You guys! God you're all so amazing! Only nine chapters in (not including this one), and already over 100 reviews. Sorry cheekbones and jaw, this maniacal grin is here for the long haul XD

Thank you's will be at the bottom again, and seriously thank you so, so, soooo much to everyone who reviewed, or has favourited, or has this on their alerts, or is just reading because they can... You're all so amazing and beautiful, don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise. And if you do... Don't you dare believe them, because it is sooo not true :)

Random piece of trivia: I mistook a random stranger for someone I knew today. Shame I only realised that AFTER I hugged them :P So what did I do? I hugged them again, that's what XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto :(

June 9th

Dearest Diary.

Sasuke retrieved you from my cell for me. I have been awake for about a week now, which is good. Sasuke refuses to let me go to the hospital. I'm not sure why, he never told me.

Diary, I am at an impasse. I do not know what to do. When I first woke up, Gaara made me an offer, one which I am much inclined to accept. Why shouldn't I accept it? He offered to bring me back to Sunagakure with him, and he even said that should objections arise in the Otogakure court, he wouldn't hesitate to bind himself to me in matrimony. What do I do? I hardly know the man, and I do not know why he is so taken with me. I am flattered, of course, but what should I do?

And what about Naruto? What would he do? Neji and Lady Hinata sent him to come and rescue me. It'd be a huge slap in the face if I were to just gallivant off to Suna. Not only that, but… I still hold some hope that I might marry Neji. That, should I ever go back to Konoha, Neji would be able to forgive me for sleeping with another man, and still marry me.

Sasuke has been acting… Differently around me lately. He refuses to let me go anywhere without an escort, which is generally himself. It makes it nigh impossible to converse with anyone. I have yet to speak to Naruto, and Karin… Maybe I can do that at Itachi's ball tonight? Maybe, for a few moments at least, I could speak to them. I have since spoken to Tenten. I didn't think it was possible for one person to apologise so much! She told me that that councilman, Tetsuya, had offered her a large amount of Ryou if she were to tell Itachi that she had seen me brewing a potion in my room. Naturally, she had accepted. Her mother is sick, and that money would buy her the necessary medicine to help her recover. Tenten hadn't known that her statement would result in my torture. She still feels excessive guilt, I believe.

I am still thinking over Gaara's proposition. My only answer to him, so far, has been 'I'll think about it.'

Normal POV

.:{*}:.

Sakura stood before the full length mirror, for once admiring her reflection. How could she help it? For the first time in her life, she felt that she looked… Pretty. Her dress was absolutely beautiful. She'd never worn something so incredibly gorgeous! It was a light purple in colour, and floor length. Short sleeves and a flowing skirt. A silver length of material was wrapped around her waist and tied in a small bow at the base of her back. The silken material felt like water about her skin. On her neck, she wore the necklace that Sasuke had given to her – Yue's necklace, his mother's necklace.

In the way of makeup, she wore as little as she could get away with. A light dusting of foundation, a little blush, rosy coloured lip gloss, mascara and silver coloured eye shadow. Her hair had been tied into an intricate bun – courtesy of Tenten – with beads woven into the strands of pink hair and a small trail of hair left from beneath the bun to hang over her shoulder. The clip that Naruto had given her had been carefully placed near the side of the bun.

She looked at the girl in the mirror and could barely recognise herself. How could someone as plain as her, as average as her, look so pretty? She heard the door open, and looked up in the mirror to see Sasuke enter the room. He stopped for a moment, gazing at her look appreciatively, before saying with a smirk, "You look beautiful."

Sakura grinned at him. "Thank you. You look rather dashing yourself." It was true. Unlike Sakura, who had been dressed in a more modern style, Sasuke had opted for the traditional Kimono. It was dark blue (of course), with a crimson obi tied around the middle. He looked heartbreakingly beautiful.

"We should go," he said, before taking her hand and leading her out of his room. "The ball shall be held in the main hall," he explained. "It'll be easier to fit all the guests in that way."

Sakura merely nodded in response. They wove through the halls, servants constantly scurrying past them in the pursuit of last minute necessities or on the whimsical errands of their masters. Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the hall, and Sakura couldn't keep back her gaping.

All seats and tables had been removed from the hall to create a large dancing area. Upon the dais, instead of Itachi's usual throne, a small orchestra played a slow, waltz-like tune. On either side of the door, tables that had been draped in white cloth were packed with refreshments. Against the right and left walls were wooden benches, where a few people were lazing idly, and chatting to the people near them. But that wasn't what made Sakura's insecurities hit her full in the face. Whereas before she felt that she was pretty, now she knew that she looked ridiculously plain.

The ladies of the court were stunning. There was no other word to describe them, and even that word felt inadequate. Half of them were dressed in long flowing ball gowns, whilst the rest were draped in beautiful traditional kimonos. Their makeup was done to perfection, their hair was flawless, the small traces of perfume that lingered in the air alerted Sakura to the fact that none of them had splashed a bottle upon themselves.

Itachi greeted them almost immediately, a smile on his face. "Sakura San, you look beautiful," he complimented, and Sakura flushed crimson. How could he call her beautiful when surrounded by women who possessed such otherworldly looks? Nevertheless, she wasn't one to reject a compliment.

"I thank you, Itachi San. You look very handsome. Happy birthday." By all the merciful Gods, she managed to smile at him. "You'll have to forgive me, but I didn't have the chance to get you a present…"

Itachi waved away her apologies. "I care not for materialistic things, Sakura San. Your health and presence is enough."

She blushed at him, and smiled once again. He offered her his arm for a dance, and she lightly took it, giving Sasuke a small smile as Itachi whisked her away. He led her to the middle of the floor, where he took her left hand in his and put his other hand on her waist. They slowly started to spin in time to the music.

"Forgive me, Itachi San, but I am known to be a terrible dancer," Sakura apologised as she, once again, stepped on his foot. Itachi raised a brow in amusement before he stopped his twirling and merely rocked the two of them side to side.

"My brother is quite taken with you," Itachi noted, glancing purposely in Sasuke's direction. "He hardly left your side whilst you were unconscious, and now that you are awake he seems more glued to you than ever. Not only that, I but see you are wearing my mother's necklace, which I presume he gave to you. I wonder what it could mean."

Sakura blushed (again) and looked around awkwardly. "I do not know, Itachi San. Maybe he's just trying to keep me out of trouble until December? Your brother has confused me from day one. The fact that he continues to do so does not leave me surprised."

"Hmm…" Itachi hummed in contemplation over her words. "He told me of Gaara's proposal. Were you planning to accept it?"

Sakura averted her eyes, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. "I do not know what to think of the proposal. Part of me is screaming to accept it, and part of me is not. He never did propose outright, he only offered the option, should I be willing to take it."

"You would not be allowed to leave," Itachi said quickly. "You hold valuable information. Suna would have to offer something big in exchange for us letting you go."

Sakura thought his statement over. "But if I agreed to marry him, you wouldn't be able to torture me for information, would you?"

Itachi sighed in defeat. "To do so, Suna would have the right to declare war on Oto. We cannot afford another war right now."

The song ended, and Itachi stepped back from Sakura. "I would ask for another dance, but I fear my brother will glare a hole into my head if I keep you from him for much longer. I shall escort you back to him."

Sakura was both flattered and annoyed. On the one hand, the Otokage was escorting her. On the other hand, she was not a child. She was perfectly capable of getting from point A to point B without help. Within no time, she was once again standing before Sasuke, and he was snatching her close to him.

"I thank you for the dance, Itachi San," Sakura thanked him politely whilst trying to give herself room to breathe in Sasuke's suffocating grasp. Itachi nodded politely and left. The roseate sighed exasperatedly, and turned to look at Sasuke. "You can stop trying to squeeze my liver up, Sasuke. I like it where it is, to be honest." Sasuke's grip lessened by a fraction, and Sakura rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I was dancing with your brother, Sasuke. Not seducing him. So you can stop glaring at him and you can stop breathing fire onto my collarbone."

"It's not him I'm glaring at," Sasuke growled back, his eyes fixed on the red head who was in conversation with the older Uchiha. "You won't be accepting his proposal, Sakura," Sasuke said in a low voice. "I won't allow you to."

Sakura's temper flared slightly. "It's hardly your choice to make," she shot back.

"You're my prisoner. All of your choices are mine to make," he replied nonchalantly.

"If I want to accept Gaara's proposal, then there is nothing you can say to stop me!" She hissed at him in anger. "There is nothing you could do to stop me from saying 'yes'. From the way that you are acting now, I am much inclined to accept his proposal. At least he gives me a choice."

A growl hummed its way into Sasuke's chest, and Sakura could feel his arms constricting about her once again. "You are mine, Sakura. If you want to question it any further, I have no qualms in dragging you back to your room and fucking you until the knowledge is embedded in your brain."

Sakura huffed in agitation. "What is it with you and sex?" She asked.

"I haven't had sex since you were taken into the cells. As soon as you've recovered, I'm going to make you scream."

Sakuras eyes widened in shock. She'd been taken down to the cells at the beginning of April. Why hadn't he had sex since then? Surely he would have had women throwing themselves at him. Unless…

"You weren't waiting for me to be released, were you, Sasuke?" She giggled softly at the idea, as preposterous as it seemed.

Sasuke huffed, and Sakura could practically hear his eyes rolling. "Don't be so foolish." His arms had relaxed, allowing her to squirm from his grasp and look at him in the face. His eyes were averted from her scrutinising stare, his nose high in the air, a tinge of pink on his cheeks… Wait, what?

"Sasuke… Are you blushing?" Sakura's hand shot up to cover her smile at the revelation. 'Sasuke' and 'blushing' were two words that just sounded wrong when put in the same sentence, unless said sentence had negative connotations.

"Hn, annoying," he said, his eyes still averted. Sakura would have pursued the matter, had not someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned around and came face to face with Gaara.

"Gaara San," Sakura exclaimed. "It's good to see you." The girl didn't need to turn around to know that Sasuke was wishing death upon the red head.

"Sakura," Gaara said placidly. "Would you care to dan -"

"No she would not," Sasuke interrupted. Sakura turned narrowed eyes on the raven haired man, before turning back to Gaara.

"I would love to dance with you, Gaara San." She put on a large smile and didn't hesitate to follow him onto the dance floor. They got in the same position that herself and Itachi had taken, however their proximity was far closer.

"Have you thought any more about my proposal, Sakura?" Gaara questioned the roseate after a few minutes of aimless twirling.

"I have been thinking, Gaara San," she replied truthfully. "But I am not sure what I should do. Part of me wants to, part of me doesn't. I'm at an impasse, and I have no idea which choice I should make."

There was silence for another moment, before Gaara spoke again. "You look beautiful tonight, Sakura." Said girl looked up at his sea foam eyes and realised that he hadn't stopped watching her from the moment they started dancing. She flushed scarlet at that, and looked away from him.

"I thank you, Gaara San," she whispered minutely. "You look very nice also."

"Sakura, were you aware that I am next in line to be Kazekage?"

Sakura blinked at the revelation. "I did not know that, Gaara San."

She felt his lips brush her pulse as they left a light kiss there. "I was talking to Itachi, and I offered him a deal. You can come with me to Sunagakure, in exchange for an alliance with Sunagakure. He said he'd think about it. It is a good offer, and he knows it. An alliance with Suna is exactly what Oto needs. Not only will it help Oto with its financial debt, but they could continue to pursue your Lady without needing information from you. He is very tempted by the idea."

That just gave Sakura further indecision. "Gaara San, if my marrying you would put my Lady in further danger, I won't do it."

"Without your information, they would be no closer to catching her than they were previously."

Sakura gulped, her mind buzzing. "I shall have to think it over, Gaara San."

His lips had gone back to skimming over the pulse in her neck. "You are not happy in Oto, Sakura. Only an idiot would not be able to see that. You fear that, should you ever escape this place, you would be rejected from society in your homeland. That you would never marry and have children. I am not good with emotions or intimacy, Sakura, but for you I would learn. I would spend every day for the rest of my life trying to make you happy."

Sakura couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "You certainly have a way with words, Gaara San." Her smile started to fall. "But… Back in Konoha, there was someone else whom I wanted to marry… By marrying you, I feel as if I would have betrayed him… We cared for each other very much."

"Did you love him?" Gaara asked her, pulling his lips away to look her in the eyes.

"Well, no, but…"

"I understand, Sakura. He was the first person whom you'd had romantic feelings towards. It is hard to let him go. But would you really risk a future of 'could be's' and 'what if's' for something set in stone? I do not know if 'love' is what I feel for you, but it is certainly akin to it. Given a chance, I am certain that what I feel could definitely grow into love. All I ask is one night, Sakura."

The music faded to its finish, and Sakura stepped back from Gaara. His arms were still around her waist, keeping her close, but Sakura wanted nothing more than to go back to her room and think. How could he offer her something like that? When he put it like that… Sakura felt so confused. What should she do?

"You don't have to decide yet, Sakura. Itachi said that it would take a while for the Council to come to a conclusion. He said that anywhere near August or September would give them enough time to have an answer. Then, the choice will be yours to make."

He leaned his head closer, and his lips lightly brushed hers, before he walked away.

Sakura had barely any time to recover, before she felt Sasuke's arms wind once again around her waist. "What did he want?" He demanded lowly, leaving Sakura's mind to scurry about for an answer that wouldn't result in Gaara being decapitated.

"Just… Saying hi," she squeaked in response.

"Looked to be a bit more than the common pleasantries of 'hello,'" he said darkly. Sakura could feel the stares of everyone else in the room, no matter how subtle they were trying to be.

"'Tis none of your business, Sasuke, what was said between him and I."

"Hn." She felt his nose skim her collarbone. "Now you smell of him."

"So?" She retorted rudely.

"I don't like it." Sakura was just about ready to scream when she felt another blush creep its way onto her cheeks. Surely she had blushed enough to last a lifetime? "I don't want to see you with him again, Sakura."

"Why not?" She insisted when silence met his statement.

"Because you are mine."

Sakura felt that she could have punched him at that, but opted instead to take a deep breath to calm herself down.

"I am not your property, Sasuke. You would do well to remember that." With great effort, she squirmed out of his grasp and stormed off to the one of the benches. She sat down haughtily, glaring at the floor. Who did he think he was? Ordering her about, as if she was some sort of animal. How dare he try and make such decisions for her? She had a mouth, a mind and an opinion, and she was perfectly capable of utilising all three. But of course that wasn't good enough for Sasuke. Oh no. As long as he had his little concubine, everyone else's wants and wishes could wait. That arrogant jerk. She'd show him where he could shove his orders.

As soon as Gaara proposed to her, she would accept without hesitation.

.:{*}:.

"Sakura?"

The girl raised her head to look at the tall blond boy standing next to her.

"Naruto!" A huge grin came onto her face at his appearance, and it took all her self-control (with a little help, courtesy of the corset) to not launch herself at him. "I'm so sorry I haven't been here, I've been… Well, never mind, how are you? What has been happening?"

Naruto sat down beside the roseate, joy spilling from his eyes at seeing her safe and well. "I have to talk to you about a few things. That Teme won't leave you alone for two seconds, so this is the only place I can really talk to you. I don't know who's listening though. Do you think we could talk in the language of the markets?"

"Mochiron, Naruto," Sakura replied. (Of course, Naruto.)

"Wareware wa Tsu Tsuki, Sakura ni dasshutsu dekiru mae ni yukue fumei ni natta. Watashi wa Neji kara hanashi o kiku made watashi wa, koko kara watashi-tachi o eru koto ga dekimasen. Sore wa Kyū Tsuki madede wanai kamo shiremasen," Naruto whispered. (You went missing before we could escape in April, Sakura. I can't get us out of here until I hear from Neji. That might not be until September.)

Sakura looked sadly at her friend. "Watashi wa, Naruto o rikai suru. Wareware wa sonokan ni nani ga dekimasu ka?" (I understand, Naruto. What can we do in the meantime?)

"Kyūden no mawari ni mieru. Tameshite mite, kyatchi sa reru koto naku kara dasshutsu suru no wa kantan kamo shirenai ryōiki o mitsukeru," Naruto suggested. (Look around the palace. Try and find areas that might be easy to escape from without being caught.)

Sakura nodded her head thoughtfully. "Dono yō ni Neji to redi Hinata ga yatte iru? Karera wa mada anzendesu ka?" She asked, trying to keep desperation from her voice. (How are Neji and Lady Hinata doing? Are they still safe?)

Naruto nodded, a smile on his face. "Karera wa, Sakura kanzen ni anzendesu. Karera wa tada genzai no tokoro anzen'na ie no ma de idō shite iru." A smile came onto Sakura's features at the news. (They're perfectly safe, Sakura. They're just moving between safe houses currently.)

"Watashi wa sore o kiite ureshii. Arigato, Naruto." (I am glad to hear that. Thank you, Naruto.) Sakura put her hand in Naruto's and squeezed. "What's happened to you in the meantime?" She asked, reverting back to their normal language now that they weren't talking about such secret affairs.

"I'm the Bastards sparring partner. Can you believe it, Sakura Chan? I had to put up with him practically every day while you were sick. I nearly died. How the hell can you sleep with such an egotistical ice cube?"

Sakura blushed, still sensitive when that particular topic was brought up.

"Does he have a magic dick?"

.:{*}:.

A few minutes later, Naruto was rubbing his bruised jaw whilst a very angry Sakura sat fuming beside him.

"Okay, okay, so you don't like talking about his personal cloning device. That's no reason to ignore me, Sakura Chan!"

"Naruto, will you shut up?"

Silence fell between them once again, and Naruto looked longingly at the food. Surely Sakura wouldn't mind if he –

"You leave this spot, Naruto, and I'll tell everyone about your third nipple."

Naruto sat completely still, not even a single muscle twitching. Minutes (millennia) passed before Naruto saw, from his peripherals, Sakura slump in her seat, and a worn expression flit across her face. "Naruto, I don't know what to do."

Naruto's brow creased. "What do you mean, Sakura Chan?" He carefully scooted close to her, his eyes darting cautiously to her hands every once in a while.

"Gaara has made me an offer, and I don't know how to refuse it." Her voice held a tinge of melancholy, whilst her features displayed defeat.

"What is it, Sakura Chan?"

She sighed, before turning pained viridian orbs to him. "He said that, if the Otogakure Council approves it, he would take me back to Suna and marry me."

She could see the alarmed expression spread rapidly over Naruto's face, and quickly kept speaking. "It has its perks, but at the same time… I don't know. What if our… Plan doesn't work out a second time? What if time runs out? I only have until December, Naruto. It's already June. If I marry Gaara, I'll be safe from torture, and I won't be forced to give up Hinata's location. But what if we do find a way to… I want to be with Neji so much, I can hardly bare it. I want to go home more than anything. But what if time should run out? What then? What do I do, Naruto? I'm half tempted to accept his proposal, should it come, just to spite Sasuke."

Naruto turned sympathetic cerulean eyes on his roseate haired friend. "I don't know, Sakura Chan. I don't know."

Itachi's party lasted well into the night, and it was early morning before Sasuke approached the roseate to take her back to his room. Such was her exhaustion, she didn't protest.

They walked back to his room in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Sasuke was itching for a good fuck, and was trying to figure out how best to seduce the girl next to him, whilst Sakura was itching for a good sleep.

All Sasuke could think about was how tight her walls must be after being untouched for so long… Sakura kept remembering the softness of Sasuke's pillows. Once Sasuke closed the door to his room, he was about ready to pounce on her. Even more so when he saw her undressing without a care in the world.

"Sakura," he purred, slinking up to her and helping her undress.

"No, Sasuke. I am too tired." To support her argument, a yawn fell off her lips.

"I have waited since April, Sakura –"

"Then you will have no problem in waiting a while longer," she snapped, leaving Sasuke scrambling to catch up with her sudden mood swing. She had finally divested herself of the dress, and draped it over the back of a chair, before working on the dratted corset which she had been forced to wear. No matter how hard she tried, however, she couldn't get the knots undone. With a final grunt of annoyance, she turned to Sasuke and asked, "Could you help me, please?"

Sasuke smirked. "What do I get in return?"

"A promise to not castrate you."

Still smirking, Sasuke walked over to the pink haired girl and slowly undid the ribbons holding the corset in place. Before it could fall completely and reveal her breasts, Sakura held the suffocating item up and walked to where her night clothes were kept. She donned a slip, and crept into the bed.

Sasuke quickly removed his Kimono, and hung it up on a hook behind his door, and climbed into bed next to her. Completely naked. There was no way in hell that Sakura was going to escape him that night.

Sakura was almost asleep when he rolled on top of her and removed her underpants. There was a mumbled "What are you doing?" before Sasuke kissed her and started to push himself inside of her.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you doing?" She demanded of him, but he just smirked and kissed the side of her lip.

"You're injuries are all healed, Sakura, and I haven't felt you in a long time. Do you honestly think I could refrain now?" Kami, he was glad he hadn't waited. How was it possible for one person to feel so damn good?

"Sasuke, I never gave you my permission. This is rape," she said softly, trying her best to hold back a moan. Wanted or not, it still felt amazing. Once he was completely inside of her, she couldn't hold back a moan of ecstasy.

"Do I have your permission now? Or would you rather me stop?" When she ground her hips against his, it was all the permission he needed to continue. He immediately pulled out almost the whole way, before slowly pushing back into her. He couldn't go too fast yet; she hadn't been prepared. He could hurt her if she wasn't wet enough for him to slide in and out comfortably. But she was getting there. Kami, she was getting there really quickly.

His finger slipped down to her sensitive nub and started to rub slow circles on it. Her mewls of delight made him push further into her, which in turn caused her to become even more wet. His finger slipped a bit in her juices, and the digit accidently hit where they were joined. Sasuke groaned at the erotic feeling shooting up his body. His finger circled the area, feeling the way her flesh stretched to open up for him, the way his cock suddenly disappeared within her folds… It took all he had to not come then and there. He could feel the blood pulsating through his member, and he slid himself deeper inside of her, using his fingers to feel how her flesh took him in.

"Sakura," he whispered huskily. "You've got to feel this." He took her hand and brought it down to where his cock disappeared inside her body. When her fingers made contact with their conjoined flesh, she let out a loud moan of pleasure. He could feel her juices flow quickly upon that touch, and he knew that she was ready to be properly fucked. But first, he wanted her begging.

"Can you feel it, Sakura?" He panted, and pulled out slightly, making her fingers feel his member as it slowly rose out of her cavern.

"Uh-huh," she moaned, her fingers slowly curling around his cock, making him hiss at the contact. Surely it was a sin to feel so good?

"Can you feel my blood pulsate? Can you feel me throbbing inside you?" He pushed back in and past her fingers, which were still gripping him. The girl nodded her head, unable to make a sound, so lost was she in the thrill of their coupling. "Does it feel good?" Her eyes rolled back as he slammed his whole length inside her.

"Uh-huh," she managed to choke, pushing her hips forward so as to take him as deep inside of her as he would go.

"Does my cock feel good inside your tight, wet walls, Sakura?" He growled, grinding against her hips to give her a taste of friction. She could only nod her head again. Her voice had gotten lost, quenched beneath layers and layers of bliss. "Only I can do this to you, Sakura." He pulled out and rammed deep inside her, as if to accentuate his words. "Only I can make you feel like this." He slammed inside her once more, and Sakura nearly cried at the sensations that were sweeping through her body. "You want to know why?" He paused in his ministrations to watch her slowly nod her head.

"Because you're mine." With that, he slammed into her, over and over, pushing himself as deep as he could go. Sakura cried out when he hit her sweet spot, and he aimed for that over and over. Sweat coated their bodies, grunts, groans and mewls issued from the two people. They'd never felt pleasure such as that before. His mouth latched onto her perked bud and he sucked it, hard. His hand that wasn't holding himself up massaged her other breast, whilst her fingers tangled themselves in his raven locks.

Sakura could feel her walls relax and contract deliciously with each thrust. She rose her hips up in time with his, making sure that he would hit her spot each time. She could feel herself reaching her climax, and their coupling became more frenzied. Harder. Deeper. Faster. Kami, she'd never felt bliss such as that.

When she came, she came hard. It took all she had to not scream out his name, which Sasuke didn't like. He wanted her to scream. He wasn't done with her; he still had a while to go before his climax would take him.

"I want you to scream my name, Sakura," he told her, his voice breaking in lust. He had been forced to pause for a moment whilst her walls squeezed his member, but was quickly gaining momentum. Sakura gasped and groaned as his cock continued to slide in and out of her tender flesh.

It didn't take much longer for Sakura to scream out his name as her second orgasm crashed through her body. Her back arched at an impossible angle, forcing Sasuke to come in the few thrusts following her bliss. She fell asleep almost immediately with her head buried in the crook of his neck, his arms wound tightly around her. She'd already fallen asleep when he started whispering to her.

"I won't allow you to go to him, Sakura. I will never allow you to enter another mans bed. Your place is here."

And here we reach the end of another chapter :( Sasuke seems to be developing certain feelings for our little pink haired girl, ne?

My thank you's! Seriously, thank you so, so much to everyone who reviewed that last chapter. It really means so much, especially now that school has gone on a psychotic homework rampage :S

Valerianna: Thank you very much, my lovely :); Pockybandits89: Shh... Logic doesn't work in stories _ And... I think I could bear that. I mean, it is Gaara :D; my-threesome: I would like to read that thesis :) And of course! I'm just waiting for the right moment :); Alipiaoca: You know I love you too, right? :D I would feel sorry for him, but... He's a meanie, so I don't mind :); Chantrea Moonbeam: And so it does... :); just me: For now, at least... O_O I'm glad that you are intrigued :D; Aya Akumi: Haha, thank you XD I'm glad that you enjoy both stories, and... you shall see... O_O; river of the sand: Shiver is what I was aiming for XD Haha, can't have Sasuke without selfish :P I'm glad that, although it was rushed, it was still entertaining :D; Analelle: Don't worry, plot advancement will be coming soon :); anEpicBanana: Dear aeb. As much as I'd like to, I'll only do that if you take over my 24 hours of music, 30 hours of school and 10 hours of work per week _; Monicalia: Thank you so much for your compliments, and I'm really grateful for your critique :D There aren't enough people who do that! Thank you XD; Spatulaxoxo: Will you marry me? Like, seriously? Because, I kindamaybe love you. So, so much. THANK YOU!; Anju-Chan: Thank you, and, well... Here it is XD; watchingtherain1: I'm quite proud of how I've portrayed Gaara's character in this as well :D; Super Galactic Monkey Ninja: You're welcome :D Thank you very much, I shall continue to write, don't worry :)

Everyone, seriously, thank you so much, you have no idea how much it means :)

I shall see you in two weeks!

xoxox - SapphireRivulet