Mmm. Sugarcult pwns. Anyway, a recent reviewer pointed out it'd been almost a year since I'd updated this... How shameful. I hate this fic. It puts me to sleep. So, I hope this chapter is okay... I rushed it and couldn't get into the story. I didn't spend much time editting, so it might have typos. Feel free to give storyline suggestions.

Fireside

They had been walking all day, and although Kira was silent, she had to agree with Suigetsu. The heat was beating down on them, and it was becoming nearly unbearable. In the barren mountainside landscape, shade was hard to come by.

"Sasuke- it's hot… let's take a break!" The swordsman whined.

Karin yelled sharply over her shoulder, irritated at the interruption to her unending flirtation. "We need to keep moving, so stop complaining!"

Suigetsu groaned. "This sword is heavy…"

"Then you shouldn't have brought it!" Eyes flashing behind her glasses, Kira could see the argument progressing towards a full on fist fight.

Tired and sweaty, Kira hung her head, not caring to hear the rest of the squabble. The trek continued at a snail's pace, Suigetsu and Karin going back and forth, while the rest of them remained silent. Juugo was lumbering and provided a decent amount of shade. Kira was tempted to take refuge beside him, but felt guilty as she noted how he had no shelter of his own. If everyone else was going to suffer, she should do so as well.

After a while she looked up. At some point, Hebi had come to a halt, and she was still trudging forward. Kira blushed, embarrassed to be caught with her guard down. All eyes were on her, some in contempt, and others in worry. As she surveyed them, her gaze fell upon Sasuke. He was frowning, but she couldn't cipher if he was upset with her or not.

Looking Kira over, the young Uchiha took in her appearance. She was white, even after brightening her cheeks with heat. Her body looked limp, and even though she wasn't panting, he could see her chest heave with each breath. Spending a moment in thought, he realized she was probably unused to so much travel. Looking his team over, Sasuke devised a plan.

"Kira, come here." Sasuke motioned for her to come to him, much to Karin's irritation. Suddenly he turned his back to her. "Get on."

She stared for a moment, completely shocked. "G—get on… your back?"

"Yes." He sounded impatient.

Catching a murderous look from Karin, she weighed it against Sasuke's tone of voice. Deciding Sasuke was the more threatening one, she climbed onto his back awkwardly. She didn't enjoy being so close to him. It was hot, and uncomfortable to have one body against another. To make it even more awkward was the fact that riding on his back required her to wrap her legs around his hips and hold onto his neck and shoulders.

As soon as she had felt him slide his hands under her knees, she'd wanted down. The only thing that stopped her was her fatigue. The moment she was off her feet, her body quit on her. She didn't have much left, and was in disbelief at how horribly she had handled the trip. Consenting in full finally, she shifted slightly until they were both comfortable.

As they restarted their walk, Kira vaguely realized that Sasuke was carrying her in Juugo's shadow. She rued the choice to not have done that on her own earlier. Trying to keep as much distance between them as possible, Kira found herself slowly falling asleep. The sun was moving over them, but she'd lost interest in it. Her eyes were sore and she leaned on Sasuke letting her chest rest against his back.

That was a mistake. She crumbled again, much the same way she had when he'd first picked her up. Struggling to stay awake, she buried her face in the small collar of his shirt. She was surprised to find him free from sweat, but then acknowledged that may only have been because she dressed in black, while he wore white. Even more baffling was how clean he smelled. She wondered if he kept from the group because he found places to bathe. Kira felt her face burn as she realized how long it been since she'd showered. Pushing the thought aside, she tried to ignore the many odd things surrounding Uchiha Sasuke. But in her success, she found failure, and ended up asleep on his back.

Karin watched as Kira laid her head on the back of Sasuke's neck. There's no way I'll let her seduce Sasuke! He's mine!

A few hours later Kira woke up. They'd left the rocky terrain behind, and were in a thinly forested area. She was still riding Sasuke's back. A knot twisted in her stomach as she realized she was hanging on him shamelessly. Straightening up slightly, she pulled away from him. "I-I can walk…!"

Throwing her a glance over his shoulder, Sasuke put her down wordlessly. Instead of continuing the way she thought they would, the Uchiha made a visual sweep of their surroundings. "Let's set up camp."

Without wasting time, Hebi began making themselves comfortable. Camp was up quickly. With Karin and Suigetsu already arguing, and Juugo's attention captured by the fight, Kira realized she was left in the corner with Sasuke. She felt her heart drop. He'd surely say something that unnerved her, even though it shouldn't; and Karin would eat her alive after. She sighed, feeling a pit of dread in her stomach.

Sasuke watched her from the corner of his eyes. He was curious about her, but oddly hesitant to ask. Kira… A girl with no memories… Except for the face of Itachi… It was the last thought that made his skin crawl. But that was why he kept her close. By keeping her next to him, he might find Itachi. "Kira…" He watched her jump. Swallowing his apprehension, Sasuke asked, "Is it true that you only remember his face?"

She blinked, processing the question slowly. After a moment, she pulled her eyes away and replied quietly. "Yes."

"Hmm." He mulled over her answer and then made a decision. Sasuke put an arm around her. "I want you to stay by my side," He said without showing much feeling.

"W-wha?" She jumped away. By now the rest of Hebi was watching them.

Sasuke ignored them. "Stay by me, and I can get your memories back… Then we will find Uchiha Itachi."

Kira relaxed a little bit. "Get my memories back… and find Itachi…" Catching his unfathomable gaze, she was able to disregard Karin's glare a moment longer. "I want to find Itachi." Something inexplicable twisted in her stomach. She wanted to find the elder Uchiha more than she'd like to admit.

"Good." Sasuke murmured.

"Sasuke-kun, come over here and sit next to me!" Karin patted a spot next to her hip, shooting Kira a nasty glare when she thought Sasuke wasn't looking. Catching the hateful looks passing between them, the Uchiha stood and turned to walk away. "Wait, Sasuke-kun!" Karin called, jumping up.

He looked over his shoulder quickly. "Stay here. Don't follow me."

Hebi fell silent, including Karin, and they watched him disappear. This is her fault… The redhead decided, seeing how Kira avoided her eyes. I won't let her take him from me! Filled with a new sense of determination, she reseated herself away from the group. I refuse to just take this… That girl will see soon enough.

Kira sighed, unable to look the others in the eye with embarrassment. I'm damned… Tired and downbeat, she wondered what had happened to her memories, and realized how much she wanted them back. Sasuke… He will get them back for me…? Only because he wants information though… She was momentarily troubled by the thought of him using her. Shaking it off, she decided she'd rather have him use her than never discover the truth.

Blar... Sucketh. So, tell me how horrid it is, and how you never want me to update this again, plz... so... ReViEw