A/N: I don’t own Naruto, or any of its characters. However, I do own this plot, and any OC I may make. At this point, though, no OC’s are planned besides random villagers. So! Enjoy the fic! And, no it’s not a song-fic. Though I will have lyrics from songs that inspired this fanfic at the beginning of each chapter. This fic was inspired by a lot of Alkaline Trio and Motion City Soundtrack.

I got the message long before you said you knew
There was no chance of us at all
With no velocity an empty heading hard and far too long
I spent two years alone with you
Just when I thought I had forgotten
You came back soft without a sound.

-My Favorite Accident, Motion City Soundtrack

“If you leave, you will, of course, no longer be my apprentice.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama. I know that.”

“And you are…all right with that?”

The two women, similar in many ways, yet so strikingly different in others, were staring at each other with fierce intensity. There was no hate, and there was no malice. Merely a deep need to be understood by one, and a deep need to understand from the other. Why? Why.

Why are you doing this

Why can’t you understand why I’m doing this

Both knew they would not have their answer voiced by the other. Yet they still knew the answer they would have received; it was just that neither would get it out in the open.

Finally, the younger, pink-haired girl spoke.

“…Yes. I am.”

More silence. The blonde pressed her lips thin, still staring at the young woman she had once seen so much potential in; the young woman who was now throwing everything away for a boy.

No, worse, for a traitor.

Finally, the Hokage averted her gaze, and the pink-haired kunoichi did the same, choosing to rest her eyes in the opposite direction her mentor’s eyes fell at.

The older woman sighed after a moment, straightening some papers on her desk, though never bringing her gaze back up to her apprentice. “Very well. You may leave. However, because of your decision, you are no longer a citizen of Konoha. You will need my permission to come here from this day forth. Goodbye, Haruno Sakura.”

The girl called Sakura involuntarily looked up at the Hokage, hurt clearly written on her face as her eyes scrunched up and she bit at her lip. She hadn’t meant to show weakness, but the harshness of her former master’s words cut deep. Quickly, though, Sakura smothered the flames within her. She accepted the fate she was given, and averted her gaze once more.

“I…understand. Thank you for your generosity, Hokage-sama. Good…” She faltered, but then lifted her face back up to meet the Hokage’s and forced a smile through the tears that threatened to fall. “Goodbye. Goodbye…Tsunade-sama.”

Without another word, and without a single tear shed, the young woman walked deliberately out of the office, trying to be graceful in her final goodbye. Not looking back, she did not get to see the anguish engulf her former master’s face with swift intensity.

--

Outside, the moon was bright and the stars were clear, gleaming away with cheeriness and tranquility that Sakura didn’t think she’d feel again for a while.

No. That was the wrong way to think. She was with him, now. Therefore, she would always be happy, wouldn’t she? He had returned to her, and the rest of the village. Only she was the only one that had accepted him back into the fold. The rest saw only a traitor. Even Naruto treated him with a cool demeanor.

She was all he had now, and it was her duty to stick by him. Clearly he cared for her, or would he have asked her to do this?

“That was quick.” The onyx-eyed man was not looking at her, yet he sensed he presence anyway, as his eyes took in the sky before them.

“I-” She broke off, unsure of what she was going to say. Instead, Sakura approached him, slipping an arm through his and resting a chin on his shoulder, from behind. “Everything’s in order. And…I am no longer a Konoha citizen. We’ll have to leave soon.”

He had tensed up, though her mind would not allow itself to go to the possibility that it could have been because of her touch. After all, why ask her to leave with him if he didn’t want her? That would be…foolish.

Immediately, Sasuke pulled away from her, though after a moment’s hesitation, he took her hand delicately. They stood like that for a moment.

Finally, he looked at her, his eyes locking onto hers before commanding, “Let’s go.”

As Sasuke pulled her along, her doubts started to finally melt away, slowly but surely. He really did come back for her. This wasn’t a dream. He was taking her with him. This was real.

Together, they walked away from the building that housed the Hokage’s office, their hands intertwined. Sakura stole glances at Sasuke’s face whenever she could, convincing herself still that this was reality. Convincing herself that it was what she wanted. Convincing herself that this was the right thing to do. It was. It had to be. She told Sasuke she would wait for him, and she did. Sasuke came back for her. It had to mean love. It wasn’t a silly childhood infatuation, like everyone else wrote off her feelings as.

Besides, he needed her. She was all he had, now.

Yet as they drew closer and closer to the gates, Sakura had begun to tremble, her doubts not yet wiped away so well that she could face this permanent departure with a brave face. The trembling was light at first, but once the gates were in view, she was almost unable to move her legs. Sasuke seemed to notice this. The irritation growing on his handsome face was more than enough evidence. Finally, he stopped and took her by the shoulders.

“Would you calm down, Sakura? I thought you wanted this!” His black eyes bore into her own green ones. This was all too much. It was hard enough saying she was leaving Konoha, but actually doing it? Every step toward the gates made her want to run back to the Hokage and beg to be forgiven.

“I-” she faltered, trying to avoid his gaze.

The Uchiha narrowed his eyes at her indecision. “Sakura, answer me,” he growled, taking her chin in his hands to force her to look at him. “Is this what you want?”

Sakura willed herself to meet his gaze and tried once more to answer. “I-” but once again she could not form the words, so she merely nodded her head, a single tear falling down her pale cheek.

For a moment, it seemed like Sasuke was looking at her in disgust, though Sakura would not allow herself to think that. No, he was just angry right now, and perhaps he had every right to be. She was being-

“Pathetic.” Sasuke muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. Still, Sakura could not will herself to say anything. She was too confused. This was all too much. She was leaving behind her home for someone who felt more and more like a complete stranger to her.

Meanwhile, as she lost herself in her thoughts, Sasuke’s eyes darted around her face, anger creeping up inside him. Yet instead of lashing out, he did what he knew would get the response he wanted out of his kunoichi.

“Sakura, I didn’t force you to do this.” His hands relinquished their harsh grip, and instead took on tenderness as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

“When they gave me my sentence of banishment, I only asked if you still cared,” His hand snaked itself into her hair, near the base of her neck, the sensation causing her face to flush and eyes droop. Suddenly, there was only Sasuke. Konoha was merely a backdrop of no real significance.

He continued, “-I asked you if you wanted to come with me. You told me yes.” He drew her in, his lips brushing hers, whispering, “you should say what you mean, Haruno.”

“I did…” She breathed, moving in to kiss him. At first, she thought she felt him move away, but then, he met her halfway and the two were locked together.

He had only meant for it to be brief; just enough so that he could get her through the gates without dealing with a blubbering ball of emotions. Instead, he found himself releasing what he probably didn’t realize was years of repressed feelings. Or, rather…urges.

Hungrily, he took her in, pressing her face to his perhaps a little too rough. His tongue wasted no time snaking inside of her mouth, and after only a brief hesitation, Sakura’s own rose to meet the challenge and the two were passionately ‘fighting’ on perhaps the only playing field they would be equals.

His hands moved deftly down her front, squeezing a breast through the fabric of her shirt, and eliciting a surprised, though far from displeased, gasp from his lover. Subconsciously taking this as a good sign, his hand moved to find a more intimate resting place under her shirt. The idea that they could be caught was so far back in Sakura’s mind, that she merely grinned at his touch before going back to kissing him, enjoying the sensation. Enjoying his hand tracing up her stomach and moving upward with every passing second.

Ahem.

And just like that, the spell was broken. The lustful passion Sakura had seen in Sasuke’s eyes only a moment ago, when she dared to briefly open her own during their kiss, was gone. Instead, the usual hard look was back as he turned to face the person that had interrupted them. Embarrassed, Sakura pulled down on her shirt, though it had already fallen back into place as soon as the Uchiha’s hand was removed.

“Naruto.” She whispered, a blush across her cheeks. The blonde man said nothing for a moment, merely stared at the two of them with what Sakura interpreted as both anguish and anger. The first for her, the latter for him.

“Sakura-chan.” Naruto paused with an overflow of emotion Sakura was sure she could almost feel. Then, with some difficulty, he acknowledged the Sharingan user, “Uchiha.”

“Dobe.” Sasuke greeted back through a smirk of pure malice.

Naruto, not quite the child he once was, did not rise to the challenge Sasuke put before him. Instead, he returned the smirk with a harsh, straight line of a mouth. Sakura could swear she saw Sasuke flinch.

“I talked to the Kazekage…He owes me one.” Naruto began with some difficulty, eyes locked on Sasuke, who stared back with equal ferocity. “He says he will let you become a Suna citizen, in exchange for your services as a Shinobi.”

Silence. Sasuke said nothing to Naruto, who still did not waver in his intense gaze. Was it hatred, or simply disappointment over how things had finally turned out? Sakura, either way, could stand the tension no more and spoke up.

“That’s great! Thank you, Naruto-kun! I was so worried we’d have no where to live!” Granted Suna sounded hot and sandy, two things Sakura was certain she was not fond of, but it was better than-

“We are not going to Suna.” Sasuke replied icily, taking Sakura roughly by the hand and beginning to lead her around Naruto and toward the gate. The raven-haired young man crushed all of Sakura’s hopes for a certain future just as he was crushing her hand. Naruto, in turn, stepped in front of them once more.

“You’d be an idiot not to take it, Sasuke. Don’t be a complete idiot twice in your life. Once was enough, don’t you think?”

Sasuke’s eyes flashed red momentarily and Naruto went on guard without a moment’s hesitation. Instead of attacking, however, Sasuke merely shrugged his shoulders. “I did what I had to do. And, clearly, you did what you had to do. Now get out of our way.”

Naruto didn’t budge. “You’re right, I did. You’re lucky I killed Orochimaru before he could take your body. You’re lucky the Hokage only banished you. You’re lucky I found you somewhere to live.”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed as he said carefully and deliberately, “swallow your pride, dobe. Be grateful.”

Sasuke let loose a growl, a kunai whipped out in a flash as he went to leap on Naruto. Sakura screamed, going to intervene, but the fight was over before it had begun. Naruto blocked the attack easily, and the two boys immediately backed off of one another.

Sasuke turned his head partially toward Sakura and muttered, “let’s go.”

Sakura moved to follow, but Naruto grabbed her arm, his eyes searching hers, pleading with her not to go.

“Sakura…You should stay here in Konoha, with the people who care about you! You don’t…” He flinched, slipping into his former immaturity as he grasped at straws. “He’s not the same! He’s not the Sasuke you knew. This is foolish! It’s been so long, he-”

“Enough!” Sasuke interrupted, rounding on the two of them with fury in his eyes. Immediately, Sakura wrenched her hand away from Naruto, though her eyes were still fixed wide on the fox boy. He was saying all of the things she’d been thinking. All of the things she was too afraid to voice to Sasuke.

“Sakura has made her decision. She’s not a little girl, Naruto. Respect her decision. Go home.” Sasuke’s eyes flitted toward her, and she met his gaze.

Naruto would not give up so easily. “No! Sakura, you don’t-”

“She doesn’t what? Know me anymore?” He scoffed. “None of that matters!” He lowered his voice and eyes, as though confirming it for himself with an extra, “none of it.”

I have returned for her, and it’s what she’s always wanted. I’m what she’s always wanted.” He had gestured toward himself with a grin. “She’d be a fool not to leave with me. Six years means nothing when it comes to that kind of…bond. Now back off, Uzumaki.”

Naruto said nothing to Sasuke. Instead, he stared at Sakura. “Sakura, please! Don’t-”

But Sakura put up a hand to stop him. “He’s right, Naruto. This…is what I’ve always wanted. Six years means nothing. He returned to me, regardless of…the circumstances.”

Was it really returning to her if he had only done so because a dead Orochimaru could no longer serve his purpose? No! She wouldn’t let herself think about that.

“We were meant to be together.” She moved toward her love, and entwined her arm into the crook of his once more. “It’s…destiny.”

Was it really, though? Did she really believe that this was her destiny, or did she just want to?

With a smile that could only indicate a victory, Sasuke raised his eyebrows at Naruto as though challenging him to say something else. When nothing but silence filled the air for some time, Sasuke turned himself and his pink-haired companion around, and they stepped through the gates of Konoha. Sakura willed herself not to look back, and found it took everything she had. She would have to get used to it, though. Walking through those gates voiced her final decision loud and clear.