Title: Trapped
Date:
September 29, 2009
Summary:
This S-Class Mission was far from what they had been expecting…
Rating:
K
Themes:
Romance/Drama/Humor/Angst


Trapped

Mission Status: S-Class; Infiltration and Assassination

Mission Issue Date: July 13; Year of the Horse

Mission Issued By: Godaime Hokage, Tsunade (Hidden Leaf Village); Hidden Leaf Council; Fire Country Alliance

Mission Target: Akatsuki; Uchiha Itachi

Ninja Leader(s): Nara Shikamaru – Tactical, and Field Shinobi (Jounin); Hyuuga Neji –Field Shinobi (Jounin); Uzumaki Naruto – Field Shinobi (Jounin); Haruno Sakura – Head Medic; Tactical and Field Shinobi (Jounin)

Backup Ninja: Sai – Field Shinobi (ANBU Root); Hyuuga Hinata – Field and Medical Shinobi (Jounin); Yamanaka Ino – Field and Medical Shinobi (Jounin)

Mission Location(s): Earth Country

Given Time for Completion: 30-45 days

Information Sources: ANBU Squad 10; ANBU Squad 14; Fire Country Alliances

Mission Information and Data: Recently, Fire Country and its Alliances have received word that the well-known Organization, Akatsuki are getting ready to enact war on the Five Great Shinobi Countries. As of late, Akatsuki's numbers have increased drastically and are continuing to grow, rumors having spread that they had recruited the Ninja of the disbanded Sound Organization that had once been under rule of the dangerous Missing Ninja (and now pronounced dead) Orochimaru.

Unfortunately, Akatsuki's Base and Leader are still unknown and it is rumored that the Core Members of the Akatsuki Organization have spread around the land to various Countries, recruiting more by force and volunteer, possibly planning to flank the Great Shinobi Countries in surprise Attacks.

Fortunately, these rumors have been caught and acted upon recently. Already the Five Great Shinobi Countries have sent out skilled ninjas to track down these various squads under Akatsuki to detect any information or weakness.

Assignment Objective: Your mission is to travel to Earth Country where Uchiha Itachi is rumored to have hidden with his squadron of Ninjas. From your travels and finding of Uchiha Itachi, you must note the number in the squad, surmise strategy, and find any weaknesses that would benefit to the Fire Country and its Alliance. If it is at all possible, assassinate or capture Uchiha Itachi and/or render his group useless. If any of these objectives prove to be fruitless, return to Konohagakure no Sato immediately. We do not want anyone running into a suicide mission and dying unnecessarily.

Needed Information: Weakness, Battle Plans, Locations, Vital Information

Assignment Objective: If the Team is not heard from via radio or does not return to Konohagakure no Sato in the time given, a rescue team will be sent to find Main Team's location and condition.

Be Safe…And Good Luck


Trees, rivers, lakes, and mountains whizzed by in a colorful blur of blues, greens, and browns. The smell of fresh and forest air went unnoticed, as the sounds of chirping birds and a nearby waterfall was drowned out by the static of radio headsets. Tenseness was filling the atmosphere under the afternoon sun as labored breathing echoed softly in the mix of sounds that were hurried footsteps, and whispered commands.

For two days the Team of seven skilled and well-known ninja ran through the forests of the Fire Country towards the barren lands of Earth. Only two stops had been made for rest, one to gather water and the other to sleep off their constant running and chakra use. No one hardly talked, their minds all settled on the mission they needed to complete and it was a mission where they needed to keep on their toes…All missions were needed to keep on their toes, but with this one, one single mistake, one single second of not being aware could mean the end of your life…Especially when you were dealing with Uchiha Itachi…

The name would cause even the bravest of shinobi to shudder.

This man, this murderer, had killed his entire clan in one night; had killed his best friend to gain some kind of power. This man held no compassion, no care in the world but to become stronger and to kill ruthlessly. And for a team to be sent out to possibly kill this man…It was nerve-racking…

Haruno Sakura sighed as she jumped soundlessly from tree branch to tree branch, her green eyes sharp, ears alert, and body tensed and ready for action. Waist-long, pink hair was left unbound as it trailed gracefully behind her form, her fists clenched as she concentrated chakra into her feet for every jump she produced so she could reach the next branch. Her teeming mind was whirring with so many thoughts and strategies and 'what ifs'. So many things could happen in one day, one hour, one second on this vital mission. Konohagakure and the Fire Alliance were counting on her and her team and they wouldn't dare let them down.

The sound of loud static jolted Sakura out of her thoughts, causing the kunoichi to stumble slightly from her landing. However, realizing that it was her radio, the medical ninja continued her run in the trees, eyes scanning her surroundings cautiously as her left hand moved to her collar, pressing a device that caused the static in her ear to increase.

"…We're going to settle a camp for the night…" A masculine voice stated expressionlessly, though his breathing was slightly labored from the running, "…From Haruno's position…we'll meet up 5 miles…It's a clearing beside a small lake…"

Sakura immediately understood. Out of the seven in the team, she had been given rear guard which meant from where in the line she was running, she was five miles away from the contact point. Hyuuga Neji was up front, leading the entire team with everyone following one at a time, about one quarter of a mile apart from one another. Sakura knew for a fact that Sai was right ahead of her and that she had been given rear guard since she was Head Medic, that way, if someone got hurt, she didn't have to backtrack, she would just keep heading forward to meet with them.

Five different replies echoed in Sakura's left ear to show that they had heard, Sakura giving her response after Sai had. Then, there was silence. The static ceased and all Sakura could hear was her own breathing, her own feet pounding against the wood of the trees, and the feel of her heart beating as she neared closer to her and her team's destination.

"Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?" Sakura murmured to herself as she clenched her gloved fists, trying to ease her tension away with the simple gesture.

Uchiha Sasuke had a bad feeling and he despised it when he had a bad feeling. Usually his bad feelings came in handy, but for a Missing Ninja running in Fire Country Territory, he did not want to face any confrontations, especially when it concerned him…His older brother, his murderous older brother, Uchiha Itachi. Yes, the once pupil of Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru had heard the rumors too…Itachi was somewhere in Earth Country, roaming the lands with a group of ninja to order and boss around.

Unfortunately for Sasuke and Team Snake, they had been in Wave Country for some time so one of his comrades, Suigetsu, could take care of something, concerning his sword that he had taken from the late Zabuza. Sasuke hadn't cared very much, as long as Suigetsu did his business quickly. Imagine the Uchiha's luck when he passed a couple of villagers who were talking about war in Konohagakure no Sato and the Great Shinobi Countries, as well as the killing rampage a certain killer with red eyes was rumored to be seen in Earth Country.

Sasuke immediately saw Team Snake off to leave, Suigetsu complaining he didn't have enough time in Wave Country, while the Uchiha's other recruited comrades, Karin and Juugo, had watched with rather confused and curious gazes. But the avenger had no time to waste or explain, believing that going through Fire Country Territory was almost suicide for him, yet the only way he could arrive in Earth quickly to claim his revenge.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun…Where are we going again?" Karin asked from where she ran behind him, her right hand pushing her glasses up to the bridge of her nose and her red hair gliding elegantly behind her, "We've been running for hours now…Can't we take a break?"

"No," Was Sasuke's immediate reply, his jaw clenching slightly as his fingers grazed the hilt of his Kusanagi.

There was no time for breaks. For all Sasuke knew, his clan's killer could already be on the move, out of the Earth Country and away from any other idea to where his elder brother could be hiding next. Even though he was only following a rumor at the moment, there was nothing he could do but check.

"Sasuke-kun…" Karin whined as she watched Sasuke gain in speed, her legs already hurting and her stomach begging to be filled.

"Oh shut up, will ya?" Suigetsu growled as he picked up his pace, his hand holding his own weapon as his other glided through his wind-toussled white hair, "I'm getting a headache from all your bitching and moaning!"

"I wasn't talking to you, bastard!" Karin retorted with a scowl, her red eyes narrowed dangerously on the sharp-toothed man, "Kami, I hate that man…"

The fourth member of the group, Juugo, remained quiet, his gaze going from Sasuke, to Suigetsu, and then finally to Karin. It was a normal occurrence to have Sasuke keeping to himself from the group, and for Karin and Suigetsu to insult and argue at one another. Juugo could only watch with mild curiosity and interest as he continued to run a few yards apart from where Sasuke was, keeping to the rear as he watched the typical behaviors of his teammates.

It was just another day in the life of Team Hebi…

"Hey Juugo," Karin called out from ahead of him, her face turned to look over her shoulder at his large build and wild, orange hair, "Hurry up…Don't want to get left behind!"

Juugo only nodded before quickening his pace, deciding to run alongside the only female of the group before landing his gaze on the other two men of the group, both quiet and rigid. For some reason, Juugo knew something big was going to happen for the next few days…


Sakura gave a grunt as she landed non-too-gently on one of the branches of a birch tree, her emerald eyes scanning the area and taking note of the blue crystalline lake Neji had noticed earlier. That only meant she was close to the contact point. Yet, the medic didn't make a move to go there. At least not yet…Instead, she checked her surroundings, trying to deem the place 'camp-able' and safe.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The trees were fresh and green, thanks to the sunny, cloudless weather on this beautiful summer afternoon in Fire Country, though not many were taking notice to it because of the war efforts and the fears going around about an attack as well as the possibility of death. But, Sakura shook those thoughts away, her stare panning to the lake which she believed looked clean enough for a bath, if she could even get one.

A sigh escaped her lips as her right hand came up to rest against the trunk of the tree, her legs slightly sore from all the running. This had actually been her first mission in a few months concerning action, infiltration, and possible assassination, but she had been busy in Konoha's Hospital as of late, severely injured ninja coming in everyday since the war had started, and her hoping selfishly that none of them were friends she knew all too well. Thankfully, Shizune offered to take up her work while she was away on this particular mission.

"I suppose I should be heading down now…" Sakura whispered as she looked off passed the Fire Country Forests to a large, foreboding Mountain, signaling the end of the Fire Country and the start of the Earth Territory.

Her and her team's destination…For tomorrow at least…

With a final, tired exhale, Sakura pushed chakra into her feet and jumped to the floor, the chakra taking the impact of the fall, helping her to land gracefully and unharmed. Rubbing her eyes in an exhausted manner, the kunoichi pushed through the foliage where she could sense her other teammates' chakra signatures, the medic wincing slightly when a branch scraped her arm and created a long, red welt along her shoulder. With a muttered curse, Sakura pushed onward, pink hair getting caught in leaves and twigs, and feet protectors scuffing against sharp rocks.

"I swear, damn it!" Sakura whispered harshly and a little loudly as she exited the shrubbery and entered into the clearing, causing several heads to snap up in her direction, some watching in amusement as she removed the leaves and twigs from her hair.

"You should have just kept your hair short, hag," A masculine voice stated with a blank smile, "At least then, you didn't look as ugly…"

Sakura glared in the direction of a young man sitting on a rock, holding a little art book and paintbrush in his two hands, his black attire matching with his dark hair, and his expressionless smile just pissing the kunoichi off, especially after his well-worded insult, "Oh shut up Sai…I take pride in the fact that my face and long hair scares you each and every day..."

"And you should," Sai responded as he smiled smugly, his eyes twinkling causing Sakura to silently seethe, "That's all you'll ever be good at…"

At that comment, Sakura was quite ready to burst, stomping towards her Team Seven comrade, fist raised with killer intent and green chakra completely covering it. The pink-haired kunoichi would have followed through in smashing in the boy's face when a hand caught her wrist, forcing her to whiz around and tell off whoever was trying to stop her.

"He isn't worth it Sakura-chan…" Naruto stated with a weak smile, blue eyes shining however at the mental picture of Sakura beating Sai to a pulp, "I think he just secretly likes getting you riled up…"

"And I like to publicly smash his bones into broken bits and pieces," Sakura whispered through grit teeth, her green gaze falling back on Sai, who was now drawing in his book, smile still on his face.

"But then that would mean you would have to heal him…" Naruto reasoned as he released her wrists, which stopped emitting its green chakra glow, "And that alone could even lead to more injury…Besides, we need to save our strength…Even if he does deserve a good hit right now…"

"Uzumaki is right…" A deep, masculine voice stated, causing Naruto and Sakura to turn their heads to see Hyuuga Neji sitting against the trunk of a birch tree, his pearly white eyes settling on the Lake just a few yards away, "Continue your squabbles when we return to Konoha…"

Sakura sighed in defeat, a part of her hating to be ordered around, yet the other reprimanding herself for not being professional; she was one of the Mission Leaders for Kami's sake, "Of course Neji-san…I apologize…"

The Hyuuga Prodigy turned his gaze to her, his well-sculpted face showing all seriousness, although his eyes told everything, "It was not you who started it Sakura-san…I too would have possibly acted on what he said…Uzumaki is also correct that he deserves a good beating…"

Sakura smirked, her gaze snapping in Sai's direction, who only stared at her dully, uninterested; she stuck her tongue at him, "Ha! I have Naruto and Neji on my side!"

Sai only smiled as he returned to his drawing book, "You need their coolness to balance out your ugliness…"

Sakura's smirk disappeared and her face blossomed red with untamed anger, the green returning to her fist, and her feet moving in her 'comrade's' direction, "Why you little-"

"Oh, leave him alone Forehead," A feminine voice now stated with amusement, effectively gaining Sakura's attention and heated glare towards a woman her age, blonde hair swept up in a ponytail and grey-blue eyes watching her with one brow raised, "Sai's only teasing you…I mean, we all know he still needs help in the 'emotion' and 'compliment' categories…"

Sakura frowned as she lowered her fist, glaring viridian eyes in Sai's direction one last time, the former ANBU Root member having returned to his drawing book, ignoring the blonde female's comment, "…Yeah, three years of knowing him and he still hasn't got the basics down…"

"I just choose not to use the basics on you, ugly," Sai replied nonchalantly, not even sparing the medic a glance.

Sakura growled, her fists clenched as she wished she could just drag the man into the lake, drown him, and then beat him over the head several times. Unfortunately for her, she had a heart, and the mind to tell her to not act rashly. Besides, Haruno Sakura hardly ever acted so bitchy when she and Sai argued. Sure, she would hit him over the head and argue back, but today, she was feeling more tensed and pissed off than normal, and Sai's insults weren't helping her at all.

So, to calm herself down, Sakura exhaled very deeply and loudly, counted to 10 and then turned on her heel, walking stiffly towards the lake, needing some peace and quiet. Besides, she still needed to remove all the twigs and leaves from her hair, and all the dirt from her face. The lake would help splendidly with that problem.

Passed the cackling fire and piled bags she walked, passed Neji and Naruto leaning against their respective trees, she went. Sakura's body remained utterly stiff as her comrade's voices, particularly her best friend, Yamanaka Ino, reprimanding Sai on his behavior, faded away until all she heard was the shifting of the leaves in the wind, and the soothing movements of the water. With a content sigh, Sakura took a seat on the lake's shore, careful of not getting wet as she removed the splinters of wood and foliage from her hair. Emerald eyes looked up at the orange and purple skies, the sun descending into the horizon, and the moon rising beautifully to the darkened blue heavens.

When the kunoichi was finished with cleaning her hair and removing the smudges of dirt from her face, she brought her knees up to her chest and laid her, now grown-into, forehead upon them. She didn't know why she was feeling so restless, or why she was letting her frustrations just pent up inside her. If she had been given the chance, she would be knocking down several trees with her inhumane strength for venting, but doing so could give away their position.

"Oh…How I wish for a chocolate bar right now…" Sakura sighed with an irritated moan following.

The medic just had too many things to think about. For one, there was the coming war her home Village was getting involved in, and she was assigned a Mission to find and possibly assassinate a man who bore the same name as her former comrade, and was the exact reason why her former comrade left: To gain power to kill him. So what would happen if she and her team killed Uchiha Itachi; undoubtedly his younger brother would become rather angry…Yet what if there was the prospect that they run into the youngest Uchiha? She knew for a fact that he couldn't be following Orochimaru still if the rumors were true that the Sannin was dead…So what could the youngest Uchiha be doing?

A crinkling of what sounded like a wrapper filled Sakura's ears and her head jolted up from her knees to stare with wide and alert eyes on a hand, holding out what seemed to be…a chocolate bar?

"I thought, maybe you would want it Sakura-chan…" A soft voice filtered out from beside her.

Sakura turned her head, her eyes softening and a smile lifting at the corners of her lips as she found Hyuuga Hinata, sitting beside her and offering one of her chocolate bars. Her gentle, opalescent eyes showed concern yet care as she too smiled, her free hand pulling her long, blue hair over her shoulder.

Hinata smiled again as she waggled the chocolate treat, "You know you want it Sakura-chan…"

The medic only laughed as she gratefully took the snack, "I appreciate it Hinata-chan…Chocolate calms me down when I can't destroy stuff…"

Hinata joined in on the chuckles, "I am glad I can be of help."

With a smile, Sakura halved the bar of chocolate, giving one piece to Hinata, thinking it better to share. The Hyuuga Heiress took it gratefully and both women ate in comfortable silence as they stared at the sparkling lake, half the sun now peeking out over the canopies of the forest.

"…What do you think about this war, Sakura-chan?" Hinata quietly asked as she finished up the rest of her chocolate bar.

The medic remained silent for a few seconds, her eyes narrowed in thought, before she spoke softly in answer, "It was bound to happen sooner or later…Akatsuki have been growing in strength and number…A part of me selfishly hopes though that the battlefield will not be Konohagakure…"

"…Are you afraid to fight?" Hinata asked as she turned to face her friend, her hands wringing together.

Sakura shook her head with a soft smile, "No…I stopped being afraid and stopped being weak when he left…I promised myself that I would die to protect the ones that I love…"

They both knew who he was but didn't go further into that particular conversation. It was a sensitive subject after all, especially for the pink-haired kunoichi and the self-proclaimed Hokage. After he had left Konoha when the Rookie 9 had been 12-years of age, Sakura had gone into a short depression before asking for the Godaime Hokage's help to become her apprentice. Sakura had wanted to become stronger, not only for her own self, but for him too.

After Sakura, Sai, Naruto, and Yamato had failed to bring him back when they had been 15-years of age, something inside Sakura had changed. Not only did she seclude herself for a few months to study and train and become stronger; her determination to save her former comrade grew, to save him and bring him back.

Few times Hinata had been on Field Missions with Haruno Sakura, but when she was, she could see the drastic change in demeanor in her friend's personality. Outside of the Hospital and Missions, Sakura was a happy teenage girl with a hint of her 12-year old self, but when acting on the job, she seemed merciless, hard-edged, like Neji and Shikamaru would be. It slightly unnerved the Hyuuga woman, but as long as she knew it wasn't her friend's permanent personality, she believed it was just how Sakura handled things, her own way.

"What about you Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked as she placed the wrapper and her left-over chocolate bar in her skirt's pocket, "What do you think about the war…?"

Hinata sighed as she placed stray strands of hair behind her ears, "It's always frightening when someone goes to war…Especially when it concerns your own village…I'm scared, but I'm ready to fight if I have to…"

Sakura nodded with agreement, her viridian orbs staring at the sparkling water as it went dark, the sun finally disappearing behind the horizon. But her mind drifted, to the Akatsuki and their plans. She remembered when Sasori, an Akatsuki member she had met and killed three years ago, captured and helped in the murder of Kazekage Gaara of the Sand, all to obtain the tailed-beast inside his body. Fortunately, Gaara was brought back to life.

The medical kunoichi turned her head slightly to the direction of camp, easily picking out Naruto's spiky blonde hair as he pestered Sai about something. Could the same be said for her best friend, Uzumaki Naruto, who also had the tailed-beast, Kyuubi, sealed inside his body? Already Akatsuki had tried several times to retrieve it, almost succeeding once, if she had not come in time to save him. But it had scared her to see her friend lying on the ground, unmoving, as if dead. If they had completed the ritual, Sakura wouldn't know what she would have done, because if the tailed-beast was removed from the human host, that host died. And she didn't want and couldn't stand the thought of strong and funny Naruto…dead. Kami, she couldn't.

And what's more, when Akatsuki had almost succeeded in taking Naruto away from her, it had been Uchiha Itachi no less who had been in charge of the job. Sakura no doubt couldn't deny that he was strong when she fought him to protect Naruto, but she was getting pretty beat up herself. Only when Hatake Kakashi, Sai, and Neji came that Itachi had fled. So for Sakura to be thinking about her battle in the past with the Uchiha and the possible upcoming battle with him now…She wondered if she was strong enough to take him on in a rematch.

"I managed to break an arm and blow up his kneecap back then…" Sakura muttered to herself.

"What was that Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked, not hearing and thinking the comment was directed at her.

"Oh, nothing Hinata-chan," Sakura dismissed, "I...just have a tendency to talk to myself…"

Both women smiled and turned their heads to continue to watch the now darkened lake because of the lack of light, the camp's fire yards away from them, casting shadows in front of their sitting forms.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled, causing both women to turn around and watch as the blonde-shinobi yelled for their attention and waved his hand, "Sakura-chan! Dinner's ready!"

The two kunoichi nodded to show they heard before standing up on stiff legs and dusting the dirt from their clothes. Then with a little chuckle from Naruto's behavior as he complained about 'No Ramen?', Sakura and Hinata continued on towards the camp. Sai was still drawing; Neji was thinking against his tree, eyes closed; Ino was pouring the food into separate bowls; and Nara Shikamaru was lazily lying on his back, watching as the dark clouds drifted overhead.

"Great…" Sakura stated sarcastically as she looked at the bowl of 'food', to which Ino just rolled her eyes, "This looks so…good…"

"I just followed the insructions on the can," Ino defended as she gave another bowl to Hinata, "So don't go blaming my cooking, because I didn't cook it…"

"Whatever you say Ino-pig," Sakura chuckled as she and Hinata took a seat near Shikamaru, who muttered a 'troublesome' when Ino gave him a bowl, to which he got a whack on the head.

Neji and Sai took no notice to the bowls that were placed next to them, only continuing to do what they had been doing before; thinking and drawing. Naruto was looking at his bowl's contents with disdain, his mind conjuring up Ramen as he mixed the thick paste idly. When Ino gave herself a bowl, she frowned as she scrunched up her nose, before putting it down beside her and snuggling up to Shikamaru's side.

"What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked as he eyed her.

"I'm cold," Ino pouted, "So sue me…"

The Nara genius sighed, "…What a drag…"

Sakura and Hinata stifled their giggles as they watched the whole scene, earning a questioning glance from the pineapple-haired man and a glare from the blonde, to which the two women promptly shut up, though continued to smile widely.

"So," Naruto started as he placed his uneaten food beside him, "What's the plan Neji?"

"…Same shifts for the night like last night…" Neji stated as he kept his eyes closed and his arms crossed, "We leave at dawn…"

"Which means we had better catch up on some sleep," Ino exhaled softly as she left Shikamaru's side to get her sleeping bag.

"Alright then," Sakura agreed as she started cleaning up all the untouched bowls, "Dawn it is…"


To say Uchiha Sasuke was pissed off was a complete understatement. At this very moment, he could be running to the Earth Country, ready to fight his older brother, but instead, he was sitting on a large boulder, brooding, because damn it, his teammates were slowing him down. Sure, they had their strengths and weaknesses, but to have Karin fall off a tree because she was tired and had not eaten was not his problem. Sasuke knew he should have just left them behind, but there were multiple reasons why he didn't.

For one, Juugo was a bomb just waiting to explode with all his random killing sprees and Sasuke was the only one able to tame him enough to not kill him and his comrades. Another reason was he was sure Itachi wouldn't be alone, so then Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo, could easily take care of the minions while he was solely focused on his murderer of a brother. And lastly, Suigetsu and Karin would probably complain and whine about being left behind and he did not want to deal with any of that. It was already enough that they argued with each other, but to have it directed at him was not a wanted prospect.

Two hours, that's all the rest they were getting. Two hours.

"Cow…" Suigetsu's voice drifted towards Sasuke's sitting form.

The avenger's obsidian eyes glanced upward, away from his lap to the circle his comrades formed around the small, but effective fire. Juugo was leaning against a large boulder, his eyes glancing between Karin and Suigetsu, smart enough to stay quiet and out of the conversation. Sasuke had to admit, that out of his three cell mates, Juugo was who he tolerated the most.

Suigetsu was sitting at the right of Juugo, a sadistic smirk on his lips as he showed off his sharp rows of teeth, his hands mechanically wiping and polishing his large sword. His stare was directed at the female on Juggo's left, directly across from Suigetsu and was separated by the fire, much to Karin's satisfaction. The further away she was away from Suigestu, the better. The said kunoichi was currently building up her strength, a bowl of food in her hands, eating eagerly as she stretched out her sore legs to the warm fire. She knew Suigetsu's comment had been directed at her and she glared at the white-haired man with detest, her red eyes flickering with suppressed anger.

"Shut up," She stated, causing Juugo to flinch at her cold words, "I haven't eaten in days."

Suigetsu's grin seemed to widen, "Well, who could blame you if you want to lose all that weight you have…It doesn't seem to be working though…"

"I said 'shut up' you bastard!" Karin shouted as her right hand clenched her chopsticks, causing her knuckles to go white, "Just polish your little toy and leave me alone!"

Suigetsu chuckled cruelly as he moved his sword onto his lap, the light of the fire glinting off its sharp blade and making the man look deadlier than ever, "You're no fun…Alright, if you're not willing to amuse me, I might as well just kill you…"

Karin's eyes narrowed as she set her bowl aside, "You wouldn't dare…"

The man shrugged indifferently as he admired the sharpness of his weapon, "Why not? Who's going to stop me?"

"Sasuke-kun would," The female replied haughtily as she crossed her arms, smirk on her lips as she lifted her chin high, "He would beat you to a bloody pulp."

"Sasuke can't protect you forever bitch," Suigetsu stated seriously before smirking again.

Karin started to become uneasy, her glare losing its heat as she looked towards Sasuke, who was looking to the North, and then to Juugo, who was rocking back and forth, trying his best to block out the growing killer intent, "Would you really hurt me Suigetsu?"

Suigetsu shrugged as he turned back to polishing his weapon, acting as if the death threat never occurred, "Possibly…Maybe…Someday…"

Karin frowned and would have retorted, had not Sasuke stood from his perch on the boulder and turned his gaze to the three of his comrades. His dark eyes were unreadable, his whole expression completely passive, glancing at everyone who was sitting down before strapping the Kusanagi onto his belt tightly.

"We're leaving," The Uchiha stated monotonously, "Now."

Suigetsu stood up, a deep frown on his face as he looked at his dark-haired comrade, a questioning glance sent Sasuke's way, but was ignored. Juugo stood up from his place obediently, is head down low. Karin, however, stood up with a huff, effectively knocking over her bowl of food and gazed at Sasuke with disbelief.

"We're leaving already?" She whined, her glasses falling off, causing her to push them back up, "But we just started resting!"

One glance from the Uchiha in her direction made the kunoichi quiet immediately. Suigetsu couldn't help but snicker as he walked forward and stepped on the fire, putting it out, before finally attaching his large weapon to his form.

"You could at least tell us where we're going Sasuke," Suigetsu stated as he wiped the dirt from his clothes, his tone light.

Sasuke turned his back to the three, the moonlight shining down on his dark head of hair and the white shirt of his attire. Since the fire had been put out, the clearing was much darker than it was before and Juugo, Karin, and Suigetsu watched as the young avenger turned his head slighty, stating two sinple words before taking off at a run.

"…Earth Country…"

Suigetsu's brow rose with curiosity before he ran off after the Leader of Team Snake. Karin rolled her eyes and sighed before gently taking Juugo's hand, much to his surprise, and dragged him off after the other two males.

"I swear…" Karin muttered.

Sasuke ignored them all, his dark eyes narrowed as he navigated through the thick foliage of the forest. If Team Snake traveled non-stop, they would reach Earth Country's border by afternoon the next day. The avenger did not want to be side-tracked and there was no time for rest. If the members of his team couldn't keep up, he would surely leave them behind. He wasn't going to lose his chance in fighting Itachi.

He was going to get his revenge.


Sakura gave off a deep sigh as she entered into the forest clearing, all of her comrades sleeping soundly in their respective areas, some leaning against trees, others favoring a blanket and stiff pillow, while she returned from her nightly patrol around the camp to make sure it was safe. The medical kunoichi was the last to take the watch and it was her job to wake everyone up when dawn came, which wouldn't be long now as Sakura glance up at the lightening sky, the dark blue turning light purple with a hint of pink and orange. The stars were disappearing and the moon becoming transparent as the day become brighter.

The pink-haired kunoichi was feeling a little refreshed, after her six hour sleep and some water from her canteen. She usually didn't get so much sleep with her hours at the Hospital and she was feeling determined to get this Mission over with without any faults. After a few hours of thinking during her patrol time, Sakura wanted nothing more to do her part to stop this war, even if she died doing so.

"Sakura-chan…?"

Sakura's head turned to the sound of the familiar, groggy, sleep-filled voice and smiled warmly as she looked at her blonde teammate, whose blue eyes were half open, one hand scratching through his unkempt hair. He was sitting up against a tree, quite close to Hinata's still sleeping form and was staring at the medic tiredly before looking up at the purplish-blue sky.

"Yes, Naruto?" Sakura asked as she moved towards her group's multiple bags and began to organize them.

"Is it time to go now?" The shinobi asked as he yawned, slapping his face slightly to get himself up.

"Just about…" Sakura answered as she folded her thin blanket and put it in her medical bag, "I was just going to wake everyone up…"

"Do you need any help?" Naruto asked as he stood up, stretching his sore muscles and cracking his neck, making Sakura wince at the sounds he emitted.

"That would help…" Sakura responded, her feet shuffling off to Ino and Shikamaru, who were leaning against each other, a smile on the blonde's face and a frown on the Nara genius, making the medical kunoichi chuckle inwardly.

Naruto made quick work of gently shaking Hinata awake, who fluttered her eyes open and flushed at the sight of Naruto so close to her. Naruto only grinned before walking off to wake up Sai, Hinata only blushing and smiling herself as her pearly eyes followed after him. Sakura had made work of waking up Ino, who groaned and swat her hands away, to which Sakura pulled on her blonde hair gently.

"What do you want?" Ino groggily asked as her blue-grey eyes stared tiredly at the medic, "Leave me alone…"

"Time to get up Ino-pig," Sakura chuckled as she poked her cheek, and then ruffled Shikamaru's hair, much to the male's chagrin, "We're going to be heading off soon…"

"Fine, fine," Ino growled as she rubbed her eyes and sat up straighter, Shikamaru yawning lazily and slowly getting into a standing position.

Sakura then moved toward Hyuuga Neji, whose eyes were still closed as his stiff form still leaned against the birch tree, arms crossed and a frown touching his lips. The kunoichi was glad for Naruto's help, seeing as he woke up everyone else in the group, Hinata rummaging through the bags to take out some quick breakfast for everyone. Looking back to the Hyuuga prodigy, Sakura was unsure of how to wake him.

"…Neji-san?" Sakura called out as she stood feet away from him.

Sakura's emerald gaze met with his expressionless lavender eyes, causing her eyebrows to rise with silent surprise.

"I am awake Sakura-san," Was his soft reply as he moved to get up.

"Oh…" Sakura whispered as she smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head, causing the Hyuuga to smirk.

The two joined the group, where Hinata was passing out breakfast bars for everyone. Ino took hers and hungrily ate it, having skipped dinner since she had not trusted what she had made from that horrible, metal can. Everyone else ate slowly, packing their things as they went, getting ready to leave.

"What I would do for some Ramen right now…" Naruto groaned as he threw his already finished bar wrapper into his pack, "That barely filled me up…"

Sakura chuckled as she strapped on her medical bag, "Coming from a boy who eats 8 bowls of Ramen and is still hungry…I'm not surprised…I promise to treat you when we go back to Konoha, alright Naruto?"

Naruto happily grinned as he waggled his eyebrows teasingly, "Are you asking me on a date Sakura-chan?"

Sakura laughed out loud, she and Naruto both knowing they would never go out together, since they thought of each other as siblings, "You have been hanging out with Jiraiya-san too much Naruto…"

"Besides, who would want to go on a date with Ugly," Sai cut in with his small smile, earning a glare from Sakura.

"No one wants to know your opinion Sai," Sakura hissed as she became red.

"I find Sakura-san's company to be entertaining…" Neji stated as he looked at Sai seriously, his eyes showing no emotion but truth to his statement, which caused Sakura to gape at the comment.

"…Really…?" Sakura asked as she stared at the Hyuuga with absolute disbelief.

Neji turned to her and nodded, "We have had lunch numerous times to discuss missions…Your company is…pleasant…"

Sakura smiled, "Thanks Neji-san."

"Well, who wouldn't have a great time with Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as he grinned, "I like eating lunch with her…And I know you do too, Sai."

The painter only shrugged indifferently, Sakura uttering another 'thank you' to Naruto for his comment. Hinata was smiling as she watched the banter, Ino grinning softly as she looked in her best friend's direction.

"Seems like Billboard Brow is getting a lot of attention from the guys…" She stated suggestively, causing the medic to sputter and turn red.

"Oh shut up Ino-pig!" Sakura retaliated as everyone now started gathering around so they could start running, the sun now rising, "It's not my fault lots of people like me for who I am. I'll have you know that I am a very likable person."

Sai opened up his mouth ready to say something to her statement, when Sakura abruptly turned to him, emerald glare in place as she pointed her index finger at him threateningly, "Don't you even dare Sai."

The man smiled as he closed his eyes, before turning his back on her and adjusting his pack onto his back, Sakura grinning smugly since she had stopped him before he could fling insult after insult at her.


A/N: Yeah…So this stopped pretty abruptly.

Well, originally this was supposed to be a Multi-Chaptered Fiction where Akatsuki was still the main villain and Itachi was still alive, and Sasuke had just joined Team Hebi. I think Sasuke joining Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo made me write this. I wanted the main scene to be the main focus of the story – in which everyone meets up, Team Hebi, and Team Leaf go against Itachi and Kisame and somehow they all get trapped in a cave-in, subsequently leaving Team Hebi and Team Leaf in an awkward situation where they might bond, fight, realize a few things, etcetera. I think the main appeal was just trapping Team Hebi with Sakura and Naruto with everyone else as some form of comic relief or something – and added drama and whatnot.

Haha, so, Keep Or Scrap?

I'll try to update my other stories as soon as I can!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Company

Len83