Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**The Opening Of The Heart**

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**A/N: **Yup, this story is being continued originally from TragedyDawl. It's very different from what I'm used to writing, but do be gentle with the flames. Thankyouverymuch :)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto because if I do, Sasuke would be attracted to Sakura and there would have been little baby Uchihas and Harunos running around.

_**Story Originally Written and Taken From TragedyDawl**_

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In one summer you could learn how to ride a bike. You could learn how to cook and you could even learn how to drive. In one summer, you could travel to five different countries and experience different sceneries. You could even meet new people and call them your best friends. In one summer—

Your heart could learn how to fall in love.

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Haruno Sakura sat next to her bestfriend and chugged down the glass of alcohol before her.

"Damn girl, what's the buzz?" Yamanaka Ino asked, haven't even touched her drink yet.

The pink-haired girl shook her head. "Just get me high, please."

Ino rolled her baby blue eyes. "Sakura, you'd been acting all weird after summer—"

"Just get me another drink."

"—is there something you'd like to talk about?"

Sakura shook her head again and got up dizzily on her feet, the alcohol already getting to her head.

"I just—I just need a one night stand. That's all." She forced a smile and slammed a ten-dollar bill on the bar's counter. "Any hot guys you could hook me up with?"

Ino eyed her weirdly then pondered in thought, "I guess so, there's this one—"

"Great. I'll do him."

That took Ino slightly by surprise, but she shook her head and complied. "What happened to Deidara?"

Sakura winced at the name of her former boyfriend and took a while before she mustered the strength to reply—

"He's old news."

But Ino knew there was something more to it than just that.

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"Oi teme!" Uzumaki Naruto shouted from the driver seat.

The raven-haired boy looked up from his doorstep and eyed his bestfriend's dangerously bright red car. "What is it dobe?"

"Party over at Nara's tonight—You comin'?"

Uchiha Sasuke thought about it for a moment and got up to join Naruto.

"Whatever." He muttered dryly and sat at the passenger's seat.

Naruto sped off the driveway and grinned, "You need to get laid, Sasuke."

The young Uchiha scoffed, "I wouldn't be worrying about that, dobe."

"Of course," the blonde looked ahead at the dark empty streets, "—you'd screw anything with two legs to begin with."

From the corner of Naruto's eyes, he could see the Uchiha smirking.

Not long after, Sasuke's mobile began to ring. Without looking at the caller ID, he grunted before answering it.

"Hello?"

"_Uchiha, it's me." _Sasuke could hear the loud stereo blasting on the other line.

"Hey Nara. We're just about to come over—"

"_Yeah, the dumbass called me earlier saying that he was picking you up."_

Sasuke snickered, "Yeah, so what's up?"

"_There's a chick that wants your 'service'._" Shikamaru muttered lazily.

He rolled his eyes at the sarcasm, "Who is it?"

"_You probably know her, she's in our class._"

"She's over yours now?"

"_Yeah, along with my girlfriend._"

"Name, Nara."

"_Chill, it's Haruno Sakura. She's cool._"

By that time, Naruto's car was screeching its way to a stop. "Teme, tell him that we're here."

Sasuke brought the speakers to his mouth, "We're here. Talk to you there."

"_Yeah, whatever._"

The line went dead.

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When Uchiha Sasuke entered the doorway, the first thing that stole his attention was a girl with bright pink hair. Somehow she looked fairly familiar but he couldn't recall exactly who she was, though he was sure that he hadn't screwed her yet—

"That's her." Nara Shikamaru poked Sasuke in his ribs.

His onyx eyes looked at her once again as she leaned down to sniff a few rows of cocaine.

Sasuke raised a skeptical eyebrow. "The girl with pink?"

Shikamaru nodded lazily and called over a girl with blonde hair who was sitting right next to the pinkette. "Over here!" he called through the loud blasting music.

The girl walked over with a grin and kissed him, "Where's the guy?"

Shikamaru jabbed his thumb towards Sasuke's direction. "That's the almighty Uchiha alright."

Her blue eyes looked at Sasuke up and down. "I think Sakura would like him." Ino grinned.

Tired of socializing, Haruno Sakura got up to join her bestfriend and her boyfriend. She gave a weak smile and waved at Shikamaru, "Yo."

"Hey pinky. Here he is." Shikamaru looked at Sasuke who stood emotionlessly by his side.

Sakura's green eyes widened ever so slightly. "So you ready?"

Sasuke raised a quizzical eyebrow at her.

"One night stand." She explained dryly.

"Hn." He muttered and walked away.

Sakura thought he wasn't interested. After all, a "Hn" was not a very convincing reply. So she shrugged it off and continued to socialize with other high and wasted people.

"Are you coming?" he asked which startled Sakura a little.

She blinked at him. "Oh. Yeah—definitely."

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Once they had entered an empty bedroom, Sakura locked the door before her and the walls drowned out the deafening music from downstairs. She turned around and saw Uchiha Sasuke sitting at the edge of the bed.

He raised an eyebrow at her "You drunk?"

She blinked at him, confused. "What? _No._ Definitely not."

Sasuke nodded mindlessly and removed his dark blue shirt over his head, leaving his toned torso bare.

Sakura walked over and sat beside him, removing her green tank top revealing her lacy red bra. Uchiha Sasuke stared into her green eyes and couldn't help but to wonder why she seemed to be slightly 'different' than the other girls he was used to screwing. Was it because she wasn't as excited as the others? Or was it her unusually captivating appearance?

She sighed. "Look. I've heard about you and your one-night stands where you have _nothing _to do at all with the girls—"

His lips smashed into hers and it took Sakura by surprise, but she ignored it and deepened the hungry kiss. He pinned her against the mattress and hungrily bit onto her neck where he left soft butterfly kisses trailing down to her chest. Her fingers knotted with his dark luminous hair as she arched her back upwards for more, pulling him closer to her where his hot breath melted in her skin.

Sasuke caressed her bare flesh and greedily unbuttoned her denim skirt, taking her into his mouth before savoring her taste.

For some odd reason, Haruno Sakura was different. She looked different and she _felt_ different. That was probably because she wasn't clamoring his name like other girls would, and somehow the thought excited him.

Once he had reached the lower part of her stomach, he could feel his member more aroused. Quickly with experienced hands he had taken off all of her remaining clothing and left her completely nude, her skin was as porcelain as the bed sheets under them. Definitely different from all of those fake-tanned sluts he was used to.

Together, they drowned the night away with the intensity of their pleasures.

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"Sakura!" Ino pounded on the bedroom door.

Both Sasuke and Sakura grunted before getting up, the room was a mess of strewn clothes.

Uchiha Sasuke looked at her in the eyes, "You know that whatever we did tonight meant absolutely nothing right?"

"Of course—absolutely _nothing._" She remarked.

Even when he was so used to getting dressed and leaving the girl alone in the aftermath, he just couldn't quite seem to do that with Haruno Sakura.

"It looks like I'd be seeing you in school, Haruno."

The emerald-eyed girl just smiled, because she knew that it was probably the last day they'd ever see each other again.

At least, for as long as she _thought_ she knew.

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**A/N: Reviews&Fave darlings! :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Opening Of The Heart**

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**A/N: **Here's chapter two peoplez! ;D

**Disclaimer: **I _want_ to own Naruto. But at the moment, it owns _me._

_**Story originally written and taken by/from TragedyDawl.**_

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Haruno Sakura stared through the sheen of rain and watched as the world was showered with the downpour. One year, one whole year had she been admitted to a mental institution and now she had finally been granted release. She felt both trapped and better—at least _better_ than she thought she'd be. Not even a whole year of medication could help her forget the pain lying dormant in her heart.

No, scratch that, _nothing_ could maker her forget.

"Haruno-san!" called a nurse from the doorway. Sakura turned to look at her and smiled.

"Yeah?" she answered.

The nurse smiled at her, "Your ride is here."

Today, she would be seeing a whole new world of color rather than the plain walls of white that were locked around her.

"I'd be right there." Sakura said, her heart whirling with anticipation. She was _finally _leaving.

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Mitsuru embraced her daughter after she had walked out of the hospital premises. "Sakura-chan!" she greeted and motioned her towards their car. "How are you feeling?" she asked weakly.

Sakura smiled at her mother and nodded. "Just fine."

"Are you sure—"?

"I'm fine, mom."

Mitsuru eyed her weirdly but dismissed her daughter's weird behavior. After all, it must be overwhelming to finally be released after a whole year of constant whites around her.

Her mother smiled and her eyes crinkled, little crowfeet forming at the side of each eye. "So are you ready to see our new house?"

"Sure. Whatever."

Mitsuru pouted and sighed, "Well, I'm sure you'd get along with the neighbors!" she chirped trying her best to stay optimistic.

Sakura didn't reply and just stared out the window. She really couldn't care less about neighbors, a happy home and whatnot. She just didn't give a crap.

The whole ride was endured in silence when finally Mitsuru entered a rich suburban area where Sakura couldn't help but to stare at it in awe. The house that they pulled in front of was grand, just like the others along the same row as them. The gardens were fresh and grasses were well kept, it was as if the whole scene was pulled straight out of The Perfect Home catalog of some sort.

"We…live here?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

Mitsuru nodded. "Welcome back," a tear rolled idly down her cheek.

Maybe life from then on wouldn't be so bad after all.

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The light filtered through the dingy curtains as Uchiha Sasuke woke up, muttering silent curses when he realized that he was not alone. In frustration, he pulled over his shirt and left the room where the girl would probably wake up alone and call him later on. Which reminded him to erase her from his contact list.

It was around two in the afternoon when Sasuke got home.

"Okaasan." He greeted when he reached the house. "I'm home."

Uchiha Mikoto walked out with a matte white apron on, "Ah, Sasuke-kun!" she motioned him to come over to the kitchen.

As much as Sasuke would like to deny it, he was a mommy's boy. Out of everyone in his power-crazed smug family, he had only felt love for his mother and no one else.

"What is it?" he asked dryly.

Mikoto smiled and clapped happily, "Sasuke-kun, we have a new member in our neighborhood!"

Sasuke rolled his dark eyes, "Mom. You said that like, three weeks ago."

His mother laughed charmingly. "Yes, I'm aware of that—don't have to outsmart me my son," she ruffled his messy hair as he grumbled, "but do you remember my friend, Mitsuru?"

Sasuke nodded, how could he not remember that young apple-eyed woman?

"Well…" Mikoto walked over towards the fridge and took out some bread, chicken slices, and tomatoes, "—her daughter had just came back and I heard she was around your age!" her lips curved to a grin.

He rolled his eyes up to the heavens, "Okaasan. I'm not interested."

"B—But!" his mother protested then sighed in defeat, "Sasuke-kun. You're my son—my favorite one at that. I need you to find a nice _decent _woman before I grow old and cold in my grave."

Sasuke winced. "I'm not even in my twenties yet." He grunted.

Mikoto looked at him, her eyes narrowed warningly. "You _will_ be in another two years or so." She scolded.

Sasuke folded his arms and grunted. "Whatever."

Sometimes she wondered how to handle her stubborn son.

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"Sakura dear, can you come down for a second?" Mitsuru raised her voice over her daughter's blasting stereo.

The pinkette walked down the stairs reluctantly, her hair tousled in many different direction. "What?" she grumbled.

Mitsuru shook her head disapprovingly. "Manners dear, that's very unlady-like."

Sakura rolled her eyes and mimicked her mother's words in a mocking tone. "What do you want, mom?"

"We're having lunch with our neighbor." Her mother said and a light twinkled in her green eyes.

"Not going." She muttered dryly and walked back upstairs.

Mitsuru walked upstairs to her daughter's room, "Sakura, it's not an option. You're coming."

Sakura whined, "But—_why?_"

"Well. Because. Um." Her mother looked around the hallway, and back at her daughter's bedroom door. "Because I said so!" she huffed.

Mitsuru had always been the materialistic one—she had Sakura when she was still young—and she had still to cope with motherhood.

"One reason mom, just one." Sakura sighed.

Mitsuru pondered in thought for a moment, "Well there's one, and I'm sure it's a reasonable one too."

"What would that be, huh?"

"Her son's cute. Like I'm talking _majorly_ gorgeous—"

Sakura's face screwed sourly. "Mom. Ew. He's like, way younger than you."

Her mother grinned sheepishly through closed doors, "I know, I know. But once you look at him, you can't really blame me."

Sakura played with the hem of her oversized shirt, "Oh really now." She muttered uninterestedly.

"He's your age, and did I mention that he's single?" Mitsuru teased.

Sakura sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll go."

Who in the world would resist meeting up with a cute_ single_ guy? Not her, definitely not her. She would need all the cute single guys she could get. It was like what they said, to get over someone you've got to get _under_ somebody else. But so far, that wasn't working too well with her.

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_Flashback_

_Haruno Sakura smiled as the blonde walked over to her. "Deidara-kun!"_

"_Hey sexy." He greeted and kissed her cheek, "how you doing?"_

_She blushed, "just fine. Missing you though."_

_Deidara smirked. "I'm sure that I miss you more," he leaned in and kissed her passionately._

"_That's not possible." She remarked defensively._

"_Oh trust me_—" _he knotted his fingers in her pink hair and nuzzled her neck, "you'd be surprised."_

_End of flashback._

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"Okaasan."

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"Remind me. Why am I being sucked into this?"

Mikoto arched her eyes upwards in glee, "That's because I promised to make your favorite tomato soup for the next three weeks."

"Hn." He grunted. "Stupid tomatoes."

Uchiha Mikoto had convinced her son to join her and their neighbor for a friendly lunch somewhere in a restaurant nearby. Sasuke had very stubbornly refused—until she bribed him with his favorite meals that he _couldn't_ turn down. Anyways, Mikoto had mentioned about the young and cute daughter (did he mention, single?) who was coming along as well. Apparently it was like some sort of "Welcome Back" get together for her; she'd been gone somewhere for a whole year. Probably from studying abroad, he was sure.

He unbuttoned a few buttons down his chest and earned a slap on his wrist from Mikoto.

"Don't do that, it looks sloppy!" she scolded and shook her head.

He grunted, "Okaasan. I'm used to doing it like—"

"Sasuke-kun." She looked at him through warning eyes.

"Fine, fine." He put his hands up and surrendered dramatically, "I'll do it back up—_later_."

Mikoto sighed. "What am I gonna do with you, Sasuke?"

He half-smiled and said nothing while the both of them walked out of the house and to the car.

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After getting a table for four, Sakura languidly put on her giant skull-candy headphones on, and the music blasted in her eardrums. Mitsuru shook her head disapprovingly and waited elegantly for her friend. Not soon after, two dark-haired Uchihas walked in through the opened glass doors and Mitsuru waved them over. Sasuke looked very distant and detached, but he dressed up pretty nicely. At least, nicer than how her _daughter_ would dress up—she still didn't get her fashion sense of long stretched slogan-tees and skin-tight skinny jeans. To Mitsuru, girls should dress like _girls_; meaning dresses and all of those latest runaway trends.

"Mikoto! How are you?" Mitsuru greeted and air kissed her dark haired friend before muttering a hello to Sasuke.

Mikoto smiled at her light-haired friend, "Doing just fine thank you," she looked over at Sakura, "And that must be your lovely daughter, Sakura is it?"

Haruno Sakura simply smiled and caught a glimpse of the raven-haired boy and gasped.

It was _him,_ that boy from Shikamaru's party. Um. What was his name again?

"Sakura?" his onyx eyes widened slightly.

The pink haired girl stuttered a little, "You're my _neighbor_?" she asked, her headphones hung idly around her neck.

Mitsuru and Mikoto giggled and whispered to each other through cupped hands, "Look at them!" Mikoto whispered.

"It looks like they're getting along already," Mitsuru laughed.

Mikoto smiled, "I'm glad that they're talking at least."

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Sakura cocked her head to the side, "You still remember me?" she asked.

Sasuke's gaze was detached, "It's hard to forget someone with pink hair, you know." He remarked dryly.

"Oh, yeah," she twirled a loose tendril of her hair, "I guess that made sense."

Mikoto approached her son and tapped his shoulder lightly.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Sakura suppressed a giggle at the suffix to his name and it made Sasuke blush.

He grunted. "Yes, _Okaasan?_"

"Sakura's mother and I are going to find another table." She sneaked a quick glance at Sakura. "So—you know—you guys can get to know each other a little." She winked at him.

"Hn."

"Alright Sasuke-kun, I'll be right there," she pointed to the table opposite them, where the view of Sasuke and Sakura was perfectly clear.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Yes, Okaasan."

Mikoto ruffled her son's hair, "Good boy."

When Uchiha Mikoto and Haruno Mitsuru finally left to their table, Sakura burst out laughing which reddened Sasuke's face in embarrassment.

"_What_?" he gritted the words through his teeth.

Sakura tried her best to suppress herself from laughing, "I didn't know that _you_ were a momma's boy." She snickered and doubled up in laughter when she saw Sasuke squirm.

"Shut up." His face was red.

Sakura breathed in deeply before completely calming herself down. That was funny. She wiped the tear collected in her eyes with the back of her hand, "Okay—_okay._" She breathed deeply again, "sorry. That was uncalled for."

"Hn."

"Let's start over, shall we?" she smirked.

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_Flashback_

_She snickered when Deidara choked on his own beverage. He squirmed at the thought of being laughed at and looked away from the emerald-eyed girl._

"_I'm sorry," she bit her lip but the laughter was bubbling down her throat, "You don't have to be so macho all the time you know, Deidara-kun."_

_He rolled his crystal blue eyes. "So you want me to be all sensitive and all?"_

"_Of course not." She giggled and kissed him lightly on his nose, "but I thought that was cute."_

_He gave a crooked smile, "I should be choking often then." He made a dramatic choking motion as he strangled himself playfully._

_Sakura slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare!"_

"_I'd so do it you know, Sakura-chan_—_"_

"_Deidara-kun, I'm serious,"_

_He scooped her in his arms and smiled, "For you, it's worth it."_

_End of flashback_

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"So Sakura…" Sasuke started.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you disappear for the whole year?"

"I needed to, forget about stuff."

"Well," he looked at her, "did it work?"

Sakura fixed her gaze at a distance. "I wish it did."

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**A/N: Read and Reviews to make me happy!! -lovehuggles-**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Opening Of The Heart**

**03**

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**A/N: **"She belongs to fairytales that I could never be" –Trading Yesterday

**Disclaimer: **I love to say yes, but no.

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"Hey Ino."

"_Saki! Oh my god, I missed you so much!"_

Sakura smiled at the voice of her best friend on the other line, "I missed you too Ino, how've you been?"

"_Are you seriously asking? Horrible without you—Life was seriously meaningless._"

"Ah c'mon, I'm sure it wasn't _that_ boring."

Yamanaka Ino rolled her eyes, "_I don't exaggerate—"_

"Oh yeah sure."

"_Okay, okay fine—but just a little!"_

Sakura sighed then laughed quietly, "How's Shikamaru?"

The line went silent and Sakura wondered if she should have said anything at all.

"…Ino?"

Ino breathed, "_We broke up._"

"Oh my god—" Sakura gasped and her eyes widened, "I'm _so_ sorry Ino, I had _no idea…_how?"

"_This bitch called Temari—New kid, Cool hair. But _so_ out of my league!"_

"I bet, I mean you're totally gorgeous!" Sakura smiled, "_—_guys. You just can _never_ understand them…"

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_Flashback_

"_Deidara-kun…"_

_He was quiet._

_Sakura sighed, "Please don't give me the silent treatment. I hate it when you do that."_

"_Sakura, you know that I love you right?" he grunted._

_The pink haired girl rolled her eyes in doubt and nodded slowly. "I…guess so."_

_He leaned in, dangerously too close. "You know that—" he looked at her intently, "I'll do whatever for you, right?"_

_Sakura gulped then nodded, feeling the warmth of his breath tickling her heart._

_He sighed then ran his fingers through her young pink locks._

"_Just remember that, okay?"_

_End of flashback_

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"_Hello, Saki?"_

Ino's voice snapped Sakura back to reality and she shook her head, realizing she had just spaced out. "Um. Sorry Ino, but I_—_I have to go now yeah?"

"_Oh, alright then. Drinks today?_"

"Sure, I'll try to make it."

Ino smiled, "_You better—I've missed you. Talk to you later!_"

"Bye," Sakura hung up. She crawled into her bed, holding on to the bed sheets too tightly that it turned her knuckles bone-white. A sweat rolled down her temples and she shivered, the tears in the rim of her eyes began to pour silently_—_

When exactly had her life turned out so _wrong?_

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Uzumaki Naruto sat on the hood of his car while Sasuke leaned against it, sipping on their bottle of plain vodka. The sun glared down and the heat bit through their skin, which made Naruto squint when he looked up to the sky.

"I heard that Sakura's back?" Naruto asked suddenly in the quiet.

Sasuke nodded and sipped more alcohol that burnt down his throat.

"Is she…alright?"

The raven-haired boy turned to look at his friend and raised a quizzical eyebrow. "You still like her?"

"No no!" Naruto shook his head vigorously and grinned, "I was, just wondering. Haven't seen her in a while, how is she?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Normal I guess."

"She looks sort of…depressed. It's just really unusual of her, she's usually so cheerful…"

Sasuke stared into the distance and watched as the cherry blossom trees danced in the wind. "I wonder why." He muttered.

Naruto nodded silently and looked at his half-empty alcohol, chucking it into the bushes somewhere.

"Oi teme, where do you wanna go next?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment until he faced his friend. "Just send me home, dobe. I've got something to do." He said.

Naruto nodded and jumped down, starting the car before driving off the abandoned parking lot to the Uchiha's residency. The world had never seemed so empty to the both of them.

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Life was unfair to Yamanaka Ino. She had lost her lazily handsome boyfriend. It was unfair, when all she did was trying her best to keep both relationship and friendship together. If that_—_what's her name_—_hadn't just magically appeared out of nowhere in her life then her relationship was for her to keep and no one else's.

That didn't matter as much though, what she worried most was losing her best friend_—_

She could feel Haruno Sakura slowly slipping away from her fingers.

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"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke walked towards the kitchen where his mother was.

Mikoto turned around and smiled at her son, Sasuke could see the fine lines visible on her face. "Can you do me a favor, please?" she asked.

Sasuke nodded, "you look tired, what's wrong?" he looked around the messy kitchen where vegetable pieces, sliced fish, herbs and spices and a boiling pot all cluttered on the counter.

She shook her head, "some of your father's friends are coming over_—_"

Sasuke scoffed.

"Be nice Sasuke-kun, I know that you and your father don't really get along and_—_"

"We don't exactly meet eye-to-eye either, mother." He muttered dryly.

Mikoto sighed, "just do me a favor_—_Please Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke grunted but complied. "What is it?"

"I need you to return this," she handed him a blender, "_—_to the Haruno's. Can you?"

"Okay."

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The wind was blowing harsh against his skin and he battled against it down a few blocks. He pressed on the doorbell regardless of his hair being a dark mess all over him at the moment. He waited for someone to answer and pressed it again when there was no response for the past five minutes. He thought of walking away, telling his mother that no one was home when he heard music somewhere in the heart of the house. Sasuke stood back and looked up at Haruno Sakura's room window and wondered if she was at home to begin with.

Sasuke knocked on the door, "Is anyone there?"

But there was no answer.

He knocked again when he realized that the door was unlocked. Sasuke looked at it weirdly, but walked inside while slowly eyeing the empty living room and walkway. It was dark, too dark for daylight.

Sasuke called out again, "Is anyone here?" but received no reply.

The door closed behind him, the wind had blown against it, which left him no choice but to remove his shoes and enter the almost silent (there was still music upstairs) house. The dining table stood at the centre of the living room and he placed the blender on there.

Suddenly the urge to see Haruno Sakura came to him, and he wondered what she was doing upstairs.

He walked up, calling from time to time to see if anyone was home, feeling that his manners were completely significant when it came to entering people's houses without permission. But the door was unlocked and the wind _had _shut the door before him, so it wasn't technically _his_ doing.

Sasuke stood before, what he assumed to be, Sakura's bedroom door and heard the smashing guitar chords and the deafening beat of drums blasting through her stereo. He would have knocked had the door not been left slightly ajar, which he pushed and peeked in the unusually dark room.

"Sakura?" he called, but all he heard were soft sobs coming from a corner.

His hand searched for a switch and as he switched it on, he saw the pink haired girl soaked in tears_—_

And blood.

"_Holy shit—"_ Sasuke cursed and ran to her aid, "what the _fuck _do you think you're _doing?" _he shouted and eyed the thin blade in her hand that glistened in red.

Sakura stared at him, wide-eyed. How had he entered? Had her mother forgotten to lock the door _again_?

She pushed at him, "Leave me the fuck alone!" she screeched and held her bloody arm close to her chest, where the red soaked into her shirt.

"Bitch, are you fucking _mad?_" he hissed under his breath and snatched the blade away from her, tossing it far away. "I'm taking you to the hospital_—_"

"No_—no, _please don't!" she begged, kneeling on her own puddle of blood.

"Sakura you're going to fucking _die_!" he bellowed which made her wince slightly.

She started to cry and buried her face in her palms, "let me. Please, just leave me here alone_—_"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her, "_No_." he hissed and carried her in his arms, "I'm taking you to the hospital, whether you like it or _not_, Sakura." He snarled.

She would have protested, but the pain had already made it to her head and she felt herself drown into the darkness.

"_Sasuke,_" she breathed, her eyes struggling to open, "_—let me die._"

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Hours, it'd been _hours_ since Sasuke had been in the waiting room _—_while in reality, it were mere minutes_—_and his heart thudded anxiously against his chest. What was that girl thinking, cutting herself across the wrist? Was she fucking out of her _mind_?

The doctor approached the raven-haired boy, "Uchiha Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned around, slightly startled then nodded. "Yes. That's me."

"I believe that you brought in Miss Haruno Sakura, am I wrong?"

He shook his head.

"She has regained consciousness now if you wish to see her." The doctor smiled and excused himself.

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_Flashback_

_She ran across the empty streets to the boy who was waiting for her on the other side. The sun was drowning in the horizon, which cooled the summer's temperature._

"_Deidara-kun!" she called out and panted, "_—_you wanted to see me?"_

_He gave that breathtaking half-crooked smile. "I've got a surprise for you Saki."_

_She blushed and smiled, "and what would that be?"_

"_I'm going to have to show you."_

_So he took her hand in his and nuzzled her neck, "close your eyes okay?"_

_Sakura nodded, loving the surprise already, whatever it was. They walked a few miles down_—_what felt like_—_a never-ending street. Soon enough Sakura could hear the crashing sound of waves and soft sighing whispers of the tide._

_Deidara took his hands away from Sakura's eyes and whispered, "You can look now."_

_When Sakura opened her eyes she felt her heart leap. By the bone-white beach was the beautifully sapphire-colored ocean, set against the purple sky. No one was there but the both of them and when her eyes trailed further down the sand she saw the picnic mat, two lighted-candles, a basket of_—_what looked like_—_expensive wine, and another basket of food._

_Deidara smiled, "do you like it?"_

_She squealed and jumped on him, "I love it, Deidara-kun!"_

"_Good," he kissed her and carried her in his arms to the small picnic, "_—_this took me a while to plan."_

_And together in the overwhelming summer breeze, they spent their night away in a world perfect for two._

_End of flashback_

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Sasuke walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

He looked at the pale Sakura lying on the bed with bandages around her arm, "What were you _thinking_, Sakura?"

She didn't answer and looked away from him.

"Sakura."

"Why the fuck do _you_ care?" she retorted.

Sasuke looked at her with no emotion, "So what, I was expected to leave you _bleeding _to death?" he stated sardonically.

"Yes!" she replied angrily.

He narrowed his eyes in anger, "that's really fucked up Sakura."

"It's _my_ life and I could do whatever I want with it—"

"But taking it away is a _completely _different thing." He stared intently at her, "what the fuck _is_ your problem?"

Sakura blinked at him, "what are you talking about?"

"Your problem, Haruno." He stared intently at her eyes, "you used to be the smartest kid in our school. You were a straight-A student who—how it had seemed to me at the time—would never involve yourself in house parties, let alone get involved in drugs _or _get wasted on alcohol." His eyes averted to her wrapped arm, "but ever since last summer—you've been acting all _different._"

Sakura looked away, "It's none of your business Sasuke."

"I never said it was." He muttered dryly.

"Then don't bother asking." She turned to look at him, "—you have _no_ idea about anything. You don't even _know _me to be judging me like that—"

"Even when you're trying to kill yourself?" he hissed.

"Yes." She narrowed her eyes, "because not even that _fucking_ blade could compare to the pain that I'm feeling inside."

Sasuke was somehow mildly surprised by her words and stood quietly with his hands shoved in his pockets. Whatever it was, Haruno Sakura was going through something painful—and he had seen that pain in her eyes when she had begged him to die.

He just wondered how that _something _could be so bad.

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**A/N: Reviews, please!! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heartless**

**04**

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**A/N: **I hope people are still reading this.

**Standard Disclaiming Properties Apply**

_"He was ready to die with you, and gave you life again; but you have conspired against him in his sleep, and shall receive your due reward." -The Three Snake Leaves_

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She ran in her sleep, she ran in her dreams, she ran so far away in hope that everything she remembered would be left in the past. She ran and ran and ran until her legs gave in to her and collapsed beneath her weak body. But even with that strength of determination in her, the past still haunted and the future would not leave her be. In a way, she was still unready to let everything go.

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"Move your head pinky, I can't see the board."

"What did you call me jerk?"

"I just said that—_Ouch!_ What was that for?!"

"Watch it baka, or I'll castrate your balls next."

"Such foul words for a gir—OW!"

"Yeah that's what I thought."

"Dobe, leave her alone."

"B—Bu—But I just asked her to move! Teme, stop siding with your new best friend. Oh. Ouch. Okay—_okay,_ I'll just go sit at the front row. God you people are reckless."

Sakura sighed and tapped her pencil mindlessly on her desk. Why she agreed to go to school that morning escaped her mind completely.

Sasuke looked at her through the corner of his eyes. "Bored?"

"No shit Sherlock."

He scoffed and turned to face the board once more where Hatake Kakashi lazily explained his new method in solving algebraic equations. Blah blah and more blahs, he'd done this already—he knew this stuff ever since seventh grade.

"Hey Sasuke," she nudged by kicking his legs under the desk.

He barely turned to look at her and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Ditch class with me next period?"

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"OI WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT WITHOUT ME!"

"You're so loud Naruto."

"That's the dobe for you."

"No seriously guys, are you guys ditchin—Ow. Okay. I'll shut up now. Oh, crap. I think Kakashi-sensei heard me. Ah, shit."

Sakura glared at him. "Nice work idiot."

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Alas school was over, everyone busted out school gates like a stampede of hungry lions chasing the last slab of meat. Naruto and Sasuke sat on the roof of Naruto's car, while Ino and Sakura sat under the huge oak tree by the car park. The biting heat didn't bother them at all as Sakura reached in for a half-empty box of cigarettes. She started to light a new one when Sasuke snatched her wrist.

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed and retreated her arm away from him.

He snatched the cigarette stick from her lips and tossed it away.

"Sasuke what the fuck—"

"Those things are bad for you Sakura."

She laughed almost sarcastically, "are you for fucking serious? I can always light another one." Her fingers slipped a fresh cigarette out of its white box.

He snarled. "You don't smoke on an empty stomach, Sakura."

"What are you, my _mom?_"

Naruto chuckled at this but was silenced almost immediately by Sasuke's glare.

"Sakura—"

"Anyone bored?" Ino yawned and chucked her empty can of diet soda behind her, "'coz honestly, I can do some fun at about now." She got up and slung her backpack over her shoulder. "Saki, my house or yours?"

"Neither. Going over to Sasori's today."

Ino rolled her eyes, "have you not enough _play dates_ with the guy?"

Sakura gave a sultry growl, "that's my way of saying _no._"

"Pity…" Sasuke folded his arms to his chest and lay against the burning metal of the roof, "the guy is probably sick and tired of you being around."

"You're a jackass, you know that Sasuke?" Sakura narrowed her eyes up at him, which earned an arrogant smirk from the Uchiha.

"Well, how many times have I heard _that_ one already?"

"I'm one of the most desirable girl in school, if I must remind you."

"Ha, with someone as annoying as you? Prove it." He muttered sardonically.

"Oh, I just as well might." Sakura got up from the ground and waved the next passerby over to her, crushing her lips into the stranger's madly. Everyone, save Ino, watched with widened eyes and Sakura dismissed the boy with a push and a cold wave, leaving the flushed boy walking away in great glee. She gave Sasuke the "I-Told-You-So" look.

"So Sasuke—" Sakura purred.

"Shut up. Dobe, get in the car. We're leaving."

She rolled her emerald eyes. "So soon, Mr. I'm-So-Great-And-Up-My-Own-Ass?"

"Seriously, fuck you."

"Oo! I'm sure you want to, Uchiha-san." Sakura growled seductively.

He snarled. "Naruto. In the car. _Now._"

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She just _had_ to be so fucking annoying, Sasuke thought, she just had to shove it into his face what a fucking whore she was. Okay, 'whore' was too harsh of a word. She's just misunderstood; a misunderstood messed up sorry excuse of a teenager.

Oh no, that would be so much as describing himself.

What was with her, trying to prove to him how _desirable_ and _wanted _she was? He knew tha—uh, got her point. He stomped upstairs to his room and slammed the door shut behind him. Smashing Sakura's former box of cigarettes on his bed, he glanced at it before deciding he would take a smoke.

"_Sasuke-kun,_" his mother called and knocked on his door.

The young Uchiha turned around with a snarl, wafting the acid-filled smoke away from him. "Ah, fuck."

"_I know you're in there_—Sasuke-kun. _Open up, your father wants to talk to you_—_"_

"I don't. Tell him I'm not here."

"_He heard you slamming your door_—_or so he said. Please open up, for me?"_

Sasuke growled and crushed the burning cigarette stick under the soles of his feet, opening the windows wide so the stench of smoke would waft out.

Mikoto stepped into his bedroom, "You know you can't igno—" she looked at the box of cigarettes lying idly on his mattress—"_what are you doing with these?_"

"_Shit,_" Sasuke cursed, forgetting entirely to hide those. "They're not mine." He lied.

"I'm not stupid, Sasuke. Why do you have a box of bloody cigarettes in this _house_?"

"I'm not lying, Okaasan. They're not mine."

Loud footsteps were heard walking upstairs. "Sasuke," his father called, stern and loud.

Mikoto quickly turned to her son, sparing him a mixed look of sympathy and anger. "You _know_ what your father would do to you if he found these—"

"Sasuke." Fugaku called.

"Yes, father." He answered dully.

The man walked in the bedroom's premises, sniffing the mild odor of nicotine. "Have you been smoking?" he asked, voice strict and unforgiving.

Sasuke shook his head with a straight face and felt the burning sting on his right cheek. In a blink of an eye, he was on the floor and his mother's pleading gasps to not hurt her son and father's angered panting whirled in his mind.

"You listen here Sasuke—"

But the young Uchiha just kept quiet, his face unmoving. He got up to his feet and steadied himself.

"—I've just had enough of you. I don't tolerate smokers here. I don't tolerate ignorant people living under the roof of _my_ house. You are lucky enough to even have my attention on someone so useless to the family—"

Mikoto grasped her husband's arm, "that's enough, Fugaku!"

"—don't you remember the ill fate of your own brother?" his glare burned through Sasuke's eyes.

How could he not?

"Yes, father." He mumbled under his breath.

Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath to calm himself. "Lung cancer is nothing to be taken easily in this family. If a rat like you can't abide and respect my rules—"

"Stop it!"

"—then don't bother coming back."

Sasuke looked away, reluctant to talk, the pain still lingered on his cheek like a pounding drum.

"Do. You. Understand?" Fugaku gnarled the words through his teeth.

"Understood." The young Uchiha replied lifelessly.

His father turned around and left the bedroom before continuing down the stairs. Mikoto looked sympathetically at Sasuke then walked to his aid, touching his harmed cheek.

"I told you—"

"Okaasan, I need to go."

Mikoto looked at him with widened anxious eyes. "Where are you going? You're not taking your father's threat seriously are you? You know how he is—"

"No, Okaasan. I have something to do."

"Oh—okay. I'll see you when you get back, Sasuke-kun." She embraces her son then whispered, "take care of yourself."

It took him a few seconds to reply, "I'll try."

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She could walk forever down the endless road, not like there was anything to stop her anyways. The place was empty, empty cans of sodas rolled down the tarred street and the wind just blew at her hair towards west. Her house was exactly the opposite to where she was walking to—which was nowhere. Something made her stop, but as usual it was the unexpected presence of Uchiha Sasuke.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, looking down at the ravenette who sat by a closed store.

He looked up through his dark fringe of hair. "Could ask you the same thing."

Sakura rolled her eyes and sat next to him, tightening her long coat around her. "Thought I should walk around."

"Alone in the dark? You're really asking to be raped, Sakura."

"Like that doesn't apply to you." She muttered sardonically.

He smirked. "I forgot I was _that_ desirable."

She elbowed him at the ribs, "asshole." Then stifled a quiet laugh. "But seriously, what are you doing here?"

Sasuke shrugged and looked ahead.

"Oh—fought with your dad, I'm assuming?"

"How'd you know?"

"You told me once—_remember?_ You said something about him being a self-conceited jackass—much like yourself. Just kidding. Anyways yeah, so what happened?"

"Hn."

Sakura sighed; she knew Sasuke wasn't going to tell her so she contemplated the empty area. Being somewhere remotely vacant felt unnerving somehow—at least it should—but maybe because there was company, she knew she wasn't completely alone.

Sasuke got up and looked over his shoulder. "Hungry?"

"Hm?"

"I was thinking of grabbing a bite."

"Wow, I never knew I'd live the day an Uchiha would say 'grabbing a bite,' this is epic." She stuck her tongue out teasingly as Sasuke scoffed. "But sure, what do you have in mind?"

"Don't know. Up to you really."

"So it's like a date?" she teased.

"In your dreams, Sakura." He smirked.

Sakura clung on to his arms childishly, "Oh dear Sasuke—you're wandering in it right now."

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**A/N:** I know, this is where I bow for forgiveness for _not_ updating soon enough. I have to warn you guys, I've got an upcoming huge ass personal project on my shoulders, juggling with science/humanities AND technology assessments all at the same time.

I'm telling you, school gives you no mercy.

Oh and btw, do review! :D


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Naruto, Drama, Hurt-Comfort