I (as in me) do Not (as in not at all) own (as in possess) Naruto…
Chapter 10: The War begins
"Sakura," Sai jumped out of the way. "You're not pretending to be nice today. I think you might actually be trying to hurt me."
"Trying!?! I'm beyond trying!" She increased the chakra flow to her feet, speeding her attack.
"Yo!" Kakashi appeared at the edge of the clearing. "Take it easy you two. Save some of that for the Akatsuki."
Sai stopped, thinking that their sparring match was over. Sakura, however, saw his pause as her opening and dealt him a fury-infused punch.
Sai flew across the clearing, stopping himself just short of the base of a tree.
"Sakura!" Kakashi grabbed her wrist. "What's gotten into you?"
She pulled her arm from his grip. Kakashi had never seen her so angry.
"Did Sai say something to you?"
Instantly, her expression softened. "No… I…Sai!" She ran over to him. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
The former ROOT member smiled. "I haven't even called you anything mean today. Maybe I should have insulted you first thing in the morning. You seem nicer when you think you're ugly."
Kakashi shook his head. Sai still hadn't gotten the hang of making friends. But he also knew that the young man could have easily dodged Sakura's last punch. The copy nin had a sneaking suspicion that Sai was just letting his pink-haired teammate blow off some steam. The former sensei wondered just what it was that had gotten her so fired up.
"Well, it's still kind of early for you guys to be training already, don't you think?"
"We can't all be like Naruto and Sasuke-kun." Sakura said a bitter edge to her voice. "Some of us actually have to work at being a shinobi."
"Sakura, no amount of wor…"
Kakashi wisely stopped Sai in mid-sentence. "You're an important member of the team, Sakura. Without you who would keep these knuckle-heads healthy and in line?"
"Hnn." She scowled, eyes downcast. "Yeah, important enough that Sasuke didn't trust me to tell me about the ring—the ring I unknowingly was supposed to protect. Important enough that not even Naruto can understand why in the world Sasuke would pick me. Even after all I've done…after all I've accomplished…still not one of you has any faith in me."
Kakashi was dumbfounded. And he realized too late, as Sakura walked out of view—that his shocked silence had been taken as him agreeing.
"Are women always so violent when they're mad?" Sai rubbed his bruised shoulder.
Kakashi sighed. "Only when they've good reason to be."
"I must admit, I never realized that emotions could be such a driving force. After being so long without them it is a hard thing for me to understand."
"Sai," Kakashi chuckled. "You've got a long way to go before you're going to be able to understand people…let alone women. But trust me when I say… we've treated Sakura badly."
"Hn," the darker-haired companion continued to rub his injuries. "Speak for yourself. Maybe she should have hit you then."
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"Sasuke, Naruto…a word." Copy ninja Kakashi motioned them over. "I bumped into Sakura this morning." He raised his eyebrow. "You two noticed anything wrong with her lately?"
"No, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto looked concerned. "What's wrong with Sakura-chan?"
Kakashi ignored him. "And you, Sasuke? Have you noticed anything strange lately?"
The Uchiha shrugged. "I have not spoken to Sakura."
"And you don't find that the least bit odd?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, that is strange. Normally Sakura-chan is around to cheer us on. I haven't really seen much of her since we got back."
"You didn't say anything… anything that would make her upset?" The silver-haired ninja gave Naruto an accusing glare. "Anything at all?"
"Well…" the blond said, "She was kinda angry the other night at the ramen hut."
"Uh huh." Kakashi nodded. "I thought you might have had something to do with it."
"Hey! That's not fair! I was just surprised, that's all. But I totally agree that Sakura was the right person to hang on to that ring."
"Did you tell her that? Or did you just tell her you were surprised it was her?"
"Oh…well…I…"
Kakashi sighed. "I suggest you think of a way to apologize to Sakura before she does something foolish. Like dislocate Sai's other shoulder."
"She did what!?!"
He nodded. "If you care about Sakura, Naruto," he looked at Sasuke as well, "you'll think of a way to make it up to her."
"Right!" Naruto said. "Come on Sasuke…"
"No, you go on, Naruto. There's something I want to talk to Sasuke about." Kakashi smiled. "Maybe Ino will give you a discount on some flowers."
"Good idea!" Naruto ran off down the street.
Sasuke looked defiantly at his former sensei. "About to tell me to go apologize also?"
Kakashi shook his head. "I advise Naruto because he truly wants to do what's right. He simply does not know how to go about it sometimes. You, on the other hand, know what to do, you just don't do it."
"I have already explained myself to Sakura."
"Clearly that wasn't enough."
"There's nothing more I can do."
"Listen to me, Sasuke. A long time ago, I lost the two people I cared for the most. And I lost them before they ever knew what they meant to me. You've already walked too far down the same path I took. Don't let it go that far."
The Uchiha was silent.
"You are no longer my student. And I doubt that you ever really saw me as much of a teacher. I can only talk to you now…as your friend and comrade."
Sasuke's eyes were distant. He turned away. "I will see you tomorrow, Kakashi."
The silver-haired shinobi was left standing alone in the middle of the street.
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"Is it the ring or the boy we go after first?" Kisame watched through the cover of the trees.
"The ring." Itachi watched the Hokage's palace with muted interest. "Once we have the ring, we can always come back for the kyuubi. He is much easier to track. And we can't risk Tsunade trying to destroy it."
"Can she do that?"
"I've heard her strength can crumble mountains. I'd not doubt that she would find a way."
"And your brother?"
"A minor side mission. I'll finish him off when we retrieve Naruto Uzumaki."
"Well," Kisame smiled, rows of shark teeth showing. "According to all the information we've gathered… Tsunade's office should be empty…just….about….now!"
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Sakura opened the door quietly. She sighed.
Paperwork. There's always so much paperwork. She wished she hadn't volunteered to help out. Shaking her head, she sat down amidst the piles in Tsunade's office. At least she'd have some time to herself.
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Now…where would Tsunade keep that ring…
Itachi looked around the cluttered office, eyeing the Hokage's desk. She might just be foolish enough…
He walked towards the large wooden piece of furniture. Leaning down to examine the drawers, he stopped suddenly. That chakra…
Spinning around, Itachi barely dodged Sakura's power-filled punch.
He grabbed her other arm and threw her, launching her onto the desk—shattering the table as if it were nothing.
Interesting. Again, she was not affected by the genjutsu I cast to gain entrance into here.. He stood calmly, watching as she pulled herself out of the debris.
"I warned you once, shinobi. You cannot defeat me."
"What are you doing in Tsunade's office?"
Faster than thought he was next to her. A well aimed hit sent her upwards followed swiftly by a forceful kick.
Sakura hit the wall, feeling it crack behind her.
"If you have seen a ring in here, I suggest you tell me where. It will be less painful for you that way."
Sakura said nothing, trying her best to heal herself in secret.
"Heal yourself, if you think it will help. I will simply make you suffer longer."
She pulled herself up, using the wall as a brace. "I won't let you have it."
"Ah, so you do know where it is." He smirked, stepping towards her.
Don't look in his eyes! He's trying to make you! She stared hard at his shoulders. Gai-sensei always said all movement could be seen in the shoulders first.
His next kick sent Sakura through the wall and out into the hallway.
She could see the subdued forms of the palace guards around her. Whatever illusion they were in, it caused them to shift violently on the floor.
Damnit! She kneaded her stomach. Something's ruptured.
Grabbing her by her ankle, Itachi dragged her back into the office. "Really, I had hoped you would tell me something valuable. I'm losing patience."
"I'll die before I let you take that ring with you," she whispered softly. "You'll have to kill me."
"That is already in the plans." He rummaged through the remainder of the desk. "You're foolish to think you can take me on alone. Seeing through my genjutsu is a miniscule annoyance. Even without it, you are no match for me."
"That may be…" Sakura said, dragging herself towards the door. "But the rest of Konoha's ninjas won't let you walk out of here."
Tossing away her cover of being unable to walk, Sakura bolted for the door, flooding all her chakra into her feet. She flew down the hallway and down the stairs.
Come on! Just a little further! The doors to exit the palace were in sight.
Just before she reached them, Sakura knelt down to one of the tossing guards. "Release!"
He looked up at her, dazed.
"Go!" She whispered frantically. "Hurry! The ninja academy! Akatsuki is here! Raise the alarm!"
The guard's eyes went wide as her words sunk in.
"Go!" She shoved him towards the door.
The guard stumbled out into the daylight.
Sakura stood, trying her best to make her way painfully to the still swinging doors. She had exhausted herself.
She was stopped short by Itachi.
"Now, what was the reason for that? What a pathetic attempt at escape. Surely you didn't think I'd let you leave here alive so you could go rally your comrades?"
Sakura smiled triumphantly. "No," she rasped, breathing hard. "But he will."
Itachi followed the line of her finger. He looked through the glass doors to see the form of the swiftly fleeing guard disappear.
With a growl of rage, he back handed her, sending her sprawling back onto the floor.
Grabbing her by the neck he hauled her up, holding her in front of him. "Since you've cut short my time, I'm going to have to extract the whereabouts of the ring from you using less friendly techniques." He dragged her back up the stairs.
Back in Tsunade's office, he tossed her against the window overlooking Konoha.
Using his fingers, he pried open her eyelids. "You're going to learn this lesson the hard way." His sharingan blazed.
"No! There! Where the top drawer was!" Sakura fought as hard as she could to avoid his gaze.
"There now, that wasn't so hard was it?" He let her drop to the floor.
Sakura watched as he turned away from her, reaching through the slivers of wood until he found the drawer he was looking for.
She waited until he began to open it…
Then she lunged and hit him with everything she had left…
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"Akatsuki! Akatsuki!" Came the distressed cry. "Akatsuki in the Hokage's palace.
Tsunade rushed out of the classroom she had been visiting. Her fearful eyes met Kakashi's from across the balcony.
On the level below, she saw Sasuke and Naruto lean over the railing and watch the panicked shinobi scream out the alarm.
"Kakashi!" She rushed over to him. "I told Sakura to organize paperwork while I was gone…"
They looked at each other and back down at the gathering ninjas.
"Gather everyone!" Tsunade leapt over the railing. "Get everyone over there now!"
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto and Sasuke had followed him out the doors. "Sakura-chan will be mad if someone doesn't go get her for this!"
The copy nin let them catch up to him. He couldn't meet their eyes. "Sakura….is already there."
Naruto's face went pale then his eyes narrowed with rage. "Come on, Sasuke!" He growled.
But Sasuke was already too far ahead to hear him.
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Coming soon soon… Chapter 11: Someone dies (uh oh)