Here's the next one! Jeez, I'm on a roll with this story!

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thanks a bunch!

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Chapter 20

The weight of every footstep pressed harder on my aching heart, because every footstep was taking me farther and farther away from Konoha. But a small part of me was…glad, in the most disturbing way. Why was that?

The snow was icy, but most of it was slushy and wet around my feet as I darted from tree to tree, feeling the warmth of my breath, and watching it condense into a thick smoky mist as it reached the frigid temperatures of the air. I needed to get at least ten miles away from Takamoto to teleport – I was still pretty new to the technique of teleportation – and I was still fifteen miles away from that point. Kabuto could already be planning to make his move. Orochimaru must've planned this with Kabuto's wishes in mind. Damn him! Damn them both!

I wonder…did Sasuke even care that I left? Probably not.

A familiar chakra flared nearby, and a wry smirk turned my lips upward as a dark figure appeared beside me, silent and deadly as he kept up with me easily.

Well, speak of the devil…

I felt a grim anger at the realization that I had been right that day…Sasuke had been there, watching me. Why the hell had he come? But I couldn't make myself angry, not after leaving Naruto behind in the cold street, not after writing that horrid letter that made me want to tear my heart out. Not after leaving the only place where I had felt truly home behind. Seeing those onyx eyes again made me automatically shift into that pattern of before that day at the base…the days where I felt comfortable around him…the days that no longer existed.

"Long time no see." I spoke softly, afraid that anything louder would remind me of Kiba, his yells from across the street asking me if I wanted to go out with him to get coffee…dammit…I promised that I wouldn't think about him. I wont…I wont…

Sasuke didn't reply, but his eyes never left me as we jumped through the icy branches. I didn't look at him, because I didn't have the energy to deal with him at the moment. Sasuke would see that I was trying not to cry, and he'd smirk about how weak I was…and so on and so forth.

Sasuke pulled one of those surprise phases of curiosity on me as we ran, and I wanted to ram my head against a wall, wondering what the hell I had done to ever deserve to be questioned right after making the largest sacrifice of my life.

"You could've stayed…why didn't you?"

I sighed, and my chest loosened with every word he spoke. There was something about Sasuke that soothed me, made me come back down to Earth, which was just plain odd because he himself was such a tense and bitter person.

"I…need to settle something back in Sound."

"That's all?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh, yeah…that's all. Nice try though."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and reached out to flip himself under a large bent trunk, tapping lightly on the splintering branches until he was beside me.

"I wasn't trying anything."

"Oh jeez, I'm so not in the mood for this right now." I muttered, and sped up so that I was in front of him, scowling when he sped up with me. "Can't you take a goddamn hint, Emo-boy?" I yelled, stopping and facing him with cold eyes. Sasuke didn't flinch when I marched up to him.

"I've just left people who actually care about me, left a guy who loves me as much as I love him, left my one chance at a normal life…I've left them because I know that if I don't…she'll be…" But I realized that I was telling too much, and I quickly pushed away from the branch again. "Forget it…someone like you would never understand."

"Someone like me…" Sasuke murmured, already beside me once more. "And what am I exactly, Hikari?"

Sasuke moved so he was in front of me, and I found myself immobilized by those dark eyes. He wasn't using Sharingan…this was his own charisma that he was using to keep me from running off again.

"You? You're…"

Sasuke moved closer, but not close enough that it made it a breach of personal space. His eyes were the same as always, but instead of the usual blankness; there was an intense curiosity.

"I don't know! What, did you expect some heart-felt monologue about you and your relentless path towards revenge and evil? A path that is a complete dead end, in case you haven't figured it out! Did you expect me to fall, helpless into your arms like some pathetic idiot? Did you expect me to tell you how much I love y–"

It was then that I realized it.

I was in love with Sasuke Uchiha.

I snarled at the bitter resentment that boiled in my chest, and roughly pushed Sasuke aside as I started running once more. I ran so fast that everything was blurred…no, wait. The blur wasn't because of the speed…it was because of my tears.

I was crying.

I was in love with a complete brain-case who thought that forcing himself into a cold, emotionless shell, he would achieve inner peace by killing his older brother. I couldn't accept that, no, it couldn't be possible! I loved Kiba, that was all that mattered! Wasn't that all I needed? It was…it was…

I wiped my tears away with a shaking hand, and gritted my teeth to clear my head of those traitorous thoughts. Me, in love with Sasuke? No way, I refused to believe it, it wasn't based in fact…it wasn't based on anything!

I heard the tap of his feet against the wood behind me, and I bit my lip so hard that it bled.

I hated the way that Sasuke made me feel, but what was worse was the fact that it was in that moment that I realized how much I had missed him – not because of love...it was just a result of a slight…friendship we had. Not even that, more like a close acquaintance…that was more like it.

I glanced back to see those dark eyes that were so exotic against his pale skin, staring at me without a sound, without anything in them but the familiar coldness. A lean but distinctly masculine body, the aristocratic face blank and calm, almost serene. Long tresses of spiky black hair whipped around his head in the wind.

I missed his silent acceptance; I missed talking to him even when I knew that he wouldn't answer. He had always been my sanctuary…he still was my sanctuary. My dark guardian angel, and I know it sounds corny but it's completely true.

That was what hurt most of all. No matter how long I spent away from Sasuke, a part of my mind would always be wondering where he was, and my dreams would be plagued with his face, his eyes, and his voice. No matter how much I loved Kiba and tried to forget my time in Sound…I was tied to Sasuke's destiny, as he was tied to mine.

I heard a sigh behind me, and felt a hand grasp my arm, and gasped as I felt the sudden tug of teleportation. The snow covered trees blended into nothing as smoke enveloped us, and I felt my head spinning frantically.

I felt Sasuke holding onto my arm, and I found it so very strange how tightly he was holding on…as if afraid I was going to pull away if he showed any sign of hesitation.

My feet hit the ground with a cold crunch, and I stared up at the cherry tree that stood in the center of the field outside the entrance to Orochimaru's main base. I let out a sigh that made the air around my face white with smoke.

The tree was fully defrosted, but the flower buds that were there were still buds, about to open. I'd give them two or three days to become flowers. I felt tears filling my eyes in relief, and a sound made me turn around. Hana was standing there, and her emerald eyes were the same as they smiled.

"You guys are back! How was the–"

But I rushed forward and pulled her into an embrace. My breath let out a gasp as I pulled Hana tightly against me, and I don't know what made me to this, but I was so happy that I had made it back in time that my thoughts were in a mess of relief and terror. There was still time…there was still time for the ninja of Konoha to find this place…still time for the both of us.

"H-Hikari? What's wrong?"

I didn't answer, and slowly pulled away, my hands touching Hana's shoulders as I stared at her. I saw the same girl that had smiled at the camera in her features, and I smiled.

"Nothing…nothing at all." I said quietly, and Hana frowned as she searched my face. I leaned in to whisper. "You're going home soon, Sakura. Just wait…Naruto and the others will come for you."

And, not even waiting to see her reaction, I brushed past her and headed down into the base, feeling a wave of melancholy remembrance as I brushed my hands along the cold walls that made up the stairwell…remembering all those times that I had stormed down them after a particularly trying day of training.

My fingers brushed a small rough edge in the smooth stone, and my mind was swept backwards in time.

"That stupid, arrogant…ugh! 'Do it again' he says…well I'd like to see him do a fireball jutsu thirty times in a row without asking to take a break! I – ouch!"

I turned to see that I had accidentally scraped my arm against the wall, and saw that a layer of skin had been rubbed away, blood welling to the surface.

"Great…this is just fantastic. Now even the wall is actively trying to make my life miserable! Thanks, but stupid Uchiha-sensei's already on that!" I kicked the wall as hard as I could and stalked down the stairs, rubbing my arm off on my pants to clear the blood away…

I laughed lightly at the memory, and didn't look back to see if Sasuke was following as I walked down the hall towards his room. I wonder if he had cleared away the blankets by now…probably. Would I even be welcome in his room anymore?

Again, probably not…

But I guess I'd found out when the time came…no sense worrying about it now.

I didn't even bother meeting the eye of the male ninja as we passed, and felt my brow twitch in restrained anger as one of the bolder ones grabbed my arm.

"Haven't seen you around here in a while, beautiful…why don't you–"

I moved fast and without hesitation, quickly twisting the man's arm behind his back so that if I moved so much as an inch, it would be dislocated. I spoke clearly so that he as well as his cronies could hear.

"Let me be perfectly honest with you. I might have been too scared to confront you in the past, and I can see how you would take advantage of that. But that part of me has changed, so consider this a warning. Do. Not. Mess. With. Me." I hissed, and let him go with a jerk.

The man backed away quickly, his eyes narrowed with hate as he and the others quickly moved down the hall, away from me. I didn't smile, as I would've done before, instead turning and continuing my path down the hallway, sighing as the light from the torches flickered on the walls. The shadows were lost and lonely as they danced on the wooden walls that acted as supports for the earth around us, and I heard a sigh beside me as Sasuke appeared.

I glanced at him, and he didn't speak. But I could tell by the slight tenseness to his jaw that he was angry, and he walked without so much as looking at me. But I could sense that he was walking with me for a reason.

As much as I hated this place, the feeling I had when I walked these halls was soothing in a way that was similar to visiting your childhood playground. It reminded you of times past, and even though most of the memories weren't very pleasant in my case, they were all that I had. Those long runs with Sasuke sitting under a tree, sharpening his sword, listening to the rain pound outside from my bed of blankets, laughing as I fell backwards on my butt the first time I tried running up a tree using only chakra, the smirk Sasuke would give me when he saw how insanely frustrated I was….

The memories of my mother and those long days in high school were just faint illusions…nothing more than a dream. This was my life now, whether I liked it or not.

"What's wrong?" I found myself asking, and his eyes snapped to my face. I sighed as he faced forward again, and I let out a bark of laughter. "What, you're surprised that I'm asking? It's hard not to, seeing as you're so blatantly displaying your irritation, something you would usually hide to maintain that emotionless icicle image that you're so fond of. So if you want to tell me something, tell me…if not, whatever."

Sasuke seemed surprised, though I couldn't tell, seeing as his expressions were often quite hard to read at times. After a moment, his expression smoothed out slightly and he said quietly.

"Orochimaru is getting weaker…and his supply of jutsus to teach me are almost gone. He will soon be of no use to me."

"Not to seem bitchy, but how does this have anything to do with me?"

"You told…her…that people were coming to get her. You could go with them."

I froze, and Sasuke kept walking past me. I could…wait, what?

I ran up to Sasuke and grabbed his arm to keep him from walking away any farther, and his body stiffened at the contact, his onyx eyes flashing back to my face. I felt my breath coming in gasps.

"What…what do you mean? You mean…that…you would somehow get rid of Orochimaru so that I could leave this place?" Then it dawned on me. "You're going to kill him, aren't you?"

Those onyx eyes never left mine, and I blinked rapidly at the determination in his eyes. "That's it…you're going to kill him." I let my gaze drop to the floor, and felt my heart sink as Kabuto's face flashed in my mind. My eyes closed, and I forced a euphoric expression on my face, to fool Sasuke into thinking that I would take full advantage of leaving.

But none of that would matter. The ninja of Konoha would get here in about three days, and the flowers would bloom by that time. I knew that Kabuto wouldn't give me a warning, and so I had to make sure that I kept a constant watch on Sakura until the Konoha ninja came. When they did, I would tell Sakura to go…while I would stay. That's how it would work.

I prayed to God that the flowers would wait to bloom until the Konoha ninja arrived. I prayed, I hoped, and I pleaded with the force that was driving all of our lives…that my sacrifice wasn't all in vain.

It was three days later that the first flowers of the spring appeared on the cheery tree, and if one knew how, one could sense four ninja perched on the trees just outside the base.

One of them was tall and lean, his blonde spiky hair waving in the cool breeze, and those cerulean eyes dark and intense as they scanned the surrounding area. His hands were clenched around a kunai, and his teeth gritted angrily as their commander remained silent after a few minutes.

But his worry was so great that he couldn't find the will to complain. Two people he loved were in there, and if they were too hasty, both of their lives would be in danger.

A muscled ninja perched on the branch above them, his canine companion growling low in the back of his throat. The ninja's slanted eyes were impatient and full of concern as his lips pulled back to bare his teeth, showing his two canines that were slightly larger and sharper than those of ordinary human beings.

The last team member was an eerie looking fellow with pale, almost sickly looking skin. A neatly cut mop of black hair on top of his head was motionless even in the breeze. His face was smooth and delicately shaped, but held a calm that was slightly off, as if his face was a mask instead of an actual part of his body. He was silent as he stood behind the nearest tree trunk, and his dark eyes stared unblinkingly at the entrance.

The commander of the entire team was a stocky man who looked to be in his mid-twenties, and he had a widely proportioned face with piercing black eyes. He had a headband on that covered not only his face, but the sides of it also. His dark outfit blended in with the black trunks of the trees, and he held three small objects in his hands. They looked to be small wooden beads, and the blonde and brunette ninja frowned as the commander handed them one.

"Swallow it, and then I'll be able to track you inside the base. Sai, you go in first, and use your paintings to search. Kiba and Akamaru, you'll–"

"Be looking for Hikari. Don't worry, Yamato, we know." Kiba's voice was low and focused, and Akamaru whimpered at the sound of the girl's name. Kiba patted his head comfortingly, and the blonde sighed when Yamato turned to him.

"Naruto, you'll look for Sakura. Remember, she has dark hair, and goes by the name Hana."

"Got it." Naruto muttered, and Yamato looked around as the three ninja swallowed the wood beads without complaint. After a moment, Yamato raised his hand, and with a small signal, the four ninja disappeared into nothing.

The light shone on the cherry tree, and the delicate petals of the flowers that were attached to the uppermost branches glowed a faint pink in the brightness of the afternoon sun.