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Forgetting Sasuke	By : CutieSakura Category: Naruto > General Views: 1229 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Disclaimer: I don�t own Naruto.
~~~~~
�She called me Neji-kun,� Neji realized only moments after Sakura had disappeared. �Neji-kun��
A weight seemed to have lifted off his shoulders in that moment, as though despite all the grief and negativity in the world right now, there was cause for hope, even if only this one small thing.
�It�s one small thing that will make tomorrow morning bearable,� he thought.
Neji quietly slipped into the house, heading toward his room. He stopped when he heard what sounded like whimpering coming from Hinata�s room. He rapped on her door, not waiting for an answer before entering.
�Hinata-sama?� he said seeing her curled up in a ball on her bed.
�Neji-nii-san,� she looked over her shoulder at him. �I didn�t wake you, did I?� she asked, her wide eyes concerned.
�No,� he shook his head, �I just got in.�
�I�m sorry� it�s just��
�I know,� he replied, going over to her and embracing her.
�Would you� stay with me� until I fall asleep?�
Neji stared into Hinata�s desperate eyes. He was surprised at how well he could understand her need to not be alone. �Of course.�
* * * * *
�Sasuke?� asked Sakura as she opened the door. He had been sleeping in the chair, his head tipped toward his shoulder. He stirred at the sound of her voice.
He looked up, shaking sleep from his head. �Sakura��
�I�m sorry, I didn�t realize you were sleeping,� she apologized softly. She closed the door behind her, slipping off her shoes.
�Just more tired than I realized,� Sasuke replied, getting up and walking over to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing her cheek in greeting. �Have a good walk?�
�Yes,� she replied, her eyes meeting his. �I hope you didn�t think that I-�
�Sakura,� said Sasuke, �you don�t have to explain yourself to me.�
�I just-�
His finger at her lips interrupted her, a smile on his own, �Sakura, it�s okay.�
She walked over to the sofa, sitting down. Sasuke immediately sat down next to her. �I go for walks when I have a lot on my mind, when I can�t sleep,� she admitted to him, adding shyly, �I think it started right after you left. I�d be thinking about you, and I wouldn�t be able to fall asleep.�
Sasuke watched her intently, taking in her confession.
Sakura went on, �Tonight is going to be one of those nights I know I won�t be able to sleep��
�Why?� he asked, his dark eyes piercing hers.
Sakura bit her lip, �Well so much has happened� I need��
Sasuke�s lips curved into a smile. �I see.� He stood up, taking her hand in his. �Come on, let�s go.�
Sakura didn�t need to ask. She knew from the look in his eyes they were on the same wavelength, and she was grateful for it.
They slipped on their shoes, and Sasuke ushered her out the door, locking it before handing Sakura back the key. The two of them headed down to shinobi headquarters.
�Is Tsunade-sama going to be here?� Sasuke asked.
�Yes, but probably in one of the other rooms. She wouldn�t leave him unattended, but she wouldn�t stay with him all night either.�
�I see.�
Sakura, being Tsunade�s apprentice, easily knew how to disarm the traps set at the Hokage�s office door. She led Sasuke back in through the small room to the side and into the windowless bedroom; the only light came from a night table in the far corner of the room.
Sakura slipped out of her shoes, leg guards, and medic skirt, and shirt, leaving on only her bra and shorts before climbing into bed with Naruto. Sasuke removed his shoes and shirt, getting in beside her.
Naruto, still sound asleep, sensed her presence immediately and cuddled up next to her, murmuring, �Sakura-chan,� into her hair.
Sasuke smirked. �I see he beat me to it.�
Sakura grabbed Sasuke�s hand, pulling him close to her in the large king-sized bed. �Do you remember the last time we all did this?� she asked in a whisper, careful not to wake Naruto.
�When Kakashi screwed up on booking rooms at that inn�� he replied sardonically. �If this ends the way that night did, then risen from the dead or not, I�m not holding back in beating his ass.�
�Considering everything earlier Sasuke,� Sakura said, her eyes twinkling, �I�m sure you have nothing to worry about.�
�Sakura-chan� you�re my favorite�� Naruto murmured in his sleep.
Sakura and Sasuke shared a smile. She squeezed his hand, �I forgot to say this earlier, but Naruto asked me to tell you� he loves you.�
Sasuke�s expression changed from his easy-going smile to something more serious. �He� said that?�
Sakura nodded, �Yeah, he did.�
Sasuke�s eyes flickered from her to the blond snoring behind her. �Of course he would tell you to tell me because he can�t just tell me himself.�
�Like you�d tell him to his face!� Sakura teased back.
Sasuke remained silent, knowing he�d gotten called on it and had no appropriate comeback.
�Sakura-chan?� asked Naruto with a tone of clarity. She turned to face him, meeting his blue eyes.
�Hi�� she whispered, biting her lip, �we didn�t mean to wake you� I couldn�t sleep, not after everything that happened�I just� wanted to be with you��
Naruto looked to Sasuke around her and waved. �Sasuke.� Sasuke merely nodded in reply. �I�m glad you�re here,� he said, squeezing Sakura, reaching his arm around her to squeeze Sasuke�s arm. �I�d hoped you�d come back.�
Sakura smiled knowingly, which Naruto caught. She moved her lips silently, knowing Naruto would understand, �I love you.�
�I love you too, Sakura-chan,� he mouthed back, causing her to smile.
Sakura yawned, realizing for the first time how tired she actually was. Between Naruto�s death, intimacy with Sasuke, Naruto�s resurrection, and her conversation with Neji, she was completely and utterly drained.
�Get some sleep, Sakura,� Sasuke said, leaning forward, kissing her gently on the cheek.
�I�ve got you, Sakura-chan,� Naruto whispered in her ear as she closed her eyes, �and I�m never letting go.�
* * * * *
Neji had finally managed to get Hinata to sleep, get undressed and get into his own bed. The hour was late and he knew he wouldn�t be getting much sleep before having to rise for the ceremony in the morning. He had finally lain down, closing his eyes when he heard a soft rapping at the window. He looked over to see Tenten.
She opened the window and climbed in. �I�m sorry, Neji,� she said quietly, her big brown eyes pleading with his, �I know it�s late, but I just-�
�Don�t want to be alone tonight,� he finished. He moved over toward the wall, creating an opening for Tenten in his narrow bed. He watched her as she undid the buns in her long hair, watching it tumble down her back to her waist. She slipped off her shoes, climbing into bed with him, resting her head on his shoulder, throwing her arm across his bare chest.
�Just like Sakura always does,� Neji mused, before sadly adding, �or used to, rather.�
She sighed against him, �Everything will be different now.�
�Yes� it will be,� Neji replied quietly. �But we�ll get through it.�
�I almost wish the morning wouldn�t come.�
�It won�t be easy, Ten,� he said, �but you have me, and I won�t leave you.�
Neji could tears on his bare skin and pulled her to him, wrapping her completely in his arms.
�Neji�� she said after a while, her voice tired and dreamlike.
�Hm?�
�Thank you��
Neji found himself leaning forward and kissing Tenten�s forehead as she drifted to sleep. �Thank you�� he whispered back.
* * * * *
Sakura was vaguely aware of her surroundings, surrounded in warmth, though she couldn�t bear waking to full consciousness. She had slept so well, being comfortably sandwiched between her two best friends, and yet now, something was niggling at her, telling her to wake up, despite her fighting it.
She opened her eyes to see Naruto sleeping peacefully beside her, his arm thrown casually over her in an effort to keep contact with her while still being able to sprawl out. She smiled. She could feel Sasuke pressed against her back, his arms wrapped tightly around her.
She attempted to sit up, but was held in place by Sasuke, who clearly was not ready to let her go. At sensing her movement, Naruto also inched closer, locking her tightly between the two of them.
Sakura rolled her eyes. The lone light in the room gave off no more light than it had before, making it difficult to assess the time. If she had to guess, it was somewhere around seven-thirty, although her body had been off lately.
Tsunade would typically arrive around nine, although since the funerals were this morning, starting at ten, she was fairly certain that even her occasionally late mentor would arrive fairly early.
�Sasuke�� she said quietly, trying to turn over to face him. Naruto cuddled up right next to her, now rendering her completely immobile. �Sasuke��
�Sakura-chan�� she could hear Naruto murmuring behind her, although she couldn�t tell if he was awake or not.
�Sasuke,� she repeated, slightly louder. She had never seen Sasuke sleep so heavily. He was always the shinobi, always on guard, was always the first to sense danger, even asleep, and react to it. This was unlike him.
Sasuke tightened his grip on her, murmuring against her. Naruto tightened his grip as well, leaving her feeling suffocated.
�This is getting ridiculous,� Sakura mused. �Why can�t they just-�
Her thought was interrupted as Tsunade walked in, her concern, and motivation for waking Sasuke, now a reality.
Sakura stared in horror at her mentor, knowing she was going to get bitched at, given ridiculous amounts of work to do as punishment, and would never live it down as Tsunade would henceforth tease her every chance she got.
She watched Tsunade approach the foot of the bed, her hands on her hips, her eyes locked on Sakura. �Well�� she said, an amused expression creeping across her face at seeing her prized student sandwiched between two men.
Sasuke�s head hit the headboard as he jerked to alertness at the sound of an intruder�s voice. �Sure, he wakes up when she says something�� Sakura thought sardonically, wishing she could melt through the floor and be spared this everlasting embarrassment. Sasuke quickly disentangled himself from her.
�Shishou�� Sakura started, unsure of how to continue, �it�s� um��
�Yes?� Tsunade goaded, her tone playful.
�Tsunade-sama,� Sasuke said, sitting up and looking at her seriously, �it�s not what it seems. Sakura-�
�Can speak for herself,� Tsunade cut him off, her eyes still twinkling at Sakura.
�Well, you see� I� um��
�Uchiha,� Tsunade cut her off, still smiling, �get yourself home, cleaned up, and back here in an hour.�
Sasuke nodded, jumping out of bed. He threw on his shirt and shoes and headed out the door. He turned back, asking with a look if Sakura wanted him to wait for her. She shook her head, turning her attention back to Tsunade.
�Sakura, in my office,� she said, turning on her heel and walking out.
�Sakura-chan�� Naruto murmured, pulling Sakura closer.
�Naruto, you have to let me go,� she whispered, trying desperately to disentangle herself from him. She finally shoved him, rolling him over where he promptly clutched a pillow. She had to laugh, getting out of bed and quickly dressing. She kissed his forehead then headed to the Hokage�s office.
Tsunade was sitting at the folding table that had been brought in to replace the desk that Sakura had smashed to bits.
�Shishou?� she said tentatively as she entered.
Tsunade burst into laughter. �The look on your face!�
�Shishou?� asked Sakura, now very confused.
Tsunade finally calmed. �Sakura, I had every expectation of finding you here this morning. Maybe not quite the way I did, but I knew you would be here. You and Sasuke both were what he needed last night. When things got extremely tense or stressful, I would do the exact same thing with my teammates. It�s the need for human contact, and specifically the contact of those you�re closest to. I just wasn�t expecting you all to be� that close.�
Sakura processed what her mentor was saying, and somewhere understood that Tsunade found the whole situation entirely too amusing and was teasing the hell out of her. �Well, it�s not my fault!� Sakura said defensively, a smile on her face. �I got pinned between them and they wouldn�t let me go!�
�Men,� Tsunade said.
�You�re not angry?� Sakura finally asked, just for final clarification.
�Not at all. I would have been angry to walk in and find you not here.�
�I guess you know me better than I thought,� Sakura realized.
�You just remind me of me,� Tsunade smiled, standing up. �I�m going to tell you the same thing I told Uchiha. I know how I want to handle this with the funerals this morning, so I need the both of you back here before everyone starts arriving. You both will be staying with Naruto until I make the announcement.�
�We�ll be missing the funerals?� Sakura asked in surprise.
�No, I�ll take care of it. Just make sure you get back here quickly. I�m going to go check on Naruto,� she said. As an afterthought, she added, �And see if you can�t get something for Naruto to wear. That orange just won�t do.�
�Sure thing,� Sakura replied. She headed home.
* * * * *
�Ten,� Neji said quietly, brushing the long strands of hair from his teammate�s face, �time to wake up.�
Tenten groaned, �Do we have to?�
�Yes,� he smiled, kissing her forehead, crawling over her to get out of bed. �Wait here. I�m going to shower and dress, and then I�ll go back to your place with you before�
�Before going to headquarters�� Tenten replied. �Okay.�
Neji went to his wardrobe, grabbing a black yukata and hakama and going across the hall to his restroom. Undressed, he stepped into the warm water of the shower. �This is going to be a very long day�� he thought with a sigh.
He knew Kiba and Shino would be by for Hinata, as ninja attended shinobi funerals in teams. �Except now our team will always be one man short... Lee��
He pounded his fist against the wall, causing the tile to fracture. �Neji!� came two concerned female voices as the door slid open. Neji looked over to see Tenten and Hinata both standing in the doorway.
�You okay?� Tenten asked.
�Um� fine�� Neji replied, embarrassedly. �Mind closing the door? I�ll be out in a minute.�
�Right�� Tenten replied, �sorry.�
�He�s okay right?� Neji heard Hinata ask Tenten as the door closed.
Ordinarily his cousin would never have swung the door open without permission, regardless of Tenten�s aid. He knew they were both skittish after both losing the ones they loved.
�Perhaps I haven�t,� he pondered, filled with hope, remembering last night�s meeting with Sakura. �I�ll speak with her today, after the ceremony. It might not be the best time, but I want her to know that I�m here for her, no matter what.�
He grabbed a towel, drying off and quickly dressing. He debated whether or not to tie his hair back, but decided against it. Black was never a good color on him, and he didn�t want to look any more ghastly than necessary. He reached into his cabinet, grabbing a roll of bandages to wrap around his forehead before tying his hitai-ate in place. �That�s that�� he sighed.
He knocked on Hinata�s door before going back to his room. �Come in?�
�Hinata-sama,� he said quietly, entering. �How are you this morning?�
�I�m� um� okay�� she whispered, trying to fight back tears.
�I have to take Tenten back to her place to get dressed. Is it okay if I meet you at headquarters, or would you like to come with?�
�Um� no� Kiba-kun will be here soon� thanks��
�Then I�ll find you as soon as we arrive.�
�Um� okay��
Neji took two strides to Hinata and embraced her. She hugged him back fiercely. �Thank you�� she whispered.
�I�ll see you there,� he replied softly.
He got back to his room to find Tenten curled up in a ball. �Neji�� she whispered as he entered, not bothering to look at him, �I can�t do this.�
He got on his knees beside her, looking into her eyes. �Yes you can.�
�No�� she shook her head.
�You can do this, Ten. I�ll be with you.� He took her hands into his own, pulling her up. �I�ll carry you if I have to.�
Tenten wrapped her arms around Neji, burying her face against his shoulder. Neji held her to him, rubbing her back soothingly. Tenten took a few deep breaths, relaxing in Neji�s embrace. �Okay�� she finally said.
�Okay.�
* * * * *
�Sakura!�
�In here!� she replied from her bedroom. She was drying her hair with a towel.
�You look nice,� he commented on her short black kimono.
�Thank you,� she replied, appraising Sasuke in the mirror. He wore long black pants and a black button down shirt. Her breath caught at the sight of him. �He always looks gorgeous in black�� she thought. Making eye contact with him through the mirror, she said, �So do you.�
He ignored her comment. She grabbed her hitai-ate off the counter, tying it into her hair. Sasuke approached, wrapping his arms around her from behind, catching her completely off guard. �How did things go with Tsunade-sama?�
�Fine,� she answered, finishing the second knot at the base of her head, �she just wanted to bust on me about the situation this morning. We weren�t in any trouble.�
�That�s good,� he replied, his eyes still locked on hers through the mirror. She reached down, placing her hands over his at her waist.
Sakura stared, mesmerized, at their reflections. Thousands of times, she�d dreamed of Sasuke holding her, gazing at her with his dark eyes, just as he was now. That dream was now a reality, seen with her own eyes, reflected within the mirror. There was no denying he was beautiful. He was taller than she, dark and fair; those obsidian eyes of his staring at her as though she were the only thing in his world.
He could take her breath away, and yet she found her pulse calm and steady.
�You have no idea how beautiful you are,� he murmured into her hair.
�Okay...� she could feel her heart flutter at his words. She found her voice quickly, though when she tried to speak, it was only a whisper, �So are you��
She could see his lips curve into a smirk. He squeezed her to him. �Sakura�� he sighed.
Suddenly everything felt wrong. She could feel panic seizing her. She spun around to face him, breaking the spell of the looking glass.
�We have to stop by Naruto�s apartment to find him something appropriate to wear for today, and we don�t have much time.�
�Then we should get going,� he replied calmly.
�Yes,� she nodded. She pulled out of his embrace, but he pulled her back to him. �What is-�
His lips came down upon hers in a gentle kiss. He pulled away, smiling at her, �That�s all. Let�s go.�
~~~~~

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Leave love!
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Forgetting Sasuke