WHATEVER.

The Mission.

How ever stupid this mission was, it proved to be surprisingly easy in the beginning. Sakura got dressed, this time actually putting on her sandals, and stepped out the door. The two kunai holsters on each of her hips were filled to the top, with an emergency one sticking out, obviously, in case of an emergency, and also a beige back pack hung from her shoulders, packed with all the medical stuff she would be needing, whether this man was really him or not.

She sighed, stopping on a random roof top, only half-way to the forest, lost in thought. Earlier this morning (which was actually 5 a.m.) she had found a written note sitting on her kitchen table, with his writing. She read the note several times, and actually memorized what it said. She replayed the words in her head all the way out of her house, and it made her wonder…Was it really him?

The contents of the note were:

"Sakura,

Thank you for taking this mission. It really means a lot to me. And what you will find in the end might be something that you were sent to find. But it won't be me.

Well, maybe it well. See you soon!"

-Sasuke

It couldn't have been him, Sakura thought to herself, screwing her face up in confusion, though she still was unconvinced by her own thoughts. She shook her head, but the letter was stuck in her memory, chanting itself over and over again in her own voice. Sakura almost screamed, but only grabbed her hair, and pushed her head down to her chest. No. She hissed firmly to herself, opening her eyes slowly, and staring at the ground. It was dark all around her, but her vision and excellent sense of direction never betrayed her. Though, she sometimes wished that she had Kiba's nose… that way she would be able to track this man in no time.

Sakura took a step forwards, and immediately, the chanting became louder, but it died away as soon as it began. She gasped silently, her eyes widened. Sakura looked up, and saw… she clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Sasuke?" She whispered, and blinked quickly. The image disappeared. Was she going insane? "That's a definite yes." Sakura breathed, still staring at the picture the wind had created before her eyes until it vanished. That's impossible…

Her pink hair ruffled in the soft breeze that passed by, her overly sized t-shirt shifted its position on her shoulders slightly. Her emerald green eyes were still dull and hollow, almost as dark as night, though she could see the sunrise begin far behind the trees. She had better hurry, if she was lucky, she could get to the sound Village before sun high.

Quickly gathering her speed, the medic-nin hopped the roofs lightly, only making them vibrate for a second before she was on the next house top. Sakura's hair flapped around her, the kunais in their holsters shook, and the tiny beige back pack held tightly against her shoulders, but this did not slow her speed, nor did sudden rush of wind. The trees seemed to get bigger with incredible velocity, and in absolutely no time, Sakura stepped onto a thick branch, panting slightly.

Grabbing onto the tree trunk for balance, Sakura winced as she took off her sandals, rubbing the reddened skin where the straps rubbed against her feet and ankles. She hissed softly as pain oozed itself throughout her lower leg, but Sakura ignored it. Leaving the sandals on a stray, thin branch, hanging there, she enjoyed the feeling of bark against her feet.

The forest was like a second home to her, and it felt like home as well. She trained here, spending most of the day practicing her aiming and kicks against the strong tree trunks, then healing them, using the knowledge Tsunade had passed on to her. She even ate here whenever she didn't feel like going home for dinner, and wanted to be left alone in peace. Her apartment was a bit gloomy for her on those days, so she spent her day outside, enjoying the fresh air in her lungs. She even sometimes slept here, and not the camping kind of thing. She would lie on thick branches of trees, and watch the stars until the soft rustling of the leaves, and the sparkle of the night sky lulled her to sleep.

Finally, the pain soothed, and Sakura was on her journey again, her feet used to the rough skins of the trees, for she always took off her sandals. She didn't even know why those horrible things were invented. Some people say for better training, but she said no. Others said not to get her feet dirty, but she said no. She liked the sensation of caked mud and water on her feet, it felt more comfortable.

This Sakura wasn't the sort of tamed and shy person she was when she became a kunoichi. She didn't run around him, screaming out his name like those rabid fangirls, who followed him like moths flying towards a flame, hoping to be killed. Sakura sighed, smirking at that distant memory. No. She wasn't like that at all anymore… if it wasn't for him, she would still be the weak Sakura. She is strong now. All thanks to him.

She didn't even regret his death anymore. She felt comforted by the fact that she would not need protecting now. She doesn't need protection. That's for weaklings. For those who used to be like her.

Grinning mischievously, Sakura stepped lighter now, but more urgently than before. She wanted to see if those spies were right or wrong. Either way, she would still beat the crap out of them. Why would they spy on him of all people? He was dead. But, still… the guy, who was, unfortunately, thought to be the Uchiha, would still get a handful from her…

LATER THAT DAY

Sakura stood there, panting slightly, tired. She had run all the way from Konoha to the Sound Village without stopping once to catch her breath. Even so, the fatigue brought color to her extremely, abnormally pale face. Glancing around, Sakura breathed in deeply, though taking in a gulp empty of air whatsoever.

Why the hell would a spy look here? She thought, still trying to breathe in. The place looked absolutely frightening.

It was completely dark even though the sun was up high, and the floor was covered with thorn bushes, bramble sticking out of rocks that didn't even have cracks in them. The trees were blackened and leaf-less, the branches hung loosely on the trunks, and they were apparently completely dead, stripped of the rough, healthy bark which Sakura loved to scratch her feet against. The whole setting was surrounded by a large, stone cliff, rounding the clearing in a semi-circle, like a moon, but it was pretty high. Sakura wasn't able to see above the cliff, while standing on a fairly high branch, too.

Looking around it sent shivers down her spine, but she didn't let it show, even though there was no-one there, but just out of trained self control. Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, and with a soft sigh, she opened them slowly, half-lidded. She still glared as she stood on a thick branch, still barefoot, the slippery surface of the dead tree almost making her slip, but she held her balance, gripping the trunk tightly with her hand.

This looked like a classic fairytale setting. Somewhere the evil witch would hide out and keep the princess out of the knight's reach. Sakura chuckled softly at the thought.

I wonder who he is, she allowed a small, childish giggle escape her lips, before turning her face expressionless. The witch or the princess…

Looking around carefully, Sakura detected slight movement in one of the thorn bushes, the ones closer to the stone wall, and with a swift jump, she landed right before it. Being careful not to touch any of the thorns, the pink-haired kunoichi peeked over. To her surprise, she was looking into the blackness of the cave she had been searching for. Sakura glanced around suspiciously. This was a bit too easy. Was this a set up, or something?

Not being able to shrug the feeling off, she gripped the top of the arch entrance and swung her legs over the bush, but not being careful enough, Sakura scraped the back of her knee, but decided to ignore the stinging that now cascaded through her entire leg.

"This is all too easy," Sakura wondered out loud, stepping forwards cautiously. "Hello?"

Her voice echoed throughout the cave, as if lighting the place up with her presence. Shaking her head, Sakura concentrated on her chakra flow, and breathed in loudly, letting the chakra fill her stomach. She made a couple of quick seals, and opened her mouth.

"Katon! Ryuuka no Jutsu!" Sakura shouted, and the ball of fire escaped from her lips. Luckily, the plants that grew on the ceiling of the wall caught fire, and the room was brightly lit with the fire. Sakura squinted slightly, her eyes adjusting to the sudden light. She watched the flame hover above her for a moment, as if dancing to no music. Still with uncertainty, Sakura stepped forwards slowly, watching the cave and listening to any sound that wasn't made by her.

When the fire lit, Sakura didn't see the contents of the strange cave, but looking around now, she saw the bones that littered the floor thickly, and the weapons that hung from the plants on the ceiling. She halted to examine an odd looking knife. It had a rounded edge, and seemed very dull to the untrained eyes. Sakura had no experience with weapons, except kunais maybe, so she couldn't tell whether it was really dull or not. Her eyes traveled towards the handle, which had markings she couldn't decipher. They looked like letters, but certainly not Japanese… English maybe? She got annoyed trying to decipher what those letters meant, and decided she would take it with her.

I'll show it to Tenten, Sakura thought, nodding to herself.

Sakura reached out to grab the handle, but her hand never touched the leather surface. A hand gripped her wrist tightly, and a deep voice whispered into her ear.

"Don't touch that." It hissed. Sakura didn't move a muscle, her eyes fixed straight ahead, and her breathing was calm and slow, yet her heart beat was getting faster with every breath.

"Who are you?" She asked, a tad of threat in her voice. She knew it was the voice of a man, for never met a woman with a voice that deep. The man replied with a soft chuckle.

"You should know," he said, his mouth so close to her ear, she even felt his lip brush her ear. "You were sent here to find him." Suddenly, Sakura had the urge to turn around, and she didn't hesitate to do so.

She grabbed the arm that was being held with her hand, and jerked it hard, surprising her opponent and making him let go. Then, stepping backwards and falling into the man's chest, Sakura pushed him harshly against the wall of the cave, making it vibrate and echo. And turning around quickly, her lower arm landed against his neck, where she finally saw him.

Even though a cloth was covering half the man's face, and only his hair and eyes were visible, that was all she needed to see. The black messy hair and dark midnight eyes that would capture any maiden's heart, as it happened with her. She slid three fingers behind the cloth, her fingers brushing his lips, and ripped it off, making the man gasp.

She could feel his eyes burning into hers, but she only glared at him coldly.

"You." She whispered, her arm pressing harder against Sasuke's neck. "You."

"Yeah, me." Sasuke raised a brow. "What about it?" He looked unflustered by Sakura's angered expression, and only sighed when she said nothing. Her glare was cold and mad, and as he looked at her closer, he had realized… she's changed. Her hair was short and messy, and her green eyes, that used to shine brighter than the sun ten years ago, were dark and hollow. Even the dancing fire around them couldn't help the blackness that invaded in her gaze.

"But…" He heard Sakura say as his mind wondered else wear, and even though her arm was pressing against his neck, his air passage wasn't blocked. "You're dead." Sasuke looked at her bewildered expression.

"I was." He replied softly, pushing her arm away as her grip slackened.

"Where were you?" Sakura didn't wait for his reply, and was glancing around wildly, as if something was going to jump out and attack her.

"I--," Sasuke felt his head snap back as Sakura's knuckles met his jaw in a fierce punch. He stumbled backwards, his back hitting the rocky wall behind him.

"Where the hell were you?!" Sakura screamed, her eyes filling up with tears he had seen so many times before. He watched her grab her hair, before her hands slid her face.

"A mission." Sasuke replied uncertainly, wiping away the blood that had poured out of his mouth and onto his chin with the back of his hand.

" A-a mission?" Sakura's hands slid down her face until they revealed her eyes, and her tone was almost hysterical. "All these years… you were on a mission? You played dead?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly me who died," Sasuke chuckled, a hint of pride in his voice. "It was Itachi."

"Itachi? But you don't look alike at all!"

"Gave him a haircut, ruined his face with a knife so it was unrecognizable, you know." Sakura flinched at the thought; the mental image of Itachi's body lying in a coffin that was supposed to be Sasuke's made her gag. Sakura turned around, letting go of her face. Instead, she started cracking her knuckles where they punched Sasuke about two minutes ago. It gave her satisfaction, but not as much satisfaction she felt when she kicked Naruto in the crotch, but she'll get to that.

"So all these years, you were on a mission?" Sakura asked calmly, surprising with Sasuke with her sudden change of tone, not to mention that she was crying a second ago. But her eyes were completely dry.

"Yea--?"

"And all these years you had me worrying about your dead brother?"

"Yeah." He had only just got the question. Apparently, Sasuke was a bit slower than he used to be ten years ago. It probably happens with age. "No!"

"Whatever." Sakura turned on her heels and started towards the cave entrance, but before climbing over the thorn bush, she stopped. "Come on. I'm supposed to get you back to Konoha. Unless you want to stay here in this dump, fine by me. If not, follow me." Grabbing the arch entrance, she swung her legs over and was out of sight. Sasuke watched for a moment, digesting her words, before following after her.

When he got out of the thorns and brambles before the entrance, Sakura saw what had changed about him. His ribs were showing through the black t-shirt he was wearing, followed by the same shorts he wore ten years ago. But, his developed muscles were not abandoned.

"Did you have anything to eat?" Sakura asked, raising a brow in question.

"Nothing for the past week." Sakura sighed. He was never well prepared. Once again, turned her back to him (something he had never seen before), and started into the forest, Sasuke at her heels.

For the whole journey back, neither of them spoke, and both their eyes were staring straight ahead, as if fixated. Once back in Konoha, Sakura took a well hidden short cut to Tsunade's office, through dark alleys and on top of houses that weren't even close to being close to the main street. Sasuke respected that.

Sakura entered the building confidently, and walked down the hallway, but was pushed against the door that led to the Hokage's office, and discovered Sasuke's face so close to hers, that their noses almost brushed. Dried blood was sticking to his skin, and his dark eyes were as cold as ever.

"What is this?" He growled, fastening a grip on Sakura's shirt, his fist pressing her harder against the wooden door. But Sakura only pushed her head to the side, painting a disgusted expression on her face.

"It's a door." She sneered, grabbing his wrist and pushing back with equal strength, so she had enough space for her nose to fit in without bumping into his. Her green eyes were as icy as his.

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

Sasuke sighed, lowering his head to his chest, and tightening his grip on Sakura's shirt. He looked up into her eyes, seeing his identical reflection in their hollow depths.

"Stop being… so…" Sakura cocked her head in question, keeping her expression quite blank now. "Me."

"No, Sasuke," She said in a colorless voice. Sasuke's eyes widened. It was the first time she said his name since their last first meeting, and he missed the –kun suffix in his name. "Stop being so like me." The pink-haired girl grabbed his shoulder and pushed back, slipping out of his reach before he could catch her again. Sakura gave him a long, hard glare; her eyes did not loose the sudden strength they obtained. Then, once again turning her back to him, she opened the wooden door and stepped into the office.

"Tsunade." She said firmly. "He's alive."

N/A: Strange chapter… don't worry, there will be SasuSaku moments in this thing… wait for the next chapter… yesss… ahahah!!! Anyways. Hope you enjoyed it! R & R PWEASE!