A/N: If you don't like the Itachi and Sakura pairing, do not read this fic. Simple. Secondly, I do not own Naruto. If I did, Akatsuki would suffer far less casualties. This fic is not completely canon. If you don't like that, again, don't read. I'll try and keep it as close as possible though. Fun to see how things turn out if a few incidents happen differently.
To Hold This Burning Rose
Part 1 - "Planting the Seed"
Pale light shone with an ethereal hue through the thick canopy above. Sakura was on a solo mission to a nearby village in the land of fire after the defeat of Sasori and the fruitless encounter with Sasuke. The mission was to bring a message to a feudal lord, nothing unusual or dangerous. It was far beneath her level of skill but it brought money to both herself and the village, and she took it eagerly. Maybe it would be nice to relax and take it easy for once. The weather was fair and the sun shone warmly on her back, the light breeze drifting slowly through her pink hair. This lazy afternoon seemed to linger on the grass, caught in a moment between sunrise and sunset.
Her stomach clenched as an odd aura appeared behind her and she drew her kunai out swiftly, whirling to meet whomever would dare mess with her. Bandits and thieves were common on the main roads, but her eyes couldn't comprehend the sight before her. Akatsuki... More specifically, Uchiha Itachi. Him and his freaky shark partner. His cold, red Sharingan bled through the daylight, his callous gaze focused intently on her as he paused, grabbing her weapon wielding arm the second she took it out. A split second of tense silence passed between them. Then his quiet, calm voice broke the silence. "You're coming with us, kunoichi." He didn't pause in the least, his Sharingan whirring faster and lulling her into a deep sleep. The void took her as she passed out where she stood, knowing nothing more until much later that day.
When she woke at last, she recalled having a dream about a familiar bridge in Konoha, lined with blossoming cherry trees in the spring, memories of a long lost friend threatening to rise. This cold stone wall she currently had her back against was a far cry from the warmth of the sunshine in the dream, the cherry trees replaced by musty rock. Her breath hitched in her throat as the happenings earlier that day came back to her memory. Akatsuki... Itachi... they captured her. Why? A few theories ran through her mind. Maybe they needed her medical skills. Itachi's eyes were going blind, after all. Maybe they wanted her as bait. Or maybe it was something else? Whatever it was, they weren't going to get it! She tried to focus her chakra but found this mental focus unreachable, her chakra too drained even if she could focus. It must have been Kisame and that weird chakra eating sword. Her muddled mind grasped at the focus that seemed just beyond her reach as a low, amused voice called to her.
"It's pointless, girly." The man's wide smirk and sharp teeth seemed to shine even in the darkness of this cell. She slowly recognized him as Hoshigake Kisame, former Mist shinobi.
She glared up at him icily. "You... What do you want with me?"
He grinned yet again at her expense. "You'll find out soon enough, won't you?" His grin disappeared as he slid a tray under a gap in the bars, a bowl of soup and a glass of water edging towards her. When he rose, his sarcastic remark was well accompanied by another grin. "Don't say I never gave you anything." With a smirk to himself, he left her alone again. What would she do? With her chakra drained like this, there was no way she could punch through these walls. Her strength was completely reliant on her use of chakra. She also made note that she had been tied up, possibly with something that had chakra reducing properties. Well, damn. At least they had left her hands free, only her legs tied at the ankles. Her hands were of little use anyway without chakra or weapons. With a sigh of resignation, she took her bowl of soup and downed it quickly, eyes darting around the cell curiously. No windows, no way to escape. The bars were too thick and too close together, that was no good. Stone floor with steel underneath, the way that Kisame's disappearing footsteps echoed. This was one seriously well built compound, but then again this was Akatsuki. Who knew what these people dealt with?
The muted chakra signatures above the lower compound moved about through the course of the hours she was awake. How long had she been here? What time was it? No clues existed for the passage of time in this dark cell, but just as she was about ready to sleep out of sheer boredom, a new presence approached the cell door. A familiar set of glowing red eyes shot a glare through the gaps in the bars, hesitating before he formed a hand sign and opened the gate. He glared intensely for a moment, staring her down in a show of dominance. She glared right back, her own fiery temperament matching his chilling countenance blow for blow. Neither budged for a good minute before his monotone voice ordered her briefly. "Get up." They held the staring contest for another entire minute, his patience never faltering. Finally she stood, and he removed the ropes around her legs and instead put them on her wrists, leading her unceremoniously through the dark corridors.
His barely shifting form led her blindly through the darkness and she nearly tripped several times along the way. The stale air made her cough, the pale slick stone skidding underneath her. Several turns and twists later, a circular set of stairs led to a small alcove near where she assumed the top of the complex would be. Far below the ground lay at least thirty feet below, the massive stone compound spread haphazardly beneath. Her eyes drifted to the icy metal railing, rickety from years of use and the only thing separating her from a deadly fall. Sickly yellow light glowed from a crack in the alcove and Itachi's hand went to meet it, pulling the door aside to lead her into the poorly lit office. Thick mist covered the floor and the open cavern ahead showed that it was raining heavily, the downpour sliding down the numerous metal pipes and other odd architecture outside. Wherever she was now, it wasn't anywhere near Konoha.
A shadow detached itself from the wall in a flurry of black, empty gray ringed eyes staring vacantly across the desk. His low, masculine voice was the only sound heard above the rain. "So you are Haruno Sakura." As he approached her, his impassive voice continued. "Apprentice to the Sannin Tsunade, medical ninja and teammates with the jinchuuriki Uzumaki Naruto. Not to mention, the one who brought about Sasori's death..."
She was just inches away from his shadowed face, his powerful chakra aura domineering the room, overshadowing even Itachi's malicious aura. Not one to quail in the face of danger, she glared up at him. "What do you want with me?"
His hesitation may have been interpreted as a grin, and he reached out to tilt her chin slightly. "You'd just love to know that, wouldn't you? I did my research. Let's see how well you did yours. What do you suppose we want you for?"
Her bitter remark stung across the corners of the small room. "I'm bait."
"An interesting guess, an intelligent one, but incorrect. Although you may end up luring the jinchuuriki here, that was not my main reason for bringing you here." His calm tone did little to cover up the immense danger he posed.
"You need my medical skills, then."
"Again, a good guess. Still incorrect." Another small pause. "Think harder. Why would the Akatsuki want to capture someone with your kind of reputation?"
She thought this over for a moment, the anger in her mind roiling and making it difficult to concentrate. Why? Someone with her reputation... a person capable of surpassing the current Hokage and Sannin. Oh no... Of course...! Her voice was barely a whisper as she choked out her answer. "You wish to manipulate me for your own purposes."
"Good girl." He drew further away from her, head facing the rain as it continued in its haphazard flow, the noise soothing. "You killed one of our best and brightest members. Granted, you had help, but even so, your work was commendable. With your help, willing or otherwise, we could accomplish some of the finer details of our goals that require a medical nin."
She sneered defiantly. "Never! I'll never help the likes of you!"
"We'll see about that. If you intend to defy fate, you will be kept in that cell until we see fit. Perhaps the jinchuuriki will come for you. At least you will be a suitable hostage." He turned away from them, waving his hand dismissively. "Itachi, keep me informed. Do as you see fit."
Sakura tensed, feeling the burn of the fiery Sharingan on the back of her head as the decision was made. They would undoubtedly try to break her, to wound her spirit. Then, when she could no longer fight back, she would be forcefully recruited and who knew what else. The cold rain outside reflected her inner sorrow, the sky crying in her stead as the tears she refused to shed choked her throat. Moonlight streaming from the breaking sky shone a melancholy yellow, the disgusting glow in the room disappearing as she shut her eyes, refusing to believe this could be happening.
A/N: A prologue, I suppose. How did you like it?