Well sorry if the last chapter sucked but this one is a lot better this is where everything changes course. I'd say this is one of the most shocking parts of the whole story. And its sad. But this is one of the very high points of the story. So please enjoy and feel free to cry -- that is if your emotional…and if so then get tissues..I'm just kidding it's not that bad..i guess.

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Chapter 14: Blackout

As the two entered the town, Sakura wore a head garment over her head because her father still didn't know that she wasn't kidnapped, so he still had guards out looking for her and since they were still close to the castle it was a good idea to keep covered.

The princess followed her ninja through the streets. She guess he was looking for an inn. She knew she had guessed right when he entered a place called, 'Travels' Inn'.

As we came into the building, I saw to the left of the door we came through, there was a counter with a clerk behind it and to the right were three tables -- where random people, staying in the inn, could buy a drink and sit down.

Everyone turned to look at the couple as they walked in. Sasuke didn't hesitate, he walked over to the clerk and asked if there was any room open.

"Why yes, only one room. I hope its okay seeing that there are two of you."

"Yea, its fine. How much?" Sasuke asked.

As Sasuke payed for the room all Sakura could do was think. Yeah sharing a bed this time won't be a problem. I wonder what it will be like sleeping in the same bed as him, without being hurt this time….ha ha. Hopefully it will go well.

As her ninja had finished, he turned to her and motioned for her to follow him. But that's when something hit her. She wanted to check for the date. The female ninja turned to the clerk and spoke.

"Umm do you know what day it is?"

"Yes, today is the 28th of March."

Sakura smiled as she had heard the date. Today was her birthday. She was finally 18 years old.

"Come on." Sasuke said grabbing his girlfriend's arm and pulling her behind him.

"Okay." Sakura said while being dragged behind him.

The two reached the room in no time, it was the only room door that was open, on the second floor, at the end of the hall. As they entered the room they saw that against the wall farthest from the door was where the bed was and to the right of the bed was a window that over looked the town. On the same wall as the door there was a table, and on the other side of the bed was a nightstand.

"Well this is better than the other place we stayed at." Sakura said.

"Hn."

Sakura ran and jumped on the bed. She loved the way it felt. She never got to sleep in beds much anymore. It was just about the only thing she missed from her old princess life, having huge cozy beds.

"Oh yeah I missed this." She said lying on her back in the bed.

The raven haired male set down his and Sakura's stuff in the corner and walked toward the bed. He then layed on top of Sakura.

"So today's your birthday huh?"

"Yea, I'm 18 now."

"So what do you want?"

"Nothing, just as long as you're here with me."

"Aww, I can do better than that. Just tell me what you want."

"Nothing. And you don't need to waste your money."

"Well let's go and walk around town to find something to do."

"Alright."

xXx

Later on…

The two walked in the streets only to see, gift shops, inns, and food places. The princess once again wore her head garment on her small head. As the two were in the middle of the town, they soon felt little rain drops come down. They pushed that aside until it started to rain really bad.

"Come on, let's get inside." Sasuke said grabbing his love's hand and going into the closest store to them. She only nodded to him and allowed him to lead her inside.

Once inside the store, Sakura looked around to find out it was a jewelry store. She looked at the jewelry only to see it was very high priced, What is a store so expensive doing in a rather poor town, I mean I could afford this stuff only because I am or was a princess.

She was used to getting the best of items, but the princess wasn't spoiled, she never really ever wanted the best but she got it all the time or used to. She remember for her last birthday, her 17th birthday her mother and father had got her a pearl necklace, the pearl was huge and had a beautiful white color, it had a pure gold chain on it too.

Sakura put her hand on her neck where that necklace used to rest. She had left it when she was in such a hurry to go with Sasuke, I really miss it, I loved that necklace, I wore it everyday, I remember Hinata had one just like it. But maybe its better that I left it, out here it might have got broken.

As she pushed that thought away she looked around the rest of the shop, she never really drooled over jewelry before, but that was until she saw the ring, unlike any other ring she had ever seen, even as a princess all her life, she had never seen a ring as beautiful as this one.

It had a white gold band on it and in the center of the ring was a huge white diamond that sparkled without even a light on it. It had two smaller white diamonds on either side of it. The white gold band curved into a beautiful design around the diamonds.

Sasuke who was looking around as well, saw that Sakura, out of the corner of his eyes had stopped for about two minutes, he couldn't help but walk over to her and see what she was looking at, he saw that it was a beautiful diamond ring, he smiled.

"Well there you go, this can be your birthday present." He said, only to have Sakura snap out of her daydreaming to stare at him.

"No way, I told you not to spend any money. I only want you for my birthday present."

"Get real, what princess says that? Princesses are spoiled. But then again you're not normal, you're a princess that doesn't beg and beg for items."

"I am too normal, I'm just not a brat and happy to have what I can get."

"Well be happy that I'm gonna get you that."

"No."

Sasuke sighed. "Okay fine. But go see if the rain as lightened up, because if it has, we will go and get some food from a stand and go to the inn."

"Alright."

Sakura walked to the end of the store and opened the door to see it was only sprinkling, but no one was really on the streets now. It almost looked like a ghost town. She looked up at the sky to see the clouds were a dark gray color. Happy Birthday Hinata. We're finally 18. Even though I just saw you, I miss you already. It's so hard without you. I mean we have been together and everything for 17 years, and now we aren't anymore. I wonder if we will ever been close like we were before, again.

As Sakura remember Sasuke's command, she didn't turn her head as she called back, "It's only sprinkling. So let's go."

"Alright, just a minute."

She didn't even ask what was taking him a minute when he was just suppose to be looking around the store. She just looked out the door to see two little boys running around, playing in the ran.

"Wait for me Riku!" The smallest boy yelled as he was falling behind the bigger one.

Riku. I have never heard a name like that before. The female ninja just stood in the door way, when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She smiled.

"Ready to go, Sasuke?"

"Yeah, come on."

As the two began looking for a place to buy some food and go, Sakura thought back at the name of Riku.

"Have you ever heard of the name Riku?"

"Yeah, I like it a lot."

"Really? Because I kind of thought it was weird."

"Well if I ever have a son, I wanted to name him Riku."

"Well it won't be my son, because I wouldn't name him Riku."

xXx

Back at the Inn…

The two had ate and were now laying on the bed, thinking of things to talk about.

"So you really don't like the name of Riku do you?" Sasuke asked.

"Well it's okay I guess, now that I have thought about it."

"Oh, so you're sure you don't want anything for your birthday?"

"Positive."

"Well I can think of something I could give you, and it's free."

"What?"

Sasuke just smirked, as he rolled over on top of her. Sakura smiled. He bent his head down where his lips met hers. Sasuke placed one of his hands to rest on Sakura's neck as his other hand wandered over her stomach.

Sakura opened her mouth, as his tongue when to meet hers. Sakura grabbed at Sasuke's sides. Sakura let out a small moan as Sasuke squeezed her side. His hand then moved from her side down to stroke her leg. Sasuke broke the kiss as he began kissing her neck. Sakura had butterflies in her stomach.

As he pulled back up to her face, he kissed her again. His hands now went to her chest. After they kissed for about a minute he pulled back just a centimeter to speak.

"Do you want to?"

"Sex?"

"Yeah."

"If you want to." Sakura smiled as she said that. She really did want to, she had thought about it every since she found out Sasuke'ffeelings for her. She wasn't really sacred, she just always wondered what it felt like, from what people were always saying, it feels like super good. Sasuke kissed her again, but then pulled back again.

"I'm a guy you know what I want."

"Well then okay, let's."

He kissed her again, and began to kiss at her neck when he started to talk again.

"Are you sure, it's okay if you don't want to."

Sakura only smiled as she used her arms to push Sasuke away from her body to where she could see his face. Sasuke was amazed at how strong she had gotten.

"I want to. Please."

He only smiled as he went down to kiss her again. And while they were kissing he began to take off Sakura's shirt.

xXx

Later that night…

Sasuke woke up to hear the noise of the soft rain coming down on the building. He guessed it was about 3 or 4 in the morning. He looked to see that there was no light that came through the curtain over the window. He then looked to his side to see Sakura cuddled next to him. She was really warm against his body.

As he looked at her while she slept, he saw how innocent she looked. He almost felt guilty about taking her. But she had said the magic word, 'please.' So what's a guy to do. (I couldn't write about the sex part because this story is rated T.)

But as he was looking over her bare body over, he heard something hit the window. Like a rock. He pulled himself to the side of the bed where he pulled back the curtain to look outside and see a man standing in the middle of the street. The man motioned for Sasuke to come to him. Sasuke opened the window, where he could talk to him.

"What do you want?" He called lightly as to not wake Sakura.

"You seek power, yes?"

"………."

"I can give you that power. Come, talk with me."

"You don't even know who I am do you? This is a trick."

"You're Sasuke Uchiha. Younger brother of Itachi Uchiha."

"..."

"You seek to kill your brother. You have been trying for years...but I can end that, I have the power to do it."

"Fine, stay there, I'm coming down."

Sasuke closed the window and the curtain. He then pulled back the covers of the bed as he stood up. He grabbed his clothes off of the floor and put them on, quickly. He then moved to look at Sakura still asleep in the bed. He smiled at her and kissed her check. He then left the room.

Sasuke walked to the bottom floor of the inn, as he saw the man was now inside standing right in front of the door. His face was white as snow, his eyes yellow but with black diamond shaped pupils. His hair was black and fell all the way to the bottom of his back. He was rather tall.

"I'm Orochimaru. And I can give you all the power you want, even enough strength to kill your brother."

Finally a way to kill Itachi and end this stupid journey I have been on for years and years. Once I kill Itachi, I can be with Sakura and settle down, and restore my clan.

"How can you do this?"

"All I have to do is give you my mark. You see, the mark takes a portion of my strength and it slowly absorbs into your body, but however, for the first month or so, you won't be able to control your body due to all the power going into your body. So I will be there to help you." (I don't really know how the whole Orochimaru thing with the cursed mark thing goes, I didn't feel like looking it up so yeah. I am making it where it's simple and stuff. So this is how it is in my story.)

"Why are you so willing to help me?"

"Well let's just say Itachi and I have unfinished business and I thought it would be wonderful revenge to have his own little brother, the one who he said was so weak, is the one to kill him, because he won't be afraid of you coming to fight him and you'll take him by surprise."

Sasuke only smirked. This was all to easy. That's when Sakura popped in his head. Wait he said that I won't really be able to control myself very well at first. What if I lost control and I hurt her. I could never live with myself if I did that. But I want her to stay with me. Maybe I have to leave her behind. It's for her own good. I can't live with the thought that I could attack her any second…

"So will you do it? I would just love to see his face when he finds out the person he least expected is killing him."

Sasuke only thought of Sakura. I love Sakura to death, but I can't forget what my whole purpose is for being out here. My journey is to kill Itachi. Even if I die trying. I have to let Sakura go. If I make it out okay I'll go back to her, if she'll have me. But there are no guarantees. I have to kill Itachi. I shouldn't have let Sakura get mixed in with all of this. I knew I shouldn't have fallen for her, but I did and I fell hard -- so hard that I can't even really get up.

"Sasuke?"

I have to leave her. I will always love her but I made a promise to myself that I would kill him. Maybe one day in the future after Itachi is killed, I might see Sakura again, and we can be together. But we can't be together not now.

"Yea, I'll do it, but give me until the morning, about 8 or 9."

"Alright. I will meet you on the west side of the town."

"But before you go can you do me a favor?"

"Whatever you want."

Sasuke told Orochimaru his favor, but while he did in the back of this head all he could think was, My last hours with Sakura.

xXx

In the morning…

Sakura woke up to the light shining through the window, and Sasuke laying beside her. He was asleep. Sakura smiled at herself as she remembered the night before. As she began to move around, Sasuke woke up and smiled at her. Sakura reached up to kiss him as he kissed her back.

"So how was that for a birthday present?"

"Lovely."

He only smiled at her. He began to get out of his bed when Sakura began to looked puzzled.

"Why in such a rush?"

"Well while we were in town yesterday, I overheard some people talking about Itachi being seen in the woods just to the west side of the city."

"Oh okay."

Sakura did like Sasuke and got her clothes on, and packed up. Even though Sakura trusted Sasuke, she felt like something was wrong, like he was hiding something. She knew he was acting weird and she was just hoping that it wasn't anything to do with what happened last night, because she had loved it and it seemed like he was enjoying himself too.

The two were then headed toward the west side of the town. Each step Sasuke took, he felt more and more pain coming to him.

I can't back out, Sakura will be fine. If she stays with me then she could get hurt and I can't let her get mixed in all of this -- well anymore than she already is.

He only looked at her beautiful pink hair flow along with the wind as they walked. Her green eyes were filled with life. She seemed so happy, and it killed Sasuke to know that she wouldn't be very happy in less than an hour now.

When they exited the town, they entered the woods. The patch of woods were very small. As they walked deeper into the woods Sasuke then saw light shining through some trees, he knew it was the very west side of the woods, this was it.

He remembered the favor he had asked Orochimaru to do for him. He had asked Orochimaru to go and find some of the Konoha guards that were looking for Sakura, their missing princess. Sasuke had told Orochimaru to lead them to the very west side of the woods, saying that he had seen Sakura there. But knowing Sakura, she wasn't going to allow them to take her, so in the night he had bought a drug, that was in the form of a liquid. It was suppose to paralyze you then make you pass out for a few hours. With her passed out, the guards could take her home.

I guess its time, I have to give her this drug. I have the perfect way, but she'll hate me for this, but it's only because I love her so much, that I'm doing this.

As Sakura was looking around the forest, he took the time to take out the drug, which was in a tiny bottle, he took a small sip, but didn't sallow it. (It only affects you if you sallow it.) He used one of his hands to grab Sakura's head. He turned her to look at him. He had taken such a small sip she couldn't tell he had anything in his mouth, he then moved close to her as he kissed her. And when she opened her mouth to kiss him he moved the liquid drug in her mouth, she was so into the kiss she didn't notice it.

As they pulled apart, Sasuke looked sad. Sakura only looked at him.

"Sakura, I know you told me not to buy you anything, but I wanted to."

Sakura smiled. "What?"

That's when Sasuke pulled out a small box from his back pocket. He handed it to her, as she only starred at him. She sighed.

"I'll keep it, but next time don't buy me anything. Okay?"

"Alright." If there is a next time…

Sakura opened the little box, only to find herself speechless. It was the ring she had eyed so badly in the store, the exact thing she had told Sasuke not to buy. She only smiled.

"Oh, Sasuke that you so much."

"Your welcome."

Sasuke reached for the ring and pulled it out of the box and grabbed her left hand, he slid it on her ring finger only to have Sakura looked puzzled. That was her wedding finger.

"Why are you putting it on that finger?"

"Listen to me...I want you to remember me when you look down at your ring and it's on that finger because if I make it back okay, and you still want me, I want to marry you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Where I am going, you cannot come with me. I love you so much, I don't want you to get hurt. Just after this don't ever doubt that I love you, because I do. I love you so much. And I'm sorry about the drug I had to give you, it was the only way."

Sakura was about to say something but for some reason she couldn't find her voice. She felt her body stiffen up. It was the drug taking affect on her. She then realized he had put it in her mouth when they had kissed. She had swallowed it.

"I wish I could, but I can't tell you why I am doing this. Just remember I love you."

Sakura wanted to ask him what was happening so bad, but she felt herself stiffen up. She couldn't move. She struggled to keep her eyes open. But then Sasuke picked Sakura up, bridal style and began walking with her toward the west end of the forest. Just before Sakura's eyes closed, she saw a single tear fall from Sasuke's eye. It was the first time she had ever seen him cry.

Sakura couldn't help but have a few of her tears fall from her eyes. She fought against her body to keep her eyes open, but then she gave in as she got a good look at her love's face.

Sasuke keep walking until he soon saw a large group of guards standing in the sunlight right on the outside of the forest.

As Sasuke got in ear range he called to them, "I found the princess, she was being attacked by a group of guys but I saved her. She's okay -- she only fainted because she got scared."

"Oh thank you so much sir! What is your name, the king will give you the reward for finding her."

"Well I would rather not, he can keep the reward."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, just take her….." Sasuke held sadness in his voice.

Sasuke then as much as he hated too, handed Sakura over to the guard that walked up to him. The guard then took Sakura back to the group of guards.

The guards, then put Sakura in the carriage they had, there were no sides to it, only a roof, one horse was hooked to it. As the guards lyed her inside, a guard grabbed the horses' reins and began leading him.

Because the carriage had no walls on it, only a roof, Sakura struggled to open her eyes, as she opened her eyes, she saw Sasuke standing in front of the woods, he looked sad, it looked like he couldn't move.

When I saw him,

standing in front of the woods,

I knew this would be

the last time I saw him

for a long time.

It would be the way

I remembered him,

standing there sad --looking

after me as I was hauled away,

toward my home,

the castle.

That's when I blacked out….

I knew I would miss him, dearly.

Well there you have it, a very shocking event, but please review!! There is more to come, it's not over.

love ya

kikyothepriestess05