Prologue: Bound, the Unfortunate Snake and Bird

Strangely, it wasn't raining. It had been simply pouring for days on end in the past couple of weeks, but now, nothing. Sakura frowned angrily at the sky. It was as if the Gods were… Happy? Cheerful? Glad? Happy that Naruto, her last friend, was dead. Yes, Sakura thought bitterly, everyone hated him because of that goddammed kyuubi monster, and even in death, he gets no respect.

It should've been her other teammate, Sasuke, but no. He was still out there, and now, having finally killed his best friend, possessed the mangekyou sharingan eyes. When he had come to Konoha last week to finish the job he had started four years ago, Sakura felt she could no longer look at his handsome face.

Why?

--Was all she could think. Naruto was… in one word: incredible. He had been the boy who had gone from nothing to being one of the most powerful shinobi in the world, and yet, Sakura's fists clenched at the mere thought of his death. Why had that Sasuke-bastard ruined everything for her? Her heart – he had torn to pieces, her hopes – crushed, and now Naruto – dead.

It wasn't supposed to have been that way. Even though everyone told her that nothing could be done, Sakura knew. She knew that it wasn't supposed to be that way. Naruto, her happy-go-lucky teammate, was not supposed to be dead.

She knew, but what could she do about it?

So the kunoichi did the only thing she could at the moment- she cried.

If only, if only…

If only there was something I could do. I would do anything for you, Naruto.

If she could, she would give up her life for him to come back.

-(x)-

Sasuke snorted uncharacteristically at his 'teammate' Karin. "Still no trace of him?" The girl opposite to the Uchiha shook her head 'no' and left the room. Sasuke sighed and twirled the kunai in his fingers faster. In the beginning, he had promised to achieve power in a different way, not by killing Naruto.

But after the last fight… The humiliation and anger at losing once more had prompted his curse seal to activate and take control. Now Naruto… The sharingan wielder's hold on his kunai he held tightened. Contrary to popular belief, he had not intended to kill his ex-best friend, Naruto. When the whole thing had been done, all he could do was look down numbly at he fox-boy's body.

To say the last, it was one of the biggest regrets in his life.

If only… If only… I hadn't been so rash.

No one knew of this, but after he had killed Itachi, Sasuke had originally planned to return to Konoha. He had figured that even if it was in ruins, he would help rebuild it some way with his ex-teammates. Naruto's unyielding optimism and charisma has rubbed off him somehow.

The Uchiha knew it was a mere fancy, but he couldn't help but indulge. Every night, he could see it. Naruto and he bickering like four-year olds and Sakura trying to stop them even though she was really enjoying their act.

Naruto would always have some place in Sasuke's heart, he knew that. It was from the first time Naruto had glared at him (a scenario ending up with Sasuke surrendering his first kiss to the boy) that he knew – this dobe's actually going to be my friend. Sakura was an entirely different matter.

Ever since he had been on team 7 to the time he had left, Sasuke had viewed her as a disgrace. She was annoying and focused too much on hair and himself to notice the world around her. The girl would always saunter up to him like a fool and believe that she really did love him. Don't get Sasuke wrong, back in his old days, he would've given anything to save his teammate, but nonetheless, she was annoying like hell.

But now, the dream was shattered. Sakura hated him more than ever and Naruto was gone, forever.

If he could, he would give anything to have his old genin days back – away from the pain and hate that had haunted him for so long.

-(x)-

A small, hunched figure on a pedestal smiled grimly. He had found his two rats.

"Now… let us go greet them."

In truth, Sakura had been absolutely right. Naruto, in fact, had not been fated to die that day, but somehow, fate had messed up. "So now, it's up to me to fix it!" The figure exclaimed tiredly. "Damn fates, everything is always up to me…" With a swish of his cloak, the man was gone.

-(x)-

Sakura smirked under her ANBU mask. The time had come for her to finally get revenge on Sasuke; it was an S-classed mission, to capture Sasuke if they could, and if they couldn't…

The rosette-haired kunoichi's smile got even wider, if possible. Would if be possible to say that he had resisted but Sakura had been forced to kill him? It didn't matter if Sasuke got on his knees and pleaded for forgiveness, Naruto was gone and Sakura had a duty to avenge him.

"Bird, we've located our target." The earpiece gave a small buzz to signal the end of a transmission.

"Okay owl, I'm in position." Another voice said.

"This is bird reporting in: I'm in position as well." Sakura said as she crouched behind a large bush. I'm coming for you Sasuke.

"Bird, this is owl, do not do anything rash. We have to try to capture him alive!" Shikamaru, their team leader, tried to remind her. Tried being the key word. Sakura had made up her mind that she would not let the youngest Uchiha alive live another day.

"I understand owl."

"Alright, everyone in position? Operation: Retrieve Sasuke Uchiha starts… NOW!"

In a quarter of a second the camp had been surrounded.

Sasuke raised a curious eyebrow; they still wanted to catch him? No matter, they would all be dead in a matter of minutes anyway. "Karin, Sugietsu, Juugo, you know what to do." His subordinates nodded their heads in comprehension. "Do not let any of them live." Sasuke could faintly see the blue-haired man in Hebi smirk.

"Roger."

-(x)-

Tenten had been down for a couple of minutes, and Neji was currently engaging in combat with Juugo of Hebi. Shikamaru and Hinata were trying to defeat Sugietsu with no avail, the man simply turned into water whenever they tried to attack him. Karin, the only female of Hebi, was fighting Lee, who seemed to have the upper hand.

Sakura had chosen to fight Sasuke, alone.

She knew that he had identified her; she smirked. That only made it better; she wanted Sasuke to know who was going to rip him apart.

The Uchiha, however, only regarded her coolly. Of all the ANBU they had, they sent Sakura after him? They must have underestimated Sasuke. Focusing on the match at hand, Sasuke dodged a punch from his last remaining teammate, Sakura. It was annoying him now how confidently she was presenting herself.

It was as if she knew that he was going to die at her hand. Ridiculous, Sasuke reprimanded himself.

Forming the necessary hand seals he blew out furious red flames.

"You're underestimating me, Uchiha." Sakura said, annoyed.

Sasuke only smirked. "I don't really think I am, Sa-Ku-Ra."

"YOU BASTARD!" Sakura recklessly started to charge forward, ignoring Shikamaru screams.

The necessary hand seals had been formed in under the blink of an eye and chidori was rapidly beginning to form. "It ends now, Sasuke."

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

RIIIINNNNG.

"Time's up." Time stopped for Sasuke and Sakura, literally. A man appeared suddenly, holding a very large staff. "You must be Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha I presume." Sakura made no comment – she couldn't. Something had paralyzed her body; the world around her turned into a dull shade of gray and nobody moved. Sasuke was parallel to her, chidori formed, but no sound came from the attack.

Everything was frozen.

"I think you both know Naruto Uzumaki. He died a week ago." The man wagged his finger at Sasuke. "He was not supposed to die. Now, you two have to go and fix it." Gesturing with his hand, a chain suddenly appeared and bound Sakura and Sasuke together at the ankle. It solidified and glowed a faint purple hue.

"I will send you to the beginning to fix it, but you have to work together. Under no circumstances are you allowed to let either one of you die. Don't tell anyone your names and try not to be recognized. Here. I'll change you a bit." Sakura's short pink hair turned white and started to grow, reaching her mid back. Her once emerald eyes were turned into pitiless black holes.

Sasuke's appearance did not change much at all; his hair grew long as well and was tied formally into a ponytail. Scowling mentally, Sasuke thought that he looked like a younger version of Itachi. As if reading his thoughts, the man turned to him. "You may not go off on a search of Itachi and will not fight him unless he is threatening your charge. Do you understand?"

Sasuke did not move.

"I think that's about all… Oh! One reminder to you Sasuke, I changed your appearance so that when you turn on your sharingan you do not look any different. So, off you go my children. Fix it… somehow."

Slowly, both their bodies started to move forward, away from the old man. He shouted to them one last time: "REMEMBER, TEAMMWORK! TEAMMWEORK!" Slowly, his voice faded from existence. Sakura's eyes closed as she fell into a peaceful slumber.

The last thing she remembered was Sasuke whispering in her ear: Gomenasai.

But when she woke up, she would think it was nothing more than a dream…

Yay. Review if you have any questions, comments, etc… Alright, it's six in the morning and I should go. Bye!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.