Title: Stand My Ground

Rating: M for violence, language and later chapters.

Distribution: Just credit me and let me know where it's going!

Reviews: Love 'em. I don't really like flames, but then, no one really does.

Disclaimer: I do own NARUTO, and if I did, Sasuke wouldn't be so cold.

Main Pairings: Sasu&Saku, Naru&Hina, Ten&Neji, Ino&Shika

BEFORE YOU EVEN READ THIS: Here is my little updated Author's note. This story was written a long, long time ago. More than 5 years ago. Please don't bother to review and tell me how abrupt and primitive the story is. Trust me, as an author/writer I have grown and I am very aware of the horror that is this story. However, I have chosen to leave the story up as a reminder of how much I have grown not only as a writer, but as a person. Not only in general knowledge but also skill and common sense, lol. I also leave it up for the people that gave it the time of day so many years ago. Thank you! You are all the reason I love to write. This story is such a source of nostalgia for me, and I think it is for some of you, too. So much love to all of you. XO

The pink haired kunoichi stared at the man standing before her. She was having a hell of a time trying to keep her jaw attached to her face. He was so handsome. But then, he always had been.

She mentally shook away the thoughts and tried to find her voice. He beat her to it.

"Sakura," His voice washed over her like honey. "Long time, no see."

She glared at him. "You know damn well who's to blame for that, Uchiha."

He smirked at her, taking her in. She looked so...different, so... hot. He'd blame it on hormones again. This stupid attraction to her. It'd been two years since he'd seen her, and he'd admitted to himself then he was attracted to her. They'd been fifteen, and the newly formed team seven had once again tried to take him unwillingly back to Konoha. She'd always been pretty, so had Ino and most of the other girls who had admired him over the years and flanked him from time to time.

He wondered if there were any that still liked him.

"This is your last chance," Sakura warned. "Just come home with me willingly. I don't want to fight with you."

"I'm glad the feeling is mutual," He murmured.

"You actually have feelings?" Her words were unexpectedly cold. At this, he raised an eyebrow. "Sorry it's just," she continued on sarcastically. "When you left me on that bench, it kinda seemed like you were a cold heartless asshole." She glared at him.

Her words triggered his memory.

"I love you more than anything!"

His words echoed arrogantly in his head.

"Sakura," He appeared behind her. "Thank you."

At that same moment, she was thinking about those exact same words. Just as she had for the last five years. Sasuke stepped forward, wondering why she of all people would bring it up.

"You are annoying," She laughed, mocking him. "It's exactly what I would've expected had I been smart enough not to fall for you." Unable to conceal his frown, he turned away from her. "I tell you I love you, that I would do anything for you, and what do you do? What does the infamous Uchiha Sasuke do? He knocks me out." Her bitterness surprised him. Did he make her this way? Why did he care? "Then, I see you again, all ready to let by gones be by gones. But no. You've become so fucking cold, that you threaten to kill me. You almost do!" She paused, and a cruel smirk flickered across her face. "Well, Uchiha, I guess it runs in the family."

He turned around, angry onyx eyes meeting shining emerald, "That," He narrowed his eyes. "Was low."

"Well," Now it was her turn to smirk. "Payback's a dish best served cold."

He stared at her with amusement. Sure, her words had stung him, but they had only scratched the surface. And just barely. She thinks of this as payback? He took another step towards her and her hand went flying towards her kunai, but his voice stopped her cold.

"Don't."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't what, Uchiha?"

"Don't even fucking think about it."

She smiled at him, a grin fit for the cheshire cat. "I want to know what was more important. You left us to become stronger. You betrayed the only people who still cared about you to learn from that thing... Orochimaru. The snake that caused you a lot of pain during the second part of the chunnin exams, if I recall. Yet, you still chose him over your friends. So," Her smile was calm and collected. "Lets see if it was worth it."

She pulled out three kunai with no warning as he activated the Sharingan. They missed his head by inches, and he watched in amusement as she pulled out three more. Her fist began to glow green with stored up chakra and she slammed it into the earth, split seconds before she threw the chakra charged kunai.

"Naruto!" He was way up ahead and still gaining speed. Ino frowned, remembering their mission. "Sakura needs your help." Tsunade said quickly. "Our information was wrong. Orochimaru is dead, therefore Sasuke cannot be after Naruto and Kyuubi. He has no use for either. He's after her. He wants Sakura."

"Naruto! If you don't slow your butt down I'm gonna lose you and then we won't get there in time!" He slowed his pace a little, but his steps never faultered. They were hopefully moving in the right direction. Forty miles to the right, he heard an explosion.

He turned his head to Ino, "Damn it! We're going the wrong damn way!" He swerved sharply to the right, and hoped he wasn't too late.

Sakura was panting. The four explosive shuriken that Sasuke had dodged had hit a few trees causing an explosion. Anyone within a one hundred mile radius would be there soon, trying to find out what happened. She looked at him, glaring, knowing full well that he hadn't even used his chidori yet. He smirked at her.

"Had enough yet?" He asked, deactivating the Sharingan.

"No, not even close," she lunged herself at him intending to kick him, and as she expected, he moved to block it, not surprised when she appeared using substitution, out of the sky. He was surprised when she landed a kick to his chest. They both landed in a heap on the ground, and Sasuke immediately dominated the situation. He rolled her over, trapping her with his body. She glared at him, a look of death.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

She was disgusted. "Get off." He smiled, and she realized how it sounded. "Uchiha Sasuke, Get the FUCK off of me!"

He was starting to enjoy the way she was wriggling underneath him, and without any notice at all he smashed his lips to hers in a fiery kiss. Sakura's eyes opened wide in surprise. She knew she couldn't deny him. She never could. Slowly, she began to kiss him back.

"NARUTO!" Ino was getting extremely pissed off with him.

First he says he wants to go on the mission alone. Then he says he might need my mind-transfer jutsu. Now he thinks he's leaving me in the middle of the woods.

"PICK UP THE PACE!" Naruto yelled from somewhere in front of her. Damn him, he was so impatient. "If he lays even one finger on Sakura, I will kill him."

Ino increased her pace with a groan. There was obviously no arguing with him.

Sakura could feel his hands begin to wander. This was going too far, too fast. Did she want this? Not yet. She pushed him roughly off of her and stood up. She stared at him for a moment and then with the loudest voice he had ever heard her use she yelled, "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR GOD DAMNED MIND?!"

He smirked at her, his onyx eyes concealing his true plan. "Come with me, Sakura."

She froze. He did not just say that. "What did you just say to me?"

"I want you to come with me. If the ninjas from Konoha are as good as they used to be, they would've known that Orochimaru has been dead for a while." She looked…pale. He laughed, and her head snapped up in surprise. Did he really just laugh? When had she heard him really laugh? "I want you, there's no use in denying it." The usual blush that would've covered her cheeks wasn't in place. "Come live with me, after I kill Itachi."

She stared at him blankly. "This is a trick. You're going to pretend you mean that and act like you're going to catch me when you're really just going to let me fall."

Sasuke looked annoyed. "This is a one time offer Sakura."

"Fine," She said, searching for the words. Another cruel smile graced her lips. "If you want me so badly, I'm going with you now. Not after you kill Itachi."

He stared at her.