I'm extremely sorry that I haven't updated for so long! Very sorry. Very . But as usual, it's the same apology, my life is way to busy. Just to let you guys know, after this one, the next update would be in about a month or so because I'm going on vacation (yay). Please enjoy this next chapter and tell me all about it xD Thanks again for your support, I appreciate them all! (this chapter is twice as long as the others, so I hope that makes up? XD)

Within Her Shell: chapter 4

Beads of sweat rolled excessively off his face as he panted profusely. His body stood tensely, his mind and senses completely alert yet still filled with panic. His hands were extended on both of his sides, one carrying a kunai and the other empty. His legs were spread out evenly on the ground, attempting to gain as much balance as possible. Convenience was sought for too, in his stance. His position enabled him to be ready defend or attack, depending on his opponent's movement. Despite all his effort however, it was not enough.

"Sasuke-kun, you are not concentrated today." Orochimaru's husky voice was so calm it sent several shivers up and down his spine.

Orochimaru had been training him for only two weeks now, but Sasuke had already been overwhelmed with the high expectations of the sannin. At times, Kabuto would be teaching Sasuke, but most of the time, he had a one-on-one training with Orochimaru. He expected Sasuke to learn seven jutsus, most of them forbidden, everyday. He often got angry and held no comforting patience Sasuke was used to. He would be lucky if he could get back to his room without passing out at the end of his training. He would even be luckier if he were fully healed for the next morning's training. Orochimaru did not give him the luxury of having medic nins take care of Sasuke's wounds.

Orochimaru appeared in front of Sasuke's dreadfully injured body and his hand stretched out to grip Sasuke's neck only to make Sasuke cringe as he felt the pressure of the legendary sannin's fingers increased. Sasuke remained immobile, knowing that it was useless to struggle. Struggling was due to one's inability to sustain pain, therefore weakness. If weakness is shown, it would only make Orochimaru angrier. Sasuke restrained his urge to cry out as Orochimaru's fingers dug even deeper and he could feel the evil chakra emitting from the fingers, burning his skin. Sasuke knew he wouldn't die, and that was what made it worse.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the older man released his death grip and walked quietly away after murmuring, "Tomorrow, I expect more. At least 5 more learnt."

Sasuke managed to reach to his room before he collapsed onto his bed, his hands holding his badly injured neck. The skin stung like thousands of minuscule needles lodged into the sides of his neck and his vision was blurring again. Alone in his room, he allowed himself to cry out in agony as the pain continued and made his body numb. Sasuke let out a harsh cough as he examined his almost fatal wounds.

"Uchiha, Itachi…" were his last words before Sasuke entered a series of considerably long chokes and then fell asleep, blood drenching his black clothing and mattress.

"Sasuke, remove your shirt. I'm going to do an overall checkup on your body." Sakura sat down crossed leg behind him and patted the ground before her to indicate him to sit.

"I don't need one." His face not looking at her as he began setting the fire and building their camp area.

They had briefly decided to travel together after Sakura told him that she knew someone who could help him gain back his sight. She noticed that each time she mentioned his sight, his eyebrows would furrow and his sightless eyes would narrow with a passionate hate that only made her wonder even more how he became blind.

"Sasuke." She repeated.

He looked up in her direction and gave her an irritated look.

"I said, I don't need a checkup." His fingers craftily continued his work without his eyesight. It would have taken her hours to build a camp area with her sight and it amazed her (though she did not show it in any way) how Sasuke would do so in a matter of minutes and without vision

She gave him a glare and scolded at him for his stubborn personality, forgetting he was blind for a brief moment. Oh, right, he's blind.

Her heart almost stopped when Sasuke looked up once again with an irritated face. He must have sensed her glare. After a moment, he grudgingly nodded and took off his shirt.

"Thank you." Sakura said satisfied and received a low grunt before the ninja sat down in front of her.

Sakura suppressed the will to gasp at the sight of his scars. His back held an unbelievably bloody and solemn history of assassination and combating, something only older Anbu captains should have. At Sasuke's age of seventeen, it was almost taboo, in Sakura's mind. For awhile her eyes wandered from lower part of his back, to upwards and rested on the back of his neck. His once smooth neck was covered in deep bruises on top of older ones that she doubts she could heal it back. His neck held deep marks of what seem to be compressed chakra from another person. From the color it made on Sasuke's pale neck, she knew that while that chakra was being transmitted into the young Uchiha, the person's mind was filled with the intent to try an suffer Sasuke, without killing him. Sakura's eyes wandered away and examined Sasuke's back more broadly.

The last Uchiha's back was marred with scars that made it almost impossible to see his once smooth skin underneath. What surprised Sakura the most, however, was that most of the wounds were not even completely healed yet. Sasuke must have been used to fighting with these types of wounds and somehow avoided feeling the stinging burn most ninjas would. How he was still able to move as if he was healthy was beyond her understanding.

Sasuke made a gruff noise that made Sakura stopped staring at his back. She gathered chakra to her hands and held it there to let it slowly warm itself. Normally, she would have started healing right away, but for Sasuke, she decided to let him have the luxury of being healed with warm chakra (which used up a lot of her chakra and allowed the patient to feel slightly more pleasure during the process)

"Sasuke, even if most of your old wounds have healed, I can't let them stay like that. Its wrecking your immune system somehow. That's why the newer ones can't seem to fully heal themselves."

"Ie. Orochimaru had Kabuto do something to me so that my immune system would grow weaker. He said he would make me train in that condition and then have it restored to how it was before after all the training was complete."

Sakura focused her concentration in her hands, hoping to add more warmth and soothness to it. Kabuto…he must have minimized Sasuke's ability to heal himself by cutting one of the pathways…

"I left before Orochimaru had it restored." So he left, Sakura thought.The bitterness in his voice was strong and almost made Sakura flinch. How can such a young ninja carry so much hate and still be able to…Sakura stopped. She was about to say live a normal life, but Sasuke didn't lead a normal life. He lived a life filled with blood and darkness, none of which she had ever experienced before. Not like he had.

"Don't you feel pain when you move about with these wounds half healed?" Sakura asked, going back to the topic previously mentioned. Her hands moved slightly upwards for she was finished with the lower end. She saw his lean muscles relax and subconsciously enjoyed her soft soothing touches as she continued.

"Aa, Like I said, it's their purpose. They aren't supposed to fully heal." His voice was low and no longer held the usual harsh tone.

He's getting more comfortable.

"They want to train you to be able to live in this condition, despite it being painful." Sakura concluded calmly. It is to be expected, he was, after all, under Orochimaru's training. With her index and middle finger, she pinpointed where Kabuto had stopped Sasuke's immune system from functioning properly and hit it hard with her chakra to reopen the point. Sasuke's body flinched for a brief second and then his body relaxed again.

Sakura could instantly feel herself begin to prespire. Opening and closing the immune system's pathways took alot of chakra, and providing Sasuke warm chakra took alot as well.

"I might be able to heal the new ones and reduce the older scars to mere blemishes…" Sakura said thoughtfully. I still have enough...

Sasuke didn't respond. His eyes were closed and his face looked a lot calmer then when she last saw him. It looked like a thousand weights were lifted off his shoulder. The corners of Sakura's mouth curled up into a small smile. It must have been long since Sasuke had his wounds healed.

When she was half way through, her breathing had already increased enormously and she decided that he would have to wait for the next day when her energy is fully restored after a night's rest.

"I will continue tomorrow."

"Hn."

The sun was already gone by then and Sakura collapsed backwards to lay on her back. Sasuke got up and walked a fair amount of distance and then settled against a dead tree stump where he closed his dark eyes in attempt to sleep and rest. Sakura knew he would be awake for awhile, he did not seem to be fully relaxed by his body posture.

As she watched Sasuke's pale face and raven hair discreetly, she couldn't help but let her mind wander off and started reflecting.

She had agreed with Tsunade's advice, to go out and discover herself and simply relax for a few months. It never occurred to her that she would walk right into the person who had caused her to be so imbalanced and lost. Even worse, all the years of building the walls around her seemed to have collapsed the instant she saw him. Sakura had agreed to heal him, even when he did not ask for her. She had offered to bring him to one of the most well known medic-nin and risk her reputation (she was after all, bringing one of Orochimaru's students to one of the most respected medic nin of their entire5 countries) for him…

No, I will not give in to what I was years ago. I will not be that 12 year old weakling I once were just because of him. I would help him because I owe him my life, that is all. After this, we would be finally be equal and I would be free.

I'm not sure if its 4 countries? I totally forgot so please tell me if it is or not ; and I will edit it next time I update. Furthermore, I didn't have too much time to review and really edit this chapter so any mistakes please point out! If nothing makes sense, tell me right away. There was way too much explanation and reflection from Sakura and Sasuke… I hope I didn't just stray off course at times and not focus in a clear consisted way? I just wanted to make sure that you guys had a nice chapter to read before I go off for a month, even if it means that its not in perfect condition as I would like it to be. ; /edited august 24th 2005