Day One

Sakura woke up to find sunlight flooding into her room. She rubbed her eyes to rid herself of her sleepiness. She opened her emerald eyes. Was that a dream? Sakura wondered. She stared down at her wrist. There the mark resided. It looked so...mysterious. But she then thought of her problem. Sasuke has to tell me he loves me in a week!!! Well, that doesn't matter as long as he's happy. Sakura thought although a little sadly.

Sakura got up and went to her bathroom. She brushed her teeth and took a shower. The hot water was soothing. It took her mind off her problems, just for a while thought. Once she was done she took the towel and wrapped it around herself. Her stomach let out a strong growl. So she went into her kitchen and grabbed a ripened banana. She ate it until…

---***---Hokage's Tower

"What do you want, dobe?" Sasuke asked the Hokage.

"Even when I'm Hokage I'm still called dobe eh, teme?" Naruto said, smiling. "Anyway you have a mission with Sakura-chan. So get Sakura-chan right now."

"Hn."

Sasuke performed a few hand signs and then turned disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto smirked. "I wonder how long it will be until he falls for Sakura-chan." He chuckled.

---***--- Back To Sakura's Apartment

Sasuke reappeared in Sakura's apartment in another puff of smoke and looked around. She wasn't in the living room. He went into the kitchen with his hands in his pockets.

"Oi! Sakura! We have a mi-" He stared at her. She was in a towel….eating a banana, staring back at him. Her emerald orbs were widened in bewilderment.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Uhhhh…" Sasuke's face turned pale white and his expression was blank. He had a nosebleed and he looked like he was going to pass out.

"Please. Just go change. We have a mission." Sasuke forced the words out of his mouth.

"Gomen." She bowed her head in respect and ran off to her bedroom, leaving Sasuke all alone in her kitchen.

Once Sakura reached her bedroom she gently closed the door and sat down on her bed. So he really is back. She grinned. I'm so happy to see him. But then…I'm the only one who knows about the wish. Well it's worth it. He's grown….

Then Sakura remembered about the mission, so she went through her drawers for her ninja clothes. She adjusted her Konoha headband to make it was just right.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and ever so slowly walked outside. Sasuke was still there, breathing deeply. "Let's go Sasuke-kun!" Sakura grinned. Sasuke nodded his head in agreement. They both performed a few hand signs and disappeared.

---***--- Hokage's Office

Puffs of smoke appeared right in front of Naruto's desk.

(A/N Dang there are a lot of puffs of smoke.)

"You wanted me, Naruto?" Sakura said.

"Ah, Sakura-chan! You have a mission with Sasuke-teme over here." Naruto grinned his pearly white teeth showing.

"Just explain the mission dobe." Sasuke said, his voice empty of any emotion.

"Fine… OK your village is to send this important scroll to the Village in the Sand and give it to Gaara who is now the Kazekage."

"What's so important about it?" Sakura asked.

"This document contains secrets about the entire Fire Country. If an enemy village gets it we're all done for. This mission already guarantees ninjas that will not hesitate to kill you." Naruto said, quietly. "So you better be careful during this mission." He handed Sakura the scroll.

"Hn." Well you should know who that is.

"Hai." Sakura said.

"Leave now. Dismissed!"

---***--- Konoha Gates

The sun was still up in the sky, showing off its brightness to the people of Konoha. Sakura and Sasuke just arrived and headed out, jumping through the trees as a way of hiding from the enemy. They journeyed in a companionable silence. The two shinobi traveled at top speed, leaping from tree branch to tree branch. Since they were jounin it didn't take them long to reach the border of the Fire Country. The silence made Sakura think back of the old days when Team 7 were all genins. Now look at them. They were now Leaf ninja with powerful skills.

They were half way from their destination when Sasuke finally broke the silence, "We should make camp here." Sakura looked at where his eyes were staring at. They were now in the forest and between two trees stood barely enough space for two tents. Sakura nodded her head in agreement. The two Konoha ninja leaped down without a sound. Sakura pitched the two tents while Sasuke took complete charge of the fire.

Sakura finished quickly and sat next to Sasuke who was staring at the campfire. Night settled all around them. Sakura gingerly took her gloves off and warmed her hands. Sasuke casually looked over to her, but then saw her mark.

"Sakura, what's that?"

Sakura looked up, startled. She followed his gaze to her left arm where the mark resided. Her eyes widened and hid her arm behind her back quickly. "Uh….nothing." She stuttered.

"Come on, Sakura. Just let me see. I'm not going to blab it all over the village like Naruto." Sasuke said, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"It was um…a bruise I got when I was training with Lee." Sakura said, her eyes averted.

"Come on Sakura I know that you're lying." Sasuke said, staring at her intently.

"Oh, it's getting dark out I should be hunting something for both of us to eat." Sakura said, trying to avoid the subject.

Sasuke grabbed her wrist. Sakura tried to look as if this wasn't a big deal. He turned her wrist slightly to look at the mark. It was a red heart? With a crown of thorns and a sword slashed through it. The beating of his heart stopped. How come he felt responsible for this?

"Sakura…what happened?"

"It was a tattoo." Sakura said, her voice wavering.

"You're not the type to get a tattoo." Sasuke stated, firmly.

"What you don't think I'm tough enough?" Sakura pouted teasingly.

Sasuke smirked. She looked so childish. "Stop goofing around and tell me!"

Whoosh.

Sakura pushed Sasuke aside and took the hit. Sasuke widened his eyes as he landed on the soft grass. Sakura took the bloody kunai out of her shoulder and threw it to a nearby tree. "Come out. Aren't you going to get your kunai back?"

"Very well." A figure stepped out of the black shadows and into the small light of the fire.

"Sasori?" Sakura asked, dumbfounded.

"How do you know my name?" The Akatsuki member demanded.

Sakura backtracked her thoughts. Didn't she kill Sasori with Chiyo? But when she granted her wish her past was erased so Sasori was still alive. Who knew? All she had to do was kill him again. Not that big of a deal.

"Like I would tell scum like you." Sakura said, putting her gloves back on.

"Didn't your mother teach you manners?" Sasori asked in annoyance.

"Didn't you mother tell you to always be on your guard?" Sasuke's voice said from behind him. Bird. Boar Dog. Dragon. Ox. Tiger. Serpent. Rat. Horse. Monkey. Hare. Ram. PHOENIX FIRE JUTSU!!

"Come on brat. I'm not that weak." Sasori said side stepping the fireball jutsu (matrix style ^.^). This guy was powerful no doubt. But Sasuke and Sakura were powerful jounin too and can go over any obstacle in their way.

"What the-?" Sasori stuttered. Sasuke was dumb struck His face looked like this 0.o. Who did this to Sasori? Konoha's cherry blossom that's who! At that time when Sasori was distracted Sakura took the liberty of having a chakra empowered fist come in contact with Sasori's cheek. Sasori fell to the ground, his cheek swollen, turning odd shades of purple.

When did she do that? Sasuke asked himself. Sasori slowly got up and felt his left cheek. A big fist sized hole was there. Sakura lowered her eyes and smirked.

"Don't worry I already know your little secret, Sasori." She said his name with venom and disgust.

Sasori looked up in surprise. "No one has discovered my secret. Not even my students. You must be weak though."

Sakura's eyes darkened, her animal instinct kicking in. She bit her lip until it bled. "You're a freakin' idiot for calling me weak. I hope you're prepared to die." She said, her body shaking with anger.

Sasori however looked amused. "You have guts kid, I'll give ya that."

"Go die already." Sakura whispered behind him. The Akatsuki member shuddered. Never had he felt such…intimidation before. He really didn't like where this was going. This kunoichi is strong. A little too strong if you ask me. Sasori thought.

"Hmph. I finally found a worthy opponent after all these years." Sasori grinned. This girl was strong. She was perfect.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.

"Why haven't you attacked me, hm? You're standing still, giving me an opportunity to kill you." Sasori said, his voice full of superiority.

Unfortunately, it was true. Why didn't she? Sakura tried her best to move her muscles at least an inch but to no prevail. She ransacked her brain for any information that could explain what was happening. At the beginning Sasori aimed a kunai when Sasuke and Sakura were distracted. Wait. Pause. Stop. Think about it. Why would he use a kunai? He could attack directly when they weren't paying any attention and kill them. Plus the kunai wasn't aimed at any vital organ. There must be one solution. It was poisoned. The goal of the kunai wasn't to hurt the person then put just to come in contact with the victim's skin. Then the poison could spread. (No wonder she's a genius.)

Sasori grinned in triumph. "You're a valuable prize. You'll be a fine puppet. So what's your skills? Ninjutsu? Taijutsu? Genjutsu? Or are you a medical ninja? That would be handy. Anyway you're my brand new puppet. You should be honored. I haven't found a good puppet since I fought one of the Kazekages of the Sand."

I'm not dying here now. Not when I trained so hard just to prove to everyone that I am a powerful ninja. I'M NOT GIVING UP! Sakura thought. Concentrate. I could evaporate the poison in my body if I could circulate the chakra in my body.

In the shadows an Uchiha was standing, his Sharingan activated. How come he felt like the weak one here? It reminded him of how he always said Sakura was annoying and weaker than Naruto. Like how Naruto and him always were the one who fought during missions and Sakura was the one, well, watching. He understood what Sakura was going through when she was a genin. He didn't really help either. His insults: You're annoying. You're weaker than Naruto.

But now Sakura was strong. Heck, that was why she was a jounin. He was at the sidelines while she was the one fighting. He felt so…vulnerable. Sasuke…can't believe he was thinking this but he felt admiration for Sakura. There he said it.

But he wasn't going to stand at the sidelines all day.

Sasuke readied himself.

He was starting to like Sakura.

But he won't admit it any time soon.

---***---

^.^

Yeah, that's all I got to say.