-Chapter 7: The Fire

Sasuke woke up with a sigh and stretched out lazily, closing his eyes to get a few more minutes of rest. Feeling a breeze run across his face, he opened his eyes immediately only to see the starry night sky. His eyes widened more as he sat up only to see himself in that valley Sakura had grown from. His eyes widened and he stood. His worry increased when he couldn't see Sakura anywhere.

'Sakura!' He called and his voice echoed throughout the space…more than it should have.

He looked around and there was a large flash along with a strong gust of wind that blew him back to hit a tree and he yelped in pain. The wind was just about to pick him up again and if he hadn't grabbed onto the branch he would've gone farther. He opened his eyes to the smallest squint only to be met with a close to blinding light that made him shut his onyx eyes again immediately. He hissed at the pain his eyes felt from it.

His mind went to Sakura. As fragile as she was, she wouldn't survive this and his heart raced in his chest. In a last effort to hopefully find and save her in this madness he tried to call her name again.

'Sakura!' He yelled. Again, his voice echoed throughout the land, more than it was supposed to. It sounded like he was in a never ending cave.

But with this call the winds slowly died down, and as Sasuke slowly attempted to open his eyes, he saw the light was beginning to die down as well, behind a womanly silhouette. He opened his eyes letting them adjust to the now illuminated land. Though the light was retreated behind the woman, there were these small particles of white light that resembled fireflies.

But there was no way this dot of light was the bug that was stared at and admired by so many.

Sasuke dropped down grunting at the pain he felt in his leg and stood slowly. He must've hit it when the wind blew him back. He looked around, seeing the stars around him. He went to touch it, only for it to past through his index finger. His eyes narrowed and he gently swatted at it only for it to do the same thing.

'Sasuke-kun…' The call was soft but echoed, and from the womanly silhouette, came a continual pulse of light that started at her feet, and flowed through the grass and trees in the same cycle. Her call was familiar.

'Sakura…?' He called back just as softly. He blinked his eyes, and as they adjusted, with the light behind her he could see her pink hair and everything else. She smiled something different. It wasn't the usual smile, with the gleaming cheer and happy glow.

It was one of peace…and a warming essence in it that only a mother would give to her young.

'Come to me Sasuke-kun…' He found himself looking at her lips as she said this. They moved slowly and sensually. And without thinking, he began walking to her.

When he had reached her, the delicate and petite hand that belonged to her reached up to caress his face. He found himself closing his eyes, and nudging his face deeper into the soft palm of her hand.

'Sasuke-kun, please…don't ever forget me.' She said. He opened his eyes…

In which they filled with shock at tears seeing her.

In her body were bullet wounds and blood streamed down from the fatal wounds as well as from the corner of her smiling lips. There was a cut just beneath her eye, and a red mark that looked like she had been smacked. Her once beautiful white dress was torn and blood stained the once pure color. A tear fell down his face.

'Sakura…' She dropped to her knees and he immediately pulled her into his arms. He noticed the light that was once behind her died away, and the white particles that once surrounded them were flickering and falling to the ground. The once pulsing light that was at her feet, was now coming from her whole body, but its pulsing light was becoming slower, and duller.

As if it was all dying…

'Sakura stay with me! You have to stay with me! Remember our rules? Stay…' He begged. She smiled at him, and caressed his face with her bloody hand. The veins that signified her withering began to trail beneath her nose and by her eyes just as it had done with Chiyo.

'evol ym efil rehtona ni…' She whispered in that language. He shook his head at the language…

The language he understood…

Shaking his head he cried louder.

'Em htiw yats. Em htiw yats efil siht ni ereh.' He cried without caring about his sudden change of dialect to a language he had never even heard of before. She smiled and laughed. But the laugh was broken, and filled with her tears.

'…ytinrete rof uoy htiw eb ot dna…htead yfed ot…elpmis taht erew ti ylno fi.' Tears ran down her face and she closed her eyes. The pulsing light faded, and Sasuke's eyes filled with more tears as he shook her violently, calling her name over and over. He heard an evil laugh…one he found too familiar for his liking.

'Finally…she's dead. I thought she'd never die.' Gold eyes gleamed on the body and Sasuke's eyes turned red with anger and hatred. A gold fire stretched over his face and arm turning black as if burning into his skin as he yelled and began running towards the menace of a man.

'I'll kill you!' He screamed and punched only to be met with nothing except Sakura lying on the ground. Everything and everyone else disintegrated into ashes, and all around was dead and desolate, consumed by fire…that still burned now. He went to Sakura's side, and held her close. And before he could say her name her face began burning, like paper on fire, slowly but surely.

He shook his head.

'No. No, no, no, no, No! No! Leave her alone!'

But these pleas and begs did not stop the fire that consumed her, and the next thing he knew, she combusted into ashes that flowed in his arms and around him.

He gripped his head and shook. And this was followed by his scream.

He sat up in a cold sweat screaming and panting. His hands trembled and eyes wide with confusion and fear. What was that…nightmare? Why did he have that nightmare? God he hated nightmares…

Moreover, he hated flames…

For as long as he could remember, he hated fire. When his mother turned on the stove, he warily stared at the fire as if it was a monster in his closet. When he went camping in the mountains with his friends and they had to build a fire, he made sure to sit a distance away from it without seeming suspicious or afraid at all. And when he himself had to build a fire because he was alone, he was reluctant and usually threw a match into it from a distance away.

He looked down at his hands remembering him holding Sakura. Remembering as she burned…

"Sasuke-kun?" He heard a worried voice. He stood turning to see Sakura standing at the kitchen. He walked up to her quickly, scaring her and causing her to step back. But he grabbed her roughly pulling her close into an embrace. He didn't understand why but as he held her, things felt better. Slightly. The effect increased when she wrapped her arms around him and hushed him. He continued panting, and his eyes still with slight fear and anxiety.

His breathing slowly regulated as she ran her hand through his hair.

"It's okay Sasuke-kun…it's over now." She calmed him down. He pulled away sighing and began to open his eyes. With the opening of his onyx eyes, he was met with Sakura observing him. She seemed to be tracing his facial features with her eyes. When she finally reached his eyes, she grinned.

"All better?" she asked him kindly and rather playfully. He stared at her, almost laughing, at the childish innocence she possessed.

"Yes. Way better." He said. He looked over to his once injured shoulder, remembering what Sakura had done, and then his eyes moved over to her. She seemed fine which meant there were no intruders, and there were no attacks on her for the time they were here. They weren't followed.

His nightmare was just a nightmare…

"Sakura, what time is it?" He asked. Sakura beamed.

"Father is at his highest!" Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. Father was the sky and the sun. If father was at his highest then the sun was at his height which meant the time was noon. Sasuke nodded and pulled away fully to look her up and down.

"Have you had your fill of water? Sunlight?" He asked. It was almost like talking to a child, asking if they had brushed their teeth. She nodded and he smiled dropping his head before looking back up and catching her jade green eyes. This captured him in chains and cinder blocks, and he was sent plummeting to the depths of the green sea to drown. She closed her eyes with a pleasant happiness, and the spell was broken. He looked away turning to the fridge and getting something to drink.

This action exposed more of his back, and that's when Sakura saw it.

Scars marred Sasuke's skin in the look of constant lashes and hits. There was also one that looked like an X on his shoulder, and she stared with a pain in her eyes. He looked at her. Seeing the look in her eyes brought up concern, and he put the gallon of water and the glass down.

"Sakura?" He called.

She didn't listen, and only reached out to his back touching one of the scars on his back. Her eyes widened and turned white as she saw a young boy at the age of just five, and a father dragging him to the backyard of a large home. Sakura stared at the young boy with hurt in her green eyes.

The backyard was a garden, with flowers of all different kinds, and then herself. She stared with concern, still standing, still staring at the boy. She wanted nothing more than to run over to him and hold him, but the soil beneath her, held her tight, and she could only stay about three yards or so away from him.

He resembled Sasuke. Black hair, slightly long, but most of it spiked up in the back with long bangs framing his handsome face, with a small frail body more appropriate for a five year old child, compared to the muscular form of his body now. The boy was thrown onto the ground on his hands and knees, and began to cry. Sobs sounded out of the young child, and the father erupted in anger and lashed at the boy with a whip.

"Shut up you incompetent waste of life!" A grown man with brown hair and emotionless eyes yelled. He held the same onyx eyes Sasuke held.

A woman with long black hair, the face of beauty, and the same onyx eyes came out with an older boy screaming for him to stop, as the head of the household took out a whip and lashed at the boy in a furious rage.

The older boy held long black hair tied in a pony tail, with bangs framing his face, and two matching scars on his face beneath his onyx eyes. He yelled with tears in his own eyes, along with his mother.

Sakura felt each painful hit, as the boy's back began to bleed. Sakura dropped to her knees and falling forward into the grass of the backyard, lifting her face to look at Sasuke. Sasuke did so at the same time. She looked at Sasuke with tears in her eyes, and he seemed to look back at her, clenching his hands into fist as they gripped the dirt beneath him. He looked at her showing the tears on his face as he reached out to her, trying to touch her long hair that was sprawled all over.

"Say there is no such thing as Earth!" The man yelled. But the boy said nothing, and grabbed Sakura's hair with a gentle touch, caressing it between his fingers.

"Say there Earth is just a floating density in space. It is made up of only matter! Now!" The man yelled and whipped the boy. Sakura gave a teary eyed look to him begging him not to say it no matter how much pain he was in. The onyx eyes seemed to give her that promise, and he smiled at her, blood trailing down the corner of his lips. The man suddenly lit a match, and held it.

"Say it. Or the stupid things burn in the fire!" Yelled the older man. Sakura's eyes only stared into Sasuke's. His eyes widened and he used whatever energy he had left to get above Sakura.

"No, Father, don't do it! They've done nothing to you! Please!" Sasuke yelled getting above Sakura in a protective manner. The father scowled, and threw the match not even caring about his son in the way. The older boy ran at an amazing speed grabbing the young Sasuke and the match fell right on Sakura engulfing her in flames as she began to scream. She looked at Sasuke with pain and tear filled eyes, seeing him trying to run to her aid, but to no avail thanks to the older boy, and the mother.

"Sakura!" He screamed. Over and over he screamed as her cries of pain continued as they fire spread to the grass, the trees, and the other flowers of the backyard.

"Sakura!" Sakura snapped out of her look into the past. Her eyes went back to their regular viridian green, and she panted looking at him with pain in her eyes. He stared at her with worry. First her eyes turned white. He tried calling her but she made no reply. Then she started screaming as if she was feeling the pain she had felt in Tsunade's office again. He caressed her face with his large hand staring at her with worry.

"Sakura, are you okay?" But she only stared at him with angered, tear filled eyes. Her vision was in fact one of the past, and its meaning was hurtful to her. Why did he endure all that pain, to protect the few cherry blossoms in his backyard at the age of five? She stared and caressed his face letting the tears fall slowly as she pulled him close in an embrace. He remained silent, rather confused but worried about the situation before him.

"Sakura...it's okay. Tell me what's wrong." He spoke softly as he pushed the tears away with his thumb. She pulled away and shook her head.

"Why? Why didn't you just say Mother was not alive? Why did you endure all that pain?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper, though he heard every single word that left her lips. Sasuke's eyes narrowed in his own questioning gaze.

"What are you talking about Sakura?" She seemed to get frustrated, as she growled and threw her hands in the air to slam them back down onto the couch.

"Why didn't you say it to your Father when you were young? Why didn't you just say Mother didn't exist?" She started yelling and crying. He stared at her with wide eyes and started making assumptions. Had Sakura seen his past with a simple touch of his scar? Was she feeling his pain rather than the pain of other parts of nature?

"He...he wouldn't have hurt you! Why didn't you say it?" She cried with angered yelling. He held her again, before pulling away to caress the tears away from her face. They sat in silence for a moment, the room only filled with small sobs coming from Sakura.

"Sakura, don't worry about it. I did what I thought was right those years ago. Besides...my father..." He trailed off remembering the man he grew up with for the seven years of his life. Those few child years Sasuke had were so long ago, but they also seemed like yesterday.

He sighed.

"My father was a sick man Sakura, with no appreciation or even belief in the Earth's life." He said. She looked down keeping herself close to him. She buried her face into his neck and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I felt your pain." She whispered looking down. He pulled away from her with wide eyes.

She could feel the pain of humans too?

"Why...Why did you try to protect my race feeling such a pain as that?" She asked. His heart sunk. He looked down and away before remembering the backyard. He even remembered the day Sakura was talking about. He even ignored his fear of fire, and did his best to protect those flowers…

"The backyard was a medium sized garden that my mother took care of everyday. She, secretly, got her hands on a few flower seeds, and in hopes of helping the Earth, she planted a few of them in the backyard, much to my father's dislike." Sasuke said with a small smile reminiscing on the past.

He remembered his mother humming a song as she tended to the flowers with gentle care, and he imagined his father dully staring at her from the backyard door, as if she was crazy. He didn't want to remember his brother but he remembered the older Uchiha smiling at his mother and playing with Sasuke in the garden.

Who knew such a thing would've ended?

"The...The Cherry Blossoms were my favorite." He whispered in almost embarrassment looking away. Sakura smiled she touched his hand in an understanding manner. Her eyes showed he could continue talking, and he had her full attention.

"I don't know why. They were just my favorite. They were so simple, yet beautiful in complicated ways." He said looking over to her. He caressed her face with no understanding on why he was this way with her. Why was he so soft when it came down to her? Why did he care? She was just a flower...A flower that he would not let go of because of his assignment. He would not let go of her for the sake of humanity.

Then he saw it. The beauty in her eyes, the viridian green with gray encircling black pupils making it the orbs seem like an endless green sea that he could possibly drown in. Then, there were the full lips where its smile was full of innocence but so tempting. There was then the button nose giving her a cuteness about her face. Then there was the pink long hair. The obnoxious color, was beautiful, and the length of it gave her a mature feeling that made him drawn to it.

It was all so simple, but filled with complications.

He then noticed his forehead was against hers, her eyes half lidded, and their noses brushing each other. His hands were comfortably on her waist, and she had on hand on his neck. When coming to his senses, he pulled away with a speed like no other, startling Sakura as she stared at him confused. He even seemed confused. He looked at the ground with shocked eyes and ran his hands threw his hair.

"Sasuke-kun?" She called, staring at him. He shook his head and turned from her. He wouldn't even look at her.

"Go get some sun. Now." He said with a coldness she feared somewhat. She brought her hands up to touch his shoulder, in hopes of comforting him, but she decided against it. The feeling around him was one of wanting to be left alone and she looked down walking towards where she found the bedroom and sat by the window with the sun beaming on her. She played with her fingers, in such a way that she seemed nervous, scared, but lonely, and sad.

Sasuke sat at the kitchen table with his hand against his forehead, rubbing the fingers back and forward, to ease his mind. He breathed hard.

'What am I doing? What was I doing? What in the living, breathing, fiery hell was I doing? Was...Was I about to…No. That's a big no. I can't. I can't get attached to anyone period. I...I can't…especially with her.' He thought to himself with white teeth gritted tightly. He slid his hand so his face rested in it.

"Sasuke-Teme! Are you here?" A voice yelled from outside, followed by banging on the door. Naruto. Sasuke looked up and looked out the window, searching Naruto's chakra and confirming it was him before opening the door.

"Dobe. What are you doing here? I didn't tell anyone I was here." Sasuke asked with a suspicious look. Sasuke didn't even have his phone to tell anyone he was here. It was still back at the apartment. Naruto stared and sighed with relief.

"Dude, I went to your apartment, and it's trashed. I got worried, but I didn't see your body anywhere, except for Orochimaru's dogs. So I just ran around looking for your chakra and finally I found you and Sakura-Chan here!" Naruto said with relief in his worried cerulean eyes. He hugged Sasuke without the raven haired man hugging him back and pulled away.

"I'm glad you're okay. You had me worried sick Teme!" He growled. Sasuke shook his head, and he turned hearing Sakura's footsteps. She held a smile on her face...but to Sasuke something was different. Her smile...it wasn't her smile.

"Hi Naruto-kun." She said kindly. Naruto grinned hugging Sakura close. Sasuke's heart stopped. Sakura closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. It looked like she had found comfort in his arms. His hands clenched into fist unconsciously. No. He wasn't jealous. It was just his protectiveness over Sakura acting up. He was to protect her no matter what, even if that meant being slightly suspicious of a friend.

He had to be suspicious of everyone in ANBU anyway. Who knew if there were more traitors besides Kabuto? And even if Naruto was a long time good friend, he had to be cautious of everyone.

She pulled away smiling at Naruto.

"Naruto-kun, are you going to be staying with us?" She asked cocking her head to the side in a childish wonder. He nodded with a toothy grin, and looked at Sasuke.

"Now, who's up for some ramen?" Naruto yelled bringing out packs of Ramen soup from his bag. Sakura raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side looking at one of the packs in Naruto's hand.

"What is it?" She asked. Naruto gasped in shock and held the ramen close to his heart.

"You've never had ramen before Sakura-Chan?" He yelled. She shook her head looking down and shuffling her feet in shyness. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Sakura was not going to eat ramen. Besides, he didn't know what it was going to do to her. With that he intervened immediately and walked over to Sakura, grabbing her wrist gently.

"Did you get enough sunlight?" He asked her. She looked at him before looking down and shaking her head. His heart skipped a beat when she did that. She must've been upset with him. He sighed and caressed her face so she looked at him.

"Sakura, let's go take a walk. I know a nice place where we can get a lot of sunlight, and water too. And it's not too far from here." He promised and her eyes slightly lit up, joined with a smile. She looked at Naruto and then back at him.

"Can Naruto-kun, come with us too?" She asked politely. Sasuke glared for a split second before nodding and looking at Naruto.

"If he wants to." He silently asked Naruto while the blond nodded with a grin.

"Let's go!" Naruto yelled, dropping the ramen, and running out. Sasuke grabbed his guns, staring at Sakura as she waited impatiently for him. He smiled slightly. She was still following his rules. Don't ever leave anywhere unless he said so. He shook his head before grabbing a dagger, and placing it in his boot. He looked at Sakura.

"Come on, let's go." He said and she walked by his side.

Later, Sakura was ahead of them skipping around and smiling, while Naruto and Sasuke spoke to each other as lowly as possible so Sakura couldn't hear them. Naruto sighed and smiled at Sasuke.

"Shut up and admit it." Naruto growled while Sasuke glared.

"I don't dobe. Besides how weird would that be?" Sasuke said looking at Sakura at all times. She continued walking and he noticed the way her hair swayed left and right with each step.

"Sasuke, look at you. You're staring at her again." Sasuke growled at Naruto with this observation.

"I'm not staring! I'm simply being sure she is safe. It's my mission idiot!" Sasuke growled and looked back at Sakura. Naruto simply chuckled before placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Sasuke, we've been on many mission's together. You and I both know, she doesn't have to have eyes on her twenty four seven to be protected. She has chakra for crying out loud! We can feel her." Naruto said. He looked at Sakura with a soft smile.

"Besides I like her a lot myself." Sasuke tensed at that moment. Hearing Naruto's statement...angered him. Why would he like Sakura? Sure he's been around her from time to time, but not long enough to like her more than a friend.

"Don't try anything Naruto. She's the last flower and she doesn't need you to 'de-flower' her or anything like that." He suddenly growled between gritted teeth. Naruto stopped with wide eyes, and looked at Sasuke who continued walking. They never truly ever said each other's name unless they were serious or angry with each other. Naruto glared and smirked.

"I guess this doesn't only make us best friends..." Naruto started and Sasuke turned. It even called upon Sakura's attention. She stopped and turned. Naruto stole a look off her, and then to Sasuke who glared back at him.

A fire flared in both their eyes. And angered red of the sharigan met angered red of something else.

"It's a rivalry." They said in unison.


Hey guys that's the end of this chapter! To me, truthfully this chapter was not very eventful, but don't worry. There's more to come!

Here are the translations. Sakura is italics, and Sasuke is bold italics!

'In another life my love…'

Stay with me. Here in this life stay with me!

'If only it were that simple…to defy death…and to be with you for eternity…'

That's all folks! See ya in the next one.