Hello everyone. I had some terrible writer's block with the 'Stab My heart…' fic and I needed to write a ninja fic, not an AU. It's a different from the manga after Itachi's death, and I wanted her to be a field-medic, so I sparked a war between Sound and what I call 'Rebel ninja'; the name speaks for itself. Please enjoy, I hope this is a good fic. Thank you and let me know how this new fiction sounds!

Summary: Sakura is a field medic and sees death and pain every day. The war is finally over and she gets to go home. But when she gets there, she meets face to face with Sasuke who seems to be very interested in her…well, more so than before. He makes his intentions known to her bluntly: he's chosen her as the woman to renew his clan. She tells him go to hell…

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The Chase For Her
Love

Chapter 1: Blood and War

The smell of blood was intense. She'd once thought of war, before it had actually fallen upon Konoha, as a well-oiled machine: swift, heartless, timed like a stopwatch. But once she entered the first, full-fledged outbreak of war she discovered the real meaning of it.

There was still heartlessness, but there was no preciseness in any of the skirmishes and random attacks on their persons. A huge outbreak of fighting occurred after some time after Orochimaru's death and after they'd heard about Itachi's, somehow sparking the catalyst that set the several of the nations into chaos.

War had been going on for months, about seven, and she had chosen to enter with the first battalion of ninja with both Leaf and Sand surrounding her, and eight other medics. Now there were only two of them left and their chakra seemed to be at a constant low, keeping them exhausted and frightened for their lives.

She felt constantly in danger as she raced through the fields and her mind was in a state of organized panic at all times. The experience of a battlefield was twisted. The skirmishes were made up of the stuff from nightmares and she found herself in tears for the first month she was out in the melee, seeing death and dying at every turn.

She evaded a blast of some enemy chakra and dashed away towards a body she spotted hidden in the grass. She'd gotten very good at dodging and her eyes were eagle sharp because of constant searching for a glimpse of familiar glinting headbands. Her only advantage on the field was the tall grass that concealed herself and her patient while she worked hurriedly, and it was all she could be thankful for out in the battles.

Her hands glowed with her emerald healing chakra and she could feel herself weakening as she continued. She didn't stop until the leaf ninja regained consciousness and looked up at her with eyes wide and glassy with their escaped fate. "Can you walk?" she asked.

"I-ah!" The man clutched his side and shook his head.

"I'll call a ninja dog to get you out of here." She blew a special whistle and Kakashi's big bull dog showed up and took the man to safety so she could get back to her grisly work.

Sakura stood carefully as the wind picked up and blew her long hair over her shoulder, giving relief to her sweating neck. She watched the melee for a moment, searching for any of their own fallen. She spotted none, but continued searching, her eyes drifting over her allies hoping none would fall.

She heard a twig snap somewhere behind, despite the intense noise of men and women and weapons clanging together, and spun around with a kunai in her hand. A Rebel ninja was leaping at her to attack and she was only to happy to oblige with one of her own.

Sakura filled her hand with aquarian chakra and hit the man, full force, into his chest cracking bone and severing muscle with her blow. He hardly made a sound when he hit the grass in a heap; dead. She took a harsh breath and fell to her knees, knowing full well that her chakra was depleted.

Sakura snapped to attention when a great explosion erupted and she gained her feet in an instant, shocked to see Tsunade, Jiraya, Gaara and the leaders of the Sound and the random ninja Rebels standing together.

All fighting ceased and those of the Leaf, Sand, Sound and the Rebels looked forward in awe. A gathering of their leaders only meant one thing; peace.

Sakura nearly wept as she saw Naruto, alive and well, break off and race towards her from behind the circle of the ninja. "Sakura!"

She lifted weak arms and allowed the man she thought of as brother twist them both around, her feet gliding through the air. "God…I'm so glad you're alive!" She said and gave the best grin her tired body could handle.

"Baa-san, Gaara and all the other leaders called a truce!" he sounded so happy and she too was glad. Beyond relieved, but she just couldn't concentrate well enough to enjoy it all. She just wanted a bed.

"Is Tsunade available to talk?"

"Yeah, I think she's out looking at our wounded from this fight."

Sakura looked over and saw the familiar pale blonde hair, but before she could leave, Naruto grabbed her hand. "Hey, just a second," he looked nervous and unsure as he forced himself to continue.

"…Sasuke came back." he whispered so quietly she barely heard him at all.

Her body became rigid and her eyes lost some light. "He did? And what did she say to that?"

Naruto was slightly worried at his best friend's sudden silence, but he answered her question. "She didn't say much to him except give him an ultimatum. He joined the fight because she told him to regain his honor to the village. I guess he's been pardoned because he helped Konoha win. Sound and the Rebels surrendered and they made a peace treaty."

Sakura sighed and rubbed her head. "They did all this, all the treaties and deals before they decided to tell everyone to stop fighting!"

"Well, then you should have seen the room when they first started surrendering to Leaf and Sand. Tsunade looked like she was going to kill 'em until they made sure she knew they weren't lying."

From where he was standing off to the side leaning against to a tree with Kakashi, Sasuke could see Naruto run over to Sakura and grab her up, twirl them around. Uzumaki talked to her for a minute and then she paled when he said something; he could only assume they were talking about him.

He now watched her nod and walk across the tall-grassy field in long strides despite her still-short stature, garbed in red and black. She'd really blossomed over the years, and he knew as he watched her that she was different than before. Powerful and a force to be reckoned with…

She was grown woman in her own right and it was clear she took care of herself. Her long, pink hair flew behind her like a flag of pride. Her shoulders were strong and straight and her chin was leveled; no loss of confidence was shown within her persona. Her eyes, misty-green, held inner-strength and determination and she didn't lose her drive as she propelled herself forward.

Sasuke smirked, very subtly, and knew his search, though it not yet officially begun was already over.

She was perfect…

Sakura stepped into the healer's tent and found Tsunade, already busy saving a life. "You let him off so simply?" she hissed in a whisper and had the Sannin glaring over her shoulder.

"Don't speak to me like that!" Tsunade had finished with her patient and pushed Sakura in a quiet corner. "He paid for the right to come back. He killed Orochimaru, Itachi, and fought for us when we needed him more in battle than in a goddamn cell! So stop being so childish!"

She knew Sakura hated being insulted like that and she was rewarded with the deepest, most flammable glare she'd ever received.

The younger medic closed her eyes and nodded. "I just hope you know what you're doing. I want everything to go back to normal…"

Tsunade sighed and patted her student's back. "Just go back to Konoha now. Get some sleep."

Sakura had been waiting months to go to her own bed so she readily agreed and left to find Naruto before she would leave. She exited the tent and walked out into the open, eyes scanning. The Sound and the Rebel ninja had all left the field, leaving only the Sand and the Leaf to themselves.

Sakura spotted Naruto with Neji, Shikamaru, TenTen, Lee, Choji…and Sasuke. She steeled herself, fully planning on ignoring the Uchiha, and walked over with an aura that said 'who gives a damn the man I love and hate is right there? Huh?'.

Naruto looked up along with the others as she approached. "Hey, are you finally going home?"

"Sakura!" she heard Lee's outburst, but she just waved at him and answered Naruto's question.

"Yes." She said and laid her hand on the back of her neck. "I'm going to bed as soon as I get there. My chakra is completely depleted just like Iyashi's."

"I just wanna sit down for more than two minutes at a time. This damn war was such a pain." Shikamaru whined and was slapped on the back by Naruto.

"You're so lazy, but I guess you deserve it. I'm gonna eat ramen at Ichiraku's!"

"I want to eat! I think I lost weight out here!" Choji interjected and stuffed his face with an apple.

Sakura looked at him dully. "Ino would be happy about that. Besides it's healthy for you." She turned her waist and popped her back on both sides. "Well, I'm going home." She waved, got the chorus of "See ya around," and used Jutsu to disappear.

Sasuke was slightly put out when she didn't even acknowledge his presence. He knew she knew he was there because he hadn't cloaked his chakra like normal.

"Don't worry about her." Naruto said and elbowed Sasuke in the ribs none too gently. "She's just beat. Sakura's been out here for months, non-stop."

He didn't bother himself on it as he was escorted by Naruto and Neji to his new home, an apartment with a small living area, kitchen, bathroom, and a single bedroom. "Pretty good place even though it's a bit small," Uzumaki commented and patted the Uchiha's shoulder.

"Hn. Thanks."

"Eh?" Naruto leaned forward annoyingly and blinked. "Did you just say-?"

"Go eat some food, dobe." Sasuke said, though without any bite.

Neji and Naruto left him to himself to brood in peace and the Uchiha went straight to his new, unfamiliar bed and lied awake for hours.

ooo

Sakura smiled as she plopped down into her crispy clean bed, sighing as she hit the pillow. "Thank you, Ino!" I need to get her to clean my house more while I'm gone…

She was exhausted but she could feel her thoughts drift and she caught a glimpse of Sasuke; the older, taller, sexier Sasuke…

His hair was longer, to his shoulders, and his eyes were darker than before, probably from all that he'd seen. He was so much taller than she, at least a whole foot, and Sakura cursed her shortness when she thought of it. She'd grown into her womanly body, but had gained no height at all, while her companions all shot up like trees; even Ino and Ten-Ten. Only Hinata stayed short and petite like herself.

Sasuke was so different, but he was still the same person. Just like the handsome boy she'd tried to make stay. But he had been in war, seen and killed many…he was nothing like the boy she'd known as a child…

Sakura punched her pillow forcefully and fought the urge to yell into it. She was going to treat him like just one of the guys. Just another ninja who might share a mission with her once in a while or get hurt and she'd happen to be at the hospital, nothing more.

Not anymore…

With that thought in mind, she rolled over and fell into a comfortable sleep, despite dreaming about the ebony-haired man who'd stolen her heart and refused to give it back.

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Let me know if this is an interesting direction I've put it. Thanks again.