AN HEY GUYS! SINCE I FORGOT MY EMAIL AND PASSWORD LOGIN INFO I DECIDED TO CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT, I KNOW, I KNOW, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I WROTE A STORY, BUT HERE I AM TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( ENJOY!

PS: SASUKE DIDN'T KILL YAMATO IN THIS STORY (

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS CHARACTERS.

BTW: NARUTO, SAKURA, SAI, AND SASUKE- 21

LAST CHANCE

To say that she was caught off guard is an understatement; Sakura was facing one of the most shocking things of her life at the moment(even though she really shouldn't be surprised with the fact that this wasn't the first time this was happening). Her emerald eyes wide, she began to blink slowly as she stared at the scene before her.

The attractive man that was serving her lunch (not as attractive as a certain someone on her team) was currently being held in the air by his neck. The hand that was holding him there belonged to none other than her tan and handsome brother figure Naruto, whom looked more than slightly agitated at the poor simpleton. Naruto also had a vein twitching on the side of his head.

Behind the hanging and scared man was a man that had hair that most compared to a chicken's butt, and was also one of the most sought after bachelors of Konoha and at one time was considered a missingnin. Sasuke seemed to be thinking of ways to torture the poor fool and his eyes were beginning to turn to a reddish color. He then stepped around the man and was next to Naruto.

In a chair behind Naruto and looking over the edge of his favorite perverted book, Kakashi was currently glaring with his only revealed eye at the offender being held by Naruto's grasp. His knuckles seemed to be grasping his book a tad too tightly for the pages began to be bent by their force, and his feet seemed to be tapping the ground in irritation.

But the one who surprised her the most was Sai, for he then took the cue of the other three men and stepped forward with his arms crossed around his chest and was the only one to speak in his typically emotionless voice, "What did you ask Ugly?"

The entire restaurant seemed to carry on like nothing was happening, showing how often these four seemed to interrogate anyone near their flower. But they kept on taking glances in their direction to see what's happening.

They stared at the struggling man whom was trying to get out of Naruto's hold and were surprised when he started to nervously speak.

"I-I-I-"

"You what?"

Sakura turned her gaze to her former (who is she trying to fool) love. His glare looked as set as the other men on her team, but still he seemed to be looking bored at the same time with his hands in his pockets. But no one knew Sasuke like Sakura and the gang did, and to Sakura Sasuke looked as if he didn't even want a reason to beat this poor man to a pulp, he would have done it for enjoyment if allowed. His voice intimidated the man so much that he whimpered.

"Well?" Naruto sounded impatient, "we're waiting."

The only thing heard in the silence was a loud gulp from the dangling man before he spoke.

"I-I just a-asked i-i-f she was fr-fr-free after lu-lun-lunch!" he squeezed eyes even tighter if possible.

Naruto looked as if he was going to say something to make the man leak himself before Sakura finally stepped in.

"Naruto put him down! Kakashi I would have expected you to have stopped this by now!" She then turned to Naruto, "Naruto, didn't I say to place him down to the ground? He's turning blue!"

There was several grunts coming from the four men ( Sai obviously didn't know when to grunt, because his grunt came a few seconds after the other three) before Naruto released his grasp and the waiter fell to the ground on his bum. When he looked up he saw all four of his assailants staring at him menacingly, then turned to Kakashi when he spoke.

"Never come near her again," He leaned forward with his book in hand for effect, "Got it?"

Beside him Naruto started to crack his knuckles.

The waiter quickly got up and ran as if the four were chasing him out of the restaurant, which in a sense they were.

The four then in a blink of an eye proceeded like nothing happened, Naruto was yelling at Sasuke, calling him a bastard and Sasuke calling Naruto Dead last. Sai was sitting there looking like a statue then pulled out his book to read about human relationships behaviors. And Kakashi was leaning against his chair reading his book with relaxed fingers.

But, there was a difference in the seating arrangements, Sakura before this whole incident was sitting on one of the bar stool tables thinking that it was just going to be a drop in, eat, and go. But one of the four (she suspects Naruto) grabs her, steels a chair from another table and sat her in between Kakashi and Sasuke.

To say she was upset was another understatement, she was pissed off.

"Do you mind," no one could see her eyes for she had her head tilted down, "explaining what the hell just happened??"

Kakashi looked at her with obvious disapproval, "Sakura, don't use that language."

Naruto looked up with a frown, "Yea! Damnit Bastard I'm gonna-!"

"Why can Naruto use that language but I can't?" Sakura knew she was getting off topic but for the life of her she did not get why she was treated differently than the rest. And she can use whatever language she wanted, she was 21 years old dar-damnit!

Sai looked up from his reading and spoke unemotionally to Sakura, "It said in one of my books-"

Sasuke interrupted him in his arrogant way and didn't even bother to look at Sakura when he spoke, "Naruto's a guy, you're a girl, act like one."

She looked shocked at Sasuke when he said this, then she looked angry. But on the inside she started to feel insecure about her female qualities, 'do they think that I don't act like a girl?' shaking her head on the inside she decided to ignore that barb from Sasuke and turned to

Kakashi for her original question, "Why is it, whenever a man comes up to me to ask me out you four have to be there and terrorize him?"

Naruto started laughing, "He wasn't a man Sakura! Did you see the way he was shrieking like a girl on the way out of here??"

Kakashi and Sasuke smirked while Sai just sat there.

"Never the less, I could have just told him my answer and you four didn't have to behave that way." She closed her eyes and nodded content with the knowledge that she finally got something through to them when she was greeted with silence.

What she didn't realize was that each one had an expectant look on their faces as they stared at her.

"what would have been your answer?" Sasuke's voice sounded chilling in the air; the degrees seemed to have gone down when he spoke.

Sakura opened her eyes and stared at all four of them staring at her, she blinked in confusion,

"well, I don't know, I guess I would have said yes." She was bluffing, but o well.

Naruto squinted his eyes in disbelief, "Why would you want to go out with him? Sakura, it was totally obvious he wanted to get in your pants."

Sakura closed her eyes and said the first thing that came to her mind, "What if I wanted him there!?"

Her eyes popped open in shock when she heard three chairs slam to the ground from them standing so fast, but she turned her head to look at Sai who stared at the others. He then realized what he was supposed to do and stood as well, seeing that he didn't stand fast enough, he just shoved his chair to the ground.

"What?!" Kakashi and Naruto said this in exasperation, but Sasuke seemed to be pissed off.

Sighing, Sakura realized that she better fix this situation that she got herself into, "You guys know I don't mean it, you know I wouldn't do that," She noticed that their shoulders were relaxed once more. "But honestly, you four need to understand that I can take care of myself, if a guy asks me for a date, it's my job, not yours," she quickly pointed out, "To give him my answer."

She then leaned against her chair with her arms crossed and seemed to be soaking in all fours reaction. What Sakura expected to happen was for them to finally get the hint of her running her life not them.

What she didn't expect was for Naruto to start laughing.

Making Sakura pissed off, "What's so funny Naruto?!"

Before Naruto could calm down it seemed that Sasuke deemed himself fit to answer, "What we all find funny is the fact that you think you can take care of yourself." He then allowed a condescending smirk to grace his lips, "When we all know that you can't."

She expected Kakashi to come to her defense, but she found him sitting down once again reading his perverted book with his eye squinting with a smile. It was obvious that he was in agreement with the other three.

"Why does Ugly look surprised," Sai spoke, "It says that people are shocked when they are introduced to something that they weren't familiar with, but she should have known that."

So they thought that she was incompetent? What gave them the right to think so! She is one of the most renowned medics around, and is also known for her great strength. Sakura has also been living on her own since she was sixteen and who where they to talk on her charac-

She paused mid sentence in her head. These four have known her much more intimately that many have, if they thought this way of her, if they laughed at her for this, what else did they laugh or think of her.

Sakura turned her head to look at Sasuke to still see his smirk on his lips. He thought she was weak, incompetent, and…. She turned her head down and whispered to herself, "Annoying."

The boys' mirth quickly disappeared upon seeing their Flower in her gloom, Naruto's blue eyes were bright with worry and he began to reach his hand out to her when Sakura quickly stood.

"Well," she pasted on her face a false smile, "I'm going to Tsunade, she needed to speak to me. I'll see you guys later." And without waiting for a response, she grabbed her purse and ran away from them.

At first, it was all silent, until it was broken.

"You four are fools."

They snapped their necks to their right and saw that everyone in the restaurant was glaring at them and that they all agreed with Ayame who had their orders in her hand. After she rudely slammed all their bowls on the table she turned and left without a word. Silence was the only thing that was surrounding the boys, but their minds were filled with worry for their Blossom and the possible hurt they caused her.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"… Do you understand Sakura?" Tsunade was sitting in her desk upright, and her hands were surprisingly not holding a cup of sake.

Sakura's eyes were wide as she looked at the wall behind her Hokage and mentor, "They won't allow me to go if-"

"I'll take care of that." The Hokage's eyes were closed as she gave a single nod, her eyes opened as she stared at her daughter figure. Sakura grew into a beautiful woman. Her pink hair went just past her shoulders but was slightly wavy at the ends. Her figure was one that many a woman would die for, but it was her personality that won everyone over. Her Sakura certainly grew, she thought with a small smile.

"So… There might not be a chance of me making it back, you say?"

Tsunade frowned slightly, "The travel to Sound is dangerous for obvious reasons. But the travel back is even more so."

Emerald eyes squinted slightly in concentration, "Why is that?"

"You will have to travel through a passageway that has been secretly built to Sound, but unfortunately we are having you go through a hole that will have to be closed up to ensure its secret. I'm afraid I can't disclose the purpose of this passageway to you." Tsunade, looked up, "You will then grab the scroll, which has the names of the Akatsui that killed the four ANBU last year." She stared at Sakura for a long second, "We need to know these names, again, for obvious reasons."

Sakura was silent, "Why me?"

Tsunade sighed, "The other reason is the first part of your mission, there are many people in these passageways sick and injured from battle, we need a medic with considerable chakra control to heal them on the way. And for the second part, I know I can count on you because you are one of the best I have for both parts of this mission." The blonde looked at her apprentice, "If you do not accept this mission I understand."

The rosette all ready knew her answer but she had one last question though, "If the likelihood of my survival will be slim, how will I be able to deliver the scroll to you?"

"You will notice a particular bird following you on your way to your destination, you will tie the scroll to this bird, as well as a message of your condition, and it will get to me."

There was silence again between the two women. Sakura truly didn't want to do this. She had so much to do, so many to care for. In her mind she instantly thought of her four men. Of her love. But she knew that she also couldn't let Tsunade or Konoha down. And nodded her head to take the mission.

Her life was sealed.

When she left the room, Tsunade instantly grabbed her sake and drank till she didn't realize she had tears falling down on her face.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When Sasuke was finally brought back to Konoha by Naruto three years ago, he didn't know what type of reaction from the village that he was going to get. He expected them all to be angry with him and to be distrustful of his intentions.

It didn't matter that he killed both Orochimaru and Itachi (which was why his sentence was lessened to only parole for a year and not being able to take S-class missions for two years) he thought that they would still leave the streets deserted when he comes in and avoid him like the plague.

So it didn't matter if his head was raised when he walked in, deep down he knew that if he saw no one waiting for him, it would hurt him greatly… not that he would tell anyone that is. But, when he saw the gates he heard happy chatter from the crowd in front of him and then-

"Welcome back Sasuke!!"

People that he didn't recognize and others he did all said this with smiles and with genuine welcome to this. He blinked slowly, on the outside he didn't seem to be affected by this but on the inside he was reeling from shock.

Not one person as far as he could see wasn't smiling at him, hell, even Neji seemed to be smirking at him.

As he continued to look at everyone, the one person that he was able to spot quickly enough was Sakura. She slowly walked (when he expected her to run) to him and smiled even brighter with those tears in her eyes, tears he later reflected of joy for his return.

"Welcome back Sasuke-kun." She smiled and bowed to him before he was carried away by the crowd.

Later he found out that both Sakura and Tsunade won the crowd over somehow, he still to this day did not know how they did it.

After the festivities he had dinner with former Team 7 and his replacement (it took him a year to even acknowledge Sai as part of their group). He heard of Naruto and Sakura's accomplishments since he was gone and all the adventures that they went on. Sasuke later thought of the jealousy he felt at seeing how close Sakura and Naruto were now, but whenever he saw Naruto (he was a touchy loser) place his hand on Sakura's shoulder in a friendly fashion, his eye twitched with irritation.

Later, when everyone but Sasuke and Sakura left, Sakura turned to him and smiled a small but content smile. Sasuke didn't show anything on the outside, he merely let out a soft "hn" and turned his head. When he felt soft lips touch his cheek he jerked his head into her direction in shock, but his face showed agitation. Sakura smile held a sad tilt to it, and then she bowed her head slightly and stood. When she looked up again her smile was back to its former luster.

"Don't take all of this for granted Sasuke," he noticed with surprise that his –kun was gone, "Because next time, we won't be there with our arms opened to you." She then turned and walked away, leaving Sasuke alone to think.

Whenever Sasuke thinks upon that day, and he does often, he thinks of Sakura. Their relationship has changed from that of the past. Before when he thought of her as an annoying fangirl, he now looks at her with respect and admiration. He doesn't know any other woman who has the strength, both emotional and physical, that Sakura holds. When he sees the way she works at the hospital he is both proud yet frustrated with her.

She spends most of her days there, healing those to the best of her abilities and not bothering to take a break. He is proud for her determination to work her hardest and fullest to others and he feels his heart expand when he sees how the children adore her. Sakura's relationships with her patients are to be envied.

But, because of the fact that she is so loyal and determined to always be there for people, he grows frustrated. Not because of what she does for others, but because of how she doesn't know what she is doing to herself. There will be days when she doesn't sleep for she was too busy covering another medic. Or nights when she sleeps in the library trying to find ways to give patients and even greater chance of survival. Her obsession with helping others before herself causes him even greater worry for her health. But, it was because of these things that Sasuke realized he loved the cherry blossom enough to want her for his bride.

Sasuke looked up into the branches of the cherry tree that he was under and smirked. Whenever he thought of Sakura all he could think of was beauty. And Despair. His smirk slowly fled from his face, since he returned three years ago, he has noticed a transition. As he grew fonder of the pinkette, she grew more distant. Which raised many questions to be asked-

"Oi bastard!"

Sasuke was knocked out of his thoughts very rudely from his blonde teammate, he turned his infamous glare onto the blue eyed man, "What is it dead last?"

Naruto stuck his tongue at Sasuke before he composed himself. The two of them were quite a sight to the ladies of Konoha. Age seemed to bring both men to perfection in their eyes. Sasuke and Naruto not only looked older in their faces, but with their intense training their muscles grew and they were even more toned than before. The two also grew into a companionable relationship with the other that borders on brotherhood, but you would never hear either say that to the other.

"have you seen Sakura anywhere?"

On the outside Sasuke looked like he could care less about the conversation, but on the inside he was making a list of places that Sakura could be at. "Did you check the hospital, you know how she lives there."

"Of course I did!" naruto frowned, "But they said that she was busy with Tsunade, and when I went to her office Shizune told me she was not to be bothered." Naruto stared intently at Sasuke, "I've got a bad feeling about this…"

Shrugging off his own feeling of foreboding he looked at Naruto with a 'I could care less ' stare, "She can take care of herself."

Naruto seemed even more determined, "What if she's hurt by what we did this morning at the restaurant? You said some mean stuff in there you bastard."

Sasuke thought back on it and was silent, let Naruto take the silence in whatever way he wanted to.

"Ah Naruto, Sasuke, have you seen Sakura? I've been looking for her for quite some time now," Kakashi walked towards them with his book under his arm.

Naruto shared with Kakashi his experience at the hospital and with Shizune. KAkashi's eye squinted with thought, "I wonder what is going on..." He then turned to Sasuke and Naruto, "but anyways, perhaps I shall share my ideas with you two then." He knew to continue when he was met with silence, "I have decided to take Sakura on an 'I'm Sorry we hurt your feelings' vacation. After all," he then closed his eye on his sigh, "we all know she needs one."

The other two men nodded their heads absolutely agreeing with the idea. Sasuke then thought to himself that this would be the perfect opportunity to speak to Sakura without seeming like he was trying to. He then smirked, Sakura may try to avoid him, but he will not be deterred from his mission.

"Did you hear what Ugly's doing?"

All three sharply turned their heads to Sai's direction. Naruto, being the loud one, spoke first, "What?"

"Seems that Old Lady sent her on a B-Class mission, said she would be gone for two days."

The other three looked confused then shrugged their shoulders, even though all of them, even Sai, felt as if something was up.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Her legs felt as if they were going to explode.

She didn't know how long she had been running, all she knew was that she had to keep on going or she will die. Breathing harshly, she clutched the scroll even tighter to her chest and veered right when she felt the kunai being flung through the air. Nothing but rocks and trees past her as she kept on; the sounds of leaves moving from the Sound Ninja's behind her was being brutally tuned out by the rapid beating of her heart.

Looking up, she saw the bird that Tsunade had set up for her and she all ready wrote her second message for the scroll. All she had to do…

Thinking fast, she performed a jutsu mid run and poofed into thin air. The sound ninja's immediately circled the empty area that she once inhabited. In the trees above from where they were, Sakura was quickly tying the scroll to the birds leg, before she let the bird go and she herself was off.

But as she ran, she made a rookie mistake.

She looked back.

Before she knew it, darkness surrounded her.

I love you… Sasuke