New story dedicated to -authoress-next-door-

I'm really sorry!

Nothing is mine except the plot.

Sakura was walking down the street heading for her house. It was midnight and she just finished working at the hospital. A surgery prevented her to go home early.

She sighed as she felt an aching pain on her back.

"You seemed stressed." A familiar voice whispered in her ear. She spun around and her face was covered in shock as the kunai in her hand clashed with a katana.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She demanded.

"Sakura."

"Uchiha." She spat out.

"Well, that was unexpected." He sighed then pulled out his katana. Sakura didn't keep her kunai ans she still held her fighting stance.

"I won't hurt you." he said.

"Yeah, right. For all I know, Juugo is hiding somewhere with Suigetsu and that slutty red-head girlfriend of yours." Sakura narrowed her eyes.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow then crossed his arms casually. He seemed like he was just having a normal conversation. Sasuke sighed then looked down at the ground.

Sakura stood upright then rolled her eyes. She turned around and stomped away. Then Sasuke's cold hands grabbed her wrist.

"What the fuck do you want from me you jerk!" She shouted as she removed Sasuke's grip.

"Hey! I'm not doing anything here! You're the one who's making up conclusions!" He said.

"Wow. You've changed." Sakura was wide-eyed.

Sasuke tilted his head to the side.

"Changed?" He smirked. "I'm more handsome now and-"

"Annoyingly talkative."

"And annoyingly talka- Hey!" Sasuke stared down at Sakura.

Sakura suppressed a giggle. "If you'll excuse me 'oh great Uchiha', I'm tired and I only had two hours of sleep last night." She was gonna walk away again when Sasuke grabbed her wrist again.

"WHAT?!" She demanded. "WHAT DO YOU FREAKIN' WANT YOU COLD-HEARTED JERK?!"

"Listen to me first!" He said.

Sakura sighed, she knew he wouldn't let her go.

"You know, if you weren't my team mate and Naruto's best friend, I should've killed you right now."

"So, are you listening?" he asked.

Sakura sighed then nodded. Sakura yawned then stretched. "Will you hurry this? I'm really tired."

He nodded. "I need your help."

Sakura gasped at his remark. She glanced at his eyes and noticed that he was serious.

"If this is some dirty work you want me to do then just forget it." She said, yawning again.

"Since when did you have eye bags?" He damanded.

"Since you left and everyone panicked and searched for you and came back either with broken insides or bleeding brain." She said.

Sasuke scoffed. "I never told anyone to save me."

"And I never told you to come here and bug me to death." She glared at him. "Which brings us back to your need of help."

"Ah yes..." he remembered. "You see... I'm sick."

"Sick? Fever or something? You could buy medicine or does your new village lack the necessary drug store?" She said hard.

"You've changed yourself Sakura." He added. "That's beside the point and topic."

"Fine. Some doctor in Sound told me that I have some unknown illness and the illness is slowly eating my chakra and I will eventually die. So I need you to help me cure this virus." He explained.

Sakura had droopy eyes. She yawned then stretched her arms. "Um... sure... I guess. BUT... in one condition."

"Shoot." He said.

Sasuke stood a few inches in front of her. Sasuke stared at the tired blossom in front of him. She looked stressed and drained out. She looked like she will be out in seconds.

"No one, and I mean no one should know about this and if I find out that your friends hang around here and you guys threaten this village I swear I will personally rip your intestines out and feed you to sharks." She said in one breath.

Sasuke blinked. "Fine. But I have one condition to your condition."

Sakura nodded. "Fine. What is it?"

"You have to do whatever I want." He said.

Sakura was shocked. "You're the one who's asking for the favor here!"

Sasuke pouted then smirked. "Then I'll just have to tell my buddies here to kill Naruto and the others."

"That's against my condition." She reminded.

"Hmph. Then how about this, you do whatever I want as long as it's not destructive or threatening or will endanger this village. How's that sound?"

Sakura thought for a second. "Fair enough."

"Good. When will we start?" He asked.

"Now." She answered quick.

"But you're half asleep!" He pointed at her.

"Am not. Besides, if this illness is just some advance virus your stupid, moron of a doctor mistook for a killing disease, then you'll go away fast."

Ouch. That hurt.

Sakura walked towards her house with a shadow following her. She opened the door then let him in. Her house was big. Thanks to the overtime pays she receives and the money rewards she receives when she is sent to different countries and villages for her healing techniques.

"Wow, nice mansion."

"Thanks." She sighed then motioned him to follow her.

Sakura entered with Sasuke to a small clinic-like room.

"This your office?" He asked, gazing at the test-tubes and liquids of different colors.

"This is my lab. Now, go sit there like a good boy and wait for me." She said as she went out of the room.

Sasuke gazed around. Who knew Sakura would have a lab of her own? Sasuke felt weak. His chakra was sure fading. Sasuke noticed a small desk and went over it. He saw an opened letter. He looked at the door then took the paper and read it.

Good day to you Miss Haruno!

We are amazed at your medical techniques and we would like to invite you to our village to enhance those skills...

Sasuke stopped reading then looked at the paper under it. There were five more letters and all of them were invitations for Sakura to leave Konoha and enahance her medical abilities.

He looked at the dates and saw that they were last year's letters. "Wonder why Sakura would turn down such wonderful offers?"

"Because I love Konoha."

Sasuke quickly placed back the papers then stared at the newly dressed Sakura. She was wearing a gray shirt and black sweatpants. She had a white coat and her hair was tied in a bun.

"You look... warm." He said.

"Whatever. Now, I need a sample of your blood." She said as she pulled out a syringe from her coat pocket. Sasuke nodded then pulled up the sleeve of his blue shirt. He changed his clothes to his ordinary ninja clothes but he wore khaki pants this time.

After taking out his blood, Sakura hid it to a safe place then sighed. "You can go now. I'll tell you the results tomorrow?"

"That's it?" He raised an eyebrow.

"What? Do you want to be cut open?" she yawned.

"Fine. You can't function properly anyway. Good night Sakura..." And with that he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura yawned then headed upstairs to her room. She opened the glass balcony door a bit to let in some fresh air. She took a deep breath then tucked herself in.

"I wonder why she lives alone?" Sasuke thought as he stood outside the balcony, observing her.

"Sasuke, if your wondering why I'm living alone it's because my parents died years ago. Now go before I kill you. Lemme sleep."

Sasuke gasped and his jaw-dropped. "How did-"

"I have a new technique. I use chakra to read other people's minds when they are off-guard." She explained.

"What are you doing here anyways?" She asked not looking. Her back was facing the balcony.

Sakura waited but he didn't respond. She sat up then turned her back. She gasped then jumped out of bed. She opened the sliding glass door then went towards Sasuke. He was on the floor, writhing in pain.

"Sasuke!" She said as she helped him sit up. Sasuke held his cursed seal.

Deja vu

He held Sakura's hand as he groaned in pain. Sakura placed on hand above his hand that was holding the cursed seal and a pink chakra appeared.

Sakura concentrated and ignored her tired state. He needs her now.

"What... are you... doing?" He asked.

"I'm trying to ease the pain, now relax." She said.

Sasuke tried to relax and it worked. The pain slowly subsided until it was gone. Sasuke fell on the floor and panted hard. Sakura was panting as well.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Hn." He nodded.

Sakura sighed. "Maybe you should stay here for the night."

Sasuke stared deep into her eyes. She really had changed. She wasn't all fan-girl over him. She had matured and become a wonderful, caring person.

"Fine." He said as he tried to stand up.

Sakura helped her then he placed an arm around her shoulders for support, Sakura made him sit on her king-sized bed and went out of the room. Sasuke was still panting and he lied down on Sakura's bed. Not in the pillows but he just laid at the middle where he sat.

He placed a hand on top of his forehead. "What is happening to me?"

As if on cue, Sakura entered the room with pillows and some blankets. "I'm sorry Sasuke. The guest rooms are still empty, you could stay in the sofa." She said.

Sakura's room was huge. She had a sofa set, a tv, book shelves and her own bathroom.

"Okay." He said as he carefully sat up then stood up and then went towards the red sofa. He took the pillows and the blanket then lied on the sofa.

"Comfy?" She asked.

Sasuke nodded then he placed his katana on the floor then he closed his eyes. Sakura sighed then went to her bed. She closed the lights then rested her head on her pillow.

"Weird. A sworn enemy of Konoha, a criminal, a missing-nin, Naruto's best friend, and the person my heart shouts is here. In my room."

Sakura sighed before finally drifting off to sleep.

-

When morning came, Sasuke woke up and saw that Sakura was gone. He sat up then he saw a note on the center table.

"I'm at work. Help yourself at whatever is in the house. I already cooked breakfast. Just don't go out. If someone comes, don't answer the door. Sakura."

Sasuke sighed then stood up. He headed for the kitchen which he found after a few minutes of getting lost inside the large house. He sat on a chair he got from under a counter then looked at the breakfast Sakura made.

He smiled as he saw the food.

"Tomato soup." He said.

"My favorite."

Okay. I'll just cut it short here.