SG: Hey everyone! It's been a REALLY long time since any of you have heard from me but I have decided to get my lazy brain to figure out what I want to do with my stories. I'm pretty much gonna go through my stories and either get rid of them or rewrite them like I did with A Pink Christmas. So this one is basically my first, rather pathetic attempt at a Sakura/Itachi fic. If I'm making anyone from Akatsuki too OCC…TELL ME!! I have yet to see an episode with Konan, Deidara and Tobi and a little constructive criticism is welcome but please kinda refrain from any profanity like saying this story is a piece of shit. Yeah that is not the kinda thing most authors want to read about their story. So just make suggestions not blunt rudeness. And once again I am rambling…….just enjoy the show…story...thing…

In all honesty it shouldn't have been that surprising. I knew exactly how strong I was, I knew exactly how intelligent I was. But still, Akatsuki? You've got to be freaking kidding me.

Yet there they were, standing there so calmly it was irritating.

I knew who they were, don't get me wrong, I knew. Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi. I knew their strengths, I knew their capabilities and yet I stood there like a complete idiot. Perfect, couldn't get any better.

But then the taller one began to speak and I completely believed that whatever god there was hated me.

"Haruno Sakura, your presence has been "requested" by our leader." He chuckled when he put the emphasis on requested. I thought I heard his partner sigh.

I reached behind me and saw them both tense and I smiled a sugary sweet smile that would have made any other ninja's skin crawl. Slowly, I pulled out the fingerless gloves I had specially developed for an occasion such as this.

"And if I refuse?"

Okay, I admit it, that was a stupid question, but apparently I had taken to playing dumb.

It appeared they thought so as well. Kisame positively roared with laughter and I believe Itachi even let out a wry chuckle. I frowned.

"Glad to see I amuse you." Okay, maybe I could use this to my advantage. I slowly began to back away towards the forest and I was infuriated to see that every centimetre I slid back they stepped forward.

Okay, maybe not, but at least I tried. I could tell Itachi was getting irritated with this little game of two steps forward, three steps back and if there was one thing I learned it was not to piss off an Uchiha.

"Little girl, if you will not come to us, we shall come to you." Huh, Kisame was impatient too. Lovely.

I grinned and put my hands behind my back. I was at the forest edge now and I planned to use that for what little advantage I did have. Wait, I didn't have an advantage. Shit.

"Well, I guess you're just going to have to catch me."

I whipped out the shuriken I had and leapt backwards into the trees. So fight or flight huh?

I choose life.

I turned in mid air and bolted full tilt in between the tree branches. I rocketed around, under and between the foliage, reducing everything to a green blur around me. I shrieked when an explosion went off where I had been a second ago.

Deidara.

"This is so not fair! If you want to fight I want a one on one!" I griped as I ran. Seriously, ganging up on me was low, even for Akatsuki. I frowned; apparently I was bigger threat than I had originally thought.

I reeled back from the place I had been running when who else but Uchiha Itachi pops up right in front of me! I wheeled around and tried to bolt again but was stopped by a cold hand planted firmly on my wrist. He wrenched me around to face him.

"You wanted one opponent, so here I am."

Ah fuck.

The icy fingers released me and I streaked back a couple feet. Well this day couldn't get any better couldn't it?

I had seconds to throw myself to side, because he had lunged towards me so suddenly he was almost a blur. Oh come on! This was no better than having all three of them attacking me!

Up and down, side to side, lunge, fall back, block and attack. There really was nothing more that I could do really. It was a fight to be on the defensive. I couldn't really even remember why the wanted me so bad. Oh yeah, that's right. I'm smart and strong. Not strong enough apparently.

I was actually getting pretty confident, for the entire time we had been fighting, I hadn't backed down, I hadn't lost, obviously, and I hadn't looked into his eyes.

But he was getting impatient again. Ah hell, I am so dead again.

"Sakura."

And that was my downfall, the bastard broke my concentration and my eyes snapped up to his face in shock. Have I mentioned I hate my life? I felt like my mind was being pulled into his eyes, there was nothing else and I knew I was in some seriously deep shit.

Then the world went black and crimson. I stood shakily, and looked around. I knew this, I studied for hours upon hours on this exact scenario, and I should be able to beat it right? Right?

I suddenly took off in an easterly direction and I tried to stop, but apparently I wasn't allowed. I knew where he wanted me to be, what he wanted me to see and I wasn't having it. Too bad he had other ideas.

I was looking upon a younger version of myself pleading, screeching with Sasuke to stay with me, that I loved him, I would go anywhere for him. But instead of feeling terrible, I felt disgusted with myself, that I would throw myself that willingly at him. I watched him knock me out and a little voice in my head told me over and over again in a malicious tone that I was weak, I was stupid, no one would ever love me.

The world shifted and instead of being on the edge of the scene I was in the center of it. Everyone's attention shifted to me and I could feel the hate and malice and anger radiating from them. Did I mention that everyone included Naruto, Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru, Tsunade, Sasuke,, Neji, everyone I had ever known in my entire life was in a gigantic circle around me.

"You're weak Sakura."

"You always will be."

"You can't change your destiny."

"You're ugly."

"No one will ever want you."

"You will never be a proper shinobi."

Childishly, I covered my ears all the while chanting over and over in a small voice that it wasn't true, they loved me, it would be okay.

"I will never love you."

"I hate you."

Oddly enough, Naruto's words didn't shatter me. It just royally and extremely pissed me off and the only one I could think of that could ever make him say that was Itachi. I growled. I raised my hands and focused all of my chakra into my mind and literally screeched;

"KAI!"

And just like that, it was over. I lied on the forest floor face up, staring at the one patch of blue light directly in front of me. I laughed lightly and smiled I had won. Well not really, but in my mind that was victory enough. I turned my head to the side and I saw he was crouched beside me, looking at me with an almost curious look on his face.

"Who are you?"

I grinned, as if he didn't know. I admit that sounds bad but hey! They were after me for pete's sake! Slowly, methodically I grabbed the kunai I had strapped to my upper thigh. The one with the paper bomb. I love paper bombs, so effective.

"I am Haruno Sakura."

With one jerking movement I plunged the kunai through his hand and into the tree it was resting against. I heard him hiss momentarily before I mustered the last of my stamina and leapt away. I felt the heat against me back and I screeched as I was blown into a tree.

Way to go Sakura! Your amazing plan totally backfired! And the I blacked out feeling like I was floating.

Alrighty then, let me know what you think and in order to do that you must review.

SO DO IT!