It's alarming how much time pass by, how much you could accomplish in such a small amount of time, and it's puzzling how someone like me could change. I never expected to come this far and I never expected to be fighting side by side with my old comrades again. It all comes back to me when I was a child. I was nice, innocent, determined, I was smiling back then, always trying to be better than my big brother Itachi just so father could acknowledge me.

I worked day and night trying my hardest to excel my clans well known jutsu; the grand fire ball technique. Although it took me days to master, it began to get easier and easier each passing day, I stayed on my toes. I wanted to be just like my big brother Itachi. I always have admired him, and we were always around each other. But, over some time, he became distant. I didn't know why, but he didn't speak to me very often, and usually went out on his own in the middle of the night.

Itachi was always a mystery to me. I even asked if he could train me, he refused, like always. I asked him plenty of times why, but he would always shrug me off and walk away. The next day, I went out to train, and came back to face my worse night mare. Bodies were scattered everywhere, blood stained the green grass, and total silence were lingering in and out of my clan compound.

I whimpered and gave in to my cries. I ran and ran, trying to get away from all of the dead corpses around me, hoping to find the least bit of life. I barged in my parent's compound, and I couldn't believe what my eyes had seen. Both of my parents were lying on the floor next to each other dead. That was probably the worse site I've seen in my years, but I didn't expect the person who slaughtered my clan to be my own brother.

He told me he had done all of this, telling me to fill myself with hate and power, to go after him and kill him. I regretted it. I regret ever killing Itachi, he was my only blood that was alive, and when I had killed him in help of my susano, he had apologized to me. He had granted me with the power of his eyes, and information was linked to me concerning the real truth behind Itachi.

When I had found out the leaf was responsible for my clans death, I flipped, and turned into what Itachi had always dreaded. In the end I felt lost, torn, weak, fragile, and inferior to everyone, I felt there was nothing left of me. That was, until I saw Itachi again. He was under the influence of the resurrection forbidden technique Kabuto Yakushi planned. Somehow, he broke out, and we had met up with each other. We ended up battling Kabuto, after the big fight, Itachi had told me a few passing words i had always kept dear in my heart.

Ever since then, I begin thinking about the horrible mistakes I had made, the things I had done, and I thought about where my next step would lead me. In my heart, I still bore hate for the hidden leaf village, and I longed to destroy what they had destroyed. They took everything from me, my family, my home, my peace of mind, my sanity; they even decided to spit on the grave of my brother with the villagers spiteful marks.

Even so, I thought about it for a while as my mind suddenly lingered to my old teammates. Naruto and Sakura were a complete annoyance in the academy days, but when we became a team I saw them differently. I saw their potential and how serious they were in battle. Naruto, though he acts like an idiot most of the time, is actually reliable when it comes up to forming a plan. He's fairly unpredictable and a great use in battle. He tried saving me many times, but unfortunately failed to do so. The dobe never quit once even when I fought him to the death, he still would give! That was probably the most annoying characteristic about him, his behavior of never letting things go and fall into the past. I hated him, I hated his resolve for thinking I could ever change, but I knew deep inside, I loved him. Naruto became a brother to me.

Sakura, heh, another annoying fan girl that follows me around, is probably what I would have said in the past. She was the most annoying girl in the entire academy. She was probably even more annoying than Ino in comparison. Her loud, open minded, brash personality wasn't helping the situation neither. She was too clingy and I hated when she kept asking me out on pointless dates. I didn't have time for petty feelings, not when Itachi heart was still beating in his chest.

After we were assigned together on Team Seven, not that I cared either way, my ego was too big for the both of them then. I thought she was lower than me, and weaker than the weakest. It was only until in the middle of Kakashi bell test that I begin to tell her some rather personal Intel on me. I didn't understand why I felt the need to tell her what I did but I did.

After a few missions, I had found myself becoming fond of Sakura, shockingly. I didn't know where this slip came from. It was as if her presence was changing the darkness that resided deep within me. I liked it, but hated it at the same time. I reminded myself of what Itachi said about having feelings were a sign of weakness, so I pushed whatever it was that I was feeling, behind me into the past of my deceased clan. His words ranged over and over in my head. He was telling me to become stronger, so I let myself be devoured by the shadows of darkness.

I wasn't fully acquainted with the darkness because Sakura was always by my side. Again, I liked it and I hated it. The time the exams came around, we were to adventure out in the forest of death, Sakura had taken care of me and Naruto. As we slept in a hidden surface, I woke to find Sakura on the ground shaking and trembling, I felt something in my chest boil at the site of her being hurt and scared. I turned to her and asked her who had done such a thing. I showed no mercy on my opponent, I felt like killing him/her without another second to spare.

We ended up running into Gaara, the one tailed jinchuurki, along the way. We all fought him together. I felt more relieved to see my teammates still breathing, but most importantly, Sakura. We had made it into the finals, but I had received a strange marking on my chest, now known as a curse mark, from a man named Orochimaru.

She kept worrying about it. Worrying about me. I felt..happy. Loved even, but I couldn't let her in! I couldn't let her have me. I told her just that, that she couldn't have my heart, and there was nothing she could do or say that would stop me from the path I walk on now. Nothing.

It hurt me to see her eyes fill up with tears, but it was for the better. I kept insulting her, hoping that maybe she would stop chasing after me, and finally give Naruto a chance of a date that he had always desired.

I felt I would only hurt her in the end. I rejected her so many times, and yet she was too stubborn. She never listened! I was hoping she would give up on me, believing that I was a lost cause, but she instead, had followed me all the while into the night, on the day I had planned to leave the hidden leaf village.

"Sasuke…" There was a hint of depression in her voice, the tone of her voice was so soft, and so fragile that it seemed like she could break any moment now.

"Sakura…." I whispered back, not even turning around to look at her. I couldn't, if I did I might see something I'd regret.

That when, I heard her voice break the silence, sounding broken as she poured out every word. " Sasuke, why are you doing this? Why are you leaving the village?"

I stood in silence. I didn't want to lie to her, but I didn't want to exactly tell her the truth either. "It's none of your business, Sakura. What I do is on my own terms from here on out."

"But Sasuke, what about me and Naruto, what about Team Seven?" I could hear her taking a few steps, then her footing stop at a near distance from where I am currently standing.

My resolved stayed all the same. I turn my head to glance at her, seeing the corners in her eyes shake of unshed tears. "It is because of you and Naruto that I have to leave this village." I waited for a reaction from her, but instantly regret it, as the very thing I was hoping not to happen, happened. Tears flooded Sakura eyes and then she shouted. "Sasuke, but why? You had told me once you wanted to be happy! You told me you didn't want to be in pain anymore!"

More tears poured down her pink cheeks, as she opened her mouth wide to shout out something I would never forget. "Sasuke I love you so much that I can't even stand it!"

I chose this time, while her eyes were still closed, to substitute behind her." I know.." The wind blew through our hair, the trees leaves appeared to be dancing," Sakura…" I raised my hand up, "Thank you…for everything." I then hit her on her neck, hearing her whisper my name faintly before she passed out.

I caught her in my arms and carried her bridal style to a bench mysteriously placed on the side of the street. I set her down gently, before I pulled back a little to take a look at her face, I was in a crouching position staring at her beautiful features. I caressed her cheek, getting closer and closer to her face; I let my lips grace along hers. I lightly kissed her lips and stood back on my two feet, still staring at her sleeping form. I felt a stab of pain in my chest at the frown on her beautiful face, I been there too long, letting her affect me.

I turned my sight away from her and walked into the darkness that awaited me. I only had one last thing to say to her. I peered up at the sky, hands in both my pockets, "I'm sorry..Sakura…but…this is the path I walk on…you of all people should know by now Sakura, that I'm an avenger."

I kept walking in the star less night until I was distance away from Konoha. I had to get stronger in order to defeat Itachi, and the only one I knew that would give me that type of power to defeat Itachi was the man that had given me the curse mark, the man of the three legendary sanins, the well-known Orochimaru.

It has been years since I worked under the arms of Orochimaru. Now, he's just someone I stand by when I need things done. I want nothing to do with him after this war is over. Sakura, I had hurt her for too long. I want to make it up to her, after this war, I promise to make her feel like one of my own.

That warm feeling, I had felt when I was with Sakura, I feel it now as I stand beside her ready to face Madara with Naruto. At the time, I wasn't sure what it was I was feeling, but I shrugged it off as nothing. Now I know-

"No longer will I have to be rescued! I refuse to be the damsel in distress anymore! I am Sakura Haruno, apprentice of lady Tsunade-Sama, the powerful slug sannin!"

I smirked, Sakura has grown since then, I knew she always had it in her. She just needed one huge push to shake her out of her shell. Yes, I could see past her loud and confident exterior. She wasn't too confident in her abilities when they were younger. She had always wanted to pair on the same level as me and Naruto. If she kept that up, she might just get there.

I narrowed my eyes to my left then I saw her beaming smile. Seeing her finally smiling made my heart skip a beat. I knew from then and there that I loved Sakura Haruno. I am truly in love with her.