The next day they were traveling by dawn. By midday they came across the hideout. Sasuke took the lead. Sasuke took a long breath before stepping into the damp opening. Sakura was shocked at how well he navigated the corridors. They had made several turns already and if she wasn't so well trained, she'd never be able to find her way out.

"Sasuke," a voice hissed from further up the walkway. "Interesting to find you here."

"We need to speak. Regarding your visit to the Nara compound."

"I actually have no idea what you speak of," Orochimaru chimed. His voice was always unusually calm. It sent shivers up Sakura's spine.

"You don't recall digging up a severed head that could still speak?" Sakura sneered.

She wasn't in the mood for Sasuke and Orochimaru to have their little reunion. She wanted to be out of this place as soon as possible.

"Ah, I did have a troublesome head show up a few months ago. It had an intrigued shinobi holding it, however. This way." Orochimaru began walking toward what they presumed was a laboratory.

"Naomi," Sasuke stated.

"Yes. She seemed to be looking for the immortality this specimen had found. I was truly interested too." As they entered the laboratory both leaf shinobi cringed, understanding the horrors that took place here.

Sakura was the first to notice Hidan's head in a vat. His mouth moved at the sight of her and Sasuke, but there was no sound.

"I found the water is the best way to silence him. He doesn't seem to mind the consistent drowning sensation." Sakura felt goosebumps take over her. Orochimaru was so nonchalant about torturing someone.

"What did you do to her?" Sasuke demanded.

"Well after you murdered her, or well attempted to, I had Kabuto heal her. She was far too valuable to lose. She was immediately transported to a different hide-out and simply trained the same as you. I wanted to see if your will to find power could be mimicked and it could. Except she fed off her hatred of you."

Sasuke's eyes widened. Him? She couldn't possibly be holding a grudge from their battle. He had no choice.

"As most of the power-hungry seem to do, she ran off from me. However, as most also do, she came back. And with a peace-offering," he gestured to Hidan.

"She could never survive being decapitated, but thanks to the research of him: She can certainly outlive most injuries. It's a handy skill in addition to her pain and environmental resistance."

"Why have you sent her-" Sasuke began, but he was cut off by Orochimaru waving him off.

"I have not sent her anywhere. She left on her own accord with no orders from me." Sasuke scowled. "However, I feel as though she's luring you out. She knows you're a vigilante of sorts these days."

"We need to regroup. There's a village just this way, we can stay the night at the inn and devise a new game plan," Sakura announced.

"Hn," was all she received in response. Sasuke had been nearly silent since they had spoken with Orochimaru.

As they approached the inn, it was dusk. The tables of the restaurant downstairs were mostly occupied by old men playing cards and drinking. There were a few young travelers as well.

"Do you have any vacant rooms?" Sakura asked, placing money on the counter.

"Yeah, one left," he tossed her the keys. Sasuke had done nothing except what appeared to be sulking the whole way here.

The room was simple. It had one issue however, one double bed. Sakura placed her things near the door and slipped off her shoes.

"Do you want the bed? I can use my sleeping roll." Silence.

"Okay. If make some dinner, do you want any?" Silence.

Sakura would rather have someone spew profanities at her than ignore her. Ignoring someone was the highest form of disrespect in her mind.

"If you're going to ignore me, go outside. I do not have any idea what happened in the past twelve hours, but this is simply unacceptable! Kakashi-sensei had drilled teamwork into our brains si-"

It was warm. His hand on her cheek and his lips. Oh god, his lips. They were soft. Her eyes fluttered shut as she kissed back, wrapping an arm around his neck. He pulled back briefly.

"You're rambling." His voice was as soft as his lips.

Sasuke entangled his fingers in Sakura's hair backing her up against the nearest wall. His kisses were ravenous. She was delicious and he wanted her, all of her. Sakura broke away from his lips and for a brief moment he was concerned. Had he violated her? But then the warmth had moved down his jawline and to his neck. Holy shit. She knew what she was doing.

Sakura was sure she was dreaming. She certainly had encountered quite a few dreams like this. Sasuke was kissing her. He had just been ignoring her and now here they were, kissing. No, not just kissing – making out.

Their tongues were dancing and his fingers were running through her hair. She wanted more. She broke away and nothing was more pleasing than a gasp from him as she pecked down his jawline to his neck. She swirled her tongue and then bit down just hard enough. She had to make sure he knew she wasn't the genin he had left behind.

She was a woman, dammit.

Sakura felt Sasuke going to take control, but she was going to relish in her power trip a little longer. She picked his head up and smirked, rivaling his own signature smirk. She pushed him back a few feet and he landed in the bed. She climbed on top of him. She licked her lips longingly as she kneeled over him. She may have lingered just too long before she was met with a determined gaze.

Sasuke raised a brow and grinned as he placed his hand on her hips and rolled her under him. He grabbed her wrists and held them about her head. "You're mine," He growled as she blushed under him.

He kissed down her cheek, to her neck. He stayed in her neck for just a moment to return the favor. He wasn't going to be the only on branded. He then continued down to her collar bone. At this point she was wiggling under him. He let go of her wrists in favor of cradling her face gently.

Sakura, however, was having none of the gentle shenanigans. She wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding their hips together. Her fingers latched onto his raven tresses as she pulled his face into her neck and nibbled his ear.

Then, something can over her. Logic, that was it. She groaned and fell limp into the bed. "We're on a mission," she whined.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "We're at an inn. No one needs to keep watch."

Sakura looked at him, disappointed. "I am not having sex, on a mission. I have a little more self respect than that."

Sasuke groaned and rolled over next to her. "I understand." He did. He really did. Alas, he was a man however and had two different heads. Luckily, he spoke with the logical one because his other one was furious right now. He did want her, now. Her wishes her first and foremost, though because he was a lot of things but disrespectful towards women was not one of them.

Her words hit him again as he finally took a moment to process them. She mentioned sex so casually, did she usually have casual sex? Was that why she was so…ready? He had honestly suspected she'd be a virgin. She was beautiful, yes. But she had always seemed…so…well in love with him. Damn. He was self-centered. Her world didn't revolve around him.

"So you've had sex before."

Sakura turned her head toward him, she seemed to almost be glaring. "I'm an adult woman. Not a nun."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"It sounded more a like a statement to me." A judgmental one, she noted.

Sasuke didn't continue the conversation, he just looked at her, waiting. She sighed. "Yes, I have. Plenty."

Plenty. Sasuke took a moment to truly understand the statement. She had probably had more sex than himself. That was embarrassing.

"With who?" Sasuke mentally hit himself.

There were few times he was awkward. However, there were also few times he was more inexperienced than someone. It was a feeling he was uncomfortable with. It's not like he could ask for sex pointers. It was like he was Naruto right now, an idiot.

Sakura definitely glaring now. "Several people. Would like a personally biography of all of them?"

She sat up, her anger growing. Inner Sakura had already knocked him to the next country. "Do you have an issue with my sex life?"

Sasuke glanced at her, confused. "Of course not," he responded flatly. It then hit him, he hadn't exactly been compassionate about the subject thus far. Another downfall of his.

Sakura looked at his, less enraged and more confused. Her brow furrowed. "How many people have you have sex with?"

Sasuke felt heat coming to his face. He willed it away with all the power he had. "One."

Sakura's eyes widened involuntarily. Realization washed over her, Sasuke wasn't judging her. Sasuke was more inexperience and how often did she get to be better and more experienced than Sasuke?

"Good."

Sasuke shook his head. Good? What on earth could be about that?

"I can mold you into what I need. I'm quite particular," Sakura said, trying to make him feel better. It was a lovely lie. She really wasn't very particular, in fact she'd been told she was easy to please, but he didn't need to know that.

Sasuke remained silent. So, this meant, she was under the impression they'd be having sex often. This was not what he was planning on, but Naruto would be proud. He had made a move.

"Also," Sakura smiled as she rolled into Sasuke's chest. "You seem to be a natural."

Sakura stared at the ceiling as Sasuke laid beside her. She wasn't sure if he was sleeping or meditating, it was honestly impossible to telling the difference. Hell, when he was awake it was hard to tell the difference.

Sleeping had always been difficult for her. There was a reason she exhausted herself until she nearly passed out, so she could sleep. On days like this where she honestly did little besides walk, she could hardly sleep.

Her mind slipped back into the events since they arrived at the inn. She was more experienced than Sasuke Uchiha. She wasn't sure if this was something to be proud of, but at least she could show him up on one battlefield. Closing her eyes, attempting sleep she recalled the day she decided Sasuke was no longer going to play a role in her romantic life.

"Forehead, if you don't get yourself someone soon, you're going to die alone." Ino stated

Sakura laughed, assuming her friend was joking. She was met with a dead serious gaze from the blonde. "Let's go get drinks tonight. We'll dress you up, you'd have to meet someone that way."

"I have someone," Sakura stated, wrinkling her nose..

"Sasuke does not count. He poked you on that giant forehead of yours. Then left and when is he coming back?" Sakura opened her mouth to answer but Ino held up a hand, rejecting what was obviously going to be a pathetic answer to a rhetorical question.

"Never. Or not any time soon. You could be dead before he comes back, Sakura. Do you want to die a virgin?"

Sakura groaned. No, she didn't want to die a virgin or alone, but Ino was dramatic. Sasuke would be back, eventually. She was only twenty and assuming she never got killed on a mission she could live a long life. They could still get married and have children. It would be fine.

"I won't. He'll be back."

Ino stared as Sakura like she had four heads. This woman was crazy. "For the love of god, Sakura. At least come out with us. At least find a nice plan b."

And find a plan b she did that night. And eventually a c, d, e, and maybe a f. What she didn't want Sasuke to know however was plan D had nearly moved into plan A until he had come back to Konoha. The day Naruto had sensed his chakra in the vicinity, she had broken it off. Broken off…whatever it was they were.

A/N: Ah, alas some romance! Finally!

If you want to read more about Sakura and her time 'finding herself' per se, check out my one-shot Sakura's Sexcapades! It starts with the flashback at the end of the chapter and leads up to just before this fic starts. It's an okay read if I do say so myself :)

Reviews are always greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading! :)