Chapter 5

Uchiha Sasuke, the most wanted man in shinobi world was in Ame.

He's not in the south. Nope. No one knew where he really was. He was in the Ame for weeks. The sighting in southern border was a decoy…a lie. It's a perfect plan. He had sent Seiryuu and Byaku1 to the south…to do his bidding. They were his new team, together with Suzaku and Genbu2. They were four of the excellent ninja, locked down in the deepest penitentiary in the Grass. These four were that dangerous. And they have decided to join Sasuke…in an odd reason. To kill boredom.

He penetrated Ame, and now he was being chased.

He smirked. He knows that they were following him. He didn't care, he had what he wants. Is he scared? No. Sasuke didn't know fear for he was fear himself. Ame have one of the forbidden scrolls he needs. And he got it by himself. Now, ame-nin were determined to get it back, and kill him.

He was chased by strong nins. He smirked again as he pumped chakra into his feet and gained more speed, leaping from one tree to another. He can outrun them. He won't waste his strength fighting them. Though he's confident he can defeat them if he wants to. Yes, that confident. He's invincible.

But he was wrong. Because one had been hidden so well, he didn't notice the shadow emerge behind him. And it was too late. He was hit, straight on his face.

He fought. He brawl and struggled. And he had used his power…his doujutsu.

And the ame-nin, lifeless before him, burning with black flames. He smirk again…victorious smirk, mocking them, looking down upon them. He felt good. Yes, he felt so good on himself. Then he winced.

Nah, it must be his imagination. There's no way he could feel a pain. Something was wet, on his left abdomen. He felt it. It's warm.

It's blood.

What?

And there it was, penetrated from behind him, was a sword. He was injured.

Shit! How did—

And he could feel the pain, more intense now. He winced as a series of curses came out from his mouth. How come he didn't notice this? He slowly pulled the sword from behind him. The blade was wider than his kusanagi, but a bit shorter in length, a short sword. He pulled it from his body, grimacing and wincing at the same time. Then he threw it angrily on the ground and huffed. He was losing blood. He had to stop the gash, but he needs to get out of here as soon as possible. Erasing his chakra remains by using a series of seals, which he had learnt from Orochimaru, it could conceal him from anyone who might follow him. He'll think about his wound later.

He jumped and leaped from tree to tree. He was a good mile away when he felt the world turn upside down. He felt dizzy.

Poison? The sword that gashed him was poisoned? It might have spread already on his body. So he had to stop on a large tree branch, still masking his chakra away. He checked his wound and it doesn't look good. He looked around, and he remembered there was a small village nearby. He could rest there. The weather didn't look good either. Huffing and feeling the draining of his consciousness.

He had been careless. He was too engrossed with feeling the euphoria himself, underestimating the enemies. He knows the ame-nin were a rowdy bunch of nin. Haven't they experienced it in the Genin exams before? He cursed himself.

So he decided, to head into that village's direction. He'll hide there and recuperate.

~SxS~

Sakura had just arrived in the facility located in the mountain. It's just a fairly large two-storey cabin with a porch at the entrance. Everything was made with wood and timber. She saw, not far from behind the cabin, on the right side, a house covered with a milky glass as its roof. Probably the greenhouse, she thought. They entered the house.

"Sakura-nee, the room over there is the one you can use as a lab. Right on the left of this hall is the kitchen; right here is the living room. Upstairs are the rooms," Chisa said, "This was used as a rest house before, but there are people who use this as a research facility as well. We have a large number of plants to use and they want to study them,"

"Okay. At least I don't need to worry about staying in an inn. This'll help me a lot you know. Not to mention my budget," she laughs.

"Grandpa made sure to stock the kitchen, but if you need anything, just tell me," Chisa smiled.

"Thanks, I need to go the lab room," she said.

"Okay, I'll stay in the living room. Call me when you need something," Chisa said as she went towards the living room.

Sakura went to the lab room. It was a bit small for a lab, but she observed that there was sufficient stuff she'll need. It has one small bed, a long table where a few lab instruments were laid, a shelf full of bottles and paraphernalia, cabinet full of books and scrolls, and stools. There's a small window, covered with a green curtain.

She had examined the blood sample she got from Toru, and found out something interesting. There's a parasitic organism on the blood. It's microscopic, that's why she didn't sense its presence while scanning Toru's body awhile ago. It attaches itself on the blood cells, destroying a few healthy cells on its way, eating them, as it circulates around the body. It makes the blood cells as its legs, riding on them and running from veins to veins.

Little demons! She thought as she peered through her microscope. Now that she knows her enemies, it's time to make the cure. Based on the parasite's structures, she formulated a few things she thought would counter it and wrote down a list of things she needs. Aside from herbs she needs to fuse on it too. Chisa was busy on the fireplace. It was warm in the room, a fire slowly flicker on the hearth.

"Chisa, I need you to go to the village and get this stuff," she gave Chisa the paper, "bring them tomorrow. It's late, and your grandpa must have been worried about you right now,"

"But Sakura-nee—"

"Don't worry. I'm making progress, and it's just the first day. We'll resume tomorrow okay?" she touched her cheeks to comfort her.

"Alright, I'll be back early tomorrow, see you," Chisa said as she headed towards the door. Sakura went with her and saw her taking the road on her way home. Sakura smiled and waved goodbye. She looked at the purplish sky. It looks like it's gonna rain.

I can't still make it.

Sakura nodded, and leap to the nearest tree branch. She also headed towards the village.

Just then, a shadow was lurking behind the house. It was so careful, assessing, feeling any chakra, if there's anyone around. He moved silently, and swiftly. Then he entered the house. He jumped to the balcony on the second floor and entered a room. He didn't bother to turn on the light. What's the use? He can find his way in the dark. Then a lightning flashed across the sky. He was standing there silently, thinking what to do next…his eyes bleed in red.

~SxS~

Sakura hurriedly took her steps from sprint to running. She could feel the heavy atmosphere around her. While she literally runs faster now, she stares at the sky, now covered in dark grey. A lightning flashed in the sky. The surrounding, which mainly was a heavy foliage looks so dim and gloomy now. Any minute, it'll start raining. She has to hurry in her cabin or the stuff she was carrying will be damaged. After all, it was a precious ingredient from the concoctions she was preparing for the villagers.

She was gasping when she finally see her cabin. But unfortunately, rain already poured heavily before she ever did make it. So she frantically put the ingredient under her vest, and sprinted rapidly. She was already soaking wet when she finally make it on the porch of her cabin.

She sighed. She pulled the object under her vest. It was a dried chamomile. Well, she really needs it dry and glad that it stays that way after the rain poured heavily. She pulled down her keys from her pockets and entered unceremoniously inside. She puts the chamomiles in a dry wicker basket and went upstairs to her room. She opened the door and entered, without turning the main lights. Instead, she proceeds to the bathroom, flips the light and reaches out for a small towel. She wiped her face and strip-off all her soaked clothes, closed the bathroom door then went under the shower.

She didn't notice the pair of black eyes, silently watching her every move in the darkest corner of the room.

~SxS~

He felt the chakra approaching the house. So he masked his own chakra. He flinched. The chakra signature he felt right now was painfully familiar. Sakura? He thought. He moved to the shadows, in the darkest part of the room and conceals himself. He heard her puffing. It seems she didn't detect his presence yet. How foolish. Letting her guard down like this. He smirked. She was downstairs and he heard shuffling sounds. Then he heard footstep in the hall, almost running towards the room he was staying. He waited silently. The door opened…

…and he saw her.

And maybe…just a little. He had held his breathe.

He silently watched her…as she entered the bathroom.

After about 15 minutes, Sakura went out from the bathroom wrapped in her towel, one hand with a smaller towel, drying her hair. She went on the edge of her bed and sit while still drying her hair. Just then, she finally feels it, and she stiffened. Someone was in her room. She inhaled, trying to relax her breathing. Why didn't she notice it before? Why did she become so relax? She was a ninja dammit!

Slowly, as if assessing the exact location of her intruder, she slowly eases up her right hand towards her pillow while her left hand faking to rub her wet hair with the small towel. As soon as her hands gripped the handle of her kunai she strategically hid under the pillows, the not so familiar chakra she feels suddenly flares up. Within a fluid motion, she twisted her right leg, pushes her body up, kunai on her right hand, and swings it in one smooth move towards her back. Metal hits against metal, the small towel flies off slowly in her vision.

Who is the intruder? What does he want? A thief? She can't tell with the darkness of the room, but she knows that it's a man.

The intruder doesn't know who he's messing with, she thought. So with chakra infused left hand, she aims for him. But he was fast, and he doesn't seem like an ordinary petty burglar. Her chakra infused punch landed on her bed, splitting it into two. She could feel feathers and debris of the poor bed flying off everywhere. She felt the intruder landed behind her so with one swift move, she tried to swing her arm with the kunai, intending to land a direct hit on him by turning and shifting her weight clockwise, but she was gripped with a powerful arm instead, holding her wrist, while the other on her shoulder, stopping her attack. She winced, but she grabbed the wrist that holds her shoulder, putting all her might and flipped him up and down to the floor. She smirked as she heard a loud thud and a few broken bones of the intruder. It was short lived though, when she felt someone grabbed her both hands behind her with such a force, she dropped her kunai.

There are two of them? No, then she looked on the mass that lies on the floor. It vanished with a poof. A kawarimi? But how?

Before she could do a comeback attack, she was shoved off towards the door. The intruder still holding both of her hands behind her.

"Let go of me!" she hissed as she tried to break from his iron grip. The intruder was so close behind her, she could actually feel his body heat. She started to infuse both hands with chakra.

"Don't," the intruder said in a painfully familiar baritone voice she oh so damned knows so well.

And she stopped.

And her world suddenly stops.

Her breath hitched from her lungs, her eyes wide. Her mouth went dry, it opens and closes. She wanted to speak but found out she can't. This isn't a dream.

The man behind her inched closer, she felt his mouth over her left ear. He was breathing warm on her and she could actually tell he was smirking.

"Breath," he told her.

And she did, it was a painful broken exhales, she thought her lungs were actually screaming at her. She was in shock! Then, she flipped her so that her back was against the door and she was finally facing him. She still can't find the words.

It was finally clearing outside, dark clouds floating away. The rain had stopped and the moon peeped through the sky, lights passing through her windows and towards the intruder that night. Her jaw dropped, glassed jade orbs looking straight at the obsidian ones now, her heart beats fast, and that sensation she felt with the nearness of him.

And she finally sees him.

"S-Sasuke…kun,"

TBC

A/N

I won't be updating for a while. But will be back. Thanks a ton to those who review and put this on their watch list. I reaaallly appreciate it. Keep those reviews coming! Love yah all~