SNOW GLARE

CHAPTER ONE

The light patter of the snow upon the hardened dirt that comprised the road before her was intriguing. It was sneaky, it was cold and quite frankly it was painful for all who lived in the village of the Konoha; much like her now deranged comrade, her complicated love…Uchiha Sasuke. Tightening her grip on the pastel yellow blanket hooded over her petite figure, Sakura let out a low grumble; I wish spring would come and wash away this harsh simile…I yearn for that day.

Stepping out onto the icy pebbled path she slowly made her way out onto the streets of the village she fought to protect. Being a full-fledged shinobi had not satisfied her the way she believed it would; perhaps it's because of him.

A couple of children raced past her screaming in play as they pretended to be good and evil shinobis, their fake kunai's clashing wood against wood. "I'm gonna bring a new meaning to the word pain!" one of them screamed as he chased the other child around the corner.

Pain…Sakura sighed as she shook the snow from her blanket, they have no understanding of how pain can alter one's life so dramatically, I wish they never have to experience it for the same reasons also.

The chime of a bell rang clearly through the thick winter air as the chattery village fell completely silent; the warning chime…The sound of a horn silenced the bell's chime as screams of panic consumed the vicinity. Invasion.

Sakura's head snapped upright as she flung her blanket off, racing back towards her villa, kicking the door down as she quickly strapped her kunai's pouch to her thighs and slid her ANBU mask over her piercing green eyes; He's here…I can feel it, it's not just a normal invasion. Racing outside Sakura was taken back by the reality of the impending situation as she saw Akatsuki members and Konoha shinobis clashing in nearby streets.

"They're moving so fast! How? How could they get past the defence of the gate guards so quickly!" she whispered as she walked into the middle of the street; the snowflakes blanketing the top of her rose locks as she spun around coming face to face with the man who seemingly cared for little but himself. "Sasuke…" she snarled at the man whom she loved, "What have you done?"

Moving closer to her his face remained blank and stern as he unsheathed his katana; looping it around his head as he took up an opposing stance to her own. "Does it matter?" he replied coldly as his eyes remained calm as always.

Eyes narrowing defensively Sakura's legs slid outwards a fraction, holding her ground. "If there is a reason I'm sure I deserve to hear it," she replied with equal coldness.

Lunging at her in a direct frontal attack Sasuke glared at her before disappearing in a puff of smoke and reappearing above her; knocking her to the ground, her kunai bouncing loose from her grip as he fell heavily on her chest; her heart racing. She could attack, but she didn't. He could have killed her right then and there, but he didn't.

"Why are you trying to read my thoughts?" Sakura snapped flusteredly; breaking their prolonged eye contact.

Sasuke lowered his head to her ear, brushing her hair away from it. "Why are you always trying to read mine?" he replied silkily as he sat back, a smirk printed across his sharp features.

"You're a bastard, do you know that? The least you could do is answer me properly!" she growled as she screwed up her delicate features in utter disgust.

Grinning he taped her forehead, "You're not in any position to say something like that;" he replied coldly as he rested his blade against her throat, "You see?"

"You're full of crap…" she snapped as she elastically flicked her legs up under his arms, prying him off her as she jumped back to her feet; "I hate that in a person!"

Laughing forcefully Sasuke turned to look over his shoulder at her; "You act so tough and try to prove to everyone that you've changed; but deep down you're the same pathetic fangirl you were years ago. You amuse me."

Jade eyes ablaze, Sakura looked down; her hair falling forward freely; "You're a waste of time; you don't understand what we've all been through; what I've been through without you, trying to stand up for you…trying to retrieve you."

A false smile broke onto Sasuke's lips as he bounded backwards onto her rooftop, "Are you finished with your sentimentality? I thought you were a full fledged konoichi not just a mere love sick girl."

Glaring Sakura shot a kunai directly at him; scraping across his forehead and drawing blood as he dodged it. "Damn you," she snapped as she jumped after him; he's mocking me!

"So that's where your daily over thinking of how Sasuke will return home has gotten you in the past 6 years?" Ino replied disappointedly as she placed her cup of steaming jasmine tea back on the table between Sakura and herself. "That's seriously all you could come up with?" she added.

Eyes twitching in an attempt to control her inner-self, Sakura's mouth twisted in distaste, "It's a lot if you think about it…"

"I don't think that thinking is the problem;" Ino drew calmly as she sipped from her tea; "You are the Empress of all over thinking in Asia and possibly the universe."

Rude bitch. "Well over thinking is common these days…You can't honestly say that you haven't once thought that you should've done something differently or that you have gotten so nervous that you play through all possible outcomes in your mind just to see if you really want to go through with something;" Sakura replied as she placed her empty cup on the table before smiling deviously at Ino. "What about when you wanted to tell Shikamaru that you cared for him?" she added wittily.

Almost choking on her tea, Ino's eyes snapped to meet Sakura's playful ones. "Well, I suppose if you put it that way…" she muttered as she composed herself from the unexpected attack.

Dusting the crumbs from the rice ball she had just eaten off her lips, a sigh escaped Sakura's lips as her shoulders drooped. "He will come home though won't he?" she replied in a hushed tone, "I just don't want him to return in a casket...you know?" Her distracted gaze travelled to the light snowflakes as they descended from the sky and onto the trees outside.

Sighing, Ino got to her feet and walked over to Sakura; forcing her to stand as she yanked at her arm and dragged her to the outside door as she slid it open.

"What are you doing Ino-pig!" Sakura complained as she looked at her friend frustratedly.

"Look," she whispered as she watched out at her backyard blanketed in fresh snow; "There is a world out there without him. He made his choice Sakura; if you truly love him…you'll let him go…" she whispered as she placed her hands on the top of Sakura's shoulders, "He is out of your reach, time has made him change and you don't know him anymore," she replied, her voice strained, "For god's sake I doubt that he even knows who he is anymore as a matter of fact."

"I know you're right…I know…" she replied slowly as two tears streaked down her porcelain skin, as the gentle whistling of the wind through trees nearby soothed her suffering. "The truth hurts I guess. But I needed to hear that," she continued as she turned to look at Ino with pained smile, "Thank you."

The howling of the wind through the open meadow echoed around the dark figures of team eagle as they slowly trudged through it.

"Where the hell are you taking us Sasuke!" Suigetsu growled as he cracked his knuckles in frustration as he carried his heavy sword.

Shooting her comrade a death glare Karin punched him square in the right of his heavy jaw, "SHUT UP!" she roared in Sasuke's defence.

"You shut up you cow!" he yelled in outrage, "Don't tell me what to do!"

Taking a deep breath Karin shook her head in disbelief at what he had just ordered her to do, "We-"

"Both of you be quiet," Sasuke cut in calmly, his silky dominant voice quieting them both, "We're going to finish a mission I set myself a long time ago…" he replied vaguely as he continued to walk through the thick tall grass that the meadow they were in was comprised of.