• A/N: THanks so much for the reviews! I hope i managed to udate faster than i did before and ill make it another goal to update even sooner!Also i hope you guys like it!

    Enjoy!

    Behind the Smile

    Chapter 9: Mission : Bated Meetings

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    The pattering of the merciless rain acted as a meticulous background sound to the eerie silence of the full-mooned night; there was a harmony of different patterings, each unique as the rain pounded hard on the different surfaces inhabiting the area. Darkness enshrouded every surface, clouded the views of all that were not animal to the forest; nothing other than the moonlight provided a source of direction, condolence. Nothing other than the brief flashes of lightning provided an impending foreboding.

    If you discover any importantly dire information, you come straight to me. Am I clear, Sakura ?

    Her emerald eyes wavered with wariness as he finished his last words, her face stern with determination, unchanging to the drops of rain that continuously soaked her. She had hesitantly raised into a standing position, hearing all that she needed to know; knowing that she had no time to waste; wasting what was left of her reservations against action.

    Everything, from the beginning, from months ago, was a cold, horrible, ruthless trap. One that would be inescapable if she didn't do anything. Right now.

    When she bolted from her position, she didn't run back the way she had come - she didn't make her way back to Konoha, as she had been instructed to. She was headed forward, yearning with all her might to save those who she had come here with. She was a medical ninja after all, not a messenger.

    She would fight to heal, at the risk of her life.

    And hope on all that was good and evil that she prevailed, that she would be able to stop the events that were slowly unfolding to the future, at the moment stop the impending threat of this night. Everyone's future depended on it.

    There was no turning back.

    --

    The rain was coming down in constant sheets now, thunder cracking overhead, the mud beneath them wet and slippery. Fire and electricity were blinding in the midnight darkness - battle cries and clashing kunais deafening in the forest clearing.

    The attack had been started with the armada of kunai that had been thrown towards them in a wave. The battle had initiated when they had retaliated, first flung kunais expertly whirling into a number of the enemies' throats. The struggle had continued as waves of Sound emerged from all sides of the surrounding brush, intent on kill - ambush a success.

    One of the ANBU, seemingly more built and powerful in the way he held himself, leadership emanating from his every pore, eyed the mass of Sound shinobi closing in on them, amber-colored gaze calm, intensely dark. He had long ago torn off his mask, being the sole one to do so as it was futile to wear such in the night - it limited eye sight with the night, and in that same atmosphere it was near unthinkable for one to read the insignias of the forehead protectors they wore - none would survive long enough to relay information if sight had been granted. Tenshi allowed no other thought to cloud his mind, no panic to hinder his action; as a sort of shock still continued to weigh on his other ANBU comrades, his countenance was calm - his will determined to set the example. He was commander of this mission, he could do no other than provide the sightly display of strength needed for them to work as a team. A few handseals resulted in a burst of chakra around the foundation of his feet, licking at him like flames, covering him like a second layer of skin, forcing his illuminated sand-colored hair to dance with it's currents. He brought up a lone handseal in the mist of it all, and as if his eyes were assigning targets, they slowly, briefly moved over half of the circle of shinobi that continued to hone in on his group. It was then that he threw his arms out wide on either side of him, creating a wall of fire, it's source stemming from the core of his body - this wall of fire flared out away from him before outreaching on all sides to form a circle around the group of ANBU before reaching wider and larger as it traveled away from them to engulf the full first line of the Shinobi closing in on them.

    More immediately replaced the fallen, however the numbers had dwindled greatly.

    "Take this chance to break through the line, allow them no surrounding of us." He spoke, his calm voice loud and clear, rumbling through the sound of the rain.

    And they did , in a straight barricade of a line they rushed to a certain side where the Sound replacement was slower.

    One of the ANBU members then tossed three kunai simultaneously, hitting the same number of enemies with excellent precision. Noting how close the enemy was now, he pulled out one last kunai, moving to hand-to-hand combat position; a somewhat loud clanking noise sounded as kunais clashed breifly, he had already pulled back to swipe at the jugular, execution succesful. The rest of the ANBU's mirrored this same action simultaneously as they pushed against the small line. They broke through, breifly retreating a small distance before facing the diverted enemy.

    It was then that Tenshi sensed a growing confidence emanate from the rest of the ANBU. The next part was cake.

    Steel clashed against steel repeatedly, heartbeats quickened, breaths became more labored. And the Sound numbers seemed to be endless.

    “Got Dammit!” Tenshi yelled out in frustration. The other ANBU's had let out similar curses as the simple hand-to-hand combat was proving unuseful. They had wanted to spare their chakra, but realized that reservation was unfounded in this situation. They didn't have time. Things had gone completley wrong, they had no reason to be cautious with their actions- positions had already been blown. They had been expected. Feeling an onslaught of fury, he twisted around to his side towards and incoming shinobi and stabbed once with his kunai before slightly leaning back, and bringing up his leg to pummel that same area with an iron hard kick. Channeling his chakra to his fists he loaded a series of puches into a trio that had charged him, ending with them falling a few yards back, unmoving.

    One of the ANBU had paused to preform a few handseals, the words he uttered later unaudible to the sounds of fighting. He had shoved his palms forward, holding them stationary as the wind around them started to pick up. Many leaves had departed from their trees, currents of the rain and also stopped in their descent towards the earth, moving with the new group of leaves and wind towards the largest group of Sound shinobi. The combined amount of water and wind-razored sharp leaves annihilated the line Sound shinobi.

    Following the jutsu, the two remaining ANBU had each thrown to large shadow windmills, taken out what was left of the large armarda.

    The fighting had ceased, breathing slightly heavy as the ANBU regained their ground, senses flaring to find no more threat in the immediate vicinity. They had made their way back to the clearing which homed the small cabin, wary eyes transitioning all around as they proceeded with caution. They had known there was no way the man they were looking for would still be their after all the commotion. But they also knew that he would not have simply left - power made men like those arrogant, and he would no doubt be somewhere near, waiting for the strike, as if it were a game to him.

    Protocol was for them to search the cabin, and find any information they could.

    They didn't even make it closer to the cabin as they halted in their movement, eyes wavering in the direction of the surrounding forest. They finally fixated on the figure that walked into the clearing, his entrance purposely sounding with the brushing of the bushes sprouting from the earth. He had paused as sooned as he stepped out, hands finding themselves in his pockets, back slightly moving to lean against a tree behind.

    (Song : Naruto Shippuden OST 21)
    (Continue replaying)

    "So , a few idiots said you bunch of Leaf were looking for me." His voice was of monotone, tone deep with coldness, however laced with amusement that stemmed from disinterest. "Had the audacity to tell me to run, as if my life was in some type of danger."

    --

    Sakura swiftly dodged a punch from her attacker, and quickly counter-attacked by delivering a kick to his stomach. She followed with using her other free leg to roundhouse kick his face. He dropped to the ground either dead or unconscious. As more came at her she ran towards them and jumped, delivering a walking kick to two who were right next to eachother. When she landed, Sakura punched another, only to be grabbed from behind. Both her arms were locked behind her.

    Using the ninja behind her for support Sakura, brought both her feet up form the ground and kicked another guy that was in front of her as hard as she could. She then immediately, used all the force she could and head butt the guy behind her with the back of her head. She spun around while he was still up and roundhouse kicked him . He flew into a few others.

    They came back up and charged at her again, this time with kunai, the first one that came at her had the honor of getting his kunai taken from him. She grabbed his hand and twisted it till the kunai dropped into her other hand. The pink-haired kunouchi brought her kunai up and sliced is neck before lowered into another fighting stance, eyeing the rest that surrounded her with a wave of annoyance.

    She wanted to conserve as much chakra as she could, for medical uses.

    Wasting no time she let out a small battle cry as she slammed her fists into the ground. The earth on all sides cracked, bursting upwards as pink light traveled through it, rays pointing upwards, creating the image as if a ray from heaven was tearing along the ground. It engulfed all the surrounding Sound shinobi, ending with complete silence.

    She didn't even leave herself time to rest as she started from her position, swift speed and balance allowing her to jump from one soaking tree branch to the next.

    This whole perimeter of the forest was crawling with Sound, they had made sure to allow no short number. And that thought alone made her click her tongue in frustration, if she had to fight through all of them, she wouldn't find the others fast enough. Her desperation was rising with each passing moment, the only solace of comfort the fact that she seemed to be following the right trail, she still had time. Though seemingly not enough before it was too late. The mission had already failed, the simple knowledge of who they would encounter before they had a chance to infiltrate the rest of this place, made sure of that. They had been sent on this mission solely for the retrieval of information, and if they got lucky, find the one traitor who was leaking information to the Sound, the last spotted sight of the weasel had been around these woods; but they would not find that person here, he had been long gone, possibly even dead now. Most likely due to the one person that was here now.

    The thought of this particular part of her newly-found information being true sent chills through her spine , fear and anxiety into her soul. She already knew something was wrong if they weren't headed in her direction. Terribly wrong. And every bone in her body screamed at her to retreat, not just for the sake of her life, but for the dire information that needed to be in the Hokage's hands. However her heart willed her to continue, to bring courage with her as she fought to save whatever life she could, even as her mind rationalized that there was no hope - even as her memories hoped for something that seemed impossible. Futile.

    If she didn't reach her comrades before they ran into him, they would be in grave danger. They weren't ready to face off with the S-class criminal who Konoha had given up on retrieving years ago - who was marked as a serious, powerful enemy. There would be no chance of them capturing him, bringing him back to face judgment, it was impossible. Surviving a battle with him, it was impossible. And so, lives were her only concern right now, the immediate information she held - went crazy over, her only worry.

    Uchiha Sasuke would show them no mercy.

    --

    The surprise was evident in their stances, the rightly founded fear reflected through Tenshi's wavering gaze.

    "You are Leaf, aren't you?" His lazy Sharingan gaze noticeably transitioned to Tenshi, as if scanning over the barely discernible forehead protector - even in the night, sight must have been granted easily to him through use of his bloodlimit. He let out a small grunt of dry amusement as his affirmations were correct. "I figured that I would relay that same message to you all, seeing as how you've found yourselves with more trouble than you expected." He seemed to be revering to the warning given to him earlier, that told him to retreat.

    He continued to lean against the tree, closing his eyes as he crossed one leg over the other, showing even more so how calm and relaxed he was, unthreatened.

    "Run. Prolong your doomed existences, cling to your lives pathetically. And I'll decide later if I feel like playing the hand of God." It was obviously an aphorism to taking their lives. He really had expected them to take his offer.

    There was a small moment of silence as they continued to eye Uchiha Sasuke, a newfound daring sparking in their countenances.

    “All ANBU into your postions..” Sasuke lazily opened his eyes at the command, still reflecting a type of disinterest at their attempts. He remained in his same position, even as they disappeared from theirs, reappearing to have him and the lone tree he rested against surrounded. Waisting no moment, and with quick speed, they all preformed symmetrical hand seals, holding their hands up with the last one. One cue a blue, circular seal sprouted on the ground underneath them, weird kanji reading in all directions; Sasuke found himself in the middle of this contraption. He didn't move from the spot. He remained stoic, calm, simply letting them carry out their technique with so much as a flicker attentiveness.

    It was only when misted blue hands shot up from underneath him, grasping at his ankles, holding him stationary did Sasuke handlessly push his back off of the tree in timing to it's disintegration - the particles of the tree simply floated away in blue orbs. His hands then calmly removed themselves from his pockets as he crossed his arms loosely in front of his torso. He stood with such calmness, bored disinterest, seemingly uncaring as to the predicament he found himself in, trapped in the middle of a technique. He seemed, sure of himself.

    “Fox!” The first ANBU member slammed his fist into the ground. The faded image of a Fox appeared in front of him.

    “Bird!” The next slammed his fist into the ground. The faded image of a huge Pheonix appeared in front of him.

    “Lion!” The last slammed his fist into the ground. The faded image of a Lion appeared in front of him.

    Tenshi sealed his hands together as a blue light surrounded his fists. He brought them apart roughly, and slowly as if it took a great deal of strength to do so - the separation of this hands left a trail of chakra to flow inbetween and behind.

    “Dragon!” He slammed both his fists into the ground. All the images of the different animals ran together in front of him, contorting into the fiery image of a Dragon. Its eyes glared to the center of the still formed, and large circle beneath them, to the S-class criminal calmly returning the glare. It shot up into the sky weaving in and out of itself as the light around it seemed to grow in intensity. Their was a breif moment where it paused, before it's body started to lean downwards.

    The final roar was heard as it dived down, destination in a striaight line towards the Uchiha who's head was upturned, Sharingan gaze calmly fixated on the bluely transparent beast.

    It was then that the first trickle of dark-colored chakra flowed from beneath Sasuke's feet. It was brief, allowing a moment of pause after, and only the first cessation to the immense dark chakra that exploded from underneath him. This happened just as the dragon had reached him; it exploded into a blinding light that encompased the entire area to which they inhabited.

    Winds picked up, trees were uprooted, all sorts of boulders and forest debris instantly were thrown far from the area of impact.

    It took a moment for things to fall silent, for the pattering of the rain to become prominent in it's sounding. There was no thunder, there was no lightning - these occurrences seemed to have halted with the occurrence of the large blast. Sight was finally restored as all eyes darted to the center of where the blue circle had been.

    Uchiha Sasuke stood in it's center, in the same exact position as he had been in before - up straight, arms crossed.

    Unscathed.

    --

    Her heart had already started thumping louder, even before the large, blinding night had clouded her vision. Now, she was beyond desperation. Fear for the ANBU had rumbled in her gut. That was their technique, she had seen them practice in the rare times that she had trained with them.

    She had no idea where the blinding light originated - it had come and gone, seemingly from all directions. The sheer impact had sent enough force from the large distance to send her flying back from her mid-leap. The impact left her momentarily stunned on the ground, eye squeezed shut as the pain erupted from her abdomen. The instant soaking of the clothers over it assumed her recent would had been reopened. Blood would flow fast. However, it didn't concern her as it should of, her mind was elsewhere as she forced her non complacent body to it's feet. She started her run again, pushing the pain to the back of her mind, perservering through the sudden weakness that downed every part of her. The fear.

    They had found him. And he was going to kill them.

    Run ... Run!

    Her inside, horrid scream of a plea was for them, as her worried emerald orbs flickered with her desperation.

    --

    His face was slightly obscured from view as he seemed to focus on the last particle of blue light that disappeared from beneath him. The ominous dark chakra still continued to swirl, slowly, forebodingly around him, flowing from his body as if it were seeping through his pores. The way he stood, unmoving, with such a complete stillness, spoke all sorts of danger.

    "You know, with my time in Konoha all those years ago, and as the Leaf-acclaimed genius of my generation, I had always wondered why everyone else seemed sooo.. stupid. " His voice started out quiet, slow, ushering of power, darkness . He seemed contemplative. "Why it was that, as tools of warfare, shinobi couldn't at least put the effort into knowledge, to make up for their obvious lacks of strengh. And I couldn't figure it out , why they lacked the necessary intelligence that would fuel their common sense enough to be able determine what actions were reasonable, and what actions were, simply, idiotic." His head shifted, raising up to allow his cold eyes to snap to them. His voice was sudden, icy cold, all amusement gone as he seemed to be dissapointed, unforgiving, even in his calmness. "What you all just did, right now .. would be an example of idiotic." His tone was laced with venom as his Sharingan gaze seemed to pierce through them, glittering like hot red ice, as if they had caught and trapped the reflection of a lightning whip as it sizzled across the dark sky. All too suddenly the dark chakra surrounding him dispersed, dissapearing completley.

    It was then that the thunder cracked overhead.

    "Idiotic actions annoy me, and the impotent fools behind those idiotic actions irk me." The speed in which he dissapeared and reappeared before them was unimaginable. His fists were once again his pockets as his menacing gaze looked down upon them, as his close presence allowed him to almost taste their surprised trepidation. "Of all the horrible life decisions you have made, this will be the last." He let them jump away from him, contemplating their stay before a soundless decision made them disappear in retreat.

    "Run. Pathetically try and cling to life." His Sharingan gaze menacingly looked on after in the direction to which they retreated. He waited a few moments before he too, disappeared. His destination assumable.

    --

    A spark of joy had flashed through her as she saw all four of them running towards her. However her heart dropped as she saw the shadow jump out of the trees further back. As if they noticed this, and noticed Sakura's position, three of them had turned in their directions, acting as a diversion as Tenshi continued his way too her. She started running towards him, knowing that he was injured, that all of them were injured. The fact alone meant that Sasuke was still toying with them, however it didn't rest her heart one bit.

    He tired of games quite quickly.

    Before she even reached Tenshi, she could hear his distant shouts.

    "Sakura run! Run now!" The trepidation shaking her body made it yearnable to follow his command, yet her will kept her running towards him, even as the some of the blood from her abdomen had trickled to her leg. Her action produced a spark of desperation in Tenshi's eyes as he picked up his speed. When they collided, he breifly halted, his arms reaching out to her as he forecefully pushed her in the direction he wanted her to go. It took his momentum to start her, and he ran with her, continuously applying pressure to keep her going, even as she looked on behind them, wide eyes fearful with indecision, worry as what to do.

    "Keep going!" He commanded her as he halted to a complete stop, seemingly getting ready to come back the way he came, to help the others who had bravely made a deversion for Sakura. Sakura stopped too, stubborness her number one pronounced attribute at the moment.

    "I can help you guys!" She argued, though her voice shakey, not in the least confident, but desperate.

    They already know that YOU are a top priority, so they will sacrifice for you if and when needed to.

    "You can help us by getting far away from here. We had only ran away this long because we weren't sure where you were, we were afraid you might be too close and in a direct line of danger" He started, the complete abhorrence at her actions and the situation he didn't attempt to hide. His voice was forcingly calm, but harsh. "Our fears were correct.. Your safety is my utmost priority...did you see the way the others lead him away from near you?" His eyes burned into her with his rhetorical question. "Do not make their sacrificial actions a waste. Run." He put distance between them, turning away so that his back was facing her. "If you die here, we might as well all die. ." It was his subtle movement of his arm to grasp his side, that alerted Sakura again to the fact that he was injured - the large ANBU cloak hiding any blood that he might have been losing.

    "Tenshi-san-"

    "If you do not run now you will be directly disobeying my orders." That was no small crime for lower positioned shinobi. "Go!" He said this, amber eyes flashing a warning before he sprinted in the direction he just ran from.

    Do not disrespect them or myself by willingly putting yourself in danger.

    Letting out a small greif-stricken grunt, Sakura took off, running blindly through the forest.

    --

    She didn't know how long she had been running, only her heavy breaths whispered of time being long, more than simply seconds. It had been long, hard minutes - ones that bought her more safety, and doomed the others with more suffering.

    She was overwhelmed with a rain of emotions. There was pain, the stinging of her abdomen, the burning of her muscles as weakness due to bloodloss starved them. There was indecision, troubling her thoughts, the choice she had made to obey, to flee like a coward. And upmost there was fear, worry, the want to flee, the need to help. The need to actually do something to save another, for once.

    And it was that same need that halted her in her tracks, despite her mind's rationalizing, her bodie's yearning. That same determination that made her disobey the ANBU leader's orders, disobey the Hokage's orders. The same uncaringness that allowed her to be willing to accept the consequences her actions would bring her. The possibility of death.

    I'm sorry, everyone

    Lives were on the line, petty rules and orders meant nothing to her in the face of something so precious.

    She paused, closing her eyes as she tilted her heard upward towards the pouring sky, unflinching to the pounding rain. As she did this, her senses immediately flared out, locating the threads of energy that represented chakra. The moment the first caught her awareness, the bolted from her position, moving swiftly through the darkness. She paid no heed to dodging the hanging branches and twigs that would cut at exposed areas of her skin - producing minimal scratches.

    --

    The only type of regret that formed when she saw Tenshi, the ANBU leader whose orders she had directly disobeyed, was that she had for a moment, abandoned him , allowed him and the others to risk their lives further. He was hunched over, on his hands and knees, calmly fighting for easy air. She noticed the exact moment as he dashed towards him, when he had sensed her energy; his eyes had transitioned to hers in recognition, worry.

    When she had reached him, her hands gently grabbing at him, easing him him to a sitting position, he let out a dry grunt of amusement, however agitated. "No use telling you to get out of here, Haruno Sakura." He had come to terms with the fact that she would be so bold as to defy him, put herself in danger. It still noticeably bothered him, but he made humor of it all.

    She didn't share his humor, her heart worried about how pale he looked ."No, there isn't. There also isn't any use telling me that I'm going to be in trouble with Tsunade-sama, or that you aren't badly and not in need of my medical assistance." She continued her point with one last reminder. "I'm a medical ninja, not a messenger." He didn't protest, only breifly squeezed his eyes in pain, simultaneous to the small chuckle as he eased his back against the tree behind him, hand still clasped around his ribs, unseeable through the large cloak he wore. He was surprisingly calm, and seemingly defeated in terms of worrying about the consequences anymore. He seemed expecting those, awaiting battle once again, and ready to do so. Not with her, she knew that. Did he think Sasuke was going to come back?

    For some reason the thought exploded a turbulent of emotions, all morbid, intense. She didn't know what she'd do when she saw him, what she'd say. What she was supposed to do or say. She hadn't seen him for months, she hadn't taken the time to come with the terms of what had happened, the day she had almost died by his uncaring hands. She didn't know how stable she was with the recent events to face him. Even now, just the thoughts coursing through her head brought on an unfounded trepidation. And she swallowed down as she focused being of use. To assess damages, to heal the person in front of her, the one who needed her attention, not her ridiculous thoughts.

    "He's toying with us." He started, his voice light in it's calmness. "I don't know how the others are, I met up with them once, and we were able to land a few hits on him, I'm just not sure so if it was really us doing it, or him letting us" He breifly paused as the movement to help Sakura removed his dirtied cloak stunned him with pain. "This isn't mercy. This is twisted. Two times he could have killed me, and he didn't." He continued as Sakura tore open his shirt, ripping it before discarding it to the side, professionally assessing his injuries. The rain helped to wash the currents of flowing blood away.

    "Is this the worst of your wounds?" She asked emotionlessly. Her inquiry brought her gaze up to his face. It had really actually only been the first time she had really seen him, no mask, up close. He was very handsome, his face nicely chiseled, skin tone a bit darker than hers, tan to the point he was almost bronze. His deep amber orbs were the only part of him that revealed the extent of pain he bore. "I have a laceration on my right knee, but hardly anything to look at," She could feel the humor rising in his tone once again. "And I'm not to open to the idea of taking off my pants in front of a lady."

    She had forced herself to giggle. Intellectally she knew it was funny, but with all the emotions coursing through her, she couldn't pick out that funny bone that would have made her laugh easier. A lightish blue glow started to emanate from her hands as he placed them over the gaping wound in his abdomen. She didn't have the time to completely heal it, she just did her best to stop the bleeding, and close up the wound to the point where it'd be difficult to reopen. She wanted to get to the others, had to get to the others.

    Both of them had stood up, Sakura helping Tenshi do so. And it seemed only then that he had noticed the reopened wound on her own abdomen. He moved to say something, however visibly tensed, becoming deathly still as he recognized the disruption in the air. Sakura had noticed his pause, his tension feeding hers, her awareness feeling the crackle of power that had seemed to still the currents of rain.

    "He's here." The injured shinobi warned. And as if she needed to hear that in order to belief it, her heart stopped, a slight shiver crawled up her spine. Anticipation was at it's highest peak.

    There was no rustling of the trees of shubbery, no break in the wind - the rain didn't even falter. He had appeared before them in the clearing with immense speed, his countenace brimming with power. He had already started walking closer to him, his thoughts on the comrade to her side.

    It was very noticeable, the way his Sharingan gaze had stopped, along with his movements, the moment his Sharingan gaze had found her, examined her, recognized her. Moved to meet her wide emerald gaze. He had stopped completley in his movements, his casual steps faltering to a halt. He focused on her, unmoving, as if shocked, surprised, however nothing about his countenace betrayed that.

    She couldn't move. She could feel her legs trembling beneath her. There was no shock, there was no surprise. Only fear. She couldn't think right, she couldn't feel right - all of her senses were invaded, beat at with unspeakable power, his perfect amount of muscles seemed to ripple underneath his clothing. His eyes. Cold, menancing. Emotionless, seemed to stare right through her, burn a terrible hole into her soul.

    "Sakura, run!" Tenshi's sudden, pleading command penetrated the stun that kept her stationary, vibrated throughout her core, echoed in her mind. And she didn't know if it was his command, or the fear that made her run.

    She had snapped either way. She had split from her standing position, her scramblings out of the small clearing both loud and desperate.

    There was no hope beating her heart, breathing her lungs. No mind rationalizing her thoughts, her actions. The sight of those eyes had triggered it, her brief insanity. The tingling of her abdomen in memory to the shocking currents of lethal chakra exploding into her. The choice that had been torn from her grasp, the choice for her heart to beat, the choice for her lungs to breath - they had stopped when she didn't want them too, all that time ago. Darkness had enveloped her, when she begged for the light. She could never allow herself to go through that again. She was going crazy, the memory clouding her mind with pain, even more fear. She didn't want to go through that again. She didn't want to feel coldness seeping through her body.

    When she looked up at those deep, red, unrelenting eyes, darkness shrouding every other future so that she saw nothing else, she didn't see Uchiha Sasuke. She saw a cold-blooded killer. A powerful, unstoppable murderer. Nothing else registered. No past. No future. She saw the man that had almost suceeded in killing her, ruthlessly, without hesitation. She couldn't think. There were no thoughts about him being her former teamate, the man she claimed to love. She didn't think about their being a possible chance that he might spare her. There were no thoughts of speaking with him, of finding a way to help him with his future. There was only pain. There was only fear. Total and complete. Unwavering.

    It was then that the first sob racked her body, involuntarily shackled her freaking-out mind to a blind hysteria.

    She wanted to live. She wanted to go back to Konoha. She wanted to see Naruto again, Kakashi-san, Tsunade-sama, Ino, everyone. She didn't want to die. She didn't want her loved ones to grieve over her. She didn't want it to end like this.

    And she could do nothing but let that fear direct her body. Move her exhausted legs one leap after the other. Self-preservation. Inescapable will to survive. There was no shame beating at her conscious because of it. It was natural. It was unfounded. It was something she had never experienced before. And she let it take her away. The moment, she was not a ninja, a tool, a weapon of warfare; she was a human being, a woman, innocent, pleading with herself for survival. Throwing away everything that she had strived for, built, perfected. Nothing would help her live, only running. Nothing would keep her safe, only running.

    The rain had slowed to a small drizzle, the darkness of the night had started to recede into the lightness of morning, slowly, a type of darkness still dimming the sky, a type of orangeness attempting to light the sky, however moonlight still prominent, darkness till residing.

    It was abrupt, the moment she crashed into the strong, solid chest of the man that appeared in front of her, out of nowhere. She didn't think as she freaked, insanity judging her movements, craziness fueling her strength. Fear gripping at every part of her, desperation sounding with her noises. And they struggled like that, the time immeasurable as she fought his grasp. Resisted his strength. Avoided looking at him. Stopping meant her death. Giving in meant her death. Everything about this situation meant her death.

    And then there was hope. Sudden. Miraculous. A speckle of a thread looming before her, giving her the chance to grasp it. To feel it, to see it, to hear it. Through him. Through the very one who had caused her breakdown.

    "Sakura.." It was barely audible, muttered in a slight whisper, even with the struggling to their clashing, as he finally used brute force to still her flailing hands. He seemed to have spoken her name unconciously, the shock of seeing her hadn't worn off. And it was that name, that word that had stopped her. There was a familiarity in the way her name was spoken; and it was that familiarity, that part of her past that registered in her frantic mind - put a string of sanity in her thoughts. Sakura. It was her name.

    Her emerald orbs fluttered open from their previous state of fearful closing. Wide in the moment, they slowly transitioned upward along his strong body, the moonlight allowing sight. They reached the chiseled jaw-line of his face, slowly traveling up it's handsome structure to rest on his eyes. Deep obsidian. His hair, dark. They transitioned back to his gaze, wavering, analyzing.

    He had still continued to hold her limp arms high and outward in his grasp, as if he didn't know what to do, as if he was surprised at her reaction earlier, and now. He still seemed unsure if he should release her arms from his grasp. He could feel that he was supporting most of her weight with his hold on her wrists - the way her body slightly leaned away from his, they way her legs were slightly bent, but not feeling the pressure of her weight. She seemed unaware of their bodily positions, her eyes remained awed, wide, almost innocent in their discovery.

    "Why are you here?"His inquiry was incredulous, disbelieving in it's demand.

    She observed the finger-nail scratches that adorned his stoic face, then transitioned her gaze to look at her upheld arms, fingernails loaded with skin and dried blood - this allowed her to connect her attack to him as her mind multi-tasked with the contemplation the question that had entered her mind, swirling through her brain like a relaxing breeze, calming, soothing.

    Memory. Emotion. Feeling. Awareness. It flooded her analyzing mind like waves of ruthless, gushing water. It made her dizzy, it made her weak. She felt the sudden pain of her body, the ache of her muscles, the guilt of her reckless actions, the tears in her throat. The realization that she had lost it for a moment, that she let her fears and nightmares become reality, that she had freaked out needlessly. Not used her intellect.

    The first tear traveled down her face as eyes continued to waver.

    It was him.

    The man that had almost killed her so long ago. The man that didn't kill her now. The man she had been teammates with years in the time that had been past. The man she adored, the man she loved. The man she would do anything for. The man that had suffered, endured, hated, lived for revenge. The man she wanted to help. The man that she couldn't fear, no matter what he did to her or others. He wasn't the kind of man that would hurt someone from his past upon sight, not someone he had once shared a bond with. The battle where he almost killed her, it had been her fault, she provoked him, he lost control. He was in control this time, he would not hurt her. Not now. Not after all that had happened.

    He only attacked the people with her because they attacked him first. Yet he showed them mercy in his own way, didn't kill them when he easily could have.

    She feared for her death no longer, feared for nothing no longer. She was alive. She was safe. She was with him.

    It was just him and her.

    Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura.

    Standing.

    Waiting.

    All movement had ceased. All thought had ceased. All breath had ceased.

    Only a whisper was left to break the silence of the past and future.

    "..Sasu..ke.."

    Thanks for reading!

    Whew! For some reason I really like how this chapter came out. I was able to delve into the darkness of Sakura's heart - pull out demons and make a chapter solely focused on that, make things more realistic, her reactions, her emotions, her strength.

    YATTA!!