Summary: Sasuke made Sakura a deal she simply couldn't refuse. In exchange he could promise her the safety of the Hidden Leaf but what would she have to give up in return? Is she willing to go as far as to help him complete the last of his goals?

~Fade Away~

Chapter 18 - Someday

Someday,

When all is said and done,

I will still love you,

and someday when times passed by...

You'll still be my love.

*-David Aldo-*

Shizune had stayed behind to handle things while Tsunade herself traveled to Thunder to speak with the Raikage. Really, she was going to let him know, she'd already decided.

It had been two days since Sakura's disappearance, and the Hokage was travelling at full speed. She'd sent Katsuya to locate Naruto before she left Konoha. So she just needed to let the Raikage know, or more accurately get past him.

It wasn't gonna be easy.

x-x-x-x-

Sakura stared at the ceiling. It had been exactly 27 hours since someone had come in to check on her. She guessed now was as good a time as any to escape, she had rested her body enough to be able to handle it. If she avoided any big fights - she'd be fine. Sakura cut the ropes with a chakra scalpel on both her wrists and ankles before she pulled her feet under her to support, but when she put an weight on it a terrible pain shot through her, so bad that she couldn't contain her scream. It felt like ever molecule of blood was drilling into her very bones. She'd never, ever felt pain like that.

The door flew open, she did not hear what they were saying, but she did feel herself being pushed down and tied up.

x-x-x-x-

Tsunade arrived at the scheduled meeting place, the Raikage was already waiting. She'd explained the situation to him and he, of course, was utterly against it and he was voicing at exactly as she thought he would...2 broken pieces of furniture later.

''Well, too bad. I've already let Naruto know about the situation.'' Tsunade said, her eyes narrowed.

The Raikage narrowed his eyes in turn. ''Wasn't the whole idea NOT letting him know!''

''I had no choice,'' Tsunade shrugged. ''His...girlfriend was captured by the enemy.''

''Haruno Sakura is a Shinobi and Shinobi are expendable. We are fighting a war, Hokage.''

Tsunade let his words sink in. God, she knew he was right, but she'd already decided.

''Naruto will be on his way home soon. We'll need to change our plans.''

x-x-x-x-

Yamato nodded at the slug.

''Are you positive that is what Hokage-sama wants?''

''Hai, those were her orders.''

''Whats going on?''

Yamato froze at the voice. His back going rigid.

''Naruto-san, its good to see you.''

Naruto grinned, but it seemed worried down by his frown.

''You too.'' he said as he started approaching them again. ''Whats going on?'' this time it was a demand, directed at Yamato.

Yamato seemed to be taking a deep breath. ''We lied to you.''

Naruto's face went shocked and then blank. ''About what?'' but he already know - it must be this bogus mission. He'd realized, but thought he'd figure it out if he was careful.

''This isn't a real mission,'' - he already know that - ''You were sent here, yes, to have Bee-sama train you, but also...to hide you from Madara.''

Naruto's jaw was clenched powerfully. ''Why now? What makes now so different?''

''We are currently fighting a war. And you and Bee...are the prizes.''

Naruto let out a growl, his fists shaking at his sides.

''That's not all.''

Naruto's eyes snapped to Yamato. ''What?''

''Sakura...''

Just her name drained the intense heat - the anger - from his body.

''Sakura-chan? What happened?'' he demanded, his eyes now wide with fear.

''Shes been captured, and...its been about 40 hours...she'll be officially classified as M.I.A.''

''M.I...A?'' Naruto asked, he thought he wouldve spaced out, but he didn't.

''Missing in action...but it actually means...'' Yamato trailed off.

''Means what?'' Naruto demanded.

''Killed in Action.'' Bee said from behind them. No rap, but the sing-rap-voice was there.

Naruto fell to his knees. His mouth went dry as he took deep breaths.

Yamato and Bee were talking but he heard none of it.

All he knew was...he couldn't lose Sakura-chan.

x-x-x-x-x-

The moment Sasuke set foot in Sound it was like a tsunami in whisper. They knew he was there. And frankly, he preferred it that way. It made things so much easier...in theory, at least. He just needed to search all of the military-block buildings and then he would find her. This is where the problem came in, there was over 100 buildings like that. He also had a time-limit in which they could escape.

''The great Uchiha Sasuke, this is so pathetic, but also...refreshing to see you on your knees, metaphorically of course.''

Sasuke turned around, his eyes narrowed.

''Karin.'' he said, Karin who was standing with one hand on her hip, got a little smile of satisfaction.

''I know you don't like playing games so lets get right to it. You need to find...that Konoha Kunoichi,'' Karin said, refusing to admit who Sakura is to Sasuke, ''And I can find her.''

''What do you want Karin?'' Sasuke demanded.

Karin smiled, and took a few steps towards him, careful to maintain space.

''Its very simple and won't cost you anything.''

...

The second that followed only pissed Sasuke off more.

''A kiss.''

Karin didn't feel any change in Sasuke's chakra. She didn't even see him move, the first thing she was aware of was his hand around her throat, and then her feet leaving the ground...and lastly her back hitting a wall and her breath leaving her.

When Karin opened her eyes, his sharingan was spinning wildly.

''You will help me, or I will kill you and everyone in this village until I find her.''

''Is...is she that important to you?'' Karin choked out.

For a moment, Sasuke's hold wavered as what she said really sunk in. Was Sakura that important? The thought of finding her dead brought a harder grip to Karin's neck which answered her question, not just the one she'd voiced, but the one she meant. 'Do you love her that much?'

Karin stopped fighting his hold and surrendered.

Sasuke took that as it was meant and released her.

The redhead took a second to regain her bearings before she closed her eyes and activated her Jutsu.

When she opened them again, she nodded and when she took off Sasuke followed.

In no time Karin stopped and nodded towards the building, her body was rigid and her muscles tight. Sasuke...Sasuke's chakra was at this moment, the most terrifying thing she'd ever felt. He was at this moment, the killer...the avenger that Madara had always wanted him to be, but only now, his power was directed at the wrong enemy, and in this moment Karin sensed a change in him...there was a sort of...calmness. Had he really let go of all his hate? She found that hard to believe. Impossible, actually. Karin felt herself frown. Was his calm...her? That girl. Karin felt her jaw clench, but she found that she wasn't angry. Which was disturbing, especially since she was so so sure that she loved him.

''Shes in there...her...Chakra is strained. She's in pain, you should hurry.'' and with that the redhead turned on her heel and left.

Sasuke took a step towards the closed door but froze.

''We need to flush her...''

''Are you insane? That will leave her out for days! Madara will be here in 5 hours. His orders were clear, we are not to touch her.''

''If we don't flush her...the virus will kill her.''

''Its Madara's call to make-''

Sasuke kicked the door down effortlessly. ''No, its my call to make.'' he said, his hand tickling with lightening.

''U-Uchiha Sasuke!'' the one who seemed to be weaker stuttered.

''Where is she?''

He left no room for argument.

''F-Follow me.''

''What the fuck are you doing?'' the other one demanded, grabbing the weakling's arm. The arm was ripped away. ''You know his reputation! He will kill you!''

''We can take him!''

Sasuke stepped forward in a flash grabbing the idiot around the throat and slamming him against the wall, the concrete cracking beneath the force.

''Do not get in my way.'' was all he said before he turned and followed the other one inside.

The passage he was led through was dimly lit by candles that seemed to cast too many shadows. They flickered as they passed them and soon a door came into view, Sasuke's ears picked up a faint crying and immediately his feet picked up the pace and ran to the door, breaking through it.

He was put of balance for a second by her on the floor, her body folded into her productively, her cries muffled by a rag - tied too tightly around her face.

He wanted to turned around at kill the fuck but - surprisingly - he didn't. He took a few strides and knelt next to her. ''Sakura.''

She gave a twitch of recognition before she began to cry harder.

''What happened to her?'' Sasuke demanded.

''She got the virus...somehow.''

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He'd never gotten it but it was something Orochimaru had done to the air apparently.

''Why haven't you done anything to help her?'' Sasuke demanded.

''Madara is coming! The only way to help her is by flushing her and that will knock her out for days.''

''She'll die.'' Sasuke seethed.

The shinobi clenched his jaw but said nothing.

''Do it.'' Sasuke demanded. ''Save her.''

The Shinobi went over to a cupboard in the corner of the room and pulled out a syringe. The needle was thick, thick enough for even Sasuke to be apprehensive.

The green liquid swooshed around in the syringe. It would flush out anything that's not supposed to be inside Sakura's body.

The needle was positioned at Sakura's neck and then pulled back.

''Im- ...im pregnant...'' Sakura chocked softly.

Sasuke's hand grabbed the Shinobi's wrist and snapped it before he realized what he'd done.

''What did you say?'' he asked slowly, going closer to her.

''I...I'm pregnant, Sasuke-kun...3...maybe 4 weeks...'' she opened her eyes to look up at him weakly.

Sasuke knew exactly when it happened.

He heard the crack as the Shinobi adjusted his wrist, but Sasuke didn't register it. Sakura's eyes fell shut, as if she trusted him to make some right decision.

Sasuke grabbed the syringe and lifted Sakura in his arms before he disappeared.

x-x-x-x-

''All preparations have been made, Gaara.'' Temari said as she entered Gaara's office. She'd just finished making the final preperations and the soldiers were about ready to move out to where the Allied Shinobi Alliance was meeting.

Gaara nodded and stood up, just as he stood, the ground beneath them shock, almost knocking Gaara back into his chair, and he wouldve fell too, if his head hadn't whipped to the window. Smoke was rising from the main gate.

''Gaara!'' Temari called, snapping him out of his shock.

''Evacuate the villagers immediately. Let the Raikage know. I want to know exactly who is attacking and how long it will take to defeat them.'' Gaara said keeping his eyes on the thick, black smoke.

''Hai!'' Temari rushed out of the door and down the stairs.

''Temari!'' Kankuro kept up with her pace easily as he began firing questions at her.

''We are under attack. I don't know what's going on but I'm about to go find out.''

''I'll order the Genin to evacuate!''

Temari nodded at Kankuro and the split up outside the Kage tower.

Temari shot up to the messenger tower and wrote an encoded message to the Raikage before she let a hawk fly.

'Please make it.' she whispered before she turned and ran out. Med-nin were already bringing Shinobi in on stretchers. Temari run up to them and they stopped, giving her a quick moment.

''Momoi-san, what's going on?'' she asked insistently.

He coughed a little, using they eye that wasn't swollen and bleeding to look at her.

''They...came...out of...n-nowhere...dressed like-'' he gave a wet cough and struggled for breath.

''Dressed like what? Please Momoi-san...''

''like...Suna...s-shinobi...'' he let out a staggering breath and then his eye stared off into nothingness. The med-nin covered him with her apron and they carried him off. Temari stumbled to the alley and emptied her stomach as another explosion hit in the distance. She took a few breaths before she took off again, for Gaara's office.

x-x-x-x-

Sasuke set Sakura down in the small cave that was his last resort. She had begun to writhe in pain and she was shaking so much that he had to set her down and do something to help.

He made a makeshift bed out of their belongings and set her down.

As he started at her, body shaking, skin pale and pasty, face twisted in a pain that he couldn't even imagine, the reality that he could actually lose her hit him hard, and he suddenly realized that she'd become something, someone in his life that he thought he'd lost forever.

It chilled him, but he knew it was true. Sakura had become his...

...

Family.

Hey guys. Ok firstly. Sorry sorry sorry for the wait.

I know I'm horrible, I got distracted by work (they made my hours longer but didn't increase my pay - so yeah, I quit.) and then I got distracted by...The Hunger Games...omfg can I just take a moment to mention the awesomeness of it! Holy fuck...one of the best things I've read in my entire life! And the movie! Best movie adaption EVER!

Ahem...anyway...now that I have more time on my hands...reviews = updates!

Love you guys!

Zana-Lee

xoxo