Neji sat by Sakura. He took her hand and kissed it. She was sitting on the bench outside the academy looking up at the tree. She bit her lip and sat up letting her head lower to face Neji's. He smirked as his lips pressed against hers. She parted and blushed bright red. He said something to her but it was silent.

… A tear rolled down Sakuras cheek. The cool breeze blew over her as she sat on the bench her head resting back looking up into the tree but this time it was different. Neji wasn't there. She let her head fall into her hands and she crumbled into a million pieces on the bench. She was so confused. She loved Sasuke but it seems she was still chained to Neji. Binds that lead her to him was just fogged up. Sakura looked around and whipped her eyes. She had work today.

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest. He raised a brow towards the fifth, as Tsunade also leaned back.

"so the dumbass got his ass kidnapped by my dead brother's old group?" he scoffed.

"we have reason to believe that with Hinata's return the other day…she said he was putting up a fight though." Tsunade said scratching her head.

"well the only thing I can do is go after him then?" Sasuke asked?

"yes…you'll go alone and simply retrieve Naruto…we will send reinforcements when they arrive." Tsunade sighed struggling against her want to yell at the other ninja to hurry home.

"fine…but Sakura and TenTen are here" Sasuke asked.

"TenTen is still injured from her last mission and would only slow you down….Sakura…is to emotional right now and being the medical she is she wouldn't be of much use when battle came." She argued trying to find any and all excuse to not let Sakura go.

"but I want to go" came a voice from the door. Sakura was standing there watching the chat. Sasuke didn't even look at her.

((A.N. this chapter is going to be very choppy…it takes place in a Skippy scene. so be prepared for random flash backs.))

Sasuke jumped through the tree. He was a little rusty from not practicing in so long. Sakura kept her distance from him and perused him quickly. She looked down as if thinking of something. Sasuke slowed to run next to her. He wanted his questions answer now. He waited for her to notice but all she did was stare off.

Neji rested his head on the hospital pillow. Sakura slammed the door open her gloves almost ripping. She ran to his bedside and growled.

"look you….are you and Naruto trying to kill each other….if this keeps going ill run out of medicine." Sakura yelled.

"feh….he was the one who ruined the mission…just heal me so I can get back to walking!" he smirked back.

Sakuras pink hair matched her cheeks as she growled and pointed to the door.

"leave mister hot shot your good enough on your own!"

Sakura and been healing Neji four times in the last two months due to fights with Naruto and missions gone wrong. She had been working on a jutsu earlier that might have the potential to beat Orochimaru and all Neji could do was get in her way.

"that's not how you treat a patient" he scoffed.

"I don't care….if you want to leave then be my guest" she growled.

"no im fine…I rather be safe then sorry" Neji sighed d leaning back again.

"fine…" she sighed and left the room.

Sakura didn't know it then but that was the first time she would realize she wasn't thinking of Sasuke that much anymore. The first time Neji started to steal her spotlight.

Sasuke nudged her lightly.

"sakura?" he said calmly.

"huh?" Sakura said looking up as if waking from dream.

"hm…stay focused…..we are looking for the dope so keep an eye open." He said.

"but didn't the Akatsuki get him?" she asked skipping up next to him.

"I have a feeling…he ran for it…while they where confused…I don't think Naruto got caught by any of them…it's just a hunch but.." Sasuke said.

"oh….k" sakura said softly.

Neji walked to Sakura. She looked at him then back at the picture in her hands as she shoved it back in her bag.

"what Neji?" she said softly.

"just checking…..I heard you killed an Akatsuki member on your last mission." He smirked.

"yah….not like it makes a difference…it wasn't Itachi I killed." She mumbled.

"you really are looking to kill him for Sasuke aren't you?" Neji asked.

"no….I.." she was cut off.

"stop sakura…your only bringing his unhappiness upon yourself…Naruto sees it too. you really are talented and smart sakura…don't let that jack-ass cloud the future you have." Neji protested.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW?" Sakura yelled. "he wants revenge I only want to help him…I only want him to see he was wrong to leave and that there is a way to save him!" she cried loudly.

"and your willing to kill yourself over a guy who was never yours in the first place?" Neji simply said.

"ye….." Sakura went silent. "I will do anything for Sasuke-kun…no matter how far away he is"

"Sakura ….your going to waste your life away…trying to save a guy who is probably already dead." He said before lifting himself up and leaving again.

"I…just want…him back home." Sakura whispered.

Sasuke looked back at her. Sakura eyes where once again dazed. She had her hand at her heart and her cheeks where red. He gave a slight growl then let himself fall to the ground. Sakura looked up and blinked then jumped down behind him.

"what is it Sasuke-kun?" she asked kind of confused.

"its night…" he said angrily walking to a tree and setting down his bag.

"I see…but Naruto!" she said eagerly.

"your in no condition...get sleep…Naruto will be fine…we will find him in the morning." Sasuke said glaring at her then closing his eyes in annoyance.

Sakura was taken back by his sudden harsh attitude. Why was he acting like that? He had no reason to but…

"NEJI-KUN, NARUTO!" sakura yelled out.

Both teens turned to give Sakura a warm smile. She giggled and jumped up in her spot.

"I made it…im an ANBU medical now!" she smiled happily.

"wow that's great sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned.

"good job" Neji said with a smirk. "but what's with the kun?" he added afterwards.

"well don't get used to it…im just happy" Sakura grumbled .

Naruto sat in the middle of the woods. His side was torn to bits and he had to use the remaining of his chakra to keep the wound from completely killing him. He banged his head against a tree. He hadn't really fought them. He had just pushed Hinata out of the way and told her to run. Everything was sort of a blur from there. He had run away. That much he remembered. Hinata hopefully had gotten away as well. He sighed and blood rolled down his cheek over his swollen eye.

"wonder how long…till they find me" he muttered.

"wake up" Sasuke said without even touching sakura.

She lazily opened her eyes and jumped to her feet. Smiling she quickly readied herself. Even more surprisingly was she was ready before Sasuke and even found herself waiting for him for over five minutes as he packed up his things. But within ten minutes both where in the trees. Sasuke glanced at sakura and noticed her attitude was different, or normal?

She was smiling like she always did and the dazed look had left her eyes. Sasuke pinched his eyebrows together trying to think what a nights rest could have done but gave up shortly afterwards and continued on his way. They soon reached the spot Hinata had said they had been at when they where attacked. Sakura and Sasuke split up, and again to Sasuke's surprise sakura almost begged to have them search together. Infact she found every reason to make them stay together but Sasuke kept insisting. He decided to put the matter off. Naruto was first priority at the second. Sakura had the same mind state.

She dashed through the bushes. Suddenly she was hit with worry again. Last night she had had a good dream about Sasuke-kun and herself and well when she woke up to find him there it was nice and made her happy. But now the mission sunk in and her head and body where filled with concern. She dashed through a thorn bush and cut herself. She shoved away the small pain and continued her body staying focused on every movement. She kept going but found herself at the road again.

"this is odd….I was only traveling the opposite way of the road." She gave a funny look.

When she looked up she saw a very confused Sasuke as he too looked up at her.

"How did you?" he began but Sakura cut him off.

"gen-jutsu"

Sorry fans for the sadly short chapter, and after a year of not writing. Well to make up for it I have written three chapters for you to read (though forgive me for them being somewhat short…usually I try to make them around nine pages in a word document but that proves difficult for me to keep writing.) and the last and final chapter will be posted this Sunday ha-ha. I need time to edit all these. In any case I also apologize for my sudden change of writing styles, and the sudden happy attitude of sakura. Ill try better to explain it later during the next chapters while they are fighting but no grantees. I hope you can forgive my long absences. I had a number of troubles but finally I got time to finish it and hopefully when this is done ill post my series of one-shots. But I promise this story is my first priority right now. Thank you again and r&r.