AN: I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has reviewed for my story, with a special shout-out to WildCherryLollipop, pisquenta and shkh4ever. You guys make me feel like I've got my own little fanclub –laughs-. And you're quite the clever one, Shkh4ever. You're right. But don't tell anyone!

On with the story!

Chapter 5: Afraid

"two rooms please." He handed a small bag of coins to the innkeeper who gave them two room keys and told them their numbers.

"Two rooms?" Suigetsu questioned

"One for us, one for the girls." He responded nonchalantly.

Sui raised an eyebrow. They had never roomed separately before. And keeping those two in the same room? Is he fucking crazy? But he didn't make it a point to prod the raven haired teen any further. Better not to test his patience.

Sakura and Karin had not been happy about being confined in a room together, though when faced with the option of sleeping outside or buying their own room, they decided that they could survive a night. Once everyone had set up, Sasuke sent them off to the tavern to get something to eat.

"Are you coming with us?" Suigetsu asked.

"I'll be along shortly. I have some business I need to attend to." Sasuke explained, handing him a small pouch of money. "Just in case you finish before I get there."

"Right. See you, then." Sui waved him off and the four went to dinner silently, save for the sound of their feet scuffing against the gravel pathway up to the tavern. When seated, they glanced at a menu full of savory looking food.

Chouji would be in heaven. Sakura chuckled internally, then groaned. Great. I'm still thinking about them. She glanced across the menu and upon seeing the ramen options, involuntarily thought of Naruto. I wonder how he's doing…I wonder if he's worried about me… she let out an amused "hn." Well that's not conceited or anything.

"What's funny?" Suigetsu asked her.

"Huh?" she looked over at him "Oh, nothing. Just thinking."

"So Sakura, what did the fortune teller tell you?" Karin asked flat out.

"It's seriously been bugging you that long?" Suigetsu rolled his eyes

"What? No! I just happened to think of it! Why are ya so defense of her anyways?" she glared

"because she's not a bitch like you." He stated plainly.

Karin growled in rage, "Why you-!" she was cut off by the waitress who came to take their order.

"Would you all like to start with something to drink?"

Suigetsu ordered first, unsurprisingly requesting water, then Sakura, who decided she deserved to unwind.

"I'll have the Daiginjo-shu sake." She ordered sweetly, a little apprehensive about drinking alcohol in front of the others, especially Karin. Sakura knew that the drinking age in the land of rice was significantly lower than other countries. She had only ordered that specific drink because it had been Tsundae's favorite, but honestly had no idea what it would taste like.

Being that the tavern was mostly empty, their drinks were brought just minutes after ordering them. They all listed their meal orders and the waitress walked away oblivious that she was serving Akatsuki's pawns. Sakura lifted the sake cup to her lips nervously, not to be unnoticed by Karin.

"What's the matter, never drank before?" The red-head raised a daring eyebrow.

Sakura lowered the glass to speak, "As if. It just brought back memories, that's all." Sakrua half lied. Well, it did remind her of Tsunade.

"Yeah right. I bet you're a drinking virgin." Karin crossed her arms.

Sakura took one gulp of the sake and wanted to gag, but refrained from showing any emotion on her face.

"Yeah Karin, probably about as much of a drinking virgin as you are a virgin period." Suigetsu bit harhly.

Karin blushed brightly and adjusted her glasses, "I- well…I…That's not of your business!"

"Ah, so you admit to being a slut then." Suigetsu grinned happily.

She narrowed her eyes and even Sakura was a little taken aback, 'I'm not a ho, you bastard!"

"Really? I couldn't tell with those shorts you wear and all."

Karin was near red in the face. "Fine. I'm a virgin. You happy?"

Suigetsu grinned wildly, "Quite."

So if she's a virgin, then that means she's never done anything with Sasuke, which means I'm probably the only one he's been with. Sakura blushed at the lewd thought that suddenly formed in her mind, Though I would have never guessed.

The sake slowly began to taste better and better, and Sakura found herself becoming increasingly relaxed around these people who were supposedly her enemies. By the time their food had come, Sakura had already finished a glass of sake and ordered another.

Suigetsu suddenly waved his hand and the pink haired kunoichi followed his gaze. "Oi, over here." He beckoned.

Sasuke made his way over to the table and was about to sit down next to juugo when he spotted something on the table. His eyes widened as if spotting gold and he quickly picked up Sakura's sake glass, looking at her dumbstruck. "Are you out of your mind?!" He asked the girl, now obviously drunk.

"eh? Whas it to 'ya?" she slurred slightly.

He glared at her, "You, a medical ninja, should know better."

She stood up to confront him. "I'm tired of takin yer orders and ya bossin me aroun' like ya own me er somethan." She poked him in the chest wobbly.

"Yeah Sasuke, it's not going to hurt her or anything." Suigetsu defended, "Give her a headache tomorrow, at most."

Sasuke glared at him. He didn't like others getting involved in his matters. "stay out of this" he snapped.

Sakura glared at him, "y'know this is all yer fault." She stood up to him, staring him in the face.

"It was a two way street." He snapped back calmly.

"you didn have to kid-hic-nap me." She slurred, hiccupping over her words.

"Like I said, you didn't have to be so indecisive."

"I wasn. Y'know how I felt fer yah. Yah didn have ta do'at." She glared, not backing off any.

"You're drunk." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Nawwww, REALY?" She laughed, backing off finally.

"You know what it's going to do to you."

"Me? It'll do nothan ta me." She grinned and giggled, "OOOOH, you mus be talking 'bout the BABY!"

Karin dropped her chopsticks and Suigetsu nearly choked on his water. Sasuke rubbed his forehead.

"WHAT?!" Karin nearly screamed.

"Yes, that's right. I'll shout it 'ta the world. I'm carryin' the child of a man who treats me like shit! Mos' girls get pregnant with the child of the man they're married ta, and loves them, but NOO! Not me! I got preg-hic-nant with the child of an ass who only cares about 'mself!" She announced to the group, completely inhibited and completely unashamed. Plus, the look on Karin's face was absolutely priceless.

Sasuke grabbed her by the arm and lead the drunken girl out of the tavern. "What were you THINKING?!" he yelled at her, partly in rage, partly in trying to get past her drunkenness, and partly to surpass the noise created by the rain falling against the aluminum patio outside the tavern.

"Hmm? I thou'd I'd ferget about everything and all…jus relax, y'know?" she slurred.

"Alcohol can kill the baby! Leave him mentally retarded! You may have just impaired our child for life!" Sasuke was losing it, and drunk Sakura was thoroughly amused.

"Well good. Then we won' have another Uchi-hic-ah runnin round and mmm-makin a mess of stuffs. He won go off an l-leave his friends or any…leave any…girl… broken ha-haa—ah damnit!" she cursed, unable to form her words anymore.

He narrowed his eyes, realizing there was no use trying to talk to her in this state. "Lets get you back to the hotel." He wrapped her limp arm around his shoulder and threw his arm around her shoulder, guiding her down the steps of the tavern and walking her across the road to the inn. Soaking wet, he entered, helping her to her room.

She groaned, groggily, feeling sleepy and quickly loosing consciousness. Unable to remove her wet clothes on her own, Sasuke took care of her, stripping her of the soaked clothes and dressing her in the night robe provided by the inn. The process was slightly awkward, though having seen her naked before, it wasn't anything he couldn't stand. And though he wouldn't admit, he did like to admire her slender figure.

Lying the girl in her bed, he narrowed his eyes, running his hand over her stomach. One word formed in his head:

Mine…


That night, Naruto kept watch for the team, accompanied by Kakashi who volunteered to keep him company. The two made small talk, sometimes no talk at all. Kakashi held his orange book up in front of his face, reading the book in seemingly deep thought.

"ano…Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Hm?" he responded nonchalantly.

"Do you think Jiraya really just wrote those book's 'cause he was a big pervert, or do you think he wrote them to have an alternate meaning?"

Kakashi shrugged, "I don't know. I never knew Jiraya that well. You'd have a better clue than me."

"He knew exactly which line, what page each word was on." Naruto sighed, "They meant a lot to him…and I'd read them…but I honestly get so bored." The blonde ninja explained.

"Naruto…" Kakashi began.

"Yeah?"

"You're 16, right?"

"Hai, 17 in a few weeks." The blonde replied, "why do you ask?"

"eh, no reason." Kakashi decided to drop the subject. What he really wanted to ask was, where the hell are your hormones?

"Sa, sa! Are you planning a surprise party for meeee?" The blonde lept over and squatted in front of Kakashi, who sat leaning against a tree trunk.

"Nope." The silver-haired jounin responded blankly, and Naruto knew he meant it.

"psh. You suck." Naruto crawled back over to his side of the tree trunk.

Silence filled the air again as only the hooting of an owl could be heard of in the distance.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked again.

"Hm?"

"Do you think Sakura-chan loves Sasuke-teme like she used to?"

Kakashi sighed, closing the book with the one hand he held it with. Placing the book by his side, he exhaled. "I don't know. My guess is that…no. And to begin with, she didn't love him like you say back when you all were in my team. Infatuation, maybe. But I know she is as hurt as you by his recent actions."

"Hmm…" Naruto groaned and frowned. He wasn't satisfied with the answer, it was just a guess.

"Naruto, do you love Sakura-chan?"

"Hai! Of course I do! I'd do anything for her, you know that!" He exclaimed a little loudly, causing the jounin to clamp his hand over the blonde's mouth.

"Shh, they're still sleeping." He let go of the blonde who made a cute apologetic face, "anyways. Now let me ask you this, do you love Sasuke?"

"Eh? No way!"

"But you would do anything for him, right?"

"…I guess."

"and when you said you loved Sakura, you said you'd do anything for her." Kakashi cornered him.

"I mean, I guess I love him as a brother…yeah! That's what I mean. He's precious to me, like Sakura-chan, but he's more of a family type. Sakura-chan is more to me than that though."

"So then, if you could only save one of them…" Kakashi began.

Suddenly Naruto understood. It may come down to the point where only one of them could be brought back, the other left behind. Not the type to think pessimistically though, Naruto curled his hand resting by his side into a fist, "I'll bring them both back, no matter what!"

"Good." The silver-haired jounin smiled characteristically. Nothing had changed.

"Way to go Sasuke!" Suigetsu sarcastically applauded the Konoha missing-nin.

The raven haired teen fired up his sharingan, grasped Suigetsu's shirt and pinned him against the wall within a fraction of a second. "Not. A. word." The Uchiha demanded as he stared into the silver-haired-man's eyes.

Suigetsu raised his hands in defense, "okay, okay! I won't say anymore!"

Satisfied but still pissed, Sasuke let him go, walking out of the inn room as Juugo entered.

"'ey Juugo…" Suigetsu caught the attention of the silent giant. Shutting the door, he sat on the windowsill, watching the rain fall heavily outside. "What do you make of all this."

Juugo slid off his shoes and slipped under the sheets. "I don't care one way or another. It's their business."

Suigetsu frowned. "You're no fun."

"Go find Karin if you want to gossip." Juugo yawned.

"Sheesh, I was just kidding. Man, everyone's so cranky. I think I'll go out for a walk." Suigetsu announced, hopping out of the window onto the covered walkway outside their room. He took a few steps out into the rain and instantaneously turned to a moving puddle of water.

In the other room, Karin was startled by a knock at the door as she watched the sleeping girl intently. She opened the door to see Sasuke standing there, but the flustered butterfly feeling inside her was gone. She stepped aside, letting him in.

"I'm going to stay in here tonight. Stay with the others if you wish." Sasuke announced quietly, dropping his things in their room.

Karin nodded. Sasuke rolled out his mat next to Sakura's and began to undress, though Karin did blush at this. "Ano, I think I'll room with the guys." She picked up her mat and quickly dragged it out the door, leaving the youngest Uchiha with a raised brow and an amused smirk.

When the door slid shut, all became quiet. Sasuke laid next to Sakura's sleeping form in a meditative trance. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep quickly, exhausted from the days events.

The eerie calm in room 15 was suddenly spread to room 16 as Karin quietly laid out her mat next to Suigetsu's, perpendicular to Juugo's. Sensing the origin of the cursed seal to be in a deep slumber, she took her time undressing out of her day clothes and into her night robe. She undressed with her back facing the door, just in case Suigetsu might come in through it without knocking. Thus, when a puddle of water crept up on the windowsill and took the shape of the man, it was a miracle that Karin's scream didn't wake her sleeping teammates.

"Privacy please!" Karin blushed, quickly fastening the terry night robe as Suigetsu looked away in embarrassment.

"Gomen! Gomen! I didn't know you were staying in here!" he stated, still looking away.

"I'm dressed NOW, you idiot." Karin rolled her eyes.

Still blushing, Sui walked past her silently, stepping behind a changing shade and into his terry robe as well. "Why didn't you just change over here?" he asked.

"I didn't expect you to be coming through the window, and since juugo was asleep, it was just more convenient." She explained angrily, though kept her voice at a whispers level.

"Why are you staying in here?"

"Sasuke's with his girlfriend." Karin explained bitterly, and Suigetsu could sense her anger.

Stepping out from behind the shade, he sat down on his mat and pulled the blanket over himself. "Y'know,why did you even bother to begin with?"

Karin stepped into her mat, "What do you mean?"

Sui rolled on his side to face her, "Well he's…him. For the longest time I thought he was asexual or freakin dickless in general." He shrugged as best he could with his head propped up in his hand, "What made you think he'd like you?"

Karin narrowed her eyes, "You're really insensitive, you know that?" She rolled over and faced away from him, "Just leave me alone."

"Alright, that came out wrong. What I'm saying is that Sasuke would only like someone that he had some deep connection with, and being that Sakrua-chan is his old teammate, makes her about the only person he would ever go after. I'm not saying you're less than her, I'm just saying that Sasuke's the kind of guy that really doesn't even pay attention to girls."

Karin rolled back over to face him, "Are you trying to comfort me?" she raised an eyebrow.

Suigetsu looked surprised, "Pft, no…" he shook his head. "Whatever. Goodnight." He snapped quickly then rolled on his side, away from her.

"Yeah, whatever you say, baka." She rolled both her eyes and her body in such that their backs were facing each other.

"bitch."

"Asshole."

"Yeah yeah, love ya too."

Karin let out an amused snort and finally, there was complete quiet in room 16.

"Welcome home, Sasuke-kun!" A black haired woman in her mid thirties beamed as she outstretched her arms. Behind her, a man stood tall and proud, arms crossed in front of him with a dignified smile on his face.

"Well done, Son. That's my boy. You've done your family and this clan proud." He announced as Sasuke hugged the woman. Next to the man with the pronounced jaw stood a younger man a few years older than himself.

"Foolish Otouto. So you didn't get yourself killed." The young man smiled, reaching out his arms for a fraternal hug, "Welcome back, little brother."

Sasuke stepped back, looking at his family, looking at his family who was looking at him, with pride and happiness. They stood there, real as day, tangible and full of life. He looked down. His body was clad in the outfit of an ANBU officer, the blade of kurosagi strapped to his back. He stood in his home, he ate at his dinner table, he was with is family again.

But as he ate his mother's homade food, things became strange. Sasuke noticed that outside the window, there was nothing but pure blackness. Shadows began to creep into the house like worms, and when he looked closer, they were the shape of snakes, creeping up onto his family members. Sasuke tried to stop them, but his family ignored him, as if they were oblivious to everything. One shadow snake wrapped itself around his mother, and the instant it touched her, her body transformed into a large anaconda. The same thing happened with Itachi and his father.

Sasuke slayed the three large snakes with his sword, but the shadow snakes still followed him. Running out of his house, he ran into Naruto, who patted him on the back. "Congrats teme! Now we can go on missions together!"

"Naruto, the snakes!"

But the blonde dobe ignored him. A mass of shadow snakes wrapped themselves around Naruto's feet, and the same thing happened to him as the rest of family. The yellow anaconda lunged after Sasuke, but he dodged and used the opportunity to slice off the head of the over-sized snake.

He ran down the street and spotted Sakura running toward him.

"Sasuke-kun! There you are, I've been looking all over for you!" she beamed, but he pushed her away.

"GET BACK IN YOUR HOUSE!" he yelled, but she looked at him confused.

"Sasuke kun…" she looked at him hurt. The shadow snakes were starting to gain on him. Sakura clung herself onto him and he carried her, leaping up onto a roof.

Setting her down, he demanded, "Stay here! Don't follow me!" He leapt down from the building and allowed the shadow snakes to continue to follow him. Sakura didn't obey him though. She followed, now carrying a bundle of cloth in her arms.

"Sasuke-kun! Don't leave me!" she cried, the shadow snakes now mere inches from her. Suddenly, one touched her.

"NOOO!" He yelled, but it was too late.

The air was cold in the hotel room, yet Sasuke sat up with a burning sweat running down his forehead. He looked over at Sakura, who seemed to be having a bad dream of her own. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he noticed his robe had come off during the night, but he was too hot to put it back on. He dabbed his face on the terry cloth, then tossed it aside as he tried to go back to sleep.

"N…no…Naru…to…don 't!" Sakura mumbled, turning on her side suddenly. Sasuke sat up on his mat and gently stroked her cheek, trying to calm her down. The motion made her thrash all the more, though.

"Sa—sasss…" she began, throwing a fist blindly in the air. Sasuke raised his eyes, surprised. "Stop…" she murmured, then suddenly became still. Breathing returning to normal, Sakura's blanket had fallen off of her as she clutched to her pillow. Sasuke gently placed the blanket back over her, then sighed, laying on top of his blanket.

He was tired. He'd need his sleep. No sense in worrying over a child's nightmare. Just go to sleep.

RA: I have a question for you all. So, normally I write yaoi. I haven't written a Het piece in years, and this one is suddenly taking over my mind. However, I will shamelessly admit that I'm a sasu/naru and even bigger sasu/ita fan. What do you think? Should we muddy up the water some more, or leave this stagnant puddle of drama as it is? Thank you all for reading and please review and let me know what you think!