DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS FROM NARUTO

CHAPTER 4: BEATING HEART

The smell of faint burning cigarettes travelled up her nostrils, disoriented she forgot what had happened. It didn't feel like her bed, her back was pressed against something cold and yet nostalgic. Something from her nightmares and unwanted memories. Her eyelids were heavy, but she forced them opened. Her vision was blurry just figures around and the muffled sounds. Aside from the muffled demonic laughs she could hear her heart beat out of her chest. A hand trailed down slowly from her lower back all the way to her thigh. Her hand helplessly tried to push that rough grimey hand off her but she was too drugged to do anything but pray for death to come. His cracked lips ravished she crook of her neck, she wanted to scream but couldn't. She was helpless. Sakura knew exactly what was happening now. She knew and she wanted to scream at herself. A promise made to herself that she would end this demon's life, only she's being the victim again. This time, she said she'd be a hero, but so far she's anything but that. She was being the world's burden, she wasn't going to let this happen again. The only thing she is choosing this time is to take that man's life with hers.

"S-Stop." It was a faint cry of defence she managed to mutter, but it worked.

"Excuse me?"

"I..I want to be sober for all of this" her soft lips touched his ears as she whispered.

"Naughty girl aren't we?" his dark chuckled echoed through the glimmering halls, "Since when are you so behaving? Is it because you don't want to hurt your dear Naruto? Because the way you're acting now, he'll be just fine." Just the sound of his name made Sakura feel sick to her stomach, she didn't know what exactly was going through his mind. She wondered if he was having fun at the wedding now, or has he found the letter? Because at this point she has no idea what time or day it was. All she knew was she was going to bring this dirty man down with her to hell. She clenched her fist and held back the tears, ' Naruto, I'm so sorry...' She thought to herself before she slipped in a blank sleep as she waited for the drugs to wear off. This was it, this was her sacrifice. She'll make it worth it.

XoXoXoXo

This couldn't be real. How could this be, how could she be alive? How on earth could she be alive without him? How could he just abandon her in this shit faced world. What exactly happened to his best friend, his everything, his life? He only had himself to blame, himself to blame for leaving her and for accepting her death with no actual proof. This wasn't the time to sit here and think, if she was alive she was in danger.

"Sasuke! Sasuke!" The voices started to come back to him, his senses came through. The feeling of his brother's hand on his shoulder,

"Sasuke, Sasuke! You need to breathe!" Itachi was now shaking his little brother's still body, Sasuke didn't realize that his body was numb and that he wasn't breathing properly. He was hyperventilating. His vision became dark, but he fought it. He concentrated on his breathing and ignored all the screams and calls for his name. His hand weakly pushed onto the marbled floor and slowly got up.

"Sasuke, please stop this you're scaring me!" this time it was Karin's voice who cried out to him, her arms wrapped around his torso. But he wasn't thinking right, all he could see was the photo, he roughly pushed her off and ran out of the hall about to leave the building and chaos before a strong hand gripped his bicep.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?!" He turned to only see his brother's stern face. Through his trembling he handed his brother the piece of paper.

"She's alive...she's fucking alive..." his voice was coarse and shaken. His older brother grabbed the thick piece of paper, eyes widened as he realized this is real. Sasuke wasn't going through his deniable phase. This was reality, the pink hair and green eyes matched no one but hers. But even so, Itachi never let go of his grip.

"What the fuck are you going to do Sasuke? You don't even know what the situation is, New York isn't a small city. You're not going to be able to just locate her. Let Naruto do what he has to do. You don't even know if that's her! Can you please calm -"

"YOU EXPECT ME TO JUST FUCKING SIT HERE WHEN SHE'S OUT THERE SOMEWHERE?" Sasuke couldn't keep his sanity.

"Sasuke, that's not what I'm saying. You need to calm down, realize you're at your own wedding. I'm not even telling you to stay here and celebrate, but what are you realistically going to do? You're only going to make it difficult for what the cops are already doing. Sasuke, you're not stable to be driving around looking for someone in this big city. That's if she's even in this city right now or even alive"

"That's your fucking problem. I'm not losing her for the second time." his voice venomous as he spoke through his clenched teeth,

"Sasuke, we don't even know if it's her. You're jumping into conclusion over a fucking photo! A photo that barely explains anything!"

"So you expect me to just fucking be as stupid as I was and just leave it?! and listen to your fucking bullshit?! I believed you once, and look where it got me. JUST FUCKING LOOK AROUND YOU. Look what you've fucking put me through. Because I was stupid enough to believe you."

"Sasuke, you're not the only one who feels this way, I'm fucking going crazy right now too. If this is her, you don't think I feel any remorse? But realistically it's out of our hands, we cant just be running around blindly like some headless chicken-"

"I left her alone to fucking fend for herself, she's out there herself! Who fucking knows how long she's been fending herself, I failed. I failed as a human being, I've been fucking around and here she is, alive and going through God knows what. How the fuck do you expect me to sit here and act fine? Listen, I will get her back. No matter the cost, no matter if it takes my life or not. I will find her, and I'm not going to lose her again."

"Look, I'll give Deidara a call, he's on shift right now, I'll see what's going on. I'm sure his department can participate in this as well. You know he's the head of the SWAT team. She'll be fine. Just sit still for a bit, once he gives us the go, we'll split and look for her." If there was two things Itachi knows are definite about his little brother, it's that he was stubborn and that he would do anything for little Sakura. This time there was nothing to do to control him, and the only thing an older brother can do at this point was be by his side.

"You do whatever the fuck you need to do, but I'm leaving."

"Where on earth are you going to start Sasuke?! I understand what you're feeling -"

"Itachi, just listen to yourself. You understand what I'm going through...I highly doubt that" Without another word, he had already left the hall, ignoring all the calls and confusion he has left behind.

"Sasuke, where do you think you're going? You're just going to leave me?" Red eyes full of tears as she ran over to Itachi, she saw how hysterical Sasuke was.

"Karin, It's okay. He's just overwhelmed, please forgive us. I apologize on his behalf. We will get this all sorted out. I'll have the Konan take care of things. I will explain everything once it's all solved." With that, Itachi also left the scene with his hand busied on his cellular phone

"Sasuke!" His mother called out, but nothing right now would stop him. Through the chaos outside, no one noticed who he was. His foot glided as quick as possible, he could hear his inhales and exhales and heart beat; deaf of the chaotic screams and police men trying to calm the crowd down. His eyes desperately searched for his Black Bugatti which was not too hard to find. Graciously, he got in a quickly drove away form the chaos. Where exactly was he going to go, he had no idea. But if this is some sort of hostage, the best place would usually be close to a border to get across to a different country. Somewhere north of New York City, towards Canada. Niagara Falls.

Sasuke wasn't a superstitious type of person unlike his fellow friend Neji, but this time he prayed that destiny or fate can really take him to where he has to be. To make it right, maybe he himself, does not deserve the pleasure of finding Sakura. But at least fate will give Sakura the advantage to have her life saved. Even though he hadn't seen her in years, he can put his life on the line and be confident to say she's still an angel like she always was when he knew her.

The whites of his knuckles appeared when his hand gripped the wheel as hard as he could. Part of him wished this was just a night mare. This had to be a nightmare. The fact that she's possibly held hostage or tortured was unbearable to think about. Knowing that she was around this whole time; it angered him. Angered because the past was out of his hand. The years wasted without her was painful to endure. A painful time that could've been avoided. He was numb. It was that feeling he's once felt before, vulnerable and useless. Of course again it's back. The feeling he swore he never wanted to experience again was crawling back slowly.

But this time, no matter the pain, and the suffering, he will sacrifice for her.

XoXoXoXo

It must of been hours since she's been in this car, her senses were slowly coming back as she felt a hand roughly grab her bicep and dragged out of the car. The chilling breeze hit her skin, she could hear distance loud crashing of the body of water hitting against the rocks.

"Where, where are we?" she managed to mumble as she swayed back and forth while an arm was draped around her shoulders.

"Just a little break before heading home" he chuckled darkly, that familiar voice only belonged to one person Sakura knew well enough, Obito.

She forcefully pulled her heavy eyelids back and stared around her, up in the rocky mountains within the settling sun. Could it already be a whole 24 hours? The same sun set with that blood orange hue over the clouds when she first stepped into the car.

Within minutes, her vision cleared and that dizziness subdued. The sound of foot steps clicked loudly and to her realization she was in some run down hallway with flickering lights.

"Where is this place?" She managed to speak, her voice was clearer and less painful.

"Niagara, Sweet Heart. We did a couple stops and did some detour just in case, but we're going to be making a move right after this. Since you wanted to experience the love when sober, I decided to quickly pull over here" he kissed the top of her head in a way that she felt disgusted. That pit feeling urged her when she realized what was to come very soon, her life was going to end really soon - but it hit her. Where the hell was her jacket? The jacket that had her gun? It was no where to be found, her breath sharpened. She stared at Obito, and the guarded men around her. No one seemed to be alarmed or pissed off, perhaps they took her jacket off and just left it in the car.

Either way she was going to die. It wasn't the matter of her losing her life, but more of taking his life away as well.

"Before we get to the fun part, I'd love to just settle that other beauty we have with us. She's a new merchandise that I'm sure many of the men would love to have her. You think she's a virgin?" she couldn't understand this fucked up language they were using. To call a girl merchandise and have the nerve to ask if she was a virgin.

"I doubt it, girls these days are always losing their virginity here and there" Sakura hoped that this would give this girl leeway, hopefully Obito won't be as interested because non virgins never make money.

"Hm, we'll see. I'll get one of our men to check it out." he chuckled, as he lit a cigarette and inhaled the smoke .

"ahh, nothing like a good drag. Take a hit, my princess" his hand gestured the cigarette towards Sakura, whom smiled and inhaled from the butt to play her role. It's not like she was clean of drugs before anyways. During those days she was stuck with Obito, all those years, the amount of different drugs he'd put her on. A nightmare. She remembered those days in rehab, the torture she was in, and those withdrawals.

If the world was a perfect place she'd choose to be drug free eternally, a new life. Happy with no night mares. No evil. But she was happy, even if her life was taken away, hopefully she'd die a hero, and save maybe a life. Even if it's one life, it'll be worth it. When she does go, she'll finally get to be with her parents. The ones she'd love and missed for years, finally she'll get to be with them. She wished she could have come to them clean handed, but she wont be. She'd be dirty and tainted, would they care? Sakura was ashamed, if she could change one thing, it'd be that she could die with no shame, but this time it wasn't like that. She'll die a dirty girl, a broken fragment.

"You know, I didn't expect you to turn 180. But I'm glad to have you on our team. Maybe I should just keep you for myself" he whispered into her ears, she faked a laugh. This was her sacrifice. And she would make sure it was going to be worth it.

" Am I that lucky?"

"With that beautiful face? of course." They walked into a room, just a cement floor with no windows. There she was, that girl Sakura recognized from the first time she'd stepped into the car. She was tied up and crying hysterically. Sakura's stomach dropped as she watched the scene unfold.

"Shut the fuck up bitch!" Another man who was in the room screamed,

"I will be back, just stay with them for now." Obito said right after his hand grabbed her buttocks and crush his dry lips onto hers.

"Obito might think you're on our side, but I'm smarter than that." One guy turned around and slowly stepped towards Sakura, with every step forward, she took a step backwards. His brown hair was slicked back, and his dull brown eyes bore into her emerald ones.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she bit back a lie and forced to look straight at him.

"Don't try to act stupid you dirty whore" his hand rose but his companion stopped him from doing any damage to Sakura.

"Zetsu, leave her be. If Obito trust her, then we should at least respect Obito's decision."

He managed to give a dark chuckle before he warned her once more,

"We'll be back in a second, don't do anything stupid or I'll kill you and that useless bitch." the man around his mid thirties threatened, his gun pointing back and forth to Sakura and the weeping blonde haired girl.

"Don't you worry, I'll make sure she becomes as good as me." Sakura smirked and gave the tied up girl a convincing sinister look.

" This is home for you, we're your family. And you never break a family's bond" he sinisterly whispered in her ear

"I know that now, thank you for making me realize I don't fit anywhere else but here." her voice sweet and gentle as she thanked the two men before her.

"Good, all you need to do is make sure that gem doesn't freak out too much"

"She's in good hands, don't worry. I'll make sure she doesn't make a peep."

"That's my girl" he bent down and planted his dirty lips onto Sakura's plump pink lips before heading out with the other man.

"Please... please don't hurt me" the girl begged in between her sobs, her brown eyes stared at Sakura for remorse. That smirked had disappeared, her confident stance transformed int a shaking one, Sakura quickly bent down and her aura had already changed.

"Sweetie, you're going to be safe." Sakura's hand rubbed the back of the shaking girl's shoulder.

"I need you to run as fast as you can and get help once I get you out of here. You're going to have to pay attention to where we are. Tell whoever to get help and an emergency crew. Whatever happens here on out, you're going to have to not look back, no matter what. You promise me?" Sakura's voice was unstable as she quickly untied the girl.

Brown eyes stared at confusion as Sakura helped her get up to her feet, then she realized that this pink haired woman was just trying to win their trust and buy some time. She was as lost as her, those cheerful eyes were full of fright just like hers.

"What about you? What are they going to do to you when they know that you're releasing me?"

"I'll be fine, just make sure to run as far as you can. Just get help afterwards, it'll be to save the other girls in here."

"They'll kill you" the blonde girl warned, she stared at the pinkette who just gave a reassuring smile,

"Like I said, I will be fine don't worry. I can handle them." Her hands lightly on the girl's shoulder, green orbs stared out into the hall and realized this was the only time she can get the girl out of here.

"Go! Run fast! we only have a couple minutes before they come back" her green orbs ravelled around as she continued to hush the girl to run away, the girl quickly turned to sakura

"Wait! I promise that you'll come out alive too. I'll see you again, I promise. My name, it's Ashley." she was wrong, but to make the girl happy, she just nodded as if it was a possibility.

As she quickly shut the door, she ran across the hallway, back into the room, her breathing sharpened as she wondered when they would come back. What will she say, and what will they do? Her jacket wasn't around, her gun was no where to be found. It was a really a useless thought to be thinking that she would even be able to bring that around. Did they find it?

But then in the corner of her eyes, there was her jacket just laying in the corner. How stupid must they have been to leave it there. But then again, Obito always seen Sakura as a timid one. No threat at all. This was her chance. She quickly stuffed the gun just behind the waist line of her jeans.

XoXoXo

He was feeling hopeless as he continued to drive on the stretches of road, nothing in sight of Sakura. Itachi was right, how the hell would he be able to look for one person in this big city. It's been already 24 hours, and so far nothing. He couldn't be defeated, not this time. Not again, never again. If he had to sacrifice his whole life to looking for her, he'll do so. There was no giving up, if she was alive all this time, there is no way in hell he is letting this opportunity go. The opportunity of just keeping her safe. Still as the adrenaline pumped back and forth into his body, he wondered exactly what trouble she's been through.

Was she just a homeless person? Or worse homeless and asking a mob to help her. Maybe she owes her life. Those would be the worst case scenario right? He prayed that he was right, because he wouldn't be able to bare acknowledging anything worse. Not Sakura. Never Sakura.

Bzz bzz bzzz

"Anything?" Sasuke greeted his brother,

"I've spoken to Deidara, we haven't seen the car around. Or anything related to Obito. They're hiding well, we're going to have to work quickly, it's been 24 hours. He said we're lucky if we're even 5 hours close to them. They're good at what they do. Obito is an International wanted criminal"

"Who is this Obito?" Sasuke's voice cracked, afraid of the answer to his question,

"I...We will talk about that when we find her. Deidara's got all of new york's boarder, and the Canadian Boarder. He thinks most likely they'll head for Canada first. From the registrations, they don't have his license plate crossing as of yet. He might have used a different car, but if we're lucky, they haven't crossed over yet."

"I was just thinking that as well, I'm very close to Buffalo, Niagara."

"Cops are undercover along with the Swat team, we will have to do this quietly. These men are smart and dangerous, not one where we can take lightly. Please be careful"

"What car am I looking for? What is the make? License plate? I need something." Sasuke ignored his brother's caring plea.

"Its a Black Lincoln Limousine, tinted windows and the License plate is 4056899"

"Call me if you hear any other news"

"Sasuke, please be careful. You've been on the road for over 20 hours, sleep deprived and in shock. We will find her. Mom and Dad are very worried. I explained the situation to them. They are doing all they can to help as well."

"What about Karin, does she know what I'm doing?"

"No...I figured you did not want to do that. I just told her you freaked out because Naruto left and you're helping him out. That you will call her eventually. Don't worry, she doesn't know anything of Sakura or what she looks like. I kept the picture away. We all understand that Sakura's safety and well being is priority."

They both knew that was a forever fact, because Sakura was something else out of this world.

"Naruto..." there were so many questions that were unanswered

"We tried contacting him, seems like he is looking for her as well. We did contact Neji though. They're around your area, and are still looking as well. There's a good team Sasuke, she'll be safe." His older brother tried his best to console him before hanging up.

With that he continued to drive hopelessly, finding this black car. The sun was finally settling, as the moon rose slowly. It cannot be another night until he finds her. He needs to find her today and now, like Itachi said, the longer he cannot find her, the more of a chance he would not be able to find her.

As he sped through the deserted road up the mountains alongside the body of water there stood a girl in the middle of the road, the only thing she wore was a flimsy bra and underwear. Was she some hooker? But who would dress like that in the middle of fall?. Her arms flailed frantically and screamed, just 800 meters before his eyes. As he continued head on, no time to save anyone else, she wouldn't bulge.

Just 200 meters before he hit her, he slammed on the breaks. He just had this gut wrenching feeling about this scene. As he stepped out of the car,he realized something really bad had happened, because she did not give a care in the world to even acknowledge who Sasuke was. Usually, they'd freak out even if they were in a bad situation.

"Please! You need to help me! O-O-Obito! I-I he's he's here. You need to let the cops know now!"

He had finally made it.

"Where, you need to tell me where!" Sasuke grabbed the sobbing girl's bare shoulders.

"Up the hill, another 10 minute drive. There is an abandoned factory house or something like that. You need to call the cops!" she continued to cry and scream.

"You need to stay here. I need to go there now. I am going to call the ambulance over. You need to stay put, we cannot have these men realize that there are cops or anything here. Once you have the ambulance here give them 20 minutes or so to get the cops over." Sasuke spoke calmly to this shaking young girl, he took his jacket off and put it on her shoulders, since she was only in her under garment. He quickly strutted into his car and drove away.

His hands fumbled on the Iphone and quickly called emergency.

"911 what's your emergency"

"Hi, I need help. We are located at the Humberton street, just 20 minutes up the hill of Graverst Mountain. There is a girl located there, and she needs your emergency help now"

"Sir, are you with her?"

"I am not, I- I need to go" within a split second he hung up and continued to speed, praying that she was there.

XoXo

"What the fuck did you do Haruno?!" The two men had returned and slapped her across the face, they were in big trouble with Obito, if he found out that the kidnapped girl was freed.

"She ran away! I couldn't do anything!" She managed to muster through the beating,

"You fucking bitch, you think I'm going to believe that?! Zuki, go call Obito, we need to do something about this."

The man standing behind Zetsu nodded.

"You cunt, you have no idea what you're in for. If you think that you have had it worse, you have no idea what's coming." He whispered into her ears as he raised her up using just her pink strands.

"Fuck off, I hope you fuckers all get caught, and deserve whatever comes by" she bit through her tears,

"What did you say?!" He shoved her against the wall now,

Sakura smiled almost to mimic the man in front of her, and just because she had no hope of surviving anyways, she spat on his face.

"YOU LITTLE-"

"Zetsu, stop. Leave her to me." that voice, Sakura would never forget. Obito.

"Just watch the door, and let me deal with this untrusting runt."

Zetsu laughed as he wiped off the slimy substance off his face, he stared right into her eyes, and clenched his teeth, his grip on her slowly loosening.

"If you don't know Obito, let me tell you now sweetheart. Death is not an option. He's going to make you suffer, and I am going to make sure I fuck you every single night. I'm going to lavish your dirty body just to put you in your fucking spot" he managed to send shivers through her spine, before he let her go and turned around.

"Start leaving now, I will meet up with you guys later. I just want to deal with her right now, we most likely have a good 15 - 20 minutes before anyone comes. Make sure to move bases now." Obito ordered as Zetsu nodded and left the room.

"You've really disappointed me. I really did think you've changed for the better my sweet Sakura. But you're really stupid." each step he took forward, Sakura inched her back more towards the cement cold walls.

"I've been doing this for years, and I've never been caught. If you think today is any different, then you're not the brightest. The only difference is that after today, I'll make sure you know what betraying me is like." Now his face was inches away from hers, his cigarette and Alcoholic breath breathed onto her.

"I'm going to make sure to break every bone of yours, but still keep you alive to feel the pain every fucking second of your life. I'm going to make sure you live through this you fucking cunt." His hand squeezed her already bruised cheeks as he spat his threats.

"I must admit that I was really stupid for actually thinking that you would change, I guess I just wanted my fantasy to come true, that we would actually make love. You are too much of a beauty Sakura. It's a waste that I have to keep you like a cockroach that you are. You really are not too smart are you? I could have given you the life, but you chose to betray me." He forcefully grabbed a fistful of her pink locks and used it to lift her weight.

"I am going to make you regret every fuck up you have done today" he pushed her down using her hair, her eyes teared up from the pain, but she held back. The last thing she wanted to do is let him see her weakness.

As Sakura laid on the concrete floor, Obito kicked her in the stomach and ribs multiple times until she started to cough up blood. Her face covered by her two already bruised and most likely fractured arms. He made sure to use as much force and to hit in in every possible parts of her body.

"I want you to fucking scream you cunt. FUCKING scream! Cry in pain you motherfucker"

She made sure not to make any peeping sound, he was not going to win. With one hard kick that pushed her roughly on the hard cold wall behind her, the gun fell out. With a quick movement, as if adrenaline was taking over she grabbed the gun, swiftly took the safety off and pointed at him.

"B-back off" she managed to weakly threaten in between pants.

More in shock than anything, Obito smirked and took a step back.

"Heh, I didn't think you had it in you. HAHAHA! You are just full of surprises aren't you?"

"It ends today Obito, you're not hurting anyone anymore. I won't let you." She used the walls to help her get up, as she forced herself to keep the gun on him. She took a step forward, and he took a step back.

"You kill me and you think that will be all?! That you would end this vicious cycle? Sweetheart, after me, another will rise. For every world, there's always a villain. You're not stopping anything. There will always be girls fucked and kidnapped, even if I wasn't here" He snapped his finger to exemplify the time,

"And there comes another bitch kidnapped for us hungry men. Killing me does nothing"

"Killing you will save the girls that are under your hands. I will make sure to end whatever the fuck you're running"

"You don't think they'll be after you or your Naruto?"

"Naruto will be safe! You're the only one vengeance of him, and I? I'm going to hell with you. Some people make sacrifices, this is mine"

"You silly fool, you're so naive. It's...breathtaking, Seriously. It hurts me that I have to hurt you, honestly. It really does. My beautiful Sakura, you're but a merely fragile little girl, what makes you think you can do anything to me?" He slowly took one step closer to her as she shakily held the pistol towards him.

"Stay the fuck away from me, one more step and i'll make sure to pull the trigger!" she threatened

"heh, oh Sakura. You really humour me. I've known you for years and you're definitely the most timid i've met." He chuckled, his body inching closer to hers as she took a step back, only her back met the wall.

He leaned over and tucked a strand of her pink hair behind her ears "Try me", and as soon as he watched her finger slowly touch the trigger, he grabbed her neck and punched her cheekbone hard. His hand quickly gripping her left arm and caused her to drop the gun onto the floor.

"You fucking bitch. You've fucking ruined me, and you think i'd just let you fucking kill me that easily?!" He spoke in a manic calming way as he continued to beat her with his bare fist, he made sure to body slam her and watch her choke on her own blood as he kicked the side of her ribs.

"I'm not even going to use the fucking gun on you, I'm going to make sure you die in a slow painful death. I'm going to make sure you die just like the way your parents did." he picked her up by the neck and pushed her bruised back onto the cold cement wall, lifting her. A smirk appeared on his face as he watched her facial expression change with the mention of her parents.

She used whatever energy she had left to hack up her saliva and blood for spit on his face.

"You fucking bitch! You think that's going to do anything to me?!" he took her neck and squeezed harder as he used it to pull her back and slam her roughly back on to the wall.

His face drew closer to her as her breathing was compromised , "Die between my fingers you fucking cunt..." his voice was low and animalistic-

"What the FUCK did you do to her?" he growled, his voice animalistic. Green orbs, for a split second widened at the figure in front of her. The silver pistol held between his fingers shook, his whole body shook, almost as if he couldn't control his anger. Slowly walking closer, she analyzed the man who used to be the little boy she once knew. He was so much taller than she expected, in the magazines he was tall, but in person he was much taller and his lean muscles were even more defined, hovering over her if he was standing right in front of her. His features were more masculine and matured from the last time she saw him in person years ago. Deep obsidian eyes with those thick long lashes, his nose was perfectly shaped, not too big nor too small. His thin lips were pursed together, as his eyes were piercing into the man who was holding her for hostage. The tabloids really did not over exaggerate on his beauty, he honestly did look inhumane.

"Uchiha Sasuke. What are the chances I see you here?" he leaked amusement in his voice as he tightened his arm around her fragile neck.

"Do you have any business with my princess? If you want a fuck, I'll lend you to her. You can take her for free for the hour, just because I like you. And trust me, you don't want to let down that offer, she's our main business" he gave a manic chuckle to tease the man in front of them as the barrel of the gun was still pressed tightly against her temple. She squeezed her swollen eye in embarrassment,

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Sasuke stepped a foot closer, his gun aimed at the man with the messy black hair.

"Nuh uh, you come any closer. I'll fucking blow her brains out." His voice still animated, but his fingers quickly disengaged the safety and loaded the gun.

"You fucking piece of shit" Sakura stared at Sasuke, his voice broke as he whispered almost out of breath. She knew he was at a lost, he stared puzzled and had no idea what on earth to do. Slowly turned red pupils flooded with tears, he seemed like he was in so much agony. Agony for years, those bag under his eyes showed pain. Pain that he kept inside for so long. This man, this portrayed emotionless masculine man, was crying.

"Uchiha Sasuke, don't act so surprised with this situation, I know damn well about the Uchiha Family, even with that major empire your father has built up and the good name he put on for the public, we all know what you guys are all about. Paying the government around the world to sweep the dirty grimey business you guys do. Money really does buy power. Anyone underground, knows exactly who Uchiha Sasuke is. I don't mean Uchiha Sasuke that's just merely a celebrity. I know your capabilities. We all know what you've done in your past."

"If you truly know what I'm capable of then let her go."

"A better deal. How about I give you her, and you let me go?" he gave Sasuke an enticing look,

"Quickly Sasuke, I can hear the sirens in a distance, make your choice now before I put the bullet through her head"

"Just. Please. Let. Her. Go. I will let you go" he was begging this time, he wouldn't lose her twice.

"Sasuke..." her voice weak, but she managed to whisper to him so that he would wake up from this trance. He stared back at her in disbelief, as if he just saw a ghost. He wasn't prepared for this, prepared to see the living dead. To see her, bloodied and beaten up. It confused him, made him psycho. He couldn't tell what was reality and what was a nightmare anymore, did he just have to wake up again? slender fingers clutched onto his own black spiky hair the loud scream pierced throughout the abandoned building.

"You need to calm down. You can't let him go. Please do me this one favour, I know you have it in you. Don't let him go. I'm ready to see my parents." her voice calm as she tried to keep Sasuke from freaking out.

"Please...PLEASE...stop...just stop!" he continued to cry out loud, her voice, her curdling voice through the choked blood spewing out of her mouth, he couldn't handle it anymore.

"Please Sasuke, please realize that justice sometimes can be cruel, you need to sacrifice to make a point. I need to make a point Sasuke, there are thousands of girls out there that need justice. Sasuke, you need to let me go." she was calm and collected, her face was battered and unrecognizable due to the blood painted all over her face. She looked like she came out of a horror movie. The only thing that made her recognizable was the striking pink hair of hers even though it was in a tangle.

"I can't. I FUCKING CAN'T. I. I can't let you FUCKING GO! Once...once was enough! I'm sorry Sakura. Dream or not, I cannot let you go." his voice was breaking and raspy,

"Continue your sappy talk, this is so entertaining!" Obito laughed in excitement,

"Sasuke, it's okay. We finally get to say our good byes now. This time it's not a 'see you later', this time let it be a good bye." her voice was struggling as she was out of breath, her feet stumbles behind her from being pulled towards the balcony,

"STOP! Where the fuck are you going?" he freaked as the pair stood right at the fence above the deep icy blue sea.

"You're taking too long, the cops are coming. At least I need to pay revenge on this useless broad. She's not living, this whore is going to hell with me." His grip tightened, Sasuke's eye grew wide as he watched her choke to death,

"Oh Sakura, you're being so spoiled. You get to take a glimpse of Uchiha Sasuke before death. Say goodbye to your pink haired - AHHHHH!" she caught her breath, just a split second as she realized the said gun fell into the body of water beneath her right when a loud bang rung through the room. Sasuke has pulled the trigger, bullet hitting his shoulder.

"You think that's going to fucking stop me?" Obito mimicked. Right when Sasuke began to charge to attack, his arm tightened Sakura's neck and pulled her onto the other side of the balcony and let go just a split second before Sasuke put a bullet through each of his knee cap. But she didn't scream, through the squinted eyes she watched herself slowly dropping 100ft into the ice cold water.

"SAKURA!" his voice shrieked and without a second thought he followed her into the deep blue sea below them. The sharp cold water froze him to the bone, his suit making it hard to move properly. It was dark and difficult to see where anything was.

"SAKURA!" He screamed with desperation, he swam around but couldn't find her. The current was strong, as water continuously collided with his face making it hard to breathe and see clearly. But as if God gave a helping hand, the moon light was shining almost like a settling sun. Diving under the water he searched and suddenly his fingers grasped a cold hand. His heart beat can be heard within himself as he felt the cold lifeless body. It wasn't time to grieve this time, it wasn't time for him to lose her time if he had to give his life he will. He will die trying. His left arm grabbed her head to the surface of the water, her pale face reflecting off the unusually bright moon. Her eyes were shut and no movement,

"Hang in there, I'm getting you out" he spoke to the lifeless body as he quickly swam back to the nearest dock about 20 meters away. As much as his body ached and cramped from the icy water, the adrenaline rushed through him. No matter how painful or how frozen his body was, he forced himself to swim back. Not to save his life, but to save hers. Within minutes he pushed her onto the dock,

"Arghh!" He screamed in pain as he forced himself up as well, his chilling hand touched her stiff face,

"Sakura, please. Sakura! come on!" but the pinch or the light touches wasn't waking her up. What he didn't realize while he was about to perform CPR on her was that finally the ambulance and the police were there. The license plate of Obito's car was recorded and finally found.

"STEP AWAY FROM THE GIRL!" Men in swat outfits screamed pointing the gun at his frozen body. The paramedics quickly ran to Sakura,

"She's not breathing, get the mask! I'll perform CPR!" Suddenly the sound of the soaring waters were dull while the screams and chaos of the ambulance and swat team was heard. Sasuke's vision blurred and his senses dulled. This...this had to be a dream. This wasn't real.

"Sakura! please wake up! Sakura! you can't let her get hurt! Sakura wake up!" he kept screaming mercilessly, the police men held him back as he continuously tried to fight them off.

"SAKURA!SAKURA!" he kept screaming and this time already 4 men were holding him down as his adrenaline really gave him inhuman strength.

"Just fucking taser him already! We need to take him into questioning" another men ordered,

"Fucking let me go!" This time, another elite police men tried holding him down along with the other four as they were slowly losing grip.

"Sir, if you do not remain calm we will be forced to keep you under control!"

"SAKURA! SAKURA!" He continued to scream and fight off the men, as he watched the paramedics try to revive the lifeless girl.

"PLEASE! Save her! Let me go, she needs me." He continued to cause a scene ignoring all the orders from the policemen.

"You need to calm down sir. You need to let the paramedics do what they have to do." The man tried to stay calm for Sasuke, whose eyes were glued on the still body who was currently attached to a heart monitor.

He started to take deep breathes as he could hear the conversation just a couple feet away from him.

"We need to fly her to the nearest hospital! Joe have a helicopter sent here quickly. She is not breathing!" The man shoved a tube down her throat and attached a round soft bottle. But as the little portable machine started to make a flat line sound he called his colleague for help in desperation.

"She's going through cardiac arrest!" The young paramedic screamed as his eyes stared into the flat line on the monitor, his colleague quickly raced over and started to perform CPR, as he alternatively continued to blow air into her mouth.

"Please save her! Please! PLEASE!" Sasuke pleaded and cried as they continued to work on the lifeless body, her pink hair was dancing in the harsh winds as the helicopter had already arrived.

"Sir, you can step on in first, we will strap her in right now. We're going to Buffalo General" One of the officers placed his hand on his arm and helped him up and into the helicopter. Nothing around him was noticeable to him, everything was just a blurb of a mess.

There he was sitting there, praying that the girl laying in front of him would live. They were able to get her heart beating again after 15 minutes of CPR, but unfortunately her breathing wasn't doing well. She was not waking up, she was in critical life threatening conditions. In less than 20 minutes they had arrived in the hospital. He sat there in shock as they rushed her into testing rooms to see exactly what was going on.

"Sir, we need to do some testing on you as well, just for precautions" The paramedic looked at Sasuke, he could tell that the paramedic wanted to ask if he was indeed the Uchiha Sasuke that was all over the news currently. This, however was not the time to ask such questions.

"I'm fine. Please tell me how she's doing" His voice was softer now.

"As soon as the doctors know whats going on, he will speak with you." The paramedic placed a hand on his shoulder, "I am sorry for what you're going through. Just stay positive." Sasuke wasn't one to be a people person, but he had to give it to these medical field workers. They never judged you on who you were or what you did. Always sympathizing and sacrificing their time.

Sasuke looked up to the monitor in the private emergency room,

"Sasuke Uchiha had suddenly disappeared from his wedding, after a gun shot was heard from outside the hall he was getting married at. At this time we do not have any clear information on what has happened inside. From our inside sources, he has left the wedding in a hurry. Some say he was not ready to be Married to Supermodel Karin. We have a different source that says he is part of an underground Mafia. Uchiha Family has not spoken about this situation. His actions are a mystery right now. More on Sasuke Uchiha after our break"

"I don't know how you do it, all these rumours flying all the time" The same paramedic spoke up as he also stared at the monitor.

Sasuke remained quiet, "I'll let the head of the hospital know you're here. We'll make sure to keep this a private matter" the paramedic around his age quickly walked away.

"Sir, will you be able to answer some questions regarding the young woman?" another person came into the room. She had short brown hair, although a little blush crept up to her cheeks she kept professional as she brought over a portable laptop into the quiet waiting room.

"Sure,"

"Can you please tell me her birth date?"

"March 28, 1995"

"Full Name?"

"Sakura Haruno, S-A-K-U-R-A . H-A-R-U-N-O"

"Address?"

He remained silent it pained him to say it, but eventually he answered, "I don't know"

"Any medical history we should know of?" her eyes concentrated on the laptop

"I don't know"

"Last time she has been in the hospital?"

"I don't know" each time he answered 'I don't know' he sounded a bit more aggravated.

"Sir, I am sorry. If you don't really know the young woman, I can wait until her emergency contact arrives. The police officer has notified him already. I do apologize."

He clenched his teeth, and held back a scream. How could he not know anything about her anymore? His knuckles white as he gripped onto the edge of the bench, holding onto all of his mixed emotions.

"Sasuke Uchiha, the head of this hospital has been notified of your company here, please be rest assured your presence here will be kept private. We have strict policies on privacy. This ICU ward has strict access." The man with striking blue eyes walked towards the secretary that had just collected Sakura's information from Sasuke. He wore a white jacket with a stethoscope loosely hung around his neck. He was in his early 30s, his brown hair neatly combed back.

The Doctor quickly glanced at the laptop the secretary was holding onto. before extending his hand to introduce himself to Sasuke.

"I'm Doctor David Harrison, pleasure to meet you." Sasuke shook his hand,

"Please, tell me she's okay" Sasuke was shaken up still. Doctor Harrison's eyes suddenly soften and let out a long sigh.

"Linda, are you able to give us a second?" His head quickly turned to the secretary who quickly nodded and left the room.

"Miss...Sakura" he quickly remembered the name from the laptop earlier.

"She is in critical condition, fractured skull and cheek bone. We currently have a tube to drain out the bleeding from her brain. She isn't breathing on her own, she is on life support as of right now. Four broken ribs, fractured right leg and a broken arm. We are giving her blood transfusions due to internal bleeding. A torn liver. Her lungs were also punctured, but our best surgeons are working on repairing the wounds. Her heart beat is also very weak right now, but I suspect that is due to the previous cardiac arrest. Fortunately her spine looks perfectly fine. I do want to be clear with you Sasuke... I cannot sugar coat the conditions of my client, for my clients sake and for their relatives and loved ones."

Doctor Harrison watched as Sasuke slowly took in all the information that was given to him. Quickly he grabbed the little black garbage bin next to the bench and threw up into the little black bin. He continued to retch and gag. It was all making him sick, his world was spinning around him. His hands clutched onto the bin as he continued to make retching noises. Doctor Harrison pulled out a napkin from a tissue box from the desk behind him and passed it on to Sasuke who shakily grabbed the tissue from the man's hand and wiped his trembling thin lips. He then took a deep breath and finally settled the bin back down to where it was..

Doctor Harrison gave Sasuke a minute before continuing.

"As of right now, her life is definitely in danger. Her brain is swollen and we have to let her body rest. Either she wakes up on her own or not we have to put her in a medical coma. It is the best chance for her to heal properly. There is always a slight chance that she will not wake up. But with the luck she's had, I am positive she can recover. If you were just a couple minutes late it would definitely be a different story. I don't know your relationship with Sakura, but please stay strong. I go through this type of situation daily. I promise you I have seen miraculous recoveries. Please have hope and be strong." He grabbed Sasuke's trembling hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"We have a great team here. Just pray for the best" Doctor Harrison gave a comforting smile to the quiet man before him. He got up and before he left he glanced back at Sasuke

"I think I already know the answer to this question, but would you like to temporarily be in the hospital gown while we wash your wet clothes and dry them? It's not a good idea to be in those clothes."

"A towel is fine" he softly mumbled before the Doctor nodded and asked the secretary to pass Sasuke a Towel.

XoXoXoXoXo

It seemed like hours had passed as he sat there in the silence and wept. Confused and traumatized about everything that had been occurring. Everything was just a mystery, no idea where to even begin, what to even feel. He felt like a complete failure, disgusted with himself and angry that she had to go through whatever she was going through now. He was not there for her through her pain and loss. She was alone and fended for herself up until now.

Screams were suddenly heard from outside the tinted doors of the private ICU waiting room,

"She is so fucking stupid! What on earth was she thinking?! Where is she?! WHERE IS SHE?! SAKURA!" The voice was familiar, but that desperation was very different and unheard of, especially coming from that familiar voice he's known for quite a while.

It was Naruto, frantic.

"Sir, please relax. I am Doctor Harrison, please let me explain everything to you."

"After all I have done for you, you betray me and not tell me exactly what was going on with your life?! How do you expect me to feel?! " Naruto kept yelling at no one. It was obviously meant for Sakura, but of course she wasn't there.

"How can you do this to me? How many times do I have to tell you that you're not alone. I'm here for you! I have always been! Why do you have to be so fucking naive and just do things on your own? RISKING YOUR LIFE?! ARE YOU THAT SELFISH TO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE THAT NEED YOU?!" He was sobbing through the hospital, Sasuke could hear the nurses trying to calm him down as the Doctor urges him to come into his office.

"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU SAKURA IF YOU LET GO OF YOUR LIFE! I HAVE WORKED TO HARD FOR YOU! YOU BETTER NOT LEAVE THIS WORLD! YOU STUPID NAIVE GIRL!" He continued to scream, and behind the doors Sasuke was weeping as well as he can hear Naruto freaking outside. No energy left to walk out, either way he had to be hidden.

"Sir, please just come with me to my office, I do not want to call security on you, please Sir!" Suddenly the quietness took over, Naruto had given in.

Another hour had passed, and Naruto was not up to date with Sakura's state. Although not the best news, it was better than her disappearing forever. The Doctor had mentioned that there was another man here with Sakura, unaware of who it was at all. Doctor Harrison was very stubborn on giving away the man's identity. That was until Naruto signed a waiver form to not share to the public who was on the other side of the ICU room.

After signing the papers, his hand slowly gripped the door knob. He at least wanted to thank this man for saving Sakura's life. He was now forever in debt of this man.

There he was, sitting in the corner. Head against the wall, sobbing.

"Sasuke..." Blue eyes stared at his best friend who was in the same state as him. Confused, he slowly walked to the crying man in the corner. The most masculine and emotionally hidden man he's known was broken down in front of him. His body shook as he kept running his hand through his black locks. As he took each step towards his best friend he was suddenly familiarized with this scene. The scene years ago, when he thought Sasuke was lost forever. That particular day and this exact scene played in his head. That sick churning feeling crept into Naruto's stomach. Was this what his best friend had been going through all along.

Hallow ruby eyes looked up, he looked crazy. His body shook, eyes ripping away from Naruto, left to right, right to left and back to Naruto.

"You...Sakura...I, is she, is-" Naruto couldn't muster up the question,

"She's the reason." Naruto whispered lightly as he stared at his mindless friend. "That day. Sakura." It was right there and then that he understood Sasuke's pain. This speechless man before him was suffering. Suffering more than he could ever imagine. As much frustration and pain Naruto was in, it was definitely not comparable to Sasuke's. Although he doesn't understand or know of the past regarding Sasuke and Sakura, he's witnessed Sasuke's pain. The baggage Sasuke's been carrying for years. It was something that was killing him slowly day by day. He had known all along that Sasuke was never the same after that particular day. Even with Karin, he's seen the anguish he carried. It was as if whatever he'd managed to handle, how hard he'd worked to move on was all crumbling down. He's finally given up.

The emotionless man, seen as strong in many ways was finally breaking. As if he was starting from 'Point A' again.

Naruto placed an arm around Sasuke, and for once he grasped back and cried onto Naruto's shoulders. Usually, Sasuke would be the strong foundation for Naruto, that was how their friendship worked. But this time, it was different. This time the blond haired man had to be the stronger one, be the shoulder to cry on. He held onto his tears while he watched his friend weep.

They sat there for hours and waited for time to pass by. Naruto slowly took out his mobile phone out, looked at the missed calls from various people. People who weren't even allowed to enter the waiting area of ICU. His fingers quickly dialled a number, he knew that Sasuke had probably missed his wedding and there were a lot of unanswered questions.

"Hey" he spoke quietly, his hand held the phone towards his ears.

"Ya, he's here with me." Naruto stayed quiet and listened intently through the phone.

"Thanks, this end is taken care of. We'll talk later. Thanks Itachi"

He sat there and waited, waited until slowly Sasuke had enough energy to sit on his own. They both walked to the bench against the wall. The silence was still there and the tension was thick.

"Sasuke, I'm really sorry. I truly am."

"There's nothing to be sorry for."

The silence continued, Naruto truthfully didn't have the words to say anything. He had no idea what to say.

"Whatever it was can be mended now. She will make it, she is a strong girl. I have faith that she will be okay."

"Mended? Naruto, I fucked up. There's no turning back time."

"Sakura doesn't hold grudges... She'll forgive you. Forgive you for what you've done. Whatever it may be."

"How can I ever forgive myself? How can I ever forgive myself for abandoning her. I left to become some singer only to make it big myself without my parents, that way I didn't need to ever worry about taking over the enterprise. What was the point of all that? It was all childish and useless."

"You were a child"

"Naruto. Tell me. What has she gone through?"

"Sasuke, she's safe now. That's all that matters" he couldn't bring himself to tell him, Sasuke wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Tell me. What exactly was that letter all about. I've heard of Obito. Why would that notorious criminal want Sakura? Why was she abducted?"

"Sasuke you-"

"Just tell me, I deserve to know"

"Another day Sasuke. Not today."

The door crept open again, this time it was a female, a face only familiar once from the wedding a day ago. The same girl that freaked out and cried for Naruto.

"Naruto, I can take care of her from here . Rest up a bit, give yourself time to clean up. I've brought some clothes for you and your friend" Baby Blue swollen eyes travelled towards the dirtied Sasuke. He was still in his tuxedo, almost dried up. He was still a mess with the smell of ocean and hair unkempt.

She was one of his biggest fan. But today wasn't the day to be gushing over anything.

"You need your rest too, Ino" Naruto stared at her, she herself was drained and out of energy. He knew well enough that after the questionings and bail from Neji she went straight here after receiving a text from Naruto where they were and what he needed. After being sleepless for over 24 hours, she still came straight over. He analyzed the bags under her eyes, the stress lines and sorrow she herself painted on her face.

"We'll take turns, but I think you two need to head on first. Don't worry I'll take care of everything here for now. She's in good hands. Doctor Harrison said he will be flying her back to NY general where Doctor Tsunade resides, in a couple of days. She's the top doctor in America. If there's any update, I'll give you a call." She placed a hand on his broad shoulders,

"Come on, Hinata's worried for you. You should check up on her as well." -right, Hinata. He really did have to leave for a bit.

"You can rest and clean up at Hilton's nearby, Neji had the room booked for you already, once he found out where we are at. I know you don't want to be anywhere near your home right now" Naruto knew a couple reasons why Sasuke should be avoiding his own home. The main reason was that Karin would be questioning what had happened last night, two, his parents would just pester him about things he wouldn't know himself and last but not least he knew the media was waiting for him at home. All that was on the news was the fact that his wedding was suddenly off and the fact that the notorious criminal was found last night. Although luckily enough no one tied the fact that Sasuke was at that scene, or that these two situations were related. He for once was thankful that he was as powerful and famous as he was because he knows Sakura will be safe and sound from the media.

At the same time it was ridiculous that the news would find his wedding being interrupted more important than an international criminal finally being caught.

"Tell me Naruto. Please." he begged for answers,

"We'll talk during the drive. Take the hat. The last thing you need is media here." He passed on a black cap towards Sasuke; whom quickly grabbed it and placed it over his rustled hair.

"To be safe" Naruto added on and also handed him a pair of sunglasses. They both stood up and walked towards the elevator.

"I found her two years ago. I signed up for the big brother program expecting to be taking care of some little boy. I was jealous of your relationship with Itachi. I wanted a brother. The last thing I expected was a grown woman my age. Before they even introduced me to her, my profiling matched up so well, they pleaded for my help. They told me that I would be able to help her, and that this was a good deed I was doing." Naruto began to slowly unfold the mystery, they finally reached the Black Audi. Both got in and Naruto began to drive out of the parking lot. His eyes locked onto the road as he continued. He never wanted to see Sasuke's expression, it would hurt.

"I was hesitant at first. I came for a little brother, not some chick that I expected to fall for me. It was an attitude I got after hanging out with you. That girls can be troublesome, and hanging out with you I got those annoying girls as well. Some truly interested in me, and some who realize that I know you, just start begging at my feet to meet you. Pathetic really." he gave a little smile and remembered those days when girls were swarming him just to meet Sasuke. He himself learned to be a ladies man as well, and won over some of their hearts. Sasuke taught him how to work around multiple women back then. I mean when you hang out with the notorious heartbreaker, you'll only learn to pick up his bad habits. It was inevitable.

"I remember clearly the social worker's words. 'at least meet her' she said to me. I agreed to it, but would be prepared for some girl who'd end up flirting with me or something. I mean she was my age, well almost." After running all the green lights, they finally made due to a red light. As the car stopped, Naruto turned to Sasuke,

"Sasuke. What I saw, I never timid girl, sitting in the corner. I remember clearly her frail arms hugged her legs close to her chest as she stared out the window. Her pink hair was so distinguishing, but what got me was the look she had." Sasuke almost held his breath in order to keep his emotions in tact. The red light soon became green, blue orbs shifted back onto the road.

"Souless, afraid and exhausted. I knew she'd given up on her life. I remembered your facial expression and then stared at her. It was as if I was staring at you."

Flash Back

"Hey, Nice meeting you. Naruto Uzumaki" he stretched out his arm and expected a blush of some sort. But she only stared at the outstretched hand. After a couple seconds she only looked back out the window.

"What your name?" he tried to muster up a conversation

"I'll be good" she weakly said, he could barely hear me.

"I'm sorry?"

"I'll be good." she repeated a bit louder.

"you know, you're a really pretty girl" he gave out an honest compliment, he smirked when he realized he got a reaction from her. Her eyes widened and stared back at him, he thought she'd like that compliment.

"Will you burn my face off for me? Can you scar me?" it took him back, her dull green eyes bore into his. She was asking a serious question.

"Make me unapproachable. Please. They keep restraining me, I can't do it myself. Can you do that for me? Will you?"

End Flash back

"It was then when I knew something was really wrong. The tone in her voice. It was no sarcasm. It was no joke, it was her begging me to help her in the most sick way possible. I couldn't shake it out of my head, the look she gave it was like she's came out of a horror movie. Those eyes that'd rather be killed."

Sasuke shut his eyes and tried to stay collected, but it was damn hard. He wanted Naruto to stop this non sense. He didn't want to go through this anymore.

"We talked for a bit, well I tried to talk to her, but it was more silent than anything. I didn't know how to react. Eventually I just went back to the service lady and asked questions. That was when I found out she was part of human trafficking. -"

"STOP" Hoarse voice interrupted Naruto,

"I...I. I can't-" he was a coward, he didn't want to face the gruesome truth. They finally reached the underground parking of the hotel.

"Why didn't you tell us about her?"

"No offence Sasuke, but I just didn't think it was healthy for her. Besides Sara advised against it. We were to focus on her" both men walked into the elevator, Sasuke's eyes glued onto the buttons of the elevator. Ashamed to know that he wasn't healthy for her. Everything wasn't real to him yet. This was still a dream, something so unbelievable. He didn't want to believe it. Yes, it was great that she was alive. Amazing. But fate was cruel enough to toy with him, to have him not be there to save her. Not be by her side. It was foreign to him.

"Sara?"

"Her therapist-" Naruto caught the look Sasuke gave,

"I'll explain to you when we're inside the hotel" Just the word therapist crushed him, what exactly was Sakura going through. What could put her through that.

"You should go shower first here, Ino brought us some clothes to change into. You're going to have rashes from wearing those" Naruto pointed at his still slightly damp clothes. They stepped inside the Hotel.

"Just give me a second, I'll go grab the clothes" Naruto swiftly walked away as Sasuke slowly entered the very tidy hotel room. A black leather sofa and a flat screen TV ahead of him. Suddenly Naruto's Iphone vibrated on the coffee table of the hotel room, where he had settled his phone. A messaged he had received. But that wasn't what caught Sasuke's eyes. It was when the phone lit up that the display picture Naruto had was what caught Sasuke's attention.

Onyx eyes mused by the picture on the iPhone, his soft hands shakily picked up the mobile phone and stared. As the minutes passed by, it felt more real. That, this was reality. It was no sick joke.

A picture of the two, blonde and pink haired. She was smiling as Naruto's arm was draped around her shoulder. He couldn't recognize her that night with the bruises and cuts. But she, she was beautiful. Her emerald eyes were piercing through the picture with that glisten of innocence. She was absolutely gorgeous, as beautiful as she was back then, even more. She outgrew that forehead she was so insecure about, her cheeks were rosy and puffy. Those cheeks he'd used to pinch and kiss. Those rosy cheeks were marked with dirt, actually looking at the picture they both looked quite dirty.

"Ah, that was just taken last year, we went to plant some trees. She loved it! It was one of my favourite picture because it was one of the few times she'd be so happy. It was a really rough beginning. But God does this girl love nature." Naruto chuckled and passed the jogging pants and sweater onto Sasuke.

"I'll go after you, then I'll answer everything you need me to." Naruto softly spoke and put a firm grip onto his best friend's shoulder.

"And Sasuke-" he quickly interrupted before Sasuke entered the bathroom,

"I'm sorry. If I had known, I would've told you. But she never mentioned you" it stung, it really did. But he just got into the bathroom and said nothing to Naruto. He knew Naruto genuinely was just explaining to him.

It was hard, why didn't she mention him? There were so many things running through his mind, that he never stopped to think why she never tried to approach him. Why she never asked for him. Why didn't she mention him to Naruto, or anyone. How could there be such a big fuck up? As the warm droplets hit his cold bare shoulders he cried once more.

It was too overwhelming, confused and wondering if this was a dream or a nightmare? She was alive, but she had suffered so much that she needed a therapist. Who was this man that spoke ill about her? Why couldn't she look for him? Had she abandoned him?

He chuckled to himself and realized how much of a selfish person he was being, this is not about him, this is about her. He had abandoned her, why would she ever want to contact him? Questions began to flood is mind as he was deep in thought.

Did she see all those magazines of him? Of him being such a prick, a man whore, a cheater and a drug abuser? But if she was by his side from the beginning things would have been much different. She was his angel, without her he lost his light. Will she understand and forgive him? Would she scream and hate him forever? She must have realized how much of a phony he was. He was no regular kid, he was basically royalty. All these media must have finally gotten to her, was she hurting inside?

XoXoXo

"Karin has been looking for you, she's really worried. I think you should contact her. She is your wife, don't forget that" Naruto passed the Iphone to Sasuke, just as he stepped out of the steaming bathroom.

That name pained him even more, made him realized how deep his grave was.

"Sasuke" Red orbs ripped away from his phone and back to his blond best friend,

"I don't know the history between you and Sakura at all, but I hope you do what's best for Sakura. I don't think there should be any drastic changes as of right now. The priority is to protect her from any media and most importantly your wife." he hated how Naruto kept referring Karin as to being his wife.

"Karin... She's very territorial, I've seen what she's done to others that you have slept around with. I know you never cared about those women, so you never cared what Karin did to them. But this time it's Sakura, I believe you wouldn't want her hurt anymore. I myself also will always want what's best for her. What's best for her is avoiding any type of danger." Naruto was right, but it only angered him more.

"Ah, those notorious pair of eyes." Naruto said as he passed Sasuke a warm cup of black coffee he had made while Sasuke was showering.

"Intriguing you Uchihas. Very rare mutilation that is affected by your emotions. I swear if it wasn't for your high royal status, you'd be tested like an animal." Naruto tried to brighten up the mood as he spoke of Sasuke's rare eye condition.

"I got food service as well. I know you don't want to eat. But it's been over a day. Just have something small, If you want to go back to Sakura soon. We both need a bit of energy for the upcoming days." he's never seen Naruto so mature before, Sasuke wondered if it was just from the experience he's had over two years with Sakura.

Quickly Naruto entered the bathroom, leaving Sasuke alone again. Within minutes a knock was heard on the door. He grabbed the cap her wore earlier and the pair of sunglasses.

"Just leave the food there. I am changing" he made his voice deeper, his eyes stared through the peephole and watched the young girl confusingly nodded and left the kart there.

With his poorly undercover 'clothing' he stealthily opened the door and brought the kart back into the room.

XoXoXoXoXo

"Heh" Naruto snickered, Sasuke stared up in question,

"What are you snickering about?"

"Watching Uchiha Sasuke eat 'normal casual food' is just kind of funny." Naruto tried really hard to avoid the topic of Sakura. For his and Sasuke's sake so that they're able to at least hold their food down their stomach.

"Hn."

An awe situation, it has been a while since they were able to spend time alone just like old times sake. Brothers.

Sasuke had been busy with his life from concerts, family and Karin. Naruto with Hinata and juggling Sakura's mental and physical health was a lot of work. Hanging out always ended up being a group thing, never anything valuable. Whenever they saw each other Sasuke was either drunk, high or both on whatever was in and never sober.

"It's weird seeing good old sober Sasuke, I swear the last time I probably seen you sober was when you were 16." Naruto said in between his bites, forcing a smile.

But now, he can understand why Sasuke tried so hard to escape reality. Aside from the Sakura situation, the pressure of his parents always wanting him to take over the enterprise. A girlfriend/wife who sticks by when Sasuke clearly treats her like complete shit by constantly sleeping with other super models. Crazy paparazzi who continuously stalk him like a hawk. Luckily his parents pay big money to keep his privacy for the Uchiha company's sake and status, well as much as they can. Sometimes things still slip, like when he is cheating on Karin, or drinking and driving. The Uchiha mainly covers his criminal actions, but that was just something else all together. Lastly his crazy ridiculous annoying fans. No sane person can handle that. Knowing Sasuke made Naruto realize why so many celebrities get into trouble all the time.

"How's Hinata" Sasuke tried to talk about something else.

"She's good. I just spoke with her a couple minutes ago. She's with Neji. I told her we were both here and safe"

"Thinking of tying the knot?" Sasuke took another bite out of his overcooked chicken.

"Of course. To be honest I was going to do it fairly soon. She's been so patient with me. An amazing girl"

"Yeah, I can't believe such a lovely girl is with such a snobby boy" Sasuke chuckled as Naruto stared at him in annoyance.

"Shut up Teme!"

Sasuke smirked, just like the good old days. Days he missed. His stomach churned as the realization that he had turned into a completely different person. Only today gave him a little glimpse how things used to be.

"What's going on with the band? When are you guys touring again?"

"I don't know... I plan on putting a couple things on hiatus...That's the least of my worries."

Naruto did not even bother to bring Karin up in the conversation.

Both sat in silence for a bit as they stared at the flat screen TV, with Spongebob laughing his obnoxious laugh. They couldn't even turn on the news, or really any other channel, it was either some tabloid about him or about the Uchiha family and his wedding night.

They dreaded going back to reality.

"...Why did Obito want Sakura?" Sasuke broke the silence between the two.

"She was a victim of human trafficking. At age 16. Right after her parent's death they took her because she was young and a virgin." There was no sugar coating it.

Sasuke held his breath, he felt completely sick to his stomach. This had to be a joke.

"Obito...He was responsible for Sakura. Apparently he made a lot of money from her, with her green eyes and pink hair and all. She was his most popular 'merchant'. She was a sex slave for a good two years before she was saved by Peter. That man...he is some saint I tell ya. Sakura went through hell, but she was okay for a while. A long progress but she definitely became a beautiful woman inside and out. I never understood how she did it though."

Sasuke bent over as he felt his world spinning again. He was so angry he couldn't contain it.

"Argh!" He punched the black leather sofa, as he bit back his tears of anger.

"It's not your fault Sasuke... You had no idea her fate. It was out of your control. Don't blame yourself. That was the past. She is safe now"

"Safe?! You call, being in a medical coma safe?!" Sasuke bit back

"It's better than her being in that sex market again, dead or tortured who knows. Listen, that man is out of her life for good now. And now that we know exactly how bad her situation is, and how she is technically still in danger. We can be extra cautious with her. I thought I was cautious enough, but she always has to hide things. So now, this just gives me the opportunity to never leave he alone ever."

"You really care for her.."

"Yeah, it's her heart that really just gets me and everyone around her going. She's really so pure. Even with her history. Such innocence, you don't get to see ever. You'd think someone going through all that would be bitter and hateful. But she's completely the opposite. Facing her fears, going through with speeches and being proactive about her situation. Sometimes she can be so foolish though, I understand she wants to help out, but she does such silly things. She's done so many things that is just so selfless, but honestly stupid. Just like a child, seriously. Even faced with what she had been faced, I don't see how she doesn't see the evil reality. All she can see is beauty. Even with all her sufferings. When you meet someone like her, your perspective of life honestly changes. Your faith in humanity gets restored. Such an optimistic person. A breath of fresh air. What breaks my heart now is how she's going to finish her degree. She was so close to becoming a Doctor. Went for adult school in half a year, 1 year fast tracked in university with perfect marks, now currently enrolled in Medical school. Girl's a genius. She's done the impossible." Naruto explained.

"She hasn't changed at all..." Sasuke spoke softly.

"How on earth do you out of everyone know her? You guys are completely different." Naruto asked

"I was always an angry and arrogant child. But she held me down, kept me sane and human. She didn't know who I was or my family was. She just knew me as the little boy that grew up with her, nothing more. I was Sasuke, not Uchiha Sasuke. I was just a boy. I was able to be just a boy with her, not some high class royal family that gets his foot kissed. If she had something to say to me, you bet she wasn't shy about it. Not one bit." Sasuke managed to smile as he thought about the old days.

"I was four, my parents went over to our summer neighbours house. We moved there for the summer, just to give me and Itachi a break from the 'high' life. I went over to their house with my parents since we were invited over for dinner. There she was with that big forehead of hers. I rolled my eyes at the 'casual' dinner, before I can even say anything, she came and just hugged me, I thought she was one of those little girls that crushes on me right away. I pushed her and told her to never do that again and called her forehead girl. It definitely didn't go well with her" Sasuke chuckled in between his story.

"She put me in a head lock and called me a stupid ungrateful boy. Said I had hair like a chicken's butt. which was much worse than her oversized forehead. Ordered me to apologize and beg for forgiveness. My parents and her parents only laughed, didn't bother to help me out. That was the first time anyone had ever put me in a head lock or called me names. Here this girl was sitting on top of me, arms around my neck and screaming into my ear." He finally laughed as he reminisced.

" King of Butthead, that was sadly my nickname for a couple years. She was definitely something else." Sasuke sighed.

They both took a deep breath and really let the reality settle in. "Let's head back. Ino needs some sleep too. She's a wreck as well. I'll let her sleep here and get her a train back to New York."

"I'll get a helicopter for her. Make the travel much faster." Sasuke offered. His voice soft.

"When Sakura is better, you better be good to Ino. She's done a lot for Sakura, and she's your biggest fan. Although she doesn't look it now, trust me she is. You can tell how important Sakura is to her by just seeing how she is with you currently. Doesn't even care." Naruto was so optimistic of Sakura's condition.

"Why are you so sure she'll be okay? Didn't Doctor Harrison tell you her condition?" Sasuke questioned him

"She'll make it. She's been through so much, and she's made it through up until this point. She will make through this as well. Whatever the outcome, it's better than whatever if could have been, in the hands of Obito" Obito that name made Sasuke's blood boil. When things are settled, he was going to take care of Obito himself.

XoXoXo

CHAPTER END

I apologize for such a long wait for this update. I've been going through a lot of personal bad luck and was not able to make time for this update. I've been working on this chapter for years and finally I can finally upload it. I am hoping to be able to update more often.

Hope you all enjoy this chapter. I apologize if there are any typos. I tried my best to reread everything and edit most.

Thank you,

Summer-Nights

R&R