Chapter-33

Sakura meditated for 3 hours. She could feel her chakra reserves increasing. This book I got at the library is really helpful. She put the book on her table and sat on her bed. She saw the time. 6:30pm. Hm I have a lot of time and I have already meditated. I'll go to the far off training area where Tsunade-sama taught me. And after freshening up she was on her way. Little did she know somebody was watching her stealthily followed her.

Sasuke was returning home when he suddenly saw Sakura jumping on roofs. Why is she in a hurry? But then, Sasuke a man steadily following her. Who is that creep? Why is he following Sakura? damn it, no time to think I should go after them.

Sakura arrived at the training ground clearing and looked around. It hasn't changed at all. Sasuke and the stranger also arrived but Sasuke hid behind a thick tree and the stranger was on a branch of another tree which was near to Sakura.

She started walking when somebody threw a kunai at her but she had already seen it coming. She just tilted her head slightly to the right and the kunai went by without even touching her.

"You should come out. I know you've been following me."

She dodged it so easily. And she knew she was being followed. Sasuke saw with amazement.

The stranger came down and Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. It was that Kabuto. He decided to hear them talk.

" Why the hell were you following me? What do you want?"

"Simple. You."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him. The bastard sure has a lot of confidence. Im gonna kill him.

"Me? Why?"

"Oh, I believe you already know Sakura."

"So you are with Orochimaru. I guessed correctly. Well, here's the answer to your question. Hell NO. now get lost"

She turned away but Kabuto grabbed her wrist and twist her and locked her hands behind her. They were standing extremely close.

What the hell is doing? Is he gonna tie her up and leave? Sasuke was racking his brain fo answers but he found none. I have to do something.

"Come on Sakura. you know you want it. The power to be strong. You've always been teased for being a cry baby and losing fights easily. But look at you now. you sure have matured. But the feeling of being weak doesn't really goes away, does it? Orochimaru-sama will take good care of you since you are so…delicate." He said while touching her hair.

Sasuke was boiling with anger. He touched her! He dared to touch her!

"Don't touch me with your filthy hands." She glared at him dangerously.

"Woah so you can make that expression. You should wear it all the time. It suits you." He said smiling.

"I prefer to smile."

"you sure are feisty. Maybe you need some positive punishment." He smirked and raised his hand which started holding chakra with pointy edges around his hands. And then he brought his hand down and lightly grazed her cheek.

That's it. I'm gonna kill that bastard.

Sasuke started walking out of the woods but then Kabuto swiftly gave a deep slash on her thigh. She groaned and shook from the pain. But she still glared at him.

"Still not coming, huh. You sure are stubborn. Maybe I should just paralyze you and carry you away."

"I'd like to see you try you bastard." She said smirking.

Kabuto got angry and aimed is hand towards her shoulder but he was suddenly tackled down by a blur of blue. It was Sasuke. Sasuke sat above him and started punching him senseless.

"How dare you! You dared to touch her?! I'm gonna kill you. She's never gonna go to your Orochimau-sama. Not when I'm around. Got that, you bastard?" he punched him one more time and he went unconscious. He turned to Sakura and starting walking towards her.

"Sakura.."

"thank you, Sasuke." She said while giving a smile. But he could see that she was disturbed by the encounter.

Sasuke came in front of her and tilted her chin up and turned it sideways to see the wound. He got angry when he saw it but when he saw the wound on her thigh, it was much worse. It was realy deep and wide. Blood was flowing like a river from it. Sasuke angrily turned towards Kabuto to pummel him some more. But Sakura came in front of him with her arms wide.

"No Sasuke. No more."

"But-but he hurt you and touched you and you ask me to let it go? Im gonna kill that bastard!"

He started moving forward Sakura put both of her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

"No Sasuke. You are not a murdeer."

Sasuke just kept looking at her and then he released a sigh. He nodded and relaxed.

"Why were you following, Sasuke?"

"I saw someone follow you when you were coming here. He was doing it stealthily so I thought something might be wrong. And I was right." Said with gritted teeth and shaking fists. Sakura saw him struggle strted walking towards him suddenly pain surged in her thigh which made him stumble and fall.

"Sakura!" Sasuke came by her side and lifted her up so she could lean on his shoulder.

"hey, you okay? Lets go the hospital. We need to get this wound stitched." Said Sasuke

"It's okay. I can do it."

"You know how to stitch up wounds?"

"Yeah. Its pretty easy."

Sakura got up and started walking back to the village slowly. Sasuke gave a frustrated groan and ran ahead of her. He bent down and offered his back to her.

"Sasuke-"

He glared at her as soon as she spoke and told her with his eyes to get on without further discussion.

She gave up and climbed on his back. Sasuke held her tight and started walking. Sakura was feeling a variety of emotions. Happiness, because Sasuke came to help her, sadness, because whatever that Kabuto said about her feeling weak was true, anger, because she couldn't counter attack. She felt really down. As if Sasuke read her mind, he spoke to her.

"Don't listen to that bastard. Whatever he said was not true. You are actually stronger than Naruto and me. You just hide it maybe you're not aware of it. But I can say that you are not weak." He finished and squeezed her thigs a little. Sakura slowly smiled and leaned near his ear and said "thank you".

Sasuke was feeling like his brain had stopped working. Hearing a thank you like that was totally foreign to him yet he didn't mind. He just felt the need to hold her closer if he could. But he shook those thoughts away and and just continued walking. They talked about anything or everything and finally reached Sakura's house. Sasuke jumped to the small balcony on the second floor and entered Sakura's room. It was his first time coming in her room.

"Make yourself comfortable."

She wandered off in her wardrobe searching for the first aid box.

"Ah. Found it."

She first checked the wound for any signs of the bone getting hit and how much deep the cut was. She frowned when she saw that he bone had a little crack. No wonder its hurting so much. I cant go to the hospital now. by that time, this will get worse. Just stitching it up is not gonna work. She looked at Sasuke who was watching her with a grim expression. Sasuke noticed Sakura stop and thinking up something.

"Sakura? What's wrong? Is it really bad?"

"Um.. its not that bad but the bone got a little crack so now I cant go to the hospital or wait for an ambulance. Simply stitching it will not help."

"what? What are you gonna do now?!" asked Sasuke in a frenzy.

There's no choice I'll have to heal it by myself. She looked at Sasuke and spoke.

"Sasuke what I am about to do shall remain a secret between us okay?"

"huh? Why? What are you gonna do?"

"Just watch and don't tell anybody. Got it?"

He nodded but still had a questioning look. Sakura started focusing chakra in her hands and they started glowing green. She put her hands on the thigh wound and started healing it. Sasuke came closer and saw how amazingly Sakura was healing her leg. Woah. How is this possible? Its she can heal any wound. He looked at her in amazement. You are incredible, Sakura. he thought and then smiled a little.

The wound was almost done when the curse mark started to throb.

"Ah.." she muttered while holding a hnd on her neck. She grimaced as the pain increased. She bit her lip to stop from making any sound and she was shaking. Sasuke saw that her curse mark was bothering her again.

"Sakura, try to calm down. Try to let out your thoughts."

But she knew that was useless advice. She knew why the pain came. Because she used medical ninjutsu.

Sasuke just held her hand until she calmed down. She wiped the sweat off of her face. And then gave a shaky smile.

"It's okay now. It was my fault."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"This curse mark starts throbbing when I use medical ninjutsu. Which I just did. But I had no choice so its fine."

Sasuke looked at her shockingly. She knew the pain would come but she healed herself.

"Why use it then?! It could have taken over you!"

"It wont. Besides I think this pain is better than living a life as a person with one leg" she chuckled

Sasuke also let out a smile. Wow, he can smile. Thought Sakura sarcastically.

"Well it just layers of skin deep cut left. I can stitch that and get this over with."

She picked up the needle and thread and started stitching. Sasuke saw how professionally she stitched her wound like she had done this thousands of times.

"there, all done!" she said with a cheeky grin.

Sasuke walked around the room and just saw books, ninja tools and scrolls. A table had a book opened. It must be the she's reading right now. She is a pretty simple person. But her mind is full of problems that she doesn't let out.

"Well, I'll be going now."

"oh you don't want tea?"

"No thanks."

"Alright. Bye Sasuke."

He waved his hand and went down on the road. And started walking. She is really mysterious. I wonder what else can she do. Kakashi saw their exchange and gave a sigh of relief. Thank god it was Sasuke and not Naruto.