Chapter 10:
Sakura had settled in extremely quickly as the newest Akatsuki member, it was only fitting considering how long she had been a 'prisoner' for. Konoha days were long behind her now, and memories faded fast as new ones formed. The leader hadn't yet gave her a partner, and it seemed unlikely for it to be Sasori, because Deidara was his partner, but it didn't bother her too much, because their relationship was as strong as ever. As Sakura sat in the living quarters alone she thought how she could make the most of this, and she could only think of one thing worth it all.
'Sasori.' She sighed happily in her head, as she pulled a pillow closer to herself, hugging it lightly and resting her head on it.
"Nice, un." Deidara snorted as he walked in on the pink haired girl. Sakura didn't reply to him, nor did Deidara care as he sat down opposite her.
"Where's Sasori?" She asked the blonde, but he shrugged his shoulders back at her.
"Sasori-Danna likes to go out by himself sometimes, un." The clay-sculptor replied, making Sakura's lips frown slightly.
"It's just something you have to get used to."
Sakura would certainly have to get used to it, this looked like her life now, and for some reason she was content with it. As she dug her head back into the pillow, another Akatsuki entered the room.
"Sakura-Chan." Konan announced as she entered, making Deidara sit up straight in her presence. Without another word to the pair, Konan handed a quite long Akatsuki cloak to the pink Kunoichi, as Sakura reached out to grab it, Konan let go and walked back out.
"I-Is something wrong?" Sakura unsurely asked Deidara, unfolding the cloak on her lap to check it out.
"Not at all, un. That's just how she is." Dei cleared up, but it didn't make Sakura feel any better. Sakura stood up and pulled the cloak over herself, feeling a cold shudder, from the cloak itself, and the slight betrayal of her village she felt. But she always reassured herself they had given up searching for her by now. As she looked down at herself, she came to terms with it all; Sasori, the Akatsuki, it didn't seem too bad, not yet anyway.
Sasori had took himself far from the Akatsuki hideout as he tended to like to do, it was the first time he had done it since he had kidnapped Sakura, but that was no longer the case now. He rested himself in the trees far away from anything and everything, in the peace and quiet of the forest, not even a bird tweeted.
"Nice." He soothed to himself, before settling down, just to think and contemplate his surroundings.
But soon his thoughts were plagued by Sakura all over again. He was far too used to it now, but he still recieved a little smirk on his face whenever he thought of her. Her smile, face perfect skin, those eyes.
'Dammit,' He thought, grunted outwardly with frustration he picked himself up from the tree branch he was sat on and decided to head back to the hideout, just for her.
"KAKASHI-SENSEI." Sasori suddenly heard burst from the forest. He dropped down quickly onto the branch again, as low as he could get so he wouldn't be spotted, and waited whoever it was out.
"KAKASHI-SENSEI." Naruto hollered throughout the forest, causing birds to take flight that heard the screech. "How much longer will this be? We've been travelling for days." The blonde boy moaned, dragging his feet along the floor, obviously in agony.
"Not much, Naruto, we're almost there." His grey-haired sensei replied simply, as the group continued walking. "Right, Kiba?"
Kiba nodded back to the Sensei as Akamaru barked, "Yeah, Akamaru says the scent is strong, we must be on top of them."
"ALRIGHT!" Naruto screamed again, regaining his boundless energy from nowhere, making the others jump. "Sakura, here we come!"
"Sakura?" Sasori gasped in his head, his eyes narrowing on the loudmouth blonde in the group. 'Who are they?' He thought, but at that moment he remembered something important.
"Kakashi...the copy-ninja." He hissed to himself, as his emotionless eyes scanned over the rest, he searched his head for answers on who they all were, but to no avail. "Well anyone travelling with Kakashi must be worthy...and they're after Sakura too." And with this knowledge, Sasori sneakily moved backwards into the shadows, and back to the hideout, which in no doubt the others would reach soon.
"Deidara." Sakura mumbled against a pillow, lifting her head up to see her lover's partner-in-crime. "How long do these wanders of Sasori's usually last?" She asked impatiently, yawning slightly.
Once again, Deidara shrugged at her. "A couple of hours, un." He responded, stretching back into the chair he was sat on. But with that action, the seal opened in the room and Sasori burst through, to Sakura's delight. But he seemed to totally ignore her, and instead, headed off straight down the hallway.
"Wa-?" Sakura stuttered, trying to run after him, but she felt a hand on her arm, it was from Deidara.
"Just leave him, un." He said sternly, "Something's wrong."
Sasori knocked on Konan's door hastily, and gave no time for it to really open as he sleuthed in the smallest crack as it opened for him.
"Sasori?" Konan said, not seeming to amused by being interrupted.
"There are Konoha ninja's, close to the base. They're searching for us." He informed, but Konan stayed silent for a few moments, aggitating Sasori.
"What should we do?" He finally asked, but Konan stood up and turned to face him.
"We have enough Akatsuki here to handle any situation. Inform the rest to be aware." With a nod, Sasori left and prepared to tell the rest.
"Guys!" Shikamaru called out, as the rest of the team ran over to a large metal looking shack that stood alone just before the village hidden in the rain. As the group joined him, Shikamaru pointed at the seal that lay on it.
"This must be it." Kakashi stoically added, as the rest nodded in agreement. "Before we enter, Shikamaru will have us run through the strategy for this mission."
"But what about Sakura!" Naruto growled again, "What if she's hurt? And we're wasting time sitting outside!"
"Naruto." Ino tried to calm him down, but it didn't seem to help.
"Well we'd be no use if we just charged in without a strategy, we'd put ourselves and Sakura in more danger." Shikamaru moaned, before he continued with the plan.
"Danna, un?" Deidara said as Sasori walked back into the room, followed by Kisame and Zetsu, but soon Zetsu disappeared through the floor, off to spy on the outside shinobi, a showdown was about to begin.
"What's wrong, Sasori?" Sakura asked concerned, walking over to him, Sasori then noticed she was wearing the cloak, and he smiled down to her.
"It suits you." He retorted, making Sakura's cheeks glow the same shade as her hair. Sasori became serious again as he pulled Sakura to the side of him, as if to protect her again.
"Konoha ninja's have found the hideout." He told Deidara, and suddenly Sakura felt like there was no oxygen left in the world. Her head became dizzy and she felt sick.
"Naruto." She muttered under her breath, her eyes as wide as they could be. Zetsu's head appeared through the ground again.
"There's five of them." the white half of his face announced to the group. "One girl, four men."
"So we're equally matched, ne?" Kisame laughed, cracking his knuckled loudly.
"Ino too?" Sakura said in her mind, worringly. "And no doubt Kakashi will be there." Without noticing, Sasori called out his favourite two puppets, ready for battle, Deidara began to mess around with the clay in his hands, and the others waited around patiently for the seal to open up, and for the battle to prepare. Sasori slowly put himself in front of Sakura, as if to hide her before the seal opened.
"Understood?" Shikamaru asked the group, who all nodded in return. "Good." With that, Kakashi made a hand sign and placed his other hand on the ground, sending a shockwave to the seal, blowing it off in a violent fashion, as smoke filled the air, Ino jumped back into the trees, in the place of Sakura, she was the medical ninja for the Kakashi's team for this battle.
"Sakura!" Naruto shouted at into the smoke, as he waved it away, trying to get a better look.
Sasori turned to face Sakura, of what little he could see, and gave her a reassuring look, and she didn't call back to her old friend.