Hehe I'm giving you two chapters at a time. Let the suspense from the last chapter sink in for a moment........lalalallalalalaa....lalalalalala....................................................................................................ok! Sunk in yet? Alrighty then, move onto the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I own this story and my own manga (not published as of now)

Chapter 6:

Sakura stared at the wasteland before her. This was the Sound Country. The smell of blood was ripe in the air, and the dark clouds gave off an uncomfortable feeling. Thank goodness the storm had stopped, however, she wished it would rain again. Maybe it would wipe out the smell of blood. They quickly entered the gate of the Hidden Sound Village, where Orochimaru resided. It was certainly different from the Hidden Leaf Village, not one smile was on the face of the villagers. They all bore either a look of hatred or pain. The clothes of the villagers were tattered and torn, some even bearing stains of blood. She looked at their faces, they were hard and bore scars from previous fights. There were even children running around. Sakura looked at one little boy with a scar on his left cheek and obvious hatred in his eyes. It seemed as though he had lived through rough times. Sasuke tried to keep focused on what was in front of him, but he did occasionally steal glances around.

They stopped at the steps of a large castle (japanese style castle), where Sasuke and Sakura were greeted by a surprisingly familiar face.

"Kabuto-san?" Sakura gasped. Sasuke was somewhat surprised at first, but he didn't show it.

'I knew he wasn't what he seemed. 'He thought. Kabuto smirked.

"Hello Sasuke-kun, and... Sakura-chan came as well? Interesting. Well, may I welcome you to the Sound Country. Orochimaru-sama has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. " He turned around and motioned the two of them to follow. Sakura walked up the steps, not really knowing what she was getting herself into, she was a bit nervous. Sasuke remained emotionless and calm as he walked up the steps. Through the doors, they walked into a large, dimly lit room, and who other than Orochimaru was sitting in the large chair waiting for them.

"So, you two finally came. Great. " He said very sadistically. He weakly got up and walked over to examine them. " I'm glad that you have decided to join us Sasuke-kun. We weren't expecting Sakura-chan, but we could always use another recruit." He gave her a grin. "Oh, Tsunade will have her hands full with this."

"Cut the crap, Orochimaru. Are you going to give me what I came here for or what? "He clutched his cursed seal.

"Certainly, and we'll start first thing tomorrow. You and Sakura-chan go to rest now. I want you at full strength by tomorrow. Sakura-chan may do whatever she wants tomorrow." Sasuke stared at Orochimaru, there was a long pause.

"...alright, "He said, turning around."Let's go, Sakura. "

"Ok. " She turned and followed him. Kabuto lead them down a hallway made of stone. it was very narrow, making them feel uncomfortable. A person could stand in the center of it and spread out their arms, but that's about it. They were filled with many turns and twists, and were lit dimly by torches on the walls. Kabuto quickly opened a door on the right and showed them in. The room was actually pretty large and in pretty good condition. It certainly didn't match the rest of the castle… it was normal. There was a bathroom, a bed, a stove, a refrigerator, a closet, and a window. They were on about the second or third floor. The floor was made of wood, but it was actually a very smooth wood. Sasuke looked around and dumped his bag onto the ground.

"Whatever, it does the job. "

"Ok, then. Well, I leave now, so you two can get settled." Kabuto waved and shut the door. Sakura put her bag on the floor and took another look around before sitting on the bed. Sasuke sighed and said,

"Well, best be getting ready for bed. It'll be a big day tomorrow." She look up and nodded. "Hey Sakura," He was looking out through the window. "Since I'll be training, you can do whatever tomorrow, but…" he hesitated. " Don't go to far, ok? The people here aren't as kind as Konoha, however, I don't think Orochimaru would have to you killed right here."

"No need to say it, Sasuke-kun," She said. "I know that." She smirked and said sarcastically, "but, that last line was very comforting." She got up off the bed and swiped up her bag, as she made her way into the bathroom. She cleaned up with a shower, brushed her teeth, and put on a shirt over her ninja shorts. When she emerged from the bathroom, she found Sasuke standing right in front of the door. She moved out of the way to allow him to pass and then made her way over to the bed. Yes, there was only one bed in the room and they would be sharing. Sakura was a little uncomfortable, just because he might think it was weird. But, Sasuke didn't really care. They both knew that nothing would happen.

[ Inner Sakura: DAMN IT ]

Sasuke came out after cleaning up himself and shut off the lights. He quickly glanced at Sakura and slid into bed. Between them, they were feeling both anxious and nervous for the next day. They didn't know what to expect.

Hehehehe, woohoo! I gave you another chappie!

Now, to get started on the NEXT one! Mwhahahahhahahahahha!

It won't be posted today though, I think it's good to have some suspense and time to let stuff sink in.

R & R please!

. Chelsey

Ps. In case you missed the massive a/n on the last chappie, "Firecracker" is not being abandoned. I plan to continue you it once I finish "Shadow".

Thanks for reading! X3 go sasusaku!