Thank you DiizGiirlJess, Leo (thanks for the encouragement!), Jayyquin, for reviewing!
Itachi watched as the hideout came into view, the rain falling heavily around them. He was glad to finally be there since the rain had soaked him to the bone, but the traitor wasn't looking forward to entering and seeing the pink hair that had grown familiar to him. Things were...strange between the two of them. After contemplating it for a bit, Itachi decided that Sakura was in fact developing feelings for him. They might not be on a love interest level, but then again she did kiss him...and he hadn't stopped her.
What was it he thought he could gain from allowing that girl to kiss him? Itachi didn't need her trust nor did he have a reason to manipulate her so what could it be? That was one thing he hadn't been able to figure out. A few possibilities came to mind, but he shoved them aside faster than they could form. The Sharingan user didn't need anyone. It had been that way for years now. It was a hard way of life and every once in a while, Itachi could hear the laughter of his mother or hear her say how much she loved him. Despite those words, he murdered her.
The Uchiha understood what he had done. He wiped out one of the most powerful clans that ever existed for the sake of the Leaf Village, but beneath that it was because he did not want war. Being forced to endure the horrors of war as a child made him never want to see such things like that again or put anyone else in that position. If that meant destroying his family, so be it.
"Looks like we're here," Kisame said as they stepped in front of the large steel door and he held his ring up to it.
Both began to glow brightly before the door slid up silently and the two rogue ninjas moved into the large throne room, walking down the middle hallway to Leader's room. It opened without them having to knock as Pain was expecting them. They were going to place the Gobi down there and Konan would use her jutsu to keep him bound until they did the extraction tomorrow, giving the Akatsuki time to prepare for the three day sealing.
Entering the room and moving through a second door, Itachi and Kisame saw the walkway leading down to where the task was performed, the area dark and looming. Itachi could see the Rinnegan from where he was standing, the ocular jutsu glowing in the dark like the Sharingan did.
After putting Roshi on the ground, Pain looked at them and said," Tomorrow morning we will seal him."
The two gave their nods of understanding and left promptly afterwards. Kisame rubbed his stomach as they walked down Pain's hallway back to the giant room. "I wonder if Short Stuff has cooked something."
"If you ask her to, she will." Itachi moved towards his room, wanting to bathe and lie down for a nap. Getting something to eat would be done later.
The shark nin gave his partner a wave before setting off for the kitchen while Itachi glided towards his room, shrugging off his Akatsuki robe once he was securely inside. He made a beeline for the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he went and dropping them on the floor. By the time he made it to the tub, he was completely naked.
A shower was just what he needed. That was his favorite place to just think and not have to worry about others bothering him unless it was Leader. This was his time to just muse on everything that was going on in his life. Sometimes Itachi found himself wishing things were different, wishing his clan hadn't been attempting a coup d'état. If that hadn't happened, he wouldn't have created so many other problems. Thinking like that got him nowhere so he often just pushed those thoughts of out his mind.
Itachi pulled the hair tie out of his dark locks, letting the silky tresses brush against his shoulders while he started the shower and stepped inside. The quiet male leaned his head against the shower wall, allowing the warm water to wrap him in its embrace.
His mind once again wandered to Sakura. Their prisoner had said she wanted to know him. What exactly did that mean? It sounded as if she was just being nosy about his life and he wouldn't put it past the girl to just be hunting for information, but the look she had given him...It was honest. Sakura was not the type who could hide her emotions. That much was certain and he saw the vulnerability in those tears she cried. Itachi would ask her flat out what she wanted. It wouldn't make a difference; his life was his business and no one else's.
Using a hand to brush his wet hair out of his face, Itachi changed the shower head to "mist" and felt his muscles relax at the steam that billowed around him.
"Hey short stuff!" Kisame called as he entered the kitchen, already knowing she was there.
Said girl turned and beamed at him. "Tobi let me know you guys were coming home today so I thought I should whip up something special...and I'm not short!"
Beady eyes gazed over Sakura's shoulders, his mouth nearly watering at the array of seafood lined up on the counter. All of his favorites were there: crab legs, baked fish, oysters, and shrimp. The Mist ninja knew he was going to eat really good tonight.
"How did you get all of this?" Kisame asked as he continued to eye the feast.
"I bought it." Both ninjas turned around to see Kakuzu sitting at the table, his head and half his face covered as usual. "The child asked if I would get it once she found out that I am the treasurer of the Akatsuki. I only agreed because I rather like seafood."
Kisame was astounded. Sakura had gotten Kakuzu to get the food they needed? Well, he usually did the shopping, but only got what was needed. On top of that, the eldest member wasn't locked up in his office like he usually was. Kakuzu was in no way, shape, or form a people person, but here he was sitting at the table; his legs crossed and hands folded in his lap. This little girl had some serious influence on people. Each one of the Akatsuki members was starting to grow fond of her. All she had left was Konan and Pain to win over, but the thing was Sakura didn't seem to be kind for her own benefit. She just was the generous type of person...as long as she wasn't pissed off.
"Kakuzu let me see all the funds for the Akatsuki," Sakura said as she walked over to stand next to the former Takigakure ninja. "You guys sure spend a lot of money when Kakuzu is the one making all of it."
The blue male chuckled, rubbing a hand through his short hair. "Hey, we gather the Jinchuriki."
"So do I," came the cold response.
Well he couldn't argue with that. A smile plastered on his face, Kisame moved to the sink and washed his hands, asking if they could eat now. Sakura nodded with a smile, wiping her hands on a pair of black pants that stopped at her ankles.
"Can I fix your plate, Kakuzu?" Sakura questioned as walked over to stand next to Kisame who was already loading his plate.
"Put some of everything on it," he responded, watching her work.
Sakura fixed his plate and handed it to him after placing chopsticks on it. Kakuzu stood, nearly dwarfing the small girl in the process and left without another word. The two remaining in the kitchen looked over at each other for moment before speaking.
"He's so dreary," Sakura whispered, looking over her shoulder to watch for said ninja returning. "I've been with him all day and still find him creepy. He's not as bad as I thought though."
Kisame chuckled. "I call him and Hidan the Zombie brothers."
Sakura fixed herself a plate and went to join the rogue ninja who had taken Kakuzu's place. "Why do you call them that?"
The large male cracked open a crab leg and sucked the meat out before answering, "Those bastards don't seem to know how to die."
Sakura laughed and Kisame felt himself smiling as he watched her grin. The shark ninja was pretty friendly as it was, but not many people felt the same about him. His looks and the fact that he was part of the Akatsuki sent people scuttling away from him. He was fond of this pink-haired fire ball and when Itachi told him that they would probably kill Sakura when she no longer was of use to them, that had bothered him a bit. He would miss her presence, but they had other things to worry about.
"So, um...where's Itachi?" the young girl asked, her cheeks flaring as she toyed with the shrimp on her plate.
Kisame looked at her intently, studying how she was acting when she spoke of his partner; tinted cheeks, refusal to make eye contact, fidgeting. It was so obvious and the shinobi smirked as he said, "You have a thing for Itachi."
Obviously he hit the nail on the head because her face completely darkened as she tried to stutter her denial. Kisame laughed out loud, causing the girl to be more embarrassed.
"I never thought you were the type to fall for the person who kidnapped you Short Stuff," he said, leaning his elbows on the table and gazing at her. Her green eyes looked everywhere but at him.
"I don't like Itachi," she mumbled.
"You're not doing a good job of convincing me."
Sakura sighed, letting her chopsticks clatter onto her plate. Mimicking Kisame, the medic placed her elbows on the table and linked her fingers, resting her chin on them thoughtfully. There really wasn't any point in lying about it, but Sakura still hadn't truly sorted out her feelings yet and to have Kisame pick up on them before she was able to was a little unnerving.
"I don't know how I feel about him," Sakura said seriously, unhooking her fingers to run them through coral locks. "I want to talk to him. Is he in his room?"
Kisame nodded, popping a piece of squid into his mouth. "He's probably sleeping though. He always goes to sleep after a mission so if you want to talk with him, wait until he wakes up. He'll have to get something to eat."
With his condition, it wasn't surprising Itachi needed to rest. Then there was the fact that the Sharingan expended the user's chakra to dangerous levels and he had to travel a day to get home. Sakura would give him time to rest as it allowed her to work up the nerve to speak to him. Butterflies danced in her stomach at the thought of it. No, more like they tickled her insides because she knew that Itachi was back on the base. Sakura wanted to smack herself for how pathetic she was becoming. Instead of a Sasuke complex, she was developing one for his older brother, the one she had sworn to hate for what he had done.
A smile crept over her face at the familiar singing she heard coming down the hall. Moments later Tobi appeared, his voice cracking when he attempted to hit high notes. Laughter filtered from her mouth at his antics. She still hadn't figured out why Tobi was in the Akatsuki, but the curious girl was definitely going to ask soon.
"Sakura-chan, did you cook?" he asked, stalking straight for the ample food on the counter.
"I did. Kakuzu got everything for me to make it."
Tobi whirled around and if Sakura could see his face, he probably would have worn a shocked expression. "Kakuzu-san got it for you? He's scary."
Both Kisame and Sakura laughed at that, continuing on with their meal over casual conversation. Tobi fixed himself a plate and bounded out of the kitchen, saying his goodbyes as he skipped. That was an interesting conversation he overheard. So little Sakura-chan was falling for Itachi Uchiha was she? Perhaps this could be exploited to the Akatsuki's benefit. The masked man knew that pink-headed child would never betray the Leaf though and unfortunately...neither would Itachi; that much was certain. How to go about this sudden turn of events?
Tobi entered his room and removed the orange spiraled mask from his face. It was such an annoyance to play this idiot role of Tobi. However, it was the easiest way to move about while keeping an eye on what this group was doing. Obito Uchiha had so many people fooled. His goals were completely different than that of Pain's, but that was alright since they technically wanted the same thing...technically. Obito had warped Pain's desire for peace and used it so he had become a mere tool in order to carry out his goals. That's what all the Akatsuki were.
His thoughts turned to what was going on with the Leaf Village. Did they really think they could protect all the Jinchuriki from them? That wasn't going to happen. The Moon's Eye plan was going to come to pass despite what happened. It would be easier to just kill the ninjas that got in their way, but he was humoring Itachi for the moment. After all, having someone with the Sharingan assisting in collecting the bijuu wasn't a bad thing. That boy sure had grown since the days when he had trained him.
Popping shrimp into his mouth, the supposedly deceased Uchiha moved to sit on his bed, thoroughly analyzing the situation with Sakura. From the way she blushed at the mention of Itachi's name when they washed the dishes together and how she sputtered her answer when Kisame picked up on her affections, the girl had a crush. A woman's heart was so easily manipulated. Sakura was already helping the man who tore her away from everything she loved. The two weren't aware that he knew of the surgery that the medic was going to perform on him to rid Itachi of his illness, but that would also be for the better. Itachi was currently a valuable asset while being a hindrance at the same time.
For now, he would let this little romance bud and see how Itachi felt about the child. Watch and wait, that's all he had to do.
Deidara walked back in the hideout after spending time under the shade of a tree. He often went out to the training grounds just to think, mainly about what he was going to do with his life. What was his purpose? The male with long blonde hair knew that the Akatsuki was not something he wanted to be a part of at first, but it gave him more opportunities to witness his art. Just thinking about blast of color, the deafening sound, and the smoke that explosion from the blasts was enough to make him smile. The fleeting beauty of art was something Deidara would never be able to get over.
Brushing golden locks over his shoulder, Deidara entered and saw a seafood buffet fit for a king, immediately knowing it was Sakura's doing. The demolitionist wasn't exactly sure how this girl managed to weave her way into their organization the way she had. Pretty much everyone was comfortable with her and some were even fond of the kunoichi. If Deidara could describe his relationship with Sakura, it would be like siblings. They argued, played pranks on each other, and she occasionally beat him up. Speaking of which, he still had to get her back for that kick she gave him when he and the immortal bastard were going at it.
After washing his hands, Deidara fixed himself something to eat and ate it quickly before going to look for the little menace. He would have her do a favor for him in exchange for that cheap shot she got on him. Technically she already had when she healed him, but hell that was her job.
"Sakura!" he called out as he walked down the hallway leading to the large room.
He saw no sign of her and decided to check her room, barging in without knocking. Luckily, Sakura was fully clothed, but when he saw those shocking green eyes glaring at him, Deidara knew he had pissed her off...good.
"Do you just walk into people's rooms without knocking first?!" she yelled, standing from her place on the bed and moving to poke him hard in the chest.
Deidara chuckled at her annoyed expression. "Yes, un. I want you to do a favor for me."
"And what could that be?" Sakura questioned dully, moving back to her bed to push the many books and scrolls aside.
The blonde looked on the dresser by the door and picked up an item, holding it out the young girl. "Brush my hair for me."
Sakura gave him a ridiculous look. "You want me to do what?"
"Are you deaf, hmm?" Deidara moved to sit on her bed, placing the blue brush next to him. "Consider it retribution."
Viridian orbs that held amusement looked at him. "Retribution for what?"
"I don't know."
Sakura couldn't help but laugh at that as she got on her knees behind Deidara, fingers nimbly shifting the velvety tresses to his back. After unhooking his ponytail, the Leaf ninja began the task of working the knots out of his hair. Usually Deidara took very good care of it so Sakura found it strange that his hair was so matted. She didn't bother asking why; it was more fun to yank out the tangles anyway.
"Do you have to be so gentle, yeah?" Deidara asked sarcastically, wincing as the female pulled on another knot.
"Yes." Sakura laughed again and continued brushing his hair more gently. There was a comfortable silence between them for a moment before the curious girl asked, "Why did you join the Akatsuki Deidara?"
No one had ever asked him that. Well technically he had been asked by women whose only interest was getting in his pants (an act Deidara didn't mind at all), but they didn't really care to know the answer so he avoided the question all together. Sakura on the other hand was an inquisitive person so the youngest Akatsuki member knew that she was genuine about wanting to know more about him. However, he'd never opened up to anybody before and he wasn't going to start now.
"None of your business, un," he huffed, leaning his arms back to brace himself on the bed.
"You're such a baby," Sakura snapped, yanking hard on his hair.
Deidara turned to glare at a smirking rosette annoyance. "Would you stop that?!"
"Maybe." Sakura placed the brush down and gently rubbed the tips of her fingers against his scalp, channeling chakra into them soothingly.
Deidara felt his body slumping as he closed a single sky blue orb. Her hands were enchanting his body, making it relax and enjoy the gentle touch permeating his scalp. Before he knew it, the explosions artists had dozed off. He woke with a start when he lost his balance and fell backwards into the girl behind him, but she caught him and laughed at the fact that he had actually gone to sleep.
"You really are a baby," Sakura mused, sitting and crossing her legs Indian style; head cocked at him. She watched with amusement when he shot up off the bed.
"Shut up!" Temper rising, Deidara whirled away and stomped towards the door. Instead of storming out and slamming the door like he first intended to do, Deidara paused before saying, "I was forced to join the Akatsuki."
He exited without another word, leaving her door open just to annoy her. Muttering "stupid Blondie" under her breath, Sakura got to her feet and stood at the doorway, gazing at the door that was blocking her from Itachi. It had been a few hours since she had spoken with Kisame and the dark-haired male who had been plaguing her thoughts had yet to emerge. Sakura understood that he was tired, but damn it she wanted to talk to him; wanted to get whatever it was she needed to tell him off of her chest.
Breathing deeply to calm her fluttering heart, Sakura moved over to Itachi's door. She raised her hand to knock, but was having a difficult time doing so.
"Come on, you're never going to get him if you're afraid to talk to him!" Inner exclaimed.
Get him? What did Inner mean by get him? Sakura was not trying to make Itachi her boyfriend. She just needed to sort out everything with him and then see were things went from there.
That moment, the kiss she had given him floated into her mind and the kunoichi felt her cheeks heating up. Those soft thin lips, silky hair, smooth muscular form...he was the pinnacle of any woman's lust, that was for sure. Not Sakura though; she wasn't going to fall for his good looks and mysterious demeanor. This was just going to be a regular talk, but what exactly did she want to talk to him about?
Sakura huffed angrily, blowing her bangs out of her face before they filtered back into place. What the hell was wrong with her? All she had to do was knock, talk to Itachi, and move on. It was a simple strategy so the quicker Sakura got on the ball, the faster this would be over.
Moments before her knuckles wrapped on the steel door, it slid open and there stood a shirtless Itachi. His eyes were half-lidded indicating he had most likely just woken up. Sakura was surprised when she saw that the Sharingan wasn't activated. She only witnessed it a few times and the resemblance between the two Uchiha brothers was astounding. They were both so handsome and powerful. Sakura's heart was being torn by the feelings that bubbled in her chest at the sight of the man before her.
Finding her voice, Sakura asked quietly, "Can we talk?"
Itachi moved aside and let her in, the door closing silently behind her. He flicked on the light and began putting on his mesh shirt while under the watch of green eyes that gazed at him intently.
"What do you want Sakura?"
She blinked at his words before wringing her hands together in front of her and avoiding his question. "So your mission was successful? You got one of the Jinchuriki?"
Itachi put on a clean robe and turned to look at her. "Yes."
"So what happens now?"
"We will seal the Four-tailed beast tomorrow."
Sakura's eyebrows furrowed sadly. That meant the host would die. Another Jinchuriki dead because of something they couldn't help they had. It was a sad thing to think about and Sakura could feel tears pricking the back of her eyes at the thought. It wasn't fair. The anguish that Naruto had gone through when Gaara died, the life that had to be sacrificed in order to bring him back...it was heart wrenching, but there was nothing she could do about it. Sakura had to keep the faith in her village to take care of the issue.
Her breath hitched when Itachi stepped closer, leaving them standing dangerously close. His gaze remained serious. "That is not all you wanted to talk about."
He was right, but Sakura didn't know how or what she wanted to say exactly. She gazed up into the dark abyss that were his eyes and said, "I want to try and help your vision. I've been researching and I think there is a way to stop the deterioration of your eyes while possibly strengthening your sight. I know that you're going blind Itachi."
"It is no secret," was his response. "Anyone who knows about the Sharingan knows that I will go blind if I use it excessively unless I take the eyes of another Uchiha."
Sasuke...
"You aren't going to do that are you?" she ventured slowly. "Take Sasuke's eyes, I mean."
Itachi's look was cold. "That is none of your business."
Sakura felt her temper mounting as she clenched her fists and gave him a defiant look. "It is my damn business! I'm trying to help you and I have a way to do so without you having to take Sasuke's sight in exchange. Don't you care for your brother at least a little bit?"
The muscle in his jaw clenched, but he remained silent. Sakura exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be so rude." Her hand moved to lay flat on his chest as she searched his eyes with her own. "What are you doing to me Itachi?"
"What do you mean?"
She chuckled softly. "I think I'm falling for you. Why is that? I should hate you for what you've done to Sasuke, to your clan, and to me...but I don't. Why?"
Itachi was taken aback by her confession. He had known that Sakura probably had a crush on him, but to go so far as to say she was falling for him was a bit much. She was still a sixteen year old girl though, she could just be infatuated and it would be over in a little while. There was no telling, but either way, he couldn't let her in. Itachi refused to let her see the real him, the one that actually did care about a few things. If she knew, she would probably insist that Sasuke know and he couldn't risk that.
"What about my little brother?" he questioned. "Don't you love him?"
"I do," she said honestly. "I love him very much, but being in love is a different story." Sakura took a step from him, eyes turning away. "I thought I was in love with him, but...my feelings seem to be fading. I don't know what exactly I want, all I know is that I'm starting to feel...differently towards you."
Itachi wasn't going to fall for that. Her feelings seemed to be fleeting. Now that someone else was around, she was leaning towards them and he happened to be that person. He turned away from her.
"You don't know what you're feeling Sakura," Itachi said icily. "You're only a girl with an infatuation with her kidnapper. I don't mean anything to-"
"Shut up," Sakura interrupted, no malice in her voice as she walked around him so they were face to face again.
Timidly taking his face in her hands, Sakura angled her mouth towards his and captured those lips that had haunting her dreams. Inexperienced hands moved to loop in the ebony locks gently pulling him closer to her. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip, asking for entrance that he most likely would not grant her.
Suddenly, Sakura felt the wind being knocked out of her as her back connected painfully with the cold floor. Her eyes widened in disbelief at Itachi who was leaning over her, kunai pressed at her neck.
Oh snap, Itachi didn't take that so well. I want everyone to see into more all the Akatsuki members and that's why I like to do little things with them concerning Sakura. So Tobi is not a good boy after all! Lol.