CHAPTER 1
As Sakura stood crying in the dark, she meant every word; "I beg you! Please stay here! I will even help you with your revenge! If that is not possible, please take me with you..." He laughed, a pity filled, disgusted laugh. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Would you really forsake your precious village? Could you stand seeing yourself in the pages of a bingo book? Would you kill your Sensei to achieve your mission? You're still annoying." She became enraged at his nonchalance to her sacrifice. "I'll prove I can." It came out with malice and something flashed over his face. Like lightening he was behind her. She stood, afraid to move while every hair on her body stood electrified at his proximity. Silence. "Sakura…Thank you. Keep up."
It felt like a brick dropped onto her guts, she was lost. Waves of, regret over her words, indecision in her choice, and finally acceptance as she looked over her shoulder at the village that in an instant was no longer her home. She wished she could say goodbye but the realization that Sasuke would leave her behind pushed her forward as she heeded his warning. She knew better than to ask any more of him, this backhanded invitation filled her with hope and it was good enough for now. However this may turn out, Sakura had now devoted herself to him and would stick by her promises.
The sound 4 bowed to their new commander as they apologized for the fight earlier. Sakura had little interest in their conversation; instead she gazed down on the Village Hidden in Leaves while a piece of her heart broke away. It was bittersweet to have this place be her last look at Konoha. With the sun rising in an hour, the empty streets would soon fill with the ebb and flow of her old life. But not today, it all changed now. It was the most beautiful and awful sight and Sakura would remember this moment forever. Her Will of Fire wouldn't be put out however; she decided that it would smolder within her barely an ember. She would get Sasuke his revenge, and they would go back home to Konoha.
After barely hearing their conversation, it was clear the 4 were unhappy with their new company. But Sasuke's words were law and it wasn't up for discussion. He spoke with melancholy, "We meet in the sound in 2 days, Kill anything that gets in the way." The 4 responded immediately with blood-lust in their eyes. Sasuke turned to Sakura making it obvious he viewed her as the weak link. "Am I clear?" He stated this with a hardened expression but there was no irritation in his voice. She narrowed her eyes at the 4 smirking at her, and turned to her new commander… "Crystal." He turned lazily, "Then let's move."
Every millimeter of Sakura's body ached. They had been jumping from limb to limb for over a day, only stopping for moments to refill their canteens or stuff a handful of berries or raw fish in their mouths. She had been falling behind slowly over the past few hours and it was apparent her body was about to shut down. She had completely drained her chakra after the most recent look over Sasuke's shoulder told her what he was thinking, "I knew she couldn't do it." So she pushed harder to prove him wrong but the latest attempt was failing miserably. As she was about to push off and finally close the distance between them she felt it. Sakura's knee was frozen, her legs solid as stone, and with gravity quickly at work the only sound she made was the rush of air blasting out of her lungs as her body slammed into the ground. Immediately they surrounded her. She heard the 4 comment, "Pitiful. So weak. Pathetic. I told you she couldn't make it." Sasuke's voice went unheard and she knew she would wake up alone. Too weak to follow his simplest order, she really was pathetic.
Sakura realized, as the darkness closed in around her field of vision, she wasn't crying. Whether it was the exhaustion or just out of spite, it didn't matter. She had already gotten stronger and it almost gave her enough energy to chuckle.