Disclaimer: Read carefully – I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form. I will not repeat this in every chapter!

Note to readers: If you have anything to say then please leave it in a review. If you want to yell at me for a crappy story or rant about something you didn't like – leave it in a PM please. That is all I have to say.
This is also my first none-OC story (Sakura and the Akatsuki - an interesting combination)
I hope I can get the Akatsuki in soon but, alas, somethings take time. Hand on with me and I hope you enjoy the ride.

Rating: T

The Path of the Cursed and the Forsaken

One

In all her years of life, Sakura Haruno has come to realize that life can pull some unexpected twists in the overall plot of destiny. She knows this better than anyone. She has Naruto Uzumaki, host to the nine-tailed demon, as a partner. Her ex-teammate Sasuke Uchiha is the ex-student to her perverted sensei and to the snake-master Orochimaru. Her newer teammate, Sai, is a former employee of Roots.

And, not to mention, the girl who was once the one member of her team to be overlooked is the Hokage's second in power. That, however, Sakura realizes, is about to change.

She knows her inhuman strength is something of a great feat. She knows that her gentle and sweet looks is the downfall of her enemies.

She never had to worry about her enemies. Not much, anyway. She has taken entire rouge squads on her own, fought and beat Kakashi in a hand-to-hand battle with his Sharingan activated, and has even managed to beat one of the Akatsuki – with a little help, of course.

However, that has nothing on her current problem.

There is a great difference between going in battle with chakra and going in without chakra. Her opponent, a crafty old hag with more magical abilities than chakra, is really starting to piss her off and, she swears, if that woman has another skull fly at her she will regret it. Naruto, after seeing such a thing, ran away screaming and left her, his teammate, to fight the old woman!

At this moment she has no idea where Naruto is. Or Sai. Or Kakashi…or anyone else for that matter.

The only thing she knows is that this battle is slowly going downhill. All her limbs ache, her head hurts, and her hair, once tied up, is loose around her face.

And her eyes. No one wants to start on that! The emerald orbs are such a fierce color of green that one could say that they are neon. Or electric green. Glow in the dark green. Pissed off to hell green.

And, to her growing dismay, another skull whips off the ground and collides with her stomach. Sakura, taken by surprise, cries out and slams into the ground. She struggles to get up as more flying skulls assault her and with a sharp hiss of pain, she kicks one off, punches the next one, and leaps to her feet screaming, "Will you quit that, you old bitch!"

Her answer is a gleeful cackle and Sakura, at the last straw of her sanity, reaches into her weapon holster and rips out a half-dozen kunai and shuriken. With one well-aimed blow, she sends them all down upon the woman.

And, to her luck, three actually connect. The white-haired woman screams. The sound contains more rage than it does pain.

Then she whirls around to face Sakura with dagger-sharp eyes and a cruel smile.

"Do ye, child, think ye strong?" she laughs at her own question before grabbing a handful of powder from one of the various vases stashed in the room.

"Do ye think ye are intelligent?" another question comes as she hurls the white powder right into Sakura's face.

As the pink-haired female coughs, the woman continues, "Ye think that chakra solves all problems. I have taken thy chakra, now I take something greater."

Another mad laugh comes as another handful of powder, black this time, slams into the pink-haired female and Sakura, confused and infuriated, stumbles back. She doesn't even have time to react as a bony hand clasps her hair and yanks her closer. Sakura, dazed by the power in those thin arms, only stares into the narrowed gray eyes on an old woman leaking a chakra so strong that it forces the hairs on her skin stand on end.

"Listen and listen well, Haruno of Konoha, for this old lady passes a warning to ye. I have lived many years and seen many days. I have walked the black fire and crossed the crystal river. I have forged bonds of ice and broken bonds of fire. Here we stand now, in this old lady's lair, and ye have spoken of power! Power! Ye think ye know what power is? Ye think ye have actual power? No. This old lady thinks not. No, ye have a fake, cheep imitation of power! This old lady, this Usagi, will show ye what true power is!" Sakura lets out a screams as she is sent hurling into the wall.

She rolls on the ground and avoids the woman's path as she continues, "This Usagi will show ye what power is. I, this old lady, have walked the walk, has loved the unlovable, killed the un-killable, cursed the un-curse-able, and damned the un-damnable!"

Sakura sweeps out of the deranged woman's grip for a third, a fourth, a fifth time and steadily tries to keep the gap between them. She pulls out her short blade, keeps the blade pressed against the inside of her arm, and flips her hair out of her face with a gentle twist of her chin.

"You, old lady, are insane." Sakura spits out and this woman, the Usagi, laughs.

Not the kind, old lady laugh. Not an insane laugh. It is a laugh filled with merriment and amusement but with a sick, twisted gleam to it.

It is a laugh that causes the hairs on her arms to stand on end.

"Insane? Me? No, girl, I think ye are wrong. There is nothing wrong with this Usagi." Another gleeful cackle breaks from her thin lips.

Damn, Naruto, where are you? She silently asks herself as she slides to the side.

Usagi, as if sensing her thoughts, snaps, "Focus on this Usagi, girl, or you will regret not doing so."

Sakura, eyes settled on the old woman, lifts a brow. "Shouldn't you take the chance to attack when I'm not paying attention?"

Usagi actually looks offended as she says, "Attack someone when they are unfocused? That, girl, would kill ye if I so chose it to be."

That made no sense, the pink-haired female tells herself as she slips to her right.

"No more of this circle, girl! Usagi is getting bored!" the old lady startles her but the shock settles in as she lunges at her with her hands outstreached to get her – like a cat trying to claw something.

"Fuck no, woman! You are not getting a hold of me a second time!" Sakura dunks under the attack and leaps back. She lands in the middle of the room and as she moves from her crouched position she is unsettled.

Usagi is nowhere to be seen.

"One little mouse all alone. Upset and younger than a bone. Scared by the cat, she leaps, and dies with one last failure set before caring eyes!" the sing-song voice echoes in the room.

Sakura whirls around, searching, but the woman has vanished. Literally.

"Here I am." She is yanked back onto the floor, hands wrapped around her throat, and her gaze meets with the crazed old woman's.

"Little mouse, little mouse, how I am need of a house. Knock, knock – on the door. I answer and I swear I saw a gleaming sword!" a searing pain rips through Sakura's chest and the cackling woman's laughter increases in volume.

Sakura tries to pry the hands from her throat.

Tries to buck the woman off her torso.

Tries to drag air into burning lungs…

"Little mouse, all alone, afraid down to the bone. How far ye have come, deep into this web of shame, and I now, Usagi, spin one last song for crimes yet to come!" Sakura finally manages to throw the woman off of her and hurls one of her hidden daggers at her.

The woman plucks it out of the air.

She clucks her tongue and smiles.

Sakura curses.

She bounds to her feet and eyes her warily. Without her chakra for support she is weak. However, with the building energies of fear and rage boiling in her blood, she somehow manages to stay on her feet.

"Little Mouse, how far ye have come. Now I will unravel all ye have become." Again Sakura finds the woman's hand around her throat and, unlike last time, her feet are off the floor.

"Go to hell." Sakura spits and the woman grins, "Gladly."

Then she adds as an afterthought, "But yet I still have to make sure is done. Little mouse, hear me now. I lay a curse on ye that cannot be undone. Ye seek power, ye seek loved ones who are gone and unbound!" a raging pain flares beneath Sakura's breast and she struggles in vain against the old woman's strong grasp.

"What…are you…doing…to…me?" she gasps out but the woman continues, "Usagi has power. Usagi has seen. Usagi needs a surpasser and one she has found."

Sakura is sure that 'surpasser' is not a word. Certain of it in fact.

"Little leaf, flying in the wind, hidden by shields of chakra. Let the new age begin." Sakura cries out in pain as she is hurled several feet back.

Again, Sakura is forced off her feet by a powerful burst of chakra, and she flies through the doorway into the damp halls of the cave. She would have hit the ground had someone not been passing by.

As the door swings shut she sees Usagi's body crumble apart and fall to the ground. Even as she starts to slump, arms wrap around her waist and host her up. The door closes.

"S-Sakura-c-chan?" Even in her dizzied state, Sakura knows that voice.

Naruto.

She shifts and her legs give out from under her. Her head lolls to one side.

"Naruto," Kakashi's voice pushes through the darkening haze of her mind followed by, "What happened?"

The voices continue to speak, blurring into each other, and she is slightly aware of being carried.

"Dickless, what happened to the hag?" Sai's voice breaks through the haze and then, "Shut. Up. Sai."

The voices fade in and out but she manages to answer one other question, the one about the crazed old woman.

"She's dead."

Mission accomplished.

Okay, first story without an OC as a main character. I know, this is an odd chapter. Very odd.
Anyway, Sakura is the main girl in this.
So unlike me, I know.
And, yes, the Akatsuki is in this. You all should know that if you have already read my works. For those who haven't:

I always have the Akatsuki in my stories. They are my favorite group in the entire show. Oddly enough, I love writing Fanfiction for Naruto even if I don't actually watch the show. Not anymore, anyway. I do not know if there will be pairings, so keep that in mind.

Anything else I need to mention...
Oh, Yes! The rating will most likely go up. There will be swearing, maybe some adult-ish scenes (depends if I feel like typing it) and a lot more swearing. And, yes, I know I put swearing twice. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first installment of this new story.

For those who are reading my other stories as well: I have them on pause at the moment. Major writing block. Plus, I have a good dozen other writing assignments for my English III class and my Creative Writing class. So, yeah, you can imagine what that has to do with things.

Oh, on an ending note, Sakura is somewhere between sixteen and seventeen. Naruto and Sasuke and Sai - older than her. I hope I can keep her slightly in character but, if I don't, I am very sorry and ask for your forgivness.

Now, have a good night (or day for some others), and I beg of you: REVIEW!

~CideanForever~