The party of leaf Shinobi ran silently across the mossy forest floor. They did not stop to rest; they hadn't since Sakura's encounter with Naruto. So many emotions and memories were running through her head, painful memories that wouldn't leave her. All the times that Sasuke had rejected her help, called her weak and annoying, mocked her and belittled her; they were all dancing around in her mind so quickly it was enough to make anyone's head spin, yet she was unaffected. Her face remained a steely mask of resolve that made sure that none of her companions came to close to her.
She began to relive the memory that had haunted her for years. The night he had escaped, the last time he had called her annoying. She had never been able to remember what had happened after that point but suddenly it was as if the scene was unfolding before her eyes. She could hear herself threatening to shout and alert the villagers only to see him disappear from the spot he had been occupying a few feet in front of her. Even though she could not see him and even though she was only reliving the memories she could feel him, inches behind her, so close she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck and a few soft strands of his bangs on her cheek as they were blown by the wind. "Sakura…" his sentence was dragged out; the silence seemed to last forever before he finally spoke again. "Thank you." He finished running the knuckles of his hand down her neck once, a swift gesture of affection.
That memory ended there but it seemed to have opened a gateway for a bunch of others that she had been suppressing.
The first time they had met, she remembered she had instantly been smitten with him. He was still a happy child with his family still alive. She had been too shy to talk to him during their lessons. It was one of the things she regretted her whole life.
She began to remember, her memories showing different scenes where he was smiling with a real, honest smile and didn't even notice when a sad smile of her own made its way onto her face. She remembered looks and conversations they had shared and she realized how, although he was always distant, there were many times when he wasn't cold towards her. She remembered his indignation and anger caused by her treatment at the hands of the sound ninjas. She could even hear his voice talking about her to someone.
"I lost everything once, I don't ever want to have to see that again." The sentence played in her head over and over. Without her realizing it, a tiny tear that had been making its way down her cheek finally fell from her chin to the ground, dodging all the leaves in its path. The trail it left on her cheek soon dried with the wind caused by her speed.
"He's in a clearing not far from here!" Kiba shouted.
"Gotcha!" she shouted in acknowledgment. With newfound energy she broke away from her companions. She knew that Sasuke had most likely been aware of them for quite some time and that stealth was therefore useless.
She saw the clearing up ahead and jumped to the ground before charging even faster. She broke through the barrier in an explosion of leaves, a single one sticking to her headband for a moment, just above the symbol of Konoha before drifting away, far from the others. She could see Sasuke standing in the centre of the clearing and the redheaded Kunoichi who formed part of his new team farther behind him.
She stopped inches from him in a dead halt, so close her short hair gently touched his chest thanks to her momentum. For several moments they stood looking each other in the eye. She still kept her determined look frozen on her face and Sasuke's calculating look was fixed on his. Once they had finished sizing each other up they each took a step back. A small smirk formed on his face just as the rest of the Shinobi of the leaf village arrived.
"Sakura." He said in mock greeting. She just narrowed her eyes. "I'm afraid I haven't got time for you now." His voice had slipped into its usual tone. "You're just going to have to make time, Sasuke." She said clenching her gloved fists. They both stayed silent as her voice rang through the clearing. All the energy in the clearing seemed to focus around them. None of the other ninjas dared say a word.
"I'm never going back, Sakura."
"I'm not here because of that." She answered.
"No?" he finally sounded at least mildly interested. "What are you here for?" he asked. She said nothing. Nothing needed to be said. He would have had to be a fool not to understand from the moment she burst into the clearing.
"I see." He said crossing his arms. "And what about the rest?" he asked looking at the group that had followed her.
"What about her?" she countered nodding her head in Karin's direction.
"I'm staying with Sasuke-kun." She stated haughtily although Sasuke wore an expression that clearly said "spare me" all over it. Sakura saw it and cocked an eyebrow while imitating his smirk.
"You'll do no such thing, Karin." He stated.
"What?" she replied in shock.
"I have no further need of your skills, leave." He specified. She did not move. "Now!" he shouted, his Sharingan activating as he whirled around to face her. She fell limply to the ground without any resistance and he turned back to Sakura.
"Your move, Sakura." He told her. She turned to the team that had come with her.
"I'm sorry." she said regretfully.
"We're not leaving you." Said Ino fiercely.
"I know." Sakura answered. "That's why I had to leave you instead." She said.
"What?" Ino didn't understand what was going on. Not until Sakura suddenly dissolved before her very eyes and that was when she realized that Sakura had trapped them all in an illusion since the moment Sasuke asked about them. The sneaky bastards still had the communication abilities that helped them so much as a team. She tried to escape Sakura's illusion but it proved to be too strong. What's more, it was slowly lulling them all into a deep sleep that none of them could escape.
"Sakura…" she whispered her friends name one last time before the sleep completely dominated her.
Sasuke and Sakura were now searching for a new clearing to host their encounter while trying to put as much distance between themselves and the other Shinobi as possible. They never spoke a word until they reached a new, larger clearing.
"I have to admit, Sakura, all this deceitfulness seems very unlike you." He commented.
"How would you know what I'm like!" she snarled. "Have you finally decided to pay attention to me? Huh? Now that it's too late and my only choice to help you is to kill you?" He was in front of her and holding her jaw in his powerful hand in a flash.
"There never was a choice. I was in the dark for too long, Sakura. I will never stop." He lifted her jaw making her tilt her head. "It wasn't Itachi I had to get my revenge on."
"Ugh!" she shouted, pushing him away. "You and your stupid revenge! I know what happened to you and your clan, Sasuke. You need to learn to let go!"
"You're one to talk! You never let go of me! You think I don't realize why you've come to kill me?" he shouted back.
"It doesn't matter, Sasuke-kun. Like you said, you'll never stop. Who will you go after when Danzou's out of the way, huh? Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, me? In the depths of your twisted mind are we also responsible for the death of your clan?" he said nothing as a feral grin formed on his face.
"Well then, come and stop me. Go on! Give me your best shot!" he challenged.
"You're on."