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"I'll see you when I get back." Sasuke Uchiha's dark, masculine voice told Sakura one day, after the fourth Shinobi world war.

The pinkette blinked as he poked her forehead and walked out, onto the path of his travels to rectify his sins.

Sakura Haruno blushed.

That forehead poke…

Did that mean that maybe…...just maybe…. Sasuke finally saw her as more than a pest?

"Sasuke…." Sakura breathed, watching the handsome Uchiha until he disappeared from sight.

Maybe there was still hope.

Only time would tell.

—-

And so, after Sasuke's departure, the days began to pass.

Turning to weeks….

Turning to months…

Sasuke's travels eventually brought him to a small village, far from Konoha, where he rented a room.

By chance, Sakura arrived in that same remote village on a special mission from Naruto and Tsunade, to work at the little village's hospital and train new medical kunoichis.

After one particularly long day, Sasuke found himself eating at the little town's most popular restaurant.

He was served the rice balls he had ordered when he just happened to look over…..

His onyx orbs widened.

"Sa-ku-ra?" Sasuke blinked, doing a double take.

Yes, that was Sakura Haruno sitting at the sake bar, talking to a handsome man with brown hair.

What was she doing in this little village?

Was she following him?

Sasuke started to narrow his eyes when he saw the hospital clearance badge on her shirt for identification.

Oh.

So, she was working here.

That made sense.

Sasuke tried to go back to eating his meal.

However, he found it hard to concentrate….

He had fully intended to see Sakura when he got back to the village one day, but not today….

Was her skirt always so short?

Were her lips always so pink?

And who was this creep she was talking to?

Was that really her date?

Not that he cared, but Sakura could do better.

Sasuke didn't like the looks of him, his eyes, his body language, he looked at Sakura like she was prey.

When Sakura's drink came, she turned away to get her purse for a split second and….

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

Did that man's arm just move…...over her drink?

Sasuke quickly finished his rice balls.

The Uchiha male didn't move from the table, he wouldn't interrupt Sakura's date on a mere suspicion, but…

If…

The couple talked and laughed for a few more minutes…..

Sakura stood to leave, when she suddenly stumbled and the man smirked, putting a hand way too low on her back to steady her.

Sasuke grimaced.

He was right, that loser just slipped something in her drink!

"Here, let me walk you home." Sasuke heard the man say with a malicious grin as he stood and quickly hurried her out of sight, crushing the pinkette against him.

Sakura was a very strong woman, a good kunoichi, but no one could fight in her current state.

It made Sasuke's blood boil that after all the battles she had been through and as noble as her heart was, she was going to be violated by this….creep.

Sakura deserved better than that.

Sasuke slammed money down on the table and left the restaurant in one smooth motion, he could see Sakura and her "date" making their way down the street.

"Hey! Sakura!" Sasuke called.

The pair turned around.

Sakura swayed against the man, her eyes dilated and drowsy, but, she was happy to see Sasuke anywhere, anytime.

"Sas-uke?!" Sakura slurred.

Sasuke scowled.

Whatever this guy gave her must have been really strong.

"Hey buddy, I don't know who you are, but she's had too much, so, I really need to get her home…." The man said with an annoyed frown.

"And it's all your fault." Sasuke growled.

The man tried to feign surprise but Sasuke could see guilt shimmer across his eyes. "What?"

"I saw you slip something in her drink! Get away from her!" Sasuke snarled through gritted teeth.

People like this guy made Sasuke want to puke.

"Look pal, we were just trying to have a little fun. Who are you, anyway?" The man said, pulling Sakura tighter against him.

The pinkette put a hand to her head.

Suddenly, she saw two Sasukes instead of one as her vision double and it was making her queasy.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha of the village hidden in the leaves. I used to call myself an avenger and if you don't step away from her, I may have to wear that title again tonight." Sasuke hissed dangerously, turning in the streetlight so the man could see the glint of the sword strapped to Sasuke's back.

The Uchiha heir and the rapist stared each other down.

Ultimately, the other man was a coward and he decided that Sakura wasn't worth battling a trained Konoha Shinobi over, much less Sasuke Uchiha.

"Fine, buddy, she's all yours." The man snarled in disgust, pushing Sakura into the street towards Sasuke.

"H-hey!" Sakura yelped in surprise, her reflexes were so slowed she couldn't catch herself.

Sasuke growled in anger at the man, and he would have chased him down, but he was too focused on catching Sakura before she hurt herself.

Gracefully, Sasuke scooped her into his arms before her body collided with the ground.

Sasuke's face turned to one of disgust when the impact caused Sakura to vomit in the street, but he held her tight until she was finished, pulling her hair out of her face.

This wasn't Sakura's fault.

This wasn't Sakura's choice.

"Sa-Sasuke…." The pinkette panted afterwards.

Sasuke could feel Sakura's heart racing.

He wondered if he should take her to a hospital?

They might blame this on her and she could lose her job….

"Here, let's get you cleaned up." Sasuke said, lifting her into his arms.

Hopefully she would improve with some rest.

He had no idea where she was staying in the village, so, he took her back to the place he was renting.

Sakura breathed heavily like she had been running while Sasuke closed the door and took off his gear.

"Sakura, I'm going to get you some clean clothes, ok?" Sasuke asked, wanting her consent.

"Sa-suke…...Kakashi said…... Naruto…..Naruto can't each lunch…." Sakura giggled.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, she was really out of it.

He took a deep breath and began to slide Sakura's soiled top off.

Then her skirt….

The Uchiha male ignored his own pulse as it sped up when Sakura was down to her pink lace bra and panties.

He started when he felt a jolt run through his groin as she writhed, threatening to open her legs and show him her most intimate places.

Sasuke was not ready for that.

He was traveling.

He did not have time for that, right now, maybe ever.

He quickly placed once of his clean shirts over her head.

Sasuke drew in a breath when he realized the shirt ended tantalizingly high across her legs.

At least it was better than before.

He scooped the high pinkette up in his arms, trying to ignore what touching her bare legs felt like, trying to ignore the way she looked at him, even in her drugged haze.

Sasuke placed her into his bed, tucking her in carefully.

"But you gave your lunch to Naruto…..to help him….." Sakura whispered.

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"What?" He asked the pinkette as her eyes started to close.

"You're a good guy…..Sasuke." Sakura murmured before she fell into a deep sleep.

Sasuke stood beside of her, just staring down for a minute.

What had he done?

He shouldn't have gotten involved.

He didn't have time for this.

But, he was really glad he had been there, and Sakura would leave in the morning, so, it was alright.

Like a gentleman, Sasuke slept in his clothes, on the small sofa in the room, across from Sakura.

As he rolled over, he scowled in annoyance at the bulge in his pants from earlier that had still not completely gone away…. heard Sakura's whispered words replay through his brain over and over….

Sasuke scowled.

He had pushed Sakura and all of his past out of his mind, he was focused on his travels, and then Sakura just happened to show up in this village and just happened to need help….

And now he couldn't sleep thinking about how much he had actually wanted to see her while he traveled…...

How much her words, her eyes pulled at his heart tonight, beckoned him, enticed him, body and mind…..

Sasuke sighed.

Sakura was so annoying.

Morning came and Sakura woke slowly with a pounding headache.

She remembered her date…..and she had a drink….but after that…not much.

She panicked when she realized she didn't recognize the room she was in, quickly sitting up in bed.

"It's ok. You're safe here." Sasuke's voice came from behind her.

Sakura whirled around, pink hair fuzzed, eyes red, to see Sasuke, as handsome and as flawless as ever, perched on the chair across the room.

"S-Sasuke!" Sakura yelped in surprise.

The two stared at each other for a moment.

Sasuke didn't know what to say and Sakura was trying to remember how she got here.

The pinkette's cheeks turned red as she asked. "Um…...did we….?"

What had she done?!

She finally had a night with Sasuke and she was so wasted she didn't remember!

Sakura began to hate herself until realization dawned on the Uchiha.

Sasuke's cheeks also flushed a pale shade of pink, his eyes wide as he quickly explained, "No! No, it wasn't like that! That loser you went out with slipped something in your drink and I called him out on it! You puked all over yourself, and I didn't know where your place was, so I brought you here and cleaned you up." Sasuke explained.

Sakura smiled at Sasuke's kindness. "Oh, um, thank you, Sasuke, that was very kind."

Kind.

That wasn't a word for Sasuke Uchiha, was it?

Sasuke had work to do, she was better, she could go on her way now.

Sasuke tried to resist the warm, melting feeling he received from her smile.

"You're here for work?" Sasuke asked.

He wanted to kick himself.

Why did he ask that?

Like it mattered.

Like he cared.

"Yeah, Naruto and Tsunade sent me here for a few weeks. I take it you're just traveling through?" Sakura asked as she stood and stretched.

Enough small talk, he needed to get to work for the day.

Sasuke felt himself want to salivate at the outline of her breasts through that thin shirt.

"Actually, I'll be hanging around here for a bit too."

Stupid!

Why did he say that?!

Sakura tied Sasuke's shirt to not be so baggy and slipped on her skirt, which was still wearable, combing her fingers through her hair.

"Oh, well, maybe I'll see you around, sometime?" Sakura asked as she walked towards his door.

For some reason, Sasuke's heart sped up.

It was like Sakura leaving with no set time when they would meet again when they were in this village was causing him to panic.

And it made him angry to see Sakura with that other man last night….

For reasons Sasuke didn't yet understand…..

He had many things to do and couldn't afford any distraction at all, so he hated himself when he blurted out, almost screaming at the pinkette, his onyx eyes wide….

"Would you like to have dinner tonight?!"

Sakura blinked.

She was shocked, happily shocked.

Sasuke stood in agony as her teasingly pink lips gave him a bright, happy smile while she replied, "Oh, yeah Sasuke! That'd be awesome! See you at seven!"

And in a single click, the door closed.

She was gone.

Sasuke's eyes were still wide as he sunk down in the chair.

He had his travels to complete, his sins to rectify.

But he couldn't possibly have let Sakura go again, not like this.

He had just asked her out…..

What had he done?