Redemption |complete| (SasuSaku)

He was always the right choice

Saturday, 22nd of July

It had been two days since Sasuke and Tsunade rescued her from the lava dimension. Sasuke came back for her... the information still didn't make sense to her. Either way she wanted to thank him but the both times she had woken up he wasn't around. It frustrated her to know that he probably won't visit her in the hospital but she kew how he was, coming here would show her that he cared and that was too much for him. She smiled... he cared and she knew it. She didn't need him to say it or be more obvious anymore.

Her mind still wandering as she had nothing else to do, she realised that she couldn't wait to get out of this boring white room. A bouquet of sunflowers were next to her facing the window. Based on what she had heard, Hinata had brought them yesterday. Sakura appreciated the support Naruto's wife gave her. They had never been really close and it warmed up her heart to know that such a sweet girl was with her best friend, Naruto deserved it as he was the sweetest man she knew. Other than the fact that he wasn't the brightest star in the village, he was caring, loving, attentionate and funny. She wondered why not more girls were into him growing up. His incredibly high level of energy... that was definitely the reason why.

A knock on the door brought her back to reality in a small jump. She looked at the door and told the person to come in. She was pleasantly surprised to see her childhood best friend.

"Sakura, how are you feeling?"

"Better Ino", replied the kunoichi. "I think I mostly need to rest after using this much chakra."

The blonde sat down on the chair next her bed. She seemed very worried about her which made Sakura wonder why. Yes she had to be rescued but she was fine. The look of Ino made her want to merge with her bed.

"Sakura, are you sure you feel ok going on a mission with him?"

The bluntness of the question made her sway.

"Y-yes. Why?"

"Before you left you were driving yourself to exhaustion using soldier pills, don't try to deny it, I saw the jar. You weren't sleeping anymore and it started happening shortly after he left the village. Are you sure it's ok for you to travel with him even after everything?"

She wondered what to reply. Did she mind travelling with him? Not anymore but she did at first. Sometimes when she was looking at him she remembered all the things that happened between the two but it didn't have the impact that it used to. She formulated an answer in her mind before she replied.

"I don't know what I feel anymore."

"You don't know what you feel? What d'you mean...?"

"I don't know Ino I want to give you an answer but I just don't have one."

"Sakura if you have feelings for him again I'll punch you until you don't. He made you suffer enough as it is. Don't go back to him."

Sakura looked at her friend. She felt annoyed at her. They were friends, they were supposed to support each other no matter what and there she was giving out to her about not getting feelings for Sasuke.

"Besides, Sakura someone like him doesn't change. Someone who fell this deep into hatred can never come back from it. He'll never be able to give you what you want, never, you get me!"

Her voice started to rise louder. Who did she think she was to say things like that about him? She didn't know him, she never did.

"He is changing," started Sakura trying to keep her calm. "I didn't want to give him another chance but his actions left me no choice. Trust me it doesn't make me fully happy that he is turning into the man that he is." She took a deep breath. "It annoys me because I spent all these years wishing that he would be that person, I spent all this time forcing myself to get over him because he was so consumed by the darkness and now that he is back, I see him brighter than ever and it annoys me, it annoys me because I was the one who was by his side the entire time, it didn't matter how deep he was falling, I was there but now some other girl will be able to have him. After all I went through, after years of running after him to bring him back, someone else will enjoy what I always wanted." she was screaming at this point, tears running down her face. "It doesn't annoy me, it breaks my heart. I saw it, Ino. He is caring in his own way... He is complicated but once you understand him you realise that he deserves the entire world and I want to give it to him but I can't because he won't let me. He is just a child who had to grow up too fast and was manipulated by adults who wanted power."