OMG! Haha. Just read the newest Naruto manga where Itachi tells Sasuke about the Mangayouke's secrets. HOLY COW, that was a cool chapter! And, it pretty much messes up my plot, but, whatever. This is called "fanfiction" for a reason.

So, yeah, I've decided to continue this story, just for a bit, due to popular demand. Haha, I even got a private message! Isn't that cool? Anyways, here goes…


Their first day of traveling passed by smoothly, with very little conversation. In fact, the only thing they did was walk, rest, walk some more. Sakura seemed much calmer than she had been earlier and Sasuke figured he had no reason to worry that she would turn psycho on him. That was, until it became dark and they had to set up camp for the night.

They were both familiar with this part of the forest, since they'd traveled here in their earlier days, and both knew that, had some sort of fight erupted between them, Sakura would have the upper hand. Thus, Sasuke was extremely paranoid as Sakura left him resting against a tree and began starting a fire, acting all too composed for his tastes.

All his life, he'd only known liars and traitors, and habit caused him to classify the pink haired kunoichi as one too. She hadn't really given him reason to suspect anything, but he couldn't help it. As he leaned against the tree trunk, watching her move about the flicker fire and adding branches to the pile, several explanations for her behavior ran through his head.

She was calm because she knew he was no threat to her. Or maybe, she was calm because she knew something he didn't. Maybe she'd sent for people without him knowing, maybe she had been lying to him all along. Maybe Konoha hadn't really been destroyed by his brother. He couldn't tell what truth was anymore and his head hurt from all the thinking.

"Sasuke?" her curious voice broke through his silent ramblings and when he looked up, into her bright green eyes, lit by the firelight, one last thought ran through his head. Maybe she'd been genuine in everything she'd told him, in all her actions. Her eyes sure seemed to suggest that.

"Hn?"

"Can you walk?"

He nodded.

"Come by the fire, then. We're going to eat, then rest for the night".

He nodded again.

They sat beside the fire, gazing into the flickering flames as Sakura handed him a portion of the food she'd brought with her.

"What are you thinking about?" she initiated the conversation, wanting to hear his response.

"The food rationings", his replied tonelessly, "You prepared enough supplies for one person, not two".

"But I also prepared to stay longer", her tone matched his, "you cut my trip short".

"What were you doing out here?" he really was curious.

"I don't know".

He scoffed at her lame reply.

"I come out here once in a while because I start missing everything", she added after a while.

"What's to miss?" he knew he wasn't able to comprehend the feelings she had, because he'd never really had a home to miss.

"The people", she began softly, her voice slowly rising, "the places, the missions, the friendship and the bonds. Everything".

"Those don't last anyways", his tone was dead, unfeeling.

"Not for you, I guess", her voice had dimmed to a whisper and her eyes were focused on the fire before her, as if she were speaking to the flames.

He had no reply for this comment and they fell silent, watching the fire dance until their weariness grew so much they had no choice but to rest.


A stretch of desert met the edge of the forest, miles upon miles of golden sand, with the sunlight reflecting off of the small grains so that everything glittered. The first steps they took were refreshing, different from the dull forest floor they'd been traveling on for the past two days. The sand sank beneath their sandals, and a few small grains jumped onto their feet with each step.

Sasuke had healed considerably within the two days and Sakura was slightly surprised at his progress. She'd admitted that the kunai used on him was injected with dangerous chakra, which worked by blocking each of the chakra points in a person's body. It wasn't the cut in his neck she had been worried about; it was the gradual weakening of his body caused by loss of chakra flow.

But now, as they neared the Hidden Village of the Sand, Sasuke was quickly gaining strength and Sakura had a slight fear that he would turn on her. They approached the tall cliffs that surrounded the village and headed for the narrow crack, which lead into the heart of the Sand. The shinobi guards recognized Sakura from a distant by her uniquely pink hair, and were surprised that she'd returned so early. As they got closer, they were even more shocked to see the infamous Uchiha leaning on her for support.

"Please inform Gaara-sama that I've returned and that I would like to speak with him shortly", Sakura instructed as she passed by the guards. They obeyed speechlessly, sending a messenger hawk to the kazekage.

Sakura led Sasuke to a relatively remote area of the village and brought him to a small hut, leading him inside. The interior was much larger than anyone would have guessed it could be just by looking out the outside. It consisted of a nice, cozy room that led to a hallway with three doors- two of which led to bedrooms and the third, to a restroom.

Sasuke was brought to the door near the back and Sakura prompted him in, pointing to one of the beds. He entered the hospital-like room and sat down awkwardly, watching his former teammate move about the room, gathering what looked like advanced medical supplies.

"What are you doing?" he asked after a while. He'd been silent and somewhat obedient all this time, so he felt he deserved some answers.

"Healing you", she answered simply.

"Why?" he felt healed already, although he had to admit his actions were rather weak at the moment.

"Just because you can't see the extent of your injuries doesn't mean they don't exist", she told him wearily, "do you really think that just a wound to the neck would have you near death?"

He grunted in response and made himself comfortable on the bed, waiting as Sakura finished grabbing a few herbs and setting them on a stand beside the bed.

"Lay down", she ordered.

She began working immediately, drawing out a visible string of chakra from her palms and placing it against several points along his neck.

"This is where the damage is most serious", she explained softly, her eyes trained on her hands.

She traced a finger down his neck, along his collarbone, then moved it towards one shoulder and followed the path down his arm. As she pushed chakra into each part of his body, Sasuke could feel the tension slip away. The dull pain he had endured for the past two days faded away and he relaxed against the bed, letting out a sigh as he looked up at the ceiling.

"Drink this", Sakura handed him a tiny bottle filled with a thick, brown liquid and helped him sit up, watching as he swallowed the contents in one gulp.

"Lay back down", she ordered again, taking the bottle from him and setting it down. Sakura moved to the other side of the bed and repeated her motions, tracing her fingers down Sasuke's other arm until her fingers met with his.

"Where else does it hurt?" she asked, looking down.

"My…back".

"I thought so", she sighed, "the back is easily affected because of the spinal cord".

He turned onto his front and breathed into the pillow, closing his eyes as he felt Sakura slip off the shirt he was wearing. He felt her place her hands on his upper back, her smooth palms gently rubbing against him as she ran a stream of healing chakra through him. Slowly, she eased her hands along his back, until his entire upper body had relaxed and every chakra point was opened again.

He didn't move after she announced that she was finished and for a moment, she thought he had fallen asleep. But when she reached out to poke him, he shifted slightly in the bed and Sakura quickly drew back.

"We have to go see the Kazekage", she told him, "get up".

He did as he was told, while silently wondering why he was going along so smoothly with everything. Had it been such a long time that he'd had real human contact, that he was aching to make the most of it, even if it meant obeying every little thing? Or was it simply because, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew the strength Sakura possessed and was afraid to test it at this moment, in his current state? Or did he feel indebted to her because she'd saved him from death? Well, actually, she would have been the cause of his death as well, so that probably wasn't it.

He continued to think about this as he followed her out the door, down the streets of the village, and into the tower that led to the Kazekage's office. Sakura knocked twice, two short, sharp raps against the wood, and a voice sounded from inside.

"Come in".

Sasuke was surprised to hear Gaara's voice and even more surprised, when the door opened, to see him sitting in a seat facing the door, looking quite comfortable.

"Gaara-sama", Sakura lowered her head.

"Is that… Uchiha Sasuke?" Gaara's eyes narrowed suspiciously and a layer of sand immediately began swirling around him.

"I found him in the ruins of Konoha", Sakura explained in a low voice.

"You found him?" Gaara turned to look at her. She shrugged, not really willing to explain in full detail what had happened.

"He's a traitor", she ignored the question.

"You're right", Gaara looked at Sasuke, and the Uchiha could tell that the young kazekage was reluctant to do anything to him. But still, rules were rules. "You will be under strict surveillance and allowed limited contact with the villagers. Should you try to break out, our shinobi will – "

"You have no right to do anything to me", Sasuke interrupted, "I am not of this village and therefore, I am not a traitor. Konoha doesn't exist anymore. I can do whatever I want". He turned to leave, but a trail of sand had wound its way around him and he froze, unable to move his own body.

"This is for your own good, Sasuke", Sakura murmured quietly as he glared at her, his eyes accusing her of betrayal.

"Why would you bring a traitor here and heal him before turning him in?" he spat bitterly, "why not just let me die?"

Sakura didn't reply, but she seemed to be thinking hard, as if searching for an answer. Several guards entered the room and grabbed Sasuke, dragging him out the door. As he passed Sakura, she whispered, so quietly that only he could hear, "I didn't want you to die".


The cell was surprisingly comfortable, so much so, that he couldn't really consider himself a prisoner. It was more like a small room, complete with a real bed, table, and even a window that allowed him to see outside. He suspected that he'd received milder treatment only because Sakura had pulled some strings and he knew he had that to be thankful for.

Still, he blamed her for brining him here, for stabbing him, healing him, then turning him in. And he blamed himself for not being strong enough to defend himself. How could he have slipped up? How could he have lowered his guard so much, that she could even get close enough to stab him?

He was getting weak, yes, that was it. Without the motivation to chase after Itachi, to become stronger every day, he had lost his purpose to live. He hadn't bothered to keep up with such rigorous training after he'd heard of Itachi's death. Instead, he had spent the time just traveling, exploring, seeing, feeling, thinking, searching. Searching for something to make him satisfied, something that could serve as a goal for him to work towards.

Obviously, he'd found nothing that could compare to the hate he had for his brother and in the end, he'd eventually wound up in Konoha, then in this mess. But, he supposed, looking at the bright side, that this was something new for him to explore, to learn from. Maybe he could find something out of this.

The door to his room clicked open and a guard entered, setting food onto the table. Sasuke stole a glance out the window and saw the end of the sunset. That must mean this food was for dinner. He sighed and walked over to the table, picking up the tray as the guard left the room and locked the door. He brought it over to his bed and began eating, barely tasting the food as he stared outside.

It had been a week since he first set foot in this room- he'd been keeping track by making small markings along the edge of the table with a sharp piece of rock he'd found on the floor. Seven days, and he was starting to feel like he would lose it soon.

What he couldn't understand was why they were keeping him in here. So far, he hadn't noticed anyone observing him, or even guarding him. He hadn't really tried to look outside his room, so he wasn't actually sure if there were guards stationed outside or not, but he had yet to feel any significant chakra signatures. Just what were these people planning?

What surprised him even more was that he had complied with everything. He was angry, of course, that these people acted as if they could do anything they wanted to him, but for some reason, he hadn't bothered to fight back. He realized that in all this time, he hadn't thought about escaping or attacking one of the guards who brought his meals. He'd become more docile, easier to control. What the heck was wrong with him?

And then there was Sakura. He hadn't seen her once in all this time and although he didn't expect her to visit him or anything, part of him was slightly surprised that she didn't seem to care what he was up to. What happened to the girl who used to adore him? He felt as if the roles had switched over time, as if she was now constantly on his mind instead of the other way around.

Concerning her, he was mostly curious. He'd only been able to see a fraction of her skills, mostly from when they fought, then a little more when she healed him. But he knew he had no idea of her full capacity and the need to know was constantly nagging at him. Maybe if he was on his best behavior, he would be allowed to spar with her? Nah.

Sasuke pushed the stupid thoughts from his mind and cleared his head, then looked down at the tray in front of him. He'd finished his food without even noticing that he was eating. This was surely a sign that he was losing his mind. He sighed and tossed the tray aside, then glanced out the window. Normally, he just stared at the sky, mostly to track the position of the sun to find out what time of day it was, but now, he was focusing his vision on the streets below.

His room was held rather high, in a tall building near the center of the village. He guessed that the height was to keep him from jumping out, but he really couldn't care less. He watched as the people below moved about the streets, tending to their everyday business. A few vendors were still opened, although most of them had gone home for the day, as it was nearing night. He watched silently as a mother and her son walked to one of the stands, bought a dango, then walked off, the little boy much happier than before.

He sighed. He'd never had an opportunity to do something like that.

A knock sounded at the door and Sasuke froze, feeling as if something was out of place. His mind quickly worked out the reason and he realized that no one ever knocked before- the food deliverer simply opened the door and set down the tray- and no one came at this time of day.

"Come in", he kept his voice polite, careful, wary.

"Hey", Sakura poked her head into the room and smiled a cautious smile. He glanced at her, then turned away. A sudden rush of bitterness had come over him, although he didn't really know why.

"The Kazekage wants to speak with you", she continued, not really paying attention to his lack of response.

"About what?" he asked dully.

"I-I'm not sure, actually. He wants to make some sort of negotiation with you… can you just come, please?" her tone changed suddenly and she sounded like they were kids again, with her demanding personality ordering him and Naruto around. Sasuke shuddered involuntarily at the memory, then stood up and followed her out of the room.

As they made their way down the hall, Sasuke noticed that there wasn't really any precautions put up around him. Sakura was the only other person with him- no guards or anyone else. And, to top it off, she was walking in front of him, with her back turned, guard down. There were so many openings, so many easy ways for him to escape. Yet, he didn't even bother to attempt anything.

He was partly curious; curious to know what Gaara had in mind for him, and he was partly, for lack of better word, lazy. He didn't want to bother with trying to escape, barely getting out, then having to start wandering again. It was as if he wanted to settle down.

They approached the same doors that Sakura had led him to a week earlier and she knocked again, the same, sharp knock. Sasuke guessed it was some sort of code that signified it was Sakura at the door. Maybe she had some position or power he didn't know about.

They entered the room and Sasuke stared as Gaara looked up from his desk, a grimace on his features.

"Uchiha Sasuke", his voice was tired, "I have a bargain to strike with you".

"What is it?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"The Sand Village has received a request to send out a highly skilled squad of four shinobi to a top secret mission".

"And?"

"And, as much as your previous behavior has prompted me not to trust you, we have a shortage of high-ranked shinobi at the moment".

"So you need me to go on this mission?" Sasuke's disrespectful tone caused Gaara look up and the two glared at each other for a moment before Gaara began speaking again.

"The only reason I even considered allowing you to participate in this mission was because Sakura vouched for you. As a result, she is going on the mission as well, as the medic-nin in the squad, and to keep an eye on you".

"What makes you think I want to do anything for you?" Sasuke challenged.

"If this mission ends in success, you are free to leave our surveillance. If you wish it, we will provide you with housing here and you can continue you life as a shinobi, participating in missions and earning a living".

"And if I fail?"

"In this particular mission, failure results in death, not because we bring it upon you, but because of the danger of the mission. And if you choose not to be a part of the squad, you'll return to the cell you were in and stay there. Indefinitely".

"I'll take it", Sasuke decided. Anywhere was better than being stuck in that stupid room.

"Very well. Sakura", Gaara turned to the kunoichi, who had been standing silently in the room, "He is now under your orders and your watch. Do as you please".

Sakura nodded and left the room, Sasuke reluctantly following after her. As they walked back to the room Sasuke had been in earlier, he took the chance to fire questions at her.

"You knew what it was going to be about", he accused her, "This was all your idea. I don't need you help and I don't need your pity".

"How do you know I did anything for you?" Sakura shot back, anger pulsing through her. Stupid, self-centered…bastard.

"Then what was that all about?" he retorted, sounding just as angry.

"I did it because we really need a member like you on the squad", they'd reached the room and Sakura paused at the door, grasping the handle with both hands, "I may not know exactly what you're capable of at the moment, but I know enough to know that you would be a great asset to this mission".

"So that was the reason?" Sasuke mused quietly.

"And", Sakura took a deep breath, "I didn't want you to be locked up in that room. Not for you, but for my sake".

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Nothing", she waved away his question and prompted him into the room, ordering him to make any necessary preparations and meet at the entrance of the village in an hour. Then, without another word, Sakura swiftly left the room, slamming the door behind her.


They'd been traveling for at least a day now, and Sasuke had yet to learn a single thing about the mission he was on. The two other members of the squad spoke only to Sakura and didn't reveal anything about themselves. Sakura was even more secretive, not even bothering to tell Sasuke exactly what they were going to do. He was left in the dark and he hated it more than ever.

As they reached a clearing in the forest, Sakura halted and held out a hand, signaling for the others to slow down and raise their guard.

"We're being tracked", she whispered, her eyes darting around suspiciously.

"On the left", one of the shinobi on the squad, who had a unique shade of dark green hair and creepy, gray-green eyes, motioned to an area of the forest beyond them. Sasuke could only guess that this guy had eyes with some power unknown to him... maybe something like the sharingan?

He turned on his own eyes and looked around, surveying the area, but found nothing suspicious.

"We have to throw them off", Sakura murmured quietly, "we need to split up".

"There's a large cave 300 meters from here, in the south-east direction", the same shinobi with the gray-green eyes announced.

He must have eyes similar to the byakugan, Sasuke thought, studying the shinobi who'd just spoken.

"We'll meet there, then", Sakura decided, "You two take the route to the east. Sasuke and I will go from the south".

They split up and Sasuke hurried after Sakura, jumping from branch to branch as she sped ahead of him. From a distance, the pink in her hair and the red outfit she wore reminded him of the young Sakura, and he felt a bit of yearning in him. He yearned for the old days, when he'd first become a genin, and things were much simpler. True, he still thought of going after Itachi, but back then, it'd all seemed like something for the far future.

It surprised him how quickly time moved. Now, Itachi was gone and he felt as if a part of his life had died.

"Hurry up", Sakura's voice broke into his thoughts and his head snapped up. In the distance, they could see the cave that they were to meet at, although the other two on their squad had not yet arrived.

"We'll wait here", Sakura murmured, walking into the cave. Sasuke trailed in behind her and sat down near the entrance, watching the area around them for any movement. Sakura had wandered into the back of the cave, leaving him in silence.

"Sakura?" her name came our hoarsely; he wasn't used to calling her.

No reply.

"Sakura", he repeated her name, "there's something out there".

Still no reply.

"Sakura!" Sasuke hissed, alarm ringing through his voice as he watched massive areas of the forest- trees, to be precise- explode into pieces. Something with an immense amount of energy and power was attacking and he had no idea what to do.

It wasn't that he didn't know how to react; he just didn't know what he was really allowed to do, and the fact that his teammate had disappeared wasn't helping. She had never given him any details about the mission, but something made him feel like whatever was blowing up the forest was part of this mission that he was on.

"Sakura!" he tried again, yelling her name into the cave.

"I know, I know!" her reply finally came back, bouncing of the cave walls. A moment later, she emerged and stood beside him, watching the trees topple over, until part of the forest disappeared.

Sasuke looked at her, studying her expression carefully, and found it to be one of hurt, guilt, pity. Wasn't she supposed to be a shinobi? And wasn't this thing supposed to be the enemy? But, she'd looked as if she wanted to side with whatever was attacking the forest, and that she wanted to somehow help it. What the hell was going on?

"What is that thing?" he demanded, staring at Sakura until she had no choice but to meet his eyes. He was shocked to see that her bright green eyes, usually so strong and determined, were tear-filled.

"Sas-Sasuke", her lips quivered and her words came out in fragments, "I-I lied to you".

He didn't reply, but his eyes urged her to go on.

"N-not everyone in Konoha d-died", a tear slipped down her cheek, but she continued, "t-the other survivor s-saw that Itachi had d-died and he immediate thought of y-you and what your life would t-turn into you. S-so he went to search for you. He r-ran away to search for y-you, but with n-no one to keep him in check, h-he turned into a monster".

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke was thoroughly confused, "who was the survivor?"

"T-that's the survivor", Sakura pointed to the invisible force that was destroying the forest and coming closer towards the cave.

"What?'

"Th-this mission, Sasuke, is j-just for us. We s-split up so the other two shinobi could r-return safely. Our mission is t-to find the monster a-and return him to his h-human form, then b-bring him home".

"Why?"

"B-because it's the kyuubi's form with five tails, Sasuke. B-because it's Naruto".