A Twisted Life

Hey! This is a Sasusaku oneshot. i don't know why i posted this in the first place...i don't rlly like it, so feel free to flame. i just hope neither characters are too OOC...especially angsty pretty-boy (u should all know who that is) enjoy! (i hope...)

Disclaimer: i don't own Naruto. i also don't own a lot of things i'd like to...i'll stop whining now...

xXxXxXx

“Sakura…”

A pair of jade eyes flew open wide, and scanned it’s surroundings, combing it through in search of any possible enemies in hiding. There were none.

The kunoichi sighed and ran her slim fingers through her short pink hair. That was the fifth time this week that she’ d heard a voice, that voice, his voice in her sleep. Every time, she would wake with his name on the tip of her tongue, yet always manages to hold it back just before it slips out. Sakura knew she was being silly. He has been gone for 4 years. The last time Sakura saw him, he had tried to run her through with his katana. Even so, she would wake from hearing him call her name with a certain spark of excitement somewhere deep within her, where the spark had died out years ago along with his departure. Her heart would pound faster, her stomach would give a pleasant lurch…and then she would be disappointed, finally coming to her senses and realizing he’s not there. But that disappointment only lasts for a fraction of a second. Sakura would then mentally scold herself for being such a naïve, helpless little girl. A strong kunoichi would never pine after a man who broke her heart, then tried to kill her. And Sakura was a strong kunoichi now. Or at least she hoped so.

Bright green eyes turned upwards to the sky above. It was adorned with so many stars, Sakura decided that there was more white in it than the very dark blue tone one would usually see in large villages. But you’re no longer in Konoha, she reminded herself. Tsunade had, for some strange reason, sent Sakura on a solo mission to pick up and deliver an extremely valuable scroll, supposedly containing a forbidden jutsu, which was currently tucked snugly into one of the pouches around her thin waist.

And somehow, Sakura found herself in a forest in the middle of nowhere, although she suspected it was near the Land of Sound, after narrowly avoiding contact with a few shinobi bearing the Sound Symbol on their hitae-ate. This was not good. Sakura blamed her poor navigation skills.

Oh well, thought Sakura, stifling a yawn. I’ll find a way back to Konoha in the morning.

Just as her green orbs began to close, Sakura sensed a foreign chakra presence. A powerful presence. She doubted it would be an ally, considering the certain, dangerous land nearby.

Crap, I knew I should have traveled through the night instead. Sakura’s hand moved discreetly to hover above her kunai pouch.

“Kunoichi shouldn’t travel alone at night…Sakura.”

Normally, Sakura would have thrown the kunai immediately at the voice. First off, it definitely wasn’t an ally, and secondly, it was a degrading comment to kunoichi. But Sakura would know that voice anywhere.

“Sasuke.”

He revealed himself at that point. Walking calmly out of the shadows, he looked the same he did three years ago (When he tried to kill me, thought Sakura bitterly). The only difference was that he seemed taller, and his hair a tiny bit longer.

Sakura was speechless, mostly because she was caught off guard. She definitely had a lot to say to him, most of them containing a colourful variety of curses. She wanted to attack him, (attempt to) hug him, and yell at him all at once. In the end, she just stood there, frozen on the spot, gaping like an idiot, and open for any attacks.

The Uchiha smirked. “It’s good to see you too, and I see you haven’t changed the slightest bit. Still groveling after the feet of things, or people you can never get.”

Sakura was so enraged, it was as if her voice box had a switch, which had just been flicked “on”.

“Burn in hell!” she spat at him, even surprising herself with the sudden venom.

Sasuke began to move forwards, seemingly unfazed by the outburst. His steps were slow and deliberate. Sakura resisted the strong urge to back up, and even more so, to turn and flee. No, I will be strong! she thought firmly. But she couldn’t help but chew her bottom lip, attempting to relieve the stress. Sasuke noticed. Of course he would. He smirked the infamous Uchiha grin, then stopped walking, standing only a few feet away from Sakura.

“What do you want?” snapped Sakura, willing her voice not to shake.

“Give me the scroll.”

Sakura froze. Whatever forbidden jutsu was in there, Sasuke obviously wanted it, probably to gain even more power. All the more reason to make sure he doesn’t get it.

“I-I don’t have it.”

But her actions betrayed her, and she knew Sasuke could tell.

“Really? Well, that’s a shame.” And he was gone.

Shocked at the sudden and unlikely turn of events, Sakura blinked to clear her eyes. Big mistake.

In a second, Sakura found herself pinned to a tree, the rough bark digging into her back painfully. Her head was spinning and she was seeing black dots everywhere. She shook her head half-desperately, trying to regain her senses. And then something cold touched the sensitive skin on her neck, sending goosebumps along the entire area. I t was the sharp edge of a kunai.

Sakura swore mentally. Sasuke has always been and excellent shinobi, but since when was he this fucking fast?

“Let’s try that again,” whispered the raven-haired man, his warm breath tickling Sakura’s ear, making her suddenly acutely aware of his close proximity. If she were younger, Sakura would probably be attempting to kiss him. But at the moment, she hated hi guts. She hated him for leaving, for trying to kill her, for currently trying to kill her, and his stupid, arrogant attitude.

With all her might, Sakura shoved Sasuke off her and aimed a deadly accurate barrage of kunai and shuriken at his body. Which he blocked. Of course. But Sakura was far from finished. Taking advantage of his momentary shock at her resistance, the pink-haired kunoichi sent a power-packed punch at the Uchiha’s head. For a moment, Sakura thought she was actually going to hit her target. Suddenly, her world flipped upside-down, and Sakura was lying on the ground on her back, which was aching terribly. It took her a moment to realize what had happened. Sasuke had somehow blocked her fist, then using that arm as leverage, managed to flip, then slam her into the ground.

The most recent move winded Sakura a little, but it was not like her to give up anymore. So without even getting up, the determined young woman slammed the side of her fist into the ground, channeling a massive amount of chakra into the earth, causing giant fissions and cracks to sprawl out from the point of contact towards Sasuke. He was still wearing a mask of stone upon his face, almost bored.

Yes, got him!

But before the jutsu could fully achieve it’s purpose, Sasuke jumped up from his spot, then knocked Sakura into the air to prevent her from channeling enough chakra into the ground to actually cause some serious damage. Then he slammed her into a tree, the kunai returned to her throat.

“Back to where we started, hm? You’ve improved… though I’m hardly impressed,” sneered Sasuke. “Now, where. Is. It?”

Sakura knew she was being stupid, and probably pushing her luck (what luck?), but she chose to reply, out of pure spite, “Where’s what? Gotta be specific, Sasuke-kun.”

The kunai shifted it’s angle slightly, the sharp edge cutting into the young kunoichi’s sensitive skin. There was a sudden sharp pain, and Sakura felt something wet and warm slide down to her collarbone. She was bleeding.

The kunai left her throat, only to be replaced by a strong hand, gripping Sakura’s sir passage tightly. “I’m waiting,” taunted the avenger.

Sakura was about to make another insult, when she looked into his coal-like eyes. Why weren’t they in sharingan form? And just like that, the fight and anger drained out of Sakura. Does that mean he doesn’t really intend to hurt me?

And with that thought, Sakura only knew one thing now: Get Sasuke back. It was the only chance she had.

Against her will, Sakura could feel her eyes get moist. NO! I can’t cry! I can’t be weak! Remember the others! Remember Naruto…

“Why?”

Sasuke’s grip loosened a fraction of an inch. He was silent, waiting for her to speak again.

Sakura refused to be the one to break the silence. Sasuke was the one who had to talk. She waited patiently.

“You know why.” Sakura needed a better reason than that.

“That’s not good enough! You got what you wanted from Orochimaru: power. Now, why won’t you return? Naruto and I, we’ll help you do it. Hell, we’ll all help you! The entire Rookie Nine is waiting for you back in Konoha, back home. Please, if you’re not going back for them, do it for your old team,” Sakura paused. The moistness in her eyes was gone. She had hope, and she wasn’t about to let go of it.

Sakura tilted her head, forcing Sasuke’s eyes to meet hers. Jade versus onyx. “Do it for me.”

For a moment, Sakura thought she saw something different flicked in Sasuke’s eyes. But in a flash, it was gone, and his eyes were as apathetic as ever. They’re not just coal-like, they are lumps of coal. Sakura closed her eyes in frustration.

“Sakura,” the pink-headed medic snapped open her eyes, flooded with hope, only to meet with a pair of blazing red sharingan ones. “Thank you.” And Sakura’s vision sank into darkness.

xXxXxXx

“Sakura…”

A pair of jade eyes flew open wide, and scanned it’s surroundings, combing it through in search of any possible enemies in hiding. There were none.

Sakura sat up, and the events preceding her blackout flooded her mind. The kunoichi squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to scream and cry at the same time. She wanted so desperately to block out what had just happened, block out yet another failure. It will always be this way. She would see him, beg him to stay or return to Konoha, he would get her hopes up, but then he would say “Thank you” and knock her out.

Sakura would rather him call her weak or insult her in any way. Anything was now better than to hear a cryptic “thank you”. If that was Sasuke’s way of making her feel better, which Sakura seriously doubted, then he had no idea what he was doing to her heart.

But the harsh reality was, it didn’t matter what Sasuke did to her. Sakura would always try to bring him back, despite the knowing she would most likely lose a piece of her heart every time. And she was willing to lose her entire heart if it meant she had even the slimmest of chances to be reunited with him.

That is, and always will be, Sakura Haruno’s twisted way of life.

Slowly, the young woman stood up, wobbling slightly at first. She rubbed the back of her neck to relieve a cramp, and noticed something wrong. Kind of. Slowly, Sakura slid her pale hand to the front of her neck, feeling the smooth, unmarked skin beneath.

Where was the cut from Sasuke’s kunai? Sakura was positive he had cut her. Of course, there was the slight chance that Sasuke had healed her during her blackout, but it takes a lot of training, skill, and precision to heal a wound so flawlessly, it’s as if the wound was never made in the first place.

It’s as if the wound was never made in the first place.

Suddenly, a chilling voice cut through the air like a knife. And Sakura would have known that voice anywhere.

“Kunoichi shouldn’t travel alone at night…Sakura.”

xXxXxXx

Ok, that's it. 4 any1 who has already read my other Sasusaku oneshot ('Flinch'), u'll notice i've tried to tone down the darkness in this one, simply cuz i think i freaked out a couple of reviewers --'. ive also made it longer, becuz that's what u guys suggested!

oh, and i have absolutely no idea where the f--k the ending came from...

Gaaah(attempting to express frustration)! definitely not a masterpiece. flame away ppl, flame away.