Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Please enjoy this chapter.


The Butterfly - -Chapter 11 - by elle6778

"I think I know where Tsunade-baa-chan is hiding."

Sakura's breath caught. She could only stare at Naruto incomprehensibly while she allowed his words to sink in fully. He knew where her shishou was? It had been years since she'd last seen her mentor. Even though it had been difficult to ask around with Danzou's lackeys her watching closely, she'd surreptitiously searched. However, her efforts were futile because it was as if Tsunade had completely disappeared without trace. Part of her even wondered if the lack of information was because she was dead.

And to hear this now…

"Where?" Her voice came out thick, as if the words were glued in her throat. Swallowing hard, she tried again, "Where is she?"

Naruto stilled, and she knew that he was checking to see if they were truly alone. Evidently satisfied by what his senses were telling him, he returned his attention to her. His expression was a mix of hope and resolve.

"I've been training on a new technique with Ero-Sennin over the past year or so. It's the Sage technique. It allows me to absorb energy from nature and blend it with my chakra."

Despite wondering how this had anything to do with Tsunade, she prompted, "Go on."

"Well, most of the training took place in Mount Myouboku. That's where our toad summons live. They reverse summon me and I end up there in their world. It's pretty amazing. And you know how Tsunade has Katsuyu?"

Sakura gasped as she caught on. "You mean…"

Naruto nodded. "Baa-chan could have gotten herself summoned there by Katsuyu. Ever since I learnt the Sage technique, I've occasionally caught hints of her presence when I go into Sage Mode but nothing big enough for me to pinpoint the location. So I know she's alive somewhere."

Her mind whirred with the possibilities. "Our summonses live in Shikkotsu Woods. If Katsuyu could summon her, maybe I could get Katsuyu to summon me there too?" Before Naruto could say anything, she remembered something. "I have asked one of them before, but she said she doesn't know where Tsunade-sama is. If Tsunade-sama is there, shouldn't she know? Are you sure about this, Naruto?"

"No, I'm not. I'm just guessing." Exhaling loudly, he continued, "But the fact that one of them didn't tell you about Tsunade doesn't mean Baa-chan isn't there. They could have been sworn to silence. I mean, there are a whole lot of stuff Gamabunta and the rest don't tell me unless Jiraiya allows them to." He shrugged. "I guess it's because our contract is newer than the Sannins'."

"In that case, they would never tell me!" Sakura exclaimed in frustration. "But if she's there, why won't she return to us?"

Clearly frustrated, Naruto threw up his hands. "I don't know. She could be weakened or trapped, or something. I'm just guessing here. But if you could find a way to… er… Shikkotsu Woods, is it? Then maybe you could confirm things one way or another."

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the onset of a headache. "How am I supposed to achieve that? As far as I know, I can only summon the little slugs so far, not anything big and certainly not Katsuyu. I doubt the little ones are powerful enough to reverse summon me."

"Then try to summon Katsuyu?" Naruto suggested. He scratched his head and sighed. "I don't know, Sakura-chan. But I have a strong feeling that she's there. I even asked Ero-Sennin about it and he agrees, but he can't think of a way to get us there."

Sakura groaned. "This sounds like a dead end, but I'll try."

"Then I'll leave this to you, alright, Sakura-chan?" Naruto said. "I'll need Itachi to help with something first and then he could help you find a way there."

"No, it's okay. I can handle this," she told him quickly.

Her reservations about working with Itachi must have shown because Naruto frowned slightly as he regarded her. "You don't like working with him?"

She exhaled loudly, suddenly feeling on edge. This wasn't a topic she was prepared to discuss with her friend, as close as they were. "It's not that. He really… bugs me."

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "I guess he could be very standoffish. But no worse than some other nins we know. Shino, for example."

"Shino is completely different," she protested. "Maybe I'm just finding it hard to trust Itachi."

"You know, Sakura-chan. He's really okay."

"How can you say that? You don't really know him either."

Naruto fidgeted a little, and then said, "I know him well enough to know that he's not a bad person."

She rolled her eyes. "Since when have you ever thought anyone was bad?"

His brows wrinkled. "I'm sure I've done that sometime in the past."

"No," she refuted point blank. "No matter how terrible or dangerous our enemies are, you always seem to find something good in them."

An uncomfortable chuckle left him as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm not so gullible anymore."

She felt her heart soften at the pained look in his eyes. These years away from Konoha had to be hard on him. "Don't worry, Naruto. We'll be fine. And Konoha will be fine once you get it back from Danzou."

He exhaled loudly. "I hope so. I just want things back to normal, you know. Doing missions, going out to eat at Ichiraku, fooling around with the rest, arguing with Baa-chan." Giving her a grin, he added, "I might even manage to finally persuade you to go on a date with me."

She chuckled. "That's surprising. You haven't asked in years." He sobered instantly, and Sakura knew that she'd inadvertently brought forth some unpleasant thought. "Naruto?" she prompted gently. "What is it?"

He didn't meet her eyes. "All those years ago, when I left with Ero-Sennin to train after Sasuke left, I promised myself that I wouldn't ask you out until I brought Sasuke home. Well, Sasuke did come back to Konoha, but…" he trailed off into silence.

Something within her contracted painfully, and she hugged her arms around herself. The topic of Sasuke was a painful one. She wondered if she would always feel this sinking sadness whenever she thought of him.

Naruto stood up suddenly. Pasting a blatantly forced smile on his lips, he stretched and announced, "I'd better go find Itachi. There's something he needs to do for us to clear our way for the next step in our plan. And then I need both of you to go to a certain location and prepare for the final attack. Just don't do anything about Baa-chan's situation until Itachi gets back, alright. I feel safer if you're not all alone when you try to find her."

She nodded absently, barely heard his final words as he waved at her and walked out of the door. Her mind was still stuck on Sasuke. It wasn't as if she didn't know how Naruto felt. Like her, he would always feel a good portion of guilt on top of the misery when it came to Sasuke. Even though that logically, she knew that she couldn't have done anything to save him, part of her had always wondered what if. What if they'd tried harder to think of a way to save him? What if they'd managed to convince him to pretend to be loyal to Danzou?

What if they hadn't tried so hard to bring him back?

Would he be still alive today?

000


000

This was certainly one of the more pleasant places in Amegakure. Although it still rained constantly outside, one could remain dry in this enormous glazed dome which covered the training grounds underneath. The intermitted sunlight allowed plants to flourish and over the years, trees and other plants brought in by Zetsu had grown, surrounded by a carpet of wildly growing grass.

Itachi was seated high on a branch in a tree when he detected Naruto's entry into the space. He had known of the younger's nin arrival, but had not bothered to join them. Pein would sign the agreement, and had probably done so. Itachi knew that his presence would be superfluous.

Besides, he had other things to consider. Things that annoyingly refused to leave his mind. It was as if he was torn between two decisions, even though logic told him there could only be one path.

Naruto's footsteps drew closer and soon he was standing under the very tree Itachi was up upon.

"Hey," Naruto greeted, and then scanned the area thoughtfully. "I didn't think a place like this existed in Ame. It's great, isn't it?"

"Aa."

The blond sat down at the base of the tree and leaned back against the trunk. Without looking up, he said, "So, you're right. Pein agreed."

"Hn."

"He's preparing for his bit as we speak. It means we can move on and end this whole thing with Danzou soon." After a pause, Naruto continued, "I don't know how I should feel about it."

"You are over-thinking things. Once you retrieved Konoha, you would know what to do," Itachi told him quietly.

"Yeah. I just wish I could've found Baa-chan by now. It would be good to have her lead Konoha again." Reaching up to stretch, Naruto added, "I guess Kakashi and the rest could help me, even if Tsunade-baa-chan is not around."

It was difficult not to see the contrast between them. Whilst Itachi tended to handle everything on his own, Naruto was the type to rely on others. Still, Itachi could not fault him for it, for the method seemed to work for the younger nin.

"Say, there's something else we need your help with."

"What is it?" Itachi asked.

"Remember that giant ward around the village, the one that we couldn't get through? We need to get in for the final phase of the attack."

Itachi frowned as he stared at a line of black ants marching up a branch. "I'm afraid that's something I'm not familiar with."

"But you're more than familiar with Konoha's security as a whole, right?" Naruto returned quickly. "The message you passed on when you sent the grass nin's body into Konoha made its way to the right people. As far as I know, they managed to obtain some information on the wards but none of them has any experience with Konoha's security seals. So they can't disable the wards to let us in."

"You wish for my assistance in decoding the wards," Itachi stated, glancing down to find Naruto's face tilted up at him.

"If you don't mind, yes."

Itachi looked away from him and mulled over the information. As an ANBU captain, he had a high security clearance, and he had supplemented that with his own investigations in the past. It was possible that he had some knowledge of the wards, and even if he did not, he might still be able to assist.

Straightening to his feet, he leapt down from the tree to stand in front of Naruto. "Do you have the information with you?"

Naruto grimaced. "No, but the person who has it will be travelling close to the border of the Land of River tomorrow. He will remain there at the border post for a few days with his Leaf team to sort out some logistics issue, so that's the best time to talk to him. There is a stream not too far from the border post, and he said he would find time to wander down there alone. That's the best place to intercept him."

Itachi knew the area in question and decided that it would not take long for him to journey there. In fact, he vaguely recalled that his old genin team had rested there once on their way back to Konoha after a mission in the Land of River.

"So, Itachi. Do you think you can make it?"

Itachi considered the timescale and the location. "It is feasible."

Relief relaxed the blond's features. "That's good. Your contact is Nara Shikamaru."

"Hn."

"Then I'll rely on you to work things out with him."

"What about Sakura?"

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto blinked, and then looked a little uncomfortable. "Ah, it's probably best not to bring her so close to Konoha so soon after her defection. I'm sure after that episode with the Root and ANBU, Danzou will be sending out search parties for all of you. Her, especially. I'd rather she stays away from Konoha for now."

Somehow, Naruto's statement bothered him. "Are you not underestimating her abilities?" Itachi asked.

Naruto tensed, and then slowly, his genial expression turned hard. "This has nothing to do with abilities. Sakura's strong. I know that. But I've lost one teammate already. So no matter how much she complains about it, I would do my best to keep her out of danger. A pissed off Sakura is far better than a dead one."

As taken aback as Itachi was to be subjected to Naruto's uncharacteristically vehement tone, he remained outwardly dispassionate. "I see."

Naruto dragged a hand through his hair and averted his eyes. "Sorry about that. I know it's upsetting. I didn't mean to mention Sasuke."

There was no need for the blond to look so apologetic. He was not upset over Sasuke, Itachi thought irritably. The boy had chosen his own fate.

"Anyway, let's just focus on this first. We're close to wrapping things up so every detail is particularly critical right now."

"I would assist in the decoding as soon as I make contact with him."

Nodding, Naruto said, "That's great. Look, I really do appreciate your help."

"It's part of our agreement."

"I know that's the only reason for your cooperation." A strange expression came over Naruto's features then, and Itachi had the feeling that the blond was struggling to hold something back.

"What are you keeping from me?" he asked bluntly.

Naruto all but jumped. Then, chuckling a little uncertainly, the blond replied, "It's not easy to hide things from you, is it?"

Itachi raised a brow.

With a shrug, Naruto went on, "It's not something I plan on hiding from you forever. But now is really not the time. I'll tell you once we get Konoha back from Danzou. You have my word."

Even though he was naturally disinclined to trust, Itachi found himself nodding once. There was something about Naruto that garnered faith. Still, he could not help but wonder just what it was that the younger nin was keeping silent about.

"I expect you to keep to your word," he told Naruto.

"Great," Naruto said, but an oddly pained look flashed briefly across his features. "Well, after this, I need you and Sakura to head to the border between Fire Country and Waterfall Country and wait for my signal. And soon, if things go according to plan, this would all be over and we could go home."

Itachi did not bother to point out that the word 'we' did not include him.

000

000

Sakura paced back and forth across the spacious bedroom. Naruto had left hours ago, but the topic of Tsunade was still fresh in her mind. A little belatedly, she sort of recalled him saying not to do anything alone. That certainly wasn't helpful! The hours that had passed only convinced her that she had to do something. At least something like gaining information if not physically act on it.

She took a deep breath as she paused at the desk. This wasn't something she did very often but she remembered the technique well. With a chakra scalpel, she sliced a cut in her palm and then ran through a series of five seals while focusing her thoughts on a certain slug she was familiar with. It was the same one who had collected her belongings from Konoha when she'd defected.

"Kuchiyose-no-jutsu!"

And she slammed her hand down on the desk.

A blue and white slug the length of her forearm burst into existence and plopped on her desk in a small pool of slime. The stalks of her eyes swiveled back and forth until they focused.

"Kairi-chan," Sakura called out with a smile.

The timid slug shied away a little and then greeted tremulously, "Sakura-san. How may I help?"

Now that she'd summoned it, Sakura wondered just how she should approach the issue. Kairi was usually quite shy. And furthermore, if Kairi had been told not to speak of Tsunade, then it was best to avoid that topic altogether.

And then it came to her. "Ne, Kairi-chan. Could you go back to my apartment in Konoha and check if there's anything out of the ordinary?"

"Do you need me to bring anything like last time?"

Sakura shook her head. "You brought me everything I needed last time. Thanks. I just want to find out if anything has changed."

"I'll be back soon," Kairi told her, and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Sakura did not have to wait long. It was barely five minutes before Kairi reappeared on her desk.

"It looks like someone has been through your things, but there's no one there at present."

Sakura hissed indignantly. She expected this, but the invasion of her privacy still rankled. Knowing Danzou, the Root agents had probably been tasked to search through her apartment for a clue as to her whereabouts. Too bad they wouldn't find a thing. It wasn't as if she had planned on defecting, after all.

"Thank you, Kairi."

"You're welcomed, Sakura-san. Is there anything else I could help you with?"

"Hmm… I've been talking to Naruto about his training in Mount Myouboku with his summons. So I've just been wondering about where you live."

Kairi stilled for a moment. And then in a quiet voice, she replied, "Shikkotsu Woods."

"Is it a nice place?"

The slug nodded, showing a little more enthusiasm than before. "It's made up of wetlands surrounded by mountains covered with greenery. There are skeletons of ancient creatures here and there."

Sakura blinked. "Skeletons?"

"Yes, enormous ones."

"Sounds interesting. Is it possible for me to visit?"

The small slug tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. We don't have many visitors."

Sakura stifled the urge to ask about their recent visitors. Instead, she said, "That's a shame. I guess it's difficult to get there then?"

"Only those on special training could come. But they need to have a very high chakra level to even start training. Naruto must have been undergoing this type of training when he went to Mount Myouboku."

Sakura's heart sank. Her chakra level was only average, as far as she knew. Naruto with his enormous chakra source clearly didn't have this problem. How could she even think of doing the same thing as her friend?

"Don't be sad, Sakura-san. I'll ask around and see if there's any way you could visit."

Sakura reached out and patted the slug gently on her back. "That's very kind of you. Thank you, Kairi."

"I will come to you when I find out. Is there something else?"

"No, thank you for coming. You could leave now if you want. Thanks again, Kairi."

When the slug summon disappeared in a cloud of smoke, Sakura sagged. It looked as if getting to Shikkotsu Woods to find Tsunade wouldn't be that easy, after all. Still, if Kairi came back with some good news, she might be able to figure something out.

000


000

It took him almost two days to arrive at an area a half a mile away from the Konoha border post. By the time he reached his destination, it was dusk. The border post itself would be heavily guarded, therefore it would be foolish to venture any closer.

He moved around carefully in the darkening shadows of the forest, familiarizing himself with the area. There was a stream running across the border from the elevated Land of Fire down to the Land of River. From memory, this stream would eventually join up with a larger river further south before it flowed to the sea. Selecting a secluded spot, he settled down to rest and wait.

Hours passed and the forest sank into complete darkness. The only illumination was from the moon reflecting up from the gently flowing stream.

He had been waiting in the dark for several hours when he felt a change. There was no obvious sign that anyone was anywhere nearby, but Itachi knew better. It was just a small hint that betrayed the fact that he was not alone in the area, but Itachi could tell that just north-west of where he sat, the wildlife was unnaturally quiet.

"Show yourself," he ordered firmly.

For a minute or two, nothing indicated that anyone had heard him. Then there was a subtle flare of chakra from the north-west, and out stepped a tall shinobi from across the stream. His entire body was covered in a voluminous white cloak with a hood which cast the wearer's face into deep shadows. It didn't escape Itachi's notice that the shadows were particularly dense, something which betrayed the shinobi's identity.

"Nara Shikamaru, I presume?"

A resigned sigh sounded from the depths of the cloak before a deep voice replied lethargically, "Uchiha Itachi. This is a little… unexpected. But seeing that it's Naruto, I suppose I should have expected something irregular."

Itachi raised a brow, but said nothing. The Leaf nin walked across the surface of the stream and sat down on a rock on the opposite him. Now that they were face to face, Itachi could see the lazy smirk on the other nin's lips. The younger man's pose was relaxed, something which Itachi found rather unusual. Other nins were typically far from relaxed when he was around. Still, perhaps he should not be surprised. The Nara family was known to produce genius strategists, and it was likely that this one was one of them.

After a while, Leaf nin broke the silence. "I guess you're the one who busted Sakura and her parents out as well? None of the Root could confirm the identity of the intruder, which is strange to say the least. This, coupled by the sudden transformation of a certain prisoner into an unknown grass nin, makes you the prime suspect. So you must have used your genjutsu on them at some point?"

"Aa."

He rested his elbows on his knees and Itachi found himself the recipient of a thorough visual assessment. Nara Shikamaru was clearly trying to decide if he could be trusted. Well, it was not his task to convince the other nin. He was only here to share his knowledge of ANBU and Konoha's secrets.

"Naruto said you could help with decoding some of the security seals."

"It depends on the nature of the seals. It had been a long time since I was part of Konoha," Itachi returned.

Shikamaru nodded. "You think they might have changed things. It's possible, of course. But there would be some similarities. You have a high security clearance back then, I understand. ANBU captains usually do."

That, and the fact that he had explored extensively on his own. "What assistance do you require?" he asked.

"Are we alone?"

Itachi cast another cursory sweep around them. "Yes."

Reaching into his cloak, he withdrew a scroll. "This is all we managed to gather between all of us. It's probably a bit disjointed."

Once the scroll had been unrolled on the other nin's lap, Itachi studied the notes and seal marking intently under the moonlight. The seals drawn on a background of Konoha's map were arranged roughly in a circle, encompassing the entire village. Some of the sequences were familiar but the others were not, and there are incomplete gaps between some of them.

Pointing at one of the gaps between the seals, Shikamaru continued, "We couldn't find this one. And that one. It's a bit hard because they are near the Root guard posts, and so far, none of us jounin had been called up for guard duty. Danzou would definitely suspect something if we poke around when we have no reason to be there."

"How many of you are involved with Naruto?" Itachi asked curiously as he continued to peruse the information.

"Only a handful. Naruto is adamant that no ANBU is involved, because Danzou seems to keep a closer watch on them."

Naruto was wise to do so, Itachi admitted. Spotting something, he traced a finger around the black line indicating the perimeter of Konoha and asked, "Have you noticed the elemental pattern to the warding seals?"

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed a fraction. "Yes. It's not very obvious, but it's there."

"Then you must have deduced the elemental nature of the seals absent from your chart."

"I have some guesses," the Nara admitted.

"Tell me."

Shikamaru outlined his thoughts, and Itachi interjected at various points to fill in the blanks. The younger nin was sharp and highly intelligent, something which Itachi found himself appreciating. Naruto was fortunate to have a friend like this on his side.

When they finally finished deciphering the wards, Shikamaru sighed out loud. "That's not nearly as painful as I'd imagined."

Itachi raised a questioning brow.

However, Shikamaru only waved a dismissive hand. "Too troublesome to explain."

"Hn."

After a short pause, the younger nin asked, "Are you in contact with Sakura, seeing that you broke her out and all?"

"She is currently working with me."

The Nara glanced around briefly. "But she's not here. I don't sense her."

"Aa. She's not here."

The look the younger nin gave him was speculative. And then he shrugged and said, "Well, when you see her, tell her Ino misses her. It had been two months or so since they'd last spoken and that troublesome woman is worried about Sakura."

Itachi was not surprised that the pink-haired kunoichi had her share of people worried about her. These were Sakura's friends. These were the friends she would return to when Naruto succeeded in retaking Konoha. This should not bother him, but Itachi found himself not fond of the idea.

"So? Do you mind telling Sakura?" the Leaf nin pressed.

"This Ino's concern is unwarranted. Sakura is not in any danger. I-" He broke off, suddenly overcome by the ticklish pressure in his chest. Clearing his throat and swallowing hard, he ignored the discomfort and continued, "I will relay your message to her."

"When are you seeing her?"

Itachi stood up. "In a few days at the latest."

Shikamaru nodded once. Keeping their eye contact, the younger nin said, "You're not what I expected."

"What did you expect?" Itachi returned evenly. It was not uncommon for people to form opinions of him even without exchanging a single word, after all.

The younger nin shrugged, but he did not answer.

Itachi did not press. His task was completed, and that was his only concern. Seeing no reason to remain, he inclined his head in farewell and leapt into the darkness.

000


000

The branch of a tree sliced cleanly off the main trunk and fell, joining several other unfortunate branches on the ground.

Panting slightly, Sakura wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was alone in the training dome to the east of the residential block. It had been hard work, but she finally found a way to improve her long-range attacks while utilizing her specialty. Still, despite her success in executing her new jutsu, she was nowhere near satisfied. Instead, she felt on edge and impatient.

Almost three days had passed since she'd last seen Uchiha Itachi or Hoshigaki Kisame. Or anyone else for that matter. It seemed that ever since Naruto had left, everyone had scattered to perform their part in the plan. Unfortunately, her part did not seem to be progressing too well.

It had also been three days since she'd heard from Kairi, the little slug summon. And she was growing increasingly impatient by the lack of contact. Not for the first time, she wondered perhaps she should summon Kairi again.

With a loud huff, she strode away from the middle of the training ground where parts of trees lay decimated and made her way to the more secluded end.

Her chakra level was still quite full even after practicing. This new technique of hers certainly worked efficiently, and she looked forward to testing it in the field one day. Considering Naruto's plans, that day might arrive pretty soon.

Maybe she should try to summon a large slug this time. The last time she had tried this was years ago when she was still under Tsunade's guidance, and Kanna, who was about three feet long, was the biggest slug she had been able to summon. She wondered if she would see Kanna again or someone even larger.

Focusing her thoughts, she executed the necessary seals, and completed the technique. The air fairly trembled with energy, and her eyes widened slightly at the charged atmosphere. This time, it had a slightly different feel to it.

And then with a burst of smoke, her summon materialized.

To her surprise, instead of Kanna, a much larger slug appeared. Sakura almost fell over in shock and she belatedly thanked the fact that she was actually in the training dome instead of her little room. Konan would not be pleased if she crushed the residential tower with her slug summon.

"Katsuyu-sama," Sakura greeted respectfully.

The enormous slug bobbed its head. "This is the first time you managed to summon me. Congratulations, Sakura-san."

"Thanks, Katsuyu-sama. And thank you for coming."

"How may I assist?"

Sakura wracked her brain. She hadn't expected Katsuyu to turn up and she wasn't sure how she should begin. Katsuyu was surely more loyal to Tsunade and she was bound to be much sharper than the shy Kairi.

"I hear you've been asking to visit Shikkotsu Woods?" the slug asked gently.

She tensed. How should she approach this? Kairi had obviously let something slip. Taking a deep breath, she decided to go with the half- truth. "Yes. I heard about Naruto visiting the toad's world. I just wondered if I could do the same. Is it possible?"

The slug stared at her for a long while, as if trying to decide what to say next. Or perhaps Katsuyu knew exactly what she was after. Finally, she said, "It is possible. Usually, we could reverse summon the ones who qualify to learn the Sage Arts, Naruto for example. That's relatively straightforward."

"But?" Sakura prompted.

Katsuyu slid closer and dipped her massive head down. "Your chakra reserves are not sufficient."

Her heart sinking, Sakura asked, "How large of a chakra reserve do I need? Is it something I could improve?"

"With time, perhaps. It could take years. At the moment, you couldn't to summon me multiple times in a day, could you?"

"This is the first time I managed," she admitted. "I'm a little surprised, to be honest."

Katsuyu nodded. "It had been years since you'd last called anyone but the younger ones. You've improved greatly in that time."

She simply hadn't summoned them because she thought she could only manage the small slugs. Whilst they were very helpful when it came to delivering things and helping with the medical aspects of her job, they were less capable when it came to battles. And ever since she'd been drafted into ANBU, she'd spent less time on the medical side. But now that she knew that she could summon Katsuyu, things would be different.

"So I would need to have a chakra reserve large enough to summon you several times a day to even qualify?"

"Yes."

Sakura sighed dejectedly. It was unlikely that she could do so. As it was, she was already feeling her chakra draining at an alarmingly rapid pace ever since Katsuyu materialized. Soon, she would be empty. But before that happened, she needed to get as much information as possible from the giant summon.

"How does the reverse-summoning work?"

"We utilize your chakra to bring you over. But since it's against the natural order of things, the technique requires a large amount of chakra. We wouldn't be able to safely summon your entire being to Shikkotsu Woods with your current level."

Something in Katsuyu's words jolted her. "You said you won't be able to summon my entire being. What would happen if you attempted it?"

"You would likely be maimed. Parts of you would end up in our world while the rest remains behind."

Sakura winced at the imagery. Right, that was not exactly what she would go for.

"However," Katsuyu continued slowly. "If your physical body is left behind, you might be able to visit."

Blinking in confusion, Sakura asked, "My body gets left behind, and my… what? Soul? My soul goes to Shikkotsu Woods?"

"Something like that." Katsuyu nodded. "I've never done it before, but I've heard of cases like that."

Katsuyu entire body rippled then, and Sakura felt her chakra level dip dangerously low. It looked like their time was up.

"You probably should go," Sakura said.

"Yes. Is there anything else I could help you with?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. Thank you for talking to me, Katsuyu-sama. I appreciate it."

"Very well. Until next time, Sakura-san."

And with a large cloud of smoke, the summon disappeared.

So there was a way.

Grimacing at the whole idea of leaving her body behind, she wondered just how safe it was. It reminded her of how Ino travelled into other people's mind while leaving her own body vulnerable. This was basically the same thing. The difference was, Ino always had Shikamaru to guard over her, and she had no one.

Well, except Uchiha Itachi. And Naruto did say to wait for him to return. Still, so many days had passed and she did not know how long more she should wait.

000


000

The four days of travel with minimal rest was not something Itachi was particularly pleased about. It had occurred to him to use a transportation jutsu to speed things up but he wished to conserve chakra. He could have stopped on his way back, but he had felt the need to return sooner rather than later, hence the continuous journey. As much as he disliked to admit it, there was only one reason for this illogical decision.

Sakura.

The kunoichi who had unknowingly unsettled his routine and rationale so much that he could not help but think that it would far simpler if he'd just eliminated her outright, if not for the fact that he knew that it was something he simply was not capable of.

He was growing too attached to her. Only less than a handful of days had passed and he could actually feel himself needing to see her. How pathetic.

The towers of the Amegakure headquarters came into view as he approached. His steps not slowing, he made his way to the residential tower, expanding his senses as he did so. It was odd, but the place was strangely deserted apart from the usual Ame forces and Pein, who was in his room, presumably controlling his six paths from there. He could not detect Sakura anywhere in the compound.

He went to Sakura's room and without knocking, pushed his way in. It took him only a few seconds to determine that her personal belongings were no longer there. She was supposed to wait for him here, from what he understood from Naruto.

A strange sinking sensation settled in the pit of his abdomen, followed quickly by annoyance. The urge to locate her was strong, but he knew that it would be inefficient to scour the entire country when he did not even have a clue of where she could be.

But there was one person who would be able to locate her instantly.

Without hesitation, he pulled out an engraved kunai and sliced his palm. His blood stained a line of red upon the edge of the blade.

And then he waited.

When an interminably long fifteen minutes had passed, Itachi gritted his teeth in frustration. Trust Naruto not to respond instantly just when Itachi was disinclined to wait. His instinct told him that it was important to find her fast, even though he could not see the justification in it.

Gripping the hilt of the kunai, he sliced through his palm again. Itachi stared at it as his viscous red blood covered almost the whole blade this time, seeping into the indents of the black seals. His flesh stung but he ignored it.

Five minutes passed, and then Itachi felt the telltale signs that Naruto was about to appear. A moment later, a cloud of smoke filled his vision and the man he was seeking stepped out of it.

Naruto was breathing hard, his body covered with shallow wounds. The eyes, which were usually brilliant blue, were streaked with the redness of the kyuubi.

"This had better be important," Naruto ground out. "I'm in the middle of a fight."

Itachi went straight to the point. "Sakura is missing."

Naruto's breath hitched, and blood drained from his face. The redness in his eyes intensified. "What?"

"She's not here in Ame. You're the only person who could locate her. Do so, and I will go to her."

"Damn it! What is she thinking?" Clearly frustrated, Naruto ran a shaky hand through his disheveled hair. "Wait a second."

Closing his eyes, Naruto focused while Itachi regarded him silently. His entire body was coiled in tension, a state he rarely found himself in, and it did not surprise him that Sakura had caused it. What was the kunoichi thinking, disappearing in such an irresponsible manner?

A few minutes later, Naruto's eyes opened and the red-streaked orbs displayed a certain amount of befuddlement. "She's back in the Land of Fire. I think she's heading to the house you and Kisame are based in. What is she doing there?"

"I will find out. Thank you for the information."

Brows furrowing, Naruto said, "Maybe I should go check on her. If-"

Itachi interjected smoothly, "I believe you're in the middle of a battle. Leave Sakura to me. I apologize for the interruption but you may return now."

Naruto snorted. "Yeah, well. I bet they're all wondering where I've disappeared to. But while I'm here, how did things go with Shikamaru?"

"We've decoded the wards."

A smile stretched across the blond's face. "That's amazing. Thanks for your help. Now we can definitely make a move soon."

"Aa."

"I need to go now." With a wave, Naruto disappeared from the room.

Itachi did not hesitate in making his way back out of the tower and out of the center of Amegakure. Once outside, he quickly activated a transportation jutsu. With a burst of chakra and a pull of energy, he found himself at the border of Amegakure and the Land of Fire.

Another transportation jutsu took him halfway the remaining distance between the border and his destination. It would be foolish to execute another of the same jutsu, as he did not know what to expect when he caught up with the kunoichi.

It took him several hours of speeding through the dense greenery of the forest populating the Land of Fire before he sensed her presence. Her signature was intermittent, as if it was leaking past a masking technique. Unable to formulate a reasoning for such a situation, he felt a stab of disquiet.

As he approached the house stealthily, he tightened the mask around himself, as if wrapping his presence closer to his own form. The building soon came into his line of sight and his steps stilled.

The picture of two Root agents exiting the house was disturbing enough. But the fact that one of them had an unconscious pink-haired kunoichi slung over his shoulder made Itachi narrow his eyes and clench his fists tight.

000


000

A/N: Hope you've enjoyed that. Apologies for the shamefully late update. It was one thing after another – arranging my daughter's birthday party, going off on a beach holiday, and then having relatives staying in my house – I simply couldn't find time to write. Fingers crossed, things should be back to normal now. Please drop me a review with your thoughts if you have a moment. Thank you!

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