Hello everyone! Once again, I would like to thank everyone who read my stories and reviewed them. It meant a lot :) Now this chapter is awesome and it took time for me to finish it. Enjoy.

Same Disclaimer

Random Thoughts: I...have...to...study o.O

They were thirteen years old when they left.

Soon, Sasuke-kun will come looking for me for power Orochimaru's voice kept invading Sakura's mind. She shivered inwardly when she also remembered Sasuke's lust for blood after waking up from the battle with the snake-sannin.

Four months has passed after they failed the Chuunin exams and after the death of the third Hokage. It was also four months since Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannins, gave Sasuke the cursed seal and invited him for power. However, Sasuke didn't want to go the Pedophile and convinced his teammates that he will get stronger without him. He all but demanded Kakashi to seal away whatever Orochimaru gave him in order to have complete control over the dangerous seal.

Now, Tsunade has taken her teacher's position as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha. In those four months, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto have become much stronger. One can even say that they have surpassed all the teams of the Rookie nine, excluding Gai's team of course, since their team genius, Hyuuga Neji, was among them. Sakura became the expert in Genjutsu and Medic Jutsus, but of course she has not reached the level she wanted yet. Her perfect chakra control helped her progress greatly but she feels that there was still something missing.

Sasuke has now three Tomoe in his sharingan and can read his enemy's attacks perfectly, frustrating his teammates, since they could never land any hit on the Uchiha these days. Only once, Naruto was able to give him a good punch in the face once he saw the smug expression on his rival's face. With the help of Jiraya, Naruto learned the Rasengan and improved his Ninjutsu and Taijutsu skills. Kakashi also managed to teach Sasuke the Chidori when he knew that the Uchiha can control one of the five elements, electricity.

Today, Team 7 were training and have been fighting against each other for about an hour now. Kakashi had his lovely book by his side and enjoyed the yelling and screaming his students were doing in the middle of the training ground. However, he could clearly see how all three of them were working extra hard nowadays from what happened on their last mission a week ago. It was the first time they went on a mission alone without their teacher and it was a catastrophe. Luckily, Naruto healed fast and was able to endure the journey back to Konoha while carrying his teammates. His broken wrist and the gash on his waist were partially healed by the time he arrived. On the other hand, Sasuke came back with two broken ribs and a head injury while Sakura arrived unconscious and bruised all over, hence the reason why Team 7 couldn't come back from their mission unscathed. Sakura, who was always there to heal every bruise or broken bone, was injured badly and had to stay in the hospital, in a coma, for a total of three days. Sasuke and Naruto stayed by her side, occasionally leaving just to grab a bite and to shower. When Sakura woke up on the fourth day, she held her gaze on her two teammates and teacher and yelled out that they should train harder when she was in a better shape. That explained today's training session.

"AAAAH!" Sakura yelled as she tried with all her might to punch the Uchiha, but his damn sharingan kept getting in the way. She leapt out of the way to dodge a kick Naruto sent her and twisted to wrap her legs around his neck, causing him to be immobile…unless he wanted to choke or break his neck. Before she can give the final blow, she heard Sasuke yell out a very familiar fire Jutsu. The two teammates on the ground jumped just in time to avoid the angry blazes of fire coming from the Uchiha. And so it went on for hours until the sun has started to set and each of them were panting with scratches and slight bruises all over their body. Kakashi looked at them with worried eyes (or…eye); for he felt they were blind to their pain and couldn't see that they have reached their limit a long time ago, especially Sakura. Her legs were trembling and could barely life her upper body while the boys were trying to show one another that they can endure much more. Has was about to call off training when Naruto did the honor and stood up from his ninja posture.

"Tsk. This is just stupid and useless" Naruto whispered, avoiding his teammate's surprised expressions. Placing his hands in his pockets, he walked out of the training grounds, a heavy aura accompanying him. Sasuke didn't have to think twice, as he also departed in the opposite direction for more training. Sakura was left alone with her teacher and as soon as her two boys were out of sight, she collapsed to the ground, panting from exhaustion. Frustrated from how she has already reached her limit, she punched the ground with all her might.

"DAMN IT! Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!!" the pink-haired medic yelled as she kept punching the ground. When Kakashi saw bruises starting to show, he held her wrists tightly and looked at her with obvious disapproval "Sakura, a shinobi should control his emotions." Once he was sure she calmed down, he dropped her wrists and carried her on his back. There was a very high chance she was suffering from chakra exhaustion. Sighing worriedly, he proceeded to walked to the hospital instead of teleporting there. It seemed to him that Sakura needed a little bit of fresh air.

"Kakashi-sensei…" a soft voice said behind him and the copy ninja answered with a soft "Hm?" as he adjusted her weight on his back; she was slipping away and unable to hold on to his neck much longer. It was quiet the rest of the way and Kakashi thought that Sakura has fallen asleep until she shifted.

"Do you think we will ever get strong enough? I mean, no matter how much we train, we are still progressing very slowly. Naruto and Sasuke are doing great, but I am not like them. I feel like I am a hindrance to them…" Sakura let out a small, shaky breath and tried to stop the tears from falling. Kakashi didn't have to answer her, for she soon went limp in his arms, seconds after her question. The copy ninja looked at the road ahead of him and for the first time in over fifteen years, feared for his team.

The next day, Sakura woke up with a very familiar scent in the air. Groaning, Sakura shielded her eyes and tried to block out the hospital smell, but in vain. A knock on the door broke her out of her reverie as she stared at the two figures entering her room. All three of them tried to ignore the others' stare, sensing the heavy tension coming back.

That was how they stayed for the next hour, Sasuke leaning on the wall, Naruto staring at the window, and Sakura staring at her lap.

"I was told by Tsunade that I would be leaving for a mission." Sasuke broke the silence and finally stared at his teammates. They had confused expressions on their faces, but deep inside, they just knew it all along. Sasuke just ignored them and focused more on masking his emotions. Before he could explain his missions, he sensed someone else entering the room.

"Uchiha, you have to learn your manner when addressing me. It's Hokage-sama to you" Tsunade said, twitching from how the people of this generation were becoming ill-mannered in this aspect. She quickly applied a seal to block the sound coming out from this room. This mission was top-secret and it shall stay this way.

"Uchiha Sasuke shall be going on a long-term mission starting tomorrow morning. His mission…is to spy on Orochimaru and stay with him under the impression of wanting power. He will be known as his apprentice and will be labeled as a missing-nin" Tsunade ended her statement and finally set her eyes on the ignorant thirteen year olds. Sakura and Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, not willing to believe what the Hokage had just said. Naruto was the first to react.

"Tsunade Baa-chan! How can you put Sasuke on such a dangerous mission?! Orochimaru wants him for his body and sending him to that bastard is just what he'll want!" Naruto burst out, his eyes flashing red. Tsunade glared down at the knucklehead ninja in front of her.

"You idiot, don't you think I already know all that?! Sasuke is just the perfect person for this mission and also, Orochimaru won't be after his body for another three years. It would be perfect to train under him and kill him in the end. This will be a top secret S-rank mission and it will be KEPT a secret. Is that understood?" The Hokage held her deadly gaze on both Naruto and Sakura, daring them to object her orders. The two glanced at their quiet teammate who was staring back at them with a strange look, a look they have never seen before. Behind his almost-façade expression, they could see that he was silently…begging them to let him go. Naruto gave a defeated look and gritted his teeth; he couldn't believe this was happening to them. Sakura's lips quivered and she tried to count to ten so as to keep her calm. Her close friend was leaving on a mission where there was such a little chance in him coming back.

"Yes, Hokage-sama" Sakura heard Naruto whisper, a look of utter defeat on his face. If Sasuke wanted to leave on this mission, they could not stop him.

"Well then, since we all agree on this, I must be going. Uchiha, you will be departing tomorrow at five in the morning." Before leaving, she patted Sasuke shoulder, "You better come back alive" Sasuke stared at his Hokage with determination and nodded his head. Tsunade unsealed the room and left the three to negotiate with one another…maybe even yell at one another.

"I have to do it" was what Sasuke said with an even glare, daring them to say otherwise. Sakura, who was still lying on the bed, closed her eyes tightly and willed the tears not to burst out. Sasuke…Sasuke was leaving for the most dangerous mission she could imagine.

Soon, Sasuke-kun will come looking for me for power. There is nothing you can do about it young girl. Orochimaru's voice just couldn't leave her head, but there was something he said that was wrong. Sasuke was not leaving them for power because he had them…right? He's just doing this for the mission.

"You bastard. After all that we have been through, you're just going to dispose of us like some kind of trash!?" Naruto wasn't able to finish his yelling since Sasuke flashed in front of him and gave him and hard, deserving punch. Sakura jumped from her bed and ran (stumbled) towards her fallen teammate, trying to heal his bruise with what little chakra she had. Before she could lose her temper, she was greeted with a surprising sight.

"You idiots" she heard Sasuke whisper in the background. Both Naruto and Sakura turned to look at him, seething in anger. "You really think I'm going just for power. Do you think I would just leave like that without achieving the promise we all made?" Sasuke was struggling with his words and his teammates can feel him trying to calm himself down, he was questioning his decision. Sighing, the only thing he could say was, "Idiots. Complete idiots."

Sakura was struck awed. Sasuke wasn't leaving them, it was just a mission. Glancing at Naruto, she saw him relax considerably and sigh in defeat, again.

"I have to go because I am the best chance there is for the success of this mission. I will also get stronger through him, but I will never allow him to take my body. I will not die because I…I have precious people here, waiting for me" Sasuke walked towards his teammates and knelt down so that they were all on the same level. He grasped Naruto's blond hair (tightly) and wrapped his other arm around Sakura's shoulder. This was the closest thing Sasuke has come to showing affection and the other two were struck speechless. "Who is going to take care of you two idiots, huh? I will be leaving you for a long time and just this makes me frustrated enough, so don't make me change my mind. Knowing you guys, you will probably throw yourself into trouble the moment I leave this village and make me have to come back and save your sorry asses. Do you think I want to go on this mission and have to worry about you?" he ended his statement with a small blush, letting out a sigh of relief for finally being able to say what's on his mind. Nonetheless, he continued "I will be going to him to get stronger and so will you two. When I come back, you better be at my level so I can have a good challenge." Smirking, he let go of them and stood up with his hands in his pocket, his back towards them. Naruto and Sakura were looking at each other with understanding expressions. This was Sasuke's way of telling them that he cared enough for them to come back alive. Before they could express their feelings, Sasuke has already disappeared, leaving the two in the harsh, cold ground. Sakura then felt her stomach coil tightly as she realized something.

Sasuke will be leaving in fourteen hours…

Naruto was walking around the very familiar play ground and reminiscing back to when they were so much younger. He didn't even want to bid his rival goodbye because he didn't have the strength to. He feared that if he saw Sasuke before leaving, his chest would ache much more than it already was. In truth, he didn't want to lose his best friend and he didn't want to see Sakura's broken face when he departs. It was better he kept his distance…right?

Sasuke was busy walking around the streets of Konoha, trying to remember every corner and shop there because he knew that he wouldn't be seeing it for a really long time. Several hours later, he went to pack his bag and get ready for his long journey.

It was nighttime and Sasuke just couldn't sleep. He just lay on the bed, thinking of what will become of him. Just then, he heard a knock on his door, putting him instantly on his guard. It was the middle of the night and before he grabbed a kunai, he caught the waves of chakra radiating from two very familiar people. His body relaxed from its tense posture and immediately became irritated. Grumbling some Uchiha nonsense about being the middle of the night and wanting some sleep, he walked towards the door fast so as to stop the annoying knocks that idiot was doing.

"What!?" Sasuke yelled and was greeted by his two equally grumpy-looking teammates. They obviously had bags under their eyes, telling him that they also weren't able to have the amount of sleep needed. Sighing, he opened the door a little further to allow his teammates to come in.

"I can't sleep" Sakura murmured and plunged herself on the couch, her arms and legs stretched out as she tried to curl in the couch as much as she could.

"Me too" Naruto groaned and sat himself on the single armchair. Sasuke was…relieved that they came to see him before he left, he felt...happy. Taking a seat on the couch beside Sakura, Sasuke let his muscles relax and lowered his guard down just a little. He was safe here with them and he wasn't alone. He wasn't alone in his last night in Konoha, which made him less sad for some reason. The room was once again filled with silence and Sasuke didn't know what to say, to be honest, he preferred them talking than fidgeting in their seats.

"This sucks, you going that is" Naruto said, glaring at a random wall in front of it. Sasuke blinked at him, confused and speechless. "I mean, who is going to pay for my ramen when I am broke?!" Naruto yelled, now having the courage to look at his long-term rival.

"Yeah! Who is going to bonk us in the head when we start beating each other?" Sakura exclaimed.

"And who will fight with me when I get pissed off?!"

"And who will buy me dango!!"

"And who will I call bastard now!?

"And I won't be able to kick your fangirls whenever they come near you?" At this, Sasuke and Naruto stared at Sakura like she had grown an extra head. Laughing sheepishly, she shrugged and sank back to the couch, sighing heavily.

"You better be extra careful Sasuke, you will never know when Orochimaru will suspect you, and so you have to keep your act stable" Sakura whispered as she stared at her friend and teammate. Sasuke smirked, amused with the whole situation.

"I can take care of myself. Both of you should also start taking care of yourself instead of using me to save you from everything." The three of them finally smiled together, because the three knew that they will all come back soon and be Team 7 again. That was how the night went on, Sakura and Naruto kept talking and Sasuke filling comment here and there. Several hours after their talk, they were all sleeping soundly; with Sakura leaning her head on Sasuke for warmth. Sasuke didn't know how he was able to wake up exactly an hour before he should depart, but he wasted no time in slowly standing up and getting ready.

When he finished his shower, he had thirty minutes left. However, he couldn't leave his living room, where his two teammates still lay there sleeping and unaware of the outside world. He knelt down in front of Sakura and just stared at her; her nose, her eyelashes, her cheeks, her lips. Unconsciously, he traced her left cheek with his right, index finger. He didn't know why he was doing this, but it felt right.

"Sasuke…" Sakura whispered in her sleep and the Uchiha quickly took his hand back. Once he reached the end of his living room, he looked back at the two most precious people in his life and smiled. The picture of them sleeping in his house will be forever ingrained in his mind.

"Are you ready, Sasuke-sama?" one of the sound four said, all of them bowing for Orochimaru's new container. Sasuke scoffed and walked down the road that will lead them outside the fire country with his hands in his pocket. His mission has started and he will be labeled as a missing-nin in a few hours. His heart clenched at the idea of not seeing Sakura anymore, he will miss her a lot. Maybe when he comes back, he could tell her how he feels.

Maybe…

Back in the Uchiha compound, two sleeping figures unconsciously let out tears from their eyes. Their hearts were calling out to their missing companion. The other lonely heart was calling back.

Phew, that is over. I hope you liked this chapter :D It gets more interesting later!! I really don't know whether I should make Team 7 together or just SasuSaku, what do you think? I would like reviews to this chapter :)

Sadbird