A Close Friend

by DanichT02

Author's Note: GAH!!!! *faints*

Warning: nothing, zip, nada

Summary: "So who is she?" Jugo asked...."A close friend," Sasuke replied, twirling a Sakura flower petal in his calloused fingers.

The various leaves obstructed my view from the oblivious team. My jade green eyes observed the four rambunctious new members of Akatsuki. I had gotten word of Sasuke joining Akatsuki when Naruto, Sai, and I fought against the two ninja from the Land of Lightning. Their leader was taken by Akatsuki, mainly Sasuke, so we all had a brawl on what we were going to do.

But that's besides the point right now.

All that matters is that I get enough information on Sasuke and his team and return to Naruto and the others. Sasuke's team was taking a short break near where I was resting for a while, so I did nothing but spy on them. I kept my chakra signature way low so that no one could sense me. Although, it is taking a lot of my energy out of me but I can handle it.

I had to make sure that my chakra didn't slip out anytime soon, other wise I'm sure that red-headed girl would sense me and alert the others. I wiped the beads of sweat that rolled down my forehead, it was scorching out today, which made everything harder.

I lightly sighed, but I checked to make sure no one had heard it. I inwardly let out a sigh of relief when the red-headed girl and the white-haired mail were still bickering. Sasuke and the orange-haired guy were busy keeping their thoughts to themselves, none-the-less getting agitated at the two bickering team mates. I sweat-dropped, wondering why Sasuke chose these specific two for his knew team. My eyes looked to the ground, down-cast. When Naruto had heard Sasuke got a new team and joined Akatsuki, his heart broke.

Sure he didn't show it outwardly, but inwardly, he was torn. Torn by the fact that his own brother-like-figure arranged a new team, neglecting him and I, and joined the same organization that was out to get him. I clenched my fists and glared at the ground.

'Sasuke, have you really gone as low as you can go?' I thought. I wanted to reject the idea, but with all the known facts, it was highly impossible. Shaking all of my thoughts out of my head, I concentrated on the Akatsuki team and waited for them to make a move, or let out information.

_ _

It was several hours that Sasuke and his team had been at that spot, and I was sure that Sasuke some how put a genjustu over me. But when I tried to disable it, nothing happened, so I guessed that no one had sensed me. Which was a total victory win on my part.

I brought my gloved hand to my mouth, constricting any noise coming from it as I yawned. It was getting dark out, and the bright baby blue sky was combined with a mixture of pinks, red, oranges, and every other color imaginable.

"Team, we're going to stay here for the night. Suigetsu, you set up the tents, Jugo, you try to catch us some dinner, and Karin, start a fire." Sasuke demanded, face still blank.

"Don't order us around, Sasuke!" Karin ordered, but the red-headed woman still followed his orders and tried to get a fire going. I saw the fish guy smirk and shake his head at 'Karin' and I looked at them blankly.

"And what will the all-mighty Sasuke Uchiha be doing then?" 'Suigetsu' asked. I saw Sasuke give Suigetsu a passive look, and when he turned around and started walking away from the team. I followed Sasuke with my eyes, hoping he wasn't coming to find me. I sweated a bit at the thought, but shook the nauseas feeling off. Seeing as Sasuke was no where in sight, I went towards the direction Sasuke went in and tried to follow him.

It was only moments after, crawling and climbing through various tree limbs and branches did I finally catch up with Sasuke. The sky was more dark now, and the colorful rays of the fading sunlight reduced to a navy blue. My eyes adjusted to the new darkness surrounding the forest as I tried to keep watch of Sasuke.

All he was mainly doing was walking, and I thought he was just day-dreaming or thinking about what he was going to do for plans. Word had gotten out a while ago that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru and Itachi, so it was odd on seeing why he would still be with his newly formed team, and not back in the village.

A twig snapped under my foot and I inwardly cursed myself, hiding myself from the Sharingan eyes of Sasuke Uchiha when his guard was turned on, and so was his Sharingan. Sweat poured down my forehead from my pink hair follicles and my heart raced in my chest. My pulse was beating fast in my ears, and I felt all the blood rush to my cheeks as I held my breath.

Sasuke's trained eyes lingered around the area I was hiding in for a while, before he turned back to the front of him and continued walking. Yet I got the slightest feeling that he didn't turn off the Sharingan. I let out a breath when Sasuke went out of my sight and I sighed in relief when I knew he hadn't sensed me.

"Sakura," a chilling voice called from behind me. Shocked, I pulled out a kunai and whipped around to face my visitor. I was met by the fierce gaze of the Mangekyou Sharingan, and I quickly looked away from his eyes, knowing damn well what those eyes would, could, and will do to me if I looked into his eyes. Sasuke's hand went up to my mouth and clamped it shut. I dropped my kunai in his arm, but he paid no mind to it. When my kunai was embedded, I let go of it's handle, and tried to pry Sasuke's calloused hand off of my mouth. My lights screams and demands were all muffled by his giant hand, and I glared at him. Sasuke, sensing his team mates coming closer, wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me towards a darker part of the forest.

Concealing his chakra so that Karin wouldn't find us. My back was pressed against Sasuke's hard chest, and I fought down the blush. No I wasn't going to succumb to him, he almost killed Naruto so I won't fawn over him anymore. I declared in my mind.

When he sensed the cost was clear, he let me go abruptly, and pushed me into a tree, not too gentle, but not too rough. Just enough force for the pressure to mean he means business. My eyes never met his, and I could feel his Sharingan stare down upon me.

"What are you doing here, Sakura?" Sasuke whispered to me. My stare turned into a glare, yet I still refused to look up at him.

"It's none of your business," I replied, but when Sasuke forced me harder against the tree I knew he was not pleased with my abrupt answer.

"It is when I catch you spying on me and my team."

I gasped, and my eyes widened. He knew I was there the whole time!? I thought Sasuke had read my thoughts, for he smirked down at me and said, "I knew you were there the whole time, Sakura." He whispered. I growled at him and tried to kick him, but he just flew back and smirked at me again.

"Going to try what you did back when we had our first reencounter?" Sasuke taunted I glared at him, but did exactly as he said. I saw Sasuke prepare his katana, and I was ready for his attack. Smirking, knowing Sasuke was thinking I was too naïve to pull of a new trick, I surprised him by slamming my fist onto the ground. Sasuke jumped away, but aimed his sword at me, I got out of the way, but his sword got me a little and scraped some skin off of me. I hissed, bur ignored the stinging sensation. I glared at Sasuke, teeth bared.

I grew angrier when he just gave me an impassive look. I ran up to him ready to punch him with a chakra infused fist, but his hard hand clasped around it and shattered the chakra flowing around it. I growled in slight pain, from the sudden cut off of chakra. I glared at him, but I inwardly glared at myself when I felt the familiar hot watery sensation form in my eyes.

My defensive side weakened, and so did Sasuke's vice grip on my fist. Some tears fell down my cheeks as I glared at his feet. I felt Sasuke's stare on top of my head, and I knew I was going to be the first to say something.

"Why won't you come back Sasuke?" I whispered. He said nothing, but I knew his stare down at me intensified. We were wrapped in silence, and I growled when he still didn't answer me.

"Why won't you come back home Sasuke!?" I screamed at him now starring right in his eyes. I was surprised that his Sharingan wasn't activated, yet it gave me relief that I wouldn't be put into that horrifying world. I gasped when Sasuke pulled me back to his chest, and I unconsciously gripped at his cloak. We stayed there for a few moments, until I asked him calmly again the question I asked previously.

"Why Sasuke, why can't you just come home?" I asked tears soaking his cloak. I only starred up at him, when his cold fingers lifted up my chin and our eyes clashed together. Onyx and Jade, it was a beautiful color, yet also painful. Sasuke still said nothing, but he lowered his head down towards mine, pulling me in for a kiss. I his lips half way as I stood on my tip-toes to meet up with him. Sasuke wounds his arms tighter around my waist and I wrapped my arms around Sasuke's broad shoulders.

We stayed like that for a few moments, until I had to get oxygen, but as I was pulling away, I felt a sudden pressure on my neck, and like the night Sasuke left, I felt myself going unconscious.

"Sasuke-kun, why…." I didn't finish, for my world blackened and I fell into an unwilling state of sleep.

_ _

My jade green eyes squinted open, when the brightness of the sunlight hit my face. It was then that I remembered last nights events and my eyes jolted awake. I sat up but my horrid look became one of shock and confused. I was under a Cherry Blossom Tree, that I guessed was somewhere near Sasuke's team previously was. My eyes watered when Sasuke came up. He had betrayed me once again, using the kiss against me to just knock me out.

'Just like last time,' I thought dryly. I glared at the floor and stood up, knowing Naruto was going to have a fit when I got back to my own camp. I was just about to leave, when my foot crumpled onto something. Confused, I looked down and noticed an unidentified piece of paper on the ground. Skeptical, I picked up and read the contents inside. What I read made me smile and almost cry again.

Only tears of joy this time.

Soon,

Sasuke

_ _

"So Sasuke, you never did tell us why there were tear stains on your shirt." Suigetsu smirked. Karin glared in the background, mentally cursing the lucky girl (or man) that had stained Sasuke's cloak with their unworthy tears. Although she was angry, she said nothing on the matter.

"I told you, I got a bath and my clothes got wet a little." Sasuke said blankly. Suigetsu still smirked at him, knowing that Sasuke didn't get a bath last night, for the only water source near them was him.

"Suuuure," Suigetus taunted and laughed, but it turned into a glare when Karin smacked him, thus pulling both irritating shinobi into another tongue lashing fight against each other.

Sasuke, ignoring the pointless argument, recalled the memories of last night. He smirked, concealing his hidden smile, but Jugo didn't let it go past him.

"So who is she?" Jugo asked.

"An old friend," Sasuke replied, twirling a Sakura flower petal in his calloused fingers.

A close old friend.

Yet another one-shot. It contains little spoilers. But I hope you still liked it!

~DanichT02