Sasuke followed Sakura down the halls happy that she was herself again, but unhappy that she had referred to herself as tainted. He knew what she meant after all he had witnessed her take the lives of at least thirty of her experiments and torture countless others; not to mention her vague reference of what Orochimaru had done to her. But he knew for a fact that she had not done any of it willingly. She had tried to kill herself out of fear of what they would make her do. He didn't even have that excuse and she seemed to have forgiven him. Did she not think that he would do the same for her?

Right now though she would not talk about it. He knew the look on her face, he had worn it for most of his life, and Sakura was out for vengeance. He was simply glad that he was not the one about to be on the receiving end of the kunochi's wrath. He watched as she suddenly slammed a door off of its hinges having sensed her prey within.

"Kabuto," she hissed at the medic. "How dare you?"

"Sakura-chan," Kabuto stood up and walked around the desk that he had been setting behind, "I am sure that we can talk about this like rational people."

Quicker than Sasuke could track without his sharingan she was on him. She delivered a punch with carefully measured strength; it seemed that she had used just enough power to crush his wind pipe. She knelt over the man and held his hands so that he would not be able to heal himself. Sasuke was unsettled by the fact that she was obviously taking great pleasure out of watching the man struggle for breath. Perhaps more of the old Sakura than he would like to think really was gone.

"This Kabuto-kun is the only rational thing that I can think to do at the moment," she hissed and held on to his hands until she was sure that he would not be able to revive himself. Finally she turned to face Sasuke again. "Are you going to return to Konoha with me to take down that damn snake now?"

"Followed by the council," Sasuke confirmed.

"Great," she gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "let's go and finish this."


"Man all we have been doing for days is just setting here. Stupid Kakashi sensei and his damn orders," Naruto grumbled kicking a rock. None of them knew that Orochimaru left before they had ever even made it there.

"Well it has been a few days," Kankuro who had returned that morning told him. "I can't quite remember what his order was."

"Idiot," Naruto barked. "He said we couldn't go in until we were sure that we wouldn't have to fight Orochimaru."

"You call me an idiot," Kankuro scoffed. "I am just saying that if we act like we forgot the order then we can just go in there."

"Excuse me," Sai interrupted.

"Shut up," was the reply he received from both of his teammates.

"If you two would just," he began only to be rudely interrupted again. If that was the way they wanted it then fine he decided as he stood up and began to walk away.

"Hey where are you going?" Naruto asked.

"Well dickless, I have been trying to tell you that Sakura just emerged from the compound with the traitor so I was going to meet them," Sai gave him a fake smile. He assumed when this mission started that when he saw Sakura his smile would be genuine, but he had seen how close she was walking with the Uchiha and did not miss a look that passed between them. While he was happy he could not help but feel what Sakura had once explained to him was regret. His friend was now coming back, but he was certain now that there could never be anything more than just that. However she was his best friend and the Uchiha would at least never be able to change that.

"Why didn't you say so?" Naruto yelled. Quickly he took off running in the direction of the entrance of Orochimaru's lair.


"The dobe is here," Sasuke droned as they continued walking.

"I know," Sakura replied, "he will catch us no need to stop." What she heard next though did make her stop.

"Sasuke you bastard let Sakura go," Naruto roared as he came rushing through the bushes building a Rasengan in his hand as he ran.

"Naruto," Sakura sweat dropped as she stepped in between her two teammates. "Sasuke didn't do anything to me. He was going back to Konoha with me to kill Orochimaru."

"Really," Naruto sounded stunned. When he received a nod from her he ran and gathered her into a bone crushing hug. Sasuke saw her go stiff as a board and was about to come to her rescue.

"Dickless I believe that she is having problems breathing," Sai said before Sasuke had a chance to. He didn't like how perceptive his replacement seemed to be when it came to Sakura.

"It is good to see you all too, but we have to go. Orochimaru is almost certainly in Konoha by now and who knows how much damage that he has already done," Sakura said as she reached into her pouch and pulled out a soldier pill for all present. "Kankuro it is good to see you thank you for coming, but you should go and inform Gaara of what is going on. If Konoha falls Orochimaru will head for Sand be prepared I will be sure that you receive a message either way."

"Damn does she fill in for Kakashi when he can't be team leader?" Kankuro smiled.

"Actually she does," Sai told him with a smile of his own.

"Alright double time back to Konoha," Sakura called out as she took off into the trees Sasuke quickly on her trail.

"How do you think she managed to get him to return to Konoha with her?" Sai asked.

"I have no idea," Naruto replied, "but you better believe that I am going to find out."


They had traveled for days without any rest popping Sakura's solider pills when they grew weary. Finally the pink haired woman stopped on a branch in front of them.

"We will stop here," she said, "tomorrow we should reach the village, and we will need our rest. You guys eat and get some sleep I'll take first watch." She didn't wait to hear any of their arguments before jumping into a tree near the edge of their camp.

"How did she get you to come with her?" Naruto asked Sasuke after she left.

"She asked," Sasuke replied causing Naruto to sweat drop.

"What do you mean she asked?" Naruto grumbled. "Do you know how many times I asked you to come back?"

"Hn," Sasuke replied.

"What was done to Sakura," Sai asked?

"Ask her," Sasuke glared at the dark haired man.

"I would rather not drag up any unpleasant memories for her," Sai gave him one of the fakest smiles that he had ever given. "That is why I asked for you to explain, but it really doesn't matter. The whole reason that I asked you was so that I could inform you that if I found out that you in any way hurt her while she was there I will kill you."

Sasuke growled in the other man's direction before jumping into the trees to locate Sakura. Once he had found her he set as close as he could to her without actually touching.

"Not enjoying the company?" Sakura asked him.

"We should simply leave them," he told her, "they are annoying and will only be a burden."

"They are annoying," she agreed, "that was why I took first watch, but they won't be a burden. They are both very skilled shinobi I couldn't ask for a better team."

"What is going on with you and my replacement?" He asked her.

"Sai has been a good friend to me," she sighed. "Almost everyone who you once knew is in a relationship so anytime that I needed a date Sai was there for me."

"So you are in a relationship with him," Sasuke sounded guarded.

"No," she said. "Listen if I had been in a relationship with Sai don't you think that I would have had a kiss before your's? I didn't have time for a relationship between training and work and that hasn't changed. There was no time then and there will not be any time now."

"I seem to recall you saying that you wanted to train with me," he whispered.

"That was before everything became so confusing Sasuke. Now just be quiet or I am going to kick you out of my tree," she looked serious.

"Fine," he relented, "but sleep Sakura you have pushed yourself harder than any of us. I will take first watch and wake you in a few hours." He was relieved that she nodded her head and settled in for a rest that he knew she needed.

"Did you see that?" Naruto whispered to Sai. "He just talked more to her in one conversation than I have ever seen him talk in his whole life."

"She is easy to talk to," Sai concluded as he lay on his bed roll to catch what sleep he could before they headed out.


Sakura woke to the rays of the early morning sun.

"You were supposed to wake me up," she scolded Sasuke as she jumped down from the tree.

"Don't worry about it Sakura-chan," Naruto told her once she landed. "We split up the watch so that you could catch some extra sleep."

"What is the plan once we reach the village?" Sai questioned.

"I am going after Orochimaru, Sasuke can watch my back to make sure that there is no interference in the fight, and the two of you should head straight for Kakashi and find out where he needs you," Sakura instructed.

"You will not face him alone," Sasuke piped up.

"I will," she replied.

"You should allow me to fight him with you," Sasuke insisted.

"I am more qualified than anyone here to fight him," Sakura snapped back, "I am the only one of us that has trained under two sannin."

"Hold on a minute," Naruto barked. "Did you say you have trained under two sannin?"

"It is a long story," Sakura sighed, "but yes I trained under Orochimaru while I was with him. I will try to tell you all about it eventually."

"Fine," Naruto relented, "but Sasuke you had better be sure not to let Kabuto interfere. He can be a real pain in the ass."

"I killed him already," Sakura told him. "Now let's head out we should reach Konoha by noon."