A Change of Plans

The sun had begun to set, blanketing Konoha in an array of autumn colors befitting of the current season. There was a slight chill in the air as if announcing the arrival of winter. September was coming to an end and so were the hot days and warm nights. The beautiful thing about the forest surrounding Konoha, however, was almost all of the trees remained evergreen, which is the reasoning behind the dubbed name 'Village Hidden in the Leaves'. The birds had settled in their nests, ready for well-deserved rest. In doing so, giving the crickets and cicadas willing to brave the chilly air free reign of the night. They could be heard chirping shrilly.

A beautiful young woman of eighteen, Haruno Sakura, sat in her window, leaning her back against the frame, knees up and slender arms wrapped snugly around them, witnessing the end of another day. It was the main reason why she loved her little apartment. It was on the third floor and provided a generous view of the village; the weathered stone faces of all the Hokage, watching over the village standing out proudly, eternally.

An occasional breeze stirred her long pink hair. She didn't mind the cold; it was comforting and making her senses tingle pleasantly. The remnant warmth of the sun's rays caressed her face like a lover's parting touch. Her delicate features seemed carefree as she looked on at the fading sun. Yet, a sudden deep sigh escaped her pink lips, betraying her cool façade. She wasn't nervous about the mission; quite far from it. In fact, every time her thoughts fell on the mission, she felt this intense excitement bubbling up from her core.

And yet...

There was something else; another feeling. Something she couldn't place. It was nagging at her insides, just outside the far reaches of her conscious mind. Just on the tip of her tongue so she couldn't name it. But it was there, weighing heavily on her heart, almost like dread. A deep dread of something that has not yet come to pass. There was no particular reasoning to this sudden invasion of fearful apprehension. Was it her fate lying so heavily on her mind? The unknown vice grip of her impending future wrapping its fingers around her throat, squeezing ever so slightly and draining her life force steadily.

She shook her head slightly to dispel the sense of foreboding. And noticing the sun had almost set completely, she glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand and realized she'd been sitting there for over an hour. It was nearing eight o'clock and Sakura had to hurry if she didn't want to be late for the mission briefing. Bringing her feet down to hang on either side of her window sill, straddling it, she couldn't help but swing her feet to and fro like a school girl would on a swing.

Sakura sat in silence for a moment and then stretched her arms above her head, curving her back like a cat until a series of satisfying cracks were heard from her stiff joints. It had been a rough day at the hospital, she was thankful her schedule cleared early so she could go home and take a nice long soak in her tub and maybe a well-deserved nap. Well, the soak was nice, but as soon as she laid her head down, she was wide awake. Her body was tired but her mind seemed to be unable to relax. Sleep did not come easily to the kunoichi, not for a long time now...

'Dammit!' It was now seven forty-five! Where did the time go? She had to get a move on. She got up on the window sill and jumped to the nearest branch outside her window and gracefully landed on the ground. Grabbed her ninja sandals from the porch and headed to the Hokage tower. The night air was cool as it whipped through her long hair, luminous under the silver moon, as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

Tsunade would not be so lenient if she was late like Kakashi. It was one thing that aggravated the Hokage to no end. But they had solved the Kakashi-being-hours-late-for-everything-problem long ago. They simply told him the meeting would be a different time to what it actually would be. Which was just a few hours before the actual time. Still feigning outrage at his tardiness all the same so he doesn't catch on and ruin their plan.

To everyone's great surprise, it had been quite successful so far. It was ironic that the very man who had taught them to look underneath the underneath would be fooled so easily by such a simple trick.

The Hokage tower was in sight so Sakura landed noiselessly on the ground and slowed her pace.

"Sakura-chan!" She could recognize that voice anywhere she didn't bother turning around and continued walking, knowing he'd catch up.

"Hey, Naruto." She smiled as the knucklehead fell into step with her, his arms resting on the back of his neck.

They walked in silence, which she was thankful for. She was not in the mood for pleasantries or idle chatter. She stole a glance at her teammate and longtime friend. He had changed a lot these past few years. He had gotten even taller. As tall as Kakashi. His body had filled out and his voice deepened and had gotten incredibly strong.

True, he was still a loudmouth sometimes. Still charged ahead recklessly even with odds stacked against him. He was still a fool; a kind of fool only Naruto could be. The only thing that hasn't changed you could see in his eyes. Those eyes carried the will of fire still. They bore the inherent will to create peace and to become Hokage.

His dedication and hard work, his never wavering gutsiness were beginning to affect all those who come in contact with him. He had managed to bring down Kakuzu of the Akatsuki, putting a halt to their plans it seemed. For they had been silent for almost four years, no doubt that the remaining members were biding their time. Who knew? One thing they could be sure of was that they would not stay away forever.

Nevertheless, as a result of that, and Naruto's many successful missions to capture and defeat some of the most dangerous and notorious missing Nin in the bingo book, Konoha was allowed to live in peace. It was truly a good time to be alive. Naruto was seen as a hero and his once far-fetched dream didn't seem so farfetched at all anymore. The villagers started noticing all the good he had done, as opposed to the bonehead tricks and pranks he used to pull. And the Bijuu inside Naruto had been sealed away more securely until such time has come where he would have to learn to control it. The threat of the Kyuubi seemed like a distant memory, nothing more. It got pushed aside to the back of people's minds.

Call it a false sense of security. It might sound naïve, but Sakura was sure that Konoha would deal with it like they always have, if the beast was ever to break loose of its sealing Jutsu. Also keeping in mind that this was Naruto they were talking about and she had the utmost faith in him. Once you got to know him you couldn't help but believe that he could do anything he wanted to. People couldn't help but follow him, trust him.

Speaking of following, however, popularity didn't come without its issues. He had begun to attract another form of attention. It started slowly, small stuff. Autographs, getting phone numbers from random girls to groups who happened to be hanging around where Naruto was training, bringing him water etc. And ultimately to the extreme, being followed day and night, random marriage proposals and cat fights over who got to walk closest to him. Even Naruto, being very slow on the uptake, couldn't help but notice the sudden attention, and Sakura found herself playing bouncer, to her utter despair. As much as she loved beating up fangirls, she was starting to find it tedious. Was she really like this with Sasuke? It was so desperate and pathetic, it made her shiver with disgust.

Luckily, the situation was nipped in the bud before it got too much out of control by none other than Hyuga Hinata, who stepped up and claimed what had always been hers. And they've been inseparable ever since. Shy little Hinata who stuttered when she spoke and blushed several shades of Crimson when Naruto even looked at her, just stepped up to the numbskull, pulled him close and kissed him full on the mouth. And then, of course, passed out right after, which wasn't surprising at all. Sakura was happy for them, especially Hinata who had loved him completely, irrevocably from a young age. Her feelings had never wavered, she was the only one who had rooted for him since the beginning. Similar to the feelings Sakura had for…

'Sasuke.'

'Oh no you DON'T!' her inner self hissed, hammering away obnoxiously. 'We will not give that man the time of day! Don't make me kick your ass!'

"You okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked tentatively, looking faintly worried.

"Oh." Green eyes widened as she realized she'd been gazing into the distance while her thoughts took over. "It's nothing, Naruto." She said sheepishly.

"You looked constipated for a second there– ouch! What was that for?" He whined, clutching his head which had a bump caused by Sakura's enhanced fist.

"For being an insensitive jerk!" She growled, her eye twitching.

"Hey, Ugly. Hey, Naruto."

This did not help matters at all. Seething and shaking with anger, Sakura aimed a well-endowed punch at Sai's head.

"I am unclear as to what I could possibly have done wrong this time," Sai said dismally, also clutching his head.

"Why call Naruto by his name and I get called by that insufferable nickname you gave me? Huh!" Sakura said menacingly, shaking her fist at Sai.

"Naruto and I share a special bond ever since we got stranded on a mission. We had to cuddle semi-naked for warmth to survive-"

"Shut it, Sai!" It was Naruto's turn to punch him in the head.

"Ow!" Sai exclaimed, now sporting two impressive lumps on his head. "Sakura-chan is a medical ninja, she understands the basics of survival in such situations. It was you who obviously interpreted it in a sexual manner. Are you sexually frustrated? Is Hinata-chan not giving you enough pus-"

THUMP!

THUMP!

Two more lumps added to the collection.

"You wanna die?" Naruto yelled, blushing deeply.

"Sai! You're being lewd! Where did you hear that word?" Sakura growled.

"It was in a book I read; one I got from Kakashi-sensei."

"Figures," Sakura muttered, shaking her head. "Come on guys, we are going to be late for the briefing. At this rate, Kakashi-sensei will beat us to it."

Putting an end to their squabble, they entered the Hokage tower in silence, Naruto still glaring daggers at Sai, grumbling under his breath. His cheeks still had a pink tinge. It made Sakura wonder if Naruto and Hinata had "done it" yet. Although she couldn't see that happening anytime soon, seeing as the girl can't even hold his hand without fainting. Just imagine…

'Uh…creeper alert! Are you actually trying to imagine Naruto doing the nasty with Hinata-chan…on purpose?' her inner yelled, clearly annoyed. 'You need to get laid. Seriously.'

A blush crept up her cheek at the thought. 'Ugh stop with that crap! I have no intention of doing… that…with anyone!' Great, even in her own mind she sounded pathetic.

'Ha! You're such a virgin calling sex 'that'! And don't even think for a second that I don't know what goes on in that deep part of your mind. You need to stop clinging to that Sasuke fantasy! It ain't gonna happen! You sound pathetic! And we are NOT pathetic!'

'Tch, you're just as much as a virgin as I am! I'm not insane, I know it will never happen with Sasuke, but I'm not about to just give it away to any guy who happens to be interested! Besides, we have more important things to worry about right now other than boys and-and…that!'

If Sakura was expecting a retort from her inner, which she did, she was disappointed. Her alter-ego just remained silent. 'Wow, that shut her up for once.'

The sudden sound of Sai knocking on the Hokage's door broke Sakura out of her never-ending feud with her inner self. Her straightforward self, her obnoxious self, but, most of all, her warrior self. She was the one who got Sakura through every hardship. Yes, she was annoying and annoyingly honest too, but Sakura would never have been where she was now without her.

"Enter." The Hokage's crisp voice could be heard from the other side of the door.

The door swung open to the Hokage's office, displaying the usual mountain of scrolls and paperwork littering the floor, as well as the giant wooden desk behind which sat a rather harassed looking Tsunade. Shizune, who had opened the door for them, also looked quite distressed, clutching Ton-Ton in her right arm.

The three teens hastily stepped into the office, immediately sensing the Godaime's rotten mood. Sakura hoped Naruto had the good sense to keep his mouth shut today unless he wanted to decorate the pavement outside the office with his blood. Tsunade had not yet thrown him out of the window, but The Hokage was notorious for tossing furniture through the office window when she was in a bad mood. And Sakura had the inkling that he was on thin ice. He didn't know when to keep his big mouth shut! In addition, the ominous chakra radiating from the Hokage was nothing to sneeze at.

A faint gulping noise caught Sakura's ear, it seemed to be coming from Naruto. 'Good!' Sakura thought, 'He noticed. He certainly wasn't as dimwitted as he used to be. Shanaroo!'

"Kakashi better show up soon," Naruto muttered to Sakura. "Or Baa-chan will have an aneurysm."

"He'll be here, I'm sure Kakashi-sensei is just at Obito-san's grave," Sakura whispered back.

"Hm," Naruto affirmed, looking thoughtful, his blue eyes misted with sadness.

It was only a few years ago, after Sakura and Naruto had had enough of Kakashi being so late all the time, that they decided to get the bottom of his constant tardiness. They were supposed to leave for a mission with Kakashi and wanted to guarantee his arrival on time, no matter what was keeping him. They decided to camp out close to his house, masking their chakra and making sure Kakashi didn't sense them. It was barely dawn when they saw movement inside his apartment. He opened his window and stretched for a second, before leaping out into a nearby tree and bounding off. They hastened to follow, still maintaining a low profile and keeping their distance.

Whatever they suspected his reason for disregarding the arranged times was, it definitely was not what they discovered. They came to a sudden halt in the trees, shocked at the sight that met their eyes. Their sensei, sitting on his knees between two identical graves, not far from that big obsidian monument erected in the honor of fallen heroes during the third shinobi war. His profile didn't look anything like the laid back, confident Kakashi they knew. It was a sort of dejected posture of a man broken in pieces. And it was only because he thought he was alone, that he let that façade fall. And it was in that moment that Sakura saw the real Hatake Kakashi.

It made her feel uneasy, lingering there. Almost as though she was intruding on a private and intimate moment.

"Let's go, Naruto." She whispered to him. "We shouldn't be here."

"Yeah." He breathed, looking at Kakashi strangely, as though conflicted.

Sakura knew he was having the same dilemma as her, torn between approaching him and comforting him or just letting him be; the latter probably being the wiser choice. They set off shortly after, not feeling in any way relieved by the discovery of the truth. It was later that they found out who those graves belonged to. They were his teammates, Nohara Rin, and Uchiha Obito, who he'd lost through battle long ago. Neither of them ever mentioned their discovery to anyone.

"I hope I am not too late." With a puff of smoke, the very same copy Nin Sakura had been thinking of, announced himself suddenly.

"Hardly." The Hokage growled, not lifting her gaze from her paperwork.

Sakura caught Kakashi's lone eye and shook her head slightly, signaling him silently not to test the Godaime today. With a faint eye crinkle, he accepted her warning and there was silence once more.

Other than Ton-Ton's occasional 'oinks' or the movement of the parchment in Tsunade's hands as she scanned what seemed like a very important document, the office was completely silent. The Hokage's brows were furrowed in concentration, thus they knew better than to utter a word at that moment.

Several minutes passed like this; when Tsunade wasn't reading a scroll she was rummaging through a stack of scrolls right next to her on the desk, sometimes retrieving a scroll that had fallen to the ground. She seemed to be looking for something specific. The ones she deemed relevant, she placed on a heap on her desk and other were discarded on the floor.

"Right, now that we are all here," Tsunade stated briskly, gathering her scrolls and placing them to one side. "Finally." She added in a low voice, irritation unmistakable in her voice.

"My apologies, Lady Hokage. There was this cat that got stuck-"

"Save it!" Tsunade hissed, taking a deep breath and seemed to calm herself. "Finally we can begin."

She reached for a scroll on her desk, held it out to Kakashi to take, who promptly unfurled it and scanned its contents, his lone eye running across the parchment.

"Your mission, Team Kakashi, is to escort one of our Suna merchants and see them safely to Land of Wind. There have been thefts reported these past few weeks, allegedly in the Land of Rivers, a very direct trade route Konoha and Suna share. There has been an investigation underway which bore no results. The Kazekage requested our assistance in the matter and suspects that it might be the work of Suna Rogue Nin. Which is an extremely delicate matter at the moment."

"What about the land of Rivers? The merchants need to pass through their borders to Suna." Sai asked.

"The Land of Rivers is unaware of this and have never had a hand in our trade route. It was an agreement our Feudal Lords had whilst negotiating import and export. During the previous investigation, border guards have been questioned but have been cleared. These raids are extremely precise and systematic. The perpetrators are no mere bandits, they have extensive knowledge of each trade schedule. They're proficient in ninjutsu as well." Tsunade said, interlacing her fingers while her elbows rest on the desk. "The land of Wind remain in dire straits which regularly boils over to some sort of uprising or dispute. There are still many who disapprove of Gaara as Kazekage."

"It's because he used to be a Jinchūriki, isn't it!" Naruto growled, clenching his fists.

"Also because Lord Gaara is still very young," Kakashi added. "They believe he lacks the experience. And, yes, they still perceive him to be a threat."

"That's bullshit! He had the Shukaku extracted from him years ago and Gaara died!" Naruto burst out angrily. "He died! Isn't that enough? Hasn't he paid enough? Done enough?"

"We share your frustration, Naruto," Sakura said, squeezing his forearm reassuringly. "Yet they will continue to distrust Gaara out of sheer ignorance and fear. A fear they'd once known to be very real. It cannot just disappear overnight. Also, the people of Suna are very different from our people. It will be much harder to convince them."

"As Kazekage, Gaara is doing a very admirable job proving himself," Tsunade said. "The path he has chosen to walk is that of reconciliation for past transgressions, it will and cannot be ignored. We can already see a change taking place, just like it is with you, Naruto. The people will start seeing Gaara for who he is, a leader. Someone to respect. You, of all people know, that respect is earned, not taken."

If Lady Tsunade knew how to do anything, it was ending a discussion. Be it with her monstrous strength coupled with her short temper or the ability to resolve any doubt with her logic or sharp reasoning. She was a tough one to argue with at any rate. Naruto, however, was even more stubborn than the Hokage. And Sakura had the suspicion that the reason he remained silent was that he agreed with her. Otherwise, this would have gotten bloody; for the only living soul who dared to argue with Tsunade, was Naruto.

"This mission is to be dealt with in utmost secrecy, as we do not know who the spies are. If there are any spies feeding intel to the Nuke-Nin. You are to go under the radar, the merchants you are guarding will not know of your existence." Tsunade stood up and turned abruptly to gaze out of her giant window. "Observe from afar, find out where these attacks are coming from and, with extreme caution, capture the perpetrators alive. They are to be escorted to Suna. It is important that you memorize the rendezvous point, where you will meet with the Kazekage himself."

"In person?" Sai asked. "Isn't that rather risky for a man in his position?"

"Hence the secrecy," Tsunade replied as she resumed her pacing. "Lord Gaara knows the risks of such a venture."

"The Kazekage wants a chance to speak to the perpetrators in person. To find out what the issue is." Kakashi remarked thoughtfully.

"He's willing to listen to them; tend to their needs as individuals. As equals." Sakura said, smiling.

Gaara had really come a long way from that monstrous, bloodthirsty time bomb he had once been. It was clear through Gaara's actions he was doing what he could to live right by Naruto, because of what Naruto had taught him all those years ago during the Chūnin Exams. It had been a turning point in both their lives. What may have seemed like a simple act of kindness, had endured and caused a ripple effect, which grew to a vast tidal wave of power, magnified by friendship.

That power was the bond between Gaara and Naruto, current Kazekage, and future Hokage. A power that will one day create bridges between all lands, leaders, and clans. Connecting us to the same ideal, the same future of hope, peace, and love. This was the power of Naruto's heart, his will of fire.

Catching Naruto's profile out of the corner of her eye, looking proud and smiling made Sakura's heart squeeze.

"It is prudent they are delivered to the Kazekage alive." Tsunade was saying. "I have faith you'll handle this accordingly. This–"

Whatever the Hokage wanted to say was cut off by a sharp, urgent rap on her office door.

"Enter." She said heavily "This better be life-threatening." She muttered faintly.

The office door opened and an Anbu Black Ops stepped in, wearing a mask that looked like a cat. In haste, he approached the Godaime, took a bow on one knee and held out two scrolls. One was a flaming red scroll and the other was black. Tsunade took the two scrolls, opened the black scroll, briefly scanning its contents with a slight frown on her face. She placed it on the desk and undid the sealing Jutsu of the red one hastily and read.

Now Sakura, who had been studying under Tsunade for many years, knew all her expressions and moods very well. She had seen it all. From slight annoyance to downright rage. Anything from sadness all the way through to happiness. What Sakura saw at that moment, however, made her heart catch in her throat. Never, in all her years of knowing Lady Tsunade, had Sakura ever seen that expression plague her beautiful face.

At that moment, Sakura knew the sense of foreboding she had felt earlier that night was not a mere figment of her imagination. Somehow she knew that there was something terribly wrong.

The expression Sakura had seen on her Shishou's face, was not something one is accustomed to seeing on such a strong and courageous leader. Before Tsunade's face flickered back to neutral, Sakura caught it; intense fear. Nauseating fear.

The Hokage's knuckles were white from clutching the scroll, the only thing betraying her cool, calculating mask at that moment. Once she had finished reading, she rolled the scroll up and placed it on the pile she had been reading through earlier and addressed the Anbu.

"Has it been contained?" She barked.

"Hai, Hokage-Sama. We have set up a perimeter, the area is secure. We await your orders to proceed with the contingency plan."

"Very well. Find Hyuga Neji and instruct him to assemble a four-man survey and escort team. He must meet me here with his team within the hour." Tsunade said in her usual no-nonsense voice.

"Hai, Hokage-Sama." The Anbu got up, bowed and disappeared.

"Shizune!" Tsunade said briskly.

"Hai, Shishou." Shizune approached her.

"You know what to do." Tsunade handed her a different scroll which was right next to the red one the Anbu had brought.

"Hai!" Shizune replied and disappeared too, leaving the office silent once more.

The Hokage started pacing, biting her bottom lip with her hands clasped together tightly behind her back. It was common for Lady Tsunade when she was nervous about something, but Sakura noticed something strange about the Hokage. Every few seconds when Tsunade turned to pace back and forth, she would shoot Sakura with the strangest of glances. She was scrutinizing her closely, her face displaying conflicting emotions. This made Sakura very nervous indeed. She could not think of something she might have possibly done wrong. And, whatever was written in that mission report, was nothing good. Also, what did it have to do with her?

After what felt like an age of painful silence, Tsunade stopped pacing to face them a look of forced determination on her face, which was laced with fear. Although Sakura was sure she was the only one who could see the fear.

"Alright," Tsunade said, after a deep breath. "Change of plans."

***Back to Sasuke in the past***

As an Uchiha, things were always relatively easy to achieve. When he needed something, he got it. When he wanted to learn a Jutsu, easy. Attention, no matter how unwanted, he always had it. For an Uchiha who had nothing, he always seemed to have everything. Good looks, an uncanny ability to always succeed at whatever he attempted, a clear mind and strong will. Never, in all his young life, had the Uchiha struggled like this. Failed like this. And, to add insult to his already bruised ego, his failure had resulted in not being able to break through a stupid piece of rock!

"Gah!" Sweaty brow, heavy breathing, Sharingan ablaze, Uchiha Sasuke sat crouched down, his one hand keeping him steady between his feet on the ground.

Several scorch marks decorated the crystal encrusted cave walls, evidence of his failed attempts at escape. To say that he was annoyed, was the understatement of the century. No, he was annoyed when he woke up from being caught off guard the first time, being undermined by a stupid fucking piece of pink rock. No, he was way past that, he was seeing red. What the hell had he been training for all these years? To be enfeebled by mineral composite? By now, he had tried any and all kinds of Jutsu at his disposal, nothing seemed to have even the slightest effect on this mysterious cave.

How long he had been trapped there, he did not know. It could have been hours, days or weeks. The fact was, everything seemed to function differently in this place. The entire time/space theory could be thrown out the window. His body felt heavier, it felt like he had been bedridden for a year. And had only now been allowed the use of his muscular functions. Yet that was not the case. Nothing was wrong with his dexterity or his muscle memory. So the only reasonable explanation would be that the gravity is much heavier than what he was used to.

Therefore, it was only logical that the stone walls of the cave seemed indestructible. He could not measure anything by his regular standards in this place. Not even time could be measured by his perception.

He needed a different strategy. He needed to calm down and reorganize his thoughts, center his chakra. Sitting down, legs crossed and eyes closed, Sasuke took a deep breath and tried reconnecting his chakra. After a few minutes, he could feel the chakra pattern stabilizing and he focused it on moving outward, feeling its surroundings, stretching further. He felt the cave, which unimaginable power contained within the crystals, tantalizing, yet frightening at the same time. He tried pushing past it, beyond these so-called indestructible walls. Trying to get a sense of what is outside this strange place. He was disappointed, yet, not surprised to find nothing.

It was exactly what he had been suspecting. He didn't sense anything beyond those walls because there was nothing. Either that or this place has one hell of a defensive chakra field around it. Preventing anyone from getting in and, in his case, out as they please.

It did not help to go to pieces though, he knew that. He needed his sharp mind if he ever wanted to get out of here. So far, all he had been doing was fighting it. Fighting the cave, fighting the realization that he had been duped. It had been a hard knock on his ego, he wasn't going to deny that. No, anger and denial were not going to help him here.

Feeling a little lighter than he felt since he got here, the Uchiha got up and looked around the mammoth of a cavern. Sharingan activated, he looked for anything that might help him in escaping.

Chakra.

Wherever he looked, it was like he was struck with an unending wall of vivacious chakra. It did not feel threatening or hostile, just powerful. It was like looking at a tidal wave from a much too close proximity to be comfortable with. He had probably gone about it the wrong way, he thought as his sharp eyes scanned the blue and pink crystals, twinkling almost pleasantly at him. The funny thing was, not once, in all the time being trapped here, had he felt the slightest inkling of fear.

Panic, sure. Uncertainty, frustration, anger, disappointment.

But never fear.

Whatever that strange sensation was that lead him here in the first place, despite being pushed off a cliff, he was sure that he wasn't in any immediate danger.

'Well, maybe in danger of starving or insomnia.' He thought bitterly.

He always carried his pack with scrolls containing rations and gear though. There was no telling, however, how long that was going to last. He would have to worry about that when the time came. He had yet to explore this colossal place completely.

Another thing he noticed about being here was, despite having spent a monstrous amount of chakra on his attempted escape, he felt fine. His chakra levels still at an optimum level, as though it had never been disturbed. Yes, he was winded because of the messed up gravity, everything felt heavier. But he wasn't even tired.

He should have been tired by now.

He'd been here for a couple of days at least? He had to be. There was no telltale sign of time having passed here. Everything seemed to perpetuate, like an unending loop. This couldn't be a Genjutsu. He would have noticed it immediately, there wasn't a Genjutsu that could trap him without his knowledge. Not anymore…not after Itachi.

Like an old habit, he waited for the dull aching pain and red-hot hate to surface at the thought of his older brother.

But it didn't come.

It felt strange, sort of empty and yet it felt liberating at the same time. He had been plagued by grief and loss for his family and consumed by his hatred for his brother. And now it was like there was nothing, like a dull ache of a phantom wound. Sasuke was willing to bet anything it was the result of being in this cave for so long. It was doing things to him, things he could not begin to explain or analyze. This also led him to another suspicion; he was definitely not brought here by accident.

Still unclear as to why he was dumped here, the Uchiha stood up. Immediately he felt dizzy. Maybe he had gotten up too fast, he wasn't sure. His vision went blurry like he was losing consciousness.

'No, not again!' he thought desperately as his heart started racing. He shook his head jerkily, hoping to dispel the feeling overcoming him.

The Prodigy sat down on his haunches, his hand over his face as his other held him steady against the cave wall. His heart was beating at a fast pace as though he had been running, he was shaking and sweatdropped. His vision, still fuzzy, seemed to refocus slightly. The humming sound had come back, vibrating throughout his entire body. Closing his eyes tightly, Sasuke desperately fought this intense feeling that was enveloping his senses. As soon as his eyelids shut, he was overcome by the strangest thing.

Pink. Instead of seeing black behind his closed eyes. He saw radiating pink light, enveloping his vision.

"Sasu-ke-kun…"

What the hell was that? He knew that voice, but couldn't recall who it belonged to. His heart squeezed tightly, painfully for some reason. The arm supporting him against the cave started to feel numb, he opened his eyes and noticed he had unwittingly placed his hand on one of the pink crystals, which had adopted a luminous glow. It was as though it had reacted to his touch. It was the crystal that had been inducing these feelings inside him. He was sure of it now.

He hastened to get away from it but it was too late. It was as though someone had pressed play on a movie in his mind and all he could see was her.

"Sakura." His voice was raspy like it was deprived of moisture.

Something strange was happening with his stomach, like those butterflies earlier but more intense. All of his senses were overtaken by this strange phenomenon. His actions and thoughts were no longer his own. What had been fuzzy was now crystal clear. His stomach made a pleasant jolt, sufficiently numbing his extremities. There was a tingling sensation all over his body. He was completely at the mercy of these intense projections. He felt something soft caress his chest, like small, delicate hands. Something that felt like moist lips traveling down his jaw leaving scorching kisses down his neck and back up again. His hands were gripping something soft which felt like mounds of flesh so supple and tender. She smelled like strawberries and vanilla.

Suddenly, he felt her hard nipples being pressed against his hard chest as his arms went around her and he pressed her flush against his now naked body.

How he had become unclothed, he did not know. He could not make sense of this no matter how he tried. Everything was so overpowering, electrifying. Sasuke felt his length harden against her and crushed her small body to his almost desperately. She gasped his name once more as her warm body responded to his ministrations and any resistance he had left had vanished. Any rational thought had vanished. The only thing left was this intense, raw desire. He wanted to feel her completely, every inch. He wanted her beautiful mouth to moan his name again; he thirsted for it. Everything about her was so intoxicating and riveting.

She felt so good against him, so comfortable. His hands traveled up her back, loving the feel of her soft skin. She looked up at him, her emerald eyes dilated, dark with intense desire. Her hands moved to caress his face, thus capturing his lips in a searing kiss.

The humming sound had become louder, creating a slight vibration in his chest. He was sure he was going to die from the intensity of it all. Surely, he was about to explode from all the repressed urges he had been keeping locked up all these years. Everything was becoming brighter, like a pure white light which had been on dim, was turned up. Their tongues exploring each other, sending intense waves of pleasure through Sasuke's body. It was becoming brighter, almost as though it was trying to match the intensity of the humming.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open, Sharingan activated with his heart hammering at the pace of a steam engine. He was facing the non-existent sealing again. Had he passed out again? What happened? The last thing he remembered was sitting there silently, trying to stabilize his chakra and thinking about his family and then this weird flash of pink light. The next thing he knew he was on his back again. This recurring event was really annoying him to no end. He touched the pink stone and he heard a voice. Though it was unclear who that voice belonged to. He could not remember anything else.

Maybe he was finally going insane, his mind starting to crack. Sasuke slowly got up, trying to calm his heart, still beating as though he had been running. He needed a plan of action and sitting here was not going to help him in any way.

Making especially sure not to walk near the crystals, in fear of touching them, he set off into the closest passageway. Trying to find some sort of…well…something. He just wanted to get out of this place.

***Present time***

All this had been a while ago. A week, a month. He could not tell. After being dumped in this place, Sasuke spent most of his time exploring and training his body to become accustomed to this new world. He was running low on rations although his body did not seem to need sustenance as much as it would in the real world. It was difficult to keep track of everything being so out of proportion.

He reached the grotto and disrobed, still irritated by his body betraying him like this. He approached the waterfall, knowing the water was cold and stepped in under it. The shock of the cold water was sure to do the trick, getting rid of his atrocious hard-on.

'Tch! If I ever get out of here, I hope I never see that woman again in my life!' he thought savagely, trying very hard not to let the instant blush crawl up his cheeks at the thought of his former pink-haired teammate.

At that moment, Haruno Sakura, standing in the Hokage's office watching her Shishou pace, gave one great big sneeze.