Okay, so I'll be honest. I totally wish to revamp this or start a whole new SasuSaku because well, quite frankly, this doesn't seem all too appealing at the moment. Thus the late updates. I know it hasn't even been that many chapters out yet but I don't know…

I'll do my best though! I have faith that I will pull through but I need all of you to help with encouragement hehe.

I don't exactly know when my rose-colored glasses came off. It seemed like there was once a time when the things that traveled from your lips to my ears were passed through a filter.

And suddenly, the filter disappeared and I heard exactly what you were saying.

How…did we…

"Sakura…" Biting the inside of her cheek she resisted the urge to look at his dull eyes that were currently demanding an answer from the pink haired kunoichi. "…your answer."

"Sakura?….what is the teme talking about?" The blonde had walked up to her slumped form and put a comfortingly hand on her shoulder, she looked up gratefully before sighing once more, placing her hand on top of the one on her shoulder.

This did not go unseen by the Uchiha.

"Sakura." If she didn't know better, she would have thought there was fury mixed within that monotone voice of his, that thing was, she did know better…they all knew better by now, this was after all, Sasuke-kun, he was nothing but cool, calm, and collected.

"I won't repeat myself again, Saku-"Give me a minute!"A scowl graced his dark, handsome features. He stepped back, deciding to take a seat on a nearby rock, they hadn't much time, whatever decisions that were to be made had to be made now. Surely members of the ANBU and other ninja were aware of their presence, they were on borrowed time.

"Naruto." The kyuubi vessel looked upon his most cherished friend with a sadden face. "I'm going to go with Sasuke…" Shock and confusion hardly fit the description of emotion that painted his face. "Please, Naruto, understand…." She stood up straight, a firm nod given in his direction before looking upon a smirking Sasuke.

"When do we leave."

"Now." turning is back, he expected her to follow. She always did, she…always…

"I'm coming too!!"

""No!"" Bringing her hands to her chest, tightly wrapped in one another as a gesture of pleading, she eyes Naruto wearily. Sasuke, acting as thought he had not remarked in such a brash manner, stood silent and continued on his way slowly. "Naruto…you know that-it would be better to keep you away from the Akatsuki-they want you Naruto, far be it from me to be the one to hand you over to them."

As his eyebrows drew together, a feral grin eliciting his features; he, about to protest, was stopped as she threw her fist about the ground. As the debris clouded his vision for that mere instance, he barely saw her looking back at him, forlorn and doubting, her emerald orbs memorizing every bit of his figure, a mental note, a remembrance, of that which she was leaving behind.

"SAKURA!!!"

It was too late, for she was already gone.

"He'll come after us."

"Hn."

The night's cool breeze caused her to shiver and with the constant jumping from tree branch to tree branch, keeping distance from their ex-teammate who, without a doubt, would come looking for them in hot pursuit, gave no way for her to gather warm.

"Sasuke." The honorifics ceasing to exist within their small, get to the point conversations somehow disturbed him. No, he told himself. He preferred it this way, it was just business, it would do better to forget the past.

"You said you had a team, how many members do you have and who are they. Wanted criminals? Other missing-nin? Murderers?" It shouldn't have hurt him as it did. The insinuation that he was nothing but a cold blooded killer, a fiend for power, one who would stop at nothing to obtain it.

But that was what he was, wasn't it?

He was starting to believe so.

"You will find out when you meet them." Huffing, a few twigs snapping in between, she glared at his back.

"Always one for words, some things never change…" she would have laughed at her own snide remark softly, to herself, if only he hadn't responded. If he hadn't hit so close to home with his few, direct, stabbing words.

"…and some things do."

Dawn had come when they finally stopped to rest. It was true, they felt no chakra following them, but one could never be too careful. Setting up a small camp, none too traceable, Sakura sat down tiredly about a drawn out spread of leaves. Being so accustomed ot it, she hadn't cared to notice that she was still shivering, even as the wind stopped, until a black cloak was tossed about her form, carelessly, yet effectively.

Looking up slowly before a quick examination of the material, (She feared it was an object belonging to an enemy attack initially) she caught sight of Sasuke's retreating form, a bag that was, once before concealed, now revealed to be hanging off his shoulder, it's patch open. No doubt the cloak had come from that certain compartment inside the bag and its use was for stealth attacks amongst the night.

"…" She stopped herself from giving gratitude, tried to keep up the cool and calm composure in front of him, it was façade, they both knew, but she still kept to it anyway.

"Why?"

"To die in the cold is not an option right now, you haven't served your purpose yet."

Son of a bitch.

"…You self-centered, egotistical jerk!" Rising, her fists bawling in utter rage that caused the cloak to fall off she stomped her way up to the dark haired male in front of her, hell bent on kicking his ass.

He eyed her jadedly before placing his hands, one on his sheath, the other on his hip. In a manly way, of course. Not receiving a response only caused to anger the girl more, feeling as though, once again, it was cat and mouse, yet this time, the mouse-her, wasn't worth catching or even sparing a glance at.

"Answer me! Say something!" When her fist connected with the bark behind his languid form her fuming disposition died along with the now torn in half tree. Her arm was caught within his palm and as he turned her skin, a rotation of his fingers easily, creating a burning feeling upon her flesh, she cried in pain softly yet never breaking eye contact.

"Let.Me.Go." she gritted out, not attempting to pull her arm back, the fierceness in his tamed eyes were unspeakable and she couldn't help but regret letting her anger overcome her. When it seemed that he would abide by her wishes she tried to squirm free but in a flurry of haze she found her body being pulled to his own in a possessive, vicious grab.

Eyes widening she held no instinctive reaction to the sudden occurrence, only when his fingers started to dig into her back and puncture her arm did she let out a strangled cough of pain. "Don't ever attempt to intimidate me again with your pathetic curses and weak attacks." His voice was nothing but a mere whisper, brushing against her ear yet causing the hairs on her neck to visibly react. As if waiting for confirmation upon his threat he didn't let go off her until she nodded numbly.

As she stumbled back, falling upon the floor she looked up defiantly. "You've become a monster." Rising, she dusted herself off before returning to what little a fire they had, turning her back on him, blinking back whatever tears threatened to fall.

He watched her periodically hiccupping form for a while a small huff in between in incredulity at how he could have ever contemplated that bringing her along would be an asset to his team. As he looked on, he realized the minor burn and red streak of blood that highlighted her arm and when she, without so much as a glance, healed it, he smirked.

So fast was he, that without breaking a sweat he had caused the fire to go out, and with a arrogant look about her his simple words of 'head out' was all that was exchanged as they continued on their way to the other members of 'Snake.'

"I see…search party will be sent out-"

"Hokage-sama…If I may interject," waiting for a nod of permission the committee member continued. "If Sakura-san had indeed left in free will, they she too should be referred to as, from here on out, a missing-nin, should she not?" Bowing in respect, the elderly man walked backwards back into the small line-up, awaiting the response of their leader.

"….however true that may be, I assure you Sakura must have had a reason for committing such an act. We shall send out a party and attempt to retrieve her, if she is so retrievable, and with it, hopes for justification on her part for leaving the village with a wanted Ninja shall be presented."

With a chorus of nods and acceptance Tsunade faintly concluded the evening,

"Meeting adjourned."

"I'm going to go after her Kakashi-sensei."

"Now Naruto, I am sure Tsunade will place you with the search time, there is no need to do anything brash," Placing a consoling hand on the teen's shoulders, his former teacher attempted to crinkle his eye in the manner he use to when he would smile. "Everything will be fine Naruto."

He failed.

"Yeah…" Nodding, Naruto slipped his body away from the silver-haired ninja's hand, deciding to head on home to retrieve the necessary items for a seemingly long journey.

I wanted to make it longer, I swear, but I don't like to include too many switches within the days within one chapter within the beginning of the story, it's a weird thing, but I promise the next chapter will be much longer, and with it, the meeting between Karin (the only female member of Snake, she is not the girl within Oto's team from the sand village during the chunin exams people!) and Sakura. Also expect well, jealously?

Question is, on who's behalf? Much love!