Avenger

Chapter 8: Meeting the Father

A breakdown can do a lot of things to someone. It can make them better, it can make them worse. It can make them grow close to those around them, or it can distance them.

For Sakura, it seemed, that the latter of them all was her way of coping with it.

She distanced herself from them, and sadly Sasuke was the one that she truly seemed to want to get away from.

Sasuke himself noticed more so than anyone. He noticed how she would move away from him during training, and when they would walk she would stand on the far side of Kakashi. Any conversation that he tried to initiate with her seemed to end in awkward hurtful moments.

He would like to say that it wasn't affecting him, but he knew better. Him waking up in the morning reaching for her body told him that he knew better.

And it downright pissed him off.

He didn't understand what he had done wrong. He thought that perhaps Sakura wished for thing's to go back to the way that they were before. Before any of this had happened.

A small part in the back of his head wished for it too. Because this girl had caused unspeakable things inside of him.

He didn't think that he could forgive her-not that he really held a grudge against her-but he knew that something inside of him hurt, and he knew that it was her fault.

And Sasuke didn't like his feelings to be fucked with, that's why he kept them hidden, and locked up tight as hell.

So when training ended for the third day after she had been at his apartment, he knew that he had to speak with her.

"All right team, good job today, I'm happy that you are all improving-especially you Sakura." All their eyes flicked to Kakashi, watching as he smiled underneath that stupid mask.

"Me Sensei? Don't you mean Sasuke or Naruto?" And he couldn't deny that he flinched every time his name came out of her mouth without the -Kun.

If the other two noticed the difference they didn't question it-what he didn't know was that the only reason they hadn't mentioned it was because of his furious glare every time it happened.

Kakashi shook his head and came close to Sakura ruffling her hair.

"Nope, I mean you! Over this past month, you have shown substantial improvement, your speed has increased and you've been better about thinking on your feet-and don't forget that power you've been working on-and yeah before you ask, I saw what happened that day." He wiggled his eyebrows and shot Sasuke what he assumed was a sly smile.

He only glared completely not understanding what it was that Kakashi was referring to. (The time that Sasuke was sick)

Sakura bowed her head and flushed. Nodding she thanked their Sensei before they were all dismissed. Naruto left immediately afterward, for what he had no idea, Kakashi just disappeared.

That left Sakura alone with him.

He noted quite quickly that she noticed this as well because she made a beeline for the village. He wouldn't let this opportunity slip away from him, he needed to settle this once and for all, he wouldn't let her continue to run away.

"Sakura get back here now!" He snarled at her, feeling his patience run thin, this was utter bullshit. She ran away from his like he had the plague! She stopped and he saw her clench her fists at her side. Slowly he approached her, and he stepped in front of her. He had no idea what to say to her. The last time he had seen her she had been bawling her eyes out telling him how her father was in the hospital. Still rather embarrassed about the situation, he cleared his throat, knowing that what he was about to do would ruin his reputation all the way, he spoke.