A/N: I haven't updated in forever, huh? Sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 9: Revelations

Sakura stepped out of the airplane and into the airport, looking around at the people of Suna. Most of them were quite tan, which made sense because they lived in a desert, and she was stunned by how pale Gaara and his siblings were in comparison. Sasuke and Naruto stepped off after her, and then Gaara, who was greeted by a mass of people calling, "Kazekage-sama!" Photos were shot and the red haired man narrowed his eyes very slightly, pushing past all of the people to get out of the airport.

"Goddammit!" Naruto cursed, hopping along on one leg since someone squished his foot. Sakura laughed at him and patted his shoulder kindly. Following behind Gaara, Naruto, and Sakura with a stoic look on his face, Sasuke glanced around the village with interest. Friendly relations with Sunagakure made this trip possible, and as long he, Sakura, and Naruto were there to protect Gaara, they could stay for absolute free. Gaara held a great amount of dignity, making even the paparazzi stop taking pictures of the redhead. He led them towards the middle of the crowded town, and the pink haired girl grabbed onto Sasuke's arm.

The Uchiha glanced down at her as she linked arms with him, and she asked, "Wow, isn't this amazing Sasuke-kun?" He nodded in agreement and the four of them headed towards the building where the Kazekage lived, getting weird expressions from the civilians at their strange woodland apparel. The villagers wore things suited to the hot weather, and the three foreigners donned outfits suited to their climate of temperate weather.

Trailing into the building after the Kazekage, a couple of the attendants inside watched his body guards in awe, the women not able to keep their eyes off Sasuke, and Sakura frowned. She took his hand gently, not interlacing their fingers, but merely holding it in a friendly way, and grinned at him. He blinked and glanced down at her, then looked back up, continuing on behind Naruto and Gaara. That motion surprised Sakura, thinking that he would let go and give her a disapproving look. But then she smiled softly, squeezing his fingers gently. "So, Gaara-san," she started as they entered his office and took their seats on the leather sofa on the side of the room. "Where will we be staying?"

He turned back to her and replied, "You will each have your own rooms. Sasuke will have Kankurou's and you will have Temari's, and Naruto can have my father's old room." They nodded and Naruto looked slightly unnerved. Gaara, noting this expression, assured him, "There's nothing to worry about. The room has been totally refurnished and ready for an actual human to live there." Naruto grinned and thanked him, looping his arm around Sasuke's neck and leading him down the hallway. "Sakura?"

"Hai, Gaara-san?" she asked, looking back at the red-haired boy with a smile.

He told her, "Temari wanted me to tell you you're welcome to her clothes and make-up, if you wish. Just don't touch her journal." She smiled and, hugging him, bid him good night as she turned to follow her teammates down the hallway to their rooms. Turning the corner, she saw that Naruto had already entered the late, ex-Kazekage's room, and Sasuke was standing before his, his eyes set down the hall as if waiting for her. She walked up to him shyly, her hands intertwined in front of her. As she reached for the doorknob, his voice stopped her.

"Sakura." She glanced up, and he was before her, so close that she could feel his breath on her skin. A blush appeared on her cheeks, and he ran the back of his hand down the side of her face, his nose barely brushing hers as he told her, "Have a good sleep." Then he was gone, into his room and closing the door. She blinked and put a hand on the spot he touched, a silly smile on her face as she entered Temari's room. It was what was expected of Gaara's eldest sibling, red sheets on a canopy bed, with pictures of her family and friends on the walls, and Sakura noted with slight surprise, one of her with sake red cheeks kissing an equally drunk Shikamaru, who looked like he was about to fall over at any second.

"Wow, Shikamaru," she thought with a chuckle, dropping her bag to the ground and unzipping it. She pulled on a pair of short-shorts and a tube top to sleep with in this hot weather, and crawled into Temari's bed, under the thin blankets. The pillow was fluffy and soft, seemingly brand new. Sakura, tired, closed her eyes and slid to sleep.

"Sakura-chan, you're always so slow," a kind voice joked, mussing the hair of a tiny, rose-haired six-year-old. She quickened her pace to keep up with the brown haired teen, clutching onto his hand. A couple of his friends laughed nearby, picking up the pink haired girl affectionately.

The blonde, a teen girl, replied, "Don't worry Sakura-chan, Kohaku-kun's just jealous because you got the looks in the family." Kohaku started to protest but Sakura's giggles cut him off, making him laugh heartily with his other friends. The little girl clutched the girl's shirt, a huge smile on her face as they wandered down the dusk colored streets, Kohaku lugging a large bag of groceries home. Sakura had begged to go with her nii-san, and her mother had reluctantly agreed, on the requirement that Kohaku kept a strict eye on her.

"Nii-san," Sakura said quietly to her brother. The emerald eyed boy glanced back at his younger sister, and she smiled at him. "Thanks for letting me come with you!" He chuckled and his blonde friend put the little girl down, asking her to pick her some flowers. Sakura agreed, running off to the field nearby. The three friends took a break on a bench as the sun set, the soft glow of the street lights shining brightly on the street. Sakura sat in the flowers, looking around at the different colors, trying to decide what to get for her nii-san's girlfriend.

After assembling a beautiful bouquet, she ran over to the three, but just as she got there, Kohaku leapt to his feet, glancing around with narrowed eyes. "Kohaku-kun, what's wrong?" the blonde asking, jumping up with the other three. He pulled a gun from his holster, and the other two followed suit, looking around for any sign of trouble.

"Chihiro-san, Kohaku-nisan, what's going on?" she asked, but they didn't answer, her brother nodding at one of his friends. The black haired boy nodded and scooped up Sakura, but she yelled, "Nii-san, I don't wanna go! I wanna stay with you!" He glanced at her for a nanosecond, but a loud cackle sounded and he fired a shot at a creature flying towards him.

He called to his friend, "Yoshimi, get her out of here, now!" Yoshimi's expression suddenly turned blank, and he toppled over, dropping Sakura to the ground. Kohaku's expression became afraid as he watched whatever had just killed his best friend. The little girl stayed very still, and Chihiro shot at whatever was there. Sakura watched in terror as Chihiro was struck down, trying to protect the tiny girl, and Kohaku was killed doing the same thing. She glanced at him, her entire body shaking with terror as she watched the crimson blood soak through their clothes and to the grass. Looking up, a pair of bright amber eyes met hers, and she let out a scream.

Sakura awoke hearing an appalling sound, and she realized that she was screaming at the top of her lungs, and she couldn't seem to stop herself. "NO!!!" she screamed, clutching the sheets, her body drenched in cold sweat. "Nii-san!! Chihiro-san!! No!!" The door to her room burst open and the figure in the frame walked in to see her crying into her hands, choking sobs that left her chest heaving. "No…" she whimpered, shaking.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto whispered, walking in with Sasuke and Gaara standing at the door. "Is everything all right?' She glanced up and wiped her eyes off, a smile on her lips. He put a hand on her shoulder, looking concerned, and she realized she would have to bullshit her way through this.

"Yeah, I just had a bad dream, that's all," she explained, waving them away. "You can all go back to bed. Sorry for waking you." Gaara left when she said that, and then Naruto a little less willingly, but the smile on her face reassured him. Sasuke watched her for a moment, and then closed the door as he left, shaking his head. What a liar. She sneezed, and rubbed her nose, then sighed with depression. That was horrible, something she tried to suppress since that day, eleven years ago. Her brother, Kohaku, and her brother's friends, Chihiro and Yoshimi… had all been killed trying to keep her safe. She ran a hand through her pink locks and sighed, lying back onto her pillow.

She closed her eyes, and a pair of amber eyes reflected in them. They snapped open, and she bit her lip. Now unable to get to sleep, Sakura sat up and walked into Temari's personal bathroom, and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a rustled mess around her head, and she had dark bags under her eyes from the rude awakening. Sighing, she realized that she needed to get some decent sleep before the morning so she could protect Gaara efficiently, and exited her room. Not knowing where her feet were taking her, she headed down the hall, and stopped before the black door that was the aperture to Kankurou's room, hesitating. Would Sasuke shun her away? Or would he let her in?

Turning away, and planning on trying to sleep in her own room, she took one step down the hall. "If you're planning on coming in, do so instead of standing at the door all night." She jumped, and glanced at the wood, then tentatively opened it, glancing in uncertainly. Sasuke was sitting up in his bed, watching the pink haired girl as she walked in and blushed. He was in a pair of black boxers and nothing more, and she gulped, trying to keep her eyes from straying to that perfect body of his.

She asked, staring at the ground in embarrassment, "Sasuke-kun… if you don't mind… may I… may I sleep beside you?" His face didn't change expression as he watched her for a moment, then held his hand up to her. She closed the door behind her and walked towards him. She wrapped her fingers around his fingers, and smiled as he pulled her into his bed beside him. "Thank you."

He told her, "But in the morning, you have to promise me that you'll tell me what scared you so badly." Reluctantly, Sakura nodded, and laid down beside him, feeling very self-conscious about herself. But Sasuke would have none of that, and propped himself right behind her, resting his arm over her waist. She felt so secure with him right behind her, and she melted into the warmth of his arms, falling asleep against him.

…:oOo:…

Naruto woke up early the next morning, as per orders, and stretched groggily. Pulling the nightcap from his head, and shuffling out of his room, went over to Sasuke's door and banged on it. "Sasuke-teme! Get up!" He opened the door and saw him lying on his side, his back towards him, and frowned. He glared at the pretty boy for not getting up on time we HE had to, and stormed over. "Oi, Sasu—" He stopped dead in his tracks, and his jaw dropped to the floor. He saw Sakura lying beside him, her bare skin accenting against Sasuke's, and he exploded. "SASUKE-TEME!! WHAT THE HELL WENT ON HERE?!" Naruto yelled causing the two to fall off the bed, Sakura jumping up and watching him with fury, and Sasuke, who landed on his head, glared at him from the ground.

"Naruto!!" she yelled, throwing an abandoned shoe at him. "Get OUT!" He obeyed, knowing he had made one crucial error, considering they were both dressed and furious at him. But Sakura was grateful, and used it as an excuse to get out of there before Sasuke could question her about the dream. He was rubbing his head, and soon realized that he was alone in the room, a confused look on his face. Then he sighed, closing his door to get dressed.

…:oOo:…

"I wish for you three to get to know the city better," Gaara told them as they congregated in his office, waiting for orders. "If you want to protect me properly, you need to know Suna as well as Masao did, understand?" They all nodded but Sakura raised her hand. Gaara glanced to her.

"Gaara-san, will you be safe here while we're gone?" she questioned in worry. He nodded and sent them out of the room, preparing to get some paperwork done before that ridiculous meeting about his duties as Kazekage started. He sighed, and glanced out the window, wishing Masao was here to take some of this stress off of his shoulders with her encouraging words and help.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura had walked out into the awakening town, looking around. People were getting their newspapers in the driveway, or on their way to work. Most people were still asleep, so the village was quiet and not crowded. The Uchiha glanced back at Sakura, who seemed quieter than normal, and her eyes were sad and downcast. Something was definitely on her mind. Naruto, who was oblivious to everything and anything, asked loudly, "I wonder if there's a ramen shop around?!"

They were there all day, memorizing the layout of the town and where possible escape routes were, but they wouldn't be able to finish that first day. Sakura sighed and glanced around, accidentally wandering off from the main street away from Naruto and Sasuke. The two of them didn't notice, too busy taking in the arrangement of the foreign city as the Kazekage had asked them to. The pink haired girl strolled down the street, and soon found herself stranded in a deserted parking structure. She furrowed her cherry eyebrows, and looked around in alarm, startled to find herself in rather unusual territory, and part of the village they hadn't explored yet.

"Naruto? Sasuke-kun?" she called, putting her hand to her mouth to amplify the noise. "Naruto!! Sasuke-kun!!" All she heard was her voice reverberating off the concrete walls of the empty lot, and she felt very afraid. She was out here alone, in the dark with none of her weapons, completely vulnerable. A loud noise sounded behind her and she picked a broken beer bottle off of the ground to use as a weapon, holding it as she would a knife. The noise creaked above her and she glanced up, but as soon as she thought she saw something it was gone. "Who's there?!" she demanded, taking a step back into a defensive position.

A voice questioned, "What are you doing out here by yourself you little bitch?" It was a girl's voice, rather husky but still feminine. Someone jumped down before her with a smirk on her face. She had long magenta colored hair and wine colored eyes, making her look distinctly human. But there was no doubt in Sakura's mind what she was. She had been doing this job for to long to not know. This newly arrived girl was a vampire. "So you're Sakura, eh, you little whore?" She clenched her fist, the hand holding the beer bottle shaking very slightly.

"Tell me how you know my name!" she ordered, her voice cracking with fear near the end. Sakura gave herself a mental shake. You're braver than this! Don't be such a chicken! She pulled up a stance with the glass, a determined look on her face. "Now, vampire!"

The magenta haired vampire laughed, obviously humored, and sneered, "Why the hell should I do that?" The Seeker started forward, but before she could actually take the step the vampire girl was gone. The sound of glass against the pavement broke through Sakura's shock when she realized that the girl had twisted her arms around behind her back, and was preventing her from moving. "My name's not vampire bitch, it's Tayuya! I should break your scrawny little neck for that!"

Another voice chuckled, causing the pink haired captive to look around to the best of her ability to try and find whoever it was. "Now, now Tayuya, nothing too rash. Remember Orochimaru-sama's orders." Tayuya growled and let Sakura fall to the ground, gasping for air. She glanced up to see a handsome young man squatting in front of her, with silver hair and black eyes, slightly tinted by the vampiric ocher. "So you're Haruno Sakura then? It's a pleasure to meet you." The girl narrowed her emerald eyes to a dangerously slim level, one that would normally have had Naruto running for a new pair of pants. This man merely smiled at her attempt at frightening, and continued, "I know you're associated with Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura-san, and I wish for you to deliver a message for me, hm?"

She snorted. "Why the hell should I do that?" Tayuya made an angry noise at the mimicking of her words, but the man held a hand up to her, making her stop in her tracks. The silver haired man gave a compromising smile to Sakura and she watched him skeptically, fully prepared to bite, scratch, kick, and head butt her way out of the situation. He stood up and made a short whistle, and, glancing around, the ANBU noticed the numerous amber eyes that appeared in the area.

Sakura felt her heart skip a beat, and the fear took its grip on her. Her eyes grew unfocused, and her breathing turned to hyperventilation. She had been in something like this, so long ago… so… long ago… The memory came back to her with full force, and the loss of her older brother and his friends, struck her so hard that her heart nearly burst. Like the dream she had last night, that made her wake up in cold sweat, and entreat Sasuke for his comfort. Which, surprisingly, he willingly gave. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Sakrua gulped and replied nervously, "You make your point clear enough."

"Good," he replied, handing a thin envelope to the pink haired girl.

Before the Haruno took it, Tayuya questioned, "How do you know she won't tear that up as soon as we leave, Kabuto-san?" He chuckled and held the letter up for her to see.

"I know she won't, because if she did, we'd have to kill her little brother Shiro," he replied with a smile, and her face paled to almost pure white. She clenched her fists tightly and he held out the letter for her to take. She put her fingers around it with both shaking hands, and stared at it with sad features. Was this the choice she had to make? Between Sasuke, the man she was… becoming more than friends with, or her little brother, Shiro? She bit her lip and sighed, putting the envelope inside of her purse. "Good, I knew you'd see reason, Sakura-san."

Sakura tried to get up, but when she shifted her hand to hold her weight, she cut up a good portion of her hand on the glass beer bottle that had broken when Tayuya manhandled her, causing blood to leak from her hand dreadfully. She let out a whimper of pain, but as soon as she heard a growl she knew she was in trouble. Her hand was bleeding… while she was surrounded by bloodthirsty vampires. They flew from the shadows and surrounded herself, Tayuya and Kabuto, who also smelled the scent of her blood. She let out a scream as they began to close in on her, but a voice roared, "Get the fuck away from her!" Glancing up a bright flashlight shone on her, causing the vampires, save the silver haired one and the magenta haired one, to back away shrieking. A sword came down heavily, with Kabuto barely managing to dodge it. "Come on Sakura!"

Sasuke stood before her, like a knight in shining armor, his hand held out for her to take. She nodded, wrapping her bloody fingers around his own, and they rose into the air via a rope and pulley. He pulled her up to his chest, hugging her tightly with the arm that wasn't holding onto the cord. "Sasuke-kun, thank goodness," she whispered as they landed on the helicopter piloted by a seemingly experienced Naruto. He flew off, away from the scene and Sakura collapsed to the floor of the copter, shaking.

"Sakura," he said, his tone deathly serious. She winced and glanced up at his burning eyes, only seeing that look when he was insanely livid, and she knew she was in severe trouble now. He knelt down by her, his expression still fiery, and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "Never… ever do that again. Never, you scared me to death." She felt tears fill her eyes at the sentence, and she hugged him back, the warmth of the blood from her hand dripping down his back and soaking through his clothing. He pulled back and watched her with expressive eyes, and she absently leaned in closer to him, his onyx orbs nearly hypnotizing her. "Promise me," he whispered, his breath tickling her skin.

"I promise," she replied, watching his eyes. She was surprised to see such strong emotions in his eyes. But why? As far as she knew, he had never had such soft eyes. She brushed her fingers lightly against his cheek, giving him a gentle smile. He blinked slightly but said nothing, simply observing the pink haired girl with surveying eyes. Sakura pressed her head to his chest in what was meant to be a quick hug, but Sasuke held her to him. "Sasuke-kun?"

He glanced down at her with a smile. "I'm glad you're safe Sakura." She grinned and he let her go, but not before pressing a kiss to her temple. She blushed, and she pulled away, giving him a coy smile as she entered the cockpit of the helicopter. Naruto sat there, sweat beading down his face as he looked at the controls frantically.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme?" he asked nervously. Sakura and Sasuke shot sideways glances at each other, noting his nervous expression and arched their eye brows at the same time. "Heh, do either of you know how to land this thing?"

A/N: Sorry for the abrupt ending, but I had to skip a bunch of things to the next chapter to make more sense. Also, anyone looking for some Kakashi awesomeness, you won't be disappointed in the near future, the next coming chapters. I'm introducing some new characters in, as per requested by some people who PM'd me. Lee is gonna be back and stuff, so Lee fans rejoice!