21

Predestined Hatred

Black and white, it was all that she could see.

No, there was also the crimson color of the blood spread everywhere, framing and highlighting the bodies of black flames and white lightning.

She called out for them, shouted at them stop as her tears ran down her cheeks. Unfortunately, all of the girl's pleas were drowned by the crackle of the fire and the rumble of the thunder.

Their relentless charges continued regardless of the girl's desperate attempts. Little by little, the black and white was being replaced by red.

"Stop…" Sakura cried as she fell to her knees, unable to watch the scene before her any longer. They were shouting now as well, but the pink haired girl didn't know if it was because of pain or anger. "Sasuke-kun… Naruto…"

The girl could feel the heat from the blonde's flames and hear the charging of the raven haired boy's lightning as the two boys attacked each other with all the intention to kill their opponent.

How it had come to this, she did not know, neither was she aware of any way in which she could stop her teammates' actions. "Sasuke-kun, Naruto, please stop…" She begged them between sobs, but was still ignored.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion went off somewhere in front of the kunoichi.

Her heart stopped as her eyes widened in dread. She could feel the rough debris blowing past her form, rubbing against her body like sandpaper. Slowly, Sakura looked up. "No…" Through her tear stained eyes the girl could see the smoking crater where her teammates had been and no trace of black or white left. "NO!"

Sakura woke up with a start and immediately look at her surroundings. She was in one of the white, very white rooms of Konoha's hospital seating beside the bed. "Oh… It's Sasuke-kun's room…" The pink haired girl realized as her gaze fell on the still unresponsive Uchiha laying just a about a foot from her.

The kunoichi had come to visit her teammate the day before, something which had become almost a routine during the last month, and after once again convincing the nurse on duty to let her stay pass visiting hours, she had ended up falling asleep and dreaming about her teammates.

Inside her chest, Sakura's heart speeded off once again at the memory of her dream, of her nightmare.

The images of Sasuke and Naruto trying to kill each other had being terribly vivid in the girl's mind, she could still fill the explosions thundering in her ears, and she could have sworn that she had smelled her teammates' skin burning by fire and lightning.

Sighing, the pink haired girl tried to grip her heart through her chest. It had not being the first time she had a dream like that. Ever since the Forest of Death when she witnessed how Sasuke and Naruto went as far as to use lethal force against each other, Sakura had being worried that things would violently escalate between the two boys once again, and ever since Naruto had left, the nightmares had returned.

"But Sasuke-kun said that he will not be seeking a fight with Naruto anytime soon…" The girl reasoned as she remembered the raven haired genin's words. "Well… He said that they will fight someday, but not like in that nightmare." Her gazed regarded the sleeping Uchiha intensely.

"We will still be Team Seven…" Sasuke voice echoed inside of her. "We will still be friends."

The kunoichi gripped her heart tighter. "Please…" She asked whoever was in charge of Team Seven's fate. "That's all I ask…" Sakura pleaded as he closed her eyes tightly in an effort for her wish to be heard.

"Please tell me you haven't secluded yourself in this hospital during all the time I was gone." The pink haired genin's head whipped around at the sound of the familiar voice.

Right by the room's entrance Naruto stood leaning against the door's threshold with a faint smirk on his face.

"Naruto…" The blond heard his teammate whisper and his smirk grew slightly. "Naruto!" Still emotionally charged because of her dream, the pretty girl abruptly stood up and rushed towards the boy.

The spiky haired boy was caught off guard when Sakura threw herself at him. "Sa… Sakura!" The Sharingan user exclaimed, his cool demeanor from just a few moments ago had being completely shattered by the sheer surprise of his teammate's actions.

The girl buried her face in the blonde's chest as her right fist started punching it lightly. "You idiot!" She shouted at him.

The Jinchuuriki gave a confused look at the top of the kunoichi's head. "Is she crying…?" He wondered with concern.

Sakura continued punching the stunned gennin. "How could you just leave me like that?" She asked him. "Why did you take so long to come back?" She managed to yell at him between sobs.

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. He did not know what to do because he wasn't too sure of the reason why she was mad at him. "Is it because I left before being properly discharged from the hospital or because I took a month to come back?" The spiky haired boy questioned in his mind as the pretty girl hitting his chest continued to call him an idiot. He wasn't even sure if she was actually angry.

"Ooh, so this is why you were so desperate to get back to the village?" The blonde's eyes moved from the top of Sakura's head to the smirking woman that was now standing behind him.

Tsunade watched with satisfaction as the blushing boy clumsily tried to get the pink haired girl to compose herself. Despite the Sharingan user's bravado and aloof attitude, he clearly had no experience dealing with the fairer sex.

Mustering enough courage, Naruto placed his hands on Sakura's shoulder and gently pushed her back. "Sakura…" He tried to get her attention. "This is Tsunade, one of the Three Sannin, and she's here to help Sasuke." The spiky haired genin informed.

At the revelation, a fierce blush invaded the pink haired girl's face as she gazed at the older woman. "Oh… It is an honor to meet you, Tsunade-sama!" The girl gave a courteous bow. "My name is Haruno Sakura." She civilly presented herself.

The healer smiled at the girl. "It's very nice to finally meet you." The Sannin informed. "Naruto talked a lot about you." She added and stole a glance at the younger blond to see his returning blush. Moving her eyes across the room, the medic's gaze fell on the unconscious Uchiha.

Sakura watched quietly as the legendary kunoichi walked passed her and positioned herself by Sasuke's bedside. The pink haired genin held her breath as the blond woman took her teammate's medical file, her trained eyes moving between it and the sleeping young man.

Several minutes of silences passed between the occupants of the room until Tsunade finally put the file down and moved her chakra infused hands over Sasuke's body. The woman placed one hand over the raven haired boy's forehead while the other hovered just barely above his chest. After a couple of minutes of intense concentration, the Sannin removed her hands from her patient and stepped back.

The conscious members of Team Seven immediately gave anxious looks at the older kunoichi.

"He'll be fine." Tsunade informed, knowing that was what the two kids really wanted to know. "I have alleviated most of the trauma he suffered. He should wake up within a day or so."

Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, Sakura instantly thanked the Sannin before moving to her teammate's bed side.

The medic nin turned to the younger blond. "Well, I guess I'll go attend to your other friend. From what Jiraiya tells me, his situation is more complicated than this." She commented as she massaged one of her shoulder and moved to leave the room.

"I'll go with you." Naruto said as he pulled his body off the wall he had being leaning against during his teammate's treatment.

"I think you should stay." The soon to be appointed Hokage stated. "You know, to give your teammate support and such." She added as she left the boy behind, not before sending a knowing looked between him and the pink haired girl.

The Jinchuuriki sighed in defeat as his gaze moved to look at Sakura's back hunched over Sasuke. Suddenly, the blond missed the light punching on his chest.

Remembering the small bench just outside the room, the Sharingan user tried to make as little noise as possible while passing through the door's threshold on his way towards it.

"Gasp! Naruto-kun!"

At the sound of his name being said in surprised, the spiky haired boy turned to look at the source. Searching sapphire eyes met widened lavender ones.

Hinata's face was covered by a vicious blush under the blonde's gaze. "Na… Naruto-kun… You are back…" She struggled to let out.

A smile formed on the Sharingan user's face. "Yeah, just this morning."

The Hyuuga smiled brightly in response. "I'm glad." She confessed the girl. "You took off all of the sudden and Lee-san told me that you left with Jiraiya-sama, but it was so long ago that I was starting to get worry…" Suddenly, the blush in the pretty kunoichi's face intensified as she realized what she had said.

"You were?" Naruto asked as he tried to give the girl a reassuring smile to ease her blush. "I'm sorry. I never meant to worry you."

The young man's attempt to appease his former classmate failed as the Byakugan user became even more flustered. "You don't have anything to apologize for, Naruto-kun!" She assured. "It's… It's just that last time you were… And I did… And then you…" The Hyuuga decided to stay quiet and look at the floor.

Smiling once again, Naruto sat on the bench by the wall and motioned Hinata to take the seat next to him. Shyly the girl took the offered space on the bench.

"So, what are you doing at the hospital, Hinata?" The blond asked. "You're not hurt, are you?"

The girl immediately shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that." The blue haired genin informed. "It is just that Neji-niisan lost one of his shirts and he has already look everywhere in the Hyuuga compound for it, so I told him that I would check to see if he left it here during his stay." She explained.

A small laugh escaped the spiky haired boy. "You would think that he would be able to keep better track of things with his Byakugan." He commented, earning a giggle from the Hyuuga. "So, was it here?"

Hinata shook her head again. "No, I am starting to think he left it at the training ground or something." The girl said as her eyes drifted to the room where her former classmate had come out from. "How is Sasuke-kun doing?" She asked.

The spiky haired boy let out a sigh. "Well, I brought the Sannin Tsunade here to check him over. She did some medic stuff, and said that he should wake up soon." The blond informed as he glanced at the girl next to him. The Jinchuuriki was surprised to find her with a shocked expression on her face. "What?"

Fighting back the surprise, Hinata look at the boy with sheer admiration. "So the rumors are true, someone really did brought Tsunade-sama back to the village to become the next Hokage, and it was you, Naruto-kun!" She exclaimed.

Naruto's astonishment increased. "Rumors? Already?" The genin rolled his eyes. "News sure travels fast in this village…" He commented. "But yeah, she's here to become the Godaime Hokage, if you can believe that."

Hinata could not help but laugh a little at how her former classmate saw the appointment of who will be his boss and leader.

"Anyways, she's now off to examine Lee." He informed. "And told me to stay here and wait for Sasuke to wake up." The blond added, suddenly feeling exhausted from all of his travels during the last month.

The blue haired heiress regarded spiky haired boy that was tremendously important to her. "Do you mind if I wait here with you and Sakura-chan?" She asked.

Naruto managed a nod and a smile through his unexpected weariness.

Hinata smiled back, moving slightly closer to the blond, and enjoying how easy it had become to simply talk to him.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Waking up with a start, Naruto immediately look at his surroundings expecting to find the Ero-sennin having one of his perverted dreams. Instead, the blonde's face became flushed at the sight of a pretty blue haired girl sleeping with her head resting on his shoulder.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Hearing the sound that had woken him up again, the Jinchuuriki's head whipped towards his teammate's room where Sakura was now standing over the raven haired boy's bed.

"What's hap…?" Hinata started asking, but was unable to finish her question when she realized where her head was resting and how close she was to the spiky haired boy.

"I think Sasuke is waking up, come on…" The Sharingan user said as the two of them stood up and walked into the room.

In his bed, the raven haired boy had started stirring and grunting. As the three genin gather around, the raven haired boy's eyes slowly started to open. Despite the deliberate pace in which the eyelids were coming apart, a month of darkness proved too much for him as they shut themselves again.

"Sasuke-kun, you're awake!" Sakura exclaimed at the sight of the Uchiha's consciousness.

Struggling to open his eyes again, the raven haired boy tried to focus his returning eyesight on his teammates. "Sakura… Is that you…?" He asked and assumed that the slight up and down motion of the blurry pink figure in front of him meant that she was nodding. "What happened…?"

"You're in the hospital… You've been out for a while." Naruto answered.

Shifting his eyes towards the voice, Sasuke could now barely recognize his blond teammates standing between Sakura and Hinata. Tired of the blurry images, the Uchiha decided to close his eyes again, rubbing them with his hand, and tried to open them once more.

Before a noted improvement could have being made in his eyesight, the raven haired boy suddenly found himself wrapped tightly in a pair of arms.

"Sasuke-kun!" The pink haired kunoichi cried. "I was so worried! You wouldn't wake up!" The girl said as she buried her head in his shoulder.

A red tint spread through Sasuke's face. "Um… I'm sorry…" He apologized, feeling guilty all of the sudden.

"I am glad that you are finally awake, Sasuke-kun." Hinata said sincerely, remaining by the spiky haired boy's side.

Sakura finally pulled away from the Uchiha. "Are you alright now, Sasuke-kun?" She asked. "Do you need anything?"

Still taken back by the raw display of concern and affection he had being presented with, the Sharingan user search for an answer that would ease his teammate's worry. "Um… Not really, I'm fin…" But at that moment, his stomach decided to take over and let out a loud growl that embarrassed the raven haired boy.

Naruto and Hinata snickered and giggled respectably in response, but the pink haired girl gasp in surprise. "Of course, you must be hungry after a whole month without eating anything!" The kunoichi exclaimed. "I'll go get you something to eat!" She said moving towards the door before her teammate could protest.

"I'll accompany you, Sakura-chan." The Hyuuga offered before following Sakura out of the room, leaving the two Sharingan users behind.

Both boys remained silent for several minutes. "We took a pretty good beating, huh?" The blond finally commented, though his eyes moved away from his teammate.

Sasuke nodded numbly. He had regained full recollection of the events that landed him in the hospital. "I guess so…" The silence returned between the two genin. "You… You met my brother before…" The raven haired boy did not ask.

Naruto took several seconds before responding to his teammate's statement. "Yeah…"

"When…?" Sasuke questioned, his eyes set on his bed sheath just like his teammate's were set on the window.

The blond hesitated before answering. "Months ago…" He confessed before pausing for a couple of seconds. "You could say… That he was the first person that these eyes of mine ever saw." The Sharingan user informed.

The raven haired boy nodded in understanding. "I see…" He stopped as well. "He… They were here for you, why?" The genin inquired.

After stealing a quick glance at his teammate, the spiky haired boy's eyes focused more intensely at the window. "I don't know." The Jinchuuriki lied.

Silence set on the room yet again. "You said I've being in this hospital for a month…" Sasuke finally started again. "When did you wake up?"

"About a moth ago…" Naruto answered in a low voice. "On the next day." He revealed. "But he went a lot easier on me, he…" The blond tried to add, but his words soon started to sound hollow. "That genjutsu he used on you…" The Sharingan user tried again. "Tsukuyomi… What did he show you in it?" He asked.

Sasuke let out a small scoff. "Tsukuyomi… So that's its name…" The raven haired boy commented before going silent. "Naruto…" He suddenly started again, his voice taking a very serious tone. "Do you hate me?"

Naruto was taken back by his teammate's unexpected question. "Why the hell are you asking that?" The genin questioned as his eyes finally set on the raven haired boy. The severe look on the other Sharingan user's face told the blond how essential an answer was. "No." The Jinchuuriki said firmly. "I do not hate you."

The raven haired shinobi continued to observe his teammate for a few seconds before finally looking down.

"And what about you?" The blond asked, his eyes still not leaving the young man setting on the bed. "Do you hate me, Sasuke?"

The recovering Uchiha did not answered. The only sign of acknowledge that the question was heard was a faint grit of teeth and the boy's fist closing tightly on his bed sheath.

"We're back!" Sakura announced as she and Hinata walked into the room, both carrying several different products from the hospital's cafeteria. Sensing the heavy air in the room, her green eyes looked from one teammate to the other. "What happened? What's wrong?" She asked with dread evident in her tone.

None of the boys answered.

"So then I use the Oiroke no Jutsu just as Iruka-sensei was about to realize that I was cheating in the test!"

Two boys burst out in laughter in the middle of the training ground.

"He was mad and gave me one week of detention, but I laughed because at least it was less than the four weeks I would have gotten if I had being caught… So he gave me two more weeks for laughing…" Konohamaru commented as he scratched the back of his head.

Naruto's laughter was renewed. "Hahah… I did the same thing…" The blond confessed.

A grin formed in the younger boy's face. "Yeah, he mentioned that." He informed. "I think he's considering convincing the Hokage to label the Oiroke no Jutsu as a kinjutsu." The Sarutobi added with a proud smile.

The spiky haired boy was finally able to get his laughter under control. "So, you're finally ok with Tsunade-baasan being the new Hokage?" Naruto asked. When they got back to Konoha, the blond had being worried what the younger boy's reaction at seeing his grandfather's replacement was going to be. The Sharingan user's worries had being confirmed after his friend barricaded himself inside the Hokage's office.

Konohamaru sighed as his gaze dropped slightly. "Well, I'm not jumping in joy for it…" He admitted. "But I know that the village needs a leader and she was one of Jii-san's students… So I guess I can accept her as Godaime Hokage…" The boy added.

The blond snorted. "Then you're more accepting than me…" The genin commented. "I still don't see her as Hokage material." He added, making both him and the young boy burst into laughter once more.

Naruto felt happy, after not having a chance to laugh like this in over a month, it was good to be a little carefree. The Jinchuuriki could not remember when was the last time he simply sat down to talk with Konohamaru, and now he realized that he missed it.

It had being a week since the blonde's return to the Hidden Leaf. Tsunade's induction as Hokage had already taken place, preparations for Lee's surgery were already underway, and after the delicate episode in Sasuke's hospital room, the had decided to give his teammate some space, but Naruto knew the raven haired boy was due to be discharged anytime soon and they could not avoid each other forever.

In the meantime, it was nice to relax sitting under the shade of a tree in the middle of the training ground conversing with Konohamaru and pretend that the world was not full of problems.

"Anyways!" The younger boy suddenly exclaimed. "Come on, show me something cool!" He requested. "You went to train with a Sannin for over a month! You must have learned some really awesome jutsus during that time!"

The Leaf nin let out a small laugh. "Ok, I'll show you a really cool one…" The blond said. Extending his right arm and grabbing his wrist with his left hand, the Jinchuuriki started to gather his chakra. Soon, a perfectly spherical mass of charka stood hovering on the young man's palm. "This is jutsu is called the Rasengan, created by the Yondaime Hokage." Naruto announced.

Konohamaru's eyes widened to an almost dangerous size. "That's so cool!" He exclaimed as he revered the technique.

Allowing himself a smirk, the Sharingan user dissipated the Rasengan before it got out of control and blew up on Konohamaru admiring face. The blond did not want to explain to Asuma-sensei why his nephew had being disfigured.

The younger spiky haired boy let out a short whine of disappointment. "You're going to have to teach me that jutsu!" Konohamaru demanded. "It's not fair that you hog all the cool jutsus for yourself!"

Naruto laughed in response. "Yeah and then I'll become your teacher once I get promoted to jounin." He sarcastically proclaimed.

Despite frowning at his friend's mocking tone, the brown haired boy decided to let it go. "Anyways, what are you working on now, Naruto-nii?" He asked. The Sarutobi had found his friend already in the training ground.

A sigh escaped the Jinchuuriki. "Well… This…" The Sharingan user said as he took a black scroll out of his pocket.

Taking the piece of parchment, Konohamaru's eyes scanned through it multiple times. "Are you trying to learn the two jutsus for the Sharingan that are in this scroll?" The academy student asked.

The blond shook his head. "No, I already learned them…" He informed. "But someone told me of a third jutsu… So I'm trying to find what it is." The genin stretched, brought his hands together in the back of his head, and gazed at the leaves above them before closing his eyes. "But as you can see, the scroll says nothing about another technique besides those two. I'm about ready to give up on it." The older spiky haired boy added.

"Why don't you ask the person who told you about it in the first place?" The brown haired kid questioned, earning a short dry laugh from his friend. Putting aside the confusion caused by the other spiky haired boy's response, Konohamaru studied the black scroll of a couple of minutes. "Why don't you try reading it with your Sharingan?"

Naruto's eyes snapped open. "Huh?"

The Sarutobi gave the older boy a curious look. "Yeah, it makes sense, doesn't it?" He pointed out. "This is a scroll about the Sharingan's secret techniques, right? So maybe you need to use a Sharingan to learn all of its secrets." The academy student offered.

The Leaf shinobi wanted to kick himself for never trying to do what seemed pretty obvious now. "Worth the shot." The Sharingan user said as the Sora Sharingan appeared in his gaze.

Even though he had never seen a normal Sharingan, Konohamaru could not help but be in awe at his friend's strange dojutsu as he gave the parchment back to him.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto directed his Sharingan to the black scroll.

Blood fell from his knuckles as he stared at the new whole on the wall.

After several minutes of watching his fist's handiwork, the boy realized that his breathing had finally subsided. "What the hell am I doing?" He finally let out in a scream as he brought both hands up to his head, the left one leaving a red dye on the side of his forehead.

Sasuke fell to his knees and his bloodied fist started to punch the floor of his house. "What the hell…?" The raven haired boy gritted his teeth as tears started to gather in his eyes. The images of Naruto's disappointed face and Sakura's fear stricken one were burning in his mind.

It had being a week since he had regain consciousness and he was finally discharged from the hospital, but after the episode he caused on the first day, he had asked his pink haired teammate not to come today. Now, the sadness he caused her simply added to his guilt.

"I hurt them…" The Sharingan user whispered. "Because I acted in such a stupid manner I ended up hurting them." Tears were already running freely down his face. "All because… All because…"

Somewhere in the dark depths of the Uchiha's mind, a cruel voice started to mock him. "It starts with mere resentment for being left behind…" His brother's cold voice commented. "Until it blooms into an all overpowering hatred towards each and every one of those you hold dear." Itachi mocked him with every syllable. "That is you destiny as an Uchiha!"

Sasuke screamed in anguish. Standing up, the raven haired boy's hand found a desk nearby and flung it across the room, sending everything on top of it scattering throughout the floor.

As he hyperventilated, the genin's eyes caught sight of something that caused his guilt to skyrocket. Kneeling down, the Sharingan user picked up the newly broken portrait of Team Seven.

"It will start with Naruto, he's already so much more powerful than you…" Itachi had said on that day, apparently a month ago. "You're jealousy towards him will soon consume you, and you will grow to despise the very sight of him and every breath he takes… Just like you hate me…" His brother had taken the time to let out a sardonic laugh. "So, unless you can become stronger, the Uchiha blood that runs through your vein will lead you to betray even the people you love."

The raven haired boy's tears fell on the images of his teammates.

"The eyes we share are nothing but a curse…" The older Uchiha's voice echoed. "Naruto and I, and even Kakashi, have already risen above it to the point we are no longer control by it." Sasuke's grip on the portrait tightened. "But you are a weak an pathetic brat crying in a world full of monsters…" In that strange and dark world created by the Tsukuyomi genjutsu, his brother had smirked. "Either become strong or disappear from this world!"

In the Leaf nin's hand, what was left of his team's portrait was shattered into hundreds of little pieces.

The prodigy watched in horror as the picture fell to the floor as two separate pieces. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi in one, and his image on the other, having being rip out of Team Seven by his own hands.

Sasuke knees gave up and they found themselves on the floor. "Itachi was right…" His gaze was lost in the emptiness of his house as tears continue to run down freely. "He's right… I'm too weak." The Uchiha's eyes drifted down and ended up on a piece of paper that had being on the now destroyed table. With a trembling and bloodied hand, the boy reached for the paper he acquire a month ago, a Shinobi Change of Address Request Form for one Uzumaki Naruto. "If I stay here… I'm going to end up hating Naruto…"

She knew it was not wise, even for a kunoichi, to wander around the park at night, but after the emotionally heavy week she had experience, the fresh and cool night air was doing wonder to the girl's nerves. The memories from one week ago still gripped Sakura's heart with painful force.

The moment she and Hinata had walked back into the room, the pink haired girl immediately noticed the tension between her two teammates. Sasuke's eyes were set downcast on his bed sheath while Naruto glared out the window.

When the kunoichi asked them what was wrong, the two boys tried to play it off as if there was no problem at all, but their disposition, the strain in their voices, and the blond excusing himself soon after just to disappear for the rest of the week told her the truth of the situation.

The following days, Sakura still visited the raven haired boy, but the boy's awkward behavior and the loaded air in the room forced her visits to become shorter and shorter, until the day when Sasuke was finally going to be discharged, the Sharingan user asked her not to come, telling her that he just wanted some time alone to think.

Sakura did not know what to do now. Should she tried to talk to the raven haired boy, even though she had being unsuccessful all throughout the week, or should she locate and confront Naruto, albeit she still had troubles even addressing her changed teammate. Sighing in concern, the kunoichi once again asked whoever was listening to please keep Team Seven together.

A sound drew the girl's attention back to the path ahead of her. Slowly but surly, Sasuke's figure became visible just a couple of feet away from her.

The raven haired boy's eyes were downcast as he gradually moved forward, apparently lost in thought.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called out as she hurried up to meet him.

A shocked look appeared on the Uchiha's face as he caught sight of his teammate. "Sakura…! What are you doing here?" He asked.

The girl gave the Sharingan user a curious look. "I could ask you the same thing, Sasuke-kun." She offered him a smile. "Didn't the doctors say that you should take it easy for the next couple of days?"

Looking away from the pink haired kunoichi, a pained expression appeared in raven haired boy's face.

Her teammate's odd behavior did not go unnoticed by the girl. Looking over his figure, Sakura saw the boy's backpack strapped to his shoulder, immediately raising some red flags in her head. "Sasuke-kun…" She began. "Why do you have your…?"

The girl could not finish her question as she was caught off guard when the boy suddenly hugged her.

"Sas… Sasuke-kun…?" The kunoichi yelped in surprise as her head.

"Sakura…" The slightly taller genin said. His voice and breath fell down onto the pink haired girl's ear. "Thank you…"

Trying to control her racing heart, Sakura found the rest of her body frozen in place. "Wh… Why… Sasuke-kun?" She managed to ask.

The embrace around the girl's body became tighter. "For everything." The raven haired genin responded. "For staying by my side even when I didn't deserve it and never giving up on me."

Slowly, Sakura awkwardly brought her hands to her teammate's back. "You don't have to thank me for that, Sasuke-kun. I will always…" The girl's sentence was cut short when she felt tears fall on her shoulder. She could not help but be reminded of trees burning in black flames during a rainy day.

"I don't want to hurt you…" Sasuke near desperate voice snapped the girl out of her thoughts. Sakura wanted to ease the boy's worries and tell him that he could never hurt her, but she was cut off before staring by his breaking voice. "I'm sorry."

Kisame – Ok! Stop your flames and complaints for just a second!

Itachi – While it seems that it follows the manga, that's simply because this was the storyline that Phoenixsun liked the most, so he decided to use it as the last jumping off point.

Kisame – So, while the beginning is a lot like the original and the structure was kept, key difference will arise pretty soon.

Itachi – For example, instead of the "Sasuke Retrieval" arc, we like to call this story line "Sasuke Rescue", you'll see why in the next chapter.

Kisame – That's only because the name I submitted was rejected…

Itachi – You wanted to call it "Shounen-Fest" and that's just wrong… Anyways, we will see you next chapter.

Kisame – Yeah, when the fighting returns instead of all this mushy stuff.