Tsuki: Hey everybody. Okay, well this is chapter four, and I'm sure there will be a lot of chapters in this story! I just have trouble writing short stories. *sweatdrops* I plan to make this a bit fluffier now! Yet you'll probably have to wait until the next chapter for that, since in the chapter Sakura and Sasuke will be alone.

Alright for those of you who may have wondered: Yes, there will be a fight later on. Yes, Sasuke will soon be able to go outside. And no, Naruto is not interested in Sakura, nor jealous of Sasuke. So here we are then, another chapter and only a few reviews… *whimpers* Disclaimer by Tsunade-shishou.

Tsunade: Tsuki Naitosora does not own Naruto. And Tsuki, cheer up, I'll take you out to gamble tonight!

Tsuki: Thanks Tsunade-shishou, but I'll pass. Here you are… I'm losing interest in this story, it seems like no one likes it…

^..^

Tsunade was already in her office as the sun finished is rise from the horizon, papers on her desk, and stamps lying all over. This was a major change in the Hokage tower since Tsunade became Hokage, and Shizune was pleased to see her doing paper-work. But then again, this time it was about something very concerning. The Hokage mumbled to herself as she read the papers, and stamped different things onto them, every once in a while, asking Shizune what she thought, or for her to get something for her. Surprisingly, there was no sake requested. This was truly important to her.

"Shizune, what time will the requested ANBU I sent for?"

Shizune flipped through the papers on her clipboard. "They should be here any moment." Tsunade cursed under her breath, then continued stamping paperwork. Finally the door to her office swung open revealing a smiling Naruto, a bored looking Shikamaru, and Kiba with Akamaru.

"Hey Grandma Tsunade! What's up, do we have a special mission to go on?!" Naruto slammed his fists down on her desk sending papers flying. Tsunade glared and hit him over the head. "Ow… Jeez I was just asking…"

"No, all I want you to do is contact all the Genin, Chuunin, and Jounin about some very important information." She pulled out three large sized bags of scrolls. "You will deliver these to each of them."

"What exactly is this information?" Shikamaru looked in defeat at the big 'troublesome' bags.

Tsunade rose from her desk, and sighed. "We have reason to believe, sightings in fact, that Orochimaru lives." A chorus of surprised expressions and sounds came from the Jounin (yes even from Shikamaru). "I know I know, but we cannot let the citizens know of this yet. Tomorrow, I will be sending you to scout it out. I want you to report back immediately once you find even the slightest information. I will not let this turn into a dangerous mission. You are dismissed, everyone take a bag." They nodded and grabbed one each. When they left, Shizune looked skeptically at Tsunade.

"Why did you ask for them for that mission to scout specifically?"

"Simple enough, Kiba has an excellent sense of smell, and Akamaru is a good tracker. Shikamaru can keep them under control, and act as a leader, as well as be logical enough to know when to leave and keep them from fighting. And Naruto, well, no one knows what Orochimaru would do more than him. Even I am a little at loss of what is on his mind…"

Closing her closet, Sakura changed into a red tank top, with dry-fit black shorts that ended at her knees, and strapped on an empty (despite her gloves) white kunai pouch, along with black ninja shoes. She tied a red ninja headband to hold her hair back, and went outside. She walked down the local market which was open that day, and went to the fruit stand.

"Good morning Sakura!" The old man at the stand waved to her. "What can I get for you?"

"Just two tomatoes please, oh, and an apple! The freshest, ripest ones you have!" He handed her what she asked for, and she gave him the yen she owed. "Thank you!"

Quickly she left the market with a smile on her face. It surprised her how happy she was to be visiting Sasuke. This time, Naruto would not be joining her until a bit later, since Tsunade suddenly summoned him. She ran along the road to her raven-haired team mate, and swung the gates open when she reached there. An ANBU at the front door nodded to her, inspected the bag, and then let her inside.

"Sasuke, I'm here." She said, but soon saw he was sitting outside, in the shade of the awning though. He was staring out at the courtyard, the cherry blossom trees had few flowers, since spring was ending, but all other plants were in full bloom. She walked out and stood in the sun; he looked up at her and nodded. "I brought these for you." She took a tomato out of the bag. "I recalled you liked them."

She put it in front of him, but when he reached out, she pulled it away. He gave her a look of confusion. "No no, let's get you into the sun. You're pale as a ghost!" Sasuke cringed silently as he recalled his haunting dreams. Begrudgingly, he stood. "Good, now come on!" She stepped out a bit more.

"This is ridiculous." He scoffed.

"No come on! You need vitamin D; it's unhealthy to stay out of the sun all the time!" Sasuke noted her pale skin and thought her a hypocrite, but was then reminded that she had always had delicate ivory skin. He just looked at her for a while, smiling like she does, like he remembered. She seemed so quick to accept him as a friend again, he was as well, but he lived life with his mind, and decided to give it time. But so desperately did he want everything to go back to how it was (though he knows it cannot entirely).It seemed better to him that he could just act like nothing happened; it hurt both of them too much to talk about it. Sakura knew just by the look in his eyes when he looked at her, that he was terribly sorry, even if he didn't realize it.

He took a step out, and she handed him the tomato, she herself eating an apple. Sakura smiled lightly, and walked out to tour the garden. "Naruto will be here soon. He had something he needed to take care of." She lifted a lily that was drooping, off of the ground. "Has Kakashi visited you yet?"

"Yes." He took a few more steps out and stood, watching the ANBU in one corner of the garden.

"What'd he have to say?"

"Nothing."

"Really?" He grunted, and she frowned.

"Sakura, Sasuke, where are you?" It was Naruto.

"We're outside Naruto!" She called, soon he appeared, handed her a scroll, and quietly told her what it was without Sasuke hearing. Her eyes widened, and she tucked the scroll into her kunai pouch.

"Hey Sasuke." Naruto said, and Sasuke nodded.

"Naruto." Sakura and Naruto carried on conversations, and laughed with each other. Much of the time, they tried to get Sasuke to contribute to the talking, but he never did. Perhaps he enjoyed just watching them laugh, it reminded him of a time when they were young. Suddenly, his memory flashed back to the team's picnic, Sakura had made onigiri's, and they had sat together talking and laughing. All of them, him, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi, on that warm spring day more than three years prior.

Sasuke began to get dizzy with guilt. He had ruined it all. He had torn the team apart, they don't even laugh like they used to. Something was missing and it was his entire fault!

"Sasuke, are you alright? You don't look to hot." It was Naruto. He looked a little worried.

"Can we go on a picnic?" Sakura and Naruto looked at each other with a mix of shock and skepticism.

"I'm sure we could, but you'd have to wait a while. They won't let you outside yet. Why?" Sakura inquired. Sasuke just shook his head, trying to rid of his guilt. Sakura put her hand on his forehead, and grabbed his chin, holding him to eye level. She inspected his eyes. "You're running a fever. Are you sure you're okay? We should get you inside." His vision began to blur as they helped him into the house.

Sakura asked him something but he didn't hear what. Images ran through his head, faces of his family, and everyone he's ever cared about. Repeatedly Sakura showed up, and pictures of Itachi killing her, her blood splattering all over the walls, and him walking into the room afterwards, just like when his parents…

Sasuke let out a groan, and the two helped him onto the couch. "Naruto, get me a cold damp cloth, and a basin, stat!"

"Sakura I don't know where…" She tore off a piece of cloth from Naruto's jacket. "Hey! Sakuraaa!" He whined.

"Just get it damp! There should be a bowl in the kitchen! Go, his fever is rising!" Naruto ran off to the kitchen and was back in no time. He laid the cloth over Sasuke's sweating forehead and a few ANBU appeared around them. They backed off when they saw Sakura, with her ANBU tattoo.

"What's wrong?" One of them asked.

"High fever and its building. Leave, now. I'll take care of it, and get these stupid restraints off of him!" The ANBU exchanged nervous glances, but one of them took them off. Only one ANBU remained now, watching just to make sure. Sasuke groaned, and gritted his teeth.

"Can you not just heal him; you are the renowned medic Sakura, aren't you?"

"I could if it was a wound. This is a fever; it cannot be healed with chakra, unlike open or internal wounds." The ANBU nodded, then placed the restraint on the table.

"Put this back on him when you are done. We will check up on him later, but we trust you for now." Sakura nodded and the ANBU disappeared.

"Will he be okay Sakura?" Naruto asked, looking at the Uchiha.

"He will if we can get the fever down. Naruto, remember those plants I gave you when you had a fever? Do you remember what they look like?" He nodded.

"Yeah, the licorice roots, hyssop and thyme?"

"Exactly, now go out to the garden, in the left hand corner is an herbal garden, across the bridge on the koi pond, and get me some." Naruto left to fetch the herbs, and Sakura went to the kitchen and started to boil some water. Once Naruto brought back the herbs, she made a tea and brought it out to Sasuke. "This should bring down his temperature."

Sasuke was still sweating and thrashing as she helped him to drink the tea. Once he finally drank it all, she threw a blanket over him, and her and Naruto waited. The fever went down a bit, but he was still very warm.

"It's getting late Sakura; I'm going to head home. Are you coming?"

"Not yet, I want to get his fever down a little more. Bye Naruto." They exchanged hugs, and then he left. Once she heard the gate close, she sighed and looked out at the dawning, pink and yellow sky. "Now it's just you and me. We've been here a while, huh?" She said partly to herself, partly to Sasuke who may or may not hear her.

She stroked his raven hair; it was nice to have him back. His return had been strange though. He had simply showed up at the gates unharmed, and took himself to the Hokage's Tower, fully admitting to everything he did, even saying once in a very short word, that he felt remorse. It was all his own choice. It wasn't long before his temperature was near normal, and he was sound asleep. He did not look peaceful, his face was contorted with fear, but as the sun went down, Sakura knew she had to return home. Begrudgingly, she fluffed the pillow under him, pulled the blanket up, and rose from where she had sat. "Bye Sasuke." Sakura looked at him pale face for a moment, remembering how much she loved to see it when she was younger. "Not much changes does it?" She said to herself, then leaned down and planted a light kiss on his brow. For a split second, she even thought the fear and pain on his face had melted away.

She put his restraints back on, but loosened it a bit (though he still couldn't escape), and gave him some room to move his hands to his sides. Finally she left the Uchiha Compound, and locked the gate. Tomorrow she'd be there without Naruto, and without an unconscious Sasuke, she was almost afraid but maybe things would turn out alright. Maybe… She smiled.

^..^

Tsuki: Another chapter finished! I'm on a roll! I just wish more people would review, and give me some good ideas! But it is fun to write. So no thanks to anyone this time around because only two people have reviewed (thanks again to them), but you know, I'll keep going most likely.

Well, on to the next chapter! Which I need some serious ideas for… So review and I shall give you credit where credit is due! Thank everyone who's reading this! Bye!