A/N: This'll be a long one, I hope! I know what you're thinking, DeiSaku what the hell? That's even crazier than ItaSaku! Well it is but I haven't seen many DeiSaku pairings, so I thought I'd give it a go. And then I had an idea to include ItaSaku… and this messed up ItaSakuDei started to form in my head. Well, I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you do! One more thing, the rating might go up as I go along.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, never have, never will. It's the property of Masashi Kishimoto (and all those other companies..blah! I dunno, but it's mainly his) and I think it's best that way:D

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Torn

By Shanpuu

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The tired medic plodded slowly but dutifully towards her mentor's office. Ever since Orochimaru's attack three years prior, Sakura and her fellow med-nin had been worked into the ground. Though a fit and healthy girl of only 19 years, she was beginning to feel more like 5 times that and she and the other medics in the hospital had taken to spending their break times appraising the bags under each others eyes.

She'd been attending to an irritable young Shinobi's wounds when she'd received the message that Tsunade requested her presence. In a way, she was thankful for her teacher's timely interruption- the patients seemed to be acting especially difficult today, or maybe that was just because she was so damn tired. Either way, it would be nice to have even a ten minute break away from the countless Kunai wounds, fractured limbs and other day-to-day pleasantries med-nins had to deal with.

But then again, Tsunade knew just how busy the young Kunoichi was and she would only interrupt if it was absolutely necessary. So she could be sure this wasn't just a social visit, then.

When she reached the Hokage's office and cautiously entered, she was surprised to see her dependable mentor hunched over her desk looking every bit the 50 something years that her image illusion suppressed. Sakura froze in indecision, should she wake the sleeping lady or leave her to gain some much needed rest? Tsunade had called for her, but… what with the current condition of Konoha, she doubted the older woman had slept a wink in months.

Orochimaru or 'that snake bastard', as Sakura had become fond of calling him, had nearly achieved his twisted goal of raising her cherished village to the ground. It had been his second and last attempt on Konoha, and while some had put it down to dumb luck, the optimistic decided the village still stood today because of its unconquerable 'spirit of fire'. Either way, the snake bastard's efforts had been vanquished and if rumours were to be trusted, had met his fateful end at the hands of Akatsuki after fleeing from the battle.

The same rumours told of the fall of the Akatsuki. Apparently, the old snake bastard had managed to fatally injure their leader before departing for the never world…

It was hard to believe… Konoha was finally safe, and although many good Shinobi had been lost in the conflict, an undeniable sense of relief and excitement filled the village people. The threat of Orochimaru and Akatsuki no longer loomed on the horizon or in the recesses of everyone's mind.

Sakura tried to be as happy as her Leaf comrades, but she couldn't help but feel that something was missing… Or rather, someone.

She and Naruto had met Sasuke a year before Orochimaru's attack, and after another unsuccessful attempt at exacting revenge upon his brother, the boy would have rather have cut off his own leg than return to the village with them. Sasuke had been so badly injured by his older sibling… It was all she could do not to flinch as she remembered the boy's grievous wounds. But, even though the young medic had saved his life and healed him until she hadn't even a pinch of chakra left, Sasuke had left her and Naruto again.

Those three gruelling years with Orochimaru hadn't been enough. He was still weaker than his brother, he'd nearly died. And without even a 'thank you', he was off again on his seemingly endless journey for power.

He had not been seen or heard of since.

Although famous for their 'never give up' attitude, and although she was still very much in love with him, Sakura along with Naruto had realised chasing after their team mate was futile. It would be unfair to drag him back to a place where he could never be content. But the two knew that one day when he'd had his revenge, he'd return to Konoha for sure… and when that day came, she and Naruto would welcome him back with open arms.

"Urghhhguhhh…."

Sakura was startled out of her thoughts by a deep guttural groan that'd give any demon a run for its money, and she watched as her mentor pitifully lifted her head from the desk that'd been her makeshift pillow. Sleep-filled hazel eyes struggled to open and adjust to the bright midday sun that poured through the office's huge windows.

"Why are there so many damn windows in this office?" The Hokage cursed, blinking furiously and wiping the long line of drool from her chin. Then, her eyes widened as she finally noticed the other occupant of the room. "Sakura?"

"Uh…" Sakura's smile was strained, no matter how many times she had seen her mentor looking so dishevelled it still managed to disarm her, "You called for me Tsunade-sama?"

The Hokage narrowed her eyes in contemplation for a few moments, before perking up and triumphantly smacking her hand on the desk. "Of course! I did, didn't I?" Her mood soon dampened, however, "Ugh, I can't believe I fell asleep again…"

"Maybe you should get some rest?" Sakura offered, but the blonde quickly shook her head.

"Everyone needs to do their part in re-establishing Konoha, the Hokage included," Tsunade explained, but her dismal tone and tired eyes betrayed her dutiful words. She sighed, paused then waved her apprentice over.

"Anyway, Sakura… I called you here for a very important reason," Long-nailed fingers skimmed through a brown folder on the desk, deftly pulling out a sheet of paper and placing it in front of the pink haired girl. "We've just received a message from Shunyou," The older lady began, as Sakura sat before her and looked down curiously at the white piece of paper.

There was a map of Fire country with a line pointing to 'Shunyou' in the east, and some hastily scribbled notes below it. She scanned over them as the Hokage continued to speak.

"Shunyou is one of the larger villages that I dispatch a med-nin to every month to attend to the villagers there and in the surrounding areas," The blonde explained and Sakura nodded in comprehension. She'd heard about the so-called 'mobile med-nins'; as there was little to no danger in these missions, they were usually young, novice medics who would heal minor injuries of the villagers to accumulate experience.

"The last medic I sent to Shunyou hasn't returned… He arrived safely and carried out his duties, but on the third day he disappeared," She sighed, her eyes growing sad, "The villagers found his belongings in his room at the inn, but other than that… there's not even a trace left of him."

Sakura bit her lip. "What could have happened?"

Again, the Hokage sighed and gently shut her eyes. "I have no idea. With Konoha's situation, well… I haven't been able to spare even one ANBU."

"So," The young medic began, lifting her eyes from the paper in front of her, "You want me to go and investigate?"

"Yes, that's part of it…" Tsunade answered, "The message that we received earlier- it wasn't just about our missing medic. Six of the village's children have been poisoned and, judging by the descriptions of their conditions, I'd guess that… at the most, they only have three days to live.

"Without seeing them in person, there's no way I'd be able to mix up an antidote and I'm far too busy to go out there myself," Her teacher paused, opened her eyes and smiled proudly at the younger girl. "And the only other person who's as good at neutralising poisons as me… is you."

Sakura smiled determinedly. "Then I'd better get going, huh?" She quickly stood from her seat and turned to leave, but a strong hand gripped her arm and held her in place. Startled, she looked questioningly into the Hokage's stern hazel eyes.

"I have no idea what you're going to be faced with out there, Sakura… so please be careful."

The young apprentice stood still for a few moments, stunned, then smirked confidently at the blonde woman. "Don't worry, I'll be fine! You're the one who trained me, remember?"

Tsunade slowly released her tight grip on Sakura's arm and grinned in a way that reminded the pink haired girl of Naruto. "Heh, you have a point."

Sakura smiled as she exited the Hokage's office. Although her mission was an urgent, serious one, she couldn't help but feel exhilarated at the prospect of being out of the stuffy, confining hospital.

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Within no time at all, Sakura had gathered her belongings and the items she'd need for the mission, and was well on her way towards Shunyou. She regretted not being able to say goodbye to Naruto, but figured that he'd understand. He'd been just as busy as her, if not more, and if he was not on a mission he'd be fast asleep in his room recuperating or pigging out at Ichiraku ramen. Either way, she didn't want to disturb him. Plus, she'd be sending Tsunade mission updates every day so it wouldn't be hard to send Naruto a few letters too.

The young medic closed her eyes and allowed her instincts to steer her as she leapt from tree to tree, and as the wind rushed past her face, she almost felt as if she were flying. As she glided through the forest like a graceful bird, her thoughts drifted to the mission. Shunyou was a small port town on the east coast of Fire country and a good day's journey away from Konoha, but if she continued at this pace and took no breaks, she would maybe reach it before nightfall.

Lives depended on her haste and although Tsunade had estimated the children had around three days to live, she couldn't take any chances.

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Even though Sakura was exhausted from the day's journey, she still admired the beauty of the small town known as Shunyou. After emerging from a dense forest she'd found herself atop a tall mountain, looking down upon a large cluster of houses and buildings, their candlelit rooms sparkling in the thick of night like hundreds of static fireflies. A river ran through the centre of the village and opened out to the sea, where a few ships loomed on the horizon, the light pouring out from their windows reflecting prettily on the water around them. It was pleasant and quaint, and nothing at all like the bustling village of Konoha that she was so used to.

Reminding herself she wasn't here to admire the scenery, she quickly made her way down towards the village.

When she arrived at the village gates, she was surprised to see a well-dressed middle-aged man standing in front of them, nervously wringing his hands together. As she approached she noticed that he was scrutinizing her carefully and seemed to be taking particular interest in her forehead.

How rude, she thought angrily, her old insecurity about having an oversized forehead rearing its ugly head. It was only when his small eyes travelled higher and suddenly widened in shock, that Sakura realised what the man had been looking for.

"You're from Konoha aren't you?" He cried excitedly, a small chubby finger pointing at the forehead protector tied around her head.

"Yeah," She nodded, "I'm here to-"

"This way!" The short man beckoned her inside the gates and after quickly checking that she was following, hurried off into the village as if he had a pack of hungry wolves at his heels.

"I'm the mayor of Shunyou, Shintara Yasuo," He explained as they went, panting slightly, "I'm very grateful for you to have come so fast. Although we didn't expect you until tomorrow, I couldn't help but wait at the gates for you…" He turned and grinned at her as they rounded a corner and started down a long, narrow street. "I'm glad that I did now!"

"Myself and the Hokage understand the urgency of the situation," She replied, smiling tiredly back at the kindly mayor.

"Ahh the Hokage is indeed a great woman," The older man said softly, then suddenly his tone grew serious. "The children are being kept at my residence in the centre of town, it's not too far away now."

"Okay."

After a few minutes of taking many twists and turns through the dark, cobble-lined streets, they reached what Sakura guessed was the mayor's residence; a stone wall surrounded a tall hill, upon which lay a winding pathway that stretched up to a mansion perched imposingly on its peak.

When they had climbed to the top and stood outside the mansion's grand wooden doors, Yasuo turned to the young medic. "What's your name, dear?" He questioned her.

"Haruno Sakura."

"Alright. Please come in Sakura-san," He opened the doors and led her inside, where she was quickly directed to a large room with several beds, upon which the 6 poisoned children lay, their worried parents hovering at their bedsides. She dropped her bags and hastily made her way over to the first bed, the kind mayor anxiously following behind her. There, a little boy of about six looked impossibly small and vulnerable in the large bed he lay in, and Sakura's eyes softened as she noticed his scrunched eyes and clenched fists; he was obviously in lot of pain.

He suddenly whimpered, and Sakura placed her palm on his clammy forehead to soothe him. His sharp, ragged breaths slowed and when he had finally calmed, the medic allowed her chakra to enter his body and surmise the damage. Immediately, she realised that he was suffering a lot of pain in his abdominal region. She looked up to his mother and father, who were understandably close to tears.

"What was he doing before he fell ill?" She asked. From her quick examination she already had a good idea of what had poisoned him, but it would be best to make sure.

His mother furrowed her brow in thought, "Well… he became sick around dinner time, yesterday. Before that he and the other children were out playing near the mountains…"

"Alright," She nodded, "It's as I suspected. I believe they've ingested a rare poisonous mushroom, the destroying angel. It grows mainly in mountainous areas," Sakura paused, and looked down at the young boy tentatively, "Unfortunately… in this case, I can't remove the poison directly, but I can make an antidote. I'll just need you to fetch a few ingredients for me…"

"So they'll be alright?" The mayor asked eagerly, and smiled in relief at the med-nin's affirmative nod.

"Thank goodness," The boy's father exhaled deeply and embraced his wife, and the two stayed that way for a while, sobbing softly against each other.

Sakura smiled, revelling in the relieved, emotional moment. This is definitely part of the reason I became a med-nin.

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The warm morning sunshine filtered into the small hotel room and gently roused the slumbering girl from her deep and peaceful sleep. Yawning, she sat up in bed and stretched her arms high above her head, as if reaching towards the ceiling. All stretched out, she turned and looked out the room's large windows to the glorious day that bloomed outside. She could see the sea from here, and the calm blue waters seemed to extend into eternity.

If she could choose one way to wake up every morning, this would be it. A certain black haired boy would be beside her too, of course, but she'd persuaded herself that that was a dream that was shattered a long time ago. A childish little dream that had ended long before it even began. After all, Sasuke had only one person on his mind- his bastard of a brother… And he wouldn't hesitate to damn near destroy himself to kill that bastard.

She clenched her eyes tightly as she remembered the night she'd spent healing him after his failed attempt on his brother's life. She'd never cried so much… She'd never seen someone lose so much blood, she was so sure he'd die but having the stubbornness only one in love could possess, she'd refused to give up on him. All through the night, she poured every last drop of chakra into his dying body until she'd collapsed, her head resting on his bloodied stomach. It had paid off, Sasuke had somehow pulled through…

But only to run off and do the same damned thing again?

Before she could fall too deeply into her gloomy Sasuke-filled thoughts, she quickly got out of bed and began to dress. Looking after the people in Shunyou was a lot more enjoyable than she'd expected and as the saying goes, time really flies when you're having fun… and before she knew it, she'd already spent four days there. As thanks for curing the children and tending to the villagers' wounds and illnesses, Sakura had been treated like a queen. So far it had been the break she'd badly needed from her work back at the hospital, but she still felt a little guilty and wished her fellow Leaf Shinobi could enjoy it too.

When she'd dressed, she pulled out a sheet of paper and pen from her bag and lay on the bed on her stomach. She propped herself up on her elbows and began to write.

Dear Tsunade-sama,

It's day four of my stay in Shunyou. I have healed most of the villagers, and only a few with small complaints are left. I have also been asking around about our missing med-nin, but nobody seems to have seen or heard anything.

She paused and glanced over to a few bags that'd been dumped in the corner of her room. The villagers had given them to her, explaining that they'd found them left in the med-nin's room after his disappearance.

I've searched his belongings, too, but have found no clues pertaining to his disappearance. It's just as you said- he seems to have vanished without a trace. I will stay vigilant, but I'm doubtful about what I'll be able to turn up.

As I'm nearly done here, I'll be returning to Konoha tomorrow. Please don't tell Naruto- I want to surprise him.

A grin curled the corners of her lips as she thought of the blonde haired ninja. Along with the daily updates she sent to Tsunade, she'd also sent letters to her team mate and best friend, as she knew he'd be pulling his hair out in worry for her. Every letter he'd sent her asked when she'd be returning, and she couldn't help but giggle as she imagined him anxiously writing them.

I'll see you soon,

Sakura

Smiling, she finished writing her letter, rolled it up and placed it in her bag and exited her room. It was only when she was out of the building and halfway down the street that she realised she'd left the letter behind. She paused for a moment in indecision, then shrugged and decided she'd just send it later.

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It was only when the sun was dipping behind the horizon and casting a warm, golden glow over the village's rooftops that Sakura headed back towards the hotel where she was staying. It had been a long day, but enjoyable nonetheless. She'd healed many people, with problems ranging from bad backs to twisted ankles… but she was more than happy to do it. As she walked through the beautiful, quaint little town, inspiration suddenly struck and she decided to head towards the beach to watch the sunset where it's at its most beautiful.

Apart from a few fishermen tending to their boats, the beach was deserted. She pulled off her boots and walked barefoot in the soft, heated sand, indulging in the evening's unparalleled tranquillity. For a while she just walked, lost in her thoughts, watching the sun light up the sea as it fell below the horizon, and enjoying the cool coastal breeze that brushed against her skin.

Her peace shattered, however, when she spotted a young boy crouched in the distance, his hands and feet covered in blood. Her medic instincts kicking in, she dropped her boots and rushed towards him with speed that even Lee would be proud of.

As she grew closer, she realised he was the young boy whom she'd tended to first on the night of her arrival.

"Are you alright?" She gasped as she knelt at his side and took his hands in hers. There were no cuts on his fingers or body, so where had the blood come from?

"My…my foot," He sobbed, and pointed at the offending bloody appendage that was clutched in his hands, "I-I cut it," He whimpered, "On a pebble."

Relief washed over her as she realised he wasn't fatally injured, and she quickly placed her hand over the small injury. Shimmering green chakra surrounded the wound, and within seconds it had all but disappeared.

The boy stared at his foot, as if discovering it for the first time, "You're… really cool," The pain now forgotten, he paused and scrunched his nose up. "For a girl, that is."

"You're not too bad yourself," She mimicked his scrunched up nose, "For a boy, that is. Most boys I've met are annoying."

"Girls are really dumb…" He protested, and gone was the awe from his eyes of a few moments ago, "And smelly!"

"Yeah? Well boys are-" Sakura paused, and nearly smacked her forehead. Am I really bickering with a six year old? I'm around Naruto so much he's starting to rub off on me…

"Anyway," The medic said softly, "Do you wanna go clean that blood off of your arms and legs?" She suggested, gesturing towards the sea, "You don't wanna give your parents a heart attack when you get home."

The boy sighed and nodded, and slowly rose to his feet. Sakura moved to join him but froze when the young boy yelped and looked above her, his large eyes filled with fear.

Hold on… had it been this dark a moment ago? She quickly realised that a shadow had passed over her, and that someone was obviously standing behind her. If the little boy's terrified expression was anything to go by, it couldn't be anyone friendly.

Filled with trepidation, she slowly turned and looked behind and above her… right into a pair of blood red eyes staring back.

"Sakura-san, you will come with us now."

U-Uchiha… Itachi…

Her mind was too panicked to realise that he'd said us and she didn't notice the second imposing figure until the young boy squealed out in shock, and she turned to see the unmistakable form of Kisame towering behind her, holding the wriggling little boy up by his shirt. The shark man grinned widely, flashing two rows of sharp, jagged white teeth. His skin appeared a horrifying, sickly grey hue in the day's fading light.

Panicked thoughts raced through her mind. Weren't Akatsuki out of action? She remembered Naruto saying Jiraiya had told him as much only a month ago! What reason did he have to lie? He'd said the leader had been killed right? Then surely they would have disbanded or something… So why were there two Akatsuki members standing before and behind her, looking as lively as ever and very much in action?

And what in the world did they want with her?

"I-If I refuse?" She wet her lips and spoke shortly, not trusting herself to say anything more.

"I think you know what will happen," Came the Uchiha's deep and evenly spoken reply.

Her green eyes fell upon the young boy's frightened, sweat covered face and then to the disgusting, beady eyes of Kisame, filled with unambiguous intent to kill. Were the Akatsuki really so cowardly they needed to take a hostage in order to capture her? She clenched her eyes shut. No, even if the boy was a million miles away, she hadn't a snowball's chance in hell of standing up to the two S-rank criminals. If the boy wasn't here, maybe she'd give it a go… but right now that wasn't an option.

"Let him go. I'll come with you," Sakura whispered softly, defeated. Kisame threw the struggling boy to the ground roughly, and Sakura watched as he scrambled to his feet and ran towards the village, sobbing loudly.

"Help! Someone please help her!" She heard him cry as he ran away and she felt close to tears, knowing that his efforts would be futile.

"Stand up," Kisame ordered gruffly and she did as she was told. She felt two strong but delicate hands grip her shoulders and turn her around, and she came face to face with the man who had indirectly caused so much pain and suffering in her life.

His eyes seemed to surround her, capture her, draw her into their crimson depths, and with muted horror she realised that she couldn't look away.

"It will be easier this way." Was all she heard as her world slipped into darkness.

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A/N: Next chapter out soon!