A/N: Okay so here's chapter 13. Sorry if the stories have become a drag lately. But of course it's necessary coz I don't want to have the turn of events move too fast either. (Although I could at least improve on them right?) Hmmm anyway, there's a mention about some grammar problems and what not, so my apologies for that hehe I do not have an editor or anybody else who could proof read my stories so what you have been reading are basically "raw". But as long as it's understandable…lol Sorry bout that! And please review…I've been getting less and less lately T_T have mercy on me! Reviews are one of my inspirations...

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CHAPTER 13: Dream

The lights have already been turned off and darkness enveloped the room he was in as he lay on his own sleeping mattress.

He turned to check on his right.

The thunderous snoring the blonde shinobi is making didn't make him doubt he was fast asleep. And to his left, he saw a pink-haired kunoichi, whose back was facing him. The rise and fall of her side tells him, she too, is having a peaceful sleep.

How can she even manage that with all this idiot's snoring?

Aside from that curiosity, he was also thinking of other things.

This could be his only chance. If he tried enough, he could definitely sneak out and start all over with his very own personal mission. And by the time they find out his no longer there, it will already be too late. He would be somewhere far, free and closer to his motives.

All of a sudden he remembered the last time he tried to do the same thing.

Sakura's sorrowful face was filled with tears as she tried to convince him to either stay or take her with him.

It was also around this time of the night that it happened three years ago and he was about to do it again. Only this time, he wouldn't even see her crying. Heck, he won't even see her face since her back is towards him.

I guess I couldn't let you trust me after all.

Turning his gaze away from her sleeping form, he looked up at the ceiling bracing himself from what he was about to do. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled.

Opening his eyes again, he thought, It's time.

Careful not to wake them up, he propped himself onto his elbows into an upright position.

He felt someone hold on to his right hand and his eyes widened when he realized Sakura was already turned to him holding his hand and preventing him from getting up.

Shit!

Did he wake her up? He hardly made a sound.

He made to look at her and thought of an excuse that could cover him up or better yet, make her believe he's irritated with her for doing what she just did.

"Wha…" he paused. "…huh?"

Looking at her closely, her eyes were still closed.

Is she still asleep?

Sakura held on to his hand tightly as he tried to strain himself to make out her silent mumbles.

"Don't go…please don't go Sasuke-kun"

"So she is still asleep"

He could feel her hands holding on to him still as she continued to say the same thing over and over again.

The Uchiha sighed. His timing was probably just wrong.

He might as well just try to go back to sleep as his attempts have obviously failed. But even if he did try to lie back down on his own mattress, she wouldn't let go.

Looking at her, he could see her brows starting to wrinkle as if worried over something. Is she remembering the time I left the village? Her words, begging him not to go, were just too familiar.

Those words…and even the way she looked as he saw a single tear roll down her eye and make its way to her nose bridge.

She is definitely remembering that time. The same sorrow showed in her face. And for some reason he seemed to feel...

He tried to squeeze her hand not knowing how it would even help.

"Alright. I'm not going anywhere…" he whispered to her as he reached out to her face to wipe her tears away "So don't cry anymore"

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She thought she was over that dream already but it seems that it is still haunting her.

Dreaming about the time Sasuke tried to leave the village wasn't something new to her but it hadn't been as frequent as before since his return. But for some reason, she was dreaming about it again. Although this time it was a little different.

"What are you doing?" he protested as she held on to his hand to stop him from leaving

"I should ask you the same thing" she sounded frantic but added, "Where are you going?"

"It's none of your concern!"

"Of course it is! I'm worried about you!"

"Then don't be. I can take care of myself even better than you could"

She knew he was right, there's no arguing that. But she couldn't let him go, at least not by himself.

And before she could stop herself from doing so, she had started crying.

"What?" she heard him ask, his tone suddenly different from earlier.

"Just please don't…"

"Sakura you must understand. I have to"

"No you should understand! We need you here! I need you!" she looked him straight in the eye challenging him and begging at the same time.

He paused, deliberating.

It took a moment until he heard him sigh in defeat. "Alright, I'm not going anywhere…so don't cry anymore"

She tried to say more but she couldn't make her voice come out from her mouth. She tried again. Nothing.

And little by little Sasuke has gone farther and farther away from her as if pulled by an unknown force.

"Sasuke-kun!" she shouted, extending her right arm so she could reach him but to no avail. He was already too far.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

Sakura jolted up from her sleep, panting. She scanned the room, glad that no one was there to see her so frightened from her own dreams but worried at the same time that Sasuke did leave.

Quickly, she fixed her bed and her hair and dashed out their bedroom door.

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Soil that have managed to cling to the weeds' roots sprinkled back onto the earth as it got pulled and untangled from the rest of the plants that grew together with it.

Already the rays of the sun have begun to shine from behind the gigantic mountains that bordered the village. It wasn't hot yet but it was warm enough that Sasuke had to remove his upper shirt. He didn't want to soil it anyway.

He and Naruto woke up early that day and started helping Natsumi with de-weeding the little field of garden at the back of their house. It was the least they could do for the generous meal they had last night; according to Naruto that is. Aside from the fact that they were not warned about having to help out on manly labor, he had no reasons to complain.

"Naruto!" he shouted for him, "quit playing around and do your part of the job already!"

From the opposite end of the Hara's private field Naruto have stopped pulling the weeds and took his time teaching Satoru how to throw shurikens, targeting nearby trees. And it's either he didn't hear him or he deliberately tried to ignore Sasuke's calls.

When I'm through with this the next thing I'll be de-weeding is that dobe's head!

"Sasuke!" Sakura ran towards where he was. She stopped when she got close to him, her hands to her knees as she tried to catch her breathing.

"What is it?" he wondered if something happened.

"I thought you left" she managed to say through ragged breathes

He knew it probably was about last night. She had been dreaming.

"What are you talking about?" he feigned ignorance.

"Nevermind. It's nothing" She then looked at him when she was able to steady herself and was shocked to realize that he was naked from the waist up.

From where she stood she could see his lean yet muscular body, how flawless his skin was despite the fact that he has been on countless of missions. Overall, he looked perfect.

How in the world did he keep his body in such good condition?

She blushed as she racked for a way to erase those indecent thoughts and tore her gaze away from him. Inner Sakura, screaming her head off, didn't help one bit.

"Chaaa! I have been blessed by the gods!"

"Are you having a fever?" he removed the glove on his right hand and reached for her forehead attempting to feel for her temperature, "your face is red"

Quickly, Sakura tried to step back afraid he might figure out the reason behind her flushed appearance.

"I'm fine! Must be because of all the running I had" she smiled sheepishly.

"I see"

"So what are you doing?"

Sasuke turned back to the flower bush he was tending earlier. "Helping Natsumi-san getting rid of the weeds. If we don't remove them they'll grow together with the good plants. When that happens both weed and plant will be fighting for air." He continued to pull the weeds out "It's best to remove these before it competes with the other plants and hinder their growth"

Sakura took a moment to view her surrounding; Natsumi's field was filled with different kinds of plants and lots of pretty flowers. She was right; they are even more beautiful in the morning! The mixture of greenery and the shades of pinks, reds, purples, blues and many others were mesmerizing. Sakura have never seen anything so full of vivacity.

"Here" She heard Sasuke say. "Take this"

Her eyes widened in astonishment. Is this for real? Right before her eyes was a bouquet of white flowers. It seems they have recently bloomed.

And Sasuke is giving them to her?

She looked at the flowery bunch. She didn't know what they were called but they are absolutely beautiful.

"Um…thank you?" she said, taking the flowers. She wasn't entirely sure what just happened.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke looked at her, confused. "You didn't hear what I just said earlier did you? I said Natsumi wanted some flowers to put in the kitchen so if you could give this to her…"

She palm-slapped her face mentally. Of course he wouldn't do things like these. What was I thinking?

"A-ha-ha-ha" She faked a laugh, "I was only kidding! I heard you the first time. I just wanted to see how you would react!" she forced another laugh. "I'll be going now"

She then turned and headed back to the house bring the flowers with here, embarrassed but glad she was away from him before she could do anything stupid.

Behind her though, Sasuke couldn't suppress a slight smile of amusement as he continued with his work.

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"Do you think we will ever find it aniki?" the young man asked his companion as they walked through the woods.

"With perseverance, yes, we will" the second man, whom he addressed as his older brother, replied. "Even if it will take us years we will find it. But this time, I have a feeling we can definitely pinpoint its location. We almost found it once; we will find it this time."

"Do you have any idea where it is though?" his younger brother looked doubtful.

"Yoshiro, when you give up without even trying you have already lost"

Yoshiro pouted, "Without even trying you say? We have been looking for the village of herbs for eight years already! Eight years!" he exclaimed, "Do you really believe that place is real? For all we know those were just rumors and we've been searching for nothing all along"

The older brother looked at the younger one.

Yes, it had been years and still there were no traces of the village's existence. He felt both proud and sorrow for Yoshiro. For a boy of fifteen he was already expected to be more responsible rather than enjoy his life as a teenager. Most of his time is spent helping his older brother out rather than being with his friends and learning from an Academy. Although he never lacked in taking care of him and teaching him what he needed to know, somehow he wished they could have lived life a little differently.

He smiled at him; the scars on his face made him look both rugged and old. "Don't worry. Trust your big brother, Yuudai. This endeavor will not be in vain this time"

"I hope so"

The look Yuudai gave his younger brother was soft and encouraging, but the moment he looked back on the path ahead of them, he looked serious. He knew they shouldn't go back home empty handed. They should obtain that certain thing even if it means taking it by force and even if it means he would have to kill.

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A/N: Oh won't you please give me a review? Thanks!