Sakura Blooms! [COMPLETED]

Chapter 36: The Truth

Sasuke pov

As soon as I felt two foreign chakra signatures, I went to investigate, leaving Sakura and Naruto. Alone. I soon discovered that they were heading towards my teammates, so I stayed hidden to watch how they would deal with them.

As I was sitting in the tree, I saw Sakura and Naruto walking, but they stopped when she started coughing. What the hell? I was about to jump down and see what was going on, but then the stupid kid that idolizes Naruto ran up to them. I heard a few bits and pieces of their conversation, something about Sakura being Naruto's girlfriend. My left eye twitched, and I found myself clenching my teeth and my fists.

I smirked when Sakura recovered quickly and punched the two of them. Then she started to chase them. Further up ahead, I saw two people that seemed to be the foreigners."This looks bad. I'd better go and save the idiot," I muttered and jumped to another tree that was closer to the fight.

The kid had accidentally bumped into this big kid with purple markings in his face, causing the bigger kid to want to "teach him a lesson". The girl with them argued for a small moment, but it seemed the boy won and began to raise his fist to clobber...Konohamaru, was it?

Before he could do so, Shikamaru stopped him with his clan's special jutsu. I saw him talking to the older boy, who I now knew his name to be Kankuro, and I smirked. The lazy bum is most likely bluffing right now, and he's saying how "troublesome" it is to beat up Konohamaru. He soon released the jutsu, which made Kankuro even angrier, and he reached for the closest one there. Sakura.

I tensed up, ready for if the situation got out of hand. Sakura probably didn't need help, but she was unpredictable. "Sakura-chan!" I heard Naruto yell as she was held by her long, beautiful pink locks. Sakura struggled to get free. Then she started to get kicked and punched, but so stayed back, curious why no one else was helping her, other than Naruto, whose clones were disappearing as fast as they were summoned.

Sakura yelled something about chakra strings before getting kicked again, and she started coughing up blood. Again. I heard Kankuro laughing on why she was coughing up blood when she'd only received a few kicks and punched. "Sakura! Don't be troublesome!" Shikamaru was telling her not to hide her powers, but to defend herself do she could get away.

Sakura took his advice and rolled away. When Kankuro came in for another punch, she grabbed it using her monstrous strength, surprising both foreigners. But she wasn't done yet, she quickly pinned him in the ground, with his arm behind his back.

"You listen to me! Learn a new lesson and realize that you can't judge everyone on their appearance!"

"You little–" This is when I decided to intervene.

"Watch it," I said in a dangerous tone. "You don't want to get kicked out, do you? Now scram!"

"Kankuro, Temari," A raspy voice came from beside me, and I looked over, shocked. He was standing on the there side of the tree, upside down. I hadn't even noticed him. He has to be at least on Kakashi's level. "Leave those kids alone."

Kankuro protested, "But Gaara–"

"Shut up or I'll kill you." The two Sand ninja froze and apologized to Gaara, who seemed to be their brother. Then he turned to Sakura. "Sorry for the inconvenience...?"

"Sakura. Sakura, Haruno." Gaara smirked. "And you are...?"

"Gaara. Gaara of the Sand. Theses two are my older brother and sister, Kankuro and Temari Subaku."

"Sasuke-kun! Come down here!" Sakura yelled.

"What's your surname, Sasuke?" Asked Gaara.

I smirked as I jumped down to meet my teammates. "I'm Sasuke. Sasuke, Uchiha."

Gaara then turned to his siblings again, "Kankuro, Temari, let's go." Then they started to walk away before Sakura called out.

"Wait! On what grounds are you here in Konoha for? As long as we we're Konoha ninja, it is our duty to protect the village!"

All three turned around and showed us their passports. Sakura nodded and Shikamaru said, "Then I take it you're taking part in the Chuunin exam?"

"Yep. And you'd better watch out, people love killing brats like you." Temari remarked before they walked away again.

"Sakura? What was that?" I asked when I turned to her. Her face was bruised up, and there was still blood dripping from her chin.

"Sasuke-kun..."

"It's okay, Sakura-chan. He should know, Shikamaru too."

She nodded, and walked over to sit on a bench. I moved with her, and she took my hand. "Sasuke." Her green eyes pierced into mine.

"I am sick."

I froze. She continued.

"Sasuke-kun, I am in love with you. I hope you can say the same, but I just wanted you to know just in case I don't make it–" Her voice cracked. I just stared at her.

"Sakura?" I asked calmly.

"Y-yeah?" She wiped the stray tears and looked at me, and my heart broke. I hated seeing Sakura in pain, but now I was furious. How could she tell the idiot before me, if she "loved" me so much? Even though I couldn't do anything about her illness, I should've been there for her. You are weak, Little Brother. You always will be. I'm too weak, and because of that, Sakura had to pay for it!

"Why?"

"W-well I was afraid that y-you'd be mad at me, and I w-was right!" She burst into tears again and cried silently.

"Sakura-chan!" She had began coughing harder and harder, eventually coughing up blood. "Have you taken your medicine today?" Naruto asked as he ran up to her.

She shook her head before more blood came from her. "Naruto!" I shouted. "What condition is it?"

"Uh..." Naruto froze and realized I was totally serious when I called him by his actual name. "T-Tuber-Tuberculosis? I think..."

"Give me her," I muttered as I scooped her up bridle-style and began making my way to the hospital.

"Sasuke-kun...I–"

"Sakura, shut up. I'm trying to get you to the hospital."

"Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything."