Sakura walked through the tall trees near the village. She held her bag close to her side thinking of the mission that they just gave her. She walked farther away from the village ready to take on the task given to her.
The sound of light footsteps caught her attention making her stop. She pulled out the kunai from her side pocket hurrying her steps. She kept scanning around her still hearing the steps in the distant.
She reached a clearing ducking herself into the tall grass. The sound of branches bending came closer to her, readying her stance to strike. She looked at were the branches moved seeing that they stopped having nothing come out.
She looked around her hand the pounding of her heart increase. The sounds of wind became a whisper as nothing else could be heard.
A hand grabbed her throat from behind, pressing the tip of a blade against her cheek. She inhaled holding completely still.
"Did you really think you could run away from me Sakura?"
Her eyes widened hearing Sasuke's voice right against her ear.
"Sa-Sasuke? Where have you been?! What are you doing?!"
He chuckled relaxing his blade pressing his body against her back. He tilted his head having his lips almost grazing the rim of her ear.
"You have no idea what you're getting into. Why can't you just let me go and gain my power?"
He let go of her clutching his weapon tightly. She touched the point of her skin where the blade rested looking at him. Her heart ached seeing the manner in which he stood. No feeling in his features were for her well-being or care.
She moved closer trying to process everything that was going on. Her hand reached out trying to touch him tenderly. He backed away having his eyes narrow.
"Don't you dare touch me."
"Sasuke... I can help you come back. I know you wouldn't have left if Orochimaru hadn't had talked to you."
He chuckled relaxing his stance.
"You just don't get it, do you?"
He moved closer seeing her shake her head.
"I really don't. I want to understand why you left? Why don't you stay? I'll be there with you to see you through everything."
He moves closer to her having a smile appear on his lips. He was inches away from her reaching out touching her hair. She froze under his touch.
" How about we play a game Sakura. What do you say?"
Her hands twitched and shook holding back her voice. Her eyes beginning water.
"I'll give you five minutes to run away from me. If you manage to get away, I'll go back with you."
"Sasuke...please don't..."
"If I win I get to kill you."
He moves away standing still. His expression changed back to a glare. He got his weapon ready lowering his body for the chase.
"I'll even give you a thirty second head start."
She cleaned her face moving closer to him.
"Sasuke, can't we talk about this?"
"Starting now!"
She began to run in the opposite direction. Her throat stinging and having the feeling of it closing. She scanned the area looking for a possible escape.
'I have to keep running. He has to come home.'
She kept turning her head not seeing him at all.
"I'm right behind you Sakura!"
Her legs tried to move faster dodging the tree and exposed roots. Her heart pounding having her eyes throbbing from the tears.
'This is insane! Why is he doing this?!'
She kept running having the air in her lungs seem shorter with each breath. She could only hear her footsteps now, giving her some relief.
"Four minutes Sakura."
The voice sounded disembodied as if he was at her heels. She turned her head seeing no one there.
'I'm going crazy. He's too far behind.'
She placed one hand on her chest feeling the stinging from her lungs. Her legs seeming to burn unlike normal.
The trees zoomed passed her. The sight of another clearing could be see in the distance. Her speed quickened moving towards it.
' Please make it. I need to.'
"Three minutes Sakura."
Tears began to roll down her face pushing herself father. The clearing was just up ahead making her heart leap.
'A little bit farther. You can so this!'
She finally started to hear his steps moving closer to her. Her eyes closed pushing her running.
'I can't lose now... He wouldn't kill me... I don't think he would...'
The end of the woods came into view. She entered a clearing with tall grass and the village was far from sight.
She kept running looking back to see him still so far away. He had a grin across his lips. The sharingan was present in the shine of his eyes. She could feel a tightness in her throat as she stared.
"Two minutes..."
She let out a scream to have no noise escape her lips. She felt her legs beginning to falter with the shortness of breath.
'I can't lose!'
She pushed herself on harder picking speed. Her nerves feeling like pins forced into the muscles. Shock waves of the pain making her whimper.
"I'm getting closer Sakura."
The feeling of him at her heels made her breath start to get weak. Her body was getting slower and weaker.
"One minute..."
She let out a small cry using the last bit of energy she had. She moved throughout clearing getting closer to another end the trees.
A hand wrapped around her waist pulling her close to him.
"Looks like I caught you...too bad."
She struggled grabbing a hold of his arms. He grinned putting the blade against her throat.
"You know, I really did think you were honest when it came to your feels about me."
"I am honest Sasuke! I love you. I love you with all my heart. That's why I wanted you back home with me!"
He spun her around facing her directly.
"I wish I could believe you."
He stabbed her in the chest, twisting the blade in her pectoral muscle. The shock numbed her before a sharp wave of pain went through her. She stumbled backwards staring at it. The trickling of blood seeped into her clothes as she stared down.
"To think you would trust me so much."
He moved closer taking her trembling hands in his. He leaned in kissing her lips passionately. Her mind raced having her blood run cold. The clearing and trees started to spin around them. He finally pulled away patting her cheek.
"I think I'll go back to what I was doing...going to destroy the village."
She kept opening her mouth with nothing escaping her lips. A few steps were taken trying to follow him. To no avail, she began to fall when all faded to black.
The sudden thud of her hitting the ground woke her up with a heavy inhale. She looked around her bedroom having cold sweats. The darkness of the dead of night still clouding her vision.
'The same nightmare again?'
She pushed herself up with shaking hands glancing at her reflection coming off the standing mirror on the desk. She looked awful with her skin being more pale than usual.
She quietly went into the kitchen making herself some chamomile tea to calm her nerves. The final scene playing repeatedly in her head.
'This is getting ridiculous...I need to figure out a way to stop these nightmares.'
She went back upstairs sitting by her bed with the cup resting on her desk. Her eyes falling on the photo of her original squad reflecting in the moonlight. She picked it up staring into the eyes of the one from her sleep.
"I can't..."
She turned the frame over resting back down. She picked up the tea drinking it slowly. Were the nightmares some kind of warning for his return? No. That would've been shown with sightings of Orochimaru.
"Maybe... I need to give him a rest.."
She hated admit her friend was right. This had to be a sign that her motivation for waiting was taking a toll on her. She picked up her things off the floor setting everything back for her to sleep. She wanted to speak with Ino in the morning to help with her heavy heart.
Ino sat on the high chair by the counter handing Sakura a glass of water.
"Tell me everything. You normally don't look this bad."
She ran her fingers through her hair taking the glass.
"I've been having nothing but nightmares for the last week. It always ends with Sasuke killing me."
"It's sounds like you can't even escape him betraying you in your sleep. I think you should stop thinking about him for a while."
Sakura stopped drinking her water looking at her confused.
"What do you mean? I haven't been thinking about him."
Ino crossed her arms looking at her.
"You're really think so? I know you. I'm pretty sure I haven't been thinking about him that much?"
She coughed leaning onto the counter.
"It sounds more than that. I honestly think that you keep hiding it from us. You think about him almost everyday don't you?"
Sakura look down almost ashamed to admit it. She drank the last bit of the water giving her dear friend a nod.
" I can't hold it back anymore longer. I just want him to come home so bad. I want him to come home and be with us again. To talk to him and maybe share lunch or dinner... to have him share those feelings with me that he keeps bottled up..."
Ino got up pulling her into a hug.
"It's your mind wanting to back away from him for a while. I think you should hang out with some of your friends to help. You know I don't mind being here for you."
Sakura relaxed into the hug feeling shame still going throughout her body.
"I guess so. I should start off by apologising to Naruto. I've put so much pressure on him to find Sasuke. I need to find him."
She gave her one last hug getting out of her seat.
"That's a good way to have things patched up. He'll want to hear it."
She nodded walking out the door to find.
