Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

It took Sakura another two days before she was well enough and had the adequate energy to do normal day to day activities. To aid her recovery, Tsunade had banned her from the hospital and secretly ordered her friends to keep a close watch on her as a safety precaution.

Everyone was happy to hear about Sakura's recuperation, even Neji and Tenten who had recently been alienated from the rookie nine.

When she finally had the chance to visit the Hokage tower, Tsunade informed her regarding her new mission in Suna which she enthusiastically accepted. But when she was informed regarding the other mission, her expression soured. However, Tsunade was thankful that she did not change her direction and/or go on a deadly rampage.

Konohagakure, 4:30 AM.

The whole village was still covered in snow and darkness by the time Sakura had stepped out of her apartment, her trusty backpack hoisted on her back and a long dirty white cloak covering her usual red and black ninja ensembles. After closing the door, she double checked her hidden pockets and some parts of her body for strategically hidden weapons before she let out an irritated huff of breath.

'I'm going on a mission with Neji AND Sasuke. Kami-sama…give me the strength.' She thought wistfully and patted her cloak for nonexistent dust. 'If chakra depletion didn't kill me, then this mission certainly will.'

The pink haired kunoichi then exhaled and took one step forward.

Then another…

…followed by another one.

Soon enough, she was making her way towards the grand gates of the village which was their assigned meeting spot.

As she neared her destination she immediately caught sight of two people that were conversing near the checkpoint station, but once she saw Hinata and Naruto a few meters away from them she breathed a sigh of relief.

She really didn't want to be stuck waiting with Neji and Tenten. That would be awkward from root point to eternity.

"Sakura-chan, good morning!" Naruto waved happily after he caught sight of her approaching. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright. Still kind of sleepy." She dismissed gently with a light wave. She saw from her peripheral vision that Neji and Tenten had spared her a glance but she did not return the gesture, for obvious reasons.

She just wasn't ready to talk to them.

"Good morning Hinata-chan. I'm glad that shishou decided to add you into our team." Sakura added then her smile turned sheepish. "And I'm sure I'm not the only one who's happy."

The couple blushed.

"Aww you're blushing." She teased even further then leaned back and laughed. Damn, it felt good. "But anyway… Naruto, I need to talk to you about something."

Naruto's eyebrow rose as he pointed a spot nearby with his index finger. "Do you want to speak privately… or…?"

"No, no. Hinata-chan can listen. It's not that secret anyway."

"Oh okay, what is it then?"

Sakura clapped her hands on Naruto's shoulder and the gesture definitely caught him off guard.

"Wha—Sakura-c—"

"Promise me something." Sakura said menacingly.

"De-Depends on the promise." He replied, obviously trying to make a stand for himself.

"This is a mission. Right?"

He nodded slowly.

"So I want you to please be professional." She said then retrieved her hands and placed it on her own hips. "He is our team leader, she is our teammate. This is my problem, so I will settle this matter on my own. You hear me?"

The blonde fell silent before he gulped noisily. "Well…Sakura-chan…don't punch me but…"

"But what?"

"If you can settle this on your own." Naruto bit his lip then looked up to her. "Then you shouldn't have had tried to 'unconsciously' kill yourself." He added with finger quotes.

Sakura was clearly taken aback by his straightforward statement while Hinata continued to remain mum as she watched the entire situation unfold. Neji and Tenten however were already finished talking and were now listening to their conversation from afar.

"But yeah, I'll do my best not to sabotage the mission by not killing our leader." His grin grew lopsided and it made Sakura relax a bit. Neji tensed. "However, I cannot promise you that. I don't want you to get hurt again Sakura-chan…and you know that."

And Naruto said all of that with a straight face. God, Sakura would've already melted underneath those blue orbs of his and the sincerity that laced his voice was making her break from the inside.

Hinata is indeed a very lucky woman.

"And I think the same goes for teme." He added and chuckled while pointing to the newcomer behind him using his thumb. Milliseconds later Sasuke jumped down and huffed at Naruto's statement.

"Good morning Sasuke-san." Was Hinata's quick greeting and Sasuke returned her acknowledgement with a sharp nod.

Sakura was lazily waving back at him when Neji's voice interrupted their exchange of greetings.

"Good morning everyone." His deep voice interjected after walking over to the group then handed each of them a folder. "It contains the mission's information. You know what to do after you're done reading."

Sakura silently took the folder and unconsciously nodded while flipping the first page. Neji looked up at the sky.

"It's time to leave. We are already three minutes behind schedule."

When the pink haired kunoichi looked up from the folder she saw Naruto glaring at Neji while chewing the inside of his cheek. Seeing this, she began to shoot him death glares until he noticed.

"Hai." Naruto replied with an exaggerated sigh before Neji jumped off.

The others followed suit.

SAKURA POV

The journey to Suna was very hushed and awkward. Even if I warned Naruto (and Sasuke for that matter) that they should try and maintain a professional atmosphere, it did not stop the group from being split into two. Neji and Tenten kept mostly to themselves while Hinata, bless her, was trying to keep Naruto preoccupied by chatting with him and well…being there for him. Sasuke and I however had our own agendas to tend to, so we were as silent as a still wind.

We had been travelling for two days now and we had little to no rest, which is expected if you are under Neji's leadership. Because of this Naruto and Hinata would check up on me every now and then through stolen glances and every time I catch them, I would give them a smile and a thumbs up to show that I was okay.

But I wasn't.

Apparently two days isn't enough for one to recuperate from chakra depletion and it took all of my efforts to 'budget' my chakra so that I could last until Suna. Beads of sweat would travel down my face and my breaths would get heavy, while I tried not to make a single stumble or stop for that matter, which will cause the others to unnecessarily worry.

While we were crossing the borders towards Suna, Neji suddenly jumped down into a clearing and we followed suit.

"What's wrong?" Tenten asked after landing behind him and Neji turned around to face the group.

"We're camping here for the night."

I had to sigh in relief.

Twenty minutes later, sleeping bags were sprawled in a semi circle with a camp fire in the middle. Neji had caught six fishes earlier on and they were now being roasted above the fire in wooden sticks. While waiting for them to be cooked, Hinata and I went to the water fall to get rid of the grime and dirt that had accumulated in our bodies for the past two days while the others remained in their sleeping bags, resting.

"Are you sure you're okay Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked after she emerged from the river and began to dry her hair with a towel.

I looked up from my scrubbing and raised an eyebrow towards her. "Yeah, why? Do I look that bad?" I tried to joke around a bit, but she didn't seem amused at all.

"Well…we could all hear your breathing back there." She replied before slipping onto a fresh shirt.

'Crap. And I thought I was doing a good job hiding it.' I thought bitterly and sighed for the umpteenth time. After I was done scrubbing and happy with how clean I was, I stood up and looked at Hinata. "Hinata-chan, can you please pass my towel?"

Embarrassment and awkwardness had long been banished between me and Hinata, because we were often paired during missions.

Hinata tossed the towel and I caught it with a flourish, before I wrapped it around my body and left the river. "I am fine as of the moment, I'm just having difficulties adjusting." I admitted and gave her a wry smile. I walked towards my small bag of toiletries and began rummaging through it, trying to find my undies.

When I felt her gaze still trained upon me, I looked up in exasperation. "Hinata-chan, I AM FINE." I said and angrily pulled out my clothing. "Please, if you have a little bit of respect left for me, don't worry so much."

"I'm sorry." Her low voice filled the quiet surroundings. "We were just so scared when…that happened…"

I slipped onto my underwear and took off the towel that covered my body, then began to change into a new set of clothing. "I know and I do apologize for scaring you guys like that. You know how I am." I added dryly.

I breathed a sigh of comfort at the scent of new clothes and as I began to dry my hair, I gazed at Hinata for the second time. The Hyuuga Heiress seemed equally exhausted and worn out, but I presume that I looked even worse. "I am recuperating."

"In both ways?" She asked tentatively and the way that caution was lacing her voice made me laugh.

"I really can't say the same for the emotional part. But physically, yes." I said then crouched over so that I can close the bag. I let my damp towel hang onto my shoulder before we began walking back to the camping grounds. By the time we reached them, I saw Naruto happily eating his share, Sasuke and Neji eating quietly and Tenten standing up.

"I'll be right back." I heard her say and she passed by us. I presumed that she was going to take a bath as well.

After I placed my stuff back into my bag, I reached over the camp fire, took my own share and sat down on my own sleeping bag that was situated between Sasuke and Naruto. Being able to take a bath felt really good and I didn't realize how bushed I really was until I felt the softness of the sleeping bag underneath me.

I didn't even want to eat and I ended up just staring on my cooked fish.

"Naruto-kun." I said and his blue orbs met mine. He was already done with his own food and was in the middle of chatting with Hinata. "Do you want my share?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Sakura-chan, you need to eat." He said and pushed back the fish. "It's fine."

"No…I really don't have the appetite." I said, pushing back the food towards him. "Even if I wanted to eat, I don't think I'll be able to hold it down."

He made a face. It was so cute I had to stop myself from smiling. "But Sakura-chan… are you feeling okay?"

"I'm alright…" I was so tired of telling everyone that I was alright, but I knew that if I didn't answer Naruto he would take it the wrong way. "I'm just too exhausted."

"Oh—okay then…thank you." He said and hesitantly took my food. I then lay down and made myself comfortable underneath the covers of my sleeping bag and the voices of Hinata and Naruto talking hummed me to sleep.

NORMAL POV

Sakura's eyes fluttered open at the sound of Naruto's loud snoring. She had spent so many years away from him that she was having difficulty sleeping beside him…again. But then it was just as comforting as it was annoying and as she sat up, she tried to rub the sleepiness and irritation from her eyes.

She glanced to the person beside her and saw Sasuke sleeping serenely.

Beauty incarnate.

She had forgotten how handsome Sasuke really was, how elegant his features really were and how outstanding he was as a man. She had almost forgotten the fact that he was once her teammate, someone who had been spending time with her and Naruto before he became a classified S rank criminal.

Sakura turned her head to the right and caught sight of Hinata, sleeping like an angel and Tenten, with her back facing her.

Neji however was fully awake and staring right back at her.

Sakura took in a deep breath. She looked back at him, wondering if this was all a dream or whatnot. But alas, it was all real and realizing this she sighed for the umpteenth time. His hair wasn't in a ponytail, which made him look almost ethereal and the way he was gazing at her made her heart ache.

No…he was making her heart throb.

She slowly stood up and walked towards the river and Neji, with stealth that only a ninja could obtain, silently followed. When Sakura reached the river, she knelt on the bank and splashed her face with the cold water, before she felt Neji's presence behind her.

SAKURA POV

"Sakura." I had to shut my eyes tight for the way he had called my name.

It made me feel so bitterly nostalgic.

"Neji." I replied, trying to make my voice remain calm and composed. I gazed at my reflection in the river. Kami-sama, I looked like a person who had just risen from the death. "I want to talk to you."

"I'm here to listen." Was his abrupt reply and took two steps forward. I saw his own face reflecting on the water and for a while we gazed at each other through the reflection. "Sakura…you do not know how sorry I am for…"

"Like I said Neji." I huffed out a breath. "I am the one who wants to talk to you."

Neji closed his mouth.

It took all of my courage and will power to continue.

"Tenten is my friend, you know that right?"

He slowly nodded and I looked up towards him.

"Yes, she is one of your closest friends."

"Which is why…" Tears were threatening to fall now. "I want you to make do with what you have done."

Silence.

"I'm sorry, I don't get it…"

"Make up with what you have done Neji…" Another deep breath. Just a few minutes more and I'm really going to lose it. "By taking care of Tenten for me. Do not make the same mistake again."

His eyes widened. "Sakura—"

"I know, I know it's too fast." I began to laugh bitterly and looked up to the sky to try and stop my tears from falling. Since when did I become this idiotic but trying to be heroic woman anyway? "But I know that keeping a grudge would be futile and I don't want this kind of atmosphere to continue between us. I want to continue with my life and I know you want the same thing as well."

He didn't say anything and I took it as a yes. I slowly went on my feet and faced him.

God, smiling never felt so painful.

"Take care of each other Neji." I said and patted his shoulder. "It will take time for me to heal, I admit, but I think things are better this way. We have to move on right?" I said and I heard my voice crack at the last word.

Neji's eyebrows furrowed. I wondered what was going through his mind when he made a move to hug me. I took a step back and he stopped. "Please, don't make this harder that it already is Neji." I pleaded and raised my hand towards him. "Just a handshake would suffice." I tried to smile again, but failed miserably at my attempt.

But instead of shaking my hand, he took it and kissed it. "Thank you, Sakura." The relief was evident on his voice and I cleared my throat. He was happy…so I should be happy as well right?

Not.

"No problem, team leader." I replied before he let go of my hand. "You can go ahead. I'll stay here for a few minutes more."

Neji nodded as he walked back to the camping site while I stayed there, my eyes on his retreating figure. My heart hurt so much that I wanted nothing more than to rip it out and take a breath. I felt suffocated, I felt lonely…

I felt miserable.

But I knew that it was the right thing to do.

I didn't know how long I spent just standing there and staring at the trees where Neji had disappeared to, but the sound of movement broke my train of thoughts and I immediately tore my gaze away from the lush green grass.

It was Sasuke.

"Sakura?" He called out and walked towards me.

And then, the dam broke.

The tears were coming out of their own and before I knew it I was crying like a baby. I sobbed hard and I was hiccupping between breaths. It was one of those rare times where you cry so hard that your body can barely keep up.

I looked up to Sasuke and tried to smile, but my vision was blurred by the tears that were pouring out incessantly.

I was surprised to find that he didn't seem confused…at all. It was like he knew what just happened.

Another thing that I didn't expect though, were the strong arms that wrapped itself around my figure. I stepped closer towards him and leaned my forehead onto his shoulder, then sobbed even harder while his other hand comfortingly rubbed my back.

"I'm—sorry." I hiccupped and pulled away, before looking up towards him. "I spoiled your shirt."

He seemed annoyed at what I said and I felt his hand on the back of my head, pushing me back into his shoulder. "Just let it out Sakura. Don't worry about it."

E.I: Read and review! :D