CONTAGIOUS

Chapter Nine: Mostly Human

"This is the worst dinner ever, yeah."

"I like it."

"Is that...pork or squid?"

Sakura sighed. "Tofu, actually. It's all I could find in the fridge. I did my best, guys."

"What's the point of having a girl around if she can't even cook?" Deidara grumbled, stabbing at an unidentifiable translucent lump with his chopsticks. "She's even worse than Kisame, yeah."

"Konan can't cook either," Kisame pointed out between mouthfuls.

"Konan doesn't count as a girl," Deidara shot back. He frowned at his bowl before pushing his chair out and leaving the table. "I can't stomach this." He stalked out of the kitchen. Sakura was left wondering if he referred to the food or herself.

"It's not all that bad, Sakura-san," Tobi reassured politely.

Sakura smiled ruefully. "Thanks Tobi...but it kinda is," she laughed. Even she was having trouble choking it down.

"I like it," the shark-nin repeated. Truly his tastes were indiscriminate. "What do you think, Itachi-san?"

Itachi, surprisingly, was halfway through his bowl. "It's fine," he said, continuing his meal in silence. Sakura tried not to stare in disbelief.

Maybe it's a militant Uchiha thing. 'Eat for sustenance, not pleasure'...Sakura resolved to finish her bowl, no matter how awful.

It had been a week since the incident, and Deidara hadn't spoken a word to her. Sakura supposed she should consider herself lucky that he was finally willing to be in the same room (albeit however briefly). He was still an arrogant jerk, but her ire towards him had cooled somewhat when she considered how she would feel about somebody who killed one of her teammates.

Don't bother feeling sorry for him. Sasori was an evil man who deserved to die. The image of him holding the puppets he'd built to resemble his dead parents came to mind just then, but she refused to dwell on it.

But to Deidara, he was just a partner...

Sakura sighed and took another bite of her trainwreck of a culinary experiment. She grimaced.

It's funny how living with the enemy makes them seem so much more...human, she thought, observing Kisame gobbling down the disgusting concoction like a starving man. Tobi took tentative bites, forcing himself out of politeness.

Well, not all of them, she amended, peeking at Itachi. He ate slowly but mechanically, as though he had no feelings about the quality of the food whatsoever. He had not said one word to her since protecting her from Deidara last week. She caught him watching her train sometimes, either by herself or with Kisame, but he never commented or offered any advice. Sakura was beginning to wonder if she blew it with the genjutsu training. Maybe he would just refuse to teach her at all now.

The four ninja ate their meal with varying degrees of enthusiasm in silence. Eventually Kisame smacked his lips and stood.

"That was pretty good, Pinkie. Feel free to steal my booze anytime so I can make you take my turn cooking again." He laughed hoarsely to himself and left the kitchen. Sakura blushed as Tobi looked at her with something akin to awe. Eventually even Tobi couldn't choke down anymore. He bid them goodnight, leaving Itachi alone with Sakura, who was determined to complete her objective and eat the mess she made.

The silence grew awkward. Sakura couldn't stop sneaking glances at Itachi. He held his chopsticks in his long fingers, taking delicate bites and chewing slowly. It would've seemed like he was savoring (or at least really concentrating on) his food if not for his completely blank expression. He was so unreadable, Sakura found herself studying his face over and over again for a hint as to what he was thinking, like a cryptographer obsessively searching for a hidden message where there was none. She couldn't help herself, though she knew he was aware of her glances.

Finally, he finished his bowl and stood. He gathered the others' bowls as well and carried them to the kitchen sink, where he began to methodically rinse and scrub them. Once done, he set them on the rack to dry.

Sakura stared at the red cloud on his back as he departed the room. Once he reached the doorway, he stilled. He turned his head slightly, allowing her a glimpse of his jawline and cheekbone, but he did not face her.

"Meet me out back at dusk tomorrow." He vanished down the hall.

Sakura stared after him, mouth open, chopsticks poised halfway. A gelatinous piece of tofu fell from her unmoving chopsticks to the floor with a wet plop.


Sakura was up early the next morning. She had gone straight to bed after checking the viral samples. A week was long enough for plenty of viruses to cultivate, but obviously not long enough for this one. She'd just have to be more patient.

Sakura opened the cupboard in the kitchen in search of the coffee grounds only to discover it practically empty. A cup of instant ramen sat on the lower shelf, looking lonely. A cobweb clung to it for company.

This is an emergency. You have genjutsu training tonight! Now is not the time for caffeine withdrawal!

Sakura made up her mind to go into town. There was stuff she needed besides coffee — new clothes, more underwear, deodorant...and a cursory examination of the fridge revealed they were almost out of fresh food, too. She'd have to get Kisame to take her.

Sakura marched over to the first floor room next to the armament and rapped loudly. A disheveled, sleepy-eyed Kisame opened the door. She stared. "Are those...goldfish pajamas?"

"Got a problem with it, missy?" Kisame grunted irritably. "I know you didn't wake me up just to comment on my sleepwear."

I guess even the Akatsuki need to sleep in something, Sakura thought, bemused. "Yeah, actually, I need to go into town for some things. Plus we're out of food."

Kisame groaned. "Fine. Let me get dressed first."

A moment later he emerged, wearing his usual loose shinobi underclothes and looking decidedly more awake.

"C'mon, let's go get Itachi-san," the shark-nin grumbled, starting up the stairs.

"Itachi?" Sakura asked in alarm. "What for?"

"We use the buddy system around here, Pinkie. Leader-sama wouldn't want you overpowering little ol' me and making off with all our secrets, now, would he?" Kisame's eyes sparkled with amusement at the thought.

Sakura groaned inwardly, imagining what could otherwise have been an exciting venture ruined by the stoic Uchiha's attitude. Kisame stopped at the door immediately next to the library and knocked loudly. A moment later Itachi answered, fully dressed — complete with Akatsuki cloak (good lord, he MUST sleep in it!).

Kisame jumped in without preamble. "'Morning, Itachi-san. The little lady needs to get to town, so if you'd accompany us — "

"No." The door shut in their faces.

Kisame sighed in irritation. "Yanno, that guy used to be friendly towards me until you showed up," he said. Sakura privately doubted that. "Whatever you keep doing to make him mad, would you just stop it? It was funny at first but now it's getting old." Kisame turned and began making his way back downstairs.

"But I'm not doing anything!" Sakura insisted, following. "He just dislikes me. It looks to me like he dislikes pretty much everything, but especially me."

"That's not true. I've been Itachi-san's partner for many years, so I know him pretty well. He doesn't display emotion often, not even dislike — unless it's something to do with his brother. You must be doing something that bothers him."

Sakura chewed on this in silence for a while as they reached the first floor hallway. Could I be doing something without realizing it? What about my presence could make somebody so stoic act so...angry?

Kisame stopped in front of the door next to Sakura's room and knocked. Sakura's eyebrows lifted in surprise; she hadn't thought she picked a room next to an occupied one. Her jaw dropped when she saw who her neighbor was.

"What is it, yeah?" A puffy-faced Deidara rubbed his eyes. His bright orange pajamas and sleep-mussed blonde hair reminded her disconcertingly of Naruto.

"I need someone to come with me to escort Pinkie here into town."

Deidara's glare flitted to Sakura. He opened his mouth but Kisame cut him off.

"Tobi is away delivering reward money to Leader-sama and Itachi-san already declined, so you're elected. If you want to eat this week, I suggest you suck it up and join us. Unless you'd rather persuade Itachi-san to go in your stead..."

Deidara's face contorted into a grimace. Then he sighed, frowning in resignation. "Fine, mm. Go away so I can get ready." The door clicked shut.

So much for a fun trip to town, Sakura thought as she and Kisame headed to the foyer to wait.


Deidara took nearly an hour. By the time he appeared, Kisame was pacing.

"Damn, you're slow as fuck. How much primping can a person's hair take?"

The explosives master ignored him supremely, grabbing his Akatsuki cloak off the peg on the wall. Kisame did the same. Sakura stuffed her hands in her pockets and shuffled out the door after them.

Kisame eyed her. "You don't get a cloak till after you've proven your trustworthiness. And skill."

Deidara snorted.

Oh yeah, cause I was totally dying for one anyway, she thought, suppressing an eyeroll. Aloud she asked, "And how will I know when that happens?"

"Leader-sama will let us know if or when your promotion from apprentice is approved."

"What happens if it's not approved?"

Kisame's answering glance suggested she was an idiot for even asking. Sakura swallowed. "What determines whether I'm accepted or not?"

"He'll probably base the decision on reports from Itachi, since he's the one instructing you," Kisame explained.

"Theoretically," Sakura mumbled under her breath.

Kisame arched an eyebrow. "Is the training not going well?"

"We haven't even started genjutsu yet. He made me show him all my taijutsu and ninjutsu first." Sakura fought to keep the pout out of her words but wasn't entirely successful.

Kisame hummed. "You should be more patient, little girlie. Whatever his feelings for you personally, Itachi will do the best job possible at teaching you. That's why Leader-sama selected him; he's extremely efficient."

"I believe it," Sakura grudgingly admitted. "He made me demonstrate every single one of my jutsu, water-based or otherwise."

"And how did that go?"

"It was...unexpected. He told me my natural affinity isn't for water at all, but for earth."

Deidara glanced up at this despite himself. "You're an earth user?"

Sakura bit back her surprise at being addressed directly by him. "Er — no. Earth is my affinity, but I've never been taught any earth jutsu."

"Well don't come crying to me for help," he huffed.

"Wasn't planning on it," Sakura retorted.

The three ninja walked along the grassy path together. The silence that descended wasn't quite uncomfortable. Happy to be free of the confining base, Sakura enjoyed the view as they went, though it was pretty monotonous: the same sea of long green grass interspersed with the occasional tree or boulder. They had to jump across a stream a few times. An hour or so later, they reached the outskirts of a little town.

It wasn't a very big place, just a market and a collection of buildings made of rectangular stones cut from some kind of pinkish rock that glittered slightly in the sunlight. Colorful tarps hung from stands around the main square, reminding Sakura of Suna a little — without all the sand of course. Or the heat. The spring weather was actually a pleasant seventy degrees, and the air was crisp and fresh in her lungs. She caught a whiff of some kind of delicious-smelling meat cooking and inhaled appreciatively, stomach rumbling.

"It's never a good idea to grocery shop on an empty stomach," she pointed out. "You always end up buying too much..."

Deidara snorted at the thinly disguised ploy, but Kisame shrugged. "I'm always down for food."

They found a little open-air Korean barbecue place and sat down. They took turns skewering red meat and vegetables and searing them quickly over the hot tabletop grill. They chatted amiably as they ate — or rather, Kisame and Sakura chatted, Deidara mostly responded with 'yes' or 'no' grunts. After he'd served himself a third helping, his full belly seemed to finally loosen him up a bit.

"So where are we going first, mm?" he asked Kisame as they left money on the table and exited the stall.

"Food and essentials first," the shark-nin replied. "Then whatever else miss midget here needs."

They meandered past various shops and stalls, pointing out things that looked good and marveling at exotics they couldn't identify. Deidara stared at an oval, spiky fruit with sharp green leaves as though he had no idea what to make of it.

"It's a pineapple," Sakura offered, remembering her travels on the southern coast. Deidara lifted it delicately.

"It looks like an exploding hedgehog with a green tumor, yeah."

Sakura was frankly bewildered by this description but she nodded politely.

"Do we need any toilet paper?" Kisame asked, appearing with a box of rolls.

"Yeah, Tobi used it all for god-knows-what," Deidara replied.

Sakura eyed a stall dedicated to alcohol. She picked up a crate of dark beer and balanced it on her index finger, wagging her eyebrows at Kisame.

"I don't like that kind," he objected. "You owe me beer so you should at least pick something I want."

"I already paid you back for that by cooking!" Sakura exclaimed. "Don't you try to pull one over on me. I'm onto you. Since you picked the last brand I want to pick this one."

Kisame laughed. "Fine. If it's alcoholic I'll drink it eventually."

"In that case, you can have the mouthwash and I'll drink the beer," Sakura quipped, eliciting a chuckle.

They continued on until they passed a coffee stand. The other two ninja stared as Sakura loaded up her basket with half the store. They stopped her when she tried to grab a machine off the display.

"We already have one of those, mm," grunted Deidara.

"But I need my own!" she insisted, clutching it to her chest only to be unceremoniously overruled.

In the meat section, Deidara intervened again as she tried to add a second package of pork to the basket. "Don't get too much meat, yeah," he warned.

"Why not?"

"Because it'll go bad before we can finish it. Uchiha is a vegetarian so we eat meatless a lot."

Sakura was so stunned she had to stop walking to process this piece of information. It was so incongruous with her image of the bloodthirsty murderer of the Uchiha clan that her mouth hung open.

Deidara raised an amused brow. "Mmm. Surprised me too at first. But he's actually a fairly peaceful guy for an S-class criminal." He scrunched up his face. "Pretty boring, yeah."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Sakura followed the two of them to the main square to pay.

"Charge everything to Saitou's tab," Kisame instructed the clerk. "Except the coffee...Pinkie here will pay for that herself. Our organization is not going broke to support her addiction," he tacked on with a wry glance in Sakura's direction. She rolled her eyes.

Kisame sealed the pile of goods into a scroll and pocketed it somewhere beneath his cloak. He turned to Sakura. "Now then, what else did you need?"

"Clothes," she said, thinking. "Especially underwear." She turned red under the others' dumbfounded stares. "What? I've been training so hard there are holes in mine," she added defensively. Geez, you'd think these guys had never heard of a pair of panties before.

Looking resigned, they followed her to a clothing stand. Deidara watched her idly as she picked up a pair of retina-burning rainbow panties in silent awe.

"You cannot seriously be considering those," he said flatly.

Sakura blushed and put them back. She continued browsing until she found some less garish specimens that suited his finicky tastes. Can't believe you just got fashion advice from Akatsuki, she thought, shaking her head in wonder. She grabbed her armload of clothes and headed for the fitting room curtain. Kisame followed innocently.

Sakura glared and held up a hand. "No. Fucking. Way," she said sternly. "I don't care what Leader-sama says, you are not following me into that dressing room."

Kisame sighed. "Alright, I'll let it slide this time. Just don't you dare go running off or anything or I'll have to kill you. And then who will finish that nasty beer?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. You'd never think I was voluntarily joining this hostile organization...

As she pulled the curtain closed she could've sworn she heard Kisame chuckle, "...worth a try..."

Five minutes later she emerged. She put back the things that hadn't fit on a rack and went to pay for the rest. She discreetly picked up the rainbow panties again and slipped them into her pile, hoping Deidara didn't notice. Once finished paying, she sealed up her new clothes in a scroll of her own and tucked it into her pack. She wandered back towards Kisame and Deidara by the entrance.

"Anything else?" Kisame inquired. Sakura shook her head. "Well then, we're off."

The three shinobi left the town side by side, starting down the dirt road. The afternoon sun shone overhead, and Sakura soaked up its rays. They made idle conversation as they plodded along, not in any particular hurry to get back to the stuffy base.

About halfway through their return journey they crossed a shallow stream. She stooped to fill her canteen when Kisame suddenly stiffened, hand gripping Samehada's handle. "Do you smell something?" He sniffed. "Smells like..soil..."

Sakura felt the tingle of hostile chakra and snapped to attention, gloves out, just as a group of a dozen ninja appeared. They wore tight red bodysuits from head to toe, except for a missing right sleeve. Their chests were covered by brown flak jackets, and they wore red masks adorned with angular patterns of brown lines over their faces. The insignia for Iwagakure was emblazoned on their right shoulders in rust red ink.

"ANBU," Deidara growled in excitement, his fists in his clay pouch.

"You're all under arrest for criminal acts against Iwagakure," one of the masked shinobi spoke.

"Alright Pinkie, time to show us what you got. We each get four; don't make me have to pick up your slack," Kisame warned, unwrapping Samehada with a menacing grin, small eyes bright.

Sakura huffed. "You just worry about yourself," she retorted. She lunged forward, taking a nasty swipe at the nearest ANBU, and the battle was on. Sakura fought viciously. She had a grudge against Earth Country shinobi ever since the Tsuchikage had betrayed her and slaughtered Sora and Haji. Normally she tried to avoid killing when not necessary, but to Iwa ninja she was inclined to give no such mercy.

She battered two with her fists while keeping two more at bay through a series of agile defensive maneuvers. They were as fast as Konoha ANBU; one on one Sakura's punches would have decimated her opponents by now, but with four of them attacking at once it was hard to land a hit. Sakura growled and stomped her boot into the grass.

The earth exploded, a huge crater gaping open in the once-flat ground. Sakura grabbed the wrist of one falling ANBU and swung him with all her might into another; they crashed together with the sound of soft tissue tearing and the snap of shattering bones.

Sakura performed a quick series of seals. She couldn't use her acid rain jutsu for fear of hitting her allies, so she chose one that would get the job done right but was unfortunately messy.

The bodies of the two remaining ANBU swelled and bloated to three times their natural size, then kept going. Their stretched features were grotesquely distorted. They whined in pain, the keening sound coming out unnaturally high due to their elongated vocal cords, before their bodies couldn't handle the massive increase in water anymore. With a spectacular bang, they exploded into a million chunks of red, wet flesh.

Blood rained everywhere, but Sakura was prepared with an automatic water shield above her head. As soon as it was over, she regretted the loss of her temper. That jutsu was more brutal than she expected; true, she had a cover to keep up, and yes, she had a grudge against Earth Country, but that didn't mean she should sink to their level. Slaughtering Iwa nin in return wouldn't bring her friends back (and really, had these individuals even been aware of their Kage's traitorous acts?), and some kinds of jutsu were simply not justifiable. She resolved never to use that one again, fighting down a feeling of creeping shame. It wouldn't do to let the others see her mixed feelings. She glanced around the battlefield. Kisame and Deidara sat nearby, having finished off their opponents already. They were watching her, Kisame smiling and dry, the remains of his own water shield disappearing overhead. Deidara was spattered with gore, but for once he didn't even seem to notice his own appearance.

"That was...kind of pretty, yeah," he said, impressed despite himself. "Next time make them all blow up at once...and go bigger."

"Uh, thanks," Sakura said, startled by the compliment. She couldn't help but feel discomfort at the thought that just now, part of her was bloodthirsty enough to impress Akatsuki. Did she even know herself anymore? She shook herself out of her unpleasant thoughts — now was neither the time nor place. "Sorry about your clothes..." she added.

Deidara looked down. "Aw fuck!" he swore. "It's in my hair, yeah!"

Kisame, master of schadenfreude, burst into laughter at Deidara's expense. He made two seals and suddenly the explosives master was drenched. "There. Better, princess?" he taunted.

Deidara dripped and glared, lifting a soggy middle finger. "You both better sleep with one eye open tonight," he threatened, but there was no real bite behind the words. He took off his sopping cloak, wrung it out and threw it over his shoulder. "Let's go, yeah."

They resumed their trail, walking quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually Deidara broke the silence.

"Watching you fight, I can see what you mean about an earth affinity, yeah. You really should do something about learning to control it. Earth jutsu would compliment your style, so it'd be a shame to waste a gift like that, mm."

"I would certainly like to," Sakura replied, brow raised, "but I don't exactly have people lining up to teach me earth release. Unless you're volunteering?..." she trailed off, dubious.

Deidara frowned. "I wouldn't say no, but my services aren't free. You'd have to do something for me."

"Like what?" Sakura asked, suspicious yet hopeful.

"For the love of god, learn to cook. I don't want to starve every fifth day of the week, yeah."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. "It's a deal."


Back at the base, Sakura helped the other two unload and put away groceries. They squabbled over who's turn it was to make dinner tonight before unanimously (and unsurprisingly) agreeing it was Tobi's. While Kisame and Deidara wandered off to locate the orange-masked man and rope him into it, Sakura went to her room to unpack her clothes (stashing the rainbow panties in the very bottom of her drawer), bathe, and change. She sat in the tub for some time, relaxing in the warm water.

Today turned out pretty different than you expected, she thought. Maybe these people aren't so bad, once you get to know them. Even Deidara is tolerable when in a good mood.

Itachi's cold, handsome face flitted into her mind's eye. She amended her previous thought: Well, ALMOST all of them.

Sakura sat up in the tub. Did you just catch yourself thinking about the Akatsuki as...'not so bad?' She whipped her head back and forth, trying to shake herself out of whatever delusion she had fallen into.

These people are not your friends. They're not merely missing-nin like Sora and Haji were. Not all internationally wanted criminals are bad people, but this group is hell bent on destroying the ninja world. Or did you forget that they'd like nothing more than to capture and kill your best friend?

Sakura's reality check hit her hard. She'd grown too complacent because they didn't seem overtly evil on a day to day basis...unless they were fighting ANBU (but in that case, so did she!). But that didn't mean their organization wasn't ultimately at cross purposes with her village. Just because she found some of them to be amiable on a personal level (or even likeable, if she was really honest with herself) shouldn't matter. When push came to shove, there was no question who she would side with. There were no shades of gray. Her loyalty would always lie with her real friends in Konoha: Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, Tsunade-shishou, Ino-pig, Shizune-senpai, Hinata, Sai, Yamato-taichou...everyone, even down to Eri-chan the intern. They were Sakura's family, and while they were stuck in Konoha living like automatons without their free will, Sakura was off cavorting with the Akatsuki, grocery shopping!

Sakura flushed with shame for the second time that day and crawled out of the bath. She'd been both negligent and unprofessional. She toweled off, leaving her long hair down to drip dry. She avoided her reflection in the foggy mirror. Suddenly she didn't want to go down to dinner. She didn't want to see the others, but there was really no way out of it. Itachi would know if she showed up to training unfed again, and she remembered how he reacted last time. She'd hurt no one but herself by driving him away from making her a better shinobi.

Sighing, Sakura got dressed and tugged a brush through her damp hair quickly. She wrapped a fluffy yellow towel around herself and opened the bathroom door.

Itachi froze mid-stride. His eyes flickered to Sakura's face first, then down at her towel. Sakura flushed so deeply her cheeks matched her hair, but Itachi didn't even seem to notice. He resumed his pace down the hallway towards the kitchen without a backward glance.

You idiot! That's just what you deserve, waltzing around an Akatsuki base in nothing but a towel! This isn't your goddamn living room!

Sakura tightened the towel around herself and resolved to always bring her clothes with her into the bathroom in the future.


"Oi, Pinkie! Snap out of it and pass the soy sauce."

"Oh, sorry," Sakura replied automatically, handing the glass container off to Tobi, who passed it to Kisame. He tossed her a beer in return.

"Better get rid of that shit fast so we can buy the good stuff next time," he smirked. Sakura didn't reply, she just shrugged and popped the cap off, taking a gulp. "Hey, what's the matter with you tonight? How's the weather in la-la land?"

"Yeah Sakura-san, is everything okay? You're pretty quiet," Tobi added with concern.

"Ah — yeah, everything's fine!" she answered with a somewhat forced laugh, embarrassed that she was so easy to read. "Tobi, this is delicious, by the way." She took another bite of the fried tempeh and veggie mix. It was covered in some kind of sweet and spicy sauce.

"Why thank you, Sakura-san! I could teach you the recipe sometime if you'd like."

Suddenly Deidara's palm slammed into the table. He leaned forward with an intent gleam in his eyes. "Seriously, Tobi. You have to teach it to her, yeah," he urged, face deadly serious.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Hey, I haven't forgotten our deal. Tobi, would you really be willing to teach me to cook?"

"Of course!" he chirped, smiling behind the mask. "I'd be glad to."

Sakura couldn't help but smile back. How could this childlike person possibly want to harm her friends? Her smile grew somewhat pained at the dissonance as she surveyed the faces around the table enjoying a normal meal together. Her gaze lingered on Itachi.

Well, 'enjoying' may be the wrong word for that guy. He was his usual inscrutable self — or was that the slightest frown marring his lips?

If you could imagine anyone here wanting to murder your friends in cold blood, it'd be him.

Sakura couldn't take her eyes off him for the rest of supper.


Sakura slipped outside into the amber light. The sun was fading fast, and it cast a burgundy glow across the training grounds. Itachi stood stiffly at the other end, facing away from her, his shadow stretching out long and black behind him on the dusty earth. She felt a tingle run down her spine as she approached him, but it was probably just the chill in the air.

"Why are you here?"

The sudden question broke the stillness, making Sakura start. "Uh, you told me to meet you here for genjutsu training...?" she trailed off, bewildered.

"That's not what I meant."

Sakura crossed her arms, unwilling to play his cryptic games. "Well, what did you mean then?"

Itachi didn't reply. Instead he turned to face her, regarding her with unfathomable red eyes. "Do you insist on continuing this charade?" His smooth voice was thick with some unspoken meaning.

Her eyes hardened. She ignored the fear prickling at her. He doesn't know anything. He's just trying to get rid of you again. "Of course I want to do this," she snapped. Let him try. You're made of stronger stuff than that.

He regarded her for a long moment. He slipped off his cloak, leaving it in a heap in the dirt. He wore nothing but his loose pants, riding dangerously low on his hips, a white martial artists' bandage wrapped around his lower abdomen. Sakura swallowed audibly. His crimson eyes swirled into their Mangekyou Sharingan form. "You've been warned."

He cast Tsukuyomi on her.

White blurred into black and black became white as the world inverted around Sakura.

"What are you doing?" she asked, disoriented. Does he want me to experience a genjutsu for myself?

Itachi stepped forward, his pale skin glinting in the artificial moonlight. He caught her admiring it. "Do you want me, kunoichi?"

Sakura couldn't hide her shock. She spluttered and flushed, tearing her eyes from him. "W-what?!"

Itachi took another step forward, intent.

"You can't lie to me. I can hear your pulse quicken. My Sharingan can see the sweat on your skin, your dilated pupils."

Sakura stepped back, grass crunching underfoot. A fine tremor ran down her spine.

"Or perhaps you fear me, Sakura-san?"

It was the first time he'd ever used her real name. She fidgeted in extreme discomfort. She could not meet his gaze, terrified of what she'd see there. She knew she was caught in an inescapable genjutsu, but the urge to flee was overwhelming. Her legs began to shake with the effort to remain still.

As if he read her thoughts, Itachi moved. One quick slash of his ninjatou severed her Achilles' tendons. She dropped to her knees in shock and pain, gaping up at him in open-mouthed horror.

"W-what the hell are you doing?!" She dragged her useless legs backward through the dirt reflexively. Her fingernails dug into the soil. Try as she might to summon chakra, in his illusory world, she couldn't. "Stop! That's enough, end the genjutsu!"

Itachi burst into a murder of crows and rematerialized in front of her, crouched. Too close. Much too close. Something sharp gleamed in his hand. He leaned in.

"I'll show you what I really am," he breathed. His kunai slipped through her left hand as if it were wet tissue paper.

Sakura screamed.

Pain lanced up her arm, radiating down her fingers. She resisted the urge to yank her impaled palm back; even the slightest movement was excruciating.

"We are not your playthings, Sakura-san," he said softly, penetrating her right hand with another kunai. Sakura let out guttural moan, squeezing her eyes against the tears.

"We are not your friends." She felt the tip of his ninjatou tug at her clothes as he dragged it gently to her navel.

"Look at me, Sakura-san."

Sakura's eyelids peeled back against her will. Itachi gazed at her with clear red irises, purposeful and deliberate. His long lashes made his pupils seem larger and blacker than they were.

"We are Akatsuki." His blade slid into her belly.

Sakura gasped and froze, unable to cry out or even writhe in agony. A thin red rivulet trickled out of the corner of her mouth. The faint stretching of her midriff as she inhaled was unbearable. She felt hot blood spilling down her sides. It soaked her clothes, pooling stickily beneath her.

Itachi's gentle fingers tilted her chin back, pressing a kunai to her throat. His breath fluttered against her cheek. His face was pale against the night sky, features handsome and cruel. Strands of fine black silk caressed her cheek like fingertips.

"When you wake, leave."

His Sharingan flashed as he slashed her throat. Sakura relived her own death over and over again for an eternity. It was really an eternity. Just when she was sure she couldn't take another second of the agony, she sank into merciful oblivion.


A/N: How does Tobi eat/drink/make facial expressions with his mask on, you ask?...Plothole-no-jutsu! (No seriously, I have no idea. His mask is a physical impossibility that became an ongoing joke between my beta and I, because we couldn't find a solution to this problem. Unless he just takes it off occasionally...? Wouldn't that be scandalous!)

I'm sorry about Itachi! If any character ever embodied the idea "the end justifies the means," he's it.