Blocks of pale moonlight shone through the open window, falling upon the sparsely furnished hospital room. An upright figure sat beside the window in a hard-backed chair, looking down on the sleeping Konoha. Nothing stirred except for the occasional shadows, as the clouds scudded across the face of the cratered moon.

            It was two o’clock in the morning, and fifteen-year old Sasuke Uchiha couldn’t sleep.

            He’d never been an insomniac, far from one in fact, being one who valued rest for the next day’s training. No, the reason for his recent string of sleepless nights was a far different one. The source of his restlessness was asleep in the bed behind him, breathing gently, unaware of the emotions raging within the mind of the younger Uchiha because of her. Her. Sasuke Uchiha, the cold, revenge-driven prodigy was losing sleep because of a girl. If he’d had a sense of humour, he would have laughed at himself long and hard. But since he didn’t have a sense of humour, he contented himself with a smirk, a gentle rebuke towards his inner thoughts.

            The girl behind him stirred. As Sasuke glanced back, the moonlight brushed across her face, illuminating the pink hair strewn across the pillow and lying wispily over the pale face of fifteen-year old Sakura Haruno. The lively emerald-green eyes with their long, dark lashes lay closed in slumber and rosy lips were parted slightly. He watched her sleep for a while, her chest rising and falling gently as she breathed. She looked so calm and delicate, as fragile as china, almost angelic.

            Sasuke turned back to the window, turning to the moon and in his mind’s eye he went over again the situation that had started it all.

            The ambush had been sudden. Sasuke, Sakura, their teammate Naruto and their sensei Kakashi were each fighting at least two enemy ninjas. For all that they were Chuunins they were holding their own very well. Kakashi couldn’t keep an eye on them all and concentrate on his own fight.

            Naruto had created several bunshins to aid him and his teammates. It seemed that everything would turn out well in the end.

            The door opened. Glancing back, Sasuke saw the nurse making her usual rounds. She checked up on Sakura before leaving the room, closing the door gently behind her. Sasuke turned back to his thoughts.

            The fight had somehow changed. Sasuke found himself rooted to ground, unable to move. Tendrils of chakra wound around him, holding him firmly in place. One of the ninjas stepped forward, chakra crackling between his hands forming a sphere. Sasuke could do nothing. The ninjas battling the rest of his team prevented them from coming to his aid, so he could only watch as the ninja launched the sphere towards him. Using a sudden burst of energy, he broke free and just managed to dodge the crackling sphere. It hit the ground where he had been and left a large, bowl-shaped hole. And before he could react, the chakra tendrils snaked around him again. The curse seal was acting up; he couldn’t keep on using much chakra any longer before it began to break out again.

            “The master said to either bring him in preferably unconscious or, less preferably, hurt very badly. I guess that’s our only choice now,” said the ninja menacingly preparing another chakra sphere.

            He launched it. Time seemed to slow down. The sphere, crackling with chakra energy, was drawing closer and no matter how hard he tried to move, he was stuck.

He couldn’t move—

His hair was beginning to stand on end—

He could almost feel it—

Almost—

            “Sasuke-kun!” the scream pierced his sluggish thoughts and suddenly, he felt someone pushing him out of the way. He was falling, falling, red and pink distorting his vision. And he hit the ground with someone lying on top of him.

            “Ah,” he grunted. His strength was beginning to flow back to him. The person still hadn’t moved. The enemy ninjas weren’t coming at him yet. They were engaged in a fight with what looked like a little army of Naruto clones. He raised his head slightly and saw the top of Sakura’s head. “Sakura, you can get off now,” he said. She didn’t move. “Sakura?”

            Sasuke struggled to sit up. He carefully shifted her body. “Sakura?” Reaching up to brush the hair out of his eyes, he discovered, to his horror, bright red blood dripping from his fingers. His head snapping down, he discovered the wounds covering Sakura’s body, the most life-threatening being a long, deep cut in her side. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were ash-pale. “Sakura!” he cried in anguish. “SAKURA!”

            The moon still bathed his face in pale beams of light as Sasuke slid out of the dream-like state he had fallen into. The memory still pained him, even after a week. Frustrated, he shook his head. He shouldn’t be letting these thoughts get to him. His revenge. After all, he still needed to avenge his clan. Uchiha Itachi, I will get you one day.

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            Traveling through the still darkness of the forest was a swift group of ninjas. They were clothed in black and a line ran through the symbol on each of their forehead protectors. The Akatsuki.

            They reached their destination, a clearing a half hour’s run away from the Sound village. While most of them perched in the trees, one figure detached himself from the rest to stand squarely before the two figures awaiting his arrival in the clearing. The moonlight cast everything into shadows.

            “Uchiha Itachi, we’ve been waiting for you.” Sharp, white, fang-like teeth gleamed in the night as the owner bared them into an evil smile.

To Be Continued…