Yes, I know it is a new story, and I haven't been able to finish my other two, but I think that if I split all my efforts into their respective stories and actually begin them, I can then sort out the stories and get more done when the mood strikes.

I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT AND MY OWN CHARACTERS, I DO NOT INTEND TO STEAL MISASHI KISHIMOTO'S WORKS.

*Minor swearing and suggestive content, do not read if you are sensitive to such content*

Chapter One - Secrets of the night

The night was still, the tents secluded from the road, their contents resting peacefully. The three boys snored softly, their minds preparing them for battle. Their enemy they knew well, though they had not chanced upon each other for several years. The two women, however, did not sleep as fitfully. The dark indigo haired maiden slept lightly, her thoughts daring to become nightmares of her lover's demise. The other pink haired woman's mind went through similar situations. Alas, her love was the very one they sought to kill.

Sakura Haruno, a renowned medic in her town of Konohagakure, still could not forget her traitorous teammate. She knew that every time they met, he used her heart against her. She tried to ignore him, but every picture, every encounter rekindled that feeling no matter how much the flames were doused. But this time - it would be final.

She glanced over at her sleeping teammate. Hinata had become one of her closest friends when her clan had her train under her. Sakura had always known the crush she had on her own teammate, Naruto. In fact, it was Sakura who had pushed them together. Whenever he'd get hurt, she'd have Hinata tend to him, and if they ever needed a "dummy" for practice, she'd always get him to do it. It didn't take long for Naruto to ask her out. In fact, most of her friends had begun to pair up, and start families. The few men that were single seemed to be that way for a reason. She was one of the few dwindling left, and dating hadn't done much good; she just couldn't get him out of her mind.

Deciding not to dwell on those thoughts, she crept out of her tent and to a little stream three hundred yards away, out of sight and hearing of he tents. She picked up a stick, and began absentmindedly stirring up the water.

"Sasuke," she murmured. "Why do you toy with me, like you always do? I just want to forget you. Don't you see how hard it is to be a faithful ninja with our enemy flirting with me on the battle-field? Oh, of course, you wouldn't care would you? It's all just a game to you."

A dark man sat in the tree above the pink haired woman. His chest exposed, and cool composure set a seductive danger most adored of him. But he wasn't interested in them. In fact he had not like the woman below him - at least not when they were kids. He'd soon became attached to her, and her blonde teammate who once was his best friend. They had taken the pain his brother caused away, removed the thoughts of revenge, until that bastard Orochimaru reigned over him.

But looking down at this girl suffering at his hands, he felt pity. He caused sorrow, just as his brother did to him. But she was an enemy, and tonight was the night he'd cripple her. He knew she loved him. He knew she couldn't resist his advances for the next three nights. She'd fall into his grasp, and their intimate connection would prevent her from completing her mission. Her heart would be too weak to kill her "lover."

But he knew he only had a certain amount of time to consummate his motive, finally buy his comrades time to attack Konoha and begin the war. The Hyuuga in the other tent could find them easily, and he'd come to learn personally that she meant bad news for him. As the woman below leaned back to stare at the stars, Sasuke Uchiha dropped silently to begin his own mission.

"Was it- was it so hard to just wait?"

Sakura gazed at Orion above in the sky, her breath forming in front of her. Of course, she didn't expect an answer. She got one anyway.

"I was waiting for you."

"Sa-Sasuke?" whirling around, she seen the very last person she desired eavesdropping behind her, his shirt open looser than usual.

"I should have let you come with me, that day I left all those years ago. I hoped every day that you'd join me, that you'd help me find revenge. That's all I wanted," his voice sounded so sincere, but she tried not to listen. He was always a liar. "I always dreamed you'd see how much of a monster the Counsel had become, how twisted they really were. They are the ones who ordered my death, they were the ones who tried to have Naruto killed when we were infants. They rule over Konoha with an iron fist, and use the citizens as political pawns. Think of how Danzo tried to destroy you," Sasuke shifted his arms around her, his hips pressing against hers.

"Danzo is dead," she whispered, merely glancing away.

"Yes, but tyrants like him still reign on the Counsel. Things aren't the way they should be. This isn't what the first Hokage, nor my ancestors dreamed would become of Konoha. Things must change, so that peace and equality are once again in Konoha. I know now that it's impossible to defeat a place with such a blazing inferno of devotion in their hearts. That's what my crew and I have been trying to accomplish.

"Once we have that, then Naruto will be Hokage. My vengeance will be final, and I can settle down. I can move back in to the Uchiha Estate, marry a woman I fell in love with, and raise my children in the name of honor and peace," he paused to kiss her neck with his hot lips. "I want that woman to be you, Sakura."

Knowing she shouldn't buy into it, she tried to pull away. But Sasuke gripped her harder, and moved a little lower.

"I can't! You're lying! I - I - I can't believe you, not when you've lied before to me!" Sakura's murmurs soon died once his lips met her collar bone.

Hinata woke when the chill of morning finally reached her through her sleeping bag. The dampness in the air announced that the dew was still fresh, and the scent of pine rather than oak once again reminded her of how far from home she was. The golden sunlight of early fall cascaded through the tent's thin fabric, revealing the empty bag beside her.

Assuming her tent-mate was already awake, Hinata quickly dressed and packed, her weapons back in place for the day's trek. Once they ate breakfast, the group would head off. Hinata understood how hard it was for all of her teammates, as most of them had interacted with Sasuke Uchiha in their childhood, and the thought of ending him rekindled their hope that he may see humanity and seek forgiveness. Though each and every one of them knew it couldn't happen - at least she hoped they all did.

When Hinata stepped out of her tent, the silence informed her of the lack of human presence. The three boys in the other tent to her right still slept, their aura alerting those around to remain quiet. However, the absence of their fifth member heightened Hinata's adrenaline a fraction, her body alert to any notion of her location. But when no response arrived, the Hyuuga heiress followed the tracks towards the stream.

Beside the water lay her friend in a disheveled manner, her hair slightly frayed, and clothing wrinkled. She slept soundly, damp from the condensation. The sight came as a surprise to Hinata, though she had an inkling that Sakura must have fallen asleep out here after she'd been tossing and turning for most of the night. It wasn't unnatural for anyone to undergo stress before such a mission was finally carried out.

Waking Sakura gently, Hinata smiled to her for reassurance. She appeared to be surprised, at first pondering how she'd managed to wind up in a forest. But then the images of the night before emerged, and Sakura understood. She remembered how Sasuke had promised to return again, to prove that he'd surrender when the small group ransacked his hideout. Of course she was wary, but then why would he sleep with her if it weren't true? It was difficult to wrap her head around the fact that it happened, though the more she thought about it, the more is appeared to be a dream.

"Sakura, why are you out here?" Hinata wondered, pulling off her coat to warm her friend.

"I - I don't know. I mean, I kinda do, but I -" she couldn't find the words to tell her. "I- I think something happened that I might regret. I still don't know if it was a dream - but it felt real."

Hinata understood the reluctance Sakura had and abstained from pressing any further into the matter. Her concern ate at her, but if anything harmful had happened, she knew Sakura would say. But the fact that she would not relinquish the secrets of the night demanded reason for alarm.

The two women sat there, both pondering the same question at separate levels of ignorance to the truth. A long moment of contented silence surrounded them, until a familiar voice belonging to the number-one-hyperactive-knuckleheaded-ninja cried out, "Hey where are you guys?"

The peak of the mission had finally arrived. The team of five - Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Hinata Hyuuga, Shikamaru Nara, and Sai - were ready to herald their plan. Once again they went through their battle plans.

Sasuke Uchiha's room was also the most fortified. The entrance was facing the east, where it lead to two hallways. The south turned directly to a chakra sealed door, though a trap door lay in front of it. North wing had a trip wire that sounded an alarm and released the thirty five troops ten yards ahead. It also alerted the twelve guard squad patrolling the area. Turning the corner east showed yet another hallway going somewhere north, and a hidden door across from that hall. If one missed that door, they could head south a few yards later. There another chakra sealed door stood in the way, but on the other side of it a squad of five patrolled the perpendicular hallway and remaining area from the door to the intersection. Basically, it was a three room complex surrounded by fortified hallways that branched out in some directions.

Outside, Shikamaru would wet and seal toxic pellets into the vent airing the ambush troops' room, killing them in moments. Then he'd summon Pakkun who'd dig up the battery powering the building's generator. Various cryptic letters stolen by the Konoha ninjas indicated that power bumps often occurred, giving them the advantage of darkness, and deactivated tripwires that wouldn't raise alarm.

Once the battery was disabled, Naruto would carry in a piece of plywood to cover the trap door and allow Hinata to deactivate the chakra sealed door to the south. Sai would release his ink-army to vanquish the 12 guard squad. Sakura, Shikamaru and Sai would then position themselves outside of the secret door in the hallway to subdue Sasuke if he managed to escape Naruto and Hinata's ambush.

After the door was disabled, Naruto and Hinata would wait until the squad of five went to check the eastern-north wing, and head into Sasuke's quarters. They would then toss knockout pellets throughout the room - while they themselves wore masks of course. Hopefully Sasuke would be caught off guard and succumb to the pellets, where the two of them could easily dispatch him. However, if he did escape through the secret door, Sakura Sai and Shikamaru were waiting for him.

The plan was in place, and Sakura's team was just waiting for either Naruto and Hinata, or Sasuke to appear through the door. The wait gave Sakura time to think. The next two nights confirmed that it was not a dream, and his continuance to return for her sealed the truth to his words. The silence that followed the previous calamity in the other room solidified her hopes - or signaled the death of them. Once this was all over, she'd confess what had happened to Hinata, and put all of this behind her.

Cracks formed in the wall, shaping a rectangle. Someone was coming through the door. Dark hair, white clothing, a menacing sword in hand announced that Sasuke was escaping. He had been cocky enough to leave his Sharingan dormant, so he hadn't expected the three ninjas waiting for him. Yet this wasn't enough to subdue him. Quickly throwing smoke bombs, he attempted to sneak past Shikamaru to the entrance.

Alas, Naruto was already behind him and had tackled him to the ground, the two men a flurry of limbs. Sai rushed over and ripped Sasuke off of Naruto, Pinning him against the wall. But Sasuke quickly kneed Sai in the abdomen, releasing himself of the hold. Sasuke whirled around and kicked the attacking Shikamaru in the face, sending him spinning into the Northern hallway. He then ducked under Naruto's fist and caught him in the stomach.

Hinata attempted to hit him from behind but Sasuke had caught a glimpse of her as the smoke was already clearing. He grabbed her arm and swung her into Sai. Sakura rushed in and tried to punch him, but memories of the prior nights flooded her mind and caused her to falter. Why hadn't he confessed himself yet?

Naruto saw Sakura pause, and knew she couldn't handle the situation. He rushed a few hand seals and created a clone. Unfortunately, the clone had appeared right in Shikamaru's path and prevented him from throwing his kunai. He let out a small "Dammit, Naruto!" and dodged the Uchiha's sword. The group realized that the hallway was just too small of an area for a proper battle.

A groan emerged from the building, and Sasuke knew that his fortress was doing exactly as it was designed to - collapse when both of his chakra seals were removed. The five group of guards had rushed forward into view, blocking the northern exit. He now had sixty seconds to escape or waste energy digging himself out of debris. The others had sensed the vibrations as well and knew they needed to get out too.

Sasuke cleared everyone away from him and reached for Sakura. Picking her up by the front of her shirt, he held her to his level. Then he whispered into her ear darkly.

"I lied."

Then he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, along with the five guards and northern escape door. Naruto and the other got up just as Sakura sank to her knees in shock. The others were already down the hall, but Shikamaru had looked back.

"Sakura! Come on!" he called, but when she didn't respond, he ran back and threw her over his shoulder. He was back down the hall just before a chunk of ceiling had blocked the way. Up ahead Naruto was waiting for them. Once they were next to him they ran out the exit.

Gasping for breath, they all looked for any signs of Sasuke and the guards anywhere, but when the building finally collapsed, the cloud of smoke obscured any possible leads for a pursuit. The mission was a failure.

A week later, a group of battered three arrived at a hidden hatch in the woods. They clambered inside the one roomed cave illuminated only but the open door. In a chair sat their master, an air of nonchalance on his face.

"You failed," he stated calmly, his lips barely moving.

"Yeah, and I still don't understand why you did this in the first place," a deep throated man replied. He was muscular, and his dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. A scar ran over his right eye, though no damage appeared to have been done to it.

"It's simple: you dressed yourselves in Kumo Nin clothing and attacked the village to spark a war with Konoha and Kumo. When further prodding from us causes more to join the war, we will attack Konoha and burn it to the ground while all of the ninja are fighting the Fifth shinobi war," their master explained. "Unfortunately, you made it obvious that you weren't from Kumo, and the village now knows I sent you. We'll have to start a war another way.

"But Sasuke," a small, short haired woman replied. "What was the point of your part?"

"The pink headed one was becoming more resolute in killing me, and when she finally reached that turning point, she could easily do it. Now that she has 'slept with the enemy,' the guilt of being traitorous to her team and the self-doubt I have sewn into her mind will prevent her from joining any assassination missions against me in the future," the man chuckled. "Now that you understand, leave my sight."

The three ninja then bowed and climbed back up into the forest. Once they were a decent ways away, the short haired woman muttered, "Something tells me that he just wanted to get laid." The others nodded in agreement.

Konoha was quiet and serene. It was annual check-up day, so all of the ninjas had the day off. Former fifth Hokage, Tsunade, had retired and simply become the head of the medical department. As such, that meant she lead all of the cases regarding the jounin. They were going in alphabetical order, so Naruto was busy trying to do as many healthy things as possible in a false hope that he'd pass under the radar. He remembered what had happened the last time he was lectured on "malnourishment from ramen." However, his girlfriend Hinata was about to go in, so he had paused his healthy fiasco to join her.

However, when the two of them arrived at the hospital that afternoon, they encountered Sakura who left the building in a hurry. It appeared she had been crying, and it left the two of them concerned. Hinata turned to him.

"I'm going to see what happened, why don't you tell Tsunade what I'm doing for me, please?" she kissed him on the cheek, and dashed after their comrade.

It didn't take long for Hinata to chase Sakura down at the Hokage Monument. She found her sitting up there, alone and sobbing. Alas, Hinata couldn't fathom any reason, and was unsure of how to respond. The best thing she could think of was to simply sit beside her, and rub her back gently.

When Sakura's tears subsided, she finally caught a breath. "At first, I thought the last nights of our mission were just a dream. I tried not to let it happen but it did."

Hinata stayed silent.

"That first night, when you found me, I should have told you what happened. But I still couldn't wrap my head around it. I'd only gone to clear my head, but the exact opposite happened. I - I don't know how to fully explain what happened only that it did. Please, don't judge me for it, you and Naruto are the last people I want to judge me for this."

"Sakura, when have Naruto or I ever thought badly of you?" Hinata looked at her friend, unsure of whether or not she actually wanted to know what was wrong anymore.

"That simply because I've never done anything as stupid as this before," Sakura's sobs threatened to appear again. "That night, Sasuke appeared to me. He told me these things about trying to help Konoha, and making Naruto hokage, and settling down. I tried not to believe him, but he wouldn't stop, and the next thing I knew, we were at it - and then he left, saying he'd come again.

"At first, I thought it was just a crazy dream I must've had. But then he came again, and something kept telling me that it meant he really was telling the truth. Those last three nights before we infiltrated the building, I slept with that monster! That's why I hesitated back there. I could have killed him if I hadn't been so stupid!"

"Sakura," Hinata couldn't think of anything to say. It was all a shock, and slowly everything pieced itself together involving that incident.

"That's not the worst of it, Hinata, " Sakura replied tartly. "I'm pregnant."