D/C I don't own Naruto

Hmm…I don't think I've been completely happy with chaps 8 and 9, I rushed it too much… I think I wanted to get through that stuff… oh well… I've been waiting to write this chappie… It's gonna be pretty long

Neonkun: you're right… I don't like the past couple of chapters, and detailing parts I don't like makes me feeling like im screwing up my writing my apologies

Shadow, Flower and Light

Tsunade's voice rang out, hard and clear. "I am Tsunade, the Hokage of Konoha. With me are Yuzuru, Hyuuga Kirari, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, all of Konoha. Let me in." Her command was like steel, even though it was not her Village. She didn't care… Kages were to be respected.

The gate swung open.

They walked through the massive wrought-iron gates and quickly shielded their eyes. It had become unusually sunny as they approached Light, but this was just too much.

The houses and buildings all around the village were all light colors, some pastel and some bright and vivid. The individual house had nicely matched colors, a blue house and a white roof for example, with pretty white shutters. However, all the individual specialties blurred together made an eyesore. It was only increased by the insane amount of sunlight flooding the entire village, bouncing off of every neon color there.

"My eyyesss… they buuurn!" Sakura groaned while Yuzuru-kun gave loud grumbles. Sakura concentrated, and she sensed her pupils become so much smaller, and the world dimmed its blazing colors. She lowered her hand hesitantly. Sasuke was beside her, his face in a look of annoyance and determination to keep his eyes open as his eyes squinted under his hand.

"Damn." He snarled as he tried to look at the ground but was met by bright sandy yellow pebbles. Kirari-san's peach eyes were almost shut and she shot Sakura a playful 'jealous' look at Sakura's little points of black that were her pupils.

Tsunade alone stood straight and tall, her eyes narrowed against the bright light, but alert anyways, staring out at the village. After a few minutes, Sasuke, Yuzuru-kun and Kirari-san were able to recover and peer about the village. They were on a high hill; the village was further down in a mini valley. Below them, a slow procession of ninja were approaching them. Soon, the ninja met them. Sasuke saw markings on their forehead protectors that looked a little like this: \, like the rays of the sun.

"Only four… Hokage-sama?" a pleasant voice asked from under the hat of a Kage.

"Four is sufficient," Tsunade replied with a smile as the Kage took off the hat. The five of them found themselves staring at a man around 35. He was young, that was sure, but his gray eyes told of wisdom. He had light purple hair that was cut short, but lay flat on his head.

"I see. Welcome to the Hidden Light, Hokage-sama." A warm smile spread across his face. "Who are these four?"

Tsunade gestured at the four of them to step forward, and named them as they did. "Yuzuru, Hyuuga Kirari, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke." The Light's Kage did not say anything at Yuzuru's lack of a last name. His brow creased slightly at Sasuke's name, but he said nothing.

"But quickly, we must go to business, should we not? The Land of Fire would like to offer friendship to the Land of Day." Tsunade said, and Yuzuru and Kirari were at her side instantaneously.

"Of course. To the two young ones, a note. You are allowed anywhere in the village, the villagers are kind and will respect you." The Kage said. He met Sakura's eyes, then Sasuke's, and both knew that he was trusting them not to cause any trouble. Then he added, "A tour guide will come soon to help you if you need."

"Yes sir." They said, keeping their eyes to the ground, and when they looked back up, the company of ninja and the two Kages were far down the road, going towards a tall yellow building that dwarfed the rest of the village.

"Anywhere…" Sasuke murmured. "What an idiot. No one trusts a stranger."

"Uchiha Sasuke!" Sakura chided, "We're in the Hidden Light, not Hidden Leaf. You keep your opinions to yourself! I think the Kage is a very kind man. Respect him some, won't you?"

"Hai, hai…" Sasuke winced. They were still standing there a while off from the gate. They didn't know where to go. The village was huge for a relatively new place and there hadn't been any specific instructions on where to go.

"Didn't he mention a tour guide?" Sakura asked.

Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his eyes jerked to the side. Sakura sensed it too, and her eyes went black and she tensed. A pattering sound came from behind them.

"Ohayo gozaimasu!" a happy high voice sounded out from behind them. They turned around. "Oh..there's only two of you? You're my age! Oh, that's wonderful!"

A tall slender girl was behind them, with a smile on her face as she let the words flood out of her. She really seemed to be happy to see them. She had long black hair that was not tied back and she had a light yellow shirt with yellow borders that folded over in the front like Tsunade's, and a pair of half pants the same pretty faded yellow. Her forehead protector glinted from around her thigh, opposite her kunai holster. She had startling dark blue eyes that seemed a little off with her black hair.

"Who are you." It was more of a demand than a question as Sasuke said it, short and impatient. Sakura glared at him. Had she not just said that they were in a foreign village? Jeez, Sasuke, how could he act like that?

The girl cocked her head, also realizing the foolishness of Sasuke's behavior. However, she took it in stride and continued, "I'm Nakamura Naoko. Your guide for the next three days! Though it should really be me asking, shouldn't it?" she giggled and tossed her hair. A wary feeling started tugging nervously at Sakura's mind. Sasuke looked at her grudgingly.

"Sasuke." He said. Then, after Sakura stared at him, he added, "I'm Uchiha Sasuke, Nakamura-san." He even added a small honorific.

Sakura gave an easy smile, although her eyes remained black, and said, "Hi, Nakamura-san! I'm Haruno Sakura."

"An Uchiha and a flower!" Naoko sounded delighted. "Oh, just call me Naoko."

"Um, Naoko… why is it so bright? It's unnatural." Sakura asked. Sasuke rubbed at his eyes, remembering the blazing light as soon as they set foot in the village.

"Well, it's the Village of Light, is it not? I'm sorry, Uchiha-kun, does it bother you?" she seemed concerned, and Sakura flinched as Naoko put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke straightened and shrugged off Naoko's hand. "Just Sasuke. I'm fine. Naoko, can you tell us where the training grounds are?"

They arrived at a spacious clearing, with a light brown packed dirt ground, which was surrounded by a light green fence. Naoko stayed outside, and let Sasuke and Sakura into the large ring. They asked for a large thick durable item that could be damaged…severely damaged. She didn't make a comment, but gave a giggly little smile and obeyed, flipping her hair and looking at Sasuke as she pulled out a big, thick, but flat tall thing that looked like a two-foot thick screen. Sasuke and Sakura looked at it doubtfully. That thing could not possibly withstand Chidori or a Full Bloom.

"Go on, it's okay if you break it." Naoko said, grinning.

"You haven't seen what we're about to do." Sakura said, a little puzzled.

"Oh no, don't worry. Go on, Sasuke-kun!" Naoko responded. Sakura exchanged a doubtful glance with Sasuke before completing the correct sequence of hand seals, and then let the pink chakra petal shoot out of her palm. Naoko gave a squeak.

"Oh, it's pretty, Sakura-chan!" she giggled with enjoyment. Sakura's eyes seemed to go even blacker as she was referred to as Sakura-chan. The petal almost vanished, but she kept it out, and leapt at the black screen, swinging her arm with a swish. Her arm flashed and waved back and forth, and she jumped back to proudly view the mess of cuts on the screen. Then she blinked in surprise as the cuts began to seal up, leaving unbroken material behind. Sasuke gave an unvoluntary "tch" of surprise. Naoko began to laugh, a bubbly sound. She's too hyper…too happy. Sasuke thought, irritably. She reminded him of the old Sakura, except worse.

As the screen fully healed, Sasuke thrust his hand downwards towards the ground after his complex line of seals. The blazing blue ball of crackling electric chakra hissed and spit as he charged at the target, unaware of anyone else. His hand pounded into the screen and the Chidori actually blasted a hole through the cloth. He retreated and watched as it began to fix itself again.

Naoko was clapping with enthusiasm. "Sasuke-kun, that was brilliant!" She was actually jumping up and down behind the fence. "You're an amazing ninja, so strong!" Sasuke blinked in annoyance, but turned to give Naoko a small smile. Sakura was silent. She turned back to the screen and without a word to anyone, began hurling kunais at it at top speed, her face dark. Sasuke sensed something was wrong.

"Sakura?" he asked.

"Shut up, I'm trying to concentrate." Sakura snapped. Sasuke twitched at the venom in her voice but said nothing more. After two hours of various physical exercises, climbing trees, small practices of techniques and others, they stopped to catch some breath.

Naoko had stayed there the entire time, squealing with delight at Sasuke's every move. Sakura had remained with a black cloud hanging over her head. She would not talk to anyone.

"C'mon, it's time for lunch! Sakura-chan can come too!" she said.

Can come too? Sakura's black eyes were showing traces of red now.

"Naoko," Sasuke said, politely but firmly, "please avoid calling Sakura Sakura-chan, please?"

"Of course, Sasuke-kun! I'm sorry Sakura." She said, with a note of humbleness in her voice. Sakura stayed silent.

Then Sakura said, "You two can go without me. I'll train some more." Naoko took this without a single complaint of insisting Sakura coming. In fact, she seemed to be even happier.

"Oh, fine, Sakura. Come, Sasuke-kun!" she latched onto his arm, and he was dragged away with a confused look at Sakura.

Sakura sat down and crossed her legs. She pulled up her hood over her face, and sat there quietly and very still for ten minutes. She thought about Naoko, how pretty she was, how happy, how positive, and how she was getting Sasuke's attention. He had smiled at her.

Sasuke was getting quite uncomfortable at how close Naoko was to him. He tried to pull away but she would just start talking again and hang onto his arm. Most of what she said was endless gabbling about his skills, how he was part of the Uchiha clan, and the rest. Suddenly he asked to go back to the training grounds.

"Oh, I'm your guide, I guess I'll come too."

"No, Naoko-san. No. We are just in the training grounds, we do not need a guide. Come back at night and take us to our hotel. I will go back." He had no doubt that any command he gave her she would follow willingly. Naoko had a little pout on her face, but she tossed her hair, making sure it caught the sunlight, and agreed, running back to the main village. Sasuke turned back and when he arrived at the training grounds again, he found a hiding spot to watch Sakura. She was sitting on the floor, with her right middle and index finger pointing up at the air and the other three fingers of the right hand grasping the left hand's middle and index finger. It something Kakashi told them to do when they were collecting chakra, or just thinking. It had become a habit for Sakura.

Suddenly, Sakura got up, and walked towards the black screen. A mysterious angry wind rustled the bush Sasuke was looking through, and the trees all about the clearing. Sakura's fist swung out at the screen and a massive hole appeared. Her superstrength had surfaced. She began to pummel the screen, until only its frame remained. Then she waited as the corners of the screen began to thicken and re-make itself. The moment it finished, she started again with extensive combinations of kicks and punches and the sort. She stopped again a moment later, and she tossed her head to clear her face of wild hair. Sasuke caught a glimpse of dark red eyes. His breath caught. Sakura's eyes could change from black to the lightest green on normal days, and it turned pink during her Full Bloom. It could also contain streaks of other colors, but it never changed the entire color. He stared at the back of her head. Sakura was fiercely angry.

Sakura's hand was at her side when the petal shot out of her hand in a vicious speed. She crouched, aiming the petal at the screen, and apparently in intense concentration. He jerked back as a second petal crept out of her palm. If an invisible flower were really there and the two petals were part of the flower, then they would be on opposite sides. The pair of pink chakra petals reminded Sasuke of pincers. He stared again in disbelief as the long petals that pointed forward began to flatten out. Soon, both were horizontal, completely flat, like a continuation of her hand, except it was out to the side. She slammed her hand into the screen, and the chakra petals vanished into the black material.

Sakura smiled grimly at herself as she reflected on the versatility of her new technique. She could warp the petals any which way, the narrow and long petals twisting and turning any way she wanted. She felt the screen absorb the shock as her open palm rammed into it. The chakra petals sank through the screen, leaving no mark. They did not, however, reappear on the other side. The screen was two feet thick, it wasn't going to reach through.

Perfect. Sakura snarled in a contented but angry manner. The screen started to vibrate, a circle of pink showing glimmers through the front of the black material. A glow, you could call it. Her hand tingled and Sakura's head jerked forward in concentration at the feeling. She jerked her hand back with a strong tug and Sasuke's eyes widened again as a clean cut circle appeared in the middle of the screen, its edges buzzing with pink. It had not gone all the way through, though. Sakura had made the depth of the two petals small, although Sasuke believed she could have easily cut through the screen, but the circle would be smaller.

Sasuke watched as the two petals collapsed back into Sakura's hands.

"I know you're there, Sasuke." Sakura said in a flat monotone. Sasuke's eyes popped and he almost fell backwards. He didn't make a sound though. How can she tell? I bet she's just bluffing it. That's what he thought until a kunai's cold steel touched his neck. He froze, and slowly turned his head. Sakura was standing right behind him. She took away the kunai and his eyes went to the clearing. A log…

"What do you want." Sakura was still speaking in that awful expressionless voice. It was more of a demand than anything. Sasuke was getting annoyed.

"What do you mean, what do I want? I want to spend time with you, training or not."

"Naoko's waiting." Was all Sakura said, as she turned back along the path to return to the training clearing.

"Sakura!" Sasuke snarled. "What's wrong… tell me!"

Sakura's hair lashed the air as she turned violently, eyes a pitch black with streaks of a scary red. Her eyes narrowed and she said quietly, "You don't see it? After all those years at the Academy?"

Sasuke took a step back from Sakura's menacing attitude. "W-what are you talking about?" he said, in disbelief.

"Nakamura. Naoko." Sakura hissed. Sasuke understood suddenly.

"Hey, Flower, don't, okay? Please. I don't have anything for her."

"But she has something for you! Do you see her! She flirts and tries to get your attention every second! When she refers to me its in the form of 'oh, Sakura can come too'. She's trying to replace me! Don't call me Flower!"

Sasuke stood there, stunned, for a second. Then he closed his eyes and sighed. He didn't know how to deal with this. The normal Sasuke would let his anger boil over. But he didn't want to make things worse.

"Sakura," he said quietly, "I spend my time with you, I hug you, kiss you, laugh with you. It's not because you're just a friend, because you're more. I am not the type of guy to uncover my feelings for the first time, for any time, to drop my feelings for you for another girl. No girl can do that to me." He watched Sakura's eyes without saying anything more, and saw a falter in the jet black eyes.

As Sasuke finished speaking, Sakura's heart skipped a beat and her anger melted. Or, it was trying to melt. Sakura remembered Sasuke's smile to Naoko, everything Naoko did for Sasuke, how pretty she was. No, she told herself¸ don't let it down, don't let your guard down. Sasuke flinched as Sakura suddenly ran past him towards Light.

That night, Sakura slept on the couch as Sasuke tossed and turned in the bed alone.