Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow-- You are not wrong who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream

- Edgar Allen Poe

Today was an awkward day. Thought sakura as she pulled her pink coat closer to her chest. Ino will not just leave me alone. She's such a pig.

These thoughts ran through Haruno Sakura's head as she locked the door to her cherry blossom flower shop. It was 10 pm at night. Sakura wanted so desperately to go home to her one bedroom apartment and take a nice long bath. The reason why she had stayed out so late was because she was filling some orders for a dozen cherry blossoms that would be picked up tomorrow for valentines day. Naruto would probably try to give her something, sakura felt a light smile touch her lips however, she tried to surppress a laughter. He'd probably try to give her a ramen treat or something but, wasn't it the thought that counted? The moon illuminated the sky, all of konoha had turned into the night although, sakura wished she could be right with them. This was the responsibility that she had taken though, starting a cherry blossom shop and pissing off Ino because she took all her customers. The cherry blossom shop had given her a lot of money however, she was able to afford a bigger apartment compared to the last apartment in which she had a roommate. There was a gentle breeze, a breeze that smelled free of any chemicals but, it was chilling. The night was quiet, allies had become mysterious pathways of darkness than just a shortcut to somewhere during the day. The asphalt street of konoha, sparkled in the pallid moonlight and the clouds were like wisps on the stars. Sakura found herself, staring at the sky in awe and a smile touched her lips. However, her smile quickly disintegrated as soon as she heard a can be knocked over. Her heart sped up, sakura began to walk faster but, heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, there wasn't a figure in sight but, when she turned around she had bumped into someone.

" oh, sorry" apologized sakura, looking up at a man but, an insidious smirk appeared on his face. The man had brown hair, brown eyes and a rock village headband that had a line through it. He had a fishnet shirt on, black pants and traditional ninja shoes.

" hello, mouse" he smirked, insidiously" what are you doing out so late?"

" back away from me!" shouted sakura, pulling out a kunai" what do you want?"

" nothing special" said a voice behind her. Sakura turned around, infusing her kunai with chakara and darting it towards the mysterious voice. The voice became silent, sakura's eyes widen as she saw a man come out of the shadows with the kunai in his chest. Blood started to stain his green anbu jacket, he cringed at sakura while tearing the kunai out of his chest. The man had a mist village headband on, a line through it and he crushed the kunai in his hands.

" your from the mist village" observed sakura. she narrowed her eyes, backing away and turning around so the missing nin from the rock village wouldn't attack her from behind.

" we just came for fun"The missing mist nin shrugged however, a smirk appeared on his face as he cracked his knuckles." and we found something to play with"

The rock nin threw a kunai at sakura, sakura apically pulled out her kunai and dodged it. She came at the man, he backed away at her therefore, throwing more kunai at her. Sakura dodged them, the mist ninja grabbed her waist but, she drew back her fist. The rock ninja's eyes widen as she puched him in the face, he went flying back into a merchant's shop while the mist ninja was thrown back by the blow. She turned around, the mist ninja did a hand justu and sakura cringed to find herself in ninjustu.

Damn. sakura thought. I hate ninjustu.

She found herself, locked in chains while the mist ninja was standing in front of her, holding kunai. Sakura's eyes widen, her body couldn't move at all, her legs were paralyzed while her lungs were contracting excessively. Her heart beat began to speed up, adrenaline began to pulse through her veins which caused her to break the chains. The mist ninja's eyes widen, he did another hand sign, chains came out, constricting her body and she cringed in anger.

" now, for the final act" said the mist ninja, throwing kunais at her and sakura's eyes widen. Tsuande had taught her how to break ninjustu but, how? she had forgotten. The kunais were blocked though, sakura found herself back in the streets of konoha and sasuke eyeing her with his crimson eyes. The mist ninja was laying on the ground, a kunai was in his back however, sakura saw it was not the kunai that killed him. It was sasuke's katana. Sakura gulped a little, sasuke hadn't talked to her in years since he had come back to konoha so why would he save her? She turned to see the rock ninja running away, sasuke's gaze averted to the running ninja and he flipped in the air. He stabbed the rock ninja, no hint of remorse was on his face but, sakura began to run away. She felt someone grab her arm, sakura turned around and sasuke looked at her, emotionless.

" why are you running from someon who just saved you?" he asked, curiously

" I didn't need you help" said sakura" I could have handled it"

" you would have been dead" said sasuke

" what do you want from me?" asked sakura

" i saved you" said sasuke" now, you and I have a deal to make" you have to do as I say for three months"

" what!" shouted sakura" I will not!" who the hell do you think you are"

" the guy that just saved you!" shouted sasuke" either you do as i say or i will not hesitate to kill you"

" okay" said sakura" what do you want me to do?"

" first off you will start living with me" said sasuke

He grabbed sakura, throwing her on his shoulder but, no matter how much she wanted to object she didn't. She owed sasuke her life.

Dammit. Inner sakura said. How am I going to get out of this predicament.