A/N: I had this chapter done for YEARS. Needless to say, I lost all motivation and interest in continuing this story. But a friend of mine has been writing her own fanfiction and it made me reread my own. There was a lot I wanted to do here but my life has made me shrug everything off. However, I found this chapter in my old emails and I thought "Why not?" So I uploaded it. Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Dilemmas

She turned left. She turned right; upwards; downwards. Any position was ineffective as no matter what she chose, she couldn't get to sleep despite her weariness. Then again, how could she sleep?

"I don't hate you."

Such a simple phrase and yet for her, it possessed so much meaning. In a strange way, it relieved one weight from her shoulders.

But, why would Itachi say something like that? It's Uchiha Itachi for crying out loud!

Throughout this whole time she had believed he hated her otherwise, why would he torment her? Why would he have mortified her to the point that it had become unbearable to her?

Going more into depth, if he didn't hate her then, why did he torment her? It didn't make any sense.

He didn't make any sense.

Apparently being ambiguous runs in the Uchiha family.

It seemed out of character that he would give her such a kind assurance. She had asked that question before but not expecting an answer. And yet, he felt obliged to give her one.

Although normally one would still question the reasoning behind his actions, she didn't anymore. She should question and she hasn't. She accepted his words not even caring if maybe later on he would make her cry.

He doesn't hate me…

It was so strange how knowing that made her grin. She turned left and curled up with her bed sheets and cursed herself inwardly.

I really am a horrible and treacherous woman.

Even now, her body still remembered the contact of Itachi's lips. She cursed herself again, wanting to forget about such a preposterous event. Because in the end, it wouldn't change the fact that he was a murderer.

But, wasn't she one as well?

Nonsense. I didn't go around killing my family like he did.

Aren't the people she killed other's families?

It's not the same.

It isn't? It isn't really the same? Killing for the sake of the village and killing for personal reasons are not the same?

Aren't both just killing?

That thought shocked her the most, to the point that she started to feel nauseous.

...they are…

She felt her chest suddenly compressed along with a sickening feeling in her stomach.

We aren't really that different after all…him and I.


"Alright, is everyone ready?" Kakashi asked the young ninjas to which they all replied to the question with a firm nod. "Good."

They all had taken the previous day to rest. The journey had been tiring both physically and emotionally. Each and every one of them had their own inner struggles that weighed heavily on their shoulders.

"Lead the way Pakkun." Kakashi ordered. Using his snout, the dog sniffed his surroundings until he finally grasped a faint but familiar scent.

"It's Sakura's scent. That way." The dog replied while pointing northwest.

"Let's go everyone. We don't have a second to waste." The Copy-nin added. Everyone followed him as they entered the forest.

"Do you think Sakura will refuse our help?" Ino asked Shikamaru.

The question had been bothering her ever since Kakashi had suggested it. She knew Sakura well enough to say with certainty that she was rather stubborn when it came to self-imposed goals. And there was the matter of her pride.

Right now, everything involved her pride as a member of the former Team 7.

"I don't know." Shikamaru answered. "It all depends on how her mental and emotional stability is."

The mind was a powerful thing. It can control one's emotions and those emotions are often linked to our actions thus controlling one's judgment.

"If Sakura was bitter, resentful, or prideful for that matter, refusing our help would be a possible action. But if she were open-minded and had cleared her mind from all personal feelings, then the chances of accepting our help will be greater." He added. "In the end, it all depends on her."

Obliquely, he looked at Ino whose expression became an even more concerned one. Even now, he could tell Ino still felt remorse for not having helped her. It didn't matter how many times she was told that Sakura wouldn't hold a grudge for it, the fact that she had abandoned her best friend compelled her to the very core.

Not to mention the uncertainty of whether Akatsuki had already dealt with Sakura or not. Nothing could reassure them that she was alive or dead. It was all a matter of faith and luck.

He took her hand gently and gave her a tender and reassuring look. "No matter what happens, we won't give up on her." It was all he could say. But it was the truth.

Even if Sakura were to refuse them, they would still keep following her. It didn't matter how many times they had to fight Akatsuki to get to her, they will make it.

They weren't going to abandon her again.

"Yes." Ino replied with a grin as her confidence returned and worries disappeared. He was right. They weren't going to give up. Never. The only thing that could stop them for good was death.

"Feeling better?" Kakashi asked Temari as he pulled back a little from the rest of the group. He had noticed the brief intimate moment Shikamaru and Ino, guessing that Temari had probably witnessed it.

"Of course I am. I'm not one to sulk." She said rather stubbornly, lifting her chin.

It's not like it didn't hurt her to know that her feelings would never be returned, but hearing everyone's resolution from the other night helped her get her priorities and feelings straight.

To understand what was truly important and on what she had to focus. And that was rescuing Sakura. It wasn't the time to torment herself with an unrequited love.

"That's good then." Kakashi smiled at her.

"It's obvious he only has eyes for Ino. Besides, who would want to be with such a lazy and troublesome guy like him?" She scoffed with a shrug, jokingly.

A chuckle escaped Kakahi's covered lips. He got the joke and he was glad. He could see she wasn't forcing herself to smile. And noticing forced smiles was something he was quite good at. After all, with how many times he had seen them with Sakura it would've been a problem if he couldn't detect them.

Sakura…

How was she doing? Was she safe?

Was she alive?

He hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep. It's more accurate to say that ever since hearing the news that Sakura left, he hadn't been able to get one decent slumber.

Temari placed her hand on his shoulder. "We have to have faith in her."

"Yea." But he felt his faith slowly slipping away from him. It was getting even more difficult to recover it.

At the back of the formation, Hinata and Neji followed. While Hinata remained quiet, Neji was pensive, thinking about what his body intended to do when the woman in the shop had given them the information about the Akatsuki.

He stared into his right hand.

If I hadn't controlled it, it would've moved on its own.

When he saw Hinata's gleaming smiling face, full of hope, he had wanted to embrace her at that moment. Ever since the tragedy happened, he had been watching Hinata closely; watching her sadness; her despair; her grief. It was heartbreaking. All he could do was stay by her side and comfort her as best as he could.

But it would've been a complete imprudence from his part if he had succumbed to his desires. He knew better than to do such a thing. Hinata hadn't fully recovered and expressing his feelings as openly as that would only damage the relationship they had now.

Hinata's wishes and feelings came above his own. They always did. For now, he was satisfied and content by maintaining their relationship as cousins. He had to be content with that.

"Is something the matter Neji nii-san?" Hinata asked, noticing Neji's troubled expression.

"I'm fine." He told her with a small grin but rather angry at himself for having display such an expression that would cause his beloved cousin to worry. I shouldn't trouble her like that. I can't add more worries to her.


Deidara and Sasori whipped through the trees. Their meeting with the Akatsuki leader had been briefer than expected and as such they were coming home sooner although the only one who was really eager on returning was Deidara.

"Calm down Deidara." Sasori said as he kept up with him.

"I don't want Sakura-chan to be another second longer with that bastard Itachi, un." Deidara replied in return. "Who knows what he did to her when I wasn't there?"

His ice blue eyes narrowed as a profound hatred and anger filled him from the inside. He had always hated Itachi but now, he abhorred him. He knew the way he treated Sakura. As if she were a thing; a toy. It made his blood boil just thinking about it.

"You are letting that girl get to you Deidara." Sasori commented as he noticed how upset Deidara had gotten.

The blonde Akatsuki looked at his comrade. "That's funny coming from you, un. Weren't you the one who lied to Leader?"

Sasori looked away while still keeping his cool demeanor. "I did not lie."

"Oh really? Then why didn't you tell Leader that we had Sakura, un?" Deidara raised an eyebrow. Although he was glad Sasori hadn't said anything, he still questioned his actions. It wasn't like Sasori to deceive anyone, much less the Leader.

Sasori sighed. The many inquiries were beginning to exasperate him. "Analyzing the context, we are obliged to bring her when we capture her. Itachi was the one who found her, not us. We simply happen to share the same roof. Therefore, we are in no position to take her away."

"It seems to me like she got to you too Sasori-danna, un" Deidara said playfully to which the Suna nin responded with a displeased look.

"Nonesense."

"Right." Deidara wasn't very convinced. He knew Sasori and he wasn't the type of person to over analyze something unless it was for his convenience. He didn't doubt that if it had been someone else, Sasori would've brought her without the slightest hesitation.

Sasori softly groaned. I'm really starting to lose my patience. Deidara had always been a stubborn, proud and care-free person. But the way he had gotten attached to the kunoichi was somewhat of an eyesore and most of all, dangerous.

Though what surprised him the most was that Itachi, of all people had too become attached to her in his own way even if he denied it. But his actions talked for himself.

Just what does that girl have? He did not know.

"Both you and Itachi are fools." He thought out loud. "I see nothing out of the ordinary in that kunoichi."

"That's because you probably haven't truly seen her, un." Deidara's tone had become more serious than his previous jovial one.

"Sakura-chan is a strong girl, un. She's being kept prisoner, tormented by that bastard Itachi and yet, she's still able to smile so beautiful and stay cheerful, un. True, she's fragile but it's that fragility that makes her strong enough to withstand the hardships." While he talked, Deidara's eyes looked forward, with a smiling glow as they visualized Sakura.

How he wanted to see her right now; to be able to see her smile, her gem-like eyes, to hear her melodious voice call to him. Before he became aware of it, he had found himself with a grin painted on his face.

All the while, Sasori kept watching him. In his eyes, he looked like a love-struck fool with an idiotic grin on his face.

"Besides, how many people leave the protection of their village to search for a missing-nin? You heard her Sasori-danna. She left to find that bastard's brother. Even you have to admit that it takes incredible inner strength to do that." The blonde Akatsuki concluded.

Sasori recalled the conversation. He remembered the unwavering tone on her voice; not a hint of fear or hesitation could be detected as she spoke. But what had intrigued him the most were her indisputable eyes; eyes that glowed with determination and inner strength.

"Perhaps." Sasori added with a faint smirk. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough to tempt him as it had proved to be for Deidara and Itachi.


Last night had given her so much to reflect about that she felt her mind was boggling. In one hand she felt confused about Itachi and her judgment of him. But on the other hand, she didn't want to betray Sasuke and thus refused to accept Itachi. The question was, which side would she choose?

It was rather early in the morning and not a sound was heard inside the household. That answered her inner question about whether Deidara had returned or not. While she walked in the hallway, faint yet rough snores were heard through Kisame's bedroom. Taking a look, the kunoichi found the blue-skinned man half way in the bed with a bottle of sake in his hand.

Don't come to me if you get your liver screwed up. She protested. But taking one last look at him, made her chuckle inwardly amused. Old habits die hard apparently.

She had hoped that Itachi was in the kitchen but felt relieved to have seen the area in solitude. As she went to the cupboard to prepare her breakfast, she caught a glimpse of an Akatsuki cloak right at the porch which she guessed to have been Itachi.

Against her better judgment, she chose to ignore her breakfast and headed towards him. Why she did that? Not even she knew.

"Morning." She greeted in a low voice.

"Hn." He didn't bother to look at her.

Without asking, Sakura sat beside him and looked at the clear blue sky. It looked like a promising sunny day and she was glad. Yesterday, although it had been just as sunny, it had felt cloudy and grim for the most part.

She looked at Itachi obliquely. She wondered what he looked at with such a serious expression. There wasn't anything interesting in the forest or the surrounding area. The only thing that came to mind was that perhaps he was waiting for Deidara and Sasori to return.

Taking the moment at hand, she gazed at his features. When he was quiet like that, he almost seemed like a peaceful person. Although she could still feel an air of intimidation coming out of him, it was tolerable enough.

It's like he's a completely different person than he was before.

"I don't hate you."

As the phrase entered her memories once more, she unconsciously placed her fingers on her lips and looked down; a part of her pinching her with the thorn of shame and guilt once more.

Unbeknownst to her, Itachi too studied her. He felt triumphant for what he had accomplished. However, he still didn't fully comprehend why he had acted as he had done. Why had he succumbed to her? It irritated him that as much as he hardened himself, she would still manage to find a way in him.

Sakura took a deep breath. "I wanted to say thank you." She finally broke the sepulchral silence.

"…what for?" Itachi finally asked after a long silence from his part. He had to ask. Amazingly enough she had managed to persuade him to have a conversation with her.

"Because strangely enough, I feel better knowing that you don't hate me." She hugged her knees.

Itachi snorted.

The answer made Sakura inwardly giggle. She had expected as much. But what she had said was true. Even if deep inside of her she could hear herself cursing for having said something such as that, she chose to ignore it for the time being.

"I think I've been judging you wrongly, Itachi-san and I wanted to apologize." She added, swallowing her pride.

Itachi looked at her, surprised at her words. She had a rather bashful expression, making it obvious that she was reluctant.

"Why?" Once more, the kunoichi had persuaded him into a conversation.

He couldn't help but wonder what her motives were for such a drastic change of heart. Yesterday she had openly expressed her loathing, and today she was apologizing. It only made his closet curiosity towards her increase.

The second question had been unexpected for Sakura. Was Uchiha Itachi curious? Even the mere thought made her want to giggle but, knowing better, she resisted the urges.

"Well because I insulted you and called you a cold bastard when you showed me that perhaps you really aren't. A cold bastard wouldn't have given me the relief in knowing that I am not tormented because you hate me." She turned her head towards him briefly, and gave him a faint grin of relief and contentment.

Itachi looked away, returning to his aloof demeanor.

"Besides, I think I really do know nothing about the matter." She hugged her legs as she continued.

The Uchiha remained silent this time but not without listening.

As she had the strangely pleasant company of Itachi, Sakura noticed some figures coming from the forest. One was approaching faster than the other one. It didn't take her long to recognize who it was.

Deidara-kun!

Even if she had attempted to contain herself, it would've been impossible for the smile that stretched her face was too big to be suppressed. Hastily, and even ignoring Itachi, she went to greet Deidara.

"You're back!" She said.

"Yea, un. Sorry if we took too long Sakura-chan." Deidara replied with a cheerful face.

"Don't worry. I'm just glad that you're back." She said with a bashful voice as she looked away finding her cheeks beginning to blush. She still couldn't believe she got all flushed with Deidara. An Akatsuki of all people!

"Me too, un." He whispered as softly in her ear but not before taking a look at the Uchiha that glared at him with his blazing crimson sharingan and gave him a taunting smirk.

The feeling of Deidara's breathe caressing her skin, caused her to feel chills across her body. But they felt different. They weren't the same chills that were caused by Itachi, which made her body stiffened and made her tremble. These chills gave her a tingly feeling in her stomach; as if butterflies fluttered inside of her, tickling her.

It was a very familiar feeling but it was one she liked.

Deidara… Sasori faintly groaned, fully knowing what his intentions were. If you get killed, you brought it upon yourself.

With an increasing and boiling anger, Itachi abruptly stood up and left. Hearing the sudden shut from the front door, Sakura turned rather startled.

Was that Itachi?

The loud shut of the door had been loud enough to have woken up Kisame from his slumber. He held his head as he groaned, feeling the aftermath of his drinking parade last night. Reluctantly, he decided to get up as he heard Itachi's footsteps.

"Meh." He groaned. "What's going on Itachi?"

But the Uchiha left Kisame with his words to be lost in the air as he passed through him, completely ignoring him. He would've complained but the hangover he felt was worse.

"Sasori." When Kisame saw Sasori enter the house, he realized that Deidara had returned as well. Looking outside, he saw none other than the man freely conversing with Sakura although it didn't surprise him very much.

I knew it had to be the kunoichi's doing.

After all, only she could get Itachi so worked up.


Deidara and Sakura sat on the porch, looking at the bright sky as a breeze of wind pressed against their faces. Everything felt right for some reason; her sitting there, at peace, with Deidara by her side. He was Akatsuki but that was something she couldn't change and yet it was something she had chosen now to overlook.

The thought shook her for a moment but it didn't matter unlike before. Regardless of who he was, Deidara was a kind person deep inside. And with his company, she was slowly feeling how a void inside of her was filling.

She was indeed losing her sanity, but didn't regret it.

"You know Sakura-chan, there are times when I wish I could something to help you, un." Deidara said.

He really did want to do something. He didn't like seeing her in the position she was; being treated as a plaything and not as the human being she was; for her to be alive by a whim, knowing she could die any day.

He clenched his fists, angry at his own uselessness.

Sakura looked at Deidara with a tender look in her eyes. Just hearing him say that soothed her. He was so much like Naruto. Naruto too always thought about others and whenever he felt like he didn't do enough a feeling of uselessness always compelled him.

Without hesitating, she placed her hand on Deidara's. As he felt the warmth of her hand on his, he looked at her with widened eyes.

"Just having you by my side is enough Deidara-kun." Sakura said with a gentle tone in her voice.

Deidara felt the blood rush to his face. How long had it been since he had Sakura so up close? Seeing her rosy lips; her soft breath; the warmth of her voice; her mesmerizing eyes? His body then began to move on its own as it slowly approached Sakura's lips. He didn't know what was going on, but seeing her so close to him made him want to kiss her; to know the taste of a cherry blossom.

But he recoiled just in time and merely gave her a small peck in the cheek. To which Sakura reacted with a surprised expression.

"De-Deidara-kun!" She became flushed; her heart pounding.

The blonde Akatsuki let out a hardy amusing laugh. "I didn't know you'd be so shy Sakura-chan, un." His laughing continued whereas Sakura placed her hand on her cheek. But soon found her self with a blushing grin.

Unbeknownst to them, Sasori had seen the scene. Maintaining his indifferent expression, he shook his head in disapproval. He didn't know which of the two was in danger: Deidara for being intimate with Itachi's possession or the girl for falling for someone else other than Itachi.


They were close. They were very close. Not only did Pakkun smell it, but inside their hearts everyone felt it as well. Whipping through the trees at a neigh uncatchable pace, the young shinobis came close to their final destination.

"She's just a few meters ahead." Pakkun said.

Kakashi gave the order to halt. Everyone obeyed. "Neji, Hinata, can you find their hideout?" He inquired.

"Of course." Neji answered. He looked at Hinata who in turned accompanied him with a firm nod.

"Byakugan!" The cousins cried. As their dojutsus began to work, they were able to see what was ahead of them. It wasn't long before they managed to see a house deep within the forest.

"We found it!" Hinata exclaimed as she turned off her Byakugan.

"Good. Pakkun thank you. Your job is done." Kakashi said, looking at his dog. The dog in turn nodded at his master as he disappeared in smoke. "Everyone, gather in your formations and hide your presence."

As the leader, Kakashi walked in front alongside Ino. Behind them followed Shikamaru and Temari proceeded by Hinata and Neji.

"Ino." Kakashi called. "It is imperative that we keep out focused and our judgment clear when we encounter Sakura. We don't know what her stability is so she could very well either accept our aid or refuse it."

Ino nodded, "I know Kakashi-sensei. But what I don't understand is why didn't she come to us for help? If she had then she wouldn't be in this grave situation." Her eyes took a concerned look in them.

Did she stop trusting her?

"I think Sakura wanted to protect us." The Copy-nin answered. "She knew that by going against the Hokage's orders she could've been considered a missing-nin. She probably wanted to avoid involving us."

Sakura had always been a selfless girl; she thought about others well-being rather than her own. Still, he knew it the problem wasn't whether Sakura trusted them or not. It was that she always did things by herself and never relied on anyone. He knew and understood why she was like that. She had always thought of herself a burden to others.

That's what made her strive to become the woman she was now.

He only wished she would rely on him at least a little bit.

Only a little…


Sasori felt a vibration from inside of him, like a sudden and subtle electric shock. Tracing where the source of the sensation was, he reached one of the puppets he had placed as lookouts. It had spotted the Konoha ninjas.

"Sakura." He called the two ninjas out, opening the door. "Your Konoha companions are here."

Sakura's emerald eyes widened the moment she heard that.

They're here…

Her body suddenly turned cold.

They've come for me…

Her hands became numb.

They will…

Sweat started to sprout from her pores.

They will…

Her skin became pale.

"They will kill me…" She muttered in an inaudible voice.

Noticing Sakura's sudden catatonic state, Deidara placed his hands on her shoulders attempting to bring her back to her senses. "Sakura-chan?"

"I will inform Itachi." Sasori calmly left. He had an idea for Sakura's reaction to his news, but he figured it was best to leave Deidara with such trivial matters.

It wasn't long before the Konoha ninjas made their appearance but when they arrived, all of Akatsuki including Sakura were already outside. It had been a long journey, but they had arrived.

With eyes full of determination of rescuing their captive comrade, they stood with all their senses guarded.

The Akatsuki members all stood in a single straight line, Sakura standing in the middle of Itachi and Deidara a few inches behind. Someone else would've been relieved and glad to see their rescuers, however she stood afraid.

Ever since she had heard of Itachi and Kisame's confrontation with them, insecurities compelled her. She even began to question the love her friends had towards her.

Had they ran away as well?

Were they sent by Tsunade?

…will they kill her?

Her head sunk as her rosette bangs covered her insecure expressions.

"We have come for Sakura. Hand her over to us." Kakashi demanded.

"…you came to kill me, didn't you?" Sakura's shaken voice said. The unexpected reply caught everyone's attention, including every single one of the Akatsuki members.

"Tsunade sent you to kill me because I'm already a missing-nin." She scoffed. "Typical of her. She brands everyone as a traitor when they don't follow whatever she says."

"No! You're wrong! It's true that she sent us, but not to kill you. She just wants us to rescue you." Ino exclaimed.

A mocking smirk stretched Sakura's face. "You expect me to believe that?"

Everyone remained silent, unable to answer the question Sakura had taunted at them along with her patronizing grin.

"She probably sent you to bring me back because she knew you wouldn't be able to kill me. It's obvious she wants to kill me herself. " She continued. "After all…she had no problem with him…" She clenched her fist, trying to conceal her inner turmoil.

"No that's…" Ino attempted to continue but her mind had gone blank. Who was this person in front of her who looked like Sakura? No. This was Sakura. But it was a pained Sakura.

"Tsunade-sama has been very upset. She completely overwhelmed with guilt and remorse about what happened. We saw her ourselves." Hinata added.

"She should." Sakura's face sunk. "She should feel guilty and remorseful. She should be turning in her sleep every night for what she did. It's the least she could do."

Her voice changed. Itachi noted. This time, it was a dry tone; one full of loathing. He had noticed that she had been trying to conceal her suppressed emotions but at this moment, they had proved to be too much to contain.

"After what she did, it's the least she could do. She took everything from me. She took away the people I loved most!" Her voice broke, in between the cries that got stuck in her throat.

She tightened the grip on her fist so much more, that her nails sunk in her flesh; blood dripping from her hand.

"Listen to us Sakura. You are misunderstanding. Please, hear us out first." Shikamaru requested noting Ino's sudden confusion.

But the response of the kunoichi was nothing more than a scoff.

The whole charade hadn't gone unnoticed by Akatsuki who unwillingly had witnessed Sakura's unexpected responses. Kisame stood impatient with his Samehada in hand, only waiting for the tedious discussion to end. Sasori was indifferent to everything around him.

However, Deidara only looked at Sakura with worrisome eyes. He could see she was hurt and sad and concealed those emotions through her anger. If he could, he would grab hold of her hand to comfort her.

"This is bad. Sakura-san looks like she has been blinded by rage." Neji whispered at Hinata.

"What are we going to do? Will we take her by force like Kakashi-san said?" Hinata responded worriedly.

"We have to see first whether or not she hears us first. Besides..." Temari looked at the Akatsuki members who lined up, prepared to battle. I doubt they will let us take her that easily.

"We just want to propose something to you Sakura." Kakashi finally spoke.

"Gah! I've had enough of this!" Kisame groaned and was about to make the first move when he saw Itachi's hand in front of him, preventing him from taking any further action.

"No."

"This is a pointless conversation. I don't get what any of us would gain from it." Kisame added annoyed.

Itachi, however, remained silent choosing not to answer Kisame's comment. It was true. Neither of them would gain anything by letting the discussion between Sakura and her friends. However, strangely enough, he felt no threat coming from them. Better said, he felt confident that the outcome of this would be in their favor.

"Fine. Speak." Sakura said with empty eyes. The only reason she decided to listen was because Kakasi had requested it as well. She trusted him more than anyone and knew he would never lie to her.

"I'll be direct. Sakura, we all agreed that we want to help you bring Sasuke back." He said.

Sakura's emerald orbs widened, surprised. "…what?"

"As you hear it. We know how much saving Sasuke means to you and we all want to make amends for what happened back then. We all decided to help you first instead of accomplishing our mission. So please Sakura, let us help you." Kakashi pleaded. His onxy eyes locked straight into Sakura's widened ones.

The way his eyes didn't waver as they looked into hers only proved his determination and truth behind his words. Her eyes flickered towards the rest of her friends. They all had the same expression Kakashi had.

Were they really willing to help her, a missing-nin? Would they really go against a mission and put it in second place for her?

Their eyes said so.

Slowly, her clenched fist eased, revealing the blood caused by her nails. The tension inside of her started to dissipate.

The bitch wouldn't attempt anything. She isn't that stupid… Kisame narrowed his eyes at the kunoichi.

Noting Sakura's sudden hesitation compared to her firm words before, Sasori turned his attention towards her. You are wiser than that Haruno-san.

Sakura-chan… Deidara, on the other hand, only feared she would accept their proposal but not because it meant she'd ruin Akatsuki's plans but because it meant that she would no longer be by his side.

Itachi merely looked at her.

She could feel his crimson eyes penetrating her skin as they subtly narrowed, silently telling her what she should do. She could hear him. She could hear him so clearly it was frightening.

"Sorry but no. I don't need your help." She said with a forced grin which she tried to hide. "This is something I vowed to do on my own."

"But Sakura-" Kakashi began.

"No." She interrupted him firmly. "I have my plans and if you all came you'll only become a hindrance. You'd ruin everything with your presence."

She looked away, clenching her fist. She had to be strong even if deep inside she was more than happy to know that they cared for her like that; that they'd even put her above their ranks; above Tsunade. She wasn't really alone, was she?

It made her want to cry.

"So just go back home. Leave me alone and don't get in my way." She turned to Itachi, "Itachi-san, I will go ahead with Deidara-kun."

Itachi felt a twitch inside of him as he heard her add –kun after Deidara's name, but decided to ignore it for the time being. That had also didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi whose eye narrowed as he heard the expression.

"Hn." The Uchiha replied.

"I won't try to escape but in exchange don't kill them."

He remained silent but she knew he had heard her and had complied. How did she know for sure? Not even she knew the answer to that. She just did.

"Let's go Sakura-chan." Deidara said motioning Sakura to follow him. Without even saying her farewells or giving them a look, she left with the blonde Akatsuki member.

"No! Wait!" Ino attempted to follow her but only to get stopped by Kisame, who stood in front of her.

"And where do you think you're going?" He grinned.

Wielding his Samehada up high, Kisame was preparing to do a diagonal swing downward at the startled Ino. But at that moment, Neji and Hinata shoved Ino out of the way to counterattack by using their gentle fist technique trying to take advantage of Kisame's opening. However, thanks to Sakura's explication, Kisame was able to recognize the Hyuuga's stance and jumped back fast enough to avoid their attack.

As they missed, the Hyuuga cousins retook their fighting stance as, according to their strategic formations, they were to battle Kisame. Ino had long gone to Kakashi's side.

"What?" Neji suddenly expressed surprised.

"What's wrong Neji nii-san?" Hinata inquired.

"Look at Kisame. His chakra is flowing all over is body."

Hinata looked at Kisame's body once more with her activated Byakugan. He was right. Kisame had regained his chakra flow.

"But how is that possible?" Hinata wondered in more shock than awe. The only way he could've regained his chakra flow was if someone had pressed his chakra points once more to release them. None of the Akatsuki members knew how to do it.

"No. She couldn't…" Hinata shook her head in disbelief.

"Heh." Kisame smirked. "I have to say, that bitch came in handy. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been able to use my charka again. She told me how you two fight. I won't fall for the same trick twice."

"But…how could Sakura-chan…?" Hinata couldn't believe it. More like she didn't want to believe it. How could Sakura help an Akatsuki member?

"Hinata-sama!" Neji's cry snapped Hinata from her thoughts just in time to see Kisame's frontal attack. She reacted by jumping backwards, making Kisame missed and thus leveling the ground below instead.

Running to her side, Neji turned towards her. "I understand your worries but stay focused." He whispered to which she nodded. But that was easier said than done.


Meanwhile, Shikamaru and Temari faced off against Sasori. The Akatsuki member had already released one of his puppets with the wire-like chakra connecting them with their master. It had a human appearance. It had been a previous corpse.

Shikamaru braced himself, prepared to analyze his opponent. He was to fight a puppet but Sasori was the one controlling it which meant he was their real opponent. No doubt that he had a way of handling it. What intrigued him was to know how he planned on fighting them both with a single puppet.

"Temari." Shikamaru called her. "You fight against the puppet." Since the master had to control the puppet, it was safe to assume that he wouldn't be fighting thus giving Shikamaru the chance to analyze and construct a strategy.

"Right." Temari took out her giant three-moon fan and without hesitation, made the opening move by swinging her fan sideways. "Wind Scythe!"

Brutal, strong wind blew heading straight to Sasori's puppet in an attempt to cut it. However, the air didn't have the full deadly potential it normally did as she held back for the sake of those around her.

Sasori narrowed his eyes soft black eyes and jumped to the right. A few feet further away from where Temari had released her monstrous wind. However, the puppet stayed in place. Controlling the puppet, Sasori placed its hands in front of its face to protect itself from the wind's power. But the puppet was soon sliced into several pieces.

A grin of success appeared in Temari's face as the cut up puppet lay on the floor. Shikamaru however, did not join in the celebration. The battle wasn't over. And he could very well see that in Sasori's face. It remained as unchanging as ever.

Indeed, the fight was far from over as the scattered pieces from the puppet began to move. The wire-like chakras that emitted from each of the parts began to assemble and placed themselves back into their appropriate place.

"Tch." Temari scoffed.

"This is Akatsuki we're talking about. They all have insane abilities." Shikamaru added. "Just keep fighting him for as long as you can."

Opposite to them, Ino and Kakashi were to engage in battle with the dreaded Uchiha Itachi. The two male ninjas, with their exposed sharingans, stared at each other. One's eyes were emotionless; the other's, glared.

"Where did you take Sakura?" Kakashi demanded.

"Somewhere where you won't find her." Itachi replied smoothly. But his mind remembered that it was Deidara who had escorted her; something which he found rather unpleasant. In normal circumstances, he wouldn't have allowed it. But the situation called for it.

And right now, it wasn't the time to be pondering about such things.

"Ino. Using your Mind Body Switch would be extremely risky. Itachi will be able to detect it easily and thus dodge it, leaving you vulnerable. Just stay here and back me up. But I'll be the one to fight him." Kakashi told Ino with a rather authoritative tone.

If Ino engaged in battle with him, it would only prevent Kakashi from going all out on Itachi. Plus, knowing Itachi as a man without scruples, he could very well use Ino as some kind of hostage. Besides, Ino could be helpful in detecting whether Itachi had used a genjutsu or not and thus release Kakashi from it.

That was the reason why he placed Ino as his partner after all.

He took out his kunai, "I won't let you get away this time. And you will tell me where she is." He charged at the Uchiha but disappeared right before coming two feet from him.

Reappearing from behind, Kakashi swung his kunai but Itachi retaliated by blocking it with a kunai of his own. Both shinobis engaged into a battle of full metal attacks.

"You're attacks seem rather sloppy Kakashi." Itachi commented, mockingly.

Kakashi remained quiet to the verbal assault, realizing it was only to provoke him and thus act on his emotions. Nevertheless, Itachi was right. Not only was his mind flooded with concern of where Sakura was but also with questions regarding the familiar way Sakura had addressed that other Akatsuki member.

No. He had to shake all those thoughts away. He needed to gain his composure. One mistake in a battle with Uchiha Itachi could mean certain death.

Increasing his offense, Kakashi combined his kunai attacks along with taijutsu to which Itachi mimicked. Although it was a fierce battle between two highly skilled ninjas, in Ino's eyes it appeared as if both were dancing; a deadly and wild dance.


Along with Deidara, Sakura dashed through the forest. Since they had left, not once did she look back yet resisting the urges to do so. She had made her decision; looking back would mean that she was wavering. An unacceptable feeling. After everything she had learned to withstand, she wasn't going to begin wavering.

"Are you sure about this Sakura-chan?" Deidara asked concerned.

Sakura looked at him. Had he seen through her again? It wasn't surprising if he had though. In a way, she was glad.

"Yes. It's what's best. If they helped me, a missing-nin, it would only cause them problems." She said with an apologetic grin.

Her words back then had sounded cold, harsh and even indifferent to their effort. But it was just a façade. One that Deidara had seen. And maybe Itachi too? Slightly, she shook her last thought away. It was a foolish one. He may not hate her but it didn't mean he cared for her enough to understand her.

"I don't hate you."

His words still lingered in her mind. Now they felt like a thorn she couldn't get rid off.

If he didn't care, he wouldn't have said that.

Leave me alone.

You know it's true.

Shut up!

"…kura-chan?"

"Huh?" Sakura turned to Deidara who had called her, noticing her troubled expression.

"Are you sure you're alright, un?"

She nodded with a forced smile. "Yea. We should step it up though. Is it far were we're going?"

She changed the subject. Deidara slightly narrowed his eyes. "If we hurry we ought to arrive right before dark if not a little after dark." But she had not fooled him.

Even if she tried to hide everything with her angelic smile, he knew her well enough to differentiate a fake smile from a real one. The real one would make him warm inside. It felt like a burning candle. The fake smile, felt like a heavy weight.

Something though, that he did harbor which he hadn't expressed was how Sakura had trusted Itachi back there. He hadn't replied anything when she asked him to not kill the Konoha ninjas. Not even his usual "Hn" was heard. And yet, she accepted it. Left without a worry at whether he would kill them or spare them.

It irked him.

It made him despise Itachi even more. It felt like a fiery rage was swirling within him, slowly consuming him.

I won't lose to that bastard, un! He refused to let him have Sakura.

Just as Deidara had said, they had arrived to their new house before the sun had set. The household was located deep inside the forest near Amagakure. The place was remote. Only the forest and mountains surrounded it with a river nearby. It was perfect for an Akatsuki hideout.

After having ran without stopping, both Sakura and Deidara's muscles felt the aftermath of their trying journey as exhaustion reached them. Bending over, Sakura placed her hands on her knees for support as she panted; the sweat's moisture soaking her forehead.

"You're quite fast, un." Deidara praised, smirking.

Sakura winked under her heavy breathing, "Never underestimate me."

In return, Deidara felt his face flush. It was the first time she had winked at him.

"Why don't you take a shower first?" He offered as he walked away to the kitchen. For what exactly? He didn't know. There was no food besides a few cans.

Standing below the running water, Sakura closed her eyes attempting to relax. The pressure coming from the cascading water relaxed her tired muscles, relieving her from the knots and tensions.

She had been under too much stress lately. Way too much stress. If stress had a proper name, she'd called it Itachi. After all, he was the source of all that stress, tension and problems.

"He said he didn't hate me but, that doesn't mean he won't stop toying with me."

He seemed to enjoy it after all. The most frustrating thing was that whenever her thought deviated to that issue, the same question arose: why did he want her? It just didn't make any sense at all. He didn't make any sense. He was an enigma, much unlike Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun…"

The forlorn feelings of nostalgia and melancholy began to compel her like an anchoring to the ground. She missed him. She needed him. "You're all I have left."

Then, the unthinkable happened. At that moment, her mind relieved the moment when Itachi kissed her. How his kiss had been strong but not entirely forceful.

"No…go away…"

Despite the hot running water against her flesh, her skin suddenly felt ice cold. Shivers and chills crawling up her body like a thousand spiders.

"Stop it…!" She placed her wet arm around her soaked body, trying to regain her abruptly lost heat.

But her body still remembered the entire sensation he had caused her; the feeling of his chest pressing against her heated skin; his heavy breathings in between his deep kiss.

The taste of his lips against hers.

And the worse of it all: how she had done nothing about it.

The feeling of betrayal and dirtiness reached her. She could feel them laughing at her; mocking her. Hearing them rub in her face what a horrible and despicable woman she was.

And it was true.

Surfacing cries got stuck in her throat. All she could let out was a wheezing wail which got shadowed by the shower's noise. Then, sitting under it, she hugged her knees and dug her face between them, like a helpless child; all alone, she took advantage of the shower's aid to cry as much as she could and not be heard.


A/N: No idea if I will ever continue this. I have no motivation to keep writing this since Naruto manga ended and most if not all that I had brainstormed for this story has become moot. However, if I see that many people do wish for me to continue it I'll consider doing so. But for now, enjoy this last chapter until next time I suppose. And thank you for the support throughout the time this was going strong.