"Come on kid, work with me here! You can't just go teleporting willy-nilly. Jumping through space time from one location to another ain't like hoping lilly pads. If you don't have a beacon as you move you could end up smacking into a rock or tree, or worse, a person at nearly the speed of light. Trust me, the results ain't pretty!

-Fukasaku the Toad Sage, time and location of recording unknown.

Konoha Mission File

Mission Rank: A Start Date: 31 April 112 YOL

Mission Type: Escort Client: Konoha Business

ATTATCHMENT C

PERSONAL ACCOUNT: HARUNO, SAKURA

EVENTS OCCURING ON MISSION DAY 2 (1 May)

Classification: SECRET – Releasable to the Hidden Village of the Sand

"Sasuke!"

I screamed his name with all the volume I could muster from my hoarse throat. I was hanging from a ledge, and as I struggled to pull myself up I could see him in the distance, a few hundred meters away. I could have thrown a stone at him if I had a free hand. And yet, the wind was so fierce up here I couldn't tell if he was ignoring me or if he just couldn't hear me.

"Sasuke, stop this!" I yelled again.

I just couldn't bring myself to honor him with a "kun" suffix to his name. Not after what I had just seen. I still couldn't believe my eyes. Somehow - even though he'd attacked us before, even though he'd injured Naruto badly the day he left – I never really believed he would kill any of his former village comrades. But Kurenai, my teacher . . .my friend . . . lay mortally wounded. Kakashi-sensei was drained of chakra, out of the fight after his dimensional rift technique aimed at Kabuto was suddenly and violently closed as Sasuke chose to intervene.

That happened just after Shikamaru trapped Taka the moment they found us again. Karin's knack of tracking us down was getting really annoying, but Shikamaru found a way to use that to our advantage. He had us increase our chakra signatures, while he diminished his own as far as he could and flanked the enemy.

Then he had Neji guide his shadow bind technique using the Byakugan and short range radios. Taka took the bait and we had them. Unfortunately, the feedback from the clash of Sharingan tore a hole in the side of the mountain, and sent the rest of "Taka" into a temporary retreat. It appeared that Suigetsu was wounded, and Karin appeared uncertain of the situation. My impression was that something about Sasuke was scaring her. Shikamaru stayed with and tended to Kurenai, while Shino and Neji made certain of Taka's retreat. It was up to me to stop Sasuke.

Sasuke however, had what he wanted. He was forcing his way into Toad Mountain when I caught up with him. Only a blood contract and the trust of the toad sages are supposed to allow entrance, but somehow Sasuke had found a way to open a portal on his own. He wasn't going to wait for Naruto to come out. I still don't understand how he found the location during the battle, but his Sharingan definitely had some kind of terrifying new power.

He ignored my shouts and continued to enlarge some kind of portal on the side of the mountain by holding his hands straight out in front of him and staring intently. I had been forced to chase him halfway up the mountain, climbing shear cliffs at times with just chakra adherence alone. The portal was dark and black, like a void, and it seemed to be drawing the howling winds around us into it. It was set between two huge stone guardians. They were toads of course, but their faces were set in a snarl as if they were gargoyles. Each one held a short sword in hand and they raised the swords above their heads to cross their blades in a symbolic archway. It was in this archway that Sasuke stood. It was as if he had known what to do the whole time, and the battle at the foot of the mountain was just for his amusement.

As I pulled myself up onto the ledge and sprinted forward, I drew a kunai for each hand. Even with his back turned, I understood it was reckless to just charge straight at Sasuke this time. I stopped short about five meters from him and crouched defensively.

"Sasuke!" I shouted. With a stamp of my foot, I caused the whole ledge to shake. There was no way he could possibly not have heard me now. Sasuke half-turned to spare a shallow glance over his shoulder. The portal wavered in size slightly, shrinking and then expanding again.

"Go home, Sakura." He said simply. "This doesn't concern you."

He focused his concentration on the portal again, and I could start to see something on the other side. It was wet and warm. A lush wetland lay beyond, and I could very nearly feel the warmth on my skin even from where I was standing.

"The hell it doesn't concern me!" I screamed. "Stop this insanity! What does any of this have to do with your revenge! I know about Madara, or whoever he is! He is your enemy! Not . . . not . . ."

"Hmph." Sasuke snorted. "You always cry so easily, Sakura."

You always cry so easily, Sakura-chan.

It was a voice from my past that spoke into my thoughts clear as the wind howling in my ears. Naruto had once said that too. I couldn't help but wonder, did they both really see me that way? Was I really so helpless in their minds, even now?

I gave him a small chuckle. I doubt he heard it over the wind. But I spoke loud enough, with a conviction I never imagined myself speaking to him with.

"You're right Sasuke. I've done nothing but cry since you left that day. The team that went after you, I wasn't strong enough then – and you left Naruto seriously injured. When we found you again, with Ochimaru, I tried . . .but . . . I could do nothing. I don't understand you, Sasuke, and part of me will always love you. But . . ."

I fought through my tears and began to build chakra into every fiber of my being.

"But what you did to Kurenai-sensei . . .what you plan to do to Naruto . . . It stops here!"

Sasuke turned and looked at me full on. His eyes were the telltale red of the Sharingan, but the pattern . . .

"If you get in the way," Sasuke warned. "You'll die."

I attacked at my best speed, throwing the kunai I had as a defensive screen before following up with my strongest punch I could muster. But Sasuke was gone, and my punch found nothing but air. The portal began to collapse.

"I don't have time for this, Sakura." Sasuke's voice said from behind me. He was just as close as he had been that night, when he had said . . .

Sakura . . . Thank you.

The voice was just in my head again, but to me, the meaning was still clear.

"Not this time!" I screamed as I ducked and rolled forward. I kicked out with both my legs, and caught him in the stomach. He went flying backwards, but landed on his feet. Bracing himself, he skidded to a stop. He took a moment to glance at the portal and it expanded back to the size it was when I began my attack.

I threw a spread of shiruken at him, which he easily avoided, but I knew I had to keep him distracted from opening that portal all the way. The wind howled in my ears as I charged him again. This time I tried hurling a few sleep gas pellets.

The incantation of, "Fire Style, Fire Ball Justu!" was my only warning.

I had to leap extremely high to reach a safe distance, and I could smell charred hair on the wind and my clothes were smoldering as I landed on one of the frog statues. A brilliant ball of flame had spread out below me, vaporizing my sleep gas and heating the ground below enough to form glass.

I had lost sight of Sasuke. He found me first, and plunged his fist into my gut. The wind was taken from me, and as I coughed I felt bile in my throat. I tried to react with a wild swing that missed and tore a chunk of rock from the side of the mountain and caused a small rock-slide.

He was somehow above me in the next instant, and I felt an elbow come down hard between my shoulder blades. I was rocketed to the ground like a meteor, and the ground cratered around me when I hit.

I tried to struggle to my feet as I pushed against the rocky ground with bloodied and trembling arms. The sting of half a dozen Shiruken and three or four kunai slicing into my back pinned me back down, and this time when I coughed I tasted the coppery sickining sweetness of blood.

Weakly, I made a few hand signs and traced my finger through the blood on the ground. I felt a heavy boot on my wrist as I pressed my palm onto the earth.

"S – summon . . ." I whimpered.

"Don't even try," Sasuke's cruel voice said from above.

But even though he had seen through it, Sasuke didn't know that I had already succeeded. After all, even with his powerful eyes he was only limited to his own range of vision. He didn't see the fifty tiny slugs crawling out of the ground behind him. They sprayed him from behind with quick cementing excretions, and with tiny bursts of chakra they flung themselves onto his back. Those that successfully made the leap bit into Sasuke like leaches, draining his chakra. He cried out in surprise and alarm as he instinctively tried to swat them off of him.

I struggled to one knee and took a moment to pull what metal I could out of my back and begin to heal. Then I summoned Chimochi. She started to great me pleasantly as usual until she realized the situation was serious.

"Sakura-chan!" she cried in her sing-song voice. "You're hurt!"

"Yeah," I grunted. "I need some quick healing. Hurry, he won't be distracted long."

She sprayed my back with healing solvent, and it stung like hell, but in a few moments I could stand again without too much trouble.

Meanwhile, Sasuke cleared himself of slugs and set himself free of the gunk cemented around his feet with a full body chidori. He glared at me and drew his unusually long sword. His white Gui was now torn and in tatters from where my slug friends had chewed through the material with their acid like excretions, and with his neck exposed and this dark hair blowing in the wind, I was able to confirm his curse mark was indeed gone.

"You're not leaving me any choice, Sakura!" he called as he readied his weapon. "Akatsuki will be here soon, and I don't want to have to deal with Pain!"

"Pain!" I shouted, trying not to sound surprised. "The Akatsuki leader?"

Pain was not only that, he was the one who had slain one of the legendary Sanin, Master Jiraiya. If it was Pain that was coming, there was no way I had the skill to face him alone.

"Pain is a tool like everyone else in this, Sakura," Sasuke felt like explaining. "Ninja are tools. You are just a tool. You remember that first mission we went on? Kakashi said all this himself. I would have thought you had learned. I'm going to change all of that. I'm going to set Konoha free!"

"Set Konoha free?" I screamed with clinched fists. "From what!"

"I don't have time to explain it all to you. Now step aside. Since Naruto hasn't showed, I suspect the toads are aware of this ambush. I can't wait for them either."

"Sasuke!" I shouted as I let new chakra flow into my fists. "Help us fight Pain! Together we can . . ."

"Step aside, Sakura." Sasuke threatened, as he raised his arm into the air. "Last chance."

I had not thought it possible, but the wind grew even harsher, and storm clouds began to gather above us. I heard thunder, and I saw that Sasuke was crackling with electric energy. I recognized the gesture. He had begun to take the same posture on that first mission with Sai, but Ochimaru had stopped him. Whatever the technique was that Ochimaru considered overkill, Sasuke was going to use it now . . . on me.

The wind whipped past me, shifting direction suddenly. I shielded my eyes against airborne debris. Suddenly remembering where I was standing, I risked a glance behind me. I had been foolish. In the time Sasuke had made his little speech, he had the portal almost all the way open. The only thing in his way now was me. I only knew of one thing to do.

I reached into my pouch, and pulled out a small vile. Crushing it in my hand, I threw the fine light pink powdery mist into the air above my head. The wind was swirling around us now, and I hope I had judge the slipstream correctly. With luck the contents of the scent vile would be carried forward toward Sasuke, before being sucked back toward the portal. I figured he would see it, and I couldn't predict what he would do about it. Hopefully, he would decide it wasn't a threat to him if he struck me down first.

"I don't know what you're up to Sakura," he said. "But it won't work. I'm sorry. Goodbye."

I saw a flash of light. I screamed. Sasuke saw my skin burn, char, and then vaporize. In my place only hundreds of tiny Sakura petals remained. They drifted on the wind in the same lazy pattern that the powder in the vile had followed. In mid air, I let myself re-form.

The ledge crumbled and fell away from Sasuke, and he tumbled into darkness. His eyes widened in surprise, but only for a moment. Then he smiled in that cocky manner of his that used to make my heart flutter.

"Genjustu, huh, Sakura?" he said into the darkness. "That's right. You were originally a genjustu type, weren't you? So I guess it makes sense. Trust me though, Sakura – you don't want a genjustu battle with me."

Somehow, he found me. In an instant I was whole again, and tumbling through the same darkness I had created. Sasuke floated above me as I tried to orient myself. He had his hands behind his head, as if he were lounging on something, and he stared at me with glowing red eyes.

I was panting, trying not to feel sick from the vertigo of my own illusion, when I changed us from falling in darkness, to swimming in dark waters. I swam for a surface of light which I created, and found myself standing on a glossy black pool back on the mountain ledge.

Sasuke slowly began to rise from the pool without making so much as a single stroke of a hand for a swimming motion. His eyes were still menacing, and I knew I had to keep the illusion moving. I made the pool become like a tar, and then slowly begin to solidify. He didn't even struggle or act surprised, even though he should have been trapped. At this moment's pause, I was vaguely aware of a Hawk that was circling far above us, even as a few sakura petals drifted between us.

I searched his mind for fear, for something that would make him anxious, for anything at all I could use against him. But what I saw there terrified me too much to look any further. There was death, innocent blood spilt, Itachi cutting down his mother, father, his lover. Itachi faded away with a smile, but the boy Sasuke wandered alone in the dark. There was Ochimaru, laughing hysterically, and visions of a familiar village in flames, of chaos, and of war. Looming beyond it all was a giant demonic eye, and laughter as cold and evil as the king of demons himself. There was nothing in that tortured soul I dared use against him. But I felt . . .pity.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun . . ." I breathed.

"It's not nice to go prying into people's minds," Sasuke said as he began to grow in size and the solid pool of black around him began to break and crack. "You might not like what you find!"

Sasuke grew to a tremendously giant size in the span of a few seconds. The physics of it was staggering, and the mountain started to fall apart around me. He clung to the side of the mountain as if it were simply the side of a child's outdoor play-set. A huge fist, four times my body-length, drew back and then came crashing down towards me on the mountainside. I let myself disperse just in time, and as I swirled once more among the winds, Sasuke's giant fist impacted and tore a chunk out of the side of the mountain with a deafening crash.

I began to call thousands of Sakura blossoms into existence, and after minute or so I had condensed to make myself as large as Sasuke. I leapt from the foot of the mountain and punched though it, crushing the peak and forcing Sasuke to back flip onto the adjacent ridge.

I chuckled at Sasuke. It wasn't a friendly laugh, because only I would understand what was so funny. The battle taking place in our minds was ironic to me. In the Valley of the End I had meditated that I had far to go to catch up to the giants that were Naruto and Sasuke. Now here I was at the Source Mountain as a giant myself.

Then Sasuke leapt at me. Even in our minds he was too fast for me to follow, and he caught me in a flying tackle that sent us both crashing down into the gully between peaks.

But we never hit the ground. Instead, we landed lightly on a downy soft mattress covered with white satin sheets. We were also in a room built like the most lavish honeymoon suite I could imagine. The bed was framed by red curtains that were of such delicate fabric they barely whispered against my naked skin. I gasped and blushed as I realized this and pulled the sheets around me quickly to cover myself.

Sasuke lay next to me, equally unclothed, but under the covers. He traced a finger playfully along my arm, giving me a devilish smile.

"What's wrong, my love?" he said. "We're you dreaming?"

"Wa-was I what?" I asked him. I shivered under his touch as he rolled himself closer to me. I could feel his breath on my lips. His eyes were dark and non-threatening. He placed his 

hand over mine. I shied away from him slightly, the feeling that something was very wrong unshakable, even though it felt so incredibly right to be with him there in that moment.

"You were thrashing about like you were having a nightmare," Sasuke said. "And you're sweating. Do you need me to get you something?"

I swallowed. I was parched. I couldn't breathe. I shook my head.

"N-no," I remember saying. "I'll be alright. As long as . . .

I love you too, Sakura.

They were just words, but they were of one of my most precious memories. With him smiling that stupid grin, wrapped in bandages. I had been so surprised, so shocked to hear those words from him that I had broken down and . . .

It's difficult to describe what I was going through at that moment. Sasuke leaned in to kiss me. I felt his lips brush against mine. I felt my body melt under his touch. My heart was racing. Isn't this what I had always wanted? Didn't somewhere, deep down, I still want this? Wouldn't saving Sasuke mean he would become the man I always imagined him to be? I let him kiss me, and I thought for a minute that even if it wasn't real . . . even if it might be mean my death, just being here like this, in Sasuke's arms would be enough for a lifetime.

"Don't worry, I'll bring him back. That's the promise of a lifetime!"

These voices from the past kept calling to me. I was so confused. A promise of a lifetime. Hadn't I just made a similar promise to someone important? I broke the kiss and pushed Sasuke off me slightly, and he smiled. I tried to smile back.

"I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be," he said seductively.

"I love you, Sakura. Become stronger, so when I get back we can finally put an end to all our troubles."

I finally understood the warnings the voices of my past had been trying to give me.

"I can!" I shouted as I brought my knee up hard into Sasuke's groin.

I rolled off the bed as he cried out in pain, and suddenly the bed sheets began to tear and wrap themselves around him. Just when I thought I had him secured the sheets burst into flames. The whole room began to burn. The silky tapestries and fine furniture flaring up like a shed full of fireworks.

I leapt out the window . . .and back out onto the ledge upon Mt. Source. A great black hawk landed in front of me, flapping its wings. It turned its head and peered at me with a devilish red eye, the pupil morphed into a strange design. The bird's feathers became jet black hair, and Sasuke stood before me once again.

"It's over, Sakura," Sasuke said. "Tsu-"

"Sakura Cyclone!" I shouted over the wind.

Hundreds, and then very quickly thousands of sakura petals descended in a swirling mass around Sasuke. They became flat and deadly sharp in the next instant. If Sasuke took a step in any direction, tried to transform, or even twitch a muscle, a petal would cut him.

His eyes danced around in confusion. Though he could see me through the Sakura storm, I knew he could no longer lock onto my chakra. His Sharingan morphed and he scowled as he searched for me in vain.

"How?" Sasuke asked quietly at first. "How is this possible!"

"Like I'd let you use that technique on me, Sasuke," My voice echoed in his mind as one, two, three, then four petals cut into him in a volley that was only a small taste of what was to come. "You are so . . ."

I searched for the right word, and I grinned as it came to me.

"Annoying."

Sasuke laughed. It was bitter, but it was also real.

"Seems you got me, Sakura," he said. "What are you going to do now? Kill me?"

"That's up to you, Sasuke-kun." I told him sadly. "I can hold this technique in this position for fifteen more seconds. After that, I will lose all control over the cyclone and it will tear you to pieces. You're mind will literally become brain dead. Check for yourself, you know I speak the truth."

Twelve seconds. I counted down in my mind.

At the same time, I double checked to make sure I hadn't just caught a decoy mind. The power from his Sharingan was like a beacon though, and I knew I had captured the right target.

"So what is it you want, Sakura? Because surrender isn't an option. Not for me."

"Idiot!" I shouted at him. "You don't have to look at it as surrender. Just come home! Deactivate your conscious. If you do that, and I know you know how, I'll release this jutsu. We can take you home, and when you and Naruto are safe . . ."

Eight seconds. Sasuke was sliced six more times. The blood ran slowly from his wounds.

"You don't get it, Sakura," Sasuke said darkly. "If I don't get to Naruto first, before them, if I don't take hold of his power, none of us are safe. Sacrifices have to be made. It's what my brother was trying to teach me all along."

Five seconds.

"You're not Itachi! Sasuke-kun!" I screamed with a cracking voice and hot tears in my eyes. "You don't have to sacrifice your friends! Lets us help you!"

Three seconds.

"I wonder, Sakura. Do you have what it takes? Can you sacrifice one friend to save another?"

One Second.

"SASUKE-KUN!" I screamed until I had no breath left in me. The Cyclone collapsed; there was a spray of blood . . .

I let the illusion drop. I thought I was too late. When the illusion ended, I was still screaming, and I was on my knees. My throat was dry, and I couldn't stop the tears. I looked up.

Sasuke was fine.

But the storm clouds were still overhead and Sasuke still had his hand raised, even though he was bleeding from the nose and breathing heavily. He looked at me with eyes that were heavy and dark . . . and sad. Had I seen, tears?

"Its over," he said simply.

I reached into my kunai holster, grabbed the first weapon I could find, and threw it. It was my last desperate act, and I knew it was probably a futile gesture. There would be no escape, not with the energy I could feel building above me.

In the same moment, Sasuke dropped his hand, and there was a flash of light. I was engulfed in light. The light was blinding even as I heard the deafening thunder crack. I screamed, but felt nothing.

"It's alright, Sakura-chan," the most wonderful voice in the world said. "I've got you."

I blinked and looked down. I was flying through moonlit treetops. Someone was carrying me and leaping through them as if I were no burden at all. I looked up and thought I was 

dreaming - or dead and in heaven. My mouth hung open, and he looked at me with those gorgeous blue eyes of his and laughed.

"I missed you too," he said.

"N-Naruto!" I squealed as I threw my arms around his neck. I kissed his cheeks, his mouth, his nose. I was so happy and so relieved.

"He-hey, Sakura-chan! Hey!" he laughed. "Hang on, I can't see where I'm going."

He landed on a tree branch wide enough for both of us and kissed me properly. I ran my fingers through his hair, which was longer and wilder than it had been before. I shivered in the cool night air, and I pressed myself as close as I could as Naruto robbed me of my breath with just the touch of his lips for the first time in months. Abruptly he ended it.

"Alright," he breathed, catching his breath as well. "We need to keep moving. We're in full retreat."

I touched his cheek, making sure he was real once again.

"How?"

"It's my father's technique." Naruto beamed. "One of the new thing's I've learned. I'll explain later though, we need to rejoin with the others."

"The others!" I gasped as Naruto began leaping through the treetops again in earnest. I could have maybe moved on my own, but I doubted I could keep up with the speed Naruto was moving at my condition. Besides, I was enjoying being held by him this way.

"Are they. . .?"

"They're fine." Naruto said. "We'll rendezvous with them soon. They'll provide a jump location when their ready. In the meantime, we need to throw off any pursuit from Sasuke or Akatsuki."

I was silent for several moments. There was a new ache in my heart. I had been so close. And Naruto had been forced to rescue me in the end. I bit my lip.

"Naruto, I'm sorry I . . . I failed."

"Don't you dare!" Naruto snapped. "Don't you do that to yourself. Trust me, it leads nowhere fast."

"Naruto," I said sadly. "It's Sasuke. He's after you for some reason, I know its probably the Kyuubi, but he has his own reasons, and . . ."

"And what?" Naruto prompted.

"He wants to destroy the village. I saw it in his mind when we fought. He called it setting Konoha free."

Naruto was very silent. He seemed to be fighting back tears himself.

"Naruto, he was ready to choose death over . . . what I mean is, what if we can't . . ."

"We will, Sakura," Naruto said as he shook his head to clear his eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you today. The toads didn't let me go when they sensed the ambush. They had information that Sasuke was trying to use you to get to me. That he set it up this way. Now we're way outnumbered and we need backup, and I'm told we have one person in serious condition. I'd end this now if we could, but I know retreat is our best option for now. Forgive me."

"Didn't you just tell me not to do that to myself?" I asked with a smile. "Next time, we'll both be ready."

"Yeah," Naruto said.

Then he got a look in his eyes, and his expression changed.

"Hang on," he said. "Sometimes these teleportation jumps get a little bumpy."

In another brilliant flash of light, we were gone again.

COMMENTS:

There. Naruto's back. Happy now? LOL

Just kidding. This was the time I intended for him to come back all along. I wanted Sakura to have her own one on one time with Sasuke first.

So yeah, SasuSaku fans. I gave you your little moment. I hope you like it, because I really do understand the potential for that relationship. I promise.

I just wanted to show you the nature of how that relationship would look - and I think I got it pretty well.

Enhance the experience if you have the Shippuden Soundtrack by starting about when Sakura knees Sasuke in the nuts and playing 1.SHIPPUDEN then 2. HISOU (When Sakura is begging Sasuke to give up) then 3. Douten (When Naruto Appears). It really made me almost cheer.

This has to be the most fun I've had writing in a while, because everything built up to this moment. The next chapter is just going to tie things up and then transition to an epilouge. Don't worry - there will still be plenty of drama though.

For those of you who stuck with me all the way through until know, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

As always - let me know what you thought! And as Sakura would say to Naruto . . .

"Don't hold back!"

ADDITION:

On the SasuSaku scene - yes the power of his influence was supposed to be too great for her.

The idea was for her not to really remember who she was, where she was, or what her situation was. Sasuke was preying on her buried feelings, the ones she told herself she let go. The idea was that though Sasuke was trying to repress her feelings for Naruto - he couldn't. They broke through and she remembered.

I don't know - I did the best I could with that, and I'm definatly going to take a look a it again when this whole book is done and I do a final re-write.

I just wanted a moment where she banishes any of her old feelings for Sasuke once and for all, and I wanted it to happen dramatically, and not abruptly. I wanted it to be a bit of a struggle for her too . . . because even if you logically can defeat something, sometimes the heart is stubborn

Maybe I shouldn't have let him kiss her - lol

Oh well. Thank you for the review.