(A.N. thanks for the reveiws XD. i'm trying to finish this story soon because i have mock exams coming up soon and i wont have time to update... STRESS!! lmao. Anywho i hope you like this chapter, althoguh it's pretty uneventful and encase anyone is wondering where the hell inner-Sakura went, when Sakura meditates she manages t get rid of her other personality by gaining more control... and that's about it...
Toodles
xxXKimmYXxx)
"Sasuke!" shouted Naruto landing on the ground the same time as Neji. Sasuke smiled slightly, his anger melted away, "I'm not here to fight." He said casually, "I have some information you might be interested in."
"And what might that be?" asked Neji gaining a fighting stance. "Sakura is alive." He replied. He smirked at the shocked faces of the two before him. Naruto and Neji shared a glance, "You're lying." Growled Naruto.
Sasuke shook his head, "I'm telling the truth." Naruto's shock almost paralysed him, "How did you find out?" asked Neji in Naruto's place. Sasuke crossed his arms, "I tried to attack my brother and guess who I found instead?"
Naruto's eyes were wide, "Sakura-chan." He whispered shakily. Neji looked to his comrade then back to Sasuke, "She's working with them?" Sasuke nodded, "She doesn't seem to like it there much though, when I saw her she was crying like a weak child."
"Did you kill your brother?"
"No, certain… complications arose. In any case I figured I should let you know that she's alive. Maybe you should go after her before it's too late."
"Too late?"
"You never know what Akatsuki members will do to a weak member. She may find herself in a predicament she can't get out of without your help." He dropped a note to the ground at his feet, "These are directions to the Akatsuki base she's at, hurry up." Sasuke disappeared and Naruto ran to pick up the note, "Let's go!" he said standing up. Neji sighed, "Shouldn't we tell Tsunade?"
"You heard him she could get attacked at any moment." Neji sighed again at Naruto's desperate eyes gleaming through the mask.
Sakura sat in the middle of the training area, her legs crossed and her bandana tied over her eyes as she meditated. Deidara Sasori stepped onto the grass and walked up behind her, "Sakura." He called quietly, breaking her out of the meditation.
Sakura sighed angrily and pulled off the bandana, letting her hair fall in front of her face, "What is it?" she asked Sasori before opening her eyes.
Her eyes were the same pink as her hair; they dissolved back to her normal emerald green as she looked up at her friend. Sasori lent out a hand to help her up. Sakura obliged and let him help her to her feet. "Leader has a mission for you." He replied.
Sakura nodded and stretched the bandana between her hands before flattening it against her forehead and tying it tightly. Her hair once again took shape around her face. "Am I on my own?" she asked. Sasori shook his head, "Itatchi and Deidara are going with you."
She walked ahead of him and into the meeting room where a hologram of Leader was waiting impatiently for her, "Where were you?" he asked as Sakura walked into the room, Deidara, Itatchi, Kisame and Sasori were all in there with her. "Meditating." She replied looking to her nails. Leader sighed angrily at her disrespect towards him
"You're mission is to find a very powerful ninja and kill him."
"Who?" asked Sakura.
"His name is unknown, but he's a threat to the organization, he also has ties to Orochimaru." Deidara smiled with relief when Sakura perked up a bit. "So there's a chance for me to kill the old snake?" Leader nodded, "Great!" twittered Sakura with a smile, "Thank you."
"No problem, just don't mess it up like the last assassination you and Deidara went on." Deidara sighed, "Sorry, I honestly thought he was a photographer looking for a model." Sakura shook her head, "Don't worry Leader-sama, I'll look after him." She patted her friend on the back. "Sakura," started Leader, his brow creased with annoyance, "Stop being so light and happy, you'll give us a bad name."
"Sorry Leader-sama." She said with a broad smile. She waved as he disappeared with a sigh.
After the hologram was gone she went back to her serious self. "You know acting like an exited child every time you see leader is only going to annoy him." Warned Sasori. Sakura nodded, "That's why I do it, besides I'm in a good mood now." The four men shared glances then looked back to Sakura. "Orochimaru?" Questioned Kisame. Sakura nodded as an evil look flashed across her eyes, "Orochimaru." She confirmed darkly.
"So what is Sakura to you anyway?" asked Neji half mindedly as he was surveying the area for threats. They were tree hopping through the woods that Sasuke's note had described to them. Naruto smiled slightly, "She's my best friend and a younger sister to me, that's it."
"So you feel you have to protect her?"
"Of course."
"You do realise that if she's joined Akatsuki then we'll have to fight and possibly kill her." Naruto nodded, "We don't know why she joined, maybe there's unseen circumstances in it." Neji looked to Naruto for a while,
"I hope you're right." He replied.
They made it to a mound of earth; it was dark by that time. "This is the base?" questioned Naruto disappointedly. Neji nodded, "There's a genjutsu placed on it." He confirmed. Naruto gasped and grasped Neji's arm so suddenly Neji nearly lost balance. "Naruto!" he hissed.
Naruto pointed to three figures walking in the distance. They were silhouettes in the white moonlight. "It's her." He said happily, "Sakura-chan." Neji held Naruto back, "Quit being so loud or someone will spot us." He thought to himself for a while, "I think we should follow them and make sure it is her and not someone who looks like her.
I also think we should see if she is in fact in Akatsuki by her own free will or not." Naruto nodded slowly. Neji lifted his mask slightly to show his serious facial expression,
"No interacting with her until we know her loyalties, got it?" Naruto nodded again as Neji lowered the mask, "Ok, lets go."
Sakura was humming to herself as they passed the high trees, Deidara was flying up ahead and Itatchi was walking next to her.
"Must you hum?" he asked irritably. Sakura looked to him and stopped humming for a second. When she saw Itatchi relax slightly she started humming twice as loud as before.
Itatchi covered his ears, "Damn it Haruno." He exclaimed angrily. Sakura smiled and jumped into the trees to go and talk with Deidara.
"Barbie-chan!" called Sakura as she caught up to him. Deidara turned to see her tree hopping below him. He lowered the bird a little and let Sakura jump onto its back, "What's up Saku-chan?" he asked.
Sakura shrugged, "Uchiha's being his boring self." She replied. "How are things up here?"
"Good so far, if you're getting tired we could stop for a bit."
"In other words you're tired right?"
"Right."
"I'll go and tell Uchiha."
She jumped from the clay bird and landed on a tree branch. She waited for Itatchi to step beneath the branch and jumped down.
"Deidara's getting tired, he says we stop for a bit." Itatchi nodded, "At the next clearing I'll set up some traps ok?" Sakura nodded and went back to walking beside him silently.
"Haruno," started Itatchi to break the silence. Sakura looked up into his gleaming red eyes, "Yes?" she replied. Itatchi looked away from her, "About before, when you said you missed your home…" Sakura seemed to panic slightly, "But that doesn't mean I don't like it where I am, I just miss them don't take it the wrong way I love you guys to bits it's just…" she looked to her feet sadly.
Itatchi nodded, "Be careful you don't let Leader know." He warned before stepping ahead of her. Sakura nodded. "Um… Uchiha." She called after him. Itatchi stopped walking and turned to face her, he raised an eyebrow impatiently. Sakura coughed to clear her throat, "Um… I just wanted to say…"
"Saku-chan! I've found the perfect spot for our camp!" called Deidara, almost knocking Sakura over with shock.
He paused at the awkward silence that had ensued the two. "Did I interrupt something?" he asked. Sakura shook her head and walked ahead in a slight daze,
"Nothing at all, everything is perfectly fine, peachy keen." She walked passed Itatchi and avoided his gaze. Deidara sighed, "I interrupted something didn't I?" He said deflated. Itatchi shook his head, "You heard her, everything's fine." He walked passed Deidara and into the clearing.
Deidara sighed, "Something tells me tonight's going to be really quiet." He muttered before stepping after Itatchi.
Naruto and Neji watch the three of the make camp. Naruto was watching Sakura closely. She was brushing her long hair. "I'm going to meditate." She declared standing up and passing the brush to Deidara, "Only disturb me if it's urgent."
She stepped towards the tree's Naruto and Neji were hiding in. Neji and Naruto moved to another set of trees silently as Sakura sat down against the bark of a large tree.
She held her hand in a seal and sat for a few moments with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes they had changed to a bright pink. She stood up slowly and tugged off the bandana. She tied it over her eyes then sat back down and began meditating; she was deadly still and completely quiet. She'd seemed to stop breathing all together.
Naruto stared at her closely, "Why is she meditating?" he whispered, "She never used to." Neji shrugged, "We don't know how much she's changed." He explained. Naruto looked down sadly.
They both looked up from Sakura at the sound of Deidara giggling, "I really wouldn't mess with her when she's meditating." Warned Itatchi standing behind Deidara. Deidara shushed him, "She'll be fine."
"I was more worried about you." Muttered Itatchi leaving the blonde missing Nin to his business.
Deidara let his hand eat up a little clay then made a bomb out of it. He made a bomb in the shape of a butterfly. He threw it into the air and completed a jutsu, turning it into a clay creature.
The butterfly fluttered over to Sakura. Sakura slowly lifted her hand she grasped the butterfly's wing. She stood up. She threw the butterfly back at Deidara, "Crap!" he shouted, "Itatchi look out!"
Itatchi ducked out the way of the explosive as it went flying into the trees behind him, he looked back then dodged the flying debris. He angrily turned to Deidara, "Deidara!" he growled. Deidara picked up his hands in his defence, "I didn't think she'd throw it back."
Sakura was still standing, not saying a word. She stepped over to Deidara and pulled out a kunai she started viscously attacking him.
Deidara dodged every attack, "I didn't think you'd be that mad." He said jumping next to Itatchi. Itatchi examined the blindfolded Sakura closely, "Baka!" he muttered pulling out a shuriken.
He threw the metal at her. Sakura dodged last minute and ran at the two. They split up and jumped into trees either side of her, "What happened to her?" asked Deidara.
"She was in mid-meditation, she can't control herself." explained Itatchi. He jumped from the tree as Sakura punched the trunk and caused the tree to snap like a twig against her strength.
"That's why she meditates." Muttered Naruto. Neji watched, as the blindfolded Sakura seemed to look through the cloth and see her enemies clearly.
"Keep her busy!" shouted Itatchi as Deidara hopped to another tree. "No problem." Replied Deidara throwing a lump of clay into the air and turning it into a large bird he jumped onto its back and started throwing small explosives at Sakura.
Sakura dodged the explosives and started walking towards Deidara. Itatchi jumped behind her and grasped the blindfold. He tugged the cloth from her eyes.
Her eyes were bright pink glowing slightly in the night air. Sakura pushed him off her and turned to attack him again. Itatchi blocked her and pushed her against a tree, he stared deeply into her eyes.
"Mind intrusion jutsu." He said as his pupil twisted into a new shape. Sakura froze.
Sakura's eyes returned to green and she fell forwards. Itatchi caught her. When he realised she was unconscious he laid her on the ground gently.
Deidara landed softly behind him, "So that's how she keeps that other part of her at bay." He observed, Itatchi nodded slowly, "You do realise she's going to kill you when she wakes up?" Deidara nodded, "Yup, but it was fun."
Itatchi stood up and walked passed him, "You can keep guard all night for that." He said lying down. "Did that jutsu take too much out of you?" asked Deidara picking Sakura up and laying her next to the fire he'd built.
Itatchi looked to her and then to Deidara, "Hn," he replied before turning away from Sakura and falling asleep straight away.
Naruto watched, "That was almost as bad as the time she went crazy on us all those years ago." He said. Neji nodded, "She's learnt to control it to a certain degree." he huffed, "Why don't you get some rest, I'll watch them for you."
"No, I'll watch them." Naruto insisted. Neji nodded.
Sakura awoke the next morning. She was moving. She felt warmth around her as she was moving through the forest. She groaned as the sun blinded her. She closed her eyes and nestled her head into the warm material of whatever was surrounding her.
"Haruno, how long do you intend on making me carry you for?" Sakura jumped and fell out of his arms and flat on her face on the ground. "Ow." She muttered moving onto her knees.
Itatchi looked down at her. "You could have woken me up." She moaned getting to her feet; her head was hurting. "I tried to wake you up, you must have needed the sleep." Sakura moved her hand to her head as she carried on walking forwards. "But there was no need to carry me."
"It was either that or drag you and you'd only start moaning if I did." Sakura snorted, "Thanks." She said sarcastically. "How much further?"
"About two minutes and we're at the village."
"You carried me all that way?" Itatchi nodded. The rest of the walk to the village was in silence Deidara noticed the awkward silence and decided to contribute to it until they got to the inn they intended to say at. The three sat in a circle and made a plan of how to lure the ninja out of hiding.
"Our sources say he spends most of his time in the bar across the street." Explained Itatchi. Deidara nodded, "I also heard that he likes the ladies." The two of them looked to Sakura, "That's why I'm here isn't it?" she asked glumly.
"Yup. Saku-chan, you go into the bar, dressed to kill, as usual. And seduce him into following you back to this room, where we will all gang up on him and kill him brutally, then Sakura can hide the body and mission completed."
"Do I have to?" The two boys nodded. "Can't you just put Barbie-chan in a dress and make him go?" Itatchi grimaced at the thought. Deidara seemed thoughtful, "I suppose but you have better legs than me."
Sakura sighed and stood up, "Fine, just let me freshen up and I'll get him here, one way or the other."
