A/N: Hey, children! This happens to be the last installment of One Step D: I know, the tears are mutual! Anyway, I'd just like to thank ALL my reviewers for sticking with me and pumping me up enough to get my lazy ass up and actually finish a story for once…so, ya…THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!!

theduckoverthere, moninaca, BrokenWing-FallenButterfly, Luna Rei Harmony, sonia, TragedyDawl, angelatmidnight, LilyVampire, Desperate Fool, MYinnerNINJA, QuotingShakespeare...ALL THE REST OF YA'LL! I could go on forever! Special Thx for staying with me for so long...i love u :)

Enjoy my sweets!

So what if I came clean

And told you all you mean to me

So what if I meant every word I said

Baby, don't let it go to your head

So what if I write your name

'Cause you're always on my brain

In my heart, I paint it crimson red

Baby, don't let it go to your head

Don't be getting any big ideas

Let me make it clear

Just 'cause I can't go on

Just 'cause I doubt when you're gone

Just 'cause I think of you in bed

Don't let it go to your head

If I look in your eyes

One, two, too many times

And memorized every word said

Don't let it go to your head

So what if I want to kiss

From your toes up to your lips

It don't mean that you've had me yet

You're gonna be good I bet

I'm the one who's in control here

Let me make it clear…

I had porcelain doll; I held onto it way too tightly

But when it broke, I swore I'd never hold on to something that tightly again

Don't let it go to your head…

-Don't Let It Go to Your Head, Fefe Dobson

Chapter 15: Don't Let It Go to Your Head

It had been two very quiet days. Two very lonely days. Not that the girl had been alone, at all. She had been in the hospital with more than enough people visiting her and worrying over her than she had ever needed. But she was lonely without him. She was empty without him there, almost to the point of where she could barely crack a smile without seeing him and checking if he was okay.

That didn't keep her from not smiling (for it was impossible to hold it in whenever Naruto and Ino had come around), but she felt as if she would be never truly satisfied until she saw the Uchiha. She knew the boy was okay, but it was a matter of seeing it with her own eyes. For months he had been her shadow, and she was always there to gripe at him and heal him along the way, so two days was a long time—even if she had been out of it for half the time.

Luckily, she was a medical ninja, and by using her cell rejuvenation before the fight, she was actually in better shape than the Uchiha, and therefore, was out of the hospital while he was still there. She was so glad she was out, though. She never really understood why Kakashi hated the hospital so much until she was actually in the hospital bed, enduring the predicament herself. It was a grueling and lonely predicament, and she found herself feeling helpless more than once.

Sure the girl had been injured innumerous times in her life, but she was always able to fix mostly anything on the battlefield, and if not then, with a little help from another medical ninja. She was never in the bed being healed because there were always other people that were incapable of healing themselves, so they were therefore more important than her. Sakura could be bleeding to death on the floor and see a friend with a broken bone, and still want to heal that person first. It was a blessing and a curse.

She thanked Kami that she had made it out alive, though. Even with her Cell Rejuvenation jutsu, she probably wouldn't have survived a minute if he was going full-out with his sharingan, even less if he had used his Mangekyo. The thought of being caught in the midst of his Susanoo or Amaterasu made shivers run up her spine. If he had used more of his kekkei genkai, than her trying to keep her pride and fight him would not have gone down so well. It would easily turn into a slaughter, and even Naruto would've had a hard time.

He always could have used it if he had wanted to, and by restraining himself, Sakura saw that he actually cared about her a lot. If he really wanted to leave, the boy would've left and that's why Tsunade and the council were so scared of this boy. He had become so powerful.

But he cared.

Sakura had to smile at that. She cared too. She still had feelings for the boy, after all. As soon as she came to, the first thing on her mind was to go see if Sasuke was okay. When she asked to see him, they told her he was alright, made her rest in the bed for a few more hours (with a few visitors here and there), and then rushed her off to the Hokage for an exclusive look over (the woman was too much like a second mother sometimes) and a talk concerning her mission with the Uchiha. It was a long and horrid talk, but towards the end, she was able to level with her shishou. What Sasuke had done had affected her in numerable ways, but it would affect him too.

She would see him soon, in about ten minutes or so. But it would be a not so fun meeting with the Hokage there as well. But first, she had to meet with her students. Since she had been so badly injured, she was not in any way ready to travel all the way to Suna, and train with her students there for the Chuunin Exams. Her injuries required a few more days recuperation before she was even suppose to be walking, but the chick was stubborn, and promised her students she would meet up with them soon.

Sakura first wondered if she should just have her students go down with Naruto as their guide, but later realized that her students and his might want to do a little teaching and training on the road, and when they finally got there her students would still be without a sensei for at least a day. Instead, Yamato was being sent as a stand in, and Sakura found herself feeling relieved. Her first choices were either Kakashi or Yamato, and to see that Tsunade cared about the future of Konoha so much that she was sending one of her best shinobi out of the village during a time like this made Sakura smile to herself.

Besides, it all worked out. Since Naruto was out of the village and his top priority was to take care of the children rather than himself, it put him a very vulnerable position. She was pretty sure Akastuki was still after the Nine Tails and who better to send than someone who could both protect Naruto, and hold back the beast within him if necessary.

When she just a few meters away from the gates entering Konoha, her genin squad noticed her and walked up to her with gasps and smiles.

"Sensei, you came!" welcomed Hiroki.

"It's been awhile, sensei, are you feeling alright?" asked Yasashi, worry apparent on his voice.

Sakura smiled upon seeing her students. "I'm fine," she said softly. "How are you guys?" she questioned, looking over the genin as if she were their mothers.

"We're fine!" answered both Yasashi and Hiroki, but the girl was silent. She had a strange look on her face, as if she didn't know whether to cry or smile and Sakura tried to look her in the eye.

"Masami-chan…how are you feeling?"

The girl easily disregarded the elder kunoichi's question as her blank stare continued. "Did he give you that…?" she asked hoarsely. Sakura could hear the uneasiness and tears in her throat.

The med-nin knew the 'he' her student had been referring to as her lips thinned, her gaze going to the pendant around her neck. "He did."

Masami waited awhile before her eyebrows furrowed and she cocked her head to the side, a sad smile gracing her lips. "It's beautiful," she compliment. It was then that Sakura understood that her little girl was growing up and accepting that things couldn't always go the way that she had so previously planned.

Hiroki wrapped a comforting arm around his fiancé's shoulder and Yasashi smiled that shy smile that he always does. Sakura laughed shortly and crossed her arms.

"Here I was going to tell you to take care of your teammates, Masami, and they're sitting here taking care of you."

"What's so wrong with us taking care of her?" asked Yasashi, albeit offended.

Masami closed her eyes and pouted, looking away with her arms crossed. "It's just that boys are stupid, right, sensei?" She gave Sakura a knowing look.

Sakura smiled, her eyes softening at the only female in the group. "Right." It was the first time she saw Masami act like herself in awhile though, the Masami she knew and loved acted a little more mature.

"Wait!" shouted Yasashi. "You mean to say that you think we're stupid? That's great advice for the Chuunin Exams. Thanks, Sakura-sensei…" he said with a pout.

Sakura giggled and knitted her eyebrows together, closing her eyes. "Ah—not you two!" She ruffled the two guy's hair between her fingers, before pinching their cheeks a little roughly. "You guys are my guys, so that doesn't apply, right?"

Yasashi blushed crimson while Hiroki blanched and backed away, his cheeks also tinted a faint pink. "Sensei!" he whined, rubbing his cheek.

The Haruno ceased her laughter as jade met with violet, then with white, then with a green more vibrant than her own. "Listen, guys," she started sweetly. "I'm sorry I won't be able to go with you down to Suna. I promise I'll be down there in a couple of days or so. At least in time for you to fight in the Prelims if necessary."

"Don't worry about it, sensei, we understand you need rest from having to beat Uchiha Sasuke's ass!" said Yasashi proudly, his hands on his hips and a sly look in his eye.

Sakura laughed sheepishly. "Oh, I think we both handed each other the other's ass…" she mumbled thinking back to the fight. She twitched slightly when she felt a small pain in her side, hissing as her hand made its way to her hip.

"Are you alright, sensei?" inquired the caring Hyuga.

Sakura strained a smile, standing all the way up again. "Yeah, I'm good. I'm still a little sore and pretty tired," she replied, though "a little sore" and "pretty tired" wasn't even scraping the surface.

"Are you sure?" asked Masami slowly, giving Sakura an awkward look. "Yasashi's been working on his healing nin-jutsu; he could help," she offered and the blonde nodded his head.

The pinkette shook her head. "No, save your chakra. Don't waste it on me." She gingerly looked at her students and grinned. "Be careful, okay, guys? Don't do anything your sensei wouldn't do, ne?" she joked, sticking out her tongue.

"Don't worry; I'll make sure they won't."

Sakura turned around to see Yamato as well as Naruto and his genin squad. She smiled at the two before nodding at the brown-haired man. "Thank-you again for seeing my squad to Suna, Yamato-taichou, I'm really grateful."

He nodded his head at her, crossing his arms. "No problem, Sakura." His voice was so calming and it reminded her of her days as a chunin, happy and hopeful of Sasuke returning home. Be careful what you wish for… she thought cynically.

She said goodbye to her students once more before running into Naruto's arms and wishing him luck. They exchanged parting words and he looked her over asking if she was feeling better and after she nodded and told him she was fine, she left.

On her way to her next meeting with the Hokage she saw the Uchiha. He was walking pretty smoothly, but Sakura could tell he was a little stiff and sore like her. When they finally walked up to each other, the Haruno was surprised and couldn't stop her hand from lifting to his face.

She smiled sadly. "I was so worried. I'm glad you're okay," she whispered, letting out a sigh of relief. They both had been so close to death…she almost thought it was pure luck that both of them were standing together right now.

He grabbed the small hand she had placed on his countenance and kissed it lovingly. "Hn. I'm fine." He gave her a look over like Naruto had. "How are you?"

She nodded slowly, still reassured and in a land of her own knowing that she hadn't killed the boy. Though her mission came first, him dying was an unwanted casualty. She would definitely miss him—ah, the Konoha council would miss him if he died. It would be a tragedy, for sure…

"I'm fine," she answered quietly.

He interlaced his fingers in hers and if she was seeing correctly, there was a miniscule smile etching its way onto his face. "Then I am glad as well."

They walked hand in hand the rest of the way to the tower.

Sakura frowned, looking down. She knew once they reached the Hokage that this happiness would not last long…not long at all.

Sakura knocked on the big, wooden doors of the Hokage's room, and opened it once she was called in.

The Hokage sat at her desk, hands clasped over it and Shizune by her side. It was odd to see that there was no sake on the woman's desk, but she still had a leisurely smile on. To Sakura's surprise, it did not look forced. Usually, when the woman had very important news to share she wasn't donning some smile.

The pink-haired medic bowed nonetheless towards her shishou. "Hokage-sama, we are here as you have requested." When she looked back up, she glanced at her teacher's eyes. They weren't the shiny honey-colored orbs the pinkette had grown used to, but instead a dreary bronze that Sakura loathed seeing in her shishou's eyes. Her smile was faked; that was one thing the Haruno took from that glance. Sakura had learned that trick from the best.

The horrible thing was that Tsunade probably didn't even know she was faking a smile right now. She had had so much practice in the past that sometimes her facial expressions just went on auto pilot.

"Good morning, Sakura. Sasuke," she nodded towards the boy. "It's nice to see that you are still…breathing." She gave him a look up and down, a slightly distasteful look appearing on her face. Now that expression she meant.

The boy bowed respectfully. "Hokage-sama," he greeted curtly.

The chesty woman closed her eyes as her smile seemed to widen, and she took a deep breath. "So, Uchiha Sasuke…you racked up quite a few crimes a couple days ago." She leaned back in her chair. "You are aware that two days ago, you decided to try and escape from Konohagakure once again, and by doing so, you have broken the pact that you had with us and have lost our trust. I am correct?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied politely, eyes bored but reverentially agreeable.

She smirked. "Good. With this you have also injured a citizen shinobi of Konohagakure and disarmed and disabled countless other shinobi of Konohagakure. Stop me if I'm wrong."

The onyx-haired boy glanced out of the corner of his eye to see the girl with her gaze fixed forward, no emotions playing out on her face. Sasuke shrugged. "Correct so far."

"Dandy," she exclaimed dryly with another snide smirk. She stood from her chair and walked around her desk with her hands crossed under her breasts. "And though you've been in a lawless land like Sound and have worked with a lawless organization like Akatsuki with the help of lawless comrades like those of Team Hebi," she said lackadaisically with a small chuckle. "…you do understand what happens when you break laws, don't you?"

"Taka."

Tsunade raised a blonde brow. "Pardon me?"

"By the time we were with Akatsuki, we were going by the name 'Hawk'," stated the boy emotionlessly.

She gave the boy an amused look. "Taka, then." She laughed softly. "Do you really think this is the time to be a smart ass, Sasuke?" He only looked forward with those predetermined eyes. "You're so lucky you have people like Sakura and the council who care about you because if it weren't for them you'd be doing up to five years in Konohagakure Federal Prison for shit like that."

The boy gave the Godaime a questioning look.

"The council, your precious Sakura, and I talked about your sentence and have come up with two punishments we find suitable—that is if you would still like to be a citizen of the Leaf again someday…"

"Yes, ma'am, I do."

"Alright, then. Your first choice is, my personal favorite, federal prison for up to five years. The second one, which is one that The Council and Sakura have picked for you, is a mission that'll show your loyalty to Konohagakure," explicated the woman, her eyes hard on his.

The Uchiha looked down for awhile and then at Sakura, his face softening ever so slightly. "I choose the mission."

"As I thought…" said the woman to herself, but there was a devious twinkle in her eye. "Your mission is as follows. You and a group of people will be dispatched from Konoha to eliminate all the remaining Akatsuki other than Madara Uchiha."

Sakura's eyes lit up and she gasped. "Tsunade-shishou!"

Sasuke shook his head, disregarding the girl's outburst. "That should be simple. How many people is that? Just Konan and Zetsu are left, right? Do you want me to just go ahead and take out Madara?"

"No, that's not necessary, Sasuke," replied the blonde-haired lady.

"Are you sure?"

"Sasuke!" huffed the girl, turning towards her mission and giving him an angry yet exasperated stare. "This mission is too risky, shishou! You said you're only sending out two other people. How do we know that's enough to defeat them both? Not to mention if Madara jumps in. This is not how I thought the mission would be…"

"Sakura, this is not your choice. This is Sasuke's and my own now. I'm sorry."

"With all due respect, shishou, Sasuke is barely ready to use his sharingan. His previous use of it two days ago was excessive and does not help the matter. Besides, if he were to encounter Madara, who knows if his Mangekyo would work. He's not to be using it in the first place…" pleaded the girl calmly.

"This is why he will have teammates, Sakura. You're done with the medication form of the antidote, aren't you?" asked the older woman.

Sakura looked to the side, contemplating where her shishou was going with this. "Ah…well—yes, but his Mangekyo—"

The Hokage cut her off. "Did you not make the antidote knowing that he would probably go against your wishes and use his Mangekyo anyway?" she asked with a quirked up eyebrow.

Sakura looked down sadly. "Yes, shishou, I did."

"Then Sasuke should be just fine if he stays on his pills, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then do we have any more questions and/or comments, Sakura?"

"…No, ma'am…we don't…" Sasuke looked down at his blossom to see the downcast look on her face. He could see the bound anger tightened with her face and her thin, quivering lips gave away her want to say something. But she didn't. She bit her tongue.

Tsunade let out a deep breath and then sat back in her chair. "Well, I would like to brief you two on Sasuke's mission." The two nodded in unison, and Sakura's eyes became glossy and unchangeable again as she entered her own world.

She did not want to lose him. This was not okay. This was not okay at all.

That afternoon and evening, Sakura did not say a word to the Uchiha. The apartment was silent and that was not the way Sasuke had wanted to spend his last night with his blossom. Sakura's contemplative but otherwise emotionless looks were never aimed at him, but it still stung to see the girl like this. Why was she so angry, when he was doing this for her? Staying in prison for up to five years? That could feel like a lifetime when he was away from Sakura. At least with the mission, he wouldn't be away that long. He didn't understand.

She had just finished lessening the pain in his leg so that he could sleep through the night, and was moving up to his stomach to make better the wound there, but she did not make eye-contact. She acted as if he wasn't even there.

He had had enough. "Sakura," he murmured. "Look at me." The girl did not look away from her work, a thin line still plastered on her lips. "Look at me," he said, straining his voice to make it sound more urgent. He saw her eyebrows furrow and he could feel her shaking with anger? Fear? He did not know.

"Sakura!" he practically shouted, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up at him, but then both his face and his voice softened. "Please…please talk to me."

She slapped his hand away and then laughed spitefully. "Oh, you want me to say something, Sasuke? You would like to talk?" she questioned, a mock-innocent look on her face.

"I would," he answered sternly.

"Then let us please talk about how you're leaving me again!" she bellowed, passion actually playing out on her face. She stood up, her tone only rising. "Please feel free to—to…to try and leave me for a third time, Sasuke! Please feel free to go get yourself killed so Naruto and I can't feel anything but pain and suffering! So that you can never complete your dream! So that the revival of Uchiha Clan will just never happen and everything we've done to get you in the situation was all in vain!" Her eyes had looked so stern as she said that and because of her "new" attitude, she didn't screech it, rather she said it to him as if he were a young child that had stolen from the cookie jar.

She crossed her arms, staring at him irately for a second before stalking off to her room and slamming the door behind her. Sasuke sighed and stood from his seat on the couch, hoping to comfort his blossom.

"Sakura," he called as he walked to her door and opened it to see her lying out on the bed.

"We don't want to knock anymore?" she shot icily, not even looking at the boy.

Sasuke ignored her cold comment and walked over to her. "Listen, Sakura, we shouldn't be fighting. Not now," he tried to reason in as caring of a voice as an Uchiha could muster up.

Her eyes narrowed. "Then don't have to. Get out," she ordered.

He shook his head. "No, Sakura. I'm doing this for you. It'll be easy; I'll be back in no time at all."

She, too, shook her head slowly, closing her eyes and putting her head in her hands. "You have got to stop thinking like that, Sasuke."

"Like what?"

"Like you're invincible," she answered, finally looking at him with frustration. "You're not! You're human just like the rest of us, so stop acting so recklessly with yourself!"

He walked up to her, looking down at her from the side of her bed. "Sakura, I promise you that I'll be back."

She scoffed lightly, mostly to herself. "I don't believe you…" she said easily with a shrug.

"Why not?"

"Because dying is neither noble nor keeping your promise." Sasuke sat down silently on her bed, eyes strong and unmoved. But as he looked at her, he became happy and thankful not only that his blossom was alive and sitting right there in front of him, but that she was so animated and full of life when she talked to him. "I mean, think about this Sasuke—WHAT are you doing?"

Sure enough the boy had lowered his head to her chest, his ear facing it. Sakura picked up her arm to move him, giving him a confused look, but he caught her hand and held it in place.

"What are you doing?" she repeated softly.

"Your heart…I was worried it was going to stop two days ago…" That shut the medic up if anything. He lifted his arms and touched her feather soft skin with his own, very delicately sliding his hands up her arms, sending goose bumps gliding up them wherever his hands touched. Her breath hitched.

"You were freezing, Sakura, do you remember?" It was a rhetorical question because the girl was half unconscious at the time, and she didn't even remember who had knocked out first, if he was still trying to help her in his last minute as well. His face lifted to the crook of her neck and he laid his nose on her pulse. "Your pulse was barely there."

The girl's plump lips parted and her eyebrows furrowed. "Sasuke…" she whispered as he sat fully back up and looked into her eyes, finally letting go of her hand.

His hard obsidian eyes burned into her wild teal. "I swore to myself if I did lose you that, even though I wanted to leave, I wouldn't. The village's happiness is yours, and yours mine, so I'd have to stay."

Sakura wanted to smile at how adorable he was being, but in fear that he would stop talking she only listened reverently.

"I would never use the Mangekyo again," he said slowly so she would understand fully what he meatn, shaking his head back and forth.

"Well, you couldn't if you ran out of antidote, anyway," said the girl playfully, wanting to see his true intentions.

"No, I wouldn't because I want to respect your wishes. You are most important to me," he whispered, nuzzling into her neck and leaving a kiss behind.

Sakura closed her eyes, stretching out her neck as the warm sensation of his breath hit it. "Man, should I just kill myself to make it easier on everyone else?" she joked darkly.

"I wouldn't allow it," forbid the ex-Leaf-nin, his deep, raspy voice rumbling against her own vocal chords. He rose a little, kissing her jaw and then looked straight into her eyes, grabbing her face in his hands. "I have finally gotten the only thing I've wanted this whole time, and I am not letting her go. I love you, Sakura." He had whispered the last sentence sending Sakura into total and complete ecstasy.

"I love you, too," she muttered, just as his lips met hers, taking her words right from her. She melted as soon as smooth lips collided with her own, his arms going around the small of her back to push her further into the kiss. She had almost forgotten how good this felt.

She broke out of the kiss with him, backing up so she was up against the headboard, and with heavy, impatient breaths, she pulled him back to her lips using his shirt.

He grunted at the strength she had used to do so, putting his hands on either side of her head so he could steady himself, and nipping her lip to ask for entrance.

Without even a second to think about it, Sakura forced her tongue into his mouth and began to mingle with his tongue, tangling her fingers through his silky, black locks. He was so hot and his warmth made her feel comforted after days of being so cold without him.

She moaned into his mouth when his hands started going up her sides and pushed herself more into him to the point of actually grinding into his groin with hers. He groaned again, instantly becoming hard at the pinkette's vigor before starting a wet, open mouthed trail of kisses down her jaw and neck, causing the girl to breathe even harder than she had been and call his name, sending the Uchiha over the edge.

With an eager cry, the girl pushed Sasuke off of her so that he was lying facing upward on the bed and straddled him, giving him a sexy smirk before diving back down to his mouth and kissing him again. Her hair splayed across his face, and in her on-top-of-him position, she began to thrust hard into the boy, eliciting groans of pleasure from him. Never in his life had he had a hard on that could compare to the hard on he was having right now.

He thrusted even harder into her, making her lose concentration and squeal into his mouth and he lifted himself of the bed so that he was kneeling on it as he tugged her shirt over her head and picked her up so she could wrap her long legs around his waist.

Sasuke initiated the kiss this time, immediately entering her cavern upon contact as his hand began to make its way up her back to unclip her bra.

Sakura's eyes popped open when she realized what had happened and her hands slid from the back of Sasuke's head to his chest. She ended the kiss as she pushed at his chest, her eyes worried and his filled with lust.

"Wait," she said breathily, unhooking her legs from around him and sliding down from his hips. She licked her swollen lips. "I love you, Sasuke…I love you so much." She stopped to catch her breath. "But I don't trust you."

He gave her a look of inquiry as he tried to slow down his own breathing. "What?"

"Sasuke, I'm not sure if I'm ready to get my heart broken by you again," she started, shaking her head. He didn't say anything this time, just looked at her and she sent a small hand through her messy pink hair.

"You've already tried a second time to leave me. And even if I didn't show it, it was obvious that it hurt me more than I wanted it to to see that."

"I've already told you I won't—"

"But you are leaving me, Sasuke," she whimpered. "I don't want to be that genin again, falling so deeply in love with you and waiting your return, and wondering if you're okay so much that I can't think of anything else." She looked to the side. "I'm scared of losing you permanently…and I'm scared…of what you might do if you don't get your way again…" She rubbed her arm as she thought back to how he was really thinking of leaving over something as miniscule as a fight.

The words she spoke were almost indecipherable, she was speaking so quietly. "I hope…you understand why I can't be with you the way you want me to be. Just like you have to win Konoha's trust back, you have to win mine as well." She was finally looking him in the eye.

He stared into her big, turquoise eyes for a second before looking down and coming to his resolve. "I understand."

She gave him a small, sad smile, but it was genuine even though halted by the sadness that would come for them both the following day. "Thank-you, Sasuke."

He smirked her way. "Hn. Anything to gain back the trust of my blossom." Her lips quivered as if she were going to cry (though he knew she wouldn't) and she reached out to caress his face. He lifted her hand from his face and kissed her fingers lightly as he always did. "May I stay with you tonight?" he asked politely.

She smiled, turning out the light and hopping under the covers. "You may."

"Can I hold you?"

She sighed in jest. "Might as well."

"Hn." She felt his strong arms wrap around her waist and she closed her eyes, interlacing her fingers in his. It was silent for awhile before the boy spoke up once more. "So, you've really fallen back in love with me?"

She sighed again, laughing light-heartedly. "Unfortunately."

His arms tightened around her waist, and he kissed the back of her shoulder. "Good. I was getting tired of being rejected." She laughed. "I knew you'd fall for me in good time, though."

"Idiot," she yawned. "Don't let stuff like that go to your head."

Sasuke had left Sakura's apartment really early. He didn't want to wake her, so he had left as quietly as he could, leaving a kiss on her forehead. He didn't want to see her now that he really thought about it. He was scared she would ask him to stay, and that he would listen to her pleas. On his way to the gates that lead into Konoha he noticed he was a little earlier than the rest of his 3-person unit. He shrugged it off figuring that waiting an extra half hour wouldn't be so horrible, but it would give him more time to think about staying. He had finally reached the gate when he heard a voice behind him.

"This mission is so dangerous, Sasuke." He knew that voice, he knew it like that back of his own hand, but he did not turn around to see her. Seeing her beautiful face again would only tempt him to stay and take his prize. He would let her finish speaking, though. "You don't have to do this. Please understand that you can say no," she said with slight kindness and understanding, but her voice was still strong, and impassive.

He could see that she was going back to the way she was when they had had their fight. What they warned to be the stoic girl that he no longer knew—the girl who had changed the most drastically out of anyone was now calling after him.

The Uchiha couldn't stop himself from turning around and faking a sly smirk. He could feign aloofness for her one more time, couldn't he? Even though there was a huge probability he would not live, not see her for a couple of years? Just one more time. Just to assure her everything would be alright, everything would turn back to what it used to be.

"Sakura, if this is what I have to do to gain your trust then I'll do it."

The kunoichi's lips thinned almost automatically, and her eyes lost their luster. Sakura could tell by the look he had given her that Sasuke had made his choice. There was no way to stop the inevitable. The pinkette scoffed looking down, and stuffed her hands in her white coat. It was chilly outside, not bitingly so, but that chill you get early in the morning when the sun is barely up. "That flirtatious attitude really doesn't suit you, Sasuke," she bit out.

Sasuke knew she knew. The girl was smart, always had been. She knew because of the upcoming war, because of who he and the others were fighting that some of them would not be returning (and she selfishly hoped to Kami that it wasn't Sasuke that would never come home), that nothing could ever be as it was. She always knew, everyone in Konoha always knew. Ever since the day the young Uchiha who was left alone chose power and revenge over his beloved village it was bound to happen.

And ever since that day, everything—everyone changed. Just by looking at the young woman in front of him, he could see that. "And that frown doesn't suit you." And with that, he gave the new Sakura just one more look over, and then turned and began to walk towards the gates. No, not new. Just older, wiser. Angrier… deadpanned his mind.

Suddenly, he felt a feather light hand touch his shoulder. "Promise me you'll come back…" it was surprising. Her tone seemed higher, more anxious and urgent than usual for this new, older Sakura, lest she be angry. Her hand seemed to shake against his shoulder and she seemed out of breath. "Because Naruto—" she continued a little too quickly. He—reluctantly—turned around to look into her big, turquoise eyes. She locked into his gaze and her pink locks began to dance around her face in the wind that happened to be more bone-chilling than he remembered.

"Both Naruto and I couldn't stand losing you again, do you understand?" she inquired, more controlled than he thought possible. But in her dull eyes, there was a small twinkle of concern. He was surprised. Hadn't she just told him the previous night that she didn't believe in his promises? Had she had a change of heart already—or did she just want to be assured by him, just one more time?

"Hn." He nodded reassuringly. "If you promise to be ready to hold my children when I get back." The words left his mouth quicker than he could catch them. Was it really a force of habit for him to flirt with her all the time, even if he had already won the girl over? But Sasuke let it go once he realized how calm he had made her, for her emotionless face had changed into a look of anger and she was now growling.

The medic's fists clenched, a green chakra floating threateningly around them. "SAUSKE—" she barked, but was cut off by a long, pale finger on her lips.

"Promise me, you'll be here when I get back. Promise me that you'll wait for me, until you can trust me again," he murmured stoically, casually.

Her slightly widened eyes went back down to size as his finger fell from her lips and a contented smirk replaced her scowl. Sakura's head tossed to the side as she let out a half-hearted chuckle before stuffing her freezing digits back into her pockets. "That's better than any old 'Arigato' before you knock me out cold and leave me on a hard bench…" she said teasingly.

He smirked devilishly. "A 'aishiteru, Sasuke-kun' is required for that."

They stood like that for about a minute before without warning, Sasuke grabbed the back of her head and pushed the pinkette into his chest, but like he expected, Sakura wasn't surprised, and gingerly wrapped her arms around the Uchiha.

She nuzzled her cold, red nose into his hard chest and tightened her arms around him. "You're so annoying…Sasuke…leaving me like this…" she whispered softly.

He moaned contentedly before resting his chin on the top of her head and taking in the scent of her rosette hair. "And you're gorgeous…" he mumbled, pulling her further into his embrace.

They stood there in ecstasy, Sasuke whispering soothingly into her ear, until the sun began to rise and they both knew they would have to part ways soon. His team would be there any minute. Sakura looked up at the sun through half-lidded eyes before shuffling cautiously out of his arms.

When standing farther from each other for longer they both wanted, they stared at each other for some time. She gave him a soft, reassuring smile before it erupted into something so beautiful, so breathtaking. The usually scowling woman was smiling from ear to ear, something he hadn't seen since the girl was twelve and something he had taken for granted. He never thought she could be so beautiful. But something struck Sasuke as painful. If he remembered the genin Sakura correctly, this was still just a ghost of the smile from those years.

But they both mutually understood that things would never, could never be the way that they were. And they were contented with just that.

"Kick some ass, Sasuke! I know you'll win!" And she began to walk away, his eyes not straying from her body until she was completely out of sight.

Sasuke could still always make things better between him and his blossom. He knew someday, Sakura would find the courage to trust him again, and he would work hard for that day. Sasuke could wait forever if he had to.

Step forward: Sakura finally accepted his love, and she would wait for him; Steps back: he had to figure out how many steps in the right direction it would take to finally be trusted by the girl.

But having her in the end was worth it.

Fin

A/N: Well, there you are! The ending to One Step Forward, Two Steps Back! I'm kinda sad guys :( I'm like crying! PlZ REViEW! I need to know if you liked the chapter at all! It was a little sappy, and the ending wasn't my favorite...I guess I coulda done a little better... :( Dont hate me!!!

So...can anyone say "SEQUEL" cause there will def be one :) I'm thinking of writing a couple of oneshots for this too...so maybe look out for a oneshot on how Sakura and Tadashi met?? Idk, some people said they LiKED Tadashi, so maybe that's an option...

Also, free cookeez and maybe a oneshot of the couple of YOUR choice if you can guess what the name of my sequel will be :D Here's a hint: It has something to do with "steps"!! Um...idk, maybe the first 2 people who can guess it will get to choose, cuz I can't promise a lot of writing in the near future...PEARLS needs a little breaky-break...

But anyways! Thank you guys SO much for reading this story! I can't believe I FINISHED! It's an amazing feeling :) I LOVE ALL OF YOU! Hope to see you all in the near future :3

Luving me's like...

-chewingonpearls