He couldn't believe the woman before him. Dressed in an Akatsuki robe, a red bandeau top, and long red skirt with a slit up the left leg that showed off thecrossed out headband on her thigh and her black knee high boots. She had grown out her pink hair so that it now hung to the middle of her back and was wearing a sultry smirk on her face.
A face that had haunted him for years was now standing in front of him once again, only this time she too was an enemy of their once-upon-a-time homeland. Casually standing but ten yards from him, one hand resting on her hip and another twirling a kunai, she broke that smirk resting delicately on her lips and began to speak.
"Ah Sasuke-kun, what a…pleasure it is to see you again."
At the word pleasure the corner of her mouth dipped a little, showing her distaste in this random run-in with him. Something had seriously changed in the bubbly, happy-go-lucky girl he had left behind on a bench in the streets of Konoha.
He looked her over once again, taking in the change of not only her clothing but her body as well. She was leaner, more muscular, and had an air of confidence that surrounded her. But she also showed signs of an experienced fighter; small scars littered her arms and what he could see of her hands that weren't covered by her gloves. She also had a faded ANBU tattoo on her right shoulder, meaning she'd been an elite in the old village.
So what had happened that sent the cherry haired, bright eyed girl out of Konoha?
"Listen, boy, I have to be going, I have a meeting with a certain friend and cannot afford to be late. But you'll be a good boy won't you and not follow me from here on out, right?"
Her voice was light, like tinkling bells, and the smirk was back on those blood red lips. He was in complete awe of the woman in front of him, so much so that he was stunned when seconds later she disappeared without a trace of chakra to be found. With questions that needed to be answered, he reached out with his chakra to search for her, but found nothing. The encounter ended in a matter of seconds, but to him the image of her would last for many months, until by pure chance he would run into her again. This time, however, she would be with her partner, someone Sasuke knew all too well.
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Sasuke was following Itachi's chakra signature when he ran into Sakura the second time. She was standing casually next to his older brother, conversing about the weather patterns and how they should travel for the remainder of their mission. He charged in on them, and as they turned around he realized that they may have been more than just partners by the way his brother instantly stepped in front of Sakura.
For a moment all was still, until a light tinkling laughter floated in the air. Sakura stepped out from behind Itachi to address the problem at hand. She smirked at Sasuke once more, ensnaring him in her captivating gaze once again. She walked a little closer, still keeping a fair amount of distance between them, but came close enough for him to stare into her shocking emerald eyes.
"So, little Uchiha, you decided to follow after all. I thought we talked about you being a good boy and avoiding me at all costs. Oh well, maybe you just stumbled upon us by accident, hmm? In any case, you should leave now before you cause any unwanted trouble."
She began to turn then, to move back to the side of the devil himself. But before she could complete her rotation and effectively shun him, Sasuke spoke up.
"Why are you with him?"
He didn't know why he asked it, honestly what she did shouldn't concern him, but it did. In fact, her whole change concerned him. She should be back home, in Konoha waiting for him to come back. Sakura should be with their friends, doing mundane things like eating ramen with Naruto and fighting over the smallest things with Ino. But instead she was here, in a place not meant for kind souls and smiling faces like hers. Sakura wasn't meant to be an S-class criminal.
"He is my partner, in more ways than one, why would I not be with him?"
Sasuke was stunned at her admission to the relationship between her and that weasel. She knew what Itachi had done to him, to his family, and yet there she was openly admitting to being romantically involved with him.
"Why?"
Sakura looked puzzled at first by his question, but then the lines on her face smoothed and the smirk was back in place. She turned fully to face him and, after a quick glance back to assure Itachi, moved closer to stand in front of him. She reached her hand out to rest it against his face, smoothing her fingers out over the skin of his cheek. Sasuke didn't have a clue why he allowed this physical contact, but it felt good to have her close to him and it felt even better to have her touching him.
"Poor boy, are you still hoping for a happy ending in Konoha with me? Do you dream of big house with a white picket fence, six children running around the compound, and me with a swollen womb encasing another child? Is that what you have envisioned your future to be, Uchiha?"
Sakura's face, which was light and carefree at the beginning soon turned dark and her mouth sneered as she grabbed the back of his head. Her hand gripped the hair there and pulled him forward, inches from her mouth. For a moment they stayed that way, eyes locked and faces so close he could feel her breath on his lips. And then she moved, so quick he didn't see it, so that she was right next to his ear and began whispering to him softly.
"I have found my calling, dear Sasuke-kun, and it is far away from the gates of the corrupt Konoha. You will soon find out what that village is really like and when you do, know that there is a spot in our organization that waits for you. But until you do, you must stop tracking us because if you don't we will have to terminate you and that would be a shame, you have so much potential."
She pulled back from him and turned to Itachi, he watched as she moved closer to the raven haired member of the Akatsuki group. They shared a private moment, which ended with Itachi locking eyes with him from across the clearing. He tipped his head slightly and bid him fair well, then turned and began walking into the trees. Sakura turned her head and threw him one last smile, one that reminded him of younger years, and disappeared after Itachi.
Sasuke stood in the clearing for a few moments, deciding then and there that the village hidden in the leaf had some questions to answer. He turned from the direction he came and set out for Fire Country, where he would soon learn of the heinous crimes his old village had committed against not only other villages but their own people as well.
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A/N: So I haven't decided where I want to go with this. I was thinking about adding more chapters but it really just comes down to whether or not I have the time and if people actually even read it haha. So just let me know if you'd like to read more, I'll most likely keep writing this story. Buh bye for now!
