Author's Note: A bit of background behind why I made Sakura a large part of the fic: I think she has a lot of potential for growth as a character and as a girl myself I can relate somewhat to where she comes from. I hope she doesn't seem too OOC, but I wanted to show everyone that there is a side of Sakura that just hasn't been shown yet that is slowly building up.

******* Ino opened her eyes and saw the shadow of a figure in the light still emitting from the attack. The attack had not made contact with her, but with the figure in front of her. Who was her savior? Was it Sasuke? No, he didn't care for her, no one did. right? Then. who just risked their life for her? "Ino. next time please tell me when you plan to get killed! You're such a baka sometimes!" The voice laughed hoarsely. When the blazing light began to fade, Ino widened her eyes as she saw who stood in front of her.
"Shikamaru!" Ino gasped reaching her hand out weakly. He was bruised badly from the blast, and he tried to deflect it to the best of his ability. The scratches upon his cheeks were slightly red; the cuts seemed to have irritated his skin. Ino understood instantly that ever since his parents had been training with him, he became far more powerful, she would have easily died from that attack. When the smoke disappeared, Nierla gritted her teeth fiercely and licked her lips and gave out a hiss. Her voice had an echo that seemed to envelope the two leaf shinobi.
Shikamaru snarled as he rolled his eyes at Nierla,
"What is with this? I have to fight ANOTHER girl? Is there a conspiracy? Well. you'll just have to learn your lesson. I'll never let any girl beat me!"
"You were that damned Chuuin at the Hokage's office? Neh? How'd you like the little present we left back at the village? I can still remember the cries of pain. what a pity you couldn't have been there." Nierla cackled raucously.
Burning with anger, Shikamaru tightened his fist staying perfectly still. Ino, seeing that Shikamaru didn't attack Nierla right away, forced herself to get up and yell out,
"You Bitch!" Ino ran faster until Shikamaru stopped Ino right in her tracks, "What're you doing!? Lemme go!!! How can you just stand there?" Ino barked at Shikamaru, trying to find a way out of his grasp.
"The faster you rush into a battle, the faster you lose." Shikamaru replied as calmly as he could. He truthfully wanted to attack Nierla, but he knew that she was just trying to make them angry. "Even though Chouji isn't with us, we can still make a good team. just like in the old days." Shikamaru's voice sounded a little distant at that point, as though he was in another place, thinking back to the past, when they were the considerably worse team, team 10, but they had a teamwork that few groups did.
"Yeah." Ino replied in a calmer voice and a reassuring smile.
"Awww. How sweet! A boyfriend coming to save his girlfriend! Too bad you're both going to die!" Nierla snickered in her once again, echoing voice.
"Get this straight! We are NOT boyfriend and girlfriend! Got that?!?" Ino yelled out to Nierla, shaking her fists in the air.
"Am I really that bad?" Shikamaru mumbled to himself, his eyeballs drifting to the top of his eye sockets. Nierla sighed and brought her hand up to the back of her neck,
"Okay.okay... calm down girl! Just make sure that you pick the perfect spot for your grave to go after this battle's over."
"Don't get to cocky. you might break a nail." Ino countered brashly. Shikamaru replied to her in a low whisper and started to think up a beginning strategy. Shikamaru began to say something but all he could come out with in the end was,
"Ino. we haven't worked together for so long. that I have no idea of your abilities. it's obvious you've improved." Shikamaru added with a slight upset in his voice. How could he come up with a strategy when he didn't even know what his partner's capabilities were? Ino took it a different way; she blushed slightly and felt a much needed ego boost. She sighed softly,
"Shikamaru. it really has been a long time...but I believe you can still work something out, right?" Ino hopefully urged. Shikamaru shook his head and gulped,
"I don't know, but it's worth a try."

*******
Sakura fingered her pocket, something was in there. She didn't notice it before. Latched onto a small bottle was a note. Unraveling it slowly, the shinobi's eyes darted across the note, "Take into consideration with who you are dealing with. Drink this bottle in your only hope to become strong." Sakura knew who it was from, the snake- like girl. She knew what she had to do. Whether or not she liked it, she wanted to hate the leaf. Hate it so badly. She almost wished she was raised in a life of horrid tragedy, misfortune. Then she could be strong, and then she would understand the true hardships of life. She may have been the smartest kid in academics in the Konohagure Village, but she felt like she was the most stupid one of them all, she didn't understand anything about life. She was weak willed. She knew that about herself. Maybe that is what drove her to such limits, to open the bottle. She heard the liquid squish back and forth throughout the glass bottle, not recognizing the queer aroma it gave off. She didn't know what was in it, and frankly didn't want to. With a large gulp, her glowing eyes starred into the mixture which she brought up to her mouth and drunk slowly. The taste was strange, neither pleasurable nor disgusting, but she felt extraordinary feelings rushing through her body. She felt reenergized, and then noticed a seal running up her arms to her neck spreading through her face and legs. She was covered in it, but she knew more jutsus than ever before, her stamina greatly increased, she felt more confident in her speed and strength. This power was. amazing! She knew that as she took on these powers it was a sign that she would never return to the leaf, never would be able to face them again. So this was it. This is what she had to do. Whether it was right or not, well, she created her own destiny.

*********

Snap! The strings wrapped around Mieko snapped. The other girl didn't do it. no it came from another direction. Was someone else there for back up? How pathetic. Sasuke gritted his teeth and glaring as he scanned the brush, "Come out you damn coward." Sasuke hissed to where he heard a rustle of leaves. A girl stepped out; He recognized the short pink hair and the glowing green eyes. Oh yes, he knew her all too well, but the strange thing was she wasn't the same whimpering self. The one he came to know. No, instead her eyes were full of envy, disgust, hate. Absolute hate. "Sakura! What in god's name are you doing? Why are you starring at me like that? Get out, you'll get killed!" As she nearer him, he asked with a smirk, "Copying me huh? Going to the enemy's side. You're pathetic. You know that Haruno?" He laughed, the first time you could see Sasuke really laugh. "Fight me." Sakura's voice was as cold as stone; no emotion came to her face. "What? Are they controlling you?" Sasuke let out a forced laugh, somewhat stunned and definitely confused. "No. Don't you realize that I'm serious? They showed me I could achieve power without having to fall back onto you? Can't you realize I want to do something for myself this time? Alone. Fight me with your fullest potential." Sakura stepped in front of him, gripping him by the collar. Her aura gave off a chill. He almost felt like a pacifist at the time, he couldn't fight her, but some burning desire in him wanted to. "Well? Fight me." Sakura commanded forcefully again. She punched him in the face, and he took the full blast of it. It sent him to the ground. The seal she had on her was making her even stronger than she could imagine. When Sasuke picked his head up, his cheek was scuffed and bleeding. With narrowed eyes and a grin he added, "Hitting the one you used to hang on and want so badly, and with such hate. I think I'm beginning to like this Sakura." "Well too bad because this Sakura doesn't want you." She jabbed her knee into his chest and he continued to laugh, "Stop laughing! Why won't you fight me! Don't I deserve any of your effort?" Sakura was enraged. He didn't even think she was worth his effort, did he? Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed to her in a low mumble, "I don't want to kill you." "What makes you so sure of that. don't kill me then, but fight me to that point. I'm your enemy now. I'm a threat to what you believe in. I will prove to you that I am strong." Sakura had so much belief in her words that, Sasuke could understand where she was coming from. He decided what to do, a fight to the finish, give her what she wanted. Sasuke got up; he had become his old, cocky and cool self again and decided to give her the respect she wanted, even though he still doubted her skills. This time he wasn't going to mock her, he wasn't going to laugh. Anyway, at least she would have a better chance now because of his previous injuries. "That's more like it." Sakura's lips curled as she caught a fast punch that Sasuke tried to throw at her. Her speed had more than increased; it was almost as though she was a different person.

****** Chapter 8 End To be continued..