Renewed Chances, Chapter 20

Chapter 20: "You had me at hello."

Sakura walked down the crowded street of Konoha, a look of contentment and happiness graced her features. Lately everything in her life had been going right.

She had returned from the final battle with Yusuke and his followers… It was almost 7 months ago she believed. She really didn't care she had been content with the peace Konoha was having and she was not really bothering to care about anything else.

Just about her.

Konohas Peace

Relaxing

Her Friends

…

Oh, yea and sasuke.

Every time she thought of the day they got out of the hospital, the pinning against the wall and kissing her until her brain went fuzzy from bliss, caused her to blush every time this thought arouse. It's not every day that this happens to you. And its not every day the last surviving Uchiha is the one kissing you. The one downside he wasn't much of a PDA person, holding hands was somewhat seen out in public but anything else was really hard to find when they were in public. But did she mention he was practically considered a sex god among every single fan girl in the village? Though, no one had ever really seen him be close to a girl he wasn't related to besides Sakura.

Ah, yes the fan girls had been quite the problem for sometime. The threatening letters, stalking them from place to place, and that one attempted attack was enough to piss anyone off. It was just their bad luck they decided to piss off a girl with an extremely short temper… and her over protective boyfriend.

After that life had fallen into a boring yet, happy routine.

Wake up, eat, hospital, lunch with friends/ sasuke, random work, relaxing, dinner, out with sasuke, sleep. And repeat.

Of course she had the occasional mission slipped in between the routine.

But she was content with this life, and her friends and Sasuke made her happier than ever before. There was only one little mess up in her life that had happened recently.

Her mother had caused quite the commotion.

~1 month ago~

Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and TenTen all walked into their apartment, tired from the days activities and it had just been a long day. Sakura was surprised though when she saw her mother sitting at the table in the kitchen her hands laced together and her lips set into a firm line. She was angry. Sakura could tell at least. She only sat like that when she is angry or worried… or both.

"Um hey mom?" Sakura said unsurely as to why her mother was in her house.

"Hey Ms. Haruno." Tenten Ino and Hinata chorused not unused to the sight of the red headed women in front of them.

"Sakura I need to talk to you right now." Her mother said seriously standing up from the table.

"Um. Ok." Sakura said awkwardly unsure how to respond.

"there has been a mess up with the sale of this house so by tomorrow you'll need to bring all your things into your old homes. Except for Hinata, the hokage has been told you're being assigned to a branch building in the Hyuuga household. Ino you'll be going back to your parents as will you Sakura, and TenTen you are going to move back into the smaller house you had before." Her mother spoke monotonously

"What? You cant do that." Ino yelled.

"Your lying!" Sakura sputtered.

"T-that cant b-be" Hinata muttered.

"Dammit" TenTen grumbled.

"Im sorry girls, councils orders and the hokage cant do anything to change what has happened so you'll have to deal with it." Sakura mother said/

"Now Sakura I've already moved your stuff out of the house and back into ours and well be leaving now. We've got a very important meeting to get to." Sakura mother spoke as she left the apartment.

"cant I say bye first?" Sakura asked

"No now come."

Without anything left to do Sakura hung her head and sadly followed her mother out the door. Leaving her sad, and confused friends behind. Silently cursing her mother in her head the whole way home.

Once at home Sakura's mother forced her into an ill-fitting tight green dress that some how coincidentally hid all of her scars from ninja battles.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked as her mother pushed her along the street to an fairly expensive restaurant.

Without a word, her mother pushed her right through the restaurant and down to a table with a man, and woman, and what seemed to be their son.

Sakura cursed in her head. She knew something bad was going to happen and she wished her girls were here, and that Sasuke and Naruto hadn't gone off on a week long mission about six days ago.

"Ah. Mr and Mrs. Takishima and Yuuri." Ms. Haruno greeted.

"Ah. Harunos. Welcome to dinner." The Takishimas greeted.

Sakura didn't miss how Yuuri looked at her, being a ninja she didn't miss much and the way he looked at her had lust written all over it. For a second she was glad Sasuke wasn't there or otherwise there'd be a painful scene in this restaurant right about now.

She ate through dinner quietly not really paying attention to what the adults were saying until she heard her name being brought up.

'So Sakura, what do you do?" Mrs. Takishima asked.

"I'm a kunoichi, trained by Kakashi Hatake, and the Hokage herself, I'm also teammates of Naruto and Sasuke, Im a skilled medic ninja and Im dat-" Sakura said happy she was able to get on to a topic she liked: the ninja world. But was soon suspicious of her mother who coughed as soon as she said that she was dating Sasuke Uchiha.

"Oh." The takishimas cast a look of disapproval between each other. "that will have to stop after the wedding."

"Wedding?" Sakura asked, "What wedding?"

"Oh silly girl yours and Yuuri's of course. Your mother and I decided it would be best and no daughter in law of mine is going to be a ninja, that's the mans job us women should stick to household chores." Mrs. Takishima smiled.

"No!" Sakura yelled standing up.

The Takishimas looked absolutely appalled.

"I will not marry this this pig who's been trying to undress me with his eyes all night." Sakura yelled collecting her belonging preparing to leave. "I am happily dating Uchiha Sasuke, maybe you've heard of him? But yes we've been dating for almost 6 months now and I refuse, I refuse to marry your son. And no I will not ever quite my life as a ninja Goodbye." Sakura said storming out of the restaurant almost breaking the door of its hinges.

That was the last she'd hear from the Takishimas. Her mother however was a different story.

Around 15 minutes later her mother ran into the house fuming.

"how could you embarrass me like that?" She yelled.

"Me? How could you try and marry me other to that little creep?" Sakura yelled back

"I demand you go and apologize to them right now and ask to marry their son" Her mother said sternly.

"No absolutely not. Im happy with Sasuke," Sakura said indignantly

"Ugh this whole ninja life style is a bad influence on you! Along with the village traitor and the demon boy." Her mother scoffed.

That was it. That was the one thing to break sakuras patience. You could talk like that to her about herself but definitely not to her about her precious teammates.

"You don't even know them!" Sakura yelled.

"Oh yes I know them all to well! They are horrible you should of never met them." Her mother said angrily.

Sakura was fuming. "Oh really? Well without them mother I'd be dead! Im so sick of you judging them based on their family and their past. They are my family too! And Im not going to stick around here while you treat them like that! Im leaving I don't care what the council ordered I'm not living here with you any longer!"

"Where will you stay? None of your friends can let you in. Also the Uchiha boy and The demon are gone." Her mother said smugly as If she had won the fight.

True sakura didn't have the key to Sasuke house, which she later would get as a 6 months anniversary present from Sasuke himself. But she did have one key.

"That's were your wrong mother dear. Naruto gave me a key to his apartment when he left for training with Jiraiya. Actually he gave it to me when Sasuke left. So ill be staying there."

"Well then you can live with them! Until you quite this lifestyle and stop associating with those kinds of people, you are not welcome in this house and you are not welcome to this family!" Her mother shouted slamming down a glass shattering it against the counter.

Without another word or glance Sakura collected her clothes, went to Narutos apartment dropped all her stuff off, collapsed on his bed and began to cry.

~The next day~

Sakura lay in Narutos bed asleep her eyes red and puffy from all the crying that she had done last night.

Early that morning Naruto and Sasuke returned from their mission. Sasuke went to go turn in the mission report while Naruto went home for some much needed sleep.

As he yawned and said bye to Sasuke he turned down the road to where his house should be, stopping for an early ramen along the way. By the time he reached his house, it had been about an hour, and Sasuke had probably finished the report by now, was what Naruto mused as he unlocked the door to his apartment.

He was taken by surprise when he found a familiar reddish pink duffel bag on the floor and a pink headed girl asleep on the bed. Instantly his over protective older brother instincts kicked in and he shook Sakura awake demanding to know what had happened. As Sakura retold the whole story, Naruto comforting her every so often when she would burst into fits of tears, she had finally finished the story and they both knew where they should probably go.

To Sasuke's.

Naruto swung the duffel bag onto his back and picked up Sakura who had fallen back asleep in the few minutes Naruto had been pacing around his room. He quickly roof hopped over the Uchiha district, banging on Sasukes door loudly.

"What the hell do you want do-" Sasuke grumbled at the sight of the hyperactive blonde standing at his door, at an ungodly hour, but he stopped talking when he saw Naruto's serious expression, Sakura's duffel bag and said pink haired girl in Narutos arms, with her eyes red from crying.

"Tell me everything. Now." Sasuke glared.

Naruto walked inside and put the girl on the couch and the bag on the floor. As he retold the story Sakura woke up, being a ninja she was taught that when your in an unfamiliar place you should stay quiet. Which is exactly what she did. Though after a quick scope she found out the place she was at was Sasukes, and she directed her attention to her 2 talking teammates, just in time to see Sasuke glare and the Sharingan bleed into his eyes as soon as her almost fiance and her fight with her mother were mentioned.

As the story ended both boys noticed that their 3rd teammate was awake now.

Without a word in a very un Sasuke like way the Uchiha boy went over to Sakura, and embraced her in a hug she immediately clung to his chest and began to cry again. After she had calmed down Sasuke slowly released her. Her were eyes red from recent crying, and she wiped them furiously trying to get the rest of the tears away.

"I'd let Sakura stay with me but im dating Hinata-chan and it'd be a little odd living with another girl…" Naruto drifted off as sasuke pushed him out of his house.

"Your staying with me now." Sasuke said walking over to the pink haired girl. "We'll get the rest of your stuff later.

"Thank you so much Sasuke-kun" Sakura smiled as Sasuke handed her a key, she looked up confusedly at him.

"The key to my house and the other Uchiha compounds. Early Anniversary present." He mumbled softly not looking at her.

Sakura ran up and embraced the boy she'd known most of her life who was now her boyfriend. What would of happened if he weren't? Sakura shuddered at the thought.

With a quick bow Sakura rushed off to the bathroom fully intent on taking a well needed shower the past 2 days had been stressful and she hadn't been able to shower at all recently.

Sasuke sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Things had taken a bad turn. He shook his head and walked off to go make breakfast, there was no way he was going to get to sleep now.

Sakura leaned against the door in the bathroom. Furiously rubbing at her eyes to stop the tears from falling again. Why had this happened to her? Separated from her best friends, by the stupid councils ruling, almost married off because of her mothers selfish desires, and now she had left home and probably wasn't able to go back.

Later after Sakura had finished her shower and put he stuff in a spare room down the hall from Sasukes, and sasuke had finally come back from training it was time for Sakura to go and get the rest of her stuff from her house.

'I, I cant do it Sasuke." Sakura whispered holding his wrist keeping him form walking further.

"sakura." He said lifting her chin so she'd look him in the eyes. "You can do this."

"B-but" Sakura started

"Sakura, listen to me. You are a strong capable kunoichi." Sasuke whispered quietly to the trembling girl. "This is no problem for you."

"O-ok" Sakura sighed and with that she wiped her eyes for what seemed like the thousandth time that day and she headed off to her mothers house, attached firmly to Sasukes.

She mused silently on how Sasuke had been behaving very out of character since he got back. She just summed it up to him mad at the situation she had been put in and the almost engagement last night.

"Sakura-chan!" A unfamiliar male voice yelled causing the pair to turn around, and up came running a brown head of hair that sakura thought looked oddly familiar. She paused trying to remember but it was to no avail.

"I missed you! Even though its only been a day! My parents and your mom say that we can still be engaged you just have to come to lunch to finalize the plans.

Sakura could of sworn she heard Sasuke growl as he tensed up next to her. Sakura just stared dumbfounded at the boy in front of her. Did Yuuri not see who she was with?

"Listen go back and tell you parents and my mother that I will never marry you. I am happy where I am, and no im not going to this lunch. Just forget it!" Sakura yelled her former fears about meeting her mother gone out the window and replaced with anger.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sasukes eyes turned red. Another thing that had been happening a lot lately.

"She. Is. Taken." He growled stepping close to Yuuri but, he was held back from attacking him as Sakura quickly turned them around and headed for her old house.

When they went to the house, Sakura quickly held back her tears as she saw her mother sitting indifferently on the couch as she and Sasuke walked through the door.

"The boxes are in the hall." Was all her mother said.

Sakura quickly went down the hall and picked up most of the boxes, Sasuke grabbed the bigger boxes and left out of the house, giving Ms. Haruno a glare as he left, she didn't spare a look at either of the 2 teenagers in her house as they took their stuff and left out of her house.

As soon as Sakura got back to Sasuke she broke down again much to her disappointment. Sasuke just silently embraced as she cried into his shoulder. Though halfway through this, Naruto and the rest of her close friends broke through the door and joined them in comforting Sakura, Though Neji and Shikamaru kept out of the embrace. All of the girls were now in tears along with Sakura. Naruto slowly pulled away patting Sakura on the head, and was soon followed by each of the girls and then Sasuke who gave her and almost unnoticeable kiss on the forehead. Sakura stood up, her eyes were red but she wasn't crying anymore. Much to the relief of her friends.

Their day ended pretty much like that. With Sakura being comforted by various of her friends. Then Naruto or Ino or someone would try and brighten the situation.

~Present time~

Sakura hadn't heard from her mother since, the event happened. Later each girl had found out that the whole 'have to move out event' had been a scam, and Sakura had decided to move back in with Ino, TenTen, and hinata. She and Sasuke decided it was too early in their relationship to be living together permanently thought she'd occasionally spend a few nights or just a night there every once in awhile.

Ino and Shikamaru had been moving through their relationship very slowly but hey it was Shikamaru. Neji had gotten his relationship with TenTen approved from his clan, and they had grown closer since.

Sakura smiled as she thought of Hinata and Naruto. The 2 of them had grown almost inseparable, you couldn't find one without the other. They were probably the cutest couple out of all 4 of them.

Sakura was broken out of her happy thoughts when a panting ninja appeared in front of her.

"Your requested at the hokages office. Its urgent"

In the blink of an eye, Sakura and the ninja had disappeared. Leaving villagers in the street dumbfounded.

As Sakura appeared in the Hokages office, she was met with the stern faces of the Rookie 12 and the hokage as well as Shizune. Apparently she was the last to get the message.

"Many of our ninja were hurt in a blast just a ways away from the village, we are guessing the attack will come towards Konoha and we only have awhile to prepare. Naruto, Neji, Sasuke, TenTen you will be in the line of defense against any attacks on the village, Shikamaru you will report back here in a bit to make a battle plan, Lee, Chouji, shino and kiba you are to scout for the enemy, and if needed join the fight, Ino and Hinata get the villagers to a safe spot and then defend them, and Sakura you are our best medic in the village you will be in charge of healing the gravely injured once the injuries have cleared up you are to join the others in the fight." Tsunade spoke calmly but sternly.

The ninjas nodded.

"Sakura-chan I didn't know you were the best medic I just thought you were one of the best" Naruto shrugged trying to make a transition into a new topic.

But Sakura was already in medic mode. She had quickly put her hair up into a messy bun, and was ordering the lesser medics for her charts as she sped walked down the hall. Her friends at her heels.

"Sakura?" TenTen called.

"Hello? Is anyone in there?" Ino yelled.

"Sakura why arent you responding?" Neji said raising a quizzical eyebrow, the pink haired girl was never this quiet.

"Troublesome/." Shikamaru sighed

"Hn." Sasuke said he and Naruto knew what this was they were her teammates it would be bad if they didn't recognize her medic mode.

"Oh its her Medic mode." Ino sighed knowing the petal haired girl wasn't going to respond soon until all her charts were done.

Sakura walked into a hospital room of one of the ninja who were injured in the blast.

"Chiyako, charts." She spoke sternly. Sakura scanned it over nodding to herself every so often.

"Oh this is bad." Sakura said looking at the mutilated man in front of her. If she didn't act soon he would die.

She quickly began to heal him, her friends watched interested while the arms and legs healed over and the muscles and limbs fixed themselves.

After a tiring couple minutes, he was stable and Sakura passed him on to Chiyako for her to heal the lesser injuries.

This continued on for a bit until one by one each one of her friends were called out to do their jobs. Once sasuke was leaving Sakura broke out of her work mode for a few seconds.

"Sasuke-kun" Sakura called catching the boys attention.

"Hn?" He asked turning to face her.

"Sasuke, be careful. I don't want to have to come and find you here in the hospital hurt to the point where I don't recognize you. Don't be a hero." sakura said softly

"Don't worry you wont." He smirked this reassured her a bit if sasuke was this at ease she knew things wont be that bad. "You be careful too, don't use up to much chakra."

"I know I know ill just heal them to where they're stable. Besides its my job as a medic-" She began to state, but she was interrupted by Sasuke.

"You cant heal everyone Sakura. Stay alive." Sasuke said before giving her a quick kiss and jumping out the window.

Sakura turned on her heel and headed back down the, for once, quiet hospital halls.

Konoha was at a sort of standstill while they waited for the patrol groups to get back. The people who were on the line of defense were stationed around the village at crucial vantage points, and the people in the hospital where quickly fixing up the rest of the injuries. Then another explosion happened taking out half of the village wall and injuring one section of Konoha.

Everyone immediately sprung into action.

The villagers were ushered into a safe spot a quickly as they could, but more and more explosions were happening and none of the defense members could find the site of the explosions or who was creating them. Sakura and the other hospital members scurried around the hospital trying to deal with the new onslaught of patients.

Later, after the fights had been going on a long time and the explosions were stopping, everyone thought it was over since the person who was the culprit was caught by Sasuke and Nejis group, but before he was caught he sent off one giant bomb that hit right by the hospital under hokage mountain which sent a pile of rubble crushing part of the hospital and splitting off that part of the village.

The man was immediately put in prison while the other ninjas went around picking up left over explosions while others were sent to check on the latest explosion.

No one could figure out who was trapped and how much of the hospital was rubble until they got the answers from someone inside and that might take awhile.

Tsunade sat in her office sighing at the chart in front of her. Many people were injured and approximately 20 were dead outside of the hospital which, was pretty good all in all considering the villages size. But what worried her was the hospital. Who made it out? Who was hurt? Who was dead? What of her staff? What of Sakura?

TenTen, Neji, Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru walked up to the hokages office pretty pleased that they had caught the culprit since they were out in the field no one knew of what happened to the hospital yet.

That was until they were met by the faces of a worried Ino and a near tears Hinata who was immediately comforted in the arms of Naruto.

"Why the long faces? We didn't lose that many people did we?" TenTen asked suddenly worried.

Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Neji just looked at the hokage waiting for the answer.

"No, only 20 or so outside the hospital are dead and many are injured." Tsunade said rubbing her temples.

"Then whats with this atmosphere?" Shikamaru sighed.

"The Hospital." Ino said solemnly

"what do you mean?" TenTen asked

"The last explosion…" Ino said tears beginning to form, she immediately encased herself into Shikamarus arms crying into his chest.

"The hospital was hit and buried under rubble in the last blast. We have ninja going and checking through the part that was relatively undamaged but we cant get to the other side. There is chakra infused in the rocks making them almost immovable. Were waiting for the statistics from a nurse on the okay side now." Tsunade spoke very seriously, those were her medics under there and her injured villagers.

"Is that why you're worried? The injured people?" Naruto asked.

The girls shook their heads no.

TenTen gasped. Neji, Sasuke, and Shikamaru seemed to have figured it out also.

"Sakura's in there isn't she?" TenTen said her face downcast.

Everyone else in the room gave a barely perceivable nod. Sasuke growled and clenched his fists. He had told her not to get hurt. Yet he wasn't just mad at her and the situation he was mad that her couldn't protect her.

"We have to find her!" Naruto yelled.

"I know I know." Tsunade sighed as a battered up nurse which every one recognized as Chiyako came in.

"Um I have the report." She spoke hoarsely as soon as she gave the paper to the Hokage she ran out of the room.

That was not a good sign.

"Most of the nurses, are safe just battered up. 75 percent of the patients are on the okay side. 10 people are dead, Were just missing the other quarter of patients, a few lower level nurses…" Tsunade listed off.

Everyone in the room held their breath as they awaited to hear if Sakuras name would be listed

"And," Tsunade began "No one has seen Sakura since the blast happened. She assumed to be on the wrecked side."

Sasuke cursed loudly and slammed his fist against a wall.

A few seconds later Tsunade called Chiyako back in.

"Y-yes Tsunade-sama?" She asked quietly

"Tell us what happened to Sakura and the others."

"Oh um ok, well Sakura heard the click and shifting of rocks before the explosion happened and we were all pretty drained of Chakra so she used her strength to push our part of the hospital away while hers was crushed in rocks. From what we could see she smashed the first few before they hurt anyone in the hospital but then more and more came and we couldn't see her anymore, and a few other nurses were over there and some patients." Chiyako said quietly.

Sasuke cursed and stood up quickly and dashed off to where the hospital was with the other 6 of their group following him.

Sakura coughed and opened her eyes and was met with a disastrous site her precious hospital was covered in rubble, she could see 3 of the nurses had died from impalement, and 5 of the 10 patients were dead as well. That left 7 people excluding her somewhere around the remains of the hospital. She quietly and quickly moved through the dark destroyed hallways in search of the surviving members as soon as she found one of them she'd heal their gravest injuries and move them to a spot where she could lay them all out comfortably. She knew her chakra was almost gone, as soon as she found the last person and healed them she knew her deposits were dangerously low and she hadn't even healed herself yet. But as a medic her patients came first, then herself. She collapsed next to everyone else for awhile, before getting up again.

The other 7 were very weak and almost dead, Sakura knew she had to get them out of there. She went over to the rubble took her last bits of chakra and began smashing her way out.

2 hours had gone by and no one had made it to the other side. Neji and Hinata activated their byakugan awhile ago. Searching for survivors.

"8 are dead." neji reported.

"Are any of them Sakura?" naruto asked, even though he was the one who asked it the question was one everyone's mind.

"We cant tell." Hinata said quietly.

"the other 8 are very weak with barely any chakra and none seem to be moving all that much." Neji spoke.

Every one felt the icy grip of fear grab their hearts none of these options made sakuras survival seem like a confident choice of the outcome. All they could do is hope.

Sakura's hearing had been partially damaged by the blast and she was just starting to really hear noises. She heard her smashing away at the rocks and people on the other side trying to get to her.

An opening was created and Sakura began hoisting the 7 injured people through, and then the 8 dead people through before she ran and did one more check. But she found no one, until she turned the last corner she saw a red head of hair underneath a rock. The person was conscious, Sakura knew it was her mother as she pulled her out and her mother gasped in realization of who was helping her thought neither said a word. Sakura carried her mother to the opening and her mother had passed out by then and sakura was just concentrated on getting out alive.

All the dirt and dust on the peoples hair made it impossible to tell who was who. Ino, Shikamaru, Neji, Hinata, Naruto, TenTen, and Sasuke waited to see if any looked like Sakura but none did and there was no one else coming out. Until they saw what looked like and older women being thrown out of the rubble. Ino recognized her immediately as Sakuras mom. Then no more people came. They all immediately thought the worst until they saw a pair of dirt caked battered hands clawing their way out of the rubble. Sasuke Naruto and Ino immediately jumped into the rubble and began moving away rocks. Sasuke grasped each hand and pulled out the person only to find that they had passed out from exhaustion. But he knew inside this was his Sakura and she was safe.

When Sakura was finally getting out of the rubble she couldn't see anything and she knew her chakra was gone as she finally reached what she thought was the opening, maybe she had just died and she was climbing to heaven. But then she passed out as a strong pair of arms pulled her out of the pile.

Her last coherent thought was "Im sorry Sasuke. I might not of stayed alive."

Sasuke finally felt a little relief. She may not be in the best condition. But she was alive, and that was all that mattered to him at the moment. Ino almost began to cry in relief when the last person was pulled from the pile, though with all the dirt matted on her face and hair disguising her hair color, they could tell it was their sakura.

Since the hospital was partially destroyed, all the critically wounded people were taken to different wings of the hokages building. A few hours later, Sakura and the other people who were trapped in the rubble were stable and starting to wake up again.

As soon as Sakura opened her eyes, the lights in the room blinded her, and she was on lots of pain medicine, because during the burial of the hospital she had broken a leg, an arm, various ribs, and she had partially punctured a lung. Not that she had noticed during the landslide anyways. But the feeling she got when she woke up and the lights blinding her she was sure she had died.

As her eyes adjusted she noticed she was surrounded by her friends. A clock on the bed stand told her it was about 4 in the morning, all of her close friends occupying seats al around her bed. She gave a small smile every single one of them had fallen asleep. Ino was leaning close to Shikamaru near the end of her bed, as was Naruto and Hinata, and Neji and TenTen were sleeping in chairs not to far off from the group. Even Sasuke who occupied the chair next to the top of her bed was asleep. There was no open beds she took note of the somewhat mutilated people around here. She examined her own chakra, she had about a quarter built up which was enough to heal a few people. She started to move to get up when a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Stay in bed Sakura" Sasuke said.

"But…" Sakura began, but then she noticed how pale he looked. Though he didn't show it she must of worried him pretty badly for him to be looking like this. She sighed and gave up and laid back down.

"Now sleep. You need it." Sasuke said still holding on her hand now, something she hadn't failed to notice.

Sakura nodded and shut her eyes. As she tried to fall back asleep, Sasuke began absentmindedly rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. As she concentrated on this action she was lulled into a state of sleep.

When she awoke again hours later. Everyone was out of her room presumably out getting lunch, all except for Sasuke, who had stayed with her the whole night still holding part of her hand. She smiled a little and quietly got out of the uncomfortable and went down the hall in search of a bathroom.

When she came back, her friends were still out and Sasuke was now awake. Before she said anything one of the doctors came in after checking her over her injuries, she was free to go. Even though he hated PDA sakura linked arms with Sasuke as the walked down the hallway together. But soon stopping at a room when she heard yelling. Normally they would have walked off but the thing was, these voices were familiar.

Sakura and Sasuke walked towards the entrance of the door.

"Why wont you at least thank her!" A male voice yelled, that Sakura and Sasuke both immediately recognized as Naruto.

" She did save your life!" A female voice yelled.

"Ino." Sakura mouthed to the male at her side.

"Because she refuses to come to terms with what I had planned for her and if she doesn't she isn't my daughter, my daughter is supposed to listen to me and follow my instructions not disobey me and do whatever she wants to do." A female said. Sakura immediately held on to Sasuke arm tighter, that was her mother in their. Sasuke removed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder rubbing her shoulder comfortingly a few times.

"But shes happy the way she is!" the voice the recognized as TenTen soon said.

"But it isn't what I want for her, and im her mother I know what she wants and what she doesn't want" Her mother said stiffly.

Sakura couldn't take much more of this. She walked into the room and held her head up, everyone in the room gasped, how long had she been there they wondered. Sasuke slowly and quietly stood in the more shadowed part of the room.

"Mother, I am happy with my life right now, and if you don't like it then I guess this is goodbye." Sakura said not looking at anyone in particular.

When she had no response, she turned on her heel and left the room, Sasuke soon following after.

When she walked outside, later rejoined by all her friends, she noticed how parts of Konoha was being rebuilt again. Kinda of like her, she was starting over. This was the beginning of the rest of her life.

Later in the day, Neji and TenTen walked down a empty street of Konoha which was a rare sight. In a squeal of joy TenTen had exclaimed that she knew where she was, by one of her favorite weapons shops and where she hung out most of the time as a kid.

Neji smirked. He knew this is where she went as a kid. Frequently after she ran into him at the academy he'd see her over here staring into the shops windows. With an expression he had never seen her wear at the academy.

As TenTen ran into the shop and browsed Neji followed behind her just lost in his thoughts really. These past few days, weeks, months, and even years had shown him that he shouldn't wait to do something when he had the chance. He had almost lost the girl in front of him at least 3 times. Who knew if she'd be gone tomorrow or next week?

One thing being a ninja had taught him was that you could never wait in this lifestyle.

You simply didn't have the choice to you always must act.

There was no time for hesitation.

He led her out of the shop, her face showing confusion. Her put his hands into his pockets contemplating for a second. Then opened his eyes a determined expression on his face he did a few small hand signs and got out a small case and handed it to the bun haired girl.

She opened it and gasped inside was a beautiful engraved dagger. She pulled it out clearly worshipping it handy work and beauty.

"Look below it." Neji said simply.

What she saw next almost made her drop the box, underneath the dagger, in Nejis neat handwriting lay a note and another object attached to it.

She looked at the note again to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her, but she was sure there in his handwriting lay a note with 4 words on it. The words were Will you marry me? Next to the note lay a beautiful (and expensive) ring. She nodded her head yes vigorously, she slipped the ring on and wrapped her arms around Nejis neck, kissing him without a second thought.

Later that night, Tenten gushed about what happened to Sakura Ino and Hinata, who all whined and protested at how lucky she was and how they wished their boyfriends would do that. But never the less they were happy for her. And just for a moment it seemed as if they were normal teenage girls and not ninjas hardened by their life's everyday hardships.

The next few months passed by uneventfully, then the only thing going on was the planning of TenTen and Neji's wedding. Which would take place in the fall. (so itd be like a year or so from the early parts of the chapter) TenTen had already chosen Sakura as her maid of honor with Hinata, Ino, and Temari who was on a special visit as her bridesmaids. Neji's best man was Sasuke, and his groomsmen were Naruto, and Shikamaru.

"Ugh I wish this was my wedding being planned.' Ino complained.

"Oh hush piggy just cause the attentions not on you, you have to go and complain." Sakura said annoyed,

"Exactly!" Ino yelled. "I love attention! I want to get married!"

"That'll be the day." Sakura snorted. Hinata who was ever so quiet beside her giggled.

Ino just stuck her tongue out playfully at them.

*Time Skip*

Ino stood at the bar while Shikamaru sat in the chair by her. They watched all the couples in the room dance at the after party of TenTen and Neji wedding. Hinata was dancing conservatively while Naruto was doing something crazy next to her. And of course, Sasuke and Sakura were off dancing in some corner, looking totally in love and happy. Ino well Ino was stuck at the bar cause her boyfriend couldn't get up and go dance. Complaining that he didn't have the energy.

"What a load of bull shit." Ino thought. "He just doesn't want to dance with me"

As the songs changed Ino was still lost in her thought until, TenTen ran over flushed in the face and drowning in a sea of white fabric, Hinata and Sakura trailed behind her.

"Come on! I want to dance with you guys!" TenTen cheered.

Ino quickly accepted and the 4 of them strode to the dance floor and danced as if no one was watching and they still would of danced the same way if they were even aware of the crowd that had gathered around them. They were having fun and that's all that mattered.

Shikamaru sat in the back of the reception hall and fingered something in his jacket pocket, soon the time would be right, not now, but soon.

A few days later while Neji and TenTen, went on their honeymoon, quite a few things happened.

"You're going to what?" Sakura choked while staring incredulously at Naruto and Hinata who were standing before her, ino, shikamaru, and sasuke.

"Elope" Naruto smiled.

"Dobe do you even know what that means?" Sasuke teased.

"I do its just that, its better this way! And awesomer!" Naruto yelled.

"Awesomer isnt word, its more awesome." Sakura shrugged.

"So when is it happening?" Ino asked.

"Next weekend." Naruto smiled.

"W-we want you guys to c-come." Hinata smiled along with her soon to be husband.

"Um ok I guess so." Sakura shrugged.

"Hn. Why not?" Sasuke sighed.

"I guess." Shikamaru mumbled.

"Okay!" Ino yelled "Hinata who's your maid of honor?"

"TenTen. I-Im asking her w-when she gets back." Hinata almost whispered.

"Oh ok." Ino said

"Sasuke here's gonna be my best man!" Naruto laughed wrapping an arm around the raven haired boy.

"Dobe, I have to agree to it." Sasuke glared.

Naruto just continued laughing.

"Hn." Sasuke said finally.

"Awesome that's a yes!" Naruto cheered, as he steered Hinata and himself out of the shop.

The next few weeks were uneventful until the wedding.

It turns out Hinata and Naruto were planning to elope because the Hyuugas were trying to stop the marriage while in Konoha. TenTen obviously agreed to be the maid of honor which was no surprise to anyone. The wedding itself went by fine, Hinata looked amazing in her white dress and Naruto made an idiot of himself as usual and nothing else major happened until a few hours after the party. Shikamaru and Ino, along with Sakura and Sasuke walked amongst the sea of people in the crowded little village they had stopped at. Sakura walked closely with Sasuke the 2 whispering about something, while Ino and Shikamaru just walked along the path doing nothing special.

"Hold on Ino." Shikamaru sighed.

"What?" She asked annoyed. All of the weddings that weren't hers put her in a bad mood.

"I think you may have dropped something." He said bending down.

Shikamaru pretended to search for something while Ino waited impatiently above him, even Sasuke and Sakura had stopped to see what happened. Shikamaru slowly and stealthily pulled out the box that he had bought months ago and he handed in to her. It was only then did Ino realize what was happening the scene should of made it obvious and the knee, and the being asked in public with hundreds of onlookers ( a secret dream of Ino's only Sakura knew about, she must find out how he knew later) She squealed in delight opened the box, and her jaw almost dropped in how beautiful the ring was. She hurriedly put it on her finger.

"Yes! Yes! Of course I will yes!" Ino screamed happily. Shikamaru let out his breath, that he didn't even know he had been holding.

"Aw, that's cute" Sakura mused aloud watching the scene before her. "Just hope Ino doesn't kill me later on." She gave a dry laugh.

Sasuke turned to her and raised and eyebrow. Sakura was a bit startled, she hadn't realized she was talking aloud.

"Oh, um, along time ago Ino described her perfect proposal to me and the other girls when we somehow were talking about weddings. I sorta told Shikamaru when he showed me the ring he bought her." Sakura shrugged.

"I doubt she will." Sasuke said nonchalantly.

"Probably not." Sakura shrugged. "TenTen and Hinata also told us what they wanted their proposals and weddings to be. Hinata didn't want anything big for either, TenTen wanted a small wedding and Ino wanted a proposal out in the open, and then a big white wedding, with her always in the center of attention." Sakura laughed.

"What about you?" Sasuke asked quietly. Sakura wasn't even sure she had heard him.

"Oh, I just want a wedding with all the people I care about being there. It doesn't really matter whats going on as long as im marrying the person I love. I used to dream about my wedding and everyone I knew was there and my mom led me down the aisle. But now I guess ill just have to do it without my mom." Sakura said her voice getting quiet at the end.

Sasuke just wrapped his arm around her shoulders giving her shoulder a light squeeze. They looked back at Ino and Shikamaru only to find them engaged in a make out session, so the 2 of them awkwardly turned away and walked back to the hotel. There were 4 rooms that they had gotten in the hotel. Originally it was Ino and Sakura in one, Shikamaru and Sasuke in another, TenTen was with Neji and now Naruto was with Hinata. Once Ino and Shikamaru met them at the room it was a different story.

"Wait what?" Sakura asked as Ino sheepishly stood by their room door.

"I want you to let Sasuke spend the night here." Ino explained. " Cuz, me and Shikamaru want to spend the night together. Because-"

"Ino, I know what you want to do with Shikamaru you don't have to explain that part." Sakura muttered " But why cant you wait until Konoha?"

"Because today was special. Wait, sakura why don't you want to spend the night with Sasuke?" Ino asked her eyes glinting deviously.

"It's not that!" Sakura yelled.

"Wait, are you nervous because you have to share a bed with Sasuke?" Ino asked already jumping to her own conclusions.

Sakura blushed for a second at what Ino had said.

"Oh my god. Sakura you're worried because you havent slept with him yet arent you?" Ino asked in disbelief

"No no no. Its not that. I mean weve already…" Sakura trailed off. " But really do you want to sleep with Shikamaru here? Of all places?"

"I don't care. Bye Sakura I'll be sending Sasuke over soon!" Ino laughed as she walked out the door. Sakura sighed and fell onto her bed.

A few minutes later, an annoyed Sasuke walked in

"Did ino come and kick you out?" sakura asked still laying on the bed.

"Yea. Something about specials nights." Sasuke muttered.

"Oh well. It is Ino." Sakura said as if her name gave and explanation as to why they were in this situation.

"Hn." Sasuke said putting his stuff down and sitting on the bed next to her.

Sakura turned on the TV and the two of them sat there comfortably in the silence.

A few hours later Sasuke rubbed his eyes, and looked to the clock on the wall. From what he saw it was sometime in the morning. Like 1 he guessed. He looked over to Sakura who had fallen asleep cradling the TV remote. He gave a small half smile. He gently shook her awake.

'Sakura." He whispered.

"Huh? W'as happnin?" Sakura muttered still half asleep.

"You fell asleep. Go get changed." He said quietly.

Sakura nodded stumbling to the bathroom a few seconds later she emerged with her pajamas on and fell back into bed.

After listening to the sounds of the rain outside and of Sakuras deep breathing Sasuke found himself lulled into a deep sleep.

A few hours later, Sakura awoke with a start. She had been having the same nightmare lately. The same one she had before Yusuke attacked, but this time it was everyone was dead and she couldn't do anything to stop it, and it wasn't just Yusuke attacking them it looked like her almost but it wasn't…as Sakura studied the person in her dream more she knew it was her mother deep down inside. And all she could do was watch as her mother and Yusuke destroyed everyone and everything she held dear.

Once Sakura woke up she began crying, she tried to calm her sobs down some so she didn't wake up Sasuke but it was to no avail, he was a ninja after all.

"Sakura?" Sasuke asked sitting up rubbing his eyes trying to adjust them to his surroundings. Once he saw what was going on he wordlessly pulled her into a hug and let her cry onto his chest.

Once she was done and she had explained what the dream was about Sasuke told her to go back to sleep, she laid down but felt her eyes stay wide open and couldn't seem to fall asleep again. Sasuke then threw his arm over her side and pulled her in close to him. Sakura was glad it was dark because a dark red blush had spread across her face, Sasuke wasn't into PDA a lot so moments like this only happened every so often. She had flipped over before this so now her face was next to his chest, as she lay there she listened to the beating of Sasukes heart, and she quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, she awoke still next to Sasuke. She felt better after finally getting some sleep. After everyone had had breakfast they all left back for the trek to Konoha.

All along the way the girls planned Ino's wedding which was going to be a big white wedding and most likely was going to make them all poor. Inos wedding was set for Summer, and they had quite awhile to plan since it was still winter. But with all the decorations Ino wanted. They might be busy for quite awhile.

*Time Skip*

It was the end of March. Ino's wedding plan was coming along well, and Sakuras birthday was just a few days ago, with the usual cake, and presents nothing different from last year. Sakura still hadn't heard from her mother.

The girls house was unusually quiet and empty lately. Hinata and TenTen had moved out to go live with their husbands and Ino spent most of her time out with Shikamaru when they all weren't on missions. So in between her missions that left Sakura to sit at home alone since all of her friends were busy with their new lifes or going on missions and it was depressing to say the least. Quite a couple times Sakura wanted to call her mother and tell her what was going on in her life. A few times she did try but each time her mother wouldn't answer.

It was times like these that Sakura felt truly alone

But every time this would happen one of her friends or her boyfriend would come and whisk her away, and she'd forget all her troubles.

That was until Ino made an announcement.

"Im moving in with Shikamaru." Ino said one night while they were getting ready for bed.

"Oh." Sakura mumbled.

"Sorry Sak. But with the wedding so close we feel it's the best thing to do." Ino said apologetically

"No no I get it its alright" Sakura said finally ending the conversation.

Her life was the usual loneliness for sometime until one day she found Sasuke standing in her doorway.

"Oh, hey Sasuke" Sakura greeted pecking him on the cheek.

"You're lonely here." He stated simply

Sakura just opened and closed her mouth trying to make a reply.

"Move in with me." He said simply

As she thought about it, she didn't really see any downside so she agreed and the 2 of them began moving her stuff back over to the Uchiha household.

A few weeks later it was one of Konohas cherry blossom festivals. All of her friends were there and they were all together again and Sakura was beyond elated.

The night was perfect Ino's wedding planning was coming to a close, Naruto and Hinata were happily married and Neji and TenTen had a surprise of their own.

"Your what?" All the girls at the table shrieked.

"Good luck man." Shikamaru sighed.

"Wow." Naruto said. "Just wow."

"Yes. Im pregnant." TenTen said. "It just kinda happened one day."

The night continued on without a hitch, Sasuke and Sakura sat atop the hill beneath a cherry blossom tree watching the petals fly around them. Sasuke stood up all of a sudden breaking Sakura from her trance/

"Sasuke?" She asked.

He messed with something in his hand before presenting it in front of her face.

"Marry me Sakura." He said simply.

Before he could get another word out Sakura hastily agreed and put the ring on her finger.

Later of course everyone began to plan the wedding, along with Ino's of course Ino was her maid of honor, and Naruto was his best man. But that was a given.

Everything that point on was a blur until Sakura had one crystallizing moment a few months later. She felt that as she said her next sentence it was the start of her new life.

"I do." Sakura said smiling up at the Uchiha before her, it was then at that time that she knew even thought her mother still doesn't talk to her, this was the start of the rest of her life.

The wedding was fun, of course not as big as Ino's, Sakura was glad all her friends were there, the newly married Ino and Shikamaru who it turned out were also having a kid. TenTen and Neji who were expecting in a few months, Naruto and Hinata who weren't planning on kids for awhile and then there was them, finally married after years and years of strife everyone was happy.

Epilogue.

13 years later.

"Hurry don't be late!" A pink haired woman yelled as her black haired daughter and son left for the academy along with their friends. She gave a small laugh as she watched them run off into the distance.

"They left?" A dark haired man asked walking into the kitchen.

"Yes Sasuke just now." The woman said

"Sakura, all the others are coming over today." Sasuke somewhat mumbled.

"I know Sasuke I know." She said plopping into a chair next to him. "Well Im off to work, bye." She said after she and Sasuke shared a kiss.

"Aa. I have to go give the hokage my mission report." Sasuke muttered.

"Wasn't that due yesterday?" Sakura asked

"Aa but you know he wasn't there." Sasuke smirked.

"So true that man is never on time I mean we should know he was our sensei after all." Sakura laughed walking out the door.

*Hokages office*

The hokage sneezed.

"are you alright Hokage-sama?" A ninja asked.

"Oi, don't call me that it sounds older just call me Kakashi. Its probably just people talking anyway." The hokage smiled.

*later in the day*

Sakura smiled as Sasuke, her, Ino, Shikamaru, Neji, TenTen, Hinata and Naruto all sat around her living room, while their kids ran about the house. She was happy that they were all together and happy finally, theirs lives finally straightened out. She gave a small laugh when she thought about through all the years of fighting, wars, following, leaving, and almost deaths they had finally found happiness. Their lives couldn't be better.

Though every year on the anniversary of their fight you'll see a group of kids dropped off with the hokage, and 8 people leaving and coming back in the next few days. Everyone knew they were going to go and visit the site of where their battle was, to many it was confusing, their answer to the questions though were;

"The greatest thing the devil did was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Though nothing had changed, the visits provided solace, and let everyone get on with their lives.

No one would want it any other way.

The End.

That's it this was the last chapter of Renewed Chances? It is finally over after 2 long years 20 chapters, 3 authors notes, and 1 epilogue. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed!

-Rabbit-From-The-Hat.

Formerly known as Koo2Koo1Ka2choo1.