Sakura Haruno is on mission to capture an Akatsuki member, but what happens when she gets captured by her past first? And a mission for konoha turns into a mission for her heart? SasuxSaku
Paragon
Chapter One: Dreamland
Onyx. Such a lovely color. The color of his eyes, so breath taking. Why was he here? Why was he looking at her like that? The raven haired boy stood before her in all his glory. Everything about him was perfect. The way he held his posture, the slight tip of his head and the tousled hair that somehow always looked neat. He did not smile and his eyes were blank yet at the same time fixed on something intently. She herself didn't move. She couldn't, she was in shock. She hadn't seen him in almost 3 years. So why now? Why was he here?
She almost jumped then as he moved towards her. With each step it made her heart beat in her ears louder. With each footfall the darkness around them echoed endlessly. He stopped. His face only inches from hers. Her heart stopped all together now. Nothing but silence. Not even his breathing could be heard. She flinched as his hand touched her cheek. He was freezing! She'd never felt anything so cold!
"Sakura..." He whispered in a silken velvet voice. Chills ran through her spine as his warm breath caressed the inside of her ear. His cheek brushed hers ever so lightly as he slowly pulled away. He stared at her with those beautiful eyes once more; the same feeling began to boil inside her. He came closer closing the space between them. His eye's slowly slid shut as his lips parted and he moved in to close the last inch between them, but then... his eye's shot open revealing a blood red sharingon. His face no longer gentle and kind but sinister and cold. She became lost in the darkness of his eyes as the sharingonconsumed her. His laughter rang throughout her mind, so alien, so unfamiliar and all together terrifying. She tried to cover her ears to block out the sharp sound but it continued on inside her, she didn't know how much more she could take and--
--Sakura jolted up-right. She was in a cold sweat and her breath was coming in short intervals as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She ran a hand through her tousled pink hair. That was the third time she had had that exact dream that week. And it always ended the same. She dreamed about sasuke, yes she had frequently ever since he left that night. But never like this. Usually her dreams involved her not being able to reach him or only being able to hear his voice. But never anything likes this. It was a recent change in pattern and she couldn't help but be a little jumpy lately.
She sighed. 'I'm so pathetic' she thought inwardly. Still dreaming about him almost three years since he left. She turned her attention to the window. The sun was just beginning to peak out over the horizon, painting the sky an unusual blood red. Another chill ran down her spine as she was reminded of her dream. She heaved one more sigh before she stood up and stretched. She took one last look out her window before getting in the shower and getting dressed.
Once out of the shower, she dressed in her usual shinobi attire: A deep red shirt bearing the Hanoru symbol on the back, a mesh shirt beneath it, and a pair of black shorts and her pink medic skirt. She slipped on her black knee high boots and strapped on her leg holster sporting a few kunai. She made a habit of always having some sort of weapon on her person. She left the rest of her weapons and scrolls home seeing no true use for them.
Tying her hitai-ate around her forehead she exited the apartment complex and walked out into he barren streets. She closed her eyes and tilted her head toward the sky and took a deep breath of the warm konoha air. She let the wind brush through her short pink tresses, and the leaves graze her skin. She listened carefully around her. The street was empty of people; she could hear the light steps of a stray cat as it cautiously crossed the barren avenue and the sound of a startled sparrow take flight. All was quiet. Well... almost. For off in the distance she could hear the loud running footsteps and obnoxious calling of her blond headed comrade: Konohas Number One Knuckle-head nija.
"Sakura!" "Hey! SAKURA!"
She turned heal and grabbed him roughly by his orange collar and pulled him toward her when he came into reach "Naruto, you idiot!" she hissed "are you trying to wake all of konoha!?" She pushed him roughly away.
He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head embarrassed. "He. Sorry"
She looked at her comrade with affection and sighed "What is it that you were in such a rush to tell me? Or are you just making habit of being obnoxious?"
"hn? Oh right!" he said obviously already forgetting "umm... hmmm..."
(Anime Sweat drop) "Naruto!" she moaned "I swear you have the attention span the size of the point of your kunai!"
Naruto gave another sheepish smile.
"What he means to tell you," A new deep voice began from behind "Is that the fifth would like to see you in her office on regards of a mission"
Sakura turned to see Hyuuga, Neji, staring at her through those placid byakugun eyes. She stared him up and down; she had not even heard him coming 'How does he do that?'
"Good morning Sakura-chan" he nodded respectfully.
She smiled sweetly "Good Morning Neji-san"
"HEY!" whined a frustrated naruto. "That was my message to give!"
"Well you weren't doing such a good job no were you?" Neji responded curtly.
Naruto fumed at his accusation "I knew what to say!" He defended "I was just creating a dramatic pause"
Neji rolled his eyes
Sakura smirked at her friend's feud, and then turned her attention back to the hyuuga "Mission you said?"
He nodded briefly in confirmation.
"Does she need the whole team?"
Neji shrugged, "I'm not sure but I don't think so, she requested you specifically not your whole team 7. So it sounds like a solo mission on your part, and she's already marked this mission as confidential so I don't know the rank but it's definitely something important if she's keeping it confidential"
Sakura nodded "Interesting. Thank you neji-san"
He merely watched her passively yet tentatively. Sakura began to feel awkward under his piercing gaze "so...er... I'll be going now, thanks a lot neji-san, see ya naruto" she dismissed herself with what grace she could muster and headed towards the Hokage mansion.
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Knock. knock.
"Enter." came a flat voice from within
Sakura pushed open the door to the hokage office tentatively. She bowed politely once she reached the head of the desk. "Your requested my presence Hokage-Sama."
The blonde headed Hokage had her back to Sakuraas her earthy gaze was fixed outside her grand window "Yes." she replied her voice the only trait that betrayed her age "I have a mission for you."
'CHA! FINALLY!' he inner-self roared.
The fifth hokage's posture changed. She braced her hand against the window and lether other hand drop to her side and averted her gaze to the floor.
"hn? Shishou?" Sakura whispered in soft question.
Tsunade suppressed a sigh and let her other hand fall to her side. She stood there for another moment her gaze blank before she took a breath in and turned to Sakura with authority.
"Exactly one week ago," she began with a stern, proud tone "One of our chunin was found barley alive, as you already know" Sakura recalled this having been the jounin who led the mission, that came across the battered ninja. "however" she continued "what you don't know is that i had a chance to speak to him alone last night before he died in the infirmary" If Sakura had not been listening before, she was now.
"Nobody knew why he had been so brutally attacked, but now that i know it makes perfect sense" The silence that followed could have driven sakura insane with curiosity. When Tsunades voice broke the silence Sakura just about jumped she was so tense. "He was spying on someone. And not just anyone" another agonizing silence "an Akatsuki member"
Sakura narrowed her eye's at the fowl name and scowled. 'Akatsuki!'she hissed in her head. Their current ambition she already knew was to hunt down jinchuriki, and extract their bijuu. The after-effect for the jinchuriki? Death. She tightened her hands into fist's almost shaking with anger at the thought of the cloaked members.
Tsunade stopped pacing and narrowed her eye's at sakura's reaction. She continued on "What this chunin heard was very valuable information" sakura restrained herself and listened to her sensai contently. "Nine day's from today two akatsuki members are supposed to round de vu at the bridge of heaven and earth. We know one of them is supposed to be sasori and the other one we are not sure, The chunin died before I could confirm any information retaining to the speakers Identity"
A thought dawned on sakura later than it should have "But tsunade-sama," she argued "Sasori is dead. I seen his death with my own eye's! I killed him! There's no way he could have survived! I checked"
"Sasori isdead." Tsunade stated reassuringly "But it was the Akatsuki member and a hooded messenger sent by sasori himself that the chunin had spied on"
"But tsunade," she asked "How could the messenger be coming only now to arrange the meeting?"
"Do you think Akatsuki members are easy to find?" Tsunade asked baffled "My guess is that this messenger was sent out to deliver this message of Sasori's only days before his death, so the messenger will not have known of Sasori's death, having been searching for the other akatsuki member all these weeks and so-"
"-the akatsuki member is also unaware and will show up at the bridge of heaven and earth!" Sakura finished understanding her mission now.
"Correct" tsunade praised, and smiled at her student.
"So what do you have in mind?" Sakura asked slyly.
"I think you already know" tsunade said with the same sly grin as she leaned against her desk casually.
Sasora smirked "You want me to pose as sasori nine day's from now at the bridge of heaven and earth and gain all information that i can from the akatsuki member before I capture him and bring him to kohona" she stated it as if it were her own plan.
Tsunade smiled with admiration at her student "I would expect nothing less" she turned to sit behind her desk "So who will you be taking with you?" She asked picking up a pen and paper and began to fill out the plies of paper work on the desk.
Sakura thought 'I could bring naruto' 'No. Too risky, a jinchuriki in the presence of the akatsuki? If something were to go wrong in the battle and akastuki came out on top, that would be like handing power to the akatsuki on a silver platter' 'no. naruto is out of the question' 'Neji perhaps?' 'no. he's my best friend. I can't put him on a battle Field that dangerous' 'Kiba? Ten Ten? Shikamaru? Hinata?' She sighed. This was a dangerous 'S' ranked mission. She couldn't put any of her friends and comrades in danger like that.
Sakura looked up to see tsunade staring at her questionably, waiting for an answer. "Tsunade," she began "I would like to carry this mission out on my own" she half stated half asked.
Tsunade looked her up and down "Very well" she stated simply.
"W-what? Just like that? You don't care? your not going to argue?"
"Sakura," tsunade said with calmly "I've seen you progress in skill, mind and body. I trained you myself. Your techniques are very sharp, I believe that you are plenty capable of handling this mission on your own"
Sakura bowed grateful for tsunades encouraging words "Thank you Tsunade-shishou"
tsunade smiled and turned back to her paperwork "When Will you be leaving?"
"Today" Sakura stated it as fact.
"Very well. I wish you a safe journey"
Sakura gave one more departing bow and opened the door to leave."And sakura," tsunade rasped
Sakura pause at the archway her back to her mentor. "If you've inherited anything from me you've inherited my temper. I know first hand just what kind of situations that kind of personalty trait can get you into."
Sakura listened. "Try to keep your emotions in check. Even your shinobi skill alone can't help you if you'll et your emotions control your actions. Regardless of how you feel towards akatsuki for hunting your comrade... and destroying your other comrades clan" she waited for a reaction but sakura remained passive. "You must remain in control. Keep your mission in mind."
Sakura waited silently. "That is all" her sensai murmured.
Sakura hesitated for a moment before she continued on into the hallway closing the door with a soft click behind her.
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Sakura stared blankly at the path ahead of her, the only path that lead in and out of konoha's gates. She looked up at the sky, it was only just now noon.
Sakura had gone strait to her apartment to pack after leaving Tsunade's office in dark thoughts. She was for some odd reason, eager to get out of konoha, she couldn't quite pinpoint why.
She sighed and turned her head toward the gray cobble stone path and began to take the first few steps that would lead her to her mission, her still shadowed gaze on the ground.
"Were you just going to leave with out saying good-bye?" a cool, familiar voice called from above.
'hn?' sakura turned her head to a Branch of a great oak that lined the path. There standing on the branch leaning against the tree ever so casually was neji. Sakura stared at him with curiosity. "Neji?" she questioned.
"Well were you?" he pressed again.
"ah-w-well I-I didn't think-I usually don't-you've never," she stammered trying to find the right words. She felt guilty for not saying good-bye, but she never had exchanged good-byes when she left on missions, so she was caught off guard by his sudden appearance and question. she turned her gaze to the side as she continued on searching for something to say right and when she turned her gaze back to him, he was no longer there.
"Sakura?" his voice came from behind her. She tensed. He moved so silently!She felt his breath caress the back of her neck and one feather light finger trail softly down her spine sending a shock wave of chills through her body.
"Y-yes"she stuttered hoarsely.
"Turn around" he ordered softly.
She slowly did as he said and turned around to see a sly grin on his face "What?"
"Shut up" he said softly. What happened next caught sakura completely and utterly of guard, for one second he was staring at her with those same placid eye's and the next he was kissing her.
Her eye's remained open in shock, but eventually she closed them softly and let him kiss her, but she couldn't find it in herself to kiss him back. The kiss seemed to last forever though it was probably only a few seconds. When she felt him pull away she slowly opened her emerald eye's to look at him in question. But when she did, he was no longer there, he was gone, vanished without a trace, leaving sakura standing alone on the barren path, wondering.
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Sakura laid on her sleeping bag, her hands behind her head, the recently made fire blazing a few feet away. She gazed at the dark midnight sky, caressed with luminous stars. No moon shown in the sky but yet the night seemed brighter than usual. She sighed. Her mind drifted back to that afternoon with neji. The kiss had not been what she expected. It was nice but that was the thing. It was only just 'nice'. She sighed to herself at her inner complaint. What had she expected? One of those romantic, time stopping, passionate kisses that she often imagined with sasuke when she was younger. She rolled her eye's at the nievness of her younger self.
At the thought of sasuke she couldn't help but wonder where he was right now. She gazed at the stars intently almost expecting the answer to spell it's self out in the sky. She wondered if he was watching the same sky right now from wherever he was. Was he thinking about her too? 'I wonder what a kiss from him would be like?'
At that last thought her eye's widened in shock. 'What am I thinking!' She shook her head vigorously trying to rid herself of those thoughts 'no' she scolded herself 'Sasuke Uchiha is a traitor to kohona! He is the enemy! You can NOT think such thoughts'she sighed and rolled angrily over to her side and closed her eye's hoping to sleep her guilt away. Her last thought asking herself why, all of the sudden she was being invaded with thoughts of the uchiha.
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The wind was calm the next day as Sakura headed into the tree's to continue on to her mission. She had not dreamed of Sasuke last night like she feared she would. In fact she didn't dream at all last night.
'eight day's left' she thought to herself. 'eight day's from now i'll be facing Akatsuki' she narrowed her eye's with hate 'I will beat him! And i will bring him back alive!'The same shadow fell over sakura's eye's as she made her silent promise 'I can not lose control. Tsunade, Naruto, neji, Kohona. Their all depending on me.' She lifted her head to the sun and closed her eye's briefly 'I won't let them down! Not this time... Not anymore...I stronger now'
A muffled noise. 'hm?' Sakura stopped and knelt on the next branch, and drew a kunai. She listened cautiously. The faint sound came from ahead. She moved swiftly and quietly from branch to branch, a blurred shadow among the leaves. She assumed the same defensive position once in hearing distance.
"--robbed that one blind, didn't we?" said a husky male voice in a haughty tone. Two other male voices laughed in response. The voices neither came closer or became more faint so Sakura knew they were resting. She jumped softly from the branch to the ground and hid behind one of the many bushes and undergrowth that lined the small clearing where the thief's rested. She had put about 9 feet between her and the crooks.
"Where should we hit next, Oonte?" asked one of the thief's smugly. He sat on the ground sharpening a kunai.
"I was thinking konoha" said the one called Oonte, who twirled a sword on his finger. She gritted he teeth and clutched her kunai tightly at the leaders words. She would have to take these guys out.
"Sounds good to me" the other remarked, carving a piece of wood with a dagger.
"good. we'll pack up and leave by noon then" the leader concluded.
Sakura clutched her kunai and readied herself to throw it accurately at the leader.
"Sakura?" the sweetest most familiar whisper came from a few feet behind her.
Sakura's whole body tensed. Her heart began to race, her lungs pounded pleading for air, but she could not breath. Her gaze once so fixed on her target was now pointed blankly ahead, staring into the abyss. Her whole body felt numb, yet she was in no hurry to fix it. She knew that if she turned around right then, she would be confronted with those eye's, that same expression painted across his flawless face.
'impossible' she thought desperately to herself. 'Impossible?' her mind mauled it over 'yes? yes! impossible' she reassured herself, and took a refreshing breath of air that her lungs so desperately begged for. She let her body relax 'My thoughts of him have been to out of control. I'm actually starting to hallucinate'
She smiled at her stupidity and turned her attention back to her target and readied herself once more. She pulled her arm back ready to fling the kunai. She double checked her target and accuracy and thr--"Sakura?"
Her aim completely hitched from startling and the kunai completely missed the leader and flashed right past him and into a tree at the edge of the clearing. It sunk into the tree with a hallow 'clunk'
"Shit!" she cursed under her breath.
"Who's there" called the leader drawing his sword. The rest followed his actions, he stared right at her hiding spot "Show yourself" he growled.
Sakurakept crouched down and backed away quickly. Once she had put a few more feet between them, she stood up and turned heal to sprint away.
'Thud!' she collided something hard "Ow!" she winced and lost her balance. Something or someone rather, grabbed her shoulders and steadied her.
Sakura's eye's shot open in shock. She drew in a sharp breath. There he was standing before her, staring at her with those soft onyx eye's, that had been the center of her worst dreams and the cause of he best nightmares.
"S-sasuke?" she maneged to breath in a pitiful whisper. He stared at her with a passive expression and did not respond.
A sharp pain grazed her arm "Sss" she hissed and grasped her new wound. A kunai had just been (badly) thrown at her.
She turned to see the three robbers pushing there way though the under growth.
"Dammit" she cursed again.
She turned back to sasuke 'Am i really hallucinating or is this really him?' she struggled to find the right answer 'the pain feels real' she thought grimly glaring at him.
She heard the sound of a kunai cutting it's way through the air, aimed not for her but the possibly imaginary sasuke. 'He has to be real' she decided as she jumped in the way of the kunai and pushed him out of the way of harm.
"Ah!" she screamed in pain as the kunaipenetrated her right shoulder blade. she gritted her teeth and ignored the rest of the pain that followed.
"Come on!" she screamed at sasuke as she jumped into the tree's to flee not ever looking to see weather or not he followed. She traveled briskly. In all light she could have taken out all three thieves in a single blow but she was so flustered right now she knew it wouldn't be wise to stick around. Plus the kunai in her shoulder was a deep wound and needed to be treated immediately to avoid blood loss and infection. In the midst of her fleet she made to look behind her but never went threw with it. He had to be real.. didn't he? It could be gen jutsu. No. She would have sensed it by now. she bit her lip. She formed a hand sign 'just to be safe' "Kai". Nothing happened. well it wasn't gen jutsu. But that still didn't rule out hallucination. She sighed. There's was only one way to find out. Having traveled a few hundred yards now she finally stopped and knelt on a branch. All ready her wound was starting to take a toll on her body. Her whole shoulder throbbed painfully and her muscles were achingly tense. She was even at a loss for even breath.
A thud on the branch next to her announced that sasuke had indeed followed her after all, real or not. She slid her gaze to the side towards his assumed person. He stared at her with that same old arrogant expression she all to well remembered. She saw a flash of something in his casual expression. concern perhaps? Either way she could not be sure, for it went as fast as it had came.
"Are you real?" she breathed. She felt really stupid after the words were out of her mouth, but she kept her expression cool.
He raised an eyebrow "What kind of question is that?" he scolded it that arrogant, self-centered voice.
'oh yeah' she groaned from with in, and mentally rolled her eye's 'he's real alright' She gave him an icy glare.
"your right," she growled curtly standing up. She tenderly, yet swiftly pulled the bloody kunai out of her shoulder blade with a slight wince and held it to sasuke's throat. "A better question would be; what are you doing so close to kohona" she hissed. Sakura kept the kunai firmly in place as he slowly yet carelessly stood.
"hn. Wouldn't you like to know" he purred, in such a sinister tone a chill ran down sakura's spine.
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The morning was silent and sasuke traveled through the trees stealthily. After tracking Itachi's trail all the way from suna to a large village a days travel from kohana he had been enraged to find that the trail completely stopped. He had no more leads so all he could do now was head back to otogakure and regroup with the rest of hebi.
A sound of voices up ahead caught sasukes minimum interest. He went towards the voices instead of around and stopped on the secluded branch of a tree above a small clearing.
Tree rugged men pushed through the under-growth on the opposite side. "We'll rest here for a bit." said one he presumed to be the leader.
The other two made no protest just threw their packs down carelessly and sat down. They soon took to tending to their weapons, sharpening and using.
Finally one of the men spoke "We sure robbed that one blind didn't we?" The two other men laughed in agreement.
Sasuke rolled his eyes 'Nothing but common crooks'he scoffed and stood up intent on continuing on.
As he stood to leave however a blurred flash out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked to the under-growth at the edge of the clearing to see a crouched figure.
pink.
This caught his attention. It was a woman that was for sure, he noted her soft curves and lean body. The glint of a kunai and Konoha headband told him it was a kohona kunoichi. The pink hair. Could it really be? What was he saying? who else could it be? How many other kunoichis in kohona had radiant pink hair?
But there was something different about this woman. The way she held her crouched posture and the aggressiveness from which she held her weapon. It was so much different from the person he was thinking of. The frightened little girl who always needed protecting and was always useless to team 7. This couldn't be her.
He unconsciously jumped silently to the ground. The woman before him had a completely different Aura about her. She was a fighter. She crouched behind the bushes, Kunai at the ready, fully prepared to take out these crooks without a moments hesitation. And her chakra signature. It seemed so much stronger even as she concealed it.
There was only one way to find out. He let her name slip from his lips "Sakura"
He watched as the woman's body went ridged and her muscles locked. He saw her chest clench up and stop breathing and he swore he hear her heart thumping in her chest. He waited for her to turn around and utter his name with an affectionate 'Kun'suffix, but she remained frozen. And then her muscles relaxed and she took a breath of air and turned her attention back to the thieves. This sparked his curiosity to no end. Had she not herd him?
She made to throw her kunai with deadly accuracy but he could not contain himself. "Sakura?"
Her aim completely hitched from startling and the kunai completely missed the leader and flashed right past him and into a tree at the edge of the clearing. It sunk into the tree with a hallow 'clunk'
"Who's there?" called one of the men "Show yourself!"
He heard her curse under her breath. Another un-sakura characteristic. she hastily backed away and then stood up and turned to run, and ran right into him.
He caught and steadied her. He watched as her eyes shot open and locked on his. she drew in a sharp breath before uttering a weak "S-sasuke?"
His onyx eyes met her emerald ones. It was her. He would reconize those eyes anywhere. Even if there seemed to be sometinh deeper in them. Her eyes suddenly closed and a hiss of pain escaped her and she clutched her arm.
She craned her neck an uttered a flustered "Dam it" her gaze turned back to him now questioning and searching his.
For some reason sasuke couldn't get in tune with the situation. He couldn't take his gaze off of her. Suddenly she shoved him roughly and her cry of pain sent him hurtling back to reality. He looked to the charging thieves now.
"Come on!" She yelled at him as she sped past and leaped into the trees. He knew he could have easily taken out the theives but nothing but pure interest and curiosity made him follow her.
As he followed her and kept up with her hasty pace he felt something wet and sticky land on his cheek. He touched his cheek and looked at his hand. Blood.
His piercing gaze flew to her shoulder. A kunai was embedded deeply within her shoulder. That was why she pushed him! That kunai had been destined for him. She had taken the hit! His eyes narrowed. Despite her looks this woman was nothing like the sakura he had known. Yes the old sakura would have taken the hit, but to not fall to her knees and cry in pain from a wound like that was and alien thing for her to do. She didn't even show any sign of weakness or pain as she sped on.
All the sudden he felt a wave of chakra. He recognized it as the gen jutsu release technique. He smirked to himself. How interesting. She didn't think he was real. That would explain why she didn't turn around when he called her name.
She stopped on a branch and sasuke stopped beside her. His mind buzzing with curiosity. Her eyes met his before he could rid the look of worry from his features. What she said next made him raise his brow in question "Are you real?"
Was he real? so that confirmed it. She really didn't think he was real."What kind of question is that?" he asked her in his casually arrogant voice.
Something flickered in her eyes and she narrowed them into a glare and stood up. "your right" she said evenly. He watched with utter astonishment ans she whipped the kunai out f her shoulder in one smooth motion only giving the slightest wince and pressed the bloody weapon to his throat. "A better question would be; what are you doing so close to konoha?" she hissed. Sakura kept the kunai firmly in place as he slowly yet carelessly stood.
"hn. Wouldn't you like to know" he purred, in a sinister tone. He smirked coldly when he saw her body quake from his tone.
A/N: Well here's the first chapter of my first naruto fan fic. I hope you all will like it. I've been writing it in my note books and just finished and am now typing it. I'm currently writing the sequel. I originally wrote it just because then currently decided I might as well submit it. So here it is.
Once again I hope you all will like it. Please review!
