Naruto 1. KakaSaku: Eye for an Eye

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

Series: Naruto

Title: Eye For An Eye

Author: Tiasha

**AN: Kakashi/Sakura pairing**

Special Thanks to roark28 for being my Beta Reader!

* * *

She sat up with a start, pink tresses framing her face haphazardly while one pale hand clutched a kunai tightly, poised in a defensive gesture. Breaths came out in heavy pants at first before quieting to nothing more than a hushed whisper. Wide green eyes darted around the room searching for any signs of abnormality, any clue that would explain the disturbance of her nightly routine. She ignored the drum of rain pelting against the glass panes of her two windows and the rolls of thunder that boomed overhead spontaneously, straining instead to hear something out of place in the somewhat large bedroom. Nothing.

Lightening illuminated the room momentarily and her eyes scanned its contents before realizing that there was no one there. So why was she wide awake with adrenaline pumping through her veins and her arm unwilling to lower the knife-like weapon clasped in her hand? Why did she feel like there was some impending aura blanketing the room?

With a heavy sigh, she finally forced herself to lower the weapon and look to her side, absently-wondering why her lover had not made a comment about her odd behavior. Teasing her and getting her riled up was a favorite pastime of his and for him to not take this opportunity to jibe at her was peculiar. Her eyes widened a fraction as she took in the empty space next to her, the slight indention of the mattress attesting the figure's occupancy of the dwelling but the coolness of the sheets informing her that he had been absent for awhile.

Running her free hand through her tangled roseate locks, she rotated one stiff shoulder and threw the covers from over her legs. Swinging herself out of bed slowly, she stood and moved to look for her lover, wondering what would be keeping him away for so long. Surely he wouldn't have left for a mission without telling her… Or perhaps that was why she had awoken; somehow sensing that he would need to be leaving soon? In any case, he would have told her and so smothering a yawn, she stumbled out of their room to see what was going on.

One hand absently came to rest on the gentle swell of her belly as she placed the other on the door frame for support, her eyes taking stock of the dark hallway and living area. There was no light except for what was provided by the erratic bolts of lightening, which told her that there was nothing there. No sign of him or any wayward shadows. Nothing.

Her stomach began to churn with unease and she glanced about the living area one more time, stretching her awareness to sense his chakra. She found none…in the house…period. He must have been masking it, although why he would do so was beyond her. Gritting her teeth, she moved farther into the living room, calling out for him in a manner that she knew would draw a reaction.

"Sensei?" she said softly, voice lilting in a teasing manner. Once they had established their current relationship, he had not been keen on her using that term when she spoke to him. She surmised that it reminded him of what relationship they had originally had and it made him feel slightly uncomfortable. For despite her reassurances of not caring what others thought about their relationship, she could always sense the tension in him when he would hear the whispers and gestures regarding them.

She received no response save for a dull thud further into the room. Tensing her muscles, she stretched her senses out again, searching for any signs of chakra. Still, nothing stood out to her. Yet now, she could see a shadow moving in the corner of the living area, slithering along the wall and drawing closer to her. Her breath caught in her throat as she raised the kunai in a defensive manner, backing up slowly and wishing that her lover would end this little game of his already.

The shadow continued to close the distance between them and she began to take more urgent steps away from the living area, heading back towards the bedroom. He should know better than to be putting this much emotional stress on her when she was so far along into pregnancy. What was he thinking?! He either _wasn't_ thinking…or that shadow was not him…

A frown marred her face and that hand that had been resting on her belly in a relaxed manner tensed and curled around it in a protective one. She felt a gentle kick in return for her efforts, bringing new resolve to her demeanor. Whoever this shadow was, they were not going to find her to be such an easy target—even if she was carrying around extra weight because of the baby. She had only just recently been told to quite her everyday training, but that if it were necessary she would still be able fight up until the seventh month. She was only halfway through the sixth.

With the shadow nearly two yards away from her, she decided to try and convince her lover one last time to end this little game, if it was indeed him. "Kakashi?" she called out, inwardly frowning at how terrified her voice had sounded. She had not needed to sound _that_ afraid, despite how sick she was beginning to feel with her stomach tied in such knots.

"Hatake Kakashi, I swear if this is some game of yours—" she said, her frightened voice now having an edge to it as she narrowed her eyes at the shadow. She gasped however, when the shadow moved quickly to stand directly in front of her. "Kakashi?" Her voice cracked on the last syllable of his name.

"Not quite, Haruno Sakura," came the sickening reply, gold eyes flashing in the darkness of the room. She felt her blood freeze in her veins and her green eyes widen in pure terror. She had thought that they had finally destroyed this man—no, monster—when Naruto had finally dragged Sasuke back those few years ago. She had thought that they would never have to worry about him or the Sound country again when the invasion had ended. She had thought they had finally _won_!

"Wha—what? H-h-how can you be—" she stuttered, backing away so quickly she nearly stumbled. Her first instinct was to flee, protect her baby and flee. She knew that despite all the training she had and the shinobi level she was at, she was no match for him; especially not now with the baby holding her back. She couldn't risk the use of her chakra; if she drained herself of too much, the baby would be the casualty.

'_Oh God, where is he? Kakashi, where are you?!_' she silently screamed, fearing that the reason her lover had not answered was because he had failed to keep the monster in front of her at bay. Lightening flashed again and this time, she felt her breath die in her chest, lungs burning from the sudden grip that tightened around her chest.

Kakashi's face loomed before her, framing a pair of golden eyes she had come to fear so long ago.

"No," she somehow managed to whisper with the lack of oxygen to her lungs. Orochimaru chuckled, smiling cruelly from her lover's face as he continued to advance.

"No, no, no no no-no-nono_no_!" she cried, her back finally hitting the wall, her bedroom door about five feet to her left. She made to dive into the room and close the door but she had barely turned when a hand clamped around her throat and slammed her into the wall. She was trapped now and her free hand moved from its place on her belly to claw at the hand around her neck. Disbelief filled her eyes as she stared at him, knowing that it was no longer her lover but still praying for some sliver of hope, for his eyes to turn back and fill with recognition or something of the like.

"What is this? You seem displeased. I spared your Uchiha boy. Was that not what you wanted?" that sickening voice hissed, causing her stomach to clench again and her knees to grow weak.

"Orochimaru, you bastard—!" her sentence was cut off by the tightening of his hand. Her grip on the kunai was still tight and free to slice at the hand that had her pinned to the wall; but even so, she could not bring herself to raise her arm and strike him. The scar running over his right eye reminded her of her silent vow—she never wanted to leave a scar on him, physically or emotionally.

"You _are_ unhappy. Shame, you see, because I have what I want… I have the Sharingan…"

"Nooo," she moaned, her eyes burning and threatening to spill over with tears as she realized her love was indeed lost.

She watched his gold eyes flick downwards to glance over her protruding stomach in a disdainful manner. A sneer crossed his handsome face and every maternal instinct kicked in with the words that left his mouth.

"His runt no doubt. Disgusting creature…"

Immediately she lashed out, using her fist clenched around the kunai to punch the arm holding her, still mindful of not marring the flesh with the blade. She had to get away—had to save her baby. The baby was all she had left of Kakashi now…

Her efforts were in vain for the hand constricted her air flow even more, causing her to become lightheaded and lethargic. She had to stop him somehow. She had to do something, she thought as she felt a hand press to the round of her belly.

"No," she moaned again before a searing pain ripped through her abdomen, making her scream until her throat felt raw. Blackness began to encroach upon her vision as she stared into the horridly hypnotic eyes, a malicious grin glaring at her. She then felt liquid trickle down the inside of her thighs and down to the floor, soaking the carpet beneath her feet.

Somehow, without looking, she knew it was blood—knew that it was hers…and the baby's... And then the blackness that had been hovering around the edges of her vision finally overtook her and she fell unconscious.

* * *

She sat up with a start, pink tresses framing her face haphazardly while one pale hand clutched a kunai tightly, poised in a defensive gesture. Breaths came out in heavy pants at first before quieting to nothing more than a hushed whisper of air. Her green eyes were wide as they darted about the room, trying to decipher if this was all still a dream or if it was reality. Her free hand flew to her stomach, feeling the flat, sleek muscles beneath her tank top.

'_Dream,_' she surmised as she lowered her weapon. Her memory was becoming clearer now that there was no sleep to haze her mind. She had already had the baby a few months ago, and god she had not known that labor could be that…painful… But, she realized that she would gladly go through it again if it meant having another beautiful bundle of joy like her son.

With a fatigued sigh, she looked over to her side in hopes of watching her lover sleep for a while before he sensed her being awake. He had an uncanny ability to do that and a good majority of the time, it irked her. While she could sleep through him getting up, showering, dressing, making breakfast and the whole shebang, he'd be awake the moment she closed the bathroom door softly. The schmuck…

Her bed was empty. The realization numbed her and sent a chill running up her spine. Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, she cautiously crawled out of bed and tiptoed into the hall. She was stretching her senses now, hoping to catch a trace of her lover's chakra and mostly definitely her son's. Her son's would be the most prevalent of the two since the babe was only three and half months old now; but her lover's would be another story, although she doubted that he would be masking his at such a late hour. If he was though…that meant trouble…

She breathed an audible sigh of relief as her senses brushed against his chakra, and it was mingling with their son's too. So he was in with the baby… Thank god… she silently prayed, remembering her nightmare.

Making her way down the hall at a normal pace, she paused in the doorway of her son's nursery to take in the scene before her with a soft smile. Hatake Kakashi at first glance did not seem like the type of man to take to…domestication as it were. No, having as established of a career as he did, settling down would seem to be a far cry from his normal tendencies and reputation. And yet there he was, sitting in a rocking chair, cradling their son against his chest while he held a bottle for the babe to feed from.

It was profoundly endearing to her to see him so attentive and mindful of the babe, knowing that before they had pursued their intimate relationship, he had always been of the mind that his loyalties lied with Konoha first. And in truth they still did, but the Hokage had been assigning him fewer and fewer missions as of late; Sakura speculated that it was because Tsunade-sama knew that with all the blood, sweat and tears Kakashi had shed and suffered from for Konoha, he deserved some sort of gratitude from his village, even if he never once asked for anything in return for his duties. That and Sakura secretly believed that the Hokage was captivated by the future Hatake prodigy.

But whatever the case was, Sakura was thankful…for everything…

"Something wrong?" he asked her softly, not wishing to disturb their son who was beginning to drift off. She blinked a few times in surprise, his question bringing her out of her thoughts and back to the present. Sakura then furrowed her brows asking him why he thought that something was wrong.

He chuckled as he answered her; "You didn't even stir when he began crying. For you to be awake now…something must have happened."

She frowned. Actually, she pouted and he gave her his usual lazy grin, contentment and amusement evident on his facial features and in his mismatched eyes. He did not push the issue though and instead stood to hand the baby over to his mother for burping. As it turned out, when the boy was about to fall asleep after eating, Sakura was the only one who could burp him and prevent him from being colic. It was something that had silently annoyed and aggravated the man, but he finally accepted it as something that would either change or be a one up that she had on him. He secretly wanted it to change.

Sakura immediately frowned as she lifted one hand to momentarily debate what to do with the kunai that was clenched in it. Her lover raised a brow at the fact that she even had it with her but somehow managed to trade the baby for the kunai without any problems. With a grateful smile and a sense of peace washing over her now that she held her son in her arms, she lightly rocked the boy as she patted his back in a rhythm, relieved when snuffled into her shoulder and let out a soft burp almost immediately. The simple act of burping her son was calming to her frazzled nerves, easing her anxiety that the dream had caused and she again sighed in relief.

"Sakura…" her lover said in a manner that meant he wanted to know what was bothering her. She bit her lower lip before gathering her thoughts and courage to speak.

"It was a nightmare," she said simply after a few moments, moving to place their son in his bassinette once he had finished burping. She did not elaborate, instead pulling the blankets up around the sleeping babe and watching him sleep—innocently unaware of all the dangers outside of his crib and home.

"About?" he pressed when he could tell she would not continue without prodding from him.

Huffing in annoyance, she turned to see him twirling the kunai in his hand and a brow once again raised, but in a manner that said the weapon was his case and point in this little disagreement of theirs. She told him it was nothing. He frowned.

"If it was nothing, then why were you walking through the halls carrying this?" he questioned, holding the kunai out towards her to once again emphasize his point. "Sakura," he said in a more gentle tone. "What was it about?"

She took in a shuddering breath and returned her gaze to her son, not able to look at her lover's face while recounting the nightmare. It would be too unnerving and for all she knew, this could very well be a dream as well, although she doubted it. Her son's burps were too real to be a dream's imitation. It ALL felt too real to be a dream…

"Orochimaru."

She sensed him stiffen at the name and the atmosphere of the room changed. Tension filled the air as he waited for her to continue.

"It was raining, and I awoke with my senses on full alert. No one was in the room, so I began to relax, but then I looked and you weren't there," she explained, her hands coming to rest on the edge of the bassinette she stood by. "I couldn't sense you anywhere, and I was still pregnant with Obito… But I got up and went to look for you, thinking that maybe you were just trying to spook me or something—"

"I wouldn't do that to you, Sakura, at least not like that," he interrupted, that lazy grin on his face again. She gave him a sarcastically appreciative look, rolling her eyes to complete the package.

"I got to the living area but didn't sense you or anything. Then I heard something and I could see a shadow moving towards me. I thought it was you but then it spoke and—" she took another shuddering breath and tried to still the rapid beat of her heart. Her grip on the bassinette tightened, her knuckles turning white. "It—it—it was _his_ voice and _his_ eyes… And then there was this flash of lightening and I saw—and I saw—" a hand raised to cover her mouth as she tried to reign in her emotions. It would do her no good to have them running a rampage right now; otherwise she would never get back to sleep after this.

"What?"

"You," she said so softly that she was not sure if he had heard her or not, especially since he did not say anything. "Instead of Sasuke, he'd taken you to get the Sharingan, Kakashi…" she trailed off, beginning to feel sick.

"Sakura…"

"And then he had me pinned to the wall, and was looking at me with your face and—and then he placed his hand on my stomach, where Obito was and—" She no longer needed to elaborate on her dream for he had come to stand behind her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders in a gesture of comfort.

She turned into him, wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her face into chest. Tears pricked her eyes as images of the nightmare flashed before her, reminding her of how real it had seemed and how frightened she had been.

"It was only a dream," he whispered into the crown of her head. She nodded, saying that she knew but that it did not dispel her anxiety much. She continued to cling to him for a few more moments before he began to pull her out the nursery and back towards their bedroom.

"Kakashi?"

He gave her that smile that he saved just for her and she felt her heart melt. Once they had reached their bed, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers softly in a kiss that meant reassurance. It was a gesture to let her know that she was going to have to set the pace for tonight, that he wanted her to feel safe. Again she gave silent thanks for all that she had as she crushed her lips against his, her gaze heated and a seductive smile flashing across her face.

His hands traced over her waist as they skimmed beneath the hem of her tank top and she pulled away to yank his simple grey shirt off over his head. Almost immediately after he was free of the shirt, he pulled her back against him and she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, a loving look in her eyes.

"I love you," he whispered to her as his lips found the column of her throat.

"I know," she gasped out as her breathing slowly became ragged. "I love you too."

And those were the last words spoken between them; instead, they allowed their actions to take over their verbal affirmations of love.


	2. Implied KakaSaku: Changes

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

Series: Naruto

Title: Changes

Author: Tiasha

**Word Count: 2,414**

**AN:**** Kakashi/Sakura pairing**…at least an implied one…

Also, Sasuke may seem a bit OOC but this is set in the future and I'd like to think that he has matured enough to be a little more…open.

Special Thanks to Vicky for being my Beta Reader!

* * *

He knew that it should have bothered him, knew that he should have voiced against it; but for some reason, he was not disgusted by the change in their relationship. Nor did he see any reasons to condemn it. He had never seen her as happy as she was with him and she was the type of person who deserved to be happy. And while he did love her, it was nothing more than a familial love. Team Seven had become his family, for despite all the suffering and grief he had caused them, they had stayed loyal to Konoha and to their goal in bringing him back.

Since his return, he and Naruto had grown even closer, tightening that bond between them so much that they saw one another as brothers now. And for him, it meant a great deal, to have a brother he knew would not betray him as Itachi had. Sakura had become a sister, both an older and younger one; she always looked out for them as an older sister would but would also turn to them for the support and advice a younger sister would expect from her elder siblings. Kakashi… he seemed to be like an uncle the more he thought about it.

So it was no surprise that he had become accustomed to reading his family, especially Sakura. He still had some difficulty reading Naruto now and then, just because the young man was so predictable-yet-unpredictable and…odd; and Kakashi just never opened up to them as much as he could have. Although, he wasn't much better than Kakashi in that sense, but he was getting better, thanks to his family.

His family… He still remembered that conversation he'd had with Sakura those eight months ago when he had informed her of his views on all of them. She had seemed content in giving up her pursuit of him, which he was quite thankful for, and had smiled brightly.

---

_"And what about me?" she asked softly, giving him a genuine smile. He stared at her stoically for a moment, his coal black eyes showing little warmth, b__ut he knew she could detect what __**was**__ there. She always could it seemed…_

_"I see you as a sister."_

_She sighed heavily, that smile still on her face as she looked up the bright blue sky__ speckled with white clouds__. After all the rain that had fallen in the past few days, it was nice to be able to go outside and train once again.__ "I figured as much," she said__ with__ a __little more confidence in her voice. "There just wasn't any of that chemistry between us, you know?"_

_He nodded slowly, a little surprised that she was taking this so well, but he did not let it show on his face. She could have been hiding her disappointment, but he liked to think he knew her better than that. After all, he knew what it was like to live behind a mask of indifference, so he shou__ld know what to look for, right? But then again, she had seriously toned down her pursuit of him in the past few years…_

_"Sorry," he said lamely__ after a moment. S__he chuckled, waving his apology off._

_"Why?" she asked him, laughing at his slight frown of confusion._

_"Sakura."_

_"Gomen yo," she said, still laughing. "I should have told you that I haven't seen you as…boyfriend material for a while now. A __year or so ago__, I realized that I was seeing you more as a brother…and I was happy with that."_

_He nodded; "And now?"_

_She smiled brightly, "Even more happy with it!"_

_He nodded again, his shoulders sagging in relief._

_"I still get to call you Sasuke-kun though!" she exclaimed, more like demanded he realized. And he couldn't help but smirk at that._

_"Of course."_

---

And she had been content and happy with the additional role in their relationship—comrades, friends and now family too. She had found him to be a sincere confidant and was asking him for advice more often now. That did not mean, however, that he always gave it to her. If it was something he knew she could figure out on her own, then he'd give her his customary response of "you're annoying."

She'd huff and call him a jerk but would leave it at that. She would always thank him for listening though, and he'd merely shrug it off. It was one way to stay "in the loop" of Konoha's activities.

Yet, despite all the support she had from him and Naruto…she seemed incomplete—resigned almost. She normally blamed her studies to be a medic-nin, explaining that the mountain-load of studying needed could be intimidating at times. And he agreed that it was intimidating, especially for those who had no taste for that field of work. However, he knew that it was not the reason behind the shadows over her heart. She was hiding some unspoken pain and he did not know what it was, nor would she tell him or Naruto. He had his suspicions though…

After everything that had happened, she was still trying to prove herself. She was still trying to prove that she was worthy. Naruto had even noticed the change in her when they had finally returned to Konoha for good. She had immersed herself in her medical studies, and what little time she had to spare, she had spent it on building up her stamina and the abilities she was lacking in. Rarely was there time for them to "hang out together" as Naruto so cheerfully put it. The two young men had grown worried about her…and rightfully so in their opinion. It was not healthy for her. They knew it, she knew it, and she knew they knew it. Yet she still did it. Until about three months ago.

Everything had changed after that mission she had gone on three months ago. He had not known the details of it since he was not assigned to it, nor did he know who was accompanying her. She had refused to disclose any information about it to them too. It was her way to prove that she was capable, he supposed. He and Naruto had been worried the entire three weeks she had been gone. Naruto would always voice his confidence in her coming back perfectly fine, but he could not hide the worry in his blue eyes. He couldn't blame the blond either.

And then she had returned to them, bloody and exhausted, and dragging an unconscious Hatake Kakashi on her back. Dark smudges were under her eyes as if she had not received much sleep and her breathing had been heavy and erratic. She had been mildly injured but it was later found out that the rest of their team and client had died instantly from an ambush. Kakashi had been severely injured trying to protect the client and Sakura had created an illusion that had bought them enough time to escape. From there, she had set about healing their former sensei, dangerously pushing herself to her limits. She had put her life on the line to heal Kakashi's near fatal wounds, ignoring her own as she did so. Her determination and will power were the only things pushing her onwards to Konoha for the past few days. The Hokage had been impressed with her student's successful return. He and Naruto were simply relieved she made it back alive.

Once she had been cleared, she had continued to stay at the hospital and taking an active role in their former sensei's health. It was not surprising really. Kakashi would always hold a spot in their hearts, as they would his. Sakura was always worried about any of them when they were injured, so there was nothing suspicious about her daily visits to Kakashi's apartment to check up on him—the man hated hospitals with a passion and had returned home once able. Nope, nothing suspicious at all.

It was after the older man was fully healed that things had grown suspicious. She was happier than he had seen her in months and her self-confidence had risen drastically. And she was spending more time with Kakashi than she had with them lately. Naruto found it unfair. He found it…troubling. The idea of the two together did not bother him; it was Sakura's feelings that he was concerned about. He and Naruto never wanted to see Sakura hurt, and so he had his doubts about this whole relationship Sakura and Kakashi were trying to keep hush-hushed. It was hard to say what Kakashi's intentions were or what he expected of Sakura but he would not interfere unless need be…

"Ne, Sasuke-kun?"

He blinked and brought himself back to the immediate present, staring coolly into a pair of curious jade eyes. She was worrying her lower lip, a clear sign that she wanted his approval. Idiot. She should have known by now that she did not need to seek his approval in everything. Although, considering the circumstances, he could understand her hesitancy in informing them. He spared a quick glance at Naruto and saw that the blonde young man looked somewhat hurt at not having been told from the beginning.

"Aaa, it's fine."

She brightened slightly at that, "You're sure?"

He nodded, noting that Naruto heaved a loud heavy sigh next to him. "We just want you happy, Sakura-chan," the blonde explained, arms resting on the back of the booth they were sitting at. She had asked to meet them at a small café, claiming that she had some news that would change the whole dynamics of Team Seven. While the team had ended a while of ago, it was difficult to think of themselves as anything _but_ Team Seven.

She frowned slightly at this, struggling to find a way to express her inner feelings. That was not something Sasuke was accustomed to. In the past, the roseate haired kunoichi had had no problems in expressing herself… "I know that, it's just… this is kinda big, you know."

Naruto chuckled at that while Sasuke merely nodded in agreement. "He hasn't been our sensei for a while now, Sakura. If you're happy with him, then there shouldn't be any problems," Sasuke explained, watching in slight amusement as the young woman mulled this over in her head.

"Even though there's a big age difference?" she questioned. They were all twenty or close to it now, and while there was about a fourteen year difference between the kunoichi and their former sensei, she was old enough to know what she was doing.

"Jeez, Sakura-chan. You're making it sound like you _don't_ want us to approve," Naruto teased, but Sakura did not react in the manner either young men had expected. She had grown erringly quiet and wrung her hands in her lap. Had something happened between the two?

"Is there something else you want to tell us?" Sasuke asked, watching the young woman carefully. She sighed heavily, running a hand through her short hair. Odd, she had never bothered to let it grow long again, but he believed she looked better with short hair anyway. She seemed more confident and capable…

"No, nothing like what you're probably thinking. It's just…there have been a few rumors and—and I think he feels bad about them…that I'm catching all of this shit too…"

"Well, that is to be expected with a relationship like yours."

"Sasuke, you bastard! That's not reassuring her!" Naruto admonished him, patting Sakura gently on the shoulder at the same time.

"I'm just telling her that it is to be expected. People will talk. If they can't handle it…" he trailed off, letting the two fill in the blank themselves. Naruto frowned while Sakura looked thoughtful.

"Thanks," she said softly, smiling brightly again. "I know what to do now."

"Eh? What's that, Sakura-chan?"

The kunoichi shook her head, "It's a secret and none of your business."

"Eh?!"

Sasuke chuckled quietly to himself as Naruto tried to coax Sakura into telling him, realizing that this _was_ the last step Sakura had needed to take in being happy. From what he knew, her parents did not care all that much on _who_ she was dating, just that she _was_ dating after all this time. Ino had been supportive, just as a best friend should have been, and now Sakura had their support and approval. She had all the support and approval she needed now to continue being happy.

At first, Sasuke had been unsure as to how Kakashi saw his relationship with Sakura as, but now there were no doubts about his former sensei's intentions. Hatake Kakashi loved her. That Sasuke knew. He _had_ finally spoken with the older man, making it clear to his "sensei" that all he was interested in was his "sister's" well being. Kakashi had understood and told the young Uchiha all he had needed to know.

"Sakura," he said, gaining the attention of the two bickering "siblings."

"Hai?"

"When were you going to move into Kakashi's?"

The young kunoichi blushed from head to toe at his insinuation. Naruto gaped at him in shock while she tried to utter a response, only managing a few stuttered syllables.

"EH?!" Naruto cried, looking between the two of them as if he had missed something important. "You're moving in with Kaka-sensei?! Why didn't you tell me?! Sakura-chan!"

Sakura clenched a fist in embarrassed anger. "Sasuke…" she grounded out between clenched teeth. He couldn't resist throwing in one more jibe, so he smirked, knowing it would irk her further.

"You know we'll help you move in right?" Naruto added, deciding to throw in his two cents. It was the wrong idea and wrong time for it though, and was the last thing needed to push the roseate haired young woman over the edge.

With an enraged scream, she leapt across the table at the both of them and clunked their heads together. She was too embarrassed to realize that he had allowed her to do that to him. It was, after all, his way of showing his trust in them. And she had deserved to get a good hit in with his insinuation.

"Aaa, we will."

"Damn right you will! It'll be your punishment!"

"Punishment?! Ne, Sakura-chan! What did we do wrong?!" Naruto cried, rubbing his sore head.

"Embarrassing me! That's what!"

Naruto protested having done such a thing. Sasuke merely smirked.


	3. SasuSaku: Security

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

**Series: Naruto**

**Title: Security**

**Author: Tiasha**

_Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura pairing_

_Word Count: 1,073_

* * *

It was dark save for the few slivers of moonlight that lit the veranda as he made his way to his parents' bedroom, the summer breeze tickling patches of bare skin his pajamas left exposed. Several fireflies dotted the gardens that he'd seen his mother work on time and time again to restore back to full beauty. She still hadn't told him why the garden looked like it was dying in certain areas, only smiled and asked him to help her if he didn't like the way it looked. He always scrunched his nose and wriggled his way out of helping, usually by going and doing homework or going off to play with friends.

He was almost at their room now and he slowed his steps, nervousness creeping upon him. He was nearly seven now and his mother still showered him with affection, which he really didn't mind all that much, but his father was not the most expressive with his affections. His mother always told him that it was just his father's way, but he could rarely help but feel as if he had displeased his father in some manner. Sure his father smiled enough for him to know that he was loved but there was something in his father's eyes…

Standing in front of the shoji door, he slowly slid it open, black eyes peering into the room cautiously and resting upon the two figures in bed. His father's coal black eyes met his and he swallowed involuntarily; his father was always awake when he came to their room, or so it seemed. Waiting for some sign that he was allowed to enter, he scoffed the wood planks of the veranda with his foot in self-consciousness. His father's silence was his answer to his questioning gaze and he lowered his eyes to the floor, pulling away from the door to close it. It looked like he was going to have to deal with his nightmare on his own then…

"Come here, Tohru."

His head snapped up at his father's soft but firm command and slowly nodded his head, pushing the screen door open and entering the room. Closing the door behind him, he watched as his father sat up and ran a hand through his dark locks, face set in a slight scowl. He bit his lip nervously, wondering how greatly he had upset his father. His father's eyes landed on him again, although the scowl was gone; he simply looked tired now…

"Ano…" he began softly, noticing that his mother was still asleep. Well, she had been sleeping a lot more now that he was going to get another sibling in about four or three months. She was even taking naps during the day after gardening and making sure things were ready for supper. His father's eyes looked over him from head to toe before the older man sighed.

"Nightmare?" his father asked.

He nodded in answer to his father's question and was delighted to see his father wave him over and lift the covers in invitation. Smiling, he ran to the bed and held his arms out to his father, who lifted him up and over his mother's sleeping form. He then lay down between his parents, snuggling into his mother when she began to stir from all the movement in the bed and turned to face him and his father.

"Tohru?" she questioned, sleep slurring her words slightly.

"I had a nightmare, Okaasan…"

"Aaa, my poor baby," she murmured, brushing dark hair out of his face and kissing his forehead. He couldn't help but smile and snuggle deeper into his mother's comforting warmth, shifting a little to pat her somewhat protruding belly.

"What are you going to name him?" he asked, not wanting to sleep quite yet. His mother chuckled and rubbed his back, a gesture she normally did to help him fall asleep.

"Ask your father," she laughed when he asked her again.

He turned his head to look at his father who was pulling the blankets up around them. "Otousan?"

"Haruko if it's a boy and Kiseki if it's a girl."

"Can I call him Harubou instead?"

His mother chuckled again, shushing him and urging him to go back to sleep but he did not miss the smile on his father's face as the older man lay back down. His father's arm was soon wrapped around him and his mother, and the usual feeling of utter safety settled around him, making it seem as if nothing could touch him. His father always made him feel that way…

"We'll see. Now go to sleep, Tohru," his father, the firmness in his voice brooking no arguments.

"Hn!" he nodded, closing his eyes and letting his parents soft breaths and his mother's heartbeat lull him to sleep. He was almost fully asleep when he heard his parents' soft voices murmuring words that he guessed he wasn't supposed to hear.

"You have a mission tomorrow?"

"Aaa," was his father's answer.

"How long?"

"A week or so."

"Be careful."

"Always. Now go to sleep, Sakura."

"I love you, Sasuke."

"I know."

There was silence between them and then, "You're still worrying about Tohru, aren't you."

"Hn."

"Sasuke…everything's fine. He knows you love him, and that's all that matters."

"Aaa…but is that really enough? I feel as if I should be doing more…"

"You praise him on his accomplishments and spend time with him when you can. What more is there?"

"I…don't know…"

"It's fine…don't worry so much about it."

Silence again.

Tohru sighed deeply in half-sleep, wondering why he detected guilt in his father's voice. His father worried that he felt unloved? Was that what he'd seen in his father's eyes time and time again? It had to be, because when he thought about it, his father _did_ spend as much time with him as he could; they had flown a kite together just last week! If his father didn't care about him then why would he do something like that with him?

Before drifting off to sleep completely, he said his good nights to his parents; "I love you, Okaasan. I love you, Otousan."

He felt his father's face bury into his hair, a chaste kissing being placed to the top of his head. "And I love you. Now, go to sleep, Tohru."

And little Uchiha Tohru did just as he was told in the security of his parents' arms.

---

Author's Ending Note: The reason that little Tohru asks if he can call "Haruko" by a different name is because "Harubou" is a nickname for "Haruko." Just thought I would mention that. .


	4. Sasuke Deathfic: Never Thinking

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

* * *

Series: Naruto

Title: Never Thinking

Author: Tiasha

**AN: Semi-Deathfic… Semi-SasuSaku pairing**

**Word Count: 219**

* * *

He never thought that it would end like this. He had always believed that he'd die old and having watched his grandchildren have children of their own, repopulating the clan and bringing honor to Uchiha name once more.

He never thought that it would end with this excruciating pain radiating from his left shoulder or the throbbing in his head as his vision blurred. He couldn't believe that the last voice he would hear would be _his_, hissing and slithering through the air as the ceremony continued.

Nor would he have thought that he'd feel this much regret for having left Konoha in the manner that he had.

He never thought that _her_ image would be the one to flash in his mind before death, and feel _longing_ and _guilt_ for having let her slip by.

He never thought her name would be last thing to fall from his lips before he died. And he never thought that he would hate himself as much as he did as Orochimaru finally claimed his body fully.

"Sakura…I'm sorry……I was a fool…"

Yes, he was the greatest fool that had ever lived; this he knew all too well and could admit freely for those last few seconds before Orochimaru sent his soul to the afterlife, and took his body and the Sharingan.


	5. NaruSaku: When She Smiles

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

* * *

**Series:** Naruto 

**Title:** When She Smiles

**Author:** Tiasha

**

* * *

**_AN: Naruto/Sakura pairing… _

_Warning: I'm a romantic, what can I say?_

_Word Count: 3,315_

* * *

There were the occasional times, like now, that doubt would wriggle its way into his mind. Having to tell her about their teammate's approach was not something he had expected to do, on Tanabata of all days. Tsunade had told him late last night of the reports that were coming in, and had advised him to tell Sakura, or else the Hokage would do it herself. He had promised to tell the pink haired kunoichi the following day, which had turned out to be Tanabata. He wondered if he should just wait until tomorrow instead of ruining the young woman's day. Surely she would find the news unpleasant and be unhappy with the messenger. Would she just call off the date, if that became the case? Possibly. She had the temper and impulsiveness to do it, but then he wasn't really one to talk when it came to impulsiveness either. 

However, he never thought that he would end up telling her on today of all days. She would surely hate him after this… It was a wonder she even stayed with him. He always seemed to somehow mess up the _important_ days and plans. It didn't matter how hard he tried, he always made a mistake or screwed something up. She never called him on those mishaps though—the little slip of the tongues, yeah she'd yell at him for those, but never the things he believed she _should_ yell at him for. She just always smiled appreciatively at him, slipping her hand into his and telling him that it was fine. She seemed to be content with the fact that he had tried his best for her; she loved that fact that he wanted the best for her, even if he couldn't offer her the best. She loved what he _could_ give her…even though she should have had the world (in his opinion).

He had sometimes wondered why she was with him in the first place. When they had been younger, she had been steadfastly devoted to their brooding teammate; nothing else in the world had mattered but him. And when he had left, she had been broken-hearted. And when they'd found him again, she had still been broken-hearted…or so everyone believed. He knew differently though…

Uchiha Sasuke's cruel, degrading words had been the final straw for her. She had tried so hard to become someone that the dark-haired boy would acknowledge, become someone he might love… But after numerous failures on capturing and returning the wayward Uchiha to Konoha, she had finally realized that the Sasuke just wouldn't change. He would never acknowledge her and he would _never_ love her.

And so she had given up on Sasuke. He knew this because he had been the one she had cried on when she'd come to this realization. He had been the one to hold her until her tears had dried. He had been the one to smile and offer her words of comfort and reassurance. He had even gone so far as to tell her to never give up on their teammate—she had promised damn it and he would not let her forget it. She had offered him a watery smile, but he had been able to see that the light behind it was diminished. She had given Sasuke up and there was nothing that would change her mind or heart.

They had yet to apprehend him, even five years after Sasuke was to become Orochimaru's new vessel. The Akatsuki had gotten the Snake Sannin in the end, right before the Transfer Ceremony took place, and the fatal blow had come from Uchiha Itachi himself. The speculation was that the elder Uchiha brother had not been pleased with the idea of his little brother tarnishing the Uchiha name by joining with Orochimaru. It was ironic in a way. The elder brother wanted Sasuke to get stronger on his own; no other way was satisfactory. Haruno Sakura had found it somewhat confusing. Uzumaki Naruto had silently understood—it was like his rivalry with Sasuke, even though they were best friends.

-----

Still, five years later and Uchiha Sasuke was occasionally spotted throughout the various countries. He had abandoned Otougakura, not feeling any ties to it since its leader was now dead and had become a true Missing Nin in the process. That had been one of the hardest declarations Naruto had had to stomach from the Godaime, but he knew she was right at this point. With Orochimaru dead, there was no reason that Sasuke couldn't have returned to Konoha…but he didn't and Tsunade had been forced to declare him a traitor. Uchiha Sasuke was now in the Bingo books…permanently.

When the decision had been made, Naruto had fretted about Sakura's reaction. Sure she had claimed to have given up on Sasuke prior to Orochimaru's assassination, but Naruto had refused to believe that she had shut her heart to their friend _completely_. He certainly hadn't given up on his best friend, believing that somehow he and Sakura could overturn the Missing Nin status on Sasuke and all three of them would have some semblance of what had once been. A naïve dream, or so many had called it, but he _was_ Uzumaki Naruto after all. No dream was worthless or unattainable for him.

But Sakura…he had not counted on Sakura being fine with the Missing Nin status. In fact, she had seemed unsurprised and had even said that she had wondered when it was going to happen. He had been shocked and maybe even a little appalled at her callousness and had made an excuse to leave their dinner date early. She had been unsurprised by his sudden departure too, he realized as he had left her at Ichiraku, his money for their meal on the counter next to her bowl of ramen.

He hadn't sought her out for the next couple of days, wanting to avoid her for once in his life. She had allowed him to hide for awhile—all of about four days (well, three, since she had spent half of the fourth day trying to find him)—and when she had confronted him, she had forced him to listen to her. She had shoved him to her apartment, swearing that if he tried to high-tail it out of there that she would _never_ forgive him. Period. No second chances whatsoever. He didn't want that…her not forgiving him was infinitely worse than her beating him up in a fit of anger. Bruises faded…a wound to the heart didn't.

Her voice had been calm as she had spoken to him, telling him why she was not surprised by Sasuke's Missing Nin status. The dark haired boy was so focused on killing his brother, that until it was done, Sasuke would not care about anything else. In Naruto's mind, he knew this to be true but his heart would not believe that Sasuke had completely abandoned them. He just couldn't…

She had been patient with him, allowing him to interrupt her and vent his frustration and loud, emotional rebuttals. It had ended up being her turn to be the pillar of support as he had cried, the tearing of his heart finally too much for him to bear alone. She had held him and said his name in a comforting manner—no idiot, no dobe, no stupid, no baby—just his name and the occasional apology for things having turned out the way they had. His love for her had grown larger that day.

After so many years of dreaming that she would be with him, it had finally happened, not long after she'd "given up" on Sasuke. It hadn't been an overnight change of heart; far from it actually, which was why he believed that she truly loved him for _him_. She had been so distant after her breakdown, and he'd worried that she would never try to love _anyone_ again because of the heartache that Sasuke had put her through. Naruto's constant presence had changed that though, and her feelings for him had changed because of it.

He'd been hesitant at first, worried that she was subconsciously using him as a substitute for Sasuke, but after a few good shouting matches and thumps on the head, he'd realized that she was serious. Sasuke had nothing to do with her feelings…and he'd been relieved. Their relationship had been slightly bumpy in his opinion, but only because he felt that she deserved better than a guy who made mistakes and screwed things up all the time. She rarely lost her temper though—sure she would get really mad at him and throw a punch or two or raise her voice to where it was almost shrill sounding, but all that would usually pass over anywhere from a few hours to a day. Her upset had never lasted longer than twenty-four hours, and for that, he'd always been grateful. He loved her too much to see her upset because of something he'd done.

He loved her, and that appeared to be all that she ever wanted. Her smile was always bright and genuine, no lingering sadness. He knew how to read her well-enough and she knew it, so she never hid from him. Nor could he seem to hide his emotions from her either.

-----

This was why he was down right afraid to tell her that reports pointed to Sasuke heading towards Konoha. He had no idea why their former teammate was headed to Konoha after five years of being a Missing Nin. The Uchiha surely knew that there was going to be no warm welcome from the village and as much as it pained him to admit it, it would take Sasuke a long while to regain even Naruto's trust. Four years ago, Naruto would not have had to think twice about welcoming his friend back; three years ago, he would have been upset but still, no problems with welcoming Sasuke back. Two: It would have been rough, but he still would have. One year ago: they would have had to work through the betrayal Naruto felt from Sasuke taking so long to return. Now though? After five years of absence? That was coming real close to the border of "unacceptable." There was no valid excuse in Naruto's mind that Sasuke could ever give to have him completely forgiven for taking so long to return.

And if _he_, Narutowas having trouble with the idea of accepting Sasuke back, then he knew that Sakura would probably outright refuse to even consider it. She would be hurt, he knew she would be. She may not love Sasuke anymore, but it would still hurt her pride. She was fragile like that…even if she refused to admit it.

He sighed and ran a hand through his tussled blond hair as he tried to think of the best way to tell her. She had to know and he would _not_ keep this from her. She deserved to know; they had all been teammates once, so she had as much right to know as he. But how to tell her?

A shadow fell over him and he looked up into the smiling face of his girlfriend, her short pink locks pulled out of her face by small, purple hair clips on either side of her temples. Her hands were braced on her knees as she bent over to look him straight in the eye, and smiled. He couldn't help but smile back, though his was probably lined with regret.

"Say what you need to say and let's go," she told him, smile still in place but he could tell it was slightly strained now. And how did she know that he had to tell her something anyway? Had she heard the reports somehow? That shouldn't have been possible. She was a medic—there was no need for her to be reviewing mission reports such as those. The only reason _he_ knew was because Tsuande-baa-chan had felt it best to tell him now instead of later. He could prepare, as she had put it, and come to whatever decision he needed to come to.

"Eh?" he opted to say instead, giving as innocent of a look as he could muster. She merely sighed and gave him an exasperated look. Standing up and crossing her arms over chest, she gave him a pointed stare.

"Naruto…" she began, her tone warning him that he had about ten seconds before the bopped him on the head.

With a sigh of resignation, he leaned back on his hands, blue eyes tracing the curves of her face before averting his gaze. "Sasuke… He's been spotted in Fire country."

She sighed as well, though her expression said that it was one of exasperation again. She sat down next to him, leaning into him slightly as she spoke, her head resting lightly on his shoulder. "So?"

"He might be headed here."

"And that's a problem?"

He gave her an odd look, though she couldn't tell because she wasn't looking at him. Her gaze was on the grassy field before them, the bustle of the festival beyond the field a faint murmur. "I don't know," he told her honestly, looking up at the sky in thought. "I mean, it's been five years. Five years, and he's _just now_ heading back home? Why?"

"To fight you probably—to test his strength."

Her quick answer shocked him, more because he hadn't thought of that possibility than her abruptness. It was possible, but still…something was telling him that that might not be the case…

"I don't know…" he said doubtfully, turning his head slightly in her direction to catch a whiff of her shampoo. The strawberry and cream scent calmed his nerves and tumultuous emotions. She had that uncanny ability to do that to him…and she didn't even know it.

She looked at him then, green eyes swimming with emotion but they were dry. No tears were going to be shed over this unpleasant conversation, thank goodness. He didn't want to make her cry on Tanabata. It was one of the few times that their schedules allowed them to spend a full holiday together. He'd missed the Cherry Blossom Festival earlier that year because of a mission and he'd never forgive himself if he missed Tanabata as well.

"What does your heart tell you?" she asked him in all seriousness, her tone soft and inquisitive.

He stared at her as he tried to figure out just _what_ his heart was telling him. After a minute or so, he realized that he didn't know. His heart was undecided and he told her so. She smiled again, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek and he grinned at her. She stood then and looked down at him, a reassuring expression on her face.

"Don't worry about it. If you meet him again, you'll know."

He couldn't help but stare up at her in awe. She was an angel…she had to be. She always seemed to know just what to say to put him in better spirits. He could only whisper her name in awe and gratitude as she continued to look at him with a smile on her face. "Sakura-chan…I…"

"Well, if that's all that you wanted to talk about…" she trailed off, dusting her yukata and checking for any bits of grass she might have missed. She looked back up at him when she was satisfied that she'd gotten them all. He was staring at her rear because of her turning to brush the grass off of her, and he knew that he'd better quit looking before she noticed. Otherwise, he'd be in for an earful for sure, or she'd relentlessly tease him for the rest of the night. "Ne, Naruto? Was that it?"

"Hai…" he answered slowly, throwing his gaze up to her face, a tinge of red in his cheeks. He'd been caught, he realized as he saw that knowing smirk on her face. Well, damn…if that wasn't slightly embarrassing…

"Then let's go!" she said excitedly, hands clasped behind her and excitement sparkling in her eyes. He laughed and stood up, brushing loose grass from his own yukata. She started for the festival, walking backwards so she could make sure he was following. Did she think he was going to disappear on her? The only reason he had been in the grassy field was because they had agreed to meet there instead of in the crowded festival area. It wasn't like he was afraid of going to the festival or anything like that.

"Hurry up, slowpoke," she teased but he maintained his slow pace, wanting to savor the image of her excitement and bright smile. His grin grew wider when she stopped and waited for him to catch up to her, hands on her hips. He stopped in front of her, arms behind his head as he stretched. Her lower lip jutted outward, a delicate pout on her face as she looked at him in a considering manner.

"Mou…you're not going to skip out halfway through are you? You said you were going to buy dinner…"

He gave her a mock frown, teasing, "Ah, I see…you just want to make sure that the food is covered."

A smirk replaced her pout as she leaned into him, arms wrapping around his torso. Her chin was placed on his chest and she looked up at him from there. "I'm not the one who has an addiction to ramen, remember?"

He feigned a wounded look, "Oh that was a low blow, Sakura-chan. I never knew that you would be so—"

His joke was cut off by her lips pressing against his softly, and his arms immediately came down to wrap around her and pull her closer. A sigh of contentment escaped the woman in his arms and his eyes closed in delight. He kept the kiss gentle, loving the look she gave him when they finally parted. She always looked at him with pure happiness shining in her eyes after they kissed…and now was no exception.

"We're staying for the fireworks, right?" she asked him, eyes begging him to agree. He couldn't deny her even if he wanted to… So, he surmised it was a good thing that he didn't want to.

"Well…" he drawled, his hands coming to rest on her hips. She looked beautiful in her light purple yukata and simple green obi. So much so, that he wanted to skip the whole festival and have his way with her at his apartment…which would probably happen later on tonight anyway, but still…

"Please?" she entreated and he laughed, pointing out that she was acting like a kid. She gave him a dark look and moved to pull away from him, but his hands kept her flush against him. A light blush crept across her cheeks as he stared at her, his desire for her more than likely evident in his eyes.

"If you want to, we will," he promised her, amazed at how delighted she was to hear him say those words.

"Yosh! Let's go, Naruto!" she laughed, her tone melodious as she pulled him towards the festival, hand in hand. "And next time," she began, pausing long enough to look back at him. "Don't hesitate on telling me something, okay? I don't care what it's about, just tell me."

He gave her one of his trademark grins, squeezing her hand in promise. "Hai…next time, I will."

A genuinely bright smile spread across her face as she nodded, pleased with his agreement. Her attention was quickly turned back to the festival that they were approaching, however, and he once again promised himself that he would do anything to keep her smiling. When she smiled like that, he felt as if the world was set right once again.


	6. Sakura: See Me

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

Sakura-centric short based on the 50 Kisses theme list…

* * *

_Short One_: **See Me**

_Word Count_: 140

_Theme_: #1 – **look over here**

_Pairing_: None

Date Completed: 2006.Sept.06

* * *

She told herself that next time would be different. Next time, she'd be an asset to the team. She would not force her team leader to take the brunt of an attack meant for her. Next time, she wouldn't freeze at the mere sight of her long lost teammate.

It didn't matter that Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-taishou were now focusing their efforts on training Naruto. It didn't matter that when compared to Sai, she was still fairly inadequate. It didn't matter that there was only so much more she could learn as a medic-nin. None of that mattered…

What mattered was that next time would be different.

Next time, she wouldn't be on the sidelines, useless.

Next time, her team would be looking at her back.

And next time, Sasuke would finally look over at her and _see_ her.

_That_ was what mattered.


	7. Implied SasuSaku: Unrivaled

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

Sakura-centric short based on the 50 Kisses theme list…

* * *

_Short Two_: **Unrivaled**

_Word Count_: 201

_Theme_: #16 – **invincible; unrivaled**

_Pairing_: Implied Sasuke/Sakura

Date Completed: 2006.Sept.06

* * *

He was unrivaled in nearly everything that pertained to him. No one could play the broody-loner card better than him. He was colder and more calculative than any of the Rookie Nine. He could still out-do Naruto when he really tried. He could beat Sai without breaking a sweat. He was almost on par with his former teacher, Hatake Kakashi. He had overpowered his Sannin teacher, Orochimaru when the Snake had tried to take over the boy's body before vengeance could be achieved; and he had finally beaten his older brother.

And the _one thing_ he would forever be unrivaled in was the claim of Sakura's heart. No one could claim her heart but him. He had silently watched many try and they all had failed. She was steadfastly devoted to him, even after all he had done.

And Uchiha Sasuke didn't want it any other way. She was _his_—she had been since she'd offered him her equivalent of the world. Her offer was the most invaluable treasure anyone could have ever bestowed upon him. Her promise of love and happiness—the promise of her heart…and her love…

He'd be _damned_ if he was ever bested of that precious gift.


	8. GaaSaku: Best News of the Year

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

Sakura-centric short based on the 50 Kisses theme list…

* * *

_Short Three_: **Best News of the Year**

_Word Count_: 318

_Theme_: #2 – **news; letter**

_Pairing_: Gaara/Sakura

Date Completed: 2006.Sept.13

* * *

The best part of every year was when the Hokage handed her a certain mission scroll; it meant that it was that time of the year for her to travel to allied villages and exchange medical techniques and information. As it stood, each year she was given a set schedule that included the order of the villages she was to attend. Each year, the order of villages was rotated, so as not to show favor of one over the other.

This year, upon seeing the schedule, she put in for her mandatory maternity leave so that it would immediately follow the last village visit. The Godaime had approved the request with a knowing smirk.

This year, she received a letter that said, in no uncertain terms, that she had damn well better take some time off. After laughing at the expression she knew the writer must have had when writing her the letter, she wrote a reply. It was a respectable length, not too long but not too short, detailing the happenings of their favorite noisy blonde friend; but she made a point to open the letter with "I'm one step ahead of you."

By the time she had received the replying letter to her own, she was already packing and preparing for her three-month-long mission. As she read over the letter, she rested one hand on her round belly and smiled; this year, the Kazekage was growing more impatient for her arrival than usual and was taking his frustration out on his family and council, or so Temari told her in the latest letter.

This year, Sunagakure was the last village on her list to visit. As it so happened, the baby's due date fell one month after her last scheduled day in Suna. She couldn't wait to be with Gaara again.

This year, her schedule was the best news she'd ever had pertaining to a mission.


	9. SasuSaku: That Which Gave Them Away

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

Sakura-centric short based on the 50 Kisses theme list…

* * *

_Short Four_: **That Which Gave Them Away**

_Word Count_: 199

_Theme_: #12 – **in a good mood**

_Pairing_: Sasuke/Sakura

Date Completed: 2006.Sept.13

* * *

If one had wanted to know when the two teammates had started sleeping together, it was not that difficult to figure out. One had merely to observe one of the two parties involved.

The female teammate, however, was not the one to look towards for any signs of having been "ravaged" (as Rock Lee once put it). She always spared a warm smile to those around her and her green eyes always sparkled with genuine happiness. Granted, her mood could turn sour right-quick, but she shrugged it off with a punch to the face, a laugh and smile (in that order). Haruno Sakura was just that type of person.

No, it was her accomplice that one had only to look at. He had a permanent smirk on his face that had nothing to do with amusement, and all to do with satisfaction. There was also warmth in his usually cold black eyes that arose when in the presence of his teammate and newfound lover.

It was Uchiha Sasuke that had given their relationship away to his closest friends and other teammates; he had been "in a good mood" for nearly a week after their first romp in the sheets.


	10. KakaSaku: Jolt!

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

Sakura-centric short based on the 50 Kisses theme list…

* * *

_Short Five_: **Jolt!**

_Word Count_: 651

_Theme_: #3 – **jolt!**

_Pairing_: Kakashi/Sakura

Date Completed: 2006.Sept.18

* * *

Narrowing her eyes at the little orange book her former teacher was reading, she took a deep breath and downed her sake in one gulp. He was being completely rude and yet it really shouldn't have surprised her that he was reading it. It was Kakashi after all, and that was just one of his little quirks. But honestly, after agreeing to come and spend time with them at the pub and then go read his book instead of talking with them…

Okay, so he hadn't agreed at first. She'd had to do some…_persuading_ to get him to even join them tonight. But he had agreed eventually! That counted for something! So by that reasoning (in her alcohol-addled brain), he shouldn't be reading his book.

"Kakashi-senpai, if you don't put that book away, so help me—I'll shove it so far up your ass you won't be able to recover it," she threatened, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Her threat caught the attention of the other three boys at the table as the older Jounin pulled his face away from his book long enough to give her a doubtful look.

"Oh? Since when have you learned _Sennen Goroshi_ A Thousand Years of Pain?" Kakashi retorted, going back to his Icha Icha book almost immediately afterwards.

Glaring at him fully now, she grinded her teeth together before replying, "Let me try it this way then: if you don't put that book away and join the conversation, I will give a certain part of your anatomy a jolt so strong, you'll be numb for a month."

It had gone deathly silent where Naruto, Sasuke and Sai were seated but she did not dare look over at them. If she looked away, Kakashi wouldn't take her seriously—and she was dead _serious_.

Despite the promise of pain, the elder Jounin simply looked at her (book still in hand, damn it) and raised a silver brow. "Oh? Is that a promise?"

"Don't patronize me, Hatake!" she growled out, clenching a fist and shaking it in front of his face as warning. He remained unruffled. _Damn_ him…

"Who said I was? Besides, it sounds kinky—not threatening."

Face now aflame with anger and embarrassment, she threw her hands up in the air and turned away from him. Crossing her arms and slouching in their booth seat, she glared at the tabletop. She wasn't going to follow through her threat _now_ and they both knew it. Although to her relief, he finally did close that nasty little book of his and join them, Naruto easily pulling the older man into conversation to lighten the mood.

A hand suddenly skimmed just below her skirt, teasing the exposed flesh of her thigh and knee. Keeping her surprise in check, she stole a glance at the man next to her, his attention on the loud blond across from them. He was either doing it unconsciously or was purposefully not looking at her; more than likely, it was the latter.

The hand skimmed farther up, slipping beneath her skirt and kneading the flesh there. Sakura suppressed the shudder that his teasing produced. He was definitely doing it on purpose now, and damn him, it was NOT funny!

Stealthily, she placed her hand his knee and sent a small pulse of chakra through it as a warning (and as payback). His leg jerked slightly from the jolt, and his eye briefly glanced at her sideways. The look he sent her in that one glance told her that she was going to be getting more than she had bargained for tonight.

Giggling, she sent another jolt of chakra through his knee, loving the reaction she got from it. She had to admit that secret relationships made teasing all that more fun, especially when the slightest touch from _him_ sent a jolt of desire to the pit of her stomach.


	11. Sakura: Paint Me a Picture, Paint It Red

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

Sakura-centric short based on the 50 Kisses theme list…

* * *

_Short Six_: **Paint Me a Picture and Paint It in Red**

_Word Count_: 421

_Theme_: #19 – **Red**

_Pairing_: one-sided Sakura/Sasuke, none by the end of the short, dark in nature

Date Completed: 2006.Oct.08

* * *

She loved red. It was a color that stood out, grabbed attention, and brought a tiny flower to the center of the stage. She always wore red if she could help it—it complimented her hair quite well you see. So whether her dress was red or she wore some red hair accessory, she always wore it. She loved red; she always had.

His eyes were red, pools of red with darkness swirling about their depths. Eyes that had seen so much pain, so much suffering, so much cruelty. And yet, those same eyes had saved her countless number of times in their youth. He had never used them on her to inflict pain, never forced her to succumb to their frightful power. She never saw the darkness swirling in them. She loved red.

He had murmured to her of a sky painted red—of blacks clouds that obscured a black moon, and the night sky of red… He never knew that he'd mumbled those words in his sleep all those years ago, and that she had heard. No, he never knew; but she had known—she had known what blood-filled streets he'd spoken of. The streets of his past, the past that had shaped him into the confused and hurt boy she'd fallen in love with. She loved red.

He had become obsessed. He saw the world only in red and darkness. If something contrasted with his vision, he painted it red. He did it so unhesitatingly that she retched upon seeing the masterpiece he had left once in his wake. Bodies strewn across the small encampment of traveling merchants—it was hideous, and she just couldn't believe he had done such a thing himself. The blood of the innocents had caused even her, a medic-nin, to fall numbly to her knees. The massacre was too similar to what she'd heard of the Uchiha massacre—too similar for comfort. It couldn't have been him, for she loved red…

But he had left a calling card… A paper fan: white with the top half soaked in blood—a testament that he had left this painting of red for the entire world to see. He had killed innocent people to suit his needs—to paint his world in red and darkness. She had loved red, but never darkness… He was no longer the man she had once loved…

She used to love red.

Now…she hated red.

And she wanted nothing more than to see red one last time, as Uchiha Sasuke's self-portrait.


	12. NaruSaku: The Perfect Shade of Blue

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

Sakura-centric short based on the 50 Kisses theme list…

* * *

_Short Seven_: **The Perfect Shade of Blue**

_Word Count_: 477

_Theme_: #15 – **perfect blue**

_Pairing_: Sakura/Naruto

Date Completed: 2006.Nov.15

* * *

A sigh escaped her as she laid in the grass of Team Seven's old training grounds, a content smile on her face. She had been extremely lucky to have her free day from the hospital land on such a beautiful, clear, sunny day. It was that time between spring and summer, where the days were warm, but not overly hot or overly cool. It was, in her opinion, a perfect compromise of temperature.

Now, there was only one thing to make the day absolutely and utterly _perfect_. But he was too busy training…as usual. She couldn't blame him though. He was trying to keep his promise to her and Gods knew she had come to love that trait about him.

Truth was, she didn't know _when_ she had started to fall for her loud teammate, but she had. And it was…well…weird, but in a good way. It was strange to finally love someone who loved you back—who supported you no matter how bleak the outcome would be. It was strange…but comforting, and she couldn't stop the swell of contentment that settled around her heart when she thought of the boisterous blond future Hokage.

Another sigh escaped her as she stared at the sky. It was a blue just one shade lighter of perfection. She laughed and shook her head. What was she thinking? Good grief, she was either going crazy or being very sappy. Knowing herself though, it could be a combination of both…

"Oi! Sakura-chan!"

She blinked up at the sky in surprise, clearly recognizing the owner of that voice but not understanding why he wasn't training. Sitting up and looking around, she easily caught sight of the black and orange suit of her teammate running towards her. He was grinning his usual grin and she realized that he'd finished his training early today.

With a smile, she stood and tackled him with a hug, laughing as his face registered surprise before they toppled into the field of grass and wildflowers. She smiled brightly at him as he stared at her in confusion. Oh, he didn't mind the tackle and hug, that she knew, but usually there was a reason for her to be hugging him.

"What was that for?" he questioned, and her bright smile turned into a grin. There really wasn't a reason; she'd just felt like it. Maybe it was the beautiful day getting to her…

"Just because," she answered simply and saw his blue eyes brighten as he grinned back at her. Yup, must be the beautiful day making them all a little crazy… But there was no denying the way his eyes sparkled with genuine happiness like they did now.

It was perfection. When he smiled like that, he eyes were the perfect shade—a perfect blue.

She prayed he would never stop smiling.


	13. GaaSaku: Just Like Him

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

Sakura-centric short based on the 50 Kisses theme list…

* * *

_Short Eight_: **Just Like Him**

_Word Count_: 450

_Theme_: #5 – **"ano sa" ("hey, you know...")**

_Pairing_: Gaara/Sakura

Date Completed: 2006.Nov.18

* * *

She couldn't help it. Really, she couldn't. After all, who wouldn't be upset when someone shows up and takes away all your fun. She hadn't even gotten one real good hit in before every bandit around them were encased and killed in sand. Not a single one. Well, maybe _one_ but it certainly hadn't been enough to even count as a warm up. 

But still…

She glared into the dark countenance of her husband and kage of Suna. There was a glint in his eye, one that she recognized immediately. He was _proud_ of himself! And he wanted her to acknowledge and thank him for it! The cheeky bastard…

Suppressing a growl, she yanked her pack up off the ground and slung it back on. The action complete, she continued on her way to Suna, not even bothering to see if he was following. She knew he was—she could sense his chakra.

"Hey, you know… I was perfectly fine back there," she said huffily and giving him a pouty look. He glanced at her briefly and she raised a brow at him, waiting for some type of response.

"You sound like Naruto."

She gawked, most _definitely_ not expecting that type of comment from him. "What?!" she squawked. He gave her a slight frown in return.

"You heard me."

"How do I sound like _him_? I'm not saying I was invincible or stupid, just that I was fine! I mean, I didn't even take a hit and they were so beneath our levels that there was no way that they could have—"

"That's not what I was talking about."

"Ara?"

He was silent for a bit longer, so she tried to recall what she had said that would make her sound like their favorite Hokage. Nope, nothing else stuck out to her.

"Gaara…" she said, her tone saying that said she had no clue what he was talking about. He sighed and gave her look that said it should have been as obvious as the day was bright.

"Hey, you know…" he said but trailed off, ending it there.

"Yeah?" she questioned.

Again, he sighed. "That's it."

She again gave him a dark look, assuming that he was being a smart-ass. "Well fine. If you don't want to say—"

"What does Naruto usually say to get your attention?"

"He yells my name at the top of his lungs."

"Or?"

"Ano-sa! Ano-sa!"

"Exactly."

"So what does that…" she began but dropped off when realization hit. She had used the same phrase and had been just as slow as the blond in catching on to things. "Dear gods, it's contagious…"

A chuckle escaped her husband when she groaned in despair.


	14. Sakura: Calling Card

Just in case some of you don't know, I joined a Themes Challenge community on Livejournal. Since I have been getting my themes from them, I shall be posting those themes here on as I feel like it/complete them. For the time, they'll be under Densetus no Ninja…I may make a new story for them later, when they're completed or something. Then again, I may not. I'm feeling very much like Shikamaru-senpai – lazy…

Here is the first theme I did for the community. Have fun! And please leave feedback! Feedback make watashi totemo happy desu! Gods…I so butchered that…good thing my Nihongo-sensei won't see it… : P

* * *

Title: Calling Card 

Author/Artist: Tiasha

Pairing: **Haruno**** Sakura**

Theme: #48 – Paper Fan

* * *

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike. 

-----

Date Completed: 2006.Dec.25

Word Count: 286

Recommended Track: Rising Empire

* * *

He had become obsessed. He saw the world only in red and darkness now. If something contrasted with his vision, he painted it red…to show his power. He did it so unhesitatingly that the first masterpiece he had left in his wake, she'd retched violently upon seeing it. The scene was so vividly etched in her mind that it took little effort to remember that day and the conversation she'd had with her former teacher.

Bodies were strewn across the small encampment of traveling merchants—it was hideous, and she just couldn't believe he had done such a thing himself. The blood of the innocents had caused even her, a medic-nin, to fall numbly to her knees in disbelief. The massacre was too similar to what she'd heard of the Uchiha massacre—too similar for comfort. It couldn't have been him, it just couldn't have.

But he had left a calling card… A paper fan: white with the top half soaked in blood—a testament that he had left this painting of red for the entire world to see. He had killed innocent people to suit his needs—to paint his world in red and darkness.

"It's _not_ him," she had whispered vehemently to Kakashi as he stood next to her, surveying the grotesque art-piece before them. "It's not him. It can't be him. He wouldn't do this…"

"Sakura, he is no longer the Sasuke we once knew."

And deep in her heart, she knew Kakashi's words to be true.

And as she stared at a blood-soaked paper fan proudly lying atop the mangled body of a girl no older than five, Sakura's heart shattered.

Uchiha Sasuke was no longer the man she had once loved…


	15. ItaSaku: My Way

Title: My Way

Author/Artist: Tiasha

Pairing: **Haruno**** Sakura**

Theme: #1 – "This is my way as a ninja"

* * *

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

-----

Date Completed: 2006.Dec.25

Word Count: 432

Recommended Track: Empire Rising

* * *

"This is madness, Sakura. Get out of my way."

She narrowed her emerald eyes at his swirling black and crimson ones, calling the vengeful Uchiha's bluff. He had yet to use his Sharingan gaze to severely harm her, but as his lips pulled back in a snarl, she realized that there was a first time for everything.

"Kunoichi," the deep, smooth voice called from behind her. She turned her head ever so slightly, knowing that the shinobi behind her would notice it. "Leave us."

"Like Hell I will," she hissed, muscles tensing as the man in front of her growled in anger. She stood between him and his life-long objective—of course, he'd be mad.

"Why are you willing to risk your life for a traitor like him?!" the man before her yelled, incensed that she had interrupted their fight.

"Why not? I would have for you," she responded, her weight shifting slightly to one foot. She could hear the wheezing breath of the man behind her and her heart ached. She very much doubted that he would live, regardless of the outcome of her intervention.

The swirling, chakra-empowered eyes before her, narrowed in betrayal and hostility; "Our relationship is completely different than anything that's between you and him! You don't know him, Sakura!"

"Kunoichi, leave us," came the order from behind.

Clenching her fists and raising the heel of one foot from the ground, she disregarded her lover's wish.

"Why?! Why would you risk everything for him, you fool?!" the man before her cried out, Sharingan swirling madly as it matched the rage that swirled within the owner. She gave the boy she had once loved a sad smile.

"You already know the answer, Sasuke," she told him, muscles still tense in preparation for her attack.

"Sakura," came Uchiha Itachi's voice from behind her. "Let us be. This is our destiny."

With a determined, yet calm expression on her face, she launched herself forward and pulled back one fist to deliver a deadly punch to the younger Uchiha. Gathering chakra to the fist by her head, she knew that this would be her one chance to end things; Sasuke was already gathering chakra for his chidori, having it snake around his entire body for protection. If she failed with this hit, all would be lost, but that was fine with her. She would die protecting those that she loved.

"This is my way as a ninja," her voice drifted on the wind as she thrust her chakra-laden fist at the boy she had once loved, in hopes of saving them all.


	16. Sakura: Thunderstruck

Title: Thunderstruck

Author/Artist: Tiasha

Pairing: **Haruno**** Sakura**

Theme: #10 – thunderstorm

* * *

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike. 

-----

Date Completed: 2007.Feb.08

Word Count: 504

Recommended Track: _Boondock__ Saints Opening_

* * *

Thunder rolled gently overhead and Sakura leaned back in the saddle, head tilted upward, and arms spread out at her sides. She was free, if only for a few hours, free from missions, free from duty, free from prejudice—just free. And while her teammates preferred to spend their time at the town's pub near the Inn, she had found the rolling plains just outside of the little town a perfect place to unwind.

The steady gait of the horse beneath her and the pattering of rain on her body from the storm were exhilarating and calming. She could feel the tension melt away from her limbs as she allowed the horse to run where it pleased. Contentment replaced the stress and worry within her. Riding usually did that for her.

She had rarely ridden a horse, only two other times previously in fact, and while the rest of her team had groaned in dismay at the prospect of riding mounts on this mission, she'd secretly been pleased. She had enjoyed riding, and had a knack for it too, so she was hardly surprised when Shiranui Genma made a comment about her easy slide into the saddle. The pervert…

Again thunder rolled above her and Sakura felt amusement bubbling inside her; she let it loose, her laughter ringing clearly in the deserted landscape and encouraging the mare's happy gallop. And just when the two were approaching the tree line farthest from the town, she grabbed the reins and began to slow the mare to an easy trot, the rain falling harmlessly around them.

She gently turned the animal back towards town, their walk carefree and languid, neither caring about the rain nor thunder from the storm above them. It was a mild thunderstorm with hardly any lightening, so Sakura did not fear for her life in that sense. But it was late and they did need to get an early start tomorrow.

So with a sigh, she and the mare continued on to the Inn their group was staying at. The mare was in better spirits she noted absently, leaning forward to pat the neck of the animal. Its gait was still happy but slow…as if savoring this small amount of freedom it was being allowed. Sakura couldn't blame the animal…

Lightening suddenly snaked downward towards the forest line she and the mare had been near. And as Sakura looked over her shoulder in surprise (for there had been no signs of it turning into a heavy thunderstorm), she could see the barest outline of a person. Electricity was snaking around the body and her throat closed on her. She couldn't breathe… She was struck with a strange sense of fear and elation when looking at that silhouette.

Then the figure was gone and Sakura wondered if it had been her imagination. The horse whickered in sudden anxiety and Sakura looked ahead, noting that the clouds were darker now. The gentle thunderstorm was turning sinister…

Much like the path of her life…

'_Sasuke__…_'


	17. NaruSaku: Leap of Faith

Title: Leaping Together  
Author/Artist: Tiasha  
Pairing: **Haruno Sakura**/Uzumaki Naruto  
Theme: #29 – Leap of faith

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

*******

Date Completed: 2007 Feb. 08

Word Count: 323

Recommended Track: _Simple and Clean [Instrumental]_ by Kaoru Wade

* * *

Naruto loved her and he would protect her with every fiber of his being. She had known that since their genin days. And in all the time she had known him, she had never known him to be afraid of anything; he never backed down from a challenge and always faced it head-on.

And for the first time in her life, Sakura had let go of her love for Sasuke, had let go of her childish fantasies of being the matriarch of the Uchiha family. She merely wanted her friend back home…where he could become a part of their little family again. That was all she wanted now…

She finally understood how Naruto felt, wanting to face things the moment they happened—with no regrets and no second-thoughts. She felt as though she could do anything, that she could beat the odds.

But now, when she was on the cusp of absolute freedom and courage, she encountered an obstacle. And it was one that she never would have suspected. Naruto was refusing to let her join them and bring Sasuke home. He said it was too dangerous. That if she really cared for him, loved him as she claimed she did, then she would stay behind.

He was afraid.

For the first time in all the years she'd known him, Sakura saw genuine fear in his blue eyes.

He was not willing to make that leap of trust and faith.

But she was.

And she would take him by the hand, and together…they would _both_ make that leap.

* * *

**'_If you care about me, then you won't go._'**

**'_I'm not afraid._'**

**'_You should be._'**

**'_But I'm not._'**

**'_And that's what I love about you, Sakura-chan…but you can't come._'**

**'_Why?_'**

**'_It's too dangerous._'**

**'_You're not going take this leap of faith then?_'**

**'_…no…_'**

**'_Then I will take it for you._'**

**'_Sakura-chan…_'**

**'_We promised we'd bring Sasuke back home together… We'll take this leap together, Naruto._'**


	18. Sakura: Cathedral

Title: Cathedral  
Author/Artist: Tiasha  
Pairing: **Haruno Sakura**  
Theme: #22 – cathedral

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

*******

Date Completed: 2007 Feb. 20  
Word Count: 406  
Recommended Track: _Celtic Twilight_ by Loreena McKennitt

* * *

"Wow…" she whispered in awe as she bent her head back to look up at the vaulted ceilings of the remains she was standing in. The pointed archways that lined the nave were two and sometimes three arches on top of each other. It was no wonder why the need for flying buttress were so essential to the creation of a building like this one.

The remnants of stained glass windows surrounded her and fractured the sunlight into an array of colors. Greens, reds, blues, yellows and even purples shone down upon the moss that had crept up through the stone floor; the moss hushed her footsteps as she walked farther in towards the rounded apse, adding to the strange serenity that surrounded the ruins.

A few wooden benches remained: the wood rotting on some and others a tad bit lopsided. She walked passed them, her fingers lightly gliding across their rough surface. She approached the apse, noting the odd figure that was situated there. She had never really seen such a figure before, and it intrigued her.

It was a woman, hair covered by a veil and barefoot. Her robes draped over every inch of her body and her eyes were downcast. Her marbles features were dotted with moss and bracken, but her hands were held outward, palms up as if pleading. It was the posture that this statue had been shaped into that pulled at her heart. Pleading…

She stopped in front of the statue, her hand reaching up to caress the cold, mossy cheek of the sorrowful-looking woman.

"I know you…" she whispered to the woman, "somehow…"

She stepped backwards and stared at the woman, a sense of peace flooding over Sakura as she did so.

"Haruno," her radio crackled in her ear and she winced at the loud noise when compared to the otherworldly silence of the dilapidated church. With a soft groan of displeasure she reached up to press the button on her communication piece.

"Hai?" she responded, albeit reluctantly.

"ETA?"

"Five minutes."

"Yosh."

Her radio went silent and a sigh escaped her. She didn't really want to leave, especially since the atmosphere instilled a sense of peace she'd rarely felt before. But she was needed—her medical abilities were needed.

With one last look at the marble woman, she left the broken cathedral she'd stumbled upon during her trek through the forest and went to perform her own set of miracles.


	19. Sakura, Sai: An Inky Reminder

Title: An Inky Reminder  
Author/Artist: Tiasha  
Pairing: **Haruno Sakura**, Sai  
Theme: #43 – ink blotch

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply! Naturally any character that is not associated with the show belongs either to someone I have permission to use or to me. Please ask permission to use any character that I own should you desire to do so. Thank you. If there are any similarities between my work and another author's then I apologize. I suppose great minds DO think alike.

*******  
Date Completed: 2007 Feb. 27  
Word Count: 1,715  
Recommended Track: How to Save a Life by The Fray

* * *

She knew she was trespassing, knew she was invading his private domain, but she couldn't help it. She had always been curious about his artwork but he never shared, still too caught up in the belief that he needn't share everything about himself. It was laughable, and almost sad really; he wanted to better his social skills and start anew, yet he kept the most interesting parts of himself hidden from others.

Now granted she wasn't the type to snoop into other's personal affects and domains, but the lure of his apartment… the mystery of it… She couldn't resist the temptation. After all, it wasn't her fault that he wasn't home when she'd stopped by to drop off a mission scroll. And it wasn't her fault that he hadn't locked the door…for whatever reason. So it wasn't her fault that he had set the stage for temptation.

She kept her hands at her sides, not wanting to disturb the strange surreal of the room. Sunshine poured in unhindered through the windows, alighting upon the various art brushes, inks, charcoals, and reams of paper. An easel was set up near one of the windows, paints and inks drying in a palette he'd forgotten to clean after finishing whatever he'd been working on. Tucked against a wall were an empty desk and a lone bed, its sheets and covers folded immaculately and the pillow pristine.

Various projects, most half-finished she noted, laid against the walls or whatever empty space was available. Some pieces had the privilege of hanging on the walls, their beautifully intricate lines and colors on display to their owner at all times.

She took in everything, turning in slow circles as she moved to the middle of the room. It was almost artfully cluttered, and she smiled at the irony of it. As she passed the empty, simply designed desk, she ran her fingers across its smooth surface, as if it would help her discern the mystery that was her new teammate. She honestly wanted to understand him better, and she _did_ try to be patient when he screwed up on his people skills, but sometimes it was so hard.

As she turned to observe the works of art on the wall, one in particular caught her attention. Perhaps it was because it was so out of place when compared to the other pieces. It was so stark looking against the white-washed walls that it drew one's eye to it almost immediately. It was a plain, black…blob.

With a slight frown of confusion, she approached it and stared at it, trying to discern the purpose of its creation and the meaning behind it. After all, why would he display an ink blotch as a piece of work? Perhaps it was one of the ink blotches psychiatrists used to get an idea of one's state of mind? But _why_ display it, if that was the case?

"What are you doing here?" The flat toned question came from the direction of the door. Sakura whirled around with a start, hand on her chest and stared at Sai with wide eyes.

"Oh jeez, you scared me," she breathed out in relief, her heartbeat returning to normal after its unscheduled spike. After another deep breath, she smiled at him and noted the plastic bags in his hands. Food or more art supplies? Noticing a brush sticking out of one bag and some carrots out of another, she surmised that it was both.

He still hadn't moved from the doorway, probably intentionally to keep her there until he was satisfied with her answers. "What are you doing here?" he asked again, his eyes narrowing slightly and his 'fake' smile nowhere to be seen.

Inwardly wincing, she realized that she truly _had_ trespassed on sacred territory for him. Oops. Now how was she going to get out of this one? Oh right, the mission scroll…

"I stopped by to deliver this," she answered, pulling out the scroll and moving to hand it to him. He stared at it untrustingly, making no move to take it from her. Biting her lower lip, she gently placed it on one of the small tables in the room and stared down at her feet in shame. "It's a mission scroll," she supplied, and immediately mentally berated herself for such a stupid comment. Of course it was a mission scroll! Why else would she be delivering it to him?!

"I can see that."

"You weren't here and the door wasn't locked and I thought I could just leave it here for when you got back but then I saw that there wasn't really a place to put it and then I saw the paintings and—"

"You're babbling."

Sakura snapped her mouth shut quickly, realizing that he was right. She _had_ started to babble and she hadn't even noticed. She _had_ noticed something though and it made her stomach churn slightly. '_He hasn't even called me __**Hag**__ yet; oh he's gotta be really pissed at me then_,' she thought dejectedly. Never would she have thought that the nickname '_Hag_' would become something of importance to her.

"You can leave now." He moved away from the doorway and to the refrigerator she'd overlooked upon her initial perusal of the place. He was dismissing her so easily…and it should have ticked her off, but strangely it didn't…instead, it hurt.

Wanting to somehow mend whatever she'd damaged between them, her eyes roamed over the room and landed quickly on the ink blotch. Glancing at him from the corner of her, she moved back towards the piece instead of towards the door. She sensed him stiffen out of wariness as she stopped to examine the blob of black.

"I can't figure out why you have this hanging here," she said casually, tilting her head to look at him and offer a friendly smile. At his blank and unwelcoming look, she idly wondered if he'd ever allowed _anyone_ into his humble abode.

"I mean at first glance, it just looks like an ink blotch but when you start to stare at it for a while, it's almost like it's moving…" she continued, squinting her eyes slightly as she focused on the blob. When silence settled around them, she glanced at him again and met his dark, blank gaze with her own curious emerald one.

"Is there a reason?" she asked tentatively. He continued to watch her, eyes betraying nothing of what he was thinking. She bit her lower lip again, wondering if whatever she'd damaged was irreparable now, which would really suck since they were on the same team and all…

After what seemed like an eternity, she saw a spark of…something in those black orbs. He sighed and placed his bags on the counter by the sink and next to the refrigerator. Silently, he moved to stand next to her, eyes focused on the ink blotch. He was silent for a moment more before he finally answered her.

"To remind me."

She blinked at the honesty in the answer, and the lack of substance behind it. It left too much open for speculation, and she hated it when things like that happened.

"Remind you of what?" she questioned in confusion and he glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to the piece.

"That pain, hatred, darkness are necessary in life, to remind us of the better things and to be…grateful."

She took a startled step back at the depth of the answer, and that a single ink blotch could represent all of that to him. She looked back at the blob curiously, tilting her head from side to side, trying to see it from his angle. A petulant look crossed her face as she studied it for a moment longer before heaving a sigh of defeat. She could see where he was coming from, but it was almost a depressing view… Well, she'd give him something else to chew on, something with a little more optimism to it.

"All I see is a blotch of ink: simple, unobtrusive, yet stark and defiant; but overall, unique. There will never be another blotch like it," she stated, nodding her head proudly. Yes, that sounded just about right.

Smiling, she turned to see what effect her words had had on the young man next to her. His brows were furrowed in thought as he stared at the black blob hanging on his wall. She gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze and bid her friend good-bye, showing herself out. He needed time to himself now, and she wouldn't intrude anymore than she already had.

"Sakura…"

She paused, hand on the doorknob and ready to close the door behind her. She looked at him questioningly but he hadn't turned to look at her. She waited patiently, not wanting to rush him. The fact that he had called her by her first name, and without any suffix, told her that he was struggling—struggling with something within himself.

After a few minutes of silence though, she felt the need to remind him that he'd called to her. "What is it, Sai?"

"You…" he began but closed his mouth, expression one of concentration. He wanted to word it just right and she felt a spark of endearment for this poor soul who had been placed in her and Naruto's care and on their team. "Feel free to…stop by…again…sometime…"

With a genuine smile, she nodded and waved at him, "Thank you. I'll try to." And she left him alone with his thoughts.

As she left his apartment building, she realized that that had been one of the few times that he'd held a conversation without having to give it too much analytical thought. He hadn't agonized over the choice of words or phrases, well except at the end, but simply thought of what he wanted to say and said it. He was closer to being socially-ept than he or others gave him credit for… he just needed the right topic of conversation.

A giggle escaped her as she stepped out of the apartment complex and onto the streets of Konoha, her gaze being drawn to the blue, cloudless sky above. And to think, this small step towards 'humanity' had all started because of an **_ink blotch_**.


End file.
