Disclaimer: i don't own Naruto...nor can i ever own him...i wanna own Sasuke!

hey everyone! this chap took my so long to type...plus i have this stupid cold...damn germs! i was on this thing till 3'o clock on the morning so u all better like this chap...please. alot of fighting in this chap..i really wanted to show some of Sakura's strength in this chap...plus someone u've beeen wanting to seee makes an appearence. so i hope u all are enjoying this break more than i am...except for the chanukkah gifts...anime, manga, jpop,and games galore!

Memories of loved and lost Cherry Blossems

Chapter 4

Unmasked in the rain

Are you there…

Please don't be there…

Don't leave me…

Look at me…

Look at me…

Damn it…LOOK AT ME!

Don't ignore me…

Please love me…

I love you with all my heart…

You're still annoying.

Pease don't hate me…

You're still annoying.

Is that what you really think…

You're still annoying.

Don't say that…

You're still annoying.

Stop it…

You're still annoying.

Stop it…

You're still annoying.

STOP IT!

"Stop it!" Sakura yelled. "Please stop making me remember."

Sakura slowly sat up in her bed and held her hands over her eyes. She had made it just before the tears started. She kept them over her eyes for a minute. Then she removed them and left her bed. After looking at her clock and seeing she had plenty of time Sakura headed for the bathroom. She removed her clothing, grabbed a towel, and turned on the shower's water knobs.

Then Sakura stepped into the shower and let the water consume her. As the water grew colder Sakura wrapped her arms around her body, hoping for some type of protection. The water returned to warm for a few minutes, then back to cold and stayed there.

Strange… this water is like me. I wonder…will my heart stay as cold as this water?

Sakura finished with the long shower and returned to her room. She pulled out her normal outfit; red short sleeved top and plain black shorts. After dressing herself she looked out the window. It was cloudy and the sun was completely hidden within the dark clouds. For about three years this type of weather had become very common in Konoha.

Sakura grabbed her pouch and filled it with the necessary weapons she needed. She grabbed a few kunai and headed out the door. She turned the corner and headed towards the woods. She avoided every place that anyone she knew would spot her. When she arrived at the woods she removed her weapons. After a moment Sakura began performing a few advanced hand symbols.

Over the years Sakura had began looking through Tsunade's old records and jutsu recordings. She had spent hours reading over all of them and memorizing word for word. She would then go off into the far off training grounds and practice each new jutsu. After about a week she had learned more than seventy- five percent of every jutsu on the files. Soon Sakura was able to gain enough information to create her own jutsu styles and attacks.

Sakura finished her hand seals and performed the final seal. Smoke appeared from the air and began to quickly take shape. Standing in front of Sakura was an exact clone of herself down to the very last detail. This jutsu was very similar to Naruto's Kage no Bushin no jutsu. But Sakura's clone had every type of skill that she herself possessed and this clone was created to fight its opponent and not vanish on contact.

Sakura faced the clone and nodded her head in its direction. The clone followed her lead and nodded back. Sakura then reached towards the ground for her weapons. The clone's fingers slowly changed shape and created its own kunai from its fingers. They both got into their fighting stances and faced each other. Then they advanced.

Sakura landed the first blow to the clone's lower chest. The clone returned the blow with a kick that almost knocked Sakura off her feet. Sakura pulled up her kunai and swung it at the clone's right shoulder. It landed the blow which healed instantly. Another skill Sakura had learned was to be able to heal her wounds by quickly focusing a small amount of her own chakra on the area. With that skill Sakura didn't even need to perform hand seals on herself either.

The clone formed a few shuriken from its fingers and launched them at Sakura. Sakura quickly avoided them and moved towards the clone. Sakura pulled out a few kunai and aimed them for the area behind the clone. With perfect aim Sakura missed the clone and hit the tree branch behind its body. The clone stared at her for a moment and then smirked with pleasure.

Sakura smirked right along with the clone and then made her move. She pulled her finger through the air and pulled them towards her. Immediately the clone looked at her in horror and tried to move out of the way but was too slow. Its body was thrown back against the tree branch.

The clone struggled and tried to escape Sakura's trap but even as it tried small amounts of blood began to bleed from the limbs which were bound to the tree. Sakura then quickly moved in front of the clone and performed some hand seals. As she performed the seals Sakura brought the final seal to the tips of her mouth and grew tense.

After the final seal she breathed in and released her breath. As she did a huge flame emerged from her lips and headed down an invisible line towards the clone. The clone took a long look at the flames and smiled as it was enveloped in the fiery swirls of heat. After a moment the flame settled a vanished.

The clone stood at the center of it. The body looked decapitated and most of it seemed to have been burned off. Slowly its shape began to recreate itself. Meanwhile Sakura had taken all of her concentration off of the clone and focused on what had just happened.

How the hell? When did I learn that move?

I don't remember ever practicing it before.

I've only seen it in battle…on old missions…but I've never tried it myself.

What the hell is going on?

Out of nowhere Sakura was slammed against the ground. The clone grinned in satisfaction; it looked completely back to its original form. Sakura rose to her feet and returned to the battle. Sakura raced towards the clone and pulled out her remaining kunai. The clone formed another from its hands and advanced at Sakura. For a few minutes the two were locked in a tight struggle to their strength. All through out the woods the sounds of banging weapons echoed the air.

Sakura than tried to advance further and tripped over a tree root. The clone took this opportunity and rammed its kunai into Sakura's lower stomach area, just missing her vital organs. The clone than hurled Sakura's body across the area into a rock near the very edge. Sakura tried to stand up but doubled over in pain.

She tried to remember the correct technique to heal her injuries but her mind instantly went blank. All around her Sakura could hear a faint sound in the distance. After a second Sakura was able to make out the sound; it was screaming.

All around her the air grew tense and loud, putrid screams filled the air. Every scream sounded worse than the last. Sakura grabbed her ears and tried to block out the horrible sounds. But even as she tried to block them out they became even louder and more painful to block out.

Please stop.

Stop it!

GOD DAMN IT!

STOP IT!

Sakura slowly stood up and faced the clone. Sakura released her hands from her ears and lowered them to her sides. The next moment Sakura lost all control.

Her hands rose up in front of her and began to move quickly. Then her left arm exploded into a mixture of blue and white light. Sakura's right arm grabbed her left shoulder and gripped it tightly. With amazing speed her body moved towards the clone. The clone stared at Sakura and looked confused.

But more then anything its face was filled with fear. Sakura's body leaped into the air and headed straight for the clone. Her right arm released its hold on the left arm and aimed for the clone. In an instant the clone was enveloped in the white and blue light. The clone's body began to lose its shape and melted in with the surrounding air.

Soon it had completely disappeared from the battle. Sakura slowly fell to the ground on her knees. Her breathes became forced out. It felt as though she had been under water with no air to breath. Sakura shook furiously. Her whole body felt a blaze with a mixture of a freezing cold sensation and the heat of fresh blood splattered.

That's impossible.

The blood that the clone possesses is only a mixture of air pressure and condensed water from the surrounding area.

The blood it showed…it wasn't real.

Sakura then kneeled over till her face was only a few inches from the ground and chocked for a second. Then the vomit let loose from her mouth. Sakura used her right arm and wiped the remains of it from her outer mouth. As she stood up she gripped her left arm tightly afraid that if she let it loose the blue light would appear again.

She left her remaining weapons where they were on the ground. Her body struggled to keep moving. Her eyesight was weakening…most likely from the energy she had used during the battle. The clouds in the sky grouped together. The area became darker like the night only more menacing. Soon rain began to fall from the clouds. It seemed so familiar.

Sakura kept walking through the woods. She didn't care where she was anymore nor did she really know where she was heading. A few years ago Sakura would have probably ran from the rain, trying to seek shelter from the water. Now she let the drops hit her softly. It all felt so natural to her.

Why did that happen? It doesn't make any bit of sense.

Those moves I performed…I've never tried them before.

And those hand seals…they were so familiar.

Sakura kept moving deeper into the woods. The rain penetrated the tree branches and fell onto the top of her hair. She was soaked from head to toe. But she kept moving onward clutching her arm forcefully. Finally Sakura stopped. She was right in front of a huge tree trunk. The skin of the bark showed signs of a fight from not too long ago, maybe a few days or a week ago.

Sakura leaned down and rested her back on it. Her vision had become so bad now that she could barley see anything in front of her. Her neck started to burn for some strange reason. Sakura released her hold on her left arm and moved her right arm towards the back of her neck. As she did her fingers brushed against the string of the necklace that she had found last night.

The rope felt warm for some reason. She moved her fingers down towards the orb and gripped it tightly. The orb felt even warmer than the rope. It almost felt like another person's body was right up against her own cold one. Sakura moved her other hand against the orb and gripped it. The pain on her neck increased quickly.

Her body felt weaker than before. It felt as if she had been fighting for hours and were still fighting now. She had not lost that much blood in the fight but it felt like she had little left. Sakura slowly rose to her feet. She struggled for a minute but then was able to move forwards. Her feet ached with each step.

As she moved she could feel something near her. Something or someone was watching her from a short distance away. Sakura turned towards the figure's chakra. It seemed to be weakened from a fight and the figure was trying very hard to keep itself hidden.

Quickly but carefully Sakura pulled out her remaining kunai that she had kept from the battle. She drew it up in front of her face and looked to the trees. Taking her right arm Sakura made some quick seals. In the distance she heard the sounds of movement and kunai scraping against each other. Then nothing.

Damn. Guess they can hold their own in a fight.

Well this is the only thing left to do.

Sakura performed a couple more seals and then rushed towards the trees. She jumped into the air and looked below at the trees. In an instant a few kunai appeared in the air and Sakura took aim. Then she performed the final seal and released the kunai below. Exploding sounds filled the air. None of the trees burned since the rain hadn't let up.

Straight from the smoke something headed towards Sakura. The figure missed Sakura by only a few inches. Sakura brought up her leg and sent the figure back to the ground. Sakura landed only a few meters away from the figure. The figure stood up.

Sakura pulled out some shuriken from her pouch and launched them at the figure's face. The figure brought up its kunai and blocked the shuriken. Sakura faced the figure and made no advance. The figure followed suit and made no movements.

"Who the hell are you?" Sakura asked.

She eyed the figure up and down. It was impossible to tell who it was since it wore a black cloak the covered its entire body from head to toe. The figure remained silent.

"Fine then," Sakura muttered. "I'll just kill you first."

Sakura raced towards the figure. She swung her kunai at its face but the figure brought up its kunai and blocked her. Sakura kept her stand and held her kunai against the other. The figures hold on its kunai weakened by a small fraction.

Taking the moment Sakura moved hers forward. The figure's face inched closer to her own. Then the figure's lips were on her own. For a brief second Sakura remained still. She almost leaned into the kiss but after a moment pushed away. She forcefully swung her kunai at the figure's face and barley missed. The figure jumped back almost startled by her movements.

"Bastard!" Sakura yelled.

Sakura ran forwards and launched a powerful kick at the figure's stomach. The figure brought up its hands and grabbed her leg be fore it hit its target. Sakura pulled it back and jumped backwards towards the edge of the forest. Sakura stumbled against the edge.

The battle had moved from the middle of the woods to the very edge of the grounds. At the edge was a drop that led to the long river below. Anyone who fell down the there without the right control was considered as good as dead. Sakura was too close to the drop.

The figure took no notice of the edge. Instead the figure sent a couple shuriken at Sakura. Sakura was too preoccupied with her current position and just noticed them too late. She took a step back to avoid the throwing stars. The shuriken nailed her arms and parts of her stomach. The impact sent her body backwards. As Sakura fell back she desperately tried to focus her remaining chakra on the soles of her feet.

For a second her feet remained on the edge of the cliff but not for long. Her chakra dried up a second later. As Sakura fell backwards she tried to think of something…anything that would allow her to regain some strength. All Sakura could think about was one thing…Sasuke. As she fell back the rain seemed to stand still in the air.

Sasuke. Please…come back.

All Sakura could think about was all the times that she had been around him. Every moment with him was very precious to her. When he had left Sakura had done everything in her power to get him back. She had even almost left the village to search for him…but Naruto had stopped her. Ever since then Sakura had focused more and more on her training. She had joined Tsunade as her apprentice and gained so much power. She had made it her goal to find Sasuke and show him that power could be gained from the village.

But now it seemed like all her training had been a waste. She was going to die now. As Sakura fell over the edge a few tears left her eyes. Something grabbed Sakura's arm. Sakura opened her eyes and looked below. The water below looked as it had if you were looking over the edge. Sakura then turned her head to the sky above her. Her wrist was being held just above her.

A strong hand grasped it tightly with no sign of letting her go. Sakura looked up along the arm. The black cloak was drenched with water and stuck to the skin of the figure. The hood however had fallen back due to the wind. Sakura looked up at the figure's face and grew pale.

The figure pulled her upwards slowly. Once she was on the ground Sakura just laid there for a moment. She then sat upwards on her knees and moved her hands to the dirt. Her body was shaking furiously from the fright and the cold. She looked up the figure that figure that sat next to her.

He had grown taller. His hair looked just the same only a little bit darker. He had lost his boyish features and now looked more like a man. His eyes still looked cold…more than when she had last seen him. She chocked back her words that tried to fly from her mouth. She kept her eyes focused and tried to glue the figure to the spot. Sakura held back her tears and took in a fresh breath.

"What are you doing here?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE

few...finally done. as i said before a lot of fighting in this chapter...but a tone of drama in the next. i really was getting sick of calling that character "the figure" all the time. as for the battle between SAkura and the clone i based parts of the battle on a similar battle from the ninja exam...if u guess it u win a prize! i wanna thank all the readres that reviewed for the previous chaps...i really wanna keep writing this fic...so please all u reviewers who are returners please leave me ur comments...and i really like it when new reviewers come along too! anyway the next chap might take me a little time...i really wanna make it good. also if any of u wanna tell me what groups or what songs work well with Sasuke and Sakura please tell me...i'll tell u mine in the next chap! thanx alot for all ur help and keep reading...happy holidays!(sneeze...sniffle...sniffle).