Chapter 1

It was a sunny day in Konoha. The birds were chirping. Everyone was happy except for our favorite team, team 7.

"I can't believe our luck… being given a mission on such a fine day…" Sakura whined.

"It's not that bad Sakura-chan! At least we can kick but!" Naruto explained happily.

"Hn."

Flashback:

"… Where the hell is Kakashi sensei!"

9:00

"Kakashi…"

9:05

"Sensei…"

9:10

"Darn you.."

9:15

POOF!

"Hello friends… you see I found this stray dog and helped it find its owner and so…" Kakashi trailed on.

"LIAR!"

"Anyway… you guys have a mission today!" Kakashi explained. "You guys are to protect a rich land lord's daughter who is being hunt down by missing nins."

"So where are we heading then Kakashi sensei?" Sakura asked.

"To the Snow country."

"Snow? Isn't that supposed to be Spring?"

"Never mind about that! We get to see that grouchy princess again!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Hn."

End Flashback

"So we get to see Koyuki-san again…" Sakura trailed on.

"Yeah! Maybe she can help us with our mission too! Then we can go home earlier than expected!" Naruto exclaimed happily.

"She won't have time to help us dobe. She'll be too busy governing her country." Sasuke stated.

"Stop playing cool Sasuke-teme!"

"Actually… Naruto, Sasuke-kun is right…"

"Mou… always on Sasuke's side…" Naruto mumbled.

"Did you say anything dobe?"

"Nothing."

"C'mon Sasuke-kun, Naruto the train will leave us…" Sakura said walking over to the counter to collect their tickets.

"Coming Sa-ku-ra-ch-an!" Naruto ran after her.

"Hn." Sasuke shrugged as he turned to follow.

- -

"Sakura-chan…"

"Sakura-chan!"

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"Huh? What?" Sakura stumbled from her seat, pulling out a kunai in the process.

"Sakura-chan we're here," Naruto explained.

"Oh. Is that so." Sakura blushed, putting back her kunai.

"Naruto, Sakura let's go now," Sasuke called to them.

"We'll be right there Sasuke-teme!" Naruto called back.

The three walked out the train station. The view was great. The snow country sure had changed. Sakura "oohed" and "ahhed" at every view they would pass.

"Naruto-san!" A familiar voice called.

Naruto turned around.

"Koyuki-san!" Naruto cried as he ran over to the princess.

"Nice to see you're doing okay, Naruto,"

"Yeah, you too," Naruto grinned.

"Oh. Hello to you two too, Sakura-san and Sasuke," Koyuki smiled.

"Nice to see you again," Sakura bowed politely.

"Hn."

"So what brings you here to pick us up?" Sakura started.

"Oh. You're wrong I didn't come here to pick you guys up, I came here with your client, everybody meet Reiki, Reiki Seido," She explained as she took a step back.

A girl emerged from behind. She had short dark blue hair and hazel eyes.

"Hel-lo e- everybody… I'm R- reiki… Reiki Seido… n- nice to meet you," She bowed down.

"Uhh… nice to meet you too Reiki-san," Sakura bowed down acknowledging her presence.

'What a beauty!' Naruto beamed. "Nice to meet you Reiki-chan! I'm Naruto, and that pink-haired girl is my Sakura-chan and that silent guy brooding over at the corner is Sasuke-teme!" Naruto finished.

"N-nice to meet y-you all…" Reiki smiled.

'H-hey… she looks just like me… well except for the hair and eye color…' Sakura thought.

"Now that you're acquainted, I'll tell you a little something about her. She is Reiki Seido, daughter of a wealthy land lord. She is a genin and is a weapons master." Koyuki started.

"Reminds me of Tenten… and Hinata… too…hmmm…" Sakura mumbled.

"Anyway… we will now show you to where you will be staying," She finished as she started to move forward. "Follow me."

The three nodded and followed.

-

Naruto's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.

"Oh. Gosh. Y-you mean t-this big mansion is your h-house?" Naruto stuttered.

"Umm… Y-yes…"

"I will have to leave now." She turned to Sakura and motioned for her to approach her. Sakura did as she was told. "Sakura-san, please watch out, Reiki-san is not how she seems, she may be sweet and innocent in the outside but… just be careful…" She whispered.

Sakura nodded. Koyuki turned to Naruto and Sasuke, "Please do everything in your power to protect her,"

The two nodded and the princess turned to go.

-

"So Sasuke-teme… what do we do now?" Naruto groaned. They were now seated in Reiki's living room conversing about their current situation.

"Well… its getting pretty dark so we should guard every inch of this house." Sasuke stated simply.

"Every inch?"

"But Sasuke-kun, the house is too big…" Sakura started and was cut off.

"We'll put a person to guard the main gate and the second floor, and a person to stay with Reiki." He finished. "We'll switch places from time to time,"

"I want to stay with Reiki-chan!" Naruto yelled.

"No way dobe, you might do something. Remember she's our charge, we'll draw straws, the person who gets the red one gets to stay with Reiki, the person who gets the green one guards the main gate and the person who gets the plain one will guard the second floor," Sasuke explained, pulling out three straws.

Naruto smiled a big smile.

Sakura frowned.

Sasuke's face remained emotionless.

"Yeah! I get to stay with Reiki-chan!" He turned to face Sasuke. "In your face Sasuke-teme!"

Sasuke snorted and walked over to Sakura.

I get to guard the main gate? Oh kami-sama, why me? I'm just a plain old medic nin… I'm useless in hand to hand combat… Oh no…

"Sakura."

Sakura was snapped out of her thoughts.

"Sakura."

"S-sasuke-kun? W-what?" Sakura stammered.

"Here." Sasuke held out his straw. "I'll change with you."

"Sasuke..?" Is he actually worried about me?

"Don't think it's about you getting hurt… I just want to be the first one to do some fighting," Sasuke remarked coldly.

Sakura frowned. "Oh. Right. Here…" Sakura handed hers to Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked and made his way to the main gate.

"Sakura-chan… are you alright?" Naruto asked, his eyes reflecting deep concern for his teammate.

"Yeah, I'm alright Naruto, you should go see Reiki-san now," Sakura smiled at him.

"Oh right. See you later Sakura-chan!" Naruto scampered off to Reiki's room.

Sakura turned and decided to sit by the staircase. It has been a while since they got Sasuke back from Orochimaru's clutches. But still nothing had changed. He was still the same old cold not caring Sasuke that they knew. That night that he decided to leave Konoha, Sakura had confessed her feelings for him and all he could do was say thank you and leave her in a cold bench. Sakura frowned some more. She had always loved him but he never returned her feelings. He always tells her that she was annoying, that he didn't care. But even so Sakura still loved him. She felt so stupid.

"Sometimes… I wish it wasn't Sasuke who I fell in love with…"

-

Sasuke stared into space, he was leaning against the wall. He kept on asking himself why he switched places with Sakura. He knew she could take care of herself, she was after all, Tsunade-sama's top student. But still he switched with her. Of course he wouldn't let her get hurt, but that was because she was his friend and teammate. Nothing more. Nothing less. Ever since that day that he saw her again, she was with the anbu team sent out to retrieve him. He could have killed her right then and there. But something inside of him made him go back to Konoha with her. He didn't come back bloodied and battered with the anbu team sent for him, but it was because of some pink-haired medic nin who had a crush on him since they were little. He still wondered why he came back with her that night. Was it because he shared the same feelings? Impossible. He was Uchiha Sasuke. A person who loved nobody.

To be continued…

A/N: So how was it? Bad? Good? R & R please! I need motivation to continue you know! Thanks anyway! Spoilers from the movie! (I think…)