DESERTED

Chapter 2

"Saving Me"

Neji and Sakura walked side-by-side, congratulating one another with smiles- something rare for both of them. The two were very close. Neji had been one of the few to witness Sasuke's demise. He was also the one who brought back his body. So Sakura sort of talked to him a lot. He had been there for her so many times, and even stopped her from suicide once...

FLASHBACK

Sakura's heart pounded in her head as she held the kunai close. The sharp point hovering right over her chest. With her final breath, she cursed all those who spend their time sulking over their deceased loved ones. They who are too weak and scared to bring themselves to face the heavens and be with those they miss so much once more. Well she would show them. She would show them all that she would rather be way up there with her beloved Sasuke instead of digging herself a deep, dark hole and living in it until she was really supposed to die.

Just seconds away from piercing her heavy heart, the one person she was extremely close to walked in, delivering her next mission. "Sakura!" he yelled, yanking the deadly weapon from her petite hands roughly. Tears were pouring down her face. Neji clutched her shoulders and shook her a little.

"Sakura...why would you do that? Look at me Sakura, please...look at me." he calmed down. Slowly, she lifted her tearstained face to meet his mysterious silver eyes. She was completely shocked to find a few tears astray on his face.

"You're...crying. Hyuga Neji never cries." she whispered, wiping the tiny clear droplets from his cheeks. "Neji..." she silently said his name, burying her face into his chest, as he hugged her tightly, holding her close. Sakura could feel his heart racing, like a train picking up speed. There he held Konoha's one and only cherry blossom, and the tears just kept coming.

"Sakura, please don't ever do that again." he breathed. "I'm not sure what I'd do without you. You're like my sister, I love you. And you're my best friend. What would Sasuke say if he saw you instead of me? He would think you were a coward for running away from life, Sakura. He would want you to be strong. He needs you to be strong. I know I've told you more than a million times before...but I don't think you're remembering quite well. He said to me, "Hyuga...tell Sakura that I need her to move on...and she has to make the best out of life, even if it seems pretty useless and dim. Please, tell her that I'm sorry, and that I'll be waiting for her. I love her." Neji recited Sasuke's exact words.

Sakura's fists tightened in Neji's cardigan..."No! Shut-up! Just stop! I don't want to hear anymore. It already hurts too much!" Sakura cried harder, tears dripping to the floor continuously.

Neji still held her tight; as if he was afraid she was going to run away. If he was shocked at her outburst, he didn't show it. Damn men, damn them all for being so cold. Emotionless bastards. "I'm sorry Neji...I-I just miss him so much it really is unbearable. Why...why can't you just let me die?" she asked innocently, as if she were asking him why she was being punished for showing some emotion.

"Because I told you before Sakura. You really do need to listen to things, instead of just hearing them. I said I can't let you die because I promised him I wouldn't. And because I love you. You're like my sister/best friend/other side of me. You have to stay alive, no matter how deep or unrepairable those wounds are...inside and out." he chuckled softly, kissing her forehead.

Sakura looked up at him, her eyes glassy and bloodshot. "I'll try. And though I may not like it very much...it's what would make Sasuke happy, what will make him happy. And I guess I do want whatever makes him happy. So I want to live, to be strong. To go on with life and proudly carry the Uchiha name." she spoke.

Neji whispered in her ear. "Exactly...and even though you being alive will keep you and Sasuke apart for a little longer, that will just make the reunion even stronger. So you really should wait until it's really your time, alright Sakura?" he questioned.

"Okay." she said back. A tiny, half-smile tugging at the corners of her strawberry lips.

END FLASHBACK

As the two new ANBU officers walked along quietly, everyone else was chatting amongst the large group. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Anko burst out in rage. "Uchiha!" she shrieked.

Sakura winced, snapping back as the vein in her forehead popped. "What have I done now dammit! Heaven forbid I'm successful Mitarashi?" she barked, barring her teeth. Just looking at one another sparked the fire in both kunoichi. Everyone else ignored the two kunoichis- they always fought.

"You're going to fight me, NOW! I don't think you're the strongest kunoichi...I am!" Anko spat with a growl. Sakura stiffened. She had always been afraid of Anko. She was a fucking beastly Amazon! Anko never dared to make the cherry blossom upset before, because she knew Sasuke could and would kill her. But Sasuke was gone. Sakura couldn't hide behind him any longer.

So she had to stand up to the kunoichi herself. Sakura frowned, thinking for a moment. She thought, 'If I can beat her, maybe she'll shut the hell up and leave me alone from now on.' Sakura smirked, shaking her head. "Alright you cocky bitch. You've got yourself a fight." Sakura wickedly smiled.

Everyone else except Kakashi, Genma, and Commander Nara had continued walking. They left the five ninja alone on the busy street, surrounded by buildings and Konoha civilians.

Anko pulled two kunai from her pouch and held one in each hand, while Sakura pulled eight shuriken from her weapon's pouch, holding them between her fingers. Anko was first to launch. Civilians and other ninja watched them begin to battle. The two kunoichi never fought until now, they always argued.

Sakura dodged the first kunai and threw her shuriken in pairs. She gasped when she saw the other kunai coming right at her face. Quickly, she bent back all the way until she saw the sharp weapon fly over her. When she came back up, she channeled her chakra to her feet and came full speed straight for the short ninja.

The pink-haired kunoichi crouched with her fist tight to her side. When she bolted up to Anko she threw the punch. Anko's arm plates blocked her attack...well, half of it anyway.

Smart and stealthy was the Uchiha widow. Back when she was on team 7, one of the valuable lessons Kakashi had taught her was to stick to your goal. Plan an attack, and stick it without flaw. Always have a backup plan in the first fails. So, since Sakura's current goal was Anko, she kept on trying to hit her, injure her in some way/shape/or form.

Since her punch failed, Sakura pivoted her foot and swung the other leg around, giving Anko an unwelcome kick to the abdomen. The dark kunoichi grunted as she was thrown back against a stone wall. Her head smashed against it too.

Sakura stood in the middle of the street, panting. A glare in her eyes and green chakra visibly gathering in her hands.

Tapping back into consciousness, Anko opened her eyes just in time to avoid Sakura's fist meeting her face. "Shit!" she gasped. When Sakura lunged forward, smashing the wall into pieces rather than Anko's face...she winced. Anko had lunged forward as well, forcing her fist straight into her opponent's gut.

The Uchiha slid back a few feet, stopping herself by pushing her hand down against the dirt. "Fuck." she groaned. Out of nowhere, Anko appeared behind Sakura. She kicked her on her lower back, eliciting a loud, pained grunt from the Uchiha widow.

In a flash of pink and red, Sakura's knee was under Anko's chin. 'CRACK!' sounded her jaw. "Bitch. Never underestimate me." she snapped at the mesh-clad ninja.

"Shut-up Uchiha. Hell, you're not even worthy of the name! You've never been a highly respected ninja! Your husband had been, and you hid behind him. That's the only reason why you've been 'strong'. You're a brat and you've never even been worthy of the title of a ninja. Whether it is Genin, Chuunin, or Jounin.

"Fuck you Mitarashi! I got this far all by myself! I became a Genin on my own, a Chuunin before Sasuke, and even a Jounin... So fuck off and save your bitchy attitude for someone who cares." the woman shouted.

Now Shikamaru, Kakashi, and Genma all watched the kunoichi. Their words caught even the male ninja's attention. That fancy language almost never came from Sakura.

Sakura held two kunai. One at Anko's neck, and the other at her gut. "Say anything...I dare you." she whispered, venom dripping from the words "I dare you".

Anko threatened, "Fuck you Uchiha. I'm going to kill you." she breathed, eyes glaring up at the sadistic kunoichi.

Laughing darkly, Sakura smiled. "Oh really now? Are you sure about that? 'Cause I don't think you're in the position to be saying such hurtful things." she hissed.

"You've only been 'feared' and 'powerful' because your fucking celebrity husband was the last god damned Uchiha! He always protected you, that bastard." Anko just had to bring him into this didn't she? Eh...it was only because she was nothing without her insults.

Sakura grit her teeth and shut her eyes tight. "Shut. Up!" she growled.

"No! And you know it too, don't you Uchiha! That's the only reason you've always had a good life! Finding the love of your life when you were 12. Growing up with him and then marrying him and just being so carefree in his arms. He was one of Konoha's strongest ninja's, and now he's gone! And guess whose fault it is, Sakura? It's yours! Because you didn't kill that man on your mission. And Sasuke went on his mission 2 days later and was killed by him!" Anko's words tore at the young kunoichi's heart. Her veins pumping with blood and chakra. "He's the only reason you've even alive! Reality check honey, he's dead! You're on your own now, and you're nothing on your own!"

Sakura lashed out, pushing one kunai deep into her gut. "Say anything else and I'll decapitate you! I am something on my own. I am somebody on my own! I'm a Jounin and the most powerful kunoichi in Konoha and my name is Uchiha Sakura!" she shouted, chakra twisting around them in a vortex of green.

"No. You're still nothing. You're a weak, pathetic, merciful twat! I bet you'd be a lot wiser and stronger if you hadn't let your parents die when you became a Genin. Face it Sakura, you can't protect anyone...let alone yourself!" Anko barred her teeth. Sakura sent her flying into the building across the street.

Immediately, Anko stood up from the rubble, holding her arm. In her free hand, she held a kunai between two fingers, and she tossed it right at the younger kunoichi.

Sakura just sat there, dazed. She really did want to die then. It seemed so easy...so simple. Just before Anko's kunai could do Sakura's bidding, Genma disappeared from the sidelines. In a flash, he had countered Anko's attack just by spitting his senbon towards her.

"Why dammit! Why can't you people just let me fucking die already?" she snapped at him. Genma calmly strode over to her, and picked her small body up. Carrying her to Kakashi, Genma finally answered the upset kunoichi.

"Because she's wrong." he stated, carefully sliding another senbon between his lips...

Setting her down gently, Genma stood next to Kakashi and Shikamaru as they watched her twist and turn in ways that would hurt anyone else. Sakura cracked her back, shoulders, hips, ankles, neck, everything. Then she began to heal all the tiny scratches and marks. "What the fuck is up with your girlfriend, Hatake?" Sakura hissed.

Kakashi chuckled, "She's jealous of you and she's forever PMSing." A laugh escaped Sakura's dry lips and she sighed.

"Genma-san? Thank you for saving me and all...but please, don't lie. I know she's right." Sakura looked at the ground, ashamed. "Anko is right...I'm nothing without him." she whispered.

Genma crossed his arms and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Sakura-chan. You're only as good as you believe yourself to be. And right about now...you're about as good as shit. Being ANBU and a person over all, you need to get it together. I know...everyone knows, you're better than that. Besides...I know Uchiha didn't pick you to be his wife for nothing. He needed a strong, smart kunoichi for a wife." he said.

"And he still has one." Sakura gave a small smile. Then, Genma sighed, taking in another breath full of sweet spring-time air. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he slowly walked off, humming the tune to 'Say Anything' by Cartel. (Author's note: if you don't know this song, look it up and listen to it. There is a reason I have Genma humming it.)

Yet again another updated, revamped version of my first work. :)
Enjoy, please R & R.

ps; working on the OOCness. Heh. Hope it's not too bad.
with loves, Razega.