Title: When the Fire Burned Out

Description: Sakura is crushed after the second loss of Sasuke, but she won't let anyone see the pain besides her best friend Sai. When her next mission leads her through a crash course of love, then to the pain she's been avoiding, can she depend on her friends to lead her back to sanity?

Rating: M. For sex and some violence.

By Sunset, we had al shuffled into Tsunade's office, leaning against the walls, awkwardly standing, and some even sitting. Tsunade walked in a few minutes later, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Hello everyone. I'm sorry to call you all here on such short notice." She nodded at the Sand Ninja. "Especially you three. And Hinata of course, on her birthday." Hinata's face turned red again. "This mission id very important, the fate of both our village, and the sand village depends on its success. For this mission, Sakura and Gaara will be the team leaders. Naruto, you will be the negotiator. Sai, I need you to record anything and everything that happens onj tthis mission, since it is a matter of "national" security. Everyone else, just do what you do." Tsunade drabbled on.

"Hai, Tsunade-Sama, but, oy, what's the mission?" Ino asked impatiently, "You never got to the point."

"Well…" Tsunade paused, looking at me. I closed my eyes, fearing the next words out of her mouth. The look on her dace could only mean one thing. "We've gotten more information on Sasuke Uchiha." I felt myself pale.

"But…Tsunade-Sama!" I choked out. "I-I thought we were giving up, we decided this was what he wanted!" Sai hesitantly reached over and took my hand, squeezing it gently. I gripped it, trying not to lose it.

"Sakura- you don't understand. Sasuke broke into my office last night, and stole some very important documents, regarding both our village, and the Sand." She looked at Gaara. "For this I am sorry Gaara-Sama."

"We understand the situation, Tsunade-Sama, Sasuke-Uchiha is a very dangerous ninja, and no one could have predicted the event, you said the ANBU officers didn't get here in time, they only saw him leaving and couldn't catch up." Gaara murmured

"Thank you for you're help, Ninja of the Sand, we have reason to believe Sasuke Uchiha has been trained in forbidden jutsu." Tsunade added. I gulped.

"It's no problem at all." Gaara said. I noticed he had a pleasant husky voice.

"Tsunade-Sama…" I hesitated, "Do you know where…" I couldn't bring myself to say the name. "He is exactly?" I asked cringing. I squeezed Sai's hand a little harder.

"No, we just have an informant to meet up with, which brings me to my next order of business. You will be meeting this informant at a formal restaurant." She gestured at Shizune, who began to pass out small bundles with our names on them. "You have a team of… and odd number I believe, so I'm sending Shizune with you. You are to meet the informant at the SwingStep, at 6:30 tomorrow. Gaara-Sama, you will have to alter your appearance somehow, as you are easily recognized among the villages. And Shikamaru, I will leave this with you." She handed Shikamaru a wad of money. "That is all, after you meet the informant, the rest is up to you. You are to find Sasuke Uchiha, and do anything necessary to get the documents back. Anything." She repeated. "And in no way is this a retrieval mission, you either kill him, or take him captive." She looked directly at me, I could feel how pale my face was. "Do you understand?" I felt like I was going to pass out. I nodded, eyes closed to hold back the tears. "You are all dismissed. Hurry everyone."

"Sakura. If I am to record this mission, I am going to need both my hands to work." Sai said smiling. I looked down, realizing I was crushing his hand.

"I'm so sorry." I said, dropping his hand, color returning to my face. My other hand was gripping the package Shizune had given me. I dropped to the floor, unzipping my bag and shoving it in.

"You're Sakura right?" The husky voice asked. I looked up to see a redheaded Kazekage. I nodded, standing up quickly. To quickly, I started to fall back down, light-headed. Gaara caught me with one arm and steadied me, obviously looking me over to see if I was fit to be a ninja. I blushed again.

"Uh. Yeah, thank you Gaara-Sama." I mumbled picking my bag off the floor.

"Please drop the formal ending." He said sighing. "For this mission we are equals, remember?" I nodded, blushing. "Weren't you close to Sasuke Uchiha?" He asked. For the second time today the color drained from my face. His eyes widened. "Are you okay?" I tried to nod, but I couldn't force myself to move. Sasuke had been a forbidden topic in my mind for so long, now the walls were down and I had nothing to hold me up. "Is she okay?" He demanded, looking at Sai.

"She doesn't like to hear his name." Sai said, looking worriedly at me. I looked up with him, with a pained expression. "Or say it. This is all very hard for her."

"I am sorry Sakura-Chan." Gaara said slowly. "Are you sure this isn't too much for you, do you want Tsunade to find you a replacement?" He obviously didn't want my emotions in the way of his mission. I shook my head.

"No. I'm fine, really Gaara-Sama. Thank you for your concern, but we need to get moving." I paused, trying to find my voice again, "Come on everyone, we have a mission to do." Sai smiled at my quick recovery. I smiled too, but I know what he was thinking. It didn't reach my eyes.

***

A few hours later we reached a hotel near the restaurant. Shikamaru walked to the front desk, booking a single room with two queen-sized beds. The only room left. Ino looked at me impatiently, like it was my fault.

"Excuse me sir." I said, looking at the clerk, "You can see we have a few extra people, could you send us up as many of those fold up cot beds as you can, A.S.A.P.?" I asked, a flirtatious smile crossing my lips. He smiled back.
"Of sure Madame, right away." He said, writing the order down and handing it to the bellboy. I thanked him politely, and we walked up to our room.

"So. Miss Sakura, what are our sleeping arrangements?" Ino demanded as the bellboy loaded the beds into the room. I gave her a dirty look before answering.

"Well. I'll volunteer to share a bed with whomever. I figure we can fir three people on the big beds, that takes care of 6, then 2 on each small bed, and two on the fold-out couch, that takes care of everyone. I took a seat on one of the large beds. Everyone just kind-of stood awkwardly, looking at the beds.

"Hey, Tenten, do you want to share a bed?" Ino asked, patting one of the small beds. Tenten nodded and sat with her on it. Everyone else followed suit. Shizune and Temari grabbed a bed together, Naruto and Kankuro and Shikamaru grabbed the other big bed, Neji and Hinata decided to share a bed because they were cousins, leaving Sai, Gaara and I to the big bed. I didn't mind, Gaara seemed to have less emotion than Sai did, and Sai and I had shared a bed before.

"We'll take turns in the bathroom. Girls, then boys?" I volunteered. Everyone seemed to agree, and we all grabbed our bags and shuffled into the large hotel bathroom. A few girls took turns in the shower, I was going to wait until morning, I had already taken a shower today. I simply brushed my hair and my teeth and listened to the other girls gossip.

"Sakura!" Ino gushed on, while blow drying her hair, "You are soooo lucky. Both Sai, and Gaara are gorgeous!" I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, Blondie, shut up, that's my brother" Temari said, tossing a rolled up towel at her. I snickered and Ino shot me a dirty look. I set my bag down on a small table in the bathroom and pulled out my pajamas. I blushed realizing what I had grabbed. It was a pretty black number, a low cut tank top, with a pair of shorts, something cute for a sleepover, but not to wear while in bed with two guys on a mission. Ino strolled over.

"Oh, Sakura is that the set I got you?" She giggled, "Deciding to play up the eyes a little. Who are you after in this group." My eye twitched. She knew I hadn't dated since Sasuke left. I stood there silently trying to control my anger and not hit her. Last thing I needed to do was be on Ino's bad side. I shrugged and quickly changed into the pajamas, secretly glad I had shaved my legs this morning. I walked out, feeling exposed, and kicked my bag under the bed. Kankuro whistled, then smiled at me. I flicked him off, Gaara snickered. I looked at him, did…did Gaara just laugh? That had to be a sign of the apocalypse. I shook my head, shrugging it off and sat on the edge of the bed, next to Sai.

"So. Are you recording this for Tsunade?" I asked teasingly, looking at the odd sleeping arrangements. He smiled.

"No, I don't think this was quite what Tsunade-Sama was talking about." I laughed.

"Oh. Well, it is quite interesting." I could feel Naruto staring at us; he obviously hadn't noticed Sai's change in character before now.

"I painted something this morning." Sai said suddenly. I smiled at him.

"Can I see it?" I asked, looking at his bag. "Did you bring it?" I remembered something; "Did you name it?" I added. He nodded.

"Yes, to all three." He said proudly. That was one of the things he said when we first met, that he never named his pieces, that leaded him to telling us that he had no emotions. I grinned wider as he pulled it out of his bag. It was breathtakingly beautiful. It was a painting of a beautiful Cherry Blossom tree, standing in the middle of a lone field, the petals were raining down, covering the field in a pink blanket.

"Oh Sai." I said, it was so beautiful, it couldn't be real. "Wha'd you name it?" I looked around noticing that there weren't many people in the room, I vaguely remembered the girls and guys switching places and the girls going to the buffet downstairs. He looked embarrassed.

"I…I named it after you, because you were my first friend, you accepted me even before Naruto did, you helped me become human." He looked down.

"That's…like the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." I admitted blushing.

"You know Sakura, I think of you as my sister." He told me. I smiled, I thought of him as my brother, since I never had one.

"Thank you Sai." I said, looking around again. "You should probably go change and stuff," I told him, we have a big day tomorrow." He nodded and walked into the bathroom. I moved to the center of the bed and closed my eyes. I hoped Sai would hurry back, I needed him here to keep me in one piece. I wonder if that was why Tsunade sent him on the mission. I would have to ask her later. I slowly drifted to sleep, barely noticing when Gaara and Sai slid into bed on either side of me, or when Sai moved the blankets up over me.

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I'm actually having fun with this story, so please review in stuff so I don't lose interest… :]