~The Night Before~

"The Chunin Exams, huh? That doesn't sound so bad." Sakura smiled at Sasuke's mention of the exams as she continued to fold one of Sasuke's royal blue shirts with the Uchiha crest on the back.

The crest that enslaved her ancestors and kept her chained to this house with this boy.

The crest that made the rivers run red with blood and the skies grow dark with smoke and ash and the trees fall and the mountains crumble.

The crest that she was taught to fear.

Sakura in particular had been looking forward to using up some of her pent-up chakra; it was just itching to be spent.

Sasuke sat on his bed, laid back into the pillows. One hand propped up a small book in front of his face and the other relaxed behind his head. Sakura sat on the floor beside Sasuke, where she had more space to fold the laundry. She always did Sasuke's laundry first, and then her own. The afternoon sun was low on the horizon and Sakura was humming a tune that was quite popular around the Leaf Village. There was something about the tune that made a person nostalgic for people they've never seen and places they've never been to.

That tune made her think of her clan, which was now long gone, and which had been long gone even before they had been slaughtered at the hand of one man.

This man was one that Sakura had been taught not to fear, but to hold in hate and disgust, just like her master.

"Yes, but what of that Gaara of the Desert? I'd like to know more about him. He will prove to be a tough opponent," Sasuke mused absentmindedly as his focus went in and out of the book he was reading. He would've never dared to say he was worried, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he was. "And of course if anyone so much as touches you, I'll break both their arms."

Sakura stopped folding a pair of Sasuke's white shorts to look up at him. She always became uncomfortable at the thought of Sasuke caring for her in such a way, even though it was certainly nothing new. A faint smile crept along her lips and then instantly vanished ― like the flame on a candle ― before she spoke up.

"Sasuke-sama, you don't need to worry about me. I only live to serve you. Whatever happens to me means nothing, as long as you are safe. You know that."

There was something in Sakura that ― while she generally held a secret disgust for the Uchihas and their belligerent ancestors ― cared for Sasuke with a burning glow of passion. It happened to be a most confusing feeling that Sakura did her best to not dwell on for too long, because it just made her question things.

If Sakura had to only have one rule for herself in life, it would be to not question an Uchiha while you are a Haruno.

That was that.

Sakura was about to begin folding again, when a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her up onto the bed. Sasuke had maneuvered her so quickly; it was something of a blur for her. Sakura was now on top of Sasuke, her knees on either side of his reclining form. Her left wrist was locked in his grip, so she was able to support her upper half on her right arm. Sakura's shocked face remained suspended just centimeters away from her master's, and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe. No matter how much Sakura disliked it, he always seemed to have that effect on her.

"Sasuke-sama, please−"

"Sakura…." Sasuke said, taking one of her pink locks and playing with it between his fingers. The volume of his voice dropped to a whisper so quiet, it would have put a church mouse to shame. "You're the only person I have left.… I couldn't bear to lose you – not ever." Sasuke's voice was a soothing whisper, something that only she had known he was capable of.

Sakura let out a steady breath from her nostrils, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Sasuke-sama…please…. This is wrong. This is wrong and you know this."

Sasuke smiled an amused, crooked smile. "Sakura ― I can do whatever I want to you―"

"Yes, but this is wrong, as put forth by the ancestors of your clan―" Sakura cut Sasuke off, only to be cut off by Sasuke's hand hitting her square across the face.

She had just made an awful mistake, and this was something that she knew all too well. In an instant, the pink haired girl had been flipped underneath her master. Her cheek stung with a searing pain. Breathing had become difficult, as one of Sasuke's hands had wrapped around Sakura's throat.

Sasuke was furious, getting ready to strike her again with his freehand. "You do not ever interrupt me while I am speaking," He tightened his grip on Sakura's throat, making it apparent that he would easily kill her right here and now, despite the fact that he had only moments ago told her that he could never bear to lose her. Sakura remained calm, her eyes locked on Sasuke, but not on his eyes.

She wasn't allowed to look him in the eye.

Sasuke's fist did not connect with Sakura's face, as she had anticipated, but instead with her ribcage, effectively knocking the wind out of her. Small tears involuntarily sprung from the corners of her eyes, but still she remained calm.

'Stay calm. You can get through this. He won't kill you and nothing lasts forever. He'll stop. He's had his fill,' Sakura thought to herself to keep level-headed. Getting worked up and fighting back would only make him angrier.

Sakura was right. She took one more blow to the ribcage before he got off.

"Can't have anyone seeing those bruises, now," Sasuke murmured as he motioned for Sakura to stand up. She scrambled off the bed and got to her knees, bowing to Sasuke in hopes of forgiveness.

"Hn," was the only sound Sasuke made before he left the room and went to go have a shower. Tomorrow was a big day for the whole team, especially Sasuke, and he needed to be ready. Sakura didn't move until she heard the bathroom door shut.

The pink haired girl got to her feet, nearly tripping over her dress, and quickly went to the mirror at the back of the bedroom door to have a look at her ribs. She unzipped the front of her red dress and poked at the exposed flesh. She winced at the slight pain and concluded that they were indeed bruise. Zipping herself back up, she thought it best not to cry, because that would only make things worse.

The sound of the shower starting made her snap back to reality.

'The laundry. Finish the laundry and you can go home,' She thought to herself, pulling back her long pink her in a hair band. Sometimes, Sakura would stay with Sasuke at his apartment when he was in a good mood or needed her to do a lot of things like cook and clean. But on nights when he got angry at her, she always knew that it was best to leave and go back to her apartment once she finished up.

Sakura finished the laundry, put it all away in its rightful places and left the apartment before Sasuke got out of the shower.

She would have to get ready for tomorrow too.

Neither she nor Sasuke knew exactly what the Chunin Exams would entail. But as for Sakura, she hoped it would finally give her the chance to blow off some steam and break someone's neck in half.