Here's the 11th chapter! Thanks a million to all the reviewers!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Everybody in Konoha smiled as they worked at rebuilding the ruined half of their village. The sun rose, and the sky was cloud-free. Tall trees basked in the brilliant rays of a weekday morning.

"Ahh..." Sakura yawned and stretched. She leaned against the bridge that she and Kikyo had stood on. Her eyes darkened momentarily, but then lighted up when she saw Naruto and Master Kakashi approaching.

"Hey Sakura!" Naruto called.

She smiled. Today was the last mission they would have for a long time. Master Kakashi was being drafted for a new practice program, and he wouldn't be able to supervise them. Naruto grinned at her, and they were just about to set off when Sakura gasped and froze.

"Sasuke?" she whispered.

The figure across the bridge gave no reply. It was Sasuke, but he looked awful. His hair was like a reused bird's nest, and his eyes had dark bags under them. His arms hung warily by his side. Even Naruto was shocked speechless.

"I"m going on the mission today." even his voice was different. Truth to be told, he could've been dead and no one would've known the difference.

He looked up, glancing at his teammates and teacher. His eyes were full of loss and sadness, and his lips were cracked and chapped. Normally cocky, Naruto remained silent and bit his lip.

"Let's go." Kakashi broke the uncomfortable silence. He didn't know much about his student's private lives, but he knew that Sasuke and Kikyo had been very close. Kikyo's betrayal had hurt them all, but Sakura and Sasuke were the ones most hurt. Naruto had been unnaturally silent, and he himself felt a loss.

After a walk of silence, they reached the huge double doors of Konoha. Pushing them open, Naruto gaped, Sakura gasped, and Sasuke flinched.

It was Kikyo.

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"Master!" Kabuto ran into the room frantically.

"What is it now, Kabuto?" Orochimaru sighed irritably.

"She...she's gone!" Kabuto panted.

Orochimaru stood up quickly. "What? Kikyo? Gone?"

Kabuto struggled to catch his breath. "Yes, my lord."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed cruelly. "Fine...then we go tonight..."

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"Kikyo?" Sakura covered her mouth with trembling fingers.

Kikyo was in demon form, but her red eyes had lost it's brilliance and glow.

"Kikyo..." Sasuke's voice startled them all. His fingers curled into fists. "Kikyo..."

She flinched. "Sasuke...I'm...I'm sorry..."

His insides twisted, and all of the bottled-up emotions rose and overflowed. "SORRY!" his voice rose to a shout, and he clenched his fists so tightly that blood dripped. "You...you dare to come back here? GO! You'll never belong here, and you never will!" his voice grew shrill.

"You'll never belong! You lied to me...to all of us...and then you come back and say SORRY! I loved you..." his anger diminished into sadness. "You never loved me...I was a fool." he whispered, scrunching his eyes up in pain.

"No...you're wrong." Kikyo's soft voice entered his unwilling mind.

Their eyes met, and each were full of pain, fury, sadness, and most of all, love. Then Kikyo's scream pierced the air.

Twisting and sreaming, she fell to the ground, clawing at her arm. Black marks covered her body, making her cry out in pain.

"Kikyo...so you came back." Orochimaru said as he rose from the ground behind her with Kabuto at his side. Kikyo's eyes widened in disbelief. "Foolish girl...come." he grabbed her and turned to leave.

"NO!" Kikyo screamed, reaching out towards Sasuke.

At that time, his brain was in turmoil. Did he love Kikyo? What should he do? Should he grab her hand? Or should he push her away? His body was frozen, unable to move.

"Sasuke..." Kikyo's eyes met his again, and her sad face gazed at him one last time. At the last possible moment, he reached out...

but only just brushed her fingers, as Orochimaru yanked her away and sank into the ground.

"KIKYO!" Sakura screamed, running to the spot where they had stood.

Sasuke collapsed on the ground, digging his fingers into the dirt. His blood dripped into the furrows that signified his anger, loss, and hurt.

Would he ever see her again?

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Kikyo leaned against the wall. She was starved and weak from the burning mark on her arm. Her cheeks were pale and wet from tears. Lying down on the bench of her cell, she closed her eyes wearily.

Sasuke...had he really meant it?

Kikyo's breaths came ragged and uneven with pain. Of course he did...she was an idiot for even going back. The little sunlight from the barred window dimmed as the sun set. This was her second time to be imprisoned, and she was growing weary of it.

"Kikyo." Kabuto's voice startled her. He unlocked the magically locked door and brought in a tray of food. He threw it at her feet, spilling the glass of water and bowl of soup. Smirking, he walked out the door and relocked it. "Enjoy..." his cruel laughter echoed in the cold and dripping stone jail hall.

Kikyo gestured weakly, and the glass and bowl flew back together. The soup and water didn't move. Kikyo sighed; her powers were growing weaker, and so was she. No longer could she transform at will into demon form, and she couldn't even defeat the curses placed on the door and window. Her only hope was to wait for the crescent moon, the night that she would transform into a demon and regain her powers. Stretching on the bed, she rolled over. Her breathing slowed and she went to sleep as night fell.

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Thanx!