(Skip to the story below as I pen down a long reply to a reviewer)

Thank you, everyone, who have followed or reviewed this story till now. I just wanted to go in and answer this one question that was posed to me in the form of a review.
Meech Macko: Thanks for showing interest and writing in : ) I really appreciate your response and also inquiring to as to why Sasuke would - 1) want forgiveness from Sakura? 2) even bother to seek forgiveness if she didn't care 3) Sakura lacks understanding for not knowing about the reality of the Uchiha massacre 4) why Sakura hasn't forgiven Sasuke in my story?

Okay here's my response and it might sound a little raw but believe me I base these opinions on ascertained facts and a personal feeling. 1) He clearly asked her to forgive him in the anime/manga after he fought Naruto in ep 479 when he realized what he had put her through. Through all his emotional turmoil and troubles it was Sakura who never gave up in seeing the good in him and in short NEVER giving up on him. Which he appreciated only after Naruto made him realize how utterly lonely he was if he didn't let people in. He WANTED her forgiveness because it would never gratify his journey to salvation because it would all be meaningless and futile if the one person he put so much through could not believe in him any longer. He also thanks her for all her concern and keeping her belief in him in the ANIME/MANGA when he leave's the village. (obviously not included in my story) 2) Now back to my story where I portray him in a light that pushes him to gain Sakura's forgiveness, which I HONESTLY BELIEVE he would have STILL done if things have played out this way in the anime as well, only because NOBODY can justify the hurt he put her through. From refusing her affection to trying to kill her, stab her, choke her and many other horrible things he did to her. Let's not forget this couple is CANON and the only reason that is, is because he TRULY loves his wife and not because he pities her feelings or anything unintelligent like that. That is not how Kishimoto made to couple out to be. So, of course, he would feel her pain and strive to win her trust back. 3) How can someone who has believed in another for 7 years straight, waited for them to redeem themselves without even the reassurance of ever returning their feelings back, and loving them unconditionally be called that? She is the most understanding character throughout the show. Even when Shikamaru asks her to break off her ties with Sasuke and give up on him, she believes it is in the best interests for Naruto and does what is morally right at the time. I for one do not tolerate even a hint of Sakura-bashing wherever I see it because it makes me realize how apathetic people are to a character who was only made to function within the limits of her feelings that were bound to someone who couldn't see the light at the time. In fact, it was BEST that she didn't know what REALLY HAPPENED because all the esteem and honor she held in her heart for the Uchiha's would have immediately have subsided because of what it turned Sasuke into. 4) Now back to why in this story Sakura didn't forgive him, it's simple. I have wanted her character to be more shallow yet human. I wanted her to revisit these hurt feelings and try and rationalize why exactly she even liked him in the first place. Which is why she feels he cannot reclaim himself until he doesn't truly win her trust back. I honestly felt it was BARBARIC for the creators of the show to let Sakura waltz her way back and falling so easily for his apology (which wasn't even a proper one if you ask me) which is the whole point of the story. Thanks for reading :) I know this was a long rant but I hated to avoid the statements you made putting Sakura under the scanner.

CHAPTER BEGINS HERE

The morning light filtered through the trees descending onto spot amidst the forest onto a bonfire that had died out as four bodies lay beside each other at right angles surrounding it. The birds cooed and croaked and branches rustled against one another when a sleepy-eyed Sakura rose from her sleeping bag rubbing her eyes almost like a child. Sasuke was next, stretching and extending his arms, arching from side to side as he jerked his leg at a snoring Naruto who only budged for a second. Sakura tied up her hair and went toward the direction of the stream to fetch water and wash up.

Sasuke sat aside the smoke that arose from the firewood that had charred away and turned into charcoal, small flares arising from the brushing of the wood here and there. Naruto woke up a while later brushing his hair away from his forehead and then instantaneously asking where Sakura was, to which Sasuke just glared at him derisively like scolding a child.

They eyed their new partner who lay in his sheets covered all the way to his collarbone as he tossed around to look at them. He yanked upward and sat there for a while before rising to his feet and asking if he could go wash himself up.

"Not until Sakura gets back. We'll three go after she comes so she can clear all this up," Sasuke responded.

Meanwhile, Sakura was busy bathing in the stream, relishing the cold water splash against her skin as she stepped out after a brief soak wrapping a towel around her nude body. She shivered relentlessly as the wind blew against her cold skin making the hair on its rise. Quickly jumping into a black shirt and knee length skirt with shorts beneath she made her way into the thick foliage of bushes and tree trunks that led to where her team was. She placed the canteens and other items onto a log and fixed her bag while Sasuke and Naruto were on cue as helped Kametatsu up and walked him to the stream.

"Keep an eye out, we won't take long," Naruto spoke as he walked away with the rest. Sakura pulled out a lip balm and slapped it onto her lips, she sat there combing out the knots in her hair.

"It should go smoothly if everything goes as plan. Even the slightest drop of your guard and the men at the camp won't spare her. Trust me, I know it. They raped my wife when she tried to free herself and our kids. And they killed her mercilessly," Kametatsu was mumbling to the two while they made their way to the stream. Sasuke and Naruto exchanged nervous glances.

They might have spent almost close to an hour until they made it back, partly due to the fact that Kametatsu took longer because he couldn't move his dominant arm that freely and also because Naruto swam into a drift and got caught in it before swimming back to where they were which took him long. While walking back to where Sakura was, Naruto had engaged in casual chatter with the man while Sasuke's eyes roamed about the place searching for her. He felt a pang of insufficiency towards his promise to Sakura and wanted to reassure her that Naruto and he wouldn't let her go through anything worse.

"So Kametatsu, what are your kids like? What are they named?" Naruto asked him.

Kametatsu swallowed a lump in his throat abruptly while his eyes twitched, his lips lifting into an offbeat smile that seemed very conscious to Naruto for a second.

"Oh uh, I have a four and a seven-year-old. Both have brown hair and eyes like mine. One's got lighter eyes though and-" Kametatsu was yanked forward by his collar by Sasuke who's face was wild with anger and shoved him toward the ground unsheathed his Kusanagi and aimed it at Kametatsu just as Naruto stepped back bewildered.

"You think you can lie to us?" Sasuke inquired angrily.

"Wh-what are you talking about? What is the meaning of all this?" he replied inching away from the sword that was aimed at him and gripping the dirt with all his might.

"I will rip you to shreds if you lie anymore, you hear me?" Sasuke emphasized.

"I don't know what I said to offend you but I am not a liar!"

Sasuke's Sharingan whirled speedily as three tomoe appeared and transfixed onto Kametatsu's embedded him to the ground in a motionless daze.

A series of memories flood Sasuke's conscience as he sought for the one he was looking for. A memory of his kids. Sasuke had blatantly let the man tell him his story with proficiently well thought of lies but Sasuke wasn't buying it now. His inexplicable hiccup when Naruto inquired of his children, with just enough time for Kametatsu to come up with a prevarication, a lie which would reforge their trust in him.

Nothing that Sasuke roved through depicted the existence of children in his memories or even a wife. There were only memories of him being a part of a guerrilla organization tearing down houses and setting them on fire. One memory depicted him aimlessly wielding a blade at a pack of villagers eliciting fear into them. Sasuke's eyebrows pressed into a raging expression, his teeth grit and he brought the sword close to Kametatsu's throat.

"Who the heck are you and what is the truth? Come out with it right now or else I will tear you from the skin to bone," a tempestuous tone in Sasuke's voice.

"Huh," Kametatsu grinned, what came next was unpredictable. His feet jumped to the ground as his body lay flat, angled to the ground as he brought his arms to capture the blade of the Kusanagi between the palms of his hands which he yanked out of Sasuke's grip while kicking him in his torso with force sending him flying into the tree trunk behind him.

Naruto charged forth with a Rasengan but Kametatsu ran in the direction of the camp fire, where Sakura was. The Rasengan unwhirled, Naruto chased him into the foliage of trees while Kametatsu picked speed inching closer to Sakura. Pink appeared at the end of his vision as he held his arms out to her, pulling her into tight grasp strangling her neck with his arm and holding her hair tightly with the other in a choking hold as she gasped repeatedly. He pressed his feet backward, moving away from a very palled Naruto who was disappointed in his lack of speed just when Sasuke broke out of the trees reaching the scene.

They stood there as Sasuke's muscles twitched convulsively as he plotted his next move. He made to make this maniac didn't snap her head off which he would if he made the wrong move.

"Wh-what are y-you doing, Kametatsu?" Sakura barely spoke as she choked in his grasp.

"Keep quiet, woman. If your friends move any closer I swear I'll snap your pretty little head off".

Her eyes widened in fear as they switched between Sasuke and Naruto in a call for rescue. Her arms were pressed down to her sides as Kametatsu's arms held them down tightly. They fluttered in need for movement as she attempted to break free, resulting in Kametatsu letting out a low growl. "You really do wanna die don't you, girl?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he signaled at Naruto to make a go for it. He lunged into the air striking the two bodies entangled together causing Sakura to separate and flung into the opposite direction of where Naruto had landed on Kametatsu. Sasuke jumped into Sakura's direction grabbing her in his arms, she clung to his shirt and her eyes were shut in dread. He leaned his face to check for anything wrong with her and noticed the red marks on her neck caused by Kametatsu's choking.

She stepped near a tree as he walked in front of her protectively and then sprinting into Naruto's direction. As if almost anticipating their simultaneous attack, Kametatsu made hand signs, "Earth style: Boulder crush" he muttered as his fingers split into three's while flicking them repeatedly in the air.

Boulder's flung in rounds of three's towards the now sprinting Sasuke and Naruto who dodged them but nearly getting tossed by one.

Sasuke sucked in a long breath before spitting fire, "Fire style: Pheonix Flower jutsu". Flames of fire shot up in the air targeting Kametatsu while Naruto grabbed Sakura in a frenzy and moved along for cover. Sasuke followed suit and kneeled beside them. He immediately sensed the absence of the weight around his waist and tilted his eyes to find his Kusanagi missing. Groaning in wrath he trudged outward in pursuit of Kametatsu who wasn't really visible.

Sakura tugged on Naruto's arm, to stop him from letting her go as she healed her neck. She had a horrible feeling about this whole conflict and didn't want to be out of his sight. Naruto looked at her reassuringly as he got up and paced towards Sasuke to back him up.

"What the hell are you doing here? You are supposed to be with Sakura watching out!" Sasuke hollered at him.

"Sasuke, when will you stop undermining her. She can take her of herself,"

Sasuke growled in response. They stood with their back together scoping through the green for their enemy finding to signs of him. Sasuke's Rinnegan immediately spun into action, searching. His eyes fixed onto a faint signature of heat moving towards another figure. He immediately pulled Naruto and himself toward it, in fear of Sakura being endangered. Just as they pranced into action, their field of vision blurred and nothing appeared before them. His rinnegan spun again and gazed into the distance but found nothing. Immediately a faint scream could be heard from quite a distance away. They were sure it was Sakura's. Sprinting and dashing through the bushes they made their way, Sasuke's face grew worried.

Meanwhile, Sakura was hurled by a shove to her back into the bushes by Kametatsu who now wielded Sasuke's Kusanagi. He flung it at her once, she dodged. He flung it again, she dodged it again. Her legs trembling recalling her complete lack of knowledge of what kind of skills he possessed. Yet she sprung into action, fisting her hand and punching into the ground. This took Kametatsu by surprise as he plummeted into the cracks on the floor. Her eyes scanned for his presence inching towards the debris. Upon not spotting anything she took a few steps back to retreat to where Sasuke and Naruto were but an arm sprung up from the ground grabbing her ankle yanking her down.

She felt flat on the ground as Kametatsu braced himself, pointing the sword at her. Her head rose up to see his vehement gaze when one foot shoved his stance right off balance. She was on her feet again while he scrambled across the floor distancing himself from her. She stepped forward to grab him only to be pushed by his arms back as she gained balance instead of falling. His arm extended the sword at her, while she made the run for it. Sprinting in an aimless manner not knowing which way she had to go back to.

Just as she sprang into a mound of foliage her grabbed her shirt backward and struggled to keep his grasp while balancing himself and maintaining his aim with the sword. She elbowed him and flung a kunai at him which he dodged by ducking and swung his blade at her. Small bits of pink hair fell from her face as she looked at his murderous eyes. She stepped backward when he flung her across disbalancing her. She struggled to maintain her grip.

A few more moments of his wasted onslaught passed by and Sakura screamed. It could be heard from miles away. Her shrill scream.

What had looked like an attempt at her had caused his failed thrust of the sword. He had aimed for her gut when he swung, while she stood right before him, yet she twisted her body just in time to dodge it. Causing him to retract his sword in reverse direction, which she could have stepped off from had he not clutched her hair from the back and pulled backward.

As the sword jabbed in her abdomen, he grasped her throat and shoved the blade even deeper, as she screamed; their bodies stuck like glue.

What he did not anticipate next was her arms wrapping around his hand that stabbed her jerking it in one swift strike deeper through her into HIS abdomen that was conveniently positioned behind her's.

Sakura spit blood, while her attacker jerked out of the thrust and fell backward into the dirt, collapsing. She fell to her knees and collapsed herself.

What now? Come on tomorrow for the next chapter update. Take care you guys and for everyone new here, DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW AND FAV :)