I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 23: A Fox in the Hand is worth Two in the Field

Suigetsu glanced at Sakura. The medic had been silent since Sasuke returned with her in tow. Her palpable irritation intrigued the swordsman, and he wondered just what had happened between the two. She sat on the edge of one of the cots, arms crossed, brows furrowed, staring at the ground. Too bored to pass up the opportunity, Suigetsu turned to Sasuke. "So what's with the new addition to the group?"

The Uchiha didn't answer.

"I mean, it's not that I'm complaining," the Mist nin continued. "I just want to know if I have to sleep with one eye open."

Roused from her silent protest, Sakura shifted position. "You won't be my first target," she said softly.

From a few cots away, Sasuke frowned slightly. He watched his former teammate fidget on the uncomfortably thin mattress but said nothing.

"Am I a close second?" Suigetsu asked.

Sakura nodded. "A very close second."

Seemingly content with her response, he reclined on his own cot. "So tell me about Hatake Kakashi, Sakura. I've been wanting to," he paused and flashed a smile, "meet him for some time now."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "I won't let you hurt any of my teammates." She turned her glare to Sasuke. "Any of you."

"Perhaps you should think more about your own welfare right now." Sasuke stood. "We'll be going back to Konoha soon enough."

Before Sakura could verbally attack the Uchiha with reminders of his recent activity and how there probably was no Konoha to go back to, Karin burst through the doorway on the opposite side of the room.

"Sasuke-kun!" The young woman's face was flushed. "They've got him! They've finally got the nine-tails!"

Sakura felt like her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She was instantly on her feet. "What did you say?"

"The nine-tails. Pein brought him in just a few moments ago." Karin smirked. "Guess the other members of Sasuke's team really were too weak."

The atmosphere in the room instantly turned dangerous. Before Sakura could lunge at the other woman, Sasuke stepped between them. "Karin, Suigetsu, leave. Go find Juugo." He pointed at Sakura. "Go sit down."

If Sakura wasn't using all her will power at that moment to stop herself from rushing foolhardily to Naruto's aid, she would have railed against Sasuke's order. Instead, she took a few steps backwards and sat down on the cot.

When they were alone, Sasuke cautiously approached her. He sat down next to her on the cot and felt her body stiffen. At her response, he couldn't help but sigh. "Sakura," he whispered. "It is very important that you do as I say from now on. We know they can't seal Naruto without doing the eight-tails first. He still has time." At her incredulous look, he grabbed her arm. "Sakura, do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Though infinitely tired of being handled so roughly, Sakura didn't try to break the contact. Every fiber in her being wanted to scoot away from Sasuke's proximity, but she knew they had to discuss matters as quietly as possible. "I get it, Sasuke. I won't try to save him on my own." She lifted her gaze to meet his. "But if, for one second, I feel you're going to let him die, all bets are off."

"Hn. Don't be foolish."

"Then tell me what you're going to do," she challenged him. "Are we going back to Konoha to kill Danzo? Are we leaving Naruto here? What about Pein?"

"You're asking too many questions."

"I need to see him." The urgency in her voice wasn't easily disguised. "He must be hurt. They couldn't have gotten him otherwise."

"That's not possible, Sakura. Madara ignores my comings and goings for the most part. Visiting Naruto would be pushing my luck." His grip on her arm tightened. "I won't have you jeopardizing what I've accomplished. You will not seek him out. Say it."

At her silence, he reached up and grabbed her chin with his other hand, forcing her to look at him. "Say it, Sakura."

"If I don't?"

The Uchiha's jaw clenched. "Must you fight me at every moment?" He almost shook her. "I've offered you a chance to side with me. Why are you being so annoying?"

Her green gaze bore in to him. "A chance? You offered me a chance? From the moment I saw you again, you've been forcing me to comply with you. You haven't offered me anything." She tried, unsuccessfully, to pull away from him. Her next words were laced with sadness. "I tried to help you, Sasuke. I wanted you to beat Itachi. I wanted you to know the right way to do it. And even then, you wanted to do it your way. You wanted me to lie down and die so I wouldn't fog things up. You didn't want me in your way." She'd never seen Sasuke looked as surprised as he did at that moment. "I won't let you do that to Naruto. I won't let you make him an 'acceptable sacrifice'. I get it. You've made your choices. I just want to get my friend and go back home."

Sasuke let go of her. He flexed his fingers and stared down at his open hands. "Sakura, if those are the impressions I've given you, you have never been more wrong."

She made a sound akin to laughter. "I was there too, remember?"

"..."

"Sasuke, please." Sakura buried her head in her hands, defeated. "Please. Please let me go see him."

The affection and concern in her plea made something in Sasuke's chest twinge again. Does she really care about Naruto so much? Has so much changed since I've been gone? "I didn't realize you two were so close."

He was accusing her of something, though she couldn't understand what. She glanced at him, suddenly wary of the person next to her. "Naruto is my best friend."

"There was a time when you couldn't stand him."

And there was time when I would have done anything for you. How things change. But she didn't say what she was thinking. Instead, she straightened and brushed the hair away from her face. "And I'll never forgive myself for that."

Sasuke fought the urge to press the subject. For once, he let the opportunity to inflict a mental wound pass. They sat in silence for a few moments until the Uchiha found his thoughts distracted by Sakura's closeness. She was only a hair's breadth away from him, a fact he was suddenly very aware of. The odd sensation and its accompanying confusion made him angry. This was why he couldn't be around Sakura. This was why he'd left her in the first place. She did this to him—whatever 'this' was. Unable to stand the closeness any longer, he stood. "Sakura, if you defy me in this…" He shook his head as he saw the defiance in her eyes. "Never mind. I'll just have to take precautions from now on."

"Precautions?"

Sasuke nodded just as the rest of his team walked into the room.

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He'd broken his promise again. She tugged at the chakra line attached to her leg, watching as the thin string tightened in Sasuke's hold. He spared her a glance, aware of what she was thinking. He knew she felt betrayed. Again. But he couldn't risk her attempting to free Naruto. Too much was at stake.

"I can watch her for a while," Suigetsu held out his hand for the chakra rope.

"No."

"Geez, Sasuke. I won't let her go anywhere. Relax a bit, will you."

The Uchiha ignored his teammate's comment. He was far too irritated with his own actions to add Suigetsu's into the mix. He wanted Sakura to trust him, a goal he was getting further and further away from. He was losing her, and if he lost her then he would be down a valuable weapon when the time came to face Madara. Sakura's unique ability to combat the sharingan genjutsu was a key point in his plan now. However, if she would rather see him dead than help him, there was no way he could force her.

And he didn't want to force her.

He wanted Sakura's unquestioning devotion.

He sighed. There was only one way he could think of to help himself. He tugged back on the rope. "Sakura, come with me."

"Where are you going?" Karin asked. She glared at Sakura. "Shouldn't we be going after the 8-tails?"

"You will remain here," Sasuke told the rest of his team. "If we're not back in an hour, pack up and wait at the rendezvous point."

Suigetsu smirked. "Why wouldn't you be back in an hour? That seems like an awful long time."

The Uchiha ignored the implied crudeness, but Sakura scowled from her place beside him. Against her better judgment, she allowed Sasuke to lead her from the room like a dog on a leash. Once away from the others she stopped, the line jerking in Sasuke's hand.

He looked at her, irritation written on his features. "Sakura."

"Where are we going?"

He didn't answer her for a moment. He continued to stare at her, and she was unsure if he was going to yell or pick her up and carry her. He did neither. Instead, he sighed. "You asked me for something."

Realization dawned on her. "You mean…?"

He nodded, his dark eyes watching her carefully.

For the first time in a very long time, Sakura didn't know what to do. She was so unprepared for the act of kindness, she could only stare at her former teammate with disbelief.

Her obvious surprise made Sasuke's mood darken slightly. Was kindness from him so seemingly impossible that it rendered Sakura speechless? His jaw clenched and he tugged on her chakra line. "Come on," he mumbled. "We're wasting time."

They were cautious in their travel down the various compound corridors. Sasuke was tense, and he hesitated more than once to lead Sakura around a blind corner. She flushed the first time he stopped her, his hand spayed across her stomach to hold her back, his eyes scanning the area ahead. The gesture had such a painful familiarity and protectiveness to it that she almost jumped back as if burned. The Uchiha seemed unaware of the contact at first, but after a few moments, he abruptly pulled his hand away, flexing the fingers as he did so.

Eventually,they wound their way up a flight of stairs. The area around them was dim. Through various openings in the wall, they were able to look down into the room below.

The medic stifled a gasp as she looked down into the dungeon. "Sasuke," She grabbed the fabric of his shirt sleeve and pulled him to the window. "There… there's Naruto!"

Face down on the stone floor of one of the cells, the Kyuubi youth lay, unmoving. His clothes were torn, and Sakura could make out large red stains on the fabric. "He's hurt!"

Sasuke glanced down to where both her hands gripped his arm. "Naruto will heal on his own. That's one of his… abilities."

"No! Not when he's that hurt! He needs my help."

Her green gaze bore in to him, and he almost found himself ready to agree to whatever preposterous plan she had come up with.

"We can't save him now." At the sudden threatening look that overcame her, he quickly added, "We will have to be patient."

"You'll help me?"

He leaned in closer to her. "No, you'll help me."

Coming soon: The Next Chapter

Author's note:

I'm less than satisfied with this chapter for many reasons. But it's a "get back into the swing of updating" chapter, so it's bound to be a filler anyhow. See, I keep my promises.