Ch 6: Night Out

It was five minutes before six in the evening. All the girls were at Tenten's apartment for their little get together. It was big enough for the four girls as they sat in the living room. Tenten and Sakura on a large white couch while Ino and Hinata sat on a corresponding loveseat, plates of food in hand and other goodies on the coffee table. The pink haired girl was the first to start the conversation as she grinned in the Hyuuga's direction. "So, Hinata…" the dark haired girl looked up from her plate as she heard her name. "… How was your date…?" she blushed with the question.

"Yeah, Hinata, tell all!" Ino waved chopsticks at her.

"W-Well… w-we, uh…" the poor Hyuuga heiress stuttered, looking back at her food.

"Oh c'mon Hinata, I already beat the details out of Naruto." Sakura explained taking another bite.

"Y-You did?" Hinata asked.

The medic nodded, "It took a few seconds for him to fess up… but I got it." She took a sip of tea.

"Hinata," Tenten whined, holding a pillow in her hands, nearly squeezing it so hard the stuffing would come out. "Tell, we won't make fun of you or anything else. We just want to know how your relationship is going." The weapons mistress added her support. Ino nodded in response.

"Yeah, I want to know what you think of Naruto as a boyfriend."

"Well, h-he took me to ramen…" Sakura smiled knowingly as the other two smacked their foreheads.

Sakura chuckled at the thought, 'Naruto, I think I'm going to have to teach you how to be romantic.' Her attention went back to Hinata. "Please carry on…"

"… Afterward… w-we went for a-a walk." She stopped to see the intrigued expressions from her friends. They were all leaning forward, curious. Hinata continued, "W-We walked around th-the training area with tr-trees. He sto-stopped at a clearing and looked u-up at the s-sky and I-I followed his gaze. A-After a f-few moments, h-he…" she started blushing, "h-he held my h-hand." Tenten stopped the other two from interrupting so she could go on. "Th-that's when N-N-Naruto loo-looked at me and said h-he l-l-loved m-me, the-then he kis-kissed me…" she finished.

The three others were aw-ing at the story and her blush when she recalled every detail. "Geeze Hinata," Sakura giggled, "you gave me more detail than Naruto did. He was all red in the face and trying to hide everything."

"Man Hinata," Tenten started, "I wish someone would tell me they loved me. Perhaps there's no guy out there for me." The weapons mistress sighed in defeat.

"Aw, c'mon Tenten." Ino consoled, "You just haven't found him yet. When the time comes, you will."

The girl perked a brow, "Are you speaking from experience, Ino?"

"Me… I, uh…" the blonde couldn't think of anything to say. "I think there's someone that likes you." She grabbed Tenten's attention.

"What? Who?"

Ino shrugged, "Ah don't pay any attention to Ino, Tenten." Sakura said. "Though I have to agree with her, and I think Ino is speaking from experience."

The three started laughing. "Hey!" Ino shouted, "What's so funny?! I don't see Forehead with a guy." Everyone stopped, knowing what was coming.

Sakura's eyebrow twitched, "What… was that… Ino-pig?"

"You heard me, Forehead. I. Don't. See. You. With. A. Guy."

The twitching increased, "Is there a point to this?"

"You need to get a life."

"What makes you think I want one? A boyfriend anyway?"

Ino shrugged before she and the rest of the girls laughed again, apparently not caring what was said, completely oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.

"Should we watch a movie or two?" Tenten asked after all the girls had changed into their pajamas.

"What kind do you have?" Ino inquired rushing off to the movie pile and kneeling down.

"Please don't tell me any romance," Sakura mumbled under her breath as her best friend glared at her. "I was only saying…"

"Save it. Just because I like that kind of stuff." Ino turned her body fully to the pink haired girl, resting on her knees and a grin on her face. "I think we should help Sakura find a boyfriend."

"What? Why?" Sakura shouted a little louder than she meant to, causing Tenten and Hinata to cover their ears protectively. "Can't we just forget about that and watch a movie already?"

"But-" Ino was interrupted by the other two, who were shaking their heads, indicating that she should stop while she was ahead.

----

It was nearly midnight, the full moon shone brightly overhead. The streets of the Hidden Leaf Village were silent as no one walked them. However, there was only one occupant walking gradually with each step. Hands shoved deep in his pockets and head lowered as if in thought, sorting through lost memories.

"Sasuke Uchiha," a deep voiced man said, looking up at the boy, who was currently alone. "We have been ordered to bring you back to Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, under order of the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade." He addressed. The man was perhaps in his early forties, black hair and green eyes watched the Uchiha traitor before him. His rank was that of a Jonin judging by the normal vest and rest of his attire. "Will you come with us willingly? Or will we have to take you back by force? If you comply we will inform the Hokage of your choice."

"I cannot go back," Sasuke bent his knees slightly as he reached behind him to grab his bladed weapon. "I will not go back willingly, nor will I ever."

"Very well, we have no choice but to do this by force," the man answered; apparently he was hoping this would have taken a different turn. Now he had to command those on his team. "Sasuke Uchiha is to be brought back alive."

"Understood," four other voices sounded, readying for battle. It had only been four months since the Uchiha clan prodigy had left the village and they actually came in contact with him. The only team to have met with him until Sakura and Naruto's reformed team anyway. Sasuke was clad in the sound village garments of a white kimono and blue pants and a purple rope tied around his waist and of course his new katana.

Two lunged at the Uchiha, throwing kunai and shuriken in his direction before he disappeared. He was a little faster than they remembered, or heard he was. In only a seemingly long four months he had gained some surprising speed. He must have practiced since his arrival to Sound. Sasuke reappeared behind one of them who had attacked first, quickly thrusting his newly acquired katana into the mans' back and exited through the mans' heart. "Ugh," the man choked as the blade was pulled from his body before he fell to the ground, limp. His partner turned to intercept Sasuke's next attack and looked at his comrades' fallen form as blood created a pool around him, staining everything it touched.

The man grabbed a kunai to block the crimson stained blade and succeeded as his friends blood splashed onto his face. For not having the sense of smell a dog would have, the heavy stench of blood filled the air. Sasuke retreated his blade and readied for another blow only to have to jump out of the way as two more men came at him from behind.

As he landed, another figure – the smallest of them - kicked him, knocking him down but not before he was able to penetrate his side. The dark haired boy hastily made his way to his feet as the same person sent a fist flying in his direction, he blocked and sent his own fist to counter only to have it blocked in the others hand. Wasting no time, one ninja made rapid hand signs. Sasuke recognized them as a restraint jutsu and lifted his leg to kick the other person off of him. He missed and a second plan came to mind. During his short time with Orochimaru he had a few new jutsu, he summoned a snake from his sleeve. The man let go out of fear of what it was capable of and the restraint jutsu was useless when Sasuke avoided it with ease.

The four regrouped as Sasuke was off on his own, observing the situation. "I have no time for you," Sasuke's voice had become harsher over his short time away.

"We have nothing but time," one jumped at him as a second followed closely behind for backup. Quickly, Sasuke disappeared and reappeared behind one man and slit his throat and sent a kunai at the other who skidded around to face the oncoming weapon. He blocked, but was killed when a hidden one came into view.

Two ninja were left. It seemed that Sasuke had surpassed the Jonin level. Both stood side by side, watching and waiting to see what the youngest Uchiha was now capable of. The larger one was the leader of the group and was now only accompanied by the smaller shinobi, who was bleeding on the side.

However, the smaller ninja approached Sasuke with surprising speed that he had underestimated. A kunai slid from his sleeve and grazed Sasuke's cheek with just a little bit of blood trickling from the small flesh wound. Sasuke jumped away and made some hand seals, sending fireballs at both ninja. Hidden shuriken come into view as the flames died, hitting the enemy. Cuts formed all over their bodies as spatters of blood fell to the ground. This attack had caused some more damage to the smaller ninja, who had jumped up to engage in taijutsu as he lowered himself, stretching his leg outward to trip the Uchiha, who was able to evade it.

Another snake emerged from his extended sleeve, mouth open to bite. "Oniyuri!" the larger ninja jumped in between the venomous reptile and wrapped his arms around his partner protectively. "Ugh," he grunted as two hollow fangs pierced the flesh at the base of his neck.

"No!" the smaller ninja called out, Sasuke then realized it was female, another thing that gave it away was the name called out but the other ninja. Her face was hidden behind a mask the stuck loosely to her face so she was thought to have been male. This was the ninja whose side he had penetrated and the one who was able to hold him in place while one shinobi tried to capture him with a restraint jutsu. Slowly the mask had slid off of her face, revealing soft light pink hair that almost looked white and gentle pink eyes and smooth tan skin shown on her beautiful face, she couldn't have been more than thirty-seven years old. For her age, she was still a very pretty woman.

"My snakes can paralyze or kill with their venom," Sasuke informed in his monotonous voice. His gaze was hard as it observed the couple before him. Venom was already spreading throughout the mans' body and his female companion stood in front of him protectively. For a moment, the action reminded Sasuke of Sakura. She had done what she could to protect him, but the thought quickly left as he watched the woman as she made hand signs and place them on the ground. The ground shook slightly as if there was an earthquake. Roots erupted from under his feet, wrapping around his ankle. This move reminded Sasuke also of Team 7's first day training together, the bell test, as Kakashi came at him from below. Pressure continued to grow as the roots continued to slither up his leg and around his body. Now he growled, activating his Sharingan, causing the woman to take a step back as she looked into his eyes, captured by three swirling tomoe, and placed in a genjutsu.

"Oniyuri," the man looked over his shoulder to see his partner standing still and the jutsu release Sasuke, the roots retreating back into the ground.

Sasuke appeared in front of the man, the woman still in her position behind him. He wouldn't go so low as to kill someone when they were trapped in a genjutsu, let alone a woman. The man grabbed a kunai and some shuriken with the venom flowing through his blood. Soon it would reach his heart, stopping it completely. "I'll put you out of your misery," the Uchiha said, his Sharingan deactivated and katana back in his hands. Suddenly, a blue crackling light was emanating from it. It sounded like a thousand birds chirping. His chakra was so strong it was actually visible and the man realized that this was his last mission… the last time he'd see his wife and daughter… that he'd never see his home village. Sasuke charged at the man as he threw the weapons that were in his hands, trying to scare the boy.

She blinked as she was released from the genjutsu that had held her for what seemed like an eternity. What sounded like birds chirping behind her as quickly remembered that she was sent on a retrieval mission and turned her head. Sasuke was charging at the man she was with… her husband. He was closing in fast, she had only one thought.

The Chidori and sword were thrust forward at the man and went through flesh. "… Oniyuri…" the man whispered in shock and Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked at the face of the woman who he had placed in his genjutsu. Blood ran down from the corner of her mouth and her gentle eyes dimmed, a smile soon curled on her beautiful face.

"G-Goodbye… Sa-Sakura…" her voice was soft and gentle as she thought of the first person she would most likely never see again. Her faintly lit eyes held Sasuke's for a moment before she fell backwards only to be caught by her husband. His eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"… Goodbye… my first love..." with that Sasuke turned to leave, after watching the man place a goodbye kiss on the woman's lips, not even caring what was going on or any names he had heard. "Uchiha…"

"You're going to die either way," the boy answered, not even looking back at him. "There's no need for me to finish you off." The man stood up weakly, holding his wife's fallen body and looked at each of his comrades, he watched as Sasuke disappeared hastily. Now the man would have to use a jutsu that would take up the last of his chakra to transport the bodies of his fallen men, wife and himself back to Konoha. Their bodies were gathered closely around him and he made a few simple hand signs before he was in Konoha, near death.

'That must have been them, Sakura's parents.' Sasuke had forgotten all about that, the mention of his teammates name as the woman passed. 'Now that I think back on it, that must have been where Sakura had gotten it, after watching her mother. She had given her life to protect him, just as Sakura had done for me a few times. She put up a pretty good fight, a better one than the others did.' Sasuke thought as he leaned his head upward to look at the nighttime sky. Stars glittered above in the summer night. Since Sakura had left him at the memorial stone, his mind had constantly played the memory in his head, and no matter how much he tried to shake it out, the memory replayed. His mind was restless, being the main reason as to why he was roaming the streets in the middle of the night. When he had first seen them, he did think that the man or woman had some similarities to someone he had known, but it had never crossed his mind about who it was.

'I really must have been blinded by my own ambition to kill Itachi. Now that that's over, what's in store for me? I know my second is to come next, but after succeeding my first, it's not what I expected at all.' He then remembered Sakura's words the night he left.

"It won't make any of us happy… not you… and not me…"

Her voice was pleading for him to stay and he couldn't have cared less. Sasuke would have done anything for that power, sacrificed anything if it meant killing the person he had once called brother. What he didn't know was that she sacrificed everything for him. 'She told me revenge wouldn't make me happy, but what would afterward? Having your clan massacred is the farthest thing from anyone's mind until you have them all taken from you… Have I become Itachi? Killing her parents as well, having her watch them die in front of her? Or at least having her watch her father die when she couldn't save him? Their faces… they didn't hold any signs of hate for my decision. Could it have been Sakura's request that they didn't? Or could they have understood in some way? So many questions and so few answers. I would have expected them to all hate me after what I've done. Sakura… Naruto… Kakashi… I would have expected them to hate me after leaving them. But they stood by me, when I was brought back; they defended me when I didn't want their help.

'I would have expected Sakura's parents to hate me for what I did,' he blinked curiously. 'Unless she didn't tell them. How could she not hate me?'

He remembered her when he had seen her at the memorial stone.

"I don't hate you…" Sakura continued. "I don't what to turn out the way you did. You hurt me more than once," by now she was looking at him, her body turned slightly. "You've taken away so much from me, everything I could give to any single person, and I gave it all to you. I never could bring myself to kill someone I loved, maybe still do. But it ran away from me. I've chosen a different path than the one you did. Hopefully yours turned out to be everything you hoped it would be." By now her feet were working to their own accord.

The last Uchiha lowered his head as he looked straight as he shook his head. 'It didn't turn out the way I thought it would. Nothing I did could change what happened to my clan. I gained strength and power, but lost everything I had to get it. I had to start over, win back the trust I lost - even yours, Naruto's and Kakashi's even after you accepted me back, but I never had your trust completely. So now, this is a new beginning, the third one, to begin a new life without revenge driving me. I'm here to stay, and fix what I've broken.'

His eyes shifted as he felt two unfamiliar chakra signatures rush passed him. It happened so fast, but he pursued who ever they were. This was his village and he still had to earn some peoples trust back, so loyalty to his old home was the first place he needed to start. Just as quickly as the chase began, it stopped. Sasuke skidded to a halt as he could no longer sense the unknown chakra he turned, but looked back over his shoulder to get one last look to where he had thought he had felt it disappear. He shrugged his shoulders and walked off; perhaps he was getting tired with all this thinking.

Alright, I was going to try to get this all of the girls but I thought you all might like to know how Sasuke and Sakura's parents met. I wasn't sure about how her parents look, so of course I guessed. If any of you know I would like to hear it. Oniyuri means Tiger lily. I just thought of it to go with a flower like Sakura.

Aw, Sasuke's coming out of the shell… Anyway, please review, those tend to keep me motivated and I just started college again and IT SUCKS! Review please, love ya.