Posted: 3-09-09

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto...*sighs*

Summary: To win the foreboding war, the last Uchiha was called to lead the army. Uchiha Sasuke would fulfill his duties if only to make sure that the person he cared about would live a safe and content life. Though Sakura wasn't going to let him go without a fight. And even though he left without her knowing, and uncertain of him coming back alive, she promised that she would wait for him…always. Though when her mother finally intervenes, Sakura finds her self in wedlock and in despair...and then he returns.

Pairing: Sasuke x Sakura (beginning to end)

Rating: T, some fluff here and there

Thinking of You

By DreamDevourer

Chapter One
A call of duty

"Why are you acting so strange, Sasuke-kun?" the young woman underneath him asked with a small smile on her lips.

He stopped nibbling on her neck and sighed.

Her smile slowly vanished as he removed himself off of her. He sat at the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Something's bothering you," she commented as she scooted to his side. "What's wrong?" She placed her hand on his warm broad shoulder, and tenderly caressed it.

His response was another sigh as he placed his elbows on his knees and rested his head on his hands.

"I just saw you yesterday afternoon, Sasuke-kun, and you were fine, so why are you looking so gloomy now?" she said with a small chuckle, trying to lighten up his mood.

"Sakura…I…" He bit the inside of his mouth, unsure of how to tell her. He rubbed the white bandage that was wrapped around his forearm.

Sakura didn't miss a beat. With a worried look she got off the bed and kneeled before him. "Oh, no, is it your arm? Does it still hurt? Do you need to change the bandage?" She made a move to touch the white material but he gripped her wrist, stopping her from touching him. Her brows knitted in confusion. "Do you want to go see the doctor? Or maybe I should bring him here— "

"It's not the arm— "

"Well, if it isn't your arm then what is it?" she asked, a bit too anxious. She placed her left hand on his knee and waited for him to tell her his problem. "Sasuke-kun, come on. You're scaring me…"

"I didn't hurt my arm from training," he spoke lightly, keeping his eyes away from her face.

"What do you mean? You told me that you were training with one of your teammates, and you weren't able to dodge his attack, and then you were cut by his weapon…" her voice trailed off as he kept on slowly shaking his head.

"I lied."

"Lied?" she nearly choked. "You would never lie to me Sasuke-kun— "

"Just listen," he cut in a bit too brusquely. He ignored her stunned face and continued, "I told you that I got hurt from practice because I didn't want you to find out. I didn't want to tell you until I was certain it was true."

She didn't notice her fingers were digging into his knee until he held that hand in his rough one.

"Certain that what was true?" she questioned, unsure of how to feel at this moment. She was confused as to why he was keeping a secret— he never kept secrets, and he never lied, at least not to her. "Sasuke-kun, what were you waiting for to be certain of? Please…"

He released her hand and she placed her hands on her own lap, waiting for him to continue. He said nothing, nor did he meet her eyes.

"What have you been covering with that bandage for these past two weeks then?" she asked. She didn't know why she was starting to feel uneasy.

Either he didn't hear her softly spoken question, or he was ignoring her for he didn't respond, nor did he move an inch.

Sakura stood up on her feet and sat on the bed beside him again. She half expected him to pull away once she started to remove the bandage.

Sasuke was unconsciously holding his breath as she unwrapped the bandage. He tilted his head so he could get a better look at her face. She looked shocked, probably confused as to why there wasn't any trace of blood on the bandage, nor a scar. And when she turned his forearm, she gasped.

"You got a tattoo!?" she asked with disbelief. "I can't believe you had me all worried over a tattoo…" her voice left her as her fingertips traced the black numbers on his skin. "No…no…you would never…" she mumbled. The white bandage slipped out of her right hand and her left remained on his arm. "Sasuke-kun, tell me this is a joke— no don't even say it is. It's too cruel of joke. Just tell me it's a nightmare, that I'm still asleep and when I wake up, your arm will be hurt just as you said it were." Her eyes started to blur up. "Sasuke-kun! Tell me I'm dreaming!" she demanded, standing up.

He didn't meet her gaze, he knew she'd react like this. He didn't blame her, after all, no one would want their loved ones to go to war.

"Slap me awake! Sasuke-kun, hit me so I can wake-up in your arms, and then we can both laugh at this dream!" Not waiting for him to do so, she slapped the top of her hand. Her hand turned a light shade of red.

"You're not dreaming," Sasuke stated, slowly raising his head to meet her scared eyes.

"Yes I am! I am! Oh, God, please let this just be a dream," she started sobbing. "You told me you would never enlist! You told me you'd always be with me! That you'd always be mine! We'd always be together! " she shouted at him as she wiped away her tears.

"Sakura— "

"Or were all those words just part of your ploy to get me into bed?" she sniffled. "Of course, how naïve could I have been? To think that you would even have feelings for me! I bet you have some other woman hidden somewhere! With the way people gossip about you, you probably have dozens! And I'm just some fool— "

He couldn't take it anymore. He hadn't expected her think in such away. Within the blink of an eye, he grabbed her wrists and pushed her onto the bed. "I have no one but you," he growled, pulling her hands above her head. "And don't you ever think otherwise." He closed his lips over hers, roughly, rapaciously. His lips nibbled and sucked hers; slowly, lingeringly, his tongue traced the outline of her mouth, tasting her salty tears on the curve of her lips.

She pressed her lips tightly together, stopping the feverish kiss. She knew he was trying to distract her, as he always did by kissing her, but that wasn't going to happen now. Although she stopped her actions, he continued with his. His kissed the corner of her lips, moving onto her jaw line, and her body unwillingly responded as she let out a small pleasured moan.

"Do you love me?" she asked moments later. She was trying her best to keep her voice from cracking.

"You know I do," he mumbled against her cheek, kissing away her tears.

"Then why are you leaving me?"

"Sakura, please don't," he pleaded with a frown as he pulled away.

"Don't what, Sasuke-kun? Huh? Don't ask you to stay? Should I let you go without a fight? Tell me, Sasuke-kun, do you think I care so little about you that I would let you go to war without fighting for you to stay first!?" She pushed him away and kept a good distance from him.

He sighed, unsure of how to handle her now. He wished she weren't so stubborn, though on the other hand, it was her stubbornness that he fell for. Her stubbornness and her caring nature. He reached for her hand but she moved further away until her back hit the headboard.

"You aren't allowed to touch me again until you swear to me that you won't ever leave me," she stated with those stubborn, beautiful emerald eyes that would always make him say 'yes'. But not this time. It was different now. He couldn't choose her above his duties, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Sakura, you knew very well that this day would come." She looked away with hands folded across her chest. "Why else would I train if not to serve my country?" He was trying very hard to be reasonable but if she was going to continue to ignore him, he was going to lose it.

"Gee, I don't know! Maybe I assumed you were trying to impress the ladies!" she scoffed, no humor was intended. She glared at the wall. The bed creaked lightly and her glare slowly averted to the young man that was now putting his shirt on. She felt like crying enough tears to overflow a river. Would this be the last day they were together? "What will it take for you to stay, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, she no longer glared. Her features made her look like a kid, not like the soon to be nineteen year old that she was.

He didn't turn to look at her, nor did he respond. He walked to the window and stared at the grey clouds.

"If I get on my knees and beg, would you stay?"

He didn't move from his spot. It was silent for moment and only his tapping on the window was heard.

"Maybe I should go beg the General instead!" she was getting angry— at him for not responding and at herself for not having enough power to keep him here. She crawled to the middle of the bed. "Don't test me, Sasuke-kun. You know very well that when I put my mind to something, I always do it. And if I say I'll plead with the General, then I bloody-hell will do so!"

"Stop being so unreasonable, Sakura," he demanded in dangerous tone, one that he only used during the training of his team. "Nothing you do or say will change my mind." He turned around and narrowed his coal eyes at her.

"Oh, so you do want to go off to war!? So much for all of your past objections about killing people!" Her hands formed into tight fists as she sat in the middle of the bed, her legs bent underneath her bottom.

Sasuke ran both hands through his jet black hair and slowly walked towards her. "I have my duties, Sakura, you of all people should know that. I am to serve my country whenever they need me— and now they need me to fight for them."

"They have plenty of other men they can send off to die!" Just saying the last word brought tears to her eyes.

He sighed, sitting on the bed. He made a move to touch her hair, but she slapped his hand away. "I told you, you aren't allowed to touch me—humph." She made a sound of objection when she was pushed down on the bed.

"I don't like being rejected, Sakura," he said through clenched teeth as he hovered over her.

"I don't like being left alone!" she shot back, trying her hardest to free her hands from his grip.

"You won't be alone, you have a family. Who, need I remind you, don't even know where you spend your afternoons at— or rather, with. " He wasn't sure why he felt the need to bring that subject up.

Her heart nearly shattered. She didn't miss that tone— that angered, saddened tone. It was her idea from the beginning to keep their relationship secret. It was improper to have a relationship with a man, unless of course that man was your husband.

"I'll tell them! I'll tell my mother that I'm with you! I'll tell the whole world that I belong to you, if you stay!"

"If only you would do so when you are not threatened by my leaving you," he said with a light smirk formed by his perfect lips.

It felt as if she were just slapped by a metal hand. Her keeping their relationship secret really has hurt him.

"Then we'll do it tomorrow morning! We'll go together, or I can go tell her on my own if you don't want to come! No, we don't have to wait until tomorrow. I'll go right now— " She raised her upper body, but was pushed back in seconds. "I'm being serious, Sasuke-kun," she added sincerely, thinking he didn't trust that she would tell her family about him.

"I knew you'd object to this, Sakura, but I didn't think you'd raise such a tantrum." His choice of words weren't the best, and usually were always bluntly put, but it was too late to take them back.

"Tantrum!?" she scoffed, but found no other combat. She pressed her lips tightly together as she turned her head to the side. "Get off me, Uchiha Sasuke."

He obeyed without an argument. "I need to go Sakura, I'm sorry."

God, how she wanted to curl up in a ball right now and cry her eyes out. Didn't he know how much he meant to her? How much she would miss him? Did he think she'd just move on, and not worry whether or not he was alive each and everyday? She wasn't throwing a tantrum just for attention!

"They have other men," she said as if hoping to remind him of those hundreds of men in the training camps.

He watched her closely as she placed a hand under her head to act as a pillow, and the other rested over the light green kimono. "But they need me…someone who knows what to do."

She caught on in an instant. She may be a complete ditz when it came to feminine things, but when it came to the military, she knew how it worked— all thanks to her deceased father.

"In other words, they need an Uchiha," she spat with hatred. She didn't mean to sound so insulting, but she was angry. Not at the fact that he was an Uchiha, but at the fact that they were so easily used one moment and then the next, they are left to salvage for themselves.

"Yes, Sakura, Uchihas are preferable at the times of war," he remarked, letting her comment slip.

"Well, damn them—all those who sit in their high chairs ordering you around—to hell!" she snapped, sitting back up. Damn anyone who would use another without any regards to that person's life. Her eyes blurred again. "What more can those bastards ask of you and your family!?"

He stood up and walked back to the window.

"Family? There aren't any Uchihas left but you! How could they think to send the last of the Uchihas to war!? They could so easily send you off to defend this forsaken country, and yet they couldn't send their own to protect you and your family when you needed them! How could you serve them so freely!?" She rolled off the bed and stood a good yard away from him. "You're the last of your kind, Sasuke-kun, you could so easily turn them down if you wanted to."

He turned around with such speed that she didn't even see him move. He gripped the back of her head and pulled her close so that his face was but an inch away. "Don't insult me with such words, Sakura. My family has died protecting this country, and I am proud to be doing the same," he said through gritted teeth. He was angry now. Why couldn't she understand why he was doing this? It was not so he could leave her, it was so he could protect her.

"My father once mentioned to me how proud you Uchihas were to die while fighting. What a noble way to die, Sasuke-kun. Forgive me for trying to stop you from getting your honorable death," she replied with a small saddened smile on her lips.

"God, you are so infuriating!" His grip tightened and she let out a small painful gasp, but made no move to push him away. "Why can't you understand that I'm going to fight so I can be sure you are safe!? Why can't you see that I could careless about everyone else here— everyone but you! If the enemy is defeated by my hands, then I know you'll be able to live a safe life. Even if I may not be there, I'll still be happy to know that you are alive and living happily…" he stopped talking before he got too emotional. Going off to war with such emotions could be the very death of him. He needed to have a clear mind for tomorrow's leave.

His hand on her head loosened and he detangled his fingers from her pink locks.

She pushed him away and turned her back to him. "Sounds to me that you wouldn't care if I were to live my life with some other man."

His body stiffened, he hadn't thought of that. He knew that he wanted her to be happy, and not wait for him to return because maybe he would never return. So for her to be happy, she would have to move on. She'd get married and have children, and their relationship would long be forgotten. His fists clenched at such a thought.

She walked back to the bed and laid on the left side. She was to be home at six and it was only four, so she decided to sleep this off, and hopefully by the time she got home, her heart would stop crumbling.

"If another should catch your interest, then by all means, let him love you the way I do," he said hoarsely as returned to her side.

The bed sagged behind her and she wasn't sure how long she went without breathing. She couldn't believe what he just said. He was the only one— and will be the only one— who has captured her interest. The second she felt his hand on her shoulder, she shrugged him off and closed her eyes tightly. This was a dream.

Sasuke didn't fare so well with being ignored. His grip on her shoulder tightened as he roughly rolled her on her back. He pinned her down by her shoulders and narrowed his eyes at her face. Tears still seeped through her closed eyelids. The tip of her nose was red from her crying and her bottom lip quivered. It wouldn't be long before she finally broke down.

"But I'll be damned if they could love you the way I do." To prove his point, he captured her trembling lips, and while his right hand held his weight, his left started to pushed away her kimono, revealing her luscious, porcelain skin. She gasped at the sudden contact of his cold hand against her warm skin.

He would show her how much he cared for her, this one last time.

To be continued

Hey readers!

So, here's to a story that will hopefully conclude in 5 chapters and will be successful. :)

Hope you enjoyed! You are more then welcomed to share your thoughts about the story/writing/characters/questions.

Thanks!
DeeDee