I know how scary you Naruto people can get about pairings (I know because I'm the same way xD)

But, again, please don't attack this story because of your opinion on who should end up with whom.

-Anii

Chapter 3: "I own the right to let go- destroy you."

― Don't Stop by Innerpartysystem

Itachi's last word hung in the air around her. Akatsuki. Join the Akatsuki. She'd be saving the lives of people who would eventually kill those she loved and destroy her village, her home.

But the Akatsuki had Naruto. Orochimaru had Sasuke. While the village had many amazing ninjas, she had to say that without Naruto and Sasuke, the village wouldn't stand a chance against the threat of the Akatsuki.

Would Naruto ever forgive her if she chose to save him? Ninjas expected to die for their village. But the village needs Naruto, she argued.

She swam in her own thoughts like she had fallen in her own little world. She heard a voice. However, the voice was distorted; it sounded as if she were underwater and they were above the surface, trying to relay something to her. The room's sinister colors swirled together before her eyes and her breath came out in ragged exhales.

Itachi's voice cut clean through this world she had sunken into, his words ringing clear in her ears. "Make a choice, Kunoichi."

The swirling colors dispersed and the world was back into straight and aligned objects. Sakura found herself staring directly into the Uchiha's, cold red eyes.

She took a deep breath and forced the words out of her mouth, trying to sound strong. "How will I prove myself?"

"Your friend is on the brink of death." He began.

Her eyes widened, "That's not possible for me to do in my condition." I barely have enough energy to keep my body steady.

"You will be given food and in exactly one hour you will be expected to heal him as best you can."

The man next to Itachi was shaking, whether from fear/anger/whatever, Sakura couldn't tell.

Kisame swung the door open that Itachi and Sakura had entered from and glanced at everyone in the room. "Did I miss the party?

"Kisame, make sure Sakura gets something to eat." Itachi ordered.

Kisame's eyes narrowed but he obeyed, yanking Sakura up from her seat.

"Kisame." Itachi said harshly. "Do not injure her."

Kisame rolled his eyes and muttered low to himself. He pushed Sakura towards the door the unnamed Akatsuki member had come from. He pushed open the door with a grunt, revealing a kitchen devoid of humans. Kisame stepped through, dragging her behind him, and shuffled about the kitchen. He handed her a bowel full of ramen, steam rising up from the bowl.

Sakura looked from the ramen up to him over and over again and he rolled his eyes. "Would I poison you when I've had so many chances already to wring your scrawny neck!?" He hissed.

Sakura struggled with herself but her stomach made the final decision for her when it rumbled loudly. She downed the steaming ramen, not even feeling the burn of the extremely hot contents as it passed down her throat.

••••••••

Itachi remained where he was, not moving a muscle. Madara removed his mask and glared at Itachi with burning eyes. "What was that!" he hissed dangerously. "How many times have you said you care nothing for the other Akatsuki members! Now you offer to do something that might hinder Akatsuki's goals all for a medic! She's unskilled! She's young! She's a leaf ninja!"

Itachi didn't even look at the other man, just stared off blankly into space. "It's true that I care nothing for the other members. But you are wrong to assume I am hindering Akatsuki's goals." Itachi's eyes fluttered closed. "When members die left and right that hinders our goals. In fact, I am merely protecting the goals Akatsuki members all try to carry out. A medic is needed. While she is young and appears weak, she was trained by a legendary Sanin. She cannot be underestimated. No deal has been stuck, Madara. We will test her soon. If she fails, we still get the nine tailed fox and we can easily kill the Kunoichi." Itachi said matter-of-factly.

Madara's fists shook at his sides with anger, "You're a damn liar. There's some underlying motive here, Itachi."

Itachi shrugged his shoulders and his eyes opened again. "Does it matter?"

He gnawed his lip and looked away from his kinsman. "Were you honest in saying you could separate the nine tailed beast from the host's soul?"

"Do you doubt my power?" Itachi said, already knowing the answer.

Rather than giving it to him, Madara slapped his mask back on and resumed his alias. He spun into the kitchen, throwing his arms around Sakura who was downing another bowl of ramen.

Kisame stared at her, the urge to drop his mouth was very clear but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing she had surprised him. For someone so small, she certainly ate a lot.

Tobi yanked the bowel away from her and chided, "You'll get sick if you eat too much."

He wagged his finger in front of her face.

Sakura wiped a trail of juice from the corner of her mouth. The ramen had been delicious and had eased the pain in her stomach. She felt some of her strength return and with that came her chakra. She flexed her fingers before curling them into a tight fist. An idea of grabbing Naruto and running crossed her mind but it was easily dismissed. One Akatsuki member would be enough to kill her in her current state and she was surrounded by three of them.

How many more where in this building she didn't know of? It would be safer to play by their rules for a while.

"Kisame, go outside and play or something. I'll take care of the girl." Tobi waved a hand in Kisame's face and the shark man was tempted to bite it off.

Kisame's muscles twitched, "Play?"

Tobi lifted Sakura up gently from the chair she had been sat in and shooed Kisame away. Kisame opened his mouth to argue, Itachi had told Kisame to take care of the leaf medic. Disobeying Itachi was a fatal mistake. Tobi saw it in Kisame's small beady eyes and swung the door open, Itachi still sat in the same chair he had before.

"Itachi! The girl and I are going to play! Let the fish have his freedom for a bit!"

"Fish!?" Kisame growled.

Tobi giggled like a little girl and rushed out of a door in the kitchen, holding on to Sakura's arm. Sakura stumbled after him and Tobi slammed the door behind her. Kisame snatched the bowel Sakura had been eating from and threw it at the wall, shattering it into tiny pieces. The sound reached Tobi and Sakura's ears making Sakura wince and Tobi chuckle.

He thrust out his hand. "I'm Tobi."

Sakura reluctantly clasped Tobi's hand with hers. "Sakura Haruno."

"Sakura! Such a befitting name for such a pretty girl!"

Sakura had to keep reminding herself that Tobi was a member of Akatsuki. Tobi held on to Sakura's arms loosely and chatted about her "stay at the Akatsuki hotel."

"Well, you'll need a room." He tapped his mask with his finger as he thought about this. "A good rest on an actual bed is needed if you hope to heal a boy as badly injured as your friend." Tobi rambled.

He released Sakura's arm, ran a little ahead of her, and made a left. Sakura stopped, was this her chance to escape? Tobi poked his head out over the corner, waving his arm wildly. "Sakura! Over here!"

Sakura sighed and hurried toward Tobi. He pulled her gently down another long hallway. This hallway was much different than the hallways she had been in recently. She drank in the warm peach color of the walls, the beautiful, shiny floor boards, and the high white ceiling of the hallway she now walked in with Tobi.

She watched Tobi jerk doors open and close them in rapid movements. He opened one door and a bar of soap came flying out of it. He ducked easily and Sakura heard yelling coming from the room. A blonde man, only a towel around his waist, lunged at Tobi, who stepped out-of-the-way quickly.

"Jeez, Tobi! Don't just open the bathroom whenever you please! You creep!" the man shouted.

Tobi giggled and hid behind Sakura. Sakura stared at the man as he stomped over and looked her over. He must have been another Akatsuki member, she could tell that even without his cloak. His mischievous blue eyes and cocky grin gave him away instantly. He put his hands on his hips and bent over Sakura. She watched his every move without moving herself.

"And who might this be?" He said, leaning down so he was nose-to-nose with Sakura.

Tobi put his hand on the mans face and shoved him away. "She's a child, Deidara! Who's the pervert now!?"

Deidara ground his teeth together and glared at Tobi. Tobi laughed and put a hand on Sakura's shoulders, gently pushing her forward. "Come now, Sakura. Tobi will find you a big comfy bed. Would you like that?" Tobi said cheerfully.

Sakura heard Deidara grumble as he waltzed back into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him loudly. Sakura had to suppress a smile. While Akatsuki were merciless killers, Sakura enjoyed seeing Tobi picking on them. It slightly reminded her of home. A pain hit her like a thousand needles stabbing her heart as she remembered home. Konoha.

Her home. The home she would ultimately be destroying by becoming a member of the Akatsuki. Tobi thrust one last room open, stuck his head in and smiled. "This is it!" I'll come back to get you in an hour. Don't go anywhere. If you do you will most definably be killed." he warned.

Sakura stepped into the room and examined it carefully. Tobi closed the door and left her alone. The walls where a darker shade of purple; the floor was plain brown wood, nothing special. There was a pure white love seat and a white bed with four posts sprouting from each corner. A thin white canopy hung over the bed and was tied to each post.

There were no windows. How lovely.

A bookshelf covered the entire wall opposite the doorway. A desk, pressed against the wall, sat to Sakura's right. Sakura wandered over to the bed. It looked so soft.

Immediately, she became aware of her aching back and tired body. She fell, face first on to the amazingly comfortable bed. She thought of the friend's she had been taken from. Each of their smiling faces appeared before her eyes. When she got to Tsunade her chest swelled and tears threatened to spill over.

What the hell could she do in a situation like this? She could refuse and let Naruto die or she could agree and heal people her loved ones were dying to kill, literally. Or she could go the sneaky route, which she preferred in this situation, and lie and say she would heal them to save Naruto then refuse when the time came. They would kill her for sure once she refused but it solved both her problems and with that, she slipped graciously into sleep.

Let me know how I'm doing lol -Anii