A/N: I'd like to give a special thank you to the reviews: Thanks so much!

MaoAyanamipl
mtm123
seguha
Goddess of Horses

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto characters.

'…' - thoughts
"…" - speaking

Chapter 2: Sasuke

Neji returned to the Hyuuga Manner after giving the report of the mission to Tsunade and trying to get Tenten to tell him what had happened when he got drunk. No such luck. As he walked down the hall, he spotted Hinata standing on the side looking down as if she were waiting for someone.

"Um…Neji-niisan, welcome back from your mission." Hinata said in a whisper as Neji stopped next to her.

"Hinata-sama, Naruto is back. He should be around town with Lee. Probably at Ichiraku's." Neji said knowing that that was what she wanted to know. He already knew that Hinata like Naruto long ago. Ever since the match when he almost killed her.

"Naruto's back." Hinata whispered trying not to let Neji hear her, while blushing furiously that Neji would tell her. "I'm going to meet up with Kiba-kun and Shino-kun later. I told Oto-san already." Hinata said before Neji continued on his way to put his bag that he carried on his mission away and to go and meet up with Tenten to spar.

Sakura was walking home when Kakashi-sensei appeared in front of her. "Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi was his usual self, still holing the Icha Icha Paradise door in his hand. "Hey there. I found you finally. Tsunade wants you in her office. She has to ask you to do something." Kakashi said in his usual voice, but then it turned serious. "It involves Sasuke."

Hinata was walking toward Ichiraku's as spotted Naruto and Lee eating. At first, she hide behind a crowd of people and only took a few glances at him.

"Oy Hinata, why are you hiding? Come join us! " Naruto shouted with his mouth still full of ramen. Hinata started to blush that Naruto noticed her. She walked over with her hand fidgeting and looking to the ground.

"Ano…I-I was um… N-Neji-niisan told m-me that you had r-returned from you m-mission and um I-I was just walking by t-to see if you were a-alright." Hinata stuttered blushing even more as Naruto kept his stare on her.

"Yup I feel great. Bushy brows and I were just having some ramen. Wants some?" Naruto said cheerfully. Hinata looked up but it was a mistake because after seeing him smile she blushed even more that her whole face turned red and looked back to the ground.

"I-I can't right now. Um I'm m-meeting up with Shino-kun and Kiba-kun…" Hinata was cut off by a loud bark and shouts.

"Hey Hinata! There you are!" Kiba shouted as he waved at her. Akamaru was in front.

"K-kiba-kun? Um aren't you meeting up with Shino-kun first?" Hinata asked as Kiba stopped in front of Hinata and Akamaru walked next to him. Naruto just watched both of them.

"Yeah but you were taking so long that I decided to go and find you. Bug-boy is already waiting for us." Kiba said.

"G-gomenasai. I didn't mean to make you and Shino-kun wait."

"Don't worry about it. Well lets go." Kiba said and dragged Hinata off before she could say goodbye to Naruto. Naruto just looked at what was going on and brushed it off to eat more ramen.

Sakura arrived at Tsunade's office a few moments after meeting Kakashi-sensei. She opened the door to see Tsunade behind the desk and Shizune holding Ton Ton. Sakura walked up closer to Tsunade.

"I've called you here to tell you that the rumors you must have heard that Sasuke was spotted in Konoha are true. His intentions in Konoha are uncertain of though, that is why I choose you to go and spy on him. Since you were on his team you probably know him best so you would be best suited for this job." Tsunade explained. Shizune looked at her and thought 'She only chose her because no one else would take on the job since it involved Sasuke.'

"I understand." Sakura said on the outside but on the inside. 'I can't believe Sasuke-kun is back. Why did I have to be given this job, why not Kakashi-sensei or Naruto even, wait no it would be worse with Naruto. I don't even know if I can face him right now. Why me? Why me?'

"He was last seen in the area where you saw him last, near the benches." Tsunade said as Sakura turned around to leave when Tsunade spoke up. "If his is acting suspicious, you'll have to take care of him."

She walked and continued walking until she was standing close to where she had last saw him. Where she had told him her feeling, but he still left. Now it was different however, she was given a mission and she had to be strong, even if it meant that she had to take necessary actions in stopping him. No matter how hard it was going to be. A shadowed figure was standing next to the bench, back turned.

The sky was darkening and it was turning closer to night. Strange how time seemed to changed to fast to mimic the same events when he left. She tried to not acknowledge it. Slowly she moved closer to further see what he was doing. Even in the dark, she could always single him out, something about him always stood out from the rest.

Like and ninja on a mission, Sakura hid first to scout out. Sasuke was still standing with his back facing her. Before she could get closer, she heard him speak up.

"Sakura, stop hiding. I already know that you're there." Sasuke said, she was surprised that he found out it was her at first, but then of course this was Sasuke standing there, the number one Genin of her year.

'How did he know I was there? I didn't even make a sound, I'm sure of it.' Sakura moved from her hiding place. She took out a kunai and held it in her right hand, as she got ready to attack. Sasuke didn't even turn around to know that she was in the position to attack him at any given moment. He simply let out a slight grunt that sounded like a laugh.

"Are you really going to attacking me, Sakura?...Would you really kill me?"

"I will if I have to." Sakura said gripping the kunai tighter. "You are now labeled as a threat to Konoha and I…" However, before Sakura could finish Sasuke disappeared from his position in front of her. She was about to turn around to find that she couldn't.

Sasuke had taken Sakura's left hand and placed it behind her back as his right hand held her right and positioned it so that the kunai was placed an inch away from her throat. If she tried to move her right hand but the kunai would slash her and her left hand was in an iron grip. Sakura was a little more then nervous but tried hard to hide it.

'Is he going to kill me? This isn't like the Sasuke-kun I knew. Has Orochimaru changed him that much that even I don't even know him now?'