Summary- In the natural scheme of things, the dead stay dead. But in the world of ninjas, nothing's for certain anymore. Sasu/Saku.

&dedicated to: DreamerGirl92813 (for reviewing first yet again! ;D) and Kunoichi Sedona (for reviewing every chapter in a row. welcome to Refuge!)

&the DISCLAIMER is APPLIED, alright? no more law suits, okay?!

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chapter six of

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R.E.F.
U.G.E.

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oh yeah.

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March 14

Location- Waves

The solid gray sky emitted a strange silver glow on his raven colored hair. He was tall, Sakura thought. He stood silent and grave, almost like a ghost, lingering in the shades of the trees. He took a step forward out of the shadows, but not a single sound drifted to her ears. He seemed to still be moving closer, yet his advances were silent. He walked deliberately and carelessly; a cheetah pouncing on its prey came to mind. Wryly, she pondered her chances of being his prey –even more, she speculated why he was here.

But Sakura didn't make any move to face his direction. She made sure she hadn't swayed an inch. His eyes were much too sharp to miss any reaction -of fear or of nervousness. Forcefully, she pulled her face blank. She was surrounded by bloody bodies and broken buildings, but Sasuke's figure was a blur to her eyes, just a haze -a mirage- haunting her distraught mind. With a dry humor, she contemplated the probability of this being just another "stress-induced hallucination". Although if she had've chosen to hallucinate him, she certainly would've imagined a more convenient and less threatening meeting.

Mist swept across the reflecting surface of the water, the stillness of the moment shattering as Sakura slowly turned her back to the morbid scene. Resting her hand on her hip, she met Sasuke's narrowed eyes with her own. Uncharacteristically, she found herself without a million thoughts running through her mind. Silent, like everything else. Then across the distance, she picked up the faint sound of her name drifting to her ears; no sooner, she was abruptly staring into his broad chest.

Cool air rushed lightly to her face, blowing her hair back in a single whoosh. He's gotten fast, Sakura noted as she raised her head to look him in the eye, briefly wondering if he was trying to intimidate her by standing so close to her. What in the world did he want with her, anyway? No, what could he want from her?

Sasuke's jaw remained level to the ground for five even seconds, not even looking her in the eye, merely facing the space between their two respective heights. His strong features lowered to glare down at her. His mouth opened in that instant. And she half expected him to close it and walk away. When was the last time she heard him speak? "What are you doing here, Sakura?" his baritone voice reverberating from the very depth of his chest.

Straight to the point, as always, right, Sasuke? For a moment Sakura let herself think of Team 7: were we always so intolerable to you, Sasuke?

Unaffected, a taunting smile curved her lips. Defiance surged through her like an angry storm, forming into a knot burning in her stomach. Did he expected her to answer him? He needs a response and she's supposed to give it to him just because he asked? He wasn't someone who was going to throw her off-balance. Unlike Naruto, she wasn't ever able to get away from life after Sasuke left… -all the passing comments, all the whispers, all the pitying looks.

So if he thinks I'm going to hand over what he wants, she thought with grim satisfaction, then he's dead wrong.

Sakura teasingly shrugged her shoulders and glanced over his shoulder. "I don't really know." She held in a victorious smirk at her nonchalant manner. Last she remembered, nothing bothered Sasuke so much as someone not taking him seriously. Although she had to admit that looking up at someone and sounding serious was a feat she wasn't sure she would entirely pull off.

Dipping his face, Sasuke paused with his eyes just above hers, a frown dropping the corners of his lips. "Don't test me, Sakura." That might have possibly been the best toneless voice that she had ever heard. While including all the intended harshness.

But she was steadily getting annoyed at how he said her name. Was he really talking down to her? Although, Sasuke was progressively becoming more and more murderous as she hesitated answering. Sakura debated the consequences of provoking him any further. Cocking her head to the side in a nature very close to a challenge, she elaborated. Barely. "Actually, I meant what I said. So what are you doing here, Sasuke?"

Not expecting a response at all, she turned on her heel, pivoting in the opposite direction. The tops of the trees bobbed up and down as she marched towards the lake's edge. She almost couldn't believe herself. Was she really walking away from him? Just like that? Getting him back to Konoha had been the goal of years of hard work, and she honestly wasn't going to try anymore? Even though she technically couldn't get him into Konoha, because of the simple fact that she couldn't get into Konoha. Not legally.

And why was he here, anyway? It's a common fact that no one just runs into Sasuke Uchiha. Ever. Even with all the head hunters after him, he's never caught off-guard or cornered. So what could he possibly want with this place? Or her, for that matter. Did he know what happened here?

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura risked one last glance at the demolished wasteland. She was here; she knew she had been. But why? When?

Breaking her train of thought, Sakura felt Sasuke's hand wrap around her upper arm, jerking her back to face him. His fingers crushed into her skin in a vice-like grip. She caught his eyes narrow at the headband tied inward on her arm. Apparently, she noted wistfully, she underestimated his growth in speed. She hadn't felt him move.

He looked up at her and waited for an explanation, his black eyes gazing straight through her. She raised her chin and glared, daring him to ask. (He had always hated having to ask questions, she remembered.) But he'd already figured it out within seconds of seeing her. She wouldn't need to explain. She hadn't batted an eyelash when she first saw him… That alone gave away her circumstances because if she was a Leaf ninja, she would have been obligated to try to arrest him.

If.

"Hey, you! Lady!"

Heavy footsteps sloppily trudged through the muddy ground. Now, what? Sakura thought. She glanced over towards the man and sighed. A civilian never truly presented a threat to any self-respecting ninja. And right now he was in the way.

"Yes, you! You owe me some reimbursement!" His last stomp sent a splash of mud up in the air, marring the sides of his thick jeans.

Sakura turned to fully face him, putting her back to Sasuke out of spite. She heard him grunt at the demeaning gesture. She gave the man in front of her a swift, measured look; what would a farmer want with her? He was either stupid or blind to take on two ninjas… missing ninjas, at that. Doesn't he should know that they didn't have any allegiance to keep from killing him?

Deciding to ignore Sasuke a little longer, Sakura began walking toward the man. He was in was in his late thirties; early forties? A little young for a death wish. "What do you mean I owe you 'reimbursement'? I don't know you," she responded, hoping to end the conversation before he could get hurt. Water rippled against her ankles and alerted her to Sasuke's shift. He wouldn't actually hurt a civilian..., would he?

The man huffed in response. "Yes, well the friends you were with wrecked my field and someone's obligated to pay for it. And it looks like you're the one who has to deal with it now." In another circumstance, she might have laughed at how he sounded. As if he could make her do anything.

Sakura's face tensed in mild confusion. "Friends?" The man rolled his eyes and chided her. "Don't play innocent with me. Tall, black cloaks." She paused as his words dawned on her.Resending chakra to her feet, she promptly jumped in front of the man, standing close enough to smell the fading odor of whiskey in his breath. Fabulous. He was worse than stupid; he was drunk.

Grabbing a fist of coarse denim, Sakura pulled him toward her and worked to keep the distress out of her voice as she said, "What did the cloaks look like? And why did you think they were my friends?"

Sakura only got another whiff of hard liquor and debated whether or not being so close to him was worth it. His scruffy, brown five o' clock shadow muffled his complaints about being woman-handled, and he vainly attempted to wriggle himself out of her unyielding grasp. Sakura resisted rolling her eyes; like he could get away. "Let me down and I'll tell you!"

Hm. Sober enough to dislike being picked up by a female. And he's also not slurring his words. All very good signs, she noted.

"Fine, but answer my question," Sakura muttered while she let go of the farmer. In return, a fresh waft of air filled up her breathing space once again.

His heavy boots clanked as he fell backwards, the motion causing his dirt covered overalls to swish up and down. His arms flailed out to regain his balance, and he looked so disoriented, Sakura wondered if she'd have to ask him again. He stared at her for a second with the blankest look on his face before he answered, "Well you would know: they were with you. They had those black capes with puffy red splotches on them. Except yours."

Sakura shifted to her left foot. Should she push her luck with the man? Because he could take advantage of his situation and refuse to tell her anything else until she paid him for the damage. Which she would be unable to do for quite some time, without of course, illegal measures taken into consideration. Which was beyond out of her options.

Water pushed against her boots and forgetting the topic on hand, she noticed Sasuke's intense glower, most likely directed toward the conversation itself. Scowling, he strode up behind her. Radiating heat tickled her back when he did- a major contrast from the settled cold. Snapping her attention back, Sakura questioned him anyway. "But what were they doing with me, though? Are you sure they were with me?"

The farmer played with the thin straw between his teeth and took his time responding, this time with a tiny slur present. "...I don't know, lady. You raced across my field and they chased you. You looked over your back and seemed to know them. It was... three or four of them, each one a couple feet from each other, tearing through my crops that took me months-"

"Yes, I understand that; I'm very sorry for the trouble, but were they chasing me, and I was trying to get away? Did they catch me?"

Landing a rough, calloused finger on the side of his tanned face, he stared at her. He had started to sway a little and was looking more disoriented. "Do you not remember? It was two weeks ago. And I don't know what happened after that."

Two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago was the day she woke up in Rain. Wearing exactly what he described. Sakura's mouth set in a line as she sighed. He just made everything more confusing. "That's all you saw?"

His swaying tuft of brown hair bobbed up as he looked back at her. He wiped his hands on his overalls and retorted, "Huh, I guess I'm all out of whatever you're interested in, so now you don't have any reason to stay, am I right? Well, I don't know why you're here again, but you need to pay for the damage. I've already lost enough money these past couple of weeks, as it is."

Slight shame inched onto her face. Sakura's pink locks fell in front of her face as she mumbled an apology. She was all too aware of her empty wallet. And again, stealing wasn't an option. It wasn't as if she could pay him, and it really wasn't his fault this happened. "I'm sorry; I don't have anything to give you right now."

He was looking far from sympathetic; angrily he reminded her, "I can guess that! I don't need an excuse; I need some damn money!"

She bit back an irritated remark. Firmly looking at him, Sakura made a promise she wasn't altogether sure she could keep: "I can't now, but I'll get you the money during the first week of spring. I promise."

His now glazed brown eyes glared hatefully at her. Clumsily, he motioned to her, grunting with disbelief. "Like I'd trust you, anyway! You're the reason I have a problem in the first place, you little b-"

His speech slurred as he fell forward; Sakura retracted her hand from the back of his neck in time to catch him before he hit the ground. Sighing, she heaved his weight onto her shoulders with an eerie amount of ease, still having to hold her breath at the strong stench of alcohol on both his breath and clothes. He certainly was not the happiest drunk she had ever encountered. She set him down under a nearby tree and pulled herself out from under his arms to slide back. Gazing into the forest line, she wondered why he was here in the first place, and then remembered the line of farms in the village. Sakura glanced at him and thought about which one might be his. But it was a little late to ask him now. And should she really believe everything some smelly drunk told her?

She looked over her shoulder, only half surprised to see that Sasuke was still there. Since when did he wait around for anybody? "What do you want, Sasuke? I'm sure you don't want to waste anymore time here standing around with me." She felt a very slight satisfaction that she had made him wait for something.

His bangs brushed across his high cheekbones as he tilted his head in her general location. His lips slightly parted, but that was the last thing she saw before she felt his strong arms pinning her against the tree. Ruefully, she smiled against his hair in that instant. He loved using drama to get his point across far too much. He only remembered her from before; thinking from that perspective, physical force was a good angle to try. But he would learn it wouldn't get him anywhere. "You're right. I don't want to waste my time; so go ahead and tell me what happened here."

Sakura rolled her eyes for his benefit. Listlessly rolling her head to the side, she faced him directly. "And why would you care about anything that's happened to me, Sasuke? There has to be something in it for you. In fact, are you here because you thought Itachi would be here? You couldn't have come just to see pitiful me for old times' sake."

A smug smile crept on her face. He looked positively menacing. "I take it I'm good at guessing?" she said.

Sasuke's grip on the bark of the tree tightened considerably as she heard it give way to a sharp crack. Sakura grunted at his moodiness. "Don't threaten me, Sasuke. We both know you won't kill me."

His pale skin almost glittered in the gray light when he cockily raised his head, a superior smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He always was the quickest. Threatening her would get him nowhere, so he might as well be the arrogant son of a bitch that he was. "And why's that?"

Bringing her face closer to his, Sakura countered, "One: let's face it; you don't think I'm worth your time to kill, and two: if you wanted me dead, I'd most likely be dead right now, and three: you're still hanging around. You think I know something that I don't, but are too stubborn to believe me when I say I don't, because I'm your only chance right now, aren't I, Sasuke?"

His smirk fell into its typical deep scowl, etching fine lines around his mouth. "I have my reasons, and you're not dead because I've found a use for you, Sakura," his breath tickling her face as he leaned in before pushing away and turning in the opposite direction.

As usual. Always walking away. Sakura frowned at his back, bitterness swelling up in her chest.

"Are you coming?"

Sakura's head snapped up to Sasuke's face. He had better be joking. "And why would I do that, Sasuke?" she asked, not liking his bossy attitude toward her when she hadn't seen him in three years. But then again, what's three years between friends, right?

Barely looking over his shoulder, he kept his face impassive and acted like it was obvious. "What else do you have to do? You're a missing ninja, right?" (Regretfully, she realized that none of his mannerisms had changed while he was away. That same cocky tilt of his chin while he looked over his shoulder…) But absolutely refusing to grace him with a response for that one, she returned the best deadpan face she had.

"I have a job for you to do and happen to know something about this building, which you're obviously interested in. Good enough for you?"

Sakura bit back her tongue at his tone; glaring at his outline, she chimed in a "Fine," and immediately regretted it at Sasuke's smug reaction. Following him into the woods, she briefly wondered what she'd just gotten herself into. And really, what was she thinking in the first place? Sasuke always won in the end -it was one of his most proud accomplishments in life.

a/n.
drop a review for your tired authoress!

revised 2.01.09 (woo. :P)