Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**Dirty Little Town**

by **stones**

* * *

**Chapter One**

A moment in time holds so much.

Happiness, pain, excitement. A mother putting her babe back to sleep after a nightmare by tucking a soft blanket under her child's chin before kissing him, the hairs exceptionally thin and fragile on his head. She would close the curtains to block out any light. A couple holding hands, gazing up at the moon ahead before smiling and bringing their eyes back down to earth, noticing the masses of lightning bugs that further illuminated the world in a sweet and magnificent charm that could only be unreal. A boy placing flowers near stone, missing all that was around him for at that moment there was only him and his father in the ground, fertilized and strengthened by the tears falling from his son's nose onto the dirt that made his grave and kept the memory of him alive.

A girl not yet turned the woman she thought she was walked slowly up a dirt road, trees lining up on either side of her as she thought of this. The moon was bright and shone down, creating spots and blotches on the road ahead of her due to the trees blocking its rays. And she wondered how often it put a spotlight on a person; how many were facing truth or creating lies underneath it while it exposed them to the world, made it easy for everyone to see. For while she was technically alone, bag slung over her shoulder messily, she knew someone was sharing this moment with her.

The trees scattered into barely nothing but bare land as she saw the stone walls, the cracks and rust, the past crashing down on her. The guards in front of the gate were stiff, probably already sensed her presence and determined she was of little threat, barely any chakra or spirit left. She slowly dragged her feet up to them, the dirt and rocks crunching under her. She paused once she was in front of them. Her eyes burned with tears as she looked at both of them and they at her. Her bag slid off her shoulder and thumped against the ground, making a cloud of dust flow to the air.

"Your purpose?" one of the guards asked.

She looked away from them, tried to search for an answer on the ground. It was silent save for the sound of crickets behind her, populating the forest around them. Then her eyes moved to the sky, the bright moon reflected in them. Her hair seemed lighter, more rosier in this light.

"I've done wrong."

A young man should have been sleeping. He should have been spread out comfortably in his bed, back to the window as a small breeze would roll by, brushing his hair against his ear though he would be clueless, lost in perhaps a sweet dream or peaceful heavy sleep. But his knees were curled in, eyes open as he stared out the window, at the electrical wires running across the street and the moon behind them. He should have been asleep and not been interrupted until the morning when he would be greeted with a smile or maybe a scowl since his teammates had never been good with mornings.

He should have never been like this and someone should have never had to knock on his door at this time of night. But as it were, all of these things were happening whether he liked it or not. Rolling out of bed in nothing but his boxer briefs, he didn't care to make himself decent for when was it decent to knock on someone's door at three in the morning anyway? The situation was unique in itself.

His annoyed glare was quickly replaced by shock and a wave of grief and happiness all rolled into one when he opened the door and received a message. Quickly, he ran back into his room, threw a simple grey t-shirt on, determined his boxers were good enough, and headed out the door, leaving it wide open.

Looking back, he could have never told you what path he had taken or what he had passed on the way to his destination. He could never have told you what he was even thinking or feeling. The moment had seemed dragged out, as if time had slowed down and he wondered if it was affecting the rest of the world as well. Someone who had just gotten home from a night out wiped her runny makeup and wet tears off her eyes, looked out the window and watched as he ran by, not thinking much of it. As he turned the corner, she turned away and let the slow seconds drag her into another world. Absently, she stroked her blonde hair and thought of friendship.

He slowed down from his run to a walk as he neared the small group of people gathered near the gate. His old teacher was there, standing straight with a hand on his chin, surveying the scene with a near emotionless face though he could clearly see the disappointment in his old eyes. The Hokage was also there, face blank as she turned to him and opened his vision to the person in the middle of the circle, whom they were all staring at.

He could tell you that his heart sank, broken yet again once. He could tell you that even if it was damaged before, the heart would never stop feeling. She was there, standing, back slouched, bag near her feet, some miscellaneous items scattered on the ground. When she heard his footsteps, she looked up and he could tell she had been crying.

The dirt on her cheek was smudged from the moisture and her mussed hair stuck to the back of her neck due to the sweat that had accumulated there from her grief and the intense summer heat. She stretched out her neck to swallow a lump that had gotten stuck there from the moment she saw her old home. Letting out a heavy sob, her nostrils flared and her lips curved into a sad, exceptionally heartbreakingly beautiful smile.

"Naruto," she whispered as he stepped closer, eyes wide as if he didn't believe what was in front of him. She repeated his name and it had never sounded so sweet, so fulfilling, as it ignited some sort of excitement in his veins. Wordlessly, he stepped to her and she stared at him smiling before she slumped and moved towards him.

Immediately, his arms wrapped around her and he hugged her tightly and close as he felt her begin to break down in his arms. It felt as though a great weight had been taken off his shoulder and for the first time in a long time he could take a deep breath of fresh air. He pressed his nose into her hair, not caring about the dirt that caked it. His shoulder was wet with her tears and his neck tickled every time she took a breath.

"I'm sorry," she murmured into his neck. A few more mumbles where she couldn't even find words before she said, "So sorry."

So was he. His hand moved up with it gathered some of her pink hair and gripped onto it, not wanting to let go any part of her. The moment was long, though for them it had seemed so short, not enough. He barely felt someone put their hand on his shoulder but turned his head slightly to see Tsunade looking at him with a stern face.

"That's enough," she said.

Sakura, by then, had stopped crying, only enjoyed the warmth her old friend was giving her, the false sense of security that she knew would soon be gone. Her head was now pressed against Naruto's chest and she willed herself to listen to his heartbeat instead of hear her old master's words.

"She's still a criminal and must be dealt with like one," the Hokage told Naruto as if Sakura wasn't there. She closed her eyes briefly before sighing and opening them to look at her former apprentice. "I'm doing all I can. Even this, letting you see her. I could get into a lot of--"

Naruto was surprised when he felt Sakura pull away from him and for a moment he thought she would turn and run away, leave them all again. His hands gripped her arms as a reflex and she shook them off before standing by herself.

"I came back quietly, haven't I?" she asked.

"After running away for a year, fighting Konoha ninja, and consorting with an enemy saying heaven knows what," Tsunade replied, treating the girl in front of her as if she had not been her student, someone she had considered a daughter figure.

"I never betrayed the village," Sakura insisted as she did the same.

Only one believed her. Tsunade jerked her eyes away from Sakura and looked to two men dressed in their uniforms, watching the scene with interest yet put on their business faces when their Hokage addressed them. She nodded and they understood. Wordlessly and silently, they approached Sakura and when they first touched her, she jerked away, surprised and frustrated. The whole group stiffened, wondering what she might pull. Though her attentions were not to resist. She would have never come back in the first place if they were.

They bound her arms quickly and expertly. And before Naruto could react, she was being dragged away. His fists clenched and his muscles begged him to move, adrenaline fueled every movement but all he could do was watch as she was lead away. She looked back at him the whole time.

"Naruto," she repeated, sounding as if she was asking him to do something.

And it killed him that he couldn't. Wasn't it he who promised himself that he would do anything for her? Where was that so-called love? Such things must not exist, he figured.

With all his will, he turned away and listened as the sound of their footsteps and her tired and weak dragging feet faded more and more. Next to him, his old teacher moved and Naruto turned to face him. He searched his face, his covered skin, his one eye observing him.

"Kakashi," Naruto said, not knowing what else to say, not sure if he should say something more at all.

The older man sighed heavy, put a hand against the side of his head before he proceeded to stretch. In a few more moments, he dropped his arms, mumbled, "Naruto," and began to walk away. Naruto didn't stop him. Couldn't have if he wanted to.

Naruto was partially grateful for the moment of silence, knowing that soon there would be little of it. It was a good thing she had come back at night, silently, and unknowingly to the rest of the village who were tucked away in their beds. He should have been one of them. Instead he stuck his hands in his pockets, turned, and began to walk by the light of the moon.

It reflected on the grass in a most memorizing way, Uchiha Itachi had noticed while pulled himself up to his legs, his arms shaking without control. It had been some time since he had bid the girl away. It was better that way, he guessed. He looked away from the window and into the dark room where he had paid to stay the night. Within his things, he fished out a pill bottle and opened it casually, ignoring how his fingers shook from his nerves.

After swallowing two and before he placed himself back in bed, he made a trip to the bathroom where he threw up blood and spit. Each hurl was a sick reminder, each time his stomach clenched warm tears sprung to his eyes but he would not call them that. They were pain, pain he would suck up and deal with. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, spit the remainder of the gunk in his mouth into the sink, and wordlessly crawled into his cold sheets.

There he dug his face in the pillow and did not sleep.

While he began to think of his childhood, Haruno Sakura had just finished getting her picture and fingerprints taken, had changed into the issued uniform, and had been given water. It spilled down her chin because of her shaking hand. She handed the plastic cup back to one of the guards before her arms were bound again and she was lead to her cell. There she sat on the rickety bed and began to think of better times.

As the better times turned to the bad, the Hokage had just finished her last bottle. She pushed it aside and closed her eyes, dreaming of her old team and where they could have been.

At that time Naruto had just been getting home. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He wouldn't move until morning, busy thinking about his old team and where they should have been.

And by then, Uchiha Sasuke had drifted off to a light sleep where he would dream of nothing. Just like always.

* * *

She would never remember what exactly led her up to this point. Maybe it wasn't anything specific at all. Just built up emotions and events, stacked on top of each other, until a light breeze flew by and sent everything tumbling to the ground. But then that couldn't have been it because at the time she didn't feel sad. She felt empowered and strong, mind finally made up and a plan set.

Only a month ago she had celebrated with friends, happy to have Ino back home after such a long mission away from home. Home was what they had called it at the time, wasn't it? Home, indeed. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind that she didn't feel welcome and cherished in the presence of her friends, her family. And after a couple of drinks shared and a few laughs made, she felt even happier as she stumbled home with her friend, laughing and giggling away.

They both pushed themselves into her apartment before falling on her bed, tangling themselves messily in her sheets and talking in quiet whispers. As usual, the drunken laughs turned into drunken conversations, too deep for their own good.

"I think we're growing up," Ino said, voice raspy.

"You think?" Sakura asked with a snort, closing her eyes and letting her head roll back onto her soft pillow.

"I don't think," Ino corrected. "I _know_."

"What makes you say that?"

There was a pause as Ino thought and Sakura almost fell asleep. But she heard her friend's voice again and opened her eyes.

"We're smarter and more mature," she concluded. Sakura didn't reply. "And _I _think we know right from wrong. We've been around the block a few times, y'know? I just don't know if I like it."

Sakura licked her dry lips and focused on the red letters of her alarm clock, the only thing she could see in the darkness. Her eyes adjusted and she could see Ino's outline, curled up, back facing her. She looked at the time again and before she knew it her eyes were fluttering, mind on the verge of being asleep.

"Do you know what I sometimes think about?" Ino asked quietly.

Sakura snapped her eyes opened and noticed that a whole ten minutes had gone by. It was a strange feeling to have lost so much amount of time in a span that had felt like only a couple minutes.

"What everyone in the world is doing right now," Ino continued without waiting for Sakura's reply.

"That's a stupid and useless thing to think about," Sakura commented. "Everyone's asleep, Ino-Pig."

She could hear Ino huff angrily. "Okay, don't be a bitch about this and make me feel like an idiot," she grumbled. "I should have known that was something you would do."

"I'm sorry, Ino," she groaned. "Just turn and face me, I can barely hear you."

There was shuffling and movement, making Sakura quite annoyed. But then Ino stilled and Sakura could feel her breath on the top of her head. Oddly, it made her feel comfortable and almost lulled her to sleep.

"Okay," Ino said. "I mean, just think about it. There's so many people in this damn world. And everyone's doing something different."

Sakura had honestly given it some thought and begin to grab a sense of what Ino was trying to say.

"And sometimes I think I'm growing up because I realize that there's just more than me," Ino continued. "Kind of like, there are people out there who don't even know I exist, who will never know me or even think about me. There's more than just us, you know?"

Sakura pushed the covers off of herself as she determined the room was much too stuffy and hot. She cleared her throat and nestled her head further into her soft pillow. Ino didn't continue so Sakura guessed she was through and had finally fallen asleep only this time, she had managed to wake Sakura. She stared up at what she imaged the ceiling would look like since it was only shadows and darkness, a black hole above them about to swallow.

She thought about everyone who might be in bed, staring straight ahead too. If Naruto was asleep on his floor because the bed was too hot. If Shikamaru was holding a pillow over his head to block out the noise from the rain that had just started to _drip drip_ around them. Because everything that was happening to her, someone somewhere was experiencing it too.

"Sakura," Ino whispered after a while.

Sakura, surprised that her friend was awake, looked away from the ceiling. "You talk a lot, you know that--?"

"Sakura," Ino repeated, cutting her off.

"What?"

There was a pause and then, "Do you ever think about Sasuke?"

There was a long period in which no one said anything but Ino never even began to regret the words that had left her mouth. She waited for her friend to react.

"No." _Yes._

"Not even once in a while?"

"Never." _All the time._

"Don't you want to know what he's doing right now?" Ino sat up straighter and tried to look into her friend's eyes, intimidate her to the truth, or maybe just give her the strength to find it. "What he's doing while we're sitting here, faking happiness?"

"No." _More than anything._

"Why not?"

"Why should I?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Ino countered.

Sakura grunted and turned away from Ino, clutching her pillow against her chest as she dug her chin into it. "Look, Ino, I don't feel like playing this stupid question game with you. I don't think about him because I shouldn't. I shouldn't because it'll do me no good."

"It won't do you good?" Ino pressed on.

"That's what I said," Sakura replied, voice growing quieter though Ino could send the tense edge to it that told her Sakura was getting angrier and angrier with the topic. "Honestly, Ino, if I had known you were going to try and play this, I wouldn't have invited you over."

"Sakura, you're being childish," Ino commented, not caring that she was trailing over dangerous territory. "I'm your friend. You should be able to talk to me. You know, you're not the only one he left behind."

Sakura's head perked up as she turned to look at Ino and gave her an incredulous look. "What are you saying? You don't understand anything about me or him. And don't act like _you're_ actually hurt."

Ino matched Sakura's tone. "I could if you just told me things sometimes. And you can be real selfish sometimes, you know that?"

"Why do you have to bring these things up?" Sakura asked. "I'd rather not get all sappy and sad because that's not real life."

"Real life?"

"Yes, real life. All that sadness and loss is something created by authors and movie producers, okay? Real life is knowing what you have to do and forget about all that sappy stuff. Life's not going to wait for you to grow up. I learned that. It's about time you did too."

"That's such bullshit, Sakura."

"What's bullshit is this topic," she mumbled, falling back on her pillow, back facing Ino. "Just go to sleep and leave me the hell alone, Ino."

"Fine," Ino said before she sighed, a sigh that frankly annoyed Sakura but rather than try to pull anything else, she kept quiet, closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep. She was about to so easily about a few seconds ago. Funny how a couple of minutes could change that.

She imagined her eyes opening once again but instead of seeing her wall she would see another. It would be darker and gloomier and she suddenly felt the temperature fall drastically. She saw his hair and how it he kept it longer nowadays but still the same style. She figured he must not care enough to look in the mirror and analyze himself like she did every morning.

In fact she could see him jumping in the shower before training. Training, training, training. That's all she could imagine him doing. But right now she saw him in bed, lying there. She wans't sure what he could be thinking off but she sure hoped she crossed his thought every now and then. Maybe not even a full thought. Just a glimpse of pink before his mind was occupied with something else, a polite smile and green eyes before he focused on new techniques.

She could see him now and it hurt her, killed her, that even though he was lying in bed, it wasn't in hers.

She opened her eyes when Ino started to speak again. "You don't love him anymore, do you?"

"I never did." _I always will._

Thinking back, she realized _this_ was what started it all. Her thoughts constantly going back to Sasuke whereas before she had completely dispelled them from her thoughts. But what was in her head wasn't reality and it was funny how often that happened.

Instead of realizing that she wasn't _really_ entitled to anything she was imagining, she would let herself be taken away by these thoughts, these fantasies. And when she sat in the fields after training, she imagined that he was doing the same, taking a sip of water and looking up to the sky like she was because they were still together. And when she took a walk through the village, she imagined that he must being something similar, mentally walking side by side. Even when she had first had sex with Naruto. Though it was unplanned, it felt like destiny. As she held Naruto close and he clumsily moved against her, she closed her eyes and imagined Sasuke at that time, who he was holding until she realized it should be her. It was _supposed_ to be her.

And she figured this was _hers_. This was _theirs_. And she had forgotten about it.

And it was time to do something about it. This was what she had taught herself to stay away from but a thought had broken her will. Blinded and misguided, she spent the week imagining more and more. She would imagine small glimpses: her packing a small bag, walking through the streets for the last time, finally sprinting off into the distance with the biggest smile she could think of on her face. In her imagination she seemed so _happy_ doing this, so why didn't she? Soon she became obsessed, completely in love with the idea that any given moment she would look at an open door and imagine walking out. Go to fix the mistakes that not only she made, but everyone else's as well. She thought about doing it again and again.

Until one day, she did.

She figured this was all the rise to happiness, what had driven her to this moment. It was the reason she was holding her bag over her shoulder, smiling up at the sky, praying for a safe journey and already imagining how it would end. And not once as she left her home, greeting people she passed on the street, did she think that this could have very well been her fall.

* * *

The next morning Naruto couldn't find where he belonged. His home felt wrong, the streets were unwelcoming. He couldn't find solace in the fields nor could he sit at the ramen bar without his feet shaking. So he found himself wandering, lost and frustrated.

He itched with anticipation when he saw Ino and right when he caught her eye, he realized that she had a feeling. A woman's intuition, especially a woman like Ino, was not to be doubted. They approached each other slowly and Naruto couldn't find the courage to brush past her like he wished he could. His mouth was tired, mind too lazy to speak. But her eyes were hard and concerned.

"She's here isn't she?" Ino asked. Naruto, surprised, looked at her and nodded, wondering where the frown was. She only shook her head and pursed her lips into a thin line. "What happened? Where has she been?"

As he shrugged his shoulders, Sakura opened her eyes to a small enclosed space. She scratched her dirty head absently and noticed how dry her throat was. Her hands were still bound but she was itching to look at them and realize that this was really happening. That it had turned out differently than she had expected.

She imagined Sasuke's hands before her and began to think of him waking up, of going to the bathroom and splashing some cold water of his face, of bringing himself out of his stupor to get to business. But in reality he was still lying in bed, a cold sweat on his brow. He thought of his mother and he tucked his blanket around his body tightly like she used to. Bunching the fabric in his hands, he willed himself not to think about it and instead thought about pink. Of grass and blondes.

As the Hokage walked down the hall and paused in front of Sakura's cell door, Uchiha Itachi was sharing breakfast with his partner. He tore a piece of bread in two when his partner spoke.

"Today's going to be a bad day," Kisame said, looking at the clouds filling the sky. "I have a feeling."

"Same," Itachi agreed, following his partner's gaze.

As the door creaked open and Sakura turned her head, a father somewhere had woken up to find that his son had run away. A girl had realized that she was irrevocably head-over-heels in love with her friend. And a boy looked up to the sky and imagined space. Too big, yet too small. And he, just like others, was just another dot soon to be erased. At least they had the moment. Cherished or not, they owned it just as much as it owned them.

-

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**A/N**: Thank "London Bombs" by Eskimo Joe for inspiring this entire fic, mostly the intro. I know bits and pieces of what I want to happen, but hell if I know if I'll get there. I'm not crazy about this (I think) let's hope I don't abandon it. I hate not finishing things but my passion for writing Naruto fanfics has somewhat disappeared lately. Oh and I'm taking the liberty to change things around from the manga here and there. Well, all over the place. This is going to be Itachi/Sakura, by the way. Hopefully, we'll get there soon!

Thanks for reading and please review! I apologize for mistakes or typos.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dirty Little Town**

by **stones**

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**Chapter Two**

_Past_

Sometimes time would never pass but mostly she could never hold on.

It was a long, tedious month that she chased a rumor, a sentence or two passed over conversations. The small village she had found was known for farming and most of the villagers had given her a suspicious eye when she paid to stay in one of the local's barns. Not that she slept or even sat in there. She usually lied herself out in the cold, damp grass, heated by the summer air. But had she not extended pay or if she had hidden out in the woods by day, it would have caused suspicion. And worse than being kicked out was being thought of as a bad person.

At this time, everyone had come back from the fields and the village was bustling with noise, of people trying to hustle and compromise. She had just finished a simple meal from a stand in a local market when she wiped her face with her sleeve and contemplated buying a new outfit soon. She had packed two and would rotate them when she found a river to wash them in, but the feeling of fresh linen, or soft cotton gliding over her skin was tantalizing.

"I swear on it," someone had said beside her. "Tramps these days. A whole lot of them. Can't seem to stay in one place. Later they'll regret it though, mark my words."

She tilted her head to catch how he looked. He was an older man, gray beard hanging on his chin. As he engaged small talk with a potential customer, he stroked it.

"Not only right now," he mumbled. "I swear on it, there's been more recently. Groups, even. That's the thing though. They long for the simple life, _freedom_ as they call it. Until they realize how foolish they've been and come to see they don't have a place to return to. So they stick together."

The other man, much younger, nodded his head. "That's the way it is."

"Sometimes I think they could make a good contribution to society. _Normal_ society that is," he continued ranting. "Like those one's about a month ago. Don't tell me you haven't seen them?"

"Can't say I have," the other man said with shrug.

The older man widened his eyes and tsked, still stroking his beard. "Some fine men, I tell you. Strong and built. I swear on it."

"They'd have to be, to live out in the wild," the other man commented and Sakura smiled to herself. The wild.

"No," the other man responded. "Usually they're skinny as hell, barely any nutrition. But you see, these had money. And nice things. Nice things, indeed. Clean, polished. Swords and knives. I asked them if they were looking to sell in the market. One didn't say anything, the other replied that they were 'just passing by.'"

"How'd you know they were tramps then?"

"I asked them where they were from," the old man said. "'Just around,' one said."

"Isn't that something?"

By this time, Sakura had caught on and noticed these couldn't have been just any normal men living on the land. And by the description, built and carrying weapons, they could have been a couple things. Hunters or perhaps ninja, on a mission or cut from their home for good. Naturally, Sakura's heart raced. She had nothing to go by, no clue of where to start. Immediately, she pictured Sasuke at one of these stalls, a tomato in hand as he squeezed it to determine its freshness. She imagined his team, faces blank for she couldn't picture anyone else but her on his side. And she smiled, hoping the old man would continue.

"One was rather quiet," the old man continued. "But the other was gruff and rather loud. He was always laughing at things. He said they were trying to dodge the area. Must not be a good place for them, Fire Country."

Sakura's hand tightened into fists from her excitement. It had to be Sasuke, trying to avoid Konoha.

"Anyway," the old man said before clearing his throat and giving the ground a good spit. "They said they were heading back up north. Don't know where but they said they needed heavy clothing. It'll be colder than here, anyway."

Sakura had gripped her bag and walked away from the market where she returned to the barn. Sitting against it, her mind rejoiced at the thought that she was one step closer, that soon she would be facing Sasuke, and her goal would be reached. Smiling, she picked at the grass under her feet. Sooner than later, the sun was setting and the sky grew dark.

Yawning, she wondered where the time had gone and where it went when it disappeared.

* * *

_Present_

Sometimes time didn't exist. Much like right now.

Her former master, the Hokage, Tsunade, seemed as though she had been standing there for ages, millions of years. Sakura dipped her head and scanned the ground, knowing the older woman was staring and observing, scrutinizing her and trying to make a sense out of anything that had been happening.

"Could I call you a victim?" she asked, a bit of the hostility she had in her voice still alive. But there was a softness, a confusing question.

And Sakura knew what she was trying to do. Could she say that Sakura had been mentally unstable when she decided to leave the village? Could she say it was posttraumatic stress, stress she wasn't allowed to feel because she was a dutiful ninja, and loneliness that made her act in the way that she did? Could she say it was a moment of weakness, that she was not in fault?

Was she? More than a year ago she had started a count. On the doorframe leading to her bedroom she began to dig small notches in the wood. Not even the size of a thumb nail, these indentations meant more to her than she could explain. It started the day she first decided she would really do something about her problem, a problem she couldn't even explain.

On the day the fourth notch had been carved in, she woke and right away determined she needed a plan. From past experiences, she had seen that those who had left a village successfully were intelligent, strong, and extremely talented. Those who weren't, well those didn't last long against any hunter-nin and were mostly dealt with within a month. And she knew she had to get stronger. Stronger, indeed.

As she stood in front of him, proposition laid out, she determined she couldn't have found anyone better.

"What's with the sudden change?" he asked, lowering his book only slightly so that he could peek over it. "I thought you wanted to heal, save lives."

"I do," she said, nodding her head before a shrug followed. "Being strong is just as important."

"If I'm not mistaken," he continued, his one visible eye bunching from amusement, "it was you who said there was more than one way to be strong."

"Stop twisting my words," she scolded playfully, swatting her hand forward to push the book out of his hands. He pulled it back before, however, and shook his head at her.

"You'll never learn, will you?"

"Kakashi," she said, dipping her voice lowly to gain his serious and undivided attention. It seemed to work because he paused and looked at her attentively. "Listen, I'm serious." He said nothing, still focused on her. "And you don't believe me. I know you don't because you have that stupid 'prove it to me' attitude. But I'm serious."

He didn't say anything but to her it meant he still had doubt. Shuffling and looking back to his book, he pushed his half finished meal toward her, waving his hand as a signal to help herself. "Eat first."

"I already ate," she said, pushing it back across the table to him.

The tone she had made him look past his book again, to her, then to the plate of cold food in front of him. Blinking once or twice, he glanced back up at her lazily. "What's the rush?"

"I'm not joking, Kakashi," she pressed.

"I get it," he replied, eyeing her tired looking face, the anger in her eyes. " But there's time."

Scowling, she stood from her seat and left him alone at the table. He watched her leave the small, simple restaurant. She flipped the curtain that covered the doorway quickly and caught her disappointed face before she left. He knew the anger wasn't directed toward him for he'd seen that type of irritation many times. She was upset with much more than him or possible any single person. For the look in her eyes wasn't hostile. It was upset, tired, and anxious. Tired of waiting for something that wasn't coming soon enough.

That evening he had spotted her on the training field, her hospital slacks tied around her hips. He paused, dug his hands in his pockets and started towards her.

From then on it was rough training. Even when her teacher wasn't there, she was. Running, jumping, and practicing techniques. She did it all until she was sprawled out on the ground, sweat covering every inch of her. Her nights out with her friends turned into nights staying in, wrapped in a warm towel and tucked into her blanket, muscles sore and aching, begging for some rest. But there was none.

Many had noticed, from falling asleep during work breaks instead of visiting her favorite patients to skipping trips to the nearest lake to take a dip.

Ino had confronted her about it, wondering why she was extra crabby lately, barely saving anytime to spend with her best girl friend. And she could see Sai stare at her, finally noticing what everyone was talking about. Some congratulated her on her newfound determination. Others had questioned it but kept to themselves, leaving her to her own business and returning to theirs.

Kakashi and Naruto would share looks whenever she snapped at them. They had been suspicious when she had asked the best way to track someone.

"No clues?" Kakashi asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing but a name and a face."

"Background," he commented. "Know what they're related to, follow it, and you'll find what you're looking for. Everything is connected somehow. Hometown? Someone will know a story about said person. The story might lead you somewhere else."

"Right!" Naruto agreed, nodding expertly. "You're bound to run into each other sometime!"

"Of course there's more to it. What's the interest?" Kakashi asked though he had a feeling he already knew.

"I was just thinking about it earlier," she said, shrugging. "It was bothering me."

Naruto shrugged, guessed that was reasonable. Kakashi blinked and looked at her for a few more seconds before adding, "Curiosity kills the cat."

And she kept quiet, knowing satisfaction brought it back.

As the notches crawled up her doorframe, her smile grew wider. It was on the eleventh notch that she had agreed to take a walk with her teammate, who had been just as busy training lately. Catching up, is what Naruto called it. Falling behind, is how she saw it. But she had found herself getting a bowl of ramen, sharing a drink or two, and walking to a rather peaceful hill, only one tree on top. They sat on the bottom of it and tried to count the stars that were there, forgetting the ones that were washed out from the light in the village.

"This was nice," she whispered, licking her lips.

"Yeah," he agreed, bringing both of his knees up to rest his arms on them. "You've been busy lately. I didn't think I'd catch you."

Instead of a charming answer, maybe a joke on how insecure he was feeling, he had gotten something he hadn't expected. With a sigh, she nodded and said, "Yeah, I know."

"But I've missed you," he said.

Her lips quirked slightly into something like a smile. She shook her head and turned toward him, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she did this. It created a small gust of wind that tickled his cheeks. "Naruto," she started, "I'm right here."

It didn't convince him. Giving her a strange look, he tilted his head and kept quiet, not caring to listen further.

That night they had sex. It was the second time it had happened, both had been clumsy and awkward but nothing less than passionate and desperate. Anything to fix what they thought was broken. They moved like robots, acting as if they had been given a script. Every word was supposed to fit though it was out of place more than anything.

Before she had initiated anything, she was first to enter her bedroom and she turned to watch him scan her apartment as if it was his first time in it. But many things had changed since the last time she had let him in. Everything was clean and put away. The many pictures she had pasted all over her wall had been tucked away into albums and put into labeled boxes.

"Are you moving or something?" he joked, giving her a wide smile.

"A little change'll never hurt anyone, Naruto."

His overly excited smile dimmed down into a more sincere grin. "I guess not."

He patted her doorframe and looked at it. She kept a close eye on the notches as his fingers ran past them and followed the small chips of wood that fell to the ground when he did this.

"What's this?" he asked curiously.

"My height," she commented dryly, a grin on her face signalizing she had meant it as a joke.

He gave a fake laugh. "Very funny. They're taller than me."

"It's nothing," she insisted. "Just the days I've started working harder. I want to mark my progress."

He hummed to himself and she looked at him, wondering what he was thinking about. Breathing deeply, her nerves suddenly on edge, she leaned back further on her bed.

"Stop fooling around in the doorway, Naruto," she half-scolded him. "There's no use in standing in a threshold."

"There isn't, is there?" he asked sheepishly, smiling though she saw the red tint in his cheeks, noticed the rise in temperature.

"Might as well take a step forward," she continued, keeping her eyes on him as he moved towards her, "and come in." He was before her in a few moments and she wrapped her legs around him.

By the time they had their clothes off, Uchiha Sasuke had just finished eating his dinner and Uchiha Itachi had just began his. Bowing their heads, all said their thanks for the blessings bestowed on them and prayed for safety, hope, and success in the future, and more importantly, protection from those behind their backs, whether it be their pasts, enemies, or friends waiting to stab them.

When she rolled out of bed later that night, she matched her breathing with Naruto's light snoring, putting them together as one for the last time because as she dug in the newest notch in her doorframe, she had realized that the time was coming soon.

She stepped back and looked over her work. Her eyes skimmed the notches and she counted in her head. As the notches grew taller, she felt stronger. When she crawled back into bed, Naruto's back touching hers, she realized the distance between her and her friend had never been so large. Holding her breath, she waiting until his snoring disappeared.

It wasn't more than a couple of days that she had made that figurative distance a reality. It wasn't more than a couple of days that she left without a word, leaving all behind, only caring about the future.

Could her former master call her a victim?

As her thoughts left her memories and came back to reality, she shook her head only once and simply said, "No."

* * *

_Past_

It had been another week that she had been on her own.

She tightened the belt around her waist to the next hole and tucked it around herself before wiping the dust off of herself. As she rolled up her sleeping bag that was more of a blanket than anything, she looked up to the sky and noticed she couldn't see a sun. It was colder though the air around her held a musky sort of scent. Humidity had surrounded her.

Her spirits had somewhat declined. When she had first thought of her journey, she imagined finding Sasuke being much easier. In fact, she didn't think it would take long at all. But there were so many places he could be. It was infinite really. And she couldn't help but thing that she was only losing him by a couple of seconds. That he was walking the footsteps that she had made last night.

It wasn't long before she arrived at another town, this one much larger and more populated than the previous. Everyone was going about their business, too distracted to notice another homeless person on the street. And she thought about this for a good half-hour as she mentally mapped the area. She thought of all those she had seen, wandering alone. Before she had never expected herself to be one. She almost found herself a different life and she wondered if that was all this was. If there was more than one Sakura, more than one life she was living. How one single action could very well change her entire fate.

It was in a small shop that she had spotted him. Dark hair through a window. Perking up, she nearly pressed her face into the window. He was moving through the crowd. He was taller than she remembered, but she couldn't really find a reason to think of such things.

Her body moving almost on its own, she left the shop, her eyes glued to his moving form, gliding through the tops of heads. She hadn't caught a glimpse of his face but his aura, the feeling she got from him. It had to be something. It was so strong, so pure, that it nearly pulled her to him. Her intuition was enough. She had found Sasuke. She had done it.

He had been quicker than she expected and there were moments when she thought she had lost him. But she had followed his figure, voice caught in her throat, unable to call for him. Following in step, she quickened her pace. Next to her a stream flowed, splashing against the stone wall surrounding it. The railings around it were moist and sticky as she gripped onto it, holding on as though she would fall off the earth if she let go.

She was closer now. She imagined this moment before. Again and again. She had given it a script, memorized every word she was supposed to say as well as the words he was supposed to repeat. But all that had flown out the window. For at that moment it was then and now. The feeling she had, the stiffness, the nausea could never have been planned.

She was right behind him now, close enough to touch his back. Some people still pushed her away from him and blocked her view. On her tiptoes, she dipped her head back to try and catch a better glimpse. Pushed forward, she reached out to him and gathered some fabric in her hands. It was black in her pale fist. She twisted it, making him stop. Looking up, she watched as he slowly turned toward her, curious as to what had grabbed him.

She froze. Time decided to stop.

There were red eyes and dark, dark hair. Beautiful hair. The bones in his jaw were strong and masculine and she felt her eyes tracing them up to his cheeks. A shadow hung on them, topped with tired wrinkles. The sun behind him seemed to cast a glow around his body, outlining him and making it difficult to see.

"Sasuke," she had tried to say but the name had been lost on her lips and she moved them dumbly, still confused.

He tilted his head and gave her an odd look. It had felt like a long time that she stared at him, surprised yet not disappointed. More shocked than anything. He glanced down and she followed his look to see she was still clutching his clothing. As if it had burned her, she let go and brought her hand back.

"Wrong person," she whispered, voice muffled by others. She caught his eye again then directed her gaze to his cheeks. Mumbling an apology, she hung her head and turned, walking away, hoping to get swept up in the crowd. She glanced back and noticed he was still looking at her but had just begun to turn away, shrugging the event off.

Retreating into the center of the village, she hid in an alleyway. Hands covering her face, she began to wonder about the time and started to beg for it to speed up, for it to get back to normal. She hoped for her stomach ache to go away and for the humidity to stop making her palms sweaty.

But more importantly she began to wonder why he hadn't been wearing his cloak for she would have known if she saw those red clouds on a black background.

She would have been able to sniff out the danger. She _should _have been able to sense it.

* * *

_Present_

She had a visitor at midnight.

The air around him was thin or so it felt like. She picked with her nails nervously as he entered. It was the second time she saw him though it felt just as deep and heavy. The gray walls around her were a different surrounding than the black night she had seen him in the night before. Here she couldn't hide in the shadows.

"Don't just stare at me, Naruto," she said, breaking the silence.

"What else am I supposed to do?" he asked her. "What else can I do?"

Moving closer, he crouched down in front of the bench she was sitting on. Hands lingering over her knees, he pulled them back before he could touch her.

"Look at you," he mumbled.

She could only imagine what he saw. Thin hair, pasty skin. Her wrists had gotten thinner, her body smaller. The year had been harsh on her, stripping away all of her nutrition and throwing her to the world to wander alone.

"I'm surprised you're allowed in here," she commented.

"It's taken a while for that old grandma to come to her senses," he grunted, annoyance in his voice, overly done so that it seemed humorous. "You're still my Sakura. _Our_ Sakura. Innocent until proven guilty, right?"

She was guilty where she sat.

"Besides, you're not a threat or anything," he said, shrugging. "Just misguided."

She wanted to argue against it, hated when someone had said that. She felt what she felt and had acted on it. How could her heart lie to her? It just couldn't have been possible but lately her opinion had been changing for look where she had ended up.

"I just can't do this any more," he continued.

"Do what?" she asked, looking away from him.

"Act like this," he said with a sad laugh. "Like we're just chatting. I can't act like I don't care." She allowed him to put his hand on hers, noticing how both of their skin felt cold. She grit her teeth when she felt a sting in her forehead, a burn in her eye, tears threatening to spill.

But she managed to stop them temporarily, tucking in her chin as he leaned forward and pulled her into a hug. She breathed in his scent and noticed how much she had missed it, how familiar and comfortable it made her feel. How it changed with his emotion. Soft and calm when he was happy, salty and strong when he was upset.

"I never did this to hurt you," she told him.

"Ino's right," he mumbled into her hair. "You're so selfish, Sakura."

"I never wanted to," she said, lips curving downward.

"To think only of yourself."

Gripping onto him tighter, nails digging into his back, she wished she could somehow disappear into him. Let someone else guide her, give her a rest from her thoughts, her stupid fantasies that couldn't seem to leave her alone.

"I almost didn't make it," she told him, stuttering. Her fingers shook as a tear spilled down her cheek. She felt him tighten her arms around her, heart breaking with what she was saying, the realization that he hadn't been there for her, that she had been alone. "This has been my hardest year."

She could feel him breath heavier but didn't think of much more except that at times like this, time might as well not have existed. There were greater forces at work.

-

-

* * *

**A/N**: I lied. I don't know where it's going. But I can say it's not going to be an easy read for those who only look for dialogue. This is one of my emotion-full (?) stories where I can't shut up about how Sakura is feeling. And for those who like that, well cool. Let's have fun!

Yeah I know this kind of jumps all over the place. There are two different timeframes going along though sometimes Sakura thinks to the past which makes things confusing. But if you read carefully, you'll be fine. Please be patient with me because the next chapter is just as big of a mystery to me as it is to you!

Thank you and please review!

Edit: I tried to make it easier to read. Please tell me if it's still confusing you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dirty Little Town**

by **stones**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_Present_

He promised he would come everyday.

But he didn't. She shouldn't have cursed Naruto because of it but she couldn't find the strength not to. The floor was cold on her feet and the metal bench made her back incredibly stiff, so stiff that she felt that she would just shatter with the tiniest movement. Because of this, she stayed still, complaisant and observant to everything around her.

The lights flickered almost every twenty minutes, twenty minutes that she counted in her head. There was a fly that hovered around the corner of her room but after she woke up from a drowsy sleep she found it dead on the floor. And if she was quiet enough, she noticed, she could hear the walls whisper miserable secrets to her, secrets of all the people they have seen, the many lives they have seen broken. And sometimes if she held her breath at night and everything was completely silent, she could hear raindrops on the roof, saving her from the babbling white walls if only for a while.

The fifth day that she had been there Ino had tried to come to her, so she had heard. But it was still not decided what to do with Haruno Sakura so she remained waiting, humming patiently in hopes of something to come. Like an unwanted pet, she was kept aside in a cage.

Salvation seemed to come just when she was about to go over the edge. She was mumbling to herself, humming every once and then. Anything to fix her loneliness. He had taught her a trick. Yes, he had. What was his name? Kisame. That was it. Though it was unintentional, he had taught her this. Yes, he had. Think you're not alone and you won't be. Talk and someone will listen. Listen and you'll hear something.

She shut up as soon as she saw blonde hair and an encouraging smile that somehow felt lackluster and washed out. He winked at her as she stood in his presence; his grace fill the room.

"Naruto."

"I'm working on it, Sakura," he said. "I really am. Pretty soon this will be over, okay?"

She nodded, not from belief. Anything to make him close that pretty mouth of his that seemed to become tainted with each naïve statement he let spew from it. He wrapped his arms around her and told her it was okay. And he thought she believed it. That was why she was crying wasn't it?

But the tighter she squeezed him, the more she realized she couldn't morph him into anyone else and some things really were impossible.

"Look," he said, laughter already in his voice. "Something to make you feel not so lonely, right?" He held out his hand and she slowly took the picture from him, careful not to let her finger sprints touch the glossy side. "That old lady didn't think it was a good idea."

"Maybe it wasn't," she commented, turning away from Naruto to look at the picture more. There was her as a younger girl, baby fat still sitting on her cheeks. There was Naruto, silly as ever. Sasuke, dare she say, looking worse than her imagination used to lead her. And Kakashi, towering over them. So tall back then.

"You're not going to have seizures or something every time you see him, are you?" he asked, tearing the picture from her hands before she could react. She watched as he bunched it in his hands and she made a sound of protest. Shocked, she observed his angry face, sharp and piercing eyes digging into her. "It's fucking pathetic."

"What was that for, Naruto?"

"Why have you been letting him do this to you?" he pressed. "What has he done to you?"

"It's not like that anymore, Naruto," she defended.

"But it was."

And it was. She couldn't deny that. But what had bothered her wasn't Sasuke's presence in the picture or even the thought of him. What had truly had her disappointed was her chubby cheeks, the way they bunched in the picture from her smile. Her shiny, white teeth set in a joyous grin.

What had disturbed her was the fact that she was so clearly happy when she shouldn't have been, when everything around her had been fake. What had scared her was how blind she had been.

"To remind me of home," she repeated. "That's what you said."

"Yeah," he mumbled, more calm now, she noted. "It was the only thing familiar from your apartment."

"My apartment," she thought out loud. The corner of her lips twitched, excited and anxious. "Is it…?"

"It's not yours anymore," he told her, trying to wear an apologetic smile. He tried to laugh. "You couldn't just expect it to hang around waiting for you, could you?"

"I never really thought about it," she replied honestly.

He nodded as though he already knew the answer. Before she could ask where her stuff had been stored, he had told her he needed to go, that their time together was limited but sooner than later she would be out of there.

When he left she took the crumbled picture that had fallen to the ground when Naruto finally dropped it and straightened it out. Kneeling, she pulled it against the edges of the bench. When it was getting darker, she began to tear bits and pieces off of it. Slowly she ripped everything off until it was only her and Sasuke. Tilting it and looking at it with squinting eyes, she made a few more touches.

Pinching the top corner of the photo with her hands she ripped Sasuke's forehead off. She dropped it to the ground and held the picture up to look at her work. What she saw was a smile. Green eyes and pink, flushed cheeks. She saw dark hair and deep eyes. Suddenly it didn't feel so wrong.

The day after, she was moved into a different cell. It was definitely more comfortable, she noticed. She wasn't completely secluded and she could see outside of the barriers restraining her. There were bars that separated her from the world. She wrapped her arms around them, listening as the person next to her tapped his or her finger nails on the metal. She would never see the face.

At night, they turned off all the lights and the only thing she could see were three beams of white that flowed from the moon, through the windows, and onto the cement floor in the hallway outside of her cell. She tucked her arms back in and wrapped them around herself. The hall looked dark, and the moonlight so scary.

She had been here before.

* * *

_Past_

It was unfortunate that she had been caught spying after having done it so well for the past week. It all started after she shook herself from the fright of Uchiha Itachi and just having run into him. She sat down and thought long and hard. Kakashi had mentioned finding her target's background and Itachi was the closest she could get, wasn't it? 'Everything is connected somehow.' That's what he said. And that's what she thought about as she set out for him.

It wasn't difficult to stay one step behind them, to stay in an inn next to theirs. She had stayed out of their sight but they had always been in hers. As she observed them, she noticed the immense gravitational pull that the older Uchiha had about him. The way he walked, the look on his face when he thought. It was all memorizing and she couldn't help but find she would find herself staring, trying to ignore the push that pressed on her back.

She had not slipped up once. She followed as they quickly went through town to town, not staying for more than a night or two. It was quite hard to keep up with them and wondered what the rush was. They looked determined, barely pausing or scoping out towns. They were just on their way, just traveling.

It had been exactly two months that she left Konoha and it was starting to show. As the Uchiha and his partner had breakfast one day, she stayed off on a bench and tightened her shorts. Her shirt hung on her thin shoulders and she lifted an arm, noticing that even though she had been outdoors her skin was looking pasty and cold. Her stomach growled as she counted the last of her money that was diminishing quickly. Making another hole in her belt, she tightened it even more.

When they had stopped at night, oddly in the middle of a forest, she stayed a bit of ways off and started to do a light work out. Anything to gain her muscle back and keep her standing. There were a few hundred pull-ups on a tree branch and sit-ups that never seemed to end. In between stomach pains and gasping breaths, she reminded herself of what would happen, what was waiting for her if she could just toughen up and make it through this.

It was odd to say but she felt a feeling of safety because of the two men camping only a few miles off. Had someone come by, heaven forbid looking for her, the Akatsuki pair would surely be curious and help her out right? Lying herself down on the damp grass, she imagined they would come to save her, that they shared some kind of connection after she had been following and observing for such a long time. They had to feel it too, right? She couldn't be the only one. Fate didn't work that way, after all.

About an hour after she fell asleep, she awakened when her nose began to itch. Moaning, she rubbed it absently and rolled over, face against the dirt. She could have fallen back asleep easily though something in the back of her head itched. Eyes still closed, she sensed the air around her, the general aura it was emitting. And right away, as the wind blew against her hair, she knew someone was around.

Initially her first reaction was to think of Sasuke. But that wasn't right, was it? An image of the older Uchiha flashed through her mind and she tried to remain calm and alert. The chakra she felt in the area was strong without a doubt, but why raise attention if there was a chance they were just passing and could easily look past her?

That had been thrown out the door when she felt the presence come closer and closer. Now that it was so near, she could feel there was more than one person. Opening her eyes, she scrambled from under her worn blanket and dug her nails in the dirt as she scooted away. On her way, she had grabbed a kunai that had been tied around her leg. She stumbled onto her feet and clenched her fists, planting her feet firmly on the ground.

Especially at her weakened state, she couldn't see herself fighting to her full ability, something she would need fighting against the Uchiha and his partner. For crying out loud, they didn't get into Akatsuki for their looks.

"Who is it?" she whispered into the dark, keeping her hand holding the kunai behind her. It was silent enough around them for it to be heard.

She felt herself hold her breath as a bush before her shook, some leaves falling to the ground. A foot stepped down on some branches and the sound of them snapping made her flinch, imagining the branches to be her own bones. She had expected a dark figure, face hidden behind a cloak, eyes hidden by hair.

The person that came out however proved to be just as scary. And she didn't know whether or not to be relieved that the figure had not been Itachi. The person stood before her, gender completely unknown. A mask covered their face, blank and dull, it looked like death itself. Someone had come from behind the first, posture more relaxed and observing. She knew who they were. Hunter-nin.

"Usually we wouldn't waste time for those like you," the first had drawled out, voice low. Definitely male. "But being the Hokage's apprentice, there are many things in that pretty little head of yours we're not willing to let go. That makes you kind of important, you know?"

Sakura didn't speak only glanced around her small camp quickly. She had some weapons hidden on her naturally, but all her food, supplies, and money were scattered on the ground. If she were to run, which she most likely would have to, they would be lost. She knew very well she couldn't fight. She couldn't be naïve and stupid to think she stood a chance in this state.

"And normally we don't play retrievers," the one behind the man growled, also male but voice lighter, more calm. "I can't say we like it either."

"Special orders," the first mumbled. "Now come like a good little girl. You've wasted enough of our time. We'll take care of you, all right."

They were still posed for a fight meaning they did see her as threat though their derogatory comments said otherwise. Good, she thought. She wasn't the Hokage's former apprentice for nothing.

"Pathetic actually," the second mumbled, rubbing his feet into the ground as he glanced around. Sakura couldn't see his face or his eyes, just the mask craning around. "That you had only gotten this far. Not very good at running are you?"

She clenched her teeth, telling herself to remain quiet.

"Or maybe you're looking for something," he continued. "What's taking you so long?"

The second's shoulders had relaxed. Her not moving or saying anything, pretty much just standing like a deer in headlights, had given him a false sense of victory. She might not be taking them down, but she sure wasn't going to go down without a fight.

She regulated her breathing and kept calm. Remembering the notches on her door, Naruto's skin against hers, and Sasuke's apology so many years ago, she finally moved. Flinging her arm forward, she sent the kunai toward the one standing in the front, not caring to see how it went. Right as it left her hand, she turned and jumped into the trees.

Just as she suspected, they were behind her in a matter of seconds. Her plan: get to the Akastuki partners and raise awareness. Even if they weren't going to help her, it would certainly prove to be a distraction and maybe help her get away.

They were only a couple miles away and her feet were moving faster than she could ever remember. Her whole body was moving on its own. The adrenaline pumped through her veins and helped her just as much as her chakra flowing to her feet. They had managed to make a cut on her arm with a kunai. Yelling out, she clutched her arm and continued. It wasn't long before they had gained on her.

A large body had slammed into her, knocking her into a tree. Her head hit it hard and her vision had blackened for a moment. It felt so light yet heavy at the same time. She groaned as her back hit the ground, someone else falling on top of her at the same time. Kicking up, she managed to connect her foot with his stomach, sending him back and away from her. Rolling around onto her stomach, she began to crawl away, still fighting unconsciousness.

Someone had grabbed her ankle and began to pull her back. She struggled and kicked, relying on pure instincts at this point. She felt her hands being scratched by rock and gravel as she dug her fingers into the earth, desperate to hold on. She could feel him hovering above her. Yelling out, she managed to overpower him when he grabbed onto her arms to turn her over. She was still on her stomach. Pulling her knees to her, she wriggled another kunai out of its holding and sent it behind her, only caring that it would hurt him in some way.

It had. He groaned and cursed before grabbing a fist full of her hair.

"You think that's going to stop me?" he growled into her hair, pulling it some more. Her scalp burned and her head ached, begging her to just give up and let go. He pulled again, effectively twisting her so that she was on her back, looking up at him. "I've dealt with much worse and I'm going to bring you back. I don't care if they don't even _recognize_ you."

That's when the person had delivered a blow to her face. Her head recoiled to the side and she could feel blood rush into her mouth and through her lips. She cough and choked on the liquid, spitting it out on the person on top of her.

She flinched when she heard someone land from a jump right above her head and she could just imagine them looking down at her, not disturbed by the abuse, a result of being used to much wore. They were the ones who brought the heads back to the village, weren't they? She shouldn't have expected anything else.

"Is she knocked out yet?"

"Almost."

"Stubborn bitch."

She felt the man above her back away slightly, giving her some more breathing room. Shaking her head, she moved her hand to search for another weapon. There was one around her waist, wasn't there? She couldn't seem to remember.

Someone stopped her hands and held onto them, tsking at her as if she were a child having done something wrong. Her eyelids felt heavy and she let them close as she rolled her head back and forth. Heavens, she was in _so_ much pain. At the moment, all she wanted to do was sleep. She felt someone caress on her stomach and cold air hit her skin.

The man had lifted both her outer shirt and inner tank top. She felt his rough fingers glide over her abs and travel to the kunai strapped to her waist. She felt him remove it before there was crinkling in the grass. He had thrown it away from her. She whimpered and flinched, head pounding, when she felt his hand on her cheek, fingers smearing the blood.

Her eyes flickered open, eyelids only open halfway. She couldn't even see the mask he was wearing. There was only his silhouette, made by the moonlight behind him.

"I love when they're like this," she could hear him say. Looking away she tilted her head away from him though he just followed, running his fingers through her hair, making her scalp burn. But the way he was touching her felt soothing and relaxing. Absently, she leaned towards him. "So determined in the beginning. Just show them where they belong and they curl up like a little kitten."

"She's going to get it for stabbing you like that," someone had said above her, laughing. She felt her fingers twitch, her body coming back from her daze. It was recovering.

"We'll search her thoroughly when we get to a safer spot," the one right above her replied, still petting her, voice husky and low. "There were more signs of chakra around."

"They disappeared," the other commented. "Maybe they decided to avoid us?"

"Maybe," the one above her replied before taking his hand away from her. Subconsciously she let out a moan, missing the warmth and comfort it was giving her. She felt his arm slide under her back. Quickly, he hoisted her up and over his shoulder. Her head began to pound again as it rolled around lifelessly, making her neck sore. "Maybe not."

Forcing her eyes open, she saw the ground. She listened closer and realized that as they began to walk the other man had taken the lead and the one that was carrying her had fallen behind. At first they had taken their time, walking as they pushed their way through trees and bushes. She stared at the ground, the footprints they were making.

It wasn't long until she saw familiar ground. They were walking back to where she had set up her sleeping bag, most likely to gather her things and perhaps burn them, erasing any sign that this ever happened. She tried to remain limp and fool them into thinking she was unconscious or perhaps so dazed that she didn't know what was going on. Not jumping the gun, she figured she would give it one last shot when they arrived at her things.

As they walked she thought of her future: of her and Sasuke, her children, her home. She thought of her past: wide smiles, chubby cheeks, and foolish hopes. She thought of her present: her goal to find Sasuke, to restore what was, to fix everything. And she'd be damned if she let these pricks take that away from her.

"Here we are," the one holding her said, breath heavy from his injury. She had no trouble looking as if she were in pain for the fact that she really was. Her lungs burned with every breath she took and her head rattled. The world around her was blurry and hazy.

She was set down next to a tree, a little too rough for her liking. A thick branch dug into her back but she let it be. The man who had been carrying her crouched down and pushed her hair out of her face.

"Look who's up," he murmured mockingly. His fingers lingered on her cheek and she let them. Closing her eyes, she groaned. "Poor thing."

She looked up at him and behind, watching as the other man gazed down at her bag, clearly confused. Before she could see what the matter was, the man before her grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Hey, look at me," he instructed in a whisper. "For the next few days, I'm going to be what's most important to you. You understand that? I have you right in the palm of my hands. Look at me."

She mumbled lazily, staring up into his mask. Inwardly she felt the urge to spit at him, do something. It wasn't the moment, however, and she only nodded, complying as he pulled her forward and laid her on her back.

"We were instructed to bring you back," he commented, hand going to hold the wound on his stomach. She could see droplets of blood run down his hand as he did this. "If we could find you," he added, reaching out and wiping his blood on her cheek. "Look at the mess you made though."

She swallowed a lump in her throat, a chill running down her back.

"If I wanted to, I could wipe you out of existence," he murmured. "They would never know."

Clenching her teeth, she waited. She had been nervous at this point. It was nearly impossible not to be. Not only was there the fear of going back to Konoha, this mad man could possibly kill her, taking everything away. Not today, she repeated in her head. She couldn't die today.

His hand reached her forehead where he wiped away the sweat that had accumulated there.

"Hot?" he asked. "Let's cool you down."

Her fingers twitched, body begging to move as his hand reached down and clenched her outer shirt. With a rip, he had torn it. Her tank top underneath had remained intact and stuck to her from the sweat and blood.

"I could finish you," he replied. "After I've repaid you for this, of course. I could finish you and no one would ever know. Unless, of course, you're willing to persuade me otherwise. But first, we're going to have to knock you out." She began to wiggle but he stopped her by leaning down, his mask to close to her face, further digging her into the fallen tree branch under her back. "Don't worry. We'll finish this in the morning."

He hit her in the stomach with a great force and she gasped, choking on the air around her. She couldn't see his face but she was sure there would have been a smile. He raised his hand, ready to strike her in the head. But a voice had stopped them. She whimpered from relief.

"Something's wrong," the other man yelled.

The man in front of her turned for a moment. "What?"

"Her things are in the bag," he replied.

They all knew what this meant. When they had stumbled upon her, her things had been scattered all around the ground. Someone had found her things and someone had gone through them.

Seeing that they were distracted, Sakura found the thick tree branch behind her and gripped it. She slowly sat up on her butt and the man sensed it. He turned his head to see what she was up to. At that moment, she yelled out and swung the branch, hitting him right in the face.

His head wiped to the side and she heard a loud crack, probably the nose or neck breaking. She hoped it was the neck. He turned back to her and she noticed the impact had sent his mask flying. What she saw truly scared her.

His eyes were dark, same as his hair. There was blood dripping down his nose and running past his lips. His lips were parted, teeth clenched. There was pure rage coming from him and it was all directed on her.

"Bitch," he cursed, inching closer. She crawled backwards until she was pushed against the tree. Her hand searched the ground for a rock, another branch, anything. His hand shot out and grabbed her neck. She gasped as he tightened his grip, cutting off her air. "You're dead."

Before the man could say anything else, there was a big roar. He had let go of her neck and she instantly reached up to touch it. It was sore and tender, bruising soon to come. Sakura closed her eyes as the sound vibrated through her head, causing immense pain. She could tell there was dirt and dust in the air because as she tried to breath, she sucked the dirt in, causing her to cough. Squinting an eye open, she could barely see anything through the thick fog.

She could hear rustling movements and yelling. Once the air had cleared, she stood, leaning against the tree behind her. Coughing, she wiped the blood away from the corner of her lips. She saw the two men who had come after her, already in a fighting stance in front of her as if they were protecting her. But no, they were only insuring their prey. Before them was a fallen tree, cut through the middle.

Her eyes continued to move till they landed on a new man, sword at his side, big grin on his face. And there was something she recognized all too well. A cloak, black and red. Dumbfounded, she was surprised her plan had worked. They had come to inspect, hadn't they? The Uchiha and his partner had arrived. And that's when he walked into view, casual and calm, face hidden behind his tall collar. Uchiha Itachi. She caught his eye for a moment before he looked away.

"I didn't interrupt something, did I?" his partner asked.

"What's your purpose?" the hunter-nin without the mask asked with a hiss.

The large, blue skinned man grinned wider. "Looks like you're having trouble over there," he said, nodding his head toward Sakura. "She doesn't look like much but your face is telling me different."

"Leave," the hunter-nin replied simply.

"I think I'll stay," he said smugly.

The other hunter-nin with the mask snorted. "Don't tell me it's the Uchiha. Uchiha Itachi, right?" he sneered. "Your head is wanted too."

"If you can't catch Pinky over there," Kisame started, "you'd better not even try."

"Why are you so interested?" the one without the mask butted in.

No one verbally answered. However, there was a rustling noise as the Uchiha moved his arm within his cloak then revealed it, only to throw something on the ground before them. Sakura inwardly groaned. It was her forehead protector, the Leaf symbol engraved in metal.

The man snorted. "Traitors will be dealt with accordingly."

"As will spies," Uchiha Itachi answered. She shivered at these words; they were the first she heard from him. His voice was deep and filled her with fright and relief at the same time. It was odd. His voice was exactly how she imagined Sasuke's would be.

They all turned to glance at her quickly. The hunter-nin curious and confused, the Uchiha emotionless behind his high collar, and his partner, Kisame, amused.

"Spy?" one hunter-nin asked.

"She is my target," Itachi continued. She froze at these words. "Leave."

"She is ours," the man replied. She wanted to call the man an idiot. Couldn't he see he was already injured? There was no way he could fight against two Akatsuki. But perhaps they would play the same card. Run not fight. It was the smartest thing to do.

And that was when it began. The one with the mask pounced forward and in the corner of her eye she saw Itachi simply…disappear. If she wasn't so caught up in the moment, she would have paused to notice how creepy it looked. Before she could think of anything to do, she felt someone wrap an arm around her waist and jump into the trees, carrying her along. She looked down at the hand that gripped her and followed it to the shoulder, the neck, the face.

He was still bleeding from when she cracked his nose. Grunting, she began to wriggle in his hold, slowing him down. That was when she heard a loud crash behind her. It was Kisame, no doubt, hacking away at trees. She stilled, knowing he was coming after her. Suddenly, being carried away didn't sound like such a bad idea.

Unfortunately, they hadn't gotten far. The man carrying her was losing energy, having already lost a lot from chasing her and Kisame had caught up quickly. She yelled and ducked when she saw something large come at her quickly. The man holding her jumped to the ground and she looked back up at the tree they were just on and saw Kisame's overly large sword stuck in the tree where her head had just been.

She tumbled to the ground along with the man carrying her. It was her that hit the ground first, her shoulder roughly colliding with the ground. What had made it worse was that the hunter-nin was right behind her and he fell on top of her, digging her into the ground. Her shoulder cracked and she knew it had been broken. Kicking and crawling, she got out from underneath him as he slowly got up, clutching his now broken arm.

"There's more where that came from, kiddies," Kisame grinned, landing not too far from them.

Sakura stood shaking, her muscles and bones aching, begging her to just give up and lie down. And for a moment, she thought about it. But there was no time for that. Instincts kicked in when Kisame jumped towards her. Flipping backwards, she managed to avoid him but he quickly reacted, faster than she could have. He swung his blade and it caught her shoulder, nicking and shredding her skin easily. A huge loss of energy was felt too. She fell backwards, squinting as his shadow swallowed her.

"Finally," he grunted. She didn't know what he had meant but didn't seem to care. Right now, saving her skin seemed more important.

He raised his sword above his head and she thought he meant this to be the finishing blow. And it very well could have been. As he grinned, she closed her eyes, ready for the end. But it didn't come. She heard grunts and groans. Opening her eyes, she was shocked at what she saw.

The hunter-nin had come from behind and done something, perhaps a kick or punch, that sent Kisame's sword flying. She looked to the side and noticed it had been stuck in a tree. Still frozen from fright, she looked at the two fighting with fists. Had that just happened? The hunter-nin had saved her from Kisame's sword, had saved her life. She didn't want to know the reason behind it. She was only glad he did it.

Getting up, she could see the hunter-nin was losing his stamina and the blood gushing from the wound she had given him was worse than ever from the movements he was making. Jumping towards Kisame's sword, she decided it would be best to get that death trap away from the fight. It was his strong point, wasn't it? She grabbed the handle and pulled but it wouldn't budge. Clearing her throat, she began to run her already low chakra to her hands.

He must have heard her struggle to get the sword for she felt him land beside her. Stumbling away, she watched at he grinned and put his hand on the hilt.

"Aw, how cute," he mumbled, pulling it from the tree with ease. The tree groaned before it fell backwards, brushing up a huge cloud of dust. "You want this?" he asked, patting his sword.

She didn't answer only turned tail and run. Someone was behind her and she could hear his panting. It was the hunter-nin. She stumbled into a slow run, her body not letting her go further. The hunter-nin was behind her, leaning on her for support. She felt her eyes burn with tears of guilt and hope. None of this was ever supposed to happen. It was supposed to be easy. Fate should have lead her to Sasuke. Where was he now?

She turned to the hunter-nin and held his shoulders, standing him up. Kisame would catch up soon and what would they do then? She was honestly making this up as she was going, but splitting up would increase the chances for one of them to get away. She was just about to tell him her plan when his eyes got wide and he gasped.

Screaming, she stepped back. He was clutching a kunai wedged in his chest, where his heart was. Covering her mouth, she watched as blood flowed through his lips. He coughed, splattering it all over her. She turned her head when she heard someone step towards her and her heart sank. She couldn't see his face. His eyes glowed red. It was almost like the devil himself. Feeling sobs rise in her throat, she turned and ran.

The trees lined up on either side of her, trapping her within a narrow trail that seemed to go on forever. She kept her eyes straight, tried to keep calm and attentive. But all she could see was a darkness ahead of her, an overpowering black hole that she was heading straight for. Averting her eyes to the side, she caught a glimpse of movement. There was a rustle of leaves but no color besides washed out gray and black. Then it was silent. Still running, she listened to her heavy breathing and clutched her stomach, nausea traveled up her throat. Having lost her breath, she stopped in her tracks and crouched, trying to catch some air.

She looked around. Dark everywhere, completely silent. She blinked when a light had caught her eye. Looking up, she noticed speckles of white, the moon pushing through the leaves. Pushing herself to the side, she moved out of the moonlight and into a shadow. Groaning, she started to push chakra through her fingers and onto her wounds, eyes feeling heavy as a feeling of drowsiness overtook her.

Crouching and hiding within the shadows, she begged her breathing to quiet down. If only she could lose them, she would change everything. She swore it. If she could only live past tonight she would repent for the wrong she did. What was wrong she wasn't sure. But she would find out. She would. She swore on it.

She completely froze when she heard footsteps. Still in her head, she begged and begged. But there was no mercy, she supposed. For even though it was too dark to see her rolled up in a small ball, someone stopped right in front of her. Backing up, she opened her eyes wide, noticing how incredibly heavy they were. Her arm ached, her lungs throbbed, and her head was blacking out.

Before she bid the world sweet dreams, she seemed to have stumbled upon hers for right before her eyes completely shut, she saw red eyes. Red eyes that had to be Sasuke's.

* * *

_Present_

The next morning he had come. Her world seemed to brighten when that happened.

He gathered her into his arms and squeezed her so tightly that she had to nearly gasp for air. Overexcited, he was. Proud to have done such a thing for his friend. She too wrapped her arms around Naruto and held him close when he told her what he had pulled. She would be out of the cell, chakra sealed and privileges gone. But at least she'd be out of this hell. At least she'd be out of this cage. Never mind the wall surrounded the village.

He had managed to get set as her guardian, with of course, a probation officer at hand for when it was needed. But she laughed with him, saying it wouldn't be needed. After some paperwork was signed and the details ironed out, it was well past midnight and already another day. Young and just begun, it offered a chance for new opportunities.

He opened his apartment door to her and she had to steady herself on the door frame as a wave of memories and nostalgia raked through her.

"Come on," he whispered to her as he guided her, arm over her shoulder. "You've have a rough day."

She followed him as he lead her into a bedroom, the only one. His.

"Naruto," she started, turning to him. Her stomach felt sick, remembering all the wonderful moments she had shared with him and all the disgusting ways she had messed it up. Her mind quickly jumped. She recalled another man, arms never around her, but he laid in the same bed as her. Backs turned to each other yet she was always completely comfortable. It was odd how a cold man like an Uchiha could unintentionally spread so much warmth. "I can't--"

"Yeah, I know," he said with a nod. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"No," she started to protest before he pushed past her. She turned and followed him with her eyes as he opened some drawers and pulled out t-shirts and shorts. Grabbing some, he held them out towards her and she took a step closer to grab them. "You've done so much."

He stepped closer to. She looked up and smiled as he flicked away a strand of her hair from her face awkwardly before shrugging his shoulders and smiling. "It's nothing."

But it was. Nodding, she cuddled the clothing close to herself, taking a deep breath as she took in his familiar scent. "I feel awful," she added.

He let his fingers fall from her hair and down to her cheek where he rubbed it with his thumb absently. Smiling, he said, "You should."

She grinned at how real and truthful his response was.

When she had finished changing and crawled into clean white sheets, she started to pray. At first she didn't know whom she would pray to or if anyone would even listen. She settled on praying to every god, thinking that one of them must exist and perhaps one might take a moment to hear her out. She found it hard to feel comfortable under such immense scrutiny.

As she closed her eyes and drifted to a heavy sleep, Uchiha Itachi had just woken up to stomach pains. His face remained emotionless as he coughed silently, clutching his side. When it had passed, he then laid back down and glared up at the gods that he knew couldn't have existed. He cursed his father that was probably watching this, his mother that for some god damn reason must still feel heartbroken about her baby boy. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep under the eyes of no one important.

Naruto couldn't sleep. He could only stare at the wall that separated him from Sakura, the one thing that was keeping him sane at the moment. Though it was only a foot or so of wood and plaster, he couldn't have felt farther.

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* * *

A/N: Yay, we're getting deeper into the story and I hope you all like. Uhm, lots of words and jumping all over the place. Please review if you have the time, thank you! :)


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