Bringing Him Home

[Sakura's stance

It was a one-man mission. Bring Uchiha Sasuke home. Not as a five yearlong crush but as a comrade. Jiraiya had said he was in the west region of the Sound Village. I had two weeks exactly to find him and bring him home. It was almost the end of the first week and there was still no luck that came my way. A cave was the only inn that my eyes could see in the long range of rocky land. That was my mission for me, Haruno Sakura. Sasuke, I love you wherever you are, always; I thought. I set out a camp and settled down to let the sun set. Another day wasted finding Uchiha Sasuke. This was the first mission I was going to fail. Ever.

The next morning's alarm clock was rain pelting on my sleeping bag and me. But that wasn't the only wake up call I got. It was Sasuke with a sword at my throat.

"My goodness Sakura you've grown so much. Now let's see how much you have trained." He swung his sword yet I dodged his attack. He swung it again letting it hit onto the stone cave wall behind me. I was still shocked to speak until I sputtered out his name.

"What?" he nuzzled my cheek, "Why are you so shocked? I've always destined to kill you. Didn't you know that? Oh of course you're a Konoha ninja. So naïve and innocent."
"No. Sasuke, this isn't the way. You know it's not."

"No, Sakura you're the one who is wrong. Power is the only way. I'm not Sasuke, don't you know your friend Orochimaru when you see him?"

"You didn't. He couldn't have had gotten inside of him." I was dreaming. I'll wake up and I'll be in my apartment futon.

"Well I didn't switch bodies. I have made a new jutsu that goes into the soul. Kind of like testing it out but being able to have the same body when you return to it."

"Then stop. You used to be a shinobi of Konoha too. Come back to us. We can all be ninjas of peace. No war. No fighting. Just a peaceful world."

"Amazing. You really know how to make a horrible speech." I tried giving him a punch but he blocked it with his sword. This wasn't a normal sword an ordinary swordsman would make. It was a deadly chutoku. The blade hit my bone and I screamed a raw scream. The pain was searing like fire. I looked up to see what was the real cause was. Chakra. All along the black blade was Sasuke's black chakra. Sasuke was better than this. Why did he ever leave the village?

"If you can hear me. I'm taking you back Sasuke."

"Foolish child. Of course he can't hear you. Now prepare for your death. I'm tired of Sasuke never paying attention to what I say but dawning on you."
"Really? Then tell me why he left!" I gave him a kick with poisonous chakra in it to kill the Orochimaru soul.

"You…uhhh." That killed him but Sasuke wasn't returning back into his original body.

"No. NO!!" I bawled out. I shook him so aggressively his head lolled about. "No." I whispered. I rested my head on his muscled chest and cried. "No."

I had found him and now he was dead. I had failed my mission. Why did it have to be this way? Bring him home alive; that was the mission. I had repaired most of my damaged skin cells but I was still bleeding. Now we need to get home. It was so hard for me to carry Sasuke to the village of Konoha especially when I was there. Naruto was disconsolate when he saw him.

"What did you do?"

"Isn't it obvious Naruto!" I screeched and I continued onto Tsunade's office.

"I'm sorry." I began when I reached her office," I failed." Her head hung lowly to her desk.

"Please explain Haruno." My gut tightened at that. She had never called me by my surname before. I explained the story about Orochimaru and Sasuke.

"Shame. We'll do an autopsy before we burn his body. You are dismissed. And don't forget about your nurse duties tomorrow."

My walk back home to my apartment was grueling. The stares that I got were piercing, as if they were small little needles breaking into my skin. All I could do was cry.

[Sasuke's stance

I know I'm alive but I can't feel my body. Where was I? I opened my eyes and looked around. An autopsy room. I was dressed in one of those hospital gowns with a blank white print. There was a door yet it was locked.

"Nurse! NURSE!" I yelled for help. The door opened and a head with pink hair popped out. Sakura. Her face was surprised as if I was a ghost but then it saddened.

"Yes Sas…Mister Uchiha?" I was dumbfounded at this. Mister Uchiha? What had gotten into her?

"Sakura it's me. Sasuke-kun, your friend."

"Is there anything you need Mr.Uchiha?" I get it she's just working as a nurse. She can't associate with her patients.

"When do I get out?"

"When the tests are done. Is that all?"

"Yes. I suppose so. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Good bye." Had I been that cruel to her in the past? I hated to see her like that. I loved her so much.

[Sakura's stance

I hated to see him like that. He seemed so confused and thoughtless. Shi-sho Tsunade had said the power had gone to head like Orochimaru but he would get out of the hospital in a month or so and I had to take care of him. I reached the receptionist desk to give the twelve-hour report to Temari who was working at the Konoha hospital just like I did when I was in Sand Village.

"How's he doing? You must be really heartbroken."

"I'm fine. He's awake but he seems really badly shaken. I'm glad I killed Orochimaru." I sneered delightfully like a murderer.

"Maybe you should take your shift off early. I'll cover for you."
"No. I'm supposed to stay here all day until eight o clock and that's what I'll do."
"You're pretty tough for a delicate girl like you. My shift is five minutes overdone. I'll call you later."
" 'Kay. Bye!"

Even with such good friends life was still bland and broken.

Five weeks later

[Sasuke's stance

"It's good to have you back Sasuke and already we have a mission as for team seven."

"I know. Where's Sakura?"

"Well. She doesn't exactly know you're out of the hospital so I wanted to surprise her when she realizes you're not there."
"Naruto, what was the point of that?"

"To surprise her I just said that."

"Well if you wanted to surprise her then seeing me at the exit gate would have been good enough." I ran in direction of Sakura's work place. The receptionist had said she was in room 407. I opened the door.

"Sakura?" I called out.

"Sasuke? Temari said you were already gone. Why are you wearing your kunai pack?"

" We have a mission today… didn't Naruto tell you that much?"
"Uh…"
"Guess not."
"I'll get my stuff ready. Would you like to come" It was obvious that she was only being polite but she was blushing.

"Alright but Naru…"

"Hey! You guys!"
"What?" I asked in an annoyed voice.

"Mission?"
"You didn't tell Sakura we had one idiot."

"Huh? Oh…right. Sakura, we have a mission."
"Yes, I realize that know Naruto. I'm going to get my things. Meet you two at the gate."
"Alright." Naruto and I said in unison.

[Sakura's stance

Stupid Naruto. At least Sasuke is back. I started to pack my things. Kunais. Shurikens. Clothes. Sleeping bag. Gloves. I took a good look at the right glove. It had a tear in it when 'Sasuke' had ripped it. I still had the scar. This would be harder than I thought.

"Sakura are you ready yet?" It was Naruto.

"Yeah. What's the mission assigning?"
"We have to go to the Sound Village. Helping clean up what Orochimaru destroyed." Yup, way harder than I thought. My mood dampened.

"Okay then let's go. We have a long way. And what about Kakashi? Isn't he coming?"
"No he has another mission with some Jounins."

We had finally reached the Sound Village. There were stern looking guards at the entrance. Sasuke spoke up and said,

"We are the shinobi of Konoha come to help the aftermath of Orochimaru."

"Yes but I'm afraid I can't let you pass."

"Why?" The guard to my right reached to his face and ripped it off to see a familiar one.

"Because Orochimaru is still here."

"You!!!" Naruto yelled out.

"Well, well. Aren't we all happy to see me? Sasuke you left me so quickly. I should have an explanation on why you did."

"For Sakura."

Say what? The heartthrob of Konoha just said my name in love?

"Oh yes that bitch you were always daydreaming of. Why her? Power is what you want."

"Take it back! CHIDORI!!" The blue crackling lightning had ripped through the enemy's chest.

"You will pay. I'll give a nice present before I go, Shi-ne aman no jutsu." What was going on? Orochimaru was killed again only by Sasuke. What was that jutsu he had spoken of? Shi-ne meant death. Aman meant lover. My sight was instantly blurred and I was falling. When I woke up I was in a bed that seemed so familiar. I tried getting up but my back seemed to be broken. Actually all my bones seemed broken and my lungs were on fire. I let out a scream. As if on queue, Temari, Naruto, and Sasuke came in.

"What hurts?" Temari asked urgently.

"MY LUNGS ARE FIRE!" I let out another scream. This was hurting so much.

"You guys are going to have to leave."

"No. I want to stay with her. Please. That jutsu wasn't a virus she could spread. " he complained.

"Yes, but you might be the reason she's in pain." she shot back

"Let him stay" I pleaded, "I don't care how much pain he could possibly give me."

She sighed, "You sound like Shikamaru. Fine but, don't blame me when you are dead."
"Thank you." I thanked. We were alone now.

"You don't have to do this. I don't like to see you in pain."

"Pain is pleasure when I see you." I leaned closer to him, nearly nose to nose. "Because I love you so much." There was a giddy feeling inside me. No more was it one-sided love.

He leaned in to kiss me, I kissed him back and that's what broke the dreaded jutsu