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Chapter Five: I'll Be Back

Sasuke stared at Sakura in shock. She was panting, as if she had been fighting for awhile. She was clutching her leg, and blood was dripping on the ground.

Sasuke took a step forward to assist her, but she stopped him.

"No, Sasuke. This is my fight. You don't have to defend me anymore."

She grasped the kunai sticking out of her leg and pulled it out, careful not to injure herself more. She hissed at the pain, and tears sprung to her eyes. But she didn't let them drop as she threw the kunai aside.

Her hand started glowing green and she started to heal herself. Just after she managed to clot the blood, a kunai was thrown at her and Sakura was forced to jump aside, making her abandon her attempt at healing herself.

Sasuke's eyes searched for her attacker, but he couldn't see past the darkness.

"Sharingan!" he yelled. He gritted his teeth as the curse mark responded. He willed it to recede, but it was still hovering on the brink of taking over him.

He heard Sakura panting from exertion, and he heard her swear. Since when does Sakura swear? Not that I care, he hastily added in his mind. His attention shifted to trying to locate the attacker.

He saw Sakura pull another kunai out of her shoulder, and decided enough was enough. It was time to intervene before he went crazy.

He jumped in front of Sakura and deflected a kunai that was aimed at her heart.

"Sasuke! Stay out of this!" Sakura gritted her teeth against the pain as a wave of dizziness washed over her.

"Shut up, Sakura. Just heal yourself." Sasuke didn't look back. "I've got you covered!"

Sakura knew that she couldn't go on unless she healed herself. She willed herself not to respond, and went about healing her massive wounds. She cursed silently to herself. It was going to take a lot of chakra.

Sasuke's blood red eyes roved every which way, trying to locate and identify the assailant. Sasuke heard the boom of thunder. He hadn't noticed the storm clouds coming their way until now. He had been too preoccupied with thoughts of a certain pink-haired annoying kunoichi.

Kunai were thrown at him. He caught them and threw them in the direction they had come in. He didn't hear a grunt to indicate that they had found their mark.

Sasuke's eyes were adjusting to the darkness now. The fire had burned low. Sakura was obviously too preoccupied to put wood on it.

Thunder boomed again, this time closer and louder. Clouds blocked the sky so the stars were no longer visible, making the night darker and darker. The moonlight disappeared, and so did the fire when the sky opened up to pelt the helpless victims on the ground with rainwater.

Sakura looked up at the rain. She had mostly healed herself. No more kunais were thrown at them for a full two minutes. They just stood there, panting, the rain pummeling them mercilessly.

Sakura started shivering. Then a bolt of lightning struck across the sky. It temporarily illuminated the grounds, and Sasuke saw a dark figure in the distance. He threw a kunai at him, but the light was instantly replaced by darkness.

"Sasuke, I saw him."

Sasuke nodded. "I did too."

Then another kunai came hurtling towards Sakura. She would've dodged it but that would've meant that Sasuke got a kunai in the back, so she deflected it instead. It was getting harder to see between the rain and the darkness.

Another bolt of lightning followed quickly by thunder.

This time they didn't see the figure.

Sakura's heart was beating fast. She didn't know where he was. It was the same dangerous chakra that she had sensed earlier on in the day. Sakura shuddered when she remembered what had happened.

Sakura leaned against the tree and yawned. Man, she was tired. The cool night breeze gently ruffled her hair, which was still short. She hadn't grown it out yet as a symbol of her newfound bravery. Long hair was for the past Sakura. The one that was weak.

Her thoughts turned back to the day she cut her hair. Sasuke had acted like he…cared…on that day.

Sakura shook her head. She wasn't going to think about the past. All she had was the future.

Sakura could feel her eyelids drooping. She fought to keep them open, but they were so heavy.

Just when she was about to lose consciousness her heart started pounding. Her senses went haywire. Her eyes went wide. It…it's the same chakra from before…that disturbing, dangerous chakra, she thought.

It was rapidly approaching. And just when it was almost to her, it disappeared.

"What the- guh!" Sakura hissed in pain as the kunai entered her thigh. She stood up on her good leg and searched wildly for her assailant, but it was too dark.

She was about to wake up Sasuke when something stopped her. She didn't want him to know that she was unable to take care of things without him. Sakura gritted her teeth against the pain and clutched her leg, eyes roving to find her attacker.

She couldn't sense his chakra and swore. He must have masked his chakra, she thought.

She felt a rustling behind her, and a deep, silky voice whispered in her ear. "Well, well. Uchiha's got himself a pretty one here."

Sakura's heart stopped. When a cold hand touched her shoulder, she screamed bloody murder. The man swore, and put a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh. We don't want Uchiha spoiling our fun, do we?" he asked silkily.

Sakura shuddered, and then sent her chakra to her elbow and rammed it into his stomach. She heard a satisfying grunt, and he let go of her. She spun around to see who it was, but he was gone. Sakura was breathing hard, and trying to ignore the pain in her leg.

Then Sasuke came out. She swore. She didn't want him involved. The man attacked her. This was her fight.

Sasuke took a step forward, and Sakura stopped him.

"No, Sasuke. This is my fight. You don't have to defend me anymore," she said.

"Sasuke, you know him."

Sasuke didn't look at her. He didn't want to see her blood. It was driving him crazy. Even though she had healed herself, he could still hear the pain in her voice.

"How?" he responded, searching for him in the darkness.

"I don't know, but he said, 'Well, well. Uchiha's got himself a pretty one here.' So he must know you somehow."

Sasuke jaw clenched when he heard this. "He didn't…touch you…did he?" Sasuke still didn't look at her. Though his voice remained cool, Sakura wondered if his eyes held concern for her.

"No, Sasuke. Not in the way you mean." Sasuke couldn't stop the relieved sigh. It was hard enough holding back the curse knowing that he hurt her, but if he had touched her in any way, then Sasuke would have been lost.

Another bolt of lightning struck the sky, followed quickly by thunder. During the moment when the forked bolt lit up the sky, Sasuke and Sakura saw a man standing about thirty feet away from them, a black robe with flashes of red on it billowing in the wind, and a straw hat. They could faintly hear, above the roar of the storm, the tinkling of the chains hanging off of his hat. All they saw was a flash, but it was enough.

"Akatsuki!" Sakura gasped.

Sasuke was about to charge again, when the heard a voice on the wind whisper, "I'll be back for you, Uchiha, and you're pretty friend."

Sasuke froze. They wanted Sakura too? he thought. But why would anyone want Sakura? Other than Orochimaru and his sadistic ways…

Sasuke finally got over his shock and looked at Sakura. She looked about every emotion…sad…amazed…shocked…scared…anger.

Sasuke felt more confused than he had in a long time. He felt the need to provide Sakura with some sort of comfort. He told himself he didn't want an emotional girl on his hands.

"Sakura, don't worry. I won't let them get to you."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't know you cared, Sasuke."

"Hn. I don't. I just don't want to have to deal with an emotional female right now."

"You have an excuse for everything, don't you?" Sakura asked, her voice raising.

Sasuke didn't answer her, but rather looked at her. His blood red eyes were now black obsidian. Sakura hobbled forwards, towards him. Sasuke didn't move.

"Sasuke…you of all people should know this. You don't know what you until it's gone. I would hate for you to take people who care about for granted. After you betrayed Konoha they are few and far between. Stop pushing me away when you need me the most!" Sakura had grabbed onto Sasuke's shirt and pulled them closer so that she was in his face, but she was talking quietly. When she said the last sentence tears formed in her eyes.

When Sasuke just looked at her, not responding, Sakura shook him. "Damn you! You are so cold! I still don't understand why I love you but I do!" She let go of him and pushed him away. She stopped yelling, and spoke in a quiet, broken voice. "I have ever since our first real mission. We were traveling to the Land of Waves, escorting Tazuna, the bridge builder, home. On the road we were attacked by two ninjas. I froze when they came at me, but I still tried to protect Tazuna. Before they could reach me, though, you stepped in front of me. I…I thought you hadn't cared at all. But when you saved me, putting yourself between me and danger, I thought that there was hope."

Sakura felt the tears falling down her cheeks, and she hastily wiped them away. She looked at Sasuke, who was looking down. Sakura became angry again. "Sasuke, I know that deep down you care." She started shouting at him again, and grabbed the front of his shirt, and brought his face down to hers. "Let go of your hatred, Sasuke. It's going to destroy you and those who care about you." She whispered this, and her face came to closer to his. Sasuke knew what she was going to do and grabbed her hands and shoved her away before she could kiss him again. It took all of his willpower to do so. He hated the way she let out a choked sob, hated the way he treated her. It's for her own good, he told himself, if anything just to comfort the fact that he hated himself.

But Sakura wouldn't give up. "Sasuke, please. Just let it go. Revenge won't bring back your clan! It won't help anyone!"

Sasuke turned to walk away from her. Sakura limped after him, stifling the urge to cry out in pain. "Sasuke! If you let Orochimaru win, it could be the end of us all! He'll attack Konoha, and all of your old friends and your comrades!"

Sasuke kept on walking. Sakura tried to keep up, but her leg gave out and she fell to ground. She gritted her teeth and sat up. "Sasuke, I'll die if you leave me again."

This time Sasuke did stop. He turned around. "Sakura, go back to camp and sleep. You'll just tire yourself out and then I'll have to slow down. We're leaving at sunrise."

Sakura sat there in the rain, not caring how much she was shivering. It hurt like a dagger to her heart that he was so cold, that he couldn't say any kind words to her. She clutched her heart and cried. She put a hand over her face to shield him from view, so she wouldn't have to see him leaving her again. When she finally stopped crying she felt light headed, and when she tried to stand she swayed. Just as she was about to fall, a pair of arms encircled her, holding her steady.

She felt herself being carried. She looked up at Sasuke. Rain poured over the both of them.

"Sasuke…thank you."

He didn't say anything, but his arms tightened his hold on her. It was enough for Sakura. For all his cold ways, Sasuke really did care.

"Sasuke, what are we going to do? That was an Akatsuki member that attacked me. He said he'll be back." Sakura yawned. "Did you get a look at who he was?"

"No."

"Oh." Sakura's eyes closed. She slept, heedless of the pounding rain and the pounding of a heart.

Sakura woke up in the tent. She yawned and stretched. Her muscles were sore, and she began healing them again. She got out of the tent and walked around, the sunshine pouring over her. It made the droplets on everything glisten in the morning light.

Sakura looked for Sasuke, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Sakura went about picking up their camp. She was ready to go in five minutes. Just as she was getting impatient Sasuke jumped down from a tree.

"Where were you?" Sakura asked.

"Nowhere."

"Hmph. Fine. So, are we almost to our destination?"

"If we hurry through this cursed place."

Sakura nodded. They traveled swiftly from tree to tree, taking only one break. When the sun was in the middle of the sky they took a break and ate a little bit of food.

Sakura didn't say much, and Sasuke didn't say anything at all. At sundown Sasuke stopped her.

"We'll stop here for the night."

Sakura nodded and went to set up camp, but Sasuke stopped her. "We'll be sleeping under the stars tonight."

"O-okay." Sakura didn't mind. She loved falling asleep under the stars. But it made her feel uncomfortable, knowing that there was an Akatsuki member out to get Sasuke…and apparently her, too. She didn't know why, either.

Sakura didn't think much more on it when she yawned, and quickly fell asleep. Sasuke did the same, but kept himself awake. He just dozed so he could rest and rejuvenate.

"Hmm…this just keeps getting better and better. I'll have to report this to the leader right away." The dark-robed figure jumped off into the night, holding on to his straw hat and listening to it jingle in the wind.

Sorry for the late update. I had to catch up on sleep because I didn't get any sleep last night (I had my b-day party) so don't hate me. So here's the update! Sorry guys I really don't want to respond to every review, but I'll respond to a few of them. Please review! They are very much appreciated…I'm glad everyone likes my story! Ooooh….see if you can guess which Akatsuki member attacked them???? If people guess right I might update sooner! (Okay sorry it that's blackmail or a bribe) : ) So anyways. Review!

Kunoichi142- I made the jutsu up myself! I feel very proud that I actually made one up. But I wanted to make Sakura have a really cool jutsu because everyone else did. Sorry she didn't really show off her stronger side. Don't worry, Sakura will kick some major but in the future!

KagomeEschra- Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it!

Sakura-Blossom-Lover and darknesses-light- Thank you for informing me on Matsuki's gender. I feel bad that I couldn't tell…well now hopefully Gaara has someone to love!

Wind Raven Dragon- Wow I didn't think I was that good. Well, thank you!