Sunset

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

A/N: Well I've decided that my story needs general improvement, so I've started revising the chapters I hope you'll like it ^_^ Enjoy your reading!

Picking up the pieces

Slightly dizzy from the bitter taste, Sakura reflected that the sparkling beverage in her glass wasn't quite doing what she'd aimed for – that is, distracting her from the long, disappointing day to which she'd just put a miserable end. She didn't know why she bothered half the time; the drink never worked any more, not the way it should. All she really accomplished in the end was a headache she could just as easily have done without. But she supposed, at the very least, it kept her shaking hands busy if not her mind.

How she hated those days at the hospital. The days when she did her absolute best but things still went terribly wrong. The days when she couldn't do much for a dying comrade, despite her fiercest efforts. The days she couldn't seem to forget.

Not that working at the hospital wasn't important to her; it most certainly was, and the feeling of helping someone who desperately needed her abilities filled her with warm a satisfaction that somehow made it all worthwhile. But even so, on nights like these she felt incomplete somehow; like something in her had snapped – some vital component, leaving her a shell of what she should be. What that factor was she couldn't say, but Sakura wondered if she could possibly face more painful, dreary years when this was what she had to look forward to.

It was a controversial topic, and such thoughts raised several equally provocative questions in her head. Like, was she wasting her time at the hospital day in and day out? Maybe she could be of more use on missions, out in the field where she could heal injuries when they had a better chance of being healed. It would certainly feel better than waiting around for the wounded to come to her, only for her to have to tell them it was too late and she couldn't do anything.

Sakura just didn't know anymore. Where was she needed? Where could she do most good? Did it even make a difference? She wished she could talk to her team mates about it, but her boys weren't around tonight. Naruto, Sai and Kakashi were all gone, off to the border area of Fire Country chasing some some lead or other on Akatsuki. And not for the first time, she wished she'd taken them up on their offer to join them.

"If you don't wipe that sourpuss look off your face, you're definitely gonna ruin my night." a perky, irritatingly familiar voice interrupted Sakura's self-pity sodden thoughts. Ino. Why had she let Ino talk her into going out again?

Sakura snorted derisively. Probably the same reason I let her talk me into it every time I've had a bad day at the hospital – company.

"Oh yeah, Pig? What makes you think it's a sourpuss look on my face? It could be disgust from looking at you for so long." Sakura grumbled, rubbing the back of her neck wearily and taking another swig of her drink. Whether she needed the company or not, Sakura questioned – as always – whether Ino was really the kind of company appropriate to the occasion. After all, her blonde friend was more the 'have a good time' sort of companion than the 'comfort' sort.

"Let's just see, shall we Forehead? First off, you look like someone just died-," Sakura flinched. Hadn't Ino been listening earlier? Someone had just died! "secondly, you haven't looked anywhere but at that glass; and third, as pleased as I am by the peace and quiet, you've kept your mouth completely shut all night. Sounds like a sourpuss mood to me, am I right?"

"Not in the slightest." Sakura snapped, annoyed more at the fact that Ino was right than at what she was actually saying.

"Sure I'm not." she scoffed sarcastically, ignoring the warning in Sakura's aquamarine eyes. "I know what you need. You gotta start dating some hottie who'll make you forget all about…" Ino stopped mid-sentence and smirked, eyes drawn to something over Sakura's shoulder. "Speak of the devil… Look what we have here." she purred slyly, nodding to the darkest corner of the bar where two men sat deep in discussion.

They were somewhat suspicious in Sakura's opinion. Whenever someone passed too close to their table all conversation ceased abruptly, so whatever they were talking about was either important, illegal or both – in her experience such behaviour was only ever a cause of those two reasons. But perhaps she was over thinking it? After all, from where she was sitting the men looked perfectly innocent to her. Admittedly one of them had their back to her, but the second – a mature-looking gentleman with long, dark hair and a ruggedly attractive face – appeared to be a seasoned businessman at worst.

Even as the thought formed the man glanced up at her, almost as if she'd called his name just by thinking about him. She wasn't the type to blush and turn away like a tittering little girl, but it was incredibly difficult to maintain eye contact so shamelessly with this particular man. After a good five seconds Sakura averted her gaze, unable to bear the intensity of his deep, black eyes any longer. But the man didn't look away – she could still feel his eyes on the back of her neck like two sharp needles.

"You mean the guy with the black hair? He seems overconfident; too brash for my tastes. He's more your type Ino, not mine." Sakura muttered, taking a nerve steadying gulp of alcohol, trying to hide her edgy reaction to the stranger's unrelenting survey of her.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Sakura! I swear, you're not all there today. I'm with Shika, remember? And believe me, I've no intention of doing anything to mess that up." Ino made a face, tossing her beautiful blonde hair aside like some supermodel wannabe. All of a sudden her features lit up and she jerked her head at the approaching silhouette of her fiancé, a pleased smile on her lips.

"See? He always knows when I need him."

"Ino, do you have a minute?" Shikamaru drawled upon reaching the pair.

Sakura had always thought the usually indolent expression of 'Konoha's smartest shinobi' looked kind of weird in the presence of his beloved; strained, careful. Perhaps because he was fully aware of the tantrums this troublesome woman of his was capable of. Shikamaru being Shikamaru, he'd rather avoiding dealing with something that bothersome even if it was from the woman he loved.

"For you, I have all the time in the world!" Ino squealed happily, rushing to her feet almost before he'd finished the question and taking advantage of the opportunity to glomph him. Of course, Sakura thought sardonically, he could just have been waiting for that to happen.

It would seem the World's Best Slacker wasn't in the mood for Ino's little public display of affection, so he quickly set her on her feet and signalled for her to follow him from the place. Before exiting after him, Ino threw a warning glare at Sakura.

"Don't you dare disappear anywhere while I'm gone! I'll be back shortly, so stay put."

"Back shortly, huh? Somehow, I highly doubt that." the pinkette murmured under her breath. Sakura was pretty sure the Pig was likely to spend the rest of the night making out somewhere with her 'Shika', the process of which unfailingly led to her forgetting all about whichever poor sap she'd been hanging with in the first place.

But that was Ino for you; guys first, everyone else after. It wasn't anything new and tomorrow morning, Sakura was sure she'd have a nice, insincere apology to look forward to for being ditched again. Maybe, just for the heck of it, she'd refuse the apology and see how worked up she could get her childhood friend before lunch.

Drifting again in her thoughts, Sakura's mind inevitably wandered back to the events of the day. The blood and tears and pain, all of which were part and partial of a shinobi medic's gruelling lifestyle. She sighed heavily, running a long, delicate finger around the rim of her glass absently as her dark mood resettled like a deadly disease, eating away at her from the inside. She knew she was being foolish. She knew there were always going to be times in her career when she couldn't save someone; times when she'd have to let go. But it still felt like she'd failed.

That's it! inner Sakura exclaimed irately. I've had it. Time to quit wallowing in self-pity girl!

It was at this point Sakura became aware of the sensation of being watched – again – and she turned instinctively to the table where the mysterious man Ino'd pointed out was sitting. Her focus fell on him almost gratefully – anything to distract her from the memories of today – and she noted with mild interest that he radiated a powerful aura of control and authority rare in a mere businessman. Gato certainly hadn't had such overwhelming presence, though that was so long ago now that she doubted she'd remember even if he had.

There was something decidedly sinister about the stranger – frighteningly so – but he also had an incredibly strong charisma that made him almost irresistible. His body was generously muscled, but not huge like some thug or something; Sakura could see part of his chest peeking under the black fabric of his loose shirt, and observed with approval that everything seemed to be in exactly the right place. His raven hair was exceptionally long, spiky, and fell gently down either side of his face, the tip of one lock on the left ghosting his upper lip.

Shaking herself back to reality, Sakura realised with some minor embarrassment that she'd been staring at the man too long, and he'd just chanced her gawking at him. Not to be put off, inner Sakura definitely had an interest in him; and didn't mind sharing it.

C'mon! A little flirting won't hurt anyone. This is your chance to loosen up and have a little fun! You know; forget the day's traumas and all that.

The real Sakura moved to squash her inner self immediately, fully intending to ignore her ridiculous suggestion. Even if it was incredibly tempting.

Don't even go there! You don't know who he is or anything about him! Besides, he looks like someone, who would-

Relax! It'll be fine! Inner Sakura insisted, cutting off Sakura's logicality with palpable excitement. We're in the middle of Konoha for goodness sake! What can he really do here, in your own village?

I still have a bad felling about this.

"Madara, your plan borders on madness. The decision to come to Konoha in person raises question enough, but to send this child to do a job that could easily cost the organization so much... The boy isn't eligible for this mission." the orange-haired man stated calmly, his many-ringed irises boring into his black haired companion like drills. His face was blank and emotionless, a feature played off chillingly by the multitude of glinting silver piercings he had, and had Madara been any other, the effect would have spooked him to the core.

On the contrary, however, Madara was less than impressed.

"Watch your tongue, Pein. And have a little patience. Your time will come soon enough." His voice was deep and enthralling, like melted honey, and as cool as the man Pein's had been – even so, there was no missing the prickly undertone of anger, which was more a force than a sound as such. Uchiha Madara did not like to be questioned. "Do not underestimate the boy's capabilities; he's important to the organization's goals, and for good reason."

That said, he glanced again in the direction of the girl, unable to help himself and not really seeing why he should want to help himself. She was quite the exotic little beauty – this he thought to himself shamelessly – and her exquisite looks contrasted sharply with the dull interior of the local bar.

Her body was curvy, yet tight and tough-looking at the same time – the body of a weathered kunoichi he didn't doubt – and he allowed his eyes to rove unhurriedly over her shapely form with greedy appreciation. She donned a dark red top – which accentuated her soft, round breasts and complemented her curious pink hair perfectly – and a red skirt to match, reaching just below her knees and hinting at more than it actually revealed. The material had two long slashes up the sides and Madara could just make out a sliver of black through the minuscule gap. Shorts, designed for combat. He was right; the girl was a ninja. She shifted slightly and the sharp glint of steel caught his eye, as if to further confirm this deduction.

Regardless, she honestly was attractive and he mused that given the chance, he'd eagerly play with her for a while. After all, his life was a rigorous affair nowadays and a little relaxation was well over due.

"We should keep Itachi out of this for as long as possible." Pein insisted, though his tone was level and uninterested sounding. Madara internally rolled his eyes – the self-proclaimed god lacked faith in him it would seem.

"I expect you'll arrange the details. Don't disappoint me Pein. We've lost too many members already; I doubt I need to remind you that failure is not an option this time."

Pein stood but didn't produce a response right away, instead watching Madara with an unreadable expression on his face. He met the man's eyes steadily – eyes that had brought so much blood to Fire Country – and concluded stiffly, "Very well then. I shall operate according to the plan and should something unexpected emerge, I will deal with it personally."

"Good." Madara nodded with a satisfied smirk, looking away to the bar once more and making it clear that as far as he was concerned, their meeting was over. Pein left.

The pink-haired girl caught his eye again and he quickly made up his mind – she would make an amusing toy for him tonight, a treat to ease his weariness. He would have to be careful, of course – the girl had the look of a natural temptress and strategic scheming of this magnitude required concentration with no distractions. He knew a lot of the world and he knew the devastating effect women could have on men if said men were foolish enough to drop their guard. And much like himself, their methods of manipulation were subtle, practically unnoticeable until it was too late – but he supposed that element of danger is what made this particular game fun.

Why is he looking at me like that?

Sakura had a feeling she'd gotten herself into something she might not be able to get out of. The stranger was attractive, sure enough, but that stare he was giving her was... bone-chilling. Like he was peering into her brain and peeling back the layers protecting her most private of thoughts. It was unnerving.

'Cause we're hot obviously! The man knows a winner when he sees one. Quit being so uptight and enjoy a little male attention for once! Inner Sakura ordered. Bring him to his knees girl!

Sakura frowned indecisively. She hadn't tested her flirting ability since the days of her tragically pitiful crush on a certain Uchiha prodigy, back when he was a part of team 7. What if she was no good at it?

Still, it was a golden opportunity to prove to the world – and more importantly, herself – that the days when she was someone who could be tossed aside on some bench were over. She wasn't weak and insecure anymore. And it was time she made it known, starting with Mr Tall-Dark-And-Handsome over there.

Decision made, Sakura shifted slightly in her seat.

The girl angled her body to the side, giving Madara a better look in a gesture that was anything but accidental, and crossed her legs. The ghost of a smile tugged at her lips and she tucked some of that coral pink hair of hers behind her ear, glancing at him slyly for a fraction of a second. He watched surreptitiously as she tenderly ran her finger tips around the edge of the glass before lifting it to her rosy lips and downing the last mouthful.

And then, in a move that was as surprising as it was daring, the girl stood up and, momentarily bending for a second to fix the silver buckles on her boots, exited the bar without a backwards glance. He got the message loud and clear – you can look but you can't touch.

"She's a feisty one." he chuckled in a low voice to himself. "I like a girl who's not afraid to play with fire."

Even so, he felt strangely defeated by the rare beauty and her little game of tease. It wasn't a feeling he was used to – Uchiha Madara always got exactly what he wanted. There was simply no one strong enough to deny him it. Yet this girl – barely past the cusp of her childhood – had dared to defy him in ways no one else would dream of. What an interesting specimen he'd found.

This, he believed, called for a slight change in plan.

Sakura walked back to her house alone, satisfied that she'd put the mysterious stranger from the bar in his place – which was, of course, at her feet.

The street was empty, the night bitingly cold and the darkness so complete it was almost as if it engulfed her fragile form. She walked slowly, unhurried – after all, it wasn't as if there was anyone waiting for her at home. She wasn't sad though; for the first time in a long time she was able to see herself in different light – a brighter one. It was something she'd been denied since that fateful night she'd had all her hopes and dreams snatched from her, by a man she knew hadn't been worthy of her attentions. She'd put the whole affair behind her years ago but tonight it felt like it was truly finished. Like she'd picked up the last pieces of her shattered heart and gotten the closure she so desperately had needed.

Opening the door to her home, Sakura looked around the tiny corridor of her apartment in disdain. It was a complete mess! But such were the consequences when one lived as busy a life as she – between missions, the hospital and the additional tasks she was expected to take on as Tsunade's apprentice, she was simply too rushed to contemplate incorporating a little housework. Glancing at her feet as she picked her way through the obstacle course her hall had become, she spotted a couple of scrolls on the floor and groaned – she'd forgotten about the medical scrolls she was supposed to decode today, her depression over the incidents at the hospital wiping them from her mind.

With a sigh and a non-committal shrug, Sakura continued on her way to the kitchen. She'd deal with them later. Right now her stomach needed filling; already she could feel the alcohol doing it's nasty work in her skull and although her stomach rolled at the thought of food, she knew she'd regret it in the morning if she didn't eat something.

Entering her kitchen, she made her way immediately toward the fridge with thoughts of chancing a sandwich and perhaps a glass of milk. She hadn't gotten far when a disturbingly familiar sensation overcame her, setting the hair on her neck standing and chilling her flesh in a way that screamed danger. Warily, she turned to the window, trusting the unnameable force inside her that was a subtle mix of intuition and ninja-like awareness. The sight she met stole her breath, not because of the sinister components in the scene – eyes carmine with the Uchiha bloodline limit, a hand lingering threateningly by an as yet sheathed sword, and the tangible menace hanging in the air between them – but because she knew the man who stood before her so stoically.

"Sasuke…?" She knew it was him. They hadn't been apart so long that she didn't know his face when she saw it. But the idea that he was somehow here in her kitchen was... well baffling.

"Sakura." Sasuke acknowledged briefly – coldly. "You have something I want."

"Eh?" she queried, very surprised and more than slightly confused.

"You have something that belongs to me." he stated, taking a few steps in her direction before flickering out of her field of vision.

F-Fast! she thought, spinning to locate him again and feeling out for his chakra.

"Don't you remember the offer you made me before I left the village? You said you'd do anything for me... So I ask you now, Sakura: Do you still want me to take you?" he whispered, making Sakura gasp in shock and panic when she felt his hot breath on her neck.

Shaking her head and forcing herself to snap back to reality, Sakura gritted her teeth angrily. He dared break into her home and talk to her about such a ridiculous notion as that. Surely he understood she was no longer who she had been then? Surely he realised she wasn't that foolish little girl anymore who'd abandon her village for the sake of one man? The fact that he still thought so little of her made her blood boil.

"Oh?" she laughed humourlessly, addressing him scathingly. "So the famous Uchiha Sasuke has finally taken an interest in me, huh? You make me sick. I'd rather die than leave Konoha, and I certainly won't leave for your sake."

He drew his face dangerously close to hers and whispered in her ear, his voice soft and lilting with a promise of danger.

"Fair enough. In that case I'll just take what I need."

Angry beyond words (he'd said it as though he thought doing so would be a simple matter), Sakura spun, directing a phenomenal amount of chakra to her right hand and loosing a punch that would launch him in to next week if it connected. Naturally, he dodged. Secretly glad she'd missed – Naruto would eat her alive if she accidentally killed him – she permitted the scorn she felt to warp her features into a fierce scowl. She stared him down, eyes ablaze with fury.

"I suppose this means you're not going to surrender." He studied her, keeping his expression completely emotionless.

"Not in this life!" she hissed, kicking out at him with the heel of her boot and connecting roughly with his abdomen. The kick tossed him into the far corner of the room and contrary to her better judgement, Sakura approached him with a smug smirk. "How's that for a surrender?"

In a heartbeat he was up – before she'd even had time to blink – and she felt a calloused hand on her neck a mere second before she herself was thrown across the room. She hit the wall with a dizzying crash and her vision blurred – a collaborative effect from the alcohol she'd drunk that night and the force with which her head had hit the brick. In that moment, the brief seconds before Sasuke was on her again, she vowed she'd never touch another intoxicating beverage so long as she lived.

Grabbing her violently, Sasuke dragged her back and unceremoniously pinned her to the kitchen table, pulling her arms behind her back painfully. She could feel the cold wooden surface under her bare stomach and on the exposed flesh of her breast, her clothes having ridden up in their tussle, and in with her gradually lessening consciousness she cursed herself for making the mistake of assuming she was safe in her own village.

"You do know you're only alive on a whim…" he whispered mockingly in her ear. "I could kill you here and now if I wanted."

"That'll do, Sasuke. Get off her now."

The sudden and entirely unexpected surge of an eerie, insanely powerful chakra filled the room and Sakura gasped from the incredible force of it – just breathing in it's presence was difficult, though that could have been the result of Sasuke's weight securing her to the table. She tried to turn her head to inspect the new arrival but doing so was impossible from her unseemly position.

"Or else what?" Sasuke challenged, tightening his hold on her and twisting her arms further, receiving a small, involuntary squeak of pain from the immobilized kunoichi. Something told Sakura that Sasuke was not fond of their visitor.

"Or I'll make sure you don't enjoy the consequences. We've got what we came for, now go."

"Hn" He released his grip without another word and left.

Slipping heavily to the ground, Sakura cracked her eyes open as far as they'd go through sheer willpower and hunted blindly for the stranger who'd more or less just saved her life. The last thing she saw was crimson red, dark and frightening in it's hue and endless in it's depth. Then he spoke – one single word – and her world dissolved in a heady woody scent that filled her brain with peace and lethargy.

"Sleep..."