Thank you for 2k hit on my profile ;)

As for the surpise:

I would like to dedicate this chapter to:

'C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only' for the first review on the last chapter (Thank you, thank you! I like sarcasm ;)

'Cookies321' for the second review (lol, that was funny! You should write a story yourself!)

'velcroSUNSHINE' for the third review (More is here already! Thanks a lot!)

'Fairy Of Anime' for the fourth review (I guess he is! I'm writing my ass off, you know ;)

'ninjaaly' for the fifth review (Thank you, thank you! I'm giving it my best shot!)

'dera - chan' for the sixth review (Who can actually believe it? ;) Thanks!)

'haliz' for the seventh review (Personal dedications and answers to your replies in one? Good enough? Sorry if it didn't live up to your expectations ;)

'Lena ai yakata' for the eight review (You can feel bad for him ;) Every thing will turn out fine... perhaps ;)

'lilika808' for the ninth review (Thank you so much!)

'Winter's Holly' for the tenth review (Gomen to what I've done wrong, lol. Sasuke suffers, Sakura suffers, who doesn't? ;)

'xyoukai hunterx' for the eleventh review (I'm uploading as hell! Thanks you so much!)

'Ashlee' for the twelfth review (Good guess!)

Disclaimer: None of Naruto will ever be owned by me.. I guess no other manga/anime either.. I'm not that good at drawing unless I can copy it XD


Chapter 9: Almost

Almost. They were almost there. Almost back to the village they belonged to. Sakura was almost home. She almost had to face her fear.

Going out on a date with Sasuke would be even harder than killing the elite shinobi they had to kill.

The man had killed about a hundred innocent people. Women, children, people who couldn't even properly defend themselves. That were only the innocent people.

She had killed him with the wicked smile on her face. Those kind of people should all die in her opinion.

The man had grinned as he had seen the much younger shinobi in front of him. He had laughed and said that the females were easy pie.

She had loved to torture him. It was almost a pity they didn't had the time for it. she had spit on the body, saying: "Bastard."

She loathed those people, no, she didn't even consider them human.

Almost there. She was afraid of Sasuke. Not really afraid of him in person, more of the way the date would went. After all the effort she'd put in forgetting him. She laughed bitterly. She should have known. She could never forget him, no matter how many times he would break her heart.

Just a few yards left until the gate.

"I'll know the moment you'll be back. Take care…" Shivers were running down her spine. That sentence, his last words before she left, were haunting her the entire week.

How much time would he give her? A few hours? A day perhaps?

No, Sasuke was not the patient kind of guy. She cursed herself, looking to her right, where Hinata beamed.

Why couldn't she have picked Kiba or something? Just like Hinata liked Naruto. At least that was a two way love. She would perhaps have stand a chance with a guy like Kiba.

The date she would be having with Sasuke, could probably not even be considered one.

Great.

Almost there…

Sakura gulped as she entered Konoha through the gate.

I'm back, Sasuke-kun, she thought.

Xxx

Sakura, Shikamaru and Hinata made their way to the Hokage tower.

They reported the whole mission properly and got dismissed.

Ino and Naruto were around to pick their boyfriend and girlfriend up. They all seemed so happy. Sakura got a little bit jealous of her best friends.

"Bye, Sakura!" Ino yelled. Shikamaru had wrapped one of his arms around her waist.

"Bye, Sakura-chan! Oh, by the way, Sasuke-teme asked me to tell you, he was waiting in his mansion for you," Naruto suddenly remembered. Then he shrugged and walked away with Hinata.

Sakura was flabbergasted. She had to visit him? Che, everyone got picked up, but she had to visit him?

She took a deep breath. He probably just wanted to test her. She had been running away after all. Now she could decide for herself, whether she would like to go or not.

She took another deep breath. Enough with running away. She was not afraid of Uchiha Sasuke.

Sakura was actually curious as well. What would Sasuke plan?

Xxx

She would definitely come, he smirked. It had been the only option for him, making her come by herself.

He knew her from the missions they had done together, back when they had still been team seven. She would show him that she wasn't afraid.

Moreover, she would be dying to know what he was planning to do.

He would definitely enjoy her anxiety after all her running away.

His conscious was asking him what he called his escape from the village, but it was easier to just ignore it. Tonight, Sakura would be his.

No, he would never use her. He was not that kind of person. He just thought it would be nice to play with her the way she had played with him. Same game, his place, his rules.

He looked at the clock, hanging on the wall. It was almost time.

Sasuke laid back, waiting for his favourite kunoichi to arrive. Almost time, he told himself with a smirk. It is almost time

Xxx

There she was. Surrounded by the Uchiha symbol. Uchiwas were everywhere. On every building.

In front of Sasuke's house was a small wall, that also had an Uchiha symbol painted on it, somehow it seemed as if it was cracked though. Like a knife or a shuriken perhaps, had penetrated the wall. It gave Sakura a bad feeling. Almost as if something really bad had happened there. She hoped that it was not a bad omen.

Sakura put the bad feelings aside and walked until she stopped in front of the door. She gently knocked on it and waited for Sasuke to open the door.

It only took a few seconds until Sasuke answered her knockings.

"Sasuke-kun," she nodded in acknowledgement, feeling slightly nervous. Damn you for looking so good, over and over again, she thought, feeling a little nauseous too now.

"Sakura," he smiled. "Please enter."

Sakura followed him inside the house and gazed around. She followed him to the kitchen and saw dinner ready on the kitchen table.

"Did I interrupt your dinner?" she asked, looking at Sasuke.

"No, not at all. I prepared this for you. I thought you might like some food right after your return," he shrugged casually, but his eyes were following her movements closely.

Sakura arched a pink eyebrow, then shrugged as well and settled down. "Thank you," she replied though. She was on her guard. It all seemed just a little bit too friendly. The last time they had spoken to each other, he had almost threatened her. Almost. If she would tell him, he would probably laugh about it though. But she knew Uchiha Sasuke. He always had something up his sleeve. This was just way too friendly.

The pink-haired girl smiled at the boy, who had taken his seat in front of her. She narrowed her eyes slightly. She knew he would notice, though. He noticed everything. Always. That was so damn irritating about him. And oh, the fact that he was too bloody hot for his own good, didn't really count as a pro too. Not since she was trying to forget him. Focus now, Sakura! She told herself.

She would play his game along and find out his rules.

"So, how have you been doing, lately?" she asked innocently.

"Fine, but that's not important. Why don't you tell me more about your mission," he asked sweetly. His smile was charming.

Watch out! Her Inner self told her.

This boy has certainly done something about his attitude. From a human icicle to a charming and nice guy? No way. You won't deceive me, she thought. You're going to play like this, huh?

"Sasuke-kun, are you really interested in my mission?" she asked happily. Two can play this game, mister, she thought.

She happily started talking about her mission. Trying to put even more blood and gore into the story then there had actually been.

"Then," so she finished happily, "I spit on that bastard's dead, cold body. He'd deserved to die."

She had studies his movements closely. Her story had some impact on him, that was for sure.

"Great," he smiled as if nothing was wrong.

Damn, she thought. If I have to let this work, I have to put more effort into it.

Just in that moment, Sasuke's leg gently stroke hers. It sent a shiver down her spine. She forgot about this all for a second. Her gaze became a little bit dreamy and she could see victory in Sasuke's eyes.

What the fuck. I have to stay focused! To be distracted so easy form only one touch.

She remembered the feeling of his lips against hers.

Don't. Even. Think. About. That!

She felt awfully cheap.

Sasuke got up. "Aren't you feeling well? You look like you have a fever," he said, laying his hand on her forehead.

Great, she must have blushed.

"Stop it already, Sasuke-kun. This isn't you," she groaned angrily.

"Don't you like to be played with, Sa-ku-ra-chan?" he asked suggestively.

"I don't like people who act differently from who they are, no."
"Then you shouldn't have started it," he replied.

"I didn't start anything! I had to convince the stupid, headstrong Uchiha to work along with us." He really was making her angry now. She was mad at herself too. It had been too damn easy for him to get her like this. "Don't you dare to compare missions with this."

"How is playing with people's feelings different from this?" he asked coldly.

"It's not like you had feelings in the first place. Not for me, you made that clear enough. You're just a human ice-cube with no feelings. Get yourself a life. I'm out of here." Sakura turned around and walked away.

Don't lie to yourself, Sakura, he though. He had seen her watery eyes. She still loved him. He didn't really feel affected by her words, yet he felt bad for her. He would make it up to her, though.

Sasuke sighed. He almost had her.

Human ice-cube, che. He would show her.

Xxx

If people would be asked to define the new Sakura, they would call her strong, reliable and confident.

Now, however, she didn't feel strong and confident at all. How could she break so easily from just one single touch?

No, it had been more than just that touch. She wasn't ready for this. She was not ready for Uchiha Sasuke.

What the hell was wrong with her? She couldn't even stand his stupid tricks? Would she ever be ready to face him?

Sakura was really tired of hiding though. She would face him, reject him and make him clear that she would never give in to him.

Uchiha Sasuke was not good for her health.

That bastard Jiraiya! Of course he had known what was necessary to convince that idiot. Of course he'd knows how things would went afterwards. After she had been the one that had convinced Sasuke to help them out. If only she could kill that bastard.

Haruno Sakura would not let anyone but herself control her life.

Xxx

The next day, Sakura woke up, feeling a lot better. Today she had to work again. The hospital was calling for her.

During her trip, she heavily sighed. This was so unfair. She had easily killed that murdering bastard the other day. She was strong. Why couldn't she be strong when things involved Sasuke?

Because love's ways don't always go the way you want it to…Inner Sakura said, for once, serenely.

Sakura sighed again. Her Inner self was so right and yet she wanted her to be so wrong.

She was still in love with Uchiha Sasuke. He would always be prince charming to her. No matter how hard she tired to run away from him or deny it, he would always own the largest part of her heart.

Haruno Sakura was captured by his spell, whether she liked it, or not.

She felt so tired suddenly. She was almost there now. First of all she would have a nice cup of tea. That reminded her, she hadn't had any breakfast yet.

Was it just her, or was it bloody hot all of a sudden? She started to sweat.

Almost there… she thought. Almost the-

Haruno Sakura collapsed on the ground, a few yard before the hospital entrance.

She had almost reached the door. Just almost.

Sakura had a weird dream.

She dreamt that she was a princess. Haruno-hime, as everyone had to call her.

A long time ago, she used to see a servant's boy, working at the palace. She couldn't remember him very well alas, but what she did remember was how handsome he had been.

She now, was the princess of a country where time never captured the youth of people. They would stay young forever. It hadn't always been this way. They were cursed by a dreadful witch.

Every day, Sakura was daydreaming about how she would see that boy again. Every day she wished to see him again.

One day, a fairy came by and told her she could bring Sakura-hime to the boy she wished to see.

As the princess happily agreed to come along with the fairy, the fairy took her to the woods. There was a barrack hidden by the leaves.

The fairy told her to go inside, so she would find the boy.

So she did. She went inside and found the most amazing place she'd ever seen.

Inside the sloppy barrack was a place so beautiful, that it could easily rival her own palace.

She wandered through the halls, searching for the boy.

Soon, she found a room which looked like a ballroom. In the middle of the room stood a boy. She couldn't see his face yet, because he was facing the other way. She hoped that it was the boy she had been looking for so long.

As he finally noticed someone else in the room, he turned around and right before she could see his face, Sakura woke up.


Cliffhanger? Where is Sakura and who took her there? Or is she still on the ground? I don't think so! Who was it? Naruto? Sasuke? Kakashi? Gaara? Shikamaru perhaps? Or were it just the nurses from the hospital? Whoever guesses it right gets cookies! I know you want them!

Kakashi: I would like to have some cookies...

Me: I don't think so! I have to keep them for the people who guess it right!

Kakashi: By the time you'll update they won't taste that good anymore.

Me: I guess you're right... I'll bake some new ones then.

Kakashi: I'm so happy ::eating his cookie with big happy eyes::

Review! I only had 12 reviews for the last chapter, I expect a bit more::wink:: I still love you guys! I'll blame it on the vacation! Yet I still had 225 hits... Yeah, shame on you, you leechers! Reading but not reviewing!

::receives angry glares::

Me: '::innocently, yet slightly afraid::' Cookies..?