DISCLAIMER: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto and its characters, not me.
A/N: I'm really sorry for not updating soon!!I've been busy. It was my midterms in college and I had to put that first before updating!!
Chapter 7:
Sakura woke up and felt weak. Sakura's body was bound in chakra ropes that were draining her chakra. Sakura cursed. She looked at her surroundings. It was a dark and damp cave. She looked for an exit but she found nothing due to the darkness of the cave. She heard footsteps and she pretended to sleep.
"The Jinchuuriki's not with them. What are we going to do now?" a voice, obviously Kisame's, asked.
She heard footsteps approaching her. Itachi grabbed her chin and she felt Itachi's stare upon her.
"I know you're awake, kunoichi." Itachi said.
Sakura didn't budge. Itachi frowned and walked away.
"I'm thinking of killing this pathetic kunoichi in front of them or vice versa." Itachi said.
Kisame agreed and claimed Neji to be his prey. He mentioned morbid things he'd do to Neji with his Samehada. Sakura's eyes snapped open. She saw Kisame smirking and Itachi keeping his cool.
"Ohayou…" Itachi mocked.
Sakura tried to get out of the chakra ropes. Itachi told her to behave like a god little girl because no matter what she does, she wouldn't be able to break free. Sakura cursed in her thoughts. She threw both the Akatsuki members a death glare. Kisame and Itachi then left the cave. Sakura tried to break free from the ropes once more. She put all her strength in it and she was finally freed from the ropes. Sakura limped and tried to find her way out. After many twists and turns, she found a door. She opened the door and cursed. Itachi was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, polishing his weapons. Sakura threw a kunai at Itachi. Itachi simply dodged it.
"You really think that you can defeat me with your current condition?" Itachi asked.
Itachi activated his Mangekyou and Sakura was once more under Itachi's sharingan. Itachi laid Sakura on his bed. Kisame came inside the room and saw Itachi very exhausted.
"You know that you should lessen the use of your eyes." Kisame said.
"Hn…"
xXx
Still far away from where Kisame and Itachi were, Team Kakashi minus Naruto and Sasuke plus Neji decided to rest for the night. Kakashi looked for something to eat. Sai searched for firewood and Neji set up camp. Kakashi and Sai returned and they had dinner. They discussed about their formation and how they think they could defeat Itachi and Kisame. After finalizing their plans, they decided to sleep.
xXx
Back in Konoha, Naruto went to Sasuke's house.
"We're gonna leave Konoha?!" Naruto exclaimed.
Sasuke hit Naruto and told him to shut up.
"I'm not just gonna sit here doing nothing while they fight Itachi. We'll go to where they are, kill Itachi and save Sakura." Sasuke said.
Naruto agreed to Sasuke's plan (for the first time). Sasuke told Naruto to get information from Jiraiya. Naruto nodded and headed to the door. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's shirt.
"Don't make it too obvious, Naruto. Once Jiraiya finds out what we're up to, he'll tell Tsunade and we wouldn't be able to do our plan." Sasuke said.
"I'm no t that stupid, Sasuke-teme." Naruto said.
Sasuke smirked at Naruto. Naruto went to the girls' bathing house and saw Jiraiya on the roof, "collecting information".
"Ero-sennin!" Naruto shouted.
Jiraiya threw his telescope at Naruto and told him to pipe down. The girls saw Jiraiya, screamed and threw various bathing things at him. Jiraiya fell from the roof and ran away. Naruto followed the hermit.
"What do you need?" Jiraiya demanded.
"I'm going to train with Sasuke-teme. I need to know where Itachi is so I know whether I'm safe or not." Naruto said.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes.
"Itachi's far from here." Jiraiya quickly answered.
Naruto did hand seals and his female version appeared.
"How far Ero-sennin?" Naruto teased.
Jiraiya experienced a severe case of nosebleed.
"In the Hidden Village of Grass." Jiraiya blurted out.
Naruto changed back to his normal self and ran back to the Uchiha district. Jiraiya slapped his forehead. He immediately told Tsunade about what happened. That night, Sasuke and Naruto were able to escape from Konoha's tight security and left for Grass.
xXx
Sakura was once more bound in chakra ropes, weak as ever. Kisame and Itachi were talking to each other at the far end of the room. Team Kakashi has infiltrated Itachi's place. They were cautious and made no noise as they searched for Sakura. Neji activated his byakugan. Neji led the way. They saw a door and slowly opened it. Kakashi saw Sakura in the middle of the room. Neji lost himself and ran to Sakura. Halfway to Sakura, Kisame appeared and slashed Neji. Sakura opened her eyes and saw Neji bleeding.
"Neji!" Sakura cried.
Sai blocked the Samehada as Kisame attempted to make another slash on Neji. Itachi appeared and placed a kunai near Sakura's neck.
"It seems you didn't understand my request, Kakashi-san." Itachi said.
"Gomen, but Naruto's kinda busy at the moment." Kakashi told him.
Kakashi lifted his forehead protector. Sharingan met sharingan. Sai battled with Kisame as Neji released Sakura from the ropes. Neji hugged her tightly.
"Do you really need to hug each other in this situation? Can't you do it later, ugly?" Sai asked as he brought his drawings to life.
Green chakra was emitted from Sakura's hand.
"Don't. You're low on chakra." Neji said.
Sakura poked Neji's wound. Neji cried in pain.
"See? It's painful. Let me heal you." Sakura told him.
Sakura began healing Neji. In the middle of the fight, Sasuke and Naruto came. Team Kakashi was surprised.
"Naruto! What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked.
Itachi ran to Naruto. Sasuke pushed Naruto away. Sasuke pulled out his sword of Kusanagi.
"Foolish little brother." Itachi said.
Kakashi told Sai and Naruto to get out with Sakura. Naruto sternly disagreed. Neji grumbled and pressed a nerve on Naruto's nape. Naruto fainted and Sai caught him.
"Neji…" Sakura said.
"I'll help Kakashi and Sasuke." Neji told her.
Neji saw worry in Sakura's eyes. Neji kissed Sakura. Sai looked curious and at the same time disgusted.
"I love you." Neji said.
Sakura smiled. Neji told them to get out already. Sakura nodded. Sai carried Sakura on his back and dragged Naruto. Minutes passed, and then hours but the rest of Team Kakashi hasn't gotten out yet. Naruto was still unconscious, Sai was reading a book about human emotions and Sakura was regaining chakra while worrying about them. They suddenly heard a very loud explosion. They were surprised. Even Naruto woke up. Kakashi and Sasuke ran out.
"Where's Neji?" Sakura asked.
Kakashi and Sasuke looked back.
"He was right behind us…" Kakashi said.
Sakura cursed. Sai ran back in. After several minutes, he got out with a dying Neji. Sakura gasped and ran to his side.
"Itachi was…still alive. I had to…finish him…" Neji stuttered.
Neji coughed and spat out blood. Still with little chakra, Sakura healed Neji.
"Dammit Neji. Don't die on me." Sakura said.
Neji's heart rate began to slow down.
"Shit, no!" Sakura panicked.
Sakura or anybody else didn't know what to do. Sakura panicked even more and started to cry. Sakura remembered something but was thinking twice whether to use it or not. Sakura sighed and placed her hands on top of Neji. Kakashi stopped Sakura. Neji grabbed her hands.
"You… are not… going to transfer your life… to save me." Neji sternly said.
Sakura sobbed.
"I want to save you!" Sakura cried.
Neji shook his head. Neji's breathing and heart rate slowed. Neji forced a smile and kissed Sakura's cheek.
"I love you…" Neji said and breathed his last.
OWARI
A/N: I'm sorry for making Neji die. I know that you like it to end happily ever after, gomen. Tragedy's the field I'm excelling at. XDD
