As Sasuke Uchiha stood atop the tallest tree he could find on the highest hill, he looked down at his old home. The one he could never return to. The one he cherished deep down in his black heart that is full of revenge and hate.

As he thought of the people that dwelled within it, he felt an ache in his chest. Every time he came near this place or his old team that he dared not even to think of, he would get this aching feeling. His battered up broken heart told him to go home and live on with his life, but his stupid head kept telling him he had things he had to do and he was going to get them done.

He sighed and was about to jump down to the next tree, when he heard a voice that he could never forget, no matter how hard he tried. Every muscle in his body tensed and his heart started beating so loud he had to grip it so he could get ahold of himself. He had not heard her voice in such a long time. It sounded different, less high pitched and squeaky and even more assertive. It sounded strong and like it could never break, but just as loud as before. Some things can just never change.

"I don't see why we have to do border patrol," someone else said, a male's voice. It was like one of those recordings on the phone you would get when all you wanted was to talk to a real person. It was just so monotone, like he had no emotions.

Then he heard her voice. "I've never heard you complain before, Sai. I think you've been hanging around Naruto too much," she said and laughed.

The sound of her laugh made him start to ache. It had literally been forever since he had heard her laugh. He had forgotten what it sounded like. It made him want to laugh and smile with her, just like it had always made him want to do. Hearing her voice was nothing compared to her laugh, since it was so alien to him. Ever since he had left to be Orochimaru's pupil, he hadn't really heard anyone laugh, except for evil or perverted people who weren't laughing at anything that was funny or made them happy. Then he finally killed Orochimaru and developed a team of his own now. Now he was so close to his goal, getting revenge by killing his only brother.

He should probably move or leave right away because he was in enemy territory, but something deep down inside him kept screaming at him that this would never be enemy territory and it would always be his home. And this girl, she had such a hold on him and he could never figure out why. She and the blonde headed idiot both did, and that was why he had to get away. They were swaying him from his goal and he just couldn't have that.

"Well, it looks like we're finished," the boy said, Sai.

He could just feel Sakura nod her head and see those pink locks cascade into her face. "Yes," she said.

He heard Sai start to move, but stop. "Aren't you coming, Sakura?" he asked.

"You go on ahead I just need to go and check something," she told him reassuringly, "I'll be fine."

He heard the boy's footsteps and they started to fade away into the distance. He squinted his eyes, trying to see her, but he was up so high and all the other trees were in his way that he just couldn't. He sighed, and was about to leave when he heard her voice again.

"I know you're out there, Sasuke," she said loudly.

His heart practically stopped. How did she know? He had dimmed his chakra and kept deathly quiet! Well, it didn't matter because he had to get out of here now. Just as he was about to make his way out, the tree started to crumble underneath him. He jumped off it to another lower tree as the old one slowly crumbled to the ground. He was finding it hard to process what had just happened.

"Don't even try to run, you coward!" she screamed.

He gulped and was about to do a transformation jutsu, when this tree started to fall as well. He jumped to the ground and just stood there. There she was, standing there not too far from him. She brought her gloved fist back down to her side and locked her emerald green eyes with his pitch black ones.

He gritted his teeth. This was not supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to see her or even hear her, and she wasn't supposed to know he was there. Her eyes were almost the same as they used to be, but they lacked the warmth they used to have. Now there was a whole lot of fire in them and it made her look a hell of a lot more grown up. She had grown taller, but was still petite. She wasn't wearing that long red dress thing she used to wear, but a red shirt and a pink skirt with those tight shorts underneath and boots on her long perfect legs. They were toned and muscular. Her gloves, he guessed were probably so she wouldn't damage her hands, like with what she did to those trees he was in. For such a small girl, she was pretty damn strong.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly. Now that was not something that he expected. He was used to her kind and caring demeanor, especially towards him. But he knew he deserved everything he got, especially after what he had done to her.

He just stared at her because he didn't even know what to say. He himself didn't even know what he was doing here.

"Still quiet I see," she said, "one thing I know is that you're definitely not here to come home."

So this was still his home to her? At least she still felt the same about one thing. She could read him like an open book, but he just couldn't seem to read her. Mainly because she was totally different, the old Sakura was like a different person than this one. He didn't know how to react to this one.

The look on his face told her, her answer. "I'm not going to ask you to stay or anything like that, because I know that it would be pointless. I'm smart, Sasuke, and I'm pretty damn strong no thanks to you. Hell, if I wanted, I could probably make you stay."

He couldn't help it; he just had to smirk at that. She glared at him and said, "Underestimating me Sasuke wouldn't be very smart on your part. But whatever, I don't really give a shit. I'm not going to fight you because making you stay would be stupid. If you don't want to be here, then that's your damn choice, even if it's one made on ridiculous reasons."

Now he had to speak. "Ridiculous?"

"Yes ridiculous, Sasuke, because you are going to regret everything you do after this is all over. You're going to lose yourself, hell you probably already lost a lot of yourself, but after all this is over you won't be the Sasuke I know. You'll be someone that is broken and consumed with revenge, even more than you are now. But most of all, you're going to feel guilty. He is your brother after all, Sasuke and you loved him at one point and deep down you still do-"

"You're wrong!" Sasuke yelled.

She shook her head and said, "No I'm not, Sasuke. That's why you're getting so angry. You hate yourself for still loving your older brother even after he did what he did-"

"Shut up!" he yelled.

She shook her head. He calmed himself back down. He couldn't believe that he had reacted like that. He shoved everything back inside and looked at her with still angry eyes. He would never be able to get used to her treating him this way.

"Ok look," she said, "I wasn't going to talk about that with you. I was going to ask you something."

He studied her and he could tell that she was telling the truth. "Ask me what?"

"You're going after the Akatsuki, right? Since you're after your brother?"

He nodded and studied her suspiciously. He was confused by this point. He had no idea what she was going to say next.

"Well, I'm after them too. It's for personal reasons and I think the best chance I have to dispose of them, is being a part of your team."

His jaw almost dropped. He collected himself and asked, "What about the village? Do you want to be a missing-nin, like me? You're willing to abandon your village?"

She glared at him and said, "I've already made my decision, Sasuke. I'm not doing this for you, I doing this for all the people I want to protect. If it means that I have to leave everyone I love behind, then so be it. Once the Akatsuki is gone, this world will be a better place. I'm going to do this whether you let me be a part of your team or not. If I have to, I'll do it on my own. My mind is made up. I will not lose anything else that I cherish!"

Her fierce eyes locked with his. He knew that he could be landing himself into a trap and she could feed information back to her superiors while she traveled with him, but deep down he knew that she wouldn't and he was willing to take the chance.

"As long as you don't give out information about my whereabouts or anything like that," he said.

She smiled and asked, "Well, what are we waiting for? I'm ready."

He gave her a confused look and she said, "Don't look at me like that, Sasuke. I had a feeling that you would be here. I can't explain it, I just did."

He smirked at her and remembered the night that he left. She had been there waiting for him. Somehow she had known he was going to leave. He didn't know how or why, but she always seemed to know just what to expect from him. And to be honest, it frightened him a little.