Chapter Nine

It was two days later and the Akatsuki after many arguments and discussions still didn't have a set plan with which to rescue Sakura. And it was starting to drive Sasori insane.

"If anyone wants me or comes up with an idea of how to save Sakura, I will be in the training yard beating the crap out of myself."

"Deidara-san…"

"I got it, I got it, un. Forgive me Sasori-danna, un."

About five minutes later Sasori was tied up and gagged while lying on the floor scared to move because Deidara had placed clay bombs around him. Deidara knew that they were harmless and wouldn't explode even if Sasori touched one but he wasn't about to share that with Sasori. Not yet anyway.

"Finally some peace and quiet."

"I would hope not peace Kisame-san. Remember we are still trying to find a way to save Sakura-chan here." Yondamine said.

"Shit! What am I going to tell Maya!?" Zetsu said suddenly seeing his daughter run past the room door.

"She's your daughter, you should know. We don't need any more problems to think about at the moment thankyou." Hidan retorted.

"Tell me what?" Maya said appearing in the door way after feeling her ears burn which meant someone was talking about her.

"Just… um… that-"

"How won-… ah… good-" Zetsu and Hidan were both flustered as they both tried to come up with a suitable lie to tell Maya.

"How good your getting at the jitsu techniques you're learning Maya-chan." The wonderful bullshit artist Kisame came to their rescue.

"Oh. So this has nothing to so with why Sasori-chan is tied up on the floor? And where is Sakura-chan?"

"Sleeping." Kisame answered. Zetsu and Hidan looked at him like he was heaven sent. He looked back saying with his eyes that they owed him big time. "Sakura is sleeping and Sasori was… well… he was being noisy so Sakura came in and tied him up so he would be quiet and so she could sleep."

"But I was just in her room and she's not there."

"Shit." Kisame muttered under his breath. He had to think of something to tell her to make up for that mistake and he had to think quickly. Very quickly.

"She's sleeping in my room Maya-chan. You know how my room is the quietest." Yondamine said covering up for Kisame's mistake, as Maya spend most of her time either annoying Zetsu to teach her something new or Sakura to tell her something about her mother and other family.

"Oh… I should probably let her sleep then huh?"

"Mafh mwuf bee fhe wfase poihe imf spe peer da."

Hidan kicked Sasori in the ribs to shut him up.

"What did he say Yonda-san?"

"I think he said that would be the wise choice Maya-chan." Yondamine said smiling sweetly but at the same time glaring at Sasori.

"Oh okay. I thought so but it sounded like he put a 'if she was there' on the end." Maya said with a shrug as she walked off, most likely to the training yard or the kitchen.

"Zetsu-san, you owe us big time." Yondamine said. "And Sasori-kun, keep quiet next time."

Sasori mumbled something but everyone ignored it.


"Back again Itachi."

For Sakura and Itachi this was no longer a question but a statement.

"As always Kura-chan."

There would always be teasing before Itachi would start the daily torture. It made Sakura hate him even more.

"Can we skip this today?"

"Can't wait to feel pain Sakura?"

"No, I can't wait for you to leave."

Itachi laughed in wonder at how Sakura managed to keep her sharp tongue after the five days of torture he had been putting her through.

"Very well."

Sakura suddenly felt the pull of the illusion. Except instead of feeling pain as normal, she felt a sense of healing and peace. She was in a valley, green grass and trees covered the hills. Flowers of all colours, such as; blue, purple, pink, red, yellow, and orange, looked like strokes of paint on the hilltops. There was a lake surrounded by bushes. Birds and animals, some of which Sakura had never seen before drank from the banks or bathed in the cool blue water. Sakura had never seen such a sight, or water that looked to clean and clear.

Drink

Compelled by the silent whisper Sakura stepped forward and knelt by the water. The animals parted making room for this strange visitor. Cupping her hands Sakura lifted the water to her mouth and drank. The water was sweet and cool and soothed Sakura's parched throat.

What is this place?

"This is Utopia." Itachi answered as if Sakura's thought had been said out loud. Maybe she had. Sakura couldn't remember. "This is the only place where fear, hate, war, and death are unknown. This is the ideal world as everyone wants it to be like. This is the taste of Eden that Adam and Eve experienced. But to access this you must truly believe in it. That is the only way it could ever exist. That is why it will never exist. Except in our minds." Itachi continued to explain.

"Why are we here?" Sakura turned to Itachi as he appeared beside her.

"Because this is the only place where everyone will think I am torturing you while I'm not. Both of our minds and senses are in this illusion. This way I won't hear your screaming. Sorry to say but you are starting to deafen me."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. She was overjoyed at the feeling of her baby inside her growing healthier by the minute that she was in this illusion. "So how does it work?"

"Well you tell your body to scream. I don't hear it, everyone else does. We can relax for the day here, spar if you want and do whatever we feel like. My ears and eyes and mind get a rest." Itachi said with a small smile.

"That makes no and perfect sense at the same time."

Now it was Itachi's turn to laugh.

"That my love is one of the many beauties of Utopia." Itachi walked over to her and ran his hands up her arms slowly bringing them to a halt when he was able to cup her beautiful face in between his palms. "But there is more to it Kura-chan. More beauty and wonder to it. Will you let me show you the full extent of what Utopia has to offer? Let me show you. Let me show you the beauty, the magic, the splendour. This may be the only chance you get to see and experience it. Let me show you Kura-chan."

Sakura felt tears run down her face at Itachi's words. Lifting her hands Sakura covered Itachi's with her own. Some how she knew what would happen if she said 'yes'. But she wanted to see and she knew that only Itachi could show her.

"Yes, Itachi, yes. Show me, please. I want to see. I want you to show me."

Itachi's arms tensed for a moment and relaxed just as quickly. Taking hold of her hand Itachi led Sakura to the lake and stepping onto the surface of the water. Walking with him, Sakura and Itachi walked to the centre their feet never breaking the surface.

"Come my love. Forget all ties you have outside this illusion. Forget everything except what is around you."

Illusion… illusion… wait… Inner!

Yes Sakura. This isn't real. It's an illusion. Created by Itachi

Yes, but Utopia does exist. We've seen it in our dreams

True. Let's see what happens. Play this fantasy out. See where it leads us


"Oh, no you don't!"

Sakura was chasing Itachi around the valley as he easily dodged every attack she sent at him. His way of trying to show her the beauty of Utopia was to try and seduce her, which was working till Sakura remembered she was married. So now as Itachi fled in terror from a moody angry woman who was hell bent on making him pay he found himself unable to break free of his own illusion because Sakura had fussed him with her own charka which meant she had the same amount of control over the illusion as he did. He was creating trees and bushes and anything else that he could try and hide behind or in. That was until Sakura would hit them and send them smashing into over a million pieces. Remains of illusions lay scattered around the valley. The animals had vanished along with birds, lake, and over vegetation. So now it was just Sakura and Itachi running round in circles on brown dusty ground.

"Come back here Itachi-bastard! I'm going to make you feel so much pain you arsehole! How dare you do that to me!?" Sakura screamed as she threw over hundred kunai at him. Itachi managed to dodge most of them but about five embedded themselves into his back. Letting out a gasp of pain and fell forward onto his hands and knees as Sakura ran up behind him her fist out all her charka flowing down her arm. Itachi looked up, his eyes widening as he realised there was no way he was going to be able to dodge that hit. It hit him square in the jaw splitting his cheek and lip.

Itachi flew forward about ten meters blood streaming after him. As soon as he was knocked out his body left the illusion leaving Sakura by herself. With the help of her inner her outer body was screaming, so no one outside the illusion would suspect a thing. She opened her body's eyes and saw that Itachi was knocked out in real life too.

"Wow. My hits sure do a lot of damage huh?" Sakura said to herself inside the illusion. "Well My body is healing in here so I may just stay here till Itachi wakes up."

Even as she said these words Sakura felt the illusion starting to fade.

"Right Itachi created this illusion so when he leaves so do I."

Coming back into her own body Sakura continued to scream so no one would think Itachi was going easy on her. The day was almost over so Sakura decided it was best to try and wake Itachi ASAP.

As soon as Sakura was all the way out of the illusion, she noticed that even the healing affect had been an illusion as well. Suddenly she felt all of the broken bones, the dying baby, and every other thing that was now broken or hurt in her body.

"Damn that Uchiha." Sakura muttered while catching her breath before she forced herself to stay awake so she could continue to scream.


"Come on guys, it's been almost a week. Has no one any idea on how to save Sakura?" Sasori asked feeling like he was about ready to start pulling out his hair.

"Why don't you guys just wing it?"

The Akatsuki turned to the door way and saw Maya there her face showing that she knew what was going on and was absolutely furious at them for not telling her from the beginning. Kisame though decided to make it worse.

"What are you talking about Maya-chan?" He said, his words trying to hide his obvious lack of sleep.

"I'm not stupid. I know Sakura-chan is gone. How old do you think I am? Five?" With that she turned on her heel and stormed off.

After a long awkward pause Yondamine decided to break the silence.

"Any objections to winging it?"

A universal 'no' went through out the room. Five minutes later the Akatsuki were all running towards Konoha with all possible haste. None actually sure what was going to happen or what they were going to do. Except save Sakura.

Sasori now actually felt like screaming for joy. Now they were doing something. Finally, now, they were on their way. Only one problem left.

"HEY GUYS! WANT TO UNTIE ME FIRST!!!" Sasori screamed hoping that they would hear him.

"Um guys. I have a funny feeling that we've forgotten something…" Hidan said.

"What do you mean Hidaaaa… Shit! We forgot Sasori-danna! Un!" Deidara said coming to a sudden halt when he ran into a tree.

Maya had already finished untying Sasori when the rest of the Akatsuki got back.

"Sorry about that Sasori-danna, un." Deidara mustered up as much cuteness as he could in the hope that Sasori wouldn't be to made at them.

"Let's just get going, shall we?" Sasori said. He was too happy to be angry anymore. He knew that wouldn't last through when they got Konoha and saw what had happened to Sakura.


"You just can't leave me alone can you Itachi. Not even for one day." Both of these sentences just statement no questions needed with them anymore. She had made him pay for what he had tried to do to her in the illusion until she realised she wasn't screaming anymore and ANBU came in concerned to find Sakura trashing the hell out of an unconscious Itachi with her feet. The chains jingled softly as Sakura changed her position on the floor, trying to get as comfortable as possible for the torture ahead.

"You can relax Sakura. I'm not going to torture you today."

Sakura looked up quickly and regretted it as the knot in neck caused her pain. Itachi quickly walked over and started to massage it out.

"What the hell are you… wait…" The movement of the fingers felt really quite familiar, but Sakura just couldn't place it anywhere in her memory at the point. After a few more minutes it hit her. "Deidara?"

Itachi smiled in a poof of smoke transformed into Deidara in his Akatsuki cloak. Deidara's hand shot out and covered Sakura's mouth before she cried his name out again being so happy at the mere sight of him. Sakura moved her head against the pain and freed her mouth so she could speak even though she wanted to scream for joy.

"How did you manage that without saying 'un'?"

"With difficulty, un."

Both risked a quite laugh just happy to be together again.

"Where is Sasori-kun?"

"He and the rest of the Akatsuki are posing as the guards outside your cell. And he's as mad as hell, un."

"And worried too, I'm guessing."

"Un." Deidara wanted to heal all the wounds on Sakura's body, but for now he couldn't. "We're here to get you out. Itachi wasn't going to come here today because Konoha has a different type torture for you today, un. You are to be taken out in to the centre of Konoha where Shinobi will be made to use jitsu on you, un. Not ones that are strong enough to kill you, just enough to cause you a hell of a lot of pain, un. We're going to have to take you out there because that will be easiest place to get you out, un. Of course, I can't go as Itachi, but it was the best disguise for getting in here, un." Deidara finished.

"Right." Sakura said hoping she hadn't missed anything as her state of consciousness wasn't the best at the moment.

"I'll get Sasori-danna and we'll help you up. It's still an hour before noon and that is when the torture starts, un, but we need to be sure that we can carry you without causing you too much pain, un."

"Okay."

Deidara unlocked the chains and helped Sakura lie down comfortable. Her legs were broken so he and Sasori would have to be extra careful when carrying her. Damn you Konoha! Why do you delight in torture! Walking over to the cell door Deidara called Sasori in but told him to be quite.

"Sakura!" Sasori rushed over to her and knelt next to her. He transformed back to his original self. "Sakura…"

Sakura had fallen asleep as soon as she had laid down where all the pain had left her body but at the sound Sasori's voice she forced herself to wake. Just so she could see his face.

"Sasori-kun…"

Images of a valley of peace, very much Utopia, flashed in front of Sakura's mind. Images of her childhood, training with her father. Her sister being turned away. Her mother dying from a broken heart because of the birth of her stillborn son. Her brother funeral where the coffin was way to small to be normal. And her mother's coffin lying beside it. Four years later her entire family was buried. Sakura attending in chains. Sakura saw her coffin and that of her unborn babies being laid right next to her other family members.

No! Not yet! I'm not dying yet!

"Sakura?"

"I'm alright Sasori-kun. I just keep slipping in and out of consciousness. I'm more than a bit weak at the moment."

"Understandable, un." Deidara said. "That reminds me how is the baby, un?"

"Dying." Sakura closed her eyes not wanting to see Sasori's face. She was in enough pain about that herself without having to feel guilt. "I haven't been eating properly and that along with torture does nothing for a baby's health." A tear slipped past Sakura's closed eyelid and ran down her cheek. She felt Sasori gently pick her up and hold her in his arms as he kissed the tear away and silently cried with her on her shoulder.

"Um, guys, hate to break this but maybe I could try to do something with the baby to make it last a bit longer, un." Deidara said reluctantly.

Sasori laid Sakura back down after placing his cloak under her to try and make her a bit more comfortable. Deidara lifted his hands and held them above Sakura's stomach. Green light emerged from his fingertips and the healing charka poured into Sakura's body focusing on her womb and the baby. Sakura could instantly feel the health of her child increase. Maybe she would get Deidara to do this very two weeks till she delivered the baby.

Suddenly Hidan stuck his head inside the room. "Um guys. Sasuke is coming. Along with seven other Konoha Shinobi."

Sasori gritted his teeth and Deidara let out a curse.

"It's okay they're helping me just like you." Sakura said. "Hidan can you get everyone in here and I'll explain what's happening." As soon as the Akatsuki were all inside Sakura began to speak. "Okay. Long story short, the seven Shinobi are Kakashi, Gai, Naruto, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, Ino, Shikamaru, Chorji, Rock Lee, Neji, and Ten-ten, old friends of mine. They believe that I am innocent. Sasuke's reasons for helping me are he no longer believes Itachi's lies."

"But you did kill those clans Sakura-chan." Yondamine said.

"No. I didn't. I did not kill the Haruno or Uchiha clan. Itachi did so he and I could avoid the arranged marriage set up for us between our families. I killed my father out of rage, yes. But Itachi finished my clan off and destroyed his clan."

Sakura could see the shock in their eyes but she knew she had to come clean with them. No more lies. She didn't want to be like Itachi in any way.

"Anything Itachi has done he has always found some way to pin it on me. He never wanted to take the glory in the criminal realm for the destruction of the two greatest clans in Konoha so he handed it to me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. But I didn't want to be cast out from your friendship, I value it too much."

The Akatsuki were silent. They didn't want to lose Sakura because she was a vital member to the Akatsuki, but she had lied to them for eight years. But then again she was also Sasori's wife. They had to remember that.

"If you didn't kill them, why didn't you just tell us when we first met Sakura-chan?" Yondamine asked though he thought he already knew the answer.

"Would you have taken me in if you knew I hadn't?"

The Akatsuki were silent. The fact that they had thought she had killed the two clans was the main part why they had taken her in. They suspected it was the same for Orochimaru.

"Every criminal needs friends if they want to survive." Sakura said simply. The Akatsuki knew exactly what she meant.


Please please review. Like i've said before i really find it hard to write unless i know people are interested in this story

thank you