Afraid

Note: SasuSaku, not sure if it is going to happy or sad, or a bit of both. DON"T OWN NARUTO!!

Sakura is scared of something, but what is it?

"Sakura……what are you afraid of ?"

"……….Death Sasuke-kun…………death….."

Sakura has a secret that she has never told anyone, something that no one knows about her, but everyone has a secret that they can't tell anyone right?

"…….Sa…..Sasuke…….-kun……" Sakura murmured drowsily as she rolled over onto her back and twisted her white blankets.

It was just breaking dawn and the sun was slowly making its way up to the horizon. Sakura had spent the night tossing and turning, fearing for her life and Sasuke's in a fantasy nightmare; plagued with blood, fear, pain, life changing moments and death.

"Hmm, morning already….?" Sakura yawned as she stretched her arms above her head and smiled out her bedroom window, into the sunny, cloudy sky; the nightmare completely forgotten, for now.

"Hello, Naruto, good morning, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said cheerfully as she sat down beside Sasuke.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan!" Naruto enthusiastically replied as he practiced throwing his kunai and shurikens.

"Hello….." Sasuke replied, voice in monotone.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Sakura asked as she smiled into the sky before looking back at Sasuke.

"Hmph……its okay."

"Good morning, everyone!" Kakashi announced as he popped out of nowhere.

"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei," they replied together. They've gotten used to Kakashi's lateness, and returned to whatever they were doing.

"We've got a mission today!" Kakashi responded as he pulled out his book and started to read it.

"Yes! What is it? When do we start? Do we get to leave the village?!" Naruto asked as he jumped up from cloud gazing.

"Calm down, Naruto. It's a quite important mission, high B to A rank," Kakashi noted as he placed a hand on Naruto's head to stop him from moving.

"Really? Yes! That's so cool!" Naruto cheered as his eyes gleamed.

"What is the mission, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as she got up from her seat and starred at Kakashi.

"We have to retrieve a scroll; some sound ninja stole from us just a couple of days ago,"

"Cool!" Naruto answered as he started to prepare his kunais and shurikens.

A Few Hours Later

"Sasuke-kun, to your right!" Sakura noted as she threw a kunai to the sound ninja, who had slipped up beside Sasuke.

"Got it," Sasuke replied as he took out two shurikens and tossed them, aimed at the sound ninja and then jumped a few feet back. The sound ninja dodged the attack skilfully and flawlessly.

"That was too easy, you really that pathetic?" the cocky ninja replied as he laughed from underneath his mask. Sasuke scoffed.

"I won't miss this time!" Sasuke announced as he leaped forward, throwing two kunais and five shuriken in an elite formation. The two kunais were bomb decoys as the shurikens came in from the front, back, sides and from the sky downward. The sound ninja flinched as he felt the two kunais exploded and his vision cloud; resulting in him being cut several times. Fresh dark blood rushed out and splattered onto the branch of the tree and blew into the wind. Sakura's stomach turned and she felt dizzy. 'He's not even dead….he's the enemy and I'm already feeling light headed?' Sakura thought as she tried to pull herself together. 'I'm pathetic. I'm scared of blood.'

Sakura breathed in sharply as Sasuke executed another one of his formations. This time, it failed. The sound ninja leaped out of the way, and blocked the three shurikens and let himself be cut lightly by the kunais to do so.

"Crap….." Sasuke mumbled as he blocked the three kunais that were headed for him.

Naruto and Kakashi

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, why didn't you let me join the mission??" Naruto asked angrily as he glared coldly at his teacher.

"Naruto……Sasuke and Sakura were ready at six in the morning, you were late. Naruto you came too late, this is an important mission, so I had no choice but to let them leave first." Kakashi sighed as he treated Naruto to some ramen.

"Hmm…..but Kakashi-sensei, you said six thirty! I was just ah……fifteen minutes……late……" Naruto replied as he ordered his ramen

"Fifteen minutes, Naruto. Fifteen, it wouldn't be fair for Sasuke and Sakura to wait fifteen minutes for you. The scroll is very valuable to the village, its very important. The more time they have to waste waiting for you, the farther and further the sound ninja will get. Naruto, I'm sorry." Kakashi explained as he smiled sadly at Naruto. 'He really wanted to go on this mission.' Kakashi mentally added.

"Well……I guess its okay…….it was my fault for getting up late……..and not being 'punctual'." Naruto added placing childish 'comas' over the word punctual.

Kakashi smiled and Naruto laughed.

Sasuke and Sakura

"I can't believe Naruto didn't come," Sakura said silently as she and Sasuke were trying to locate the sound ninja once again.

"Stupid idiot probably didn't set his alarm clock," Sasuke answered as he activated his Sharigan.

"Yeah…..I guess you're probably right, Sasuke-kun." Sakura replied as she kept an eye out for any movements in the forest.

"………….Sasuke-kun………what's that…….smell??" Sakura asked as she smelt something she couldn't place in the air. It wasn't a welcoming aroma; it was a rather musty smell, unwelcoming and eerie.

"Hmm……..I think its coming from here…….." Sasuke replied as he and Sakura walked through some tall grass, and into a clearing. Sasuke stopped, Sakura bumped into him.

"Oh….uhm…..Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked as she crashed into Sasuke's back, Sasuke didn't move. "What is it? ……OHMYGOD! SASUKE-KUN!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Sa………Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed again as she crashed her face into in back, and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her heart was racing and tears filled her eyes, as Sakura gripped Sasuke's shirt tighter and tighter.

"Sakura………." Sasuke held onto the silence as he stood paralyzed to the ground. Sakura was still crying and hyperventilating.

"……….Sasuke………" Sakura mumbled into his back quietly and almost inaudibly.

"He's…….already dead."

"I…..know," Sakura replied after a long silence, her face still pressed against Sasuke's shirt.

"How's that possible?" Sasuke asked his sharigan deactivated, he didn't move, but he didn't take his eyes off their once, enemy.

"I…….I don't know……." Sakura answered as she tried to stop crying. "Sasuke-kun……..I'm scared……."

"I know…..its okay." Sasuke replied gently as he slowly turned himself around and faced Sakura, still blocking her view at the same time.

"Sakura……..what are you afraid of?" Sasuke asked as he stared into her tear drenched face.

"…………Death Sasuke-kun………death…" Sakura replied after a silence. She bit her lip, bit it didn't stop the tears from falling. Sakura's breathing became shallower and her eyes were wide.

"Don't worry…..its okay, Sakura. I'm here," Sasuke coaxed as he kindly lifted Sakura carefully to her feet. She was shacking and quivering all over. She could barely stand.

"Breathe, Sakura. Breathing, slowly." Sasuke reminded as he let Sakura lean on him for support. Sakura listened and slowly her breathing became more normal, but not quite there.

The wind rusted and blew leaves and the grass swayed. It reeked. The smell of blood was intoxicating. It was hard to breathe properly and Sakura's stomach just kept flipping. This was like her dream, somewhat.

In Sakura's dream:

Sasuke and herself were placed in a similar situation as this one. The smell of blood lingered for much longer, and Sakura felt that even though she was far from it, and no matter how many showers she took; she couldn't wash out the feeling of the fresh crimson liquid. It was haunting and taunting at the same time. Sasuke had saved her with similar words.

"….Thank you, Sasuke-kun……" Sakura exhaled as she hugged Sasuke, and hoped he wouldn't reject her hold.

"Your welcome," Sasuke smiled as he hugged Sakura back, letting his fingers run through her long pink hair.

"I love you, Sasuke-kun." Sakura stated as looked up and starred Sasuke right in the eye.

"I know," Sasuke replied as he gently kissed Sakura's forehead. Sakura blushed and buried her head back into Sasuke's blue shirt. Sasuke smirked.

"Let's go," Sasuke suggested as Sakura started to yawn.

"What about the scroll?" Sakura reminded as she leaned her back into Sasuke's chest. Still afraid to face the dead corpse; but Sasuke was with her, so she knew everything would be okay.

"Oh, it's right here," Sasuke answered as he held up the coffee-stained rolled up scroll in his right hand.

"When did you get that?" Sakura inquired as she held Sasuke's hand.

"The wind blew it to me back there,"

"The wind….?" Sakura paused before laughing. Sasuke looked at her.

"What's so funny?" Sasuke asked as he bent his head over to face Sakura.

"Nature," Sakura replied as looked up into Sasuke's onyx eyes. Sasuke starred at Sakura in puzzlement before smiling.

"Now, let's go," Sakura added as she hugged Sasuke. "Carry me?"

"Of course,"

END

AUTHOR"S END NOTE: Whoa! Finally finished! Once again, it was one of those stories where I didn't really know how or when to end it! Good thing it turned out pretty well, so I am happy. Sorry to all you horror fans, I was going to prolong the 'fight chase' and describe the horrible death, but then decided against it. The story would be even longer, and I might just write about that later, we'll see. Didn't think this story was going to turn out to be a TWO-SHOT happy ending GASPS Well, till next time!

LOVE AND PEACE

Linali-chan September 20th 2008