Sasuke tucked his hand underneath what was left of his right arm trying to will some warmth into the frozen digits as he leaned against the wall of one of the seedy back ally's near the inn where he and Sakura were staying. It had been four days since they'd arrived and he was getting sick and tired of chasing this shadow of a man who went by the name Yonomori. He'd heard the man's name mentioned several times as he drifted through the underbelly of the village, but he hadn't been able to get any concrete leads on where he was except that he lived in town somewhere. Sakura hadn't fared much better as she cased the main streets of the village trying to gather intel on the mysterious man.

"Yonomori? I heard he's been hanging out at the Blue Moon bar downtown. Says he came into a bit of money recently." A rough voice muttered from just around the corner.

Sasuke's head lifted slightly as he listened closer to the conversation. The Blue Moon Bar was a place that was on Sakura's list of places to check out. If he was still there, she would hopefully intercept him. Though he'd hoped he'd be the one to confront and capture him. This newly developed protectiveness he felt towards his wife was bewildering at times. He knew damn well she could take care of herself. She was the strongest kunoichi The Leaf had to offer and he was so proud of her for it. A petty, low level executive of a criminal organization was something she could handle easily, yet he wanted to be the one to take him down, not out of a personal grudge, but because he didn't want Sakura in harm's way. It was a ridiculous, unneeded feeling but he couldn't stop it, perhaps he didn't want to. He'd vowed to protect her on their wedding day after all.

Deciding he could work such things out at a later date, he lowered his head, adjusted his hood and bangs to ensure that his face was concealed and made his way towards the Blue Moon Bar; side stepping drug dealers, illegal weapon's suppliers, and street walkers as he navigated through the slums towards the main street of the village.

As he approached the bar, he activated his rinnigan and immediately spotted his wife's unique chakra imprint, the warm green spiking as he moved closer. His eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized a tinge of aggression that indicated that either her temper was snapping or she was about to engage in battle. He picked up his pace a little sweeping through the streets with purposeful strides and then suddenly stopped when he saw a thin man wearing a green shirt and brown pants fly out the door of the bar and slam back first into a wall gasping as he hit. Less than a second later Sakura stepped out, her hand balled into a fist, her cheeks tinged with pink and stalked towards the man.

"This is what you get for touching what doesn't belong to you asshole." She snarled grabbing the man by the front of the shirt and hauling him to his feet. "You wanted to go somewhere more private right?" she said dragging her behind him as she walked away with him flailing.

She met Sasuke's eye and nodded once indicating that the man she had in her custody was their suspected anti-shinobi branch leader and he returned the gesture before vanishing. He stepped inside their room and cleared the space before putting seals on the walls to make the space sound proof. There was nothing more annoying than having a weak stomached, misguided, self-righteous civilian walking in on an interrogation.

Moments later, Sakura shoved the door open with her foot and tossed the whining man inside, closing and sealing the door behind her.

"Oh, you were serious." The lanky man with silver tipped green hair said stumbling to his feet as he glanced around. "You have a mean right hook but I like my women rough." He slurred.

"Here darling. I brought you a present." Sakura said smiling wickedly at Sasuke who had just finished setting up a chair in the middle of the room. "He thought that bragging about his work murdering ninja as a branch leader of the anti-shinobi movement and then grabbing my ass would get him into my bed." She said moving across the room.

The way she spoke as well as the tiny bit of extra swagger in her hips told him that she'd had a little alcohol to drink. Not enough to keep her from finishing her mission, but enough to tell him that she wasn't completely herself. She sauntered up to him and laid her hands on his chest sliding her body towards his until they were pressed chest to chest.

"I told him I was a married to a famous ninja but he didn't believe me." She nearly whined.

He studied her for a moment before catching onto her game and nearly smirked at her. His reputation was terrifying all over the world but very few civilians knew of their marriage. If the man was as low level as he suspected, there was a good chance he wasn't privy to the information that the Slug Queen and Snake Sannin were married which would mean discovering the woman this man had groped was married to such a terrifying shinobi would put him at an advantage for getting the information he wanted out of him. Even if he did know that he and Sakura were married, he hadn't recognized her which again put them at an advantage. After all, Sakura may not be as horrifying as he was, but she was still scary as Hell. Gods he loved his wife. She was setting the sucker up for failure. Not only that, but he was quite looking forward to getting the scum bag back for groping her.

"Is that so?" He replied leaning down towards her.

Their lips came together in a passionate kiss but he kept one eye on the man making sure their gazes were locked before letting his black eye shift to blood red feeling a smug sense of pleasure when the man's face paled.

"This is the lowlife who laid his hands on the wife of Sasuke Uchiha?" Sasuke said pulling away from her to stalk the man. "And he was bragging about killing shinobi? We can't have that."

The man staggered back and tripped hitting the floor with a loud thud. "No way…. You're Sasuke Uchiha?" he breathed.

"Do you know another man with these eyes?" Sasuke asked shifting his bangs just enough to expose his rinnigan.

"No…" the man whimpered. "No no!" he dashed for the door and shrieked when he found it locked. "No! Let me out of here! Somebody help me! There's a demon here! He's going to kill me!"

Sasuke stalked forward and grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and dragged him towards the chair set up in the middle of the room ignoring his thrashing and shrieks for help. He sat him down and then used specially designed hand and feet restraints to secure him to the chair.

"I won't kill you." Sasuke said slipping off his cloak and handing it to Sakura who carried it to the entryway. "Unless you give me a reason to." He added quickly noting how the coward squirmed, he was definitely a squealer. "Now then Yonomori,"

"How… How do you know my name?" The man squeaked as Sasuke walked over to the low table and opened two leather cases one filled with hypodermic needles, and powders, the other filled with ninja tools.

"True shinobi are masters of espionage. Did you really think we'd sit idly by while self-righteous, ignorant, cowards like you killed our comrades?" Sasuke asked as he stalked forward with a kunai in his hand. "Now, you're going to tell me everything you know about this anti-shinobi movement." He said.

"And if I don't?" The man challenged.

"You will." Sasuke said his eyes sharpening as he noted the sweat already beading on his forehead. "I'll make sure of that." He glanced back at his wife. "Tsuma, this isn't something you need to be here for. Will you go out to the fields west of here and pick up some Elixia Root? You mention wanting to stock up on some the other day and I heard they have several plants growing there."

Sakura's eyes widened before they softened in understanding. "Yes, I understand." She said picking up her bag from the desk and heading for the terrace door. As she brushed past him she lightly brushed his hand with her own. "Send for me if you need anything."

He nodded and reached out tapping her lightly where her seal rested on her forehead. "I'll see you when you get back." He told her his heart warming at the blush the tinged her cheeks.

Sasuke watched her slip out the door securing it tightly behind her before she leapt to the nearby tree and then dropped nimbly to the ground below. Once her foot falls had faded, Sasuke turned back to his prey.

"Now then, shall we two murderers get better acquainted?" He said stepping towards the paling man. "I'm telling you right now, I am willing to do whatever it takes to take down your organization the way my mission has dictated. If don't want to prolong your suffering, I suggest you talk."

The man trembled. "I won't go down easy." He warned him.

Sasuke nearly smirked at that as he approached him and funneled his electric chakra into his kunai. "Let's test that theory of yours shall we?"

#&#&

Sasuke glanced up as Sakura stepped into the room her bag filled with fragrant herbs slung across her body and a second bag filled with soba noodles hanging from one of her arms. She studied the bloody scene in front of her, Yonomori's lifeless form still tied to the chair as Sasuke sat on another chair his eyes trained at the floor, a blood dripping from the kunai in his hands.

"Darling." She said softly as she laid her bags down and approached her husband cautiously her hand reaching out to gently touch his blood spattered face. "Talk to me love."

Sasuke blinked twice snapping out of his dark mood and lifted his eyes to meet his wife's concerned gaze. Realizing the kind of scene she was surrounded by he nearly jumped to his feet having intended to clean up the mess and dispose of the body before she returned but she held him down.

"Relax." She told him firmly but with warmth in her eyes. "I've seen worse, I'm just curious as to what happened."

"I killed him." Sasuke said simply glancing over at the dead man. "After I discovered all he knew, I killed him. I couldn't risk him telling his comrades about The Leaf's investigation and plans to take down the anti-shinobi organization."

Sakura nodded and walked over to the bathroom sink and filled a basin with warm water, and grabbed a wash cloth before returning to his side. She wet the cloth and then went to work gently washing away the blood on his face.

"What was the real reason?" She said once the blood had been washed away turning her attention to his blood stained hand. "You could have put a genjutsu on him to keep him from mentioning or even remembering his encounter with us. I'm not questioning your decision." She assured him quickly. "I'm simply curious."

He lifted his face and studied her as she diligently wiped at his hand with the damp cloth erasing all traces of the blood he spilled. The warmth from both the water and her hands soothed him and he sighed before lowering his head again.

"He killed a fresh team of Genin from The Hidden Grass Village." He said softly. "He bragged of the absolutely horrible way in which he ended their lives." His head lowered. "They were on a simple delivery run when he and his cronies ambushed them. They were so inexperienced, they didn't stand a chance."

Sakura's eyes widened and her movements stopped before she dropped the cloth in the water and reached out taking his face between her palms. "You saw, didn't you?" she said softly. He nodded once and she leaned forward pressing her forehead to his. "You did the right thing." She told him. "I would have killed him too."

Her sincere, quietly spoken words of affirmation were all the encouragement he needed to chase away the lingering demons clawing at his heart and whispering 'murderer' in his ear. He closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them again and lifted his head pressing a light kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you Tsuma." He said softly.

She nodded and stood from where she knelt in front of him on the floor. "I'll help you clean up." She said walking to where her bag of medical supplies waited.

"No need." He said glancing at the man . "Amaterasu!" He exclaimed igniting the man's corpse. "I don't want any trace of him left."

"Neither do I." Sakura replied with a nod of her head.

She replaced the water in the basin and filled it with hot water again before adding a splash of vinegar from her pack to it and went to work cleaning the little blood that had ended up on the floor, walls and chair of the room. Most of the blood had been caught by a basin sitting on the floor near the chair and Sasuke watched as Sakera grabbed a chemical from her bag and poured it inside the container instantly erasing the scent of blood wafting up from it. He needed to find out what that was.

"I'm going to take a bath." Sasuke said after watching for a few minutes.

"Alright." She replied. "Don't take too long. The food will get cold."

He nodded and walked into the bathroom filling the tub as he stripped out of his blood stained clothes. As he sank into the steaming water, he sighed and looked up at the ceiling thinking back on what had transpired over the past few hours. Yonomori's screams had been almost irritating with how high they were. Torture was something he'd become good at over the years, though that wasn't something he was exactly proud of. Then again, somebody had to do it. Did that make him a monster?

His brooding was interrupted by the sound of the door opening followed by the glorious sight of his wife standing near the edge of the bath, her clothes slithering to the floor.

"Sakura?" He questioned. "What are you doing in here?"

"I thought we'd eat dinner together in here." She said slipping into the water and setting the containers of food on the edge of the bathtub. "Few things are worse than cold, soggy, yakisoba noodles." She said in a matter of fact tone as she offered him a bite.

He nearly glared at her but thought better of it as he accepted the morsel. She beamed at him and took a bite of her own before offering another to him. They continued this pattern for several minutes until Sakura pushed the containers away and slipped her arms around his neck pressing their water slicked bodies together.

"Sasuke." She murmured softly running her damp fingers through his hair, slicking his bangs back away from his face, her warm smile and bright jade eyes lightening the entire room. She leaned forward and captured his lips in a passionate kiss that left him gasping as his hand gripped her waist. "Let me love you." She whispered against his mouth.

His eyes widened at that. "Now?" He questioned.

She giggled and slid her fingers down his neck pressing and rubbing at the tension settled there. "Why not?"

Sasuke smirked. "What a minx you are." He purred pressing an open mouth kiss to her throat.

"You were the one that suggested hot, steamy shower sex once." She reminded him her hands gliding down his back and then around to trace the lines of his abdominals. "I decided to make it hot, steamy, bath sex. Is that a problem?"

He chuckled low in his throat and grabbed her breast squeezing the mound lightly and then flicking her rosy nipple with his tongue. She gasped and pressed her breast closer to him her hands gripping his hips.

"Not at all." He assured her easing her from kneeling to standing so that he could kiss down the length of her torso.

He was pleasantly surprised when she quivered and gasped as his tongue circled her navel. His hand slipped down to the mound of cotton candy curls between her legs rubbing her gently enjoying the sight she made when she arched back her hands clenching in his hair.

"You're so sensitive." He murmured pressing a finger inside her.

She gasped and whipped her hair sending shimmering droplets of water from the ends of her hair flying through the air.

"It's because… the water… is so… hot!" She panted as he increased his speed and pressure.

"I could say the same about you." Sasuke murmured licking the faint lines that marked her toned abdomen.

"Sasuke!" She exclaimed her body trembling. "I think I'm going to-"

She reached her climax with a high pitched cry arching her back even further before she collapsed forward on her knees straddling him where he sat in the large tub. With little effort, he turned her, lifted her hips and settled her onto his stiff member drawing a gasp from her. He smirked as he watched their reflection in the full length mirror that made up the majority of the wall across from them.

Sakura was absolutely enthralling to him. Her cheeks blazing, her jade eyes hazy with pleasure, her perfect lips parted as she panted. Her breasts shifted with every thrust he made and her muscles that had been toned through years of hard work and training shift and clench under the skin. It was hypnotizing, and intoxicating, to watch them move together in sync. When he caught a glimpse of where their bodies were connected, he lost control and spilled himself inside her with a shout, her name falling from his lips like a prayer as he savored the moment of pleasure.

Sakura shifted off his lap turned around pressing a kiss to his lips before she left the tub wrapping a towel around her body. He watched her as she took a second towel and pressed it to the ends of her hair and then slid it down the length of her long, lean limbs. Though he didn't quite have the energy to show his appreciation the way he wanted to, he still couldn't help but think of her as the most lovely creature he'd ever set eyes on. That curse of hatred really had made him blind.

"Sakura." He said as he stood from the water himself.

"Yes?" She replied turning towards him.

Her cheeks turned bright red at the sight of his nudity and she quickly turned around throwing two towels at him.

"Here! This is what you wanted right?" She said quickly her eyes focused on the ground.

Sasuke chuckled and wrapped one towel around his waist before he stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her to his body.

"Why are you so shy?" He teased. "It's not as though you haven't seen me naked."

"Quiet you…" She growled. "It's just… A surprise to suddenly see it."

He smirked and pressed his lips to the nape of her neck. "Thank you." He said softly.

She smiled and laid her arms over his laying her head back against his chest. "You don't have to thank me." Sakura said. "I'll do anything to protect you, and that includes your heart."

"You say the strangest things." He commented nuzzling the spot just below her ear.

Sakura giggled and then let out a happy sigh. "It's probably because I've read so many of Ino's sappy romantic novels, not that I don't have some myself, but hers…" she shook her head. "There was this series written about gorgeous pale humanoid creatures that fed on blood to survive and usually preyed on humans. One of them fell in love with a human girl and it follows their relationship. She thought it was the most romantic thing ever written. I thought the pair needed serious therapy since each one was literally suicidal without the other."

"Isn't that what girls talk about all the time? Wanting to be with someone all the time because they literally can't live without them?" Sasuke pointed out as the pair stepped out into the main room to change into their sleeping clothes.

"It sounds beautiful and romantic in theory, but a relationship with that much dependence on one another just isn't healthy." Sakura replied slipping on her yukata over her towel. She then released it, letting the white fabric fall to the floor and slipped on her panties in a movement so quick Sasuke couldn't help but be impressed, even though he was disappointed he hadn't been able to see more of her perfect body. "I mean, a romantic relationship is supposed to be a partnership where both parties support one another. If each party is too dependent on the other, they can't adapt to change."

"Such a relationship wouldn't work well in the shinobi world." Sasuke commented as they settled into the futon's set up behind a paper curtain.

"No it doesn't." Sakura agreed laying down next to him and curling up against his side. "I know a woman whose lover was murdered in an attack on The Leaf. Though she completed her mission to hunt down the traitors and fulfilled her obligation to the ANBU, after the incident was over, she snapped. She couldn't even hold her sword anymore and transferred from the elite combat squad she'd worked so hard to become a part of to the medical core. She just couldn't bring herself to fight anymore. He had been the one to teach her the way of the sword, had challenged her to improve and excel, and had been her biggest supporter. Everything she'd done had been for him, to stand at his side. Without him, she was lost."

"He wouldn't have wanted that for her." Sasuke said running his fingers through Sakura's still damp hair. "Not if he truly loved and supported her."

"I know that." Sakura replied. "Even so, I think everyone has their breaking point. That was hers. It wasn't until she met him again, when he'd been reanimated by Kabuto during the war that she found the strength and courage to pick up her sword again to fight for what they'd both wanted. A better shinobi world." She shifted closer to him and pressed her face to his shoulder. "She's so strong. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you Sasuke." She suddenly rose up over him, her face hovering over them as her hair fell like a cherry petal curtain around them. "Please don't ever go somewhere I can't follow." She whispered laying her hand against his cheek.

He studied her beautiful face and then lifted his hand to touch the Uchiha crest that hung around her neck. "There are places I'll go in the future that you cannot follow me to." He told her truthfully. There was no denying it not only because he had the power to open different dimensions, but because their roles in the village were simply different. When her face fell he closed his fingers around the pendant. "That being said, I will always return to you. I am nowhere near a perfect man Tsuma, you know this. Though I don't intend to, I know that situations will arise where I will inevitably hurt you, where I'll choose my duty over you." He released the pendant and slid his hand up along her neck until he was cupping the side of her face, his fingers threaded into her hair. "For that I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me." He whispered.

She smiled, a soft, sad, yet sincere smile even as tears pricked at her eyes. "Always." She murmured before she leaned down and pressed her mouth to his igniting a low burn in his chest.

They came together slowly savoring the tastes, sights, and sounds of one another. Sasuke mapped her curves with his fingers and mouth rememorizing every crease, scar, and line that made up the unique beauty that he would never tire of. She in turn made her own study of his body, her hands and lips caressing his skin, stroking with the utmost care. Every move she made was an expression of her love for him and when he finally entered her, she wept. He kissed away her tears and basked in her love letting it fill and warm him from the inside out. When she switched their positions, rising up over him, he couldn't help but admire how angelic she looked as she arched above him. She was so kind, so caring, so full of light. He wished so much that he could be more like her. Yet he knew he never could be, so instead, he did his best to please her. To fill her with his love as best he could the way she had filled him.

He flipped their positions again when he felt her walls start to flutter around him, indicating she was about to reach her peak. He studied her face his hand clenching in the fabric of the futon just above her head as she gasped and arched into him. A sudden desire to watch her eyes as she came undone overcame him and he leaned closer to her as pressure built at the base of his spine.

"Sakura." He rasped. "Look at me."

"Why?" She replied biting her kiss reddened bottom lip as she whipped her head, her orgasm nearing.

"Please. Let me see your eyes." He begged his grip on the sheets tightened to white knuckle levels.

Her dark lashes fluttered open and met his. They were so lovely. Full of passion, pleasure and love. Even now, as she reached her peak, the height of physical pleasure, there was still love in her gaze. How she could love such an imperfect, damaged, dark creature like himself, he'd never know. When his name fell from her lips he came undone and spilled himself inside her with a gasp and collapsed on top of her pressing his lips to her forehead before laying his head next to hers burring his face in her silky pink locks.

Her hands lightly glided over his back as their bodies cooled until he found the strength to roll off her and pull his yukata back on. He turned back to his wife who had already drifted off, and he smiled brushing a section of her bubble gum hair from her face. She had filled his lonely existence with warmth and love. He would never go back to the man he used to be. She was ingrained into the very essence of his soul now and there was no way the darkness could overcome him with her light firmly embedded inside him. He laid down next to her and draped his arm across her waist pulling her close to him before he too drifted off to sleep.

#&#&

"So what's the plan darling?" Sakura asked the next morning as she pulled her shirt into place over her torso running a hand under her hair to free it from her collar before securing the buttons at her throat.

Sasuke glanced at her and couldn't help but admire the Uchiha crest between her shoulder blades with her pink hair brushing the top of the red fan. She pulled a pair of black leggings on which disappointed him a little before he looked away and focused and finishing his own preparations, slipping his long sleeved navy blue shirt over his head.

"Yonomori wasn't just a child slaying scum bag, he was also quite vain. He wanted to move up the ranks of the anti-shinobi movement so he did a lot of networking with those inside the organization and those connected to it. That will work in our favor." He walked over to his shoulder bag and pulled out a scroll. "I've already sent a copy of this to Kakashi." He said tossing it to her.

She caught it easily and unrolled it scanning through the list of names. "Damn. There are more big shots on this list than I thought." She commented touching her chin.

Sasuke nodded. "This organization is gaining a lot of support and power very quickly by catering to the rich, who want the government's power diminished so they have more freedom, and using fear to get the support of the weak. It's disgusting."

"Seriously." Sakura muttered tossing the scroll back to him. "So many shinobi died protecting them from becoming creepy, mindless, plant people, slaves and now they want to get rid of us. Talk about ungrateful." She snarled.

The ink haired ninja nodded. "In any case, we have several leads to follow up on. Kakashi gave us specific orders to take down the entire organization. That means everyone from the low ranking branch leaders all the way up to the very top ranked officials. Based on that list Yonomori gave me, we have a lot of work ahead of us. We can't leave a single lead un-investigated. The last thing we need is to take down the organization just to have someone we missed rebuild it."

"You're absolutely right." Sakura agreed nodding her head. "We also need to get to the most recently attacked villages so I can examine the bodies. Lowering the civilian casualties is always a priority as well."

Sasuke nodded. "That's true as well. We'll make our way towards the villages that were attacked while also taking out as many anti-shinobi agents as we can find. We'll end up missing a few obviously but it will definitely send the message that they're being hunted which will rattle the cowards and scare off those who are half-hearted."

The pink haired medic snapped her leather belt around her waist and pulled her elbow and knee guards into place. "It sounds like this is going a very long term mission." Sakura said slipping a headband into place.

"Indeed." Sasuke replied tying his brother's forehead protector to his belt.

"How sad, you were just starting to get used to village life too." Sakura said with a small sigh.

The ink haired man rolled his eyes. "I don't know that I'll ever really get used to it."

The pink haired medic chuckled as she opened the door to their room. "You're probably right." She agreed. "Shall we go then?"

He nodded and the pair of ninja slipped silently out onto the misty village streets towards their next destination.

The weeks marched by and Sasuke and Sakura went to work systematically taking down anti-shinobi agents as they made their way towards The Land of Tea. Whispers began to float through both the underworld and among the general population that those who had once terrorized shinobi were being hunted.

"Sakura, there's forty two of them using the boulders as cover." Sasuke said from where both of them were crouched above a narrow canyon where a group of anti-shinobi agents were hiding, launching attacks from behind boulders up at the pair of ninja. "Can you flush them out?"

Sakura glanced at him, a wicked smirk touching her lips. She pulled out a pair of leather gloves from the leather belt around her waist and pulled them on.

"Of course darling. Who do you think I am?" She replied before she stood and sprinted for the edge of the short cliff and. She leaped over the edge her fist blazing as she focused her power, her brown knit together in concentration. "Hiding behind rocks like cowards." She snarled. "Why don't you come out and fight like real men! CHA!" she shouted slamming her fist into the ground.

The earth rumbled, cracked, and then exploded as her power rocked the small canyon sending rock, dirt and men flying. She landed in a graceful crouch and looked up at her handy work, her eyes blazing, her jaw clenched, the tiniest hint of a smirk playing on her lips. Sasuke didn't even try to stop his own smirk as he stood at the edge of the cliff. She was magnificent, shrouded in her power, overflowing with confidence and strength. He leapt down from the edge and his sharringan picked up movement behind his wife.

He landed lithely behind her and knocked the arrow out of the air with his katana his eyes blazing as the tomoe's rotated once in response to his irritation.

"No way." One of the men rasped crawling out from some of the rubble. "It's them. Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno of the Neo Sannin."

"It's Sakura Uchiha now," Sakura said tugging on her glove. "I'm flattered you know about us though." She balled her hand into a fist and smacked it into her opposite palm. "I'm assuming that since you know who we are, you know what happens to anyone who threatens our comrades."

"We're so dead." One of the men whimpered backing away from the pair of powerful shinobi.

"Are you ready Sakura?" Sasuke asked his electric chakra gathering under his skin.

"Of course. Just say the word." Sakura replied.

He nodded. "Go!" he exclaimed launching forward.

He and Sakura moved through the frazzled group of men with speed and power, decimating their opponents as with ease.

Sasuke's blade glinted in the evening light as he sliced his way through the crowd using genjutsu to paralyze the opponents that were just out of his reach. He was death personified moving with lethal grace, making sure every blow he landed was fatal.

Sakura worked through her opponents like a well-oiled machine. Her blows were precise using the optimal amount of power to eliminate her opponents quickly without wasting time or energy. Her fists and legs flew with incredible speed leaving none unscathed except for her partner.

They worked in perfect synch. Sasuke deflected a knife thrown at Sakura's back. Sakura in turn threw a paper bomb at another opponent canceling out the explosive he'd thrown at her husband with her own, giving Sasuke both the warning and opportunity to take the man down. Working together, they took down all their enemies in just over an hour.

"Well that was fun." Sakura said cracking her knuckles before slipping off her gloves.

"Fun isn't exactly the word I'd use." Sasuke replied cleaning the blood from his blade.

"Well, was it at least satisfying?" She asked her hand glowing green as she went to work healing a rather deep bruise across her thigh from a rather nimble fellow wielding a whip.

The corner of his lips turned up the tiniest bit. "Yes." He agreed.

She smiled and walked forward. "Any wounds?" She asked looking him over.

"Just one cut." He said extending his arm to her.

She nodded and studied the shallow wound. "It's not serious." She replied sealing it with a push of her chakra. "Not bad considering we went into the fight, twenty to one.."

"I had to defeat one thousand fighters singled handedly during my training with Orochimaru." He commented using several fireballs to ignite the corpses around them.

"That sounds just like him." Sakura muttered. "Let me guess, he was disappointed that you didn't kill any of them?"

He glanced at her and nodded. "Yes he was. I told him that none of them were the one I wanted to kill so I didn't."

The pink haired woman shook her head pulling a water bottle from her pack. "What a typical 'Sasuke' response." She muttered. "That sounds rough though."

"I'm sure Lady Tsunade's training was intense too." Sasuke said as he accepted the water she offered him.

"How many textbooks can you memorize in a day?" Sakura asked.

He blinked in surprise and looked over at her. "I don't know." He admitted.

"I had to memorize three in twenty four hours on poisons, their effects on the body, and how to procure antidotes." She replied in a matter of fact tone. "The very next day, after only two hours of sleep I was given a one hundred page test on the material."

The ink haired man cringed. "That's brutal."

Sakura nodded. "I passed the test and when I was finished I went home and slept for ten hours straight. Right after I woke up from that, I had to do my boulder test. That week was Hell."

Sasuke studied her again as they walked away from the canyon. "Boulder test?"

The pink haired woman nodded. "Twenty boulders were lined up on one of the practice fields. The first one weighed twenty pounds and the weight was increased by fifty pounds with each boulder. I had to break every boulder." She shook her head. "My fists were a bloody mess when I was done, but I passed."

"You had to break a boulder that weighed more than one ton with your bare hands during your training?" He asked his eyes widening.

Sakura nodded again. "Yes I did. It was almost impossible at first. I barely managed to crack the stupid thing in half. Now I can throw a one ton boulder pretty easily."

Sasuke shook his head his face paling a little. No wonder Kakashi was terrified of her wrath. She could easily throw him into his own face on Hokage Mountain with that much strength. He'd known she was strong but he didn't realize she was that strong.

"Amazing." He said softly making a mental note not to seriously anger her.

She blushed and looked down. "Thanks." She said shyly.

They made their way back to town pulling their hoods up over their heads to conceal their identities as they went. They'd taken down a bulk of the anti-shinobi group but they'd had lots of support in the town they were staying in. As they neared the town, they both tensed, sensing an immense amount of negativity and unease.

"It's happened again!" A woman exclaimed as she dashed towards another middle aged woman. "An entire town wiped out in a single day."

"That's awful." The older woman replied.

"My cousin lives near there! She said she loved it since it was so close to the sea but… what if her town is next! She's not a shinobi. None of our family are either. Why does she have to die because of them!?" The younger woman wailed.

"Sasuke." Sakura murmured.

"I know. Let's head there now." He replied.

The longer this went on, the more resentment would build towards the shinobi world. They needed to take care of the ones killing the villagers right away. Taking down the rest of the organization would have to wait.

Author's Notes: Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and favoriting! You guys seriously make my day and help me stay motivated when the writer's block starts to kick in. I apologize if this chapter seems a little jumpy and rushed. I promise upcoming chapters will make up for that with action and excitement.