A/N: Hey, everyone! I have another update for y'all! While this chapter might seem heavy on the background, much of it is very important for the story and the relationships between the characters. There was mention of Sasuke loving Sakura in the last chapter, and I expand on that a little as well as a bit more regarding their relationship after Sasuke's return. PLEASEEE stay with me though! I promise there are some fun HidanxSaku moments to come!
Enjoy! And please R&R!
P.S. Scenes from the past are written in italics in this chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!
Other than the hushed murmurs proliferating through the air with each step the source of their fascination and awe takes closer, it is uncharacteristically quiet at the front gates of Konoha today. Sakura fights through the mumbling crowd with steely determination, Naruto and Kakashi in tow; there are only a couple reasons that what seemed to be the whole village would gather near the Konoha gates, and based on the lack of smiles she witnesses around her, Sakura quickly rules out most of the more joyful reasons. The medic glances momentarily behind her to see the Kyuubi-container itching to ask those around him questions, but even he is unable to read a situation this tense.
Whispering a haste "pardon" as she shoves a burly man at the front out of the way, Sakura grabs Naruto's arm and pulls him all the way through with her, every bit of hardened resolve leaving her being as she sets eyes on the person walking into the village gates.
She is speechless, her eyes widening and her breath catching firmly in her throat as a tall man stalks into the village, at least five ANBU surrounding him. Sasuke… she thinks longingly, and although she is unable to voice her surprise and concern, Naruto is more than able to do so.
"Sasuke!" he shouts at the top his lungs, shaking Sakura's hand from his arm as he takes a step forward. Sakura's eyebrows furrow in agitation at Naruto's impatience, readying herself to berate him for his lack of couth when suddenly cool onyx is on her, paralyzing her instantly. Sakura can vaguely hear Naruto yelling even more obscenities at Sasuke as Kakashi restrains him to the best of his abilities, but nothing can break the intensity of their locked gazes, nothing will ever be able to rid her of the jarring memory of Sasuke's electric gaze on her. As if he had wanted to say something else the day he left her on that bench; as if he has been fighting to get back here this whole time to tell her something—what exactly, she doesn't know.
Sakura is sure no one has ever looked at her like that in her entire life, that her breath has never been knocked out of her lungs only to pool in the deep pit of her stomach and make her feel sick with nervous anticipation like it had done on the day Sasuke returned. Sakura has not felt weak for a long time, but that long, stern, inky gaze of the Uchiha has suddenly made her feel much like the helpless, shivering genin she once was. While every single one of her friends wanted nothing more than to pummel the last Uchiha into next year, Sakura was left with the insatiable desire to forgive Sasuke and never let him leave her sight again.
And with that, he finally releases her gaze and is ushered towards the Hokage Tower.
Chapter 3: Dreams and Reveries
She marches through the prison doors with feigned confidence, a young chunin cowering under her stern gaze as she asks for entrance to the highly guarded cell her ex-teammate is being housed in. Rifling through her pockets, she unveils the entrance card Ibiki had given her in his office and the chunin nods shakily before unlocking the large, squeaky door. Sakura enters, her stony features suddenly being replaced with hesitance and uneasiness as soon as the door slams shut behind her. Try as she might, there is no way she can continue to act the resolute and jaded kunoichi she is not around him.
Seated behind a two-way window is the last Uchiha, a look of indifference set deftly against his alabaster countenance. Sakura has to remind herself to breathe, the memory of his unreadable orbs boring into her when he entered the village making it difficult to even remember why she has come.
Why has she come? What does she even have to say to him? She recounts rising this morning with her mind set firmly on speaking with her ex-teammate—the mystery behind why he left and what he was even doing in his absence keeping her from sleeping soundly. A chill runs up her spine as she realizes that she might not like his answers to these questions; that her jaded comrades of who are unwilling to speak with Sasuke might be right about him.
Finally urging herself to snap out of her circular and anxious train of thought and move forward, she reaches for the doorknob and enters into the cold room inaudibly. His eyes are on her as soon as she enters, and forcing herself to stay strong, the young medic neutralizes her facial expression. Behind her, she senses a couple guards file into the room to ensure her safety and she closes the door behind her with a soft click. It is silent for a while as he tilts his head to the side slightly; looking at her with what she assumes is quiet amusement.
"Have you come to interrogate me, Sakura?" It is the first time she has heard his voice in a long time and she is taken aback by how deep it has become in their time apart. She falters, looking down at her feet as she takes a step forward, frightened that if she is caught in that strong, onyx gaze for another second that she will most certainly choke on her words and be too embarrassed to continue. This is, after all, a surreal experience—she honestly time and time again wondered if he would ever return.
Steady sea-foam green eyes hold his own. "I think we both know that I couldn't hurt you if I tried," she voices gently, albeit curt. There is a steel chair sitting directly in front of him, and Sakura moves toward it, plopping down in it tiredly. Long days at the hospital and long nights wondering how this encounter would turn out have left the kunoichi drained, her hand lifting to massage the knots out of her sore neck.
She looks back at him, his lips in a strict line, but just as when he strutted into the village a little over a week ago, there is something else there. A ghost of his angst-laden leer of the past flits through his eyes swiftly before it is gone, and she is left to ponder whether she was supposed to ever see that—whether he had meant to let his impassive stare crack in that moment.
She sighs softly, closing her eyes and leaning forward so that her elbows are resting on her knees, loose, pink strands of hair falling into her eyes. "I can't believe I'm saying this, Sasuke…but thank-you for coming back. It may not seem like it right now, but we're very happy for your return and we hope for a smooth transition period," she says softly. She is unsure how she has become the mediator of their village, but here she is with arms wide open to someone who not only betrayed their village, but her personally. Naruto's emotions would get the best of him, and she's sure any of the other rookies would do their best to beat him into a bloody pulp. Witnessing how Sasuke's desertion affected both Naruto and Sakura, Kakashi refuses to even be near him—which says a lot coming from their usually calm and collected sensei. Sakura lives to accommodate, she thrives on the comfort of those around her. Sakura no longer has the energy to hate, no longer has the will to hold a grudge. Sasuke hurt her—but she would not let hate consume her like it did him. She is better than that. It is difficult for her to do this, but at least it is possible.
"I'm sure they will have you out of here soon enough," she finishes, doing her best to keep her features pleasant.
If Sasuke is surprised in her lack of temper, he does very little show it as silence reigns once again. His hands grip at his knees firmly before loosening and then his eyes soften.
"It will not happen again."
She raises a pink eyebrow in apparent confusion, her breathing becoming shallow. Eyes narrowing slightly, she searches in his surprisingly cool orbs for an answer, her body shaking faintly in poorly-hidden shock. "What?" she is able to muster breathily.
He sighs. "I will not leave you," he says with conviction, obsidian eyes scorching her own. "It will not happen again."
Sakura feels something flutter within her, but she is not quite sure why. Uncertain of what to do with his sudden and alarming statement, she stands abruptly and takes her leave.
Sakura can stand speaking to him, but she will be damned if he makes promises that he cannot keep.
Sasuke stands motionless before the Hokage as she rambles off protocol and missions for the shinobi in her office. Although Tsunade's orders are of grave importance being that they were attacked by Akatsuki only last night, Sasuke's mind is elsewhere.
His hardened onyx eyes narrow as the memory of Sakura's kidnapping silently torments him. Sasuke realizes that if anyone is to look at him at this moment that they might find his expression distressing. He knows he should not have left her, but how could he have known that the intruders were there to capture Sakura? The idea is still preposterous.
The notion that last night's happenings were unforeseeable doesn't do well in quelling the Uchiha's concern for his old teammate and his disappointment in himself. How did he not sense that? Why did he leave her? This situation could have been prevented had she not looked at him with those big, turquoise eyes that calmed him and assured him she would make it to the shelter—had he not trusted her with his entire being when she could barely lift herself from her bed.
Sasuke is now clenching his fists tightly enough by his sides to draw blood, a frightening scowl threatening to contort his slightly cross features. He can feel everyone's dirty looks on him, blaming him for Sakura's kidnapping, but it does not bother him. He does not need their approval and already feels guilt enough for letting Sakura go. He can only imagine what Naruto will do when he comes back.
"And Sasuke." The young Uchiha snaps out of his reverie at the sound of the busty blonde's voice, training his gaze on her reverentially. Her elbows perch on her desk, her chin resting upon her clenched fingers. Her strong honey gaze does not waver. "I think it's time to send you on your first S-class mission since being invited back into Konoha. Be ready by dusk to go on the Sakura retrieval mission."
Though Tsuande's offer surprises Sasuke, he does not allow his astonishment to show. He has been on probation for the past year and a half that he has been in the village, and he never knew when the Hokage and the council would allow him to be sent on missions again—and he especially did not think it'd be under circumstances in which he had royally fucked up. He technically does not even have chunin status.
"What!?" explodes Ino, aggressively stepping forward, her facial expression one of true rage. "Hokage-sama, this would not even be a mission if he had done his job and protected Sakura in the first place!" she carps, pointing an accusing finger the Uchiha's way and sending him a heated glare.
Sasuke's lips thin as Ino scrutinizes him under her disapproving gaze, her chest heaving heavily in conspicuous fury before Tsunade's hands slap loudly on her desk.
"That is precisely the point. If Sasuke cares about anything in this village, it is Sakura. He will work harder than anyone to make sure she is brought back safe and sound and he deserves to be able to redeem himself." Tsuande stands, regarding Ino pointedly, her stance rigid and stern. "Now back down, Yamanaka. You do not get to question my commands."
Ino slowly regains her cool, her body still trembling in anger as she bows towards the Hokage. "I apologize for my outburst, Hokage-sama…" she says, before straightening and doing her best to not look in the Uchiha's direction.
Tsunade nods. "Apology accepted." She then gazes at the Uchiha, raising a golden brow. "Sasuke, do you accept this mission?"
When he comes to speak with her, she is smiling. He is uncertain why as the frantic and stoic tidbits of information he has received from both Naruto and Kakashi respectively lead the young Uchiha to believe that this situation is no laughing matter. Tsunade, at first tentative at the thought of sending Sasuke to confront her apprentice about her precarious decision to keep the child, is at this moment sure that this is the only way to go. The Hokage remembers how distant the pinkette was when Sasuke first returned, how calm and peaceful her façade was juxtaposed with the livid reactions of her friends.
Sakura still saw something in the Uchiha that no one else did. She would have to listen.
He does not have to speak for her to know why he has come as she ushers him to sit across the table from her. She has chosen to meet him in a small café, a public area so that their conversation does not get out of hand. For some reason, emotions are at their most sensitive when she speaks with Sasuke and she wholeheartedly believes it is because of their past—because of the way he looks at her with that unreadable gaze that sets her insides alight.
Asking the waitress to bring him a glass of water, he stares blandly at her.
"You are pregnant," he voices matter-of-factly.
Sakura smiles at him, doing her best to ignore the taut and unmoving look on his face. She must remain focused or else fall prey to his disapproval. "I'm surprised you're just now confronting me about this; I'm pretty sure the whole village knows by now," she says dismissively. Her eyes trail across the room as she notices the various looks of guilt aimed in her direction. "Poor, innocent Sakura, barely made it back from her shit-show of a mission and knocked up by a sadistic maniac at that," she quietly drawls with mock-excitement. She mumbles a word of thanks as the waitress drops off their beverages.
Sasuke seems on edge as he raises an obsidian eyebrow. "Any other reason Tsunade has asked me to speak with you?" he questions, cutting to the point.
She leans back, sighing languidly. "Well, bad luck does tend to come in threes…" she retorts, a sly smirk slipping onto her lackadaisical features.
"Sakura…" he bites out, warning inching into his typically cool tone. She stiffens, the smile gradually leaving her countenance as she is forced to fess up, her teal eyes falling to the table, landing on her glass of water, her hands, anything but his stern onyx. She has learned long ago that she cannot fight him and emerge victorious when he looks at her like that.
She takes a deep breath, finally training her eyes on his. "I'm keeping him." Sasuke noticeably bristles, but reverts back to his listless appearance before anyone else is able to recognize him in this unusual state. The small crack in the young Uchiha's demeanor is not something Sakura is used to and she finds it difficult to find her voice at first, almost cowering under him like one would under a disappointed parent. "I know what this means and I'm sure that my shishou has prompted you, as well. But you have to understand that this is my decision and that I really need you, Naruto, and Kakashi to stand by me more than ever."
He clasps his hands together over the table before looking at her with what she can only characterize as concern. Straining his voice so that it does not appear taciturn, he regards her as tenderly as an Uchiha can. "Does Naruto know?"
She closes her eyes, relief filling her at Sasuke's calm reaction. "No," she whispers, her eyebrows knitting together worriedly. "Only you and Tsunade. I'm not sure how I'm going to break it to him." A flicker of pride finds its way across Sasuke's face, but it is gone once he allows his eyes to land on her. It has been a long time since Sasuke has seen his old teammate look so sad, her eyes low and her usual jovial grin downturned into one of the most pitiful frowns he has ever seen. At first, he wonders why Sakura would want to be seen like this in public, but then realizes as animated as the pinkette might be, she would never allow herself to cry in a restaurant full of people. She would never allow herself to cry in front of him.
He nods once, releasing the tension he was, unbeknownst to him previously, holding in his shoulders, and she lets out a breath that she did not even know she was holding. To anyone else, Sasuke's nod would mean nothing, but she has known the stoic Uchiha long enough to understand his simple and monotonous signals. She can trust him.
"Another thing…" she begins softly, distracting herself with the condensation forming on her icy glass of water. "With your permission, I would like to name him Narake."
He is silent for a moment, still mulling over the fact that he will have to watch his teammate suffer more than the majority of her comrades, himself included, will deem necessary. "I do not understand," he says evenly.
"'Na' for Naruto; 'ra' for Sakura; 'ke' for Sasuke… Narake." She pushes a fallen stand of hair behind her ear and stares at him with big, doleful green eyes. "Do I have your permission?"
She is being uncharacteristically ambiguous, and Sasuke is not sure why. "You do not need my permission for a character, Sakura," he says slowly, eyeing her quizzically. "What do you really need from me?"
Sakura sighs. "I am asking for your blessing. As my son's godfather." His eyes widen as she crosses her arms austerely over her chest, her eyes roaming the wooden tabletop in thought. "I need someone I can trust. Of course Naruto will be there, but you know how he is…" She trails off, a small smile pulling at the edges of her lips as she speaks on her boyfriend. "Naruto gets so emotional. I need someone that is going to be rational as well—someone that can make well thought out and tough decisions concerning my son." She pauses, her turquoise watch firmly attaching to his obsidian one.
For once, Sasuke is at a loss of words. "Sakura…" he murmurs stiffly.
She is no longer looking at him. Her turquoise eyes traveling towards the window as she watches two kids run down the street, laughing loudly in the Konoha sun. "Were you being honest, Sasuke?" she inquires seemingly unperturbed by his astonishment.
He blinks rapidly, snapping himself out of his shock and raises an onyx eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Teal eyes catch his. "Were you being honest when you told me it wouldn't happen again? That you wouldn't leave me?" He nods, and although he knows that this will allow her almost anything she requests, he does so resolutely. Her hands land on her nearly flat stomach, her gaze still burning into his own, a pleading look finding a way into those green orbs if only momentarily. "This is part of me now. And I expect you to keep your word."
He nods again; extremely humbled and almost a bit overwhelmed by this momentous task. But he cannot go back on his word now, and he will do anything to show Sakura exactly where his loyalties lie. Sakura has been there for him even when he, himself, would caution against it; even when he realized that she would be swallowed whole by his own ego and vengeance. He would be there for her if she would have him.
"Okay," he relents, and she smiles, eyes still firm and steady. She reaches across the table and takes his hand in her small one. He stiffens, still not well acquainted with feeling her soft, warm skin against his own and wondering if this is something he can handle without wanting to do everything in his power to make her his.
"Thank-you, Sasuke. You have no idea how much this means to me." But it is he who has her to thank. She has given him purpose when no one would trust him to even be near the general public. The pure camaraderie, patience, and compassion Sakura has shown Sasuke is unrivaled and unfathomable. He owes her so much more than a mere promise to keep her future child safe.
Sakura gently squeezes his fingers and his attention falls back on her face. She smiles fully this time, her eyes glinting happily. "Now, let's eat something, ne?"
Sasuke's jaw clenches. He is finally able to redeem himself in the eyes of his Hokage; finally able to be on the front lines again and reclaim his Konoha shinobi status, but a pink-haired medic and his promise to her is standing in his way.
"In Naruto's absence, my place is here with Narake. I am sorry, but I cannot accept this mission." He bows lowly, ignoring the look of apparent shock laced with curiosity on Tsunade's face before turning on his heels and leaving the room to relieve the young Hyuga of Sakura's child.
It is dark where she is. And usually, not a huge proponent of obscurity, she welcomes it. It is comforting and warm. After moments of wondering where she is and what has become of her, the vision of blood suspended around a tree branch and dripping from her stomach encases her mind in an odd security. She is finally free; she no longer has to worry about the imminence of her impending death.
She is free.
Gradually, pink-tinted light begins to swell around her, rocking her lightly, coaxing her to fall back into her endless slumber. A feather soft touch forces her to glance down at her hand and she notices the slender limb of a child, his hand clutching loosely to hers.
The child looks up at her with vibrant teal eyes that match her own, and his head is topped with tousled dirty blonde locks, a smile adorning his cherubic features. Sakura gasps, her lips trembling slightly as tears instantly well up in the back of her throat.
"Narake…" she whispers hoarsely, crouching down to pull him into a strong hug, her arms shuddering slightly as tears fall onto the top of his head. She kisses his face numerous times before pulling back to assure herself that this is in fact her child she is looking at, caressing his face, fervently checking his body to make sure he is fine as her eyebrows knit in motherly concern.
The sound of his chuckle is music to her ears. "I'm okay, Mama, promise," he reassures and she lifts both of his hands to her lips, kissing them gingerly.
She closes her eyes, memorizing the feeling of his soft hands against her face. "Mommy thought she would never see you again…" Sakura admits tearfully, opening her eyes and placing his hands back by his side, smoothing down his clothing. Her carefree bliss and sudden relief is only cut short by her curiosity. "You're so big…" she says quietly, apprehension edging back into her tone as she looks the young boy up and down. "I just left you. How are you…so…" Widened eyes rise slowly; her brisk grooming motions coming to a halt as realization hits her like a truck. This is not a heavenly afterlife. This is—
"A dream."
A chill runs up her spine at the sound of the gruff, sardonic voice behind her. Her heart threatens to beat out of her chest as she slowly turns to face the ownerof the voice, fear gripping at her insides. Upon facing the source of the comment, a gasp catches firmly in her throat, her mouth falling agape in fright as fiery orange irises glint dangerously down at her. Sakura is suddenly aware that the man that has been on a sickening tirade through her nightmares is now leering down at her and she feels her body grow cold, her son's wrist falling limply out of her hand.
Saburo…she thinks to herself, every inch of her being shivering in terror as her mind travels back to the last she saw of him. A rather large tremor moves through her timid form as his smirk only increases with her palpable fear.
He chuckles darkly, startling her from her train of thought. "You thought you could get away from me?" He reaches towards her and she gasps, but for some reason is unable to move. Please, no! her mind pleads as he inches treacherously close. "You will never get rid of me!" And with that, he clasps onto her arm harshly and she screams with everything that she is, unable to help herself and at this sick man's mercy once again.
Another blood-curdling scream erupts from her mouth and she is able to take breath, sweet breath that she thought was no longer possible for her. A bright light obscures her vision, but if it is at all affecting her, it is not apparent as her burning hot flesh comes in contact with cool metal, breaking through it with ease. Barely even grasping the fact that she is somehow alive, she instantly sees red and thrashes out at the first figure in her view, a blue-haired woman who does not even seem astounded at the young medic's actions. With a swiftness and strength that Sakura thought lost, she wrenches the remaining part of the metal railing that had previously been keeping her in her bed off the hinges—wielding it as if it is her weapon— with a guttural grunt before rushing at the blue-haired lady.
An unrelenting silver gaze stares back at her and Sakura falls into a dreamless sleep, the last movement seen by the kunoichi being a quick sequence of hand signs.
A soft groan eases its way through chapped lips as pink eyelashes flutter softly. The distant beeping sound of a hospital monitor rouses her suspicion, but a gradual and escalating pain in her abdomen deters her focus. She grimaces as pain encases her entire stomach, squeezing her eyes shut tightly and willing herself not to let the agonizing whimper that wishes to seep from her mouth be heard. Is this hell, she wonders internally, her head rolling gently and slowly to one side as she finally gains control over her body. The muscles in her shoulders and neck ache and scream at the relatively new sensation of moving from her previous position. As her eyes focus, she recognizes a lone brown-skinned figure sitting at a desk at the edge of the room, panic rushing through her body.
She quickly shuts her eyes, doing her best to feign slumber as she begins to regulate her breathing patterns. She had not been that loud; if she can pretend to be asleep just long enough to think of a plan and catch her bearings, she might still be able to escape.
Escape. A feat only someone alive and well can achieve. Sakura has seen a lot of crazy things in her day, but a fully conscious and in control deceased person coming back from the dead she has not. Hope springs into her whole being as she remembers her dream. Narake… she thinks longingly. If she can get out of this, she will be able to see her son, hopefully before the Sweet Release calls her back. The sharp pain in her stomach is distracting, however. She must recall exactly who kidnapped her. She is in no shape to go toe-to-toe with an Akatsuki member, let alone a group of them. A sinking feeling soon replaces her previous optimism. How can she expect to ever see her son when the odds are so stacked against her? There is no way she could get out of here—at least not without a fight that would assuredly leave her dead or, at the very least, extremely impaired and ready for their probing.
Focus, Sakura, she chides herself inwardly. She is Konoha-nin. She is ANBU. The only thing that could possibly stop her from getting out of this place is irrational and unnecessary worrying. She needs to think of a plan, and she needs to think of it quickly. She can wait until the brown-skinned woman leaves and search for the nearest sharp object just in case she runs into someone during her escape. Her chakra might not be up to par, but Sakura's taijutsu ability has increased significantly in the past few years.
"Please don't try it. I don't feel like fighting today."
Sakura tenses instantly but quickly recovers, trying her best to keep her rising apprehension low. There is no way this woman could know that Sakura is awake. Sakura had not felt her chakra flare with surprise or curiosity when she had stirred.
Wait…
She can sense chakra again?
"You don't have to pretend to go back to sleep either. I know you're thirsty," says the brown-skinned woman in a bored tone. The young medic wants nothing more than to be angry at the woman's apathy, but now that she has mentioned it, Sakura is parched. It seems that her plan of escaping peacefully and silently has been thwarted.
She opens her eyes and uses her elbows to push herself up a bit to look at the woman's face—biting back a hiss that will give away the intense amount of pain she is in. Sharp honey-colored eyes regard her emotionlessly. Though only leaning against her arms weakly, her biceps shuddering beneath her, Sakura's posture is defensive and her gaze skeptical.
The hazel-eyed woman continues to look at the pink-haired girl expectantly, her dark skin shining in the lone light above Sakura's bed. "So, would you like that water, or…" she trails off, but Sakura continues to glare daggers at her through hard jade.
The woman sighs, clearly irritated, and then rolls her eyes, turning back to her desk and scouring lazily over her papers. "Kami, they don't pay me enough for this…" she murmurs under her breath before clearing her throat. "Listen, I know, I get it. You were captured by Akatsuki. You're tense. You're worried. But we're really not going to kill you," she says lethargically before pausing and looking off towards the wall as if considering something and shrugging. "Yet, anyway." Sakura still refuses to give the woman before her an answer so the brunette looks back at her to see the same menacing and unmoving expression on her face.
She sighs again, as if this conversation is the most tiring one she has ever had. "Sakura, I can't help if you don't—"
"Do you really think I give a fuck if you kill me?" Sakura bites out lowly, darkly. "How long have I been here?"
The woman twirls back towards her desk, a hint of amusement crossing over her countenance. She busies herself with the paperwork in front of her, obviously uninterested in the pink-haired medic at the moment. "I am under no obligation to give you that information, Sakura."
Sakura's hands clench into fists as she glares at the Akatsuki member. "I assure you I won't ask so nicely next time," she seethes.
That catches the woman's attention, and she hesitates, looking up from her paperwork, a sly smirk curling onto her plump lips. "Am I to understand that in your predicament you thought it wise to threaten me?" Sakura's scowl only intensifies and the brown-skinned lady places the paper in her hands back on the desk and spins back around to face Sakura, crossing her hands over her chest, leaning back in her chair, and giving the pink-haired girl a look of utter hilarity.
"You've got balls, Haruno Sakura, I'll give you that," she scoffs before looking her once over. "You've been here a little over a week."
A week. That means that Konoha has had at least that much time to prepare to retrieve her. Have they made any moves? Will they be able to find the Akatsuki's hideout? Sakura remembers the chilly weather that shook her out of her consciousness before she fell to her conceivable death. Hopefully they know to go north. Something tells her that if ninja have been deployed already, they could have easily followed the obscene amount of blood she left behind. She wonders if they thought it necessary to even send people out. Everyone knew how close to death she had been. It does not seem worth it. But once Naruto catches wind…
"What do you want with me?" Sakura questions harshly, breaking from her train of thought.
The brown-skinned woman laughs. "Wow. You sure have a lot of questions." Examining her nails, she uncrosses her legs and smirks at the pinkette. "Like I said before, that's above my pay-grade. Konan will brief you on that later, but first—"
"Bring her in. Her chakra is too strong to hide from me," says Sakura, her eyes flickering towards the door.
The brown-skinned woman exhales deeply, her head falling back against the chair as the doorknob turns and the door opens, allowing a blue-haired lady to stroll in. The look Konan gives Sakura is staid and stanch, the majority of her bodice hidden beneath the cloak with the red clouds as she nears the pinkette.
Sakura's arm muscles begin to burn with fatigue, but she only pushes herself so that she is sitting fully upright, wincing slightly at the electric pain shooting across her abdomen.
"Tell me why I'm here," Sakura repeats, glaring at Konan.
Konan closes her sharp grey eyes before producing a bottle of water from her cloak and holding it out to Sakura. The apprentice to the Hokage stares at it for a long time, before reaching out with one hand and grabbing it, still glowering expectantly at the Akatsuki member. Sakura's prowess is in the medical field. That's about the only unique ability she has and she cannot think of anything else the Akatsuki would go out of their way to capture her for.
They have to have one hell of a medic to be able to heal her wounds and keep her alive with her being so close to death, which really puts her at a loss concerning the reason she is here. Unless…and then it clicks.
Sakura chuckles dryly. "I expected better from the Akatsuki…"
Konan's impassive gaze does not falter. "What do you mean?"
"Using me as bait won't work," replies Sakura, shaking her head slightly. "My village might be spirited but they are far from stupid. You won't be able to catch the Kyuubi this way."
Konan raises a blue eyebrow before nodding. "Your Kyuubi is safe for now," she declares, and now Sakura is extremely perplexed. "Our leader needs you to heal one of his experiments. It is beyond any of our expertise," she explains listlessly. "You will start in the next week or so when your wounds are better and you will heal the experiment daily."
Sakura gives Konan a daring look, nearly sneering aloud at her confidence. "And who is to ensure that I actually do as you say?"
An almost pleased look settles into Konan's features as she turns to leave. "Don't worry. You'll be Hidan's problem," she says before walking out the door and leaving behind a fretful pink-haired kunoichi.
A/N: The end of the chapter! And see, I told you there was HidanxSakura goodness to come (next chapter, that is)! I also apologize for the heavy load of SasuxSaku for all of those that are not fans of that ship, but the reason I added this love square (SakuxNaruxSasuxHidan) will become quite clear later on in the story! I'm even considering adding Sasuke as a main character in the description. Anyway, I really hope you liked it!
Please REVIEW and let me know anything you'd like to see happen in the story! I've got a pretty good outline, but I'm always open to suggestions! I like the challenge :D