Chapter 19

The snake came out with the blonde at his side. Sakura's eyes lay on Kenji, disbelief still in her head but she shook it off. She came to kill him and she had to focus. Orochimaru took a step forward while Sakura stood ground. But Sakura wasn't looking at the snake, her eyes were focused on the blonde who was behind him. Orochimaru noticed this and he smirked

"Miss him already Sakura?" he hissed. Sakura's piercing eyes turned to him and in a low whisper she said

"Not even the slightest"

Kenji looked up at her and for some reason something moved in his chest. What was this feeling? Love? No way, it wasn't like he actually liked the girl right?

Sakura noticed his discomfort and took the chance to ask him one more question.

"Masato…" she said. His head jerked at his last name coming from her mouth. When he raised his eyes, he saw Sakura whose eyes were clouded, he couldn't see anything in them.

"Did you really lie about everything?" she asked. He hesitated but he answered

"Yes"

Sakura nodded and then straightened up with an evil smile on her face.

"Good…then I won't hold back" she said. Kenji's breath stopped for a second, he had never seen her so fired up before. He was loyal to Orochimaru, he was his master, his saviour, his everything…but what about the girl in front of him? The one that he was told to deceive?

He broke out of his thoughts as Sakura pounced at Orochimaru. Kenji sprung in front of him, deflecting the kunai. Sakura jumped back and smirked.

"Kenji… time to use what you had taught me" she said in a low voice. Kenji straightened up as well and looked at her

"Fine by me" he said back. Sakura stood in a fighting stance and whispered the first jutsu, Dark Blossom: Flame guider andFlames engulfed her body, covering her like armour. Kenji also did his first jutsu Dark Blossom: Water shield and liquid covered his body so they both were covered in armour. Sakura smiled evilly

"Let's get this thing started" she said.

The two jumped back and forth, deflecting each other's attacks. Orochimaru was just standing there, amused.

*With Sasuke

He ran and ran until he reached a clearing and he hid behind a column. He heard Sakura say

"Let's get this thing started" and they started fighting, Sasuke peeked out and saw that Orochimaru just staring at the two. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. This time he was going to finish him once and for all. Sasuke stealthily moved behind one column to the next and when he was close enough to Orochimaru he pounced on him.

Sakura noticed a change in Orochimaru's chakra, she glanced at him and found that someone had engaged a fight with him. Sakura's eyes narrowed, who was the person that was stealing her prey? Kenji took this chance to lunge at her. Sakura jumped back at the last second.

"You fight is with me Haruno" he growled

"Very well Masato" she replied and they began to fight again. Sasuke, who was wearing a hood, was fighting Orochimaru. Orochimaru jumped back and glared at his attacker.

"Who are you and why do you attack me?" Sasuke didn't respond and kept on attacking him. Orochimaru smirked.

"I've seen this battle style before …" Sakura heard this and spared a glance at the two but didn't look long as Kenji once again attacked her.

Sharingan whispered Sakura and her eyes became red. Kenji smirked

"You want to play like that? Fine by me" Kenji's eyes became red as well. Their fight increased in speed as they could read each other's movement. Sasuke jumped back and glared at Kenji. How dare an outsider use the Uchiha's pride bloodline. Orochimaru was gliding towards Sasuke not looking a bit worried. Sakura and Kenji were still battling to the death.

*With Orochimaru and Sasuke

"You fool… Did you really think that you would fool me?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. If he reveals my identity then Sakura will kill me… I need to silence him. Orochimaru smirked.

"Do you take me for a fool? S-" Sasuke's eyes widened and lunged at him before he could say his name. Orochimaru dodged but only just and his eyes narrowed. Then he started laughing.

"I see what you are doing" He strode towards Sasuke and leaned in to whisper "You don't want her to know it's you" Sasuke growled and pushed him away. Orochimaru grinned and leaped back. This is getting interesting…

*With Sakura and Kenji

Sakura and Kenji were both breathing heavily and both had injuries. Sakura barely had time to heal herself because Kenji would lunge at her every second. Both their armour had disappeared due the lack of chakra. Sakura looked up and just managed to dodge Kenji's punch. Sakura smirked as she landed in a crouch position.

"Are you serious Kenji? You plan to challenge me to a taijutsu battle? You should know better than anyone what I am capable of in taijutsu" Kenji glared at her.

"I don't care… I need to defeat you….those were my orders" Sakura's eyes narrowed. Her bangs covered her eyes.

"Why…why must you follow that snake's orders?!" Sakura yelled. Sasuke and Orochimaru stopped their fight and stared at the girl who had raised her voice.

"That snake…he took what was important from me….He took Sasuke from me…then it was you. Do you have any idea what I went through when I thought you were gone?!" Kenji's eyes widened and he looked at the girl in front of him. But then he sneered at Sakura.

"You think you can move my heart with those pathetic words?" Sakura's eyes brimmed with tears. Kenji stared into her eyes and saw the tears and he felt something move inside of him.

"Kenji… why would you do this to me?"

"It was my orders..." Sakura fell to the ground and punched it. She punched the floor again and again and again creating bigger cracks with every punch. Kenji just stared at her pitiful form. Sasuke and Orochimaru were looking too. Orochimaru just grinned and disappeared in the shadows. Sasuke didn't take any notice as he saw Kenji take out a kunai. Sakura's hands were bloody now from her punches but she didn't care. Again, she felt useless. She felt as if that no one ever took her seriously and that Kenji was the same as all the other people around her. Her hands went into her pocket to touch a photo that she always kept with her but when she did her eyes widened in panic. It wasn't there. Kenji saw a change in the chakra around her. She was panicking… he put his kunai away and saw a piece of paper a few metres from them. Sakura turned around and also saw it and she tried to get up but she just fell back down. She crawled her way to the paper but Kenji got there first. Sakura glared at him and snarled

"Don't touch it…" Kenji picked it up and his eyes widened. It was the first picture that they had ever taken before. His hand unconsciously went to his own pocket. He also had the photo in his pocket. He knew that he should have burnt it but he could never bring himself to. Kenji then narrowed his eyes and he crumpled the photo in his hand. Sakura looked at him rage. She screamed and lunged at him. He was taken off guard and they both crashed onto the ground. Sakura was on top and she punched him over and over again. Her tears were flowing down her face and onto his face. Sasuke was watching all this and he felt a surge of jealously. Sakura was his. He walked towards the two and pulled Sakura up. Sakura turned around in anger and punched the hooded figure in the face. Sasuke staggered back, not expecting a punch. Sakura then snarled at him.

"I don't know why you are here and I don't care that you're here. Keep out of my business" Sasuke's eyes widened. She knows its me… Sasuke removed his hood and faced an unsurprised Sakura.

"How did you know it was me?" Sakura turned and glared at him.

"Your chakra was everywhere, anyone would have known it was you" The slightly beaten up Kenji staggered up and smirked.

"Sorry to disturb this reunion but who are you?" he asked Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at Kenji in jealously.

"Uchiha Sasuke" Kenji's eyes narrowed at the name.

"So you were Haruno's first love… and also the prized possession of my master" Kenji snarled.

"Why do you care if I was Sakura's first love? It's not as if you actually loved her" Sakura's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Were those two really talking about her love life? She really wanted to smack her forehead but she resisted the temptation. Kenji's eyes narrowed.

"I could say the same to you. I hear you got another woman pregnant…" Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened.

"How did you hear about?"

"There are spies everywhere Uchiha" Sakura cut in between them.

"That's enough. My life doesn't matter right now. Masato, we will continue our fight." Kenji smirked and walked away.

"I'll give you two a minute and then come at me when you've come up with a strategy" Sasuke snarled. He's making a fool out of us… Sakura looked at Sasuke.

"Look Sakura I-" Sasuke's head was slapped to the side…hard.

"What are you doing here bastard? I thought I told Konoha not to send their ninja's after me…"

"Sakura I need to tell-"

"I don't want to listen to you… just stay out of my fight… and don't try and stop my decisions from now on" Sakura walked towards Kenji who had stood up and smirked as she approached him.

"Come up with a way to stop me Sa-ku-ra?"

"Shut up Masato and fight me"

"Very well…" The two leaped at each other once more. Sasuke just stood there and watched the scene in silence. His head was filled with all the things he wanted to tell Sakura. He heard a scream and when he looked up he saw that Sakura had not been able to dodge a kunai and it had gone straight into her stomach. By instinct, Sasuke was by her side in a second. Sakura was sweating and trying to grimace at the pain in her stomach. She saw Sasuke by her side with an expressionless smile but she say the concern in his eyes. A few years ago she would have died if he had given her that look but now she was just not down for that. She pushed him away and stood up but she fell back down. Kenji hovered over her with a stone face. Sasuke regained his balance and saw Kenji with another kunai. He ran to Kenji and punched in the face. Kenji was not expecting the punch and so he flew back and hit the wall. Sakura looked up at Sasuke and glared.

"STAY OUT OF MY FIGHT UCHIHA!" Sasuke looked down at her with cold eyes. Sakura's eyes widened. It was the look that told her to shut up. She somehow felt in danger because of his look. She let herself relax and concentrated on healing herself.

*With Sasuke and Kenji

"You heard her Uchiha. This is between me and Haruno. It doesn't concern you"

"Whatever concerns her concerns me"

"Is that so? By what she told me a few years ago, you wanted nothing to do with her"

"People change Masato" Kenji looked down and looked back up with a crazy glint in his eyes.

"Oh no your wrong Uchiha, people do not change" Kenji leapt at Sasuke and they began to fight. Sakura looked at Sasuke fighting her enemy. She chuckled darkly to herself.

Once again I am being protected…I am still weak

Saku-chan get a hold of yourself!

You… I thought you left..

I'm sorry Saku-chan! I never meant for you to get hurt again! You are not weak, Sasuke is protecting you because he cares about you!

….if he cared about me then why did he do that with Karin?...

I'm sure there's an explanation for it…Sakura you need to heal yourself

Sakura opened her eyes in surprise. Her inner only calls her by her full name if she was really serious. Sakura grinned weakly. She focused her chakra on healing and looked up to watch the battle

*With Sasuke and Kenji

Sasuke and Kenji leapt at each other over and over again. Sasuke wanted to use his Katon jutsus that would probably destroy the whole cave but he couldn't since they were so close to Sakura. He was furious at Kenji for treating Sakura that way. They broke apart, both panting

"I will never forgive you for hurting Sakura like that…"

"Like you should be talking Uchiha"

"At least I didn't give her false hope Masato!"

"Do you even love her now Uchiha?"

"I do." Kenji's eyes narrowed and he snarled

"Quit playing. I know you don't…" Sasuke looked into his eyes and he saw a flicker of jealously in them. Sasuke's eyes widened at realisation. This man…he did have feelings for Sakura… I understand now. Sasuke smirked. When he returned to reality he realised that Kenji was gone. He turned around and saw him racing for Sakura. He rushed after him and just managed to block his blade with his own just a metre from Sakura. Sakura was still trying to comprehend what had happened. Sasuke struggled to push him back. Kenji's face was distorted with what looked like anger and jealously? Sakura was confused.

"You loved her didn't you Masato?" Sasuke managed to spit out. Kenji was shocked by the statement that he was pushed back by Sasuke. Sakura's eyes widened. Kenji regained his composure and snarled back

"What are you talking about Uchiha? Love are for idiots." Sasuke smirked.

"When you were with her, didn't you feel a warmth coming from inside? Didn't you feel a little bit content and felt pleasure from being with her?" Kenji's eyes widened and didn't answer.

"Those mean that you had feelings for her Masato" Kenji tried to find the words to say but couldn't. He was shocked. I… I liked her?...no way… there's no way I liked her…it was my mission….

Sakura saw that Kenji was quite troubled. Her wound healed but it didn't matter since she was going to die soon anyway. Seeing that his concentration wasn't with them. She raced forward. Sasuke couldn't even comprehend what happened but when he had his eyes widened in shock. Sakura had raced forward…and stabbed Kenji in the heart. She pushed in the blade through his flesh and Kenji's face distorted with pain as they both fell to the ground. Sasuke took a step forward but stopped when he saw something on Sakura's face.

Kenji's world was being to blur. He tried to keep his eyes open but it was difficult. Ah…I'm going to truly die now…but then he felt something wet on his cheek. His eye sight refocused and he saw pink. He slowly recognised it to be sakura and to his surprise she was crying. Kenji's hand reached for her head. Sakura's eyes opened as she felt something on her head. She looked at Kenji and she saw something that made her tears flow heavier. He was…smiling. All the memories of them laughing and them hanging out came back to her. The Kenji that made her laugh, the Kenji that healed her heart, the Kenji she trusted, he was back. Kenji smiled at her and a tear slid down his cheek. His last words were

"I love you…Sakura-chan" His hand went limp. Sakura's hand went shakily to another kunai and she hesitantly placed it on her neck. Sasuke's eyes widened. She wasn't joking….she really is going to kill herself. In a flash Sasuke was there preventing any other movement. Sakura glared icyiy at him which looked even more deadly with the tears in her eyes. Sasuke unconsciously gulped but didn't move.

"Uchiha I thought I told you not to interfere"

"Sakura I will not stand around and watch the most important girl to me kill herself" Sasuke's eyes darkened. "I've had enough Sakura. I've had enough of people close to me dying"

"What happened Karin? Are you playing her too?" Sakura chuckled sinisterly.

"She lied, she wasn't pregnant" whispered Sasuke. Sakura's eyes widened and but then refocused her strength into her blade and pressed it deeper into her skin. She was starting to bleed. Sasuke's eyes widened in panic and tried to pull her arm back. They were even matched in strength now since Sakura had run out of chakra.

"You're lying…"

"I am not"

"Why are you doing this to me Sasuke?" Sakura's head bowed and her body loosened. Sasuke knocked the kunai out her hands. Sakura's hand were shaking in her lap.

"Why are you doing this TO ME SASUKE!?" Sakura held her head in her shaking hands.

"I'm not lying Sakura. I love you…" Sakura's eyes widened at the three words. She looked up. And saw Sasuke with a gentle look on his face. She also smiled. Sasuke sighed out in relief but then he saw something shiny in her hand. It was a senbon.

"Sasuke… I hope you will continue to love me after I'm gone" Sasuke's hands were in between hers preventing the senbon from entering her body. Sakura's face twisted in anger as she tried to forced him away.

"Sakura…you don't have to do this"

"WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE TO LIVE FOR?!" Sasuke now was pissed.

"YOU CAN LIVE FOR US. YOU HAVE A WHOLE FAMILY BACK IN KONOHA. WE ALL LOVE YOU SAKURA. AT THE CONCERT IN THE SONG DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT OUR SMILES AND LAUGHTER YOU'RE YOUR PRECIOUS TREASURES? IF THEY ARE, LIVE TO PROTECT THEM AND LAUGH ALONG WITH THEM!" Sakura's hand loosened in realisation that he was talking about her song. The metal needle dropped to the ground along with her. Sasuke embraced her tightly.

"I'm sorry Sakura…if it wasn't for my stupid misunderstanding then this wouldn't be as bad. I love you Sakura and don't you ever forget it…" Sakura smiled and she felt something snap inside of her.

SAKU-CHAN!

What…I'm kind of in a moment here..

THE ICE IS MELTING! GOOD JOB SASUKE!

Wait you mean the ice in there?

YES! I MUST TELL MY SASU-CHAN!

*In Sasuke's mind

Oi Sasuke I have good news! Sakura has melted for you!

Hn… ok? I'm in a moment here please don't disturb me…

Fine… but don't worry Sakura is safe as sound now.

Sakura and Sasuke broke apart and the space between their faces lessened. As their lips touched, Sakura shed her last tear as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Sasuke was also rejoicing inside that he got his girl back. He picked her up and swung her around. They broke apart and smiled at each other.

"Sakura"

"Yes?"

"Let's go home.."