Might start posting the rest of what I have weekly if time allows. It's not done, but I'm tired of just hoarding all the files :/.

They get there faster than anyone anticipated. Naruto is in another one of his moods and therefore forcing everyone to keep up with his monstrous pace. A two-day trip had been beaten down into half a day – not without a strain on their chakra reserves, though.

Sakura, once again hovering near the tail end of the group, struggled to keep up. Against her own wishes, she'd finally eaten something this morning. Only a half of a granola bar and a cup of water, but it was something that would settle on her stomach.

Jinora's eye kept flicking back and forth at her, so she felt the pressure on herself to eat. One thing Sakura knew about the girl was that she meant what she said. If she wanted to announce to the whole group that Sakura had an eating disorder in order for her to get better, then she would. She was thankful she'd eaten it because she wasn't sure if she would've been able to make this trip had she not, but she hated the way she could feel it just sitting idly in her belly.

Sasuke still lingered by her side. She wondered how annoyed he had to be with everyone else to be voluntarily hanging by her side. She watched the muscles of his arms, legs, and face clench and unclench as they soared through the treetops. This trip was taking a toll on him, too. She felt comforted by the fact that someone as great as Sasuke was having trouble keeping up too. Maybe she wasn't so weak after all.

Before she knows it, they are at the outskirts of the Fire country. Her heart leaps out of her chest and hammers away in her throat. Bile rises to her throat. The anxiety and fear rises to the surface again. Sakura doesn't want to make another mistake. Chiyo and Sasori were both dead because of her selfishness. Gaara had barely scraped by – not much thanks to her.

Shouts and after-explosions lead them to the scene of the battle. Team 10, along with their company, are fighting valiantly against the ever powerful Akatsuki members. Sakura doesn't recognize them at all. Maybe they were in a bingo book. She'd never really bothered to read those. Reading up on some of their backgrounds, reasons for their country's desire to capture them, and their abilities made shivers run up her spine.

A man with slicked back gray hair is running straight for Asuma. Sakura hears Ino's cry and that is all she needs to snap herself out of her pity party. A surplus of chakra swells to the soles of her feet. She doesn't remember running at all, nor does she remember flying through the seals of her wood release.

Asuma's attacker has been subdued via Sakura's large, entangling tree limbs. He struggled against the flowered vines and moss trunks shouting curses at her. It's so unbelievable that Sakura can't force herself to move any further. She stood in the center of the battlefield looking on at those around her fight bravely.

Thankfully, Jinora and Karui were on Asuma's attacker immediately. Karui tapped him and ran a bolt of lightning through him. By the grace of whatever creator he worshipped, he'd only fallen unconscious. The seal that sat at his feet was undone by Jinora. She'd always had an affinity for puzzles. A seal was nothing more than that.

After getting rid of the seal at his feet, Jinora placed a seal on the sleeping man that would render him unable to move any of his limbs even if he woke up. The creepily stitched up, masked assailant was harder to take care of. He was putting up quite a fight. Everyone, except for Team Bee, was putting in the work to fight the other bandaged man.

Another explosion went off and Sakura finally got back into action. Asuma was breathing, but not without trouble. He was winded, low on chakra, and suffering from internal bleeding. Her hands moved on their own over his body. His body healed slowly. The sheer amount of chakra and concentration it took to mend his wounds was extreme. All things around her became nothing more than white noise. When Sakura really got into the zone, not even a bomb going off could break her concentration.

Asuma's breathing became more labored. She couldn't understand why. He was healing! She could feel the way his body responded nicely to her chakra. Why was he now gurgling on his own blood?

….

By nothing other than a miracle, Asuma was stable.

It was a long, nerve-wracking healing session, but the man was stable. Sakura reflected on the way Ino rushed into her arms, tears and snot smeared all over her face as she thanked her through choked sobs. She slowly rubbed soothing circles into the relieved girl's back. It was weird. It felt like a 180 of what their relationship used to be: Ino, the shoulder to cry on while Sakura proceeded to cry. For the first time in years, she felt like Ino did something that didn't have an ulterior motive.

As her arms encircled her oldest friend, she hoped that this was the start of repairing their once unbreakable bond.

The group separated after Asuma was patched up. Kakashi and the other assigned nin that Sakura never caught the names of would be on the case of the sealed Akatsuki member they'd come to know as 'Hidan'. He was stirring lightly now, but he was still able to slur his poorly strewn together insults.

The other member, Kakuzu, had been able to flee. Silently, they all thanked him for his exit. If he had decided to fight any further, the battle wouldn't have turned in their favor, even with all their extra manpower. Hope was all they could hold onto as they awaited Kakuzu's next move. Weary and starved, they nodded each other off and split into their necessary parties.

….

Two days passed.

Through rain, extreme heat, and a little starvation just to round out the experience, Sakura didn't know how she made it back alive. Upon reentry to Kumo, she avoided everyone and made a straight shot for the shared apartment. She packed a bag with a few days' clothes and made her exit before her teammates ever saw her.

She walked up to the door of an apartment tucked further back into the recesses of the village and was welcomed with open arms by Inuki. Sakura enjoyed their company. They never asked questions and always accepted her as is. It was why they were such a great rebound after her breakup with Karui. That had to be one of the lowest points in her life.

Sakura ran a bath in Inuki's apartment. She wanted a place to finally settle her bones. She was tired and extremely hungry. The hunger pains made her feel alive. They were the one thing that cemented that she wasn't just dreaming this nightmare up.

Droplets of hot water ran down her body. The heat brought an unexpected, soothing relief. It allowed her to collect her thoughts and really think back on her journey. She didn't know how long this inner group tension would last. She kept telling herself that Karui was allowed to be angry and didn't have to award her with forgiveness, but she'd be damned if she didn't wish that this was all over.

Sakura washed her body in a zombie-like haze. No matter what she did, she couldn't escape the numbness that encapsulated her entire body. Guilt. Uselessness. Pity. Shame. She couldn't pinpoint just one word to describe herself at the moment. What had she wasted all that time training for if she was going to be the same whiny girl she'd always been?

She clothed herself quickly. There was no need to dote over what she looked like and have to worry about another disappointment. She had enough to be sad about already.

Inuki sat up leafing through a magazine as Sakura exited the bathroom. They gazed up at her, eyes full of questions she couldn't bring herself to answer, and furrowed their eyebrows. Sakura eliminated the distance between the both of them and joined Inuki on the bed.

Their mouth opened slightly, about to ask a question to which there would be no answer, but Sakura crashed her lips onto their's. It felt warm, comforting, and a great escape from all the problems that had been plaguing her life for years. Sakura spent the rest of the night clinging onto Inuki trying to expel all the emotional baggage from her body.

….

"Is something wrong?"

The words felt unnatural escaping his mouth, but there was no time for embarrassment in such a situation. Sasuke was supposed to be guarding Sakura, but she'd been a ghost since they'd arrived back in Kumo a week ago. He was still attending classes, but now he was alone.

As much as he hated sitting idle for too long, those long nights at the hospital listening to her hum to herself as she cleaned medical instruments had become an essential part of his day to day activities. He found that he enjoyed sitting in silence together more than he thought.

Standing in the middle of a crowded hall as a mass of bodies moved to get to their next class was not how he expected to find himself today, but here he was. In the crowd of moving bodies, he'd found the girl that he'd reluctantly come to know as Jinora. She was just as shocked as he was that they were talking to each other. She fidgeted with the straps of her backpack uncomfortably. Sasuke watched as her face shadowed with reluctance and helplessness.

"What do you mean?" she asked still trying to play dumb.

He let out a frustrated grumble. Sasuke wasn't up for games. Especially not with such a delicate situation. He took a step closer so that no one would overhear their conversation.

"Sakura hasn't been seen since we've returned. Is there something wrong?"

Jinora shuffled her feet awkwardly. The corridor was becoming less crowded as it purged itself of its occupants. She bit her lip and averted her eyes as she answered him.

"Don't worry. She's probably fine."

"So you don't know where she is?"

Jinora scoffed as if what he said was the most offensive thing she'd ever heard. He didn't have time to consider her feelings. She was beating around the bush about a serious problem. She turned on her heel to go to class, but Sasuke was right on her heels. He kept pace with her as she tried to escape him.

"Aren't you all teammates?" he asked in that patronizing tone he so easily slipped into.

Jinora forced herself to keep her eyes forward. If she looked in his direction she was sure that she'd have a hard time not slapping him.

"Shouldn't you know where the other is?"

Jinora stopped in her tracks. Sasuke followed in suit, his heels coming to an abrupt stop. The girl before him balled her fists and squared her shoulders trying to calm herself down. When she revealed her eyes to him again, a murderous glint shined bright in them.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me. Especially not about what it means to be part of a team," she growled in a low voice. "From what she's told me, that's not something that you're familiar with."

Sasuke's mouth straightened into a thin line. He wouldn't allow some ditzy girl to upset him. He had always been the picture of level headed no matter the situation. Her anger wouldn't ruffle his feathers. He had a mission to do and he would do everything in his power to make sure it was completed.

"If you must know," she spoke again, finally calming down. "She's probably with a friend. Their name's Inuki. You can usually find them near the tail end of the village somewhere by that really cute tea shop."

….

He abandons school to find this 'Inuki' character. He doesn't know what he'll do when he finds this 'friend', but he's sure it'll be something nearing the verge of deadly.

It takes a few hours to find the hole in the wall spot even with roof hopping. Jinora's instructions were very vague and he's only familiarized himself with the main, more touristy parts of the village. Sasuke finds the spot after asking around a bit and pushes the doors of the establishment open, panting and sweating as if he's run a marathon.

He looks around a bit trying to spot any oddities in the building. Aside from individuals or small friend groups drinking tea together quietly, there is not much of anything going on. Sasuke scans the room once more and spots two…dudes (?) in a corner farther in the back aggressively making out with each other.

The description of Inuki that Jinora hurriedly wrote down matches the one he sees with long hair and exaggerated eye makeup. He clears his throat and mentally prepares himself to interrupt whatever those two have going on. It feels like a walk of shame as he passes the wandering, lustful eyes of everyone seated drinking tea.

He feels uncomfortable being the center of attention. He has the sudden urge to busy his hands with picking at his skin or hair. By the time he finally makes it to 'Inuki's' table, both parties have unentangled themselves from each other. Inuki smiles up at him mischievously, almost as if they'd been expecting him. Sasuke clears his throat trying to keep his composure.

"You're the guy, Inuki?"

"I'm not a guy," they answered with a playful tone.

Sasuke, stumped and struggling for an answer, is acquiesced by a simple laugh from Inuki. They dismiss their smooching partner and invite Sasuke to sit in the chair opposite of them.

"Don't overwork your brain trying to make sense of what you think I could be. Just call me Inuki. Maybe then I'll let you find out the rest."

Sasuke, confused as ever, doesn't know how to respond. Inuki laughs again, tickled by the reaction they are able to pull out of the stoic boy.

"Did you need something?"

"Sakura. Her friend said she'd be with you."

Inuki grinned like the cheshire cat, each tooth revealed slowly as they're lips pulled further and further back into a wide smile. "I was wondering when you'd come, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke can't find the words to explain the feeling he got from such an ominous statement.

….

Sasuke's mouth moved before his body could. Because of his rash decision, Sakura was now staying in his apartment.

Walking with Inuki to their apartment had been weird. He was used to the stares but these were different. They ranged from passive curiosity to outright disdain. He would've reacted horribly had he not noticed Inuki's guarded expression.

It was as if they had become numb to this kind of ostracization. They held their head high as they guided Sasuke to their destination. He ignored the light feeling that tickled his chest. He didn't want his thoughts to go too far left.

They got to Inuki's apartment and were met with darkness. Sasuke preferred it especially when the switch was flicked to reveal multi-colored luminescent lights. Inuki guided him to the bedroom where a still Sakura lay. Her hair was greasy, skin pale, and eyes so filled with sorrow that it was a miracle that she'd only had eye bags.

Inuki, in a soft, gentle voice, coaxed her out of bed telling her about Sasuke wanting to talk to her. They helped her up off the bed slowly. She was wearing one of their sweatshirts with no pants from what Sasuke could tell. He turned away trying his hardest to hold in his blush.

She finally gained strength in her legs and walked into the adjacent bathroom. They both stood around awkwardly as she turned on the faucet for the shower. Inuki was the first to break the ice. They told Sasuke everything: how she'd been there for a week, unable to get out of bed, quiet, and unable to eat.

Sasuke listens intuitively as the wheels begin to turn in his head. Sakura and Karui were definitely romantically involved at one point or another. Something had happened in their time here and Sakura was feeling all of the effects of the relationship's erosion.

Her and Inuki also had to be involved at one point for her to be so cozy in their bed. He couldn't feign nonchalance at the thought of her being comfortable in someone else's bed. Just as Sakura comes out of the bathroom, Sasuke has proclaimed that Sakura will be staying with him.

Both Inuki and Sakura froze at the declaration. He does not miss the surprise in her eyes at the prospect of his generosity. She packs quickly and walks behind Sasuke sullenly as Inuki bids them farewell. Sasuke doesn't have the patience for her ambling, so he grabs her arm and flash steps to his apartment.

If she thinks anything of the small, cramped apartment, she doesn't let him in on it. She simply places her bag in a corner near the front door and waits for his instruction. Sasuke, once again thinking irrationally, guides her to his room and gives her the bed.

Sakura has been laying in there silently for the past few hours as Sasuke tried to make sense of everything that had happened. He busies himself by sifting through his mail. He spots a familiar address and recognizes his mother's handwriting. He forgot how long ago he sent back a message.

Dear Sasuke,

Oh honey! Don't be so sour about it. Everybody starts off with menial jobs in every position they take – even Itachi-nii-san. He told me a little about your mission before, but I just wanted to hear from you again. Would it kill you to be consistent with updates for your mother? I only have you and your brother. I want to make sure you're both okay. You almost sent me into cardiac arrest making me worry so much.

I really want you to return home, Sasuke. I heard that you had two encounters with the Akatsuki. Asuma-san came back looking really bad. It's a good thing Tsunade is back in the village or he'd be a goner. When I heard about him I got so worried about you. Are you alright dear? Maybe it's time for you to come back home. Everyone thinks that war is about to settle in.

Your brother and your father (I'm not kidding) have been asking about you. They think it would be nice for you to return for a while, too. Please send more frequent updates.

Oh! Before I forget. I was looking through your room the other day because I missed you and found that old portrait of your team. Who's that pink-haired girl? She looks lovely. Why haven't you ever invited her over like you did with Naruto? When you come back, I want you to invite her over for dinner.

Love,

Your Dearest Mother

Sasuke glanced over at his closed bedroom door. What the hell was he going to do about this girl?

….Danzou stood in his office, hands held behind his back, gazing over the nightly form of Konoha's streets. He wasn't pissed - not yet - but he was definitely annoyed beyond belief.

Reports of the happenings in Kumo had been abysmal. Yamato was one of his best pupils, so he didn't doubt his intel gathering skills at all. Unfortunately, that meant that there really was nothing exciting happening in Kumo or the international program.

He scoffed remembering the pathetic letter he'd received only earlier today. He'd sent Yamato there in hopes of finding dirt on that village so that he could use it as a leg up on Tsunade, the council, the Uchihas, or whoever else he decided to have a grudge against. All he kept hearing about was some sappy teen melodrama that in the grand scheme of things actually meant nothing.

A war was quickly brewing. Any silly, frivolous daydreams these kids had about dating, hook-ups, or mundane things like gossip would soon mean nothing when death on the battlefield was imminent.

Things with Akatsuki weren't holding up much better either. Everyone thought that they were some cold, calculating group waiting for just the right moment for the predator to pounce onto its prey, but they were far from it. Danzo found all their affairs trite and unserious. They refused to seize opportunity when it came to them.

Now was a better time than ever to launch their attack if they were ever going to. None of the villages had even begun to form their armed forces and that strain was coming directly from the international program.

He huffed to himself. If this was the world the younger generation was hoping to build for the future, they'd be decimated before that would even come to fruition. His stronghold had lasted on Konoha for so long because no matter how much people despised his methods, he produced results. He would never let his feelings come over his need to protect the village. What the hell was Tsunade thinking of allowing the kyuubi out of the village and into enemy territory?

Nothing was going according to plan. He only hoped that something would finally whip this shitty village into shape.