Kill Or Be Killed
Chapter 1

Her breathing was gentle, so calm, relaxed... considering she was fluttering between the existences of life and death. Her jade green eyes were growing dull and he could feel the life draining out of her body – as she did of him. They both waited for the other's death so the meaningless game of 'killed or be killed' could end.

Sasuke glared at her, hating her for being stronger than she should've been, hating her for being stronger than he thought. After all that, there they laid, both waiting for death to come and whisk either of them away. Their fight had long ended, both having neither the strength nor the will to kill the other.

Sakura closed her eyes and smiled at her former team member, knowing how her cheerfulness had bothered him. He smirked back at her, causing the pink-haired girl to reminisce about how she had loved the very same look in her earlier years. Now, it just aggravated her – he knew it did.

She studied the raven-haired boy, unintentionally noticing how his near-dead self could be so perfect. Very unlike her own, she could assume. Every physical aspect, that she had recently grown to hate, was so... perfect, in an oddly annoying way.

Once upon a time, she would have savored this moment. But given the context, it didn't mean as much to her as it used to. Although truth be told, she could feel the quickening heart beat of her distant self – though it might not have been as distant as she preferred. She remembered the olds days where she used to fight, just to sit next to him. A scratch or two was nothing compared to the popularity boost of sitting next to the famed Uchiha.

"Doesn't mean I give up," she murmured to him, "I've still got a chance."

Sasuke grunted in return, acknowledging the fact that neither of them had given up.

"You have some sort of tracking device, don't you?" she asked, solemnly, "Someone's gonna come for you... Lucky bastard." It finally dawned on her that no one was coming for her. As soon as someone came for Sasuke... she'd be dead.

"You could win, if it were just the two of us..." he admitted.

"Shut up," Sakura said.

"...It was a compliment..." he mumbled back.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Although I have to admit, you did just voluntarily talk to me... I guess that's a nice way to preface death."

"Too bad, eh?" Sasuke said, smirking at her again. "You would've been real excited back then..." he said, reading her mind. His smirk widened as she blushed.

"Back then," she repeated, a smile emerging on her face, "I can't wait to see the look on Ino's face..." She winked at him; amazed that the only time they were able to have a near-proper conversation was when they were both on the verge of death.

Funny.

She started to panic again – no one was coming for her. No one knew where she was. She didn't even know where she was. Where was she?

"Just concentrate..." was what the look on Sasuke's face said.

So she did, concentrating on carefully channeling the chakra through her hands. He nodded at her, wincing as he did, causing Sakura to notice the giant bruise on his leg that was swelling rapidly. She cringed at the fact that all the bones were shattered and at the fact that she was the one who had shattered them. She forced back a laugh. There was a time where this would have been a mere dream for her. Being in an equal fight with Sasuke? Ha.

She looked back at his arm and shuddered, wondering if her injuries were looking as bad. ...Probably not, as he was not into physical violence as she was. But thank god there wasn't any blood. Everything was so much worse when there was blood. Sakura shuddered at the thought.

"Can you move?" she asked him, mumbling.

His silence answered for him. He frowned. She could feel his gaze on her, but she was reluctant to look back, knowing it was best to not to get too attached to someone who would only try to kill her again. She didn't have to heal him, after all. He couldn't move. It was safer to leave him paralyzed.

"Come back," she whispered without looking up, "Come back with me..."

He refused to answer, leaving them in silence yet again. "Don't ask me why," he said, changing his mind.

"Then don't give me shit about already having chosen your path."

The Uchiha boy smiled, his eyes dancing in amusement. "...It's been a long time since I've smiled."

"Honestly, I can't imagine why you would."

Their voices evaporated, once again leaving them in silence. Sasuke went back to studying his former friend, before noticing the familiar chakra of an approaching ninja. "Someone's coming."

"For you, or for me?" Sakura asked him, feeling the energy drain out of her body.

"Guess," he told her.

"For you, I bet."

Silence.

"Are you sure you want to bet?"

"Eh, what?" she asked, jerking to look at him, "I never said –"

"Yes," he said slowly, "You did."

"…Where are we?" she asked, changing the topic. She hated it when she was wrong.

Sasuke mumbled, "South, two days trip."

"What? We're that close? How do you even know where we are?"

He smiled again, "I have, a good sense of direction."

"I've found her!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Naruto..." they both said.

"Lucky bitch," he said, teasing her, "But, you lose."

She smirked back at him, smugly, "I hope your people get here soon."

"Oh, don't you worry about me," he said, "My people shouldn't be far behind that dope anyway."

Sakura smiled, failing to notice the wistful look on his face. "Come back with me?" she asked, more out of politeness now, then before. She waited for an answer before she turned around. Once again, she was met by silence. She limped away from him, aware that Naruto would pound the life out of him if they came face to face.

"I'll hold you too that bet," he called after her, smirking, watching her walk away.

He laid there and waited for Zetsu to come collect him, as humiliating as it might be. He prepared for the embarrassment of being taunted by his fellow Akatsuki after this. Beaten by a girl, tch. He sighed and glanced at his arm.

Sakura had been nice enough to heal it before she left. ...So naïve. To imagine she was willing to heal the enemy, at the cost of her safety. No wonder she turned out to be a medic ninja.

He managed to crawl, bit by bit, in the direction of the base, getting as far away from the once hyperactive blonde as he could. He heard Naruto yelling in the distance, knowing he was swearing to kill the bastard who had attacked Sakura. He knew Sakura was denying that it had been him, their former team mate. "He's gone," she would say to get him to calm down, except it wouldn't work. But, that's only how he imagined it. He would never know.

"Naruto!" the pink haired shinobi laughed when she saw him.

He ran to pick her up, embracing her in a bear hug, oblivious to the pain her injuries were causing her.

Hinata emerged, a medic kit in hand. She scolded him with a stern look on her face and quickly instructed him to place Sakura on the ground where she could heal her.

"You're one lucky girl," she said, referring to the fact that Naruto had come back to find her.

Kiba laughed, unaware of what Hinata was referring to as being lucky. "I know! Another minute and you would have like, passed out, or something."

"Or something," Sakura repeated, thinking about Sasuke.

"Where is he?" Naruto glowered, seeing the look on her face, "Where's that bastard? I'll kill him!"

"He's gone," she said, avoiding eye contact with him. He seemed to know that she was lying.

Naruto's brow creased, "Damn it." He punched the nearest tree, causing a dent in the previous smooth trunk. "Damn it!"

"Don't worry," she told him, "He's beat up as much as I am." She smiled at the thought, her eyes crinkling.

"That can't be..." he started, angering her.

"Don't give me that shit," she yelled at Naruto, "Don't give me shit. Where were you for three years? Where were you when the game started? Where were you when I was taken? Where were you? Don't come back and give me shit about how I suck on the battlefield. Just. Don't."

Naruto punched the tree again, his blood pulsing, fuming. He had not meant to offend her. He never did. But she was so easily offended by him.

"I'm sorry, alright?" he yelled back, "I'm sorry for disappearing, I'm sorry for not being there, I'm sorry for not taking part in this stupid game. I'm sorry, alright?"

Sakura laid in silence, having no more reason to yell now that Naruto had apologized. How could you hate someone who was truly sorry for what they did?

Hinata glared at Naruto for agitating her. "Shut. Up," she mouthed angrily. The Hyuuga turned to Sakura, "Stay with me, alright?" She noticed that her friend was beginning to daze out.

The pink haired girl smiled back, "I'm gonna have a nap... Keep me... alive... yeah?"

She fell into a state of unconsciousness, unaware of Hinata yelling for Kiba to get her medical kit.