THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS! They mean so much to me. I welcome any creative criticism that you've given and I appreciate the negative and positive. I want to continue to grow as a writer and these help in many ways.

This chapter is much more fight based with one very small explicit scene.

Also let it be known this series is rated M for a reason. If you are not interested in adult situations or blood this is not the story for you! This is not fluff piece, I will write fluff (because I can't help it and I love it) but it is not centered around that. If you want to continue reading a SakuSasu beorgoning love story with some heavy themes then please have a seat and enjoy, if you're no longer interested the door is on the left.

Thank you all again! I responded to some comments at the end of this piece.

A new Music select!

Shamisen Girls KiKi - Tsugaru Jongara Bushi


"ARGH!"

Sakura!

Sasuke didn't hear another sound. The silence was deafening, making his heart rate palpitate erratically. He was stuck looking out into the forest clearing, the ferns slightly waving, taunting him with their freedom.

Sasuke was reduced to some maniac's puppet, while he listened to his former teammate do things against her will. Sakura's presence had released all the pent up emotions Sasuke had to carefully walk away from.

He'd handled leaving Konaha well, it's not like it was the first time. Yet as the years went on, his need for familiarity had burrowed deep into his bones- like a sickness. He'd mused several times about returning to the Leaf, but his shame had always wrestled within him. By the time Sasuke had sensed Sakura's chakra his body reacted before he could stop himself- his curiosity overtook him, and now... it led him here.

On his wanderings he stuck to his rules. The unspoken guidelines only he knew, to could keep himself in check.

Never kill.

Give to those that have suffered.

Remember Itachi's will.

Don't allow distractions - A distraction included Sakura.

He only allowed his memory of the promise he'd made to her as the only exception.

But the flood gates and memories of Sakura danced around his mind dizzyingly leaving him frantic. He couldn't sense her chakra from the poison in her bloodstream.

How could I let this happen!? If I had only been strong enough-

"Close your eyes and don't say a damn word!" Sakura let out through strained breathing. Every single one of his muscles felt sedated with relief.

She's safe.

Sasuke had no choice, he was still under the effects of the poison so his eyes snapped shut automatically. He desperately needed to see with his own eyes that Sakura was unharmed, he'd endured enough hearing Sho's dirty talk to imagine what was going on.

Sasuke listened carefully, he heard her rustling, putting on her clothes.

Her soft footsteps neared his body and felt her hand silently grazing over his chest sending a pulse of energy down his spine like a ghost. His chakra melted under her touch allowing his muscles to move from their frozen place. After his blood stream had completely thawed out his eyes flew open, aching to move on their own. Sakura's green pools were met with violently swimming tomeos. Sasuke's features had morphed from shellshocked, to dangerously bloodcurdling in an imperceptible amount of time.

"Where is he?" Sasuke's baritone rumbled inside Sakura's ribcage. His eyes penetrated her orbs searching for the answer.

"I took care-"

Sasuke didn't wait for Sakura's answer, his eyes selfishly invaded her memory.


Sho smiled wickedly, breathing into her neck, his hand pushing at the hem of her pants.

"You ready for this?"

"ARGH!"

Sakura cried out, her muscles straining as she swung her arm with brute force seemingly slamming through the poison. Time slowed as her fist careened into Sho's jaw with a magnificent and satisfying crunch.

Sho let out a high pitched cry as his face contracted in horror under the pressure of her superhuman strength. His body didn't even drop, it flew off of her like she'd flicked an ant. Sho plowed through several massive trees deep into the forest out of the clearing.

Three of his gold teeth shot up into the air and glinted in the newly risen sun. They landed around Sakura's feet as she stood up and wiped some sweat from her brow.


Sasuke's stomach unfurled- of course she'd defeated him in one punch, she wasn't weak. But his pride wouldn't let that be the end of it, he dashed in the direction of the crippled shinobi sending Sakura's hair flying as he brushed by her.

"I'll take care of him!" Sakura yelled out to Sasuke, thinking he might actually stop, but she knew it was futile. Damn.

Sho was just barley alive, his body was impaled in rubble. He turned his head to stare up in horror through his bruised eyes. Sasuke's sharingan and rinnegan swirled in time with his pulsing rage.

An Uchiha!

Sho thought he would die looking into his eyes.

The Uchiha were cursed with an insatiable need for justice. Sasuke wanted to reclaim the helplessness that plagued him for an eternity, no one was ever supposed to make him feel that way again! He would be merciful, he could fight his instincts to not kill this man on the spot, but he needed to exact his revenge- for him and Sakura.

Sho's eyes snapped closed to avoid the Uchiha's gaze, but it was too late.

EXPLICITY WARNING


A wave of cold hit his body and Sho opened his eyes expecting a tundra, but he was standing in a meat locker, surrounded by animal carcasses. Sho panicked, clocking his head around so fast it looked like it would give him whiplash.

He couldn't move his body and he looked down to see his manhood was resting out of his pants. It laid out like a piece of meat on a butcher's table. Sho tried desperately to move, but it was no use. Sasuke looked on with slight amusement.

"What am I doing here? What's going on?" Sho looked at him fear rattling in his voice.

Sho noticed a butchers knife stuck in the table right next to him.

"Please! I beg you! Don't do it! Please." Sho pleaded with desperation.

This was little a twisted, even for Sasuke, but he felt this was the most appropriate for the given circumstances. The war had caused everyone to get a little darker.

"Enjoy getting your dick wet." Sasuke smirked and disappeared, the knife popped out of the table and came down with a vengeance. Sho screamed in horror.


END OF EXPLICITY

Sasuke cooly walked over to Sakura.

"What did you do?" Sakura's voice scathing.

"He's under my genjutsu now. We'll let the anbu decide what to do with him."

"I wanted to finish him." Sakura took a step towards Sasuke, realizing he was probably torturing Sho further in his genjutsu. A part of her felt satisfied that he was most likely experiencing more terror then humanly possible, but another part of her didn't feel like her punch did enough justice.

Sho had stripped her of her dignity.

"I wanted to protect you-" Sasuke felt the bubbling shame coming up over his emotional wall and crashing on Sakura, he had let her down, again.

"I already handled it." Sakura shot down whatever chauvinistic niceties he was about to spout.

But still...

Sasuke stopped himself, Sakura was a strong powerful Sannin. She managed to rid her body of an incredibly dangerous poison and defeat Sho with her tact and that was truly a test of her skill.

His stomach sickened thinking of what would have happened if Sakura hadn't been able to put him in his place.

"I didn't give him a chance if that's what you're asking, but you already knew that." Sakura's jaw tightened ashamed that he'd looked through her memory.

This wasn't the first time she'd nearly escaped a situation similar to this. Rape and molestation were an unspoken possibility that all Kinouchi must face. It was the taboo of the profession and a harsh reality. She'd heard enough horror stories from other female shinobi she treated at the Women's Clinic about men that had their fill.

"My anger overtook me." Sasuke swallowed hard, pushing down whatever pain he felt for her. His heart betrayed him though he couldn't bear to think the Kinouchi was violated by such scum.

"Never do that again." Sakura's voice was abrupt. "Never again." She felt a tear prick the back of her eye.

Sasuke had taken a step closer, "I promise." The familiar words fell on Sakura like broken glass, making her turn her head.

Sasuke's eyes were trained on her face, his head bent low at an angle causing his bangs to brush past his cheeks. He noticed small specks of blood flicked on her cheek. The thought of his blood on her made his stomach curl.

"What?" Sakura shrunk back from his prying eyes, she'd had enough of the male gaze for one day.

Sasuke reached out as though to touch her face, but Sakura's hand caught his wrist with an abrupt snap.

"I'm don't want your sympathy." Her voice dripped with malice, burning away the tears that threatened to fall down.

"You have blood on your cheek." Sasuke said earnestly. He was standing right over her, he smelled like earth- sweet and deep, and his eyes had lost their dangerous edge. Sakura's grip loosened, and she reluctantly let go.

"Fine." She felt dirty enough.

Sasuke carefully wiped the blood off her cheek with the hem of his shirt sleeve, his hand lingering a little longer than necessary. If there was anything he could do to console her it was this.

He was never one to show affection, or even know how, but this felt like the closest he'd ever gotten. Sakura flinched at his touch at first, and stared down at her feet, the physical contact was shocking after all these years. Yet, his warm hand offered a calming effect that lulled Sakura's flames.

The air seemed to still. They stayed like that for several moments, an unseemingly intimate moment that brought about their mutual understanding of pain.

"Sasuke-" A swallow dipped in Sakura's peripheral. Thank you.

"They're here."

Three chakra signatures appeared right behind them.

A soft feminine voice broke through the clearing "I was expecting someone to track me down eventually, but never the likes of you." Her intonations dripped with a sugary sweetness that would have curdled milk, "Graced by Mother Theresa herself." Yuki bit back a smile. "Your reputation proceeds you Haruno, Sakura." Sakura put on her best poker face, examining their intruders and swallowing her emotions.

Yuki stood bookmarked by her two rogues. She had jet black hair that swayed in the breeze, she wore a green dress and had doll like features that mirrored a child's.

"Yuki... I didn't know such a pious healer like you would keep filthy animals as pets." Sakura's words caused a crease to form in Yuki's brow, she looked in Sho's direction.

"Is that why you came after us?" Yuki snaked back. "Are you one of Sho's old whore's come for revenge?"

Sakura's eye twitched, but she stayed steady. "I'm here to reclaim the Hidden Valley from a fraud- he just happened to be in the way." She motioned to Sho's inebriate body.

Sasuke stole a look at Sakura signaling he'd have enough of the small talk. Sakura, didn't even look in his direction to know what he wanted, she continued to stare straight out at Yuki. The three children washed into her mind, making her muscles clench in anticipation. Aki-san had endured enough. Sakura shot the Uchiha a small look Lets go.

"Hn."

Sakura's chin dipped the slightest bit and launched off, aiming at Yuki. "It's time to take care of the real problem."

The two rogues went to block Sakura's target, but Sasuke was quicker. He came from the side and sent a fire ball in line with the two healers. Burning they yelped in agony, their bodies smoldering. The two collapsed, but slowly started glowing green, healing themselves rapidly.

They must have taken some healing enhancer. Sakura noted, she'd seen that during the war. It had its perks in battle, but left terrible scarring and irreparable damage to the circulatory system.

Sakura dodged their forms, her nostrils accosted by the smell of burning flesh. She set her trajectory to Yuki who had fled to the other side of the field.

"You know." Yuki started casually. "I didn't believe it when I heard a healer had helped save the Ninja world, but looking at you now I wouldn't take you seriously with that hair." Yuki threw out an insult, trying to antagonize.

Sakura grimaced, having singled out her most shameful attribute. What was more disgraceful than a shinobi with pink hair.

"I don't even know how you can call yourself a healer when all you do is take advantage of the weak."

Yuki's lips curled into an unsavory smile. "We're all just trying to survive out here."

"That means nothing. You can still use your skills instead of giving innocent people false hope."

"They're all fools, ripe for the picking and soon they'll be under my control."

Sakura charged in full offense throwing punches, and Yuki dodged them with ease. She's agile. The two glided through the open field skimming just above the ferns. They battled in relative silence, their punches and throws slicing through the air. Sakura twirled throwing several kunai out, Yuki flew backwards as one impaled her arm.

Yuki pulled out the Kunai grunting a little less delicately. Sakura watched as she healed her arm sloppily, her chakra looked erratic as it emanated from her hand. Sakura smirked A true crackpot healer, she can't even control her chakra.

"Looks like you're having some trouble." Sakura sneered at her. This was going to be an easy fight.

Yuki finished with her arm and stared up through clenched teeth. Sakura took a quick jab, surprising Yuki from behind, she hit a pressure point in her lower spine causing Yuki to collapse. Sakura didn't have to even use an ounce of her chakra, she almost felt bad for her. Yuki seemed weak and infantile. Sakura towered over her looking down at Yuki's back in pity, but Yuki parried and swung her leg out backwards taking Sakura by surprise and knocked her off her feet. Yuki threw a ninja star and weaved a few signs shooting the metal with a blast of air straight at Sakura's head.

It impaled her skull with a thump sending Sakura's head staggering back. Sakura's vision blurred for a millisecond as blood spilled into her eyes. The ninja star struck her like a bulls eyes in her seal.

"Too easy." Yuki snickered.

Sakura's head lolled forward, and she looked up revealing a dangerous smile. With a flick of the wrist she pulled out the star and shot it right back at Yuki. The indent on her head started steaming. Her skin wove back together and absorbed the blood in her skull into her capillaries. "You couldn't have hit me in a better spot" Sakura smiled.

Yuki dodged the ninja star and the two shot off in another sparring match, doing graceful acrobatics avoiding each other's blows.


Sasuke was preoccupied with the other two rogues. The men looked like they were from the Hidden Mist. They'd encased the area in a thick fog, and were able to heal themselves efficiently with each blow to their body.

Sasuke knew he could easily kill the two of them, but that would have gone against his rules. He also almost enjoyed the sparring with the two other ninja. It was helping his senses get better while he was shrouded in the mist.


Sakura and Yuki landed in a face-off.

"Where is that superhuman strength of yours I've heard so much about." Yuki let out in between her heavy breathes.

"I would demonstrate for you, but I don't want to waste my energy." Sakura hadn't even broken out into a sweat.

"Tch. This has gone on long enough." Yuki pulled out a bottle similar to Sho's and wove several hand signs and blasted out a cloud of green smoke expanding at lightening speed. This must be the mind control poison again! Sakura didn't have time to jump back to clear the smoke, her chakra had already evolved to nullify the poison, she could handle it- maybe.

The cloud dissipated Sakura stood tall.

"Why are you smiling?" Yuki asked in feigned sweetness.

"Because-" Sakura started charging Yuki again, "That won't have an effect on-" Sakura felt her breathing hitch and her face slowly reeled. The nerve endings in her lungs were firing off, she coughed violently, blood splattering on the green saplings beneath her feet.

"Oh really?" Yuki taunted back.

What was that? I shouldn't have been so careless. Sakura covered her mouth, her pupils dilating.

"I havn't thought of a name yet for my new product. The Hidden Valley Mixture sounds so archaic, boring if you will. But we had our very first customer yesterday!" Yuki smiled innocently. "So I'm fresh out of my mixture, but I don't think I'd have any use for it on you anyways. I want to be known as the greatest healer. If you were still in the picture-" Yuki tapped her chin. "that wouldn't be so. And why not get rid of you while I have you here. No one survives belladonna anyways."

Belladonna? Atropa Belladonna? Sakura collapsed to her knees, feeling like the poison was eating away at her lungs. It's the nightshade! Yuki zeroed and glided towards her with a glowing hand.

Sakura struggled to stand and retreated back, she searched frantically through her pack feeling around for some of the antidote she kept from healing the children. Sakura's whole body was starting to feel the effects of the plant, her heart was beating faster as the seconds went on. If she didn't hurry she could have a cardiac arrest.

Sakura's legs had stopped responding, forcing her body into a squat. Shit.

Yuki's glowing hand came down and pushed into Sakura's torso in a swift thrust. Yuki smirked down at her, her delicate features looking uglier by the second. Sakura's hearing reverved and pulsed through her ears in silent static. Using her muscle memory she stuck herself with a hypodermic needle in her thigh, pressing in the contents of the antidote, willing herself to stay conscious.

"You thought you had a chance." Yuki was smiled pushing her hand all the way through Sakura's mid-torso causing blood to trickle down Sakura's mouth.m. Yuki's words were starting to sound more muted, as Sakura's vision slowly started to fade.

She felt like she was swimming to the surface after diving too deep. Desperately she swam to the light, feeling the oxygen leaving her lungs by the second, but she pushed and strained not willing to die yet.

"I'm just glad you have small hands." Sakura let out, breaching the surface for her breathe of air.

"What?" Sakura's head shot up and slammed into Yuki's, sending her body staggering back, her hand shot back out of Sakura's stomach "Ugh" Sakura grimaced.

Yuki took two more steps back before her eyes glazed over and she collapsed.

Sakura slumped backwards too and and allowed the ferns to engulf her body. They cradled her in a soft green cocoon. She placed her hand over the hole in her stomach willing her cells to knit back together. Sakura closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing. She concentrated on the muscles and stomach lining, helping everything meld together. Maybe this is why she'd lost her appetite- her whole body felt like patchwork.

Sakura felt the last sinew knit back together, and she allowed her eye to leisurely crack open. She blinked out the dry blood from her lashes and stared up into brilliant green undersides of the vegetation. The shadow of a beetle leisurely walked to the tip of the fern looking like it was debating whether to jump or not.

Wouldn't it be nice to die here. She felt so comfortable and peaceful. It felt like she was in a little green coffin. Whenever she hit the verge of death she always had the same thought process. The hospital doesn't need me. The children are safe, and Sasuke... will forget me.

The beetle made a definitive move, and its wings spread out lifting it off the leaf gracefully- it's shadow wafting away into the sky.

Sakura let out a soft sigh, it's not my time yet.

She knew Sasuke was there. She felt his presence willowing, lapping at her side, waiting for her next move.

The antidote made her a little woozy and Sakura begrudgingly pulled herself up into a sitting position.

Sasuke's eyes burned into her head as it cleared the wall of ferns. He remained motionless, crouched next to her like a statue.

"You take care of the others?" Sakura asked an obvious question, not knowing what else to say.

"Hn."

"Yuki said she sold some of the mind control mixture." Sakura coughed clearing her throat. "They couldn't have gone too far."

"The anbu will take care of them." Sasuke stated.

"Alright."

Sakura grunted to a standing position. Her body ached, and her stomach felt empty. She walked over the Yuki's body and stared down at the motionless woman. Yuki's soft black hair spread around her like a halo. She truly looked like a doll. Sakura let her arm reach down to check for a pulse on Yuki's neck. Nothing. The force from Sakura's headbutt had caused too much trauma to Yuki's brain, and she died from internal bleeding. Sakura felt a cold, familiar sweat forming on her skin. Memories from the war masticated her extended hand. Sakura pulled her it back, clutching her hand trying to making the trembling stop from setting in.

I'm used to this. It's nothing I havn't seen. Just pretend you're at the hospital.

Sakura saw the world spin for a millisecond causing her to sway.

Sasuke appeared behind her soundlessly and grabbed her elbow steadying her.

The slight dizzy spell passed as she braced herself against Sasuke's hand, waiting for the flashbacks to relinquish.

"I shouldn't have killed her."

"It was unavoidable." Sasuke came in coldly.

"I guess so." Sakura matched his aloofness, staring down at the woman who looked like a child. "I'm alright now." Sakura motioned for Sasuke to release her elbow.

Sasuke's touch disappeared.

"Yuki poisoned me with the nightshade she used on the children of the village. My body is still digesting the toxin." A plausible enough explanation for her reaction. She hoped Sasuke didn't see through her lie, and if he did, she hoped he wouldn't say anything.

A doe trotted into the center of the clearing with a fawn. Light dappled into its path, making it look dreamy. The deer took note of Sakura and Sasuke- it's tail raised in alert. Sakura peered into the black depths of the deer's eyes. The two seemed to acknowledge how out of place they both seemed there. Sakura let out an exhale that she felt she'd been holding for a long time. The deer pranced off with the fawn in tow, jumping over the Shinobi's bodies that littered the area.

Sakura turned to Sasuke and the two went into autopilot and began to collect the bodies- a ritual, like collecting your kill. The deer reminded her of how out of place violence was here. It was too serene.

Once they finished Sasuke dashed off to collect Royu and his katana. Sakura idly stood around the pile of bodies, not letting her eyes linger for too long. She pulled out a pen and piece of paper, distracting herself with the memo to the anbu.

Sasuke returned and gingerly laid Royu's body with the others. It seemed out of character for him to be so gentle.

Maybe he's not as violent as I remember.

Sasuke whistled, and his hawk descended from the sky landing gracefully on Sasuke's outstretched arm. He smoothed the hawk's feather back on its head, "Enjoying the hills Megumi?" Megumi stretched out her wings languidly. Sakura smirked watching Sasuke show affection to the beast. Sasuke attached the note to Megumi's back, "Bring this to the Konaha anbu, they should be in the Valley." with that Megumi wafted back up into the sky, screeching out in delight.

Sakura squinted up at the ascending hawk. I guess it's time to part ways again. "I should go back to the village. Aki-san will be waiting for me. You'll probably be heading off from here, right?" Sakura asked with a little airiness to her voice.

Sasuke hadn't thought about his next destination yet and he could use the rest. He'd been traveling for months without sleeping in a proper bed and staying seemed tempting. Also there was Sakura-

"I'll come with you." Sasuke's words struck a cord. They were words she would have prayed for as a genin and they tumbled out of Sasuke's mouth so casually.

"You don't have another mission to head off to?" Sakura asked, her eyebrow raised- don't confuse this for something else.

"No, I don't. Also the poison might still be in your bloodstream. You shouldn't head back alone." Sasuke stated matter-of-factly.

"I'm a medic, you don't have to waste your concern." Sakura let her defensiveness slip into her tone, she was used to him looking down on her abilties.

"I know." Sasuke's eye's unwavered.

"Alright." Sakura turned sheepishly towards the direction of the Hidden Valley. Maybe he just wants to place rest.

Sakura started walking off into the trees and Sasuke followed. We'll see.


It was so fun writing the fight scenes for this. I was in the hospital this past week for some medical crap that happened to me. It gave me something to do and was so rewarding to write to help ignore the pain while I was on bed rest. I don't know when I'll next be able to update as I head back to work, but hopefully soon! :)

Guest: Let me start by saying- I do not condone ANY bashing of other people's work, whether it be an observation or not. It's a cheap shot and not appropriate for my comment section. I respect your opinion on who wanted to kill who first. This story follows a slight AU as I stated in the first chapter, so Sakura's justifications are based off of my AU- being Sasuke's attempts on her life. That being said, I like your opinion on how Sasuke is always written off as a madman. He's rarely humanized or given justice by the Hidden Leaf, let alone any kind of reparations for the treatment of the Uchihas. His character always follows the trope of sinner looking for atonement, but is never recognized as having justification for his actions. I respect that observation, and I like it! But please don't bring other people down to push your own opinion, your opinions can stand on their own two feet :)

Uchiha Misaki: Thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoyed this chapter more than the last! Your devotion to your Naruto expertise is appreciated 100% !

ChelsHELLOKITTY26: I'm sorry I never responded to your original comment. I'm trying not to make her sound too middle-aged! But it's amazing to me how someone wouldn't go into this direction after all of the trauma she's been through- emotional and physical. I'm taking a more realistic approach in this respect. That doesn't mean I won't revert and develop her character more though! I appreciate you reading nonetheless and pushing me to write someone more dynamic, that isn't just bitter. lol