Here it is! The chapter you've all been waiting for! Oh and, this fic is by no means close to over! On the contrary! It has just begun! Corny, yeah, I know... Anyways! Enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, the following and previous chapters in this fanfic would have actually happened. And they didn't... so yeah... I don't own it...

Repentance

Chapter X: Choices

::N Interrogation Room 9::

Sakura looked at the sign on the door and pushed it open. Inside Tobi sat down against the wall looking completely innocent. Sakura knew he was anything but.

Sakura came in and sat across from Tobi who looked at her with a smile.

"Hello," He said cheerfully, "Tobi told you before, Tobi knows things, but Tobi won't tell you."

"Yes, I remember that," Sakura said frowning.

She didn't like Tobi. He was hiding something behind his stupidity. There was definitely more to him than meets the eye.

"I swear he was like a freakin' different person!"

Multiple personality disorder? No it isn't that. He was definately hiding. He was someone important; Deidara said that Itachi had caught on to something.

"Your friend wasn't as secretive about things as you, though."

A flash of anger shot across his face and his features twisted in a scowl. The second it was there it was gone again and replaced by the cheery façade.

"Really now?" Tobi said in a cold voice that betrayed his face, "I'm sure he hasn't. He knows the consequences of such actions."

Sakura noticed the new voice 'Tobi' used and her suspicion grew. He had also dropped refering to himself in the third person. Observation was the key to interrogation.

"He also knew the consequences of not speaking," She said.

"If that is the case, then Leader-sama will be told," He responded.

"Oh, but he already knows," Sakura said, her eyes narrowing, "I just told him."

The dark-haired man's eyes narrowed as he glared at her.

"I'm sorry," He said coldly, "I don't understand."

Sakura studied his chakra; she didn't bother before because he had the chakra restraints on and thought nothing of it. She recognized the way the chakra flowed. It was fiery and erratic, even though it was well controlled. She'd only seen its type twice before.

"Hiding behind an alias and a mask," Sakura said, "Quite clever of you to play the idiot; avoiding suspicion of your enemies and the rest of the Akatsuki. But it is exactly that which made your fighting style so strange. Right, Uchiha?"

The man froze.

Seems my suspicion is correct.

"So what's your real name, Uchiha?" Sakura asked.

He glared at her.

"Tobi's name is Tobi," He said, "Tobi doesn't know what you're saying."

"Really?" Sakura said raising an eyebrow, "Tell me, do you remember that little trick I did on your 'senpai' your first day here?"

'Tobi' nodded slowly.

Sakura's hands became a blur as she quickly formed hand seals and placed her palm on his forehead.

He inhaled sharply as her chakra invaded and she brought her hand to his face. Pain shot through his body, but he remained still. Something was different about her; he noted. She had a different look in her eyes than before. This wasn't bloodlust or sadistic pleasure, no, it was pity.

"Come on 'Tobi'," She said, "This can go on all day if it has to."

"Tobi has nothing to say!" The man said defiantly.

Sakura drew her hand away and back-handed him, drawing blood with her nails. 'Tobi' clenched his teeth in pain but remained silent.

"So you choose to remain silent," Sakura said annoyed.

'Tobi' nodded again.

"Feh, in the words of a good friend of mine," Sakura said, "How troublesome…"

She stood up and, giving him another glare, headed to the door. As the door shut behind her 'Tobi' breathed a sigh of relief.

He leaned against the wall, but then shot up after feeling two familiar chakras draw near.

Hokage Office

Sakura burst into the office, ready to share her suspicions. Tsunade was, of course, face first in a pile of papers.

Sakura wasted no time.

"Jiraya you pervert!" She yelled, "Stop spying on the Hokage!"

"Where is he?! I'm gonna kick his ass all the way to Suna!" Tsunade yelled bolting upright.

"I was just here an hour ago, and you fell asleep again?" Sakura observed raising an eyebrow.

"Is there something you want to say?" Tsunade avoided the question twitching.

"After speaking with 'Tobi' I have come to the conclusion that he is much more than meets the eye," Sakura said, "I spoke to him and asked him questions to see his reaction to them. All of his reactions supported my suspicions. I also took a moment to study his chakra, there's no mistaking it. We're dealing with an Uchiha."

"Wha-"

Boom!

The ground shook as an explosion rang through the air.

"'The hell was that?" Tsunade said in alarm as she stood and ran to the window.

Sakura followed Tsunade to the window looking off into the distance to see smoke rising from the north. She inwardly sighed in relief as she saw it wasn't from the south.

"Hokage-sama!" A shinobi yelled, running in, "The Northern Prison is under attack by the Akatsuki!"

"Kuso!" Tsunade cursed, "Sakura, head to the southern prison and secure it, order extra guards to the Akatsuki's cell, and fortify the chakra defense shields lining the walls."

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou!" Sakura said jumping out the window and towards the Southern Prison.

Deidara this is it, it's time to choose.

He better choose us!

The explosions died down in the northern end of the village as Sakura burst into the Southern Prison, shooting out orders.

"You check the chakra flow in the walls," She shouted, "You call in more guards and spread them along the outside and on the walls. You six follow me down to the Akatsuki's cell."

Deidara had heard the explosions and knew exactly what happened, he just didn't know if he should be happy about it.

His life would go back to normal, but he wasn't so sure it he liked normal. If he went back, he'd never see her again, the only one who he had ever told his past to. But, then again did he have a choice?

"Everyone has a choice"

Was she right? Did he have a choice?

Deidara's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices and footsteps heading his way. He bolted upright and walked towards the center of his cell. Seven people came into sight running towards him. The one in the lead had bright pink hair flowing out behind her.

He smirked when he saw her. Of course she was the one in charge of making sure he wasn't broken out.

She opened her mouth to speak to him when she reached the cell but he spoke first.

"That was an amateur explosion at most from what I heard and felt, yeah, but there are few other than myself in Akatsuki that remotely know how to use explosives. My guess is that either the Uchiha and fish-face are here or my dumb ass partner got a hold of something in his cell, but I doubt that, yeah. Your walls are chakra enforced and it would take Kisame's Samehada to weaken them before a blast of even that level could take them down, yeah," He said shocking everyone to silence, "It's definitely Itachi and Kisame, yeah."

"And you couldn't have been this informative earlier in interrogation?" Sakura said angrily. He had successfully pushed the kiss to the back of her mind.

"I say what I want, when I want, yeah," Deidara said smirking.

Sakura mumbled something under her breath along the lines of 'cocky screwed up bastard' and fumbled around in her pockets for the key to his cell. After opening and walking into the cell, she relocked it and handed the keys to one of the shinobi outside the cell and moved to the wall to strengthen the chakra barrier.

"That's not gonna help much when they have the Samehada," Deidara said in a bored tone.

"It will at least slow them down," Sakura responded with clenched teeth, trying to concentrate.

Deidara sighed and leaned against the wall next to where Sakura was working. One of the guards was staring at him, not with fear, not with anything. The complete emotionless look that could only come from one man.

Deidara glared at him and he averted his eyes.

This is it

This is my choice

After this, there's no turning back

I'll have to face the consequences

And I'm willing to do that

Sakura felt the chakra barrier slowly being depleted and she turned around in time to see all but one of the shinobi that were with her fall to the floor unconscious. She backed away from the wall just in time to evade the explosion.

She reacted quickly and as soon as she was able to pinpoint the chakra signature of Kisame she lunged forward with a chakra infused fist. It hit its unsuspecting target throught the smoke straight on and the shark-man went flying through the air. She spun around to see Deidara free of his bonds and Itachi already headed for her.

"Hold on a second, Itachi," Deidara said, Itachi halted his attack, "I want to fight her."

"Hn," Itachi tossed Deidara a pack of clay and moved to the side, "Don't take too long."

"I won't, don't worry about that," Deidara said smirking and putting the pack at his waist reaching in for some clay. Sakura moved into a defensive position as she felt other chakra signatures heading her way. Reinforcements.

Deidara and Sakura lunged at each other exchanging blows. Cuts were drawn across her skin and his.

Come on Deidara, you have a choice here.

Itachi watched the battle with emotionless eyes. Deidara was setting off small explosions; they had dragged the fight outside and away from where Itachi stood and Kisame lay unconscious. He hadn't created one of his clay birds to fly up on, he didn't have the time.

Sakura dashed towards him with a chakra-laced fist and hit the ground between them. Deidara jumped back to avoid the rocks that were sent flying and landed a few feet from the crater. He was ready. Everything was set up.

My choice.

He formed that familiar hand sign.

Every explosion has been for her, for my dear Katsu.

He could do this.

This one, though, is for someone else.

"Sakura…" He whispered.

Bang!

The explosions rang out, and Sakura braced for impact. But nothing came.

She slowly opened her eyes to see Deidara standing right in front of her grinning. Behind him fire raged all across the ground and on the blown out side of the prison. Itachi was nowhere to be seen and the large body of Kisame was seen engulfed in the flames. He moved closer to her and bent down to whisper in her ear.

"My choice… is you."

Yayness! I hope you liked it! He has chosen her! But I haven't chosen what to do yet! In the next chapter will he still be there when those reinforcements arrive? Or will he have disappeared? Find out in the next chapter! R&R!