DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN NARUTO
Character Surprise! Read it, Love it, Review it please!
Update: I HAVE CHANGED SOME THINGS IN THE STORY. (Mainly in chapters 2 and 3)
Chapter Four: Guess who's back?
She fell asleep in his arms, leaving him feeling more alive than he had in decades. No woman had ever been as good a lover as Sakura. And he hadn't forgotten how to please a woman, even after twenty-some years.
They were still covered in sweat as they laid together, entwined in each other's arms. Sakura had been the one to pull the covers over their naked bodies before closing her eyes, a pleasant smile on her lips. Sasori was still reveling in her scent as he had fallen asleep.
The next morning Sasori woke early so that none of the other members might find the two of them together. He looked down at the beautiful face in his arms and kissed her lips. They still tasted so sweet. He ran his hand down her back as she yawned, waking.
Last night she had shown she wasn't nearly as innocent as she appeared. This girl was a wicked vixen, and a bold lover. Even he had been surprised when she had been the one to begin the kiss. Sasori for the first time was thankful that becoming a puppet had stopped time for him so that he could be here in this moment with her. From all his memories with other women, so long ago, none compared to the petite pink-haired girl lying next to him.
'Look at me.' He thought with a mental smirk. 'I've gone soft.'
There was a pleased smile on her face as she opened her eyes. Sasori felt a strange warm feeling inside him. Suddenly her eyes clouded and her smile was gone.
"What have I done?" she gasped, tensing.
Sasori wrapped his arms around her and brought her close, putting his forehead against hers. She didn't try to push him away, but instead let him caress her as she fought the conflicting emotions inside her. Sasori watched the emotions as they flitted across her face; guilt, happiness, regret, and finally resignation.
"What's done is done." She murmured, looking up at him with some guilt remaining in her eyes. But she still smiled at him. "I enjoyed last night."
"So did I." he whispered, kissing her passionately.
Sakura sighed after a few more kisses. "What are we going to do now?"
"As far as I'm concerned, we are going to do this every night." Sasori said as he went for her neck. Sakura moaned at his touch.
"You know… that's not what… I mean." She said breathing heavily.
Sasori sighed and pulled away. "I don't think it's a good idea to just announce it to the others."
"Then what should we do?"
"Just let them figure it out for themselves." He shrugged. "We can't be too open about our relationship. Don't forget what these men are; what they have done. We don't spare loved ones or innocents."
Sakura nodded. "I know." She said softly. "All of you are criminals."
Sasori thought of how the others were kind to her. "I doubt they will try to hurt you unless you were to turn against the Akatsuki."
"Sasori." Sakura said. "I am still a ninja of Konoha."
Sasori sighed. Damn her logic. "We all remember that. But you are trapped here with us now."
She laughed mischievously. "I don't think I mind so much anymore now that I have someone to keep me busy."
Sakura began to rub his chest, making him want her again. He stroked her hair and inhaled her scent, floral with a hint of spice. It was so her. He kissed her ear.
"We should get up. I need breakfast." He chuckled at her disappointed face. "I let you cook, okay?"
She nodded and they got out of bed to get dress. Sasori glanced her worried face a couple times. The guilt was visible there.
"I feel like I've betrayed Konoha and all my friends." She admitted when she caught him watching her.
"I understand." Sasori said calmly.
"Do you?" she asked him doubtfully.
"You feel guilty for being happy with me." He shrugged. "Don't be."
She sighed and smiled at him, her eyes brazenly roaming his body as he was reaching for his shirt. Sasori enjoyed the feel of her eyes on his chest and back. When he had pulled his shirt over him, he heard her huff in disappointment.
"You can see them again tonight. Or even sooner." He promised her. Sakura grinned and kissed him before heading for the door.
She stuck her head out for a moment, then turned back to him. "All clear."
Then went to the kitchen and began making breakfast, Sakura pulling out a waffle maker that Kisame must have bought the other day. Sasori found the waffle mix, and then he and Sakura began making breakfast for themselves and the Akatsuki.
"I'll smell something positively heavenly!" Deidara exclaimed as he skipped down the stairs, followed by a bleary-eyed Kisame. He was way too cheery in the mornings. Sasori went back to mixing the batter.
"Whoa, it's strange seeing the two of you together without you guys making dagger eyes at each other." Deidara looked between them. He walked over to Sakura and gave a peck on her cheek as he accepted the waffles she handed him.
Sasori scowled, but knew Deidara didn't mean anything by it, so let it slide. Kisame smiled at Sakura as he accepted his own plate of waffles. Itachi walked in as he was pulling his hair into a low ponytail.
"You're making us breakfast?" he asked Sakura, the Uchiha genuinely surprised for once.
Sakura shrugged. "I've got nothing else to do." She said and winked at Sasori.
Kisame and Deidara were fighting over the syrup and didn't notice it, but Itachi did, and looked between them. Then he shrugged and walked over to the table, snatching the syrup from both Kisame and Deidara.
~~~Flower of Konoha~~~
There was a tense silence as everyone thought back to the pink haired medical ninja with a wicked right hook and snappy comebacks. A friend close to all of them. None of them had ever imagined that she would be gone.
Hinata sniffed again, and Ino reached out to grip her hand. "We will never give up, Hinata." Ino said quietly.
"Damn right we won't!" Naruto growled. "You'll see, Hinata. She'll be back and this will all have been a bad dream."
"But it's not a dream." Hinata whispered.
Neji put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her. It was so awkward to do so; it had been years since he had last hugged her, back when they were childhood friends. But he didn't like to see her cry, especially since every time she cried it reminded him that he had made her cry all too often when he had created the rift in their friendship.
"Sakura wouldn't want us to cry, Hinata." Neji told her.
"Yeah," Ino smiled sadly. "She'd be hitting us in the head and yelling at us how crying doesn't help in any way."
Hinata laughed. "Yeah, she would be."
There was a rustle in the trees, a movement, and in a second everyone had jumped up and a defensive circle with their backs to the fire pit, weapons drawn.
"Who's there?" Naruto called out.
"The one you're looking for." Came Sasuke's voice came from the trees as he stepped into the firelight.
Everyone stared at him, assessing the three people behind him. There was a girl behind him in slutty clothes who had red hair and wore glasses. Beside her was a young man about Sasuke's age with mauve hair, a large sword, and a grin that showed off sharpened teeth. Behind them was a large man with orange hair and surprisingly kind eyes.
"Well he could have just done that in the first place instead of making us search the mountain." Ino muttered.
"Hush, Ino." Shikamaru glared at her.
"Just sayin'." She shrugged.
"Naruto." Sasuke stared at them. "I see you brought friends this time, but I overheard your conversation. Where's Sakura?"
There was another tense silence and Sasuke picked up on it right away. "Maybe I should be asking what happened to Sakura?" he asked.
"Who's Sakura?" the redhead behind him asked with a hint of jealousy in her nasally and obnoxious voice. Ino decided she didn't like that girl.
"Why does it matter to you?" Neji spoke up.
Sasuke's gaze turned to Neji. "A Hyuuga. Neji, if I remember correctly."
Neji nodded.
"It matters because she is my ex-teammate." Sasuke said, his voice slightly irritated. "Plus, I am curious."
But both Neji and Shikamaru saw the worry that flashed in his eyes for a moment. They glanced at each other, a thought passing between them. Both turned back to Sasuke.
"How troublesome you and your team are." Shikamaru said obnoxiously.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Naruto swiveled around to glare at Shikamaru, but Ino caught Naruto's eye and winked at him. She understood what Shikamaru was doing. Then Ino turned to Hinata and made a hand sign for her to be quiet. Hinata nodded.
"Naruto by himself is such a handful." Shikamaru complained. "And with the Akatsuki after him we have to follow him around in order to keep in protected. And then you're off gallivanting with criminals while your annoying and loyal friend here convinces the Hokage to let him look for you."
Naruto knew Shikamaru didn't mean it, but he couldn't help clenching his fists, knowing that there were people in the village who would have agreed.
"Yeah," Neji agreed and Sasuke turned to listen to him. "And then your other teammate… Sakura, right? Then she has to go missing! And because she's the Hokage's precious apprentice, the village begins to scour the country looking for her, wasting valuable resources."
Sasuke's fists clenched, but he kept face blank.
"They made such a big deal out of it!" Shikamaru complained. "Ninjas disappear all the time. Sakura wasn't the first kunoichi to go missing, and she won't be the last."
Hinata shivered at the truth in those words but kept her gaze down. The words were hurtful, considering they were talking about Sakura, but she knew it was all an act. But still, they were hurtful.
"How can you say that?" Sasuke said with a dangerously calm voice. But everyone could sense the tight fury that was building inside him. "Naruto, how can you let them say that?"
Naruto clenched jaw and turned to Sasuke. "I…"
"Because you know it's true, Naruto." Ino said sadly. "Sakura is gone. Too much time has passed and you know it. There's no way she's still alive by now."
"And why do you say that?" Sasuke snapped, fury in his eyes, but he kept his voice calm. "Weren't you supposed to be her best friend? Some friend you are then."
'That hurts.' Ino thought.
"Sasuke," she said angrily. "When a kunoichi goes missing, the first two days are the window of opportunity. But after a week the kunoichi is likely dead. After a month there is no way she's coming back."
Hinata glanced at Ino, knowing that saying those words was killing Ino on the inside. She would have broken down and cried if she had to say such words about Sakura. 'Forgive us, Sakura.' She thought.
"And how long has it been?" Sasuke inquired.
"Almost three months now." Naruto replied, closing his eyes in pain for a moment. "It was my fault."
"How was it your fault?" Sasuke's voice went cold.
'Well, well.' Ino thought. 'Looks like someone's about to get very pissed off.'
"Answer me, Naruto! What did you do?" Sasuke demanded.
"I should have been there!" Naruto yelled, a tear trailing down his cheek. All his suppressed guilt came out now; all those nights he blamed himself for not getting to her in time.
"Her partner was killed, and she was left to fight alone!" Naruto's fury was intimidating to everyone but Sasuke. "But I let my anger control me and I allowed myself to be tricked into fighting someone else farther away. They separated us, and I let it happen! She was already weak from healing Kankuro from that poison, but she came along to help anyway! And I took too long to get back to her… I played right into the Akatsuki's hands…"
Sasuke glared at Naruto. "You let her be taken by the Akatsuki?"
"Well sorry, next time we'll make sure she's taken by the Mist Ninja." Ino snapped at him.
"This is such a touching reunion." Shikamaru grumbled.
"SHUT UP!" Sasuke and Naruto yelled at Shikamaru, and then they continued to argue. Sasuke's team Hebi was watching him in stunned silence. They had never seen him lose his temper before. Ino was enjoying the look on their faces.
"Well we finally got him to lose his temper. Now what?" Ino whispered to Shikamaru.
"We wing it." He mumbled back.
"That's reassuring." Neji commented.
Ino rolled her eyes and raised her voice as she called to Naruto. "Come on, Naruto, let's get this over with."
Naruto and Sasuke glanced back at her.
"So you've come to take me back while Sakura is still out there and in more danger than I am?" Sasuke asked in that dangerously calm voice.
Naruto growled.
"Well she's not in danger if she's dead." Neji said sarcastically.
"YOU SHUT UP, HYUUGA!" Sasuke roared.
"Death would be better for her." Hinata muttered.
"What did you say?" Sasuke turned to look at Hinata for the first time.
"I said that death would be better for her!" Hinata said, her voice shaky but she kept her eyes up. "Think about it! She was captured by the most powerful criminal organization in the country, and as far as we know, all its members are evil, sick, demented men. What are men like that going to do with a pretty girl like Sakura?"
Everyone was quiet and in shock.
"Everyone back in the village didn't want to think about it! They just kept saying 'she'll be fine' and 'she's a strong girl'. They just couldn't bear the thought of what those men might do to her!" There were tears on her cheeks, but Hinata's anger allowed her to ignore them as she continued. "But I thought about it! I couldn't seem to stop thinking about it!"
Hinata's tears slowed, but her rage was what left her trembling and clutching her kunai until her knuckles were white. Then she finished her rant with, "Sakura managed to send us one last clue as to where they were taking her, but we still weren't able to find her! Yet you don't even want us to find you, but here you are! It's. Not. Fair!"
Ino reached over to hold Hinata's hand. Hinata wasn't even close to breaking down to tears. Instead Ino was worried that Hinata was about to kill Sasuke.
'Wouldn't that be a sight to remember? Ha!' Ino thought with dark humor.
"Huh. Never thought of it that way." Shikamaru said as if he were commenting on the weather. "I guess there are some things worse than death. And it's been three months already. Must suck for her if she's still alive."
"SHUT UP!" both Naruto and Sasuke yelled.
"Ino!" Hinata whispered.
"What is it?" Ino whispered back.
"Look, Sasuke's crying!" she said quietly.
"Ehhhhh?" Ino glanced at Sasuke, and saw something glint on his face when the fire flared up. "Well I'll be damned…"
Sasuke glared at Shikamaru, then at Neji. "You all sicken me." He spat.
"This is touching." Ino said sarcastically.
"Be quiet, Ino!" Sasuke said in a voice that made her snap her mouth close. Oh he was pissed now.
"What was this last clue Sakura sent?" he asked Hinata.
Hinata straightened herself up. "That's classified."
"Screw classified!" Sasuke yelled at her, making her instinctively cringe. "Where did she say they were taking her?"
"I'll t-tell you if you come with us without a fight." Hinata said, her voice shaky.
'Well look who's suddenly the negotiator!' Ino smiled at Hinata.
Sasuke ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Fine…" he muttered. The eyes of those in team Hebi bugged out as they stared at their leader. Watching Sasuke get emotional was historical enough, but now he was going to sacrifice himself for knowledge about a girl!
"What's that? I don't think my friend here heard you." Ino mocked. "Speak up, Uchiha."
"I said 'fine'!" he yelled.
"I'll tell you once we are well on our way to Konoha." Hinata said, obviously shaken that he had agreed so quickly.
Naruto stared at Sasuke.
"How do we know you'll keep your word?" Shikamaru asked with a yawn. Shikamaru's uncaring attitude seemed to really be getting on Sasuke's nerves tonight. Sasuke glared at him.
"I promise not to run off once you tell me the clue." He said. "And I promise to come with you without a fight."
"That's not much to go on." Neji pointed out.
"I never break a promise." Sasuke snapped.
"Sure you do." Ino piped. "But now isn't the time to dwell on that. I'm tired and I'd like some sleep before we leave in the morning."
Sasuke's team was already walking back to their camp.
"Before going to Konoha though…" Sasuke said. Everyone looked at him. "I want you to take me to the last place you were searching for Sakura. And I want us to try and find her."
Now Ino was pissed. She stalked over to Sasuke so fast that no one had time to react as she fixed him with an icy blue glare and stopped inches from his face.
"Since when do you care about Sakura?" she yelled at him. "She never meant anything to you! And for your information, Sakura has lived almost four years now without you! And guess what? She's been happy! And when have you ever made her happy?"
"Ino…" Naruto reached out for her but she slapped his hand away.
"Don't go pretending that you care, Uchiha." She hissed. "Sakura is better off without you giving her false hopes and then ripping them away from her for kicks! I bet you think it's so funny! Sweet, gullible Sakura; fall for anything!"
"Ino!" Shikamaru put a hand to his forehead. "Troublesome woman!"
"But she's your troublesome woman." Neji said. "I'm not suicidal enough to go try and stop that. Shikamaru, this is you problem."
"Thanks." Shikamaru grumbled.
"No." Hinata told them. "Let her speak."
Shikamaru, Neji, and Naruto stared at Hinata, and then backed away form Ino. They weren't going to get themselves killed if they could help it. If worst came to worst, they could blame Hinata.
"I don't think it's funny!" Sasuke protested furiously.
"Oh so I guess this is just a measure of yourself? See how many times you can hurt a girl before she realizes that she should just stay away?" Ino snapped. "If Sakura means nothing to you, Sasuke, then don't go trying to help her."
And with that Ino spun on her heel and walked away, her ponytail whipping Sasuke in the face. She walked back to Hinata and winked. Ino always felt happiest after she's thoroughly chewed someone up and spit them out.
Sasuke turned around to follow his teammates. "I'll meet you all here tomorrow morning." He said over his shoulder, then walked into the woods. No one saw him angrily wipe his cheek as he disappeared into the night.
Hinata slumped against Neji.
"You did great tonight." He told her.
"I… I think I've used up the rest of my courage for the year." She mumbled.
Neji laughed softly. "You earned it. Now let's get some sleep."
Everyone agreed lay down to get some rest. Except Naruto, who called first watch. Naruto stared at the stars, wondering if Sakura was looking at the same stars.
Sasuke's back! *gasp* And he seems to be- *gasp* -worried about Sakura!
Sasuke: "Psh, Uchihas are never worried.
Me: Hush, this is my section.
Anyways, for all you Ino fans out there, I hoped you enjoyed her rant at Sasuke! And for those Hidan X Sakura fans out there, there's going to be a little scene for y'all coming up. Nothing serious, but cute ^^
So keep reading everyone!
