Another Chapter
By: Missysillivan
Summary: After winning the battle against Orochimaru, Sasuke and the Konoha Shinobi have gone their separate ways once more. Now, only days later, it has finally been revealed that war is on the horizon and the future of Konoha is looking grim. Strangely enough, Konoha's victory is held in the palm of a traitor and now it's up to a hand full of qualified ninja to find the missing ninja and bring him back to help save Konoha, or else, the grand village will fall. (Main SasuSaku; Minor NaruHina, NejTen) (Some OOC; a lot more will appear in later chapters)
A/N: So, I'm updating! How many of you are absolutely proud (and happy) of me?? Haha! I love this chapter, for the simple fact that Karin is in it (no I don't like her, but she just gives me freedom; i.e. terrorizing her haha). And, you even get a small little fight between our favorite medic and the red head! I pormise there will be a bigger confrontation later. Anyway, I want to dedicated this chapter to sasusaku779 who is the 400th!! REVIEWER!! I'M SO HAPPY!! Did I even tell you all that it was my dream to get 500 reviews on a story? No? Hm...I thought I did...anyway, in a couple chapters, just maybe my dream will come true! Now, enjoy, and hopefully the next chapter will be out soon!
Disclaimer: Is applied here.
Chapter 28: Agreements and Disagreements
Sasuke stilled the moment he felt the powerful chakra coming towards the clearing that he and Hebi were staying the night in. Karin became anxious and pulled at his arm, demanding they leave immediately, before the powerful chakra arrived. Sasuke merely shook his head and kept his eyes trained on the spot that he knew the chakra was coming from. Suigetsu stood just behind him, hand poised over his large sword just in case they were attacked, while Juugo stood off on the side lines talking to a small bird that rested on his index finger.
Moments later a shock of blonde was seen coming to a stand still on a high tree limb followed by pink. Sasuke's eyes widened hardly a fraction. He should have known. Where there was Naruto, there was Sakura. It was almost like a law. He wasn't even surprised to see his former sensei to the right of his two childhood teammates, although he didn't exactly predict the Nara to be there as well. Then his eyes locked with jade. Time seemed to stand still as he and Sakura stared each other down.
"Sasuke-kun..." Sasuke barely caught her whispered words, but when the sound of her voice touched his ears, he swore his heart got just that much lighter.
"Who the hell are you?" Karin all but screeched.
"Funny, we should be asking you that; seeing as though you are all in Fire Territory." Kakashi replied was a hidden smile.
"Out for a stroll?" Suigetsu stated, but it sounded more like a question, while he put on a large grin without moving his hand.
"Tell them to stand down, Sasuke." Sakura's voice was calm, but still in shock.
"First tell me what you are doing here." He replied, his eyes never leaving hers.
"We've come with a proposition that you can't refuse." Sakura responded.
"A chance to kill that bastard of a brother." Naruto put in with a snarl.
Sasuke's eyes immediately snapped to the blonde. "What are you talking about?"
"Itachi and the Akatsuki have plans to attack Konoha." Kakashi spoke this time and Sasuke's eyes travelled to him accordingly. "You are allowed to say no. We didn't come here to bring you back."
"What are they talking about, Sasuke-kun?" Karin asked, attention fully on the young Uchiha teen and completely missing the way Sakura's eyes flashed with evil intent.
Sasuke turned his head to his team and told them to stand down. The newly arrived Konoha shinobi all jumped down from the trees and landed before Sasuke.
"Tsunade sent us. We need your help. Akatsuki have plans to take over the world and are steadily building their forces. We can't handle them by ourselves." Sakura started when Sasuke looked to her, demanding answers. "You are currently the foremost expert on the Sharingan and its techniques. Not to mention a strong shinobi."
"If you return to help us, and decide to stay after the battle-" Shikamaru's eyes flashed knowingly. "-then Tsunade-sama promises a light punishment."
"You want me to come back to Konoha to just kill Itachi and then be done with it?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course you will be needed to help fight the rest of Akatsuki, but yes, that it in a nut shell. Your number one priority is Itachi." Kakashi replied with a twinkle in his eye. "If you agree, Tsunade even mentioned off handedly to me that she would put out as law that no one but you were allowed to engage him."
Sasuke looked to Naruto, who held a grim expression. "Anything you would like to add...dobe?"
Naruto lowered his chin and a small smirk adorned his features. "Yeah. If you don't come back to help us," He looked up, this time with a full fledged smile on his face, "I'm gonna break every bone in your body and drag you back with to Konoha, kicking and screaming."
Sasuke smirked and turned to look at Sakura. Karin noticed and took a step forward. "I asked a question you know!" She hissed. "Who are you?"
"Who are you?" Sakura asked, looking to the red head.
Karin gasped. "I asked you first!"
"You forget that you're not even supposed to be in this territory. We could easily capture, take you back to Konoha and interrogate you." Sakura smiled and Sasuke had to suppress his smirk from growing even bigger.
Karin let out a "humph" and crossed her arms over her chest.
"That's Karin, the big guy over there is Juugo and I'm Suigetsu." The blue haired man smiled at Sakura.
The kunoichi's eyes landed on the large sword and she let out a gasp.
"That's Zabuza's sword." Naruto said, shocked.
"Where did you get that?" Kakashi asked solemnly.
"You know..." Suigetsu smiled once more and wiggled his eyebrows.
"Enough." Sasuke interfered before Karin could make a degrading remark.
"So, do you accept?" Shikamaru asked with a yawn.
Sasuke looked each ninja over, his eyes finally landing on Sakura, whose eyes pleaded that he accepts. "I guess I do."
"I'm sure you have a request for me."
Tsunade's amber eyes landed on her old teammate and friend. "You know me too well."
"Well it was either that or going on my own. I decided to be nice and let you ask me to what ever it is that I was going to do in the first place."
A thin blonde eyebrow shot up at the explanation. "Er…right…"
"So?" Jiraiya edged his way towards her desk while Shizune left the room, claiming she had some filing to do.
"I want you to investigate further. Take a team with you. A cell with four, including you." Tsunade replied.
"Any one I should ask to join me?"
"I'm sure you have some people in mind." Tsunade replied as she leaned back in her seat.
"You're right. I do. But it has to be cleared by you."
"Alright. Tell me and I'll send a messenger to retrieve them."
A sharp knock on the door alerted the red head of the visitor at the door. With a quick flick of the wrist, the door knob twisted and the wooden door swung open.
"Hey! I've decided that you're going to come out with the girls and me today for dinner!" Tenten smiled as Harumi spied the Hyuuga heiress behind her.
"Okay…"
"Get cleaned up and meet us down stairs, in front of the apartment." The Weapon's Mistress commanded.
Harumi nodded and closed the door. She quickly got herself cleaned up and then left the house, making sure to lock the door behind her with the key that Sakura had made for her before she left for the mission. Ino, Temari, Hinata, and Tenten were all waiting for her when she stepped out of the large double doors that led to the lobby of the apartment building.
Tenten and Ino immediately latched onto Harumi's arms and led her to a small café across the street from Ichiraku while Temari and Hinata followed behind with a smile on their faces.
Once they were seated, the girls immediately started firing questions at the poor girl, most of which she had answered only days before when she had gone out with Tenten and Sakura for a pleasant breakfast.
"Oh my God! We've been asking about your life, and yet you don't even know anything about us!" Ino giggled.
"Yeah, she's right. Ask us anything you want to know." Temari nodded.
"Okay…um, where are you from Temari-san?" Harumi asked timidly, after noticing that the blond didn't where the same the same hitai-ita as the other girls.
"I would be from Suna." Temari replied proudly.
"Oh." Harumi clamped up once more, which caused Ino to furrow her brow.
"I have a story!" Ino declared causing all the girls but Harumi to groan.
"What story would that be, Ino-san?" Harumi asked interested.
"You see, when Sakura and I were younger, she always got picked on. Then one day, I stood up for her…"
"Now, I don't mean to take over your reign of command here," Kakashi's eye glinted insidiously, "but I think it would be wise to spend the night here before heading back to Konoha."
Sasuke nodded once, arms crossed over his chest. "Hn." He turned to his new team and gave them all a warning glare. "Suigetsu, Juugo, go get firewood."
Juugo nodded while Suigetsu smirked and winked towards Sakura, as if he was trying to impress her. Sakura just scoffed and rolled her eyes, not missing the look Sasuke sent her way that clearly stated he was annoyed and bordering frustrated.
"Naruto, Shikamaru. Why don't you boys round us up some dinner?" Kakashi asked sweetly, which caused his team, plus Sasuke, to raise an eyebrow at him. Karin, however didn't get what she was missing.
"…uh…sure…" Naruto replied, keeping a watchful eye on his former sensei.
Shikamaru muttered a "troublesome" under his breath, but followed the blonde with no more complaints.
"Set up camp?" Sakura spoke just as Kakashi opened his mouth to speak.
"Actually, I was going to say that I was going to go sit in that tree over there and read in peace, but okay. Thanks for offering." Then he disappeared with a 'poof' causing Sakura to sweat drop.
"I'm just going to stop speaking when he's around." She sighed.
"Or all together." Karin muttered under her voice.
Sakura scowled, but said nothing as she quickly set up her team's camp area while Sasuke told Karin to set up came for Hebi. The girl begrudgingly did so, muttering under her breath about not wanting Sakura seducing "her Sasuke-kun" which Sakura just rolled her eyes at.
Sasuke moved towards Sakura, as she finished up the last tent and gently took her elbow, leading her into the tree cover when Karin wasn't paying specific attention towards them.
The moment they were out of sight, Sakura lunged at Sasuke, and the teen caught her midair as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life.
"I missed you, so, so much." Sakura whispered against his neck.
Sasuke could only nod, but his arms around her waist only tightened. "I was worried you weren't going to make it."
"Do you seriously have so little faith in me?" Sakura teased as she took half a step back so she could see the youngest Uchiha's face.
"No, but you were critical." Sasuke replied in his oh-so-familiar monotone voice.
"Tsunade said I almost didn't make it, but in the end…I guess it all ended well." Sakura grinned as she pressed her lips to Sasuke's tentatively, unsure if this was okay considering their current predicament.
But Sasuke didn't pull back. His hand traveled up to the back of her head and deepened the kiss. Sakura let out a small moan as her eyes fluttered shut and she pressed her body closer to his. They only separated when the need for air became too great.
"I missed this." She whispered against his lips.
"Hn."
Sakura giggled and rested her head against Sasuke's toned chest. "You know…Harumi is staying with me while she's in Konoha."
"Why didn't she go back to her village?"
"Apparently you freed her brother. He was at the Southern base in Oto. He came to Konoha declaring that 'Uchiha Sasuke killed Orochimaru and set us free' and that 'he's here to bring peace and safety to the whole world.' Of course he also said that a man named Hozuki Suigetsu was the one stating it." Sakura giggled.
Sasuke sighed and internally plotted the demise of Suigetsu. He never did know when to keep his mouth shut.
"Yoshi Toshiro is his name." Sakura mumbled. "I feel bad for the guy. He was ripped away from his family for seven years."
When she received no response, Sakura lifted her head and stared deep in Sasuke's coal black eyes. "What's wrong?"
He blinked once before resting his forehead against hers. "Its funny how sometimes, the thing you want the most lands directly in your lap."
Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. "You were headed in the direction of Konoha. I'm sure you would have met up with Itachi there whether we came for you or not."
Sasuke smirked, but shook his head 'no'. He kissed her forehead, before stepping away from her, confusing Sakura all the more.
"Come on."
Sakura followed Sasuke back towards the clearing, which Naruto, Shikamaru, Juugo, and Suigetsu had returned to. "I don't get it." Sakura finally mumbled to the stoic beside her.
Sasuke just glanced her way before redirecting his eye sight back to the camp fire that was already started. "I wasn't talking about Itachi." He replied before going ahead of her.
Sakura paused and scratched her head. "I still don't get it."
Karin glared at the pink haired kunoichi as she finally rejoined the group, taking a seat around the camp fire between Naruto and Sasuke, although not particularly close to either. She had the distinct feeling in the pit of her stomach that the gorgeous Uchiha and cherry blossom were much closer then just teammates; much, much closer. And Karin didn't like that thought. Not. At. All. She noticed the way that Sasuke and Sakura kept passing secretive glances towards each other when they thought no one was looking, and she really didn't miss the way that the pink haired bitch would blush every time she met the Uchiha's eye.
Karin fumed. She wasn't liking this at all. Not. At. All. It had to end.
'And if the only way to do that is to get rid of the whore, then so be it.' She decided then and there that the Konoha Kunoichi had to be disposed of. But the problem was, how to do it? Surely she couldn't attack her when her team was around. She had sensed the blonde haired boy's chakra when they were approaching and it was the most powerful chakra she had ever encountered. Surely he could finish her off without breaking a sweat, and telling by the way he got protective of her when ever the bastard Suigetsu sent her a leering look, she knew that he wouldn't let anything happen to her.
But what confused her the most, was the way that Sasuke practically ignored everything that was going on around him; only being captivated by those damn green orbs that belonged to the pink haired bitch.
Why could he look at her that way? What did Sakura have that she didn't?
It just wasn't fair!
And who ever said life wasn't fair had a really fucked up life. Or mentality, but that was a different thought process for another day.
Even though Sakura and Sasuke's relationship had completely taken over her mind, Karin couldn't help but muse at how weird a team Sakura had arrived with.
The blonde alone could be his own circus. He constantly ran into things, tripped over things, and just acted plain stupid the majority of the time. Not to mention he was loud as hell and completely obnoxious. She didn't get how his teammates could be so patient with him. Even Sasuke seemed to ignore his outbursts, while he snapped the moment she and Suigetsu started to fight. And they weren't even raising their voices…yet.
Next was the lazy-ass. After the camping situation had been arranged and dealt with, he disappeared for several hours, only to be found laying at the base of a tree just out of sight, sleeping. She didn't understand how he was able to sleep through the blonde's continuous scream fest. Maybe he was used to it. Either way, when Sakura woke him for dinner, he muttered a "troublesome" followed by a comment about "nagging women" and not being able to get away from them. He seemed oblivious to everyone around him, only uttering a "troublesome" here or there when it concerned him. He was almost as bad as Sasuke when it came to answering a simple question. And that was saying something.
Then the last teammate, more like the team leader, was the perverted Jonin who disappeared almost immediately. No one bothered to look for him, Sakura had muttered something about "he'll come back when he's hungry" and that "the leash wasn't really working out". Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo all had shot her a confused look in which she just shrugged and muttered "its true". Sasuke had looked highly amused at this prospect. In the end, he had returned, orange book in hand, when the food had been done. He took a fish and then disappeared once more. The only thing he said was that he would take the first watch of the night.
They were all so different, yet they were all so in-tune with each other that it was almost scary. Even Sasuke seemed oblivious to the way that his reactions were so normal by their standards while it all seemed so foreign to his new team.
Karin let out an angry sigh before standing up. Dinner had been finished for some time and now everyone was preparing for bed. It had been decided that two people would be on guard for each shift, which consisted of the first shift, which last until eleven, the second shift, which lasted until early morning, and the last shift. It was an unspoken truce between the two teams, but both were highly aware of the other. It was just decided to have one person from each team be on the watch together, two keep an eye out. Sasuke had stated that Juugo wasn't to do a shift, while the newcomers hadn't understood what his reasoning was, Hebi got the point clearly. Juugo was too unstable. Sasuke didn't want to risk it.
So in the end, it came out that Kakashi and Suigetsu would take fist shift, she and the lazy-ass, which she found out was called Shikamaru, would take the second shift, and, Sasuke and Naruto would take the last shift. When Karin had collared Sakura about her not getting a shift, Kakashi had simply stated that doctors orders forbade her from anything "too strenuous", in which Sakura scowled and called him an idiot and that that wasn't what was meant.
Utterly confused, Karin decided to just call it a night until her shift came about.
Deciding to piss off the pink haired kunoichi, Karin draped herself over Sasuke, pressing her chest to his back as he kneeled down to open his tent, and whispered a seductive "goodnight" in his ear. Sasuke responded by standing up and narrowing his eyes at her. He then entered his tent and simply closed the flap before she could follow him in.
When Karin turned around to go into her own tent, she didn't miss the way Sakura glared at her with evil contempt. Karin had to laugh. Her plan to make Sakura miserable was starting out great! From what she could tell, Sakura wasn't too great a threat. Her chakra levels were lower then her own and there was nothing all that special about her, with exception to her pink hair and wide forehead, but that was more of a…deformity, Karin decided giddily. (A/N: The chakra level thing will be explained later.)
So she turned in for the night. Her dreams filled with fantasies of her and Sasuke-kun and thrilling experience of tormenting Sakura.
"Naruto, wake up."
The blonde opened his eyes groggily, and blinked several times, before his vision cleared up. Shikamaru was kneeling beside him, with a look on his face that just screamed 'troublesome'.
"Everything go okay?" He asked as he got up and followed the Nara outside the tent.
"Ya." He replied before going into his own tent and enjoying the warmth of his sleeping bag.
Naruto turned his attention to Sasuke's tent at the sound of the zipper being undone. Karin had her hand reached out, as if she was just about to open it, but Sasuke stepped out before she could even touch the outer tarp.
"S-Sasuke-kun! I was just about to wake you up." Karin stuttered quietly, not wanting to wake the others up.
"Hn." Sasuke closed up the tent and then found his place in front of the camp fire, along side Naruto.
Karin hesitated a moment before going to her own tent and climbing in to go to sleep.
Naruto watched as Sasuke took his seat before bring his cerulean eyes back to the dying fire.
"Why does she call you that?" Naruto couldn't help but ask. It was annoying him to no end at how Sasuke just let that…female?...call him 'Sasuke-kun' and not have anything to say about it.
"I gave up trying to stop her." Sasuke replied in his usual monotonous tone.
Naruto scoffed. "Figures. Doesn't matter where you go, you'll always have the fan girls following behind you."
Sasuke rolled his eyes and glanced around the darkened clearing. "What did Kakashi mean about Sakura not being about to do anything strenuous?"
Naruto glanced at Sasuke briefly before looking away once more. "Sakura shouldn't even be out here. Tsunade had put her on another mandatory week leave once she was released a few days ago, but then Jiraiya came across Itachi and Kisame in Otafuku Gai trying to gather their forces and we high tailed it back to Konoha. Tsunade assembled us to get you. At first I wasn't too sure about Sakura coming, but Tsunade had reasoned that if we failed, Sakura could be the last hope." Naruto sighed, ending the rant that was more for himself then the Uchiha heir. "Her injuries from the fight against Orochimaru still haven't completely healed. According to Sakura, Tsunade forced her cells to speed up the healing process the day before we left to come after you, but I don't believe she's healed enough."
Sasuke nodded. That picture of Sakura coming into the clearing, drenched in her blood, face completely ashen, had yet to leave his mind. He truly was scared that she wasn't going to make it. Had Kakashi and Naruto not appeared when they had, Sasuke was seriously contemplating just taking Sakura back to Konoha. To hell with his revenge. He would just leave later once he was sure Sakura was okay. Its not like Konoha could actually stop him.
"Are you ready for this fight?" Naruto watched Sasuke, as he thought about the question.
Sasuke's onyx orbs met Naruto's cerulean. "More then you know."
At day break Naruto and Sasuke moved to wake up their teammates and the camp was packed up. Sakura scattered the remains of the camp fire before Kakashi took the lead and they started on their way back to Konoha.
Hebi, still a bit wary of the Konoha shinobi, had made sure to separate themselves slightly from the others. While Kakashi took point, Suigetsu wasn't took far behind while Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, and Karin filled the middle in a scattered formation with Shikamaru and Juugo taking up the rear.
Sakura wasn't oblivious to the glare that Karin was sending her way the entire they were moving through the trees. To tell the truth, it was actually getting really annoying.
When Kakashi finally declared that they could take a break, Sakura confronted Karin privately. They hadn't moved away from the group, rather, Sakura hissed her warning that if Karin had an issue with her that she better bring it up other wise she needed to knock it the hell off.
Karin only smirked and took a step forward so they were less then a foot away from each other. The red head inwardly cheered that she had a good inch and half on the kunoichi, which she tried to use to her advantage at looking more intimidating.
"Yeah I have an issue." She giggled manically, but quietly in a threatening whisper. "Back off from Sasuke-kun. He's mine, whore."
Sakura's eyes flashed and her fists clenched at her sides. "In your dreams, skank."
Karin's cheeks burned from anger and she quickly raised a hand to back hand Sakura. However, as her hand swung towards Sakura's face, she caught her wrist and flipped the red head onto her back.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto called out worriedly while the rest of the males watched on in sick fascination and slight fear of what was going to happen.
"Big mistake." Sakura hissed.
Karin glared and jerked her wrist free from Sakura slack grip. The moment she was up, she lunged at Sakura. The Chunin reacted quickly and dodged the attack while landing a perfectly placed punch that had Karin flying through three trees.
Sakura stood still as she watched Karin stand up and hold her stomach in pain. "You bitch." She hissed.
"I warned you." Sakura retorted in annoyance. "You won't win."
Karin suddenly disappeared in a 'poof' and reappeared behind Sakura. Before the girl could react, she was gripped around the waist and jerked away from Karin as the red head was restrained by Kakashi. Sakura turned her head to see Naruto holding her back, in fear that she may take the chance to place another perfectly aimed hit on Karin.
"Enough." Sasuke commanded as he turned his attention to Juugo, who was grasping his head and muttering to himself.
Sasuke immediately stepped in front of the large male and placed a hand on his shoulder before activating his sharingan. When Juugo looked up, his eyes looked into bleeding red and his entire composure suddenly relaxed.
Furious, although looking ever so calm, Sasuke turned back to the two fighting kunoichi, and glared at the red head. "How many times have I told you, Karin, that fighting in front of Juugo sets him off?" His voice was steady, but every one knew the saying.
The silent ones are always the deadliest.
And that describes Sasuke perfectly.
Karin froze in Kakashi's grip and stared, wide-eyed, at the Uchiha, unsure of how to answer.
"Many times." She finally whispered.
"No more fighting. From either of you." Sasuke sent Sakura a look that demanded that she listen to his orders.
Sakura nodded and Naruto released her while Karin was a little more reluctant to agree. Once she did, however, Kakashi let her go and the red head found her place behind Sasuke, along side Juugo and Suigetsu.
"Shit, Sakura." Naruto pointed to Sakura's shoulder and Sakura let out a curse.
"I'm sure the scab pulled when I punched her." Sakura muttered. "Give me a minute."
Sakura moved into the cover of the trees and pulled of her now blood stained top, making sure she kept tabs on everyone, before pulling off the old gauze and pressing a glowing hand to the wound, closing up the gash once more. She then recovered it with a fresh, sterile gauze pad and wrapped it the best she could before pulling on her shirt once more.
By the time she returned to the rest of the group, Kakashi had declared that they would travel for another four or five hours before stopping for the night. No one could complain about the plan.
And then they were off once more.
This time, as they flew through the trees, Sakura and Sasuke traveled slightly closer to each other, seemingly communicating through their eyes as they continued to glance towards each other.
Karin could only scowl as she kept her distance.
'Just you wait…I'll get you when you least expect it…'
And that is the end. Let me know what you think of it. I don't know if anyone has noticed this or not, but I'm going back through the chapters and fixing the line breakers. Its a slow process, I'm some where around chapter 13 or 14. I'm also fixing the more obvious grammar mistakes.
I have something for all of you to answer in a review for me!! Who and/or what was Sasuke talking about when he told Sakura that what he wanted had landed in his lap? Just tell me the answer in a review! Everyone who answeres correctly gets an honorable mention next chapter!
Until next time! Review and wait. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. I still have to write it, haha.
iMiSsY!
