Sakura Pov.

The pink and white blossom on the trees, in full bloom big a beautiful. The smell of fresh Ramen, sticky sweets and strong tea filled the air. Along with the aroma of the apple trees surrounding the village diameter.

I was home.

I drew in a deep breath lapping up the smells and sweet airs that I held so dear to me. I had missed everything so much. I entered the training ground to find a group of ANBU members waiting for me, guess Naruto got the message.

I sensed their Chakra, finding out who was there …. Ah Kakashi! Neji and Tenten were among the 10 that were there, some were my team members also. I was so happy to see them all again. To feel their warmth and the distinctive flow and wave of their Chakra that wrapped around me in a bubble of relief and happiness. My face was beaming and I ran into my friends arms.

"Sakura, your alright," Kakashi whispered in my ear. Tenten gave me a squeeze and Neji gave me a friendly nod.

"Of course I'm alright, honestly what did you expect?" They simply looked at each other. They knew I was with Sasuke. I let out a very long sigh.

"Take me to your leader," I smiled ruefully as we all fell about laughing.

Naruto was sitting at his desk, sleeping of course lazy ass Hokage. I banged my fist on the table waking him immediately. His eyes flicked to my face and I saw the huge smile spread across his features as he jumped across the room and hugged me very tightly.

"Sakura!" He yelled right in my ear. Geeze, you would of thought I had been brought back from the dead.

"ouch!" I rubbed my ears and then laughed at his boyish smile and hugged him again. It was so good to see him. I had missed him so much he looked exactly the same as I left him, apart from a very noticeable ring on his finger.

"You proposed!" I screamed taking his hand and looking at the jewel incrusted beauty. He nodded his head and looked very smug. I simply hugged him again. Damn! I cant believe I missed it.

"I wanted to do it when we had found you, but it's been 5 months Sakura with no word apart from 4 days ago. We were so worried, Gaara sent out some of his top shinobi out trying to locate you," His eyes looked so concerned, I was sorry that I had made everyone worry so much.

"I was at Orchimarus hide out, that place has a highly complex frequency code, I doubt any village could find it. It would take someone of Shikamarus caliba to just to translate the wave data, I managed to get some patterns figured I'll send a copy to our linguistic analysis lab as soon as I can transfer it onto your plate discs," He nodded.

"Did you get any information on the labs, plans, position of the hideout?"

"It's situated under the mountain called valleys ends, no mans land of the 4th war of the 5 countries it is placed under the battle field, you know the one with the poppies?." Naruto drew in a deep breath, all the Hokages knew where the valley of ends was, the everyone knew about the 4th battle of the 5 countries war, even civilians maybe because they were the most worst off. That was why Naruto and me wanted to change, why should civilians pay for our mistakes and our anger?

"Yes I know it," He whispered.

"But hey! I'm back be happy! Right well since I was kidnapped, and just escaped I'm not going on any missions for a couple of weeks and I want at least 2 days no working, after that put me on shifts at the hospital, oh and I'll need a complete debrief on the last 5 months of the trainee plan for doctors, medical advisors and battle medics, I'll need complete data on the statistics on the ratio of patient to nurses, see if we need more recruitment programmes and also pencil me in for some chakra control lessons at the school, maybe some of those new ethical lessons, and tell Shikamaru that I'll do the supervisory role for the chunnin exams, right I think that's it, bye bye Naruto," I walked off laughing as I saw Narutos jaw hit the floor.

Walking through the town, ah! It was so good to be back finally! I stopped of at my favourite sweet stall. The owner was very pleased to see his best customer was alright and buying his food again.

"OI! Forehead!" A very familiar voice rang in my ears. About 2 seconds I saw beautiful blond hair, huge shining blue eyes and pretty pink lips.

"INO!" I screamed and pulled my best friend into a hug. It was so good to see her again.

"They said you were back!" She said hugging me very tightly.

"I've been away longer than this …"

"yeah but on a mission! Not being kidnapped,"

"You make it sound like I was tied up never to leave my room. You should know I had those men wrapped around my little finger," I gave a knowing a smirk to Ino. All out nights going out and getting every single guy to buy us drinks was what we were famous for.

"Your so bad,"

"Like you can say anything, your worse than I am." Ino simply shrugged and then gave me a very evil little smirk.

"You know who's coming over now that your back?" Oh no …

"That's right, Gaara is coming over here," She gave a knowing little flicker of the eye and then shrugged it off like it was nothing.

"Ino…" I said in a warning tone. I did not want another conversation about Gaara. A select group of people thought me and Gaara were madly in love, however me and him had both made it clear on several occasions that this was not the case. I love Gaara, but in a kidda best friend/brother way. To Gaara I'm his go -to person for women problems.

"yeah, yeah okay I heard ya forehead. Now lets go get some coffee! And shopping and then we are all going out tonight! Eee I'm sooo glad your back forehead." She squealed as she latched herself to my arm dragging me away from the direction of the hospital labs and to the centre of the market place in the village. So much for my day of productiveness.

Me and Ino chatted, drank huge amounts of coffee. We saw Shikamaru after the academy was finished and the little children were running free, without a care in the world, hopefully Naruto would make this world carefree…

I told Shikamaru about my teaching ethics classes to which of course he agreed to. Ha! One more job out of the way, something I could kick Narutos ass for.

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Going out. One of my favourite pass times you met all your friends who you hadn't seen for ages if they were back from missions, or going out after hard days work at the village. Our favourite place was a very chilled out Bar with comfy sofas and chairs in a disarray of darken colours. It was like a field of comfy corduroy and cotton, With polished tables and a big space to dance in, it was a ninjas best friend.

So here I was sitting on a big chair with Ino on the arm of it in her very revealing tight blue dress talking to Kiba I watched in amusement as Kiba tried to keep his eyes on her face instead on her breasts, though I doubt my best friend would have been too put out if she caught him staring there. I however never dressed up too much, just enough. I was in my tight fitting skinny jeans and tight red strap top, simple but very effective. I knew I had curves and boobs but I knew that a little bit of casual class was needed to make the effect perfect. Sometimes less dressy was more.

Temari was hitting Shika over the head about something. Naruto was making Hinata Laugh until she couldn't hold in her drink anymore. Gaara was sitting next to me chatting to lee and Neji. Kankaro was trying to hit on Ino. And I was talking to Tenten.

"Wow, well I guess the good thing is that now we have some inside information about Orchimaru now."

"I guess, kidnapping was a good thing!" I said in a fake happy voice smiling ruefully.

"Well always look on the bright side of life Sakura," Kankaro said dodging Ino hit aimed at his head.

"She was kidnapped by Orchimaru you idiot how is that good?"

"Well she got out didn't she?" He retorted, learning that this was not the best thing he could of done as he received a glare from Ino who turned straight to Kiba and started to talk to him again.

"I take it you saw Unciha there?" Neji stated it more than asked it. However when he did everyone looked at him, some gave him incredulous looks, some gave him why-the-hell-did-you-bring-that-up? Looks and others like Tenten rolled her eyes and shook her head. And I quite agreed with my friends, I didn't want to talk about Sasuke right now. In fact I would have been happy for all memories of him to wiped away from my head but fat chance of that happening.

"Drinking game!" Kiba shouted quickly by people agreeing and setting up lines of shots, laughing.

Later Kakashi and some of his friends walked into the bar. I called over to him waving my hands in a drunken fashion, though I wasn't as drunk as most of my friends, being a medic nin I could metabolise my fluids without a second thought.

"Sakura when are you gonna come and visit us in the Sand then?" Temari asked me as she flung herself over my arms and sat down on the arm of the chair.

"Anytime you want me! I missed you so much, plus just look at my skin its so pale, I need to tan up,"

"Well you have to come very soon Gaara wont mind, he needs your help with girls anyway he has far, far too many," Temari gave her younger brother the evil eye.

"Hey not my fault they can't help themselves besides I'm a sex God don't you think I should share my talent around?" I giggled at this. Gaara was completely gorgeous, its just he knew it as well.

"yeah well I'd much rather you wouldn't share it with me and Kankaro we do have ears!" she hit her brother on the back of the head.

"Yeah Gaara, Kankaro will get jelouse otherwise. You know he has problems getting laid," I said smiling innocently at Kankaro who had his mouth wide open.

"Hey!"

"Its alright you can admit it," I said in a fake sympathetic voice trying not the laugh as Gaara and Temari were in roars of laughter.

"Hey I'm just holding out until I find the right girl," He winked at me.

"Not in a million years,"

"Come on give me one night,"

"Give me £1,000,000 then I might think about it,!

"Ha! So there is a price then?," I rolled my eyes and found Kakashi sitting down talking to Naruto and Neji. They looked like they were having a rather heated debate about something. But before I could go join I had Ino and Tenten drag me off to the dance floor where the song 'Walking on sunshine' was playing rather cheesily but hey! I was back, I was with my friends and I was going to have a good time.

We were dancing away, singing at the top of our voices doing silly dance moves, taking pictures, ordering drinks after drinks.

Yes it was good to be home.

Sasuke Pov.

Walking up and there was no dancing Chakra to gently caress this place with its musical presence and warmth. Orchimaru wasn't back yet but he was gonna be pissed with me. I had driven out his precious little flower before he had even had the chance to bond her completely with him, a thought that made the hairs on the back on my neck stand.

Life was static. Never moving. Just staying the same old same old. Except this time a pink haired girl entered my mind with her perfected arguments against my revenge, her perfect ideals of a war, ninja free world.

I never made any sense to me honestly. But I could not help piecing her magical chakra and her free spirited soul to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe she could be right. Her and Narutos big plan, Kohonas big plan.

What would it be like? A world without hate? Could even such a thing exist…

Not only would there have to be a major ethical turn in the teachings of young children, or the major legitimate turns on the village elders who were only interested in war but also the people like me. The De facto side of the transformation she was on about. Of course she made it sound so easy but I knew this not to be the case. Look at where I was, who I was with and the things I had done.

Now how can could one person change the deep rooted hatred, the unadulterated need for retribution in peoples hearts and souls. Lets face I'm a pretty good example of what hate could do to people.

I told myself this over and over, how could one person change? How?

Not only that but I let my mind wonder off to the possibility of a world like that, imagining myself in it, how my life would be like, the ever lasting light instead of the fiery blackness of my hell.

No matter how many times I told myself it was stupid, no matter how many times I beat myself up, no matter how many times I punished myself for thinking about it my mind would slip to the dancing chakra and those beautiful vivid green eyes full of life, light and energy, the positive aura that always surrounded her whenever she walked into the room. How could of she of been like this, unless … there was some tiny glimmer of hope …

Hope … that's a funny thing. Even the tinniest amount of it can shimmer and shine inside of you and grow deep down, so completely rooted that you can never get rid of it.

Well I was screwed then.

Green eyes stared at him hard in a fierce defiance. Her chest was heaving and red ruby lips were parted as her breathing was heavy with anger.

"No, I have no bonds, that is why I am not weak" He watched as her eyes narrowed and her beautiful face contorted with pain and rejection. However the defiance still held in her eyes.

"Lair" That damn stubbornness. He wanted to choke it out of her watch it leave her eyes slowly but at the same time he found it so intoxicating, so incredibly erotic to have a this beautiful woman defy him, to stand up to him without fear and hold her own. Also that Chakra and that smell, oh God! It was tipping him over the edge of sanity.

"What of Naruto?" He tried to think. It was not working. She was drawing him closer.

"Why do you ask? Your bonds are broken," Her eyes widened and her green eyes flashed a childish spark that only made his blood rage inside of his veins and ignite with a fury of red hot lust. She was playing him like a fool and it was exhilarating. However he had questions and she would answer him .

"Don't get me wrong Sakura I have no personal interest in him, or his well being. However I have heard you talk about this 'equal' world were people 'understand' each other" It was pure madness what she was talking about and I was going to make her see it, I wanted to choke the hope out of her and see it leave those angelic eyes.

Her eyebrows quirked up and her look was dubious. Ugh! That smell those eyes, that body and that mouth, that red delicious mouth…

"And why would this interest you Unciha? In our world there is no place for your revenge, I doubt you would be much interested in it," He could not hold his desire in any longer and let it leek out and pool into the closed surroundings, he smelt the lust mix with cherry blossom and felt another lick of hot desire melt his sanity once more. Her words were echoing in his mind and he did not like them, he did not agree with them for they came from a happier world that was robbed from him.

" Oh I'm interested in it because I cant wait to tear it down, destroy it, show no mercy, your silly ideals Sakura are fairytales, I can't wait to burn them to the ground. There is no hope in this world for understanding, we cannot hope!" Anger and betrayal entered her eyes and a new found strong determination lingered there and he found it all the more erotic. Her fists were clenched out of anger, his was clenched out of the necessity for control. She was too erotic and he wanted her to devour her.

"I'll burn you first," Inside he was laughing like a mad man at her little comment. Oh but dear little Sakura you already have. As the heat pumped through him like a steam train ready to blast through a steel wall.

"I would love to see you try,"

Because honestly he could not stand there anymore and not touch her.

I awoke from the dream, my body covered in sweat. My memories were now leaking into my sleep, giving me no peace. My erection was now straining against my boxers as I tried to get the vivid feeling of that unnerving desire I held for her.

That dream though. The one of hope, of a perfect world ….

Yes I wanted to burn it, to destroy it because it was something I could not get to ever again

Hope was lost

….

Yes

Lost

I was right, it was lost, gone, all gone.

But she was not. That dream of her. Her eyes, her smell, her hair, her fearless nature, her defiance and her body. That voice, crying my name as I entered her, those sounds of pleasure filled my ears once more and I was a slave to my memories once more.

God! It was a sin for someone to be so intoxicating!

And no matter how much I wanted to destroy hope, I could not ever destroy her. Never. Not her, never her she was perfect and to destroy hope was to destroy her.

Sakura Pov.

I was walking back home, with Gaara on my arm half carrying me as we both giggled at an inside joke. It wasn't about anything important it was mostly babble.

On entering my house Gaara carried me to my room. It was painted in a pale egg shell blue, and had soft water colour paintings around the walls, with a table full of papers and scrolls and a chair full of dirty clothes.

"Man are you messy," Gaara said looking around.

"Oi! Shut it you, I'm a busy woman you know,"

"Well I'm the Kazakage and my room is cleaner than this,"

"That's because your boring and do paper work," He smirked at me and then his face got serious.

"Sakura, I have to know what happened at Orchimarus hideout you haven't said anything,"

My heart stopped for a fraction of a second, damn he was perceptive. But as always I put on my perfect mask. A smile graced my lips.

"What are you talking about I've talked about it loads,"

"No," He shook his head," You haven't at all. You've mentioned that you 'took care of yourself' but then you always move on, come on tell me stop hiding and for God sakes stop putting on that fake smile and tell me."

DAMN HIM!

"Gaara, please I don't want to talk about it"

"What did he do," His face was contorted with strained with anger. I shook my head and willed the tears to stay behind my eyes.

"Please, Please don't, I just want to forget,"

"it will help, tell me," There he was being all caring and brotherly and Gaara, the Gaara who once killed for fun, for the taste of blood to catch his lips but now has become very humane, kind, and caring, the Gaara before the ridicule and cruel treatment from being a demon carrier.

I could not hold the tears in. It was like suddenly I felt the full weight and fatigue of my ordeal rest on my shoulders and I let a tear slip, quickly wiping it away. I made it a rule not to cry in front of people, I would never do that again.

"Please Gaara, I just … please?" I asked, more like pleaded. He sighed and nodded his head and left my room. Once I heard the faint lock of my front door I cried.

I let it all out I cried for me, I cried for him, I cried for all those poor people who were experimented on and I could do nothing to help them. I cried for the hope lost, I cried because I needed it. I cried because I loved him. I loved him and all I could think about was that night. The night I was taken by him.

His arms wrapped around me, his breath on my skin hot and fast. His blackened red eyes swirling me around in a dance of lust and love. The feeling of red hot desire pump through my veins like wild fire. The otherworldly feelings of him being inside of me or out bodies being so intimately connected. The explosion of pleasure he gave me that felt like I had soared up to heaven and back, and of course his only ever fleeting act of gentleness towards me. The way he put me down and kissed my forehead.

It broke my heart.

And here I was back on square one. Clutching my pillow and wailing into the night in despair.

(okay .... that took AGES to write sorry :( However I have finished my exams, A levels are a bitch, and i will nope hopefully be writing much more. Oh! Next chapter has lovely lemonly goodness in, actually from here on it get more lemonly and more dark ... okay maybe not dark i'm still a little hazy on that part.

Ah well tell me how I did :) and thanks for reading

xxxx