Chapter One: Reconnecting

Sasuke rolled onto his side, his head throbbing as an opened and completely empty bottle slid from his grasp. He would take his time to collect himself, his eyes red with the large amount of alcohol he had consumed last night. The red haired sensor lay nearby, cooing softly in her sleep; Sasuke pushed himself upright in the small cot he had shared with Karin, now searching aimlessly for his clothing. Although he had tried to kill her at the summit she had lived long enough to be saved, although in hindsight her usefulness was running thin and he was tired of giving her affection for her so-called help, which now was surely lacking.

''Ahhh,'' grumbled Sasuke, his head feeling as though it had been seemingly split open by the hangover that pounded the inside of his skull.

Managing to dress himself and stumble out of the cave he shared with the last remaining member of his criminal organization, Taka, Sasuke would turn his crimson optics to glance upon the sleeping women still resting in the cot, who had now unconsciously taken the whole of the bed and blankets to cover her. His glance would turn into one of mere annoyance at looking at the loose woman who had lain near him in bed the night before.

''I just should have left her at the summit. She ain't even good in the sack anymore,'' he remarked to himself as he thought about the next course of action for his team of two and the new mission they had been given. The sun was now at a high arch above them, shining down upon him, causing the Avenger to close his eyes in pain from the rays of the sun. The hangover raged in his head and he could not shake it at the moment; sighing in an annoyed way he turned back into the cave despite his unrest towards beginning his new mission.

Meanwhile in the Hidden Leaf Village, the pink-haired kunoichi Sakura strolled gracefully down the streets of the village, returning from a routine C-Rank mission that had not diminished her spirit. The mission had been fairly simple and had been close to home, causing her swift return to the village. She had causally entered the village and was now walking down the streets of the village, greeting those who came by as she entered her home nearby.

Her eyes, even though they were the happy orbs of the women who had long since been a burden to her team and had certificated it with long spurts of hard training, cast a glare now upon the old photo of Team Seven. Of a younger Sakura, a foolish Naruto, a watchful, happy Kakashi, and... Sasuke. Her heart began to beat a slight second faster, though to her it was like her heart was trying to escape from her chest, trying to stab its way out. Remembering the pain and love, tears welled up in her eyes as she stared down at the picture of her forgotten team.

''Sasuke...''she spoke quietly in a weak voice, her younger self seeming to come from the picture she stared at and control the older and more mature Sakura. Like she was having a lap in her mind, she was seemly dragged along in her memories, remembering the times with Team Seven and how she had grown to truly love Sasuke as she did.

''What do I do?'' she spoke quietly to herself, contributing to her own conservation with herself as the only audience. She had offered to leave and head off with Sasuke at the Kage Summit in order to get close enough to kill him and save him from harming himself anymore. Her plot had fallen and even now, even when Sasuke threw himself deeper and deeper into the darkness, she could not banish her love for him. For it was an eternal flame that burned only for him, and it would not be put out until one of their deaths was apparent. She knew then that no matter what happened, who or what Sasuke did or killed, she was his and if he wanted her she would come running.

'' Can I really be with you?''

Back in the campsite Sasuke was looking out at the sun fully now, his head having seemed to stop thumping from the massive intake of alcohol so that he would be able to sleep next to the women he called his 'partner'; the red-haired women who he had taken in a drunken state and made love to, though this was a common reoccurrence and her lack of stamina these days no doubt limited him and annoyed him into the chore of doing it with her so he wouldn't have to hear her whine about how he didn't want her.

Her voice now rang throughout the cave as her noisy awakening further irritated the Uchiha male. Karin was standing, as she, unlike Sasuke, had not drank as much of the alcohol as he had and so her motions where sharper and more defined. She gave Sasuke a lazy smile from the cot they had shared, causing Sasuke to turn and look away from her, his eyes as cold and emotionless as ever. Karin strolled over to Sasuke wearing nothing but a thin robe over her body, and draped her arms around the tight muscled abdomen of Sasuke.

''Sasuke-Kun you were great last night,'' she spoke with a great deal of pleasure as she pressed herself into the solid rigid man whom she claimed to have loved. She was happy the others were gone, as her wounds from the Summit were almost gone even if Sasuke had tried to kill her. 'He had a reason', she thought to herself 'and now he is all mine; no more pompous wannabe swordsmen to get in my way of my ravishing Sasuke.' Her mind was seemingly blank with the ecstasy of the last week or so of being with Sasuke, and she hardly realized he had spoken until he was abruptly pushing her away, telling her simply that they were moving out and for her to get dressed before he left her behind.

''Sasuke?'' she started before she was cut off by the eyes of Sasuke staring down at her; those cold eyes that could melt the hottest embers of a raging flame; those eyes that she feared as she snapped into motion and ran to get dressed and ready, else Sasuke would leave her behind. He had before and she did not wish for it to happen once more.

''Where are we going?'' she asked while she dressed herself, hoping that conversation would stop any attempt for him to leave before she was ready to go.

'' To recruit another member to Team Taka.'' Another member? Was Sasuke bored of her? Why did he need another person hanging around them when what they had was so special and perfect? She flashed with anger and egotism as she stared at Sasuke whilst dressing.

''Oh and why do we need a new member? Am I not enough?" Sasuke bit his tongue on the reply to that, instead merely turning his back and smirking as he awaited the women to be dressed and ready to go. If nothing else he could use her loud ass mouth as a decoy for his plot, though it would be a shame to waste such a good sex toy. He laughed mentally at that, his first laugh in nearly a week's time. Karin was soon dressed as ready to go, but still yapping about how Sasuke needed to listen.

'' Karin. Shut up,'' he stated, and in shock and embarrassment Karin did shut her mouth. 'Thank God for small favors' thought Sasuke as he looked out at the landscape before him. Lots of lustrous trees created a dense forest that connected them to the Land of Fire, and they started off into said forest and into the Land of Fire.

'' Keep an eye out, Karin. Leaf Ninja won't take us lightly if they find us.''