Hey everyone! I'm back! (Sorry it took so long; I was sooo busy with work...anyhoo, back now) Thanx soooooooo much to everyone who reviewed - I really appreciate it! Domo arigato! (I think that means "thank you very much" in Japanese - like "Domo arigato Mr. Roboto"...ya know, the song by Styx...check out that song if you have no idea what I'm talking about...) Now, onto the story

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters in the anime/manga. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto-san. Nor do I own "Respect" by Aretha Franklin or "Mr. Roboto" by Styx.

Refresher...

Ages: Sakura - 18; Itachi - 23, Kisame - 36, Tobi - not sure, probably around 18 let's say; Deidara - 21.

" " - talking

Blah - thinking

Blah - Inner Sakura


A pair of Sharingan eyes locked onto her jade green eyes.

Sasuke, Sakura immediately thought. But Sasuke had been with Orochimaru for six years now. A/N: You're a pervert if you're thinking Orochimaru's been child-molesting him all that time!. And Sasuke did not have lines under his eyes…and the shape of his eyes was slightly different…

Her blood ran cold. Itachi.

"Deidara," said Itachi.

"Leader told me to bring her to you if she refused to join, yeah," Deidara told him.

Sakura froze. She knew what Itachi could do with those Sharingan…She began to shake uncontrollably, but she would not join them! They were after Naruto!

Deidara set her down, but she could not support herself, and began to fall forwards…

…And was caught by Itachi,

Sakura found herself staring into the elder Uchiha brother's face. She had never been this close to him before…her heart began to pound.

Itachi pulled her back into his room and closed the door. She suddenly wished she was back with Deidara. At least he looked semi-friendly…

What am I saying? She thought. He killed Gaara!

Sakura looked around the room. It was nothing special; there was a bed, a desk, a chair, a closet, and a bathroom.

He released her and she sunk to the floor. Itachi opened the front of his cloak a little so the lower half of his face and a bit of the shirt he was wearing underneath were visible.

"Deidara tells me you refuse to join Akatsuki."

Sakura tried to move away but grabbed her shoulders.

"Is this true?" he inquired smoothly.

She swallowed nervously.

Are you letting him get to you? Yelled her Inner.

He can kill me, she thought.

Would Naruto-kun let a guy like Itachi get to him? No! He'd fight back, dammit!

Yeah…yeah, I can't let him scare me…

Go get him, girl!

"Yeah, it's true…Itachi Uchiha," Sakura spat.

He betrayed no emotion. "Why do you refuse?"

"I won't join a bunch of murderous criminals and I won't betray my village!" Her eyes flickered to Itachi's forehead, where a line had been cut through the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village on his forehead protector.

"And if you do not join…I can do a great deal of things to you…Sakura Haruno."

She gasped. "How do you know my name?"

"We have been looking for you for a long time…" Itachi closed his eyes and opened them a moment later, now with the Mangekyou Sharingan activated .

Now he's gonna torture me like he did Kakashi-sensei!

She shut her eyes tightly.

"Wise move," he commented. "Although…"

Sakura felt her shirt unzip. Someone began to slide it from her shoulders…

Her eyes snapped open and she grabbed her shirt. She zipped it, blushing madly. She saw Itachi glancing at her — and was that lust in his eyes?

She was too surprised to do anything to defend herself, and looked at him. The red and black Sharingan was the last thing she saw before —

"I have brought you to the world of the Tsukiyomi. Since you would not consent by request, I have no choice but to torture you…Sakura.

"You are about to experience seventy-two hours of pain."

Sakura was tied to a wooden pole and Itachi was standing in front of her, carrying a katana.

"Sakura!" came a voice from behind Itachi.

No…I know that voice, she thought.

"Sasuke!" she cried.

Sasuke Uchiha ran towards her. "Sakura…"

Itachi raised his sword and stabbed Sasuke's stomach. The younger Uchiha fell to the ground.

"Sasuke!" Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight of him on the ground. Blood spewed from the gash in his stomach.

Itachi raised the sword and sliced his brother's body in two.

Sakura creamed.

"If you still refuse to join Akatsuki, we will continue," Itachi told her.

"I- I…" she screwed up her face. "I — can't!"

"Very well…"

Kakashi-sensei was slaughtered before her next. Then Hinata, followed by her cousin Neji. Rock Lee and Tenten were next. The Shikamaru, Kiba, Ino, Choji, Shino…then Temari, Kankuro, and their brother Gaara…and then a lone ninja arrive.

"Naruto-kun!" sobbed Sakura.

Itachi held the blade to the blond's neck.

"Will you join Akatsuki?" he repeated.

Sakura did not answer. If she did join, she would never see her friends again…and she would betray her village…But she could not bear to see Naruto killed…

Her Inner suddenly took over. "Hey weasel-face!"

Inner, what're you doing? Thought Sakura.

Helping you out, Inner replied.

Itachi's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, you heard me, weasel! Now leave them ALONE, you got that? She'll join, but you gotta promise to back the hell off OR ELSE!"

Inner…don't piss him off —

Relax. I got it covered.

"And if you even try to weasel your way into her pants or weasel your way into her mind again, you're gonna have to deal with ME!"

Itachi frowned. "You are not Sakura Haruno."

"Damn right! I'm her Inner! Now, if you'll excuse me…" Inner broke free of the rope that bound Sakura. She flipped over the Uchiha and slammed him to the ground…

Sakura opened her eyes. She was still sitting on the floor of Itachi's room.

Speaking of the Uchiha…

Itachi had deactivated the Mangekyou Sharingan, but the regular Sharingan was still in place. He was staring at her differently than he had before, almost with respect.

Oh yeah! Cried Inner Sakura. R-E-S-P-E-C-T, I know what it means to me!

Itachi stood up. "Come. We are going to Leader."

Sakura looked up, confused.

"You — whoever that was in your mind — consented to join Akatsuki."

Sakura sighed and stood up. Slowly, she followed her former teammate's older brother, accepting her fate.

Inner, I hope you know what you were doing…


The girl was quiet, Itachi noted, as he led her to Pein. He had to admit, she was rather pretty, but she was too weak for him to really care about her.

However

Whatever that thing was inside her mind was certainly not weak…whatever it was.

Maybe she had a split personality like Zetsu…?

Itachi turned slightly to look at the kunoichi. She was looking at Deidara. The bomber waved at her; she stuck her tongue out at him.

They entered Pein's "office".

"Leader," Itachi said.

Pein looked at the girl. "Welcome back, Sakura. Have you decided to join?"

Sakura half-glanced in Itachi's direction but then turned her gaze to the orange-haired man before her. She took a deep breath.

"Yes."


Well..what do you think? 'Nuther cliffie!! Gotta go!