Title: When the Fire Burned Out

Description: Sakura is crushed after the second loss of Sasuke, but she won't let anyone see the pain besides her best friend Sai. When her next mission leads her through a crash course of love, then to the pain she's been avoiding, can she depend on her friends to lead her back to sanity?

Rating: M. For sex and some violence.

I sat up groggily from a pile of blankets, trying to remember where I was. I rubbed my eyes until last nights events came rushing back to me. I let myself fall back onto the mess of blankets for a moment, my breath whooshing out of my mouth in a long sigh. I finally stood back up, and yanked off Gaara's hoodie. I folded it carefully, before walking outside. Everyone was sitting around a fire again, eating eggs and bacon. I had a friendly smile on my face that faulted when I handed the hoodie to Gaara without a word. I went and sat next to Naruto and Hinata who were holding hands to my surprise. I smiled at them, and winked at Hinata.

"Morning Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, a wide smile on his face. "Do you want something to eat?" I looked down at the food he was eating.

"No thanks." I frowned, "I'm not really hungry."

"You should eat." Gaara said quickly. "You're useless to the mission without energy." I bit the inside of my cheek before I could say anything I would regret.

"Fine." I snapped, grabbing a piece of bacon out of Naruto's hand. I bit off a large portion staring at him. "Happy?" I demanded. Gaara's eyes narrowed at me before he stood up and stormed towards the woods. Everyone's eyes darted back and forth between me, and where Gaara had disappeared.

"What was that about?" Ino demanded, staring at my face. I turned to look at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said dully, showing no emotion, "I was just enjoying a nice breakfast with my friends and teammates." My eyes darted to Sai who was staring at me with one eyebrow raised. I mouthed the words, 'We'll talk later', before I finished my bacon and walking back to the tent. I sat where I had woken up and pulled my knees up to my chin, and wrapped my arms around my legs.

"Sakura?" I heard Ino's voice call. "I have your outfit for tonight. I made adjustments for your weapons to fit without being seen."

"Thanks Ino. Just toss it in." I murmured. I jumped as the two stilettos flew in the door, along with some bunched up fabric. I heard her walk away and I could imagine her walking towards the others shrugging her shoulders and the murmur of what they thought was wrong. I just wanted to punch something. Somebody. Someone. I wanted to punch Sasuke Uchiha. Right in his gorgeous cold face. My eyes widened as I the thought ran through my head. I had kept his name locked up for so long…It felt good to think it. I laughed quietly. "Sasuke Uchiha…" I murmured, a small smirk plastered on my face.

"Sakura?" Another voice interrupted my thoughts, then Temari came into my line of vision. "Hey. Are you okay?" She asked, sitting down in front of me.

"Um…Yeah." I said, hoping she hadn't heard me talking to myself.

"Do you know what's wrong with my brother? Gaara, he's been…well, he's seemed upset since last night. He seemed rather happy, and then when I came back later he seemed kind of down. He was sitting alone…" Temari trailed off, I bit my lip.

"I don't know." I admitted, trying to be honest. "We were talking, and all of a sudden he kinda freaked out, yelling about how everyone looked down on him, and how we all thought he was a monster." I left out the part about Sai. "I don't really know…" I looked up at her, eyes wide, "I don't think he's a monster…" I murmured, for some reason, I needed her to know that.

"I know Sakura." Temari said smiling. "You're very nice to Gaara, when a lot of people still aren't. Thank you for that." I nodded. "You're very understanding of people, like Gaara, Naruto, and the boy without emotions. It's…Such a nice thing." I tried to smile.

"Thank you." Temari nodded.

"I'll talk to Gaara. He's being unreasonable. He'd be lucky to have you as a friend, and I don't want this to get in the way of the mission. He needs to let the past be the past." Temari said, I knew she was also referring to the Chuunin exams.

"Yo woman! Are you in there?" Shikamaru demanded, shoving his head in the tent door. "Oh. Sorry Sakura…How troublesome. Are you up for a game of Shogi woman?" Temari rolled her eyes at me before turning to him.

"So anxious to get beat again?" She demanded, winking at me.

"You're so troublesome. And, you didn't beat me last night! You flipped over the game board and…" He trailed off, a blush and a smile crossed his face.

"Well, I'll beat you this time!" Temari declared, giving me one last smile before exiting the tent. I walked out too, going back to the fire, I noticed Gaara still wasn't there. I looked up at the sun, it looked to be about noon.

"In about an hour we all need to meet back up to get ready and discuss our strategy." I said, laying down in the grass behind the logs everyone was sitting on. I could feel everyone staring at me.

I stared off into space as Gaara and Shizune discussed a battle plan to take out Sasuke. From what I heard, Shizune was supposed to take out the bartender, then take her clothes, and slip something into Sasuke's drink, that would take effect once he got outside. Then we would tie him up and sedate him until we got him somewhere safe. I thought it was a stupid idea. With the manpower we had, we would have no problem taking Sasuke and whoever else wanted to fight out with no problem. Doing it, "peacefully" was a waste of having half the ninjas in the village on one mission. While they were working out the ins and outs of the mission, something in which I had apparently no say in, or, as Gaara put it, I am "emotionally unfit to do any sort of strategizing", I walked back to the tent to get ready. I slid back on the stilettos, which had a spot in the heel for a small dagger. Ino had taken a few inches off the bottom of the dress, making it waaay to short. She had sewn the extra fabric on as off the shoulder sleeves. She had also replaced the midsection of the dress with green fishnet, about the same color as the dress.

I pulled out a compact mirror and put on heavier make-up this time, a deep green eyeshadow and eyeliner, and red lipstick. I fluffed my hair a little, giving it a nice messy look before rejoining the group. I was pretty sure that Kankuro and Sai were the only people who noticed me rejoin the group. Sai smiled sympathetically, and came and stood by my side. Kankuro was eyeing up my slutty outfit.

A few minutes later I watched as the others walked out of random areas dressed in their new outfits. I was amazed at what Ino could do with a sewing kit. Ino's dress didn't have to change much, she just made some random slits in the fabric to show some of her tanned skin, and the neckline seemed a little lower.

Temari's dress just had some fishnet added to frame the low neckline, and to line the bottom.

Hinata's neck line had been fanned out some more, and had two wide slits going up both sides of her dress, showing some of her pale skin. You could tell she was trying to hide it too.

Tenten's dress looked very similar to Hinata's still, but Ino had just cut off the dress, almost as short as Temari's was.

Shizune's dress was still as gorgeous as before, but Ino had cut out small circles out of the fabric, where her snowy white skin could be seen.
Once again I was struck by how beautiful they all looked, and struck with jealousy. The guys all still looked the same, but their tuxedo pants were replaced with jeans, and their dress shirts were untucked, some buttons unbuttoned, and the ties hung loosely around their necks, without their jackets. I couldn't help but trace Gaara's body with my eyes, the pale skin that was shown by the untucked buttons on his dress shirt, the way his eyes were accented by the eyeliner. The contrast of his skin and hair… I fought the urge to walk up to him and run my hand down the side of his face. And then punch him.

I had found out earlier from Sai, that I was to try and 'seduce' Sasuke, since he wouldn't recognize me, since I had "matured" as Gaara put it, since the last time he had seen me. I just wanted to kick both their asses. Sasuke, for hurting me all those years ago, and Gaara, for being an asshole…for hurting me now. I'd find out what Gaara's problem was later, at the Club…

Hi. I'm the author of this story. I hadn't updated in a while, before the chapter before this. For this, I apologize, but I assure you it is insincere. I will try to update on a daily/bi-daily basis. Next chapter, we will see Sasuke! And, there may be a steamy moment between Sakura and Gaara…maybe. If you review. And, if you review, you might as well do me a favor. I want to know, what you guys are doing while you read my newest chapter! Tell me in your reviews, and I'll share them at the beginning of the new story. And, what I do while writing it. :]
I'm terribly curious now!
So…Do it!
XD
Jeez. Still not as long as I hoped...
I'll try harder next chapter.

:X