Sakura's eyes were downcast as she sat in front of a yelling Naruto, she heard his voice yet couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Her eyes shut for only a moment as she replayed the events of her and Itachi's conversation in her mind over and over, inwardly calling herself an idiot. Why did she trust him enough to tell him that much? What brought her to say such things in front of those two? She had forgotten for just a moment..looking into those dark pools that belonged to her only Hokage, that maybe he would understand her if only for a little while. But of course he didn't...they both didn't. Telling them anything else now would be fruitless, it would no longer relieve her of any weight. She would feel judged the whole time.

"I thought you would understand me Naruto...you of all people" she said quietly. Naruto immediately stopped talking, surprised that she said anything after so long. "I saw the way you both looked at me. Your both afraid; trying to figure out ways to contain me and keep me watched at all times. I'm not stupid Naruto" she told him.

Naruto frowned at her. "Afraid for you! Haven't you been listening to me at all? We only want what's best for you Sakura-

"Did you somehow manage to make yourself forget that Itachi now wants Sasuke to watch me?! I won't be able to hide it with him around, Naruto. Sasuke will find out faster than anyone else that there's something wrong with me, and keep in mind that we don't know what he'll do when he does..."

Naruto grasped some of his hair in a frustrated gesture. "Yes I know this already. That's why we just have to work harder from now on to make sure he doesn't find out. But for the mean time...Sasuke wants to be a part of the village again. He wants to be a part of us again, he'll be more than happy if I assign him to the ANBU corps alongside you" he paused momentarily, "he won't show how content he will be but...he'll be grateful"

Sakura sighed. Out of all of Naruto's optimism she still couldn't shake the dark feeling that Sasuke would eventually find out that there's something very off about her, something that could very well disturb even him. She wouldn't know how to react to his judgement of her, she did know that she wouldn't react too kindly to it either.

"Fine. I'll except it for now, but don't think I'll be civil with him after all the time that's past. It's nothing but business with him"

It disheartened the blonde to know that there won't be a second chance with Sakura for Sasuke, but it was a start to get the two on the same team together. Who knows...once he finds out about Sakura's problem he'll be able to help her. If it wasn't Sasuke himself, Naruto knew better than anyone how dark of a place the Uchiha was in at one point. The question was...if that same Uchiha would be able to help Sakura out of her's.

"I know that it would be a stretch asking you to except Sasuke on some level..." Naruto trailed off his sentence seeing Sakura's face grow more shocked as he went on. She, on the other hand, was wondering if Naruto knew the depth of what he was asking for. Did he know exactly what he was asking her to do?

Her face then turned angry. "First you and Itachi want me to swallow the fact that he now has to watch me on my own missions but now you want me to let him back into my life?! Do you even know how mentally vulnerable I am right now? I'm practically falling off the deep end and you want me to let yet another factor that may push me straight off the cliff into my own insanity...back into my life" Sakura paused, knowing she sounded crazier than she felt at the moment. There was no point in trying to act sane around Naruto anyway, she trusted him. "you said...you wanted me to save you. how? I can't even save myself, from myself"

He considered her words and pondered deeply upon them. It was only a week ago that he felt he was talking to the confident and self-reliant Sakura he always knew, it scared him how fast her mindset could change if left by herself. When she was with him she almost seemed normal, the Sakura he always knew, but maybe he didn't know her like he thought he did. Maybe there were things, personal things she's been hiding from him that's effecting her in such a way.

"You said so yourself that it isn't you making you do these things...that its something else-"

Sakura chuckled mirthlessly. "Do you realize how utterly crazy you sound? Did I sound like that? Kami, I should've just kept my mouth shut"

"That only makes things worse Sakura. You need to get stuff like that off your chest so you can clear your head a little and let us help you. Its impossible to handle what your going through alone which is why..." Naruto took a red tint. "which is why I want you to stay here"

The pinkette was taken back. "I've already stayed a night before Naruto. I don't want to impose on your privacy...your already doing so much for me anyway"

"That's not what I meant" Naruto said shaking his head and laying a hand on her shoulder. "I want you to live here from now on. It's clearly not good for you to be on your own at your place, your mind wanders too much when your by yourself"

Sakura stood. "I refuse to be burden to you Naruto. I'm not going to let you be affected by something that I can't even control"

Naruto could almost completely understand what she meant by that statement alone. It took him years to fully master the beast within him, now, him and that same beast were on terms that Kurama would refer to as "an acquaintance-to-host relationship" simplified as 'friends' in Naruto's dictionary. But with Sakura it was more like...a blood lust she couldn't get rid off but only temporarily satiate. He sighed and sat her back down on the bed in his bedroom, he did this while dominantly crawling on top of her lowering body. He hovered just over her face and spoke when her breath hitched and pink began to color her cheeks.

"You'll never be a burden to me Sakura. Your forgetting that I love you..." Just the sentence alone made Sakura feel warm to the very tip of her toes. "Not only do I think your safer with me I also took the time to be selfish with that suggestion, I want you to myself. I'll share you with no one, not even with the being you said is making you do things you don't want to do"

Her eyes started to water as she cupped his cheek with her hand, crying softly. "Your so dumb. How can you be in love with a total psycho?"

"I've been in love with you for a long time Sakura, most of my life actually. There's nothing more crazy than that"

She shook her head at him and embraced him tightly. His idea was something that she still couldn't agree with but it sure as hell beat being alone at her place, still, she needed reassurance that no harm would come to Naruto because of her...for once in a very long time- she needed Sasuke's help.

~Sasuke's eyes shoot open after a questionable dream~

He felt like he was thrown back into his body rather than waking up, thus his quickened heartbeat encouraged his right hand to shoot up to his chest and grab at it. What exactly did he dream to make his body so upset? The more he thought on it the more he couldn't remember what exactly happened in his dream, the more it seemed to fog away from him.

Sighing, he sat up and through his covers off of him the only thing really occupying his body being his long plaid and red pajama pants. He started the brewer for some tea and leaned on his counter to wait for the familiar beeping sound. His dark and tired eyes looked around his living room and he was silently thanking himself that he never opened his shutters that morning.

A knock on his door surprised him and he went to get it without a word. He opened the door to find Sakura standing there, if anything she looked as if she was forced to come to his place.

"What do you want?" He asked her in not the kindest way.

She narrowed her eyes at him before edging her way inside of his home, not caring at all that he gave her a warning growl before she even stepped inside. Her footsteps were light an careful as she walked inside, almost as if she was in foreign and enemy territory. Sasuke almost had a hard time believing it was really her mainly because she use to be so carefree around him, it was so different now.

Her long pink hair was in a high ponytail much like how Ino's use to be except there was a large braid around the base holding it in place, and from what Sasuke could see she wasn't carrying any weapons with her either. What could she possibly want from him after making it so blatantly obvious she wanted nothing to do with him?

"You never answered my question..." Sasuke said with his arms crossed as he stood in front of her.

She was silent for a while before biting her lip and looking up at him reluctantly. Sakura was no longer the same girl that asked for help nor liked asking for help, so coming to the person she despised the most for something remotely close to such was ego-shattering.

"It's obvious to you that I care deeply about Naruto" she stated rather than asked.

His face turned blank. Oh yeah. That. "Sure. I hardly see you but I can tell with Naruto that you two have...grown closer over the years"

She nodded and put her head in her hands, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I can't believe I'm about to tell you this" she muttered to herself.

Sasuke waited patiently for her to continue and at one point went back in the kitchen to take his tea off the burner. He didn't assume anything and only poured some for himself.

"I have to protect Naruto no matter what" she said to him quietly. "He doesn't know he's in danger"

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows in thought. The last time he saw Naruto he seemed fine, he's the Hokage so he was protected at all times anyway. No one would be able to get through the countless amount of ANBU lined up just to protect him. Including Sakura who was apparently labeled the best of the best. If that was true, Naruto wouldn't be in any danger for a long time.

He sipped quietly from his scalding tea, looking at her form for a moment. "Even he was in danger what does that have to do with me?"

Sakura's head snapped up as she looked at Sasuke with a deadly sense of killing intent. "If anything happens to Naruto that you could've stopped I'll kill you"

The Uchiha all but smashed his tea glass on the counter behind him as he approached the still glaring female in front of him. She had the nerve to come into his house for no reason and then threaten him all in one stroke? No. It was one thing for her to be over hostile towards him ,but to go as so far to...he literally couldn't even think straight.

He reached for her and it was almost like she disappeared. Sensing her somewhere behind him, he ducked and rolled out of the way of a kick that would've most likely knocked him unconscious. Seeing what he thought was an opening, he threw a punch at her torso and missed her by a hairline inch.

Palm flat, she shoved her hand under his chin and shot his face upwards towards the ceiling. Blood shot from his mouth as he clamped down harshly on his tongue and winced slightly. Stumbling backwards from the force of the attack, he barely missed a kick aimed towards his head and instead caught her by her ankle.

Quickly activating his sharingan, everything seemed to almost go in slow motion. It was now much easier to keep up with Sakura now that his eyes were analyzing almost all of her attacks. He gazed down at her calf and thighs as she kicked at him again, with her other leg since the one he had in his grasp wasn't going to be let go unless he wanted it to. He decided to take the kick she threw at him at his forehead instead of the side of his head and bled slightly.

He smirked before smashing his elbow down onto her leg he still had in his grasp and heard the satisfying snap of breaking bone. Her gasp of pain was the last thing she did before failing down onto his carpet and reaching down to caress her broken themur. Tears sprang to the edges of her eyes in pain and before she could quickly heal herself he was straddling her torso, both of his hands on either side of his head.

"I never took you as the cocky one Sakura, but I guess everything really has changed around here. You honestly thought that you were strong enough to beat me in a fight? I almost killed you once before remember?" he said narrowing his eyes at her further.

She gritted her teeth in anger and slight agony at the throbbing in her leg. How did she let Sasuke get close enough to do that?! "I was stupid back then Sasuke and you know that. Stupid enough to fall in love with someone like you"

He had to admit that the words stung a little. To know that she no longer adored him after years of wanting him just to come back home to her and Naruto stung a little. Did he really mean so little?

"But I will admit that I need you..." she said with a still face. "I wouldn't have came to you if I knew you weren't capable enough to do this..."

He stared at her seriously. What did she want him to do? All he wanted...all he really wanted was to be—

Her eyes glistened slightly, the first time he'd ever seen emotion on her other than anger since he'd gotten back. "Your the best at hurting me, the only one that really can. And I need that from you right now, Naruto doesn't understand the danger he's in because he's in love with me"

Surprised and somewhat shocked, the Uchiha leaned away from her momentarily. Still straddling her just in case she wanted to get violent again. "So your saying...that you're the danger Naruto needs to worry about? Why?"

She shook her head at him, smiling a little the way he remembered she use to. "If I tell you then I just might sound crazy, so you'll have to see for yourself and take judgement then. But for now I want you to promise me something right now"

He was wary of what she was going to ask him to do and she could see that in his uncertain eyes. Whatever she told him at this moment will impact him for a very long time.

"What is it?" He asked her.

She closed her eyes and leaned up towards him, embracing him as she did. Her lips were right next to his ear as she whispered her request. His eyes widened as she finally finished her sentence and she leaned back down on the carpet, her hair sprawled all over it. A faint smile was laid across her face but Sasuke found nothing in what she said worth smiling about, he looked down at her incredulously. She couldn't be serious could she?

"Why me? Why are you asking someone like me to do that?" His voice was close to cracking and he had to stop himself. "Sakura you can't make me do this"

She shook her head. "I know what makes you tick Sasuke. I at least knows what makes you angry and I took advantage of that when I got here today. You will do this because I know you won't let anything happen to him, you two were much closer than you and I were, more than we'll ever be. You'll never love me the way you love him and I understand that"

"What about you?"

"What about me? I already told you I'm of no importance whatsoever, I couldn't even contribute to any effort whatsoever in the war. Sure I save lives but compared to you and Naruto, who's saved this whole village. Neither of you will lose anything if I were to disappear one day" she said with finality.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "But me and Naruto would lose everything! Our world would crumble without you in it...I hate to say this, I really do, but..."

She wanted to smile but she didn't. The air around them was too thick and too heavy for her to smile. Especially at the thought of her backup plan in case Sasuke wouldn't follow through with what she asked of him. She would have to manipulate the whole situation if he didn't and she would prefer not to but...that would have to be what she did.

"Don't say it Sasuke" she said with a smile. "You don't owe me anything. You don't owe any of us a damn thing. It's about time we all grew up" she said leaning towards him again.

He fought back the urge to hit her again. Hit her because she made him feel so weak even though he was physically stronger than she was, she was a weakness for him. A soft spot. She got closer to him, their noses inches from touching and her hands reaching behind his back. He knew she was healing her leg up but still the sparks were there. They were too close to be called anything less than friends.

When she was finished she easily slid out of Sasuke's reach and over to his couch where she sat the first time she walked into his house. She was surprised that nothing was broken on the account that the two of them were fighting not too long ago. He stood and sat next to her, their thighs touching. They sat in silence for a moment and Sasuke took the moment to observe her.

Her hair, straight and vibrant in its color, ran down her back and stopped right above her waist. She wasn't quite wearing her ANBU uniform but more of what you would underneath in case it was cold out. Her pants were all black and baggy in some areas, but her torso was covered with a tight black tank top that accentuated the muscles underneath. More or less her whole body was toned as if she'd been fighting for years, and she has. What Sasuke thought stood out the most on her body, was the black brand of the elite ANBU symbol. It looked like it hurt.

Sakura noticed him staring and followed where his eyes were trained. She looked at her brand and snorted, shaking her head with everything but mirth. "It didn't hurt as much as it looks like it would. I was seventeen when I got this brand"

One of Sasuke's eyebrows rose up in surprise. "Right after the war?"

She nodded. "When you disappeared as soon as the dust cleared Tsunade called me over to her and I was branded right there on the field. Back then, I had no idea what ANBU was even suppose to do. Everything about them is strictly laid under wraps so that even the jounin don't know much about them. We still out rank them though so if we ever joint missions they listen to us automatically"

"I only know that ANBU does the more...tactical missions for the village. I never thought you would be up for something like that" he told her honestly.

She nodded. "I wasn't at first. I enjoyed being a medic and being that person everyone knew would help them, but...I guess Tsunade had other ideas for me"

"So she relinquished the title after the war?" He asked her.

Sakura shook her head. "No. It was automatically given to Naruto as per written in her will. She died as soon as the fighting was over. Before she did though, I was branded and she made me Naruto's personal shield. I was to be his advisor as well"

He was surprised to say the least about her important position along side Naruto. It would've never occurred to him that Sakura would even be strong enough to assume this role at all. Rather, she was forced into it by unfortunate circumstances. She closed her eyes in her memory and looked up at his ceiling painfully.

"Being in ANBU...it more or less destroyed me. I've done things that even you might find disgusting" she mockingly smiled and looked at him. "If only I could go back to the way I was before. Stupid and in love with you...it was much more pleasant. Being part of ANBU...it messes with my head"

Sasuke could vaguely remember when his own older brother was a part of ANBU and there would be some nights when he would have to calm him down out of his nightmares. Then again, his brother had a stronger mind than Sakura did. He wondered just how much damage it really caused Sakura's fragile mind.

What were her methods to coping with what she had to do on those missions?

A/N: hi guys sorry this update took so long to come out. I just wanted to say I made a short little youtube video based on the first chapter of this fanfic. One thing I do have to warn you guys about though is that in the title it says an itasaku story ._. Idk why it does :/ PM me for the link or comment that you would like the link to it. The only way will I make more videos is if you guys comment here you want more videos or comment there you want more videos. Otherwise, you'll only be getting the written fanfics on here. R&R guys ^^