DISCLAIMER- You know how it goes.

Within the next couple of days, Sasuke returned to his normal self. He and Sakura hadn't spoken of the day in the park, not that they really wanted to. It wasn't quite clear why everything had just blurted out, but they felt very relieved. Sasuke was happy he had gotten it off his chest, but Sakura was still stuck.

They three hung out every single day, and occasionally, they hung out with the rest of the gang. It was fun for all of them. But Sakura still got the feeling that something big was going to happen. It was a strange feeling that she just couldn't shake.

"Sakura!" two boys' voices rang out in front of her door.

She giggled. "Hey guys!"

Gaara and Sasuke smirked. "What's the plan?" Gaara asked.

Sakura shrugged. "I dunno. Sasuke?"

Sasuke had his arms crossed and looked up with lazy eyes.

He really is going back to his old self…

"Hn."

Definitely his old self.

Sakura decided on the mall, earning annoyed glances from the boys. She gave her famous puppy-dog eyes, and the boys shrugged.

Ice cubes.

YEAH!

Sakura shopped with reckless abandon.

"Don't you ever get sick of this?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura turned to face him in mock-shock. "Don't even speak of such things! If I didn't have shopping…" she paused and gasped.

She and Gaara laughed a little and Sasuke just smirked.

Afterwards, the three went out to lunch. Soumen, soumen, soumen! Yummy noodles….

So peaceful… Sakura thought. But my intuition is telling me… it won't be like this for long.

"Hello!" Gaara waved his hand in her face. "Are you alright?"

Sakura nodded.

LATER, AT GAARA'S (Sasuke and Gaara)

"Has Sakura been… off to you lately?" Gaara asked Sasuke.

Sasuke, knowing she was probably thinking about the other day a lot. "Not really. You're just imagining things, dude,"

Gaara gazed out the foggy window. It was almost midnight, but he couldn't help but have the tugging feeling to see Sakura.

"How was the last day of school?" Gaara looked at Sasuke. "I never asked you."

Sasuke jumped a little. "Nothing special. I just took Sakura to the park. We sat under a tree and talked a while,"

Sasuke couldn't help but feel ashamed that Sakura had seen him so vulnerable. He'd confessed everything he'd been feeling, but in such a way that was just not him. There was no way anyone was ever going to hear about that 10 minutes, or the hour that they sat together in silence.

"Riiiiight." Gaara said plainly.

"Hn." Sasuke looked at his watch. "Oh, dude, Gaara, I gotta go. Itachi's going to flip."

"Why Itachi?" Gaara looked confused that he'd spoken of his brother, not his parents.

Sasuke grabbed his cell phone, stuck it in his pocket, and muttered. "He's so protective. It's freakin' annoying," but he smirked the slightest bit saying it, something Gaara missed.

"Later," they said at the same time as Sasuke opened the door and left.

AT THAT MOMENT

God, I need a walk.

IT'S MIDNIGHT!

Shut up. I know.

Sakura left her home with a sweater and her cell phone.

She walked down the sidewalk for what seemed like hours. She really didn't care where she went, as long as she got to move around. It was a while before Sakura realized her feet were taking her to Sasuke's.

"Weird…" she whispered, but shrugged. There was no way she was turning around yet.

Sakura passed many different buildings, including Ino's parents' flower shop and Naruto's favorite ramen place. She also passed many dark alleyways, sending involuntary shivers up and down her spine.

"Hey… Boss…" a whisper came from a shadow far ahead of her. Sakura didn't hear. "There's one. She's pretty, too."

The man in the shadows towered over the silver-haired boy. His snake-like voice rang out clear. "Good job… Kabuto."

"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama,"

Sakura kept walking. She saw an alley cat run out a couple buildings ahead. She didn't think much of it. That is… she didn't until she reached the alley it had run out of.

WITH SASUKE

Sasuke drove from Gaara's, heading to his own home. His headlights flashed. It seemed he was the only one on the road tonight. He saw a bit of pink ahead of him.

"Sakura?" he whispered to himself. "What's she…?"

He stopped and turned off his headlights so that she wouldn't see him. It's not like he was spying on her, he was just curious. She stopped, and he didn't think much of it. That is… he didn't until a hand reached out to her. Sasuke jumped out of his car.

He could hear the voices now.

"Hello." A snake-like came. "You're name?"

Sakura shook him off. "G-get away from me."

Sasuke was anxious now. There was someone… after her!

I've gotta do something! They could… they could…!

JUST GO STUPID!

Sasuke took off towards Sakura.

"Come on. Don't be like that." A different voice said.

"Stay away from me!"

The man grabbed her arm; Sasuke ran faster than ever. He pulled her into the alley as Sasuke reached them. He dashed in and kicked the man to the ground.

"Stay away from her." He said, hatred coating his voice.

Orochimaru chuckled. "I'd be more careful of what you do to me."

Sakura clutched Sasuke. "S-Sasuke-kun…!"

Orochimaru pulled out a knife. The two turned to run, only to face Kabuto, who held the same knife.

"Sakura…" Sasuke looked at her. "Run."

Sakura shook her head. "I'm not going to leave you here Sasuke-kun!"

"Sakura!"

She looked up at him and slipped a pocketknife into his fingers. (A/N: She carries two in her purse. That might seem weird, but I do, too. For occasions like this!)

Sasuke looked at her hand, which also contained a pocketknife. Realizing however dangerous it was, he'd lose by himself, and the fact that Sakura was mega strong and smart, he knew he needed her there.

"Okay. But if I tell you to, you're going to run." He told her. "I'm not going to stand here and watch you get hurt."

Sakura nodded.

"Let's do this." Orochimaru seetrhed.