Chapter 4

The past few days had been brutal. Kotetsu's training was so harsh it could be considered a crime. And I thought Kakashi-sensei was hard – this guy is a lunatic! He doesn't even give us any time to eat our lunches! Though, he does have a good point about that, she admitted grudgingly.

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"Please, please can we have a break?" Sakura was on her knees, panting and heaving after running and weight training for the past three hours. "Need…" she wheezed, "need rest."

"Who the hell are you kidding? Get up on your feet now!" Kotetsu almost threw the pair of them up in the air when he reached them.

"Why…" Shikamaru coughed, "why………troublesome……not?" His breathing had settled into a somewhat steady rhythm. He placed a hand on a nearby tree to steady himself before indicating to Sakura that she should do the same thing.

"Why not? Didn't they teach you brats anything at the academy?" Noticing the lack of response from his students he continued, "Don't you know that you can't just take a break? When you're fighting, you can't suddenly stop and say that you're tired, ya know…o hey guys, can we just pick it up in a few? These people are cold-hearted bastards who don't give a shit about how you feel! If you can't prove yourself to them then that's it, you're done! You're dead!"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered under his breath before walking over to their teacher and beginning the regimen of push-ups, sit-ups, and crunches they had to do before they started to run again.

Sakura, however, still wasn't feeling quite so compliant. "Don't you think it's a little bit too excessive to think that we're going to be fighting for the next two hours straight?" She glared at him before joining Shikamaru on the ground. Shit.

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"Oi Sakura!" Shikamaru waved a hand in front of her face. Kotetsu had long since gone off to god knows where to read his hentai books, not unlike a familiar perverted jounin. "Are we still on for tonight?"

"Yeah, who says we can't go out with a bang!" She gave a disinterested grin as she thought about what they had planned. They were shipping out tomorrow, going on the mission that was most likely going to end their young lives. They were never going to see the people they loved again and they were never going to be loved again. They needed to drink.

"Nothing better than getting completely smashed before we go on a mission is there?" she attempted a smile, attempted and failed.

" I just don't get it!" Shikamaru yelled out before slumping to the ground in defeat. "We've been training for one week, one week since we found out and I still can't talk to her!"

Sakura sat down next to him, albeit with more grace, then spoke softly. "It's not you who needs to do the talking." With that she pulled him into a hug and he hugged her back, not realizing that someone was watching them.

"Ah, it seems like their getting quite close eh Kotetsu?" Genma joked, elbowing him playfully in the ribs. He and Raidou had been ordered to give him a note from the Hokage and check in on the progress of the pair. They were now standing about fifty feet away from the couple, staring halfheartedly at the pair.

"I don't approve of it." Came Raidou's sharp reply. "They are supposed to be brother and sister, not husband and wife!" He huffed indignantly.

"No…that's not it at all" Kotetsu's unusually quiet voice cut through their awkward silence. "When you lose the person you care about most in the world to someone you thought was a friend, don't you think that you need support and companionship? If anything they're building a similar bond to the one that they need to share on this mission." He paused slightly before starting to walk towards Sakura and Shikamaru. "I think it's time we told them of their afternoon activities, don't you?" He was running now, dragging the other two behind him.

"Sakura, Shikamaru! Get your lazy asses up and over here!" They sweat dropped; at most he was standing five feet away from them. "Alright, so you've done an amazing job this week so Godaime-sama has decided that it's time you were tested, just to make sure you truly are ready to go tomorrow."

"Tested?" came Shikamaru's reply. "You don't call this training from hell by the devil himself," he dodged a shuriken before continuing, "you don't call this a test?"

"He's right!" Sakura crossed her arms, "You've been testing us all week and we've passed every single one, I don't need another one."

"I don't think you need one either. However," he motioned towards Genma and Raidou, "They will be watching this test to ensure that we have a higher success rate than zero percent for this mission. Now, seeing as how you have absolutely no choice in the matter," he grinned at their apparent misery, "I'm going to tell you what your test is, seeing as how it starts in twenty minutes."

TWENTY FUCKING MINUTES! HE SHALL SEE HELL! Sakura restrained her inner voice as best she could. "And you couldn't tell us this before?" She cracked her knuckles menacingly.

"Tch, how troublesome."

"As I was saying," he shook his head in mock disappointment, "You will be fighting your old teammates, the Rookie Ten as they should now be called. Now, this is a test for more than just the new abilities you've mastered this week. We'll also be testing whether or not you can be recognized by the people who you've grown up with and spent your time with, day-in-day-out."

Complete and total silence ensued. Kotetsu could swear he heard some idiot blabbering about ramen in the distance.

"No." Sakura broke the silence, "NO! I'm not going to do that! I just can't do that!"

"As much as I would love to beat that bastard's face in, I don't want to hurt the rest of them at all. Besides," he paused to catch his breath, "what if they do recognize us? They could unwittingly compromise this mission if they do. This isn't a safe course of action."

Kotetsu considered for a moment before he spoke in a much softer tone than before. "I know you don't want to face them now. But trust me…take it from someone who knows firsthand, if you leave without saying anything to them, you will spend the entire time you're gone wondering what would have happened if you just talked." He stressed the 'will' and 'just talked' parts of his rare wisdom.

"We still don't have a choice do we?" asked Shikamaru wryly.

"They don't call you the smartest strategist ever for nothing, now do they?" Kotetsu grinned and ruffled his pupil's hair playfully. "Now, I'm giving you the rest of this time off to strategize while you wait for them to get here. I real-"

"WHAT THE HELL? YOU SAID WE HAD TWENTY MINUTES…NOW WE HAVE FIFTEEN YOU BAKA!" Sakura smacked him upside the head before walking over to a tree and sitting in the shade. Shikamaru followed her quietly, his face already showing the signs of a master plan being formed.

"Help me up?" asked Kotetsu weakly, holding his head gingerly.

"No…you deserved that one."

"You're probably right." He helped himself up, wincing all the while. I wonder if they'll actually be able to go through with it.

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Chouji walked as quietly as he could towards Shikamaru's figure. He knew that he'd be here. He always came here when he was trying to avoid something or just trying to think things through. Chouji also knew, that Shikamaru was waiting for him and he knew that he couldn't do this alone.

"Hey," came Choiji's diminuitive greeting from just behind Shikamaru's head. "I brought chips!" He held up the food with reverence before lying down on his back, right beside Shikamaru.

He turned to look at his best friend, the one person in the world who had given him the time of day when they were little kids. At this exact moment, he'd be shocked if Shikamaru even knew what year it was.

"I can't…"Shikamaru struggled for words, "I just can't…"

"I know." He paused. "Chips?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru reached over, grabbed a handful, and then relaxed again. "You wanna know something? I thought she was the one for me…then she went out of her way to prove that she wasn't."

"She made a mistake," Chouji actually stopped eating to speak, "Everyone does Shikamaru, her's was jus-"

"One hell of a lot bigger than everyone else's?"

"I guess," It obviously wasn't what he was trying to say, "Yeah maybe it was. Hey, do you remember when we were going on that retrieval mission for Sas- Ow! Jeez Shikamaru!" He grabbed his chips away from Shikamaru.

"Heh, sorry. I think it's a reflex now." He sighed.

"It's ok, for now. Well, when we went on that mission and Naruto was wondering why the hell you picked me to come along with you?"

"Yeah, it was because I work better with you than I do with anyone else."

"No, not better than with anyone else. You work better with Ino. Sure, we make a great team – but you two…it's like you can read each other's minds or something, ya know?"

"Does it really matter anymore?" Shikamaru asked dryly, "I mean, it's not like I ever want to see her again."

"Yes you do! You're just hurt right now…. that's it."

"No it's not!" Shikamaru jumped up and started to stomp away. Chouji followed. "I would never have done that to her even if she married somebody else!"

"I used to like her too," Chouji offered, out of the blue. Shikamaru turned and stared. "Well, is it that hard to tell? Come on, she's gorgeous! A little scrawny but still!" He looked Shikamaru full in the face before continuing, "I thought I loved her, but then I realized that she loved you, she could only be happy with you. No matter how hard I tried I was never going to be right for her. So I let it go. Just like you have to do right now before it screws up your entire life!"

"Maybe I will…I probably won't." Shikamaru offered his tired reply.

Chouji pressed on, refusing to let it drop. "No, you and I both know that the only reason you're still angry is because you already forgave her! You want her back so badly and it's tearing you up inside."

He smiled. "You should have gone into psychology." He began to walk away, back to the village.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well are you okay now? Or doing better at least?"

Shikamaru was still walking away. "Definitely doing better." He stopped, "Arigatou."

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"Do you have it Sakura? Oh right," He winced visibly, "It's the alias names from here on out. We have to get used to being called that."

"I understand, otouto." She laughed, "Well, this will be fun won't it? Finally we get to be the one's doing the screwing!" Shikamaru winced again.

"Too soon?"

"Just a little,"

"Sorry," Sakura placed an apologetic arm on his shoulder. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"Better now that I let it go. Sure, it hurts, and yeah I'm angry. But I can't let it take over.'

"Don't you think we kind of already did? I mean, we are leaving tomorrow morning." She sighed.

"Consider it payback."

"Well, if yo-" A hand was clapped over her mouth, pulling her into the shadow of the tree. The hand was removed as she felt Shikamaru's warm breath on her neck.

"They're here," he whispered. "Commence the plan."

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" She paused and felt the tears coming, but she struggled and managed not to let them fall. "I know there's no way in hell that I am."

"Will we ever be ready? It's now or never. It's troublesome…but we still have to get it over with. Ready?" He grinned at her.

"No."

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"What the hell are we doing here?" Tenten glared at every offending person who dared to be in her line of sight at this time of day. "I mean, do these people even need sleep. Jeez, some of us actually wanted to enjoy our one-day off! Come on, it's no-"

"Tenten," she stopped, just the sound of his voice was enough, "please shut up."

"Fine, but only because you asked so nicely!" She proceeded to glare at him for the next five minutes before she was so rudely interrupted by Kotetsu.

"Ohayo minna-san! Well, today you are going to be fighting two of my pupils from a different part of the country of the leaf. Godaime-sama wanted to test them against Konoha's finest, so don't go easy on them! So wit-"

"Oi! If he wanted to test them against the finest, why aren't Sakura-chan and Shikamaru here?" Everyone in the grouped winced at Naruto's question. Sasuke stared down at the ground and Ino seemed desperate to look anywhere except at Sasuke.

"They'll be out of the village for the next couple of weeks. No biggie- they'll be back here in time to here about this. Now moving on…Mayakashi-chan….Rai-kun come out here."

A petite girl with short brown hair and a tall boy with spiked red and brown hair came out of the shadows where they had obviously been watching them this entire time. They stood about ten feet away from the group, seemingly sizing them up, with was exactly what was happening to them.

"Hey, I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Future Rokudaime of this village so it's nic-" An elbow made an appearance out of nowhere and hit Naruto's stomach.

"Urusai dobe! You'll give away some of your skills.

"Sasuke-teme!" Naruto raised his fists in Sasuke's direction. "You didn't have to do that…I'M GONNA POUND YOU INTO THE DI-"

"Pppp-please Nnaruto-kun." Hinata shyly reached out and put a soothing hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Mmatte."

"He was asking for it!" Naruto huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest in mock indignation.

"Well…" Kotetsu sweatdropped, "Since Lee, Shino, and Chouji are out on missions. Rai-kun and Maya-chan, you will be fighting Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata and Hyuuga Neji, Inuzuka Kiba, Yamanaka Ino, and Tenten. Remember that this is just a test…no killing…no potentially fatal techniques." He seemed to be speaking only to Maya and Rai, who had yet to add a word to this conversation. He then backed away from the group. "Begin!"

"Well, well look what we have here Rai-kun" Sakura practically purred as she strutted over to the group who simply stared at her. "A wannabe main house Hyuuga member, a useless Hyuuga," she waved her hand dismissively in Hinata's direction, "Do you want to continue otouto?" She smiled sweetly at him.

"Ah yes, the sole surviving Uchiha bastard. It's a good thing your clan is going to die out with you. And what else…Woah hold on guys…we were only saying the truth!" As those who had been insulted drew closer to them, Shikamaru pulled out a scroll at lightning fast speed.

Sakura knew her cue. With a few hand seals and a cloud of smoke, she quickly disappeared from sight and reappeared opposite to Naruto. They each pulled scrolls out of one of the many makimono pouches on their bodies. Shikamaru held onto the tail end of his scroll, as did Sakura, and then tossed the bulk of the scroll to her. They quickly wove in and out of Naruto, Ino, Kiba, and Tenten, joining them all together with the scrolls. They stopped briefly and made hand seals before calling out simultaneously "Jikoku karada fuzui no jutsu!" The scrolls that had formerly been rather loosely wrapped became tighter and tighter, constricting even their breathing. Before any one of them could move a muscle they had been effectively paralyzed.

Shikmaru nodded to Sakura before he turned to face the two Hyuugas and the Uchiha. She rapidly formed hand seals and slammed the earth, "Doton: Kekkai Doroutoumu!" A large dome of dirt enveloped those caught in the paralysis. "Now for the finishing touch," she muttered under her breath, forming hand seals once again. "Hateshinai yami no jutsu. Finished." She stood up and surveyed the remaining three, her eyes locking on a certain raven-haired man. She quickly glanced away before she initiated the second stage of the plan.

"Neji-niisan," Hinata whispered, stopping dead in her tracks. She pulled the back of his shirt before he finally stopped as well. "We-we couldn't even see them move. How can the three of u-"

"We have to surround them. Obviously they left us out of their technique for a reason. We have to determine that reason so we can rescue them from inside that trap."

He stopped speaking when he felt a familiar presence appear alongside his cousin.

"Hn, you don't know why they left us out?" came his somewhat lazy sounding drawl. "It's our kekkai genkai. I'm guessing that the karada fuzui is genjutsu, something that I would be able to see through, not get caught in, and help everyone else out of. The doton is something that your Byakuugan would be able to see through. We would most likely be able to target them and break out easily if we had that ability. Because we aren't in there, it will take them far longer to get out. We need a plan."

"They've obviously thought this out and they want to end it quickly. I say that our best bet is to wear them down."

"Not gonna happen!" Shikamaru's fist flew out of the ground and connected with Hinata's chin, knocking her out. He then disappeared before he could be caught.

Neji ran to Hinata's side and gingerly placed her underneath the nearby tree before returning to Sasuke. He had just gotten there when Shikamaru appeared once more, this time from above. "Buyou bushi ha no jutsu!"

Instantly, seemingly millions of razor sharp leaves appeared and targeted Sasuke and Neji.

"They're coming from all directions! The only way to escape is to go underground," called Neji while using his kaiten to deflect as many as possible.

"Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu." Sasuke formed the seals and pulled Neji along with him as he disappeared under the ground.

"I don't need your help." Neji scoffed. "I can take care of myself and get them out by myself."

"No you can't. But that girl…." She reminds me of someone. Sasuke was lost as a barrage of memories suddenly overcame him.

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Sasuke sat alone in a stark white hospital room, staring at the fragile girl who lay in the bed in front of him. He glared at the heart monitor, as if daring it to stop sending out its annoying little beeps.

"No change yet?" Even the ever-smiling Naruto was solemn and sober as he entered the room. "It's been almost two months. She should have woken up by now." He took the seat opposite to his best friend and stared hard at the girl before him.

Her face was unmarked but the body was scarred and damaged, almost grotesquely so. Only her torso had been affected, the long swirling lines of the thousand birds and the sphere that was the rasengan were taking their toll. Her internal damage had been catastrophic. Tsunade had barely been able to heal her body, the mind was another matter entirely.

"We've done all we can, the rest is up to her." That was the reply elicited every time the raging Kyuubi and no longer stoic Uchiha questioned those in charge of the floor the cherry-blossom lay in. They had been waiting for two months, one only leaving her bedside for food, the other- not at all.

"If she doesn't wake up soon, we have to assume that she never will, ne Sasuke-teme. They warned us didn't they…and we just couldn't listen." He stood up and left again, the guilt was apparently too much to take.

Sasuke resumed his conversation with Sakura, only when there was no one else was he willing to say the sole phrase he had spoken for the past two months. "I'm sorry…please wake up. I'm so sorry." It was the thing he could put together.

He clasped her hand in his and held onto it, unconsciously squeezing it and all that it represented, refusing to let go.

Suddenly, there was movement. She started to stir in front of him. He couldn't do anything but stare.

"Sasuke-kun," her voice was so soft that he was afraid to breathe lest he couldn't hear her. "I'm so happy that you're back." She settled back into the bed.

"Aren't you even angry with me, after everything I did?" He wore his confusion on his face, putting aside the mask if only for a few moments.

"No, I never was."

He blinked and stared again. "But I nearly," he paused and whispered when he spoke again, "I killed you. If I could do it aga-"

"If I could do it again," he stopped speaking, listening intently to her every word, "If I could do it again, I'd just jump in between again and again. However long it took for you to come home. Just don't leave again." She offered him a weak smile before she drifted back into sleep, this time with a content smile on her face.

"I'm not going anywhere." His hand did not leave hers.

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"Matte…Naruto…Sasuke-kun." Sakura paused mid-stride in front of the vast gate. They stopped and turned, staring curiously at their only female teammate.

"This exam," she struggled for the right words, "It's going to change our lives, no matter what happens." Both nodded in agreement, both still wore confused looks.

"Isn't that a good thing Sakura-chan? Are you nervous you won't pass this anbu exam? You know we're the strong-"

"Urusai dobe," Sasuke's voice stopped Naruto in his tracks, "That's not what she means."

"I know we'll pass but what if we're separated? We'll never see each other for work or on missions. I-I just don't know if that's really what I want. At first, I only wanted to be a ninja so I could be with Sasuke-kun." She blushed before continuing. "Then, only because I wanted to be able to keep up with you two. Now, so I can stay with you two." She lifted her head up and looked them both in the eye. "Don't get me wrong, I love my job but……I love being with you two more." She smiled suddenly. "I think I'm dropping out." A grin suddenly broke out.

"What? Sakura-chan…we all worked so hard to get here…to this level and you're just going to quit?" Naruto stared at her incredulously.

"What are you doing Sakura?"

She continued to smile at them. "I became a medical ninja so I could save lives…not take them away. You became ninja to protect those you can't protect themselves. Can't you do that without assassinating greedy daimyos or feuding lords who can't solve their own problems?" Both saw her point.

"Sakura…that doesn't mean I'll quit."

"I'm not saying quit being a ninja…I'm saying don't join the anbu. Everyone who joins the anbu dies. I mean, we can still be a team this way. We'll still get anbu level missions, we all know that."

Naruto grinned at her. "I want to be the Hokage so that nobody has to fight, nobody leaves and doesn't come back. I should live by what I want to teach, shouldn't I?" He walked over to her side, leaving Sasuke alone by the gate; both his hands were shoved in his pockets.

"I…I became a ninja so I could kill my brother. He's dead now so what's my purpose? I've spent my whole life searching for that and I thought I had found it in being an avenger." 'But I was wrong……I found it with you.' He walked over to their side.

"Naruto…hand me your ink container. You packed it in the top right pocket." He picked up his pack, searched for a couple seconds and brought out the container. "Now, give me your hands." Both wordlessly stuck out their hands.

She took the ink and began to draw on their hands as if they were one big canvas. Three characters emerged. Chikubantomo. Chiyuu, Nakoyoshi. Childhood friends. Close friends. Best friends.

She has happy with her handiwork. As they pulled their hands apart all had a piece of the other two characters. "Now a piece of us will be with each other no matter what happens. Always and forever."

And with that, they walked through the gate.

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"Sasuke!" Neji's irritated voice cut through his reverie. "They're fighting, the others finally broke through. We have to go help them."

"But it's four against two. They should be winning. They're all jounin."

"Their not! They're being destroyed. I don't understand….it's like they can predict what techniques they're going to use." Neji's byakugan was looking through the ground above them and staring at the battle. "We should burst through at a moment when both are off balance."

"I'll take the girl." If Sasuke's sudden outburst had surprised him, he didn't show it.

"Alright, matte. They aren't attacking Ino. They aren't even trying to hurt her…they just keep pushing her out of the way."

Sasuke winced at her name, trying to push the guilt back to a dark corner.

"Let's just go." He muttered darkly and jumped through the ground, about a foot away from Sakura.

This is strange. Those two haven't spoken a word since they insulted us. And that girl seems so familiar. Who is she?

He was about to try to know Mayakashi out when she turned, saw him, then jumped away and began to fight elsewhere. He stopped again. Those eyes are so familiar. Damn it, where have I seen her before?

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"Alright, that's enough!" Kotetsu jumped in the middle of the battle suddenly. "We've seen enough."

All abruptly halted and Sakura and Shikamaru dropped to the ground in utter exhaustion. "I'll speak to you two later," he gestured in their direction before continuing. "Go take a shower or something."

They slowly started walking towards their bags as Kotetsu spoke to the remaining seven. Sasuke, however was not listening. He continued to stare after the girl, even though Naruto repeatedly elbowed him.

"What's so interesting about her Sasuke-teme?" he whispered over and over. He himself had no idea. As Kotetsu was talking about how they should be ashamed- or how they should have shaved, something to that affect- it suddenly came to him.

"Sakura." He whispered under his breath. "It's her, I know it." The volume of his voice increased as he spoke. "Sakura, wait!"

"You're the dobe….she doesn't even know Sakura…why would she even turn around?" But turn around she had.

"Sakura…Sakura wait!" he started running after her.

"Kuso, they know." The entire group had turned towards them….Ino had started to run too.

"Shit…run Shikamaru! MOVE!" She started to push him.

"But what about th-"

"No time..if we go back to get them they'll catch us…just run for the gate."

The remaining six bolted after Sasuke, each running as fast as they possibly could to the one place they knew that Sakura and Shikamaru would head – the village gate.

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They had caught up, whether because they had insane speed, or because Sakura and Shikamaru were exhausted no one could tell. All of them stood in front of the gate, refusing to let their comrades pass.

"This is ridiculous," Shikamaru muttered under his breath. Sakura nodded in agreement.

"Why can't you just let us go!" Sakura screamed at them. She turned her head to face Shikamaru, the proverbial light bulb going off in her head. She started to whisper in his ear.

"I-I didn't know you two were so close." Ino's quiet voice said. "I'm sorry." She started to cry. The rest of the group shifted uncomfortably.

"It's a little late for that….don't you think?" He suddenly started to ignore Sakura and showed rare passion. "Why couldn't you have just held yourself back for once in your life!" He was yelling now, his face was turning as red as the streaks in his hair. Ino cried harder. Neji, Tenten, Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, and Kiba subtly slipped into the shadows of the nearby houses.

"I don't know…I just saw you with…and then…" she couldn't put her sentences together. She sank to the ground and sobbed hysterically, clutching her stomach. "I'm so sorry! Please….please Shikamaru…..I love you!"

"I…" He looked as if he were going to start tearing up as well. He started to walk towards her then he suddenly stopped. "I don't thi-" He swiftly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"We have to go. This is getting out of hand." Sakura looked at her former best friend severely before she swiftly looked away, her stony façade crumbling.

All I want is to say 'I forgive you'. Why is that so hard?

"No…No don't leave! Please Shikamaru don't go!" Ino's hysterical sobbing became pitiful moaning. "Please….please don't leave me."

"Let's go." The façade was back up and she started to pull on Shikamaru's shirt. He didn't move.

"I can't just leave her," he whispered. Suddenly, it was very quiet. The air was still and then was filled with screaming.

Shikamaru turned and saw Ino writhing on the ground, her hands clutching her stomach as she screamed in agony. He jerked out of Sakura's grasp and ran to her, everything forgotten in an instant. Everyone else ran out of the shadows. Even Sasuke looked stricken…he broke out into a cold sweat as he stared at the amount of blood.

"Where's it all coming from?" Tenten's ashen face simply stared at Ino. She couldn't move.

"We-we have to stop iiitt." Hinata stammered, without moving an inch.

Naruto was the first to come out of the shock. "Sakur-"

"Urusai…that's not my name anymore." She still had not turned around. "What is it Ino-chan…how does it feel?"

"Sakura," she was about to silence Shikamaru before she registered his voice, "Sakura please turn around…we need your help!"

"For wha-" she looked at her friend, lying on the ground with huge amount of blood surrounding her, her mouth wide open.

She took a step backwards before pausing. Where are you going baka? Running away to cry yourself to sleep? She's your friend…save her life you big idiot! She started to run, towards Ino. Right now she was just another life to save…no feelings – no attachment.

"She's having a miscarriage and by the looks of it, it's pretty bad." She pulled out a roll of bandages from her pack and proceeded to wrap Ino's legs together, she was still screaming. Sakura pulled a swift hand and hit her neck, knocking her out. "This will help to control the bleeding for now. Bring her to the hospital…I'll be waiting. Don't waste any time and don't let her wake up." And with that…Sakura disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

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Everything was moving in slow motion. She was screaming at the incompetent nurses, with all her comrades right outside the door. "If you're going to do something, do it properly! For the sake of Kami-sama, take a proper sample!" She was yelling like a banshee, surprised that she still had the strength to yell like that.

She had performed chisio fuuin no jutsu countless times, but each time the barrier broke and Ino continued to bleed out on the table. She wasn't sure whether it was her lack of charka or the severity of the problem that was causing it, but whatever the case, all she wanted to do was sit down and cry.

She readied the hand seals again, feeling the familiar tingle of chakra rushing to her hands when it stopped. She tried again but with the same result. "Kuso …." Again. "Kuso…" Again. "Kuso!" It wasn't working.

"Keep her stable for as long as you can. If she isn't alive when I come back into this room you'll wish it was you who was dead." She ran out the door and straight into Sasuke and Shikamaru, who had both been hovering directly outside of it. She dodged their questions and ran straight to Hinata's makimono pouches. After pulling out various salves and ointments she found what she was looking for. Soldier pills. She grabbed five, swallowed them whole, and then ran to Naruto.

"I need to use your blood. You're both the same type. Naruto nodded as she proceeded to pull him into the sterile room, still dodging the worried faces, questions, and stares at her blood covered doctor's coat.

"Have you eaten any shellfish in the past four months?" She asked as soon as Naruto was in the room.

"Sanarai Sakura-chan. We all did at the festi-"

"Out! Ino's allergic to them. If your blood has retained even a minute trace of them and it gets into her body she'll die. Taka," she gestured to the medic attending to the various monitors and machines. "Get me a list of those who share Ino's blood type who are available for transplant. Move!" She pushed the pair out as she proceeded to attempt the chisio fuuin again. She didn't care what it took. Her friend was not going to die here.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Here" Taka rushed in, out of breath, but with a list of those who could save Ino's life.

"Read them out to me." Sakura had moved on to cleaning Ino up. They only thing she could do to help now was to give her some much needed blood.

"Hagane Kotetsu, Hyuuga Hiashi, Maito Gai, Umino Iruka, Jiraiya-sama, Inuzuka Kiba, Sarutobi Konohamaru, Uzumaki Naruto, and Tenten." Taka rattled of the names with about as much interest as one who cleans toilets.

"Don't you have a brain? Two of those people are sitting right outside that door, bring them in here!"

Taka didn't move. She looked increasingly scared of her superior.

"Fine, I'll go!" Sakura threw her hands up in indignation before standing up. When she exited the room, eight stares locked on her. Her bloody and torn apparel, her tired eyes, and exhausted gait.

"Tenten, Kiba, have either of you eaten shellfish in the past four months?" She was so tired, but she couldn't rest yet.

"Yes"-answered Kiba.

"No, I'm allergic," came Tenten's shaky reply. "Do you want me to donate?"

"Come in here," She opened the door widely only to see a conscious Ino. She immediately forgot Tenten and stormed inside.

"How ar-" she lost her nerve completely, turning almost instantaneously from a raging tyrant to a scared little girl.

"Arigatou Sakura," she paused, finding her very weak voice, "you didn't have to help me after what I did to you."

"I……..I," She couldn't speak past the tears in her throat. "Your baby………she's dead. I'm so so-" She looked at Ino's face, one with tears spilling down her cheeks onto the sheets that were knotted in her hands. She couldn't stomach anymore. "Taka, get the blood and transfer it to her. Watch her closely for a day, then release her." She turned to leave.

"Sakura…chotto matte." She stopped, her back rigid. "I really am sorry and if I could take it all back, I would. I know that doesn't make things right…or or even okay but it's all I can d-"

"I know Ino. Just rest for now." She offered her a small smile before silently closing the door behind her.

"She's fine." She turned to leave before Sasuke grabbed her arm.

"Arigatou," That single word stirred so many buried feelings. She struggled to get away.

"Please, let go." She was crying now. "Please let go of me." She pushed his hand off, then ran to the door. Sasuke stared after her, wanting so badly to follow, but knowing he had to attend to something else first.

"Shikamaru, I know that I don't have the right to, but could I see her first?" Sasuke asked, seemingly afraid of the reply. He nodded. As he walked into the room Taka and Tenten made a hasty exit, closing the door behind them.

"I'm sorry that I did this."

"It's not your fault." Tears were still running down her pale face.

"Yes, we both should have said no that night. Now, we're going to have this between us forever."

"Abou-"

"We're not getting married." She flashed the first smile she had shown in over a week. "I'll come see how you are later, but someone else wants to talk to you first." He smirked slightly as he motioned for Shikamaru to come in.

Before he closed the door behind him, he turned to look at the pair behind him. Ino was asleep, a deeply contented smile on her face. Shikamaru held her gently as he nodded to Sasuke. As he stepped out, he felt a huge weight lifted off of his shoulders.

"Naruto, I ha-"

"Go teme. We were all wondering when you'd get on with it. You'd better hurry!" Naruto playfully punched him in the arm. As Sasuke ran out of the hospital, Naruto wrapped his arm around Hinata.

"Ya know what? Something tells me that everything is going to be okay." He kissed the top of her head.

Hinata blushed, but leaned into him. "I was just thinking the same thing."

OoOoOoOoOoO

(For this part of the story, please open a new Internet window and go to the following link: http/profile. and listen to the song 'For Blue Skies'. It really sets the mood.)

Sakura stared at the bench in front of her. She had been staring at it for the past hour, transfixed to the very place she stood. The village gate was only a few minutes away, but she still couldn't move. Memories flashed before her eyes as a solitary tear rolled down her cheeks.

"But if you were to leave…to me I would be just as alone as you!"

"I..I love you with all of my heart! If you were to stay with me…there would be no regrets, I swear it! I would do anything for you, please just stay!"

"I'll even help you with your revenge. I'd try my best to do something, anything."

"So please………stay with me."

"Please stay…"

She pulled a small necklace off from around her neck. The kanji for 'friend' and 'always', its only adornment. Sasuke had given it to her for her birthday last year. It had not left her neck since. She walked towards the bench and reverently placed the chain on the cold metal surface. She pressed her fingers to her lips then brushed them over the surface of the necklace, trying to memorize everything about it.

"Sakura," Sasuke appeared, blocking the only road that led out of the village. "Where are you going?"

She didn't answer, but proceeded to walk past him. Her mind was trying to block out his presence; her body saw every little move he made. Her mind was losing.

"Sakura, I won't let you leave." He had appeared in front of her again, this time, only a foot away.

She kept walking, trying to get past him again. He grabbed her from behind and held her closely. She didn't even try to fight him off. He turned her to face him, still keeping a death grip on her arm. Her eyes were glistening with tears that began to fall as soon as she saw his face.

"Why….why did you do it?" Her quiet voice that showed no anger, no resentment made his guilt burn a whole through his heart.

"You were with him," he began, not able to look her in the eye anymore. "All I could see was you two together and then when I started drinking I couldn't stop. I kept telling myself that if I just had one more bottle, I'd stop seeing your face. Ino saw Shikamaru with Temari and did the same thing." He stopped, feeling his throat tighten unexpectedly. Feather-light fingers brushed across his cheek and turned his head to face hers. "I'm so sorry."

"I know and I wish that it could be enough this time," she bit her lip and looked downward, "but, no matter how hard I try, it just isn't." She broke free of his grasp and proceeded to walk down the road.

"I love you! I love you with all of my heart!"

She stopped dead in her tracks, unable to believe what she had just heard. She heard his approaching footsteps but once again, she couldn't move.

"If you were to stay with me, there would be no regrets, I swear it!" He was asking in earnest now, at the most vulnerable she had ever seen him.

"I have t-tto g-" Her resolve was weakening.

His quiet voice cut through her facade like no weapon of any kind would ever be able to. "If you were to leave, to me…that's the same as being alone. Please stay."

She turned around and looked him full on in the face. She didn't see any deception, no trickery, no mask. "I know I don't deserve it. From you, I don't deserve anything but please Sakura….you can't leave."

"D-ddo you really mean it?" The hope in her voice could not be mistaken.

"I've never meant anything more." He clasped her hands and held them up to his chest, closing the gap between their bodies.

"Bu-" She was cut off when Sasuke crushed his lips to hers. It was passionate, rough, loving, and tender, all at the same time. It was perfect. She broke apart from him and wrapped her arms around his neck before she broke down.

They sank to the ground, arms wrapped around each other, neither one willing to let go. As Sakura sobbed and held him closer she whispered a single phrase, "Aishiteru, Sasuke-kun,"

Even though she couldn't see it, he smiled. Not smirked, not scoffed, smiled. "Aishiteru Sakura. Hozowokamu."

She mumbled something incoherent into his shirt before looking up at him, "Gusei sashiyurusu onushi." She smiled and relaxed into him,smiling softlyas he hugged her tightly.

Everything was finally fixed.

OoOoOoOoOoO

So there it is! How long was it eh? I hope you enjoyed reading this story…I know that I enjoyed writing it. Just to answer some inevitable questions here are what the techniques I used (and made up for the most part):

Jikoku karada fuzui no jutsu - instant body paralysis technique

Doton: Kekkai Doroutoumu – (it's the technique that big fat dude uses to trap the guys who went to retrieve Sasuke)

Hateshinai yami no jutsu – endless darkness technique

Buyou bushi ha no jutsu – dance of the spinning leaves technique

Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu – (it's the technique Kakashi uses to go underground in the first graphic novel.)

Chisio Fuuin no jutsu – blood sealing technique (very inventive lol)

So, for the scenes at the hospital I actually did check all their blood types and the list you heard Taka rattle off is the actual thing! How's that for an author who researches! Also, blood cells get replaced every four months. I'm not exactly sure if the shellfish thing is possible but hey? It's my story! Lol Anyways please leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter and story in general. If you did listen to 'For Blue Skies' I hope you thought it reflected the mood of those scenes. I definitely listened to it repeatedly while writing this thing. Thanks for reading…and tell me what you think in a review!