Hey, guys. Welcome and thanks very much for giving the story a chance. I'm not new to fan fiction but I haven't been active in a few years. I recently came back to give it another shot purely because I felt like I needed to.

This story has been posted before (with a lot of errors) under a different name. I deleted the original and decided to fix up what I had.

I'm a bit tired, so can't think up what else to add. Anyway, let me know if you wanna see more. I have a few more chapters already finished and ready to publish when I'm sure I can continue.

The ringing of an infuriating alarm clock immediately assaulted Sasuke's ears. In his semi-consciousness, he questioned why he'd bought that infernal thing, to begin with. He would be wide-awake five minutes before it started its tune anyway.

Except, this time, it woke him first.

Groggily, he smashed his hand against the snooze, swiftly silencing the noise that rang through his apartment. If only they had been something else he could have used, a training technique, some pills? It wasn't as if it was possible to ward off sleep unless naturally.

He got out of bed, took a shower, put on his uniform, and commenced breakfast. It felt hollow, like every day was just an endless cycle filled with repetitive notions for the norm.

Sasuke snorted; he was beginning to sound like one of those conspiracy nut-jobs.

A knock on the door interrupted what had to be the most boring topic of all morning. Sasuke paused in making his breakfast. As he approached the door, he rolled eyes and grumbled under his breath. He steadied himself and opened.

"Goooddddmoorrrnniiinng, Sasuke!" was the immediate hyperactive greeting.

Sasuke stood there, nonplussed. "It would've been a better morning if you hadn't shown up... again, Naruto."

Naruto gave an impish grin. "Psshht, just admit it; without me around, this place would be as lonely as your ego."

"First of all, blondie, that doesn't make any sense. Secondly, the only reason you're here in the first place is because I've got food you want. I mean, come on, where the hell does all your food go anyway?"

The grin turned foxy at the obvious annoyance. "You know me, I like to eat."

"Ain't that the truth."

Naruto casually brushed passed the irritated raven head. He stalked to the fridge, opened it, and gushed. "Besides, you always have instant ramen waiting for me. How can I resist that?"

"I keep that there so you don't eat the rest of my stuff."

"Hmm," Naruto paused. "Like a Naruto Repellent, right?"

"Trust me, dobe, there isn't anything I can do to get rid of you. Believe me, I've tried," was the sarcastic reply.

"Well, obviously you're not trying hard enough." Naruto took out two cups of ramen and put them in a microwave. He whistled a tune as the clock counted off seconds for his sustenance. Upon noticing Sasuke indifferent stare, he decided to lighten up the mood. "So... nice weather, huh?"

Nice, real nice.

Sasuke's brow subtly twitched, but it ended in an instant. He sighed, "What am I going to do with you?"

"Considering we've been best friends since Police Academy, I'd say you got no choice but to just deal with me."

That was just it. Sasuke often wondered how it was actually possible that they became friends in the first place. They were complete opposites. He was the serious, cold-hearted, emo type, while Naruto was the hyperactive, outgoing, idiotic type. Putting all elements into the equation, it still didn't make any sense. And Sasuke understood the point. It was friendship; it wasn't supposed to make any sense.

"We were you yesterday, anyway? I'd usually get a heads-up if you were gonna go M.I.A. Hinata was worried sick," Sasuke put out. It wasn't as if they hid anything from each other. In their own, strange way, Naruto and Sasuke had a legitimately honest relationship.

"Head Chief put me on duty at the last second," Naruto groaned. He looked sad, if Sasuke was stupid. "I called Hinata and Sakura when I was done with the case. They understood."

Naruto loved to work more than anything, so it was obvious that Sasuke was calling bullshit. Then he realised something else.

"And me?" he blurted out. He did his best to look like he didn't care. He was known for being a jerk, and there was a reason to that. Unfortunately, the dobe could read him like an open book. Although it aggravated Sasuke constantly, he was at least glad he didn't have to lay out his intentions so openly.

It didn't mean he wouldn't slug Naruto if the blond got too chummy about it.

"Dude, I did call. Your phone was off. Shame, Sasuke-kun, you were worried about little old me~"

Sasuke scowled at the smug blond. "No way, bitch."

"Hey!" Naruto yelled. "No name calling! What did your mom ever teach ya?"

"To beat the shit out of dumb blonds."

"It's a good thing I'm not one of them, huh?"

"God, you're irritating."

"Only for you Sasuke-kun~"

"Seriously, I wanna hit you."

Ding!

"Yay, my ramen!"

And there he was, sitting on Sasuke table, using his china... again! He ate like a freaking caveman. Sasuke struggled to conceal his disgust... And then he realised exactly who was in front of him, and his disgust was easier to show.

"There is something called chopsticks, stupid."

"Shuddup and let me enjoy my food, bastard."

"With your hands?"

"Hey, you don't see me going around and questioning your eating habits."

"Because I don't have any?"

"... None that I've seen, yet."

"Just eat your crap," Sasuke dismissed, tending to his own food.

"Ramen isn't crap. It's God's gift to the world!"

"If that's the case, then your shit is also God's gift to the world."

Naruto choked, and then glared. "Dude, I'm eating!"

"I should care?"

"Fucking douche."

"I've heard worse."

Naruto grumbled under his breath. The apartment grew quiet, with Sasuke eating and Naruto nibbling on his noodles.

"Hey... how's that fanbase going?" Naruto uttered. It was a completely random question. But Naruto liked to talk. He never liked things quiet.

Sasuke grimaced at the query; his brows rose higher. "Are you kidding me? It's worse than before!"

"Huh, why's that?"

"I've got eighty million followers now."

"Already? Damn, those fangirls don't play around. Why haven't you put your profile off the site or something?"

"Because I don't know who put it there. What I do know is that whoever it is, is definitely some psychotic wacko."

"Yeah... they know where you live and everything. You should report it."

"Tried to track her myself... no dice."

"Wow, desperate much?" Upon receiving a glare, Naruto clarified, "I meant her."

"Oh... yeah, I guess she is, if it's a she."

"But I can't really blame them," Naruto said, almost as an afterthought.

"Are you serious? You're actually siding with them?"

"Dude, look at it from my point of view. You're Sasuke Uchiha, heir to the Uchiha Taskforce Agency and the ancient Uchiha inheritance, which is a lot of money... oh, so I've heard."

"You heard right because I told you. What does that have to do with anything?"

Naruto smiled secretively and then burst out laughing.

"Dobe, your life isn't looking promising right now."

"Sorry, sorry," Naruto said through chuckles, "but it's pretty easy to see their angle."

"What, just because I'll be this rich billionaire, they have the right to take shots at me?"

"Exactly, dude."

"Damn materialistic cunts."

"Whoa, whoa, don't get ahead of yourself. Not all of them are like that."

"Have yet to find anyone different."

"Except for Hinata and Sakura," Naruto chided.

"They're obviously exceptions because we know each other from our academy days."

"Yep, and Sakura ain't that bad for you either."

"Whatever," Sasuke retorted.

The Uchiha got to his feet, put the dishes in the sink, grabbed his bag, and made for the door.

"You're leaving already?" Naruto asked from his seat; although it wasn't easy to interpret with all the ramen he stuffed in one-go.

"Yep."

"Ayt, don't forget the festival tomorrow."

"I should be telling that to you, since you skipped movie night with the girls."

Naruto nodded in mock-shame, looking like he was fighting with the noodles hanging out of his mouth. If Sasuke wasn't emo, he would have found it hilarious. He looked at Naruto in all seriousness. "Lock up after you're done."

"Okay."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I mean it, dobe. I don't want another repeat of Latina Girl."

Naruto openly snickered. "Oh my God, that was so porn material. I wish I didn't walk in on you guys so early into your little... game."

"It wasn't a game!" Sasuke rebuked, not caring he did. "Damn bitch snuck into my home because of you and kept trying to rip my clothes off, you fucking moron!"

Naruto laughed again, adding "she had a nice ass, though" into the mix, forcing Sasuke to slam the door on his way out.

Just another day.

Sasuke arrived in his corner office in record time. The Uchiha Taskforce was situated just above the community police directorate, and just below the ANBU Black Ops Division.

His little Captain's cubicle was just half the size of the one opposite it, owned by the Chief of the Taskforce himself, Fugaku Uchiha - his father - who was currently on a business trip.

Their relationship wasn't what could be called that between a father and his son. It was more a chief to his lesser subordinate. It was something Sasuke was used to.

He got to work, typing accordingly on his computer. He needed to keep track of all the crime scenes that required Taskforce assistance. Additionally, he was on top of dispatch and team placement. Even so, he would rather go into the field himself, but as Captain, he had to sit on the sidelines.

"Morning, Sasuke-kun, can I come in?" a voice on the other side said.

Sasuke briefly paused typing. "Sure, Sakura, it's open."

The door open and in walked Sakura. Sasuke was amazed how the girl's Task Force uniform did a good job in making them look nothing less than freaking hookers. The outfit consisted of a tight top, a small bulletproof vest, fingerless gloves, tight pants, and leather boots.

Okay, maybe he was over-exaggerating on the hooker part. But it was as if the designers wanted to accentuate every part of their assets, from breasts to ass. Or maybe he was just looking into it too much? It wasn't as if anyone complained.

'Like they'd want to,' he thought.

"I brought you lunch for later. I know how you hate cafeteria food." Sakura said, offering a small bento box from a hand.

Sasuke smirked at her. "Hn, I never said you should make me anything, Sakura."

Sakura's face soured, and she huffed, "Just act like you appreciate it!"

"That wouldn't be me, now, would it?"

As she gazed into his eyes, Sakura blushed. "Yeah... I guess..."

"So is there anything else?"

"... Sasuke-kun... How about we go out this weekend, just you and me?"

Sasuke looked at Sakura. She shied away from his gaze. He wasn't a fool. He knew she liked him, but that was, in itself, the problem. Everyone liked him that way. With that, came the forbidding aspect of labelling any girl he knew as materialistical. They never liked him for who he was; only what he had. It would never be about getting to know him then falling in love in the long run.

Hell, Sakura was worse in the academy. She acted like a glorified fangirl. Although she'd changed over the years, he could still see the yearning in her eyes. She wanted him to love her, just like most girls. He should treat her like any other one of those bitches, like garbage...

But for the life of him, he just couldn't... not to her. Even if she had been a fangirl, Sakura was different now. She wasn't as obsessive towards him like the rest. She treated him with respect and gave him space, unlike some people. But in the end, a fangirl was a fangirl. It was just... hard when it was Sakura.

"If Naruto agrees with Hinata, sure. You know I don't like that whole couple outing. It's awkward."

Sakura tried her best to hide her disappointment but failed miserably. "Oh, okay, I understand."

She obviously didn't, but struggled to voice her troubles. Sasuke was like stone, unmoving and indifferent. Did it hurt just to let her in, just to open his heart up to her for once? The only time, only time, that she would see that frosty visage crack was when they had sex. Yes, they were basically fuck-buddies, or whatever Sasuke mentioned. It was never serious. It was always just sex.

It started off in the unlikeliest of ways too. They were all celebrating his promotion to captain, got drunk, and did the deed. Just like that, everything changed. They fucked more frequently. It was never romantic to her, only fulfilling lust that seemed to be dwindling away at every encounter. She would always convince herself to say no the next time. But when the time did come, she never resisted his urges or her own, and used her frustrations to make the sex more passionate. It was a drug. Once you got a fix, it was almost impossible to stop.

If Sakura had to be honest with herself, she hated it more and more every time. It was so empty, and she was desperate to hear those three powerful words that every girl craved from the man of their dreams: I love you. But they never came, because to Sasuke, she was nothing more than a friend. She should be happy that she was the only person he was ever intimate with. But... it was just sad, to have her cake and not eat it too. It felt like the universe was mocking her, telling her that sex was as close to Sasuke as she would ever get, and that hurt more than anything.

It wasn't as if Sasuke hated her. If he did, then he would have left her a long time ago and changed to one of those many bimbos who were lined up to have his babies. No matter what, he never left her for someone else. He refused to be with someone else. So why? Why couldn't he just let her be with him in both body and soul? She would do anything for him, if he'd ever asked it of her. Why couldn't they just break the barrier, and finally live happily? Having sex wasn't enough anymore, it needed to be filled with purpose, with motivation.

Sakura struggled to see her motivation.

"Thanks for the lunch. What did you make for me today?" Sasuke asked, already looking through the contents of his bento box.

Knocked out of her stupor, Sakura shook her head. "Oh, right, I made hake, chips, with an added homemade sauce."

"That's all homemade?"

"Yeah, why would I buy it if I can cook it?"

"Because that saves time. Are you sure it's a good idea for me to be eating it?"

"Don't worry, it's healthy, I made sure."

"Oh, then thank you."

"... Sasuke-kun... I-I-"

Ring! Ring!

"Hold that thought, Sakura." Sasuke answered the phone, "Captain Uchiha Sasuke of the Taskforce speaking."

"..."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed; the only sound coming from the phone was static.

"Hello?"

"..."

"... Is anyone there?"

"..."

"Hello~"

"... Sasuke Uchiha, remain calm and act natural."

Sasuke's body impulsively tensed at the voice, it was deep and muzzled. He was apprehensive, but his outer posture remained unchanging. "Who is this?"

"Let's just say I'm a friend for now."

Sasuke looked at his only window, noticing nothing off in the busy city.

"The city of Konoha's beautiful, isn't it? I admire the view myself," the voice said.

Sasuke's eyes widened. He carefully looked outside the window. Whoever he was talking to knew exactly what he was doing.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura whispered, confused with his behaviour.

Sasuke shushed her and focused on the call.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Relax, Sasuke, I only want you to answer a few questions. After that, I won't bother you again."

"... I'm listening," Sasuke said. He pointed three fingers at Sakura and then changed them into a gun signal.

Sakura's eyes bulged. She stood straight and hastily scrambled out of the office.

"Shino," she hissed.

Said man was working on his computer. He turned to Sakura, eyes hidden behind circular lenses.

"Code: stack; quick!" Sakura whispered.

The entire floor went silent. Shino quickly took out a small device and switched it on.

"Which phone?" he rasped in question.

"Captain's," Sakura whispered back.

Shino typed in a few characters on the device. It blinked to life and started humming. He regarded the device for a few seconds, then put a hand up, all five fingers open.

"Dammit," Sakura cursed, "that's not enough time."

Back in the office, Sasuke waited patiently for the caller to continue. He was worried that the guy on the other line figured out what he told his subordinate to do, but hoped there was a chance that he hadn't been plunged.

And finally, the caller pressed on.

"... Do you know anything about the word 'Madara'?"

Sasuke froze, that name was the last thing he expected. He licked his dry lips and replied: "Considering the fact that you asked me, I'm guessing you already have some info on the name."

"Your guess is correct."

"I see... Well, Madara is the name of the Uchiha ancestor that lived a long time ago, some say even before Konoha existed."

"That is right. Moving on, what are the legends surrounding Madara and the era he lived in?"

"You sound like you know the answer to that question."

"I do, but I need to hear you say it."

"... Fine, the era Madara lived through operated on a ninja kind of lifestyle-"

"Except, instead of the ordinary ninja you play within games and watch in anime, these ninjas had a specific trait that separated them from normal humans," the voice interrupted.

"Maybe I should let you finish your own questions," Sasuke mused aloud.

"Then what fun would that be? Let's continue, what was this ability that was used?"

"I've neglected to remember. It had something to do with the life force in someone's body," Sasuke said, bored. He wasn't even worried about leaking out unnecessary intel. So far, all the questions that the mysterious voice asked were general knowledge to the public.

"Think harder," the voice said.

"I don't know... cha... chakra?"

"Exactly... chakra."

The line went dead.

Sasuke looked at the receiver in bewilderment. That had to be the weirdest thing that ever happened to him. If it was Naruto pulling another one of his pranks again, Sasuke was going to flip (on the inside, of course).

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called, rushing into the office in worry.

"Did you track the call?"

"That's just it, the call was untraceable."

"Dammit..."

"Who was it?"

"Someone that knows me and my family history."

"Oh... one of those girls?" Sakura questioned, failing to hide her venom at the thought of any hussy.

"No, it wasn't them," Sasuke said. "But that doesn't reassure me."

"Maybe it was Naruto again. Damn idiot thinks just because he's a Black Ops he can keep pranking us."

"Could be, but I doubt it."

"Yeah... Anyway, Sasuke-kun-"

"Uchiha Sasuke!" A detective barged in the floor, desperately looking for the mentioned name.

Sasuke came out of his office. "What can I help you with, Detective?"

"You're needed on the top floor!"

"Why me?"

"It's an emergency! Gather a squad and meet the Head Chief pronto!"

Sasuke nodded, it was a job.

He had chosen Shino, Sai, Kiba, Ayame and Hana (including himself). They were swiftly on the top floor, and Sasuke was greeted with his flatmate.

"Yo, Sasuke," Naruto waved, dressed in his specialist grey and black ANBU uniform.

"Dobe, did you prank call again?" Sasuke questioned, irritation visible.

"What?" Naruto dumbly replied.

"Never mind, why did the Head Chief call us here?" Sasuke asked.

"Beats me," Naruto shrugged, "but good luck, bastard. I heard it's serious."

"Thanks," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes and walking passed his best friend.

His squad entered the Head Chief's office. They were immediately brought on alert.

"Finally, what took you so long?!"

"We're sorry, Jiraiya-sama. I had a difficult time picking the squad."

Jiraiya's brow twitched. He ran a hand through his spiky white hair and sighed. His maroon suit looked worn out, like he'd been using it too much. "Seriously, kid, the least you could have done is make it an all-female squad."

"Sorry... I guess," Sasuke deadpanned. Stupid old pervert.

"Anyway, I've got reports of a man running around on the streets with a bazooka."

"Are you joking?" Kiba sputtered, struggling not to laugh, "You don't hear that every day."

"It ain't funny, kid. I've got seriously injured people on my hands. Luckily, there aren't any reported deaths."

"We'll get right on it," Sasuke said.

Jiraiya nodded, "I'll give you the details of the location. If you can't handle it, pull out and let the Black Ops take over."

"You make us sound like we're inferior to the Black Ops!" Ayame yelled, offended.

Jiraiya ran a finger in his ear. "You know, I'd so love it better if you'd scream my name."

Ayame turned red from embarrassment, giving Jiraiya a chance to continue.

"In rank, yes, you are below ANBU by one, but that makes all the difference. It doesn't mean you're inferior. ANBU handles covert operations. You handle the big stuff like terrorism."

"Is this terrorism?" Sasuke asked.

"It could very well be. I need you guys on that now!" Jiraiya commanded.

"Yes, sir!"

The van they travelled in always had plenty of space, provided Sasuke never liked choosing ten or more people to cramp up the place.

It would be routine. They would get there, take the bad guy down, and be done with it. Sasuke never doubted his teammates. If he did, there wasn't a point for teamwork at all. Every individual was important.

Guns at the ready, they engaged in small talk.

"I've been doing these missions so many times that it's starting to get boring. Thank God a guy with a rocket launcher had to come and spice things up!" Ayme quipped.

Everyone sweat-dropped.

"Kiba, you've got dust on your face again. Honestly, you're hopeless," Hana rebuked, taking out a cloth, spitting on it and wiping Kiba's face with it.

"Arg, stop it, sis, that's embarrassing!" Kiba whined. Everyone but Hana, who scowled, and Sasuke, who really didn't care, laughed.

"Jeez, if you weren't siblings, then I'd think Kiba had a milf fetish or something," Sai put in; it caused everyone to realise the guy was there in the first place.

"Whoa, dude, you're actually here?" Kiba asked, surprised.

"I've always been here. You guys are just idiots to not notice," Sai grumbled

"Okay, remember the plan?" Sasuke questioned, steadying his AK-47.

"Yep, get the bad guy and prepare for the festival tomorrow!" Ayame cheered.

Sasuke allowed a small smile. The festival... Maybe he could take Sak-

Boom!

Sasuke's world turned white in an instant. There was a blaring noise that covered his ears. When he opened his eyes and was able to focus, he realised that the van was toppled over.

It was on fire.

He struggled to get to his feet. He could feel his body burning from different places - it seemed to get worse when he moved.

"K-Kiba?" a voice rasped.

Sasuke looked to the voice. He wished he hadn't.

Shino and Sai were unconscious. Ayame was struggling to catch her breath. Hana was on her stomach, cradling her brother's limp head. And Kiba... oh God, a metal shard was piercing right through his stomach. He didn't move, just like the driver.

They were both dead.

Sasuke struggled to process what his eyes were seeing. No, not a teammate; not like this.

Suddenly, his mind caught up to him.

"Quickly, get out of the van!" He commanded.

Ayame moved sluggishly, dragging Shino and Sai with her.

"Kiba, answer me!" Hana screamed. Her visage was horror stricken. She was still in shock, and refused to move.

"Hana!" Sasuke called as soon as he made it out. "Get out of there. That's an order!"

"Kiba, Kiba, Kiba, Kiba," Hana murmured. She never took her eyes off her dead brother.

There was wheezing sound, and Sasuke immediately knew what it meant.

"Everybody down!"

They ducked, but not fast enough to avoid the shockwave, which hurled them a few feet away from the destroyed Taskforce van.

"Hana!" Ayame sobbed, watching in horror as her friend was engulfed in flames.

"Ayame, get to that corner now! Take Sai with you, I've got Shino!" Sasuke shouted.

The both scrambled for cover, hiding in an alley the provided little room for anyone to discover them. It was dark and provided plenty of camouflage. That is, if they knew where their enemy was.

Ayame continued to cry. The shock of losing a friend had left her immobile. She held onto her unconscious teammates like a lifeline.

Sasuke paused to catch his breath. Once certain, he took a peak from the alley, trying to pinpoint the enemy's location, and sure enough, there he was.

"Where is he?!" the man screamed, waving the Sentinal back-and-forth. "They told me he would be here! Where are you, Naruto?!"

Sasuke's eyes widened when he finally recognised who the bazooka maniac was.

"Mizuki," he whispered.

"Mizuki?" Ayme sniffed. "You mean the crazy school teacher?"

"Yeah, how the hell did he get out of prison?"

"I don't know," Ayame replied, her voice growing colder with each syllable, "but I'm gonna kill him."

"No, you're still in shock. You need to get everyone to safety. I'll lead him away from here."

"But, Capta-"

Sasuke already left. He charged at Mizuki, using the element of surprise to his advantage.

Mizuki noticed him, but it was too late. If he fired that rocket now, they would both die, and Sasuke knew the spineless scum valued his own life over others.

Mizuki must have also seen the decrease in distance. He started running away, thinking foolishly that he could beat a Taskforce agent in speed.

Sasuke continued to trail him. But when the shock of losing his teammates finally sunk in, and his rage got the best of him, he raised a pistol he kept on his vest. "Freeze, or I'll fucking shoot your brains out!"

Mizuki slowed to a stop. He still had his back to Sasuke, and the prisoner's body trembled.

"You're not him. Where is Naruto?" He whispered.

The freak had a grudge, since it was Naruto who singlehandedly took him down for child abuse and attempted rape. But even so, Sasuke would have never thought that Mizuki was so sick and twisted to just kill on a whim. The Uchiha calmed himself; he was so close to blasting the man's brains out.

"Mizuki, you are under arrest!" Sasuke bit out. "Come quietly and maybe I won't kill you!"

"It's not fair," the deranged former teacher groaned, "they said he'd be here, so why?"

"Hands on your head!" Sasuke commanded.

Mizuki didn't move, aside from the shaking.

"I said, hands on your head!" Sasuke yelled.

Mizuki mechanically turned his body until he was facing the Uchiha. His face looked out of place, lost. "I'm not going back. Do you hear me, I'm not!"

He raised the bazooka, aiming straight at Sasuke. In a closed area like this, they were both going to die.

But Sasuke suspected Mizuki didn't care.

Pulling the trigger wouldn't help. Mizuki could still kill him on reflex. It seemed he was cornered.

Then, the ground shook.

Sasuke staggered, barely catching a pole to hold him upright. It was one thing after another. This day was so fucking messed up, and it started off on a good note too.

The tremor stopped. Sasuke raised his pistol again, noticing that Mizuki landed on his butt. They were lucky the idiot didn't shoot in the slip.

Mizuki aimed his own weapon, and Sasuke knew that was it. There was no other place to run. He was going to die.

Rustling from the side alerted both men. Sasuke was shocked to the core to see a girl wearing a tattered, orange top and black jeans, limping towards their confrontation. He noticed how dark her red hair was, and how it reminded him of blood. She had bruises on her tanned skin and her blue eyes looked delirious. And what was up with those whisker marks?

"Hey," he ordered, "stay back! Get out of here!

Whether she understood or not was up for debate. She didn't stop, well, not until she was between him and Mizuki.

The prisoner was still in his surprised stupor. It quickly gave way to rage. "I don't care anymore! If I'm going to die, you're going to die with me!"

He pulled the trigger.

"Shit!" Sasuke cursed, running and tackling the girl to the ground. He used his body as a shield, knowing it was the last brave and stupid thing he would ever do.

There was an explosion. Sasuke felt a searing burning sensation on his back. He truly thought that it was the end. But, after the burning feeling, nothing else happened.

He blinked and looked at the girl he was covering. Her hand was outstretched behind him, and her eyes were red.

Wait, what?

He was sure they were blue. They were! Maybe it was because of the bright light behind him?

He looked over his shoulder and was shocked speechless with what he saw.

The girl's hand was holding a small ball of fire, and it continued to decrease. Sasuke stood like a stone, expression lost. In the next instant, the girl fired the ball at Mizuki, barely missing his head from impact.

Mizuki yelped, feeling the heat above his head. He rose to his feet and dashed from the scene.

It allowed Sasuke to sigh in relief. He felt completely spent. He didn't have the energy to chase down the maniac. Hopefully, ANBU had it covered. He looked at the girl bellow him.

She was unconscious.

He moved away from her and sat by her side. He was tired, and his body hurt like hell.

"Captain!" Ayame called, rushing to his aid.

"I told you not to come," Sasuke grit out.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you die too! I called the hospital. An ambulance should be here soon. ANBU should also be on the scene."

"I see," Sasuke groaned, "it can't be helped."

"Yeah," Ayame choked out, struggling to hide her tears.

Sasuke mentally rolled his eyes. There was no point in hiding her grief. She needed to let it out. "It's okay, Ayame, you can cry."

"W-What?"

"... We lost good people tonight... It's okay."

And she did, using his shoulder to sob her heart out. Sasuke was, in his own way, affected by the ordeal. He knew all his teammates. Losing any of them was a huge blow to stomach.

After Ayame caught a semblance of her dignity, she noticed the unconscious girl right beside her.

"Who's the blonde?" she sniffled.

Sasuke stared at Ayame with a frown. He followed her gaze and reeled in shock.

No... no, no, no, she had red hair, red hair. He wasn't going crazy. He saw it for himself. She couldn't just change it in a second... She shouldn't control fire either, but that was clearly out of the bag now.

"The whiskers... they're gone?" He murmured.

"What?" Ayame asked, frowning in confusion.

"... It's nothing; let's regroup so it'll be easier to get to the hospital."

"Okay, but... um... can I-I hold you? I don't think I can be left to myself for a while."

"Sure."

Ayame and the rest of the team were dropped in the hospital. Sasuke only stayed there to get treated for first degree burns and wounds, promptly leaving after. He was to remain in bed at the hospital, but he couldn't stay, he just couldn't. No matter how many times he tried to justify it, he couldn't bare the look of sadness on his team's face when Ayame told them the horrible news. It was cowardly of him, but... he felt really low.

So he was at home, looking into his bathroom mirror. With all the bandages covering vital areas, he looked close to a mummy. He couldn't even find any dark humour in that.

He yawned, feeling sleepy. But the events were still fresh in his mind. He couldn't get them out. Hana and Kiba didn't deserve something like that.

He guessed it was his own way of grieving.

A knock on the door made him tense. It was late into the evening - half passed ten to be exact. He really didn't know who would visit at this time.

Naruto... no, damn moron was on a mission. How about Sakura? It was unlikely, she was busy as well, but she did phone him to voice out her concerns. So then, who?

He took out a gun hidden in a drawer. He carefully approached the front door, muscles tense with accumulated adrenaline.

"Who's there?!"

There was no other response for some time...

Then, another series of knocks.

Sasuke grimaced, it looked like death was following him now.

"You better answer me!" He shouted.

"Pshht, just open the damn door, bastard!" a feminine voice screeched.

Sasuke paused. How could he not have guessed it? Fucking fangirls. They were just made on Earth to ruin everything - a freaking plague.

"Get out of here, bitches!"

"Paranoid much? Look through the peephole!"

Sasuke blinked, then did just that. He peeked through the whole and gasped.

He opened the door quickly, making sure to keep his gun trained on the intruder.

"You?!" he sputtered.

It was the blonde girl, who he risked his life for. What in the hell was going on?

"Took you long enough," the blonde complained.

"I left you in the hospital!"

True to his words, the girl was still wearing her hospital gown. But she seemed to pay little attention to it as she gave him a disapproving frown.

"Yeah, thanks a bunch," she spat. "Did I mention I hate hospitals?"

She walked into his apartment and immediately went to his fridge.

"Damn, I'm hungry," she moaned. Once the fridge was opened, her eyes lit up. She gushed, "Yay, just like I remembered."

Sasuke just stood there, watching as the blonde took out two cups of instant Ramen. It seemed eerily similar to Naruto's antics... Naruto... Naruto...

What the fuck?

"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded, pointing his pistol at the girl again.

The girl only gave him a glance and huffed. She put the cups into the microwave and waited for the timer to run out.

"Answer my question!"

She gave him a challenging glare. "Make me."

"I'll shoot."

"I don't believe you."

"Last warning."

"Last warning~"

Bang!

"Wah, you bastard, you nearly shot me!"

"I warned you. This time, I missed. Next time, I won't. Who are you?"

"Fuck you!"

Sasuke grit his teeth. She was pissing him off!

Bang!

"Fuck, stop that!"

"Answer me."

"Shove it up your Uchiha ass!"

He approached and grabbed her, intending to force her to cooperate. But he was thoroughly surprised when she not only slipped effortlessly from a trained hold but followed it up by slugging him clean in the face.

He staggered back, holding his bleeding nose.

The girl brushed the invisible dirt off her shoulders. She fixed a glare to the wounded Uchiha. "Didn't your mom ever tell ya it's rude to grab a lady?"

Yo momma? Something else Naruto would say, which confused Sasuke even further.

"Naruto?" He literally just put it out there, not believing in the least that it was true.

"... Who the hell is Naruto?" the girl asked, incredulous.

"Never mind," Sasuke murmured.

Ding!

The blonde beamed, a complete one-eighty from her initial, vicious attitude seconds ago, and happily took the ramen out of the microwave.

"Thanks for the ramen!" She chirped, making to leave, but was blocked by the hulking Uchiha.

"Let me get this straight, you come into my house, steal my food, assault a decorated officer, and now, you're just gonna leave?"

"Pretty much, why?"

"... You are crazy."

The blonde frowned. "I came here cause I was hungry. Now move out of the way before we have a problem."

"First of all, that's my food. Secondly, you're trespassing. I've got every, single right to take you in."

Blondie shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, I tried to be nice."

The next second, Sasuke was sprawled on the floor. He didn't know how she did it, and he felt his eyelids getting heavy - either from fatigue or from his head hitting the ground harshly.

"Jeez, I think I took it a little too far with that. Sorry, Sasuke."

She knew his name and sounded genuinely regretful, but Sasuke found it difficult to tell as unconsciousness continued to claim him.

"Oh, since you gave me ramen... I might as well give you what you want too. My name is..."

He would never forget the name, because he knew that he would probably never come in contact with a person that shared it. Plus, it was completely and utterly ridiculous.

"… Naruko."

With that, sleep claimed him.

He woke up to the buzzing of his alarm clock. Seriously, why did he have that thing? He shut it off, got out of bed and took a shower. It was only after the shower when he realised something.

How did he get into bed? He analysed his broken nose in the mirror. It wasn't broken at all, not even a bruise. In fact, his whole body felt absolutely fine - and mysteriously free of bandages. He shrugged, who knew he was such a badass?

He got out of the shower and went to make breakfast. He thought about yesterday's events. There was no doubt in his mind that work was going to be depressing. The funerals, even worse.

If only they had been better prepared for something like that, then maybe a lot more lives could have been spared. Poor Ayame, she took it hard last night. Hana meant a lot to her. It was because of that woman Ayame even joined the Taskforce, to begin with. Even if he was cold, Sasuke wasn't heartless. He felt sorry for the brunette.

Knocking on the door alerted him to company. He went to it and peered through the peephole. It was Naruto.

Sasuke opened the door, expecting a gloomy greeting but was surprised again.

"Goooddddmoorrrnniiinng, Sasuke!" Naruto greeted joyously.

Sasuke actually gaped. Surely the news that Hana and Kiba died reached his ears by now, right?

"What's with that face?" Naruto asked curiously.

Sasuke shook his head. "Didn't you hear, Naruto?"

"Hear what?"

"Hana and Kiba were killed by Mizuki last night."

The blond blinked at him for what seemed like ages. After about a minute, Naruto grinned and laughed. "Wow, that was a good one! You almost had me. Oh, I get it, this is another one of you attempts to get rid of me!"

Sasuke stammered, completely thrown off by Naruto's denial. "This is serious, dobe! They died yesterday. I watched them die!"

Naruto hummed in response while going through the fridge. He took out two cups of instant ramen. "Nice try, bastard, but Kiba called me this morning. He told me not to forget about the festival tomorrow."

Okay, now Sasuke was completely lost. He stood still, not sure if what he heard was the truth.

"So... nice weather, huh?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto. The blonde was waiting patiently beside the microwave. He whistled that same, stupid tune.

"This is impossible," Sasuke muttered.

It was impossible. How could Kiba have called Naruto...?

Wait, festival tomorrow?

"Naruto, the festival is today."

"Today's Tuesday, Sasuke. The festival is on Wednesday - tomorrow," Naruto said, frowning in worry.

Sasuke felt like he was being punked. Tuesday was yesterday! He knows that!

"This isn't funny, dobe," he finally growled.

"Woah, relax, dude, I'm serious. Today's Tuesday, see for yourself."

Sasuke turned on his TV. He went to the news and saw the date and time. It was Tuesday, seven in the morning.

"What the fuck?"

"Dude, what gives? Are you not getting enough sleep or something?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head.

Sasuke was still shocked. Every channel he turned that had dates on them said the same thing. He even took out his own phone; the one he was sure no one messed with and still saw exactly the same thing: Tuesday, five past seven in the morning.

Something was wrong. Did he dream everything up? But how could he? It looked so real! Maybe that was it; it was just one of those realistic dreams. But he couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling.

"Hey, Sasuke, I had a case going on and I couldn't come to movie night. I called Hinata and Sakura when I was done. They understood."

Sasuke wondered, in that moment, if he was still dreaming.

Everything didn't add up. Then a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, dobe, do you have a sister?"

"Who, me? I was an orphan remember?"

"Oh..."

"Seriously, what's up with you today?"

His journey to work flowed by him, he was still in the process of taking in everything from the night prior. Everyone acted the same way like yesterday. He was even forced to do a double-take when he saw both Hana and Kiba at their respective workstations, talking like nothing happened last night.

He had cornered them individually, and asked if they remembered Mizuki and the blowing van, to which Hana questioned if he was getting enough sleep or overworking himself.

Kiba was an embarrassing situation. So set in proving his point, Sasuke tore off the poor sap's shirt, and stared in horror as no cut or wound greeted his gaze.

He couldn't be going crazy. There had to be a rational explanation to everything happening in accordance with his… dream.

When Sakura brought him lunch, he dreaded to know what she made. But he had to ask; he had to find some clue out of anything.

"Oh, right, I made hake, chips and sauce," she said.

Sasuke zoned out after that. He was in a panic. Why... why was it happening again? It didn't make any sense. No one else remembered, but him? It was a dream, right?

When he heard the phone ringing, he knew it would be his answer.

He picked it up, quieting a worried Sakura, and answered, "Hello?"

"..."

No, it couldn't be.

"Is there anyone there?"

"..."

"... Hello?"

"…"

"Hello?!"

"... Sasuke Uchiha, remain calm and act natural."

That was when Sasuke knew that this was anything but a fucking dream.