Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, is he dead? Or is he still amongst the living, driving Sakura to the brink of insanity? ;) Thanks Uchiha-Kirara for your hilarious reviews. XD

Chapter 12

With deep breaths, she cast her eyes one more time at the man she had once thought she would always loved, and felt her heart of stone break as the fox to her left slowly changed back to human and the sounds of her childhood best friends' sobs made her turn her back and walk away, her head held high despite the aching deep in her chest that threatened to overwhelm her even as she wondered why.

Her strides purposeful and proud as she walked past the grief-stricken Dog shifters, their heads bowed in sadness and acknowledgement of her win, as is their customs. Her heart breaking as she saw the looks of absolute hatred and sorrow written on their faces, all because of her.

She was nearly to the edge of the Dog shifters territory when she heard something behind her that made her entire body stiffen and her eyes widen in disbelief. With stilted movements, Sakura turned slowly, only to find that the man she had thought she killed, the one she had loved as a child, the one who had broken her heart those many years ago was standing, alive, looking at her with deep, blazing eyes. No longer a wolf, but now the tall human that she had fallen in love with back when she didn't know he was royalty.

Gasping, Sakura stumbled back in shock as he walked towards her, the blood that had been gushing from the wound only minutes before was now dried and staining both his bare chest and neck.

Without a second thought Sakura began walking backwards, her eyes never leaving the blood splattered form of her enemy. As she stumbled backwards her heel caught on a tree root and she went down heavily, just lying there, knowing he would have caught up to her soon enough anyway.

Eyes shut she could still sense his footsteps as he stopped in front of her.

When no harm came to her for a seconds after she began to open her eyes slowly, dreading what she would see. Sasuke was leaning over her, his eyes bled red, his eyes emotionless as he stared at her. His face was a mask of nothing as Sakura lay there staring up at him in horror.

"Well! Kill me already!" Sakura spat at him, her voice carrying around the clearing as she bared her fangs. Claws dug into the soil beneath her as she glared up at him, her eyes tinged with yellow.

Sasuke looked down at her, keeping on his emotionless façade. His expression never changed as he reached his arm down. Sakura, thinking it was his fatal blow, shut her eyes and awaited the pain.

When agony and pain never came, she opened her eyes only to see the hand outstretched towards her in front of her face. Just suspended there in midair.

Following the hand up, Sasuke looked at her with warm eyes. Begging with his eyes what he couldn't say aloud. 'Take my hand. Stop the war.'

With a snarl, Sakura smacked his hand away, and despite the fact that her heart screamed otherwise she launched to her feet, growling as Sasuke tried to take a step forward.

"This war will NEVER be over! Not as long as I live and breathe! You will all pay!" Screaming at him Sakura stepped back, one step after the other, trying to put some distance between her and the man that made her feel things she hadn't felt in years.

"We will retreat for now, but I will kill you. Remember that Dog King." With teeth bared Sakura threw herself in the air, the air around her shifted and wavered as she changed shape. A sleek black panther form erupted from the shifting air. A loud growl the only warning before she leapt at Sasuke, just grazing his hair with her claws as she jumped over him to start sprinting towards her Haven.

'Remember Sasuke… I will never forgive you'. With her entire army behind her, they made their retreat to their castle. To fight again another day, and that time; they would be victorious.