Here's the next chapter for y'all as I said, all ready to go!

Enjoy :)

Finally away from the stares of the crew and the presence of Gaara she laid on her cot for what felt like the first time. She wondering how she could get off this bloody ship and where the bloody hell her rum was. She could see if the crew would do a mutiny against her, but again it probably wouldn't work and they'd think she was crazy if they didn't already. She could get away next time they got to land. But she didn't think she would last that long, not knowing the next time she would even see land. Plus Gaara's compass would just find her again if he so chose it. She was stuck on this ship and that thought made her groan in despair.

"Sakura." Temari called to her, coming to her side finally gaining the courage to figure out what happened. She was concerned, and well extremely curious.

"What did my brother do?"

"Ask him." Sakura said in a monotone. She didn't want to talk to anyone, and shouldn't they know? This is probably what they planned from the start. Why were they acting like they care? Sakura wondered confused. The fact that her head was pounding like a drum was playing in her head wasn't helping. Temari just sighed.

"He won't say a word. Besides I want to hear it from you, everyone is really worried."

"Is that so?" Sakura inquired not sure she could trust any of the crew anymore. She wasn't sure of any of their intentions anymore, after all they followed Gaara and it was clear for her that he wasn't to be trusted.

"Yes. As much as I love my brother and respect him as a Captain, when it comes to dealing with people he's unfamiliar with he's very crude. He doesn't know how to conduct himself nor is he comfortable in dealing with his emotions." Temari told her sighing when Sakura appeared to be ignoring her. Unsure on how to get through to her Temari gave up and walked away leaving Sakura to her thoughts.

Sakura wished she could say she didn't see this coming, but a small piece of her knew it was inevitable; She had only hoped she would have been prepared to stop it or prevent it. To be tricked in a such a way after finally feeling like she belonged hurt more than she could admit to even herself. It was why she always went to great lengths to avoid becoming attached to anyone. But last night she truly thought Gaara wanted her, not just her key. That look in his eyes that still made her insides warm at just the memory of it. Sakura shook her head dispelling all thoughts of their steamy encounter and decided that Gaara Sabaku was just a pig.

Deciding it was best to stop her tantrum and hiding Sakura prepared to get up and head back up on deck. Of course before she could get very far Gaara walked up to her again. Sakura in turn thoroughly ignored him, not caring that he was staring at her. He wasn't one on her lists of people to talk to. Ever. Gaara, however, didn't care and broke the silence delivering an unwanted truth.

"You can't avoid me forever." Gaara stated but in response Sakura simply walked away from him. Gaara followed her through the sleeping quarters before his irritation took over and he pinned her to one of the ship's walls. Now facing him and unable to get free, Sakura glared.

"What is that you want Captain?" Sakura questioned anger seeping out with every word.

"Would you believe me even if I told you?" Gaara questioned back his hands resting on her hips. Sakura turned her head to look away from him not even bothering to speak her answer. They both knew she wouldn't.

"You don't understand do you." Gaara stated his frustration and anger leaking into his words, earning a glare from her. He was the one who played her and now it was her who didn't understand? This man was infuriating.

"No I don't. Clearly I don't understand because there is really no need to keep up this dance you've been playing with me from the beginning." Sakura shouted. She couldn't understand why he was angry, he had no right. Now she, she had a perfectly good excuse.

"I don't know what you are thinking, but I don't plan on letting you go." Gaara growled. His anger was getting the better of him but Sakura didn't care.

"I'm not yours to keep and I won't be locked up and trapped again." Sakura stated firmly not realizing how her words were fueling his rage. Gaara lost it. He lost any sort of control he had over himself in that moment. Sakura was thrown across the hold into a crate gasping at the unexpected actions the redhead had taken, as he stalked towards her shock was the predominant emotion littering her features. Gaara chuckled lifting her up roughly by her throat.

"You're not afraid, Sakura?" He mocked, a demonic change in his voice. So this is his temper, Sakura thought before she snapped out of her shock to glare at him.

"Don't mock me." Sakura growled out despite his hold on her throat and it was Gaara's turn to be shocked. Shukaku his inner demon cackled within him threatening horrors and pain so torturous that hell would pale in comparison if he were to let the pinkette leave his presence. However, Gaara didn't need his inner demon to tell him what he had already planned on doing. He would find a way to keep the pinkette around one way or another.

Unable to stand the position she was in any longer Sakura kicked out hitting his side while he appeared to be distracted effectively knocking the wind out of him. Finally released, Sakura landed in a crouch rubbing her neck carefully checking out the damage before making a run for the deck. She was not about to be taken down without a fight.

Gaara growled watching her run while clutching his side. He moved to go after her despite the difficulty to catch his breath. When he reached the deck everyone was watching the scene unfolding before them. Seeing his target on the starboard side of his ship he noticed her staring at him as if waiting for his approach.

And she was dangling the key above the water.

"What are you doing." Gaara demanded standing in front of her.

"Oh just trying to figure something out." Sakura told him.

"Which would be what?" Gaara questioned not fully understanding her intentions.

"When you found me on that island you used your compass." Sakura began and he nodded for her to continue. "So what was it that you truly wanted, me or this key?"

"I was looking for you not for the key." Gaara answered but Sakura wasn't convinced as he hadn't really answered the question she had asked, merely skirted around it. "The key holds little importance to me at the moment."

"Is that so?" Sakura questioned surprised he even said something like that. Sakura watched on as she let the key slowly slip from her grip before grasping it at the last second. The damage was done though as she had seen him jerk forward in an attempt to stop her.

"You really need to work on your 'the key isn't important anymore' thing." Sakura told him walking away leaving Gaara and the crew speechless.

After her oh so dramatic exit Sakura headed to the storage area where they held the supplies and gunpowder used on the ship. She only came here to hide out a bit after the display she just pulled. So her instincts were right, he found her using the compass because of his want for her key. Now she was certain she couldn't trust them, especially Gaara.

xPiratesLifeForMex

"What are we going to do without the key? We can't keep heading to the Isla del Tesoro Perdido, it will be useless to get there without the key." Naruto questioned still not fully understanding the situation between Gaara and Sakura.

"I don't know." Gaara said angrily. Everything that could go wrong, was. He didn't have the key, his damn compass was no longer working, and Sakura hated him.

"Maybe would should just stop." Temari said. "Search for a different treasure."

"We've gone too far we can't just turn around now. Not with the Akatsuki after us." Kankuro said. "And it's not like we don't have the key, Sakura just isn't willing to give it up at the moment."

"Yeah they've been after the same treasure and have gone through more drastic measures as well. They aren't even as close as us to actually standing a chance." Tenten added.

"But what are we supposed to do if Sakura decides to bail with the key? Chests just don't open by themselves." Ino pointed out.

"We keep course, I'm getting that treasure." Gaara stated. A flashback of what he did to Sakura plagued his mind and he whispered, "I've risked too much for it now to turn back."

Sakura couldn't stand watching this. After having quickly gotten bored in the storage area she had stealthily made her way back onto the deck to observe the crew. Hiding behind some barrels she watched them discuss their next move. She really shouldn't have felt bad, but they had grown on her much too quickly for her liking and she felt she couldn't turn back to the life she had. Not that she had a choice, she was stuck on this crew like she had promised whether she liked it or not. The only way out was through mutiny or death. Sakura sighed and leaned back against the barrels contemplating her next move. She also couldn't help but wonder who the Akatsuki were seeing as they seemed so troubled by their possible presence.

Perhaps Akatsuki would be the answer to her problems though. Were the two crews to cross paths she could stow away on their ship and never have to deal with her crew again. Her musing was interrupted as she heard Naruto say something that caught her interest.

"We have to stop for supplies in the next town Gaara." Naruto reported after things calmed down somewhat. Sakura imagined a stop into town would be the best opportunity for her to get away. First she just had to secure his compass to prevent him from finding her again.

"Not with Akatsuki on our tail. I won't put my crew in unnecessary danger if I can help it. If we stop a battle will surely happen." Gaara told him but he knew Naruto was right. Sakura frowned at this, disappointed her opportunity may be foiled before it could appear. Just who were the Akatsuki? Looking out to the horizon she noticed something in the distance that they seemed to be sailing towards.

"Captain! The Akatsuki are in sight and closing in!" Hinata shouted from the crow's nest. It seems I'll be able to find out about the Akatsuki sooner rather than later...Sakura mused to herself moving to get herself a better hiding spot for the confrontation that was to come. She made sure to have a view of the ship closing in on them so she would be aware when the other ship was on top of them. It seemed to take ages but the actual time it took for the two ships to end up side by side was practically none at all. She watched as the Akatsuki boarded swinging over on ropes, swords at the ready. At the front was someone she hadn't expected to see again.

"Well if it isn't Captain Gaara and his crew." A giant blue man greeted showing off a set of pointy pearly whites. Sakura could easily recognize him as one of the men from the cavern, Kisame she believed he was called.

"What are you doing here." Gaara growled at the unwelcome company.

"We heard you got the key. We want it." A man with red eyes and black hair stated. There's no denying it, Itachi...Sakura thought flashes of her time aboard his ship running through her mind. Wiping out any plans she had to stow away aboard the Akatsuki ship escaped her mind. There was no way she would be returning to their ship, not wanting Itachi to be aware of her presence ever again. Something about him just didn't sit well her, so much so that she would rather stay with Gaara and his crew than be alone with Itachi again.

"Well we don't." Kankuro told them.

"You think we'll believe that, un?" A man with blonde hair in a style that wasn't much different looking from Ino's questioned.

"Believe what you want we don't have it." Temari told them and a sword fight began. Both sides clashed. It was in that moment Sakura felt a plan form in her head. It was time to stir things up and as the two crews battled they blissfully unaware of the shadow watching in the sidelines carefully sneaking off the ship.

After Sakura snuck around them she took one of the ropes they used to get aboard their ship and swung, landing gracefully on the Akatsuki's own vessel. She quickly searched it and when she saw no one on board she went to the helm pulling the ship away and out to sea. Deeming it a good distance Sakura jumped into the water and swam back. It amusing to her to see that nobody appeared to notice what had just transpired so absorbed in the battle trying to overcome their opponents. It was like they were evenly matched, neither side able to gain the upper hand.

Climbing up half way so as not be seen she waited for things to unravel. Without even needing to look back Sakura imagined the Akatsuki ship was quite a distance by now. It was only a matter of time before somebody noticed.

"Hey, un. Is are ship supposed to be sailing away, yeah?" Deidara questioned being the first one to notice as everyone stopped fighting to look at the ship sailing away. Itachi looked around trying to figure out just how this could have happened right under their noses.

"Back to the ship." Itachi ordered and the Akatsuki jumped into the water without a second thought to chase after their ship completely forgetting about what they came for. It was no use for them to have the key and no ship. Turning back to his enemy's ship he caught a glance of someone climbing back on board, someone with pink hair. Smirking to himself he found himself making a new goal. Captain Gaara apparently had more than one thing of interest residing on his ship.

"Sakura." Gaara growled thinking she got away with the ship. It had her handy work all over it after all she was nowhere to be seen.

"Wow, she's pretty good at stealing ships." Naruto said amazed. He was impressed to say the least. She had single handedly gotten rid of their rival pirate crew. But then his expression died and he frowned. If the ship was sailing away it meant Sakura was on it, he was really getting used to the clever pink haired woman. Here he thought she was finally accepting being on the crew but whatever happened with Gaara must have really affected her deeply.

"Follow the ship." Gaara ordered. Sakura was not going to get away from him again. And it was only a matter of time before the Akatsuki caught up to her and dealt with her.

"Are you crazy?!" Kankuro shouted, they had just managed to get rid of the Akatsuki why on earth would they go out of their way to meet back up with them?

"I said, follow the ship." Gaara repeated not budging. "If Sakura is aboard we need to get her back. She's part of the crew." At those words everyone complied shuffling around to do just that.

"I wouldn't do that Captain." Sakura said finishing her climb up the ship and sitting on the rail, clothes and hair dripping. She grinned from the thrill of her victory as the crew turned to her. To say they were shocked would be an understatement. They had imagined she would've taken her opportunity to leave while she could. Ever since last night things have become tense around the pinkette.

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted in excitement.

"When did you?" Ino asked confused wondering when Sakura even slipped off the ship let alone knew when Akatsuki had boarded. She had vanished for hours before, everyone had figured she was safely below deck unaware of the situation that had been going on.

"Better question, why did you?" Temari asked knowing Sakura hated it here. Especially after what happened with her and Gaara although everyone was still unsure of what exactly that was.

"I am part of the crew am I not?" Sakura teased sitting on the rail her feet kicking back and forth giddily, high from the thrill. But then she turned to Gaara confused by his orders. It was now or never, she had to talk to him and settle things once and for all.

"Let's talk, Captain." Sakura mocked walking into his cabin expecting him to follow.

That's all for now folks. Don't be shy and let me know what you think! Any criticism and encouragement helps.

Until we meet again!

BluePanda :)