Chapter Four-The Hardest Thing

Disclaimer: I most certainly ain't going through this once again.

Warning: Angst, a burning village, an accident, and an unpredictable kiss... Yay! Fluff!!! –laughs-

Rating: PGish-P.G.13ish for violence and language...and that kiss... My, what mouths these genin have...

Pairing: SasuYoru for the entire fic. So if you don't support this couple, then that's your opinion. Author's Notes: Okay, I lied. Here's the new chapter.

Yes, I know that I promised to add the two new genin and jounin characters in this chapter, but since I had this idea, I needed to get it down. I absolutely swear that the next chapter will be dedicated to the new characters.

I finally get to explore the romance aspect of this story, and better develop the relationship between Ryu-ko/Yoru and Sasuke. –cheers once again- I'm a hopeless romantic, don't mind me. –hugs her Yoru-plushie super, duper tight and grins hugely- -squish-

All typos are my fault.

Uh...this is probably going to be the longest chapter in the entire story! –laughs-

This is also one of my more serious chapters. I promise to make Chapter Five funnier as well. –winkwink- When you read the Author's Note at the end of this chapter you shall see what I happen to be talking about...

Chapter Dedication: This chapter goes to the seven people who first reviewed to this ficcie. And those people would be Randomfanfictionreader, x0-Summer-aurora-0x, J.P. Yabao, jazzie309, sUmbOdi, Cookie6, and last (but most certainly not least of all!) Amasaki Reyoko. I must thank all of you for your support and for giving me the courage to continue this story. –BEAM-

Chapter Four-The Hardest Thing

Kakashi backed slowly away from the advancing genin. Her eyes were emblazoned with pure fury. Ryu-ko could feel her blood rushing painfully inside her.

The blood-lust was just as bad as the missing-nin's insanity; Ryu-ko couldn't control it.

'N-no!'

She hesitated. These people here in Konoha had been good to her, and she wanted to kill them? What kind of person would she be then?

No better then...

"Itachi..."

Ryu-ko murmured out loud; causing the jounin to pull a double-take.

'Itachi...the same Itachi as Sasuke's brother? Or another...?'

Screaming her mental anguish, she turned her back on Kakashi and raced into the village.

Holy shit. In her state of mind, she was going to harm some innocent civilians!

'God damn it!'

Following the berserk genin, Kakashi pushed himself to the limit. Ryu-ko's fury gave her the speed to keep out of the jounin's reach.

"NARAKU-KA!!!" ((AN: No relationship what-so-ever with the Naraku from Inuyasha!))

He heard her yell, and then an entire district of Konoha went up in flames. People shrieked in fear, some trying to put flames out, others trying to avoid being burned.

Hellfire.

'Fire-based chakra...fire-based chakra...'

There was once a clan that specialized in that element of chakra. Of course, there were many clans like that but one particular one lingered with the jounin's mind...right on the tip of his tongue...

-cutscene-

Yipe.

Flames flickered on the edge of Naruto's vision.

"Shit; what the fucking hell is going on!?!?"

He started to head to see what was up, when both Sakura and Sasuke caught up with him.

"Naruto! Hey, Naruto!"

"Huh? Oh, hey guys!"

Sakura watched entranced as Ryu-ko stepped from the flickering flames. The fire danced about her figure; the flames in her eyes even creepier. Because the flames were created by her own chakra, she was not burned by the fire which caused such chaos and destruction.

She turned on the genin. Her hands started to form the seals of another one of her attacks, preparing to launch it at them.

"STOP!!!"

Sasuke lunged past Naruto and Sakura, right to Ryu-ko. Heedless of the burning power of the flames about her, he gripped her hands tightly so to stop her from completing the seals.

Her gray eyes suddenly lost their murderous look...and turned to look into Sasuke's. They widen slightly and she whispered in a level of voice that only he could hear her.

"Sa...su..."

Sasuke froze at the sound of his childhood nickname, while her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she slumped unconscious in Sasuke's arms. Ryu-ko had used far too much of her chakra-since she was still healing from her previous injuries. Kakashi came onto the scene, late as always.

"Ah, good. Let's take her back to the shrine..."

-cutscene-

Two more days have passed, not even a full week yet. Most of her sores still hurt, as they weren't totally healed just yet. Mikomi was worried, fearing that the healing chakra she had used wasn't working properly on the young genin.

Ryu-ko insisted that she was feeling fine. Perhaps she was doing better than the old woman thought.

She helped with most of the chores around the Kyuui Shrine, as keeping herself busy was the best thing for her to do. It kept her mind and hands busy, and doing that has kept her from thinking about fighting and destroying.

And thinking about Sasuke.

-cutscene-

Ryu-ko had just finished with hanging the clothes and she started to go back inside but then she noticed Sasuke standing there, watching her. She stood there for a moment and then decided to get her courage together and ask him her question. She planted her feet firmly in front of him.

"What do you want, Ryu-ko?"

Sasuke stated quietly.

"I was just curious why you've been watching me, that's all."

She shied away, unable to meet his sharp gaze. She had forgotten everything of her loss of control, her mind unable to bother the girl with those memories. She had also conveniently forgotten what she had called him...

"Not sure".

He stated almost immediately.

"Why do you wanna' know?"

Ryu-ko huffed at his tone, glaring at him with daggers in her now-steely cold gray eyes.

"Because it's been bothering me".

She snapped right back at him.

"Why should it bother you? We've never met."

Sasuke immediately regretted those words at the even more pissed off look she gave him. She curled her hands into fists, snarling her words.

"And are you sure about that?! Every time I see you I get the feeling that we've met somewhere...sometime before! I get the feeling that we were friends!! But I can't remember...I...I just can't..."

Her voice trailed off, trying to halt the tears from exploding out. She didn't want to even try doing what she was thinking of doing because she knew that he could kill her. Instead she turned and took off.

Sasuke watched her with some confusion.

"What is she up to?"

He asked himself. Sasuke suddenly got worried about what Ryu-ko would do.

Then he thought...

'In her condition? No way!'

Suddenly, Sasuke heard a huge blast from the direction she just took off to.

"Aw...shit!"

He ran towards the explosion. Sasuke finally got to where Ryu-ko was and she was setting fire to an isolated portion of the forest with more chakra than she could use while in her condition.

"Ryu-ko! Stop it!"

Ryu-ko looked back with tears streaming down her face. She had the look of a killer in her eyes but her strength seemed to be lacking in her facial features. She started to form the seals again and she set even more trees on fire.

"What do you care?"

"Ryu-ko! I said stop! What do you think you're doing? Huh?!"

"I have to release my anger somehow!"

Ryu-ko whimpered, her hands shaking so much that she could barely finish the seals.

"You can't just set fire to anything that you think is deserted!"

Sasuke goes up from behind her and grabs her arms so to stop her.

"Why not?"

Ryu-ko shouted, and begun to wiggle around in his arms so to get him to let go.

"You're not my keeper!"

Sasuke put his mouth to her ear. His light breath made her stop struggling in an instant.

"Maybe I should be."

She placed her hands behind his head and ran her fingers gently through his hair. Sasuke released her arms and wrapped his arms around her waist. Ryu-ko leaned her head back on his shoulder. She let out a big sigh as she felt all her anger disappearing and trailed her fingers down his the back of his head and rubbed the fuzz on the back and runs her other hand down his neck.

"What are you up to?"

Sasuke whispered in her ear.

"No good?"

Ryu-ko said shyly with a smirk, her gray eyes flickering back and glancing at Sasuke.

"I can see that."

He released her suddenly, feeling watched. With a quick glance around the area, he saw that there wasn't any person around. Well, he didn't want to provide his jounin with any blackmail material.

"You should get back to the shrine and rest. You're still far too weak to be running around and using your chakra. Hell, a child could beat you while you are at your strength now. Later."

He almost growled, then turned and started walking away from Ryu-ko.

"Hey, you bastard!!!"

Sasuke stopped, and turned back toward her.

Ryu-ko pulled her fist back and slugged him straight on the jaw. Sasuke went back a bit from the force. He turned his head around with blood trickling down his chin. He looked at her wildly. Her eyes spoke of anger, fear, and disappointment. All that Sasuke saw was the anger. He hit her right back with as much force as he felt inside of his heart, but he hit her a little too hard and she went flying into a nearby tree. ((AN: Evil, evil trees...so very violent...)) Her head bounced right off of the tree and left a little stain of blood on the bark. Sasuke gasped as he noticed that she didn't get up from the blow. He ran over to her and turned her to face him.

"Ryu-ko?"

He grabbed her head in his hand and puts one arm around her back. The wounds on her side and back—had been broken open! Sasuke suddenly gasped at what he did.

"Ryu-ko!"

He didn't know why but he picked her up without another word and rushed her back to the Kyuui Shrine.

-cutscene-

The shrine priestesses took Ryu-ko and placed her in the bed right away. Sasuke shoved some of them out of his way so to sit down next to her. He took a hold of her hand and squeezed it gently.

"I didn't think I'd actually make contact!"

Mikomi comes in. The other priestesses made a path so the healer could get to the bed. For a few moments she looked down at Ryu-ko. Then she looked up to see Sasuke's face. Sasuke gave the healer a pitiful look.

"Did you do this?"

She asked as if she was talking to a child.

"Yes..."

Sasuke lowered his head.

"I didn't mean to. I thought that she would block before my fist landed on her."

"I have told you shinobi three times before you guys took her to that Hokage of yours that she will not have her full strength for about seven weeks. Now because of this she must wait another two weeks to heal, and then another three weeks after that before she can even start training..."

Sasuke lowered his head in shame.

"I'm so sorry."

Sasuke sighed. He wasn't sure if he was serious, but he knew very well that he didn't have to hit her back. He should have held his temper in check. Now, for reasons unknown to Sasuke, he actually felt bad for hitting Ryu-ko. It made absolutely no sense to him.

-cutscene-

Ryu-ko gasped and sat up from a nightmare. She turned her head over and saw the digital clock say 11:47 PM. She had been sleeping for seven hours, but it only felt like fifteen minutes. She put her arms around her knees and leaned forward so that her chin was touching her top forearm. She sighed heavily as she looks around in the gloomy shrine room. Ryu-ko thought she would never have to see this place again. She was already sick of the food that 'Mother' Mikomi and her priestesses served her. These people were so happy and cheerful that Ryu-ko felt like taking a kunai to them!!!

She shook her head in resentment. Ryu-ko shouldn't be like that. She felt that she needed to, but it was not completely all there. It seemed that the reason that made her not care for anyone was gone. These other strange feelings were all so new to her. It was so hard for her to piece them all together...way too hard to right now because she was only half-awake!

A small rap on her window alerted her attention. Ryu-ko gasped again suddenly and placed her legs over the edge of the bed. She stared at the curtain-covered window for a few moments and finally realized that there was a silhouette there.

Ryu-ko rubbed her eyes and then blinked a couple times to try and get her sight working more properly. She was right! There was a dark silhouette behind the curtain. She quickly ran up to the curtain to part it. The sight takes Ryu-ko slightly back and she almost tripped over a chair. Teetering on one toe, she balanced herself steady for a few moments...waving her hands in a circling motion to keep her there so she didn't fall over and hurt herself.

The window suddenly burst open and the person caught her before she landed on the hard floor. Out of instinct, Ryu-ko reached out with her hands and grabbed the person's shoulders. She shivered and held onto the rock hard strength that helped her.

"Are you alright?"

Ryu-ko blinked a couple more times and then looked up at her rescuer. She made a small gasp.

"S-Sasuke?"

She gulped hard.

"Yes. Surprised to see me?"

He sat her back upright.

"Uh huh..."

She nodded slowly while looking down. Her arms were still around his shoulders. Ryu-ko suddenly felt flush. She didn't think that he'd come to see her. But then again, he was the one that put her back into the priestess's care, hopefully on accident, although she thought that he wanted her dead right then and there.

"I didn't think you'd actually come and visit me."

Her eyes haven't even met his yet. There was a little pause before she heard his slight sigh of frustration.

"It-it took me awhile to figure out if I really wanted to come see you or not."

His eyes were elsewhere also. Ryu-ko continued to keep her arms wrapped around his shoulders. She was not sure if it was because she was afraid of falling again, or because she was petrified from the moment.

"So what made you decide to come see me?"

Her eyes were now fixed on his chest, which was rising and falling quickly.

"Well-um...I guess I felt bad for hurting you."

He gulped hard.

"I-I really didn't mean to...I mean...uh..."

He took a deep breath.

"You were supposed to block!"

Sasuke looked down at her and smirked. She finally looked up at him with a weird expression on her face.

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, you know...you put your arms up before my fist makes contact?

That's how you block."

"I know that, baka!"

She finally let's go of his shoulders and made her way back to the bed.

"I don't need YOU telling ME how to fight!"

She sat down on the bed with a hard bounce.

"Careful or you'll open your wounds again."

Sasuke smirked.

"I know that!"

Ryu-ko huffed. She turned her head and started to stare at the clock. It said 12:24 AM. Sasuke walked over and sat down on the bed next to her.

"So what don't you know?"

He smiled sarcastically. Sasuke watched as Ryu-ko continued to stare at the clock. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. She opened them again just in time to see the last number change to a five.

"Do I have to answer that?"

"Don't answer me with another question!"

Sasuke said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not sure why I have even bothered to come and see you but I did. I felt bad for putting you back in here and I don't even know why. I just saved you from hurting yourself and possibly reopening your wounds again, and now you're being bitter towards me."

Ryu-ko turned around in annoyance.

"Oh! And you just told me that I was supposed to block! That was REEEALLY nice of you, Sasuke! So what else did I do wrong that you should point out to me?"

"Well for starters you never said "thank you" when I caught you!"

"Well ok then- THANK YOU SASUKE! THANKS FOR CATCHING ME!"

"Hey! Don't you dare take that tone with me!"

Sasuke stood up right in front of her.

"You know-maybe I should have LET you fall on your ass! That would have been so funny to see!"

"OH! You know what's funny to see? YOU being here in the first place and then throwing all this bullshit at me about how sorry you are for 'accidentally' hitting me!"

"Oh! OH! That's really mature of you, Ryu-ko! Real mature! Maybe I made a mistake for coming here! I knew something like this was bound to happen!"

"Oh, did you now?"

Ryu-ko gets up in his face.

"Or were you hoping for us to kiss and make up? Or perhaps you were hoping for more than even that to happen?"

"NANI?"

"Yeah! That's it! You were hoping to get lucky, weren't you? Admit it!"

Sasuke made a disgruntled noise.

"With you? I don't think so!"

Ryu-ko threw her arms up.

"You are being SO impossible! WHY ARE YOU EVEN STILL HERE?"

"Good question."

Sasuke turned around to leap out of the window.

Ryu-ko got a real sharp pain inside of her and she rushed over to him.

"WAIT A SECOND! STOP!"

Sasuke stopped at the window with one foot up on the sill. His hands were still touching the sides of the window as he looked back.

"Why? I thought you said I can leave?"

His lip curled up a bit.

Ryu-ko put her one hand over her chest to try and quiet down her heartbeats.

"I didn't say you can leave."

She got up closer to him and started to shake a little.

"I was just asking you a question."

She gave him a slight smile.

"Oh".

Sasuke took his foot off the sill. He turned around and sat on it instead.

"It wasn't a very good question."

He forced a smile.

"Yes...I know. I just...I don't want you to leave".

Ryu-ko stated quickly, almost too quietly for him to hear.

"Oh?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"You want to continue with our fight then?"

He smirked.

"Please, Sasuke!"

Her face showed pain for the first time. Sasuke was a...bit surprised by it.

"I don't want for you to leave... Please..."

Ryu-ko felt pain deep inside herself. A snippet of memory flashed through her mind...

A familiar arm was thrown around her shoulders and warm laughter followed. They were posing for a picture; her...him...and several others. Their faces could almost be seen clearly; only an ever dimming shadow hiding them...

Sasuke stifled a slight chuckle and then looked up at her from his sitting position.

"So then YOU wanna' kiss and make up?"

He gave her a sarcastic smile. She didn't say anything, and just stared at him with her hurtful look. Sasuke sighed with frustration and then stood back up. He got within a few inches from her face and placed a finger under her chin.

"You were hoping for that weren't you?"

A small tear rolled silently down Ryu-ko's cheek.

Sasuke' throat tighten up and his legs started to feel like jelly. It became harder for him to even move his finger from her chin.

'You're not supposed to make me feel this way, Ryu-ko!'

Sasuke thought to himself.

'You're a murderer! A filthy murdering monster and I shouldn't be feeling this way...'

They had all learned a bit more about her past while at Ishi, and the rather blood-splattered history of the shinobi team she had been on. They all were known to be one of the more brutal and hardest teams from Ishi, but also one of the best there.

Sasuke felt her gulp hard under his fingertip. He tried to show her in his eyes that he didn't want to give her any kind of mercy. Ryu-ko sighed with a small stutter and continued to stare into his eyes. Brows lowered or not, it was a beautiful sight to her.

'I'm going to hate myself in the morning for this...'

Sasuke leaned down to her face and carefully placed his lips onto her trembling ones. A small moan tried to escape from Ryu-ko's mouth just before they lock, and she threw her arms around him fiercely. Oh, she was certainly not letting him get away from her so easily.

-cutscene-

Author's Notes: Yay! They kissed, they kissed! There's the romantic aspect in the story-it took me long enough to type! Heh heh. I told you that Sasuke was gonna' act OOC!

You see what happens when two shinobi with strong personalities end up attracted to each other? People get hurt.

-Yoru-plushie grins- I believe that it's called a lovehate relationship, right?

Sure is!

Whoa, and Sasuke doesn't even know that Ryu-ko is Yoru yet. Don't worry, they find out within the next three chapters or so... -wink- It's gonna' be interesting; trust me!

–Yoru-plushie gives everyone a frightened look- Really believe her...she's already working on it...

I just love the new jounin and genin. Hope that I'll capture them how their owners wanted them to be like! Send in more!

Plans for Chapter Five:

(1) Ryu-ko is placed with a new team. Will they get along with the girl?

(2) Training in a dark cave while chasing a...lemur...? Yes, you heard me right. A lemur. - o.

(3) Sakura starts a war against Ryu-ko...while Ryu-ko doesn't even know what the hell is going on!!! Poor Ryu-ko!!!

(4) A brief visit from Itachi...and does he have feelings for Ryu-ko/Yoru? o 0 Things get interesting...

End of Part 1. Please flip the tape over to side 2. Thank you!