AUTHOR'S HEARTFELT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: I would just like to give my million thanks to Blitz Magnus and Aikuchi Shikaku, who, helped me make this fanfiction possible. Thank you so much! I wish I could repay you for your kindness someday.

(Chapter 7 – Wrong Hallucination)

It was morning. Sakura woke up and took a bath and ate her breakfast, so did Lee. It was Lee's turn to sleep now. And so, Sakura, being so grateful, watched over him this time.

You always ask me
those words I say
and telling me what it means to me

Meanwhile…

Underwater, there was something or someone swimming beside the ferry Lee and Sakura were on.

"Eliminate her. Eliminate anyone who gets in your way. Eliminate everyone you hate… and everyone who hates you." Orochimaru's words rang in Sasuke's mind as he swam beside the ferry.

He was able to free himself from Shikamaru and the Anbu squad restraining him the night before with a little help from Orochimaru.

Every single day
you always act this way
for how many times I told you
I love you
for this is all I know

Afterwards…

"Good afternoon, Ma'am, Sir." The attendant greeted Sakura and Lee who were getting ready; "We're going to dock at the harbor outside of the Hidden Mist Village around 2 hours from now. You may sleep, eat and enjoy while you can aboard this ship."

"Excuse me, Lady." Sakura politely asked, "But do you happen to know how we can enter the Hidden Mist Village? I mean, can we walk up to the gates of the Village and enter?"

Come to me and hold me
And you will see
The love I give
For you still hold the key

"Oh my, my!" the attendant smiled, "That's a big no! You can't just walk up the gates of the Mist and enter! There's a bus that will take you from the harbor and into the town. You can walk up to the gates of the Mist, provided that you have a valid permission from a mission-giver, the Mizukage or the Hokage. But for those who have not been given any permission to walk up to the gates of the Mist, you have to ride a bus. The bus will stop before the gate opens and a special class of Mist Anbu will enter the bus and inspect your belongings and your documents."

"Oh, is that so?" Lee reacted.

"Yes, that is so." The attendant lady sweatdropped at the sight of Lee's thick eyebrows, "Do you need anything, Ma'am, Sir?"

Every single day
you always act this way
for how many times I told you
I love you
for this is all I know

"No, nothing more." Sakura replied, "That was very kind of you for giving us information on how to enter the village. That's all we need, thank you."

The attendant bowed and excused herself from the two.

"I thought you've been into the Mist village?" Lee questioned as he placed his duffle bag on his bed and sat as well.

Sakura sat on a chair and replied, "Yes, I've been there but I was with Kakashi-sensei along with Naruto and… well, you know. But we only walked up to the gates of the village and as far as I can remember, Kakashi-sensei showed the Mist Anbus some documents and that's the only time they opened the gate for us. I think those documents were permits for the whole team."

"How come you never visited your cousin before?" Lee asked again.

I'll never go far away from you
Even the sky will tell you
That I need you so
For this is all I know
I'll never go far away from you

"It's because Kashime was always the one who visits me and my family." Sakura smiled, "I heard she was taught a special genjutsu by the Mizukage, himself."

"Oh?"

"Yup. Kashime is a messenger for the Mizukage and she is a very skilled jounin."

Two hours later…

Sakura and Lee were seated almost at the rear row of bus seats, on the left, with Sakura near the window.

The Mist Anbu had just finished inspecting the bus and stated that everything was okay and they were allowed to enter the town. The Anbus opened the gates of the Mist and allowed the bus to enter.

Come to me and hold me
and you will see
the love I give
for you still hold the key

Lee went in front and showed the nin card Neji gave him yesterday. The driver said he knows Kashime's place and he will take Lee and Sakura there. Lee smiled and thanked the driver, patting his shoulder and leaving him with his job.

"So?" Sakura asked as Lee returned to his seat.

"Luckily, the good man said he knows your cousin's house." Lee replied, "Are you sure you're okay?"

The skies are already filled with stars and the crescent moon illuminating the darkness.

Every single day
you always act this way
for how many times I told you
I love you
for this is all I know

Sakura smiled at her bodyguard and told him, "I'm all right because you protected me. Thank you."

Lee blushed a little and bowed, "Well, it's my mission! And else, I promised you when we were still genins, right? I told you, 'I'll protect you with my life', remember?"

Sakura sighed in relief and leaned her back on the bus seat, "Yes, I do. I wish Sasuke could've been a lot like you. So caring, kind, protective, considerate, humorous, and most especially, friendly."

Lee blushed some more and responded, "Really? Well… I guess so. But it's a good thing you dumped him, you deserve much better."

I'll never go far away from you
Even the sky will tell you
That I need you so
For this is all I know
I'll never go far away from you

Sakura looked at Lee, "Whoever the woman that will share her life with you is forever lucky to have you."

Lee smiled at Sakura's comment and replied, "Thanks."

"Neji was right." Lee added, "That Uchiha did come back to get you."

"But why?" Sakura asked, "Why would he involve the whole of Konoha when he came just for me? Why does he have to come with Orochimaru and a whole gang of Sound ninjas?"

"I don't know-" Lee suddenly paused. He saw something or someone go past the bus.

I'll never go far away from you
Even the sky will tell you
That I need you so
For this is all I know
I'll never go far away from you

"Something wrong, Lee?" Sakura asked, concerned.

"N-no, I thought something went past the bus." Lee replied, "It was a hectic day, it may just be my imagination."

"Oh…"

"Yeah, it's just my imagination that it was Sasuke." Lee thought, "I'm just tired, that's all. What I thought I saw was all a hallucination."

It was all an imagination for Lee but then again…

It was Sasuke whom Lee saw go past the bus. And this time, he was now in front of the bus, smirking with those scary Sharingan eyes glaring at the bus.

I'll never go far away from you
Even the sky will tell you
That I need you so
For this is all I know
I'll never go far away from… you…

Sasuke gathered his chakra and hissed, "Goukakyu…"

Then, huge flares of flame came from his mouth up to the path where the bus was taking. The bus driver panics and swerves hard to avoid the flames. The passengers gasped at the bus's sudden turn and…

TBC…