Author's note:

Hello! I'm SO sorry for being so late, but these months have been hectic. Working, trying to get a scolarship and real life stuff. I thoroughly apologize to you guys but here you have a long ass chapter so I hope you enjoy it to the fullest! Thanks a lot for your patience and for your kind reviews. Leave me your opinion in a review -I love reading what you think about my story.

-I'm so hyped for Boruto The Movie! Have you guys watched it already?-

-And I'm kind of obsessed with doramas! Any suggestions?-


Mizu bunshin no Jutsu!

"Here I go!"

She punches.

She jumps.

She dodges and throws some kunai.

But the clone is faster and she has to dodge another punch. The earth shatters under the pale fist and gets split open, forcing Sakura to jump on a tree. "What else should I expect from my clone?"

The woods are silent and the clone knows how to become invisible, so Sakura conceals herself in the bark of the tree and waits for the footsteps sounds. And finally she senses her own chakra signature. "Got'cha!"

Using some chakra threads, Sakura silently makes a trap, and her clone quickly falls into it. "Now!" She pulls the threads tightly, earning a muffled scream from the pink haired clone, and gets ready for the final blow.

Suuiton: Suuryundan no Jutsu!

Her clones' eyes show true horror when the enormous water dragon rises from the stream behind Sakura and launches itself towards the bunshin. The water clone merges with the dragon when it eats the fake pink haired girl and Sakura finally sits on the completely soaked grass to take a well-deserved break. She can feel she is getting stronger, and so are her clones. It takes her more effort to beat them every day. It is a nice feeling, really, watching a smart Sakura dodging her attacks and punching the earth with all her might, even if she knows that it is only a mere clone. And she secretly hopes that Sasuke will be proud of her when they fight side by side, but she tries not to think too much about him. "I miss you so much."

Her fingers glow green when she touches the little scratches on her arms and legs. The healing process is fast and she is ready to go in a few minutes. The maiko must be anxiously waiting for her. Today, Sakura is teaching the tea ceremony for those chosen girls that will be offered as geishas in a few years to Konoha's men. Only three of the 10 girls that Tsunade let inside the okiya five years ago will get to be what Sakura is today, and she somewhat feels sorry for them. It will be a comfortable life, of course. They will get to be beautifully dressed women who will be taken care of by rich men, and that means good food and a nice place to live in. However, most of them will not find a danna or will end up as prostitutes if they cannot provide money to their okiya. In one way or another, they will not be free.

Sakura then realizes how lucky she is. Tsunade did not use her as the other girls. She has learnt ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu. She can put on a good fight and she can heal every single type of wound, and also extract a handful number of venoms. This pink haired girl is not only the Nightingale, and she wonders what Tsunade saw in her. Her Okaa-san did the same with Konan, her Onee-san, and she did not come from a famous clan that she knows of either. Why would Tsunade trust in her so much? "Where are you, Onee-san?"

Sakura cleans herself in the stream, bathing her tired body in the cold water. She then throws her training clothes, a linen shirt and trousers, into her bag, before putting on her summer yukata and stepping on her wooden geta, ready to go home.

The wind blows wild and Sakura has to pin her hair up to avoid it from getting badly tangled while she walks into the gates of Konoha. It is such a beautifully dangerous city. A lot of grocery shops, ryoriten, ryokan and even quiet parks wrong the foreigners about Konoha's true nature. Criminals, robbers and murderers hide in every shadow, fueling the fire of war in every treacherous step they take. Sakura puts on her brown cloak and covers her signature pink hair beneath the hood. She does not wish to be seen by the streets since people would start talking about her. It is not a good moment to be alone outside her okiya. As an Uchiha's geisha she should not do common stuff on her own. The villagers would start rumors about how Uchiha Sasuke cannot control his own geisha, and as much as Sakura despises that, she cannot taint her danna's reputation. She would rather face Madara's wrath than to hurt Sasuke in any possible way.

She also knows Madara has set his bloodlust eyes on her and that he has several shinobi trying to harm her. Tsunade keeps her safe into the okiya, but there are no laws in the streets of Konoha. A dead young girl, even if it is the Nightingale, would only last for a few days as a rumor before being forgotten, just as happened with Konan. Sasuke told her that his uncle had hired some mercenaries that only work for good money and could not care less if the goal was killing a beautifully innocent girl. But Sakura is not going to wait like a caged bird inside the walls of the okiya while Tsunade, Naruto and Sasuke are out there fighting their secret war to stop Madara's madness. She is going to get even stronger and help them with whatever it takes. But, even if she tries not to think too deep into it, she cannot help but wonder why does Madara want her so badly. What makes Sakura so special?

Lost in her thoughts, Sakura lets her guard down and so she cannot realize she is being followed by a grey shadow. That is, until that very shadow steps into something that creaks and pulls Sakura out of her mind into an alarmed state. Someone is behind her, she can sense it's chakra signature; a disturbed but powerful one. And it is like a lightning bolt when it strikes, so she barely has time to block the attack and it makes her fall to the ground. Sakura groans inwardly but gets up quickly just in time to dodge a kunai. The person will not step out of the shadows so she can only recognize his spiky hair, like a white fang, and his manly body.

"What do you want?" She hisses while getting on a defensive stance.

The man chuckles and he slowly steps out of his dark hiding place. His black eyes smile at Sakura, and she figures his lips are curved on a smirk, since a mask hides half of his face from her. His attire shows his mercenary status and he holds a thin katana on his right hand. He is an attractive man, with his grayish hair, but his cold gaze scares her a little bit.

"You are coming with me, sweetheart" He says, pointing his katana at her.

"As hell I am" Sakura growls.

"Oh, didn't your Okaa-san teach you some manners?" The man chuckles again. "I will have to show you then what happens when you do not obey people like me."

It happens so fast that she barely has time to dodge it. A lightning strike that sounds like a million birds almost pierces through her chest but she manages to only get a deep cut in her arm. Blood starts pouring from the wound and she has to let chakra flow inside her skin to block the red liquid from coming out while she casts her signature scalpels on her hands before launching towards the man. He easily dodges her attacks but he cannot get to hit her again. Sakura has developed this attack stance with her scalpels to damage the enemy's vital points while protecting hers. Her dexterity and agility have grown to a high level thanks to her intense training using weighs on her arms and legs. She would use her brute strength but she does not want to raise suspicions. It is best if she keeps it as a silent combat.

The man is forced to jump back and reconsider his plan after Sakura almost gets to touch his right arm. He smirks again beneath the mask and Sakura gets some time to ensure her body is fine enough to keep fighting. Her hood has fallen off revealing her long pink hair and her cheeks are burning like her face is on fire. Her yukata clings to her body because of the sweat and she does not know why she is enjoying so much her current situation. Sakura can feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins and she suddenly wants more.

"So you can heal yourself without using any kind of ninjutsu and you can also fight like some kind of Hyuuga bastard" The man points his katana at her. "Let's see what else you can do."

Mizu bunshin no jutsu! Two more Sakuras appear next to the pink haired girl, both of them armed with chakra scalpels and ready to attack.

"Are you sure you want to try me, old man?" She says with a sweet smile.

Then she hears the horses and the screams that come from the main street. Something has happened there and it gives her the perfect overture to escape. She does not hesitate before jumping to a roof and then to another, running as fast as she can to the okiya. The man does not try to pursue her and then Sakura realizes that, whoever he is, he was only trying to prove her abilities, probably to inform Madara about what she can or cannot do. "So he is serious about me. He does really want me but… for what?"

Once she arrives at the okiya, the maiko sweetly greet her.

"Sakura-sama, where were you?" Izumi asks shyly.

"Izumi! Do not be so rude! You cannot just ask Sakura-sama where she was!" Chiyo says with her high-pitched voice.

"Were you with your danna, Sakura-sama?" Yui's eyes shine brightly when she asks about the famous Uchiha Sasuke.

Her maiko have been hectic about the young Uchiha heir being Sakura's danna. They always talked proudly about it when they went to the market or when they met other maiko at the temple. Next to his brother Itachi, Sasuke was one of the most desired young men by Konoha women because of his outrageously good looks and his powerful clan.

Somehow, Sakura feels happy to know the other side of Sasuke; the vulnerable and sad side of a young man who has to betray his very own clan to stop the war. It suddenly brings tears to her eyes when she is reminded again of how much she misses him. It's been a month since Sakura last saw him at that park; a month since she confessed her feelings and he told her to wait after he returned from the next battle to give her an answer.

Sakura remembers the warmth in his eyes when he poked her forehead before leaving her there in that stone bench. Her heart was about to explode in a million butterflies when he smiled kindly at her.

"Mata kondo na, Sakura."

It makes her feel so anxious yet so happy.

"Ahem… Sakura-sama?" Chiyo says, bringing her back to the real world. "Are you okay?"

The three maiko look at her suspiciously, their eyes full of worry. Sakura feels her cheeks burning for being such a stupid girl. She has just fought a strong mercenary and then she is now fantasizing about love. "Love…"

Sakura loves Uchiha Sasuke, and it could not feel any more bittersweet.

She hastily takes the maiko to the teaching room through the bamboo doors. It is a simple room, decorated with a few paintings and a comfortable carpet to sit down on while serving the tea. Sakura inwardly groans when the pain hits her in her right arm when she opens the door. "That bastard managed to hit me." But then, when she quietly checks the wound so the maiko don't notice, she realizes she is not hurt.

"So you can heal yourself without using any kind of ninjutsu."

Sakura's eyes shot wide open. That has never happened before to her.


A proud Uchiha Madara leads the way. His samurai attire shines bright under the summer sun and his black hair dances with the wind. Nobody dares to get on his way and the villagers are taken aback because of the Uchiha's murderous glare. His soldiers, all black haired Uchiha men, follow him trying to keep calm. They can feel Madara's fury growing step by step and they fear the moment it will explode.

The day is going by the wrong way for Madara. The Sunagakure villagers somehow knew that the Sharingan clan was going to ambush them. They prepared a barricade and they organized its troops to stop the Uchiha's attack. "Who the hell told them?" Madara is burning inside with rage. Someone told them they were going to be ganked. "We could have taken them so bloody easily."

And he knows someone has betrayed him; a clan member. "A fucking bastard who will be dead before the blink of an eye." Madara is mad but he also is surprised. Until now, only two people had enough guts to oppose his orders and he easily took them out of his sight. It had been eleven years of that and every single clan member had followed his orders without any complain after that incident. What is happening now? Is anyone else revolting? "I will have to purge the Uchiha name of any dirty blood".

Madara lost some soldiers in Sunagakure and he could not take everything he wanted. The Kazekage, a redhaired young man elected as the leader of Suna, did not let them reach the core of the village and protected the civilians from the Uchiha army. "The villagers choosing a leader? Do they really think that fucking brat can face me?"

However, Madara noticed that not every single desert soldier was from Suna. There were fighting styles he recognized from ancient clans he thought were dead. He saw Hyuuga jutsu and probably even some Inuzuka and Naara shinobi, poorly disguised by a fake Suna attire. He even recognized Tsunade's healing techniques in the crowd. Not even the best ninja can escape from Madara's eyes.

Sunagakure was not alone in that fight and they had the nerve to show it to him. They were telling him in his face: We do not fear you.

But what really makes Madara's blood boil is the Kyuubi vessel. His eternal mangekyou sharingan did not miss his blond hair and his blue eyes as well as that fucking smile; like that brat thinks of himself as some kind of hero. The kid has just betrayed their peace agreement, that contract he thought would be the key to finally get the nine tailed bijuu. "And now he fucking thinks he can make me look like a fool. The Senju clan destruction will be nothing compared to what I will do with those fucking betrayers."

When the Uchiha army reaches the compound, Madara lets them rest before searching for his prey. "You will pay for it."

"Itachi."

His nephew eyes him nonchalantly. "Always so fucking confident of himself."

"I need to discuss something with you in my office" Madara glares at him.

"I wanted to take a bath and help Sasuke with his wounds" Itachi smiles softly at him.

His nephew's face is dirty and his shinobi attire is covered by dust and blood. He is an impressive ninja and Madara somehow feels proud of him. Itachi would have been the perfect successor for him; he would have taught his nephew the deepest secrets of the sharingan; but he is only an Uchiha on the outside. His heart is as pure as Senju Hashirama's heart was and Madara loathes that.

"To my office, now" Madara growls.

He is going to take care of everything, of course he is. Madara smiles viciously and his kekkei genkai suddenly shines red in his eyes. "This bitch has not understood that this is my own fucking game. I am going to make sure that Tsunade can see her beloved nephew die by the Kyuubi's claws before I torture her to death."

"Only the day where the Senju clan is completely exterminated I will be at peace. And so you will be too Izuna, my beloved brother."


Someone knocks at his door and Sasuke suddenly knows it is Itachi. He heard Madara calling his brother when they arrived at the compound and he has been unable to sleep because of his Uncle's murderous gaze.

It had been hectic at Suna. Sasuke's heartbeat quickens with apprehension when he remembers the fight. Naruto and Tsunade did an impressive work as well as Hyuuga Neji and his soldiers. Their plan went smoothly. Madara now knows he has some enemies and they are not afraid of him. He also knows someone inside his clan has betrayed him and he will probably fall into a spiral of madness to find out who it is. And it is Sasuke's turn now. He has to wait for the right moment to kill his Uncle.

But it feels so fucking bitter.

"Sasuke, are you awake?" Itachi's voice echoes in his room after he closes the door behind him.

"Yes, nii-san" He says.

His brother sits down next to Sasuke's bed on his favorite chair as he usually does when he needs to talk. Itachi's black eyes are warm. His face is so peaceful he seems a normal person, but Sasuke has watched him as he killed shinobi after shinobi with only the true power of those kind eyes.

"You have already picked your own side in this battle and I will not judge you for it" Itachi mutters.

A frozen silence falls into Sasuke's bedroom. The young Uchiha cannot clearly appreciate his brother's face in the darkness, but he knows his lips are still cuved in a quiet smile. "He knows." Sasuke's body feels numb and his heart seems to stop. His beloved brother knows he is betraying his own clan and he stills loves him. "What is wrong with you, nii-san?"

"Yes, I know everything Sasuke" Itachi chuckles softly at Sasuke's widened eyes. "However, I will stay neutral. I do not worship Madara, but I also do not want to be a part of this revolutionary plan."

Itachi gazes at him and Sasuke wonders what is actually going in his brother's head.

"I am a mere watcher. Otou-san and Okaa-san asked me to look after you and that is exactly what I will do" Itachi smiles again. "This is your war, Sasuke. I will be here for you but I will not kill anyone more that does not deserve it."

"What do you mean, nii-san?" Sasuke finally regains his voice. A sudden fear takes over his heart.

"I am leaving Konoha" Itachi says. His eyes gaze at the cherry blossom trees out in the garden. "You will find me in the shadows as your very own spectator."

Sasuke's too frozen by Itachi's words. He cannot move his mouth. He cannot move his body. He cannot even think. "Why?"

"This will be our last meeting until everything is over. Your hawk will know how to trace me so you can send me any letters you want" Itachi says quietly, his eyes still looking out of the window.

"Nii-san, you just cannot…" Sasuke suddenly gets up and viciously takes Itachi by the collar of his shirt. "You cannot leave me alone; don't you understand?!" Sasuke hisses. "You just cannot…!"

Itachi covers his brother's hands with his own and smiles softly at him once more.

"You have precious friends now. Naruto-kun would give his life for yours and the demon fox inside him will be the greatest ally. Tsunade-san is the best kunoichi in the Land of Fire and her medical ninjutsu will save many lives" Itachi says, looking into Sasuke's glare. "And, of course, our lovely Sakura-chan will forever stay by your side" Itachi smiles when Sasuke hands twitch because of her name. "She is as strong as a mountain and the sweetest girl you will ever find."

Sasuke is at a loss of words. It is too much for such a little time. He sits on his bed, defeated, and Itachi quietly walks to the door.

"Nii-san, wait" Sasuke manages to speak but his eyes keep locked on the floor. He feels his brother's eyes on him but he cannot get to face them. "Do you think I am doing the right thing?"

"Only your heart knows the response to your question, Sasuke" Itachi opens the door and looks at a broken Sasuke for the last time, his quiet smile still on his lips. "But always remember that you will never be alone".


The sun is disappearing in the horizon surrounded by a sea of purple when she hears someone ringing at the okiya main door. Tsunade-sama has not yet returned from the war at Sunagakure and no one has scheduled an appointment with her, so it has to be an emergency. Sakura hastily covers herself with her brown robe, hiding her hair inside the hood. Performing a henge no jutsu while some maiko are still awake would raise too many suspicions.

She probably should not be doing this but she hates not helping whoever needs her medical ninjutsu. Her steps are light and she tries not to make any sound while sneaking through the dark okiya corridors.

Sakura opens the front door when the bell rings for the third time and then she finds the face she would have last think about. A grey haired, half masked man dressed in a black robe holds a dying brunette woman covered in blood. He is desperately trying to keep the woman awake but the blood loss is probably too much for her heart and her eyes start closing slowly.

"Some neighbors told me that you got a clinic here. You have to save her, please" The man tries to keep his voice down but Sakura knows he has been crying.

"Follow me", she says.

It is dark enough so the man has not yet recognized her, and Sakura thinks if helping the mercenary who has just tried to kill her is the right thing to do.


It is already pitch black outside when Sasuke manages to get out of the compound. He cannot bear to stay into his room anymore and his lungs feel better when he breathes deeply the night air. The moon shines bright into the sky but he conceals himself to evade the guards by the main gate. He can only feel comfortable after he finally steps on the streets of Konoha.

"Itachi is gone."

Sasuke fights the tears and inwardly scolds himself for being such a brat. "You are Uchiha Sasuke, son of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto. You are a sharingan wielder and you will be the Head of the Clan one day so grow the fuck up and be the man everyone expects you to be."

He grazes his Kusanagi one, two, three times. The katana makes him feel better, kind of reassured. Sasuke still has a war to win and he knows Itachi will still be there for him. "I am not alone".

His steps guide him through the streets to a place he knows really well; the only place he would actually find some comfort in this kind of situation. Sasuke really hates the idea of missing Sakura so much and feeling so vulnerable because of that. But he truly misses her kind green eyes, her soft hands and her sweet smile. He misses her strength and her intelligence. Uchiha Sasuke fucking misses his Little Bird.

It has been a month since she confessed to him. She said "I want you, Sasuke" and it somehow warms his heart in a way he has never felt before. It is weird, and awkward, and he does not really know what to tell her. He cannot promise her anything because he is an Uchiha and she is a geisha, and he will probably rule his clan or die after all this war. Both ends would end up hurting Sakura and he will just not let it happen.

But now he could not care less about the future. He just needs to see her because she seems to be the only human thing in this cruel and twisted shinobi world they live in.

Sasuke swiftly climbs the wall and jumps inside Sakura's garden. She is not sitting on the porch, which is actually odd. She likes to let her feet on the wet grass and look at the moon reflecting on the small pond. He realizes now that the okiya is completely silent. Sakura's pupils must be sleeping and Tsunade is still returning from Suna.

However, something feels kind off and, as much as Sasuke hates being nosy, he silently tries to slide the bamboo door that keeps Sakura's bedroom closed.

There she is, tangled in some white sheets, sleeping peacefully on her futon. Sasuke suddenly feels overwhelmed by the pure aura that surround her slim figure. Her eyes are closed and her long, pink hair is spilled over the pillow.

Sasuke quietly sits down and lowers his face until his nose almost grazes hers. "Why are you so perfect yet so fragile?" His hands caress her cheeks and he feels her warmth under his callous fingers. "I do not deserve you."

"Sasuke-kun", she mutters and slightly opens her sleepy eyes.

He is then ready to put her under his genjutsu, but Sakura suddenly wraps her arms around him.

"Stay with me just for tonight", she pleads and he has never seen such a beautiful face in his whole life. "Please, Sasuke-kun."

He tries to focus his mind but her lips are so pink and her eyes are so green that he finally gives in. Sasuke lays next to her and she lets him get into her futon. Sakura then takes his face between her hands and they kiss sweetly while he pulls her into his arms.

They are two broken people; two kids who keep fighting every day to stay alive. Two souls who survive in a world of chaos and maybe that is what keeps them so close. Only Sasuke can save Sakura; only Sakura can heal Sasuke.

And he kisses her again, and again, and again. And he feels her tongue playing with his; her legs wrapping around him. And he touches every curve of her pale body, wondering why he has never done it before. And his manhood feels like exploding when she moans so softly every time he caresses her core.

He keeps devouring her until he feels the wetness of her cheeks

Sakura is crying and hugging him like he is her only lifesaving.

"What is wrong, Little Bird?" He mutters after catching his breath,

Sakura sobs and looks at him. Her eyes are waterlogged by sorrow but she is still so beautiful even when she is sad.

"I am not your Little Bird anymore."


Sakura knows he is gone even before she wakes up. Sasuke left long before dawn and his side of the futon is already cold. She cannot blame him because he has his own responsibilities, but she feels so alone again.

Her body still has his fingerprints –every place he caressed feels hot when Sakura remembers the night. Even if she ended up crying, even if her heart could not be entirely healed by his lips, it was perfect.

Tsunade is yelling angrily at the maiko. She probably returned a while ago from Suna. Sakura's eyes suddenly get watery again. How is she going to confront her Okaa-san about what the mercenary told her the previous night? Should she even try to dig more into the truth?

Sakura has been lied to about her true identity but now she knows why Madara is after her. Kakashi –the white haired mercenary- told her after she saved his lover's life.

"Only a true descendant of Senju Hashirama could be able to heal his body without any jutsu. Only Tsunade's nephew would be Madara's precious prey", Kakashi said before leaving the clinic. "I will no longer try to kill you. You healed Rin, and that is more than enough for me to respect you. But there are still enemies out there. I am not the only mercenary in Konoha and others will try to gain Madara's favor." He mysteriously gazed at her. "Leave this city before the cursed clan ends your life."

And then, with a single jump, he disappeared into the night.