Important Note: Moonlight Glimpses is a series of story overviews that may be considered as a one-shot that would, depending on the reception, become a future story. This is my attempt to keep me interested in the new plots in my head while I finish my other stories, an idea I borrowed from Cassandra Nitewing, to whom I asked permission from.

Title: Emancipation

Summary: SasuSaku Their bond is their curse. "I should hate you but I couldn't"

Pairings: SasukexSakura

Disclaimer: I own several Naruto merchandise, but not Naruto.

Genre: Romance/Tragedy

Once again, he left the village he had called home.

Behind him, the sky was an eerie glow caused by the fires the ravaged the once proud shinobi village. A few hours ago, he had heard screams and cries for help. But now, there was only silence.

Sasuke Uchiha sheathed his sword. It was over. It was finally over.

A young woman of surprising pink hair sighed as she realized her water bottle was empty. Glancing at her partner, she begged him to get her another bottle. With an irritated look and after a few minutes of nagging, the man conceded and went back to their camp, but not before warning her not to wander.

Wiping the perspiration from her forehead, Sakura Haruno scanned the ruins before her, wondering again why she decided to join the archaeology club for their annual excavating trip. She loved history, all right, but she preferred reading to living it. But her guardian had an important trip and Sakura had no one to stay with for the summer. Seeing the poster for the excavation, she immediately signed up, not expecting the hot weather and the amount of digging and dirt she had somehow encountered. She finally understood why the land was formerly known as the 'Country of Fire.'

Sakura could not understand it at all, ever since she had arrived and saw the place, she had this strange feeling. She felt angry, and at the same time, sadness. She attributed it to disappointment; she had been so excited to go on the trip. She had read a bit about the area, and learned that the place was once a covered forested region. A friend told her that it once held a village managed by ninjas. Sakura had laughed about that but her friend insisted that the origin of the place's name was because of it's affiliation to ninjas. Konoha, the hidden leaf village.

But that was a long time ago, and if it was true, Sakura believed that something bad must have happened. The place was a barren wasteland, a huge volcanic eruption had buried the history of the place, and shrubs, not trees, littered the surroundings.

Finally bored of waiting for her partner and annoyed by the searing heat, Sakura decided to look for some shade. Patting the dust off her, she made her way back to their camp.

"There's someone there." His team mate pointed ahead. "But the chakra signature is very weak. I don't think it's a threat."

Sasuke nodded and continued his steady pace. After a few meters, they saw the person and his hand gripped the handle of his sword.

Then rain started to fall, first a gentle trickle followed by a sudden downpour. A flash of lightning and Sasuke realized where he was now.

The stone slab had been broken to pieces, the names of fallen ninjas glistening under the heavy stream of water. Kneeling before it was a woman he could recognize anywhere, her clothes splattered with blood and her pink hair drenched. On her right hand was a kunai, and beside it was another piece of the stone slab.

Another flash of lightning and their eyes met. Sasuke's hand fell from the hilt of his sword while his companions asked him for orders. But he remained silent, his eyes on the woman's empty gaze and the names newly etched on the stone.

"Great! I'm lost!" Sakura cursed as wiped of the blood on her scraped knee. She had been walking for several minutes, before realizing that she had no idea where she is, after which, she tripped over a stone and fell on one of the holes a team has dug. With a huff, she pulled herself up. At least, the hole suggested she was near the main camp.

She looked around for anything she could use as a step ladder, and then her eyes landed on a strange stone. Carefully, she handled it, inferring that the way it was situated meant that it was something dug up very recently. It was no ordinary stone too, it was black and if it was polished, Sakura was sure that it would glisten. There were several scratches on it and at closer inspection; she saw that they were characters.

Her hands brushed over them and her eyes watered. "Heroes who gave up their lives to protect everyone…" She suddenly shook away the thought.

"What in the world was I thinking? I shouldn't make such conclusions without evidence." She scolded herself as she wiped the tears. Then she noticed a stepladder. Laughing at herself for missing it earlier, she climbed out of the hole.

While straightening herself, Sakura felt uneasy. She looked up and saw a tall black-haired man staring at her. For a second, their gaze met and she found herself shaking. But the man suddenly turned and walked away.

Sakura was frozen. Her heart was beating very fast. "Wait! I need help, I'm lost!" She called. She was following him because he could help her find her way back. At least a part of her was saying that. But another part of her was telling her to follow, that she has to follow.

The redhead suddenly smiled. "Finally, she's giving up!"

"You mean, the girl stopped following us?"

The woman nodded.

"Well, no wonder you didn't kill her Sasuke. She must have been weak already."

Sasuke suddenly paused.

"Sasuke-san?"

"Go to the base; I'll meet up with you there."

"But Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke, however, has already left them, retracing his steps. After a few minutes, he finally felt her signature. He slowed down and landed before his fallen former team mate.

The moment he landed, she looked up. Sasuke remembered that last time he saw her. It was when she, together with Naruto had seen him at one of Orochimaru's base. It was the first time he saw the both of them after more than two years. He could also remember how she looked at him. Back then, her emerald eyes showed surprise, joy and determination. She has not changed, he thought back then. Her every thought had always been reflected in her eyes.

But this time, he could see no emotion gazing at him.

She closed her eyes, as she shifted, leaning against a tree. Now that it has stopped raining, she could see how badly wounded she was. She was bleeding and her breathing hitched. Her chakra signature was flickering.

"Why are you following me?" He found himself asking. Why was she still following him?

She breathed deeply and grimaced in pain. "I should hate you."

She opened her eyes, yet they remained empty. "You have destroyed everything I love."

Sasuke unsheathed his Kusanagi. "And Konoha destroyed everything I love!" He replied. "Everyone had… all of you lived while my family had to die!"

"And we all hate what destroyed the things we love." She whispered, nodding weakly. "I should hate you, but I couldn't."

Tears fell from her eyes and Sasuke finally saw a flicker of emotions. "Sasuke-kun, I'm tired of hating."

And Sasuke swung his sword.

And Sakura smiled.

Sakura had still no idea why she was following the guy. And her most basic instincts are telling her to leave him. There was something scary about the him. Sakura felt that if she continued after him, something will happen, something will change.

The man finally paused. "Who are you?"

Surprised, Sakura also stopped and saw him looking at her. "My name is Sakura Haruno. I'm with the HIA Archaeological Team." She breathed. "May I ask for your name?"

"Sasuke Uchiha." He replied before pointing at his left.

Sakura saw her companions and smiled. "Thank you Uchiha-san." She ran to the camp but stopped when she heard Sasuke speak again.

"Call me Sasuke-kun."

She looked back, the he was already gone.

Sasuke ignored the tree he just felled. He ignored his sword lying beside him. Instead, he saw the smile of the woman he was holding in his arms. The smile she gave before he was to kill her.

Her breathing was hitched, but she was still alive, but unconcious. Sasuke stood up, sheathing his sword once again and carefully carrying her. She was part of Konoha. He should hate her…

"You are always so annoying, Sakura." He muttered before jumping on the nearest branch to head back to his base.

He was wrong. It was not over.

Okay, I know that I should be finishing my other fics, but this particular story just keeps popping out. So how was it? If you like this story and would like me to expand it in the future, please leave a review, and if you want, I'll PM you when the story comes out.

Thank you for reading,

Chantrea