Respect

- eyeSharingan

Summary:

A lethargic Sakura is kept awake, by a disturbing visit from an old crush, and a trip down memory lane. Starring Sakura and Sasuke. NOT SasuSaku Romance. Old plot; Mature themes; Profanities.

Notes:

Pulled from my FF.N account; written mid 2008. Reconnaissance is still a WIP.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Borrowing Sakura, and untying Sasuke. Promise to return him to his mongrel cage in no time.

A/N: Hey there, folks! Here's that Sakura and Sasuke (NOT sasusaku, just happens to feature the two) one-shot I was musing about writing. Well, it's no longer a muse (zing – he he, small stillborn joke). I was sitting in my Composition lecture, struggling to stay awake, when the word Respect came to mind. Then a flood of ideas swamped me. I swear it's the most I've thought in Composition ever. Anyway, enjoy the one-shot goodness. Think of it as a prequel to my WIP Reconnaissance. Oh, and Sakura and Sasuke are 21. Not sasusaku. Just to confirm.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Calm spread through the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It was peaceful. Civilians trundled off to bed after a long day at work and an even longer night of drinking and partying. Worn out Shinobi wandered through the village gates aimlessly, sleep finally hitting them after physically and emotionally trying missions had once again been safely completed.

While the rest of gentle Konoha settled in for night, one petite little cherry blossom haired woman was still struggling to stay conscious.

Sakura felt heavy. It was like her eyes were about to fall out of her head. She could barely concentrate anymore. Her head was so clouded. She could indistinctly make out some funny squiggles on what appeared to be paper. What were they? Hieroglyphics?

Lethargically, she tilted her head to the side, trying to peer around the wooden door frame to her bedroom.

Squinting, she focused enough to vaguely make out the time on the luminescent green alarm clock on her bedside table.

12.45am.

She'd been up for nearly twenty four hours straight. Naruto was so determined on having a sparring match before she had a 12 hour shift at the hospital.

'No wonder my body refuses to work with my brain. They're duking it out for dominance. It's like Family Feud!'

Sighing, Sakura looked back down at the medical journal she was supposed to be studying from. There was something about blocking the aorta with a special kunai and some jutsu that could instantly cut through the chakra network. Or maybe it was the other way around?

It was all seeming like mumbo jumbo to her at the moment.

Sakura could have absolutely slaughtered Tsunade for this.

It was around four o'clock in the afternoon, and Sakura was looking forward to the one early night she'd had in two weeks. She groaned as she stood up from her desk. Moving was quite a laboriously tiring task today after the little number Naruto had done on her back. She still couldn't pin point exactly when Naruto had become so intelligent. Well, intelligent in combat at least.

As Sakura was packing up her things she was approached by a very boisterous, large busted woman whom she once referred to as Master.

"Sakura!" Tsunade boomed "Just the medic I was dying to see! Come, quickly, with me to my office. I have something extremely important to discuss!"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Sakura inwardly moaned. Surely this could not be a good thing. This would most definitely obliterate her ideas for hot chocolate, cookies and a nice book, snuggled tightly in her big squishy bed.

Dragging her feet slightly, Sakura tried to convey her need for rest to the Fifth Hokage.

It seemed Tsunade had become rather engrossed in the instant scratchy she pulled out of her pocket.

'Of course, she has to get in all the gambling she can while Shizune isn't around,' she thought to herself.

Sakura detested gambling (almost as much as Shizune herself) and with friends like Kiba the 'scratch me happy' campaign had definitely taken on a completely different, slightly dirty, meaning.

As much as she despised gambling, there is no way she was brave enough to stand up against the Hokage. That was why Sakura really admired Shizune. She was so defiantly stubborn and was the only person she knew that could control Tsunade.

"Little piece of plastic paper shit..." Tsunade grumbled. Clearly she had lost out on the scratchy. What a surprise.

'Great! Now I have a pissed off Hokage on my hands. Just perfect...'

Banging open her door Tsunade barged in, beckoning with her hand for Sakura to follow.

"Now, Sakura, this is something extremely important. I have chosen you because I need someone I can really rely on to do this for me. I count on you Sakura. Do you think you can do this for me?"

Intrigued, Sakura felt herself nodding her head. What was so important that Lady Tsunade couldn't trust anyone else with it? Was it some extremely important document that needs translation? Or some new medical disease that she needed a cure for?

"Sakura, you are truly amazing." Turning to her desk, Tsunade bent slightly to pull something out of her bottom drawer. "I've just skimmed a few. I couldn't go through all these by tomorrow myself."

Straightening up, Tsunade plonked a large pile of medical journals on her desk.

Sakura felt her jaw drop. It looked like there was nearly a years worth of back dated medical journals! How could Tsunade have not gone through them in detail?

"Bu-bu-but – Lady Tsunade – It's my night off!"

This was an absolute outrage! Why was she the one who had to be stuck with Tsunade's homework?

"SAKURA! YOU' VE ALREADY MADE A COMMITMENT! YOU WILL DO THIS. YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO LIKES TO HAVE TIME OFF! NOW LEAVE. I HAVE A LOT OF IMPORTANT THINGS TO GET DONE!"

Swivelling in her chair, Tsunade turned away from Sakura - but not before she pulled Marie Claire from between her paper work.

"Ahhh! Screw it all!" Admitting defeat, Sakura slammed the journal shut, and flung it across the room, denting the wall on impact.

Stretching her arms above her head, Sakura yawned loudly.

'Time for bed.'

Putting the kettle on to boil, the cherry blossom pulled her red shirt over her head, tossing it haphazardly on the floor on her way to her bathroom.

Banging the door open, she flicked the light switch on and drew back slightly at the state of the room.

"Ugh, I'm such a pig!" She moaned, kicking aside a pair of red panties that had been there for god knows how long. "That's it; Sunday I'm cleaning this apartment top from bottom!"

As she cleaned her teeth, Sakura wriggled her hips to remove her skirt from her body, while reaching around her back to unwind her bandages.

Leaving her clothes behind, she walked out of the bathroom in her pink panties.

Slowly she dragged her feet to her bed after bypassing the kitchen to make herself a nice steaming cut of green tea.

Placing the steaming mug on the bedside table, she pulled back the sheets on her bed, yanking her standard jounin issue shirt from underneath her pillow.

As Sakura carefully unwound the hair tie holding her small ponytail together, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Someone was watching her.

Acting as casual as possible, she made her way to the dressing table on the opposite side of the room. She picked up her hairbrush and moved away from the wall. Placing her back to the window she gave whoever was out there a perfect opportunity to strike.

Lifting her hand to brush her hair she wondered who would want to come after her. Some sick twisted bastard just trying to take advantage of a supposedly helpless woman? No. It was more than that. She was sure she sensed a strong chakra signal and she was positive she did not recognise it.

No, this was definitely some powerful ninja.

A faint rustling sounded in the background. Sakura could hear the gentle snapping of loose twigs. Preparing herself, she parted her legs slightly, placing her weight on her right side to be ready to attack or defend.

CRASH!

Glass shards flew with gusto across the room. Sakura ducked as she heard the whooshing sounds pass her head. Swiftly, she pulled the handle of her brush, exposing the hidden kunai.

Focusing her chakra to her right hand, she spun around, preparing to puncture her assailant's neck.

Clang, clang, clang.

Her arm fell helplessly to her side, dropping her kunai on the floor.

Sakura's breathing hitched. She felt herself reliving that last moment in slow motion. Her turn, her fury, her determination, until suddenly...she saw that face. All sense flew out the window.

Flashbacks flew across her eyes.

The day she became a ninja. How she was so proud of herself. Orientation, getting put on Squad 7. Naruto's annoying habits. Kakashi's ridiculous bell test. The Chuunin exams. Orochimaru. The curse mark. Her fear, her constant fear. Their failure. The day they all started to divide. The day Squad 7 broke up.

She found her mind kept flashing back to that one picture. That one imagine of a happy smiling child. That one view of what was had.

Sasuke.

"You've become paranoid, Sakura. Afraid some dirty old ninja will take away your precious innocence. Oh wait...too late for that."

Sakura looked into the face she hadn't seen in nearly five years.

His face hadn't changed; aside form a few extra scars. The same smooth masculine jaw line. The same unkempt black hair. And those eyes. Those black pits so cold and distant.

"Sa-sa-sasuke. No."

"Uh, so that's how you great an old friend, and old love?" Gracefully Sasuke moved from her, placing himself on her bed with his hands supporting his body.

Sakura felt her body shake and her arms tense up.

"Old Love? That's what you tell yourself? That's what you say to keep your bed warm at night? After what you did to me. After how you treated Naruto like...like he was nothing? That's what you think?"

"What else it could it be Sa-ku-ra?" He so innocently replied, emphasising each syllable of her name.

"You...you're sick."

"I'm sick? I don't know what you're complaining about. I just told you what you always wanted to hear. What you squirmed for so many years ago. You think I didn't notice? The way you were always stealing glances at my body...imagining how it would feel to kiss me or touch me. How nice it would be to feel my stiff cock inside your body. I just gave you what you wanted, my dear."

Struggling to maintain control Sakura felt her heart pick up pace. She strained not to remember what he said to her at 16. No, she wouldn't let him win that way.

"You-you-you're wrong."

Sakura's bed creaked as Sasuke tensed. Anger flashed across his stoic eyes. He, Sasuke Uchiha, was wrong? And some little bitch like Sakura was therefore right? He didn't think so.

"It seems like you've grown a pair, Sakura. Or maybe, you're just trying to convince yourself. Convince yourself that you're a match for me. Convince yourself that you've, changed."

Slyly, Sasuke stretched his long legs moving towards Sakura like a hunter. He could sense her heart beat increase. He could feel the thick, beautiful fear oozing from her every pore. He enjoyed the power he obviously held over her. How he could manipulate her with just a few words. Foolish little girl.

In one swift movement, Sasuke lunged towards her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him.

Sakura let out cry.

'No. No. No. NO. Not again!'

Trying to calm herself down, Sakura took in a shuddering breath.

'Maintain control, maintain control. Maintain control!'

"You've changed so much, Sakura, yet I see no growth."

Sakura felt her mind go blank, as the faint echo of words said so many years ago, were heard once more.

Grabbing the side of her face, Sasuke forced Sakura to look him directly in the eyes.

She could feel her face already bruising at the harshness of Sasuke's grip. Sakura desperately tried to pull her face away, to stop staring into those black pitted eyes. Failing miserably at letting herself loose, she settled on shutting her eyes tightly.

'I'll do anything. Absolutely anything, not to remember'

"Oh no, Sakura. Afraid to look at me?"

Sinisterly, Sasuke traced his snake like tongue along the smooth jaw line of her face, trailing up to her ear. Sasuke held in a moan, as he felt her volatile fear tremble throughout her body. It was the most intoxicating drug...the most delicious aphrodisiac he could ever hope for.

Growing hungry, Sasuke bit Sakura's neck, just where her jaw line ended.

Blood slowly trickled from the incisions, and cannibalistically the Uchiha lapped at the crimson stream.

Searing pain spread through Sakura's head. She felt faint.

Foolishly she opened her eyesand gazed upon the bent head of her childhood crush.

Memories streamed through her mind, clouding every inch of her soul. Slowly she slipped into dark oblivion, spiralling faster and faster through a never ending hole.

Carelessly, Sakura chased after him. Her feet pounded heavily on the ground, one thump after another, leaving small dents in her wake.

She couldn't let him go not after all those years of not knowing. Not knowing whether he was still human. Not knowing if was still alive.

Her head felt on fire as splashes of blood oozed from the large gash across her right temple. Feeling dazed, she wobbled as she continued to run.

It couldn't be him. It wasn't the person she knew. It wasn't the once troubled boy she knew, who so desperately tried to cling to life worth living. Who once dreamed of peace in restoring his clan once more.

She sped up her pace, as that familiar chakra signal became stronger. It appears he had stopped.

Slowly, his slashed shirt came into focus, his back facing her.

If she could just reach him. Just hold him. Let him know that this wasn't the way. She knew she could get him back. Get her Sasuke back.

Sliding in the dirt she came to a swift halt, inches away from him.

"You shouldn't have come, Sakura. You shouldn't have come, on your own."

Time seemed to slow as the young Uchiha gracefully stood turning around to face her.

Sakura felt her heart tear as she finally looked upon him up close. He had changed. He looked cold, anaemic in a way, like all life had been drained from him. It was like he was an empty shell with no meaning and no cause except pure destruction.

"Sa-sasuke. Pl-please." She simpered, unable to hold back the hot tears forming in her eyes.

She felt them roll down her face, lightly leaving a trail behind them, until they jumped, falling gracefully into small symmetrical splashes on the ground.

"Begging does not become of you, Sakura. For someone who is self proclaimed strong, who tells herself she is no longer that weepy, whiny little genin anymore, you lack to conviction."

Roughly, Sasuke pushed against her body, slamming her against the rock behind them.

"You have changed so much, Sakura, yet I see no growth."

Frightened, Sakura felt the reverberation of the rock, as Sasuke punched it right above her head.

"You're weak Sakura. Useless and weak. Love has clouded your judgement. Love for someone who no longer exists. They only thing you'd be good for now is a fuck."

Shock ran through her body. She couldn't believe it. She still refused to believe that this was Sasuke.

Struggling, she tried to speak. No sound came out, leaving her mouth gaping like a goldfish.

Shoving himself off her, Sasuke turned to leave.

"Don't come looking for me again, Sakura. Or I swear, next time, I'll kill you."

A hand snuck underneath Sakura's jounin shirt, swirling fingers around her stomach, gradually moving further down her torso.

It was like a light had been turned on in her mind.

Concentrating chakra Sakura propelled Sasuke off her with her free hand.

He bounced against the opposite wall, killing her dressing table in the mix.

Shuddering for breath, Sakura forced herself to speak.

"What - What the - What the fuck gives you the right to come to me?"

Advancing nearer to him, Sakura surged chakra down her arms in preparation for an attack.

"Didn't you tell me? Didn't you tell me five fucking years ago that if I ever came looking for you, you'd kill me? Why come here? Why attack me in my home, in this village, where so many Shinobi and civilians would like to see your dumb head on a stake? Why torture me and degrade me, if you don't care what kind of shit happens to me? You clearly showed that. Is this just a game to you? Is this just some little quest you've set yourself? Did you just think, 'Hey, I'm tired of jerking myself and Oro off every night so I think I'll go get myself some nice piece of ass?' Did you think that you come here and fuck with my mind?"

Anger boiled within her stomach threatening to burst free at a moments notice.

Lunging, Sakura impaled her left fist at the wall next to Sasuke's ear.

"Well I've got some front page news for you bud. You're fucking wrong. I have changed. I don't give a rat's ass about you anymore. I don't care if Itachi kills you, or Orochimaru decides to take over your body. You deserve it. Just like I deserve something too."

Smirking, Sasuke looked up into her fiery emerald orbs.

"And what would that be?"

"Respect. You twisted fuck."

Losing all control, Sakura tried to land punches across Sasuke's body. Naturally, he dodged each potential blow, his perverted grin widening with every miss.

Growing impatient, Sakura aimed directly for his heart.

Calmly Sasuke grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back, as he spun her around.

"Maybe you have grown, Sakura. Just remember this Sakura-Chan."

Leaning in closer, Sasuke practically pressed his lips to Sakura's ear.

"You. Can't. Get. Rid. Of. Me."

With that, Sasuke disappeared in a gray cloud of smoke.

As her anger subsided, Sakura felt fear once again consume her. With nothing to support her, she collapsed to her feet.

Tears streamed her face. She could still feel that snakes disgusting breath, his tongue, on her neck. She could still feel his hand on her stomach and his presence still commanded the room.

Shaking uncontrollably, Sakura made every effort to move to her bed. Curling in a ball she stretched her arm out to reach the phone on her table.

Trying to calm herself down, she hit number one on her speed dial. The phone clicked over.

"Hello?"

Fresh tears rolled from her eyes, and she once again struggled to breathe.

"Hel-lo?"

"Ka – ka – shi. I - I ne-need you."

Notes:

So, what do ya think? Made Sasuke into a complete bastard didn't I? Just made him show his true colours. And a nice little KakaSaku insinuation at the end. Just read Recon. This is kind of a prequel.

I won't be paying any attention to flames complaining about how I portrayed Sasuke. I stated it wasn't SasuSaku romance. It's not my problem if you don't like my opinion of him. So, flame if you want, but it won't change anything.

I know many believe that Sasuke still has an undying love for Sakura, but frankly, I think it's all crap. Are we forgetting that he ran off to run through the pansies with Orochimaru? Or should I say, like a pansy.

It took a lot of effort to not introduce Sasuke as 'Oro's Bitch'.

To all those who hate Sasuke and SasuSaku like myself, hope you enjoyed!

Keep reading and reviewing!

- eye