Naruto 1. Chapter 1

Waking up at the break of dawn, I roll out of bed ready to face the day. The glowing sunlight pours into my room through the smallest crack in the curtains. Fixing myself up I grab my bag, a granola bar, and head for the door.

I'm dispatched in two hours, and I have an eternity of goodbyes waiting for me.

xXx

Ever since I was little I was always so fascinated in the art of fighting. The battle itself a thrill, the suspension building up, the way the gun fit perfectly in my hands, the click of the trigger.

To some people music is a symphony; art is an explosion, a getaway. My passion is fighting.

People always tell me that I'm never going to get anywhere fighting. But, hey I'm going somewhere.

I'm going to war.

Walking through the dim morning streets, I begin to wonder as to what awaits me in a few hours. I'll be catching the 6:15 bus to our first base, that's where I'll meet my commander, and my teammates. I'll start harsh training until they feel I am prepared to step foot onto the battlefield.

The first chirp of the morning is heard, and my mind snaps back into reality. I'm already at the station. Positioning my large bag so that the strap rests comfortably around my neck, I push open the door and see two people waiting for me.

xXx

"Naruto!"

The girl gets up, almost trips over her own feet, and stumbles against my chest. I catch her and laugh at her clumsiness. She giggles and her warm breath tingles on my neck.

"Hold your horses, Sakura." I say, as she pushes off of my chest and eyes me.

"Sorry, sorry." She says, ironing her skirt with her hands.

"It's no biggie."

Honestly, only Sakura would find it appropriate to wear a skirt at 6 in the morning.

I take her hand and we proceed back to where Kiba is waiting for us.

"Hey, it's soulja boy." Kiba says, patting my back and I chuckle at my nickname.

"That was a good one."

"I know." He puffs out his chest. Sakura rolls her eyes at his behavior and grabs my hand.

6:12 am.

We have three minutes before my train arrives.

Sakura looks me into the eyes, they scream for me to stay, to hold her forever and as much I want to I know that I can only hold her here for a few more minutes.

I pull her against my chest, her arms wrap around my back, and I rest my chin on the top of her head.

I see Kiba and he pretends to gag. I roll my eyes as I see him laugh at his own joke.

What a noob.

"I'm going to miss you." Sakura says, her voice cracking.

"Me too, me too." I whisper into her hair. The soft scent of vanilla fills my nostrils and I melt.

The thought of leaving her rips through me and tears me apart.

We stand there, in each other's arms, until the train arrives. The slow skid as it stops makes me cringe and I feel Sakura only hold onto me tighter.

I look up and see Kiba give me a sad smile.

I hold up one finger, telling him to give me a minute with Sakura. He leaves to stand by the train waiting for me, with a nod of understanding.

"Sakura, I have to go." I say, pulling her away, but her grip on me is too strong and she clings to my body.

"Don't." She says, and looks up into my blue orbs.

My heart shatters into a million pieces. Soft tears run down her pink cheeks, and her makeup is slightly starting to run. I wipe her tears with my thumbs; gently making sure that the makeup doesn't smudge too bad.

"I have to, but I promise it won't be for too long." I say, both of us knowing it's a lie.

"Write to me whenever you get the chance?" She says, pulling away slightly and resting her hand on my cheek.

"Promise." I say, leaning into her delicate hand. The touch immediately sending jolts of electricity through my numb body.

"Be careful out there, and come back in one piece, don't forget to get a lot of sleep, and write to me, and your friends, and-"

I cut her off, kissing her lips gently, before she rambles on and on.

She kisses back, and I slowly pull away before we get ahead of ourselves.

Looking into her emerald orbs I mutter a sentence I have to get out.

"Sakura…"

"I promise, I'll stay faithful." She says, pecking me on the lips.

"Me too, always."

I lean in to kiss her one more time, this time so passionately she practically melts against me.

The bell rings and I break away.

Kiba rushes over, grabs me by the arm and lugs me towards the train.

"Sorry to break the moment, but you're going to miss your train if you don't get your butt on it now."

Chuckling I give Kiba a small hug, he tells me to stay safe. Nodding I step onto the train.

Before the doors shut I look back and give the two most important people in my life a huge thumbs up and an ear-to-ear smile.

"I'll be back before you know it, dattebayo!"

The doors shut behind me, I take a seat already feeling like a hero.

If only it was that easy.

xXx

**AN: **Hey there everyone! Yes, I am back with yet another story! :D Since "Daddy?" and "Perfect Match" will be coming to a close soon, I decided to start up a new story. I just got this idea today actually and decided to write it down to see how it goes! I have a pretty good idea with it so far, but I don't want to give anything away. Hopefully this small introductory chapter captures some of your's attention and you continue with me on this story's journey! 

Until next chapter, toodles~


	2. Chapter 2

Finally, the train comes to a stop. Groaning as I stand up to retrieve my things, the pain in my lower back throbs sending sharp pains. Each movement is agonizing, but I ignore my tired back and decide to suck it up.

I can't whine about a sore back when I'm going to war.

Well, war prep training I guess you could call it.

Shuffling out of the train I am greeted with the sight of a grassy field, many camp sights, a few buildings, men shooting guns, training, and fighting. Walking past them to our sleeping quarters, I notice their brows are filled with sweat, bloody lips, and torn clothes.

I hear someone yell and snap to see where the voice came from.

"New troops! Head to your living quarters, find a bed, lay your stuff down, and come down to the mess hall for dinner. 4 am, bright and early tomorrow morning, I expect all of you to be out on the fields. Your death begins." The commander exclaims, his voice deadly and dark.

I shiver looking into his teal eyes.

This guy looks mortifying. His pale skin looks deadly along his blood red hair, and his raccoon eyes give him a monotonous look. He could pass as a zombie if his skin was a small hint of green. And the guys looks…sixteen? Please tell me this is some kind of joke.

My eyes look away, not able to stare at him much longer.

"You!" He says, his voice dark and threatening. His finger points down, and of course out of all the fifty men in the crowd his finger lands on who you ask?

Me.

Straightening up immediately like a statue, I give him my full attention.

"Yes sir!" I exclaim, my voice coming out raspy and awkward against the autumn air.

"Pay attention, you'll be dead meat on the battlefield if you act like that." His voice is cold, quiet, but cold. "Pathetic." He adds quietly, more to himself but my sensitive hearing picks up on it.

A shiver runs down my spine and I already feel like I don't belong here.

But, I'll prove this commander wrong, heck yeah I will.

Just, maybe not right away.

xXx

Going to bed that night, I lay there and stare at the ceiling.

4 in the morning does not seem appealing at all. Sighing, I roll over and stare out the window.

I wonder what Sakura is doing?

I imagine her sleeping, her hair slightly covering her pale face, her body lifting slightly with every soothing breath she takes, and her clothes crumpled from rolling around on the bed.

A smile spreads across my lips. She's too darn cute.

Too bad 4 am can't be as cute.

xXx

"UP AND ATAM TROOPS. TIME FOR YOUR FIRST TRAINING OF THE DAY." The redhead from yesterday blares through the living quarters.

Groaning, I roll out of bed and notice everyone standing up straight, their arms at their sides and their head held high.

I stumble into my position, trying not to pass out from the sudden movement, and watch as the redhead glares daggers at me.

"To the mess hall for breakfast, your training begins at 4:30 sharp." He scans the room, his eyes looking into everyone's soul. I gulp when his eyes land on mine. Teal meets azure blue, and I feel like I'll melt into a puddle of mush.

I glare back at him, my face trying to stay stern and he raises his eyelids in amusement. (He has no eyebrows, which kind of freaks me out, but I'll just ignore it).

"Don't be late." He finishes, and turns around on his heel.

I sigh, and follow making sure not to screw up anymore.

This is going to be one heck of a day.

xXx

The muddy dirt squirts onto my torn up face, and I squint mowing through the obstacle course. Ducking and sliding into more dirty muddy water I feel it sink onto my soaked skin. Panting hard, and feeling the irritating pain in my throat, I jump onto the rock wall and push myself up with all of my strength.

The rain pours down and my hand slips. I fall back onto my bottom, gritting my teeth and the ripping pain on my tailbone, and stagger up. I see the other's looking at me with amusement.

Jumping up with more motivation than ever, I pull myself up and over the wall in one swift movement. Looking back at my fellow "comrade" I give them a smile.

HA! Take that!

I finish the course, and I'm actually not last.

I'm second to last.

I give myself a pat on the back before lining up with the rest of the troops.

The commander comes up to us, his footsteps squishing the mud as he walks.

"That was awful." He spits out, his voice cold. It sends a shiver down my back, but I keep an emotionless look.

"By the end of this week, you will improve, whether you like it or not. I don't care if your arm is broken, if you can't see, if you are on the verge of death, you will finish this course within record time. And by the end of the week I will assign you to your proper station on the battlefield. You better be prepared, otherwise your as good as dead." His voice is stern, his eyes cold and his hair drooping over his wet face.

Record time? What even is record time?

This seems like way too much work.

My body shivers as the cold rain continues to freeze my skin. If we stay out here any longer I'm going to be sick the next morning.

But, I can't complain because I'm doing something I've been dreaming of doing.

I'm going to war.

xXx

The next five days are a living nightmare, and my whole entire body is sore. Every muscle aches as I run through the course yet again. It's starting to become much easier and my body is used to the usual jumps and slides I have to take. It's like it knows where to automatically climb and such.

These past few days I've met some pretty cool people. Everyone has their own story for coming into the army, for joining to protect their country. One guy came because his whole entire family is really into the army type of stuff, and his father is already out on the frontlines.

Some other guy mentioned that he joined cause he dropped out of high school and had nowhere else to go. Another guy came for the thrill of the kill, to be honest after that day we all kind of stayed away from him. There's some crazy aura about him, and I think he's not really sure who his friends and foes are. Staying away is a good option, for now and forever.

And then the question came around to me.

"Why did you join Uzumaki?" They asked me over dinner the other night. Leaning over the table and biting their food silently all eyes were on me. All fifty of them.

My body froze at the question. Sure, it was just a simple answer, but it was just so hard to get out.

I couldn't get myself to answer, because the memories were too painful.

I never really talked about it, and I definitely did not want to share my dark memories with some strangers.

So, I lied and said I needed money and this job paid well and was easy to attain.

Some of the older men laughed a hardy laugh and patted me on the back saying I was doing an honorable thing. But, then again I feel like they were drunk so they were probably just saying that.

And that's how the past few days have been going. Rising bright and early at 4, breakfast, getting pestered at by raccoon eyes (the redhead commander), training, and then back in bed at 9 pm.

But, today is different.

My feet splash into the mud as I finish the course. The sweat on my brow beams in the sunlight, the mud sticking and sliding down my face, and my clothes are torn and completely destroyed.

But, the smile plastered on my face is the only thing anyone can focus on.

I look over to the commander, and he has an amused look on his face.

I'm the first one to finish, and under record time.

"Uzumaki." The commander begins, as he takes careful steps towards me. I straighten up, throwing my hands to my side, keeping my head in perfect alignment, and my breathing becomes small and staggered. My smile turns into a straight line.

"Yes sir!" I call out.

He inspects me, his face coming very close to mine as he lifts his nonexistent eyebrows. Backing away he lets out a breath…of relief?

"Go get cleaned up, you're being dispatched to the battlefield tomorrow morning."

I don't want to believe it myself, but I swear there was the smallest hint of a smile on his stern stricken face.

What's even better…

Tomorrow morning I'll finally be able to see some action.

xXx

Sitting down that night on my bed, I take out a sheet of paper and begin to scribble a letter to Sakura. I miss her so much, and I haven't kept my mind off of her since we came. It's like everything reminds me of her.

I miss her simple voice, her cheery smile you know the one that spreads across her face and seems to be screaming with joy, and the way her touch sends thousands of jolts throughout my body.

Gosh, I just miss her so much.

I set the paper against the wall and begin to scribble out a letter, pouring all of my emotions into it.

_Dear Sakura,_

_I miss you so much, it hurts. _

_But, I want to tell you that training has been going really well. I actually finished first and under record time in the course today. (See I'm not as bad as you thought!) The commander is a pretty scary guy…I don't even know his name, but he's got the darkest red hair and the palest skin._

_If you ever see him I advise running because get this…no eyebrows. *__Everyone gasps__*_

_I'm getting dispatched to the battlefield tomorrow. I'm so pumped, I've been waiting for so long to do this. I'll finally be able to fulfill my dream! But, I'm kind of nervous, to be completely honest. I wonder who I'll meet, if I'll be able to come face to face with the enemy…it's a lot to think about._

_Ahh, I'm just rambling now, sorry Sakura. _

_But, how are you doing? How's everything back home? I really miss you, hopefully I can see you soon._

_I love you._

_Naruto._

I drop my pencil and look at the letter.

Satisfied, I fold it and put it into an envelope.

Drifting into sleep, I wonder when Sakura will write back.

xXx

**AN: **Hello! So this chapter just focused around Naruto's days at the training camp. So this whole story isn't going to be Naruto at war. The majority of it will start unfolding after war. So, there will be time skips until I get to where I want to be. But, don't worry I'll write the time skips and try to make it clear. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter!

PS - I know NOTHING about war. No one I ever knew went to war and I have absolutely NO idea what it's like. I only know from school and from one guy who came in and talked about it in my school. That's it. So if I get any details wrong let me know! (btw the training camp idea came from that lizzy mcquire movie XD)

Until next chapter, toodles~


	3. Chapter 3

The snowy clouds thicken as I make my way through the large crowds of people.

Did I ever tell you New York City is beyond crowded?

It's been a whole month since Naruto left, and I miss him like crazy. Every night I'll just sit in my bed, all snug and warm with my super fuzzy socks, scrolling through my photo album on my phone and laughing, crying, and just acting like a hot mess. I miss him so freaking much.

He's wrote me a couple letters, but every time I pick up the pen to write back all the words in my mind escape me and I just end up getting the letter wet with my salty tears.

I'm so lovesick, it's keeping me from living my life normally.

So today, is the first day in a while that I actually go out before work and treat myself to some brewed coffee.

A little boy runs into my leg destroying my depressing train of thought, causing me to stumble and fall onto someone. I land right in their arms, as they grip my petite body. I look up, kind of frazzled.

What I didn't expect was that my mysterious hero is so, _so handsome._

"I-I'm so sorry, oh my gosh." I apologize, slowly getting off of him. His mysterious dark orbs are alluring and I can't get my eyes off of them.

"It's alright." He responds shrugging.

Both of us don't move, we just stare at each other.

I clear my throat after what seems like forever.

"Well, I'm off to get a coffee at a small shop, you want to join me?" I ask awkwardly, twirling a loose strand of my lushes pink hair.

Wait, what am I doing? I don't even know this guy; he could be a serial killer for all I know! I mentally slap myself.

"Sure. I don't have anything better to do." He responds, shoving his hands in his coat pockets.

I twirl around on my heel and begin my walk to the coffee shop with the man trailing behind me.

"What's your name?" I ask, entering the little coffee shop. The door jingles as we step in. Immediately, the warmth of the place thaws my frosty cheeks and my fingers aren't frozen in a fist.

"Sasuke Uchiha. And you?" He states plainly, like the conversation is boring him.

"Sakura Haruno." I state simply, walking up to the counter and eyeing the menu of extravagant drinks.

So many coffee flavors so little time! I sway back and forth on my feet and put a finger to my chin. The lady at the cashier sighs, knowing that I'm going to be here a while.

"One black coffee, no cream and a teaspoon of sugar." A voice behind me says. I feel an arm on my shoulder as Sasuke pushes me back to pay for his order.

"Black coffee? That's so boring." I say staring at his back, and still trying to decide on a drink.

"I guess I'm a boring guy."

"Wouldn't doubt it."

He turns his head to the side to give me a smirk. A shiver runs down my spine, and my face flushes.

"What are you staring at?!" I ask flustered shoving him to the side and finally placing an order on a hot vanilla bean latte.

He chuckles lightly to himself and grabs his coffee.

"You, duh." He states like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Which it actually is, but still.

I roll my eyes and tap my foot impatiently waiting for my order.

"So, where do you work?" I ask the raven-haired boy who's taking small sips of his coffee.

"I'm a policeman, the son of the chief actually, but I got the week off. Guess my last case went pretty well. How about you?"

I mentally slap myself for the second time today.

Of course he's a policeman. It should have clicked the second he said his name. Uchiha's are known for being great policemen, I mean his dad and basically all of his relatives run the police station in town.

Grabbing my drink as the woman calls my name, I turn back to him.

"I'm a nurse, I work at the hospital. Speaking of work, I'm actually going to be running late."

"Right, right. Well, thanks for introducing me to this coffee shop."

"Sure." I shrug and walk past him.

"Wait, Sakura."

I stop in my tracks and turn around to find a small blush plastered on his cheeks.

Stop being so cute Uchiha, I have a boyfriend…please stop blushing oh my gosh. I can't help but feel a small blush creep its way onto my cheeks.

Wait, Sakura stop blushing!

But, he seems so cute I can't help it. Holding his little coffee, his scarf wrapped snuggly around his neck, the way the melted snow makes his hair wet causing it to stick to his face. And speaking of his face, his jawline is so prominent, but gosh those eyes.

Those mysterious, dark alluring eyes.

"Will I see you again?"

Say no. Say no. Say no.

"Sure."

And I walk out of the coffee shop making sure not to stare at him any longer.

But, what's this warm feeling inside of my chest?

Hopefully it leaves; it's making me sick.

xXx

My hands are shaking, my mouth bloody, and my body numb. My eyes are open, but I don't see anything. Pools of black litter my foggy vision, and I feel the blood spill from my mouth.

My ears are buzzing, and the utter silence is beginning to scare me.

Is this what it feels like to die?

My eyes fling open and I feel a breath of air fill my lungs. Panting, and wiping the fresh sweat from my forehead, I look around and realize that I'm still in my bed. In the tent we set up yesterday, possibly on enemy grounds.

The crickets sing in the night filling in as my only company as I step out of the tent into the chilling night air.

I need to just catch my breath and relax.

These past few days have been stressful. Firstly, it's been a month since I've left the busy streets of New York and joined this life.

A week ago, a few men and I, have been dispatched to destroy an enemy base, but I never imagined it to be this hard. I almost got killed twice because of my reckless actions, and get this.

That no eyebrow commander decided to join our squad of men. And he's just the worst.

I always feel like I'm getting judged every time he looks at me. Not to mention that I feel self-conscience because I haven't showered in days, and I've been wearing the same muddy clothes for the past week.

But, the worst thing about all of this is that I've been sending Sakura letters every week, and she hasn't responded to any of them. I've been starting to wonder that maybe something happened to her and I'm beginning to worry.

"Uzumaki, what are you doing out here?" A chilling voice asks.

I jump out of my skin and look around behind me to find the commander wearing an annoyed expression.

I sigh, knowing that a scolding will be coming my way soon.

"Getting some fresh air." I respond, turning back around and staring at the night sky.

"It's dangerous out here, you're practically asking for an invitation to your own grave." He says, sitting down next to me and picking up a stick, which he fiddles with.

"I know." I whisper.

We don't say anything in the comfortable silence.

"Commander, did you leave someone back at home?" The question slips from my mouth, before I even notice how personal it is.

Oh my gosh, why did I just ask the commander such a question? He'll want my head on a silver platter for asking such a personal question.

I expect some kind of cold glare, and then some beating, but instead he just replies with a simple answer.

"No."

Shocked, I press on further trying my luck.

"What do you mean?"

He drops the stick he's playing with.

"I have no family. When I was young, my father brought me to the military base dropping me off and never coming back. I was raised by a ton of harsh officials, my whole life I only grew up knowing that I had to kill the enemy, defend the team, and die defending my country." He pauses, looking at the sky.

"I never knew what a family was, heck I still don't." He whispers, and I swear his voice is cracking.

I stare at him, wide eyed unable to say anything.

Well, what do you say in a situation like this anyways?

Before I can even try to console him, he grabs at my shirt pulling me up sharply.

"You speak a word of what I just said to anyone, I'll have your head on a silver platter. Got it?" He spits in my face and I nod my head fear stricken.

Shoving me back, he heads for the tent barking out that I should get some sleep.

Wait, how did he know I was out here in the first place?

xXx

**AN: **Hello! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. WARNING: before you freak out that I've added a SasuSaku scene, keep in mind that this is strictly a NaruSaku fanfiction, but obviously it wouldn't be any good without some drama eh?

Anywho, poor Gaara, forced into this life! :-(

Please leave review, they help me out a lot! :D

Until next chapter, toodles~


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto…

His name crosses my mind, and suddenly all of my previous thoughts are pushed away and he's all I can focus on.

It's been two months now, and each passing day I miss him more and more. But, I can't help but feel so, so lonely. He was the only one who I could approach easily, the sonly one who ever listened to my worries, my fears, and my stupid stories.

Without him, all of my emotions have been bottled up inside, and I can't keep a smile on my face without feeling like crying.

I want to share my smiles with him, I want to hold him and lay endless kisses on his tender lips.

And at the same time I want to yell at him. I want to make him feel the way he's made me felt. So empty, so alone. It's like there's a hole in my heart, because he was my world and then he packed up his bags and left.

I know it's what he wanted; I know it's been his dream…but what if I never see him again?

My heart jerks and I feel fresh tears fill my emerald eyes. I grab at my aching heart and quicken my steps.

Don't think like that Sakura, he'll be fine, everything will be fine…right?

The chilling night air leaves a sense of danger and apprehension that sweeps through the streets of New York City, making my feet move at a quicker pace than usual. My heels click and clack against the graveled sidewalk.

I make sure to keep my head up high; confidence usually makes people seem intimidating, in control. At least that's what my mother told me.

But, tonight a small chin up isn't going to solve my problems.

Oomph-

A rough callused hand reaches out and grabs my lips, sealing them from the endless wails that are erupting, jumbling up against his hand and not daring to meet the chilled air.

"Aren't you a pretty little thing." He mumbles drunkenly against my paled neck. His breath is warm, thick with alcohol.

My breathing rapidly increases as panic washes over me. There is no way I can get out of this.

And the thought makes me fear stricken.

He whips me around like a ragdoll, pinning my delicate frame against the rough brick wall. His hands feel like weights against my shoulders, and I can feel my skin tearing against the jagged wall. A ripple of distraught and fear sends wails and screams into the night.

He licks his chapped lips, the look of hunger and insanity burning in his eyes. It's a look I've never experienced first hand, a look that I only imagined could be displayed in movies.

He dives in, daring to initiate his scarred lips onto mine, but a loud crack to his lower jaw stops him from pursuing such vanities.

A scream of surprise and relief escapes my lips.

"Get your hands off of her you dirty scum." A cold voice growls.

I look over and notice a man with midnight black hair staring at the man with such disgust that it could melt the man into a puddle of shame.

"Sasuke…" I say, breathing out in complete and utter shock. How did he find me?

The drunken man screams out, cursing and stomping over to Sasuke who is as still as a statue.

Before the man can take a swing at him, he holds up his police badge freezing the man in his tracks.

Police sirens wail in the night.

xXx

My body is shoved into the back of a moving vehicle. The chains around my ankles and wrists restrict any movement, and dig into my warm flesh causing pools of blood to stain my muddy uniform.

I clench my teeth at the pain, and listen to the loud metal doors of the truck slam shut.

Darkness encloses the small space. No source of light, no flicker of hope.

We're in a deep hole, one we may never be able to climb out of.

_A few hours earlier._

"Quiet." Gaara whispers sharply, and the four of us stop dead in our tracks crouching behind some bushes.

Rustling is heard and we all shoot our gazes to the source. A bunny hops out and I let out a breath of annoyance.

"That's the fourth one today." I mumble and Gaara shoots me a deadly stare.

I shut up.

We've been trailing down the enemy's base all day, and still no open trail has been found.

And carrying this rifle around for hours among hours in the sweltering sun isn't really my idea of fun.

And then, a few hours later the_ incident_ happened. It was a blur of events, all tumbling down on each other like a domino.

A domino, which dropped until the last one fell and our fates were forever intertwined in the hands of the enemy.

_10:00 pm. (20 minutes before capture)._

"Burn it. Burn it all." Gaara commands, his voice hushed.

I light a match, knowing that my hands will kill thousands of people. That I will be responsible for the murder of husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons.

One of my comrades pours a trail of oil leading into the enemy's base.

I stand there, holding the match, the little light of fire dancing in the wind. Maybe I should let Gaara drop it. Maybe I should,

But I don't.

It descends into the air and lands on the oil a far distance from us, and the forest erupts in flames.

Screaming, so much screaming.

"GET IN THERE. KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM." Gaara barks, and we disperse ready to become every child's worst nightmare.

Monsters, murders, the bad guys.

But, the thrill of the moment leaves adrenaline rushing through my veins and I can't help but feel excited.

It'll be a win on our part. Something we can bring home and brag about.

I point my gun and shoot at everything and everyone I see.

There are endless howls of agony and distress that fill the beautiful night, beautiful somewhere, but here it was just a nightmare.

And then, as our victory was reaching its peak, I was blinded by a fabric and pulled into a truck. My hands and ankles in shackles, my gun ripped from my hands, my pride shattered and stepped upon.

It was like all of our hard work was for nothing.

_Present Time_

The fresh scent of blood and defeat lingered in the back of the rusty truck. My body was squished up against my coughing and writhing comrade.

He was wounded for sure. The blood from his gash was leaking onto the floor, the stench making me want to vomit all over myself.

"Help me, please." He groaned, twitching and grabbing at his gash in hope to reduce the pain. I listen as Gaara sighs, resting his head against the walls of the truck.

And at that moment I felt completely helpless.

My eyes watched as his body squirmed and moaned from the excruciating pain.

I watched his slow and agonizing death.

And I hated myself for not doing anything,

Because it was the first time I gave up.

xXx

**AN: **I like the way this chapter came out! Hopefully you guys do to. Thanks for reading and please leave a review they help a lot. (-:


	5. Chapter 5

Sitting at my desk, I fold my letter into two halves and tuck it safely into the cute pink envelope. I seal it with a pink heart sticker and place it into my bag.

Tomorrow morning, before work, I will drop it off at the post office.

I lean back in my chair, letting myself sink into it and relax.

I wonder what Naruto is doing? It's been three months now, and I've heard nothing from him. But, then again, this is the first letter I'll be sending to him so I guess he thinks I'm ignoring him.

I sigh.

I'm such a crappy girlfriend.

Pushing myself off from the chair, I head over to my bed and collapse.

I curl up in my cozy blankets and fall asleep, with a certain someone on my mind.

_The next morning._

I am running, no, I'm _sprinting_ for my dear life trying to get to the post office before my shift starts.

I finally make it, completely out of breath, small beads of sweat resting on my forehead, and I'm pretty sure my hair is a winded mess.

I drop the cute little letter into the mail slot and turn around, getting ready to head to work now.

But, I bump into someone instead. I squeal not expecting someone to be so close to me.

"Woah, morning to you too, Sakura." He says, giving me a smirk.

I back up, to give us some space.

"Oh, hi Sasuke. I didn't know you were here." I fix my hair, trying to look a little presentable in front of the smirking Uchiha.

"Yeah, I'm actually taking my dog for a walk." He scoots over and I look down to see a big ol' german shepherd.

He looks intimidating, and I don't bother extending my hand to pet the animal like I usually would. It almost seems as if the dog has the same eyes as Sasuke, dark and mysterious.

"That's nice, but hey Sasuke I'll talk to you later I'm running late for work." I say, giving him a smile as I rush past him.

"Wait, Sakura!" He calls out before I can get too far.

I turn around and notice him holding out his phone.

"Why don't you give me your number? That way we can talk whenever, instead of just these instances where you bump into me." He smirks and I blush feeling flustered.

I shouldn't punch in my number into his phone, I would just be leading him on. But, he does seem friendly, and I have really nobody to talk to now…so I don't see the harm.

I take his phone, punch in my number and then hand it back to him.

"I have to run now, bye Sasuke!" I shout out, rushing towards the nearest subway.

I can't help but feel my heart flutter in my chest.

Why am I getting this feeling…only Naruto can make me feel this way…

Oh no.

The words ring in my ears,

_I'll stay faithful, I promise._

Crap.

xXx

I pick up the pick axe, and hit yet another rocky wall. My whole entire body is fatigued and I feel my breathing turn rough and painful.

It's been a month that our team has been forced to work in the coalmines of the enemy. I haven't eaten for three days, my body feels weak under the low air pressure of the mine.

"KEEP WORKING." One of the commander's of the enemy base screams into my ears. His loud voice makes me feel faint, but I clutch the pick axe harder and jam it into the rocky wall.

"You!" One of the other commander's screams at one of our team's members. He's leaning against the wall, panting and clutching his head.

"Back to work!" The enemy barks, and my teammate just nods his tired head.

He looks like a dead corpse, ready to die at any given moment.

I continue working, ignoring the constant ringing in my ears.

xXx

"We can't do this anymore." Gaara grunts, and sits down in our "living" quarters. Which is actually just a room, with dirt floors, no bathroom, and no beds.

I nod my head in agreement and slump against the wall. My whole body is weak, but I listen as Gaara rants.

"This is ridiculous. Look at all of us!" He points to the three of us, who are sprawled out on the floor, panting and trying to keep our tired eyes open.

He spits and folds his arms over his chest.

"We're all going to die here if we don't do something." He mumbles and leans against the wall.

I look up at Gaara, and wonder just how the heck he's able to stay standing after such agonizing hours of work. He doesn't even look tired.

His eyebrows are knitted, as he engages in a deep train of thought.

I avert my eyes from him and stare at the dirt I'm laying on.

If I die here, I'll never be able to see Sakura. I'll never be able to hold her again, to kiss her, to be there for her.

I can't die.

_Sakura…_

My mind drifts to her and suddenly the want to live, to strive, to succeed and get the heck out of this place, pumps through my veins.

xXx

I hit the rock wall, with force trying to block out the moans and groans from one of our teammates.

Ever since last week, he's gotten severely sick. He's been feverish, mumbles in his sleep, vomits every few hours, and can't seem to walk straight anymore.

Everytime I look at him I feel so useless because all I can do is watch and hope that we can get out of here to tend to his sickness.

"What do you think your doing?!" The enemy barks, coming closer to our poor teammate who is leaning against the rock wall, panting and swaying from side to side.

"Get back to work you piece of trash!" The man spits in his face, and whips his back.

His scream echoes through the mine. I flinch, but continue working hoping not to get yelled at myself.

I hear another one of the guards comes over. He glares at our comrade then mutters something to the other one. The other man's eyes widen with shock, as the man pulls out a gun and shoots him right in the skull.

My eyes widen in horror at the scene.

Blood, so much blood.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL GET FOR DOING SUCH POOR WORK HERE! WHO'S NEXT?!" The man screams, hysterically laughing and licking his lips.

I feel my legs turn weak. Bile rises in my throat and I drop the pick axe. It falls from my hand and lands on the rocky ground with a thump.

"That's it!" Gaara shouts fuming with anger, and his voice echoes in the mine.

He runs up to the man, a rock in his hand, and clashes it against his skull. The man doesn't even have time to think. He is dead in seconds. He drops to the ground, his eyes rolling into his head and blood oozing from the crack that is left after Gaara's smash.

My blood turns cold, but I keep an emotionless face knowing that this was bound to happen some day.

"Don't just stand there Uzumaki!" Gaara shouts, pointing behind me as another guard is pointing a gun at my head.

I duck, grab his arm, and swing him over my body. He falls with a thud, and before I can even think about what I'm doing, I rip the gun out of his hand and shoot him in the abdomen. He screams bloody murder and I avert my eyes.

"Give me that." Gaara commands, and I toss the gun into his hands. He grabs it, the gun fits perfectly in his hands as if it was designed for him, and he begins to shoot at every enemy in his way.

I run after him, hoping not to lose him.

The sound of agonizing cries, the stench of death, the thirst for victory, is all contained in the mines that we are now racing out of.

We reach the exit and I scramble to climb out of the mine.

The enemy is already waiting for us as we climb into the daylight. The sun hurts my eyes, and I squint to notice that we are completely surrounded.

My heart sinks.

"Gaara, what do we do now?" I whisper.

"Run."

And before I can process what he'd just said he bolts and I have really no choice but to follow him.

There are gun shots from every corner, and it's a surprise that none of us have gotten shot yet.

The adrenaline that's pulsing through my veins is really the only thing keeping me going.

And the sweet laugh of someone precious to me, that rings in my ears.

xXx

_2 months after Naruto's Escape_

I tip my head back letting the sweet laughter escape my lips. I haven't laughed like this in months, and it feels so good to have this bubbly feeling inside of me.

"Come on Sakura, it's not funny!" The frustrated Uchiha pouts, wiping the spilt coffee off of his pants. "It burns!"

"Okay, okay calm down I'll go grab some napkins." I say, trying to contain my laughter.

He shoots me an annoyed glare as I hop off the couch and proceed to the kitchen.

I grab a handful of napkins and then head up to my room where I find a big fluffy blanket. Grabbing that as well, I head back downstairs where the Uchiha is sulking, staring at the huge stain on his thighs.

"These were my best sweats." He states, clearly disappointed.

I toss the napkins, and blanket over him.

"Here, wipe yourself up and then cover yourself with this so I don't have to stare at that stain." I say, sitting down on the couch next to him and grabbing a handful of popcorn.

Once he's all finished and tidied up, he scoots over so that he's facing me and not the T.V.

"So, Sakura I always see you at the post office. What do you always do there?" He asks, popping some popcorn into his mouth.

I ponder on how to answer his question.

If I tell him about Naruto he may never want to hang out with me again because he knows I'm taken, and if I tell him it's just some sick relative then I'll lie and he'll think I'm single.

Rats, this is tricky.

"And why does that concern you, sir?" I tease and brush a loose strand of hair from my face.

"Because you could be writing to your boyfriend, and I don't want to get a smacking from him when he gets home to find out I've fallen for his girlfriend." He says simply.

F-Fallen for me?

I feel my cheeks turn red, and I grab a pillow and chuck it at him.

"Y-You can't just s-state that s-so simply!"

He grabs the pillow and chuckles.

"Why not? It's true."

And his voice is clear and confident.

Oh no, he really likes me. And the scary part,

I think I like him too.

And I know I shouldn't. Naruto is the love of my life, but now that he's gone I feel so empty, so alone. And he hasn't written back to that letter I sent…maybe he forgot about me?

I feel a lump in my throat and clear it before I begin crying in front of the Uchiha.

But, I don't think I love Sasuke the same way I love Naruto.

Naruto's love is pure, straight from the heart…and Sasuke is mysterious and kind of comes out of nowhere half of the time.

My love towards Naruto is the love I give to my partner, my soulmate and the love I have towards Sasuke is like a brotherly one.

And I don't want Sasuke to be a "replacement" for Naruto because that's just wrong.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, I just don't like you that way," His face falls but he continues to listen," I do like you, as friend. And I have a boyfriend…he's at war right now." I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

Sasuke's expression is unreadable, and a small smirk plays on his lips.

And that's when the doorknob jingles.

The Uchiha grabs my wrists.

The door opens slightly.

I'm pulled towards the Uchiha.

The door opens revealing a very shocked figure.

My lips meet Sasuke's.

My eyes widen and I don't push him off of me, instead I return the kiss, grabbing at the back of his hair.

Someone clears their throat.

I gasp pushing him off of me.

He stumbles back, basically falls off of my couch and I sit there panting and panicking.

"S-Sakura?" A voice asks pained.

I look up.

Azure eyes meet emerald.

"Naruto…"

xXx

_Naruto's POV_

Why was she just kissing this random stranger? Just what the heck is going on here?

"Who the heck are you?" The raven haired man asks, standing up and rubbing the back of his neck where he fell just moments ago.

But I can't answer him, because I'm staring at Sakura who looks completely shocked.

"Hey, answer me!" The man yells and before I can react Sakura gets up.

"Why?" She asks, her voice so weak and so fragile. "Why didn't you ever write back? Do you know how much I missed you!" She screams, fresh tears pouring down her cheeks and hitting the floor.

"Missed me? While your shoving your tongue down another man's throat? Quit with the lies Sakura." I snap, ignoring the look of pure heartbreak on her face.

The raven haired man stands there, completely confused and staring at Sakura and I.

"Oh, so you're the famous boyfriend." He buds in, stepping in between us and looking me up and down.

I stare at him, my eyes literally burning him alive, or so I wish.

"Sasuke, shut up will you? You've already ruined everything." She says, glaring at him and wiping her tears.

"Naruto, I can explain…" She begins, biting her lower lip as she looks into my eyes.

The woman I've loved for my whole entire life, has betrayed me and completely ripped my heart into thousands of pieces. Today, I was going to her place to surprise her, I was ready to have her in my arms and kiss her endlessly. But, now that just seems like a legit joke.

"Naruto, I was just explaining to him that we were just friends and that I had a boyfriend that was in war…you." She says, coming closer to me.

I back up and rub my temples.

This is too much, I just got home from the longest and most tiresome flight of my whole entire life, with memories of a war that burden my mind.

"I don't think I believe you Sakura. I'm sorry, maybe we should just move on and be friends." I finalize and decide that that's really the best thing to do given the current situation.

Her weak smile falters.

"Naruto, please…" She pleas, her lip quivering and her eyes watering.

"It's for the best Sakura." I say, glazing my eyes past her broken face and onto Sasuke who's standing there an unreadable expression on his face.

She mumbles inaudible words and I turn around.

I slam the door shut behind me and collapse on the ground.

How could she?

"DARN IT ALL!" I scream out and let the tears flood my vision.

She promised she'd be faithful.

_She promised._

xXx

**AN; DARN YOU SASUKE! HE RUINED EVERYTHING. **

**Anywho, this chapter is JAM packed! I hope you guys will enjoy it, and also don't kill me for the sasusaku. **

**Since some of you will probably want to beat me with rocks I'll let you know now that SASUSAKU IS NOT GOING TO BE CANON IN THIS FIC AND IT WILL INDEED BE NARUSAKU.**

**But, having a fic where naruto comes home from war and every thing is dilly dally is boring so I had to add some drama. And of course this means their relationship will end up strengthening and actually growing.**

**please review I'd really appreciate it! :D**

**until next chapter, toodles~**


	6. Chapter 6

_Sakura's POV_

The door to my apartment slams shut, as a certain blonde leaves me speechless.

"It's over." I mutter to myself and feel my knees go weak. Hot tears spill from my eyes and I throw my head into my hands.

Why am I such an idiot? Of course I shouldn't have erupted on him like that! He just got back from war…I should be making dinner for him now and we should be discussing difficult topics…oh no what have I done?

A gentle hand is placed on my shoulder, and makes soothing circles.

I freeze on the spot.

"Sakura, I'm sorry." Sasuke whispers into my ear, his cool breath tickling my neck.

"Get away from me." I snap, surprising myself when I realize my voice isn't quaky.

He comes in closer, enveloping his arms around my waist and resting his head on my shoulder.

"Okay." He whispers, not moving an inch but then again neither am I.

"Why would you do that? I told you I had a boyfriend, one that I loved, I-" My breath catches in my throat as cool lips touch mine.

My heart thumps loudly in my chest, and I try to move away but his firm grip on my back keeps me locked.

He pulls away and smirks.

"You don't love him, that's why you're not moving away and that's why you kissed back." He whispers harshly, grabbing my waist even tighter than before.

"Of course I-"

"Don't lie to me, Sakura. He _left_ you so that he could go to war. He chose war over you. You just can't admit it." He spits, and his voice sounds almost threatening.

I snap back to my sensse and push him off of me, and lash out at the infuriating Uchiha.

"Shut up!" I scream out, causing him to widen his eyes in shock. He stumbles back and a small crease of frustration appears along his forehead.

"I told you I had a boyfriend, and then you decided to kiss me! You ruined everything for me! I don't love you, I never want to see your face again!" I lash out, feeling my whole body shake beneath me.

He only chuckles, an odd and unappealing chuckle, before stepping closer and grabbing my wrists tightly.

"You don't love him." He whispers dangerously, and I notice a certain gleam in his eyes that I had not seen before.

"I don't love you." I say harshly, spitting the words out.

"Then why didn't you chase after him, darling?" He teases, his onyx eyes intense causing me to tremble.

"I need to think." I say, sounding more confident. His grip on my wrists only tightens causing me to flinch in pain.

"Let go of me." I demand, frightened as to why he's holding me so possessively.

"No, Sakura please you don't need him. You need me." He says crazily, crashing his lips onto mine. I fumble under his tight lock, and this time push him off of me so hard that he crashes back onto the couch.

"Get out!" I scream, grabbing a broom incase he tries to molest me, and sweep him out the door.

He curses under his breath and leaves, slamming the door shut.

Locking the door, I lean against it.

Is that what Sasuke Uchiha is?

Mad, crazy, possessive, unloving?

No wonder he's not in a relationship, he's crazy…so why did I fall for him…why did I leave my perfect boyfriend for him?

I'm an idiot.

xXx

_Naruto's POV_

My teary eyes shoot open.

I'm tangled in my orange bed sheets; my body is covered in salty sweat while I'm trying desperately to catch my breath. My soggy hair sticks to my face, and my heart is racing faster than it's ever raced before.

"It was just a dream…" I murmur trying to calm myself down. I grab the sheets in my bawled up fists trying to get out my fear and frustration.

A dream where I killed my own captain, by enemy orders of course.

The image of his pleading eyes, those cursed cold eyes, piercing into my soul. The scent of blood that attacks my nostrils filling my body with a feeling of guilt. The sound of his skull cracking as the bullet fits snuggly in his head.

I grab both sides of my head and shake the thoughts out of my mind.

"No, no, no it's just a dream." I shout out to no one in particular, trying to convince myself that I never did such a thing.

As if my body is under some kind of a traumatic spell, I fling up and knock over a vase. It shatters on the floor, leaving my hand to be cut.

The blood flows down my cut hand, making marks in the pristine carpet.

I killed so many people at war, and I thought it was _okay._

But, here in the real world, that's _not_ okay.

I deserve to die; I deserve the fate I brought upon so many families.

Where fathers can no longer come home to greet their children and wives, where brothers are left as a memory among their families, and sons gone from home forever.

I stumble into the living room, and stare at my uniform that is sprawled out on the couch.

This isn't the uniform of a hero.

It's the uniform of a _monster._

xXx

"Good Morning Uzumaki-san, it's nice to see as always!" A bright and cheery voice says as I enter my absolute favorite café in all of New York City.

Smiling warmly at the employee behind the cashier I lean my hands on the counter and stare at the menu of warm drinks.

"Nice to see you as well Ino. How have you been?" I ask, turning my attention away from the menu and onto her sparkling eyes.

"Well since your visit yesterday, the same I suppose." She shrugs, brushing away a loose strand of her golden hair.

"Just a hot black coffee for me." I say, tucking my hands into my large trench coat pockets and smiling lightly.

It's been over a month now that I've been back, and I've seen little of a certain pinkette that I've been trying to get out of my mind. I managed to get a hold of my aunt whom lives in the city as well and she's been helping me pay my rent…but by the looks of things I'll need to get a job…and soon.

"Coming right up!" Ino chirps, swirling around on her heel and rushing to get my coffee started.

Sighing, I step away from the counter, and wait patiently for my order.

What job to do? I couldn't last a second in a cramped office, and working at the grocery store isn't really going to get me much to support myself.

I want to do something that requires me to move, to be around other people, to _help._ Ever since I got back, I've come to terms with the fact that I'm a danger to society; I was brought up by my stern commanders to kill an enemy on sight.

And ever since the day I got back, when I witnessed the only one who I held precious to my heart, betraying me in ways I would have never imagined possible, I shut out everything and everyone. I've seen her name come up as my phone buzzed endlessly, but I've decided to tuck away her memory and forget the pain that it caused me.

I've changed, in ways that others will never understand.

"One hot black coffee!" Ino says, placing the cup on the counter.

Shake my head from my lingering thoughts, I thank her and grab the cup.

Bidding her a goodbye, I step out of the café and make my way through the busy city.

The warmth of the coffee cup thaws my icy fingers, and it tickles my numb lips.

I'm about to go in for another sip, when I'm pulled into an alley and a hand is clamped over my mouth.

The coffee cup falls, splashing on the icy sidewalk.

Gritting my teeth, I'm about to full out attack this guy army style when a voice that I didn't think I'd ever hear again booms in my ear.

"Nice to see you doing well, _soldier."_

_xXx_

**AN: Wow, so sorry for not updating this story in what seems like forever...hehe...**

**Well, I hope you enjoy and sorry it's not so great...I'm not really feelings inspired with this story.**

**Until next chapter, toodles~**


	7. Chapter 7

_Naruto's POV_

"Nice to see you doing well, _soldier."_

Shivering under his voice, I spin around roughly so that my hands are pinned along the side of the stranger's face and I stare into icy teal eyes.

Blinking a few times as he shoots me his famous smirk, I take a deep breath and step back.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that commander." I say sternly and I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to get rid of the creeping headache that is about to explode inside of my head that is a result of the sudden adrenaline pumping through my body.

And then a fist comes in contact with my cheek, so quickly that I hadn't seen it coming and I fly back onto the rough brick wall of the ally.

My head slams against the brick, and I curse under my breath as the blaring headache ignites. I slump down against the wall, my legs loosing their strength.

"What the hell was that for?" I shout at, rubbing my cheek and glaring at my former commander.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while." Gaara replies coolly, extending his arm to help me up. I'm about to question him, but I realize he probably has a good reason.

Reluctantly, I grip it and he pulls me up.

"Why are you here?" I ask skeptically, staring the redhead in the eyes.

"I'm working." He replies, and steps back.

I immediately notice that he's wearing a police uniform. The badge glistens under the morning light.

"A police officer?" I ask, arching my brow at him.

He nods stiffly.

"Aa, it was a good way to keep myself in shape and help the people of this city. Being a commander in the army taught me a lot about keeping one's honor. And I figured that since I couldn't be in the military anymore, I could at least do something for the people."

I nod at him in some way of understanding.

"Why'd you leave?" I ask, and I immediately notice his jaw clench tightly.

"Injury." He replies, and he taps his leg with his hand. I stare down at his leg and wonder what kind of injury caused him to leave the battlefield.

"Then how can you be a police officer with an injury?" I ask, skeptical of his answer.

"You ask too many question." He replies, and I notice the edge in his voice.

Dropping the topic, I let out a breath and pinch the bridge of my nose.

"Great, now I have a headache thanks to you." I accuse him and he only smirks.

"You shouldn't let your guard down." He replies, turning on his heel and exiting the ally.

I watch him go with a stoic expression before shaking my head and walking out the opposite direction.

Shivering under the cool breeze I curse under my breath as a realization sets in.

My coffee's gone.

* * *

The small bell hanging above the door of a familiar coffee shop dings loudly upon my entry. The head of a bubbly blonde lifts upon hearing the sound, and she smiles brightly just like she does every morning.

"Right on time, as always, Naruto." Ino chirps from behind the counter.

I smile warmly at her and place my usual order.

Ever since my encounter with Gaara the other day, two thoughts have been lingering in my head.

Firstly, the fact that he left war by the means of a supposed injury but was still hired as an officer, and secondly the thought of me applying for a job down at the station.

If I'm down there, I can work along side Gaara and try to get the information about what really happened out of him, and it'll help me keep my mind off of…_her._

"Naruto?" Ino asks, staring at me with a confused expression while holding out the steaming cup of black coffee.

"Thank you." I reply, taking the cup from her and handing her the money. She arches an eyebrow at me before placing the money in the cash register.

"Something wrong?" She asks, and I shake my head.

She drops the subject and I move out of the way of the people behind me in line and take a seat at one of the tables.

Sipping on my coffee and lost in thought, I don't even realize the blonde seated next to me until she taps me on the shoulder. Out of pure instinct, I place my coffee down and within the next second I grab her wrist tightly and am about to engage in a battle.

And then I realize it's just Ino.

Her blue eyes widen in shock, and her mouth hangs open slightly.

I let go of a breath and relax my grip on her wrist before letting go completely.

"Sorry, you snuck up on me." I apologize, dropping my gaze and taking a sip of my coffee.

Ino blinks rapidly a few times before opening her mouth to speak,

"N-No it's fine, I mean I'm fine. You just looked...off today so I thought maybe you needed company. And that bruise on your cheek looks pretty bad." She explains bluntly, eyeing me closely.

"I'm fine." I reply. She shifts in her seat awkwardly.

I figure that she's just going to leave me, and decide to stop talking to her. But when her bubbly voice hits my ears after a long silence my eyes widen slightly in surprise.

"Where did you learn to do all of those cool moves? You know you kind of reminded me of some kind of superhero in disguise. You know where they act like this normal guy and then they go off and fight danger-"

"Ino, please." I stop her and finally a genuine laugh escapes my lips as I listen to her completely random rambling. It's been a long time since someone got me to laugh, and somehow this quirky little blonde employee just seemed to get it out of me.

It surprises me that I'm still even able to laugh without it being forced.

She smiles as well, satisfied that she got some kind of a laugh out of me.

"Sorry, sorry, but I hate seeing my costumers in a sour mood." She explains, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before eyeing me with a caring look in her eyes.

I give her a warm smile.

"Thank you, I needed that." I reply, and stand up from my seat.

I feel her eyes on me as I toss the styrofoam cup into the trash.

"You going to tell me how you got that bruise of yours?" She asks as I make my way back to where she's still sitting.

"Doesn't matter." I reply, hoping that she drops the topic.

Fortunately she does. I stand there, staring at her and wondering why she even took the time to talk to me today. We barely know each other, so why the sudden act of kindness?

"Well, I better get going." She says, standing up and ironing out her coffee colored apron.

Smiling up at me, she gives my arm a small squeeze.

"If something's bothering you, you can talk to me okay?" She says, and I nod slowly.

Bidding me goodbye, she rushes past me and I watch as she continues taking orders.

Stepping out of the coffee shop, I take a cab to the station downtown.

Time to get a job and find some answers.

* * *

Every muscle in my body is aching. My throat is so dry my voice is barely audible when I muster up the strength to speak.

It's only been a week, and I feel like digging my own grave.

"Is the rookie already feeling like giving up?" One of my bunkmates teases, slapping me playfully on the shoulder.

I give him a cold glare and he only rolls his eyes.

"I'm just teasing. War is exhausting and being so close to the front lines is tough, it's only natural for you to feel like your going to die." He says, smiling.

I grit my teeth.

"I don't _feel_ like dying." I spit, collapsing on the mattress set up in our tent.

"Yeah, yeah just go to sleep already." He says, stepping out of the tent with his rifle in his hands.

My eyes flutter shut and I'm out like a light.

"UP NOW!" A voice snaps me out of my dreams and I shoot up. I notice Gaara rushing out of my tent. Scrambling up, I grab my rifle and step out of the tent to the sound of guns being fired.

Immediately sinking low not to get spotted, I crouch behind a bush and watch the fighting unravel.

From observations, I put together what's going on.

The enemies from the camp we've been spying on have found our location and have ambushed us. They have more men, and seem to be taking advantage of our low numbers. I can't seem to spot Gaara, but it seems that as of right now my best opportunity of staying alive is retreating.

There are just too many of them for us to keep going into a hopeless battle.

I'm about to turn around and head for safety, when the pleas of a familiar voice hit my ears.

"Please, I have a sick brother waiting for me at home, I can't die...I-I promised him that I'd be home. Please." The man pleas, his voice shaking as the enemy comes closer.

I turn around and notice it's my bunkmate who was teasing me earlier.

The enemies face remains unchanged, his expression stoic, and he places the tip of the gun on my comrade's head.

I notice that my teammates leg is bleeding out, and it's keeping him from getting up.

The enemy's finger curls, and he's about to pull the trigger when on pure impulse I raise my gun.

_Bang!_

The man falls, clutching his bleeding leg. His gun falls on the ground and I waste no time running over to my comrade.

With wide eyes, he looks over at me. Immediately he spills out dozens of thank you's.

"Thank me when you're safe okay?" I say sternly, throwing his arm over my shoulder and raising him up so that he's on his feet. He nods.

I examine his wound from the corner of my eye and notice that it needs medical attention, and fast.

"Can you walk?"

"Y-Yeah." He says, limping as we both make an attempt to get out of the sight of the enemies.

We trudge as fast as we can, and I grab a shot gun from the ground, aiming it at anyone who dares approach us.

We make it out safely, as if by some miracle that none of us got killed, and I place him down so that he's resting against a tree.

"Let me go find commander." I say hastily.

"Thank you, Naruto." He says through a pained smile. I watch as he grunts softly at the displeasure of the pain surging through his injured leg, and notice that he's losing a lot of blood, and fast.

Whipping around to go find Gaara and some first aid kits, I am met by the sound of a shotgun being positioned…

Inches from my nose.

Startled by the object hovering mere inches from my face, I blink in surprise and stand there in shock.

"You think I wouldn't be able to find you?" The enemy says, chuckling darkly.

My blood freezes.

"I don't _let_ my enemies _live."_ The man says, the words like poison as they reach my ears.

Knowing that reasoning with this madman will get me nowhere, I waste no time and step to the side, grabbing his wrist and snapping it until a crack echoes through the air along with his screams of agony.

I reach into my pocket and grab a smoke bomb.

Throwing it down, the puff of smoke immediately escapes, and I rush back to my barely conscience comrade.

"Come on, we gotta move." I say, picking him up and throwing him over my shoulders. He doesn't protest, and hangs limply, almost lifeless, on my shoulders.

Stumbling a bit from the excessive weight on my body, I manage to run through the widely vegetated forest and not fall face first.

I run as fast as my feet can take me towards the sounds of where I can hear someone barking out orders.

"Where is Uzumaki?!" A voice screams, and I follow it to find myself staring at our commander.

I walk out of the clearing, ready to finally tend to my comrades wounds, when I notice my commander's eyes turn wide with shock. I stare at him confused, until I realize that he's tied up and the men accompanying him are no other than the enemies who raided our own camp.

I fell right into their trap.

"Get out of here!" Gaara barks, but it's too late because I feel something sharp land against my neck, and I fall limply onto the dirt ground.

Before my lids shut, I see my teammate, the one whom I've been carrying on my back, get a gun shoved into his chest and fresh blood erupts from the wounded area.

Then the world turns black.

* * *

"You want to become an officer?" A tough looking woman asks, crossing her arms over her chest as she leans back on the swivel chair.

I nod.

"Yes." I reply simply and she adjusts her glasses all the while glaring at me.

"What makes you think you got what it takes?" She asks.

I clear my throat.

"Well, I spent a large amount of time in the military and was dispatched for war. I have my experience in fighting, and have been put into situations where using logic has saved my butt."

"You're going to have to pass a few tests before we can hire you. For all I know you could be lying." She says, pushing a few forms into my hands.

"Fill these out, and I'll bring you to the head of our station. He'll handle things from there." She says, fixing her black-rimmed glasses.

I nod.

"Thank you…" I eye her nametag and smile. "Karin."

"Sure." She replies, sitting back down behind the desk and folding her arms over her chest.

Looking back down at the papers, I begin scribbling down information.

Halfway through my scribbling the redhead speaks up.

"So, why are you looking into being an officer? I figure that after leaving the army you'd want nothing to do with fighting?" She asks bluntly, and her finger is clicking rapidly as she types away on the computer.

"I wasn't planning on it, but being stuck in an office didn't really appeal to me, and the art of fighting has always interested me. At war I lost a lot of comrades, so now I'm going to make up for my mistakes." I reply, and I look up to notice her eyes widen, before nodding.

She doesn't say anything, not like I expected her to.

I place the pen down and hand the papers to her.

"All done."

She takes the papers, and places them in a file.

"Okay, ready to go see him?" She asks, standing up and ironing out her too short skirt.

I nod and follow her.

We stop about halfway down the hall and she motions me to a door that has the sign "Chief" written on it.

"Here it is, good luck." She says giving me a small smile before exiting the main hall and going back to the front desk.

I suck in a deep breath and turn the knob.

He looks up from his desk, and thick onyx eyes pierce into mine.

"Nice to see you again, Uzumaki."

Shoot.

* * *

**AN: **_Wow, okay so I got some inspiration from reading all of the reviews from yesterday...so thank you! This chapter was more lengthy, and I'm going to be focusing on Naruto a bit more than Sakura for a few chapters since he's the one going through the most and I want to put him in a good place before putting Sakura back into the story. And trust me it's going to be NaruSaku in the end, so yeah don't forget that! ;)_

_I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'm sure all of you can guess who's the head of the police force. Please leave a review!_

_Until next chapter, toodles~_


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: _Wow, I'm so sorry for the crappy chapter. I'm very unsatisfied with it, but it's weird because I loved it at first and then when I reread it...bleh. I hope you guys don't kill me for making Naruto and officer...it's just I have a really good plot in mind with him being an officer and how to tie Sakura into it. I bet many of you are going to leave hate comments and unfollow after reading this chapter. Sorry I suck ;u; _**

**_I still hope some of you can enjoy this lame chapter~_**

* * *

_Naruto's POV_

I shut the door tightly behind me and whip my head around to meet the piercing glare of someone who I'd love to see dead.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I snap coldly, tightening my jaw and glaring at the raven-haired chief.

"Why, at work." He folds his fingers together and leans his elbows on his desk.

"I am the Chief, of course if you could read you'd know that." He says, smirking at his clever remark.

I grit my teeth. All of the memories of opening that apartment door and watching him suck the face of…well you know who, floods into my mind and the rage that I've kept suppressed for a month bubbles up to the surface.

"You disgust me you know that?" I growl, and make my way to his desk in three quick steps. I feel my eyes burn into his twisted soul, and I'm deeply considering pounding my fist into his face to wipe that filthy smirk of his features.

"Well, that's no way to speak to the man that's considering hiring you, now is it?" He asks innocently, but the wicked smile plastered on his face causes my insides to flip with anger.

"You son of a –" Before the harsh words spill out of my mouth, I pause abruptly.

And then it's as if something clicks inside of me and I remember the reason why I'm even here in the first place.

If there is one good thing war taught me, it's to conceal your feelings. And right now, that's exactly what I have to do.

So, I take in a sharp and much needed breath to calm myself down. And by doing so, I clear my thoughts of any past I've had with this man and pursue my main objective of walking out of here employed.

Forget about the pain, the regret, the betrayl.

Forget about _her._

Letting my clenched fists fall relaxed to my side, I force my lips to form into a tight knit smile.

"My apologizes, sir." I force the words out and it's probably the fakest apology I've given in all my life. But he nods understandingly and I take it as an allowance to continue.

"I'm looking for a job as an officer, of course I am prepared to go through any tests you require of me. As you may know from the files sent from the lady at the front desk, I recently came home from war, so I have much experience when it comes to being out in dire situations. Situations in which I can handle myself quite well."

The Uchiha relaxes, and leans back into the black-leathered swivel chair, folding one leg over the other before letting out a small chuckle.

"It seems as though everyone who comes home from war thinks that they'll get an immediate job, just because we're supposed to pity you, is that right?" He questions, the wicked smile returning on his pale lips.

I swallow hard and restrict any feelings of resentment towards him. I put on a stoic expression and my eyes lose the flame of rage, instead replaced by dullness and business.

"That is quite the biased opinion you have there, although I can see why you assume it to be true." I inhale sharply and return the innocent yet malice smile that he's giving me.

"But, you need skilled officers don't you?" As the words come out I watch his cocky expression waver.

"And from the last month, your men have failed to capture the most wanted criminals in this city, even when they were mere inches from doing so. Akatsuki, one of their members were recently at central park, and your men failed to catch him." I press, causing the Uchiha to look startled at the information.

"Where did you get that information? It's top secret, no one knows of it." He asks, and the bit of worry in his voice is like music to my ears.

"My mother, she was a detective, you could say I have my resources." I say confidently, knowing that I have him wrapped right around my finger.

"If you truly want what's best for this city, you will find that hiring me as an officer, will benefit the safety of the people entirely. Don't let biased opinions cloud your judgment,_ Chief."_ I finish, giving him a smile that screams, _"I win."_

The Uchiha's brows furrow as his eyes narrow and his fists clench. After a few moments of staring down at his mahogany desk, he finally lets out a breath and lifts his head.

I can see that anger still fumes in his eyes and when he reaches out his hand I know that this battle is over.

I grab his hand firmly.

"Be here at 5 am tomorrow morning, you'll be tested by our highest ranking officer and then I'll determine if you really are everything you claim to be." He speaks firmly, glaring into my azure eyes.

Any normal person would melt into a puddle of nothing under his intense glare, but I'm no normal person and Uchiha Sasuke's glare is like a child's puppy dog eyes to me.

"See you tomorrow." I reply, a small innocent smile on my lips.

And we shake on it, but I know that this war is far from over.

It's only just begun.

xXx

Pulling myself up so that my chin hovers over the metal bar, I finish off my last set and let go of the bar. With sweat pouring down my body in large amounts, I grab a towel hanging on the bar and wipe my brow.

Ever since I left the military, I've been working out before the rise of the sun. It's not like it's planned, but my body just wakes up at around 3 am, no matter how late I fall asleep, and I have this urge to get myself moving.

So, I reserved to working out, and it's seemed to put me at ease, and reduce my very unwanted nightmares.

Panting slightly, I lift my wrist to check the time on the watch.

_4:45 am._

Groaning, I drape the towel around my neck and head for the bathroom.

Time to freshen up and try to make it on time.

_Sasuke's POV_

"He's going to be late, perfect." I mutter to myself, but my sharp front desk girl catches it and rolls her eyes.

"Already planning on how to get rid of a potential officer?" Karin asks, folding her arms over her chest as she leans back in her swivel chair.

"I wasn't talking to you." I say, and she snorts muttering something inaudible under her breath.

_4:59 am._

Wonderful, now there is no way he'll be able to keep the job. Who trusts an employee who is always-

"Perfect, I made it just in the nick of time." A blonde says, stepping through the doors of the station with a bagel in his mouth and slightly damped hair.

Suppressing a groan, instead I straighten up and fixate pointed eyes at the blonde.

"You were almost late. That is unacceptable in the line of work you are interested in engaging in." I snap sternly, and he finishes off his bagel giving me a lazy stare.

"Emphasis on the word _almost_." He stresses, and Karin lets out a snorty laugh from behind the desk.

"He got you there _Sasu-chan_." She replies, smirking as I feel my cheeks go red from her childish nickname.

"_Karin."_ I growl, shooting her a flamed glare and she only sticks her tongue out playfully before returning back to typing furiously on her computer.

Cooling my head before turning my attention to the blonde, I run a hand through my bed hair and stare at the blonde who is tapping his finger impatiently against his thigh.

Clearing my throat I turn on my heel and motion for him to follow.

He does so and before we both know it, we're in the back of the station.

I open the door and enter a room where on of my most proud of officer's stands.

"Good morning officer." I greet sternly, and at my voice the blonde's competitor turns around and immediately straightens up upon seeing me.

"Good morning sir!" The officer salutes, and from the corner of my eye I watch as Naruto's eyes widen slightly.

Bet he wasn't expecting this.

"Hyuga, this is the rookie I was talking about last night." I inform her, and she glares hard at the blonde. I know that look.

She's scanning him, framing in her mind just what type of fighter he is, his experience, and possibly what he had for breakfast this morning. Don't ask, but Hinata has a way of being unpredictable but bluntly obvious.

It's weird, but hey she's good at what she does.

"You seem to have experience judging from the way your eyes darted across the room in less than a few seconds. Scanning your surroundings is something a good fighter learns through many mistakes." She says, a stoic expression on her face.

Naruto arches an eyebrow at her, clearly impressed by her observation.

I can't help but smirk at the lavender haired girl.

She sure knows how to impress.

"Hinata, you will fight Naruto as if he is your enemy. I want to see where he is in terms of stamina, fighting techniques, and where he is mentally and physically." I order, and she nods stiffly at me before stripping of her black leather jacket to reveal a deep purple sports bra.

Naruto looks from me to Hinata and then back at me.

"You're making me fight her? I thought you were going to test me…like make me write some stuff down or something." Naruto asks confusion spilling across his features.

"You thought wrong, now please continue with the task at hand. This is the best way for me to observe just how good you claim to be and just what a reliable police officer you'll be." I reply, taking my position across the room where I lean against the wall and watch them with a fixed expression.

Naruto grunts before shaking his head and muttering something under his breath.

He strips of his jacket, revealing a plain gray t-shit.

"Whatever you say." He mumbles.

"Whenever you two are ready." I say and wait for someone to pack a punch.

They both get into a fighting stance and glare at each other with pointed stares.

I watch in amusement, wondering just who will ignite the battle.

"Ladies first." Naruto says, giving Hinata a small smile.

But, it seems that the Hyuga is already on it as she dives in throwing a skilled punch to his cheek. And to my surprise she hits him, dead on actually.

He stumbles back and Hinata, with raised fists, smirks.

"What a gentlemen." She says cockily, rocking from one foot to the other to stay on her toes.

And before Naruto can answer she's at it again, lashing out kicks and punches from all directions.

Observing Hinata, I smirk to myself knowing that Naruto has absolutely no chance against an elite officer like her. She's practically my right hand man (er woman). Hinata has a unique technique. She's able to swiftly pin point her target's weak points just by observing their muscle structure, and then when they engage in battle she uses it to her advantage. And then when she attacks, they're gentle but deadly.

A few hits from her and you're left unconscious.

I don't really understand it, but it's some kind of ancient Hyuga technique.

She lays endless blows on him, and I realize that he's not even planning on attacking. She corners him, so that his back is up against the wall. And the Hyuga continues attacking him, in rapid speeds that my eyes can't keep up. A blow to his chin, his chest, his stomach…they just don't stop.

And Naruto's just standing there doing absolutely _nothing._ It's as if the pain isn't even affecting him.

I watch slightly shocked as Naruto's eyes scan each and every crack of her, as if he's reading her attacks. And then he does something unexpected.

He _smiles._

But not just any smile, the smile that sends shivers down your spine and causes you to have nightmares for the rest of your life.

And then out of nowhere Hinata falls to the floor, her feet being lifted beneath her as Naruto swiftly slides his leg under her toes.

And suddenly it's as if the blonde has become someone…no _something_ else.

He wastes no time in letting her recoil and flips her over by grabbing her long hair. She grunts from the pain, and once she's laying flat on her stomach, Naruto takes her arm and pulls it behind her.

Hinata curses under her breath and attempts squirming out of his tight grip, but he grabs her neck with his hands and pins her down squeezing so hard that I notice her breathing becoming hitched and raspy.

The flare in his eyes is animalistic, his pupils moving feverishly as he continues sucking the air out of the elite officer.

I decide to intervene before she suffocates.

"Enough you two." I shout, and that seems to snap the blonde out of his killer trance.

He immediately pulls his hand away. Staring with wide eyes at his shaking hand, he rolls off of Hinata and takes a few deep breaths to relax himself.

"Hinata are you alright?" I ask, genuinely worried for her well-being.

She coughs a few times, gasping for air before regaining her cool and standing up.

"Just fine." She snaps, glaring at Naruto before flipping around and storming out of the room, leading me out there as well as she forcefully grabs my hand.

"Hinata-" I yell, but it's too late since I'm already out the door. Hinata angrily slams the door shut and pins me to the wall, her eyes piercing.

"What's the meaning of this Uchiha." Hinata snaps angrily glaring at me with those icy eyes.

"Are you sad you lost?" I mock her, and she growls.

"He could have _killed_ me." She emphasizes, spitting the words. "He's dangerous to have around."

I roll my eyes.

"He wasn't going to kill you Hinata…probably just leave you unconscious." I defend.

But, now that I think about it that look in his eyes was pretty dangerous. Perhaps that's what war does to you…makes you become something that you can't recognize anymore.

I can only imagine what he must have gone through.

"You shouldn't hire him." Hinata protests, folding her arms over her chest.

I consider her words, but some part of me wouldn't mind having him on the team. I can't deny the fact that he did just perform excellent skills, and it's no doubt that he's an extremely proficient fighter. He seems to have a high endurance for pain, which is always good when we're out fighting crime. The risk for injury most likely won't be too high of a problem for him.

And he has information on the Akatsuki, a group we've been tracking down for years and still have no good leads on.

As much as I hate him for ruining my relationship with Sakura and would rather kill him by my own hands, I can't deny the fact that we need him…in a sense.

Sighing I run a hand through my hair.

"Hinata, I'm hiring him." I say, and she opens her mouth to protest but I shush her.

"And that's final." I speak sternly, causing her to groan in annoyance.

"Fine, but I don't trust him." She says harshly.

I nod.

"Fair enough. Now, go get cleaned up your on duty today." I order and she follows with a reluctant nod.

I watch as she disappears around the corner, stomping her little feet all the way to prove that she's upset, before heading back in to where I find the blonde resting his head against the wall and staring at the ceiling.

When he notices me walking in, he fixes his gaze on me.

I walk up to him and toss a badge into his hand.

He grabs it with ease and stares at the shiny metallic badge, tossing it in his hand before staring back at me.

I force a half smile.

"Welcome to the team, officer."

* * *

**_AN: Please leave a review_**

**_Until next chapter, toodles~_**


	9. Chapter 9

_Naruto's POV_

_Ding!_

The little bell to my now favorite coffee shop jingles above my head as I walk in.

"Just on time!" Ino pipes up from behind the counter, smiling widely as she punches in the order she's pretty much memorized.

"As always." I retort, a sly smirk appearing on my face.

I lean my elbows on the counter and stare at the blonde who gives me a sweet smile before turning around and working on my black coffee.

Visiting this coffee shop just before my shift down at the station has become a daily routine for me. I'd get up at 6 to get in a workout; I'd then make my way down here, get my order and enjoy time with Ino, who has quite frankly become a pretty good person to have around.

And to think it's only been one month since we met.

There's something about her that's just special. She's easy going, fun to talk to, and manages to put me in a pretty darn good mood before I go to work…and have to see the man…well you know who my boss is.

"How's the station treating you? Caught any criminals yet?" She asks, handing me the coffee as I hand her the money.

She places it in the register and hands me my change.

"No, not yet, the deputy seems to have something against me…so she doesn't trust me to go anywhere. I've basically been their photocopying paperboy. It kind of sucks." I confess, taking a sip from my cup.

I almost moan into the cup.

It's just black coffee and yet it tastes so _good._

But, it's true. Hinata seems to give me the cold shoulder every time an emergency comes up, and whenever I suggest that I go help she corners me, threatens me, and then tells me to go photocopy some reports.

It's not like I'm scared or anything, but I don't really want to be fired.

Trust me I've considered it…

"Really? Well, come on you have to stand up to them! You got the job so you should be doing the job." She says, hanging up her apron and calling to her colleague that she's taking a quick break.

I nod at her words as we both sit down out our spot, the spot where we first encountered.

"It's not that easy Ino." I argue, sighing as I stare at my coffee cup.

She narrows her eyes at me and rubs her chin with her fingers.

Then a sparkle flashes in her eyes and puts a finger in the air a little "aha!" moment.

"I got it!" She exclaims happily, clasping her hands together and leaning a bit too close.

I blink a few times in surprise, noticing the close distance between our faces, but stare curiously awaiting her great idea.

"Well?" I ask after just staring for a few short moments.

"If you get your first assignment by the end of the day…you'll get free coffee here for a month!" She says nodding her head up and down with a _"I'm a genius"_ type of look on her face.

"W-What?" She asks, giving me a confused stare as I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. But, I can't hold it in because a giggle escapes and I completely lose it.

Tipping my head I let out a long laugh.

"What's so funny?!" She asks frantically, turning a light shade of pink as she realizes I must be laughing at something she had said.

I take in a deep breath, and chuckle lightly a few more times before composing myself and staring with a cocked eyebrow at the highly confused blonde.

"Well, what was so funny?" She asks, an eyebrow raised as she judges me for probably acting crazy.

"Ino, I'm a cop, our coffee is always free." I say, trying my best to suppress yet another fit of giggles.

She stares at me dumbfounded, and then recomposes her self and points an accusing finger.

"But you always pay!"

"'Cause I'm not a cop yet, paper boy remember?" I point out and then she finally understands, her mouth forming a small "o" shape.

"You are _such_ a blonde." I tease, standing up and patting her head as she sticks her tongue out playfully.

I exit the shop, hearing her mutter something along the terms of "hypocrite" and "you're blonde too."

Hm, I guess I am.

**~X~**

"An assignment?" The Uchiha asks, swirling on his swivel chair before propping his legs up on his mahogany desk and narrowing his eyes at me.

"Yes."

"Well, there is one thing you could do." He says, and I nod getting kind of excited that I'll be able to do _something._

Anything but being the freaking paperboy.

"Get me some coffee." He says, nudging the coffee cup with his foot which is placed at the edge of his desk by a small golden globe statue.

I inhale sharply in annoyance and glare at the chief.

"Seriously?"

"Does it look like I'm joking?" He retorts, raising his eyebrow.

Groaning I grab the coffee cup and storm out of the room before I take the coffee cup and break it over his head.

Walking into the small little break room, I see a certain redhead browsing through the products in the fridge.

"Officer." I acknowledge, and Gaara turns around nodding his head.

"Good to see you. Hm, so you've been upgraded from paperboy to coffee mule?" He teases, smirking.

I groan.

"How do you manage to get out there and actually _do_ an assignment?" I ask, kind of envious of my former commander.

Gaara ponders on the question as he grabs a soda and shuts the refrigerator door.

"Simple." He opens the can and takes a sip.

I listen intently.

"I got it easy, but you, well you were hopeless back in the army…"

"Hey!"

"Kidding," He chuckles and takes another sip of his fizzy drink.

"Hmph, well thanks for nothing." I mumble, pouring the coffee into the black mug before walking out of the break room and practically hear Gaara smirk as I leave.

Seriously that guy…he can't just bring up war so lightly it's serious topic! I almost got killed trying to save his butt multiple times and he says I was hopeless.

I'm getting a headache.

Walking back into the chief's office, I don't even bother acknowledging him but instead place the mug down on his desk and avert eye contact.

This is just too embarrassing.

"Black, no cream or sugar?" He asks with a devilish grin.

Gritting my teeth in frustration and about two seconds away from kicking over his desk, the urgent voice of an officer on the radio placed on his desk saves the cocky chief from a burning death.

Literally burning because the coffee is steaming hot.

"Well, that's my cue."

And with that he gets up and rushes out the door leaving me standing there and staring at the steaming coffee.

So, now while everyone is rushing out fighting crime and saving the city, I'm here serving as some kind of personal pack mule to the guy who I'd rather see dead then alive and ordering me around.

Spinning on my heel, I rush out of the room as quickly as possible and head for the parking lot.

Forget what anyone says, I have a badge to prove that I'm an officer. That I'm authorized to help the city, and get into that cop car, and bring down whatever crime is going on.

Climbing into my assigned cop car, which is highly off limits according to Hinata, I click on the engine and turn on my walkie talkie.

"59 Leaf Avenue, robbery at the jewelry store. Hinata you got that?" It's Sasuke's voice from what I can tell.

I punch the address into the GPS and once it's been located I drive.

"Yes, I'm almost there. I swear if it's those two robbers again…" She growls into the machine, and I'm guessing that there's some pretty nasty history with the two.

Poor guys, Hinata can be pretty scary when she wants too.

"Let's just hope it's not them, for their sake of course." A new voice speaks, and I realize that I don't recognize it. To me, it kind of sounds like a teenage boy is talking, but hey I don't judge.

I listen to more of the conversation but it's cut short as they all make it to the center of the crime scene.

"Crap, I'm losing sight of them." Sasuke mumbles, but the line goes static and I'm guessing it's run dead.

"Sasuke? Sasuke?" A few voices repeat, but I step out of the car and ignore their voices.

Staring out at the crime scene I spot Hinata, a guy with white hair who I think goes by the name of Suigetsu, and Sasuke who is exiting the robbed jewelry store. I parked a bit farther from them, just to make sure they wouldn't spot me.

Looking around, I notice we're near a children's park, and for some reason, as if by instinct, I begin walking towards it.

It's like my feet are moving on their own.

"Officer, officer!" A woman, holding a child in her arms, runs up to me and I look at her with a quirked eyebrow before realizing that I'm in my uniform and she's talking to me.

"Yes?" I ask, noticing the panic in her eyes.

"I saw them, the criminals. They ran that way, past the fountain just a few minutes ago. They're both wearing gray with colored beanies." She says holding onto her child tightly and staring over at where the fountain is.

"Thank you, get home it's not safe here." I say, giving her a small smile.

"No, thank you for your service!" She calls out, and I simply nod. It's weird being noticed for your service, in the army all of us were nobodies, risking our lives for the people back at home.

But being an officer, I guess people notice you. And it feels…nice.

Turning my attention away from the helpful witness, I rush past her and towards the direction of where the criminals had sped off too.

Think criminals, where would a criminal go after robbing a bank.

Possibly to an escape like a car or a…

And I skid to a halt as a certain white van going way too fast on such a busy road, speeds past the park.

That's it!

Whipping my body around, I sprint through the park, almost knocking over a toddler, and make my way towards the van.

Years of running and training during my time serving in the army really did pay off.

They definitely are going way over the speed limit, and are going pretty fast but by the time I get my engine started and ready, they'll already be out of sight.

I guess I'll have to run. And heck I do, like my life depends on it.

I pump my arms up and down and move my legs back and forth at such speeds that some people I pass stare at me with wide eyes. I can feel the wind blowing through my hair, causing it to look wild and more spiky than normal. And I can only imagine the stern and focused look on my face.

"Hey watch it!" Someone yells as I bump into them, causing them to spill their coffee all over their child who screams out, high pitched and ear splitting.

"Sorry!" I apologize, biting my lip in worry as I continue to run.

I can't run on the sidewalk, I'll just cause trouble…and maybe get sued by some people.

As the van takes a sharp turn, I also do, crouching down low as I skid on the pavement of the cross road, placing my hand down and angling myself so that I'll be able to push off in the right direction. I adjust myself so that I'm in the right direction of the van and narrow my eyes.

Pushing myself up with my arm, I give myself a bit of a push head start and beeline for the van. Finally, I'm able to catch up with the speeding vehicle, and waste no time as I launch myself forward and grip tightly onto the back of it.

Pulling myself up so that I'm not dangling on the back of someone's car, I hoist myself up and crouch down on top of the van. Carefully, not to fall over and die, I inch my way to the front, and when I'm finally ready to jump down and crash through driver's window, the car skids to a stop and I lurch forward.

Rolling down the front of the van and landing face first on the hard pavement, the impact leaves me dizzy and slightly disoriented.

"Did you see that?" One of the men says loudly and steps out of the car.

Shoot no, get over the dizziness!

"A cop followed us here? Darn it Deidara you have to be more careful. Told you the white van was a bad idea." His partner scolds, shutting the car door behind him.

I lay there motionless, finally regaining full focus in my eyes and head, trying to find the best way to regain control of the situation.

"Well, he seems unconscious. Hey Sasori, let's steal his gear and dress up as cops for our next robbery!" He says, and I can imagine a smile spreading across his face as he says it.

He kind of sounds like a kid in a candy store.

"Idiot, we aren't doing that. Let's just get this over with." He mutters, and I hear the familiar click of a gun being positioned.

Without wasting time and waiting to get shot, in a flash I pull out my own gun, roll over and shoot the man on the leg.

"What the-?!" He screams out, falling to the ground, as his wounded leg turns numb from the impact.

"Sasori!" His partner exclaims, panic glazing over his eyes. I stand up quickly, still feeling kind of unbalanced, but I ignore it.

I point my gun at the blonde haired criminal and he turns his attention to me, his eyes pointed and his jaw tight with anger.

"Move an inch and I'll shoot pony-tail." I say sternly, the gun positioned to allow the bullet to dig itself right into his neck. An instant kill.

He freezes, but his lips curve up into a smile and soon enough he bursts out into laughter.

"Really, ponytail? _That's_ the best you can do? You must be new." He says rubbing the tears from his eyes.

I remain emotionless, but still laughing in a situation like this? He's got to be on some kind of drugs.

His partner, Sasori, grunts uncomfortably as he pulls himself up.

"Deidara, run back to headquarters I'll handle this guy." He barks out, wincing as he tries to move.

Deidara rolls his eyes.

"Yes, because you'll be able to take him down in a heartbeat." He says sarcastically, and Sasori only gives him a pointed look. And then they begin to bicker loudly, pointing fingers and calling each other nasty names.

Do these two even know that they're like two seconds away from being arrested? They're acting as if they're deciding on which movie to pick.

I take the time to use my little radio and call for back up.

Inching closer, and my gun still raised in the air, I examine their outfits and notice small red clouds patterned on their beanies, and embroidered on the pocket of their jackets.

Why do they look so familiar?

"Freeze you are both under arrest!" A stern voice shouts out, and from behind the truck Sasuke and the rest of the officers show up, guns raised and eyes locked on the targets.

Who might I add are still bickering like children…

"Ah fudge. Sasori shut up I do not look like a girl!" Ponytail says raising his arms in the air in annoyance before digging into his pocket and grabbing a small ball.

I examine it quickly, using my knowledge from weapons I've seen on the battlefield.

Smoke bomb.

"They're gonna get away!" I scream out, pulling the trigger on my gun and aiming for the blonde's leg as the little ball drops on the ground and smoke flies into the air.

"Shoot." Sasuke mutters, and Hinata wastes no time by running into the growing fog. Squinting my eyes to avoid the fume from irritating them, I am surrounded by a thick smoke, and can only wait for it to subside.

The fumes from the smoke bomb begin to cause the dizziness to reenter my body, and I cough a few times, trying to keep my head on straight.

After a few minutes the fog clears and I'm taking deep breaths to keep from getting light headed. I must have hit my head pretty hard.

And I focus my eyes on a scene that is pretty awesome.

Standing before us is Hinata with Deidara in a chokehold and Sasori with a gun pointed to his head.

Deidara and Sasori are still going at it calling each other out on a mission failed.

"Shut it you two before I shoot you and break your neck." Hinata threatens viciously, her eyes piercing and her voice venomous.

Sasuke chuckles at Hinata's empty threats and walks up to the two criminals.

"Come on, let's get you two into a nice cozy cell." He smiles, a wicked smile, and helps Hinata lug them into the cop cars.

**~X~**

Once the two cop cars drive away, I'm still standing there watching them go and feeling a sense of pride build up in my chest.

I did it, my first day on the scene and I managed to catch the criminals. But, thinking back on it, why did that little red cloud look so familiar? I'll have to make sure I ask Sasuke about it.

"Uzumaki." Sasuke says sternly, and I turn around to meet the fierce onyx eyes of the chief.

"Yes?" I ask, rubbing my temples to ease the creeping headache and dizziness.

"As much as I hate to say it, nice job today." He extends his hand and clears his throat awkwardly.

I stare at his hand, and suddenly one hand turns into two, which turns into three. And then the ground is spinning and Sasuke's irritated voice becomes muffled.

"Oi, are you okay?" Sasuke seems to say waving his hand in front of my face, but I can only read his lips.

And then the world goes black.

Black like coffee.

**~X~**

**AN: I hope you all liked this chapter! Sorry if it's a little rushed, it's currently midnight and I'm tired...also sorry if the whole running scene isn't so smooth. I'm not experienced in writing action scenes and such, but I'll try my best to improve in the next fighting scene! Also, Sakura might make an appearance next chapter...olallala~ Let the drama and such begin. (;**

**Until next chapter, toodles~**


	10. Chapter 10

Blinking my eyes open, and taking in a raspy breath, I shoot up from my sleeping position on the bed and feel the sweat trickle down my forehead.

Feeling a panic attack coming on, I forcefully grab my shirt and bend over, staring down at my shaking hand.

The air slowly escapes me, and my blue eyes are practically bulging out of their sockets as the same horrid nightmare replays in my head.

_They killed us._

The hot tears run down the sides of my faces, burning my skin as the memory becomes more vivid in my mind.

"I…" I choke out, feeling the sobs enclose my throat. My whole world is spinning, my heart is pounding wildly in my chest, my lungs are crumbling from the lack of oxygen.

I'm going to die.

And as the thought crosses my mind it's as if my body snaps back into reality.

Immediately, my breathing slows, my arms feel weak, and my head is spinning.

Falling back onto my sweaty pillow, my eyes close shut.

I don't fall asleep until a shiver of a breeze meets my ears.

One word causes my mind to turn blank.

_Uchiha…_

What?

xXx

_Naruto's POV_

It had been two weeks since the capturing of the two criminals.

I had passed out from exhaustion and when I woke up I was in my own room with a mild headache.

Two weeks later and I'm good as new.

And now, sitting in the break room of the station sipping on a mildly warm black coffee, I think back to what Sasuke had told me.

It turns out that the two criminals were part of an organization called _The Akatsuki_, and they went on about how they were simply defending the city from the threats in disguise.

Whatever that meant.

They were sent to the prison a few days later, done with the interrogation and off to pay for their crimes.

But, something didn't sit right with me. It was like Sasuke was hiding something.

Almost as if his nervous eye bouncing and foot tapping hinted that he didn't want the two to stay longer…like they had information that could be used against him. Everytime they'd start to discuss anything hinting the Uchiha's "secret plan" or whatever, Sasuke would immediately snap and usher them out of the room.

It screamed suspicious.

But, it wasn't really my problem so I didn't bother looking into it…but I am planning on keeping an eye out.

Just what "secret plan" could the Uchiha's have?

"Naruto, nice seeing you here." A familiar voice says upon entering the room, snapping me out of my thoughts and back into reality.

"Gaara." I acknowledge his presence, raising my cup in a hello type of gesture.

"Slow day hm?" I ask, feeling boredom settle in.

"Yeah, guess you can't be a crime fighting hero everyday." He jokes, grabbing water from the fridge and popping the cap open. He drinks, and then proceeds to take a seat across from me.

He rests his arm along the back of the chair and folds one leg over the other. He sure looks relaxed.

"Gaara, what do you know about the Akatsuki?" I ask, feeling hesitant as to if I should trust him…but then again he was one of my closest friends during war, even if he doesn't want to admit it himself.

His features turn dark for a split second, before his face settles into his default emotionless façade.

"Not much, just that they're an organization that is supposedly created to stop inside crime, whatever that means." He mumbles the last part, and by the look in his eyes I'm convinced that he knows just as much on the topic as I do.

Which is very little.

Sighing, I crumple the now empty coffee cup and toss it into the trash bin. A small buzz is felt in the pocket of my pants and I pull out the little contraption.

A text from Ino.

Oh yeah, we exchanged numbers…forgot to mention that.

**Ino: **_Don't forget, 6 o'clock!_

A small smile spreads on my lips and I feel genuinely excited.

**Naruto:** _How could I, you keep pestering me about it._

I joke, knowing that she's sure to groan at the text and rolls her eyes.

**Ino: **_You have a pea sized brain, I have to make sure you don't forget._

**Naruto: **_Riiiight, see you Ino._

And with I click off my phone and bid Gaara a small goodbye.

I got to get home and get ready.

And no,

It's not a date.

xXx

Throwing my hands in the large pocket of my dark orange hoodie, I ignore the rain drenching me and climb up the narrow stairs to an apartment door with a flower designed pink doorbell and swallow slightly nervous.

Taking a deep breath my finger pushes the glowing doorbell.

_Ding Dong._

I listen closely as something bangs against the door, and then barking erupts ferociously.

I'm guessing there's an attack dog on the other side, a vicious dog ready to rip out my throat.

But, when the door flings open, revealing Ino holding a small white pooch that's snarling at me yet wagging it's tail crazily, I can't help but laugh.

The blonde shoots me a questioning look.

"What's so funny?" She asks, placing a hand on her hip.

"Your dog sounded more…"

"Like a large rottweiler ready to rip out your throat?"

I nod.

She laughs and pats her tiny little fur ball on the head.

"Yeah, Cupcake sure does get that a lot. Don't you?" She coos, rubbing her nose with the dog's before setting her down where she runs off towards the kitchen.

"Well, are you ready to go?" I ask, moving away from the doorframe to let her out.

She nods, and as she steps out I take the time to scan her attire.

A long sleeve black and white striped tight fit shirt, over that puffy grey vest and a cute simple heart necklace completing off the look. Tight black leggings hug her slim legs and brown boots cover up to her knees.

It's cute, I must admit.

"Oh I know I'm gorgeous now quit staring let's go!" She teases, her hair blonde hair flying aimlessly as she grabs my hand and races down the steps.

"So modest Ino." I laugh, rolling my eyes as she looks behind her shoulder and sticks her tongue out.

We step out of the protection of the roof, and into the rainy night, rushing to whatever destination Ino has in mind.

Did I mention we both forgot our umbrellas?

* * *

_Leave a review if you enjoyed! :D_

_Oh and sorry for the lack of updating...but I'm back now!_

_Until next chapter, toodles~_


End file.

Naruto, Drama, Romance