Warning: This story deals with a heavy issue, and I do not wish to offend anyone's beliefs/stands on this issue, so discretion is advised. If you are somehow offended, I apologize in advanced.

UPDATED/REWRITTEN - March 24, 2008

Title: Kiss Me Deadly

Summary:

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Sakura thought she could break that law.

- Some mistakes are meant to be left in the past, but when Sakura is assigned to a mission that involves trespassing on Sound, she finds facing her own inner demons inevitable; especially since he, the individual responsible for her furies, wants what she took away back.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. (Applies to every chapter)

Chapter One: Careless Whisper

Sakura couldn't begin to describe the feeling plaguing her body, the emptiness making it's way through her very core. Guilt churned her insides, tying her stomach in knots. At last Sakura leaned over and heaved, the acidic vile left an aftertaste that loomed in her mouth for a good few minutes.

"Are you ok?" Getting up off her knees, Sakura acknowledged her teammate Naruto. "I can deal." She had to. Sakura was too strong to let the furies of the past destroy her life. Everyone makes mistakes, even murder.

"I know. We all can."

He was right. They were both trained by the best of the best, sanin ninjas Tsunade and Jiyara. They could easily take on whatever dared to cross their paths. But then again, so was he. Her eyes glazed with tears and Sakura found herself digging her nails deep into her thighs. She felt dirty, disgusting; and not because she revisited breakfast.

"We're heading out at sunrise, so I'd try to get some sleep." Sighing, Sakura brought her knees to her chest. No, she couldn't sleep, too many thoughts.

She could still feel the sensation of his hands on her back, the taste of his lips at her mouth, the way he said her name...

"Sakura..."

"Sakura!" Naruto shook Sakura's arm, violently snapping her back into reality. "Sakura, this is the sixth time I've caught you zoning out during this mission, and we haven't even officially started yet. If whatever is bothering you causes you to become a liability to the mission, then I will have to take you off the team..."

Naruto stopped his rant when he caught a glimpse of Sakura's eyes. The usually lively green orbs were now dead cold, giving off an unreadable expression. Unknown to Naruto was that Sakura's mind was racing, attempting to confirm her actions from long ago.

"Everyone makes mistakes, right?"

"Sakura, is this about..." He wanted to ask her, but Naruto just couldn't bring himself to say the words. Some things from the past are just too taboo to ever revisit, let alone mention.

"Naruto...I.." Sakura drew her hands to her stomach and let out a soft, muffled cry.

"I...killed it."

Naruto's mouth parted and he attempted to find the right words to comfort her. "Sakura, it's alright, don't cry...please."

"I ruined his dream. I killed it." Her eyes glazed but Sakura quickly wiped away the tears; after all, a good shinobi shows no emotion.

Naruto had no explanation for what he did next, leaning down and kissing her. Looking up at Naruto, Sakura no longer felt guilty, but comforted. The kiss itself wasn't filled with lust or passion, but understanding; Naruto's own way of telling her everything was going to be alright.

Pulling back, Naruto took another look at Sakura's eyes. The emerald orbs reflected his own cerulean eyes with a bright glow. No longer dead, her eyes dilated as the evening light slowly dimmed.

"I should go..." Naruto released Sakura from his grip, and as she watched him leave the room, each second passed by played like frame in her mind.

Though hard to admit, Sakura liked the way Naruto made her forget all the mistakes, even if it is only for a few moments. However, forgetting the mistakes will never replenish the part of her soul that is gone.

In Sakura's mind, her action was equal to killing someone on a mission with a kunai, maybe even worse.

At the time, it didn't sound like murder, but neither does "A rank mission." Talking about missions, Sakura wasn't too keen about the one she was currently on. Fortunately, it would all be over soon enough.

They always were.

Hours passed like minutes, and before Sakura knew it, the mission had already begun.

Her assignment was simple enough, tend to the medical needs of any casualties; but it was the mission in whole that made Sakura weary.

It required trespassing on Sound. The Hidden Village of Sound.

This was the mission, or as far as Sakura knew: An extremely influential individual's daughter had been taken hostage by the rouge Sound village. Konoha-nin had been hired to act as mediators and help arrange her with a safe return. But, even if Sound's demands are met, there is still a wide margin of risk, and in the briefing sempai warned Sakura that 'force may be necessary'.

As the Konoha team cautiously made their way through the thick forest of Sound, Sakura struggled to keep her senses heightened. Everything was a fog, too many reminders; too many memories.

As hard as it is to believe, it was almost a year ago she was treading through the exact same patch of forest. Except the circumstances were different.

Her body trembled with sheer terror as Sakura slowly took in her surroundings. Bodies sprawled across the forest's floor, the metallic taste of blood intoxicating the air. It was all too much for one nin to handle.

"Why?" Was all that could escape her lips. Why had her team been ambushed? Why had her life been spared? No, wait, she subconsciously knew why, she just refused to acknowledge the answer.

"Sakura, you'll be alright," a familiar voice uttered, and just like that, Sakura collapsed into a pair of muscular arms.

"Sakura, are you alright back there?" Looking up, Sakura nodded to one of the older, more experienced ninja.

No, she wasn't alright, but any sign of emotion is a weakness; - Sakura reminded herself, disregarding his question.

"Nothing I can't handle." The Jonin continued ahead and Sakura followed, hoping Naruto was too occupied to notice her change in disposition.

"So, what's the deal with this girl anyway? I mean, who gets kidnapped by Sound?" A teammate asked aloud.

Sakura was wondering that herself. She assumed the successful merchant they were hired to serve wasn't completely honest in his work, and Orochimaru just took the poor girl out of gripe. Though Sakura's heart went out to the girl, Oto was no where near as civil as Konoha when it came to dealing with POWs or hostages.

Sakura knew this because for a short period of time, she was hostage of Oto herself.

Sakura never classified herself as a claustrophobic, or at least not until that night. The cold, damp, prison floor numbed her tiny frame as she attempted to make sense of her surroundings.

"So you're the hostage from Konoha? Quite a pretty thing." Inching her way against the cell's wall, Sakura avoided the sound-nin's gaze.

"Don't lay a finger on her." Sakura's ears perked up as she recognized the familiar timbre. It was the same voice that haunted her dreams.

Closing her eyes tightly shut, Sakura's body continued to tremble; not out of fear, but anticipation.

"We'll set up camp here. Naruto, I'm going to need you to begin surveillance immediately. After about an hour I'll lead half of the team out. The rest will stay behind as backup." Nodding to their sempai, the team of Jonin dispersed to start their individual tasks.

"Sakura, do you mind?" Making her way into the makeshift medical tent, Tenten unwrapped the gauze binding her palm, revealing an unsightly wound.

"This happened while I was training before this mission. I tended to it myself, but my hand is still sore; I was hoping a real medic-nin could check it out." Sakura gingerly took a hold of Tenten's hand. "It looks infected, I'm going to apply an antiseptic." Stepping back, Sakura released the hand and made her way to the container of medical supplies.

"So, how have you been doing?" Sakura winced at Tenten's question, almost dropping the glass Iodine bottle she clasped. "I.. am...I've been fine." Tenten nodded and Sakura grabbed a few cotton balls from one of the many first aid kits.

Dipping the cotton balls into Iodine, Sakura gestured to Tenten to hold open her hand.

"You may feel some pain." The simple statement Sakura advised to Tenten stirred some suppressed insecurities.

'Did it feel pain?'

As the cotton ball abraded Tenten's skin, Tenten made a expression of displeasure. After cleansing the wound; Sakura gave her an anti-bacterial ointment, advising her to apply it daily.

"Thanks for taking care of it for me. I can be such a klutz sometimes." Tenten fidgeted with the tube of ointment in her hand, while diffidently turning around as if she were hiding something. Just as Tenten was going to step out-through the tent opening, she stopped in her tracks.

"I know we may not be the closest, but if you ever need to talk, on this mission, or on any mission, I'll be there." Even though Tenten had genuine intentions, Sakura couldn't help but simmer inside. Sure she'd been through hell during these past few months, but Sakura hated being considered weak. She was too good of a ninja to be thought of in that manner.

"I'm fine. Honestly." Tenten smiled to Sakura sincerely and finally stepped out of the medical tent.

Letting out a sigh of dejection, Sakura tossed the roll of remaining gauze to the side and collapsed onto a canvas cots. It would be hours before Naruto's assignment was finished, and sleeping provided Sakura with a safe form of escapism.

"You may feel some pain."

Sakura turned her head away, biting her lip as he gave her a curse seal. "It's for the prisoners of Sound. It's to track you, nothing more. It's not like my seal if that's what's concerning you." Sakura felt dizzy. It was not too long ago that she'd kill to hear his voice just once, and now, there she was, doing everything in her power to avoid his gaze.

"Don't worry. It's a needle prick in comparison to the emotion pain you caused me." Sasuke let go of her upper arm and admired the seal. "There will be a hearing this evening. Orochimaru-sensei will then decide what to do with you." Sakura's body continued to tremble involuntary.

"They're not going to kill me, are they?" Sakura couldn't help but ask.

Sasuke shot his head in reply. "Don't worry, I won't let them."

Unfortunately, this assurance did not supply Sakura with much relief. She was well aware of her fate, a foresight that caused her cheeks to burn with anger.

Sasuke's new persona was her foil, the poison.

Sakura needed to get out of Oto before her body and soul were forever tainted.

That is, if she could.

From the moment Sakura opened her eyes, she could tell something was not right. A thickness hung in the air; the whole campsite seemed obscurely still.

Too calm for an A rank mission.

Finally summoning the courage to step out of the medical tent, Sakura's curiosity greeted her with the gruesome site of blood.

They had been ambushed.

Just like the fated mission she attended over a year ago.

Sakura stood in place for a few moments, shell shocked. After sufficiently taking in the scene, she quickly darted back to the tent, filling both her arms with supplies. Running to the nearest casualty, Sakura quickly used her perfect charkra control to tend to his wounds faster than any regular medical-nin.

"Who did this?" Sakura asked, her voice trembling with concern and fear.

The ninja struggled to get the words out, barely able to string together a sentence. "He...he came here and attacked, too fast...his eyes...they were...mesmerizing... red..." Sakura finished healing the ninja and got up from the ground.

Sakura was well aware of the person who dared to attack her team - she was just not in the mood to deal with him.

Not after everything he put her through.