The next day, she was sleeping in when a tapping at her bedroom window. She groggily opened her eyes to see Shikamaru and Naruto crouching on her windowsill, and sighed before throwing her covers off and opening the window. "What?" "Sasuke's been kidnapped by the Sound village…we need you…" Michiko's eyes widened, and she grabbed her new ANBU uniform, saying, "Let me get dressed first! TURN AROUND!!!" They both turned around obediently as she quickly changed, putting on her ANBU mask, which now had the Konoha symbol engraved on the forehead. The necklace clinked softly on the armor as she said, "Let's go."
They were grouped up with Neji and Chouji, and they started following after the Sound Nin. Michiko was the leader, being an ANBU captain, but Shikamaru directed the Genin. "I'm going on ahead! You guys be careful!" she ordered, and started speeding up, gone from everyone's sight like a flash of silver. She masked her chakra effectively, silent as a shadow and deadly as a flash of lightning. She noticed how the group of Sound Nin separated, and worry gripped her heart. 'The other's are fighting…' she gripped her necklace. 'Please be okay, guys…please…' She was surprised when Lee joined up with them, and followed Sasuke and Naruto to the Valley Of The End. As the vicious fight escalated, Michiko felt this was too much. "STOP!!!" She plunged her Chidori between them, glaring at them both.
"Stop fighting!! You're BOTH being unreasonable!!" Her chakra seemed to be growing, but she didn't seem to notice. "Sasuke, stop being stubborn and come back to Konoha…" "No…I've already made my decision…" She sighed, and she took out two kunai. "Don't make me take you by force…" her ANBU mask was on top of her head, showing her icy blue eyes. "I'll take care of this, Michi-chan…" Michiko looked uncertainly at Naruto, but backed down. But the moment Rasengan and Chidori clashed again, making Naruto faint and Sasuke weak, Michiko panicked. "NARUTO!!" Before she could move to his side, Sasuke got in the way, holding her down by her wrists on the ground.
"Sasuke!! Get OFF!!" she ordered, her tone devoid of its usual playfulness. "No." She started struggling, but he was physically stronger, and heavier, than her, so she stayed down. "Why are you with him?" she stopped her struggles to give him a confused look, and his grip on her wrists tightened. "Why do you like Naruto?!" "I don't know WHY…I just do…you can't help who you fall in love with, Sasuke…" she thought she saw something like jealousy flash through his red Sharingan eyes, and he said, "But you can't be with him!" his grip on her tightened. "If anything, you should be with me!" That statement stopped her heart, and surprise was the only emotion on her face as she looked right into the Sharingan eyes. "Gomen, Sasuke…but I don't feel the same way about you…" If it was possible, his grip was even tighter, and she could see the inner conflict in his eyes. "Then you're coming with me…" "NO!! You know I can't!!" she was finally free of his grip, and back flipped away, finally on her own two feet.
She raised her fist, punching the ground with all her might, and it shattered like glass. Sasuke dodged, and said, "Please, Michiko…you don't understand…" "What don't I understand?" he appeared behind her, whispering, "You're the only one who can help me restore my clan…" she whirled around, smacking him across the face. There was a moment of silence, and he touched his stinging cheek lightly. "You've always been the violent one…" he sighed. "But, unfortunately, I need to be going…" Before she could say anything, before she could react, he kissed her, and she couldn't help but compare it to Itachi's. Rough and passionate, bitter-tasting, and nothing like the sweetness she'd felt in Naruto's kisses.
She pushed him away roughly, breathing hard. He left in a flash, and she made sure he wasn't going to attack before going to Naruto's side. 'When I'm sure he's alright, I'll go after Sasuke…' When she'd healed his wounds, Kakashi appeared, and lifted Naruto up. "We need to go, Michiko…we can't get him back now…" "But-!" "No 'buts', Michi!" She hesitantly followed her father, and immediately helped healing the friends that got mortally injured. When she came out, tired and irritated, she saw the Sand Siblings sitting in the waiting room. "Tema-chan! Kan-kun!" she hesitated slightly, before saying, "Gaara-kun…" Temari and Kankurou hugged her, and she went up to Gaara with an uneasy aura. She wasn't sure if she should hug him or shake his hand.
Luckily, he chose for her, hugging her tight. "I'm glad you guys helped them out…I'm very thankful…" "It was nothing…" 'I just wish that I had brought Sasuke back…'