family always hidden under wraps. What happened inside the family stayed on the family, but she supposed all clans were like that, even more so the ninja clans of the village. "I don't think your father explained it right."

At that, little Sakura tilted her head in curiosity, the dango definitely forgotten. Mebuki had to snort at the irony. The only thing Sakura cared other than sweets was her curiosity. If she settled her mind on a question, she was always determined to find an answer, and she had taken upon herself to encourage such behavior, because according to the book How to Raise Intelligent Children, curiosity was to be rewarded. There was nothing more exciting than knowing your child was a promising case, to say the least.

So, she always tried to answer her child's questions to the best of her capabilities.

She embraced Sakura, all of a sudden, wrapping her arms around her little frame and grasping her own hands in front of the child's face. "Do you see my hands forming a circle around you?"

Sakura nodded, eyes widening in understanding.

"The circle are your arms, and everything that goes inside is what we are willing to die for. My arms protect you because you are my most treasured person in the world… And when your father married me, his arms joined mine to have an even bigger circle."

"Will my arms also wrap around someone?"

Mebuki laughed. "I'm sure you will."

"And would there be someone to make the circle even bigger with me?"

"How could there not be? You're irresistible. You'll be forever loved."

"That's not true, mama…" Mebuki frowned when Sakura faced the other way in shame. "I have no one but you and papa."

"That's because you're timid, but once they get to know you like your father and I do, they'll have no choice but to fall on their knees." When the pink-haired child perked up, the mother smiled to herself. "You'll see…"

Never had Mebuki suspected her precious only child would ask days later to be enrolled on the ninja academy. It had stung as if she had been shot by an arrow. The thought of her Sakura fighting off dangers of all kinds or dying alone somewhere she wouldn't reach filled her with nightmares at night.

And Sakura's decision would later strain their relationship irreparably, but how could she deny her, when the first thing she had said about it was: "I met a really cool girl today! Her name is Ino, and she's super cool! I want to be strong like her, mama! I want my arms to be strong enough."

"Your arms…?" As Mebuki face paled in recognition, all she could process at the moment was that How to Raise Intelligent Children was going straight to the trash can.

…

When Sakura woke up, her body felt like it had been pulled in all directions. Taking a quick scan with her medical chakra before even opening her eyes, she soon understood the damned chuunin had poisoned her, and that her liver had taken the blunt of it all. She also noticed the bandages crisscrossing over her chest. They were probably there just in case, for her back felt healed —probably because of her seal— though she wondered about the inevitable scars which were going to remain on her back because of the poison. The Byakugou could not immediately cure poison, though it could fight it off until an antidote was taken, or eventually work her body into assimilate the toxin, however tiring and long the process would be. Not to mention the fact that, if her chakra reserves were to be lost in the middle of the process, she would remain even more vulnerable against the toxin. So, no, the Byakugou was no definite solution to any poison. Her old body had developed some resistance against the most common kinds, courtesy of her own doing, but unfortunately, that body was no more, so she was on square one on that one. Again. It was frustrating to know just how much she had regressed in terms of strength and endurance, if the fight against those three chuunin was anything to go by.

A strong snore distracted her from her musings. Just by the side of her futon, Gai-sensei was taking a nap. The man was probably worried sick watching over her and had probably fallen asleep while supervising her condition. Judging by the looks of it, Gai and Kakashi made their way back to them before the chuunin managed to disable Sasuke. Or at least, she hoped so. Just in case, and very slowly, she hoped up from the futon and fastened her white cotton robe around her waist. She padded soundlessly, with the grace of a true ninja, to the door, only to be grabbed harshly by a strong, big hand. She turned around on a frenzy only to find Gai with a raised eyebrow staring right back at her.

"Where do you think you're going, missy? Also, did you really think you could skip on the almighty Green Beast of Konoha?" His voice took on a friendlier tone, as if he had suddenly realized she thought someone was about to attack her.

"Sorry, Gai-sensei. I just wanted to make sure Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke were okay…"

"Such care, you truly are a beacon of teamwork, Sakura-chan." He was smiling at her now. "They have been keeping an eye on you since we brought you back to the inn. I suggested they went to blow off some steam, so they're probably sparring somewhere near here."

"I see…" She sighed in relief. Suddenly, the extent of her condition hit her full force, but as she stumbled to the ground Gai managed to support her and help her get to bed again.

"Easy there, blossom… You're still in no condition to be moving around."

She appreciated the thought, but she didn't want to give her body too much thought, not after the many dreams and memories that have assaulted while unconscious. At the back of her mind, she was pretty sure she had dreamed of asking forgiveness to Kakashi. Or at least she sincerely hoped it was a dream. "What about the chuunin? What happened to them?"

"One of them escaped, so our mission continues until we eliminate the threat. The one we found unconscious, which we assume it was your doing, was taken to Konoha by ANBU agents to face investigation. The other one, the one who poisoned you, was killed by Kakashi."

One thing Sakura found curious about Gai is that he was extremely informal and downright cringey when talking, but missions were serious business, and when he knew there was no place to chit-chatting and gloat, he reported as if he was writing the damn thing in your face.

"I see… How long have I been out then?"

"Around six days."

"What?!" The dim light of the room told her it was nighttime.

"The owned, Konno-san, called for the village's apothecary. He came up with a very common antidote and he said since he didn't know the exact poison you were afflicted with, he had to improvise. I must say, though, you fought it off pretty well on your own. I wouldn't expect any less from my youthful cherry blossom!"

She cringed slightly at the nickname he came up well. "Thanks, I guess, Gai-sensei…"

"Well, I'm gonna let Kakashi know you're up and about. Also, you should eat something. I don't care how tired you are. Tomorrow we resume our training, yosh!" He was out of the door before she opened her mouth to say anything else. She smiled sadly to herself.

"Guess I'll have to thank him tomorrow. For all that shameless flair, he sure is a goofball."

Not five minutes later, Kakashi and Sasuke invited themselves in through the window, the former trying to keep that general i-don't-give-a-fuck attitude of his —she knew better, though— and the latter… Well, Sasuke looked a second away from strangling her.

"What—?"

"Why?!" He closed on her, glaring at her. His gaze the coldest she had ever seen on this Sasuke.

"What do you mean 'why'? Was I supposed to let you at his mercy while you can't defend yourself?!" She knew she had to keep her fangirl façade, that she should act all flustered and shy around him, but the more time they spend together, the harder it became.

"You've been out for six days! Six fucking days! We thought the poison was going to kill you at some point!" He started shouting now, which did nothing to control her temper either.

"Maa, maa… Stop it you too." Kakashi tried to interfere but was beaten to it by Sasuke's harsh words.

"You're in no condition to step between me and danger! You're weaker than me! Just stay out of my way!"

Silence filled the room since they made their entrance. Sakura would have liked to tell herself she hadn't given it any importance, but it wouldn't have been true. His words hit too close to home not to hurt. Her fears of not being enough to keep her loved ones safe were always there, at the back of her being, coupled with her constant inferiority complex and her need to prove herself.

"Sasuke." Kakashi's tone shifted suddenly, now adopting that commanding voice he reserved when giving orders, and thought Sasuke didn't say anything more, he also didn't look regretful at all.

"No. He's right." She conceded. "Sasuke-kun is much stronger than me." Her eyes obscured under the dim lighting of the room. It was supposed to be cozy in there, but Kakashi swore he could feel the temperature going down a notch as his student faced one another. However, he understood Sasuke all too well, even though had been attempting to calm the boy down. The seal could break any time, and Sakura would never forgive herself if she came to be the reason Sasuke lost all control. Seeing Sakura apologizing so profusely to him had reminded Kakashi too much of Rin, and so his last six days had been hell as he dealt with a broody brat, a half-dead comrade and the reminder of the death.

"Have I ever told you why the Haruno crest is a white circle?" She said, way too suddenly.

Both sensei and student backpedaled at the sudden change in topic. Her face gave away nothing, stoned and serious as she faced the young Uchiha. She suddenly felt tired and small, but at the same time she wanted her point across. At their silence, she continued on: "My mother told me once, the circle is made of our arms, which can go on their own or form another bigger one when finding a partner… And inside our circle, embraced and protected are our beloved ones."

She held her head high, staring at her pale-faced teammate whose expression wasn't giving any of his feelings away. His palms were balled up in tight fists.

"And laugh as much as you want, or deny it even, but you, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto… All of you are inside my circle. So, if anything, the bigger it gets, the stronger I'll have to become. Forgive me, if I didn't meet those expectations the other day, but as long as you're alive, I can't even bring myself to regret it…"

"Even if you die?" His voice sounded harsher, as if it had had to fight its way out his throat.

"Even then."

"Then, you're an even bigger fool than the dobe…" With as clenched jaw, he skidded out of the room, not even looking back at her. Not that she didn't expect any less. She knew deep down Sasuke would only care about his revenge, that he couldn't fathom the idea of someone willingly bearing their lives for others. He may still be his genin self, but maybe she had idealized the idea of him after so much time trying to bring him back home in her past life. Perhaps his defection and corruption was unavoidable after all.

On his part, Sasuke had a nightmare that night. It wasn't a strange occurrence. He always dreamed of the massacre, of the death bodies of his parents and relatives, or the bright red orbs of that man. However, that night he woke up startled, a feverish fear shaking him bare. He had dreamed of an adult version of Sakura getting between Itachi's blade and his body.

A.N: Hi, guys! First off, I'm sorry about these two past months. Honestly, I didn't post any chapter because college was keeping me on my toes. You know, last course, exam period… I'm beat. I had to keep myself from writing because no matter how much I tried to get on with the chapter I just never liked the outcome, and I blame it on me being sleep deprived. Regardless, here it is now, and I hope you like it, cause I really tried this time. Though, I DID manage to post some one-shots on Tumblr and I might compile them into a story here in FF, what do you think? Would you read them if I did?

As for this one, I've been wondering for a while what the Byakugou can and cannot cure. So, apparently it reproduces cells at an alarming rate, so it can close wounds or even reattach limbs if the wound is fresh, but then again, what happens if you're poisoned or beheaded?So, I've been theorizing about it in between exams and since there's no canonical content on it, I guess it's up to me to create my own headcanon. Also, I`ve been scrolling down some forums for inspiration, and some of the ideas people shared there sounded pretty reasonable to me. That been said, allow me to explore, since Kishimoto doesn't care enough to do it himself.

By the way, I don't know if you noticed but I try to match the lyrics of each song's chapter with the mood, or Sakura's past and feelings. Sometimes feels like a pretty cheesy thing to do, but I'm a sucker for this kind of crap. Keeps the fanfiction-addict in me going.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter! I sure hope you know of me earlier the next time…

Rose-Colored Amy.