Well, this is the second-to-last chapter of ScarletNinja. Don't worry, though. There's still the whole next book!

Read on!

--------------------------

A Few Minutes Later, 'The Spring Chicken,' Room 4

Sakura was overwhelmed by a whirl of emotions at seeing Kakashi, but she hid all of them when she got back to their room.

When Sakura slipped back in the room, Itachi was pacing and Kisame was sitting on one of the beds.

"Calm down, Itachi! She'll-" Kisame broke off when he saw Sakura. "Sakura!"

The two looked up, and Itachi ran to her. "Don't run off like that!" he scolded menacingly.

Sakura cowered a bit, but Kisame came to her rescue. "Itachi! She came back, okay? Leave her alone!"

Sakura shot a grateful glance at the blue man, and then sat down on the other bed.

"So, where's the cot?" Kisame asked, looking around.

Sakura blushed and stared at her feet.

"There aren't any cots left," she whispered. Kisame frowned.

"Well, I guess that puts me on the floor," he said dismally.

"No," Sakura said. "I'll sleep on the floor."

Itachi stared at her calmly. "Unacceptable. I will sleep on the floor."

Sakura blushed. "Okay…" But secretly, Sakura was cursing. How was she going to get out to see Kakashi if Itachi was sleeping in front of the door?

10:45, 'The Spring Chicken,' Room 8

"Naruto… Naruto!" The said blonde opened his eyes sleepily.

"Huh?"

"Naruto, there's something I want to show you downstairs!" Kakashi told Naruto.

"I was sleeping! Can't it wait?" he asked, annoyed.

Kakashi looked at him, his visible eye pleading. "Please, Naruto? It's important!" Kakashi wanted Naruto to meet Sakura when she came down again, but he was sure that Naruto would do something foolish if he knew Sakura was here somewhere.

"Whatever…" Naruto got up and tugged some clothes on slowly.

When he was finished, Kakashi and Naruto went down the stairs to the tavern, and sat down at a small table. They ordered drinks and then Kakashi looked around.

His eye lit up when he saw Sakura, and he turned to Naruto.

Naruto frowned. "What is it you wanted to show me, Kakashi?" he asked impatiently.

Sakura had spotted Kakashi and walked over to his table. When she saw Naruto, she gasped.

Naruto looked up when he heard the sharp intake of breath and saw the pink-haired konoichi.

"Naruto!" Sakura squealed, and threw herself on him. Naruto hugged her tight, then pulled back and held her at arms' length, as if inspecting her to see if she was all right. Sakura saw that Naruto was crying.

"I missed you, Sakura-chan!"

Same Time, 'The Spring Chicken,' Room 4

Itachi frowned. What was taking Sakura so long to go to the bathroom? He had seen her slip off, but had pretended he hadn't seen her. She should've been back by now.

Frowning, Itachi threw back his covers and padded over to the bathroom.

He knocked softly, then, when he got no response, he pounded hard on the door.

Finally giving up, Itachi opened the door to find the bathroom empty.

Cursing, he walked swiftly to the door of their room and stopped.

"Kisame," Itachi said, in a low voice. The said blue man sat up immediately. "If I don't come back in fifteen minutes, come after me."

As Kisame nodded, Itachi opened the door and slipped out. Kisame looked around, and his beady eyes widened.

"Where's Sakura?"

Same time, 'The Spring Chicken,' Downstairs tavern

Sakura sat down across from Kakashi heavily.

"Where the hell have you been?" Naruto had gotten over his first feelings of happiness at seeing Sakura, and was now furious with her.

Sakura looked at her hands, which were clasped tightly in front of her.

"I… got… kidnapped by Itachi Uchiha," she said hesitantly.

Kakashi nodded slightly. "That's what I had figured."

Naruto scowled. "What I'd do if I could just get my hands on his neck…" The blonde clenched his fists in anger. Naruto paused.

"Then how did you get away?" he asked, looking up at Sakura.

Sakura fiddled with a loose strand of pink hair.

"Well, the thing is…"

Kakashi put a hand over his face at her words. "I knew it."

Naruto blinked. "Knew what?"

"She hasn't, Naruto."

"Hasn't what?!" Naruto, clueless as ever, was very bewildered.

"She hasn't escaped, Naruto! She's still with Itachi!"

"What?!"

A Few Minutes earlier, 'The Spring Chicken,' Downstairs tavern

Itachi watched Sakura embrace the Kyuubi from the foot of the steps. Why were they here? Moreover, what should he do now? His instincts said to rip the blonde brat apart, but then he did have killer instincts. And if he hurt the Kyuubi, Sakura would hate him. However, if he didn't do anything, she would surely leave with them. Why would Sakura stay with him when she could go home to all of her friends in Konoha? He sighed.

"Excuse me?" a familiarly timid voice called from behind him.

Itachi shifted so that he wasn't blocking the stairs and the young woman passed him.

His eyes widened. Pink hair? Was it a coincidence?

The girl turned the corner, glanced back at him, and winked. After glimpsing the girl's emerald eyes, Itachi knew at once that it was Sakura. But he could see Sakura right in front of him, talking with the Kyuubi and the Copy Ninja.

Activating his Sharingan, Itachi immediately saw that the girl who had winked at him was a Shadow Clone made by Sakura.

On impulse, he darted after the clone and followed her through a side door and out into the night.

The Sakura clone was waiting for him with wide eyes.

"Itachi," she whispered. "Sakura hasn't run away from you!"

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Oh? Then tell me what exactly she's doing, talking with the Kyuubi!" he growled.

The clone shook her head.

"She knew you would come after her. That's why she made me. To tell you not to worry. She will come back." Then, the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Itachi scowled. Could he trust her? Maybe he should. At least for the time being.

Same Time, 'The Spring Chicken,' Room 4

Kisame looked at the glowing digital clock on the wall for the hundredth time.

He really didn't know what was going on, but if someone had hurt Sakura, he was going to rip their throat out.

Kisame glanced at the time again. Five more minutes.

Same Time, 'The Spring Chicken,' Downstairs Tavern

Sakura tried to plead with Naruto. "Please, Naruto, you don't understand!"

"That… that monster killed Sasuke! And you want to stay with him?" Naruto yelled incredulously.

Kakashi grasped the boy's shoulder tightly.

"Calm down, Naruto! And lower your voice!"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Naruto wrenched away from Kakashi. Sakura had started crying.

"Please! I don't want to choose between you!" she cried desperately.

Kakashi stopped. "What?"

"I love him! Don't you see? He needs me!"

Naruto flinched, as if slapped. "Think about who you're talking about, Sakura-chan!" Naruto whispered. "That man killed his whole clan! He's a murderer!"

Sakura sniffed. "You've killed people before, too, Naruto!"

Naruto shook his head. "I've never killed an innocent person, Sakura. All he does is kill innocents!"

"You don't know him! He's in so much pain!" Sakura hated fighting like this with Naruto, but she had to show him why she cared about Itachi.

"You want to know pain?" Naruto grimaced. "Pain is finding your best friend's mutilated body in your living room. What kind of sick joke was that, anyway?"

Sakura squinted at him. "What are you talking about?"

Kakashi raised a hand. "Stop fighting. Sakura, are you coming back or not?"

She looked away.

Naruto shook his head. "I can't believe you, Sakura," he said bitterly. The girl's eyes widened when she heard him spit her name. "I guess you've earned your title of missing-nin."

Tears streamed down Sakura's face as she looked up at Naruto. He glared, then, reaching out, cuffed her on the head.

Sakura staggered back.

"Kakashi?" She looked at him for some sort of reassurance. He just shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

----------------------------

Ouch. That was harsh.

Well, keep reading and review!