A/N:

I'm back! Okay, I was just getting used to my new grade and Friday I was beaten up. No, not that way. I meant that I was injured too many times in capture the flag. Everyone says I'm fast and good- and the fast guys in the class says they don't want to play with me because I always get them- but I got body slammed twice, hitting me in the jaw.

It hurt so badly and I felt my jaw was a little crooked so I had to position it back. My whole left face was swollen and everyone's like, "What happened? Are you okay?" My whole body is now sore and bruised from all the body slams. Plus a kick is cheating! It's not fair I'm only 5'0 ft. At least I didn't cry after that day :D! And then Tuesday, I either sprained or broke my wrist in capture the flag… I'm accident prone aren't I?

He could hear the whispers, the glances that were directed to him when he walked by. The disgusted looks and the smirks of the one who caused this pain. He didn't deserve this. What has Konoha gotten into? The lies, the killings, the hatred?

Shikamaru just ignored them as he walked to the Hokage tower. This has been going on for two weeks and almost all of the Konoha nin hated him. Some he didn't even know! They would yell out insults, throwing rotten vegetables at him. If they were bold, they would throw shuriken or kunai. Of course, the ninja he is, he dodged the weapons

He opened the meeting room that was already occupied by the elders, jounin, and Hokage. He entered in silently, leaning against the wall in the shadows of the room. "Glad you could make it, Nara," Tsunade greeted to the shadow-user, he nodded in greeting. "Now we can continue the meeting."

"As you see, the Akatsuki are dangerous S-class criminals, along with one of our missing nin, Haruno Sakura," Tsunade said, "who has been tracked down by our Sharingan user, Uchiha Sasuke." Murmurs broke out of how the last Uchiha could have found the medic.

"How could that be?" one jounin asked in curiosity. Others nodded in agreement to the Shinobi.

"Sakura had snuck in Konoha-possibly to gain information of the Kyuubi- and was found at a bar by Sasuke. He placed a tracking seal on her which activates when she uses her kekkei genkai."

"So, to get to the point: you are planning a war with the Akatsuki with our alliance with Suna, annihilating the Akatsuki members from the Shinobi world. Thus letting the villages rest better," Shikamaru mentioned, eyes calculating the thought with crossed arms. The Jounin sneered at him.

"Yes, to put it bluntly, Nara," Tsunade said, glaring at the Jounin who were sneering.

"Aren't the Akatsuki full of bloodlines?" An elder asked.

"Yes, this making our plan a little difficult. They have a rinnegan, sharingan, and a ryakugan. The others are dangerous in their own way."

"But then the wielder of the ryakugan and rinnegan are the last of the clan. We must save those eyes!" Another elder piped up. Shikamaru's eyes widened from the statement.

'They are willing to preserve the eyes of a bloodline? They are sadistic.' Shikamaru thought as he shuddered mentally. The elders really think that saving a kekkei genkai would be the best for the village. They just use it for weapons.

"We can put the DNA of the kekkei genkai into powerful Shinobi of our village," Tsunade unconsciously nodded her head at the thought. "Skipping it, the date for the war is in a few days. I advise you to use the time appropriately to get prepared. Many lives will be lost. You are dismissed."

The Shinobi filed out the door, Shikamaru leaving last. He tried to contact Sakura for the past few weeks, yet she hasn't responded. Did something happen to her? He had to find a way to tell her.

Gaara stared at sun that was soon setting, clouds tinted with pink and purple. A slight breeze tousled his clothes and hair. He looked at his village. The one which he would die protecting. But right now, he felt like dying for Sakura.

A soft knock echoed through the room. He didn't say anything because the person already entered the room. Temari quietly stood in front of his desk, scroll clenched in her hand. He glanced at her for a moment then averted his eyes back at the scenery.

"Gaara, I have a message from Konoha," Temari informed.

"Read it," he ordered. Temari unraveled the scroll, eyes scanning the paper.

"Dear Kazekage,

I have already set a date for the attack on the Akatsuki. I had a meeting with the Shinobi and the elders. The date is set in a few days. I know this may seem in a hurry, but we must do this quickly. I would like you to have your best Shinobi for the war that is coming up.

The elders have decided that we will try to keep the kekkei genkai of those in the Akatsuki; such as the rinnegan and the ryakugan. Yes, we are going to save their eyes and give the DNA to the top Shinobi in our village.

I will see you soon.

- Lady Tsunade, 5th Hokage," Temari read, not noticing the stiff form of her younger brother.
"Hn," that was all Gaara could muster out as he unclenched his fists, the skin of his palm bloodied from his nails.

"So, do you want to tell the Shinobi to prepare?" Temari asked, putting the scroll on top of his desk. Gaara didn't respond. Minutes passed and he still didn't respond. The clock's ticks would repeatedly interrupt the silence. After a while Gaara responded.

"Ah," Gaara said, turning around. Temari was not very close to her brother, and did not notice the pained and betrayed expression. She just nodded and bowed before she left to inform the ninjas in the village. Gaara ran his hand through his unruly hair, thinking what had happened throughout the whole time Sakura became a missing nin.
He wanted to scream bloody murder, curse at the gods for all the pain Sakura had to endure. He felt the pain she felt. He wanted to fight with her, not against her, but he had to do this- for the sake of his village. But he will die protecting Sakura.

"I seriously think something's wrong, Itachi," Sakura frowned, crossing her arms as she leaned against a tree trunk. Itachi was looking at the clouds on his back, hands clasped behind his head.

"And I would always reply "Stop thinking about it, Sakura". This is real- nothing will change about it," Itachi prompted. Sakura glared at him, but then she huffed.

"Well, my instinct says something totally different," then she had an idea, something that would be very daring. She sneakily got a few pebbles around the pond, making sure that Itachi didn't see her, and threw the pebbles like a weapon. She watched as the pebble sailed to him, waiting for it to make contact. Then it just went through him, shocking her. Itachi slowly got up- his bangs covering his eyes as he walked to her.

She backed up until she hit a tree. Itachi was a few inches away from her, his breath fanning her face. Then he hit the trunk with his fist, causing the tree to shake violently. Sakura flinched at the impact.

"Sakura, why did you throw a rock at me?" Itachi slowly asked like he was trying to control himself. Not earning an answer from the pinkette, he hit the tree again. She jumped slightly at the action. "Sakura?"

"I knew that this wasn't real! You were just a fake the whole time!" Sakura yelled as she got angrier. Then she got confused as he chuckle lightly, but in a sinister way.

"You think that this is not real?" Itachi continued. "I'll show you what's real. This is real!" He threw Sakura across the clearing and she hit a boulder. Somehow the area changed into Iwagakure. She groaned at the pain that was caused from the impact. Her body was slumped, chest heaving deeply. Then she felt someone grab her throat and pin her to the rock.

"This isn't real? Then what is this pain you are feeling?" Itachi asked as he tightened his grip.

"Gah!" Sakura choked out as her hands desperately clawed at his grip. Tears pricked the side of her eyes, her chest tightening from the lack of oxygen. This wasn't what she had planned to happen. She thought that once she found out that this was not real, that she would wake up- like waking up to a genjutsu.

"I can show you what is real. I can show you that this is real," Itachi threatened. She didn't say anything, but stare at those angry, onyx eyes.

"This... Is… fake!" She snarled out as she tried to kick him, but he was much faster. She screamed bloody murder when both of her hands were pinned to the rock behind her with a shuriken. Where did that come from?

"I'll show you more pain than you ever imagined," he smirked as his eyes started to change to a blood red.

"No," Sakura moaned in pain, but she was too late. He caught her in his mongeko sharingan. The skies turned blood red, the moon a pit less black. She was still pinned to her hands, but on a cross.

"Now this is real pain," Itachi nodded in approval as he shoved a sword in her stomach. This was real pain indeed as she endured the penetration of his sword in her gut.

A scream pierced the silence throughout the headquarters. Every Akatsuki member burst through the door- and they were shocked at the sight in front of them. Sakura was struggling against the bed from an unknown force.

"What's happening?" Pein demanded. A few of the members had to pin Sakura down so she wouldn't hurt herself.

"I don't know. Maybe she's trying to wake up?" Kisame suggested as he held down Sakura. Even sleeping she had enormous strength.

"Someone strap her down!" Konan ordered, watching as the others tried to strap the pinkette down. They finally got her strapped, but she was still struggling.

"This is not good," Hidan commented. Itachi stayed silent, watching Sakura scream. Oh, how right the Jashinist was.

A/N:

Okay, this took long- even though it's short- because my wrist was in pain. So please review and any suggestions? Oh yeah, recently, or a month ago I made a tumblr. Add me at .com/ . Or just enter my email on tumblr: . :3 I'll be putting songs that I listen to each time!

Can't let you go by Maribelle Anes

Without You by Aj Rafael