Pain of Love:

Note: WOW! THIS IS SURE A DAMN LONG CHAPTER! hehe...oh well...i suppose tad makes up for note updating is such a LONG time...XD newayz...me was a bit caught up in de storm called *life* ^^; Well...on ta de story!

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Sakura felt all the color drain from her face, she felt her hands shaking with fear. Someone...someone had died...no...been murdered...right under her very nose. She should have known that something was off...she should have felt the danger....

...she should have protected them...

And now...their blood was in her hands...her fault...always her fault. When she'd become a hunter-nin, she'd promised herself that she'd protect the village...no matter the cost. She closed her eyes in pain...in anger. She'd failed them....all of them...

The wind howled with agony, lashing painfully against them. Sakura shivered slightly, something wasn't right here...something was definitely off. The air bristled from an unknown disturbance, as if...something was out there...waiting...for her...

...waiting...to DESTROY...her...once and for all...

She took a nervous glance outside, and suppressed a gasp of shock. Eyes...dark red eyes...heavily framed by dark lashes were staring straight at her....before disappearing. The whole building was coated in ice...frozen stiff...so cold...so deadly...

Sakura shook her head from side to side trying to clear her mind. She instantly shot a causal yet probing look around the room. It seemed so unreal...everything...as if no one else could see it...as if...she was...going mad...

The music flowed peacefully through the room, while everyone moved slowly to the beat...as if they were...in some sort of a trance. Around her, she heard women gossiping about their boyfriends, and lovers whispering in the shadows. But...didn't anyone...besides her...feel the dark power that loomed outside...

The massive power that could easily destroy Konoha...a power even stronger then her own. Sakura trembled from head to toe. How she hated this emotion...how she hated feeling weak...and helpless. She just wasn't strong enough...not this time...

"Sakura? Are you alright?" asked Ino, looking at her cautiously. "You don't look so well..."

Sakura blinked, and the images...the haunting images disappeared. "I'm fine..." she said shortly, carefully avoiding Ino's worried expression. It wasn't the time to think about this...she could worry about it some other time. Right now, she had to deal with Ino.

"Who died?" she whispered solemnly. "Who was it?" she repeated, giving Ino a small shake. "Was it anyone that we knew?"

Ino looked almost hysterical. "I DON'T KNOW!" she cried frantically, wringing her hands in desperation. "I...I...Kakashi...just told me to find you....he...said...that someone had been killed." She took a deep breath and swallowed the bile that threatened to overflow. "You should have seen him...I've...never...ever...seen him so serious...so upset before..."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. Kakashi? Upset? Something was defiantly wrong...he'd never seen any emotion from his easy going sensei. He was a mystery...a puzzle that he couldn't quite piece together.

He stared outside, just as Sakura had done. He'd been foolish letting his guard down...especially around HER... Sasuke flinched when he felt the power that radiated outside...like a storm preparing to strike...a maelstrom...

Sasuke eyes hardened with anger. That power...that unknown charka belonged to the man he'd sworn to kill. The one who he gave up his freedom to destroy...the only other survivor of his clan. He forced himself to remain calm...to think rationally...

...Sakura...

She was in danger...deep danger. It took all his will not to bolt out of the building and duke it out...a battle till the death...with...his brother. Sakura needed to be protected...somehow...he knew that he couldn't stand it if she got hurt...not again....

Sakura had been hurt enough...she didn't need to reliving the pain again...especially when she didn't deserve it. He had broken her heart once...and he'd be damned to do it again. Sasuke furiously ground his teeth together. How he wanted to fight...to kill...to feel his brother's blood running through his fingers...to tear him to pieces...one...by...one...to make him feel every ounce of pain he deserved...

But...he couldn't...not now...not until...Sakura was safe...

"Well...what are we waiting for?" snapped Sakura, regaining her composure. "Led the way...we have a murderer on the loose..." Her mysterious green eyes hardened with anger. "He won't get away...not now...not ever..." she whispered quietly, however her voice was cold...so cold that it caused Sasuke to flinch slightly. "I'll show him...why...he shouldn't mess with anyone in this village..."

Ino gulped fearfully while she stared at Sakura with empty eyes. It was times like these when Ino truly understood the power that lied within her pink-haired friend. She had changed so much...had gotten so much stronger when she trained with the other hunter-nins. Sometimes...it was hard...trying to find the girl...that she'd once known underneath that cold and self-assured mask. Sometimes...it felt like as if she'd lost...her best friend...

But she didn't fear her...it was impossible. Ino knew...that no matter what...Sakura would never...ever hurt them. She had too much honor to do that...to hurt...someone...close to her. Sakura had been devastated when she discovered that Sasuke had left to join the Sound Ninjas. She had somehow broken a piece of her heart...

"Alright..." she muttered softly, her sapphire blue eyes filling with tears. Ino couldn't help but pity Sakura. She had lost everything the day Sasuke deserted her...all her dreams...her life. They were the only people left...her friends...

While one the other hand, Ino hadn't been heartbroken when Sasuke left. In fact, she had only been shocked. After all...who would have thought...the boy that she'd had a crush on...would do something so heartless...something...so...cruel... But she had Shikamaru, and eventually she'd forgotten about Sasuke. Ino threw a glance at Sakura and frowned. She knew that Sakura hadn't gotten over him...not yet...not ever...

She forced a smile and gently tugged on Sakura's arm. "Well, let's go!" she exclaimed with false enthusiasm. "Let's go so you could kick that bastard's ass!"

Sakura lifted a finely shaped eyebrow in amusement. Some things just never change...Ino always had a habit of doing the most awkward things and mercurial things. "Well...lead the way..." she commanded slowly, completely forgetting about her mysterious partner.

That is...until she felt herself trapped in his tight embrace...

"Where are you going?" he questioned softly, his warm breath tickling her cheek. "Did you forget about me?" he asked in mock innocence.

Sakura frowned while she unsuccessfully tried to push him away. "Let go of me..." she hissed half of her wanting to stay in his arms forever, the other half was angry...very very angry. "I have important things to do..." she snapped. "Things that aren't you business..."

"Oh? And what are those *things*?" he whispered seductively, slowly kissing her neck. "I don't think...that it's...safe...for you to go there... alone..."

"What are you implying?" she growled trying to ignore the feel of his warm lips against her skin. "That I'm too weak to defend myself? That I'm weak and defenseless little girl?" she asked trying to control her anger.

"I...think...that it'd be better if I come along..." he murmured gently in her ear. "After all...I could...keep you company..." his face twisted into a smirk. "Especially in this weather..." he said raising his arms to indicate the ice that surround the building. "In more ways...then one..." he muttered his eyes flashing with amusement.

Sakura felt her mouth drop. Who was this man? What gave him the right to speak to her that way? She wasn't a slut, and she sure as hell wasn't going to jump into him bed....well at least...not anytime soon.

"I...I..."

"Well? What do you say?" he whispered, running his hands down to her petite waist and pulling her closer. "I promise you...that you...won't regret it..."

"FINE!" she exclaimed, close to yelling. "Fine, you could come if you want! But...don't try anything..." she growled out, pushing herself away from him. "I'm not going to be held responsible for you...so remember when you're lying dead against the ground...that this was YOUR idea."

Sasuke smirked. "Alright...alright..."

Sakura sighed and walked towards where Ino who was standing with her mouth hanging open. "Let's go..." she said weakly, turning her back to Sakura. Things...were definitely weird when Sakura was around...

Ino paused while she kept darting looking back at Sakura's dark stranger. She couldn't put her finger on it...but she'd seen him before...somewhere...if only she could remember...

Meanwhile Sasuke chuckled softly under his breath. He wouldn't allow anything to happen to Sakura...nothing. She hasn't changed one bit over the years...she was still a pretty yet fragile flower that could break easily. Wasn't she?

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Note: *Sigh* finally me updated...XD me was like...a bit busy w/ skewl and junk ^^; itz actually kuite sad...itz like...only de third week of skewl...and me Spanish grade has dropped ta a C- *sigh* just me luck...newayz...I'll try ta update soon...especially w/ de survival one. Hugs and kissed! Wish ya all de best of luck...*well...at least better then wa I'm having* Don't forget ta Review! REVIEW!