COME BACK SAKURA

by: arual-chan

This is just some little one-shot I thought up about Sakura leaving and Sasuke's feelings for her. Saku/Sasu by the way. I got bored on my computer the other day and edited it. I usually don't post fics, but I actually had this one typed. Sorry if the characters are OOC, but isn't everyone? Anyway...enjoy! Oh, this doesn't involve Itachi. Let's just say he doesn't exist. He really bugs me. That means Sasuke was just mean because he felt like it. I don't want to make up a reason...

Thoughts in italics

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just use 'em.

"Sasuke, I need you to go get me some herbs." Kakashi said to the boy one day at training.

"Um...why?" Sasuke asked.

"Because I said so." The sensei replied.

"This is a girls job," Sasuke mumbled, but never-the-less left in search of the aforementioned herbs.

"And Naruto... I want you to go and find Iruka," Kakashi added.

"Okay!" Naruto shouted, then went to do Kakashi's bidding. When he saw them gone, Kakashi laughed and pulled out his naughty little novel. "Haha, suckers."

"And what about me?" a girl's voice asked from right behind him. "Sa...Sakura?" he asked, surprised to see the kunoichi who had disappeared from their lives years ago.

"In the flesh." she replied. "When did you get back? And where did you go?" Kakashi questioned.

"Listen, enough of your small talk. It's time to die!" and before Kakashi could blink, he was slashed apart by thousands of shuriken.

"Kakashi what kinds of herbs did you want?" Sasuke inquired coming back from the direction he had departed.

"Kakashi...?" he called but upon stepping into the clearing, he found his former teammate. "Sakura?! When did you get back?" he then noticed his teacher's lifeless body on the ground. What happened?!" he asked urgently, crouching beside the dead man.

"He had an...accident." she told, grinning.

"Don't tell me you..." Sasuke asked as the blood rushed out of his face.

"Uh oh, Sasuke you look so pale. You better be careful or you just might find yourself having an accident too. Like today. Like now. Goodbye Sasuke-kun." Sakura smiled and Sasuke found himself in the same position as his late sensei. The last thing he remembered seeing was Sakura's smiling face...

Sasuke woke from his horrid dream, sweat pouring off him, and landing on his once clean sheets. "It was just another nightmare." He told himself, but he couldn't get back to sleep. " Sakura... why did you leave?"

It had been over 2 years now, but he still couldn't believe she was really gone. Over and over he had had the nightmares, and he couldn't get rid of them as hard as he tried. But, then again, he didn't really want to, for they were his only memory of the only one he had ever loved.

"Damn it! I can't take this anymore! I have to do something!" he shouted, grabbing a coat and storming out of his apartment.

He wondered around the village aimlessly searching, though he knew not what for. Once again he asked himself the same questions, "Why did she leave? Does she still have feelings for me, wherever she is? Will she ever return?" He knew he'd regret his midnight wandering the next day at training, but he didn't care. He only cared about one thing now. And that was her, the woman who had walked out of his life before he could ever tell her how he felt.

He decided to go drown his sorrows in sake, it was his only escape. Sasuke had been doing that a lot lately since she had gone. He was surprised he wasn't addicted to the stuff. But to him, it tasted bitter, like his life. When he got to the bar, the guy on shift recognized him, and asked him, "The usual?"

Sasuke just nodded.

A girl came up to him and started flirting, but after he ignored her for 10 consecutive minutes, she finally took the hint and left him alone.

"Man, she was hot! Why'd you just ignore her like that?" the guy on shift asked him. "Oh, I get it. She's not 'the one' is she? Let me guess, your girl left you for some biker who's in a gang, huh? Happened to me too."

Sasuke just ignored him as well. 'I didn't come here to be antagonized by everyone. Why won't these people leave me alone?'

FLASHBACK:

"Just leave me alone, Sakura!" he said.

After looking shocked and hurt for a moment, she bounced back, "I can't do that Sasuke." she replied.

"And just why not?" Sasuke asked, incredulous someone had actually talked back to him.

"Because...I care about you." Sakura answered, blushing.

END OF FLASHBACK

'I turn down all these women for her and she probably isn't even alive anymore.' he thought and paying his tab, decided to take his leave. 'Still, through it all, she was by my side, and she's the one who finally broke my shell. But right after she left, I made a new one to take her place.' He smiled wryly at the humor of the situation. 'But... then why do I have dreams that she murders us?' he returned home. 'Maybe I'll never know.'

The next day (or rather, later that morning) was hell when Sasuke woke up. Try a hangover AND total weariness. For a moment he wondered why he put himself through it, and then remembered... Sakura. 'Do I try to be strong...for her? In hopes that she'll one day return? Well pal, you are sadly mistaken. Why would she come back to you? You were always an ass to her.' Sasuke walked to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face hoping to somewhat relieve the hangover. Then he went through the rest of his preparations for the day and readied to leave for training.

"I cant believe I almost forgot!" he said and hurriedly grabbed a fortune cookie from a bowl on the kitchen table. 'Today is your day. CARPE DIEM.' It said. He ate the cookie and rushed off, thinking about how the fortune cookies on his table, and why he opened one every morning before leaving. 'Ever since she left I've done that. A stupid ritual, but I wouldn't give it up for the world.' He flashed one of his rare smiles. And then he left.

"You are late," were the first words he heard as he entered the training area. He saw Naruto already practicing not far away.

"And you never are?" he muttered. But apparently he wasn't quiet enough, because Kakashi heard him.

The sensei disappeared into a puff of smoke, and poofed back up, right in front of Sasuke. "You have something to say?" he asked the boy, smiling in a very unnerving manner.

"No" Sasuke replied.

"Good, now, back to training." Kakashi pulled out his book and read while also watching his students train.

LATER THAT EVENING

A girl walked into the village, unsure of where to go. But anywhere other than the spot she was already standing in would have been good enough, for she was smack-dab in the middle of the road. The girl was deep in thought, though, and either didn't notice or didn't care that she was indeed, in the middle of the road.

She really should have, however, because a car was steadily approaching her exact spot.

The driver was looking straight ahead, but there was fog out in the cool evening air. "Damn fog! I can't see a thing!" he grumbled. And when the girl finally realized there was a car coming, it was too late to do anything. Well, almost. As the car bore down on her, she saw it and using her quick reflexes, she barely jumped out of the way. And even then, she was still hit.

Now, the man driving the car wasn't stupid. Even when you can't see something, you can feel it. Especially if you are in a car, and you hit a body.

He quickly pulled over, and got out of his car. By magic, it seemed, the fog suddenly cleared. And he saw her. A girl, lying on the road.

He thought she was dead, but he saw her stir slightly, and thanked God he wasn't a murderer. But seeing her all right also made him angry.

"Are you crazy?!? You could have been killed! What kind of person in their right mind stands in the middle of the road?!?" he shouted. After a moment of silence, he added, "At least you're alright. Don't you have anything to say?!" he interrogated angrily at her muteness.

"Goodbye." she replied, and started to walk away. "

Oh no you don't!" he thundered as the witnesses started to gather. A policeman did, too.

"Everything all right here folks?" he asked.

"No" the man answered.

"What's the problem?" the policeman questioned. The man began to explain...

"Whew, I can't believe Kakashi kept me so late." Sasuke said to himself as he walked home from training.

He was heading home to call it a night, but a gathering of people caught his eye. Against his better judgement, he went to check it out.

"What happened?" he asked a person beside him. He couldn't get close enough to get a good look. "I think a guy ran over a girl. No one's badly hurt, but no one can identify the girl either. She seems to be lost in thought. And she won't talk to the police or let the ambulance take her to the hospital to treat her wounds. What a fiasco!" the robust man exclaimed.

Sasuke had a feeling about this. He didn't know why, but before he knew it, he was shoving people aside to get a better look. He couldn't believe his eyes at the site that greeted him.

There, right in front of him, he saw Sakura, standing beside many police and medical officials. He also saw the man who had apparently ran her over. "SAKURA????" he yelled rushing to the scene. "Please stay back," a policeman said, trying to control the crowd. "I know her!" he yelled, breaking past the man to Sakura.

"Sakura! What happened to you?" he asked, worried-yet happy to see her alive.

"I don't know, Sasuke, can we please go now?" she asked, trying to stand, but failing at her attempt.

"Sure. Let me carry you. You're in no condition to walk." he answered. Was it really her after all this time?

"I'm fine," she gritted her teeth.

"No." Sasuke stated firmly. Apparently she was still that same girl, determined to not show her weaknesses.

"Fine, but you better move fast. I've been here for hours, and I'm likely to kill someone soon." she growled.

He gently picked the girl up, and left the disaster zone. No one protested because he was gone before they could blink. At least being a ninja taught him something. Sasuke took her to his house, and started to lay her on his bed, but she tugged at his sleeve to stop him.

He glanced at her, puzzled and a bit offended that she would not want to lay there, but as she saw his look, she quietly explained, "I don't want to mess up your bed."

She partially lifted her shirt, and he saw a long, deep, gash on her side that was bleeding freely.

She hopped out of his arms and proceeded to walk to another area, but he stopped her saying, "This is more important than messing up some stupid sheets. We've got to clean and bandage your wound."

"I'm okay," she lied meekly, but Sasuke gently poked her injury making Sakura sharply inhale. That silenced her immediately.

"You never were a good liar." he commented, giving her a look that said 'lie down before I make you lie down!' and as tempted as she was to see just what he'd do, she did as he told.

First he cleansed the huge cut, inwardly cringing when she cried out in anguish at the slight pressure he was applying. But bandaging proved to be the real ordeal seeing as how he had to pull her shirt up even further to wrap the gauze. Both he and Sakura blushed like mad while he was doing it. That proved that she didn't hate him...right? He tried striking up a conversation to pass the time.

"So you're back. Why?" Sasuke asked once he was done.

She sighed and took a deep breath. "I, well...I missed everyone. And I took care of the business that I left for."

After a look from Sasuke, who was now sitting in a chair across from his bed, she continued, "I left to get stronger. And to test my faith."

"In what?"

She hesitated. "I...don't really want to say. But I guess you have the right to know. My faith in you. I wasn't sure if I loved you anymore. Actually to tell the truth... I wasn't really sure if I had loved you at all. But I realized..."

Sasuke's doorbell rang then. 'Perfect timing' they both thought, only, one of them thought it sarcastically, the other didn't.

It was Naruto.

'Why in the world would Naruto be here?' Sakura wondered.

"Hey, Sasuke, do you have my throwing knives? I can't seem to find them. I thought you might've taken them by mistake."

"No." he said.

"Okay, bye." Naruto energetically bounded off. Sakura appeared in the hallway. "What was that all about?" she inquired, but her eyes were what caught his attention. For some reason, they were glistening. 'Why are her eyes like that?' he asked himself, saying aloud, "He thought I might've had his kunai."

"Oh"

"So...our discussion?" he asked her. But when he looked up, he found that Sakura had fainted.

'Great, she overexerted herself.' Sasuke thought.

'Where am I?' Sakura thought upon waking. She rolled over on her side, bringing forth the pain and the memories of the car and...her conversation with Sasuke. She tried to stand, but she felt dizzy. So instead, she looked around. In the chair across from her, she saw Sasuke curled up into a little ball, shivering. "Sasuke-kun," she murmured, taking her blanket and wrapping it around him.

"Sakura?" she heard him whisper. She turned to him surprised, but he was still asleep. She smiled and went back to bed.

NEXT MORNING

Sasuke awoke the next morning and found himself in his blanket and Sakura not in the room. Instead, he found her in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. "You should be in bed, you might faint again." he warned her. She just smiled and replied, "I have to repay you for letting me stay the night. Plus, I have to keep up my strength up so I can train."

Sasuke nearly choked on his food. "You can't train! You're too weak!" he scolded.

Though he meant because of her blood loss and lack of energy, Sakura took it the wrong way. She was tired of being called weak, it was the main reason she had left, so when she came back stronger she could prove everyone wrong. She had sworn to herself that it was the last time anyone would call her that.

Sakura glared at him and said stonily, "I can, and I will. Now hurry up so we can leave!"

"WHAT?! You are delusional! You can't train with Naruto and me!!!" he protested.

"Just watch me." Sakura announced, defiance flashing in her eyes.

"I don't think so!" Sasuke yelled grabbing her arm. Sakura turned to him, shocked at the sudden gesture.

"Sasuke-kun?" she questioned, shock and alarm evident in her voice.

"You'll get hurt. Worse." he said quietly, eyes downcast.

"Why do you care?! Why are you trying to protect me?! When did you change so much?! Why did you change so much?!" the girl interrogated him.

"Please, just trust me Sakura. Just for today, that's all I ask. Give yourself time to heal." he pleaded. If he could just take it day by day, maybe he could get her to rest tomorrow, too. But for now, all he cared about was her being uninjured.

He couldn't protect her from that car, but he could protect her when he was around. "Fine!" she stormed off out of sight.

Sasuke was partially angry; partially happy with himself for getting her to stay. For now, he just wanted her to himself, to make up for lost time. But he didn't know how long he could keep her from the rest of the world...

He went to train, once again. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, but he was a bit more cheerful, and Kakashi and Naruto noticed, but refrained from saying anything. He thought about Sakura the whole time and prayed she would still be there when he returned.

Surprisingly, she was.

"Hi!" she cheerfully greeted him upon his arrival.

"You aren't still mad?" he asked suspiciously.

"I never could stay mad at you." she confessed as nostalgia crept into her voice. They went into his living room and sat on the sofa.

"So what did you realize about your feelings for me?" he inquired, referring to their previous conversation the day before.

"Were you thinking about that the whole day?" she asked, trying to stray from the topic.

"Yes and no. So...?" Sasuke returned to the subject only to have Sakura change it once again.

"You sure have changed from the old Sasuke." she mentioned. He sighed a resigned sigh. Looks like she would get to that topic when SHE wanted, no sooner.

"I was cruel. No one likes a person who acts that way."

"So it was all an act?" she questioned, grinning.

"NO, maybe I should rephrase that... when you behave that way." he corrected.

"Who did you want to like you?" Sakura quizzed, studying him curiously. "The Sasuke I know didn't care what people thought about him."

"I don't!" he said defensively earning a laugh from the girl. Oh how he had missed that laugh!

"Um...Sasuke? C...can I ask you for a favor?"

"What?" he inquired.

"Can I stay here another night? Just one more! And I promise I'll clean and cook and even do laundry! I'm just not ready to go home. Please?" she desperately begged him.

It seemed to take him awhile to consider it, but really, he was just thinking of the possibilities. If she stayed, he could protect her, see her, and well, those were good enough reasons for him.

Sakura looked worried. He flashed her a small smile. And then he said, "Okay... but on one condition. You have to not train." She frowned at this, but reluctantly nodded her agreement.

'It is only one night.' She remembered, but suddenly asked, "Why are you letting me stay? And since when do you smile? The old Sasuke would've never even considered it. Either one."

"Some things change." he somberly told her. "The old Sakura would be jumping for joy at the chance to stay here. But you were reluctant because I said you couldn't train. You used to hate training. And you don't seem too happy to see me."

"It doesn't matter," was her answer. She was looking down ashamedly.

"But it does," he murmured, turning her head towards him.

"Sasuke," she said. "I still love you."

"And I love you, Sakura." He whispered back, leaning down and kissing the stunned girl.

"Since when?" she asked breaking the kiss that she had thought she would only dream about.

"Right after you left, I realized I did. I was so miserable. I couldn't get you out of my head and I had these nightmares that you came back and killed us."

"Oh Sasuke! Why were you so cold to me? I almost gave up on you because of that." she questioned.

"I'm sorry. But that's all in the past now. Do you forgive me?"

She snuggled against his warm, muscular body, and he in turn, wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. "Does this answer your question?" she responded playfully.

He just grinned.

THE END!

A/N: did you like it? Thanks for reading! Please review! Um...bye!