Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its affiliate belong to Masashi Kishimoto, I am merely borrowing his characters to write what we all wish would happen…

EDITED: 3/6/2010

SIX

When Sasuke got back to his team, they were sitting around a campfire. Suigetsu and Karin were biting each other's heads off as usual while Juugo seemed to be asleep as he leaned back against a tree. How the man could sleep with all the bickering those two did, Sasuke would never know.

He stepped up to the fire and Juugo's eyes opened while the other two silenced. All pairs of eyes were on him.

A wicked grin crawled up Suigetsu's face. He let out a low wolf whistle and chuckled when the Uchiha glared at him.

Karin wasn't so good-humored. "You let her cut your hair?" she hissed, standing up. "I don't believe it! I am perfectly capable of cutting hair—why this girl? You hardly even know her! How do you know we can trust her?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "You don't know anything Karin. Sit down and shut up." He ignored the hurt look on the dark haired girl's face as he sat down next to Suigetsu.

"Rei found some letters from Akatsuki. It sounds like they're staking out in Earth Country, possibly near Rock Village," he explained, keeping his gaze on the blazing fire so he wouldn't have to see the teasing look on Suigetsu's face or the pouting one on Karin's.

"Sasuke," Suigetsu said in a reluctant tone. "I hate to side with her, but she has a good point. Are you absolutely sure Rei can be trusted?"

All three team members were surprised at the intense glare that formed on the Uchiha's face. None of them had expected him to be so protective of this girl—a girl he'd only known for a few days.

"Hn. Leave Rei to me. Tomorrow, you three are heading to Earth Country. Try to find their hideout. I'll catch up with you once I'm done here," he said tersely. Showing the group the conversation was done, he stood up and walked over to another tree. He hopped up to a large branch and crossed his arms.

Suigetsu snorted, poking at the burning logs with a long stick. "Tou-chy." He jumped as a kunai shot down, landing between his legs—just inches away from the family jewels. His jaw dropped and he looked up in the direction the knife came from.

"Oh very mature."

Sakura hummed quietly to herself as she washed one of the windows on the second floor. She was able to see into the forest for a few miles, but there was no sight of Sasuke or his team. Her lips quirked down in a small frown; she'd been hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

Maybe of him training, so we can see more of that glorious body! Inner Sakura added, scanning the horizon with a pair of binoculars.

I wonder what he's doing right now. There's a girl on his team; are they close? Are they friends? Does she take care of him? Does he care for her?

"No!"

The wash rag dropped to the floor as Sakura fell backwards, plopping on her rear in her usual graceful way. She shook her head violently, trying to get rid of those images.

"Where did that come from?" she asked herself quietly.

I'm over him. I got over him years ago. I may have thought I loved him once, but I only see him as a friend now. If even that. He's just using me for information anyway; once he finds out enough about Akatsuki, he'll leave and I'll never see him again.

She didn't notice the tears running down her cheeks until they were dripping onto her tunic. She gasped, quickly wiping them away and blinking back any more that threatened to drop.

I can't fall for him again, she promised herself. I won't. Because when he leaves, it would break me. And I can't go through that again. I refuse. I am not weak anymore.

She stood up, brushing of her pants as she went back to the window, picking up the discarded rag and setting it back in the bucket. Sakura opened the window and took in a deep breath of fresh air, letting the breeze stroke her hair and face. She missed her short hair and was getting annoyed with the restricting braid. So many times she was tempted to grab the kitchen shears and just chop the nasty thing off.

But she couldn't. What if Sasuke recognized her then?

Her eyes narrowed. "Damn it!" she hissed, her fingers digging into the windowsill until there were small indents. "Why does everything come back to him? I hate him. I can't fall for him. I won't."

A soft hand rested on her shoulder. Sakura jumped, looking into dark teal eyes. Haruka smiled sympathetically as she moved to lean back against the wall.

"I came up here to see if you were okay—you've been really out of it lately. But…I think I figured out what the problem is."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Haruka-chan?"

"Rei-chan, it's normal for you to…fall for the first guy who comes here and pays you special attention. It happens to all of us—even me."

Sakura furrowed her brows. "I'm sorry, I'm not following."

Haruka leaned in and used a tone that sounded like a mother scolding her little toddler. "This guy who has been coming in…he's giving you special attention and you think it's because he likes you. Maybe he even says stuff about how beautiful and special you are."

Sakura shook her head. "No, you've got this all wrong, I—"

Haruka smacked her hand on the wall. "No you've got it all wrong, Rei! Now listen to me, this guy? He doesn't love you. He doesn't even like you—not in the way you want. He just wants you for one thing, got it? He's using you for sex!"

"Shut up, you don't know anything!" Sakura shouted. She felt like her head was about to explode and her heart pounded. She crouched down, tucking her head into her knees and hiding under her arms. She took deep gulps of air, trying to calm down.

She knew Haruka was right. Not the sex part, but Sasuke was just using her. And she'd gone along willingly. She didn't know why it hurt so much this time though. Hadn't she just told herself all of this a few minutes ago?

Maybe it's because before thought in a small corner of our mind that we were wrong, that we were just trying to help ourselves, Inner Sakura said quietly, resting her chin on her hand as she frowned. But now that Haruka-chan has pointed it all out, we know that little pocket of hope is gone.

Sakura sighed, knowing her inner self was correct. She looked up at Haruka. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. What you heard me say before…that wasn't about Sasuke. It was about…a boy I knew when I was younger."

She stood up, turning to her friend. "I know exactly what Sasuke wants from me and all that I mean to him. I promise you, I don't feel anything for that jerk."

Haruka grinned, taking Sakura's hand, "Well I just wanted to make sure. We need to stay strong for each other, ne?"

Kumiko appeared in the doorway. "There you two are! I was looking all over for you! There's some soup in the kitchen; anyone want dinner?"

As Sakura sat down in a corner of the kitchen with her bowl, she looked up to see Haruka looking at her intently.

"What?"

Haruka looked around before scooting closer to Sakura and motioning for Kumiko to do the same. "Remember when you asked me about that ninja group?"

Sakura nodded, "Akatsuki. What about it?"

"Well, they have this…spy guy come in and check the place out; usually a week or so before they get here," she explained.

"Probably to make sure the coast is clear."

"Anyway, I think he's coming tonight. I saw this name in the appointment book and I think it's him, but I can't remember."

Sakura pursed her lips, tapping her chopsticks to her mouth. She nodded, looking back to her friends.

"Does he have a 'usual' here?"

"No," Kumiko shook her head. "He has a different girl every time."

"Why do you ask?"

"I have to be the girl tonight."

"Are you crazy?" Haruka shouted. "Why would you want to do that to yourself? I heard he's a huge pervert-wack-job! He'll do freaky stuff to you! You're not ready for that!"

Sakura shook her head in defiance. She looked over at the clock that hung over the stove. "When's he scheduled?"

"You can't be serious! We won't let you!"

She looked back at her friends, giving a reassuring smile. "Trust me you guys. I can't explain now, but this is something I have to do."

"Does it have to do with Sasuke?" Kumiko asked.

"It's a long story—but I promise I will tell you everything."

Haruka's frown softened into a look of understanding. "Eight o'clock. He's scheduled for eight."

They looked at the clock. "That means he'll be here any minute! We have to go now!"

They raced down the hall, peeking around the corner. Naomi was talking quietly with her sons. No one else was in the front room.

At eight o'clock on the dot, a man walked in. He looked young and had light blonde hair that was tied back in a low ponytail. A small goatee was on his chin. He had a long scar on his cheek that went from his eye to his jaw.

Sakura didn't recognize him as someone from Akatsuki, but knew instantly this was the man. His muscles were bigger than Jiro and Goro's combined and he looked to be nearly seven feet tall.

"That's him," Haruka whispered. "You still sure about this?"

While the sight of him made Sakura want to vomit, she knew she could take him down with her inhuman strength. She couldn't use handcuffs to bind him like she'd originally planned, but she could bend some metal around him or something. She could sense his chakra—he was a shinobi, but she could take him. She'd taken on worse.

"Ah, welcome back Kuruo-san," Naomi said with a grin, pushing her sons behind her.

"Always a pleasure, Naomi-san," Kuruo replied with a slimy grin. He was greasy all over and his hair looked like it hadn't been washed in months.

"Let's see who we have available tonight…" She scanned over the book of names, trying to find a girl.

Sakura knew this was her chance. She grabbed the bucket she brought and stepped into the front room before her friends could pull her back. She couldn't tell how strong of a ninja he was, so she made sure her chakra was extra hidden.

She kept her eyes down, hoping this would be enough to draw attention to her. When Naomi didn't so much as look up, Sakura pretended to bump into a chair, causing the bucket to fall.

Naomi looked up and smirked. "Ah, Rei-chan. She'll be perfect." Naomi closed the book and beckoned her closer.

"Kuruo-san, this is Rei. Rei-chan, say hello to Kuruo-sama." Sakura bowed, making sure to blush and not make eye contact.

Kuruo chuckled. "Yes, she looks good enough to eat. Which room would you like us in?"

"I'll pay double whatever he's paying to have her," a baritone voice said suddenly. Sakura gasped, turning around to see who ruined her plan.

She was stunned to look into deep onyx eyes.

"What!" she hissed. "What are you doing?"

Sasuke pushed past her, walking up to Naomi at the front desk, "Do we have a deal?"

Naomi looked back at Kuruo, seeing if he minded. "Triple," Sasuke growled. She grinned.

"Sorry Kuruo-san, we'll find you another girl." She turned back to Sasuke, "Let's see the money."

He pulled out a large wad of cash, ignoring as Sakura glared at him. "I'll pay double whatever any customer offers for her, even if I'm not here," he continued.

Naomi arched an emerald brow. "What are you saying? You want Rei-chan all for yourself?"

He nodded.

She glanced over at Sakura before smirking. "I think that could be arranged. Rei, take him to room fourteen."

"Yes Naomi-sama," Sakura grumbled, leading the way.

As soon as they got in the room, Sakura whirled around. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed. "Do you know how hard I had to work to get that job!"

Sasuke sat back on the bed and grunted. "And here I thought you'd be grateful for me saving you from that pervert."

She snarled. "You idiot. He's a spy for Akatsuki!"

Those onyx eyes snapped up to meet hers. "And what, you just thought you could seduce the information out of him?"

"No," she snapped, crossing her arms and turning away from him. "I was going to render him immobile."

"Now who's the idiot!" Sasuke roared. "You have no idea how strong he is! You're what? Five feet tall? You can't weigh more than one hundred pounds. How did you expect to render a guy like that unconscious? A normal girl couldn't possibly—"

Sakura bit her lip and closed her eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited to see what the Uchiha would say.

"I knew it…" he said quietly. "I knew I sensed chakra in you the other day. Who are you?"

She gave a small laugh. "I'm someone you used to know quite well, Sasuke…kun." Sakura released the concealment jutsu and slowly turned around.

She opened her now jade eyes to see a stunned Sasuke. She was surprised to see the usually expressionless face have so many conflicting emotions going on. It was like a battle of thoughts and she could see them all in his eyes.

She frowned. Would he hate her for lying? After all the time they'd spent getting closer…did she just throw all that away? Would he ever trust her again?

It's still me.

"Sasuke," she said quietly, glancing to her side. "This changes nothing."

"No," he growled, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. "This changes everything."

And he crashed his mouth into hers.

Muahahaha! Oh I love cliff hangers!! Aren't I mean? Sorry this chapter was kinda shorter, but…well, I have no excuse.