This is chapter ten of Getting Freedom. I will be honest I'm starting to lose inspiration which means I will update slower. So please leave a review it would be appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

OO00OO

"Have you guys seen Ruri," Deidara asked walking into the kitchen. His fellow Akatsuki members looked at him curiously.

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping track of her," Sasori said not looking up from his book.

"Well I woke up and she just wasn't there," he explained. "Usually she's still asleep when I wake up. She hasn't been anywhere I've looked for her. She's not allowed out of the base either." Kisame laughed at how obviously worried he was.

"Are you sure she's not in someone else's bed?" Kisame asked with a shark like grin. "You know how much she is just so attached to the other members." Actually Ruri barely acknowledged anyone who wasn't Deidara or Sasori it was weird that neither of them knew where she was.

Deidara sighed and thought about it. The only other person Ruri probably remotely trusts is Sasori. Most likely Ruri wasn't outside of the base. She wasn't at the training ground.

"Ruri must have gotten herself lost somewhere in the base," Deidara finally said. He rubbed his temples in a soothing motion to calm the head ache he knew he would have. "Anyone want to come with me to look?" He looked at Sasori.

"You think too little of Ruri; truth is she's probably twenty times smarter than you. She'll turn up sooner or later." Deidara glared at Sasori for a few seconds before sighing.

"I'll go with you for a bit." Kisame said standing up from the chair he was sitting on. "However I need to get something from Itachi's room."

"I hate that bastard." Deidara said before clicking his tongue. "Fine but I'm not going in." Deidara and Kisame went off to find Ruri exiting the kitchen.

"One day that idiot is going to find something he doesn't like." Sasori muttered before returning his full attention to his book.

OO00OO

To say Itachi was surprised to find Ruri still in his bed would be an understatement. He just looked at her with slight shock over his usually stoic face. He could kill her so easily not only that but she had believed his lie. He had no reason to trust her, and yet she was just there. Ruri had her arms around his waist with her dark chocolate curls everywhere. Her eyes were closed and she was sleeping deeply.

What a careless ninja she is Itachi thought. Absent mindedly he took one of the chocolate locks and twirled it around his finger. Something about the peaceful sleep she was in seemed to strike up envy in him. She had killed more innocent people than him but she slept like a baby.

Itachi couldn't believe this girl was willing to take on the Akatsuki. Did she have any idea how powerful the real leader was? Probably not he concluded. This girl seemed to leave opportunities for people to attack her, she didn't take chances that could take down her opponent. She couldn't have enough skill to get out of the base alive.

Itachi thought she had a very hopeful mind but hopeful can get you killed. Itachi wanted to trust her, he wanted to believe that she could help him. Ruri's skills just weren't enough to save Sasuke. However that power he had felt from her last night was amazing. Ruri had tapped into his mind, she hadn't shown anything like that during her training. Somehow he wondered if he could push her into exposing more of herself to him.

Itachi felt two presences outside his door. The knob slowly turned and Itachi saw Kisame stick his head in.

Itachi slowly sat up but Ruri continued to be attached and barely stirred when he sat up.

"I'm here for those extra kunai I lent you." Kisame said rather loudly. Itachi placed a finger to his lips before pointing down at Ruri. Kisame's eyes widened in shock when they landed on Ruri before he let out a deep chuckle. "Deidara has been looking everywhere for her. He's going to want to know she's here." Itachi glared in response. He didn't want to deal with Deidara's raging so soon after waking up.

"I will send her out just distract him. The kunai are over there." Itachi practically whispered pointing at his dresser that had a weapon bag on it.

Kisame sent a shark like grin his way before grabbing the bag and leaving. Itachi sighed before looking down at her. She must know the history between him and Deidara and she still risked it. He had to admit that Sasori, Deidara, and Ruri were most likely the closest team in the Akatsuki. She had to know.

"Ruri wake up." Itachi was surprised to see that she hadn't woken from her sleep. He tapped her and she still didn't wake up. "Up." He said as he got off the bed. Ruri didn't unhook her arms from around him and fell out of the bed when he got up.

She landed head first on the ground. Even so her eyes slowly opened as if it was a gentle awakening. Itachi duly noted her eyes were emerald. Ruri slowly got to her feet looking at him.

"I haven't slept that well in a while," Ruri said before stretching out her arms. Itachi just looked unemotionally at her. "I can't give you too much information verbally… I guess I can tell you I get an over load of chakra from negative energy usually those who cause death. The more negative energy a person has the better and deeper I sleep."

"I see," was all Itachi said. Ruri looked at him he was worse than Gaara. Completely emotionless but still handsome even his eyes were filled with no emotion. The sharingan was activated for some reason.

"You could go blind," Ruri stated, "you should deactivate the sharingan. They won't work on me anyway." He made no move to deactivate it. "You need to trust me if we're going to work together." Still he just stood there looking at her. "So… Is this a bad time to ask what hair conditioner you use?"

Itachi scowled openly at her and Ruri let a smile cross her face. At least annoyance was a type of emotion, it was a start.

"I woke you up because Deidara was looking for you." Itachi said his scowl still in place.

"How nice of you." Itachi could hear the hint of sarcasm in her voice. "You know as much as you may see yourself as a bad person, that person isn't engrained into your fate forever. You have the ability to change that without any damage at all."

"And I suppose you don't." His sharp reply caught Ruri off guard. Her smile faltered before it became an almost plastic one. Itachi noticed the shift in her mood but she wouldn't reveal it fully.

"I'm trying to make my fate better right now." With that Ruri left swiftly out of the room leaving a very interested Itachi. He knew the conversation was odd but it had given him the perfect idea for testing just how much faith he could place in the girl.

OO00OO

Sasori watched as Ruri entered the kitchen glancing up from his book. She moved to the fridge scanning the contents for something appropriate to eat.

"Deidara was looking for you." Ruri glanced over at him with a smile on her face.

"So I've been told. Anyway how is the puppet making for the water style one coming along?"

"As of right now it's at a standstill… Where exactly were you?" Ruri didn't flinch at the question.

"I was exactly where I needed to be at the time, and that is all you need to know my little puppet master." Ruri walked over and sat across from him with a bowl of fruit.

"You do realize that I'm over twice your age and taller than you. You have no right to call me little."

"A certain part of your male anatomy tells me I do." She began eating the fruit innocently as if her mouth weren't the least bit dirty. Sasori sighed, this girl was really immature.

Ruri and Sasori turned their heads towards the yelling happening down the hallway from the kitchen. It only took seconds before Kisame appeared smirking knowingly at Deidara who was in the middle of a hissy fit.

"Damn it! Ruri isn't anywhere un!" He was so busy rampaging that he hadn't noticed Ruri was barely six feet in front of him.

"Deidara if you keep yelling like that your accent becomes super noticeable." Deidara turned towards the sound of Ruri's familiar voice. His mouth was agape at what he saw.

Usually Ruri was attractive in her skimpy pajamas but this was just strangely erotic to him. The tank top showed just enough cleavage, the shorts showed more than enough leg it was perfect. Her hair was down out of its high pony tail and reached her waist a rare sight to behold. He also shouldn't be thinking about that.

"Ruri you don't wear your hair down like that," Kisame said with a smirk. "Why is it down like that?" He wanted to see if he could set up Ruri for a very compromising situation.

"It's down because I didn't put it up," Ruri replied in a tone that said duh. "I didn't know you were a hair expert." He smiled the girl seemed pretty used to not having to give more information than needed. If Itachi hadn't been the one she was with she would've been ratted out by now.

"So Ruri I hope you can pass your training today." Kisame said. He looked to see Ruri scowling at him before it was replaced by a smile. He had never seen her scowl so fiercely at anyone besides Pein. He had a new found respect for him considering how he felt a slight shiver run through his body.

"I hope for your sake," Ruri started, "that I won't be fighting you today. I'm irritable and you just made it worse." Deidara watched with curiosity while Sasori had already figured out with Ruri its better just not to ask.

OO00OO

The Akatsuki, minus Hidan and Kakuzu who left for a mission earlier, had gathered in the training room at one o'clock. This had become a daily activity for them since Ruri began training. However they would usually leave after whoever was selected to fight her. So far it had always been Hidan or Sasori and she had always won. This time would probably be no different.

"I want to ask if there are any Akatsuki members willing to fight Ruri," Pein asked. He looked at the members expecting silence as usual so he would have to assign someone to fight her again.

"I volunteer," Itachi said standing up. Some of the Akatsuki members had shock written across their faces, even Pein's face faltered for a second. Itachi never volunteered for anything this was something new.

"Very well…" Pein looked at him with suspicion. "Itachi and Ruri you may go on to the field." He watched as both of them jumped flawlessly to the field. "You may begin."

The Akatsuki were expecting Itachi to quickly attack her but were surprised when both of them remained completely still.

Ruri narrowed her eyes at Itachi waiting for him to attack but he made no such move to attack her. Without another delay she started to attack him with a charge and punch combination but he dodged them all easily. He countered attacked and Ruri dodged them all but had to move back as he continued to push her in a circle.

Ruri saw the beginning of his jutsu. Soon enough she had multiple Itachi's after her. Ruri was surprised at the sheer strength they had. Although she was able to keep dodging she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up.

Ruri ducked under a punch before jumping high in the air she took out multiple kunai started spinning and let them fly with accuracy towards their targets. However the clinking of metal was heard as kunai reflected at each other. With speed three kunai coming to their deadly spots; her head, heart, and stomach. Opting to take a kunai in the leg she dodged the higher two as she fell to the ground.

"I guess she didn't know that attacking Itachi with kunai is a horrible idea," Kisame said.

"Why would she know that? I don't think she's talked to Itachi more than twice." Sasori said blandly not taking his eyes off Ruri who was still falling. "However I doubt one kunai in the leg will stop her."

Ruri landed on the ground on her right leg not wanting to put stress on her left. Knowing Itachi would be attacking soon she ripped the kunai out of her leg before using a chakra laced hand to seal it to prevent blood loss.

"I had no idea she could do that…" Sasori looked at Deidara after he said that. It was pretty obvious that she could heal herself; she had resurrected him from the dead.

Ruri felt the shift in air and blocked Itachi in the air with the kunai still dripping with her blood. Her eyes were wide at her realization. I'd know that intent anywhere. Itachi is aiming to kill me Ruri thought.

"You're a lot weaker than I expected." Itachi whispered so that only she could hear. He saw her physically tense before she smirked.

"Then some of the other members must be weaker." Ruri remembered her fight with Sakura and started letting chakra flow to the arm with the kunai. After storing enough of it up she used her strength to force Itachi off her.

Itachi had no choice but to be pushed back by the sheer strength of her push. That had caught him off guard he didn't know that she could use moves like that.

Pein watched Ruri closely as she began to deflect Itachi's attack with strength. Using chakra laced moves were not what Ruri usually used in battle.

Before Itachi had a chance to attack Ruri punched him hard in his stomach. Ruri smirked in satisfaction before Itachi turned into a bunch of cawing crows and flew away from her.

"No wonder you were abducted." Itachi taunted from behind her. "If you fight like that there is no way you could've saved anyone."

Ruri started making rapid hand signs before taking a rod that had a vine already on it from her boot. She turned around to try and whip him but he caught the whip. He smirked at her and tugged on it but the vine came right out from the rod without Ruri attached. Ruri went flying at his head with a perfect kick to his face. This time Itachi did not turn into birds.

"I was not expecting them to go at each other like this, hours after I found them in the same bed…" Kisame said more to himself than anyone else.

"You what?" Deidara yelled. Kisame turned and gave him a very sharky grin before winking.

"Deidara you should sit down before you distract Ruri or something. This match is very real right now," Sasori said looking at him.

Deidara sat down thinking about it. The reason why he couldn't find her was because she was in a place he would never look, Itachi's room. Now Kisame's weird behavior and questions made sense. Deidara was defiantly mad now. He told her about what Itachi did to him and she slept with him. They were going to have a little chat after this fight.

Pein was watching both Ruri and Itachi closely both of them seemed to be fighting in different styles. While Itachi was taking an almost hesitant approach Ruri was fighting very aggressively. He also noticed her movement lacked the dance like flow it usually had. That and her face seemed dead serious it almost looked annoyed.

Itachi pulled Ruri by the arm and sent a punch into her stomach. Ruri gasped for air as she coughed and hacked from the strong blow.

"I figured out the meaning behind what you said in my room," Itachi said in a hushed tone. Ruri was still panting heavily.

"I swear if you make me angry I will regret nothing I do to you," she panted out. Her mouth had curled into a testing snarl with some of her teeth bared.

"You're a real monster aren't you?" he teased.

Ruri felt the string of her tolerance snap. Anger coursed through her there was no way that he could get away with saying that. Itachi Uchiha had no right to accuse her of being a monster when she was trying to help him.

Itachi felt a sudden spike in her chakra, it was powerful. It reminded him of a tailed beast. He darted away from Ruri eyes still on her as she straightened up. She looked sinisterly beautiful, and yet so dangerous.

Ruri lifted her hand and flicked her wrist. A mysterious purple light came towards Itachi. He ducked and it flew into the wall leaving a slice like mark in the stone. Before he could blink she was flying at him and she sunk her nails into his cheeks. He looked up to see her smirking in satisfaction of his reaction. Ruri's face became visible to the other members.

Pein's eyes as well as the Akatsuki widened at the battle before them. Her movements were so over bearing it seemed impossible. Her eyes had changed to an impossible purple color.

"Just what is she?" Kisame voiced out loud. They were all thinking the same thing but yet no one had dared to say it in fear that Ruri's wrath would be directed at them.

Itachi was struggling to dodge he'd brushed against one of those purple light things and had been given a deep cut. Ruri took out the rod that usually held her whip but she pressed a button and it turned into a long pole. A purple translucent psychic energy wave appeared on the end making it a scythe.

Ruri charged at him. Itachi kept dodging struggling to keep from touching it. Then he felt it in his side she was going to slice right through him.

"STOP!" Pein yelled. Ruri and Itachi both froze. The energy wave disappeared and Ruri made the pole shortened before tucking it into her boot.

~Am I strong enough for you to trust me now Uchiha~

Itachi's eyes widened, Ruri was smart. At some point she had figured out what he was trying to do. Ruri had exceeded his expectations.

"Ruri now I ask you: What is the goal of the Akatsuki?" Pein questioned. Ruri turned to face him purple eyes blazing; a confident and almost intimidating look on her face.

"The Akatsuki's goal is to make sure that absolute justice is brought to the world," Ruri's voice said. Deidara had never seen her so sure of herself so mature in a way he would only see in his elders. It was different to him a new side of her a side that was equal parts sinister and alluring.

"I would like to volunteer to train Ruri in order to make her even stronger," Itachi said bowing before the leader. Pein's response was a suspicious look but he could tell that Ruri was surprised as well.

"Very well, I will put you in charge of her from now on Itachi…" he trailed off and glanced at each member. He saw anger was going through Deidara he couldn't handle another fight. "You are all dismissed."

They all exited including the leader however he went the opposite way hoping to avoid the trouble that was brewing.

OO00OO

"Shouldn't you be sleeping with Itachi, yeah?" Deidara complained. Ruri didn't turn around to look back at him while she continued to dry her hair.

"I can't believe you're still on that," Ruri said dropping the towel on the floor. "You've yelled and bitched enough for one day don't you think? One I told you that after getting food I went to the wrong room be happy I didn't end up as Zetsu's snack. Two I didn't ask to fight him. Three it is actually none of your business who I am or am not sleeping with."

"You should be happy that anyone cares about you! Especially with that bitchy façade you like to put on, un!"

"So Dei-Dei you care about me?" Ruri smirked as she watched him turn an adorable pink color. "Even if none of the Akatsuki cared about me there would be others who still cared. Don't overly concern yourself with me." Ruri sauntered over to him hips swaying just enough to catch his attention. "If you pay too much attention to me people may mistake you as a pedophile."

"No one would ever call you a kid after what happened today." Ruri looked at him with sadness in her eyes. Clearly he had struck a nerve and he wasn't sure what to say or do. "You're still human you know." He said after a long time of silence. He looked back at her to see her smiling, really smiling. There was absolutely no sign of anything forced in that smile.

Without a second thought he kissed her, again it was chaste. Neither of them felt that it was unpleasant it was almost relaxing in a strange way. Their eyes met and they stared at each other.

"You need to know that I can't promise you anything," Ruri said. "If you do that again I will completely take advantage of you."

"I promised you a reward for completing your training," he whispered seductively in her ear. Grabbing her arm he pulled her to the bed quickly before she could protest. Deidara just stared at those gorgeous emerald eyes; he could never get enough of them. "I will make you feel good."

OO00OO

Next chapter obviously has a lemon in it. It will most likely be the majority of the chapter too. I'm sorry but this story may become neglected because I was inspired to write in my book. It's hard to write two things at once and I just don't have the inspiration on this right now. Reviews help to inspire me though ;)