Chapter 20

Don't Touch My Man

Sakura's hand slammed into the ground, shattering the earth. The Stone-nin in her way scattered, yelling for backup. Some started screaming about the legendary Slug Sannin, while others spotted her cloak and sent up the alarm that Akatsuki had arrived.

She smiled softly as she flipped backwards, kicked her leg into the ground and created a large fissure. And here they said I wasn't needed….what would have happened to everyone without me, eh?

She let out a warlike yell as she grabbed a hold of a stone-nin and slung him with her strength into five more. They all crashed into the ground, creating a small crater. She continued running through the line, cutting through opponents like paper. She ignored the blood that flew through the air around her.

Chigiri lunged from her left, a white blur tackling two Stone-nin to the ground, his claws and teeth killing them quickly. He howled, and the sound carried across the battlefield.

Sakura leapt backwards as a Stone-nin jumped at her and she grinned. This was it…one more hit and they'd be finished for the time being. It would give the others much needed rest.

She gathered a small amount of chakra into her first before she punched the ground. The earth erupted, shooting stone spires everywhere. She heard screams as the earth cracked and swallowed half of the front line. Someone yelled for them to retreat, and she heard the groans of the injured.

Then…silence.

There were no more Stone-nin in the area, or at least none that would be getting up.

She smiled as she looked over at Chigiri, heading towards the others even before the dust settled. She had gotten them some rest after all. They were sitting in the same spot she had left them, surrounded by only two trees on the right face of the battlefield and the forest on the left. Ino was trying to heal the others as much as possible, but her chakra was running low. Her fingers barely glowed with chakra at this point.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked, chest heaving as she smiled at them. She was covered in several layers of dust, but she merely wiped the dirt from her face with a small grin.

"Way to go, Sakura!" Ino laughed.

"How is your hand, Sai?" Sakura murmured softly, seeing him sitting on a rock, staring down at the skeletal appendage. He was moving his fingers back and forth, and she saw a childlike confusion etched on his brow.

It reminded her of when you told a little child that their parents died and they didn't quite understand what it meant. It was too much to comprehend, so you had to lie and tell them that their parents had merely gone on a long trip and probably weren't coming back.

"…Sai?"

"It feels…cold." He concluded softly, and she noticed the small hitch in his voice. "It will be harder to hold a weapon this way. The bone is so…" He didn't finish, merely stared down at his hand again.

Sakura watched him for a moment longer before she slowly slipped off one of her gloves—the ones Tsunade had given her to help with her chakra control. She knelt next to Sai and handed it to him, giving a small smile as he turned his questioning gaze upwards.

"You need it more than I do now. With the chakra running through the bones it makes it a little harder to control. The gloves will help. They'll also help you grip things."

Sai slipped the glove over the bone, and she saw something akin to panic dart through his eyes. "Sakura…"

…

…

…

"It's still cold."

Sakura froze for a moment at the tone in his voice, before she gave him a sympathetic gaze, gathering him into her arms like she would a little child. "I'm so sorry Sai…"

He said nothing, but she swore she felt a small pinprick of moisture on her neck from where his face was resting against her shoulder. He pulled away, however, and his face betrayed nothing as he flashed a fake smile.

"It's ok Sakura. It's just a hand. That's why I have two of them, ne?"

Sakura laughed softly. "Hai. I guess so."

Ino gave a soft moan as she slumped onto the ground next to Sakura. "Man…at least the offensive line was crushed. Thanks Forehead…" She leaned her back against Sakura's, supporting herself. "I don't think we could have done it without you."

Sakura laughed. "You could have if Tsunade was here."

"But she wasn't." Sasuke intervened. "And that's what makes you needed."

"Hai." Neji nodded. "You will always be needed here, Sakura." Shino nodded, but Sakura didn't look up at the older shinobi. She knew that Asuma, Anko, and Gai would not forgive her so easily. They were still wary of her after they had learned of her acceptance into the Akatsuki.

"Sakura-chan!"

She turned, blinking as Naruto came running up to them, followed by Kakashi, Tenten, Lee, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji. Tobi came romping over, grinning childishly. Naruto was dressed in his Hokage robes, and Sakura felt herself well with pride at the sight. Kiba looked wild, his eyes bright with adrenaline, and Akamaru gave her his usual lopsided dog-grin. Shikamaru's gait was surprisingly fast and serious, rather than his usual carefree stride. Choji had a troubled look on his face, but it lit up at bit when he noticed Ino—weary but safe. He and Shikamaru both seemed to have been worrying about their former female teammate.

"Kakashi-sensei, you should be resting!" Sakura fussed as she stood, dusting off her pants and rushing towards him. He was being supported by Kiba and Akamaru, his face a little pale from blood loss.

"Glad to see you're helping out, eh Sakura-chan?" Naruto grinned boyishly.

Sakura gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah. I broke through the front line. They're retreating for now."

"I'm fine, by the way." Kakashi laughed softly. His eyes turned to Tobi. "Obito I…" But Sakura stopped him, shaking her head as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't Kakashi-sensei…he isn't Obito right now…"

"What….what do you mean?" Kakashi asked confusedly.

"I'll explain later." Sakura whispered. "Just…let it go right now, ok? You aren't completely healed—who did this at the hospital? Tsunade would have a fit if she saw this." Her hands began glowing as she got ready to press them against his side.

But her hand never made contact with his skin. A chakra signature fluctuated beside her and she had just enough time to put up her hands to guard her chest as she went flying through the air.

She twisted, landing on the balls of her feet fifteen feet away. She looked up into the cold eyes of Jiraiya. His face was set in a grim glare. Beside him appeared Sasori and Deidara, both looking cold, angry, and a little confused.

"What the heck was that for Ero-sennin?" Naruto asked confusedly. "That's Sakura-chan!"

"I know."

"Eh?"
"But perhaps you do not know her as well as you think you do, Naruto." Jiraiya spoke angrily. "I won't let you near them, Sakura."

Sakura stared at him, not sure what was going on. What did he mean? What had just happened? Why on earth had he attacked her?

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked gruffly, just as the others appeared beside them. Sakura stood from her crouched fighting stance, noticing that Deidara and Sasori had kunai in their hands…pointed in her direction.

Deidara looked like he had been crying at some point.

"What is going on?" Sakura asked softly.

"Cut the shit, yeah." Deidara snapped. "We found out what you've been doing! How could you?"
"…what?"

"Haruno-san has been lying to us all this entire time." Sasori commented coolly.

Sakura paled. They'd….they'd found out…

"Lying about what?" Kakashi asked.

"She resurrected Orochimaru and is controlling the Tuchikage in order to destroy Konoha and the Akatsuki." Came a cold, deadly voice from behind her.

Sakura froze as she recognized it.

Itachi…

She turned to look at him, but her gaze was worried. "What…are you talking about?"
"Is it for the Kyuubi? Is that what you want, Haruno-san?" Sasori asked. "Surely the Jinchuuriki fit into your plan somewhere."

"No I—"

"You're lying!" Sasuke growled, glaring at his brother. "Don't you dare say those things about Sakura!"

Itachi gave Sasuke a scornful look. "Foolish brother. You need to accept the fact that she is not the person you thought she was." Who I thought she was…
"Where the hell do you think she keeps disappearing to, yeah?" Deidara asked.

"Her chakra has been low lately, making her nauseas." Sasori continued.

"That comes from using high level healings." Kisame murmured.

Itachi remained silent.

Sakura looked from one shinobi to the other, as her teammates slowly turned to her as the information processed in their minds. She saw the distrust there…the hatred…

"No...you're wrong." Sakura pleaded. "You have it wrong I'm not—"

"What were you going to do with the Kyuubi once you gained it after destroying Konoha?" Naruto asked harshly.

Sakura blinked, turning to him. She had never seen him so…defeated. He looked too shocked to be angry, but there was a sadness and hurt in his eyes that made her want the ground to swallow her up.

Naruto just continued to stare at the person he had once thought of as one of his closest friends. He remembered his dream from so many nights ago. He remembered the crack in the picture frame that had separated her from the rest of them. She was truly no longer one of them now…

"I once said that all the Akatsuki perceive us as are tools…" Naruto's face was hidden behind his bangs. Sakura saw a bright tear fall to the ground and flinched involuntarily. "I never thought I would be talking about you too, Sakura-chan!"

"…Naruto…" She began, taking a step forward, but stopped as every single one of the Konoha shinobi went for their weapons. She also saw the other Akatsuki members stiffen.

"The Jinchuuriki aren't just weapons Sakura-chan! How could you ever…ever…"

"Naruto." Kakashi's voice was soft, cold, disappointed? Sakura hated the sound of Naruto's name in that tone as he gazed at Sakura. "Perhaps Haruno-san was correct about Sakura all along."

Sakura's eyes widened. "…nani?" She felt a stab of pain shoot through her, her heart clenching.

"A traitor. I never thought I'd have to use that title with one of my students."

"Oh I see." Sakura's eyes were filled with tears, but she merely narrowed them in anger and didn't let the tears fall. They saw crimson flicker in the depths of those deep jade orbs. Her voice was filled with mocking. "Sasuke leaves the village for power and goes off with Orochimaru, consumed with revenge with no other intention other than to murder his brother, with no thought on how it would hurt those he left behind."

The others remained silent.

"And yet I leave to protect all of you, to protect you Naruto." Her voice cracked as she spoke his name and his face softened, before it hardened again. She continued, "And I'm labeled a traitor." Her fist clenched. "Very well. I see where I stand."

She looked up at the Akatsuki, noticing that their faces were carefully blank. Even Deidara betrayed nothing, save for a bit of hurt swimming in his blue eyes. And Itachi…there was nothing there, nothing she could see. Just scorn, or perhaps annoyance.

That's what you are to him now. Merely an annoyance that he should have gotten rid of long ago.

Don't let them hurt you. Be strong. Whatever you do, don't lose your strength. You have to survive, through all the pain and hatred and scorn, because you have something to live for that they'll never understand.

"And then you…a band of traitors…hold me accountable for something I didn't do." She glared up into Itachi's eyes with her own Sharingan. "What a bunch of damn hypocrites."

"You betrayed all of us, Haruno." Itachi's voice was cold and emotionless.

Haruno. So, that's what she was to him now…

Sakura let out a low, sad laugh. "You'd better come up with a better insult for me, Itachi. I'm not a Haruno anymore, remember?" It hurt to say those words, but if she was

cruel perhaps she could ignore the ache inside of her chest. "You know, maybe you should have listened to Haruno-san's warning." She cocked her head to the side and they could all she was hiding her tears through her cold mockery.

"At least then you could have done away with my earlier and saved yourself the trouble, ne?"
"Don't make yourself out to be the victim here, Sakura." Anko hissed. "I can't believe…I can't believe that the Godaime Hokage once called you her student. Perhaps Orochimaru and Tsuande chose incorrectly. You seem much more suitable to be his apprentice."

"You don't know anything about me!" Sakura snapped, not able to stand the look in that woman's eyes. How could she say that? What was going on?

"You're the one who betrayed US Sakura. Don't look so hurt!" Ino shrieked. "How COULD you!?!?!"

Naruto just watched her, the pain swimming in his eyes.

"It's not like that!"

"THEN WHAT, SAKURA?"

Sakura closed her eyes, before opening them once more. They glowed with anger and tears. "Is that how little all of you trust me? Then FINE!" She grabbed her cloak, throwing it down onto the ground. And then she grabbed her headband, her fingers stopping for a moment—before she wrenched it from her forehead and threw it into the mud.

She looked into the eyes of every single one of them and saw the same thing…loathing. Save for Sai. He just looked extremely confused…or was it acceptance? As if he had somehow believed that she had been faking it all along. He was a master of masks and betrayal as well, after all. Perhaps he had thought this would happen all along? He just looked down at his hand, eyes flickering.

"Then I won't have anything to do with any of you." Sakura finally hissed, before clenching her fists. "Come, Chigiri." Chigiri growled softly as he looked at the others, before bounding off after her as she disappeared into the forest.

The others were too stunned to move, save for Sasuke, who ran after her, "Sakura!"

"Get back here Sasuke!" Naruto ordered, but Sasuke paid him little heed as he disappeared into the forest after their pink-haired ex-teammate.

Sasuke found her slumped against a tree, sobbing as she held herself. Chigiri looked up when he walked towards them and he growled deeply, baring his teeth.

"…did they send you to kill me?" She asked softly, before she looked up at him, eyes burning wildly. "Because I won't let you! I have too much to protect, too much to accomplish. I won't let you!"

Sasuke shook his head as he stopped in front of her. "I didn't come to kill you."

"…oh."

Her shoulders shook as she gave a small sob.

"Sakura, I know you would never do anything to hurt Naruto or the others. You would never lie to us." Sasuke murmured. "You don't change, remember?"

She laughed softly. "I do change. Everyone lies, Sasuke."

Sasuke shook his head. "But you would never put our lives in danger."

Sakura just held herself tighter. "Why do you care?"

"You're family."

She gave a ragged laugh at that.

She heard him give a soft sigh, "Sakura…"

She looked up, and his face was the same face as ever, emotionless and yet not…so different than Itachi's and yet so much alike.

"I believe you because I understand."

"You have no idea what I've done. How could you understand!?" She yelled, tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew she was screaming at the only person in the world who probably cared about her right now but she didn't care. She had to scream at him because he was being foolish and staying with her would only get him killed. She needed to scare him off, make him turn from her and hate her, because it was probably best this way. At least they'd all be safe…

He merely knelt beside her, wrapping his arms around her shaking body as she cried. She clutched at him desperately, soaking his shirt with her tears as she sobbed. The pain began to build in her chest.

The hate me…all of them…

I don't know why but they hate me so much…I just tried to protect them!

I can't take the pain. I saw it in Itachi's eyes…he really wants nothing to do with my anymore.

They want to kill me…I can't…I can't…

She screamed then, straight from her gut. Sasuke flinched at the sound as he held her tighter. The scream was almost painful to hear. It held so much raw emotion. All the pain and anger she had felt over the years, the scorn and ridicule, insecurities and doubts, all of it was released in that single scream.

She went silence after that, and he merely continued to hold her, as Chigiri whined softly on her other side, curled up against her to provide warmth. Thoughts jumbled in Sasuke's mind as he thought of what he and Sakura could do next.

They'd have to leave. They would now have Konoha-nin as well as the Akatsuki on their trail. They would need to move quickly. Mist, perhaps? They could find room with Tazuna for a while, until Konoha-nin found them there. They could go to Moon country, hide away on one of those small islands that dotted the coast…

He'd make her happy somehow. He'd make sure no one hurt her again.

After what seemed like forever, she spoke.

"Do you know the one thing I've always wanted, Sasuke?" Sakura whispered, her voice pained. Sasuke said nothing. He knew she needed to get this off of her chest, and he was the only one there to listen to her now.

"A family…" She gave a soft sob. "I've always wanted a family. No one understands that. They think I'm strong and that all I want is to be viewed as someone with strength. That because I'm a kunoichi I don't just want to be a woman sometimes!" She wrapped her arms tighter around him, nails digging into his back. He still said nothing.

"There's this one memory that always comes to mind when I think about how I want my life to be. I see my mom standing at the kitchen counter cooking, and my dad walks in. He comes up behind her and grabs her around the waist and he kisses her cheek. She smiles like she's the happiest woman alive as he asks her about her day. And then they'd sit down at the table with me and just…just talk about normal things. I've always…I've always dreamt of that…" Sakura sobbed louder, burying her face in Sasuke's shirt.

"All I've ever wanted is to be the woman standing at the kitchen counter cooking…and I wanted…I wanted…" Her tears soaked his outfit. He knew what she wanted, sadly, and he knew it wasn't him.

He just held her as he realized that he was the only one at that moment who cared. And it was frightening…no, it was pathetic.

Sakura had always been there for everyone. She'd always cared for others. She put her life on the line for her friends and teammates. And what did she get in return?

Betrayal.

"He betrayed you Sakura…" Sasuke murmured into her hair. "Like he betrayed me…" But he knew…he knew it was different. He hated his brother for what he had done to him, for everything he'd made him suffer. But strangely enough, the first thing that came to mind was beating his brother senseless until he knelt in front of Sakura and told her how much he loved her. Sasuke smiled softly at the thought. Then he'd kill him, of course.

Sasuke had been right all along. He'd changed…he'd changed so much. They'd all changed. But Sakura…she'd remained the same throughout it all. No one could crush her spirit.

Except my brother. He thought bitterly. He knew he'd lost the fight for Sakura's heart but it didn't bother him now as much as it should have. All he wanted…all he wanted was for her to smile again. For her and him and the dobe to go out for ramen at Ichiraku with their perverted sensei Kakashi and for everything to be like it was—when they were friends.

He wanted her to be family because that's what she was to him now. He would never love anyone like he loved Sakura Haruno. He would probably never find another woman he would wish to hold like he held her now.

"I promise you Sakura…" Sasuke held her tighter. "I promise you I'll make you smile again—even if I have to beat my ignorant brother to a pulp to get it through his thick skull that he cares for you."

Sakura laughed softly. "I thought you hated your brother Sasuke."

"I do." Sasuke agreed.

"But?"

"I remember those words you spoke to me so long ago and I realize that if I kill my brother then you were right. I will have no one left. My revenge will mean nothing if I have to endure the disappointment and hatred."

"Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"…thank you." Sakura breathed in deeply, before looking up at him with a tremulous smile. "You're the only one who trusts me. Who believes in me…and for that…I want to tell you my secret…"

She whispered something in his ear. Sasuke froze, paling.

After a few minutes of silence she finally managed to whisper two words:

…

…

…

"…I'm sorry."

Itachi stared down at his hands. The feeling in his chest—that burning, painful feeling that he had gained ever since Konan had spoken to him—seemed to grow as he stared down at his hand in silence. In it, covered in mud, was Sakura's headband.

No, not Sakura's. Sasuke's.

His hand clenched around it, eyes narrowing. Let his bastard of a brother go with her. She was useless now, wasn't she?

She had betrayed him.

She served no purpose any longer.

But then…why did it hurt?

He let the headband fall from his fingers back down into the mud. As it hit the wet soil splattered across the hem of his cloak. He paid it little attention.

"So…she's…really…she really did all that?" Naruto whispered.

Ino was shaking, caught between fury and sadness. Choji placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We don't have time to think about it!" Tenten shouted. "The Stone-nin are coming back!"

"They're lines have reformed…" Hinata sounded weary. "There's so many of them…"

"This is it then." Naruto swallowed, before he stood tall, looking every inch like his father. "We'll protect Konoha with our lives!" His voice carried out across the large field. Where there had once been a line of trees now stood an empty wasteland. It had been the only thing separating Naruto and the others from the rest of the Leaf forces.

"Let's go…" He whispered, disappearing. The others followed, landing in front of the rest of the Leaf forces. Tsunade was standing at the front, and she nodded at him and Jiraiya as they came up.

"It's your time to lead, Hokage-sama." She whispered.

"What do we do?" Kisame asked after a moment.

"Leader-sama said that we are allies of Konoha. We cannot obtain the Kyuubi if he dies." Sasori answered back readily.

Deidara nodded, beginning to mold clay in his palm as they stared at the Stone-nin forces that had spread out in front of them. They outnumbered Konoha three to one.

"What are your orders, Hokage-sama?" Ibiki asked calmly as he and the Clan leaders stood beside him.

"We fight." Naruto said softly. He looked up at the rest of the ninja, before sweeping a hand towards the other army. "We are outnumbered, as you can see. What can I tell you that you already do not know? We hold the will of fire. We fight to protect those that are precious to us. We are stronger and will be victorious because we have something wonderful to fight for."

The shinobi smiled, inspired by Naruto's words as a soft wind swept across the large expanse of earth between the Stone-nin and the last line of defense for Konoha.

There was a loud, sickening chuckle as a man slowly walked out of the ranks of the Stone-nin.

He was dressed in his Tsuchikage robes, but he seemed slimmer than the man Sasori, Deidara, and Jiraiya had seen before. He stopped a good fifty feet away from them, his hat held down, shadowing his face.

"…miss me Jiraiya, Tsunade?" He asked in a soft hiss.

Jiraiya and Tsunade both narrowed their eyes as they recognized the voice as the Tsuchikage licked his lips with a long tongue and the man slipped off his hat, letting it flutter to the ground.

"You should know by now that appearances can be deceiving, Jiraiya." Orochimaru laughed darkly, "After Kabuto killed the Tsuchikage I've been running everything."

"Under your master, you mean." Naruto taunted.

Orochimaru's eyes flickered to the Rokudaime Hokage before they went back to Tsunade and Jiraiya. They glowed with a deadly golden light as he continued, "Yes. My master planned all of this…and I'm quite impressed. It's much grander than I would have expected."

He swept out his arms, "Look around you! She has already begun destroying you piece by piece…starting from the inside." He sighed thoughtfully, "That was my mistake, I'm afraid. I failed to see that—what do you call it?—Will of Fire of yours. But she knew…" He laughed gleefully. "She knew you would be weakened when you learned that one of your own had tried to undermine everything she had once stood for."

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"How ironic that she would be the one to bring about Konoha's downfall."

His eyes then went to the Akatsuki—more importantly Itachi. His smile grew, becoming sickeningly arrogant as he licked his lips.

"Tell me, Uchiha…when you fuck her, does she make that soft scream right before she climaxes? It's thrilling, isn't it?"

Itachi's hand clenched, eyes burning crimson.

"Enough, Orochimaru-kun…you're hurting his feelings…" Came a soft voice before a figure materialized out of nowhere in a flurry of cherry blossoms.

"…Sakura…" Tsunade whispered.

"Master-sama." She corrected with a sneer. Her hair hung loose around her, and she wore a gray cloak.

"Where's Sasuke!" Naruto roared, and they saw his eyes begin to glow red as orange chakra swept around him. Master-sama's smile seemed to grow as she sensed the Kyuubi's chakra trying to break free.

"Calm yourself, Naruto." Jiraiya said sternly.

Naruto growled in the back of his throat.

Master-sama gave a mocking sneer. "That idiot? I had Kabuto kill him." She gave another laugh at their shocked, angered faces. "Why do you care so much? He was a traitor, wasn't he?"

"You bitch…" One of the Konoha-nin swore, but Naruto and the others didn't look to see who it was. They merely stared at the woman in front of them and wondered how Sakura could have turned out this way.

The chakra around Naruto began boiling, forming a figure of the fox around him. It only seemed to amuse Master-sama even more.

Master-sama laughed shrilly, shoulders shaking a bit. "Call me whatever you want to. You'll only be alive for a little while longer anyway."

"You cannot defeat all of us, Sakura." Sasori commented coldly.

Master-sama's eyes narrowed a bit as she gave him a dark smile. "I am a lot stronger than you know…Konoha and the Akatsuki will fall…and I will have my revenge. And the Kyuubi, of course." She laughed at Naruto's state, "We can't forget that now can we?"

"What happened to you Sakura?" Kakashi asked brokenly. To see his student like this…it hurt. He had failed one of them after all. He had thought it was Sasuke who left them. He had thought that if he focused on Sasuke, there might have been a chance that his team would be different than the ones before it.

But he had been wrong…oh so wrong…

It would never end. There would always be a traitor, it seemed.

"I grew up." She answered back. "Did you think I was going to be a naïve little girl forever? I was being used. Used by everyone. I won't allow myself to be anyone's tool."

"How can you say—" Ino began, but was cut off as Master-sama continued.

"Don't talk to me, little bitch." She grinned at Ino's stunned face. "What's wrong? Did you think you were actually important to me? I've been playing all of you from the start. It's amazing how easy it is to pretend to be nice. After that you have everyone eating out of the palm of your hand…"

"We will kill you, yeah." Deidara whispered.

Master-sama's eyes flickered towards the Akatsuki. She stared at Itachi in particular, a cruel smile twisted on her lips. "Tell me, Ita-kun…" She purred his name, "How does it feel to know that you were being used? That you weren't actually skilled enough to know that it was all a lie? In fact, you aren't very skilled at much at all…Orochimaru has you beat on all levels, apparently."

Itachi's eyes flared crimson—but he could not do anything else as the ground in front of Master-sama exploded and she had to jump backwards to get away from the blow.

The dust blew past them all, the force of the blow making a wind that rustled their clothing, blowing their hair into their eyes. Only one person besides Tsunade could make such a blow…

The dust began to slowly settle, a shadowed figure wreathed in brown stood strong and tall.

As the last few vestiges of soil were whisked away by the wind, the figure slowly lifted a hand, pointing it at Master-sama.

"No one talks to my man like that, bitch."

(A/N: Moowahahahahaha! I'm sorry, I had to end on that evil cliffy. :D I know a lot of you want to kill me right now but come on! How many of you seriously thought that Sakura was Master-sama? Huh? Huh? Well, the truth will be revealed COMPLETELY in the next few chapters. But here's the good news: I am planning on writing two chapters over Christmas break for your Christmas present.

So, until then, see ya!

Sincerely, Lady Hanaka

p.s. This chapter was purely inspired by the greatness of Judge Gooby. Go look at her stuff on DeviantArt...NOW :P