Hello, everyone. I am sorry it has taken this long to update, but trust me, I've been through absolute hell this past few months. If this chapter seems short, it's because it was originally supposed to be over thirty pages long, so I just split it in two. The next part, I guarantee will be uploaded Thursday, when I finally the editing. Any ways, on with the story!
Disclaimer: Ha. Like I could ever come up with something as awesome as Naruto. In other words, Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.
A Passing Butterfly
"Sasuke...I'm not so sure about this..." Sakura whispered, squirming under him.
"Why not?" Her male counterpart demanded, keeping her pinned to the bed. His eyes narrowed as she flinched away from his intense gaze.
Her only reply was to shut her eyes and clutch at the blankets beneath them. A pillow she had shifted prevented their bare torsos from touching, resulting as a shield for her and torture for the Uchiha.
It was the second week after Sakura moved into the compound with him, and already Sasuke was attempting to bring their relationship to a new level. Yesterday had been kissing; tonight was exploring each other's bodies, as Sasuke called it. Apparently, he had neglected to inform her that it included love making.
They had been kissing(whilst removing articles of their clothing) for about half an hour, and already Sasuke insisted they try something new.
"Sakura...I cannot see why you are taking this too seriously. Haven't you done this before?"
She turned her head, embarrassed by his query. "No..."
The second she saw the small, teasing grin on his face she knew she should have lied. The pillow she had put between them was suddenly yanked away and a totally new sensation enveloped her body as his warm chest finally made contact with her breasts. At the same time his lips found his way to the area between her neck and shoulders and sucked at a spot he knew was sensitive to her. Unable to resist the effects his ministrations were having on her, she let go of the sheets and lightly rested the tips of her fingers on his back. Their legs tangled in the sheets, hers bare, his covered in denim.
"S-Sasuke..."
The Uchiha stopped pleasuring her and looked down at his lover with soft eyes filled with desire; desire for her and her alone. "You should have told me...I would've been a lot easier on you."
"I...I thought you would have been annoyed..." Sakura tensed when he narrowed his endless black eyes at her. Instead of denigrating her, he shifted his position so that instead of lying on top of her, his knees were straddling the kunoichi's slim waist. He caught both her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head. Almost immediately she began to struggle against him , her soft skin rubbing against the erection that was straining against the crotch of his jeans. Her erratic movements were driving him over the edge, threatening to release his oncoming pleasure sooner than he wanted it to. Hoping to make clear his intentions, he rocked against her hips, forcing her to take notice of his growing arousal.
Nostrils flaring slightly when he heard the soft moan his touch elicited , he leaned down until his lips were barely an inch away from hers.
"Why would it annoy me...when all it does is make you mine?" Without waiting for an answer he seized her hair in his free hand and yanked her head back, giving him better access to her parted lips. He ravaged them savagely with his own, his tongue swiftly exploring the heated cavern of her mouth as if it would disappear.
Finding herself completely immobilized, the pink haired kunoichi responded to his demanding kiss as well as she could, half relieved that he didn't seem to mind her lack of experience, and the other half worried about what was to come next.
Shaking away her fears, she gasped as his free hand slid slowly, torturously, down her side. Past her rib cage, along her hips, until it came to a rest along her quivering thigh. Her breathing quickened, the rapid beating of her heart becoming known to the avenger when he felt it through her chest as he pressed himself closer to her.
Desperate to at least give her lover some attention, she bucked her lower body against his, allowing herself a soft smile as his eyes widened at the pleasant feeling that washed over his lower regions.
But it was not to last long. After a few seconds he pulled away, a look of regret on his face.
"D-did I do something wrong?" Sakura bit her lip nervously and pulled the blanket up to her chin, eyes closed as things dwindled down to an anticlimax.
He's rejecting me...of course I wasn't good enough...I never was...he'll hate me more than ever...Tears welled at her eyes; unable to hold them back she let one fall slowly down her cheek under her chin, then drip onto the red blanket. There would have been many more to come if she hadn't heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper being pulled down.
"No," he replied in a somewhat hoarse voice as she shyly rolled over, her back facing him.
How did we ever end up like this? I've always wanted him, but...why do I feel like something's missing? Sakura sighed softly and hugged the pillow, taking in Sasuke's unique scent. I should be grateful...I have all that I want now, but why?
Several seconds passed as she held her breath, counting his footsteps as he approached her bed. A moment of silence told her he was watching her, and she briefly wondered if he felt insulted by her lack of enthusiasm. Sex was supposed to be something special only people who were close could share, something that made both partners feel fulfilled and satisfied with one another.
It wasn't fair to Sasuke, but a feeling of dread began to arise within her. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
From the stories Temari told of her other friends in Suna, a boyfriend's job was to coddle his girlfriend, and keep her happy. Temari said that those who preferred to make sure their girlfriends were comfortable and confident before they even touched each other intimately were the best kinds of boyfriend. If they started anything too soon, the relationship may not work out.
"Now Shikamaru, on the other hand belongs to a completely different category," she remembered the Suna kunoichi said about her and Shikamaru's first time. "He fell asleep as soon as he pushed in...and it took me five hours just to get him to do that! Lazy-ass bastard."
She and Sasuke had only been dating for three months, and it was only a few nights before that he proposed to her. It wasn't that Sasuke was not a courteous person, it was merely the fact that he kept pressuring her for sex. The fact that he would leave the house for several hours whenever she refused him was enough to let her know how angry he was. When he returned about six hours later, he was back to normal, except for the peculiarity that he refused to look her directly in the eyes for a while after that. It never crossed her mind that he had satisfied his urges elsewhere. If having sex is the only thing a couple ever did, then why bother having a relationship in the first place?
Of course, Sasuke's pout as he apologized every time was enough to get her to come crawling back to him, regardless of how mad she was.
As Sakura reflected on their relationship, Sasuke yanked the blanket off her, exposing her naked body to the cool air. Irritated, the pink-haired kunoichi glared up at him, taking care not to peek at his lower regions.
"Sasuke! I told you already, I'm not ready!" Instead of answering he seized her hips and dragged her body closer towards him, knocking several pillows off the bed in doing so. The feeling of his fingernails digging mercilessly into her skin, leaving crescent-shaped indentations was torture to her.
She flailed wildly in panic, managing to land a weak kick in his stomach area. In retaliation he
pinned her down, even harder than before.
What was worse was the way her heart clenched when she saw his face, the emotionless mask dropped to reveal a more anguished expression. Sakura could only stare blatantly into his soft eyes as his grip on her hips tightened, then relaxed.
"Blossom...you've been rejecting me ever since we started dating...is it something I've done? Sakura?"
If his expression was enough to make her heart ache, the pain in his voice as he said her name made it feel as if it would burst.
"N-no...I just don't want...I'm not ready..."
He stared down at her for a another minute, taking note of her flushed skin, her dilated pupils, even the heaving of her chest as she reached for her pillow again.
Sakura's sudden movement must have snapped him out of his trance, for he lunged at her again, his hand tight around her wrist. One of his knees bumped against her core, and she prayed dearly that he didn't feel the wetness that gathered there.
"I don't believe that," he whispered hoarsely. "You're aroused...I can tell just by looking at you...you can't lie to me."
"No...not now...just a few more days, I promise..."
"You want...need...this as much as I do." His tone softened, his voice pleading. "Just let me do all the work..."
"No..." she whispered, her voice cracking as he once more wrestled her pillow, the only shield she had, out of her tight grip.
Sasuke seemed not to hear her as he gazed down at her not-quite-full breasts. Without asking her permission he lowered his head and tentatively licked one rosy tip, a satisfied 'hmph' coming from him as she mewled at the sudden feeling.
Darting his eyes up to give her a knowing wink, he slowly took it into his mouth and lazily sucked on it, causing the pink haired kunoichi to writhe under him.
Sakura tried her best to hold in a sob that threatened to escape her throat.
Why doesn't he ever listen to me, damnit? Tears of anger and frustration poured down her cheeks, and somewhere deep in her heart, she felt a part of it break...
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the young Hyuuga that was sitting next to his hospital bed, a book in one hand and a hearing aid in the other.Having woken up with an immense headache(along with several other bodily pains), he had immediately sought out the person who was the cause of it all. And it wasn't very hard, since she was right beside him...
At the moment, her small fingers were slowly stroking the mechanical device while she flipped through the book, humming to herself.
Her long, midnight blue hair hid her face, preventing him from seeing whether or not she was really reading. That she could sit there so casually while he was in pain irked him, especially since she had been a trusted friend of his for more of his life. His unwilling fiancé even, at one time. But that was another story.
"Hinata." As soon as he heard his voice he regretted having spoken at all. I sound like Naruto high on ramen...all high-pitched and...girlish...
Hinata made no indication of having heard him. Instead, she idly flicked through a few pages before settling down to read again.
Angered that she did not even acknowledge him, he tried vainly to at least move his arm and tap her on the shoulder, anything to get her to notice him.
The most he could do was twitch one finger before he gave up.
"Kuso."
Hinata sighed once and clipped the hearing aid to her ear. "You are awake,"she remarked without sparing him a single glance. "I'm sorry. I did not hear you. You see, my hearing's been failing-"
"Spare me that crap, Hinata. You Hyuugas always use your poor hearing as an excuse to not listen to people." At the cost of having excellent eyesight, most Hyuugas were partially deaf. A weakness not unlike the eye-damaging effects of the Mangekyou and the Sharingan.
A cool autumn breeze blew in through the open window, making them both shiver slightly. Sasuke glared down at his rumpled sheets.
"And in regards to listening, pray tell me, what exactly have you been doing all this time, Sasuke-kun?"
The mentioned Uchiha's eyes widened a fraction of an inch before turning a vibrant scarlet. The fact that her stutter disappeared when speaking to him irked him even more. Still, he refused to look at her.
"I'm afraid I do not know what you are talking about." The heiress clapped her book shut and turned to face him for the first time. Her usually calm eyes were brimming with barely suppressed anger.
"Does the name Haruno Sakura ring a bell? You know, pink hair, green eyes, your ex fiancé?"
The mention of her name brought back all the memories concerning Sakura that had flitted into the recesses of his mind. Ignoring the pain that wracked his sore body, he sat up, bracing a hand heavily against Hinata's shoulder for balance. The sharingan stayed a few more seconds before flickering out. Damn...my chakra's been drained...
"Where is she? And why are you here?"
She didn't say anything, opting instead to glare at his hand with a mixed expression akin to that of fear and revulsion. Noticing the slight trembling of her knees, he guiltily lifted his hand and watched as she shifted away from him.
"I was told to prevent you from leaving. And, due to our...friendship...Tsunade-Sama thought it best that I talk to you." She leaned forward slightly in her chair, head bowed slightly and the book held loosely in her hand, one corner almost touching the marble floor. Her eyes, no longer filled with fury, were now dull and lifeless.
Hinata could feel Sasuke's critical gaze tearing into her, yet ignored the aura of anger emanating from him. Years of training as a Hyuuga was enough to help her keep up an emotioness facade. The only downfall was of it being difficult to keep up.
"That makes sense...but what does this have to with Sakura?"
"That's why I'm here at the moment. I wanted to know what you did to make Sakura leave." Interrogate, you mean, Sasuke thought.
Not for one minute did he think the blue-haired kunoichi have the heart to torture him.
Hinata had not the heart or power to do such a thing. Childish weakness was a part of her, a weakness that only lessened a shinobi's value.
"Che. And how do you expect me to believe that? Sakura's too biddable a woman to do such a thing." His right arm gave an involuntary twitch, capturing his attention. With a lot more ease he managed to flex his fingers and thumb, now aware that he had regained the use of at least one limb. He made sure to hide this discovery from the Hyuuga, in the hopes that he could catch her off guard and force her to give him the answers he needed.
"Biddable indeed. And would a biddable woman write this?" Hinata reached into her jonin flak jacket and pulled out a small, narrow envelope, the type one would usually write cheques in.
Sasuke frowned. "What is it?" He asked in the same eerie, calm voice he had used since waking up.
"A letter that was found in Sakura's room. It's addressed to you." And sure enough, he beheld his name, written in his Blossom's messy scrawl.
"Give it to me."
"Sasuke-kun, I somehow doubt you could achieve opening a letter in your...current...condition."
"Just read it, Hinata." If only I can get her to come closer, I might be able to turn things to my advantage... A violent twitching in the biceps of his left arm signaled that he now had full control of it.
A half hearted smile was his reply.
"This isn't a give and take."
"Oh?"
"Tsunade-sama gave me very specific instructions. The letter is mine until you comply with my orders. In return, I will hand it over to you. However, the Hokage requests that she be notified of any and all of the contents within said letter. Understand?"
"Hn."
"Good.. Now,all you need to do is answer me one question and one question only. What did you do to make Sakura leave?"
"I don't know."
"Huh." She stood and pocketed the letter, all too aware of the frustration that was coming off the Uchiha in waves. "'I don't know' just won't cut it."
The outline of the envelope in her back pocket was the subject of Sasuke's unwavering gaze. Now that the mere existence of that letter was brought to his knowledge, he felt as if his personal life was being violated.
"The letter is addressed to me. Therefore, what you are doing is illegal." He raised an eyebrow, as if to challenge her to prove him wrong."
"Sasuke-kun, excuse my rudeness but you are the last person to be saying that. Your own misdeeds have permanently damaged Sakura, so Tsunade-sama feels it is in her right to do whatever it takes to reverse them. In fact, has Sakura's c-"
"Don't talk about that here." Hinata frowned but kept quiet. So he still can't admit his wrongs...
Before she could continue what she was a saying a frenzied barking sounded from right outside the door. Hinata stood in front of the door listening, a curious expression on her face. It took Sasuke a few seconds to recognize Akamaru's distinctive bark before the insistent baying stopped.
So...she already has reinforcements outside...damn... It also frustrated him that they kept a guard that only Hinata would be able to talk to. Unlike Team 8, none of Team 7(except Kakashi) could understand Akamaru well. They must have kept him there to prevent me from knowing what his messages were...
Midnight blue hair swishing with her sound movement, the young kunoichi spun around and faced him again, both palms firmly planted on the small bedside table. She did not even attempt to hide the fact that whatever Akamaru said had nearly left her in a state of shock.
"Sasuke-kun, I will ask you this question one more time, and you know I expect you to tell me the truth. Do you think you have done something, anything, to influence Sakura in her decision to leave?" She pleaded silently for him to admit to his bad deeds. Tsunade had already told her Sasuke's role in Sakura's departure, but all they needed was for the truth to come out of his own mouth. Then, he wouldn't get into as much trouble, and Sakura might forgive him and return.
"No." He lied, looking right into her disappointed eyes.
Hinata stared at him oddly for a few seconds before tossing the letter on the bed and walking toward the door.
"That'll be all, Sasuke. Oh, and by the way." She paused in the doorway, lavender eyes flashing with disgust. "Congratulations. You just restored the Uchiha clan. Your little mistress is pregnant." She slammed the door shut, unwilling to see the look of shame cross his usually emotionless face.
He brought it on himself. I have no need to pity a liar. None of us do, she thought, glancing down at Akamaru, who's hackles were raised in response to his teammate's sudden anger.
"Let's go home. I'm stealing you from Kiba tonight." Akamaru stopped bristling and yipped happily, bounding ahead. He didn't mind Hinata kidnaping him, as long as she fed him.
Sighing, she kicked at a patch of dandelions, watching as the little seeds were borne away by a gentle wind, to land and sprout in a land far away from Konoha.
Almost reminiscent of the way the Konoha 12 was beginning to split.
The Butterfly Effect. A blessing, and a curse. One of life's biggest mysteries, as the commencing of one action can throw off an entire system, or affect a person, place, or thing that has no relationship to the problem-causing factor in the first place. And more often than not was the person unaware that he(or she) had set it off. Yet, there were times when it turned out for the better. For a certain kunoichi however, her life (figuratively, and if one squinted, literally) balanced precariously on the tip of a kunai. And all it would take to knock it down was something as insignificant as the passing of a butterfly.
A blessing indeed.
Or in this case, a curse, Sakura thought distractedly as she accidentally inhaled a dandelion seed that floated through the window.
Unbeknownst to the pink haired kunoichi, the Butterfly Effect was going to disrupt her life again, this time over the course of the years to come.
And to think it would all start with a single dandelion seed.
Fighting an inevitable sneeze, she closed the window and leaned against a bedpost, ignoring the grunts of pain coming from a rosebush two stories below.
He'll be fine, she thought unconcernedly on the blond nin's behalf. His own fault for running his mouths about my forehead...
Throwing a disabled Akatsuki out a window and into a bush laden with thorns was not considered a very smart thing to do, not that she cared.
Only the constant pain on her shoulder prevented her from seeing how her actions were affecting the world around her. Sasuke's actions, whether he thought so or not were the cause of her present problem, yet blaming him was not going to solve anything.
Sniffling a little, she picked up a wooden basin full of water she had collected earlier and walked toward the door. Since Deidara's surgery required a large room for her to work, Itachi allowed her to use one of the three training areas on the premises. The thought of a training ground brought back pleasant memories of Team 7 in their genin days, when Naruto and Sasuke beat each other to bloody pulps on a regular basis, leaving her to tend to their wounds afterward. They still did so, but ever since they matured, injuries were kept to a minimum. A little blush would tint her cheeks whenever she healed Sasuke, grateful for the opportunity to heal the one she loved, only to be replaced with guilt when she remembered how she used to heal Naruto. Instead of giving him kind words and gentle caresses while she healed his wounds, she would only lambast him for fighting the stoic Uchiha. Her treatment left a considerable amount to be desired. Sakura cringed inwardly, recollecting the way she slapped ointment on his bruises, completely ignorant of whether or not it hurt him. And yet, never in that entire time did he complain about her rough treatment. It was only when he left with Jiraiya that she finally realized how much he meant to her.
Hmph...you can never appreciate something until it's gone, right? Inner Sakura remarked quietly. But could you say the same for Sasuke?
Sasuke? The Uchiha avenger had been a 'passing butterfly' in her life more times than she could count. No, it was best not to think about him too much. She had new priorities now.
Speaking of priorities...She thought dryly, sniffling as she heard what must have been the front door slam. Here comes my first one right now...
I wonder how she's doing...Konan thought, smiling wistfully at a picture of a baby girl with midnight blue hair and sparkling sapphire eyes. She was grinning happily, a stuffed white tiger toy clutched in her tiny hands. Laying the framed picture next to her on the table, she was just about to continue writing up a mission report for Pein when a rather loud yell echoed from upstairs. Afterward a crash sounded from outside.Immediately she hid the portrait. Her expression changed from soft and reminiscent to hard and calculating as her eyes darted about the room, silently hoping no one had seen her little slip.
After a few minutes of tense waiting, she continued writing until she heard a door slam.
Konan glanced up from the dining room table at the blond Akatsuki as he limped his way through the front door, a scowl implanted on his face. Sighing, she gathered up her scrolls and sorted them all into little piles, all the while staring at Deidara as he stood in the doorway, fuming. She suppressed an amused smile when he clamped the doorknob between his teeth and pulled the it shut. Dozens of thorns were sticking out of his cloak(and one cheek) at various angles, making him somewhat resemble a pincushion. He opened his mouth and spat out a dozen rose petals.
I have not the time for this...what has he done now? She thought, closing her eyes. As one of the senior members of the Akatsuki at the age of only twenty-seven, responsibilities expected of her included that of being a joint leader of Akatsuki.
Which meant taking care of all the mens' petty problems. Pein, the other half of the leadership was still higher in rank. As such, the grunt work was always dumped on her.
Folding one hand over the other, she addressed him with a single sentence she knew had been uttered from her lips at least one thousand times over the past six years.
"What have you got yourself into this time, Deidara?"
Deidara stopped grumbling for a few seconds to look at her, his hair ragged and coated with a thin layer of soil. "The new recruit, yeah." he muttered sarcastically, knowing how lewd his words sounded.
"Excuse me?Deidara, you'll have to explain for me."
"She threw me out a window, that's what, yeah." The kunoichi's sleepy eyes widened in mild surprise. So she's made herself at home already...interesting...
She smirked inwardly.
Personally, she felt glad there was finally a sensible woman in the Akatsuki. Every single female recruit had either ended up being eaten by Zetsu, sacrificed by Hidan, made into a puppet by Sasori, or consented to being fucked by Itachi and Deidara on a regular basis. Those that ended up doing the latter managed to royally piss off the female Akatsuki leader, who despised promiscuity. When they stepped too far out of line and attempted to steal her much sought after position as co-leader, Pein promptly tore their throats out.
Smiling faintly at the memory(for they really deserved it)she turned her attention back to the irate young man.
"Really? And did you provoke her in any way?"
Deidara pouted. "I only said her forehead was big."
"Then that would explain it...dipstick."
Deidara just gaped at her. "You were listening the entire time, yeah?"
Konan crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, a serene expression on her face. "How could I not hear you? You were lucky the others are in the training grounds, or else they would have killed you two for causing such a disturbance."
"Hmph."
"And I myself have half a mind to kill you right now, for bothering me . If you want to ensure your position here, I suggest you get your act together and try to get used to her."
What the hell was her problem? Was she actually taking the word of a new member over a junior?
"Blue, she threw me out a window. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"No." She replied, poker-faced.
Deidara's expression then changed from angry to completely innocent and pleading, like that of a begging puppy.
"But Nee-chan...even you wouldn't let her hurt me...right?" He grinned inwardly when she stiffened slightly at the mention of her old nickname.
Konan kneaded her forehead in frustration. Deidara's cuteness hadn't worked years ago, and it certainly wouldn't now. "Why don't you and Uchiha try to seduce her, like all the other ones," she hissed sarcastically. "If it works, I'll get rid of her, and if not, she's sure as hell staying. Will that get you off my back?"
Deidara nodded, a more peaceful look in his eyes.
"If the girl passes, promise me the both of you will stay out of her pants, right? I don't need you ruining any more members with your antics, hear me?"
"Un."
No woman can resist my charms...hmph! He didn't bother to include Konan as one who resisted him; he constantly neglected to think of her as a woman in the first place. He shivered a little, seeing the scathing look she sent him.
Huh...better leave her alone, yeah...I wouldn't want to make Leader pissed, especially if she's been with him...
Konan stared intently at the black rim around each of his eyes, a facial feature of his particular demon, the Seven Tails, or Shichibi. She wondered for an instant what it was like to host a demon, but of course, it is rather shameful to ask a subordinate such a question. She would wait until she received hers.
And then, there was the matter with the new recruit, Sakura. Seduction was the biggest weakness to most of the kunoichi that had joined Akatsuki, and they had all lost their lives to it. Yes; this would be one of many tests for the newest member.
I pray that she passes...a trainee of one of the Sannin should never go to waste...Kami forbid!
The blue-haired leader snapped out of her reverie when she noticed the blond Akatsuki was still standing there, watching her with an odd expression.
"What?!" She snapped, not liking the smirk that was making it's way across his face.
"You're wearing a mesh shirt, un."
"So? Just get to the point before I kill you."
"I can see through it..."
"Out, out, OUT!" And so, despite the barrage of weapons that came flying his way,Deidara barely managed to escape from the kunoichi's wrath. Sighing in relief(she had gone easy on him for once) he made his way back up the stairs toward his room.
Konan watched his retreating back for a few seconds before whipping out the picture again and setting it up on the table. Whatever Deidara was about to get himself into, it was sure to be interesting.
Deidara chuckled, the image of Konan's flushed, angry face burned into his mind. Pissing off Leader's partner did have it's benefits.
A sour expression crossed his face as he remembered he still had a certain female medic to take care of. Seduce her? Ha! Pinky wouldn't stand a chance.
Konan-Sama said Itachi-kun is to be included in this test. Surely you will tell him? A quiet voice rasped in his head.
"Blue will tell him herself. Why would I want anything to do with that guy?" he muttered angrily as he reached the landing and passed the dark corridor where Itachi kept his room.
He is a comrade...
"He's the reason I'm here in the first place. An insolent fool with no taste in art, un!"
One must look underneath the underneath...things are not always as you presume they are...
"Hmph."
If it makes you feel better, with me here, you are exactly one class above him in power..
"Yeah...with you...now leave. I don't have time for you right now,un" He said stiffly, blue eyes fixed on his own bedroom door.
Ungrateful little tosser...who twisted your knickers? The least you could do is treat a dame like myself with proper respect...
"Shut up."
Oh, I see. You're just angry 'cause you can't have yourself a little wank, right? Hah!
Now that he was right there, he didn't know exactly how to proceed. Should he just wait for her to come out? Or maybe just ignore Konan's orders and slash her throat open.
The latter seemed more preferable.
I'll just tell them my kunai slipped...yeah...Deidara thought, before realizing that feat would be impossible due to the fact that his arms swung uselessly by his side.
While he contemplated his next move, Sakura had meanwhile finished gathering all the supplies into a wicker basket.
Where the hell is he? I could have sworn I heard him just now... Sakura though, her brow creased in worry. Maybe I was too hard on the teme... Her leaf green eyes darted about the room, seeking out anything she may have neglected to pick up. Once she was satisfied, the pink haired kunoichi snatched the basket up by it's thickly woven handle and approached the door.
Now, the dandelion seed she'd inhaled earlier carried some pollen on it, and though she had managed to remove the seed, the pollen still affected the tiny sensors in her nasal cavity, causing minor irritation and a sudden urge to sneeze.
Allergies...just perfect...she thought through streaming eyes. What did I do to deserve this...?
Well, Inner Sakura started in a singsong voice. You-
That was a rhetorical question! Sakura snapped at her inner self.
As she put her hand on the doorknob, she felt a slight prickling sensation in her nose and sniffled, knowing a sneeze was right around the corner.
So was Deidara.
It was when Sakura opened the door that she sneezed...
...right in his face.
Startled, he lost his balance and fell forward, his face buried in Sakura's chest. In reflex she dropped whatever she'd been holding and stared down at him, too surprised to believe what was happening. Several glass vials went rolling down the hall.
"Hidan was right. You are a bit small in the knocker department, yeah." Deidara mumbled, not bothering to move. In fact, he rather liked the position he was in. "Not that I mind but-"
"What are you two doing?" A familiar, deep voice sounded from the shadowy hallway. A second later, Itachi appeared, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised at the position the younger Akatsuki were in. He was still bare chested, and looked rather irritated, as if he'd just been woken from a peaceful sleep. His coal black eyes looked tired, yet fearsome as he glared at them.
Itachi's sudden presence snapped Sakura out of her trance, and, after giving the older Uchiha an apologetic glance she shoved Deidara into the wall and inched away from him.
What the hell was with that? Inner Sakura shrieked in righteous indignance. The old us would have punched him through a dozen walls by now!
"Y-you see..." she began lamely, searching her mind for a way to explain the previous events to the patient man. "Well...I sort of..."She glanced up at Deidara for help. The blond Akatsuki, quite frankly, seemed rather nervous himself. He was disguising it well with an even stare at Itachi, who ignored it and kept his eyes on her.
"Hmph." Itachi silently stepped closer, staring her down with intense eyes. Right now, he looked more annoyed than scary, and he was making it clear to them. Even his height, though he was only about three inches taller, was intimidating. Perturbed, she found herself backing into Deidara, who only glanced down at her in mild surprise.
Satisfied that he had instilled some fear into the impudent girl, Itachi stood up straighter and glanced at Deidara, who was watching him over the kunoichi's head.
"Deidara, stop standing there and go wait for her at training area number two." Deidara narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Or do you need any help?"
Itachi's words were a thinly veiled insult; Sakura could detect an edge of malice in his voice, like he despised the blond for some reason. Feeling Deidara shift as he tried to get around her, she acted on instinct and slipped between the two men to prevent them from fighting.
"Move..." Deidara ground out between clenched teeth. "This has nothing to do with you."
Itachi just stood there, arms still crossed and his head high, practically waiting for the blond to come at him.
"Careful Deidara. You wouldn't want to exacerbate things for yourself, now would you?" A threat, though the way he said it made it sound like a bluff. This time, he made no effort to hide it as he came even closer, ignoring the younger woman as she pushed frantically into Deidara.. "I remember a young man who wanted to see real art. And I showed him the day I met him..." his eyes bled into the scarlet color of the sharingan. "But why bother when he is unable to return the favor himself?"
Deidara responded by swiftly ducking around her and running to tackle the Uchiha. He would have made it too, had not a quick-thinking Sakura seized him around the waist and pulled him close against her. Nevertheless, Deidara's greater weight prevailed and thus he managed to knock over a bookshelf before she tightened her grip to the point that it began to bruise his already scar-ridden skin.
"Stop!" Itachi switched his gaze down to Sakura, who was glaring at the both of them with red-rimmed eyes, and a pale, haggard expression. Her hair had come out of it's neat little ponytail and flowed unrestrained down her back. Tearing her eyes from the silenced Uchiha's, she turned to Deidara, still smoldering angrily behind her.
"You can control your fucking temper and do as he said. Even a four year old would know he isn't that serious. Swallow your fucking pride and grow some. Sometimes it takes a real man not to fight. Go!"
Deidara's intense glare was almost enough to scorch her, but she bravely met his with her own and gestured peremptorily to the stairwell. With a last 'humph' he whirled and left, half the killing intent in the room dissipating in his absence. After making sure he really did leave, she skirted the fallen bookshelf and thrust her face close to his, that their noses touched for a brief, tense second.
"And you are just as bad, if not worse. What, do you actually get off on the misery of others? I've only been here a few hours, yes, but I can tell that Deidara is one who holds much pride in himself. I don't know about you, but stomping on it while he's disabled doesn't make it any easier on him, or me. The more you distress my patient, the more you impede his recovery and my own ability to heal him. So you can fucking go back to that little dark shit hole you call a bedroom and stay the hell out of my way."
While she ranted, Itachi's eyes had narrowed dangerously until they were no more than mere slits. His jaw tightened, an indication that he was holding himself back from striking her. Seeing the least shadowy movement behind her, he then concentrated his gaze on the angry woman She hardly noticed the gradual change of his eyes until they adopted a familiar pinwheel shape, so much like Kakashi's Mangekyou yet different, more curvy and sinister-looking.
Deidara paused at the bottom of the stairs, allowing a small look of concern to cross his face. Oh, how he hated that little woman with all his heart, yet he felt uncomfortable leaving her up there alone with the Uchiha. Then, there was the yelling. Never before had he heard of someone daring to yell at the Uchiha, and here she was, defending his honor(sort of) and telling Itachi off as if were a disobedient child. It was the sudden silence after she stopped speaking that worried him.
"Deidara, stop standing there like an idiot and go to the training ground!" Her voice calling from upstairs, shattering the silence. He could detect a slight quaver in it, but she otherwise sounded fine. Sighing in frustration, he reluctantly did as she asked, knowing he would somehow regret it later.
At the bottom of the stairs he found Konan leaning against a banister, listening idly while painting her nails. Naturally, he turned to her for help.
"Konan...the new girl...she and Itachi-"
"I know." She interrupted quietly.
Appalled, he stuttered as she went on.
"Leave them alone. If Sakura can't handle Itachi, then she is better off dead anyway. He is your elder. Do as he says, and wait for her."She regarded him with critical eyes as he left, more pissed than ever.
Sakura listened to Deidara's fading footsteps and turned back to the Uchiha, feeling unsure as to how to leave herself. Judging by the thunderous expression he was wearing, it was not likely to be anytime soon.
He came closer until he towered over her, making her step back warily.
Somewhere downstairs she heard the door slam shut and heavy footsteps going farther away from the stairwell.
"Are you done?" He asked in a silky voice.
"Yes." she answered in a much more subdued tone. She forced herself to look him in the eyes, a dangerous decision on her part.
"Hn." Without warning a searing pain went through her neck, forcing her to drop her guard and fall to her knees.
Itachi watched impassively with sharingan eyes as she clutched and tore at a particular spot on her neck, clutched at it and let loose a heart-wrenching scream. Memories that she wanted forgotten flashed through her mind, memories of darkness and pain.
Hmm...I think I could have done it better. And this is only 17 pages.(I write much more in other stories) I'll just make the next chapter 25 WordPerfect pages to make up for it. Remember, the next chapter is coming later this week. Then, the chapter after next will have little or no Itachi at all. After all, we do need to get through a lot more Akatsuki members. And I just can't wait till I get to Tobi...heh...I've got big plans for him...
P.S. If anyone wants to make guesses about Sakura's condition, by all means email, pm, or put in a review. Write anything you think of.
P.P.S. I feel a little dirty after writing that SasuSaku scene...and for making Sakura seem like a total pushover. But remember, Sasuke's messed with her mind a bit, so she's only recovering herself.
P.P.P.S I also want to thank you all for the most reviews I have ever gotten for a single chapter. Now that was an early Christmas present.
P.P.P.P.S Please, please, please tell me if I made Sakura Mary-sue at all. I really want to avoid that.
Thank you all for reading and/or reviewing my stories,
Narutochica :3
Another thing I notice in many fanfictions is that Kisame is made out to be an idiotic, clumsy man who spends his time drinking. Now, from what I've read in the manga, Kisame is actually pretty intelligent. So lets see...maybe smoking problems for Kisame instead? I really don't know. :p
