CHAPTER 1

…A Mission…

She was his.

No matter how they deny it.

There's always this string that bound them, this thin, fragile string that connected them.

Sasuke just come back to Konoha, after giving his help and sentence his loyalty back to his home. Yes, the place she called "home" everytime she try to make him back. Now he live in this city, back to his life. As now Naruto become the Hokage and has Hinata beside him, he sentence his punishment as giving his now loyalty to Konoha, instead of his family. Being the only Uchiha left, Naruto understand the situation of his friend. He live in Uchiha compound, in his new position, Leader of ANBU.

His other goals, reviving his clan, Naruto tease him with those fan girls in Konoha, how he can choosa one of them? But he said the only love that was left in his heart now for his 'home' and friends. Once Naruto ask him about a certain pink-haired girl that since he come back has avoiding him in a very formal manners.

"Why don't you ask her to accompany you?" Naruto say after he ask him to choose another shinobi to accompany him an a mission.

"Her?"

"You know… Sakura-chan." For a split second his face look like he's thinking, but then back to his normal unemotionally face.

"I don't think she's gonna be fine doing mission with me."

"Why not?" Naruto grin. "I will call her and see if she's agree, or do you want to ask her yourself?" sasuke shaking his head.

"I will leave all to you. But I do think she's not gonna happy with your offer. Better find another shinobi."

"Fine, fine, but let's give it a try, okay?" he smirked. "by the way, would you come to my boy's party? Hinata and I gonna do it on park, where we can watch firework. Oh you must see, he likes fireworks a lot!"

"I believe he's as active as you are." He said solemnly.

"Of course! He will be the next hokage!" he grin widely, so proud of his baby-boy. Sasuke feel his mouth make a simple smirk when looking at how happy his best buddy is. And that pain struck him in the heart again, he doesn't as lucky as he is in love life. Yes, there's plenty of fan girls yelling for him but deep down in his heart, he can't feel anything at all that called 'love', the one that full of emotions, feelings, not the one he has for all his friends. He feel empty.

"So I guess I will back to compound…" when he turn to the door, someone just rushing in, yelling with it lungs out.

"NARUTO-BAKA!" the door cracked open, and there she was, after all the dust and the breaking-door left, standing with all the mighty, Haruno Sakura. Sensing that he's in a deep trouble, Naruto run with all power he has, but stupidly, he only has one already broken door so the only choice left is to rush to his window behind him.

"Err, Sakura-chan, I think…"

"DON'T YOU DARE TO THINK! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING, TRYING TO MATCH ME UP WITH THAT MAN…" her high-pitch voice hasn't change, she is still in his doctor jacket, obviously running from hospital here. Her bright pink hair shine in this light. Naruto, his face look like he's gonna die, finally take action.

"I think you will like him, Sakura-chan!" he said, dogding her powerful fist when he's running nowhere.

"YOU STUPID BAKA!"

"Oh come on, Sakura, I just…" he's looking everywhere and finally find a good place to hiding, and running there with Sakura chasing him around. And yes, that 'a good place to hiding' was right behind Sasuke.

"COME HERE! I WILL SEND YOU RIGHT TO THE RAMEN STAND!"

"I just want you to be happy, Sakura-chan!" he said, hiding his head so I wont get hit by her, only to find that she's stop running. He open his eyes and see what stop her. Sasuke Uchiha standing emotionlessly in front of her, hands folding in chest, staring blankly at her. And Sakura's eyes cant stop looking at those black orbs. Sense herself before drawn to those eyes, she spit her face, looking hateful yet unsure to the floor. Her fist become tight in both her side and she can feel her palm bleeding because her nails.

"I wont forgive you until you send that man away!" she said, looking back to Naruto. But to Sasuke, her words feels like it was for him.

"Okay, okay Sakura-chan, I promise. Now can we sit and having good talk, ne?"

"And don't you dare to interfere my love life again!" she said threatenly. So she hasn't any boyfriend or fiancée yet? Sasuke thought himself. Why?

"I-I just want you to be happy…" now he's stutter like his wife. Taking a deep sigh, Sakura take a breath and smile faintly at him.

"I'm happy, Naruto. Being the head of Konoha hospital is everything I can ask." Now sensing she's calm, Naruto grin and go near her.

"Alright, so now you're happy, I want you to do a mission."

"A mission? Oh finally! I have been doing nothing exciting this 3 months!"

"Would you go on a mission with him?" he pointed at Sasuke.

Pause. A long silence. Sakura's eyes moving from his fingers to the one beside him, that still standing like a statue, eyeing her. Sasuke can tell she's gulping from the news. And she really, never, think to wish to having a news like that.

"I…." her words cant come out. Something in her chest beating so fast that the beat deafing her.

"So? Would you?"

"…"

"Okay, I take it as a yes! I have handing the scroll to Sasuke, you may ask him further info, oh and Sakura, please come to my boy's shower this evening! I promise you will see spectacular fireworks tonight!" now even breathing feels so hard for her to take with him eyeing her like that. "oh, if you both don't have any partner to come, why don't you guys going together? Anyway, I have to go find Hina-chan, so, see you guys tonight!" that blonde Hokage run from his office, leaving the two of them alone in silence.

Sasuke move from his standing-statue form, his hand that still holding the paper handing it to her. she's hesitated before taking it from him, carefully not touch his hand. After quick skimming, knowing this mission gonna be only two of them, nothing in this world Sakura wish that moment other than missing in puff right here right now. Sasuke walk away from the office, not even bother to say anything to her, to his new partner in mission, and maybe, the partner to go to Naruto's shower today.

How can her heart still beating that fast for someone like that?

A wind of sadness blowing her mind and she's fighting her heart not to breaking again, at least not in front of him.

"I will meet you at 7." His words, deep, husky, like the last tim she remembered, echoing in her mind walls until she cant hear his steps anymore, she's failing to her knees. Defending her heart for so long, she cant give it up to him again, no, no.

But how can she's not falling again for him, for this mission take 1 months as a couple?

Haruno Sakura has strengthen herself, composure her body, taking deep breath, looking sure to the girl in front of her. that girl has a flawless face, medium high, bright gum pink hair bun high with sakura's petal ornament. She's wearing a pink kimono, the one with sakura's motif, and a smile in her face. She's ready to face the King of hell now.

Speak of the devil, Sasuke wearing long pants and white shirt with uchiha fan behind it. So plain, he wear his black leather jacket as outerwear. Uchiha didn't do much picking style, his word always black dark blue and if there's any, he only has a few white things in uchiha manor. Taking his sandals, he going out heading his cherry blossom ex-teammate. His mind wondering while he's walking.

Will this mission going to be alright with both of them? They cant deny that both still have the hurt, the guilty, the pain and a little care for exactly different things. As he still sense, Sakura still in the same feeling like he left years ago, she obviously still caring for him. But he, in the other hands, couldn't find much to care even himself. Sasuke rarely pay attention to his life now, as he already fulfil his revenge and life, yes, life with no purpose at all. How can they manage to keep professional when this mission ask the to act as a couple for several months?

How can two person, one with too much emotion and feeling while one has nothing can do things together?

Yielding himself from thinking about how he can manage to wake up next to her several months, he try to think how wonderful it is to life without any pressure or goals now. But then this life, no matter how light it look, feels empty to him. Like if he die, nobody will care, nobody will be there to fill the emptiness he feel…

Sasuke stop at a door at apartement. Surprisingly he still remember her address when Naruto mention that when he's eating ramen so noisy. He knock it several times then the door open, revealing the pink beauty. He try to concentrate to her eyes only, but then he find it impossible not to eyeing her from toe to top.

"Wait here a second, I will take my purse." Standing still in her door, he find it she still have a vengeance for him. She didn't let him come into her house or even called his name, with suffix. If she was forced, she will only refer him and "you" or "uchiha" or even so rarely, "sasuke". if he remembered, he hasn't call her name too this time after he's come home. He simply just approach her if he need to speak to her or handing her something.

Yes, they almost haven't talk much these days.

The wind of night touch his face, and sasuke fought the urgen to ask her to be quick, to give him something to think about instead of the sting of a little uncomfortable he feel now everytime he's thinking about her and the way he treated her. He just cant, uchiha cant have too many emotion like her. She just too much. He cant bear to stand beside her and listening, feeling, knowing that he has to share his life having more than one kind of emotion at a time. He can explode.

"Sorry make you wait." Finally she come out, he can see she's adding lipstick and the scent of strawberries in the cold air. She closed and lock her door, take the key to her little red purse and start walking. He just followed her, hands inside his pant's pocket, enjoying the view of her kimono behind her, her curves, her… delicious figure.

Sasuke still a man with needs, and now the hormones kick him, make him hard not to think so much about a pink haired beauty in front of him now.

"So," She stop and turn around, almost catching him eyeing her. "about the mission," she wait until he walk beside her and go walking again, side by side but still keep distance with him. "I have read about it,"

"Hn,"

"It tells that we have to… act as a couple." She fought the urge not to think too much. His scent lingering her air and walking beside him feels like swimming in his scent. So intoxinating. Even he didn't use perfume, but still, his manly scent filling her lungs and drive her mind to thinking about him. Him when she's fangirling him. Him the traitor. And him, the adult, a very handsome man, beside her now.

"Hn,"

"Are you sure you're gonna do that… with me?" she try to be confidence and not showing too much 'please sasuke just leave my life and never come back' tone to him but she know she was avail. She always fail to hide her true feelings that she still has some feelings, some caring feeling about him. She didn't dare to ask naruto how he's doing at compound, is he eat right or having nightmares, she asking the people around compound is the only uchiha looks tired or sick and feel relief everytime she heard naruto said he looks as cold as usual.

"Yes," he said, short. Nodded, she walk with her eyes staring at the ground. The street feel like cemetery with him beside her. so…. Cold. Emotionless. Avoid of any human's emotions. Feels like it has died long, long time ago. Sasuke she knew already died long time ago since he choose to go traitoring his home. Sasuke knows she has change too. He didn't see the reckelessness of her anymore. The fangirling, the spirit of youth, the shine she always have. Now Sakura that walk beside him looks tired of something, thinking too much, carefully, and so… insecure about something. Does she feel uncomfortably with him?

After a pregnant silence, they finally arrive to the baby's shower. Hinata and Naruto is holding their baby boy lovingly in their arm. Sakura quickly separate herself from Sasuke, enjoying conversation with Ino and Tenten, while Sasuke just plainly come to congratulate his buddy.

"Naruto," he called. The blonde hokage turn his head to him and grin widely.

"Sasuke-teme! You come! Where's Sakura-chan?"

"There, with her friends."

"Ooh, look at this man, isn't he looks so…." He think to find the exactly adjective to descripe the baby in his arms.

"He looks just like you."

"Yeah! That's is! Strong, handsome, smart like me! Yes, exactly like me!" he grin again, then holding that baby to Hinata beside her. "hey, I wanna talk with you," he said, pointing Sasuke to follow him. They stop at the drink bar and take a glass.

"The mission you're assign for must go earlier."

"Why?"

"You guys have to find the scroll the enemy has stolen, it is important before the elders known that scroll is missing. You know I don't like having things with Tsunade baa-chan." The elders now already being switch. Tsunade and some old wise people become the elders, so much better than the old elders. Sasuke almost laugh, even after he become the Hokage, Naruto still afraid getting hit by tsunade's powerful fist.

"Fine. When are we going?"

"Tomorrow. As soon as you can." Sasuke's eyes widened. Today he just meet again woth the pink haired kunoichi, now tomorrow he will departing with her, as a couple for 1 months later? "nah, you can tell sakura, cant you? I have to back to my son." He smile widely, finishing his sake then go off the crowd. Sasuke take his drink, thinking. How he supposed to tell her? today's conversation has signaling how their conversation would be along the mission. How can people believe that they're a couple? Their awkwardness will make this mission failed.

Sasuke take a seat far from the crowded, open the scroll and read it carefully. The rute, the mission, the enemies, he has to mastering it now.

"So I hear you are with Haruno now." He didn't have to look up to see whose voice in the branches.

"Not exactly like the news." Sasuke replied.

"Hn," that voice now beside him. The shadow nin look into the scroll. "a mission, eh?"

"Yes,"

"And I guess, two, with Haruno?"

"…yes."

"Well then, the news is right," he said lazily, leaning to the tree.

"I never think you will be someone that listen to those news, Nara."

"I'm not, but my… fiancée is talking about it everytime." Sasuke know the words wife referring to the blonde loud kunoichi, the woman version of naruto. "How's life, uchiha?" he knows he's talking about the ANBU he's leading. Shikamaru Nara has been the brain of Konoha, he works in Hokage's office. He didn't do ANBU's but he like to know what happen to his country so he can plan something in case a quick attack come.

"Never been this good. I have speak to Neji to fill my position as I go,"

"You aware that Tenten is pregnant 3 months, don't you?"

"I still give him time to think. If he himself think it's way too dangerous, Lee is ready to take the position."

"Glad to know he finally get promotion." Shikamaru smirk himself, thinking the youth green spandex will lead ANBU. "so what's the mission?"

"Finding stolen scroll… get it back here."

"Not really hard for both of you. Honestly, when I hear the two of you gone for a mission, I expect at least S-rank mission." He hardly pointed the word A-rank in the paper Sasuke's read.

"I'm not partnering with her in purpose. Dobe just pick her randomly when I assign this mission."

"Oh." Is the only thing Nara say. Actually he has his own conclusion, that Naruto is purposedly asking Sakura to join this because Sasuke is in it. Afterall, the two of them is too good to be pass. Shikamaru himself want to know the end of the tale of Sakura and Sasuke. If they really gonna be a couple, they surely will make the powerful one in this country. Sakura is the best medic nin and Sasuke has the amount of the sanin, and that's enough for them to start a new uchiha line. Wait, doesn't he has the goal to reviving his clan? it feels wrong if he himself say he doesn't do this purposedly.

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Hmm?" Sasuke hardly take his gaze from the paper.

"What about you other goal?"

"…" he take a minute to think about is then decide he's not in the mood to have chit-chat about him become the one who hasn't any wife yet when he's the one talking about reviving his clan ealier than anyone that ironically, has a soulmate now.

"I don't have any intention of doing that with Sakura, if that's really your point."

"Maybe you can consider it. The two of you potentially become the next Sannins."

"…"

"Anyway, I have to go. Looks like Ino has drunk. Take care yourself, Uchiha." He walk away mumbling troublesome toward Ino, leaving the only Uchiha deep in his thoughts.

He has been thinking about that lately, that Naruto doing this on purpose to match them. Hasn't he find this morning that Sakura smack him down because trying to match her with someone. Is that Dobe really thinking he and Sakura will make a good companion, looking on history they have? More than once in the past they meet and have intention to kill each other. The pain, the tears, the hate. How can that Dobe think he and Sakura has a chance? They are too broken to be fix. To think that they can be a good friends and talking normaly is already too good to be true. Because the truth is, they are far from normal when it's come to any relationship they share.

But he cant say that he hasn't thinking of that chance, of that almost impossible chance. To think he can have someone to bear his children and fulfil the hollow in his heart. To find someone who's breath will he's breathing with. To find someone to love him, rationally and to the irrationally, infitive…

To find somebody that could make him learn love…

"Sasuke-kun…" he was taken aback by that voice and by the words that voice echoing. As he think the figure of little Sakura smile widely at him ravaging his mind and when he's aware, the adult version of figure now standing in front of him, kneeling.

"Sasuke-kun…" again, she whispered his name in suffix she love to add in the past. As she grew closer, he can smell the alcohol.

She is drunk.

That's the only way she will call him in that manner. Sighing, Sasuke sit still, eyeing her figure. Her green eyes now heavy, clouded and hazily, like she's going to sleep in any minute. Her cheeks coloured rosy, and she let a little hiccup. Her lips… wet from the alcohol. She darted her tongue to weep the left alcohol in her lips, then he feel it. He's getting hard because the action. She's teasing him, she aware or not. And he doesn't know how long he's gonna last since their sexual tension high because today is just too much for them.

Sasuke pick a calmy breath, try not to focus on the sight before his eyes. He remember when he's at team hebi, he doesn't think too much of the needs because he's too focus on the goal to gain power and kill Itachi. But now he's living a brand new life without any goal and the needs obviously even harder to control, when he has this pink haired beauty near him. Suddenly, all the hopes seems gonna come true whenever he's with her. She has something within her that make him feel alive, something that make him feel that hope will always be there. Something so wonderful…

And she is beautiful, no question.

The crowd that far from them feels like a slow motion. They didn't move an inch. She sat still in cute position, don't mind the ruffle in her kimono has slid down to her shoulders, giving the skin too much to feel the cold air and when she sat with her hand in front of her, the kimono showing her creamy thight.

He really need to go now.

But then something hit him. What makes her going here? It's far enough from the crowd, from the food and drink, and surely nobody is care to see this dark side of the party. This dark, lonely, silent side. But still, she find him here and choose to stay here. She's drunk, he remind his mind again, not to think too much of the hopes of any chance between them.

"Hiccup!" her voice, her little high-pitch voice. She closed her mouth with her little hand whenever she's hiccupping, her face red because of the drunk. But nothing can make her more breathtaking than the dim of moonshine that shine through the tree he's leaning to her exactly in front of him. So beautiful. She's staring at him, her eyes not easy to read. There's a point of sad, of anger, of disappointment, but then something caught him offguard. Of something smooth, right through his mind, to his soul. Something that comfort him to those emerald pool.

His hands sensing the paper and he gazing his eyes back to paper, focusing on the mission. He can feel she's moving, closer to him.

"Sasuke-kun…" she's stop exactly in front of him. He can see her cleavage down here, and cant take his eyes from it. Her smooth, middle pink hair fall to his forehead and her scent intoxinating him. Want it or not, he's looking up and find her face just an inch away from him. She's going to kiss him.

He cant let this happen. He cant let himself taking, or feeling, any advantage from a drunken girl, especially the one who will go on a mission long enough with him as his wife. Focusing on trying to find rational mind, his hand stopping her face from coming closer to him. Kami, her face so smooth agains his palm. She's keep staring at him even he's stopping her. her little hands come up and resting to his chest, feeling the abs there. Her head move again, he loose his grip on the smooth face, she's resting her head to his chest.

She let her body relax and just sleeping there, head in his chest and her body between his spreading legs. Her breath is tingling in his ears. She let the 'purr' voice come from her sweet lips, working on her dreams in his chest. Sasuke let the paper fall from his hands when his hands insticvely, rest in her body, first to her shoulders, then without thinking, feel the curve of her waist. Maybe he's fall asleep while talking to Shikamaru. Or maybe he hasn't wake up when he's go home this morning and already late to meet Sakura. Or maybe today just another dream that he keep dreaming of how it feels to having someone to intimately warm near you. Because the answer just sleeping with her beautiful head filling the hollow in his chest.

The fireworkd just come in the sky, and Sasuke's hand slowly touching her hair, gently stroke the pink strands. Her scent now drunken him. Her presence, it feel more intense than ever in his life. Tomorrow, will something change between them? The answer is still far between, he think. He still believe if not because of the drunk, she wont let herself fall into him like this. But why him, of all the people? Why she run into him? When you are not aware, you unconscious mind driving you to the deepest thing in your head, that's what he hear about people drunk.

Is he is the deepest thing is her heart?

"Sakura," he called her with the gentleness he never know he possessed. "let's go home now." Not moving any inch, he take intiative of more, let his instinct take ove him. He take her bridal style, going from the party to her home. He insticvely take the dark route, the one without much people will agape to see the two people who can't be together now this close. He stop in front of her door, sit her leaning the wall and open her purse, looking for the key. Once he find it, he take her again and open the door, straight to her bedroom.

He put her sleeping form in her bed, taking her blanket so she wont feel the cold air in ther exposed skin. He didn't know he can be so gentle with opposite sex. He usually carelees with woman. They are loud, stubborn, cry baby, clinging and annoy him. He's going to out when a frame photo caught his attention. The old photo of team 7. Yes, friend. Teammate. That's all why she come to him tonight. Because Naruto is busy with Hinata maybe she need to find someone from her comrade that will understand her drunk. And so she found him.

Sasuke smile bitterly, go out from her bedroom, from her home, and maybe, from her life. A pain stinging in his chest, that's how he learn the bitterness of disappointment. He goes back to coumpound and rest himself, closing his eyes, his sense to the world. He doesn't even want to think what tomorrow will bring.

Author's note

Review please? I ask more than 10 reviews to post chapter two