A/N:

A/N:

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long update… I've been really busy. I'll try to be quicker from now on :D Oh, and I think I'll look into getting a beta. If anyone is interested let me know! Lol. Me and my lazy butt. Oh. And there's gonna be a spoiler from some of the manga chapters, concerning why Itachi killed his clan and whatnot. :O I'll warn you if you don't want to know…

Seriously. Do I really need a disclaimer at this point?! I think you get it already…

Chapter Ten: Got Any Seventeens?

Sakura groaned and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, despite the lack of light.

Her bed seemed unnaturally warm, and she could swear it was moving.

Her eyes slowly adjusted.

Crap!

She was half sprawled over Deidara, whose arms were wrapped around her.

He was propped halfway up against the wall on the bed; he had slid into a position that looked pretty uncomfortable.

Sakura made an attempt to scramble out of his lap. And his arms.

No good; he was hugging her too tightly.

Defeated, Sakura settled back into his grip.

One blue eye opened to meet green, startling Sakura who had, unknowingly, been staring at the blonde's face.

The male pressed his lips to hers in a brief kiss.

Sakura reluctantly pulled out of his grip to sit next to him. She hugged her knees to her chest, wondering just why and how she had gotten into Deidara's arms.

Naruto.

That was the reason, wasn't it?

Yes. That was the reason.

She felt the single tear that rolled down her cheek.

A single tear. A sign of weakness. Sakura was beginning to feel survival, escape mode kick in.

She couldn't lie to herself; she was in love with, or at least lusting after, Deidara. Her team, her best friend, was more important than this man that she had just met a few days ago. That was something she had to admit.

"Sakura." Deidara wrapped his arm around her as he noticed the tear that was currently working its way down her face.

"Please don't, Deidara." She pleaded in a barely audible whisper.

Hesitantly, he shifted his arm away from her. With that, the blonde stood up and, with a few strides, left the room.

Now Sakura felt even worse. She had hurt Deidara. Damnit, why did life have to be so complicated? It was like playing a game that you could never win unless you'd read the rule book that didn't exist. Here she had been, content with life, feeling like she had succeeded, like she'd been through every type of low she possibly could. Then she just had to have been kidnapped. Sure, that created an issue, but it wasn't the one that was sending her life spinning into turmoil; that was Deidara's doing.

A love she wanted, but could never have.

--

The silver-haired man raced through the trees at top speed, followed by his two companions.

The blonde one had a determined look on his face, while the dark-haired one's seemed only slightly concerned.

"Kakashi." Sai spoke, "I know we're all anxious, almost desperate, to get Sakura back, but I think a quick break is needed."

He was right.

The squad had been running in circles for hours. That damn trail always seemed to lead them back here, one way or another.

Kakashi sighed. He nodded his head once in approval before hopping towards the ground.

Naruto glared at the artist with a look that said "why the hell did you do that?"

The older man caught this look. "He's right, Naruto. I think the best approach at this point is to slow down our pace so we can find the right trail."

Naruto mumbled something that resembled approval.

Sai chuckled. Despite the situation, it was always funny to see Naruto grumble like a child who had been refused a trip to the candy store.

"What are you laughing at, asshole?"

"Who else but you, dickless?" Sai countered with his fake smile.

"I think it's about time we keep moving." Naruto mumbled.

"I think you're right." Kakashi said softly.

--

A soft knock on Sakura's door made her jump. She sincerely hoped her eyes weren't puffy, no matter who it was.

After a moments pause, when there was no answer, the knocker swung the door open.

Itachi sat down on the little twin bed next to the kunoichi. He rested a hand on her head, which she guessed to be some sort of attempt to comfort her.

Sakura gave him a weak smile.

Well this was awkward.

"It'll be over soon. You can go home and forget everything." He spoke almost hesitantly. She figured he didn't know how to comfort anyone.

Here, she had loathed him for ruining Sasuke's life, but it turned out that he actually wasn't that bad.

Which reminded her.

"Why?"

She asked him simply.

"Why? Why can you go home? Becau-"

"No, not that. Why did you kill your clan? Why did you leave Sasuke alive?"

Itachi flinched slightly. "Is it going to help you get over this?" she nodded. "And you aren't going to go around telling people?" the kunoichi nodded again.

(ZOMG! SPOILERS!)

"I killed my clan because I was under orders and-"

"Who's orders?"

Itachi sighed with her interruption. "The Third Hokage's. Now please don't interrupt." He continued.

The Uchiha was so blunt with mentioning that it was the Third who gave him those orders, Sakura, however, had her mouth hanging open in utter and complete shock.

Whether or not he noticed her state, Itachi continued, "And because I thought it was corrupt. And I didn't kill Sasuke because he was, is, my little brother and I care about him. And I guess I don't want the guilt of killing the whole clan."

(End spoilers)

Sakura was left speechless.

Finally, "Wow."

"Never. Fucking. Tell. Anyone." The Uchiha said firmly.

Sakura nodded. She knew how badly she would want to tell Sasuke. In a way, part of her still hoped he would return and everything would go back to normal.

"Now I think you should go talk to a certain psycho ninja downstairs." Itachi prodded.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Aren't we all psycho these days?"

Itachi let out a soft laugh.

With that, the pink-haired girl hopped up and out of the room.

Even upstairs, Sakura could see Deidara moping on the couch. She sighed.

"Deidara." She called out to him as she descended the stairs.

"Hm."

Sakura sighed. Now he wasn't going to talk to her?

She was beginning to regret her actions, her thoughts, her anything that pushed him away from her.

"Deidara." She said softly again, settling herself next to him.

The blonde grunted.

Sakura closed her eyes with slight frustration. She rested her head on his shoulder, it being low enough to do so because he was slouching.

He grunted once again.

"What do I need to do to get you to talk to me?" she sighed.

Deidara shrugged.

"Whatever. I tried." She stood to leave.

Deidara grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his lap.

Sakura smiled. "That's it?"

"Yup."

"You're weird."

"I know, hmm."

Sakura snorted.

"So where's Tobi?"

"Who knows, hmm."

Sakura shifted in the blonde's lap until she was facing him. Technically, that just meant she was straddling him.

The kunoichi wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a light blush grace his cheeks.

She wrapped her arms around his neck to help balance herself.

Almost hesitantly, Deidara let his hands clasp at her lower back.

Sakura smiled softly at him. She leaned forward, seeming like she was going in for a kiss to, anticlimactically, rest her forehead against his.

"What's with you always asking about where Tobi is anyways?" Deidara mumbled.

"Well he doesn't seem like someone who would hide in his room all day."

"Someone is talking about Tobi?" the masked man's voice called from the kitchen.

It was creepy how he always popped up when he was being talked about.

"Sorta." The kunoichi called to him. "You know, I think we should play cards again." Sakura grinned, knowing Deidara couldn't get out of it however much he tried.

"Yes!" Tobi cried gleefully. "Tobi likes his cards. And Tobi thinks we should play Go Fish."

Deidara rolled his eyes.

Sakura rolled off of his lap to sit next to him, pulling the coffee table closer.

Tobi took his seat, leaving Sakura in the middle. Apparently he knew he'd be safer from his Senpai's rage there.

The three sat in a semi-silence, only speaking when it was their turn in the game. Deidara was obviously trying to let Tobi win, considering how he always asked him if he had any "seventeens".

Sakura, however, wasn't; Deidara wasn't getting out that easy.

He knew it too. He kept sending her semi-angry glares which she returned with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Stop already!" Deidara shouted through the fourty-second game, "You win already Tobi, alright?!"

The blonde threw down his cards and went to stand, only the have the kunoichi grab his hand gently.

With an angry sigh he sat down.

Man, he was whipped.

And for some odd reason, that made him think of the members of Devo holding cans of whipped cream. Just another point that proved he was crazy. (For those of you who don't know, Devo is the band that sang Whip It. And yes, I know the Naruto characters most likely have never heard of them.)

Ten more minutes passed by awkwardly, no small talk going on.

"Well, as much as Tobi would like to keep playing, he has to report to Itachi-Senpai."

"He's a 'Senpai' too now..?" the blonde muttered to himself. Tobi didn't seem to notice, but Sakura sent him a glare.

Deidara shrugged.

That said, Tobi skipped up stairs in search of the Uchiha.

Sighing, the kunoichi rest her head on Deidara's shoulder.

"Tired?" he asked her as he settled his hand on her shoulder.

"Mmm hmm." Sakura mumbled, "I didn't that much sleep last night." She winked.

Deidara blushed softly. "Right."

A/N:

Sorry for the shortness! I just really wanted to get this chapter out because of the long delay… Uhg. This chapter was major writer's block for me! Anyways. Yup. See you next chappie! (sorreh again for the long wait!) Oh, and if you could just ignore any misspelled words... my Microsoft Word if acting up...