Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

I dedicate this chapter to my faithful reviewer LadyMartel4000 (That's right, faithfully review and I may dedicate a chapter to younext)

Chapter 7

She was definitely different around him. Every time she was in his room to receive a command she would avoid eye contact. If he took a while to give her one she would start fidgeting with her clothing. Whenever he would begin giving her the command she would give a little flinch. He was glad that she had learned her lesson.

She was not being so obviously rebellious, that much was true, and she was submitting to him for now, but there was still that mischievous twinkle in her eye. Like she was planning something and she was only scared and submissive for now. He didn't have too much time to dwell on it as Madara had assigned a mission to the pair of them soon after the incident.

"I need you to teach a group of recruits medical jutsu," Madara said after Sasuke and Sakura had come into his office to receive their mission. She glanced at Sasuke briefly at the mention of medical jutsu, but then gave her full attention back to Madara. The glance did not go unnoticed by Madara.

Sasuke knew Madara was curious as to what Sasuke had done to Sakura to make her more submissive to him, but he never asked. Sasuke doubted he would've told Madara even if he did ask.

"I'm short-handed on medic-nin given the fact that you are my only one," Madara continued. "It will be very useful in the war to have more than one medic-nin. I would have done this a long time ago, but someone decided to go off on her own little adventure."

Sakura twitched realizing Madara still refused to believe that it was for everyone's supposed good that she had left when she did. Sasuke was glad she had been gone when he first joined, and he wished she still was gone.

"Where is the location?" Sakura asked ignoring the obvious jab.

"The hideout just north of Amegakure," Madara responded. Sakura nodded in response, but a little stiffer than before. Sasuke assumed it had something to do with the running away comment. "Oh, and, Sakura, if you should meet anyone, do not engage in combat."

"Should I meet anyone?" Sakura asked. Madara shrugged, and she was dismissed leaving only Sasuke and Madara in the room.

"So, what am I here for?" Sasuke asked.

"You're going to escort her and be her body guard," Madara revealed.

"If she's on the Akatsuki she shouldn't need a body guard," Sasuke responded.

"The Akatsuki travel in groups of two, and as the rest of Akatsuki are away on their own jobs, you're the only one left. And, like I said before, Sakura is special and I can't afford to lose her," Madara said opening some drawers and placing papers in specific folders.

"You make her sound like some sort of treasure," Sasuke snorted.

"In some ways she is," Madara said off-handedly. "Anyway, the main reason you need to go with her is because we believe that that location has been leaked to outsiders. If someone should show up, you and her would need to take care of them."

"So your main reason for this mission is to make sure that location is still secure?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes, but I do need medic-nin before the war and this is just killing two birds with one stone," Madara explained. "You leave tomorrow, dismissed."

Sasuke gave a stiff nod and began leaving the room before Madara stopped him.

"Oh, and Sasuke. You are not to engage either."

"Didn't you say to take care of anyone that showed up?" Sasuke drawled.

"Take care of their memory," Madara clarified. "There are other ways of handling an enemy, Sasuke."

Sasuke gave no sign that he heard him and left the room. He was not looking forward to a three day trip with only Sakura for company. He would rather spend a mission with Zetsu or Karin.

Speaking of Karin she should be due back any week now... Sasuke was vaguely curious how she would take the arrival of a new female. Especially when the female used to know Sasuke and was held in higher regard by Madara than Karin was.

Sasuke found Sakura already at the mouth of the cave the next day. She was leaning up against the side of the cave wall and glaring at the other side. She turned her head slightly when she sensed Sasuke, and then she picked up her pack and started walking. Sasuke walked a little faster so he could be in front and then slowed his pace. He heard Sakura snort behind him.

"Something amuses you?" Sasuke ground out as he continued his steady pace.

"I just find it funny that you're so insecure about your leadership that you have to prove you have it by walking in the lead. If you had any real leadership I would've just let you be in the lead without question."

Madara had warned him that Sakura was likely to be more vocal during this trip because Sasuke's commands became powerless when they were not in the cave with Madara. She had given him an opening though. He smirked as he took the opportunity. "Hn, you may say that, but you inadvertently admitted that you think I'm a leader. You're letting me stay in the lead without question, aren't you?"

He tilted his head partially to see her reaction. Outwardly she showed no sign of his words affecting her, but her lined eyes changed minutely to reveal something he couldn't place his finger on.

She smirked and responded, "Now you're trying to seek reassurance from me. It's somewhat pathetic."

Sasuke could feel lightning spark at his fingertips. It would be so easy... "Hold you're tongue, Sakura, or I'll burn it off."

"How? You aren't allowed to harm me," Sakura sniffed.

"There are ways around every seal."

"And I doubt you know the way around this one..." She muttered to herself. She didn't mean for Sasuke to hear it, but he did nonetheless. He grabbed her upper arm and pulled her up against him.

"I thought we already established that I knew one way around this seal already," Sasuke growled.

Sakura visibly paled before responding, "You have no power over me here."

"I don't need your forced obedience. Though, I would prefer waiting to punish you for your behavior until we get back," Sasuke threatened, "then you would have no choice."

"You'll forget," she said confidently.

"I have a good memory," Sasuke said releasing his grip on her and moving onward.

"Belive me, Sasuke, you'll forget," she murmured.

Even though she couldn't see it, Sasuke raised his eyebrow in questioning.

Somehow they had made it to the rest point without saying another word to each other. Something about the way she had said he would forget didn't quite sit right with him. What was she planning exactly?

"What's up with you?" Sakura asked breaking the silence as she set out her bedroll. "The only thing you've done since this morning is glare and brood. Oh, wait... That's how you usually are."

Alright. He would play her game. "I'm 'glaring and brooding' because my least favorite part of Konoha has followed me when I thought I left her a clear message that I didn't want her to come along," Sasuke responded hoping for a reaction; a crack in her facade.

He didn't get one.

"Technically I was in Akatsuki first," Sakura responded.

"And why is that?" Sasuke voiced, unable to hold back the question. "You had no notable skill when I left you."

"I'm more skilled than you know," Sakura added.

"Nor did you have reason to defect, unless it was just to follow me like some lovesick puppy," Sasuke bit out.

She let out a laugh - not the reaction he was expecting. "Why would I have followed you? Don't answer that... You are right though, there are other reasons for defecting a village other than hate, and mine was out of love, but I assure you it wasn't for you."

Sasuke's glare intensified. "And that is what proves you are nothing but a weak kunoichi from a half-baked village."

"The half-baked village that your clan comes from. Oh, and half of your list of notable kunoichi. So, now that we've established it wasn't because of my village, which part proves that I'm weak? The part about leaving out of love or because I didn't leave for you?"

"Love makes a person weak," Sasuke responded ignoring her provocation.

"And yet you want to destroy Konoha out of love for your brother. Interesting."

"It's different-"

"How so? There are many forms of love, but they all have the same beginning. And how can you say that hate is stronger than love? You can't have hate without love, but you can have love without hate. Your hate for your brother was intense because you loved him before your family's death. How can something be stronger than where it originated from?"

"Because love was always weak. Hate was just an improvement."

"Bull crap. You fight so hard against love, but all of your fights have been because of love. You loved your family, so you hated Itachi because of what he did to them. You love Itachi, so now you hate the village because of what they made him do. Your love of power drove you to try to kill your best friend... I'm preaching to the choir aren't I? But know this: Itachi loved Konoha, so he was willing to do what he did for it."

"You don't-"

"-Know him? You forget that I have been a part of Akatsuki since I was fourteen. There are a lot of things I know about him that you don't."

Sasuke had Chidori charged to his hand before he even thought about it. He lunged at Sakura in the blink of an eye, but was blocked by some invisible wall.

"Like I said, you don't know the way around my seal," Sakura said, her face set into a look of boredom.

Sasuke cursed loudly and redirected his Chidori towards a tree. He stomped into the forest without a single thought of returning to her anytime soon.

Two Days Later

What did you find out?" Kiba asked as Kakashi and Shikamaru took two chairs and moved them to the cafe table they were sitting at. It was under an awning and provided much wanted protection from the rain.

"Apparently that base has been abandoned for two years since Madara suspected its whereabouts had been leaked," Shikamaru explained.

"So we came all this way for nothing?" Kiba asked slamming a fist onto the table and shaking all of the items strewn across it.

Kakashi shook his head slowly and continued for Shikamaru, "It's been abandoned for two years now, but there are rumors spreading of inhabitants being there again. The most notable rumors have been saying the inhabitants are about thirty in number. Two of them have been described as 'A Sharingan Man' and someone titled 'Akatsuki's Thunder.'"

Everyone at the table grew silent. They now knew that this base had the possibility of containing either Sasuke or Madara and some Akatsuki member they knew nothing about. Without realizing it, four pairs of eyes slid to Naruto who was unfocusedly staring at a window. Hinata looked down and saw wood being clawed under his fingernails.

No one was happy about the news.

Yes, I realize I haven't updated in a while, but I gave up for a month because of personal reasons. I hope the argument between Sasuke and Sakura was enough to placate yus guys! It was lots of fun to write and I hope you enjoyed it! Since all has gone according to plan, I already have the next THREE chapters written for yu guys! I think it's three...

Thanks for your patience! And a BIG thank you to: bemine8, Karumi-Uchiha-Haruno, XxReddShadowxX, LadyMartel4000, and MoniqueLove! YU GUYS RAWK THE TUBE SOX OFF OF DA WORLD!

So, how are you guys liking SasuSakuMonth so far? If you haven't even heard of it GOCHECKITOUT! I submitted three stories *wipes nails on shirt in pride* All of which are probably lame... I'm new at oneshots cut me some slack. I'll be positing them soonish, but if you're interested I submitted them for the 4th, 11th, and 16th

Reviews are never frowned upon here :) - I must always include one smiley.

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