Forever

SasuSaku

summary: After Sasuke came back from Orochimaru, he found a note in his apartment. From her. It was always her. But, it wasn't what he expected. After 3 years, it still wasn't what he expected her to be. Black with red clouds.

Maybe there will be some Akatsuki action in here but Im not sure. For awhile, it might only be about the ANBU with bits and pieces of Akatsuki.

TO ANSWER Reinah'S QUESTION...

A HUGE NOTICE! To those who absolutely loooove this story, I have two things to announce. ONE! There is only six chapters left and everyone of them is currently summarized in my notebook. SECOND! There is going to be a...SEQUEL! Yes! Its true. Right now, it's titled Vulnerable but that might change soon. Wait. Should it be titled Vulnerable or Traitor? I dunno. Im leaning towards Traitor, due to the summary and stuff thats gonna happen. But, isn't this exciting? A sequel? SWEET!

Also...((for the poll)) don't worry, when the romance truley comes, it will hit HARD! yess! Im trying to make it less random, but still with bits and specks of it to satisfy those cravings. The plot is coming together quite nicely and will expand in the sequel.

chapter 14

Captives

"What is the meaning of this?" The Tsuchikage asked, leaning against a pillar. Two shinobi knelt infront of him on the tiled floor. The room was tinted an orange with hundreds of pillars. ((sound familiar?)) The Tsuchikage glanced behind the shinobi to two bodies, binded in ropes strengthened with chakra.

"These are two of the eight shinobi. Four were unconcious, one was technically dead, and the three weak ones wanted to fight. The thing was, the jutsu used on two of the unconcious were waring off on the strongest and we didnt need any interferances. So, we used the foe's jutsu at our advantage to flee." Kabuto explained, trying hard not to make it sound like they were incompetent with a simple task.

"Well, that is what I call a YOUTHFUL nap!" A voice yelled, making the three shinobi's gazes snap towards the person responsible. The captive, clad in green and orange, with the bowl-cut hair, big bug eyes, and shiny white teeth sat up. "Huh? Whats with these? THEY'RE RESTRICTING MY YOUTH!" Kabuto twitched. He looked around the large room, to Kabuto, to Orochimaru, and finally to the man standing, wearing robes of the Tsuchikage.

"Shut up" Orochimaru snapped. "Your captured"

"NEVER! YOUTH WILL SET ME FREE!" Lee yelled, thrashing around.

"Shouldn't it be 'the truth will set you free'?" Kabuto asked dumbly.

"Just shut up Kabuto.." Orochimaru muttered, rubbing his temples.

---

"Where are they?" Neji frantically asked, abit paranoid. He constantly looked behind him and fidgeted. Alot.

"I'm never taking orders from you. Ever." Kiba mumbled, sitting on a rock, glaring at the blonde.

"They were taken by Orochimaru. But, we've already discussed that matter, Neji." Shino simply stated, taking out a map. "So we're about here...Sound should be right around...there." He whispered to himself, pointing on the map's surface. ((Does anyone know the Japanese name for the Sound Village?))

"Hey, thats not too far!" Tenten said, looking over Shino's shoulder.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Lets go!" Ino yelled, pumping her fist in the air.

"Why? Do we have too?" Neji whined. The shinobi froze. Neji...whined? He complained??

"Who are you and what have you done to Neji?" Tenten growled.

"Calm yourself" A voice said, from behind them. Neji sat upon a tree branch. "I saw Kabuto and Orochimaru coming so I made a stable clone. It took alot of chakra and I had no time to perfect it, as you can see." He said. Taking a kunai with a special tag wrapped around it, he threw it at the Neji on the ground, making it dissapear.

"Give us a heart attack why don't you! We thought it was an enemy shinobi, posing as you!" Kiba roared, stomping his feet on the ground, childishly. Realization dawned upon him. "Holy crap, where's Akamaru?!" He screamed, standing up.

"Don't worry, the poor thing is over here. During the attack, he hid." Ino explained, petting Akamaru.

"But where could he hide? He's so big!" Tenten asked. Ino shrugged.

"Now, if everyone is ready, we should head out." Shino said, putting back the map. Everyone cleaned up their things. "We go northeast." Shino said, looking back.

"Alright!" Ino smiled, ready to fight.

"But what about Naruto?" Kiba asked, pointing to the limp form next to a log.

"We must leave him, hide him somewhere. We just cannot take him with us. When we return, we will take him to Suna, since its the closest." Neji said, placing a genjutsu over Naruto's body hidden inside the hollow log.

"Now lets get moving." Ino nodded and they took off.

---

"This cold floor is so troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered, sitting up. He was in a dark cell and, across from him, was Lee. He could tell by the color-clashing spandex.

"Hello, Shikamaru! My fellow youthful Konoha shinobi!" Lee greeted, noticing his friend's awakening.

"Quiet!" Kabuto ordered, patrolling the hallway.

"Why are we here? What use are we to Orochimaru?" Shikamaru questioned, looking at the silver-haired shinobi who's glare pierced through the thick black atmosphere.

"That is none of your business. Nore are you in any position to demand information." Kabuto smirked. 'Good. If they knew, Orochimaru's reputation could be in jeopardy...' Kabuto thought, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

---

"I wonder if they are alright..." Ino whispered to herself, face showing worry. They neared the village as the scent of blood thickened in their nostrils.

"Just concentrate on the task at hand, Ino." Tenten growled, jumping over a couple trees in each stride, still far behind the rest along with Ino. Neji led the group, Kiba by his side. Shino was inbetween the two groups with Akamaru, his bugs continuously checking for enemys.

"We're nearing. Its just beyond those mountains." Shino said, monotone. The others nodded, preparing for the oncoming battle.

---

Sasuke kept feeling a twinge of pain in his chest. He wondered how Naruto and the retrieval group was doing, especially after Tsunade had to send help. 'If the dobe dies, It's all her fault...' He repeated in his head, his ongoing mantra.

"Now, it wasn't Sakura's choice for Tsunade to send ANBU after her now was it?" Kakashi said, sitting on Sasuke's couch. Sasuke turned around, glaring at his sensei that appeared in his apartment, out of nowhere, again.

"Kakashi! My rival! Don't you dare question Tsunade-sama!" A loud, and annoying, voice rang throughout Sasuke's apartment. Sasuke glared at the green thing standing in his living room.

"Now Gai, why are you just barging into people's aparments?" Kurenai scolded, walking in through the front door. Sasuke scowled. Why must he be bothered so?

"Its so un-shinobi like." Asuma muttered, following Kurenai, lighting up another cigarette. Sasuke was about to say something, but decided against it, and sat next to Kakashi, looking at all the intruders.

"Only I have business here, since Sasuke is my student. Why are you interupting his thoughts of our dear Sakura-chan?" Kakashi asked, reading his perverted orange book. Sasuke twitched. Everyone looked at his curiously and started laughing.

"Everybody, get the hell outta my apartment!" Sasuke snarled, pointing to the door. The room emptied.

"Phew! Glad they're gone. Totally obnoxious!" Tsunade said, looking at her nails.

"Don't you have work to do?" He sighed. She shrugged.

"Probably." Tsunade snikered. "Want some sake?" She asked, taking out a big bottle of the beverage.

"Sure" Sasuke grabbed a glass and downed it within seconds.

"LADY TSUNADE! STOP GIVING SAKE TO THOSE UNDERAGE!" Shizune yelled, chasing away Tsunade with a broom while Sasuke looked at the scene with confusion. Then, went to bed.

((lol. i just had to satisfy my inner random selves before they came and poked me with bananas. o.O))

---

"Here we go..." Neji mumbled. He and the gang sat outside the well-hidden gates of the Sound village.

"NOW LET'S-" Ino started to yell, before the rest of the gang clamped their hands over her mouth.

"Ino, you idiot! Are you trying to kill us?!" Tenten whispered furiously.

"Yeah! Why would you yell like that on a mission like this?!?" Kiba asked, removing his hand as did the others.

"Sorry..." Ino muttered, childishly kicking the dirt in embarassment.

"Now just shut up." Neji looked to Shino. "Send out your bugs to see if there are any enemies in the deeper regions while I use my Byakugan to scout the imidiate area." Neji ordered. Shino did as told, sending one of his favorite beetles into the depths of the barren halls and Neji used his Byakugan. After a couple minutes, the beetles scampered its way back onto his finger.

"There are three hallways. The left and right ones are dead traps while the middle leads to the main hallway with a series of potentialy deadly traps. In the main hallway, there are only two guards and a door, which I'm assuming leads to Orochimaru." Shino explained to the shinobi what his bug told him.

"Beyond the main doors, there are only three guards. Then, there is a small hallway with a single guard patrolling it. Beyond the hallway is the corridor where the three hallways are." Neji said, taking out some kunai.

"So, lets just make it to the main hall, have Shino's bugs figure out whats behind that door or something, and move in!" Kiba smirked, turning to his canine pal. "Ya ready, Akamaru!" His response was a low bark.

"Let's go!" Tenten took out some of her weapon scrolls as they all darted towards the double-doored entrance.

---

"So that flaw is overwith." A dark laugh sounded throughout the stone walls. His purple eyes looked at the two infront of him. "And I half-expeced you two to be just about dead at my hands, right about now." The corners of lips tipped up into a small smirk.

"Now as welcoming as that sounds, I remember that me and Sakura-chan have a pending mission, yeah." Deidara snikered, taking a step away from their superior.

"As for you, Haruno, I would have thought you would decline the mission or run away from killing one of your best friends during the mission." He titled his head, eagerly awaiting her response.

"I'm not the same person I was. Besides, the past will stay in the past. Whats done is done. I have no feelings for those who I used to call "friends" from that village." Her voice cold, her gaze like steel.

"C'mon Sakura-chan, yeah." Deidara's voice was abit timid, hoping that he was right to tear away the slight glaring contest between Pein and Sakura.

"Of course. The mission." Sakura turned on her heel and walked off. 'Well, what he calls a mission. Torturing a captive for information is not that hard. A simple genin with the right mind could do it!' She thought, scowling.

---

Neji pushed against the wall, making it cave in. They hurried into the secret room as the wall re-built itself behind them. The room barely fit them all and Kiba found the other door and opened it. It lead to a dirty hallway, bars blocking off the cells with people inside, few alive, some dying, and most dead. Ino's nose scrunched at the stench and put gloves over her manicured fingers. Tenten looked at the bodies littering the floor in disgust. Akamaru hid behind Kiba, the smell was too strong for him. Shino kept walking ahead, totally unfazed.

"You guys?" They heard a small noise from one of the cells. Turning to their left, Shikamaru sat chained to the wall with numerous bruises and cuts.

"Oh dear friends! See, Shikamaru, I told you! Our power of youth drew them to us!" Lee happily yelled from the cell across from Shikamaru's.

"Not so fast." A chuckle was heard from behind Ino, who was the last in the group, and a kunai felt it's place snugly against her neck. The shinobi turned around. Kabuto's arm was locked around her waist, causing her arms to be pinned to her sides. "Your too blind." He pressed the metal closer, causing a small bubble of blood to rise from her skin and dripped onto the blade. She was shaking with fear, droplets of water forming beneath her eyelids and falling. Before the others could say something, Tenten knew exactly what to do. They weren't going to aid her. Nope.

"Whats that cry baby to us anyway? Go ahead, kill her!" Tenten said casually, none of the others getting what she was talking about.

"Of course. She's worthless. Always have been, always will be." Shikamaru said, relaxing his shoulders. He knew what was coming and, hopefully, he was prepared. "Besides, Sakura was always the better one. In fighting, strength, beauty..." He trailed off, inwardly wincing at Ino's expression.

"Excuse me?" Her soft voice trembled, tears pouring even more.

"What nice friends you have here, Yamanaka. And just before your death too." Kabuto commented, pressing the kunai harder. That was, untill he felt his grip loosen. But, not by his doing.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY SHIKAMARU?! I AM BETTER THAN FOREHEAD! NOW IM NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND HAVE YOU DEGRADE ME INFRONT OF EVERYBODY! BECAUSE I AM SOOO PRETTIER THAN HER!" She roared. ((Tsk..tsk..tsk..Now we know where her priorities lay.)) She miraculously broke from Kabuto's iron grasp and she charged at the cell...only to have the rough bars stop her and cause her to fall flat on her back.

"Bravo, Ino. Bravo." Kiba muttered sarcastically as Tenten walked over to the blonde.

"I'm glad the plan worked. You got yourself outta that mess!" Tenten smirked, helping her up.

"So..it's not true?" Ino was hopeful.

"Of course not! Your so not a cry baby and your not worthless..It was all fake.." Tenten went on.

"So I'm prettier than Forehead? Right?!" Ino snapped. Tenten shrugged.

"Sure. Whatev-" Tenten was cut off.

"YESS!" Ino squealed, forgetting that Kabuto was even there, untill he cleared his throat.

"Now that this reunion is over, it's your time to die." Kabuto's hands glowed green with medical chakra. He went to put his arm out, but found himself unable to. Looking over to the shinobi, he saw Ino's body lying against the bars. His head started to ache and he felt his soul being pushed back, cursing himself for being so stupid. In Kabuto's body, Ino strolled over to Shikamaru's cell and, using his chakra, broke the bars. She did the same with Lee. After that, she severed the chains and shackles. "Now come on, we need to get going." Ino ordered as they scurried out of the building, the exact way they came. Ino found a sleeping pill in Kabuto's array of pills in his pocket, took one and as the effects were coming, she got out of his body and ran to catch to the others.

The Tsuchikage looked at the shinobi running out of the Sound village, shaking his head.

"Konoha will never learn." He whispered, turning around and walking back to his chambers. His eyes were hurting again. Noticing the medic of the joint was out cold, he decided that he could wait untill later. The pain needed to cease, though. ((omg. major clue there. does anyone know who he is NOW?? if you do, ask me if its right. c'mon, I don't bite...hard))

tbc

Sorry, it took a bit longer than I expected. But, I was worth it right? RIGHT?! Good reader. (gives cookie) Anywho...I'm expecting the chapter either in the weekend or late this week. I have things going on...as well as another job interview at Dunkin Donuts! yay! I really want to get the job. It would be totally awsome.

your I TOTALLY WANT THAT JOB authoress...

kunoichixakura