She was running the village's perimeter that night. The absent moon conceals her perfectly. When she finished her run, she stopped and guarded the side of Konoha that faces the dense forest. This used to be part of the Uchiha compound, but the village took back the land when the Uchiha's were massacred.

She let out a sigh as she knows tonight is a long one. She forced Kakashi to stay in their home, going as far as drugging him, for him to sleep. He had been guarding the village for 72 hours, and he almost passed out when he went home. If someone is to attack in his condition, he will be killed.

She really hates those old geezers for doing this to Kakashi.

"So, the old man makes you pick up his shifts? Pathetic!" A voice startled her and brought her out of her musings. "If you chose me, I won't make you do this. I'll treat you better than how the emperor treats his wives."

Sakura turned to see Sasuke emerging from the shadows, his Sharingan activated, casting a red glow in the darkness. She could feel the tension in the air as he approached, his presence unsettling.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, her tone a mixture of annoyance and wariness. "And don't talk about the emperor or whatever. I don't have time for your games."

Sasuke ignored her dismissal, his eyes locked onto her with intensity. "You're wasting your time with that old man. I could offer you power, protection, everything you need. You wouldn't have to endure this pathetic existence."

Sakura scoffed, her irritation growing. "I'm not interested in your offers, Sasuke. I've made my choices, and I'm not going back on them. Now, leave before I have to make you."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening. "You think you can defy me, Sakura? You're mine, and you'll do as I say."

"I'm no one's! How many times do I have to tell you that?" Sakura asked him, annoyance is evident in her voice.

"You say that and then you sleep with him?" Sasuke's voice turned darker. "Whoever possesses your body owns you, Sakura. And it should be mine."

Sakura's eyes blazed with anger at Sasuke's possessive words. "No one owns me, Sasuke. Not you, not anyone. I choose who I want to be with, who I sleep with, and it's not you. I've moved on, and you need to accept that."

Sasuke took a step closer, his Sharingan spinning faster. "You're making a mistake, Sakura. Choosing that old man over me, over the power I can offer you. You'll regret it."

Sakura stood her ground, her fists clenched. "I don't want your power, Sasuke. I want a life where I can make my own choices, where I can be with someone who truly cares about me, not because of how many children I can give birth to. Whatever chance you once had, you lost that the moment you tried to kill me."

Sasuke's eyes flickered with a mixture of anger and frustration. "You'll regret rejecting me, Sakura. I won't let you be happy with him."

Before Sakura could react, Sasuke lunged at her with blinding speed, kunai in hand. But before he could reach her, Kakashi appeared in a blur of movement, intercepting Sasuke's attack with a kunai of his own.

"Sasuke, enough!" Kakashi's voice was cold and determined. "You won't lay a hand on her."

Sasuke sneered, pushing against Kakashi's kunai. "You're in my way, old man. Move aside."

Kakashi's visible eye glinted with a dangerous edge. "I won't let you harm Sakura. You lost any right to pursue her when you betrayed the village. Now, leave before I do something we'll all regret."

"I heard that you fell from grace, Kakashi." Sasuke sneered at him. "You really want to kill the last Uchiha? The elders are quick to forgive me just because I'm the last of our bloodline. You might want to rethink your words."

Kakashi's gaze remained unwavering, his resolve unbroken. "I don't care about your bloodline, Sasuke. I care about Sakura's safety. If you try to harm her, I won't hesitate to stop you. If I must kill you just to make sure that you won't bother her again, I will do it without hesitation."

"The Elders won't forgive you if you do that. They may just kill you as punishment."

"And I don't care." Kakashi said.

Sasuke's Sharingan glowed with intensity, and a dark aura surrounded him. "You're willing to throw away everything for her, Kakashi? Your reputation, your position, your life?"

Kakashi tightened his grip on the kunai, his voice resolute. "Sakura is worth more to me than any of those things. I won't let you or anyone else threaten her. Now, leave before I decide to end this once and for all."

The tension in the air escalated as Kakashi and Sasuke faced off, both refusing to back down. Sakura watched with a mix of concern and frustration, caught between the two men who represented different chapters of her life.

Sasuke's eyes flickered with a dangerous intensity, and he made a sudden hand sign. A surge of chakra enveloped him, and before Kakashi could react, Sasuke disappeared, reappearing behind Sakura with his kunai at her throat.

"Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed, her eyes widening with shock and fear. "What are you doing?"

Sasuke's voice was low and threatening as he addressed Kakashi. "I don't care about your threats, old man. But I'm sure you care about her life. If you move, she dies."

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed, his fists clenched in frustration. He was torn between the desire to protect Sakura and the realization that any sudden move could put her in danger.

"Sasuke, let her go! This is between us." Kakashi demanded but his eyes were not leaving the kunai pressed flat in Sakura's neck.

"If I can't have her, no one will." Sasuke declared, his eyes glowing against the dark night.

The air crackled with the intensity of the confrontation, and for a moment, it seemed like the situation could escalate into a full-blown battle. Sakura just whimpered when she felt the sharp blade of the weapon pressed hard against her skin. But she pushed down any fear when she felt when she saw Kakashi inched towards her.

"Stop it, both of you!" Sakura demanded, her voice firm, despite the fear coursing through her veins. "I won't let you fight over me like I'm some object to be claimed. Sasuke, I've made my choice. Kakashi is the one I love. Stop this, Sasuke." But Sakura felt the kunai dug deeper into her skin. The blade shallowly cut her skin. "Sasuke, let me go." She whimpered.

Sasuke's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and frustration, his grip on Sakura tightening. "You're deluding yourself, Sakura. You think you can just choose him, and everything will be fine? No, you made a mistake, and now you'll pay for it."

"Sasuke, hurting me won't change anything. It won't make me choose you, you just proved my point." she cried out. "Let me go, Sasuke. Please."

Sasuke's expression remained cold and unyielding, his Sharingan still active. The atmosphere was charged with tension as Kakashi carefully assessed the situation, his muscles tense and ready to react.

"Sasuke, listen to her," Kakashi urged, his voice calm but firm. "Harming Sakura won't bring you what you want. Let her go, and we can talk."

But Sasuke seemed beyond reason, his eyes reflecting a deep-seated anger and resentment. "Talk? There's nothing to talk about. She made her choice, and now she'll face the consequences."

Sakura's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to think of a way to diffuse the situation. "Sasuke, please, let's find a solution that doesn't involve violence. Hurting me won't change anything. It'll only push you further away."

Sasuke's grip on Sakura's wrist tightened, and he glared at Kakashi. "I don't care about finding a solution. I care about making her realize the gravity of her mistake."

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed, a flicker of anger in his gaze. "Sasuke, if you harm her, there's no turning back. We can find a way to coexist in this village without resorting to violence. Let her go, and we can talk about it."

Sasuke hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering between Sakura and Kakashi. The internal struggle within him was evident, but the darkness in his gaze prevailed. With a sudden, forceful motion, he pushed Sakura away and disappeared into the shadows, leaving her stumbling but unharmed.

Sakura fell to the ground, catching her breath as she looked up at Kakashi, who rushed to her side. He helped her stand, concern etched on his face. "Are you okay, Sakura?"

She nodded, her eyes filled with a mix of relief and lingering fear. "I'm fine, Kakashi. Thank you for intervening. I don't know what he would have done."

Kakashi's grip on her tightened, his expression protective. "I won't let anyone hurt you, Sakura. We need to find a way to deal with Sasuke and the elders. This can't go on like this."

"I'm fine…" she whizzed out. Her hand glowing green to heal the swallow cut Sasuke was able to inflict. "I will be fine."

The night air was thick with tension as Kakashi and Sakura stood together, contemplating the recent encounter with Sasuke. The echoes of their confrontation lingered, leaving an unsettling atmosphere.

Kakashi's gaze remained focused on Sakura, concern etched in his visible eye. "Sakura, we can't let this continue. Sasuke's obsession is dangerous. Once he decided on something, he will do everything to get it done."

"I just have to be more careful." Sakura reassured him. "Beside one more week before your punishment ends, right?"

But Kakashi shook his head, his resolve evident. "No, Sakura. This can't continue. We need to find a way to end this conflict once and for all. I won't let you live in fear, and I won't let Sasuke threaten you."

"Don't worry about it, Kakashi. I'll be fine. I swear." She promised. Then she narrowed her eyes on him. "On the other hand, why are you here?" she asked. "Why are you not resting?"

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his silver hair. "Do you really think I won't be able to sniff your own sleeping pills? I just pretended to drink the tea you gave me."

Sakura's eyes widened in realization. "You tricked me? You were supposed to rest, Kakashi! You need your strength, especially with everything going on."

Kakashi gave her a sheepish smile, his visible eye crinkling. "For some reason, I felt restless. I can't shake the feeling of doom. And I'm glad I avoided drinking your sleeping pills, or I might not be able to intervene in time." Then his voice turned serious. "Just how many pills did you put in my tea? I can smell it from our kitchen to the living room. Are you trying to knock me out for days?"

Sakura sighed, a mixture of frustration and concern on her face. "I just wanted you to rest, Kakashi. You've been pushing yourself too hard. But I guess that's a conversation for later. Right now, I want you to go home and sleep."

Kakashi gave her a gentle smile, understanding the mix of emotions in her eyes. "Alright, Sakura. I'll go home and rest. But we'll talk about this later. I can't have you drugging me to make me rest. You need your sleeping pills more than me."

Sakura nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "We'll talk, Kakashi. But for now, go home and get some rest. I'll make sure to keep an eye on things here. We'll figure this out together, okay?"

Kakashi nodded, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to Sakura's forehead. "Okay, Sakura. I trust you. Just be careful, and don't hesitate to wake me if anything happens."

With that, Kakashi disappeared into the night, leaving Sakura alone to ponder the challenges that lay ahead. The air was still thick with tension, and the shadows seemed to whisper of impending conflicts. However, in the midst of uncertainty, Sakura couldn't help but feel a sense of determination. She was ready to face whatever came their way, as long as she and Kakashi stood together.