A/N:Hey, my loyal and trusted readers and reviewers, thank you all very much for wanting this fic to continue...yeah, I love each and every one of you (but I love the reviewers just a little bit more because they take the time to tell me that I should keep going-but I still love the readers, cuz without the readers...this fic may not exist). At any rate, I am pleased to present you the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Haha! I get to stop you for the second! (points at Apherion dramatically) She doesn't own- (Apherion jumps in and covers Disclaimer's mouth)

E/A (evil author): Hehe, let's just start


Uncertain Feelings

Part 1

By: Apherion

Chapter 3: Only

Sakura woke up in a cold sweat. Her dream had been so real; it was unbelievable. Sasuke had finally come back. He was the object of her affection once more, but he had changed. Not only physically, but his whole mind-set did as well. He seemed to need to be alone more often, but he would always find time to spend with her and Naruto, but mostly her.

It had been a good dream, too bad it wasn't real. Sasuke had yet to return from his quest for Uchiha Itachi. She stretched cat-like and blinked her green opals. Bright sunlight filtered through her white lace curtains, lightly fluttering in the summer breeze. It reminded her of a month ago.

She and Kakashi didn't have many lessons from then to now. Especially since Naruto had only recovered fully one week ago, and no matter how much Naruto complained, Hinata had stopped him. Sakura was surprised to hear that Hinata was the benefactor at keeping him home. Naruto had blatantly told her that Hinata put her foot down on it. Naruto only gave in because she rarely put up a fight about anything, that's probably why she and he worked so well together.

A knock came from her closed door and she called to it. Naruto answered her.

"Sakura," he said in his less annoying voice-thanks to puberty. "Hinata and I are going to go shopping." Sakura pictured a grimace written across his face, but knew he'd be plastering a smile on just for Hinata. "But she won't let me go anywhere without having you say that it's okay for me to go out." Another grimace there and Sakura laughed as she pulled on an acceptable shirt with some shorts.

"Sure thing," she opened the door with a smile on her face, meeting the rather tall Naruto. I bet Hinata feels short a lot. Sakura dragged him down the hall that branched off into the living room-which led to the kitchen. She set him down in a chair at the counter and began to look him over with her chakra. It didn't take but five minutes to sort him out.

"He's good to go Hinata!" Sakura called from her seat to the hallway to the door-which was on the right if you were sitting in Sakura's seat. She knew Hinata to be in that corridor because it was the only portion of the house she had pictures. The other rooms had been painted and that was it. Sakura dragged Naruto to the hall, but was knocked to the side as soon as Naruto had cleared that doorframe. Blinking the stars from her eyes, Sakura looked at Naruto who was cradling a rather pale looking Hinata.

"Naruto, did she eat anything?" Naruto gave her a look that said 'what kind of a question is that', but Sakura glared. "Just answer it, Naruto. Did she or did she not eat?" He faltered and spoke quickly.

"No, she didn't eat, but that was because she wasn't hungry. She kind of got a little loopy on the walk here, but she said she was fine." Sakura stared. Hinata wouldn't lie to Naruto, who, incidentally could tell if you were telling the truth or not-thanks to that fox demon coiled up inside him. Yet an attacker couldn't possibly, yet again the perks at having a boyfriend with hyper-senses. No sooner had she thought about that did she start thinking about Kakashi. She shook it from her; she had to focus right now.

"Carry her for me, she isn't showing any symptoms that I know of. We're taking her Tsunade-sama." Naruto nodded, and Sakura opened the door. Fast as lightning, Naruto dashed from the house Sakura had been given for no apparent reason.

Reaching Tsunade hadn't been hard. It was getting her to catch the gravity of the situation. When Sakura finally argued that she couldn't do anything for Hinata and convinced Tsunade that she wasn't double-dealing and trying to get out of doing something, Naruto had already laid Hinata on a hospital bed in a room. Tsunade had asked both of them to step out while she did a 'look-through' with her chakra.


When Tsunade emerged from the room, Naruto looked at her expectantly. Tsunade complied with a nod and a weak smile.

"She's fine, but…I found something very disturbing underneath her skin." The Hokage withdrew a thin strip of metal alloy. "It entered her body just below the neck. It sent out a voltage of some kind through the nervous system. You said she was walking and talking just fine?" Naruto nodded and went back to listening to the older woman.

"It's so strange, I wouldn't have guessed anyone to walk along and carry a conversation once their nervous system had been attacked. Maybe she was out immediately after you left her alone?"

"It's possible, but I don't understand how anyone could've attacked her when I can smell practically everything." Tsunade shook her head, making a skeptical noise.

"No, you couldn't sense them because to get this piece of metal inside Hinata's body, the person had to have been further back and shoot it just right, or else it would've sliced her head off. And that's the nice why to put it." Tsunade tossed the metal strip to Naruto who caught easily. He examined it and his eyes widened, offering it to Sakura to look at. She nearly dropped it for what she saw.

The symbol Itachi wore on his forehead protector was carved into this thin piece of metal, and with it a spell had been written on it. A smaller version of the Chidori is what it looked like to Sakura. She just gaped when she looked at Tsunade. This meant either Sasuke had failed or Sasuke was their prisoner.

"Sakura are you all right?" The question was out of her sensei's lips almost immediately after Sakura grasped the thin sheet of metal. Sakura nodded blindly. She felt Naruto's hand on her shoulder and she looked at him, trying not to cry.

"He'll be fine," he said, trying to fix convection into his voice. Sakura nodded bewildered, trying to comprehend what was happening. Sasuke was prisoner or worse, dead. That explains why he's been gone so long, Sakura thought worriedly.

"Don't worry about him, we've gotten all the information concerning his brother, up until this point, obviously," Tsunade stated in a manner of fact. Sakura couldn't help but ignore the words she said. It was just something that she couldn't wrap her head around. Sasuke, a jounin at fifteen, had never allowed himself to get caught, and if he did, he always found a way to get out of it. Unless…unless he got caught on purpose. That would explain a lot. You could get more information being behind enemy lines.

"Go home, you two. Naruto, I know who she is and what she means to you, but right now: go home. You may see her in the morning." Tsunade was sweet, but firm. She understood what was happening, and they did not-as of yet. Naruto sighed in anguish and Sakura stood to put a hand on his arm.

"C'mon, I'll walk you." Naruto followed almost reluctantly, but he did follow. An uncomfortable silence enveloped them as they walked in the waning heat of the summer's day. Sakura was thankful for that Hinata wasn't seriously injured. It was probably just a warning. An invitation saying 'Come against us if you dare.'

"Sakura, do you think he's trying to frighten Konoha?" Naruto's words were hushed, wary of speaking. Sakura looked at him through her bright green eyes.

"Naruto, I couldn't tell you. Personally," she thought about the way she'd word it, "I think…he put himself in a position to be in the position he's in." She was hoping Naruto caught what she was trying to say. She wasn't going to start saying his name when they could so easily be over heard.

"Naruto, I'm sorry this stuff happens to you," she put a friendly hand on his. Naruto shook his head and ruffled her pink hair. A surge of brief anger coursed through her body. Only Kakashi could touch her hair and live, but when did she start caring that no one-especially Naruto-could touch her head? It didn't make sense; she let Naruto and Sasuke mess up her hair on tons of occasions.

"I'll see you around," she said after they reached his home. Naruto shrugged his shoulders and scratched his blond head, yawning. He always did that.

"Yeah, see you Sakura." She waved and began to walk herself home. It was strange because she had the awful feeling of being watched but shook it off. She would live, eventually.


Her day done after extensive training without Kakashi, which was rather hard to get the work out she needed in, she climbed into her bed with her blue spaghetti strap dress hanging loosely on her. She was definitely losing weight. Yet Sakura felt it was all right. A bit of weight wasn't something too big to wonder about. I'm fine, she thought brushing her long hair, and maybe cutting this mass off will help me with my change.

She set the brush down back on her dresser and tore the blankets from the bed. It was too hot to be having the comforter and the other covers on her bed. She fell into the pillows, giving way to sleep, where she dreamed.

She sat there, cringing at his body. The sharigan eye was scarred and closed. His other began to open softly. Sakura felt hot, thick tears rolling down her cheeks. His obsidian eye landed on her and it worked its way into a weak smile. Sakura could only feel helpless. He didn't have to do that for her. She didn't need it from him. Hurt filled her being watching him lie there with a smile on his face. He was so much stronger than she was.

His hand lifted painstakingly slow, but eventually touched her face. She cried harder, and felt him wipe away her tears. She took hold of his hand and held it to her cheek. He made soft cooing noises, trying to soothe her.

"Sakura," he whispered her name and she cried out of mourning and happiness. He wasn't…

"Don't die," she whispered hoarsely, leaning into his hand on her cheek, silently pleading God to leave him alone. She tightened her hold on his hand.

"You can't do anything about this. You don't have enough chakra to help me. Leave and warn Konoha." Sakura didn't let his hand go. She was determined to stay with him for the long haul. He didn't deserve to be left alone. He protected her like she was his to protect. She couldn't do a thing about it either. He always was there for her, so she would stay. She would stay until…until…


Preview

Chapter 4: Suffering

She walked into the kitchen with a mind to eat something, but lost her appetite quite suddenly. The man shifted in the shadows of her unlit kitchen. Her inner self was becoming an incoherent, annoying voice inside her head. A glint of red registered however, making matters worse. Panic floated to the surface etched into her face. Her eyes widened, slightly dilated.


A/N: O.O wow, one of my infamous cliffies...If I get a good response you'll be getting the next chapter faster. Oh, to answer the drivingquestion of

"Why are there chapter previews?"

I say in reply

"Because I think it's something for the readers and reviewers to look forward to."

Read, Review, I take flames as well (don't be shy people! I don't bite...I swear...)

:Apherion: