By: fascinatrix femina

When Sasuke gestured for her to stop running away, Sakura could only gape in wonder at what her dark-haired companion was thinking. "Sasuke-kun…?" She tried to call his attention, but he waved her off as if she wasn't standing there in front of him. Sasuke turned his back on her and faced the source of their distress.

Uh-Oh. Big trouble...

Panic-stricken, Sakura ran towards him to stop him from doing something she knew he’s going to regret later. "Sasuke-kun, forget it! Let’s just go!" She cried almost desperately. She was about to grab his hand and make a run for it when her eyes accidentally strayed on the expression on his face.

What she saw there almost made her heart want to stop.

Sasuke was poised to kill.

Her first reaction was to believe that he was only joking, or maybe was just trying to scare the wits out of the fan girls who were all busy chasing after him by using his icy glares, but knowing Sasuke, his dry sense of humor, and the way his expression continued to turn sour in every passing second, she immediately realized that he was dead serious.

So dead serious.

Obviously, Sasuke’s patience has finally reached its limit.

"Sasuke…kun…?" Sakura’s voice quivered nervously. She was slightly taken aback at her teammate’s intense expression. She had never seen him this irritated before! She realized that if anybody dared to make the wrong move and irritate him once again, he’d really snap.

This is not good…What do I do? What do I do? Sakura’s mind was in turmoil as she forced herself to dig inside her large brain to find a way to calm Sasuke down.

Her fears mounted when he lifted his hands from his sides and started to do some hand seals.

The seal of the tiger.

His fan girls are getting close.

If Sakura didn’t do anything soon, hell would surely break loose.

"Sasuke-kun!" She called out again in hopes of bringing him back to his senses, but sadly, Sasuke remained stubborn and still wouldn’t flinch. Her eyes widened in horror as he drew in a deep breath, his dark eyes intent on drowning his rabid fan girls into the flames of hell.

Darn it! I’ve got to get us out of here! She screamed at herself mentally as she quickly examined her surroundings for any escape routes. Inner-Sakura, however, made herself busy by laughing maniacally at the girls who, at any deadly second, would be suffering Sasuke’s scorching wrath.

If Sakura had known that this would happen, she would have forced Naruto to stick around with them for a while. Naruto had left already from the moment team 7 arrived inside the gates of Konoha, that's why he didn't see Sasuke's fan girls dangerously approaching the already tired and ticked off Uchiha. Naruto ran, or more like flew, straight to his apartment without even a mutter of "See you tomorrow, Sakura-chan!" or a rant of "I'm hungry! I want Ramen! Ramen!".

Yep, Naruto was THAT tired.

Sakura couldn’t really blame the guy for leaving them like that. After going through a hellish mission like they did that morning, who wouldn’t want to get inside the comforts of their own bed as quickly as possible? In fact, she envied Naruto for being home right now. She wanted to sleep so badly…

Then again, why was she thinking about Naruto? Everybody knows that Naruto would never lend Sasuke a hand on just about anything, except of course if they were doing serious missions or were stuck in a matter of life-or-death situations.

In fact, the foxboy would probably laugh his head off if ever he sees Sasuke being pestered like this.

Gotta find a way… Gotta find a way…His fan girls are blocking the road, and running directly towards those girls isn't exactly such a good idea. She wasn’t sure if Sasuke, in his current very pissed-off state, would be kind enough to let those girls get away without frying them alive. There! As if the heavens answered her prayers, she spotted an alley just a few blocks away from the place that they were standing. Gathering her wits and the little amount of stamina left in her body, she immediately grabbed the young man’s arm before he could start uttering his Katon Housenka no jutsu.

"Let go!" Sakura didn’t let Sasuke finish his protests as she continued to drag his unwilling form towards the alley. Once inside, she pushed him at the darkest corner of the narrow pathway before she pressed her back against the nearby wall and closed her mouth. She heard Sasuke mutter a few curses under his breath before he, too, snapped his mouth shut.

Sakura unconsciously held her breath.

If Sasuke’s admirers know what’s good for them, they wouldn’t follow them here.

But, as fate would have it, his fans were oblivious to the danger that was waiting for them. Sakura could already hear the sound of rumbling footsteps as each of the girls kept squealing "Sasuke-kun! Wait for me!" or "Go out with me, Sasuke-kun!". Some of them even mixed in a few declarations of their undying love for the famous Uchiha heartthrob.

Cursing, Sakura didn't have any choice but to grab Sasuke’s hand again and lead him deeper into the alley. She didn’t care where it would lead them! The farther away they are from Sasuke’s fans, the better. The godaime wouldn’t be all too pleased if she hears something about Sasuke nearly killing a number of girls just because they annoyed him to death! Even if he has a very good reason for doing such drastic actions, he would still be in trouble!

Just where is Kakashi-sensei when she needed him? If he was here, he would have found a way to get those girls to back off and leave Sasuke alone just this once.

"Ugh…!" Sakura bit her lip as she suppressed a moan. The cut on her side, which she carelessly received in their mission, was hurting again. She didn't have any medicine to tend to it because she offered all her medical stuff to Sasuke and Naruto, who were the ones who really needed the treatments because of all the fighting they've done that morning. She ignored the pain and told herself that she could handle it. She stopped being a burden to them years ago, you know!

But, darn it! It sure hurts a lot!

Inner-Sakura mentally reminded her that she didn’t have to deal with Sasuke's girl troubles, saying that it wasn’t her problem in the first place, so she should just go home, treat her wound, relax, and then go to sleep. After all, she always sees Sasuke deal with his fans numerous times in the past, and he always manages to escape from them every time.

But this time, it's different. Sasuke's not going to run away anymore. He's gonna go for the kill.

Sakura didn't want him to be responsible for burning a number of annoying girls into dust, especially if she's there to stop him from being so reckless.

Unconsciously, she wondered if, by chance, she was still a member of that fan club and was one of those who were chasing after him right now, would he hesitate to burn her into a crisp?

Knowing Sasuke and the way he coldly treated and ignored her all these years, he probably wouldn’t.

The thought made her blanch.

After turning a few left turns and some right turns inside this labyrinth or alleyways, Sakura was surprised that his fan girls were still catching up with them. Sakura bit back a scream of frustration.

How can his fan club be this persistent! It’s amazing how he could put up with this cat-and-mouse chase after all these years!

She tried to ignore the guilt that formed inside her gut as she thought of the numerous times she chased after him and asked him out on dates.

"Damn, idiotic girls…" She could hear Sasuke muttering colorful words under his breath as he continued to follow her from behind. She felt his vise-like grip on her hand tighten even more as his temper flared, making her wince inwardly.

It was painful, especially when her hands are still sore from fighting non-stop that morning!

Minutes passed and when Sakura thought she couldn’t run any longer, what they saw next made the both of them suddenly freeze in their tracks. Oh no… We’ve made a wrong turn…Sakura thought with a gasp. They arrived at the deepest end of the alley and a towering wall was now blocking their path to freedom.

"Tch. It’s no use running away. I’ll deal with them." She heard Sasuke mutter as their last ray of hope was extinguished after arriving at a dead end.

Sakura cursed her bad luck and turned to face the Uchiha prodigy. Even though the darkness inside the deserted alleyway somewhat obscured his expression, Sakura could still see, as plain as daylight, his usually stoic face starting to crumble before her eyes. The faint expression of anger and exasperation crawled on his scowling features like a tiger scrunching up its face when growling. Sakura wondered how he could still look so handsome even when irked to the edge.

He was clearly upset. No, screw that. He was absolutely furious.

Well… who wouldn’t be if you’ve just finished going through hell a couple of hours ago only to go back there again because of this?

That early morning, their perverted masked teacher had given them a mission that almost cost them their lives. They traveled by foot towards a village that was situated on a place that was so far, it seemed like it was located at the ends of the earth! Not only that, while on their journey, they learned how to avoidtraps the hard way. The traps were sodangerous and unpredictable that they nearly broke Naruto’s ribs, badly bruised Sasuke’s arms and legs, and almost stripped her off her clothing! And when they finally arrived at their destination, they were greeted by quite a number of enemy shinobis, all ready to beat the crap out of them and cut all of them into pieces, without giving them the chance to rest or even breathe normally for a minute!

And now, just when they thought that the hellish nightmare was finally over because they’ve finally gotten back home, a mob of obsessed fan girls came to block Sasuke’s path in order to chase after him, all intent on physically showering him with their clearly unwanted affections.

Sakura felt great pity for the young man.

"No! Wait!" Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and called out to stop him. Even if it was really tempting to finally get rid of his fans, or her ‘rivals’ from Inner-Sakura’s point of view, she knew it would only lead to more trouble for the both of them, especially for him.

Besides, from all the fighting that he just did that morning and also the running that the both of them just did a while ago, Sakura doubt it if Sasuke still has enough chakra left to pull off that jutsu. From the look on his tired face, his quite unsteady posture, and the bruises all over his body, she wasn’t sure if he’d be able to last much longer.

I have to think of a different way to get out of this mess! Sakura thought in determination. Soon after, a plan suddenly formed inside her head. Sakura may be useless when it comes to physical brawls, but she didn’t have a wide forehead for nothing!

The footsteps were getting closer. The squeals and giggles were getting louder.

There’s no time. She had to initiate her plan. But the problem is, she’s starting to get worried. She knew very well that Sasuke wouldn’t be all too pleased if she decided to tell him what her plan is all about. She wouldn't mind doing it, but what about Sasuke? Would he be upset? Angry? Disgusted?

But if she didn’t act now, who knows what kind of hell would happen? She’ll have to risk her relationship with Sasuke, or get her, his fans, and especially him, in deep trouble.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura whispered to the tensed young man beside her. Gone was the cool and collected Uchiha. Maybe Sasuke was more exhausted than Sakura thought.

"What?" He snapped, clearly annoyed. Sakura understood his sour mood, but she couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed at his rudeness. He’s not the only one who’s tired here, darn it! She forced herself not to let it get to her though. After all, she knew that she would get even more hurtful words from him once she sets her plan into action.

She could only hope that Sasuke would learn to forgive her someday.

"I have a plan." She glanced up at him to see his reaction. She heard him let out an exhausted sigh before he leaned his back on the wall behind them, his arms crossed over his chest.

"It better work. I don’t want to deal with this shit any longer." He grumbled, his voice cold and irritated but it sounded a little gentler than his last reply. This encouraged Sakura to continue.

"It won’t be easy." Not to mention extremely embarrassing. She added mentally. "And I’m going to need your help on this…" Sakura trailed off. She could feel the heat rising up to her cheeks. She thanked the darkness inside the alleyway for hiding her blush. She wondered what he’d do to her once he discovered what she was planning to do.

"…" He was silent for a long while before he straightened up and turned to look at her. "What am I gonna do?" He asked, his voice still cold but was tinged with mild curiosity. He was now in front of her and only a few distance separated the two of them.

Sakura gulped as she unconsciously bit her lower lip. She didn’t want to do this, but she has to it in order to save both of them from this mess! She desperately began to hope that Sasuke wouldn’t get mad at her afterwards. "Do you still have enough chakra left?" She asked, too timidly for her own liking.

Sasuke raised a confused eyebrow, but he nodded.

"Okay… Here’s what we’re going to do…"

"I wonder where our dear Sasuke-kun is now?" A pig-tailed girl whined as she pouted like a child in front of her two other friends. At first, they didn’t have any trouble spotting their love of their life, but after that pink-haired hussy dragged him in this labyrinth of alleyways, they absolutely have no idea where to find Sasuke now! This place is just so confusing that some of the other members of the fan club got separated from each other.

And it’s that hussy’s entire fault! She was taking their Sasuke-kun away from them so she can have him for herself!

"I can’t walk any further!" One of them groaned as the trio continued to walk and search for their missing love. They’ve been walking around here for fifteen minutes and they still couldn’t find even a single trace of him!

Just when the girls were just about to give up and go home, a moaning sound suddenly caught their attention. Someone was moaning on the northern alleyway! It must be their Sasuke-kun! Excited to see the Uchiha heartthrob once again, the trio quickly sprinted off towards that direction.

"Oh! There you are, Sasuke-kun!" The pig-tailed girl cried out in excitement as she saw him standing at one corner of a dead end alley. He was busy facing the wall, his form slightly bent on whatever it was that was in front of him. The girls blushed and giggled happily as they took one step towards him.

"Sasuke-kun!" One of them drawled on sweetly. "We became worried when that pink-haired hussy came dragging you away from us! We wanted to save you, so all of us came... looking… for… you…" Her words died in her throat as she finally realized what the love of her life was doing. Her other companions seemed to notice it, too, for they could only gape at the scene in utmost shock.

No wonder. There, at one corner against the wall, Uchiha Sasuke and the pink-haired hussy are busy making out.

The girls were too stunned to even scream.

Sasuke, who was safely hidden under the shadows at the deepest and darkest corner of the alley with Sakura, observed his three fan girls’ stupefied expressions as they continued to stare and let their jaws drop at his and Sakura’s bushins.

He could only watch in wonder as the girls dropped, one by one, to the ground. They were all knocked out. And he didn’t even have to waste the precious amount of chakra he had left in order to get rid of them!

Sakura’s plan worked smoothly than he thought.

At first, he had been against the plan, saying that it was plain stupid and it would never work at all. Besides, the whole idea disturbed him a lot and made him unusually edgy about going through with it. Sakura persisted though, saying that they don’t have much choice left and this is the only way for him to finally get rid of his fan girls for good! Sasuke could tell by the way she fidgeted while telling him about her plan that she herself is as uncomfortable with it as he is. She reasoned, though, that if his fan girls find out that he was seeing someone, they would definitely leave him alone.

The idea made sense to him the more he thought about it.

But with Sakura…? He asked himself thoughtfully. As much as he hated to admit it, the idea of letting any other girl other than Sakura to become his ‘girlfriend’ is taboo for him. Well, she was the only one whom he can actually deal with, after all. He found her presence less annoying than the girls in his stupid fan club. She may harass his ears with all her noise sometimes, but at least she’s easier to put up with than Ino or the other members of his fan club.

He shrugged those thoughts away and sighed. Why was he worrying about such trivial matters when he didn’t have to worry about that kind of thing from happening at all? Their bushins are the ones who are making out right now, not them! And besides, she already said a while ago that they wouldn’t have to be in a real relationship after this mess is over. This whole farce is just an act to get his admirers off his back.

But the disappointment in her voice when she said that to him told him otherwise.

For a girl who's supposed to be smart, Sakura sure isn't acting like one. Didn't he tell her before that he has no time for all that crap? If she knows what's good for her, she'll stay away from him and find someone else to be the object of her affections.

Everyone knows that he had better things to do than deal with a girl, or any other person for that matter. Training is what matters to him most. Power is more important to him than this pathetic parody of useless affections.

He is an avenger. To get revenge is his only purpose in his miserable life.

Sakura was already 16. Surely she knows already that he can't possibly return her feelings even if he wanted to! She's better off without him in her life.

Although he thought of all these things, Sasuke couldn't understand why he can't stop his mouth from curling into a deep scowl. What IS this? He asked himself mentally. Is it because he didn't like the thoughts that were forming inside his head?

A few moans shifted Sasuke's attention away from his musings. He glanced at the three girls, thinking that they may have regained consciousness already. Damn! We should have made a run for it! However, much to his surprise, those three girls remained unmoving in their spots.

If they were still knocked out, then where in the hell are those muffled noises coming from?

Suddenly, his ears caught a startled gasp from behind. As if by instinct, his gaze immediately shifted to where her comrade was, thinking that she might be in some sort trouble or something. Honestly, leave her alone for a minute and she'll get herself in trouble. She's too weak for her own good. He was surprised, however, when he realized that she isn't in trouble at all. He noticed her cheeks turn into an unusual shade of reddish pink. Beads of sweat rolled down on the side of her face as she continued to stare at something past his shoulders. "Sakura..." He called out to her.

She didn't budge.

What's her problem now?

Curious, he turned to look at the source of all her attention.

What he saw there made his eyes widen in shock. Sasuke felt a big lump growing inside his throat.

Hell...

There, in the midst of the darkness, their bushins are definitely having the time of their lives.

Bushin Sasuke was crushing Bushin Sakura against a wall, his mouth trailing hungry kisses on the side of Bushin Sakura's neck, while Bushin Sakura had her hands grasping Bushin Sasuke's tangled hair. Their heavy pants and soft moans rang warningly in both Sasuke and Sakura's ears. The two bushins seemed oblivious to their surroundings as they continued their sensual activity.

"S-Shit..." Sasuke cursed silently as he felt his control slipping. Weird sensations came crawling ecstatically all over his body. Is it just him or did it suddenly got hot in here? He pulled at the wide collar of his shirt and gulped, feeling very uncomfortable at the situation. He could sense Sakura also fidgeting nervously behind him.

Another moan escaped Bushin Sakura's lips. Sasuke couldn't help but stare at Bushin Sakura's pleasured expressions as his own bushin continued to grope her all over her body. Sasuke watched, with shocked eyes, as his bushin's hand slowly crawled under the dress of Sakura's bushin.

Sasuke knew very well where those mischievous fingers are going...

A startled cry of pure ecstasy permeated from Bushin Sakura's throat.

Seconds later, heavy pants and hard grunts resounded inside the dark alley.

Sasuke cursed under his breath for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. He forced himself to control whatever urges he's having, but he simply couldn't take it anymore! He was about to get rid of his bushin for good when another horde of footsteps echoed inside the alley.

"Sasuke-kun! Where are you?" A chirpy voice rang inside his ears. Shit! I don't have time for this!

With a deep frown, he realized that he couldn't cancel his bushin yet. If he did, then the two of them are busted!

In their current battered state, he realized that those girls could easily overpower them. He didn't have enough chakra left to use his Katon jutsu anymore since he already used some of it to make and maintain his bushin. It would be a very bad idea to let those girls find them now.

But damn it... How long is his control gonna last?

When the two girls came and found their bushins heatedly making-out, they immediately freaked out and were knocked out, just like the three girls from before. Sasuke didn't get the chance to see the baffled expressions on their faces for he, too, was busy gaping at what their bushins were doing.

Bushin Sasuke was now ripping Bushin Sakura's dress. Sasuke, much to his horror, watched as his bushin dipped his head between Bushin Sakura's breasts.

Bushin Sakura was crying in pleasure even louder than before now.

Sasuke could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He was getting really uncomfortable now. He cursed when a painful feeling gathered at the center of his lower regions. His body was acting up! Damn hormones! He had to think of something, anything to get his mind off this!

He shut his eyes tightly as he forced himself to picture something else other than what was happening in front of him. He wanted to force his mind to imagine a form of himself towering over his brother as he thrust his chidori inside his brother's stomach. He wanted to will himself to imagine his brother screaming in pain as he pushed his hand deeper inside him, letting him feel the blood flowing in his hand down to his arm.

But instead, he saw himself crushing his body against Sakura, his hands busy caressing her breasts as he continued to give her swollen mouth hundreds of deep and passionate kisses. The scream that was supposed to be coming out of his brother's mouth, turned into Sakura's moans and cries of pleasure as he made a move to...

"SHIT!" Sasuke wanted to bang his head on the ground as he fiercely tried to get his dirty thoughts out of his throbbing head. When Sakura warned him about her plan not being easy, she sure as hell was telling the truth! This, by far, was the most difficult problem Sasuke had ever faced in his entire life! And this wasn't supposed to be a problem, too! What they're doing was supposed to be their key to freedom!

A soft 'poof' distracted Sasuke from his thoughts. When he opened his eyes and let it turn towards their bushins, he was surprised when he found his bushin standing there all alone. He didn't need to ask for an explanation as to where Sakura's bushin ran off to. He knew very well why her bushin suddenly disappeared. Sakura must have thought that what their bushins were doing are already too much for her innocent green eyes to see.

"S-Sasuke-kun..." Sasuke could hear Sakura's nervous voice from behind. He didn't face her in fear of doing something he would regret later. The excitement was still boiling inside him.

"What?" He snapped as he forced himself to sound harsh and cold. He didn't want to let her see that he was affected by it. He didn't want to let her know that he needed her now more than ever.

Silence reigned inside the alley before Sakura broke it with her sob. "I'm sorry..." She murmured softly before she quietly burst into tears.

Sasuke stiffened, the excitement forgotten at the sound of her tears. Why in the world is she crying now? Sure it was her fault that he was feeling horny a while ago, but it wasn't exactly her fault that it was her whom he was getting horny at. "Stop that." He ordered as he stood up, his back still facing her. Her tears made him feel guilty at something he didn't know. "Let's just get out of here." He said before he turned to walk away.

He briefly glanced at his knocked out fans, debating within himself if he'd step on their faces as revenge for annoying the hell out of him all these years and then getting himself in a damning situation like this. He sighed, reminding himself that they're just girls, before he snorted and jumped over their bodies.

Sakura still made sobbing noises, but she stood up to follow him.

As Sasuke made his way out of the alley, he couldn't shake off the feeling that kept on bugging him for a while now. He just couldn't understand why he allowed himself to get disturbed by their plan so much. He knew that it was natural for him to be excited. He was a man after all. But him lusting and yearning after his pink-haired teammate? That's just plain wrong!

But why is it wrong? His subconsciousness asked him. You have to admit that the girl has a very fine body. It was true. Years had made Sakura look very womanly and attractive in any man's eyes. Wouldn't you want to touch those perfectly rounded breasts? Kiss that creamy and soft neck? Wrap your arms around her enticingly small waist? Feel if those long legs are really as smooth as they looked?

SHUT UP! Sasuke snarled at his mind as several arousing images of Sakura flashed before his eyes. Just shut the hell up! He forced himself to rip all those images apart. Damn it!

Just what happened to 'I don't need her.', 'I want power!', and 'Revenge comes first.'?

He broke out of his thoughts when something caught his ears. He stopped in his tracks and he felt Sakura bump accidentally on his back. "Shh!" He motioned for his comrade to hide and keep quiet. There were noises coming on the other side of the alleyway, and Sasuke realized that the noises were coming closer and closer.

"Your fans...!" Sakura whispered behind him as she recognized the voices. Sasuke scowled as he grabbed Sakura's hand and led her back to where they were before. Just how many fans does he have! He wanted to get this over and done with already!

"Make a bushin!" He commanded her as he let go of her hand and did some hand seals. His clone popped up beside him. This is the only way for them to get out of here quickly. Even if it means getting himself utterly uncomfortable again, he'd just have to deal with it. He really wanted to go back to his house now!

Sasuke glanced at Sakura and saw her hesitating at first, but she eventually lifted herhands and did some hand seals. To his and Sakura's surprise, nothing came out. "Oh no... I don't have enough chakra left..." She whispered, her eyes growing wide in panic.

"Damn!" Sasuke growled out as he looked around for a place that was dark enough for them to hide. He pulled Sakura by the arm and pressed her back against the wall at the farthest corner of the alley. He pushed himself against her, his arms resting on each side of her head. He buried his head against her neck and hoped that his fans wouldn't notice the two of them hiding.

The footsteps were getting louder.

Sasuke could feel their hearts thumping wildly against their chests.

"Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun! Where did you go" A high-pitched voice broke the lingering silence inside the alley. Sasuke tilted his head to the side to see what his annoying fans are doing.

Two girls were standing a few feet away from the alley that they were in. Thankfully, the place was dark enough to keep them from noticing the five girls that were sprawled on the ground. "Sasuke-kuuun..." One of them drawled on and on. Sasuke found himself frowning at the girl's voice. He always hated their high-pitched squeals. To him, their squeals sounded like hundreds of nails violently scraping against a blackboard.

Fortune seems to be with them this time for the two girls decided to walk past their alley, never noticing the knocked out girls on the ground or their huddled form against the wall. Sasuke let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. We can finally get the hell outta here. He thought in relief. He was about to pull away from the wall when his companion's large intake of breath alerted his senses. He could feel her chest heaving up and down against his. Her hot breath was gently caressing his neck, making him shiver involuntarily.

Sasuke jerked away from her as if he was burned. Thoughts of how Sakura pressed so intimately against him, how her breasts pushed up against his, or how her warm breath caressed the side of his cheek before it traveled down to his neck, assaulted his mind in full blast that he had no time to recover from the shock.

It was all too much...!

He could feel his hormones raging again... this time, more furious than ever!

Get the hell out of here! Move! Move! MOVE! Sasuke's mind continued to scream at him as he frantically backed away from a very confused, but equally blushing, Sakura.

"S-Sasuke-kun! Watch out!" Sasuke saw the words being formed from her pink lips and heard them being cried out in a worried tone in his ears. Because of his shock and his great intent to get away from Sakura as quickly as possible, he didn't realize that he was backing away too much, so much that he forgot about the girls who were sprawled on the ground and are blocking his way.

Before he got the chance to know what was happening around him, he tripped on one of the girls' legs and fell to the ground with a loud THUMP!

And another bout of uneasy silence permeated the air.

Sasuke let out a painful groan.

"Sasuke-kun? Are you there?" A voice sounded from the mouth of the alley. They heard me! Sasuke muttered in frustration. All their hard work, not to mention all his and Sakura's sufferings, went to waste because of his stupid carelessness!

He couldn't have been more irritated at himself.

Sakura immediately came up beside him. "Sasuke-kun? Are you okay" She asked him in a worried tone. Sasuke noticed how she hesitated at first before she helped him to stand up.A red blush was painted on her cheeks. "I-I guess there's no other way out of this..." She muttered more to herself than to him.

Sasuke narrowed his eyebrows at her before he turned to look at the two girls, who were hastily running up to meet them.

He clenched his hands into fists.

This isall my fault... I should have come up with a better plan...Sakura thought grimly. It's true that her other plan worked, but it only made Sasuke more upset. Not only that, from the way he reacted around her a while ago, it was enough to make her believe that he felt really disgusted at her. She shouldn't have gone through with the plan... because of it, Sasuke hates her now more than ever.

Sakura felt like shewanted to cry again.

Shelooked down and noticedSasuke's knuckles have already turned white.Sakura didn't want to think of what Sasuke would do to his fans, but she was quite sure that Sasuke wouldn’tthink of usinghis Katon jutsu on them anymore. He doesn't have enough chakra left right now to be able to pull it off.

"Sasuke-kun! I'm so glad I've found you!" Sakura watched as the girl, whom she recognized as Kumiko, one of the few purely devoted members of his fan club, clasped her hands to her chest with her eyes going all dreamy and love-struck. The girl beside her did the same.

Sakura suppressedthe urge to stick out her tongue at the girl in disgust.

"Oh! What are these girls doing here?" Kumiko cried out in surprise as she finally noticed the other members of the "Sasuke Fan club" lying unconscious on the ground. Silence fell inside the alley for a while before Kumiko disturbed it again. "Oh well, less rivals for me!" She exclaimed happily as she threw a flirty smile towards Sasuke's direction.

Why that flirty b...! Inner-Sakura ranted a batch of colorful words inside Sakura's mind. Can't she see that Sasuke isn't feeling very well at the moment! She glanced at Sasuke and saw him with his head down, his bangs covering whatever expression on his face.

"Stop it, Kumiko." Sakura said as calmly as possible. The girl ignored her though, and continued giving Sasuke more of her sultry looks. "Sasuke-kun isn't interested." Sakura finally hissed and glared at the two girls with all her distaste. If only looks could kill...

Kumiko stopped hitting on Sasuke and turned hatefully at Sakura. "Oho... So, it's the girl with the abnormally large forehead. What in the world are you doing in here? Is this your new home?" Kumiko laughed mockingly at the pink-haired kunoichi. The girl beside her laughed along, too.

Sakura forced herself to calm down. Inner-Sakura wanted to break loose and beat all of them up into a pulp. "Can't you see Sasuke-kun's tired? Give him a break!"

"Get real, slut." Kumiko spat and Sakura could only watch with her eyes wide as the other members of Sasuke's fan club finally arrived. Cornered! That's what she and Sasuke are! The girls greeted each other before Kumiko turned her attention to her once again. "What's the big deal of taking off with Sasuke in a place like this, forehead-girl? Planning to spend some time alone with him, huh!" Kumiko snarled at her, her eyes blazing in fury. The other girls threw her dangerous looks, as if they want to kill her right then and there.

I can't believe I even bothered saving these pompous air-heads...Sakura thought with a frown, the strong feeling of regret creeping up to her mind. Inner-Sakura started to scream at her for her stupidity and blamed her for getting themselves in this kind of trouble. I should've let Sasuke-kun fry them alive when he had the chance... She knew it was wrong for her to think that way, but those girls are really getting on her nerves!

Just as she was about to allow her alter ego to wreak havoc and beat those girls up into a pulp, a low moan caught her attention.

"Ow... My head hurts..."

The voice came from below. It took Sakura a few seconds to realize that the girls who were lying on the ground are starting to wake up. Sakura's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as she watched each one of the girls regain consciousness. She gulped when the lot of them stared at both her and Sasuke in utter disbelief and envy while some of them cried in dejection.

She tried to stop Inner-Sakura from beaming triumphantly.

"What's wrong, girls?" Kumiko demanded as she noticed her club members' pitiful and almost pathetic expressions. "Why in the heck are you girls crying?"

One of the bawling girls gestured Kumiko to come closer so she could whisper it in her ear. Sakura watched as Kumiko's confused expression turned to complete shock then to absolute resentment. The glare she threw towards Sakura was enough to make anyone cower in utmost fear! Kumiko became irritated, however, when Sakura didn't show any signs that she was scared. In fact, she met Kumiko's glare with her own in full force.

"You... bitch…" Kumiko snarled as she learned the "truth" about Sakura and Sasuke's relationship. "I can't believe it! You must have seduced him, you slut! There's no way Sasuke-kun would ever allow a girl with an abnormally large forehead to be his girlfriend! Never!" Kumiko screamed angrily as she marched towards Sakura and stopped in front of her. "How dare you..." She spat on her face in absolute disgust.

Okay... One more insult and Sakura was sure there will be hell to pay. Her hands were itching to strangle this sorry excuse for a girl to death. She really wanted to wipe that sneer off her face with her own two fists. You are so not going to get away with this...! Inner-Sakura swore, her eyes blazing in contempt. For a moment, her eyes briefly glanced at the young man behind her. He was still unmoving, his face still covered in the dark, never letting her know what he was thinking or feeling.

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she heard Kumiko laughing at her, her voice tinged with malice. "Can't believe you can be such a flirt, fore-head girl." Kumiko drawled on. "I thought you were going out with the dead last? I saw you two eating at a ramen shop like a couple!"

Sakura frowned. She always eats ramen with Naruto at Ichiraku's. Sure they've been eating out together for 2 years now, but they are definitely not eating like couple! Naruto had given up on her when he finally noticed Hinata's love for him. She and Naruto are more like siblings now. Sometimes, they even tag Sasuke or Kakashi along so team 7 could eat together, just like a family. I can't believe they're making a big deal out of this... Sakura thought in annoyance. "Stupid! Naruto's been like a brother to me!" She hissed angrily. "Besides, Naruto's going out with Hinata-chan! Even Sasuke-kun knows that." She turned to look at Sasuke for support, but to her dismay, Sasuke didn't glance at her, not even once.

"Oh yeah?" Kumiko isn't giving up. "Well, what about the weird green guy with the horrid eyebrows?"

Sakura knew whom she was talking about. "Stop insulting Lee-san, you idiot!" Sakura defended him with a snarl. "As a person, he acts much way better than you!"

Sasuke's head tilted a bit to look at her.

"Such protectiveness! I knew there's something going on between you and that eyebrow guy!" Kumiko grinned, her eyes glinting a dangerous glint. Before she could lash out a few more insulting words at Sakura, one of the members of Sasuke's fan club approached her and whispered something in her ear. "Ha! I knew it!" Kumiko' grin grew even wider.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. What?

"No need to hide it, forehead-girl! You do love that Lee-guy!Oneof the girls saw you kissing him!"

A vein twitched on Sasuke's head.

"Kiss him! Why would I kiss him!" Sakura asked the leering girl in front of her. She only sees Lee as a friend! Nothing more! Where in the heaven's name did they get that ridiculous idea?

"Don't lie to me, slut." Kumiko glared at her before she turned to look at Sasuke. "See, Sasuke-kun? Why would you want a whore like her as your girlfriend!" When Sasuke didn't answer, the other members of the club regained their spirit back. Instead of feeling dejected like before, now they're feeling hate, hate for a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

Sakura was hurt at Sasuke's lack of reaction. She knew there's nothing going on between them, but she couldn't help but feel pained at the reality that Sasuke would never see her as more than a friend. Also, she felt betrayed because he didn't bother to take her side! Who the heck did he think she was doing this for, anyway! Why did he think she even bothered to stoop low and bicker with these disillusioned girls! And most importantly, why did he think she wasted her time just to stay by his side and help him deal with his love-life!

Those sacrifices are all for him!

Can't he see that at all!

"I did not kiss Lee-san." Sakura told them in a serious tone. If Sasuke's not going to help her, then she'll have to deal with this crap herself. Not for his sake, but for her own. She'll even force her way out of this if she has to.

Kumiko looked at her skeptically. "Really? Then what were you two doing outside your house three days ago, huh? You were standing so close to him! Don't tell me that you were counting his thick eyebrows?"

"What are you?" At that moment, the memories of three days ago hit Sakura like she got struck by a lighting bolt. The way she stopped in mid-sentence caused Kumiko to smirk triumphantly at her.

Sasuke merely frowned.

It was like this. Sasuke and Naruto have grown far too strong, and Sakura was having a hard time catching up with their inhuman skills. She knew she won't be able to be as strong as them, but she wanted to at least try. She felt so useless because she never did anything but watch their backs in most of their missions. She didn't want to be a burden to them anymore, so she decided to train herself to become stronger for them. Sakura's Ninjitsu and Genjutsu were pretty good. What she lacks are skills in Taijutsu. She couldn't ask Sasuke to train her because she knew that he'd only turn her down. Kakashi was always unavailable and busy on something, so she gave up on asking him. Naruto... well... Naruto isn't exactly the guy who would be patient enough to train someone everyday. Besides, they'll probably end up arguing about the smallest of things all the time, anyway.

Lee was the only person who was willing enough to help her train. Lee is a good person, not to mention a taijutsu specialist. Training under him is the best way for her to hone her skills in hand-to-hand combat. They've been training for almost a year now, and so Sakura was thinking of a way to repay him for his kindness. That's the very reason why she kissed him three days ago. That's what he wanted and she didn't have the right, because of all of the things that he has done for her, to deny him of that.

Besides, it was only a peck on the cheek. Nothing serious!

"So what if I kissed him?" Sakura challenged, thinking that the kiss isn't as harmful as the girls thought it was. Kumiko grinned at hearing this. "What's the big deal of kissing a guy I like?"

Sasuke's head snapped up to look directly at Sakura.

Kumiko was delighted at her reply. "Back off from Sasuke-kun, then! You're Lee's woman, but you keep on flirting with our Sasuke-kun!" She threatened Sakura by pointing a finger at her. "Stay away from him, you hear me!"

Sakura was about to scream at her that she isn't Lee's woman when a hand suddenly grabbed her arm. She shrieked when she was pulled backwards and was slammed into a person's chest.

Sasuke's broad chest.

"No." He suddenly said, his voice cool and serious.

Kumiko gaped in shock at the man of her dreams. The other members gasped in horror. "W-What are you doing, Sasuke-kun...?"

Umm... Yeah... What are you doing? Sakura asked him mentally. She couldn't help but blush at their close contact. She knew she was supposed to be angry at him, but...

She tilted her head to the side to see Sasuke's expression. He was glaring at the girls, his eyes hard and icy, as he said the words that almost made Sakura's wildly thumping heart to burst from her chest.

"Sakura's mine."

Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes when he heard his fans' shocked gasps. Come on, was it really that shocking? He looked at the Kumiko-girl's baffled expression and somehow, he felt satisfied at himself for causing that pathetic reaction to appear on the girl's face.

She was blabbering too much. She hated people who blab too much.

"Do you hear me?" Sasuke asked them coldly. "Sakura is mine. Deal with it." He repeated. From the way he just said it, one wouldn't think that he had a very difficult time at planning to say those words a while ago. Well, he did have a difficult time, that's the whole reason why he was all quiet and unresponsive when Sakura and his fans were bickering!

He didn't know why it's hard for him to tell the world that Sakura is his, even if it's only a lie. Maybe he was half-telling the truth? Or maybe it's because he didn't want himself to admit that he really wanted to claim her as his?

Truthfully speaking, Sasuke was just about to give up and forget about the plan about pretending to be her boyfriend when he heard that 'something' about Sakura and fuzzy eyebrows.

And to his great surprise, the words flowed out of his mouth without him realizing it.

And it's all because of that nagging feeling that suddenly crawled into his mind, a strange and painful feeling that he knew all so well...

Jealousy.

Yeah. He was jealous. The famous ice-cold Uchiha was jealous. Not because someone got more powerful than him, but because some idiotic guy is hitting on Sakura.

Sasuke couldn't help but let out an irritated sigh as he finally faced the terrifying truth.

He knew very well that feeling possessive over Sakura is really quite foolish. After all, they don't exactly have an intimate relationship to begin with!Although he knew about Sakura's feelings for him and also the fact that she could be his if he wanted to as long as he asks for it...

He still couldn't claim her as his.

Not until he fulfill his purpose in life.

Then again, what was he thinking all of a sudden? He just wanted to continue Sakura's plan, right? And that's to make his ogling girls to believe that she and him are a couple. The plan worked a while ago, didn't it? So, why wouldn't it work now? He doesn't have much stamina left, so physically hurting his fan girls isn't quite possible anymore. He'll just have to stick with Sakura's plan.

He could only hope that his words are enough to make them believe that they really look like a couple.

He wouldn't want to prove it to them physically.

Strands of Sakura's pink hair accidentally flew under his nose. He nearly forgot that he was holding Sakura close to his chest! He cursed himself mentally when he smelled the intoxicating scent of her pink hair.

Dammit! It's making him change his mind!

"S-Sasuke...kun.." Kumiko was giving him a very pained look. Sasuke snorted. If she thinks that he would buy such a pathetic act from her then she'd better dream on. "You're lying..."

Sasuke could only sigh in frustration. "I'm not. Now leave us the hell alone." He gently pushed Sakura off his chest to let her stand beside him. He took a good look at her and found out that she was blushing.

For a moment, he hoped she got the idea that he was only pretending. He wouldn't want her clinging all over him once this mess is over.

His control will really snap if she did.

"Let's go, Sakura." Sasuke muttered as he slipped one arm around her waist before they started walking out of the alley. He did it to make it look a little more convincing, okay? It has nothing to do with the fact that he enjoyed the feeling of how her body being pressed so close to his!

Sasuke's fans, especially Kumiko, stared at the two retreating figures in complete anguish and misery. They lost and Sakura obviously won. That thought registered rather unpleasantly inside Kumiko's head, that's why she suddenly snapped out of her trance and glared at the two ninjas with all her hate. "Stop right there, you bitch with a forehead that's as wide as a plate!" She isn't going to give up! No way. Not her.

Sasuke didn't want to stop, so he ignored her and kept on walking. Sakura, however, stiffened at what Kumiko just called her. She tilted her head a little to give the girl behind her a piercing look that could very well match the famous 'Uchiha glare'.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the pink-haired girl's antics even if he was sort of impressed that she could look and become scary like that when pushed to the edge. Stop looking behind! It'll only provoke the annoying girl even more! He scolded Sakura in his mind. He wasn't sure why he didn't voice those thoughts out loud. If he did, then Sakura would have stopped glaring at the woman who dared throw some nasty insults at her.

"You can't just walk away like that!" Kumiko continued, her eyes boring at Sakura like a predator wanting to eat its unfortunate prey. "You... bitch! You must have poisoned Sasuke-kun or something so he'd be attracted to you! There's no way he could ever like a slut like you!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her shrieks were so loud that Sakura's ears began to hurt.

Even Sasuke's poker expression waned a bit because of her noise.

"Will you shut up already!" Sakura cried out, absolutely annoyed. She pulled away from Sasuke's hold and fully faced the girl behind them. "Didn't you hear what Sasuke-kun just said?" As she said those words, Sasuke noticed how her cheeks turned to deep pink, but when she shook her head, the tinge was gone just as fast as it came. "Or are you deaf or just born stupid?"

"What! How dare you..." Kumiko growled angrily and marched towards his pink-haired companion, intent on giving her a piece of her mind. Sasuke heard the other girls gasp in shock. He turned to look at Sakura and saw her position herself into a fighting stance.

Sasuke groaned. This is getting really stupid.

Before Kumiko could grasp Sakura's neck in her hands, Sasuke made a move to stand protectively in front of Sakura. His onyx eyes were cold and fierce as he scowled at Kumiko and his fans. He heard Sakura muttering his name in surprise from behind.

This foolishness has got to stop now. He's plain sick of it already! And the fact that his body and mind couldn't take much stress any longer isn't making him feel any better.

"Sasuke-kun, step away." Kumiko ordered him like she was the boss of his. Sasuke glared at her even more. He hid a smirk when he saw her gulp before she cautiously stepped away from them a little. Silence lasted for a few minutes before Kumiko finally voiced out her complains. "Why are you siding with her, Sasuke-kun! Don't tell me what you said back then is really true?"

Sasuke sighed in annoyance. If he didn't know any better, this girl wants them to really prove it to her that they really are a couple. What does she want us to do? Make-out in front of her? He thought with a frown.

He couldn't do that! He wouldn't do that!

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun..." He heard Sakura whisper behind his back. "I'll deal with her and... ugh!" Alarmed, Sasuke whipped his head to see what the cause of Sakura's quiet whimper is. His eyes widened when he saw Sakura painfully grasping her side with her hands.

She was bleeding.

He didn't know how he managed to find that out since the place is quite dark and her dress is red, making it impossible for anyone to tell if she really was bleeding or not. But even so, he knew by heart that she was bleeding.

His senses may not be as powerful as Kiba's, but he definitely could sense blood.

Her blood.

Suddenly, he felt really angry. So she was hurt the whole time? Why didn't she tell him? Or better yet, why did she stopped him from getting rid of his fans, knowing that there's a risk that her wound would get worse? Sasuke fixed his gaze at her and scowled when her face showed real pain.

Fuck. Damn this to hell.

"Forehead girl! Stop hiding behind Sasuke-kun!" Kumiko suddenly shouted. Sasuke tore his gaze away from Sakura and faced Kumiko instead. The glare he sent towards her was so deadly that it was enough to make anyone cry out and fear for their life.

And that was what Kumiko did and felt when she looked directly at Sasuke's raging dark eyes.

"You just don't get it, do you?" His voice was laced with poisonous steel. His other fans covered their mouths in fear and shock. Even Sakura seems taken aback at his sudden coldness.

"You want some proof?" Sasuke asked with a snarl. He was really pissed off now. He needed to get Sakura home and tend to her wound as soon as possible, and no one's gonna stop him from doing it! He'd even risk his control over his sanity if that's what it takes to get her out of this shit! "I'll give you proof!" Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed Sakura by the shoulders, earning a small shriek from the girl, before leaning down and crushing his lips to hers.

In front of the entire world to see.

At that moment, the world suddenly stopped and everything seemed to quiet down in the eyes of Sakura. All she could think of right now was how Sasuke, yes, the cold-hearted Uchiha heartthrob, pressed his lips against hers. Hard.

If it weren't for the arms that were grasping her shoulders, she knew she would have fainted right then and there.

Is this a dream come true? Or is it just her mind playing nasty tricks on her?

Well... if it is, then she didn't want to wake up anymore.

Once the shock of the sudden turn of events finally drained out of her mind, she became much more aware of how Sasuke's lips felt against hers. Actually, it was only a simple kiss. He just pressed his lips against hers and did nothing more.

But even so, Sakura felt like she was in heaven. She slowly lifted her arms and gently rested them around his neck. She completely forgot about the pain on her side.

Seconds later, Sasuke pulled away a bit in order to breathe. He had a very odd look in his face as Sakura stared at his dark eyes. What was that look? Sakura thought in wonder. Her curiosity perked up even more when she noticed the way his eyes darted back and forth from her eyes then to her lips.

A scream startled both of them out of their reverie. The two of them turned their attention towards Sasuke's fans. The girls were all gaping at them in utmost shock, even Kumiko. She looked like she's on the verge of fainting!

Hell yeah! Take that, you jerks! Inner-Sakura celebrated her triumph. The girls aren't completely knocked out yet, but maybe if they continued kissing... Sakura happily let her thoughts drift off on its own. Just as she was about to close her eyes and lean in to him once again, a sudden thought struck her.

What if he didn't want to be kissed anymore?

She knew for a fact, even after he announced a while ago that she was his, he was only continuing to pretend that he was her boyfriend so they could get the heck out of this mess. At first, she thought that he was really telling the truth because of the way he seriously claimed her as his, but we're talking about Uchiha Sasuke here. He isn't the type of person who would actually give some time to think about girls like her.

She was already used to his cold shoulders and rejections.

She knew that this day wouldn’t be any different.

But then again, he did kissed her first without asking her, didn't he? Isn't it only fair that she does the same to him? Besides, they're doing this to pretend that they were a couple, right? Isn't kissing what couples usually do? Sakura tried to forget about the fact that this is probably the only time she'll get the chance to get closer to him.

Gathering all her courage, she cupped his face with shaky hands to turn his attention back to her. The confused and tensed look that he was giving her almost made her want to chicken out. This is a once in a lifetime experience! The least you can do is to take advantage of it! Inner-Sakura shouted at her from the corner of her mind. Sakura gulped and closed her eyes. Slowly and hesitantly, she leaned in and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as Sakura pressed herself against him, giving him a kiss that he had a hard time denying that it doesn't feel good. Truthfully, the kiss was so unearthly that he lost track of what his body was doing again. So, before he knew it, he tightened his hold on her and drew her much closer to him.

Okay... What happened to his control?

His earlier action made Sakura pull her mouth back from him in surprise.

He frowned. As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted more. When he was the one who kissed her, he didn't feel anything because it was only a touch of lips to another. This time though, when she kissed him, her kiss made him aware that they really are kissing for real!

And hell, it feels a whole damn better.

Without thinking, Sasuke wasted no time to capture her lips against his again. He felt Sakura let out a startled gasp. Who wouldn't be surprised? He was always avoiding her and rejecting all the feelings that she willingly gave to him after all these years. It's not because he hated her. No. That's far from it. He had always considered her as one of the most important persons in his life, just like that dobe Naruto and that perverted Kakashi.

He just didn't want her to get too close.

But what was he doing now? He was the one who was drawing her closer to him!

But can you actually blame him? She tastes so good...

It seems like he totally lost it.

Right now, he isn't dealing with the cursed seal. Whenever he's under the influence of the cursed seal, Sakura was always there to stop it and calm him down.

But now, he was dealing with Sakura herself. And the cursed seal and Sakura are entirely different from each other!

Sakura's definitely harder to control.

His lust flared when he slightly tasted her tongue that was shyly sticking out of her mouth every now and then. He wanted to taste her more. Holding her tighter to him, he gently tried to gain full access inside her mouth by tracing his tongue over her moist lips. The moan she let out excited him further, so he eagerly did his sweet ministrations again and again until her mouth fully opened for him. Tongues playfully danced with each other as the two ninjas continued their sensual exploits. Sasuke was overwhelmed with so much passion that he didn't care about anything else other than the girl in his arms.

In fact, the two were so engrossed with one another that they didn't realize that all of Sasuke's fan girls were already knocked out minutes ago.

Sakura let out a soft moan when he nibbled her lower lip.

Yeah... definitely harder to control...

"S-Sasuke...kun..." Sakura managed to choke out as his lips moved away from hers. He pressed moist kisses along her jaw line before his tongue moved down to taste her exposed neck. It really was soft and creamy...

Sakura let out another moan of pleasure as her grip around his neck tightened. "S-Sasuke-kun... I..." She was trying to say something to him.

Sasuke wasn't listening, though. He was busy sucking a spot of skin on Sakura's neck to even care. Briefly, he thought about how his bushin moved down to kiss the upper part of Sakura's breasts. He wondered if he was allowed to do the same...

Just as he was trailing kisses down to her collarbone, he was snapped out of his trance when Sakura cried out in pain. The agony in her voice brought him back to himself in an instant. "Sakura!"

"S-Sasuke-kun..." Her breath was ragged when she called out his name. "I..." Sasuke watched as her eyes rolled to the back of her head before her body went limp and slumped backwards. The sudden weight off-balanced him so his knees buckled and he stumbled right after Sakura.

There was a sickening sound of a head banging against a wall.

Sasuke groaned as he pulled himself up into a sitting position. That hurt…! He looked at Sakura and found her leaning against the wall, apparently unconscious. "Sakura?" He inched closer to her and gently gathered her in his arms.

For a moment, he wondered what had happened.

Suddenly, he felt something warm and sticky pooling in his hands.

Sasuke looked down and immediately paled when he found out that his hands were stained with blood.

Her blood.

Sasuke cursed himself under his breath.

He lost control...

Sakura woke up at the gentle sound of footsteps echoing across the walls. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open and all she could see around her was darkness.

Where am I? She thought. Her head was aching horribly and something was sending pangs of pain on her side.

Something tickled her nose. It took her a few seconds before she realized that she had her face buried on someone else's hair.

A mass of dark hair.

She tried to move her arms and feet, but she was surprised when she found out that she couldn't move. No wonder. She was being carried on someone's back! What...?

"Don't move." A deep voice suddenly spoke.

She knows that voice. "S-Sasuke-kun...?"

"Don't talk. Just rest."

Sakura blinked. What happened? Why was Sasuke carrying her on his back? And where are they going?

She didn't get the chance to ponder these things, howerver,because a sudden wave of dizziness engulfed her once again. Her eyelids grew heavy and before she knew it, she was thrown into another deep sleep.

It was already dark and the stars were starting to grace the endless sky when Sasuke emerged out of the alley with Sakura slumbering on his back.

Damn, he was so fucking exhausted!

He leaned his free arm against the wall and let out a heavy sigh. He could feel his knees shaking in every step he took. If it weren't for Sakura sleeping on his back, he'd consider slumping down to the ground and sleep right then and there!

His dark eyes took notice of a small bench on the other side of the road. Maybe he and Sakura could rest there for a while. He needed to gain some energy so he could bring her home. It was getting late. Her parents must be worrying about her by now.

Gathering all the strength he had left, he limped his way towards the bench with all his might. Once there, he gently placed Sakura's sleeping form on one corner of the bench before he, too, slumped his tired body on the other corner.

Good thing the bench was big enough for the both of them to sit on.

He didn't want Sakura to sit on his lap.

He might lose control again like what happened earlier.

He groaned inwardly. He never wanted to let that happen to him ever again!

If it weren't for Sakura going unconscious on him, he didn't know if he could stop himself from ravaging her.

With a frown, he glanced at the pink-haired girl beside him. She looked so fragile. Her head was lolling to the side and her lips were slightly parted. He could hear her snoring gently as her chest heaved up and down in a steady rhythm.

Sasuke wanted to punch himself in order to get rid of the dirty thoughts that were starting to creep inside his mind.

He shouldn't have tasted her. Now he's starting to crave for more.

Shit... He is SO screwed.

"Oh damn..." He cursed when his mind started spinning. He could feel his body going limp as blackness started to cloud his eyes. Soon enough, his body grew slack and he fell to his side, straight to Sakura's lap.

Double damn...

"Umm..." Sasuke felt Sakura stirring in her sleep. "Sasuke-kun..." Her green eyes fluttered open. When she looked down at him, her eyes widened in surprise. Sasuke forced himself to calm down as he suppressed the blush that was threatening to crawl on his cheeks.

It's a good thing it's late and nobody's around. He didn't want anyone to see him in this embarrassing position!

He was about to get up when he felt her soft hand gently caressing his face. "It's okay, Sasuke-kun." She whispered to him, like a mother would do to lull her child into sleep. "It's your turn to rest."

Sasuke enjoyed the way her delicate fingers trailed across his face and moved against his dark hair. He closed his eyes. It feels so relaxing... He sighed when he felt her thumbs gently massaging his temples.

This feels like heaven... Sasuke let himself enjoy this peaceful moment. No one was watching them, anyway.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke didn't want to talk, so he grunted in response.

"What happened? I can't seem to remember anything..."

Sasuke snapped his eyes open. She can't remember... anything? He definitely wasn't expecting that. "What?"

Sakura looked uncomfortable. "I remembered being angry at Kumiko... then my wound suddenly got really painfuland my head started to hurt so much! After that... everything seems to be a blur."

And to think that he was just about to think of a way to convince her that he didn't mean what he did to her back there.

"But thank you... for this..." She smiled at him before she pointed at the bandage on her side. It wasn't really a bandage. He ripped a part of his shirt so he could use it to stop her wound from bleeding so much. He remembered the horror that he faced when he undressed her a little in order to wrap the cloth around her waist.

Silence lingered for a moment and Sasuke's mind began to debate within himself if it's better if Sakura didn't know about what happened between them.

"Umm... Sasuke-kun?" She was waiting for an explanation.

"Don't think about it." Sasuke said as he closed his eyes. "I scared them away."

Her reply was a quiet 'Oh.'.

It's for the best if Sakura didn't know. If she knew, then she would start getting uncomfortable around him, or worse yet, would start clinging to him more than ever.

He didn't want that to happen

It's for her own good.

At least he didn't have to worry about feeling uncomfortable around her as much any more. Now that she doesn’t know what really happened between them, everything’s going to turn back to normal soon enough.

He’ll keep this secret to himself. And hopefully, he’ll be able to forget about it, along with these animal urges that he’s suddenly feeling for her, after a few days.

...right?

Suddenly, his mind was telling him to sleep. He was really exhausted, and the way Sakura continued to lull him to sleep was tempting him to do just that. Before he gave in, however, Sakura's smile flashed before his eyes. It was the most charming smile that Sasuke has ever seen in her face, and it was directed solely for him.

Only for him.

She looks so... His mind trailed off as sleep started to slowly claim him. Unconsciously, he remembered the intimate kisses they've shared a while ago.

Sasuke felt his lips twitch into a small smile.

For once, Sasuke stopped denying himself...

And started admitting that this day isn’t so bad, after all…

End.