Disclaimer : Bleach and Naruto are not mine.

Lost Symphony

Naruto/Bleach Cross Over

Sakura Haruno and Byakuya Kuchiki

Romance/Adventure/Humor

Chapter 4 –Shinobi and Shinigami

Author's note: Another chapter done. Wow, I can't believe I can write and update this fast. Thank you to those who read this fic. I really appreciate it. I know Byakuya is a little OOC for your liking but I really can't help it filling him up with emotion that rarely seen on manga/episodes of Bleach.

Well, here you go!

"Talking"

Byakuya's thoughts

Inner talking/zanpakto talking/thoughts

Sakura' s thoughts

She is worried. Maybe, sending her apprentice was a mistake.

No, she should trust Sakura. This was not her first retrieval and rescue mission. She's been in this line of work for 2 years.

Nothing to worry about.

Dismissing the heaviness of her heart, the Gondaime Hokage of Konahagakure continues work. After what seemingly, hours she felt worried again. There is something wrong. The last time Sakura communicate with her was a week ago. And she remembered what she had said.

FLASHBACK

Scanning some papers, Tsunade wasn't on the mood of doing paperwork. With a bottle of sake an arm shot away, she stops as a slug lands on her head. She sighs. She needed to tell Sakura, to stop making her slugs land on someone's head. Grabbing the sake bottle, she asked not even bothering to take the slug off her. "What is it?"

The brown stripped slug, hops down to her table and look at her. "Mistress, told me to tell you that they have found the Daimyo's son." She smirks when she heard that. "But, they had found him dead." She froze. So, he was dead. "Sudden cardiac arrest, 2 days ago." Nothing else to say the slug stares at her waiting for a reply. He dismissed the slug for she had nothing to say. Her mind is now focused as what he will say to the Daimyo.

Now, she's regretting it. She should have replied.

If they have found their charge dead, all's that's left was to carry his body back. And that's mission successful, though only half successful. If they did succeed she should have sent her a message that it was, or a message saying that they are on the way back to Konoha. Rubbing the temple of her head, she sighs and think.

Assessing the situation, they might have encountered some difficulties. They are in Snow Country, miles away from Konoha. Ignoring the sudden skip of her heart, she continues her work.

Maybe her message was only late.

Worrying won't do anything and guessing the reason didn't make her feel good.

Groaning.

I needed sake.

Right after she calmed down, she looks at him, seriousness surfaced her face. "What are you?" Raising an eyebrow, he clearly wanted her to elaborate her question. Though, he already knew what she meant. But playing innocent might help.

It didn't.

"I mean you have that presence, but it's not chakra." Ah, so she can feel my Reiyoku. He already expected that, as she can see and touch him. "The way you say – you promised a man – It's Kaitou I'm sure. But you haven't met him in Konoha, right? And clearly you're not from here either as you said a while ago that you're not even born here." He can't help but to smirk. Her level of intelligence is remarkable. "The way you said it," she continued. "It feels like you're saying you were not born in Yukigakure, but it actually means you're not born from this world. Am I right?"

He's impressed. This woman was intelligent, for a short period of time she had already guessed everything right. He won't lie to her. He thought about it for two days when she was still unconscious. After all, right after this he can erase her memory. So for now, he'll tell her. It's much better than speaking to his Zanpakutō, which was giving him a silent treatment for quite some time. Also, if he does talk, it felt like talking to himself.

He nodded to her. "Shinigami."

Well, she seems shocked at this. "So, I'm going to die?"

I guess, I spoke too soon. "A while ago, I had the impression that you're remarkable for a human being. It seems your level of intelligence is going deep down."

She was angry when she heard that. "Are you implying I'm stupid?"

It appears that she's a little short tempered. "Well?" she asked annoyed.

A little is an understatement. Senbonzakura corrected.

He's regretting his decision now. He sighs, there's nothing else he could do. "If you were to die, I should have leaved you there, bleed to death."

"Why?" her voice wavering. "I believe I had given you the answer a while ago." "Why?" she asked again. "Kuchikis never breaks a promise." He answered. "That's it?"

He was startled by the question. Was it? He wanted to answer yes, but he wasn't sure about it. In the end, he didn't answer. He saw her sighing. "Why?" she asked again, irritation laced her voice.

"I… don't know." That was the truth, he really didn't know. Maybe Senbonzakura is right; he should not have helped her.

I'm always right. His Zanpakutō mocked.

But, he is Byakuya Kuchiki – the 28th head of Kuchiki Family and the 6th Division Captain, he should have known the answer. He can kill hollows, arrancars and beat the shit out of Kurosaki but a girl with pink hair can do this to him.

This is confusing.

What is happening? He groaned, this wasn't part of what he expected. He sighs again for the umpteenth time. He's been doing that a lot when he met her. "Troublesome" he didn't know that he said it a little louder for her to hear. She chuckled. He raised his eyebrow at that.

What is funny?

You, Byakuya. What is happening to you? Senbonzakura answered.

He stares at her for the real answer. She chuckled again. "You speak like friend of mine." Ah. I see. He mused. "He says "troublesome" in every sentence." She continued. "His name is Shikamaru." Wait. Now that he thought about it, he never got to know her name. About to speak again, he stops her by raising his hand. "Your name?" he asked.

"Sakura, Haruno Sakura." she meekly replied.

Ah. "It's like Cherry Blossoms." That again. Where did I really hear that? His thoughts were interrupted by Sakura's voice. "What do Shinigamis do? Is it like, you know." She stops and looks at him. He didn't reply. He wanted her to explain what she meant. "Well, I read some things about shinigamis. And according to books you had list of people who will die." He nods, wanting her to continue. "So, if you had the list of people who will die, were you the reason why they die?" What? "What I mean is, did you stage their deaths, so they can die on time?"

"No." he simply answered. Her deduction is stupid. "We don't kill humans; we let the fate works for them."

"Now, you're speaking like Neji." She said in a – a matter-of-fact-tone. He scowls. "Stop comparing me to humans that I haven't met and won't even dream of meeting."

"Now, you're like Sasuke. A Bastard. " He flinched at her choice of words.

Wait, did I say something wrong?

For her, you did. Senbonzakura snickered.

The continuous knocks on his window, wakes a certain blonde ninja. Opening his eyes, he looks at the clock and groans 1:09 am; he was still on Lala land if that certain knocks didn't occur. He's on his way getting the biggest ramen of all when it disappeared suddenly, and was replaced by a window. Another knock wakes him up. Muttering profanities to the person who disturbed his dream, he got up from his bed and look at the window. There, he found his sensei on his window sill still knocking. Walking towards the window and opening it, cold air slapped him awake. He opened his mouth to talk but his sensei speak "Hokage tower. NOW." Then he disappeared.

Odd? Hokage tower at this time? Dressing up, he muttered "Maybe there is an awesome mission for us today?" Jumping out of his window, he ran towards the tower.

When he opened the door leading to the Hokage's office he was greeted by Yamato, who look at him, as he enters. Sai, who was standing near him, gave him a fake smile, he saw Kakashi already in there, Shizune and the Pervy-Sage was positioned right behind the Hokage. Only one person is missing. Sakura. Doesn't she have a mission today?

"What is this about Baa-chan.?" He whines.

Instead of shouting at him, Tsunade just stares at him. This day is really odd.

"Hokage-sama?" Kakashi inquires no orange book on his hands. He knew there was something wrong, when he was called to go to the tower. The way the hokage's eyes turned hollow means one thing: his student.

"I called you here about Sakura." His suspicions were correct. "A month ago, I assigned her team to a retrieval mission. Nothing dangerous, A-class. " All of them listen. "The last communication, I had with her was 2 weeks ago. "

Kakashi doesn't want to listen anymore. He didn't want to know what happen but, he can't escape. He look at Naruto who was about to explode any second, Sai seems unaffected by it and Yamato just nods at him. He's nervous of what they will found out.

"A message was delivered by a carrier bird a while ago," she stops, looks at Jiraiya and nods. It seems the Hokage will have a breakdown. "Sakura's team was found dead." He continued for Tsunade. "They have been dead for 2 weeks."

Naruto was shaking, they can't blame him, Sasuke already left them and now, another teammate of him disappear. "Naruto, calm yourself." Kakashi puts his hand on his shoulder. "Calm myself! How can I just calm down, right after I found my other teammate is dead!"

This time, Tsunade stood up and shouted at him "Who said she's dead? BAKA!" They were stunned. So, Sakura isn't dead. They all let out a sigh at the same time. "A group of ANBU found her teammates dead bodies but they never found Sakura." She crosses her arms. "There is a high possibility that she's alive or worst she was captured."

"Send us so we can trace her. I'm sure Pakkun will –" "That's our problem, Kakashi; even the ANBU who found Sakura's team is having a problem tracing her. It's like she disappeared from this world."

"You said that she may be captured? By who, Hokage-sama?" Yamato finally speak.

Tsunade sighs and looks at them. She sits and rubs her temple. "A few sightings have been reported to us, for the past few weeks, about a certain Uchiha, travelling with 3 more nins near the border of Yukigakure." Jiraiya responded.

Kakashi was shocked by this. This was more complicated than they thought. Wait, that means. "Your assumptions are correct, Kakashi. Sakura's team was in Yukigakure. " Well, shit. That answers him.

"Who's that Uchiha, Hokage-sama?" Sai asked.

"Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke"

She breathes. Maybe comparing him to people she knows was really bad. Or maybe the last comment was. Well, he's not really a bastard as Sasuke, but the way he answered her questions pissed her off. She was still hungry, cold and thirsty and not to mention her life was shitting her. And she was sure he's insulting her.

Now, after the bastard comment, they decided that a walk to the town would be better than stare their asses off in that awkward cave.

Silence.

Wow, I never thought silence would make me deaf. Inner shouted. Talk to him. Or I will. And you will regret it.

Fine, I'll talk.

From the corner of her eyes, she looks at Byakuya. She pouted, how could that man have long eyelashes? How could he be so beautiful and handsome at the same time?

Life is really unfair, ne Inner?

Talk to him. Inner urge her.

"So, how… Um…" she bit her lip. She doesn't know what to say.

"If we keep this pace, we'll arrive at the village before dusk." He speaks not even looking at her. His steps, graceful and flowing like a river. He's really like Neji. The air of authority in him, the way he move, similar to him, not to mention that calmed face even surpassing Uchiha Itachi. She might have only seen the Uchiha once, but she can tell from his face back then that he was calm for unknown reasons. Not that she cares anyway; it's been 4 years since that happened. But now that she thought about it, he might be a full resemblance of Itachi. She already dismiss the idea of saying he's much like Sasuke but remembering what had happened between them, she shook it off her head.

She's in a deep thought, that she didn't even notice Byakuya, slowed his pace and walk side by side with her. She yelps when a cold hand touched her. Turning around she find Byakuya's face near her. She swallowed and stared at him. His voice cuts the silence that passes through them "Pardon me." His left hand grabs her waist, pulling her close to him, the other one on the back of her legs. About to ask what he was about to do, he scoop her up and carried her bridal style. "We'll arrive much faster in this." And then, everything went blur. Not having much choice, Sakura, hold on to his neck and pressed her herself to Byakuya's chest.

Was that mint?He smelled nice. It makes her dizzy.

Yeah, he does.

She looks up to see Byakuya, hair flowing swiftly behind his back as his grey slate eyes focused mainly on the road they're taking. The way light flickered on his eyes, ached her heart for some reason that she wanted to cry. Maybe this part of him was the resemblance that she had been looking for – the similarity to Sasuke. She wanted to touch his face, caress it like there's no tomorrow. Or kiss his lips until they bruise or – She shakes her head to dismiss the thoughts before she got the guts to really do it.

Thinking that she might be crazy, makes her wanted to cry in frustration. Clearly, they just met and now she was some sort of animalistic fan girl that wanted to touch him.

Must. Not. Touch… she mumbled in her mind. Inner was not amused.

Outer, look at him. She heard her Inner order. She ignored it. His eyes were not like Sasuke, his are more deep and incased with emotion.

Wait, did she hear that right? Was that really, Inner? Since when did Inner become like this? Instead of giving a vulgar comment about comparing him to Sasuke, she calmly says that. Maybe she's really crazy. Having your squad killed right in front of you or the fact that she almost died must have come off her head. Shifting a little to be comfortable, she didn't even notice Byakuya stiffened.

She didn't know that the person she was thinking about was thinking the same.

Well, for now.

On the next chapter:

Chapter 5: Just A Kiss

"I don't know what is happening." he told her the truth. "All I know about you, was you're a human," he touches her face "a short tempered woman, a Shinobi to the core, nothing else." He caresses her face lovingly. She leans in his touch. Looking at her lips, he unconsciously wet his own and lean down, their foreheads touching each other "Do tell me, what is happening, Sakura." Then he kisses her, surprising the shit out of her.

Thanks for reading...

Next update must be on next Thursday, We're going to visit my grandma, though I can bring my laptop there, I can't really concentrate on my Grandma's house for unknown reason. Kinda Creepy but the place is where I always spend my childhood.

So see you next Thursday or even Saturday.

Read and Review.

Thanks Again.

~2008roseelixir