Haruno Sakura was without teammates.
Not that she hadn't been on her own before, but this was unfair. Really unfair. And sure, she had been in unfair odds before, but like stated before, this was really unfair.
This was like pairing a genin up against two jonins.
And yet, here she was, without teammates, backup, or help. Yes, ANBU captain Haruno Sakura was without her team: Hyuuga Hinata and the weapon master Tenten.
She was also without ANBU captain Uzumaki Naruto's team: Hyuuga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, and Rock Lee.
Seven ANBU should have been enough, except now there was one. Who knew where the others were.
Probably fighting with their own opponents.
Seven ANBU against five Akatsuki, they should have been able to do it. They would have, if they hadn't split up. If the bombs hadn't flown at them.
It also was quite unfair that she was fighting Uchiha Itachi, who should have been dead, and Hoshigake Kisame. All by herself. With their lackeys hidden in the trees, hurling kunai at her.
A punch aimed at her head took her out of her reverie. She dodged the blow only to grit her teeth in pain as a sharp Samehada attacked her left shoulder. She moved her arm away so her charka wouldn't be eaten away.
She kicked Kisame in the stomach and twisted back around to dive into some undergrowth while Kisame was momentarily occupied by her chakra-filled kick. And – not to be noticed – she masked her chakra until it was barely there.
That was when the Uchiha, presumed dead, flicked a kunai in her general direction, missing her by a mere centimeter.
The only thing that was to her favor right now was that the Uchiha hadn't gone after Naruto. She figured he could handle himself with any other Akatsuki.
She narrowed her eyes in the dark. As she reflected another kunai. It landed with a splash in the lake near her.
Another thing not in her favor – Hoshigake used water-based attacks. And she was right next to a lake.
That thought was amplified when a giant, chilling blast was sent to her face, knocking her backwards.
She gasped at the unexpected moisture and countered with a barrage of kunai. She narrowed her eyes and with a flick of her finger, had caught Hoshigake in a genjutsu. Her skills in that field could rival the famous Uchiha's.
What Kisame saw was Sakura stabbing him with an unknown sword. The surroundings were the same making it look like no genjutsu had ever been cast. He pulled the sword out of his gut, choking. She stabbed him in the right arm. In the leg. Over and over.
It was broken when Sakura was hit with a kunai in her back. Pain shot up her back as Itachi's well-aimed kunai struck. Fuck.
She almost went flying into the lake when an explosion erupted next to her foot. That was all it took – the knowledge that not only two, but three Akatsuki were after her – made her give in to panic.
Her genin self was emerging, her ANBU self being pushed away.
"Don't lose it, don't lose it, don't lose…" She broke off finally locating the third attacker, Deidara.
But Deidara wasn't what was interesting her. No, it was what Deidara held.
"Naruto!!"
She flipped backward as another punch came at her.
Akatsuki disappeared with their prize, her best friend, her brother, Naruto.
"Naruto! No! No…"
The Akatsuki were gone, it was dark, and she was broken beyond repair on the inside. She was already half-dead.
It was just her luck that five Oto nins happened to be speeding her way, drawn to the noise of battle like moths to light.
If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at aaaall!!
And, if that wasn't bad enough, her inner had decided tocome out.
Joy.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Sakura didn't know where she was.
Scratch that, she knew exactly where she was: A dirty gray and brown cell that smelled of blood, vomit, and dead carcasses. It was a nasty, dank prison with little light and chains on the wall behind her along with Naruto.
…wait! Naruto?!
"Naruto!!" Sakura cried.
Obviously, said boy continued to be knocked-out cold. Sakura sighed and waited for either Naruto to wake up or her captor to come in.
In the meantime she would just have to make an escape plan.
The strategist of team seven wasn't out yet.
If only she had known.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
"It looks as if one of our little prisoners have awakened, un? Care to enlighten them, Kisame?" A blonde-haired Deidara asked.
"Heh. Why not?" Kisame replied.
"Make sure to torture the killer of Sasori." Deidara smirked.
"Tch. Deidara, Sasori's alive again, remember?" Kisame sighed. "But who am I to deny one's wishes, eh?"
Itachi, who had been watching from the corner, looked over at them. "Kisame," he warned, "Both captives must be alive and the medic must willing to cooperate."
"Heh. Gotcha, Itachi." Kisame chuckled.
"Hn."
The sharingan-user continued to follow Kisame with his eyes until the blue-skinned man was in the prison. Itachi then proceeded to disappear, completely ignoring the blonde male he had left behind.
Deidara sighed as he realized he was the only one left in the room. Then he wished he could disappear as he heard a resounding "SEMPAI!!"
"Tobi…" He groaned, before repeatedly banging his head on a nearby wall. "Why couldn't he be in freaking love with Zetsu?!"
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Sakura lifted her head off the ground as the door creaked open.
Her eyes widened and then narrowed as she watched a tall, blue man step in with a giant sword balanced on his shoulders.
She shot to her knees and stretched her arms to the side of her, as if daring him to come any closer to her blonde, sleeping friend. A scowling, determined look resided on her face.
Kisame guffawed. "Ooh, a fierce little kitten, protecting her friend!" He grinned and brought his face closer to Sakura's. "Did you know kitties have nine lives?" Sakura could smell his putrid breath and see every speck of dirt on his grimy face. "So it won't matter if I cut out a few of those, will it?"
Sakura was too busy thinking of a way to bring the big guy down to answer.
"Kitten doesn't have an answer, huh? Don't worry…it'll only hurt a lot."
"A kitten can die if it has already been killed eight times over." Came the soft reply. "And after this, I'll have been to hell and back!" She spat the last part out.
"So you will have, kitten, so you will." He laughed in his rough, sandpapery voice. "Now if you'll agree to our proposition…"
"Bite me."
"We'll have time for that later." Kisame grinned. "I promise."
"Bastard!" She hissed.
And that one word set of a chain of reactions. Kisame's face twisted up in rage, Naruto's eyes opened and he muttered, "Teme?" And Sakura screamed as an angry Kisame's Samehada delved into her stomach.
Blood trickled out of her mouth, and she released her protecting position to grab her stomach. Her face contorted in pain. She coughed up more blood as she realized she had crossed the border with Kisame.
Naruto, who was now fully awake, shot up and was next to Sakura. He looked at Sakura with concern and then looked up at Kisame. His eyes were crimson and his whiskers more prominent. He growled as he gave Kisame a glare deep and full of anger and hatred.
"You bastard."
And with those words, Sakura collapsed.
"Enough. Kisame, get Zetsu. Now."
Naruto's head snapped up to look at the voice, and then let out a growl.
"Uchiha Itachi."
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
RaNdOm DiScLaImEr: I do not own Naruto. Or Inner Sakura's song. That song is called Gloom, Dispair, and Agony on Me, or as I call it: The Camping Song!
A/N: Yes, I know, I promised longer! I'm SORRY!! Don't kill me! (dodge's flying eraser). I swear I'll do all I can to make it longer next time! And I'll update faster! I'm sorry it took so long! My muses were only created today and therefore I had the energy to fix it!
Word Count: 1,418