Ah! The ever-awaited chapter is here!

What will come of Sasuke and Orochimaru's meeting?

Will Sasuke protect her if something DOES happen?

You'll just have to see.

- - Suzuki Yumi '.'

Chapter 10

Saki -

Tsunade sat gently beside me, eying me up and down.

"Sasuke," She said, "Stay away from him." I raised my eyebrow.

"He's my teammate," I said skeptically.

"He's a bad influence," Tsunade advised. I scrunched up my nose.

"I don't think he's a bad influence," I said dismissively.

"You could switch teams…" She pondered. I furrowed my brow.

"You could switch with Shino," She mumbled. I slammed my hand down on the hospital food table angrily, waving it because the action hurt.

"I don't want to switch teams!" I exclaimed.

"But he…" Tsunade mumbled.

"It's not like Sasuke forced me to drink that sake! It's not like he was going to rape me or something! So it doesn't matter!" I yelled at Tsunade, "Just punish me." Tsunade's gaze softened slightly.

"You both drank some, you both get punished," She said. I smiled sweetly at her.

"By the way, you'll be fine, you didn't take that many pills, so it's okay," Tsunade whispered, leaving. I jumped out the window and landed safely in a small patch of grass.

I wandered aimlessly though Konoha village, looking for something to do in my hung-over state. I walked past a marketplace, glancing at the people hustling and bustling around the streets. I quickly turned back, seeing one person who stood out from everyone else. Sasuke Uchiha. I walked closer to him.

"Sasuke," I said threateningly.

"Is she going to kill me?" Sasuke asked, speaking of Tsunade.

"I explained the situation," I told him blankly. His concern for me flashed across his eyes.

"Good," Sasuke said. We stood there nervously.

"So…" I mumbled.

"Saki?" He asked me.

"Hm?" I asked, turning my body so I was staring straight at him.

"Can you meet me in the forest… soon?" Sasuke asked. I nodded slowly, confused.

"There's someone I want you to… see. Bring you ninja tools," He mumbled. I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Sasuke what's going on?" I asked him.

"Get your tools," He commanded. I pointed to the pouch on my leg that held them all. He nodded and gestured his head toward the vast expanse of trees behind him. I started to march off into he woods and I felt a hand grip my wrist tightly. Sasuke spun me around on my heel and kissed me. His lips were soft and warm against mine, but he pulled away too soon. I furrowed my brow.

There was something I noticed. That kiss, though it had been our first one, I could tell there was something wrong. Like it was goodbye… or something. I ignored it and walked into the forest, expecting him to follow.

"Sasuke!" I called. There was dead silence.

"I know Sasuke-kun wouldn't invite me out here, so quit lying and come out, you coward!" I shouted. Sasuke stepped out.

"Sasuke-kun huh? So now I'm your friend?" He asked evilly. I had never seen that look in his eyes, it was so… malicious.

"Well well well, it looks like we share the same views," Sasuke said, he walked over and hugged me. I stabbed him in the back with my kunai. What? No pop? So he's not a clone?

"Way to keep her down, Sasuke," A man congratulated, stepping out from the shadows. I observed him closely. He had long black hair and purple makeup around his eyes. I knew him, from pictures, people warned us about this man, Orochimaru.

Here I suggest the song "Orochimaru's Theme"No idea who it's by though. Whoever composes the Naruto music?
My eyes narrowed as I tried to break free of Sasuke's grasp. He wouldn't let go. Sasuke had tears on the brims of his eyelids as he held me tighter. I think… even though I was sure I was about to die because of him, I think that hug meant something.

"You bastard," I hissed at him, "You killed my family!"

Orochimaru ignored me and stretched out his neck, biting the arm that was holding my kunai. I was immediately hit with searing pain.

"What… is this!?" I screamed. Sasuke disappeared into the shadows and I sunk to the ground.

"Most people can't even talk during the process, you'll definitely live," Orochimaru explained. I look at my arm. A mark much like Sasuke's was starting to form. So he got it from Orochimaru in the chunin exams? I should have guessed.

"Why?" I snarled, "Why me?"

"I saw your sister's kekkai-genkai and I know you're the next to get it," Orochimaru explained. My eyes widened. Just being around him gave me such a sense of fear that only the immense pain dulled it and enabled me to move. I stalked closer to him, preparing for an attack. Orochimaru backed up.

"Ah ah ah! Don't be so hasty, save it for when I need your body," He protested. I kept coming closer, holding my kunai steadily. The pain was worse then when the man killed my family and broke my bones, worse than anything I'd ever felt. It was physical and mental torture all in one.

I tried to talk, but I couldn't.

"You must be stronger than Sasuke if you can move right now," Orochimaru said with a sinister smile, "Only ten percent of people live after I give them the mark, good luck." With that, he left.

I screamed with pain and I looked at my arm again. The mark was getting darker. I curled up into a ball, grunting with the pain it caused.

"Saki…" A voice called, it sounded like Sasuke. I turned my head as much as I could before it started to hurt more.

"Live through this, for me, okay?" The voice asked, "I'll explain it all later."

I heard footsteps.

"Saki!" Kiba's voice called. I wanted to call to him, to reach out to him, but I couldn't. He sat down beside me. All I could manage to do was reach over and squeeze his hand.

I squeezed it as hard as I could but the pain just kept coming.

I woke up in the hospital (yes, my special room), looking into Sasuke's sympathetic eyes.

"Sasuke…" I commanded, "You have to tell me what that curse mark means."

"Hm?" He mumbled.

"Please, Sasuke!" I pleaded.

"Why?" He whispered. I rolled up my sleeve.

"Because I have one too," I said blankly.

"Oh yes," He said, remembering. He looked at it closely.

"I… I'm sorry… I didn't know he was… planning that…" He apologized.

"It's the earth sign, stronger than my heaven sign…" He whispered. Sasuke jumped back and clutched his head.

"No…" He whispered.

"No!" He screamed loudly, "Not her too! It's all my fault! Italways is!" I shook my head.

"Sasuke, I don't know what you're talking about, please explain," I whispered. Sasuke looked up, his eyes filled with tears that wouldn't quite spill over.

"I can't, I have to, goodbye," Sasuke said, "Good luck with that mark." He jumped out the window. I ran to it.

"Sasuke!" I screamed out the window, leaning out.

"Sasuke!" I screamed again. I leaned out so far that I fell from my fifth story hospital window (seriously, they should make that mypermanent room). I thought I was going to die, so I just relaxed, but then I was caught by none other than Shikamaru Nara.

"It's not every day a pretty girl falls into my arms," He said, putting me down gently on the ground.

"What's with the screaming Sasuke's name?" He asked.

"You heard that?" I asked. He chuckled.

"I think the whole village heard it," Shikamaru said jokingly.

"It'd be great if you didn't tell anyone about me and Sasuke…" I whispered to him.

"I never knew there was a 'something'," Shikamaru stated, "But now I do, and I'll be hush hush about it!" I smiled an awkward smile. Smiling, that's something I hadn't done in a while. It felt good to genuinely smile again.

"Saki!" Anko Mitarashi yelled, running up behind me, "What are you doing out of the hospital!" Shikamaru mouthed, "good luck" and left me with her.

I felt like yelling, "Don't leave me with her Shika!" but I didn't. I've only met her once, but I've heard she's a little crazy. Anko picked me up by my waist and ran me to my hospital room.

"What's wrong Anko?" I asked her quizzically.

"Someone needs to treat your mark, and it's not going to be Kakashi," She explained. I scrunched up my nose, a sign that I was thinking hard. She filled out some medical papers and dragged me to a dark room that had a seal on the floor. She sat me in the middle of it and got me to take off my shirt. She slowly drew marks on my skin that would help the process. She then put her hand to the mark and it started glowing with her chakra.

"How is this going to help?" I asked.

"It will," – she paused to increase her chakra flow – "stop you from accidentally activating it," She explained, "The more often you activate it and the farther it spreads, the more your brain is consumed by Orochimaru." I nodded slowly.

"Is it like Sasuke's?" I asked her.

"Similar, but much different. Sasuke's is the same as mine," Anko explained. I gawked.

"Yours!?" I asked, astounded that she would have one too. She bent down and showed me hers.

"It's the heaven seal…" I observed.

"And yours is the earth seal," Anko pointed out. I looked at it.

"So it is," I agreed.

"I'm finished," Anko told me. I got up, walking to the door.

"Oh, and Saki," Anko said, I paused to listen, "Your mark means Orochimaru thinks you're more valuable than Sasuke, which is a bad thing." I was silent.

"That's why I'd like to train you," She said. I smiled.

"I'd like that," I said.

"We'll meet tomorrow for lunch at the ramen shop," Anko told me. I walked ahead but I stopped, holding onto the door handle.

"Anko…" I asked, "Do you think Sasuke will join him?"

"I'm not sure Saki, I'm not sure," She said. I walked out, feeling a pang of sadness.

I was going to go to Kiba's house, but I figured out that I didn't know where he lived. I used the hospital phone to call him.

"Hello, Kiba's room," His sister answered the phone in his room.

"Hi is Kiba there?" I asked sweetly.

"He's around here somewhere… may I ask who's calling?" She asked, I heard footsteps so it must have been a cordless phone.

"Saki," I told her.

"Kiba!" She called through the house. It was muffled so I guessed that she covered the mouth part with her hand.

"It's Saki," She said. She came back on the phone.

"Alright here he is," She said. Soon Kiba was on the phone.

"Want to meet me at the hospital front doors?" I asked him.

"Why there?" Kiba asked.

"Because I don't know where you live," I told him.

"How about you come here?" He asked, "I'll pick you up." I shrugged but then I realized I was on the phone so he couldn't see it.

"I guess…" I mumbled.

"Mom! Can I have Saki over!?" He yelled. I heard a muffled "sure!"

"See you in two minutes," Kiba said, hanging up before I could say bye. I frowned and I sat outside, pressing close up against the building so I could avoid the summer heat and sun. I shaded my eyes when I saw someone sauntering towards me. I was surprised when I saw that it was Gaara. His figure stood out very nicely behind the setting sun. He walked up to me and stuck out his hand, helping me up.

"I heard you got hurt," He said in a friendly voice.

"Yeah…" I said, remembering it, "But I'm okay now."

"Was it that bastard Sasuke?" He asked. I smirked.

"No it was that bastard Orochimaru," I told him. Although I wasn't too sure that Sasuke didn't have his part in it as well. Gaara growled ever so slightly.

"A whole bunch of us are going swimming later, want to come?" Gaara asked.

"Well Kiba's meeting me here and then I'm going to his house, so maybe both of us could come!" I said cheerfully. Gaara nodded.

"That would be nice," He said, walking away. I didn't know why he came to see me; maybe Temari roped him into it.

I waited for about a minute and Kiba finally came. I started walking with him.

"So what exactly… happened?" He asked me. I stuck up my hand and breathed in deeply.

"I'll tell you at your house," I said. It was a quiet, awkward walk to his house. He opened the door for me and I went inside, glancing around. It was nothing like I would have expected from Kiba. I was an old Victorian house with antique-looking furniture. The walls were an olive green and all the trimming and wood was dark mahogany. It was beautiful.

"Oh my god Kiba I love your house," I told him, turning to him and pointing my finger at his furniture, "I'll marry you if we get to live here." Kiba laughed.

I heard yipping.

"Akamaru!" I called happily, picking up the little white dog in my arms. I pet his head.

Kiba's mother came in. She had brown hair the same colour as Kiba's but not as soft-looking, and it was scraggly-looking. She had lines on her face like Kiba's. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Inuzuka," She said. She had the same pink lines on her face as Kiba.

"Hello," I said politely, bowing and letting Akamaru jump to the floor. Another girl came in, his sister. She had brown hair that was in a loose ponytail with two thin strands hanging in front of her face. She had a tattoo on her upper right arm that looked kind of like a flower.

"I'm Hana," She said. I smiled and bowed slightly.

"Saki," I said.

"Please, sit down," Mrs. Inuzuka said, gesturing toward the oh-so-comfy-looking couch. I sat on it happily.

Kiba randomly announced that he had to go to the bathroom and he left the room. Mrs. Inuzuka came rushing in with a bowl of fruit.

"Help yourself," She said. Hana sat on the chair across from me.

"So, how do you and Kiba know each other?" She asked. Mrs. Inuzuka came closer to listen. I picked up and apple.

"We first talked the day we got our new teams. The next day, after fighting Sasuke, I was in the hospital. Kiba came to visit me and we've been friends ever since," I explained. Hana smiled.

"Are you Kiba's girlfriend?" Hana asked.

"Hana!" Mrs. Inuzuka scolded.

"No. No I'm not," I said blankly, "Although I said I'd marry him if we got to live in your house. I love your house."

"Well thank you," Kiba's mother said.

"So you're not Kiba's girlfriend?" Hana asked. I laughed at the thought.

"Nope!" I said with a wide smile. Kiba stepped into the room.

"What are you guys interrogating her about?" He asked, hands on his hips like a woman. I couldn't help myself. I started laughing. His mother and sister turned to me.

"Let's go… to my room Saki," Kiba said, pulling me down a hallway. We were in his room. The walls were a forest-y green which reminded me of yesterday. I clenched my fist, my nails digging into my skin. The blood dripped down them and onto the floor. Kiba eyed my hand skeptically. He ignored the fact that I bled on his nice floor and he pulled me over to his bed, sitting me beside him. I twisted my arm towards him and he saw my curse mark. His eyes widened.

"You got a tattoo?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Sasuke has one too," I said, ignoring his stupid remark.

"You got tattoos together?" He looked confused. I scrunched up my nose.

"Orochimaru. It's a sign hat he wants to use your body as a vessel so he can stay immortal," I explained.

"I don't know why Sasuke did it. I suppose he tried to be friends with me so he could hand me over to Orochimaru someday. None of it meant anything at all. Every good time, every giggle-fest… every kiss…" I mumbled.

"You've kissed?" Kiba asked.

"Don't tell anyone any of this!" I begged, ignoring his previous question.

"I won't," He promised. I knew he would keep his word.

Definitely listen to "Everybody's Fool" by Evanescence here.
I held my face in my hands and gave myself a temple-massage. I shook my head.

"Kiba he fooled me," I said glumly.

"He fooled us all," Kiba assured me, pulling my head to his chest. I resisted the urge to cry.

"I think he's leaving," I told Kiba.

"Just stay strong Saki, I'm sure he wanted you to live through it, at least," Kiba comforted. My face twisted into a look of agonizing pain.

"I don't even believe that anymore," I told him doubtfully. A tear came to my eye and I jumped up, not wanting to show weakness.

"I have to go to the washroom!" I called, running to where I thought the washroom was. I was right. I sat down on top of the toilet seat and I held my face in my hands.

I was sure Sasuke betrayed me and was never going to talk to me again. Maybe he just expected, just hoped I would die from the process. The tears came faster then, no matter how much I wanted them to stop. I slammed my fist on the counter beside the sink. I reached for a tissue.

I knew I had to hurry or Kiba would think I had diarrhea or something.

I left the door open slightly while I dabbed at my eyes with the tissue, getting rid of all the leftover wetness. Akamaru came in, barking at me. I picked him up and pet him, smiling warmly. He yipped in delight and I brought him back to Kiba's room, smiling harder.

"Gaara invited us to go swimming with him and a few others, want to come?" I asked. Smiling in my state hurt so much that it brought tears to my eyes. I had to remember that smiling when sad makes you cry more. Kiba came over and wiped a fallen tear off my cheek.

"Not like this we aren't," He said.

"I'll be fine!" I told him dismissively.

"Meet me at the pool in about five minutes," Kiba said.

I rushed home to change into my bathing suit.

I had a few to choose from actually. I had an orange bikini with a little pink-ish flower on the right breast part, a black bikini with white around the edges and a little bow in the front, and a lime green bikini. I eventually chose the black one. I put it on and I stood in front of the mirror. It fit really well, it was a good choice, but I felt very self-conscious. I hadn't worn a bathing suit (around people) in a year or so. I shrugged and grabbed a black bag, throwing my towel into it. I put on my sunglasses and I went out the door. I stepped into the horrible afternoon sun and I looked far ahead, realizing I had no clue where the pool was. I jumped along the rooftops, looking for a large patch of water and screaming teens.

I finally saw it and I jumped down, landing in front of the admission lady. I took out my wallet.

"Its kid's day," She said. I gave her a five dollar bill anyway and I walked away. I went into the girls change room, seeing Sakura.

"If I had known there was a change room I would have brought you my bathing suit choices!" I told her with a smile. She slipped her towel around her body and walked up to me.

"I like that one, it suits you," She said with a very fake-looking smile. I smiled nervously back at her and we walked out into the outside.

"Want to sun tan with me?" Sakura asked. I nodded, following her to the concrete on the side of the pool. We put down our towels and lay down on our stomachs, facing each other.

"Its kid's day… so why aren't there any kids?" I asked, looking around and seeing all of the Konoha genin (and Shikamaru, who was sitting on the side lazily, watching Temari's graceful strokes).

"They're scared of us," Sakura said, yawning. I laughed, flipping over onto my back. We sat there in silence for a moment. I felt footsteps approaching and then a head popped over me. I blocked out the sun with my hand so I could see who it was, it was Kiba.

"Can I… um, talk to you?" He asked in an overly-cheerful way. I nodded and got up, walking with him to the other side of the pool.

"Sasuke's here," He whispered to me, pointing over at Sasuke. He was standing on the top of the diving board in his black swimming trunks, preparing himself for the dive downward, readying himself for the first burst of the water's chill. He jumped, landing head first into the water. He popped back up, his hair spraying little water droplets in random places on the pool. He looked at me for a split second and then he got up to leave. I glared. He started to dry himself off and I felt angry that he was leaving because I was there. I should have been leaving because he was there! He was the one who almost got me killed!

It my stroke of anger I jumped off the diving board and into the pool, feeling the cool water tickle my cheeks as I pushed myself to the surface. Sasuke smirked and grabbed his stuff, leaving. I turned around, giggling at the brilliant plan I had.

"Hey! Ugly beast!" I yelled louder than anyone else in the pool was talking. Sasuke turned around, answering to it. Many people (especially Kiba) laughed at him. He glared at me and left, sticking his nose in the air like the goody-two-shoes he is. Kiba swam up beside me and patted me on the back, congratulated me. But somehow I felt bad for doing it, while feeling good at the same time. Is this revenge? If so I don't want any part of it.

I grabbed my stuff and I threw them in my bag, starting leave and ignoring Sakura's protests.

"Where are you going?" Kiba asked.

"Home," I told him blankly.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be here."

"Saki, you can't let Sasuke ruin your life."

"I'll ruin my own life thank you!"

I turned around to stomp away, but mid-stomp I realized what I had said.

"I meant to say that no one's ruining my life," I informed him, correcting myself, Kiba chuckled and I stormed away.

Betcha didn't see that one coming!

And what's this about her sister's kekkai-genkai?

Oh my this story is taking an interesting turn now isn't it?

I totally didn't plan for it to be like this.

. Oh well!

P.S. Reviews ahoy! I'd been planning this chappie for a while so please give me some constructive criticism on it, unless I' m so wonderful at writing that criticism isn't needed (which I highly doubt).

- - Suzuki Yumi '.'