A/N: Hey all, tis me again.

[[Looks down]]

Yup, I wrote another one. XP

Well.. for all of you who were awaiting the 'baby fic'. I've been having writer's block on that one for a while. You're gonna have ta be patient.

Yeah! I know! It's been a year!

R&R please. :Y Don't be lazy, now!

Warning: If you no like, you no read. It's as simple as that. You give me a bad review, I promise to visit you and read your crap and send a mark of my own as well. :3

“.......” Talking

((....)) Thinking

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Characters to Meet

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Higashiyama Naomi- Sasuke's childhood love and Anko's star pupil who was pronounced dead at a young age when the plague called Bloody Mist took over in the Water Country. Before the fall of both Uchiha Clan and Higashiyama Clan, both clans had a special friendship. Naomi was to marry Uchiha Sasuke at the age of sixteen as payment for Itachi rescuing her blood siste Kin from Gato's men, who followed them to Konoha to assassinate her family. Young Sasuke agrees willingly to the reward along with little Naomi therefore concurs to wed her in the future out of freewill and as a special bond for both villages Konohagakure and Mizugakure.

Sounds Like::Blackfire (Teen Titans) Yeah, she sounds like a snob. But I love it! Lol, if you find her voice annoying, then sorreh for yew. If you can think of a better voice suited for her, than go for it. I still thinks Blackfire's a good candidate. :Y Don't remember what she sounds like, look in the search engine and type in Teen Titans episode 'sisters part 1', then click on the middle of the time bar around 5:21ish. You're bound to get something there. XD

Mizuno Usagi- Naomi's goofy, outgoing classmate and comrade. This student of the ANBU Academy is a proud decendent of Mizuno Kaisho, Nidaime Hokage. She may be a tad loud and a crybaby sometimes but her ninjutsu and stealth is what keeps her from deep danger.

Sounds Like:: Ty Lee (Avatar the Last Airbender), Emily Osment (Hannah Montana. xD), Rikku (Final Fantasy X)... any highpitched happy go lucky, bubble gum, sugarish highpitched girl you can think of, I guess. :P

Hyuga Nia- Neji's older sister who is rarely home or is very late in curfews. She also contains the cursed mark on her forehead like her brother Neji, but wears it as more of a symbol of pride under a curtain of purple bangs than disgrace.

Sounds Like:: Yuri (Magikano)... or any feminine tough-girl voice you can think of. xP

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Naruto: Sasuke's Love Interest and the Mark of the Damned

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Chapter One: Sakura's Tears! The End of Sasuke's Coma!

“I don't know how long I can watch him like this.” Sakura cried fretfully to Naruto, who was peering through a glass window door with a soft expression on her face. “I don't know how long I could watch Sasuke-kun suffer like this.”

Naruto sighed softly and gazes hard at the tiled ground. It was always like that for team seven now.. depressing. Sakura would always bring a flower for Sasuke to wake up to and Naruto, feeling helpless would stand there, useless to aid him in any way. Naruto places both his hands loosely in his pockets. With ocean blue eyes clouded with guilt, he cursed himself mentally for not being strong enough for helping Sasuke defeat his brother at the motel. He takes a small glance at Sakura, her aquamarine orbs didn't even make an effort to meet his own, but she could feel his hurtful eyes on her. In his mind, he would ask himself some deep questions like: Was it always cold there? ..and.. what would Sasuke's brother want with him.

Naruto observes Sakura painfully from the corner of his eye. It was bad enough that the hallway light was flickering above them and the smell of disinfectant and dried blood filled his nostrils, but then he has to witness this. Sakura clinging to her heart again.

The sad konoichi watched with eyes full of tears as Sasuke tossed and turned violently in his hospital bed with his cast on. Naruto swallowed hard at her crumbling image. He's always hated it when she cries for him. Just seeing her shudder in anguish would always haunt him to the fullest. A few minutes passed and yet, dead silence still filled the hallway.

Sakura finally lifted her head up.

Both ninja began walking quietly away from the pale steal door without even the slightest trace of words. ((Sakura-chan..))

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Two months later..

“So, you mean-- he's all better now?!” Sakura chirped excitingly, rising from the hospital's green foamed bench.

“Actually for a few days now, yes.” Kakashi nodded lightly. “But, I wouldn't advise you two to go see him now.”

“Aww... What gives, Kakashi-sensei?!” Naruto growled with both hands wrenched into tight fists.

Closing his novel casually while avoiding the boy's aggravated frown, the silver haired jounin places a heavy hand on his head and pets him lightly. “Let's just say that Sasuke has more of an emotional matter that he's dealing with.. and has trouble avoiding it.” He said smiling under his mask while closing his eyes peacefully.

“You say Sasuke's all better and you're telling me about his feelings?!” Naruto croaked.

Kakashi removed his hand from Naruto's head blankly.

“I don't have time for talk! I gotta go see Sasuke!” He shouted while jogging in one spot.

“. . .”

“!”

“Hey, where'd Sakura-chan go?”

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Running frantically to Sasuke's hospital room with tears of happiness filled in her eyes, the cherry blossom konoichi darted passed a few nurses with a heart warmed in glee at the thought of seeing Sasuke conscious again. Dodging a few patients and doctors that she go nearby the facility, her fast running has been called abrupt when she sees a dumbfounded Ino with a long stemmed rose dangling from her fingers.

((Ah, Ino.. of all people, course she would be here.. I wonder what she's plotting to do to Sasuke-kun this time.)) She echoed in her mind.

Stopping slowly in her tracks, the young konoichi kneels down to collect much needed air.

“Sakura, you're here.” Ino called in a less flighty tone.

The pink haired girl places her palms on her knees and trials on taking her breath as the girl with peroxide colored hair approached her. “You're going to see Sasuke-kun, aren't you?” She asked.

Sakura brings herself back to full-height with a determined look on her face and nodded brusquely. “Of course, Ino. Where did you think I was going?”

Ino sighed once more and takes a glance at her dying flower.

“Just be careful, billboard brow. He's not even the same anymore.” She cried, walking away.

Sakura wrinkled her brows in confusion.

“Hey! What is that supposed to mean?!”

“Why don't you go and find out for yourself.” Ino muttered in a lower tone.

“As a matter of fact, I will Pig-Ino.” Sakura remarked haughtily as she disappeared into the crowd of people.

Sakura dashed to the steel door with a happy expression hung on her face. She turns the handle slowly, holding a bright yellow daffodil. Because, who needed roses anyway? It symbolizing the flower of love could never affect Sasuke's true feelings for her, right?

While touching the cold metal she feels a twist to it and lets go to a certain degree. The door began to slide open on its own, sending a sudden cold breeze brushing pass her pale cheeks. Squinting slowly at the the sudden beam of light peered through her retinas the pink haired konoichi backed away a little to give him space to approach her.

Sakura watches gleefully as the figure of the one she love takes full form in the room's sunlight. There he was hovering above her, all better again.

“Sasuke-kun! You're--”

Glaring mutely passed her, Sasuke lets go of the knob and scans the hallway back and forth with the corner of both eyes. He stood there wearing the black attire he had on when he allegedly fought Gaara at the Chuunin Exams, not so long ago. His mind focused on one thing.

“Where is Naruto?” He called out coolly from his slender parted lips.

“Naruto? He's with Kakashi-sensei right now.” Sakura replied. “I thought maybe if I came here and give you this flower first, then maybe we could go on a--”

“..nevermind, Sakura. It figures that someone as useless as you wouldn't know anything.” The raven haired shinobi uttered.

((Useless..)) Sakura reiterated in her head.

There was that word again.. Useless. That one cold, hurtful word that she thought that he would never call her again. Sakura stood there frozen in her tracks and went into a small trance. She felt a knot in her throat. Like, someone has just pulled out her intestines and thrown her away and all of the color of the room has melted into a pasty black and gray.

Sasuke slid the door behind him shut and brushed pass her once more with his hands deep in his pockets as if his words did nothing. He continued on Ino's route with his eyes focused on the tiled floor as Sakura dropped the flower she grasped lightly to her side.

“Sasuke! You're here!” Naruto yelled charging.

“Yeah, yeah..” The raven haired shinobi replied darkly.

Naruto takes a short jog towards Sakura and greeted her with a smile. “Hey, Sakura-chan.” He called warmly. “You see that?” He laughed. “Sasuke's okay again, so you can stop crying now.”

Ignoring his advice, the pink haired konoichi hung her head to the ground and stared at her feet. ((No.. everything's not okay, Naruto.)) She croaked in her mind. That was something that she wanted to tell him, but couldn't muster the heart to say it in front of him... in front of Sasuke.

“Sakura-chan.. are you okay?” Naruto asked in a concerned tone.

Sakura tilted her head up slowly and nodded lightly. “Yeah, I'm fine.” She lied.

Naruto and Sakura observe Sasuke facing frontwards. They notice Kakashi walking towards them with his hands in his pockets as well. Beside him stood Mitarashi Anko, smiling with her usual small blush on her face.

“Gyah! It's that creepy lady from the chunin exams!” Naruto pointed out. “What in the world is she doing here?!”

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and closed his eyes jeeringly. “No, Naruto. We are on a date.” He joked.

The blond shinobi took two steps back and glanced back and forth at the both of them.

“WHAT!? For real?!” He barked.

“No! Of course not!” Sakura growled, punching him in the head. Whap!

Anko laughed under her breath at the sight of Naruto gaining tears at the corner of his eyes when Sakura gets him in a headlock, then faces Sasuke with a wide grin on her face. “Hey kid, long time no see. How's your arm doin'?” She asked him, bending over to take a closer look.

“It healed up just fine, can we all go now?” He snarled.

“My my.. what attitude.” Anko giggled through her pearly whites. “Don't you want to meet my girls?” She grinned. “I think a boy as handsome as you deserves a little time off from laying in bed all day.”

“I don't want to meet any girls, Anko. I just want to go home and train.”

“But your new mission is today.” She gibed.

“A mission, what kind of mission Anko?!” Naruto beamed.

“I'll explain it all when we get outside the building.” Anko replied walking towards the hospital's exit. “You three follow me.”

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Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke have finally stepped out of the facility.

Sasuke inhaled the spring's air softly to himself. It was like he was able to breath again. The sun's soft rays beats gently against his Uchiha emblemed back. The freshly cut grass, tickling his feet. The sound of mother birds chirping and nurturing their chicks, and the crisp clean air that he breathed in felt... refreshing. Sakura observed Sasuke queitly through the corner of her eye. She's always liked seeing him relaxed.

Taking short paces to catch up with Naruto and Kakashi, Sakura greeted the three dark figures that stood there engulfed in the sun. Sasuke slid his eyes closed slowly at the sound of each and everyone's pitter-patter footsteps. To think, it was only two months ago that that vermin brother of his, Itachi came and embarrassed him in front of his trustful comrade Naruto and in front of one the Leaf Village's most respected Sanin.

Pushing that aside, Sasuke continued onwards with his short strides to meet with the rest. If only life were a little more simple. His parents would still be alive and all villages would be at peace. Blocking out all bad memories that has been subconsciously burned into his mind for a long period of time, Sasuke stood limp by Naruto and Sakura to meet Anko's students. The pleasant spring's air still tickling his nostrils.

“I present to you, Team Anko.” The long jacket Jounin exclaimed proudly, motioning her right hand towards three figures.

“Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura.” Sakura greeted while holding out her hand to them casually to shake them.

“I'm Uzumaki, Naruto.” Naruto said, also holding his arm out.

Sasuke tilted his head up and took in the females from the other squad. One of them had unruly white hair and glossy pink eyes that glowed an unusual bright hue, the second looked as from Hyuga decent with her white oculars and purple hair, and the third had glass red eyes and long jet black hair that shined an explicable hue of royal purple that reached the back of her knees.

The raven haired Uchiha sighed to himself. None of the three girls have appealed to him at all. It was all just a waste of time. The meeting new people and the low rank missions. It all was just another dumb assignment, blocking him from his real goal; and that was to kill his older brother Itachi.

After Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi introduced themselves to the squad before them, Sasuke uttered his name apathetically with his marble black eyes falling to the ground. Anko pursed her lips together at the sound of his benumbed tone. He's shook each of the girls' hand except for one particular female in the group. She shot him an evil glare and kept quiet. Sasuke just ignored it. Then again, he could care less.

Sasuke took his arm down slowly and gazed blankly into the ground once more. He didn't have time for another mission with amateur ninja, he just wanted to go home.

“Mizuno Usagi,” The girl with the white hair spoke aloud in a squeaky tone. “That's my name.”

Naruto and Sakura bowed down as well as the fur hoody wearing konoichi has.

Next was the girl in the pink and black hoody who looked like she derived from the Hyuga Clan.

“Hi-hinata! You dyed your hair!” Naruto pointed aloud.

With two fingers, the blowhard female sent the blond boy flying and landing against a support beam behind him. Thwap!

“You will address me as Hyuga Nia, I am Neji's older sister.” She corrected.

((Great, another crazy Hyuga to worry about.)) He echoed in his head as he rose from the crackling cement.

Naruto rubs his behind and continues on to the female group. He turned around and faced the girl with the black tubetop and striped leg warmers, the one who had long dark hair. Dusting his hands off on his orange pants, Naruto brought himself back to full height and greeted the konoichi. “Hey, you. You still haven't mentioned your name yet.” He said in a friendly tone as he rose his hand up to grasp her own. “You must be shy, but that's okay. I'm Uzumaki Naruto..”

The girl walks away from him.

“It's really an honor to-- Hey! What the hell?!”

Anko walks beside the girl and placed her palms in both her bare shoulders. “Naomi, he asked you for your name. Aren't you gonna introduce yourself to him?”

Sasuke craned his neck up to get a better view at the female. “!” ((That-- that name!))

Wrenching alertly from the woman's grip, the long haired konoichi darted pass the hospital's exit within a blur of movement and disappeared into the wind.

“Anko-sensei,” Sakura called. “Is she--”

“Don't worry about her, she'll be just fine.” Anko replied, gazing the direction the girl just left. “You gotta know, she's not like the other ninja I've ever train. She's sorta... like a puzzle.”

“Yeah right!” Naruto barked. “More like freak! Did you see what she just did?!”

“Naruto!” Sasuke shouted.

“!”

“Leave her to me.. I have to talk to her.”

“Sasuke-kun, what's going on?” Sakura called, breaking into the middle of both groups.

Ignoring Sakura's upset sentence, Sasuke ignores her and continued onto the girl's path.

“Naomi-chan..” He murmured to himself. “She's still alive..”

Staring back evenly at each other, both sensei Kakashi and Anko faced each other with small shrug of the shoulders when Sasuke vanished into the wind as well. “She will be back, right sensei?” Usagi called from behind Anko's jacket.

“Yeah, of course doll. She'll be back soon.” The woman nodded.

Sakura stood there frozen once more. There was that feeling in her stomach again, that feeling she didn't like. Her legs began to feel woozy. She didn't feel good at all. Slumping slowly like a rock, she fell onto her knees on the ground, clenching her red skirt. “Sasuke-kun..”

A/N: Well.. I guess that's it for now. R&R please, I promise it'll get good. |3