(A/N) Here comes a whole bunch of angsty fluffy 'aww!!'. Much thanks to all the reviewers for last chapter (Unknownchocolate, xxpatixx, Mirai No Dinurs, Dreamergirl9283, BlackButterfly-RedRose, Tip Of The Top Hat, Amanda, shae, xxx1xxx, cowtippr, winged wondergirl, Daughter of Unending Darkness, shadowmiko, Enumoon, akatsuki's hikari, Miss Anonymiss, Icecream Skittles Addict, crzyaznsroxursox, fairy246, EverMindTheRuleOfThree, ottawa, Pandastacia, saya-plus, Black Fire Blossom and AkatsukiSakura76!), special thanks goes to randigirl (a certain Sakura and Konan moment) and BlackButterfly-RedRose (GLOMP). Glomping of Pein has been coming for quite a while!
Naruto paused momentarily, managing to restrain the Kyuubi for a little longer. It seemed he wasn't going to let her go without a fight. "Sakura… whatever it is your going through… I know it hurts… but this isn't the only way!" He said, "You have friends in the Village!"
"I hate the Village." She said, her Rin'negan seeming more prominent than ever as she recalled her reasons for leaving, "My mother was left choking on her own blood, all because she was good enough to take me in when I was orphaned. Because of my power, Danzou saw fit to murder her, just to get me to leave."
"So you left, doing what Danzou expected you to do?" Kakashi snapped,
"You're forgetting the fact that he executed both himself and all of ANBU Root." She said, her eyes flicked sideways to Kakashi, whose expression hadn't changed. "What would have happened to me if I had stayed, Kakashi? It doesn't take a genius to work out that I was the prime suspect for the deaths. The Elders would have executed me before I had a chance to explain myself, and don't try to deny it."
"As I said before, leaving and joining Akatsuki are two different things." He said, shaking his head.
"It would have been unwise for me to remain a lone Ninja, don't you think? Especially with your Hunter nin's." She said.
"Look who you're standing with!" Naruto cried, "That's Uchiha Itachi! Don't you understand that he's the one who has made Sasuke like he is! He killed his own family! Don't you think you're a hypocrite standing with him?!"
"Itachi is a valuable asset to the Akatsuki, and to my brother's goals." She said, "What you speak of is between he and Sasuke. It's about time you stopped getting in the way of their goals, don't you think?"
"Sakura! What's wrong with you?!" He shouted, "This isn't you! They've poisoned your mind!"
"Enough talk." Kisame said quietly, "I'd rather feed Samehada and be done with it. It's been a while since I've had a good battle."
"Kisame's right… Sakura."
She looked sideways at Itachi, and nodded.
Her eyes were drawn back to Naruto, who was slowly getting more and more out of control.
"Hinata! Sai!" Kakashi shouted, he too seemed to recognise the danger they were in.
Sakura's eyes widened as she recognised what was going to happen next. With that, she dived sideways, taking Itachi with her as Naruto's Chakra exploded outwards with the force of a bomb.
They rolled down the side of the area into the ditch below. They both shielded their eyes as the intensely bright aftershocks ripped through the area around them.
"With Naruto like this he'll kill the spy for us." Itachi said, his eyes on the crater Naruto had just created.
A groan issued nearby, and Sakura's eyes widened.
"Kisame."
They both rushed in the direction of the groan, to find the ninja in his own self-made ditch.
"Damn it… I'm gonna… kill… that brat!" Kisame said, but seemed utterly unable to move. It was then that both Itachi and Sakura realised one of his arms was missing.
"Where's your arm?" Itachi asked quietly, and Sakura gave him an incredulous look. Kisame however, used his head to gesture to the left. Itachi looked, left, and soon returned with Kisame's arm in hand.
Sakura stared at him in disbelief. "Am I missing something?"
Kisame looked her up and down, and said, "No."
She slapped her hand to her forehead. "Baka! What I'm asking is why the-?"
"Kakuzu will put it back on when we get back to base." Itachi said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She blinked at him, the arm that he was holding up in the air, and back at Kisame.
You have GOT to be kidding me.
"Enjoying yourself, Sakura?"
Her eyes widened, and she looked around to see…
Oh my God. Naruto.
Already his skin had burned from his skin, and instead fur was sprouting in its place. He had also just proved that while in this form, he could speak… or, well, the Kyuubi could speak.
She blinked at the tails behind him, hurriedly counting them.
Five.
Seeing her paralysed by a mix of a shock and horror, the Kyuubi-Naruto seized the opportunity to grab her front. The raw stench of blood and shrivelling skin caught her senses instantly, the evil Chakra bearing down on her to the extent it was suffocating. She let out a cry of pain as it burnt through her top with no problem whatsoever, leaving her, and her neck and collarbone, exposed to the flaming Chakra.
"What's wrong?" He asked, his hand now moving to her neck, causing her to cry out in pain once again, "Think the brat would be strong enough to hold me back before I got to this level?"
She stared at him, her Rin'negan spiralling as she struggled to restrain her panic. Finally it hit her what she should do, and she closed her eyes.
Moments later, she opened them once again, mimicking Itachi's Tsukuyomi motion. That seemed to be enough to send the Kyuubi-Naruto launching back in what appeared to be pain.
She looked around to find that both Itachi and Kisame were gone… and that Kakashi and Sai were heading straight for her.
Oh. She thought. Oh… this is bad.
She rolled away just in time to avoid another strike from Naruto, hissing in pain as her burnt collarbone met gravel. She twisted again as Kakashi's Raikiri slammed into the place her back had just been.
She rolled once again as Naruto left another indent in the ground.
Any more of this…
She thought, twisting once again to avoid Sai.
And I'm gonna get pissed.
She forced herself up into a standing position, and realised that Itachi had moved Kisame back to the place they'd started, in order to keep him out of harm's way, and was now rejoining the battle.
Her attention back on Naruto, or what Naruto had become, she realised there was no way they were going to win this battle. The only chance was to run… just like Orochimaru had when he went up against the Four-Tailed version.
But how could she do that when Naruto would be able to catch up in no time?
Added to that, she couldn't just leave Itachi to fight alone, and Kisame's injuries meant he would be no help whatsoever if it came down to either fighting or running for their lives.
She sighed. If this is an inauguration mission what the heck are the REAL missions like?
"That all you got, Sakura?" The Kyuubi-Naruto asked viciously, "Come on, entertain me some more."
Her eyes twitched.
"Katon: Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" She said, her whole body becoming alive with flames, her hands pressed together again, "Fuuton: Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Kakashi stared at her, watching the two elements binding and spiralling around her, as if they had become one with her Chakra. Having never seen elements summoned or used in conjunction like that by a single person, he couldn't deny that he was impressed.
Slowly, her arm raised in the air, dragging up the red and blue flames with it. Finally, she said, "Doton: Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" And she slammed all three elements into the ground, spanning across, the area, blocking she, Itachi and Kisame from view.
Knowing the Chakra wall wouldn't hold them for long, particularly with Hinata and Naruto on their team, Sakura used her remaining Chakra to sprint to Itachi, who was surveying the wall with his Sharingan, eyes wide with what looked like awe.
"Itachi!" She shouted. He looked around at her, understanding her intent, he spun round and they both raced to Kisame.
Once they reached him, they heard Naruto roar from within, and Sakura winced as the Chakra wall faded and he started running towards them.
"You're not getting away. You'll NEVER get away!"
She closed her eyes one hand on Kisame, one on Itachi, and cried, "Now!"
--
The Kyuubi's eyes widened with shock as all three Akatsuki vanished in a wave of Sakura petals. He let out a cry of rage and turned to find a seal being slapped on his forehead by Kakashi.
The silver-haired Shinobi jumped back immediately, knowing that Naruto could still be dangerous even when the Kyuubi's Chakra was being sealed.
The return to Naruto's original state was going much slower than usual as the paper bearing the seal started to burn. It seemed Naruto's emotions were still too out of control to fully dampen the Kyuubi's.
Standing nearby, one hand pressed to her lips, was Hinata.
She stared at him, watching as he let out a moan similar to that of a wounded dog, even as the seal started to crumble.
This… because of Sasuke and Sakura…?
She bowed her head.
They only cause you pain… no more!
She dashed forwards, "Naruto!"
"Hinata don't-!" Kakashi gasped, but an arm went across his chest to stop him. He looked sideways to see Sai standing there. "What-?"
Sai looked at him, "Just wait."
Kakashi's eyes widened.
Hinata found herself frozen in front of the Kyuubi-Naruto, her eyes wide. The seal on his forehead was now little more than dust, but it had managed to dampen the Kyuubi's Chakra to the point where Naruto was now in his two-tailed state. She tried to force herself to move, but her muscles refused to obey her.
Dammit… She thought, Not again…
Her legs had gone jelly-like. The Kyuubi-Naruto was glaring at her, his teeth gritted, waiting for her to make her move.
Shaking, she remembered the real Naruto. The one who would never give up. Yet there she was, her chance to save him, and her legs had gone to jelly.
No… no more hiding… Naruto needs me!
With only her willpower, she moved forwards the last few step, and grasped hold of his face.
His red eyes widened slightly, as Hinata continued to stare at him with fear in her lilac eyes, but behind them lingered a determination that couldn't be surpassed.
The Kyuubi Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Yes?"
She shivered at how demonic his voice sounded, such a stark contrast to his usual, loud, bright and welcoming voice that had, on numerous occasions, made her pass out. Seeing him like this, seeing this change… it filled her only with despair.
"P-Please… stop…" She said, as her eyes filled with tears, "Please…"
He glared at her. "Why?"
She gave a cry of pain when he lunged forwards and grabbed hold of her arms, the red Chakra immediately burning through the material there.
Kakashi made to step forwards, but Sai pushed him back.
"Why should I stop?"
She stared at him, and as Kakashi and Sai watched, it seemed the Hyuuga heiress herself was cloaked in light blue, providing a brilliant contrast to Naruto's blood-red.
She gave another cry of pain as his hands grew tighter.
"Well? TALK!"
She started to shake. I'M TRYING! She bowed her head. "B…B…"
"B-B-B – what?"
She stared at his face, at the writhing red Chakra that swirled around him, at the pain, the anger, the hurt in his face. His eyes, normally the beautiful, sapphire blue that were far too wise for one so young that she had fallen in love with, were a fierce, malevolent red.
"What's the problem, Hinata? Cat got your tongue?" He asked viciously.
Now. Speak. For god's sake. Speak! She shouted at herself, but her jaw seemed to be locked. His taunting of her wasn't doing much for her already shaky self-esteem.
She closed her eyes, remembering the twelve-year-old Naruto, how he had cheered her on when she fought against Neji. How much she had needed him at that point.
"Come on Hinata! Are you just gonna stand there and take that?! Do something! You're driving me crazy!"
Then she remembered her fight against the wasps, how he had watched her, only her. How she had lay in his arms as he beamed at her.
"You were amazing, Hinata."
The too-wide smile on his face that concealed all the dark emotions he'd felt. The belief. The devotion.
The hope.
With that, her whole body gave in to shakes, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she longed for that hope to return. His face was devoid of it, a myriad of hatred and malice.
Her face crumpled. "Because you're breaking my heart!"
The ferocity in Naruto's expression gave way to pure, blinding shock. He stared at her, his eyes slowly sliding back into the blue as he stared at the Hyuuga heiress shaking in front of him. He blinked at her, as she merely stood there, shaking, staring at him with an emotion he couldn't begin to describe as more tears fell down her cheeks.
"Every time you use Kyuubi you get injured and…" She said, her voice a monotone, rather than its usual breathy high-pitched, borderline ultrasound tone. For once in her life, Hinata was speaking from the heart. "I can't stand it! And you're so blind what it does to me, Naruto!" More hot tears dribbled down her cheeks as her voice started to fail her and return to its usual squeaky manner. "How… how much it hurts!"
Naruto continued to stare at her, his eyes wide. For as far as he could remember, there was nobody else who had cried for him. The tidalwave of emotions that she was showing towards him was more than he could take.
He'd seen this sort of destructive emotion before… with Sakura and Sasuke. His stomach flipped when he realised he was in Sasuke's shoes.
She blinked back at him, then bowed her head as the tears came full force, and she stood there, shaking.
"Hinata…?"
She didn't, or rather, couldn't answer. She continued to shake with tears, her burnt hands finally leaving Naruto's face and slid down his chest, clenching into fists as they did.
Naruto paused, not having any clue what to do in such a situation. He'd never been put in one of these before. Somehow, he knew that behaving like Sasuke wasn't the best idea, especially after witnessing what it had done to Sakura.
But at the same time… Hinata was the Hyuuga heiress.
To do anything other than to watch her…
Wait a god damn minute! Since when did I give a damn about rules? Naruto thought, then moved forwards, embraced her, and waited for her to faint.
But she didn't. He tensed as her arms slowly snaked around him, her hands coming to rest on his shoulderblades.
She was hugging him back.
Naruto's eyes widened, once again, in the space of five minutes, she'd surprised him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd received a hug, or in fact, if he'd ever received a hug. It was because of this, that instead of it being Hinata, Naruto was the one whose knees gave way.
She would never truly understand what it meant to him. How many times he'd craved to be held. How much he for once, just wanted to be touched without having to ask or cause an awkward moment.
In the space of five minutes, she'd hit him harder than anyone ever had or could. Twice. And she would never know just how much it meant to him.
She went with him as he slid to the floor.
"Hinata…" He said quietly.
She froze, thinking she'd done something wrong. "Y-Yes…?"
Naruto smiled through his tears at her reaction. It was such a Hinata moment. He remembered how she'd go red and faint whenever he was near, and finally, finally, he knew why. He held her closer and murmured. "Thank you."
Standing nearby, Kakashi looked incredulously at Sai.
"How did you…?" The fact that Sai had caught on to something that was purely emotion based was quite possibly the most capricious thing that Kakashi had seen for a while. Sai may have just surpassed Naruto. "How did you know?"
"I didn't. I just thought with her being the Hyuuga heiress she could handle it."
Kakashi sweatdropped.
Or… maybe not.
He looked around. "Huh? Where's Ryu?"
Sai started, it seemed in the heat of battle they had forgotten all about their charge.
Kakashi then noticed a body on the floor.
He dashed forwards, and saw the dead Ryu, and a kunai protruding out of his chest with a small note attached to it.
'Farewell.'
He looked at Sai, and was about to comment on the note, when he saw him watching Naruto and Hinata with an odd expression on his face.
Kakashi smiled knowingly beneath his mask.
--
Finally, Itachi, Kisame and Sakura landed in a heap in a cave near the outskirts of Amegakure.
As her destination had been uncertain, and the fact she had never travelled with a passenger before, let alone two, Sakura felt immediately drained.
It took a few moments for her eyes to clear, but when they did, they widened in shock. There, now in full clear view of her Rin'negan, she found that she was now in a rather compromising position on top of Itachi. Her whole body was positioned directly on top of his, their legs entangled. What people, more specifically, Kisame, would think when he saw them like this, well… the image and it's meaning was not lost on her.
Sakura tried to remove herself from him, but her Chakra had been drained by her teleportation so much she found herself blacking out whenever she tried it, but other than that, there was no movement between them. As Itachi also appeared to be somewhat incapacitated, she had no choice but to slump on him until her Chakra was restored enough for her to move without falling unconscious.
Hmm, this isn't so bad. Inner Sakura smiled.
"Sakura." Itachi said quietly.
His voice surprisingly distant, and she didn't hear the vibrations in his chest.
Slowly, she looked around to see Itachi standing there with a bemused expression on his face.
It was then, and only then that she realised she hadn't fallen on Itachi at all.
She had fallen on Kisame.
ARRRRRGH! Inner Sakura screamed and collapsed. On the outside, however, Sakura found herself silent and incapacitated. Though, whether it was from physical injury or from pure embarrassment she had no idea. Already she knew she was developing a tomato-esque hue on her cheeks.
"You know. As you're a Medic, I know it's your thing to get up close and personal with your patients, but uhh… do you mind toning it down a little?" Kisame asked, his voice full of humour.
"The moment I can move, I will." She said, her voice forcibly monotonous, "Itachi… can you… help me get off him?"
Itachi feigned misunderstanding. "Why?"
Sakura's eyes narrowed to slits, all politeness forgotten. "Get. Me. Off. Him."
Itachi merely smirked at her.
Bloody Uchiha. You are SO paying for this!
Finally deciding it was worth getting unconscious for, she rolled off Kisame, and blacked out.
Itachi moved forwards, surveying her with his Sharingan. Chakra depletion.
"I was right. She is entertaining." Kisame snickered.
Out of Kisame's view, his fingers traced the salmon-pink burn that span down the centre of her torso, scarring her porcelain skin. It was only minor, and with her skills he was certain it'd be healed in no time. With that, he turned away from her, finding her to be alarmingly distracting, and looked at Kisame.
"Once she wakes, we leave." He said.
"Why can't we leave now? We're close enough to the base."
"Yes, but imagine Pein's reaction at seeing Sakura unconscious."
Kisame grimaced. "So you're telling me I have to stay like this until she wakes up?"
"Hn."
"… can't you wake her up now?"
"I could, but there would be no point. She would be unable to move anyway."
"… damn it."
-
Sakura's eyes flickered open, and she found herself staring at a ceiling of what appeared to be a cave. She sat up, and winced, then looked around. Sitting on her left, evidently asleep, was Itachi, while lying on her right was Kisame.
Then she looked down at her burns. The image of Naruto's five-tailed form flicked across her vision, and she found herself needing to get some fresh air.
She sneaked past Itachi, and went and stood in the rain outside. She hissed slightly at feeling the seemingly stark cold rain against her flame-hot chest, but she put up with it.
She felt, on some level, that she deserved Naruto's rage towards her. He had done nothing to her, the opposite in fact, and yet he was suffering. Just like her mother had.
She closed her eyes, and found herself beginning to shake as she ran over the conversation they'd had.
Sakura-chan… please…
She tried to shake him off, but his words still came to her like kunai in her gut.
I don't want to do this!
The desperation in his voice, the grief, and finally, the image of his five-tailed form came to mind.
She tilted her face up at the sky as the rain seemed to become heavier.
Memories of Naruto were running through her mind, every now and then flicking back to his four-tailed and five-tailed forms.
So, Sakura-chan, about that date…
I'll get Sasuke back, no matter what!
Sakura-chan… so you really are in Akatsuki…
Sakura-chaaan!
I'll tell you how I feel about you!
What? How can it not be my concern? Those bastards want to kill me, Sakura!
Come on, Sakura! Don't let that Ino girl beat you!
I'll bring you back, Sakura… even if it kills me I'll bring you back… I'll make you see sense…
Sakura-chan…
Her teeth gritted.
You're not getting away. You'll NEVER get away!
"Sakura."
She started, and looked around.
To find Itachi staring back at her. It was impossible to gage how long he had been standing there, watching her. His eyes, as ever, were the emotionless, vivid red they always were. His bangs were blowing about, and she realised that the wind had picked up. Again. She saw a hint of pity in his eyes, but was busy convincing herself she'd imagined it when her own blurred to the point she couldn't see him. Trying to swallow her tears, she inwardly winced as a wayward tear made its way down the side of her face.
Luckily it was raining, and it was possible he hadn't seen it, but she knew he had. Itachi was annoying that way. With that, she felt his hand on her wrist.
The shock of him touching her seemed to be enough to stop the wind, but not the rain. After a few moments, his Sharingan faded, revealing the onyx eyes beneath. Stunned, she just stared at him, and couldn't stop herself from noting how much more approachable he looked now that his onyx eyes were visible.
Her eyes then moved down to his hand on her wrist.
"… it's all right." He murmured, and she looked up at his face, her eyes wide. With that, she closed the gap between them, and leant her face against his chest, the tears now running freely down her cheeks.
Itachi stared down at the top of her head. He didn't know what had possessed him to say that, but it seemed she had needed comfort of some kind. She had been there for him, after all. He was just returning the favour.
"We should go." He said finally, releasing her wrist, and she looked up at him, and nodded.
-
Pein eyed Itachi and Sakura, Kakuzu was kneeling nearby, re-attaching Kisame's arm back to Kisame. Also standing nearby were Deidara, Tobi and Hidan, all of them having given their reports to Pein.
"You've done well under the circumstances." Pein said quietly, looking up at his sister. "However, it probably would have been better if Kisame had returned without any injuries to speak of. It was an unfortunate coincidence that you met the Jinchuuriki."
Itachi winced as he realised what was coming next.
"Is that so?"
Sakura's fist struck the top of his head, causing his chin to strike the table, making a surprising 'glomp' sound. He blinked up at her, watching her shake with suppressed rage, her hair looking as if it had been electrocuted, the burns on her neck now visible.
The other Akatsuki surrounding her all looked stunned, and moderately impressed that she'd have the guts to do such a thing.
"What was that for?" Pein asked, his hand going up to his head, where a painful lump was already growing.
"For insulting my intelligence." She snarled, she bent down in front of him, her eyes flaring, her hands resting on the table in front of him, "I don't take being lied to lightly. Enjoy your migraine, nii-san. And don't send me or Kisame on a mission until we've healed, okay?"
She then stood straight, and Pein's eyes narrowed, just as yet another fist struck the top of his head, making the 'glomp' noise once again.
He looked sideways at Konan. "What was that for?"
She looked coolly at her clenched fist, and shrugged, "Felt like it."
"You deserved it." Sakura agreed, nodding, moving to stand beside Konan, their arms folding.
Pein stared at the pair of them.
I'm being bullied by women. When did this happen? How?!
With that, he stood up, his hand on top of his head. Wincing, he missed the fact that Sakura and Konan were quickly shaking their heads at Tobi, who had moved to the other side, ready to hit Pein for himself. He retracted his hand and looked away, his arms crossing across his chest.
Sakura's eyes flicked sideways and looked at Itachi, whom she could see was watching her. She bowed her head, smiling. Maybe this won't be too bad.
(A/N) Enjoy? Yay, Nay? Too much? Too little?
Next Chapter: Distracted (Spoiler: Spy, Patient, Lover? OOH 'ECK!)