Title: A Change of Heart

Author: Slytherin Prince

Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Warning: Some words aren't appropriate for 13 and below. Rated T.

Summary: Sakura had a change of heart. Since Sasuke don't like her, she given him up and put all of her attention on practicing and making herself strong. She doesn't want to be weak. But she doesn't know that this change might catch some unexpected attention... (NejSakSas)

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It was a good Monday morning today. The sky was definitely cleared with small amount of clouds since it was still early.

Sakura had been sitting at Naruto's sides for at least half an hour now in the forest they usually had their training.

She leaned her back against the trunk of the tree like Naruto did. She thanked Kami that Naruto hadn't been his natural abnormal self because she could tell that he was still sleepy.

Sakura sighed as she held a rose by her forefinger and thumb of her right hand; the other hand was neatly placed on her lap. She studied the rose for a while and let her thoughts wander.

This day was special to her.

This was the day Sakura had seen Sasuke practicing in the middle of the woods and considered that day as their anniversary, as she said so. Since that day, she started to admire him. Sometimes she would send him flowers or gifts secretly at this time of the day, leaving Sasuke to wonder whom it was from.

Sakura stared at the white single rose as she silently recalled her past. She had known Sasuke since she was a child and tried her luck to befriend him.

But from what she remembered, he would always look at her coldly and would always walk away. She would try her best not to look hurt. Sakura didn't know why but she continued to love him.

She did look stupid.

The pink haired girl winced when a voice deep inside her a very little voice deep within her heart said that she had a very bad mistake. She didn't took that as a warning or too seriously, but it surely hurt.

Sakura shook her head to turn her thoughts down and felt a too-familiar chakra nearing them.

She looked at her sides and noticed that Naruto had fallen asleep. So that's why he was so quiet, she thought carelessly. Naruto's head was bowed down slightly, legs spreading a little and his hands lay limped between his legs.

Damn, he was snoring loud too.

Sakura sighed tiredly and get up.

She stretched a little and had hidden the rose behind her. If ever she changed her mind, she could always throw it everywhere. No one will notice it, she knew, since they were in the forest. She inhaled and closed her eyes; she could feel his chakra growing stronger. And he was at her back, she could tell.

Forcing a determined look, she faced Sasuke's direction only to find him sitting at one of many branch of the tree she was leaning minutes ago.

Sakura smiled brightly at him before jumping at his sides. Sasuke just looked at her and nodded in response, to acknowledge her presence.

"Where's Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked, his face void of emotion. Sakura sat beside him a moment, after he nodded, but not that close in touching knees. Sakura heard his question and rushed her answers out: "As usual, late as ever."

"Hn." He took a glance at Naruto and shook his head in disgust. Naruto could be killed in seconds if he continued to sleep anywhere he wanted, Sasuke thought silently. He was disturbed from his thoughts when he caught a glimpse of something white.

He turned to see Sakura holding a white rose and quirked an eyebrow at her.

What was she doing with a rose? He could not help but get curious…

Sakura nervously glanced down at the rose and slowly look beside her, gave the rose slowly to the boy beside her. Sasuke, in response, frowned at her actions. What so special today, hn?

She gathered all of her courage and said, "It's a gift from me. I don't know but since you know that I had a..." Sakura paused, and gulped almost all of her pride, "…crush on you, I think it is ok to give you a gift."

Sakura reached over to Sasuke to give the rose, and to her surprise he snatched it away from her, look at it in disgust before destroying it completely in front of Sakura by putting it on fire.

Before she could react, Sasuke said: "You know what? You disgusted me because you're so weak. I can't take it. All the things that you send to me secretly are immediately put on fire. And you want to know more? I despise you. Your presence and all. Why can't you just leave me at peace?" Sasuke said all this in his bitter tone and stood up, he didn't look back and within a few heartbeats, he was gone.

"Am I really that annoying? That weak...? I didn't know I'm a burden..." Sakura sobbed quietly and bowed her head as tears flowed down freely. She bit her bottom lip so hard that it almost bled. She didn't know that Sasuke was this cruel.

You know what? You disgusted me because you're so weak. I can't take it.

Every word he said to her was like needles that were attacking her heart, instantly killing her away.

How come she had been so stupid?

She hiccupped and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. If Naruto would see her like this, without a second he would ask her what's wrong. She didn't have a clue if she could take this anymore to even answer him.

Sakura stood up and glared at the sky, asking for questions... Why her...? Why not someone else...? Have she done something really bad for her to deserve this...? Is this kind of punishment?

After that, she finally made her way towards her home silently.

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Sasuke stared guiltily at Sakura as she made her way to her what he presumed her home. He knew that he shouldn't have said all that things to her. But in a way, he never regretted it. Sakura deserved it.

Yes, she did, he thought.

He had to do that so that she would avoid him. Sakura was always smiling at him with glittering eyes, so much emotion. He could feel his heart fall down when he had seen her cry. He hated her. She could pull some emotion out of his heart. His stone heart.

Emotion... Emotion means weakness...

The word weak should not have been developed ever. Surely, it should hurt. Itachi had once said that he was weak.

And he couldn't take it... It too damn hurt... He knew what Sakura felt but he could say that Sakura's pain was deeper than him...

But for that... He didn't know why he did know...

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When Sakura got home, she slowly made her way to her room. She casted a quick glance at the wall clock in the living room; it was still 9:00 a.m. Her parents were surely sleeping still by this hour.

Sakura's tears had gone dry by after her small walk but the pain was still there. Her eyes hurt. Her head hurt. And most importantly, her heart hurt. All in all, she was going to be sick.

Even if she didn't look at the mirror she could say that her eyes were sore from the non-stop tears swelling out of her eyes.

She opened her room and locked it so that no one would disturb her. Sakura lay down at her bed carelessly and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Sakura was just like that for a few minutes. Warm liquid falls down from the corner of her eyes and she reached up and touched her cheeks. Tears, damn.

She bit her bottom lip as she recalled the words Sasuke told her...

"You know what? You disgusted me because you're so weak. I can't take it. All the things that you send to me secretly are immediately put on fire. And you want to know more?"

" I despise you."

" Your presence and all. Why can't you just leave me at peace?"

Sakura sniffed and lifted an arm to cover her eyes. "I'm so weak... Am I that weak?" she whispered. She hadn't felt like this ever since she was born. Sakura knew that she was not that strong, but not this weak either. Sakura said to herself that being smart was already enough. It was her theory since then.

But she hadn't thought that being a ninja would be so much. Being smart wasn't enough. Does being a ninja should be strong and smart at the same time?

Sakura's head hurt and at the same time her chest. Would being unemotional would take away all the pain? Would she be stronger if she would remove her personality and changed it into a cold, indifferent Sakura?

She stared at the ceiling for a while and closed her eyes.

"Yes." A change of attitude would do well for her... A change of personality for stronger Sakura... She would ask Kakashi-sensei to train her seriously and she would study much more scrolls from now on.

If that happened, she wouldn't be so weak anymore... She could depend herself from anything that was against her without any hesitation...

Yes… A change of heart would be the best.

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REVISED VERSION