I'll always be me.

You'll always be you.

Unless you change.

Then I will too.

There is only one word used to describe the fierce, menacing and overly annoying mood that seemed to attach it self to Sakura, and plague her as she franticly made her way home from the Chunin exams. One word that summed up her sagged shoulders, shallow breath, and raging, yet wary, expression that was glued to her face. This one word was, Frustration.

There were so many complications, and multiple endless mysteries on her hands. All of this seemed to be thrown at her in a single day. The Kiss. The meaning be hind Gaara's words, what Kakashi knew. Nothing, and honestly, nothing was making sense to her. She couldn't fathom a time of being this confused since she was three and her Mother told her that Babies didn't come from some flying fat bird in the sky that dropped them where ever they where supposed to be. However, the greatest, and most puzzling of them all that made the others pale in comparison was:

Did Sasuke read my letter? She shuddered at the thought of him ripping it to shreds, and walking away from the pieces as if it was meaningless to him.

Sasuke….

Sakura huddled inside of her blue medical gown trying with extreme care not to expose her tattered clothing and newly scarred skin.(Which would heal in time) . Her converse, though bright pink, were no where near decent and exciting. She looked a hot mess running down the street to her apartment like a psychopath being chased by the happy men in there clean white coats.

The moment she reached the door,(the small wooded door that seemed like the hand of an angel) and literally threw her self inside, was the moment, she realized that there truly was a God, and a heaven. She locked the door behind her and sighed heavily, taking in the usual aroma of her cozy little place.

"Yes, I'm saved! Alleluia!", she screamed to quite lavender scented serenity of her blue pastel home. It was like finding an ice cube in the middle of the dessert of your night mares. She had survived, just barely, the first rounds.

She made her way into her living room, nearly collapsing onto here black no stain coach. She gazed spaced out for a moment, at her arm chair. Upon the matching black of her sofa, she saw a long horizontal slash in it. The depth, and width was one of a kunai. Some one had either been inside her house, or, was still there.

Since when did that get there? I don't remember damaging anything….

Sakura scrambled through her mind for possibilities of a cause for the huge slash. However, all this did to her was create a convulsion in her chest, and a ripping pain through her head. She clutched at her skull and curled into a ball until the pain subsided moments later. Due to pressure of blood flow, and her smamall stature, thinking hurt her some times. That's what happened when you had no chakra, and your original strength was gone. She had to rest; there was no time to investigate.

It was just then that she heard the calling. The quiet , but still screaming call. It was her name. Something was calling to her. She rushed to her bath room, a mere corner turn around her kitchen. She stopped out side the door grabbing onto the door knob with a great for that could shatter the densest of glass. She listened closely to the repetitive sound of droplets beating her shower floor.

Singing to her in sweat fluid melodies, that warmed her ears and faded her senses.

The hot running shower was calling to her. It yearned to have her present and caress her with warm water and steam.

With out hesitation or a second thought to the shower that seemed to turn on by it self, she striped of her dirty clothing and amerced her self in the raining stream of water. Her pebble like bath room floor did nothing to slow her, as she let her self succumb to the tinted blue mist.

Bad idea.

Very bad idea.

Inner Sakura: Something's not right here. You didn't leave the shower running. Nor, should stream be tinted blue or any other color for the matter. . Sakura, stay on guard. Something is very wrong..

…

……

……

Sakura!

Sakura let her hair fall in silky curtains down her back as the water allowed it to ripple. She closed her deep emerald eyes, and breathed in the scent of her Passion Rose bathing oil. She felt the gentle water massage her aching muscles. It felt great, and oh so relaxing. It was a shame that she couldn't enjoy the feeling longer.

The door to her shower opened with out warning, and an unknown ninja grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back, and slammed her against the wall.

Sakura struggled and screamed, but her voice became muffled when he pressed her harder against the wall. This guy seemed scared to hurt her.

Sakura's mind screamed at her. She knew something was wrong. Why hadn't she noticed the more than obvious signs, the rip in her coach, the running shower, the obviously herb jutsu of the mist. She was drained of chakra, that was her down fall. She was dead tired and oblivious. Now she would pay for her mistakes.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?.", Sakura attempted to struggle against the tight hold of the ninja. In doing so , she noticed a couple of things. The ninja was a guy, the build and stature gave that away. This ninja was well armed. She felt the rough wet weapon pack, pressed against her back, only kunai and shuriken. , and third, he was wearing a mask. His breath sounded muffled, and unclear.

So it's like a game. Find out his identity. If I wait for the right moment, I'll make my move. I'm wet , so he won't keep a good hold on me. All I need to do is distract this guy.

" I won't answer the first question, but I'll tell answer the second one if you agree to come with me." , the low silky tone of the mans voice indicated room for negotiation, a challenge, and a small amount of amusement. Sakura tried to struggle again, but got no where.

She thought over the odds of her kicking his butt.

None.

Inner Sakura: Come on Sakura ! Think! Make him laugh of something.

She gave an aggravated sigh, and spoke, " What if I don't come with you, and you leave me alone you , bastard."

She heard the velvety sound of a chuckle come from him. It danced it's way to her ears, and for one moment, just one moment, she wanted it to never stop. It was such a nice sound. He couldn't have been much older than her. Possibly the same age. Possibilities.

"You're feistier than I remembered." He unconsciously eased up on her a bit to make room to breath better. That was all she needed.

Within seconds she was on top of him, pinning him to the wet floor. It was then that she got a good look at him. He was indeed about her age. He had wild dark colored hair. If she didn't know better, it might have even been a dark blue. He wore a simple sleeveless turtle neck .(Black.) His black jeans where touching the soft skin of her legs. He was well toned. Defiantly hot, but oddly familiar. His mask was the only thing that seemed out of place. It was white with two menacing snakes that twisted around the eye holes.

Interesting…

They stayed like that for a while. The enemy pinned to the ground, while Sakura assessed his ever breath. Even every blink of his eye lash. Piercing emerald on onyx blue iced crystals. Obviously he wasn't there to hurt her. She had no energy, and could have easily been over powered by him. However, he didn't lift a finger to move her wet frame from his own. They still stayed there, not moving, merely looking at each other. His eyes wandered down her figure, she did the same.

The plan is working; I just need the right spot to hit him with the poison needle.

(As a precaution, Sakura has a needle hidden in the small gap between her back teeth. It's' easily accessible to her. )

Sakura moved her hand in from his arm. She was testing to see if he would move, attack, but, he didn't.

Perfect.

She shifted her weight so that she was closer to him. He seemed to enjoy this. She could almost feel him smirking behind the mask. She mentally rolled her eyes. She brought one hand up to his hair, and gently stroked it. She could feel him getting excited. She moved her hand down ward towards the mask with a small grin on her face. He tensed under her.

No, I need his trust. I can't paralyze him if he doesn't trust me.

"Calm down", she whispered saucily. " Just let me kiss you". She lifted the bottom of his mask to expose his lips. She almost passed out, she was out of it, and did she actually admire the lips of her attacker? She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. She deepened the kiss. He turned force full and began to move his hand up and down her spin , pulling her closer to him. She moved her tongue into the gap between her teeth, she moaned as a very clever distraction. She moved her tongue to the back of his, and was about to inject the poison. He smirked against her lips, and tightened her tongue around the needle. Sakura screamed against his lips. She pulled away from him. His lips revealed a smirk as he spit the needle off to the side.

"Nice try."

She felt the pressure point on her neck get hit, as she collapsed into darkness.

Sakura's P.O.V

I woke up slowly . My lids felt heavy like led, but, not as heavy as my entire body. I felt weighed down by anchors. You could even say that a house had fell on me. That herb jutsu was an absorption type. I was literally drained of strength. My hair was still damp, and dripping on to my bed. I looked around, half expecting a kunai to be thrown at me, however, what I saw was far different.

The ninja was sitting at the edge of my bed, his face was out of my visual range, but, his hands weren't. He had the mask in his hand, spinning it on his pointer finger. I also saw that he was toying with some sort of pink fabric. It was a towel. My towel, he was drying his hair, with my favorite towel while I lay here wet wrapped in something uncomfortably warm. I paused at this though. I was in a towel as well, I could see the smooth baby blue material. Wow, he was gentle man. Who would have known. I should slap him.

"I have a proposition for you. I will give you the needed information that you will use to base your answer on, when I ask you a Yes, or No question. Understood? Answer Yes, or No." , he stopped spinning the mask and put it back onto his face.

"I'm not answering any questions until you tell me who you are and what you came here for.", I yelled defiantly, I may be tired. However, I'm an atomic bomb when you set me off.

It must have been half a second, but it couldn't have possibly been that long. There was a kunai suddenly pressed against my neck. The metal seemed warm in comparison to my skin. I inhaled sharply. I winced at my situation. I was partially paralyzed. My chakra storage was completely diminished. I thought of all my friends. Naruto. Hinata. Neji. Even Sasuke. I couldn't die yet, I needed to live, for them. I couldn't die until I proved to Sasuke that I was stronger.

"Yes or no."

I sighed in defeat, "Yes." This was going to be harder than I thought.

" Orochimaru is planning another attack on the Leaf Village. W e need leaf ninja willing to ambush. You have the strength, you have the skill. Will you join? You will have a reigning chair as Princess of The Darkened Leaf. You will be third in place of power." He paused, he seemed to be thinking deeply about something.

"Gee, thanks , but I don't want to be with a freak that licks everything with in three feet standing distance of himself."

He laughed again. The sound was so addicting and lovely. I had almost for got that this man held my life in the palm of his hands. I wasn't even funny. Was that nervous tension that I was sensing. " I take that as a no."

" You bet."

He got up from the bed. If not almost hesitantly. I could have sworn he was regretting this whole experience. He waved at me before making a few hand signs. I could sense his sadness as he did so. It wasn't like he knew that I had a way of finding out who he was. He could be a sad as he wanted to. He would be seeing me again. My fist to his eye. Foot to his eye. Any way you looked at it. He was officially a dead man.

"Wait!", I whispered, not a single drop of emotion in my voice. I really did try to sound convincing, but , I was a bad actress.

He turned.

"Will I see you again", I prayed that it sounded like I would miss him.

He half way turned to face me. The bottom half of his mask was up. He flash me a breath taking smile. I had to spend a moment trying to remember how to breath.

" You'll see me tomorrow." His deep velvety tone replied. It sounded sincere.

Then he left.

That was the info I needed.

I'll find out who he is.

Right after I figure out who kissed me…

And what Gaara meant…

And what Kakashi knows…

……………

K.I.B.A.

I hope the length makes up for the time delay. I'm dead tired. It' s10:16,.. I'm not a wimp, I just played a baseball games, the other day, and I'm sore, and I watched a marathon last night. Now I have to wake up Early at like 4:00 in the morning. To go some where I didn't feel like going.

The next update will be in Mirage, Then Festival, then Eclipse. In that exact order. Email me if you want to know anything about the plot line. Or you have any un answered questions.