"Sakura, Sakura..." Sasuke mumbled in a feverish tone.
He lay, half conscious on the cold stone floor, completely unaware of Naruto, who was standing above him.
Naruto was unsure of what to do. Should he leave Sasuke here in this pathetic state or take him back to Konoha?
Had Sasuke told the truth about Sakura coming on her own? If so, then when he first came back to Konoha he wasn't really coming on hostile terms. He was coming home...
With that thought in his mind, Naruto picked up the rambling Sasuke and carried him outside to where Kakashi and Shikamaru were waiting.
"Sasuke's not hurt, but Sakura wasn't with him," Naruto began. "I think Orochimaru might've taken her, and Sasuke was trying to protect her."
There was a pause, and then Shikamaru voiced what was on everyone's mind.
"Sauke was on our side from the beginning," he sighed and continued, "He came back for help, not for a fight. How troublesome this has become."
"Let's take him back to the village," said Kakashi. "See what Tsunade-sama has to say."
- - - - -
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura called weakly. "Sasuke-kun..."
She tried to move, but her body wouldn't move, as if it were paralized. Sakura was no longer naked; she now had on a white haori.
"Miss Haruno, I see your now awake."
Sakura tried to turn her head to look upon her captor, but she just couldn't move. The room was so bright...
"I haven't properly introduced myself yet, have I?" He moved in closer until h was only inches away from Sakura's ear.
She could see his robe and his sandals seeing as how her face was turned downwards, and the room was beggining to get clearer. Torches against the walls, and a a big oak prison door.
"I'm... Orochimaru."
Sakura gasped as the realization dawned upon her what happened. Sasuke wasn't there, and Orochimaru ha her. There wasn't to be any escape.
Coldness surrounded her as she realized she was bound with chakra from head to foot, hanging from the ceiling. She whimpered.
"Don't be afraid," Orochimaru whispered. "I'm not going to hurt you, but I am just playing game with my dear Sasuke."
Sakura attempted to scowl, but was too drained to move. What could've happened to make her so exausted? Her eyes suddenly became very heavy, and Sakura had no choice but to welcome the darkness.
Orochimaru grinned devilishly at the uncontious girl before letting himself out of the room.
- - - - -
The room swam in Sasuke's vision as he came to. He shook off the dizzy feelings, and as he did so he realized he was shackled.
"Orochimaru!" he screamed. "Give her back, you bastard!"
Sasuke continued to scream and holler as Kakashi let himself in.
"Orochima-"Sasuke stopped, his eyes wide. "Kakashi-sensei..."
"Surprised to see me, Sasuke?" Kakashi chuckled. "It's nothing against you, but we wanted to make sure you weren't our enemy before you go loose in Konoha."
"Where's Sakura?" Sasuke asked with worry in every sense of the meaning.
"If I knew you wouldn't be here right now," Kakashi replied. "But we know that you are our best chance for finding her."
Sasuke nodded. "I'm going to find her, and when I get my hands on tht bastard I'm going to murder him!"
- - - - -
The stars glowed brilliantly before Sasuke as he lay on the roof of his new apartment. He no longer ha on his kimono, but now wore an outfit similar to Kakashi's, only Sasuke's didn't have a vest and his had th Uchiha symbol on the back.
A slight gust of wind blew his hair gracefully as Naruto came up to sit next to his old friend.
"Hey," Naruto greeted quietly as he sat down. There was a moment of silence before Naruto continued. "I vowed to Sakura that I'd bring you back home. It's too bad she's not here to see that I have fullfilled promise to her."
Sasuke was quiet for a moment. " It's all my fault." he began, barely audible, but his voice rose as he continued, "If I hadn't been so stupid, I wouldn't have taken her back with me and she would be just fine right now. Then that bastard wouldn't have his hands on her right now." He clenched his fists and cried into the night, " How could I have been so stupid!!!" He pounded his fists on the roof in his dispair.
"It couldn't be helped." Naruto tried. "All we can do now is work on getting her back, and then we can go back to being a team again..." He cut off as he gazed into the stars, who twinkled smiles down to him.
Sasuke tried desperately to shake off the fear growing inside his belly. Orochimaru was a sick man. There would be no end to the cruelty against Sakura, but all Sasuke could do was wait; wait and hope that no harm was to come to his Sakura.
Sasuke and Naruto lay on the roof, each with unsolved problems and worries burdening thier exausted minds. Naruto happened to get lucky; he fell asleep after only a little time had passed, but Sasuke was stuck lying wide awake, lost in his thoughts.
Not even the bright stars could help to calm his raw nerves as he waited anxiously for the next day to dawn; awaiting his departure from this village. He wanted nothing more than to be able to go. To go and fight for the only thing left in this world he still cared for. God, if anything were to happen to Sakura, he would never forgive himself.
- - - - -
Knock-knock
"Come in." Tsunade ordered. "Ah, Kakashi, you brought him." She eyed Sasuke calmly before continuing. "Uchiha, Sasuke, eh? I've heard a lot about you, but we haven't properly met yet, have we? I'm Hokage Tsunade, as you can clearly see. I have been Sakura's sensei for the past two years. As we all know, Sakura has been kidnapped. We will take every action neccessary in order to return her home safely. I have knowledge that you may prove yourself useful to us in our search, is this correct?"
"I am not searching for you." Sasuke replied with that cold voice of his. "Sakura is mine, and I will find her alone. I do not need your help."
"I see." Tsunade leaned foreward to rest her chin on her propped up hands. "Kakashi."
"Yes?" He replied, ready for orders.
"I want you to take Sasuke, Naruto and..." She sat back to think for a moment. "Hmnnnn..." She furrowed her brows in thought." and Huuga Hinata. Go bring my student back."
With that, Kakashi gave a quick bow in respect and motioned to Sasuke. "Let's go."
Sasuke scowled darkly at Tsunade before following Kakashi out the door.
- - - - -
The sun did not shine for the small group as they set off in search of thier friend, but instead it chose to hide behind rain filled clouds. A light drizzle befell them as they hurried on through the forest.
They checked the lair Naruto had found Sasuke in and found that it was completely abandoned. Sasuke went ballistic inside, calling and hollering for Sakura while Hinata found that nobody was even left inside the establishment.
With no leads, no hope and much anger, Sasuke led the way on the beggining of a long journey to find the only girl who could have ever stolen his heart.
- - - - -
So, ackward ending, but I couldn't think of any other way to end this chapter...yeah. So, in the next chapter, I plan to jump ahead several months...
so...scratches head the pole (is that how you spell that?) for whether or not Sakura should have a boy or a girl stands at a fifty fifty tie. I need YOU to review!!! I can't make this decision on my own. I won't upload the next chapter until I get at least 5 votes for the question: Should Sakura have a boy or a girl?
P.S. Thank you so much for voting those two who did!!! (your names have escaped me at the moment...heh heh...) You are exempted from the five vote thing, and I might just e-mail the next chapter to you guys if I finish the next chapter before I get 5 voteso XD!!!!