"Excuse me, sir. Is Mr. Uchiha allowed to have visitors?" the pink-haired girl asked softly. The secretary checked her pages.

"Yes, but close friends and family only. Are you a close friend or family?"

"I'm his girlfriend."

The secretary handed her a name tag. "Fill this out, and you can head on back. He's in detention room three, but there's already someone in there. You'll have to wait a few minutes."

As she stood outside the door with two armed guards on either side, waiting for Sasuke's current visitor to emerge, Sakura felt the tears start to well up in her jade green eyes. Sasuke had been sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for murder. After this visit, she may very well have to move on with her life.

Without him.

The door opened, and a black-haired woman emerged, crying silently into a handkerchief. Sakura sadly met the eyes of Mikoto Uchiha, the woman she had helped protect at a basketball game three years ago from her own son. The mother of Sasuke and Itachi had not forgotten. The two women stopped in front of each other.

"He- he stopped Itachi from killing me," Mikoto whispered tearfully. "I never thought he'd find it in his heart to murder someone else."

Sakura bit her lip and nodded. Mikoto tottered down the hall, handkerchief pressed to her mouth. Sakura entered the room, closing the door behind her.

There was a long table in the room, the only light coming from two suspended bulbs over either end of the table. There was a single chair, placed at the foot of the table. Someone was sitting in it, someone with black hair and dark eyes. Sasuke stood up as Sakura came in, revealing that his hands had been handcuffed in front of him. Sakura choked back tears as Sasuke looked at the floor between his feet.

"You must hate me right now," he said quietly. Sakura shook her head.

"How could I?" she choked. "You, of all people, must know that I could never…ever... hate you, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke looked up, startled, as the words loaded with forgiveness reached his ears. He stepped around the table and came up to Sakura, whose face was streaked with tears. They just stood there, simply looking at each other.

Suddenly, Sasuke bent low over Sakura. She gasped and tried to move away, but his words stayed here.

"Hush, Sakura. Pretend like I'm kissing you." His eyes, almost right on her face, were deathly serious. "There are security cameras in here, and I can't risk someone finding out."

Sakura froze, listening to every word poured into her ears.

"Sakura, the man who was killed was from a fraternity named Akat Tsu Ki," Sasuke said in barely a whisper. "Itachi was also a part of Akat Tsu Ki. I swear to you, Sakura, I SAW him in the courtroom. He's gotten a disguise, but he knew I could tell who he was. Listen, Sakura, I have enemies on campus, enemies who I think are linked to Akat Tsu Ki and Itachi. I don't have any proof, and I can't get any, stuck here in prison. But you can."

Sasuke's black eyes charged her with her task. "Sakura, you're in danger, now. Itachi might come after you, since you helped put him in jail. Tell your family to get out of here, and then take a disguise. You've got to get me out of here so I can confront Itachi once and for all."

"But how?" Sakura whispered. "Where do I start?"

"Akat Tsu Ki," Sasuke hissed. "Remember the name. Akat Tsu Ki."

Sakura bit her lip, nodding. "I'll do whatever it takes. I won't fail you, Sasuke-kun."

This time, Sasuke gently bent down and kissed her for real. Sakura returned it with everything she had in her. It lasted only a few seconds, until the guard knocked roughly on the door behind them.

"Miss? You'll have to come out now."

Sakura flung her arms around Sasuke's neck, pulling him close for a second. He stepped back, giving her room to open the door. The man held the door open with one arm so that Sakura could leave. She cast one last glance over her shoulder at the Uchiha and left. The man holding the door nodded.

"Alright, you can come with me, now."

Sasuke complied, following the officer down to his cell.


Once back at Sannin Med, Sakura quickly found Ino and Sai and told them everything.

"So Sasuke thinks Akat Tsu Ki is behind this whole mess?" Ino said.

"It would certainly look that way," Sai pondered out loud. Sakura glared.

"Look, you two, it doesn't help me if you repeat what I told you. I need you to help me figure out a plan of action. What am I going to do?"

Ino thought carefully. "Well, I'd say you need to infilatrate Akat Tsu Ki and find out what's up in there."

"But the only way to do that is to get into the fraternity, and I'm NOT a boy!" Sakura argued. Sai's eyes flashed.

"No, but from what you told me about your high school years, you're pretty good at masquerading as one."

Sakura gaped at him. "You…you…you want me to pretend to be a guy?!?"

"Why not?" Ino asked cockily, lifting a strand of Sakura's hair. "It worked for you last time. Cut this shorter and lay a wig over it, and no one will notice."

"That doesn't explain how I'll get into the frat," Sakura argued. Sai looked over at her.

"We'll have to pull you out of Sannin Med and enroll you at Kishimoto, preferably in a position that will make Akat Tsu Ki notice you. If they ask you to join them, and you don't try to get in, it'll be a lot less suspicious."

"WE?!" Sakura asked icily. "I don't remember you two becoming part of this plan."

Ino tisked. "You asked us for help, Sakura, and we'll be by you all the way. Right, Sai?"

Sai nodded. "I'll enroll with you, so we can be roommates. That saves a lot of awkward questions."

"How will you manage that?" Sakura asked curiously. Sai winked at her.

"I know several…people. It'll also help with getting you onto the Shuriken."

"The SHURIKEN?!?" Ino and Sakura cried at the same time. Sai shrugged.

"Why not? From what you've told me and what I've seen, you have the talent of a point guard. And that is exactly what the Shuriken are desperate for right now. They'll recruit anyone, including a homeschooled kid who shows uncanny talent with a ball."

"Who's that?" Sakura asked curiously. Sai closed his eyes in thought.

"Sen Hitachi, rather small for a guy, and incredibly" –he opened his eyes and looked at Sakura- "ugly."

Sakura poked him in the chest. "Watch it, Sai. Just because I don't hit you doesn't mean I can't."

Ino's face began to crack into a smile. "It might work. With a bit of luck, it just might work. You get onto the basketball team, show off a bit, stay in disguise, and Akat Tsu Ki will want you in their ranks, every frat wants somebody potentially famous."

"And somebody they can manipulate." Sai looked Sakura up and down. "We'll make you look like the type that will do anything for the right price, that's why you took the point guard position. Akat Tsu Ki won't be able to resist."

Ino rubbed her hands together, picking up a pair of scissors and a lock of pink hair. "Then let's get down to business!"


Haha! Sounding familiar? I hope to see some long reviews from you guys!

lol sorry it takes so long to update now, I'm right in the thick of school. You think YOU'VE got it bad, well, I'VE got it worse.

Speaking of which, is there anyone willing to help me write this thing? I would love some help, because I have some scenes planned out for Sasuke, but not for Sakura. So ideas and/or scenes written out will help VERY MUCH. Otherwise, I hate to say it, but this fic will go on hiatus and I will have to make the necessary updates to Dragster and Mission One: The Poisons Master!

Oh, yes - while I'm thinking of it, why don't I run a little blurb here to try and convince you guys to go read those stories?

Dragster: Sakura's a drag racing queen. Sasuke's the prince trying to put together the racing team of the century to beat Neji's, Hinata's, and Gaara's. Sakura's a slave that he buys to help him win the IMPERIAL Tri-pod Stakes, the fastest race in the world. Could Sasuke be falling in love with his slave driver?

The Black Panther: Hello, my name is Sakura Haruno, and I'm a medical student living in a one-person apartment. Just today, I had the most interesting experience. This superhero, dressed all in black, fell into my living room right through the ceiling! And then his sidekick showed up, and both of them asked to use my apartment as a base! I've gotten to know them better, now - the peppy sidekick's name is Naruto, also known as the Ninetails. The dark, handsome one that fell through my ceiling is Sasuke, and he's the Black Panther. They're on a mission to investigate this villain called the Snake Lod. I just hope Sasuke and Naruto will be alright...

Mission One: The Poisons Master!: My name is Sakura Haruno, but you may know me as the Tigress. I'm a new superhero, assigned to work with the Ninetails. Ultimately, we want to save our friend, the Black Panther, who is currently under the Snake Lord's control. But first, we have to prove ourselves to ANBU. Will we defeat the Red Sand and be entrusted with the mission to retrieve the Black Panther?!?

There ya go! Happy reading! -wink-

Rhulain