Sakura’s green emerald eyes widened when she heard the words that came out of Sasuke’s mouth

“Mistake number 3.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” She thought.

Sasuke’s body stood in front of her protectively. Some thoughts raced into his mind.

“What am I doing? I shouldn’t even interfere. Sakura can fight her own battles.”

Something inside of him flickered. He didn’t like the thought that Sakura had become strong enough to fight for herself. To be honest, he liked it when he and Naruto were the ones protecting her.

But that was awhile ago. That was before he had gone and betrayed her.

Sakura felt paralyzed.

She knew she could move.

Heck, she knew she SHOULD move.

But she didn’t.

Sakura stood there behind Sasuke, watching his fury radiate from his body.

Sasuke narrowed his black onyx eyes and said, “You know it’s rude to disrespect a woman.”

Sakura’s eyes widened. “Sasuke thinks I’m a woman?”

Her face flushed and felt warm.

Her heart started to beat faster but it hurt. “No, I DON’T want to care for him anymore.”

Sasuke took his other hand and punched Silver Hair in the stomach and all the while still holding his neck.

He glared right into Silver Hair’s eyes and added, “Never ever mess with a lady like that.”

Then Sasuke tossed Silver hair to the other side of the crater. Silver Hair didn’t get up for a couple of minutes and Sasuke took that advantage to turn to Sakura.

She was still a bit shocked at how Sasuke acted for her.

When Sasuke turned, he was surprised at how close together they were standing but he didn’t step back. Neither did Sakura.

His voice was quiet and rough. “You okay Sakura?”

Sakura’s voice wouldn’t work for her so she just nodded.

His face relaxed in what seemed to be relief, he nodded too. “Good.”

Sasuke’s hand wanted to come to her face. To softly lay it on her cheek. To tell her he was going to protect her.

And again, he didn’t.

I couldn’t. Not until things got less complicated. He didn’t want to put her life in danger.

No that was the one thing he couldn’t do. He couldn’t have feelings for anyone. Let alone put them in danger.

Right then they heard all of the hired jounins get up.

Sasuke got into a defensive position in front of Sakura while Sakura instinctively raised her fist.

The one they call Boss spoke up. Surprisingly he did it with a warm and encouraging smile.

“Relax, we are done here. Well done you two. We can see that Jiraiya wasn’t kidding when he said that you teens shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Sakura had relaxed her fist but Sasuke still stood over Sakura protectively.

Sakura blushed and realized that it was the one and only Uchiha that was protecting her at the moment.

Silver Hair spoke up, “C’mon Uchiha, loosen up, we aren’t real villains you know. We were paid to do this and you guys passed. We aren’t really going to get all over your girlfriend.”

Sasuke immediately straightened up so that he was standing casually next to Sakura. He didn’t look her way.

Sakura decided to say what Sasuke obviously wasn’t.

“I’m not his girlfriend.”

Silver Hair and Boss found this amusing.

Silver Hair spoke up first, “Oh? Really? From the way you two were fighting it seemed that you two have worked together for awhile.”

Boss joined in, “And the way he seems possessive and protective over you isn’t hard to notice. Plus he defended you.”

Sakura hadn’t thought of it like that.

She looked over at Sasuke who just glared at the two jounins.

They both chuckled a little and got ready to go.

“Well, go on, finish your contest, we should continue finding other teams to try to defeat.”

Sakura said bye to the jounins but Sasuke remained silent.

She slowly and hesitantly turned to look at Sasuke. To her surprise he was looking at her.

Their eyes met and Sakura couldn’t help but look away as her heart raced faster.

She could sense that Sasuke was smirking right about now.

“Ready to go Sakura?”

Sakura nodded then glanced at the scroll that was in Sasuke’s hand.

Sakura scowled at it in disgust which made Sasuke chuckle a little.

She snapped her head up to look at Sasuke, “What’s so funny?

Sasuke shook his head, “Nothing,” and turned in the direction of the lake. He himself was also very disgusted with their next task.

They started running again to the lake.

It was around four o’ clock at this time so they had about 3 and a half hours left until the fireworks display.

They ran in silence until they got to the lake.

It was still pretty crowded even at this late hour. Sakura guessed that the people were going to watch the Konoha Summer Festival fireworks from the shores of the lake.

Sakura stood there beside Sasuke admiring the glittering lake when Sakura suddenly heard a voice behind her.

“Well, well, well, Jiraiya didn’t mention what pretty girls I was going to have to talk to.”

Sakura whirled around and literally came face to face with a brown-haired man who was just taller than Sasuke. He was standing too close to Sakura for Sasuke’s liking.

Sakura held her breath. She didn’t exactly like the proximity of this man.

They were so close that the man could have looked down her shirt.

Sasuke DID NOT like this ONE BIT.

“Ah, um, do you have the camera for us?”

The man smiled a devilish grin at Sakura. He stepped closer, if that was even possible.

“Yea, I have it.”

Sakura’s delicate eyebrows rose a bit, “Would you mind giving it to us please?”

The man put his hand under Sakura’s chin and brought her face closer to his.

Oh no, Sasuke was ready to snap this guy’s hand off. Who did he think he was? Putting his hands on HIS Sakura.

Sasuke’s head swam a bit. What did he mean “his” Sakura? He didn’t own her.

The man turned his head to Sasuke and said, “How bout this Uchiha. I’ll trade you. The camera for this hot girl. Huh? What do ya say?”

This caused Sasuke to glare at the man.

“What the heck? No freaking way am I going to be traded for a darn camera!”

Yea, Sakura was pissed. She was going to punch the living daylights out of the guy but Sasuke had done something to stop her.

Sakura suddenly felt like she was getting pulled back. And then there was something around her waist.

Sakura looked down to find a strong arm around her. She found that her body was pressed to a much more supportive and strong one.

Sakura looked up to fine that it was Sasuke’s face.

She suddenly felt warm and VERY anxious.

Her heartbeat was racing like crazy and despite that, her mind and heart were both throbbing in absolute pain!

She gripped Sasuke’s shirt, trying to push her pain back. Trying to ease her heart of all that throbbing just because she was this close to him.

You don’t understand what she was going through at this moment.

Sasuke didn’t know what had come over him when he had pulled Sakura into him.

Maybe it was to protect her.

Maybe it was to get her away from a sick maniac.

Maybe it was because he couldn’t stand seeing the guy touch her.

Maybe it was because he wanted to see what it felt like to have her petite, curvy body in his arms.

Maybe it was because he couldn’t stand it any longer.

Or maybe it was because his defense was slowly crumbling and letting this pink haired girl get close to him.

Maybe it was ALL of those things.

But one thing he DID know was that he ABSOLUTELY did NOT like this man touching Sakura. Not even her chin.

No, not even that.

Sasuke continued glaring at the man, not knowing that the heart of the girl in his arms were breaking in two.

“Just give us the God-damn camera,” Sasuke said through clenched teeth.

The man gave a small grin and raised his hands in defeat.

“Okay, Okay, I was just joking. Sheesh. Here’s the camera, I don’t need my bones broken,” He glanced once at Sakura who was in the in the safety of Sasuke’s arm. She clutched his shirt and continued looking at Sasuke.

“Although, I don’t think the girl would mind if I played with her just a little bit.”

This caught Sakura’s attention. She snapped her head to glare at the man.

“I most certainly WILL mind. I am sick of men just going after me for my body. I have a head on my shoulders! UGH!”

Sakura looked down at her for the first time since he captured her frame in his arms.

Her hands were still clinging onto his shirt. Her body was firmly pressed to his letting him feel her delicate curves.

Both of his arms were wrapped around her waist protectively.

Sakura’s green eyes were filled with a deadly fire.

“Aw, come on now, don’t be like that,” the man was being really annoying.

What was that saying? Wasn’t it ‘When you play with fire you just get burned’?

That was what the man was doing right about now.

Sakura’s hands came off Sasuke’s shirt and tried to lunge herself at the man.

She was almost successful but Sasuke’s strong and firm arms pulled her back to him, partly because he didn’t want her to cause a scene, and because he wasn’t ready to give her up yet.

Sasuke looked back to the man with an icy look, “You better leave before she damages your muscles.”

They man glowered at them but he tossed Sasuke the camera and muttered something about brats and party poopers.

Sasuke caught the camera with one hand and looked back down at Sakura.

Sakura’s pain was spreading throughout her body like a wild fire. She could barely stand the pain anymore.

Her hands found Sasuke’s shirt once more. She bit her lip in frustration and fury.

Sasuke studied her face worriedly. “Sakura, whats wrong?”

Sakura looked up and gave Sasuke a small smile but the evidence was in her eyes.

Sasuke could tell something was wrong.

The smile was still on Sakura’s lips.

He didn’t like this smile at all.

It was the wrong one. This smile was hollow. It didn’t touch her eyes. It was the smile that lit his dark heart. It wasn’t the smile that made him happy when he was feeling down.

Sasuke frowned and was about to say something when Sakura took the camera out of Sasuke’s hand.

Sasuke barely noticed because he was too busy trying to figure out what was wrong with her. He was too oblivious to figure out that HE was the one that caused her pain.

The one that made her heart shatter into pieces.

That HE was the one that burned the little shattered pieces like they were nothing.

Sakura held the camera in her hand but didn’t make an attempt get out of Sasuke’s embrace.

Her eyes involuntarily filled with tears and she had to turn her head away, not wanting Sasuke to see her tears.

But she didn’t just a fraction of a second late. Sasuke had noticed and curiousity clouded his thoughts.

What he wouldn’t give to know what she was thinking.

To know what was going on in her mind.

To know what would make her stop crying.

He never liked it when Sakura cried.

Heck, he didn’t even like it when she was upset for that matter.

Sakura tried to pull away from Sasuke then, obviously trying to hide her tears and the burning pain that ached her whole body.

Sasuke’s hold on her didn’t loosen.

His voice was low and concerned, “Sakura, tell me, what. Is. Wrong?”

Sakura’s eyes, again, involuntarily, began pouring tears. She looked up at Sasuke’s eyes.

Should she tell him? About how he made her heart ache?

About how he caused her heart to break and burn?

About how she DIDN’T want to love him but she DID love him anyways?

Should she tell him that her heart wasn’t completely healed from the last time he rejected her?

It hurt her so much. She just wasn’t ready.

But could she tell him.

She shook her head and closed her eyes.

After a few moments her eyes opened again to show emerald green eyes shining with new tears. They were so full of pain and sorrow that it almost made Sasuke’s heart cold, icy heart break.

Her pink full lips opened.

“Sasuke….. I……. I…..”