Well, I'm back again. There was a total whopping…3 reviews. That's cool. I guess. T.T ok…I feel so unloved. (crawls into corner and cries under a dark cloud of sulkyness)

Disclaimer: I own…a muffin!! BWAHAHAHAH! Actually, no…I don't even own a muffin. -.-;

Note: ------- : change in time/characters/place

Note2: It might get a little confusing at the end because it rapidly changes scenes. It switches from Team Kakashi to a different person, to a different person. Just try to keep up. ;) The parts where it always starts with 'He' are the same person as from the prologue.

Chapter 1: The Tragedy in HIS Hideout Part 1

'We'll be reunited with Sasuke again, I know it.'

'If you leave…I'll scream!'

'You're mission is -'

Sakura was violently pushed over. Naruto was trying to wake her up even though she wasn't even asleep. She was HIGHLY frustrated, but decided to let it slide. She just wasn't in the mood to yell.

"Gaara's called for us." Stupidly, Sakura looked around the room to see if she was really in the Village Hidden in Sand. She was indeed. The room was small, but cozy; there were two beds next to hers. She was in an inn inside the village. They'd reached it a few hours ago.

Sakura pushed off the bed under her casually. She ended up walking to the small circular window instead of Naruto. There was sand blowing around; Sakura could make out each individual pellet.

"Sakura…?"

This defiantly reminded her of that time.

Sakura ran through the tan colored halls. She couldn't make herself move fast enough! She'd heard the collapse of the ground and saw the light shining in an arch ahead of her. She was finally there. All around her debris and gravel fell around her; it reminded her of sand.

Sai was standing there, not casually, not like Sai. He was standing in a defensive and tense stance. 'What's up with Sai?!'

"Sakura is it?"

The wind picked up. Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure that Naruto, who had just run out, could hear it.

She turned slowly and through her peripheral vision she began to see…dark spiky hair.

"Sasuke…kun." She was now locking eyes with him. She felt like she wanted to die. After all this time, he didn't forget her…but…after all this time he hadn't missed her.

Too quickly, he shifted his vision. He was now looking at Naruto.

'They're talking' Sakura's heart was pounding; she couldn't even make out the words they were speaking. All she knew was that Sai had pulled out his art brush, discretely, and Naruto was at a blades point.

Quickly, Sakura turned and faced…Sasuke? He had a blade to Naruto and was so close. So close…

"No…" Not ready to face these memories, Sakura pushed away from the window. She turned on her heel and ran down the hall with Naruto behind her. She was going to see Gaara now and that's it. She wouldn't allow herself to be engulfed by these memories, not yet.

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"Here are the things you asked for." A small package was given to Kakashi. He was alone in the small room with Gaara for Naruto and Sakura hadn't arrived yet; although, Kakashi was glad. He wanted to rendezvous in secret. "Good luck." Though it was said with a straight face, Kakashi knew the Kazekage had meant it.

Knock knock

"Enter."

Naruto and Sakura pushed the door open and stood in the archway. They held straight facial expressions, but were itching to get moving. Kakashi could feel it.

He quickly shoved the package into his pocket; it was to be held secret until they reached a good discussion spot.

"Are we ready to head out?"

Naruto and Sakura nodded grimly. They'd already taken care of their needs previously. Sakura bought more soldier pills, Naruto bought more ramen. They were ready.

"Then let's go."

-------

He walked casually through the forest with his hand trailing on the trees behind him.

He had nothing but the clothes on his back and a little bit of money.

He felt so at peace.

He knew he was one hundred times more powerful then the boy who'd tried to fight himbefore. He was ready, but he didn't have a big head. He knew that HE had probably gained power since their last meeting. He was prepared to face defeat -although, he wasn't sure if it would be a graceful defeat. He might go down with…a bang.

He smiled at the thought. He defiantly had something up his sleeve.

-------

They were running, running towards a destination that would change their lives - though they didn't know it. Sakura's heart was pounding; her breath was steady. The wind was blowing about the group, sand picking up in every direction. The only sounds around them were those of their pounding feet on the desert floor.

Sakura looked to her left. There was nothing but sand, sand for the miles and miles on the horizon that Sakura could see. She didn't want to look to her right though. She would see the faces of her two fearless companions. She remembered the two doors of Konohagakure, how they'd distilled unrelenting fear in her. She didn't want to seem like the weak link to the group, the only one who was afraid, but she needed some reassurance. She wouldn't hold her breath though.

"We have to stop, there's going to be a sand storm soon." The way Kakashi said those words distilled more fear into Sakura. He was desperate to get to where they were trying to get to. He was thinking clearly, thankfully, but he was starting to get desperate. Desperate shinobi not clearly thinking shinobi bad. The analogy made her cringe…well not necessarily the analogy, but the meaning behind it. She thought she was the only weak person in the group, but Kakashi's desperation proved that wrong.

"There!" Sakura's eyes trailed along Naruto's arm. He was pointing towards a cave ahead of them, but it was a little hard to make out. The sand was picking up every second.

"We have to pick up the pace!" Kakashi forced chakra to the soles of his feet and pushed off the ground with even more force. In one great sweeping motion he covered a distance of 15 feet. Naruto and Sakura followed his lead. They reached the cave in seconds.

"We should stay here tonight. It's going to be twilight in a few minutes anyways." Naruto smiled. Sakura appreciated the reassuring gesture.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Kakashi seemed distant, but snapped out of it. "We don't have to keep a guard out tonight, no ones going to be walking around in this kind of storm. We should get some good sleep tonight."

"Ah." - "Hai, Sensei."

They began to set up 'camp', but they were stopped.

"Naruto, Sakura I have something I need to show you." Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out a small package. It was a box shape wrapped in some sort of black paper tied of neatly with scarlet ribbons.

"What is that?" Naruto sat down at an angle from Kakashi.

"It looks like something from Akatsuki." Sakura filled in the space between Naruto and Kakashi. They were in a triangular shape now.

"Good observation Sakura. It is from Akatsuki. They sent it to Gaara, but he decided we should have it." Kakashi pulled the sides of the ribbons and they fell to the ground. Sakura's eyes followed them, but her vision was redirected toward the lid of the box which was about to be pulled off.

"Prepare yourselves." Kakashi pulled off the lid of the box and then quickly discarded the box jumping away from it.

Naruto blinked a few times and then bust out laughing. All that came out of the box was a piece of paper. Kakashi over-reacted.

"Shut up Naruto!" Sakura smacked him on the head and joined laughing with the boy. This was nice, they were laughing.

Kakashi placed his hands on the wall and tried to crouch along the wall stealthily. He reached out toward the paper and grabbed it with only the tips of his fingers. "Got it!"

Sakura and Naruto let out a sigh and walked toward Kakashi. "Well, let's have a look."

Ex-Jinchuuriki,

You were able to live even after the encounter with us. We're impressed, but not really. We WILL get the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and we'd like your help.

There was no signature and no way to track anything; however, inside the box was a small stone in the shape of Gaara's tailed demon. It glowed fiercely. They'd extracted part of Ichibi's chakra and placed it in the stone as a bribe. They were going to give him some power back in exchange for help in getting Naruto.

"None of us can touch the stone, its certain death." Kakashi put the paper back in the box careful not to get to close to it. He reached toward the lid attached chakra strings to it, flinging it back onto the box.

Sakura just noticing that the paper was still attached to the bottom of the box. She was assuming it was a seal.

"Gaara rejected the idea, but he's going to meet with Akatsuki in a week. He wants us to gather some shinobi and ambush them. I've accepted the mission."

"Me to!"

"And me." Sakura grinned. Another chance to see Akatsuki, another chance to get information on Orochimaru.

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"Orochimaru-sama! Ah!!" A faithful servant of the dark lord had now discovered the tragedy in the hideout. Everyone was dead. Everyone.

The young man ran through the halls everywhere looking for some signs of life, but got none. The hide out was now more eerie then it ever has been. The deaths were fresh.

"Orochimaru-sama can't be taken down that easily can he?!" He walked into the lord's chamber.

He was lying in a chair, a sword through his heart and curse markings all over his body.

"We've been betrayed." He coughed blood all over Kabuto who was lying in front of him, also dead. "It was…Sasuke."

The man was shocked. "How could you have gone down so easily?!"

"Idiot! I didn't! I'm still alive! -but just barely. That's where you come in."

-

The young servant listened carefully to Orochimaru's words and gathered everything his lord needed.

"The curse will kill me in 3 days. You will transfer my soul into your body. What's with that face?! Aren't you my servant! This way you can serve me forever. "

"I'm here, Orochimaru-sama."

"Good, now let's commence. Do exactly as I say."

-------

He stopped at a tea house. He reached down to grab the cup, but it cracked before his hands. This was a bad omen.

He left a bit of money on his seat and left the tea house quickly.

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"Ah, looks like it's finally over!" Sakura stood up and stretched. It was morning and they'd already cleaned up camp. Team Kakashi finally got a good night's sleep.

Those were the only words spoken though. Naruto and Kakashi acknowledge her words, but didn't reply. They all headed out.

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"You've been good to me and I'd like to thank you for your services." Orochimaru stood up and tested his hands. He clenched his fists and punched the wall in front of him. This body would do for now.

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He stood and dashed through the forest. He'd just killed all those people, it was an order after all, but he couldn't shake the feeling like he was being followed.

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Team Kakashi reached the outskirts of the desert. They'd been traveling at an amazing speed and would in fact reach their destination in 5 days. It was forest from here on out.

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Orochimaru looked around at his dead underlings. 'What a waste. It's not matter though; I'll be able to replace them all easily.'

He took a step in his new body. He wanted to experiment, and he wanted to find that traitor basterd, Sasuke.

He headed towards the entrance of the hide out with a devilish grin on his face. 'Sasuke, did you really think it would be that easy to get rid of me? Or, knowing you, do you have a bigger plan?' This thought disturbed Orochimaru a bit, but it quickly passed, he was invincible after all.

He dashed out into the forest ahead.

-------

He sensed him.

He sensed him.

He knew where to go and what to do.

He veered a left towards the desert.

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"I sense that traitor." Orochimaru jumped up into the trees and hooked a right, toward the desert.

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Sakura felt an overwhelming power of darkness. Something was coming right at them, but she couldn't figure it out what until –

BAM!

She ran face first into –

"What…?" She looked up and saw…no. It couldn't be! She looked to her left and right, rapidly moving her head. Her companions were gone. Was this some sort of genjustu?!

-------

He was almost there.

His stained hands, stained with blood.

He was so close to the two things he wanted.

The main one being Naruto.

Akatsuki was counting on him.

Itachi was ready.

Haha! I bet you weren't expecting the 'He' parts to be Itachi! Well, they all were.

Hmm…who did Sakura run into? You'll just have to wait till le next chapter to find out.

Now….REVIEW!! please and thank you.

-Berrinda