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Chapter 4

Sakura couldn't sleep, again. This was the second night in a row, Sakura was getting the impression that she was going mental. Or perhaps it was him, once again. She didn't understand why he was always in her head, he just was. She slowly arose from her clean bed not bothering to even make it.

She made her way into the hall, then she staggered into her bathroom, her eyes were tired and they refused to look up. She found herself in front of the mirror, not even gazing at it. She let yesterday's events replay in her head. She hated herself, her face scrunched up, 'I slapped him, and I don't even care.' This is when she let her eyes rise into the mirror. She felt tears forming in her emerald orbs but not sliding down her cheeks, her watery pools lingered over to her messy blush hair. Her small hand reached for the comb and then she began to take on her pink jungle.

Sasuke was pissed, really pissed. 'Who does she think she is, slapping me?' His eyebrows scrunched together as his teeth gritted. 'Why didn't I beat the crap out of her?' Sasuke has never been slapped before let alone being slapped by the woman who confessed her love for him once. His body shot up into a sitting position. The covers hid his waist down. 'Damn it!'

He climbed out of his bed, letting the covers drag onto the ground. He saw his reflection and now dreaded the fact that he didn't sleep at all. He found his face relaxing as he remembered what he said to her. His hands clenched the pearly sink, he let his raven bangs fall over his eyes. 'I always wanted to protect her and pulverize anyone who hurt her.' His fingernails began to dig into the marble. 'Until, I found out, it was me..' This was when his hands relaxed.

"What's up teme?!" Sasuke's eyes widened as he stood nose to nose with Naruto, who was currently hanging upside down. He scowled and threw his fist at Naruto's jaw, he didn't even know why he punched him. 'Well, someone has to. Why not me?' Naruto's body flew into the nearby corner, and slowly slid to the ground.

Naruto was confused. Sure Sasuke hits him a lot, but not out of the blue. "What the hell was that for?!" Sasuke didn't feel like fighting, or yelling back at Naruto. He just wanted to hit something, like before. Sadly, it was one of his best friends. He remained silent and walked past the now injured Naruto, glaring at his path. "Hey!" Naruto called as he stood up from the corner and made his way into Sasuke's bedroom. "I just thought you would want to go on a mission but sure just punch me in the face…."

Naruto was rambling on and on about, well, Sasuke didn't know due to the fact he was lost in thought. 'Hmmm….a mission, with violence and hitting people? I think I could enjoy this.' A snicker was placed onto his face.

"A mission?" Naruto's face went blank to register what Sasuke had just said. His giant blue eyes bulged and then suddenly closed.

"Yah! Just like the old team 7!" This made Sasuke's features sadden, he remembered, but part of him didn't want to. He had left that team, and he should have been grateful for them to suddenly welcome him back after betraying them. But, strangely, he didn't. He thought of them as fools, or maybe he was the fool, in their situation, he wouldn't have ever forgiven himself. Hell, he hardly forgave himself now.

Sasuke hardly forgave people, he didn't even ever remember those words coming out of his thin mouth. Maybe he could just, be forgiven. Yes, maybe he could be the team seven before. The team seven he smiled with, occasionally…. "When?"

Naruto was confused. "Hmm?" One blond eyebrow lowered as another rose, he let his head cock to a side.

Naruto was slowly chiseling away Sasuke's patience and there wasn't that much to begin with. 'Naruto, always making me talk more then I have to. He's so annoying.' Sasuke liked to talk in the simplest way possible and a person like Naruto made that seem almost impossible. "When is the mission?" His harsh emphases on the words made very clear how pissed Sasuke really was.

"Oh right!" Naruto replied loudly as he scratched his head. "Well, I guess in about 25 minutes." Sasuke let out a sigh, Naruto, once again, didn't know what was coming out of his mouth. 'wait, 25 minutes?' Then Sasuke did a half smile. 'Make that 2 hours, Kakashi being late and all….'

Sasuke slowly turned around and nodded indicating he would be there. "Great!" Naruto was beaming, it's been a long time since team 7. "I'll be going to get Sakura now, see you!" Naruto dashed out of the house with great speed.

'Sakura…..I forgot, damn….' Sasuke ran a pale hand through his midnight hair and let it gently fall back into place. 'This is going to be bad.'

Sakura was quite pleased on how her hair was now able to have her fingers run through it. She let out a sigh of accomplishment. Then a the sound of knuckles on wood was heard through the Haruno's house. Sakura made her way to the vibrations and opened the oak door quickly and wasn't surprised to see who it was. Apparently Naruto didn't want to take the chance of being punched again.

"Hey Sakura!" Sakura sighed and rested her head on the agape door. "You ok? 'Cause if you not, you don't have to go on the 'important' mission." This made the sleepy Sakura suddenly turn alert and ready.

"Mission? What mission?" She was quite puzzled at the sudden quest, being their spring break and all…

Naruto leaned in and hid a side of his mouth as if someone was eavesdropping. "A secret mission." He whispered. Sakura highly doubted that. 'This is going to be saving a cat again isn't it?'

"A secret mission?" Sakura replied sarcastically.

"Yah, Sasuke's going!" Naruto found the door in his face as a SLAM! Was heard.

Sakura hid behind the closed entrance. 'I just screeched at him, and now I have to do an 'important mission' with the same guy?' "Sakura!" a muffled voice rung in her ears. "I know it must be….awkward but…..remember before he left?" Sakura fell silent. "Don't you want to do that again?" Sakura looked down and pondered about this.

"I'll be right out Naruto!" He let a grin onto his face and crossed his arms above his neck for his head to rest in.

"Meet us at the bridge in about 20 minutes!"