Itachi stepped from the bar to be greeted by a very disgruntled Kisame. He sent him an especially dangerous glare, his sharingan flaring to life in anger at having been bothered. Kisame did not mention the subjects he had been pestering his partner about previously, not wanting to rile him into another particularly bad mood. Besides, Itachi looked very drunk at this point, and Kisame was not sure how his partner would act while intoxicated. He had never seen it before.
"Kid, we have to get going. Pein is rounding up all the Akatsuki members. The Ichibi has been captured, and we need to find a safe place to beam in." Kisame said gruffly, quickly falling into pace with Itachi, who was already quickly heading down the street, in the direction out of town. It was best to find an area secluded from all human civilization, something they had learned early on in their days at Akatsuki.
Itachi sighed inwardly, looking up tiredly at the darkening sky. He had wanted to have more time to contemplate what Tsunade had told him, and what he should do about Sakura, but as for the moment, that did not seem possible. He supposed he was just lucky that Kisame had not shown up earlier and discovered him chatting with the Godaime Hokage, of all people.
If he was discovered, Itachi had not a clue what would happen. He was a spy for Konoha, and if Akatsuki learned of this, he would pay very dearly, most likely with his own life. While he had been prepared to die for quite some time, he did not like the thought of Sasuke losing his revenge to an organization of S-class criminals. It just did not feel right to him.
Glancing into the forest from his place in the road, Itachi sensed the perfect sort of spot for he and Kisame to set themselves up for the next few days. Looming over the dark, dreary wood, was a cliff-face, the sort that was far enough so that no civilian would come bother them at. As for fellow shinobi, they were in free territory, so no one, even Hunter-nin from their consecutive villages, could come after them. Even then, Itachi had left Konoha long ago, and he doubted that they still had ANBU coming after him. It would be relatively safe in this surrounding area.
He signaled Kisame, who gave a silent nod, and broke away from the path on which they walked, tearing through the thick foliage at unimaginable speeds. If someone had followed him from the civilian town they had just been at, though unlikely, they did not want to be followed any longer. Kisame managed to just barely keep up with him as he dashed through the trees, and when they finally reached the base of the cliff, they had run over a mile in under three minutes.
Even if Kisame was once a part of the Seven Swordsmen, those sorts of speeds were still unreasonable for him to keep up for very long, and he had to pause for a moment to catch his breath. Itachi allowed this, scoping the area out with his Sharingan, just to be sure they had no stalkers coming after them. Not willing to wait for him any longer, Itachi gave his partner a disapproving glance, which Kisame rolled his eyes at, and began to race up the cliff-face.
Kisame, though still out of breath, hastily followed Itachi from behind, determined to not be left. Sure, he was around a decade or two younger than him, but Kisame did not need Itachi to feel the need to be anymore self-righteous than he already was, the cocky brat. Seriously, had he no respect for his elders?
Still, neither partner said a word to one another, and simply sat across from each other. Itachi crossed his legs, getting as comfortable as possible on the hard, rocky ground, then closed his eyes, concentrating his entire being on the connection between his Akatsuki ring and the extraction chamber. It took a few moments for the bond to stabilize, but he felt himself go through a change of dimensions, and when he opened his eyes again, All of Akatsuki was waiting for him.
"You were late." Pein intoned darkly, sending both he and Kisame a warning glare with his deadly rin'negan. Itachi did not cower or flinch at his threatening tone, instead meeting his glare with one of his own. They kept eye contact for a few moments, neither willing to admit defeat, before Kisame intervened for the sake of his partner.
"We had to find a secure location to beam in." He stated quietly. Pein sighed, and turned his piercing stare to Kisame, before sighing.
"Very well, I will excuse you this time around. I expect there will not be a next time though, and if there is, you will not get away so freely." Pein muttered, moving his gaze about all nine members. The silent 'that goes for the rest of you as well,' went without saying. No one ever dared to second guess the judgement of a man so powerful that he was almost considered a god, unless they wanted to be heartlessly maimed, then left for the buzzards.
"We have three days to separate the Ichibi from its Jinchuriki host. Begin the extraction process." Their leader proclaimed with a stony tone, leaving no room for arguments or complaints. Itachi sighed, staring for a moment down at the Ichibi Jinchuriki, Gaara. Though he felt guilty for committing such an odious crime as to tear this boy's soul from his body, he had his duty to uphold, and he could not do this if his true allegiance was given away in his refusing.
So, with no more than a small, bitter frown on his face, he followed the rest of the Akatsuki members in concentrating his chakra specifically to Pein's summoning, closing his eyes so he would not have to watch the Kazekage have his soul ripped from him. It was going to be a long, hard three days, he quickly decided.
It was not long after Tsunade returned to her office from the training grounds where she had watched her student and her teammate partner together to steal the silver bells from Kakashi, when an emergency scroll from Sunagakure reached her office from the decoding subsection of Konoha's hawk informational routes. Remembering the conversation she had earlier from a certain Uchiha, Tsunade did not have to guess at what its contents were. Dread gripped her at how fast Akatsuki moved, but she unrolled the scroll nonetheless, reading it only to have her fears confirmed.
Gaara, Suna's kazekage, had been captured by Akatsuki members, and taken from the village by air.
Her honey-colored eyes glared out of the window to see the sun was already starting to rise. She bit her lip anxiously, forgoing her sake, and shouting for Shizune to come to office immediately.
Sakura had only about an hour of sleep before there was an obnoxiously loud knock on her window. She groaned, not at all ready to be out of bed yet. The knocking continued anyway, though, despite how she had griped. Her eyes shot open in anger, and she sat up abruptly, turning in her sheets to glower at the offending sound, and whoever was causing it. She was unsurprised to see Kotetsu on the other side of her window pane, and wondered if he seriously was putting her through this again.
Growling, then cursing his name to high-heavens, Sakura stomped to her window, then slammed it open violently. "You better have a very good reason for being here, or I will punt you across Konoha for waking me up." She told him with a scary tone. He however, did not laugh and tease her as she would have expected.
"Code Blue, Haruno. Godaime has summoned you to her office for mission briefing." He replied in all seriousness. The indifferent sound of his voice was not like anything she had ever heard from Kotetsu, and the weight of the situation hit her hard. Since when did Kotetsu ever call her Haruno? The fact he had not called her Sakura-chan sent shivers of trepidation down her spine. She forgot all of her tiredness, and nodded back professionally.
"I will report to Tsunade-sama directly." She replied unsmilingly, standing at attention. He nodded, then disappeared from her room entirely, no doubt to report back to the Hokage. Letting out a shaky sigh, she shuffled quickly to her drawers, pulling out clothes for whatever mission she was about to be sent out on.
It would be the first mission as team Kakashi, and by the sound of things, it would be one of great importance. She had no time to waste, and so she strapped on the traveling bag she always kept standing by for times such as these, then locked up her windows, leaving the apartment secured. She had the feeling she would not be coming home for a while.
Traveling above the streets from the roof tops, she spotted Naruto on his way as well, and gave him a grave nod before running up ahead to the Hokage tower. He sprinted after her with determination, both of them only pausing before entering Tsunade's office at the sound of voices shouting. One was clearly Shizune, telling Tsunade not to send Team Kakashi out of the village so soon after their reformation.
At the very thought of this, Naruto was angered, and he threw open the door, barging in without a second thought. Sakura unabashedly filed into the office as well, placing her hands on her hips. Surely her shishou did not think her unprepared for a mission, no matter how dangerous?
"Uzumaki, Haruno! I am sending you out with Hatake to Suna for a retrieval mission. Akatsuki has captured Gaara, and has requested assistance." She barked. The room became so quiet, Sakura swore she could have heard a pin drop. Though she was not sure why, she felt a menacing aura fill the small room, all originating from Naruto. She turned worriedly to her friend to find that his head was down, and his entire form was shaking, whether from fury or fear, she was yet to tell.
She could practically hear his teeth clenching together, and Sakura deduced that he was hardly afraid, but instead infuriated. It was understandable, though. He and Gaara shared a strange bond, formed by competitive natures and similar childhoods. Just like Sasuke, Naruto saw Gaara as being something of a brother. She had been about to reach out to him, to offer some sort of solace, when Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
Sakura, shocked by his sudden appearance, swerved her head around to look at her sensei. His eyes had that blank, disconnected gleam to them that she had seen on missions before, and she knew he was masking his emotions in all readiness for the mission ahead. Sakura what going after Gaara would mean, and she was sure that her sensei did as well.
For some reason or another, Akatsuki was after Naruto. Putting this into consideration, this particular mission had to be dangerous for him, since they were very likely to run into members of that organization at some point during the mission. Yet, her shishou was deploying their team to assist Suna, and rescue Gaara. Normally, she would not dare even think of crossing Tsunade's judgement, but in this case, Sakura really wondered how she could come to the conclusion of sending Naruto.
She had been about to voice her concerns, when Tsunade tossed a scroll across the room for Kakashi to catch. "These are your mission orders. Head to Suna, then report whatever news there is to share. Proceed to aid Suna in any way possible, and wait for reinforcements before returning. Avoid contact with Akatsuki if at all feasible." She said, her hands laced together and elbows resting on her desk in a pensive posture.
"Sakura, stay here for a moment; the rest of Team Kakashi head to the gates. You already have clearance." She continued. They all shared a quiet look, before Kakashi and Naruto escaped via an open window. Sakura stood alone at attention, not sure what to expect from her shishou.
Tsunade gave Shizune a commanding look, and she frowned, leaving the room with Tonton in her arms, squealing nervously. Sakura now found herself alone with Tsunade, and even more anxious than before. Tsunade sighed though, reaching into a compartment in her desk for something.
Sakura had expected Tsunade to pull out a pitcher of sake, but instead there was only a bottle of pills. She tossed the small, glass bottle, and Sakura easily caught it. She inspected it for any sort of identification, but without actually experimenting on the tablets inside, it was nearly impossible to tell what they were. So, she glanced up at her shishou to receive any sort of enlightenment.
"If they are necessary, you will know when." Tsunade told her cryptically.
With Sakura heading out on a mission to Suna involving Akatsuki, the chances of her running into a certain Uchiha Itachi was highly in favor. Though on a mission was hardly the time for Sakura to discover ANBU-san's true identity, there was no avoiding it at this point. Besides, there was no telling when Sakura would be back to meet with him again, as the trip to Suna took three days alone. Even if Team Kakashi spent no more than a day in Suna, it would still take three days to get back, and she would be incapable of going off again to meet the Uchiha.
It would seriously be easy for everyone if she could give him his antibiotics while she was already out and about. Besides, it really was time that she knew who she was in love with. Sakura was a mature kunoichi, and Tsunade was certain she knew when the best time was to let her emotions get the best of her. If Sakura really did lose control of herself during the mission, then it would only mean that she never learned anything in training.
Yes, Tsunade had full confidence that her student was capable of keeping control over her emotions during the mission.
Sakura gave Tsunade a confused look, but pocketed the pills all the same. Sometimes it was best to not question her shishou's logic, and just trust it, even if she always took the wrong bet on things. With that over with, she bowed to her Hokage, and headed out of the office through the window, just as Naruto and Kakashi had just minutes before.
She streaked through the village, ignoring the oblivious, happy civilians as she hopped from rooftop to rooftop in the direction of the Konoha gates. She stopped only at the booth by the gateway, Kotetsu and Izumo already waiting and ready for her appearance. Kotetsu's facial expression had only relaxed fractionally, and still had an edge to it that she did not particularly like.
"What are you going to do about ANBU-san? I am sure you will not be back in time for that mission." Kotetsu murmured as she signed her name on the log sheet. Sakura froze for a split second, having completely forgotten about her duty to deliver a constant dosage of antibiotics to her client. She sighed though, knowing Tsunade would deal with it if she did not make it back in time to meet with ANBU-san.
"Shizune-san will have to meet with him for me." Sakura muttered thoughtfully. It was only then that her mind flew back to the pills Tsunade had just given her. Why, if they were ANBU-san's medication, would Tsunade hand her them, if she had no chance of running into him? Sakura bit her lip, then waved to Kotetsu, disappearing from the spot to catch up with the rest of her team. She had a three day journey to wonder over the pills, and how they could possibly relate to ANBU-san.
Sakura hated sand. And she hated wind. And she hated deserts. And she hated the sun. These were four undeniable facts she learned in her journey into Suna. It was lucky that Team Kakashi had run into Temari on their way, because at least they managed to miss the worst of the storms that had rolled in.
Sakura could tell that Temari was very worried about her brother, and really did not want to lead them through the safe spots, but much to her surprise, the impatient kunoichi stuck with their team the entire journey. It had been a much longer track to the village than anyone expected it to be, but that was undoubtedly because everyone was anxious to reach their destination.
They had been met at the main entrance by a Suna jonin with bad news. Temari, who was already extremely worried over her little brother, had to be told that Kankuro had been injured when pursuing Gaara in an attempt to rescue him, and was not yet stable. Temari had clearly not taken it very well, because as soon as she had heard her brother was in the critical condition ward, she had gone off again in a flurry of wind and kicked up sand. It was assumed by the Konoha shinobi that she had rushed to the hospital to see how poorly her brother really was doing.
Sakura had overheard the Suna jonin mention poison, and immediately, Sakura was certain that she could be of some help to her concerned friend and her brother. This in mind, she followed quickly behind Temari, hoping to not lose her in the intricate passageways that made up Sunagakure. It did no help at all that everything in the village, whether it be the allocated civilian subsection, or shinobi residential areas. Yes, she could imagine herself getting very lost at some point, without some sort of guide.
It barely registered in her mind that Naruto and Kakashi, in turn, were chasing after her. As for her (idiotic) teammates, Sakura sincerely hoped that they would stay out of trouble, if they intended to follow her all the way to the hospital. She did not need two, clueless men in her way, if her assistance was necessary. They would have to learn very quickly how she worked, if they planned to be a bother.
Though she was not sure of the hospital protocol in Suna, Sakura could easily guess that it could not be so very different from that in Konoha. When she worked, generally, spectators were not appreciated, unless they are planning to become a medic-nin themselves, and need to observe someone certified. Nurses, civilian or shinobi alike, were asked to keep to the sides during major surgeries, and only help if the head medic orders them to be of any use.
Otherwise, for the most part, no one was allowed to visit a patient during operations, especially one in critical care. Sakura had, on several accounts, seen family members and close friends try to sneak in to watch. They would usually be very nervous though, and when releasing their anxious aura, it often proved to be very distracting for the medics performing the operation. She could understand that they were worried, but sobbing like a small child was not going to help anyone, least of all the patient.
There were reasons for these regulations; it was for the upmost importance for the patient to be in an emotionally stable environment, until they are no longer in danger of losing their lives. Most people did not realize this though, and that their crying was actually making matters for whatever patient was being worked on. So, Sakura had, more often than not, made this clear to the people dumb enough to bug her and her nurses, that they were not wanted around by anyone.
Sakura threw one last glance back over her shoulders to the two men running to catch up to her, then sped up to reach Temari. She was led through a rather plain building, which Sakura inferred was the hospital, based on the strong scent of disinfectant and that common sterilized feel that screamed medical center. Sakura, naturally, did not mind this too much, having spent a good chunk of her training with Tsunade in the clinic.
Temari had known where to go without the help of a nurse, who had wisely steered clear the rushing jonin. Finally, they entered a room on the top floor through large, wooden doors, to find a bewildered group of under-qualified medics and a moody looking, elderly woman. Temari had ignored then, going straight to her brother's side, to see his true condition. Sakura, catching her breath, walked up to the bed Kankuro lay on, pulling on her calmest facade. Funnily enough, it was thanks to ANBU-san that she had learned to put on such a blank face, after staring at his damned mask for so long. It was useful though, when she needed to remain professional.
The suna medical staff looked astounded when she slowly checked his condition for herself, while the elderly woman thinned her eyes with scrutiny. She even ignored the scene where the woman charged at Kakashi, mistaking him for his father, much too concentrated on her work to care about their antics.
She was disappointed, though unsurprised to find his heart rate dangerously high, his chakra absolutely depleted, and his fever deadly. The poor shinobi was bordering delirium. Her eyebrows knit together in thought, her mind going through the hundreds of possible poisons that could have been used on Kankuro, based on his symptoms. The list was too long though, and by the looks of it, he did not have time for her to use the order of elimination.
So, she turned to the nearest medic. "Do you have any knowledge on the composition of the poison?" She asked stonily, her tone leaving no room for questions on his part. The medic gave her a strange, almost timid look before answering her plainly. Sakura honestly had no time to explain what a konoha medic-nin was doing in the middle of their operating room, and she was not giving him the chance to bother asking.
"Though the list is incomplete, we have deduced some of the ingredients used in the poison. If it is of any help, here is the-
Sakura did not even give him a chance to finish his sentence, instead snatching the paper from his very hands. He coiled away from her, deciding it best to not mess with the young woman, even if she was a foreigner. Sakura read over the list twice, and though it was much more developed than she could have hoped, she knew immediately that it would be of no help to her. She would just have to approach this matter with a different tactic.
So, with only some difficulty, she extracted the poison directly from his blood stream and vital organs, using the medical ninjutsu Tsunade had gotten her name known for. It did not take long for her to analyze the poison once out of Kankuro's body, and she quickly made an antidote for the remainders still cycling through his system.
Whoever had made the poison though, was certainly someone to be wary of. The extensive list of various herbs and extracts found in it were mostly very rare and expensive. It was certainly something created by someone with resources beyond imagination, and the knowledge and expertise of a specialist. Sakura could not be sure that she would run into the Akatsuki member who had rendered Kankuro to such a state, but she was not one to take chances. If there was any chance of her crossing paths with them, then she was going to be prepared. She made extra antidotes, storing them in her pouch of supplies for safekeeping.
Sakura really wanted to rest. Really, she did. She had already been exhausted after a three day track from Konoha to Suna. Then, the operation she had performed on Kankuro to extract the deadly poison had been especially taxing for her already dwindling chakra reserves. She knew that the chances of her actually replenishing her low chakra was very slim, and decided to give very little thought to it.
Naruto was desperate to get going, and she supposed she could understand. Akatsuki was after him as well, and if they ever managed to capture him as they had Gaara, he certainly would want someone to come to his rescue. Eventually, Sakura knew, that Naruto would have to face off that organization, but she hoped it was not anytime soon. She could not bear the thought of losing Naruto as well, after Sasuke had gone AWOL.
Naruto was strong, she gave him that, but he was nowhere near to being ready to face off the Akatsuki. He was only one person, kyuubi or no, and though she was sure she, as well as the rest of the Rookie Nine, would do anything to help him, Akatsuki was not an organization to be taken lightly. They were a dangerous group, and even Jiraiya was uncertain of how many of them there really was, despite his having someone on the inside.
If there was once Akatsuki that Sakura never wanted to meet, then it had to be Itachi. Naruto had told her of his infamous treatment of Sasuke, and of his indifferent attitude. If that cold-hearted man could kill his family, then torture his own younger brother on a whim, Sakura would hate to see how he acted when he was serious about something. She was certain it would be catastrophic.
So, she prayed, to whatever god that was willing to hear, and grant her whispered prayers, that Team Kakashi would not encounter the notorious Uchiha on this little endeavor. However small the chances of them successfully avoiding the soulless murderer, Sakura knew she could always hope, no matter what the circumstances. The last thing they needed was Naruto getting captured as well.
The pain of thinking she may, sadly enough, someday be the only survivor of the original Team Seven was something she could not come to terms with. As much as she was angry with him, Sakura still wanted to see Sasuke back in Konoha, where he belonged. She was clearly over her infatuation with him, but Sakura still considered Sasuke to be both her teammate and friend.
Yes, Sasuke was a complete jerk, with a pole shoved up his ass from the day he was born, but he did not belong with that snake, Orochimaru. Two years back she had been so furious that if she had seen him, she would have punched his face in. Now, after maturing a little, Sakura came to pity the pathetic boy.
She had, after thinking more on the subject, concluded that Sasuke was the victim more than she was, by far. She had had a childhood, whilst Sasuke had not, his having been pulled out from beneath his feet. He instantly had to be responsible and mature enough to care for himself, all because his insane older brother decided to go kill off anyone with black hair, and blazing, red eyes.
That had ruined Sasuke, had taken his innocence, just as it would have to any other child. He had been too young to see such monstrosities displayed before him, and it had adversely affected him. Now, all Sasuke could think about was avenging his family's untimely deaths. Apparently, killing Itachi would somehow vindicate the elimination of the Uchiha clan. Sakura was sure that offing your own brother could never be justified, no matter what crimes he had committed. If she could, Sakura would tell him that killing his brother would only stoop him down to his level.
Although, if Sasuke really did have any self-pride left in him, Sakura was sure he would have never abandoned Konoha to train with a missing-nin. That had to be scraping the bottom of the barrel, as far as you could go from keeping a respectable standing in society. Sometimes, Sakura wondered if it were even possible for Sasuke to return home, after the stunt he had pulled.
Sakura sighed, raking her fingers through unruly, pink hair in an attempt to calm her frazzled nerves. She and Kakashi shared a quiet look, and she knew what it meant immediately. It was time to head out again, now that Pakkun had a scent to follow. She glanced to Naruto as well, who this time, was not utterly clueless as to what was happening around him. He nodded, a small frown marring his features as he looked out to the open desert surrounding Suna.
At least she was not the only one who hated it out there.
Unfortunately, this time, it seemed they would not travel with a guide. It was going to be rough journeying through unmapped deserts without an idea of where they should be going, besides the occasional help of a ninja dog, who was just as lazy as their pornography-addicted sensei. This had, at least, been what Sakura had assumed, until the elderly lady who had been in the hospital earlier leaped down from a building and landing in front of them.
"Gaara is the Kazekage, and I refuse to let a bunch of snot-nosed, Konoha brats retrieve him from the Akatsuki." She stated demandingly, looking at each of their faces with a hard glare. Sakura was sure at that very moment, that she was not going to enjoy the company of this elder. She looked even more moody and temperamental than even Tsunade.
"Of course, Chiyo-sama," Kakashi said calmly, his smile just barely reaching his eyes. Sakura could tell right away that it was not heartfelt though, and she grimaced. Sakura was never fond of false smiles and fake manners, when the person really wanted nothing to do with the matter. "Your assistance in seeking the Kazekage would be most appreciated."
Chiyo did not seem to buy his act though, and gave him another one of her glares. He quickly got the message, and wordlessly, the team headed out from the village.
Sakura had always been very good at picking apart a person's character, and in observing how a person worked. She prided herself almost in this gift, but upon watching the Suna elder, Sakura started to wonder if she, after years of politics and war, would ever find herself suffering the same, miserable fate.
Chiyo was clearly a very bitter woman, and seemed to be the sort to keep grudges, even over decades of time. Sakura caught the woman sending her subtle glares more than once, and she wondered if it had anything to do with the violent history Suna and Konoha shared. She was likely to have been there, after all, and having seen the horrors of war, could not so easily forgive as the new generations.
Sakura was really beginning to think she would rather die early than become an angry old woman. Really, they could be very similar to each other, if closer in age. They were both medics, though they used their skills for different reasons. She wondered what secret technics the old woman had up her sleeves, after so many years of study and dedication.
Still, Sakura kept her distance from Chiyo, not wanting to be the cause of some sort of argument. Chiyo had already pronounced her disliking of Tsunade, and she knew how eerily alike she was to her shishou. Right from the medical ninjutsu she used, to the way she bit her lip when worried about something, or pouted when she did not get something her way. It had been pointed out to her several times, and she did not need an elder from suna hating her because of how much she was like Tsunade.
The journey felt very long to Sakura. There was nothing for hours but open desert. It had been very hot, with the sun beating down on their backs as they dashed through the heated scenery, with not a bit of green in sight. Sakura hated the feel of the sand in her boots, and while Ino would kindly remind her that walking in sand was great to exfoliate her skin, she was sure that she would get blisters soon.
Sakura could never remember being so relieved when seeing the first of the trees. A small breeze picked up as they entered River country, and the shade of the thick forest was much appreciated, after hours of the sun baking them nearly to death. An hour of two after reaching the forest, they stopped to rest. Sakura was quick to take advantage of this, sleeping for what little time she could, after having her chakra depleted.
This could not last long though, and they had to get on the move again. Still physically wasted, Sakura popped a soldier pill, shuddering slightly at the strange sensation when chakra instantly started to flow steadily through her limbs. Stretching for a moment, she continued with the rest of the rescue team to find Gaara.
It was only a few miles away, however, when Kakashi suddenly shot his arm out in front of them, abruptly putting the group to a halt. There, standing across the little clearing in which they stood, was a cloaked man. Sakura was quick to recognize the red clouds that stood for Akatsuki on his black cloak. She bit her lip, letting her gaze flash to his eyes for only a second, but it was long enough to see the red glow of the man's Sharingan.
She felt her heart drop. She glanced first to Naruto, then to Kakashi, and finally Chiyo, but knew all to quickly that it was too late. Their expressions were blank, their eyes dazed. Before a battle could even be initiated, a genjutsu had been cast over her team. The only question was, why had she not been put under as well? What could Itachi want with her?
His voice rang out, strong and clear. "Sakura, I bear you no ill-will. You have no need to avoid my eyes." Uchiha Itachi commanded. And damn, she knew that voice. How, she had no idea, but that calm, smooth tone sounded so familiar. Then it struck her as odd that he knew her first name, and had the gall to address her with it.
Without a second thought, her eyes shot up to his, and she took in his features. He was attractive, to be sure, and this thought disturbed her. He had a sharp nose, and thin lips, a strong jaw, high cheek-bones, and then she saw his thick eyelashes. Her mind should have been telling her that it looked very feminine, but it would not do. They were beautiful. Sakura noticed then the raven hair framing his face, then flowing behind his neck, tied together at the base.
Suddenly, everything seemed to come together in her mind very quickly. The thin lips, black, tied-back hair, and familiar voice that she had been so certain she knew. Mortification spread through her entire being.
"No, it cannot be." She whispered, her throat dry.
She was looking at the face of her dearest ANBU-san.
AN: Another chapter! Sorry it took so long, but for some reason, this one was rather difficult for me to write out. But the secret is out! ^^