A/N: I really appreciated the feedback from you lovely reviewers! So, the next few chapters will be a bit angsty with Sakura and Itachi being separated. Our favorite Uchiha brothers will be in the next chapter! This chapter has quite a bit of Kakashi because let's face it...he's amazing! BDN
Chapter Twenty-One:
Kakashi held the barely conscious Sakura close to his chest as he navigated his way far away from the battle. A wise ninja knew when to fight and when to run and regroup. He wasn't about to risk the life of his teammate just so he could battle- he'd lost too many loved ones and he wouldn't risk another. And it had to have been an elaborate genjutsu-there was no way Tobi was Obito. It was impossible.
"You've been working out, sensei," Sakura murmured against his throat. Kakashi didn't bother to look at her and kept his eye in front of him, but his lip did twitch into a smile under his mask. "You know you're breaking the hearts of all the single ladies in Konoha, and probably some of the married ones too."
"Being the interim Hokage takes up all my free time. And you're enough woman in my life. You're always so much trouble and now you're hallucinating." Life would be so much easier if he could imitate the Yellow Flash. Instead he had to wait for Naruto to activate the tagged transportation kunai. Hopefully, Pakkun would alert the loud-mouthed ninja soon. He had only been able to transport a short distance from the cavern where Sakura had activated her tagged kunai.
"You read all those Icha Icha books, I bet you'd be very romantic and smooth. When the war is over you have to start dating," Sakura declared. Her eyes were suspiciously bright. Was she crying? Please Kami, don't let her be crying. Kakashi couldn't handle both the evil resurrection of his childhood best friend and a crying teenaged girl!
"Who says I don't date?"
"You graduated the academy when you were five years old, lost your parents, teammates, and your teacher all before the age of thirteen. The only person more socially inept than you would be-" her voice caught in her throat-"Itachi Uchiha." She clutched at the charm at her neck like a lifeline.
Did she memorize his Bingo book bio or something? "You grew to know Itachi pretty well on your last mission?" he asked, trying to deflect the conversation back to her. He didn't want to dig too deep into his own psychology. It was best to ignore uncomfortable feelings. Use the frustration to kill bad men. "So how many times did Sasuke try to kill you?"
"Two or three times," Sakura confirmed, her voice sounded tired.
"And you still helped him."
"My teacher told me not to leave a teammate behind."
"I was a terrible teacher."
"I'm not disagreeing. You ignored Naruto and myself and focused on the golden boy. I can't really blame you though; you thought you could relate to Sasuke. You had no idea what to do with Naruto and myself. You never needed a teacher; you just naturally knew how to do things. That must be part of the prodigy thing." She was silent for a few moments and he thought she might have fallen asleep. "Naruto and I made do and found more appropriate mentors for our particular strengths. You may be a terrible teacher, but I don't regret you being our sensei. You're the best team leader I could have asked for, you big pervert."
Why was she making so many confessions? He didn't think she was dying, just weak from chakra depletion. "You just said I should date more. How can I be a pervert? And exactly who would you suggest I date?"
"You should ask Shizune out," Sakura suggested.
Kakashi frowned slightly. The Hokage's senior apprentice was attractive and she'd seen him down to his boxers more than anyone due to medical treatment. And they were about the same age-which was impressive for shinobi to reach thirty years. "Maybe."
"I want your promise of a lifetime," Sakura said mimicking Naruto with a slight giggle. Maybe she was edging towards the side of delirious at this point. Stress and chakra depletion? Broken heart? She was a teenaged girl after all.
"My promise is to keep you and Naruto safe."
"You can't promise that. We're shinobi. We're responsible for our own actions, Hokage-sama."
He cringed. "Don't call me that. I don't want to be Hokage."
"Lady Tsunade will wake up soon and you won't have to keep the title, but it should be yours next. I can picture your image engraved into the cliff above our village. Though I wonder if it will be you in your mask or your actual face-fish lips and all," Sakura said reaching up and brushing her fingers along his cloth-covered cheek.
Why did they all seem to think he hid his face because of a flaw?
"There's another tailed-beast. We have to try and save her. Can't let them have her too," her voice trailed off. Kakashi thought she'd fallen asleep, but he was wrong. "It's lost to the black flames. No more hope," Sakura murmured before she finally dropped off into the realm of unconsciousness.
As usual, Kakashi had no idea what she was talking about, aside from there being another tailed-beast aside from Naruto and Bee. Women could be too complicated sometimes. And the idea of his childhood best friend and rival being the arch villain leading the Akatsuki and the mastermind behind the attacks on the tailed-beasts and their jinchuriki hosts was beyond complicated.
A seemingly long time, though in reality perhaps a half hour, passed before Kakashi felt the tingling sensation of the teleportation jutsu.
OoO
"What took you so long?" Sakura asked when Kakashi sat her down. Naruto stood in front of her and while he was covered in burn-marks, dirt, and blood he looked positively radiant and energetic. He scooped her into his arms and spun her around in a hug.
"Sakura-chan! I hurried and activated the kunai as soon as Pakkun contacted me! I'm so glad to see you! I was worried, but I knew you'd be fine, because you're my super-strong best friend!" Naruto collapsed onto the ground on his back bringing Sakura down with him. "And Octo-pops and I got a little carried away sparring and I could really use some of your healing. My fox is refusing to help because he says it's tough love."
"Healing you is the least I can do," Sakura agreed with a soft smile. She sat up and then using her mystical palm healing technique went to work repairing Naruto's injuries with soothing green energy.
"Nice," Bee said standing over them. "I was worried when the fox wouldn't heal- you'd have a rough deal. But seeing your best pal is a gal with some serious skills you don't got to be worried on getting killed!"
"Sakura-chan, what happened with Sasuke?" Naruto asked quietly. "I was worried about you, but Kakashi-sensei said you had a mission to carry out with him. Did he hurt you?"
"I'm fine, Naruto. It was a bit complicated, but I worked alongside Sasuke and then Itachi after all those resurrections happened. It was better when Itachi was there—he kept me safe—he was able to beat Kabuto's control over him. He's working to stop the reanimation jutsu. Sasuke was almost blind by the time I found him so he wasn't able to hurt me even though he tried at first," Sakura explained. She finished healing Naruto's injuries for the most part—leaving a few superficial abrasions, but nothing major. "I transplanted Itachi's eyes into Sasuke yesterday—like Kakashi-sensei and his transplanted Sharingan."
"I had always wondered about Itachi. He had so many opportunities to defeat us and take me hostage for the Akatsuki. He approached me a handful of times to ask that I take care of Sasuke—lead him back to the Leaf or kill him if I had to. That didn't sound like the words of a murderous traitor," Naruto said sitting up and rolling his shoulders experimentally. "Great job, Sakura-chan! I don't feel stiff at all." He took hold of her shoulders and brought her forehead against his. "Are you really fine? He didn't break your heart again did he?"
"I'm not sure if I made a difference, but I did the best I could do. In the end, he helped me escape so there is still some of the old Sasuke-kun inside of him." Sakura smiled at her friend. "He was darker and more twisted with hate when I first joined up with him."
"Okay," Naruto said releasing his hold on her face and standing up. He offered his hand and she accepted it rising to her feet as well.
"Touching reunion, let's move on to some bullion," Bee said.
Sakura glanced over at Bee and then to Kakashi. The white-haired shinobi shrugged. Apparently he was used to the Lightning ninja's rhymes. She threw her arms around Naruto again and hugged him close, bruising a few of his ribs in the process.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto gasped painfully.
She released him. "Sorry. I just missed you," she admitted as she stepped back. "I'm glad you're all here. There's another jinchuriki-the Seven-Tails. Madaara and Tobi are after her. If we can save her and recruit her to the cause we'll have enough tailed-beasts to counter Madaara-maybe."
"Do you think she's in tune with her tailed-beast?" Naruto asked rubbing his ribs tenderly.
"I doubt that will be the case, things are never that easy in our race, yeah," Bee said.
"I want to try something first," Sakura said clutching at the necklace at her throat anxiously. "I will summon Katsuyu and try and check on Lady Tsunade." She sat on the earth lotus style and used the sharp edge of a kunai to cut a small wound on her arm and summoned one of the smaller versions of the slug. "Katsuyu, how is Lady Tsunade?"
Katsuyu materialized in an alert state. "Sakura! Where have you been? Lady Tsunade is still in a coma, but she is very near to waking up. You should return to the village. I'm sure with your presence she'd awaken."
"I cannot return just yet, Katsuyu. There is one more thing I must do then I will return to Konohagakure," Sakura promised.
"Lady Tsunade would not want her apprentice to risk her life needlessly," the slug warned.
"Master Tsunade taught me how to carry my weight in a fight and prove a necessary member of a powerful team," Sakura argued. "And I'm under orders by the Interim Hokage. You're dismissed."
"You're going to get me into trouble," Kakashi complained scratching the top of his head and ruffling his already messy hair.
"So where are we headed, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked stretching his arms and cracking his neck from side to side eagerly.
"From Sakura's evidence and Nara's reports the seven-tails is from Takigakure-the Village Hidden by a Waterfall. It's a small village that is very difficult to penetrate. The only way to access it is by utilizing the underground cave system that exits into the middle of the big lake," Kakashi said. He raised the cover over his Sharingan eye, kept his eyelid closed tight and rubbed his brow before covering it up again.
"Kakashi-sensei, I have learned quite a bit about the Sharingan on my last mission. I might be able to ease your headache," Sakura offered.
"Another time, Sakura. You need to rest and restore your energy. You should have waited to heal Naruto too," the copy ninja admonished. "You had just regained consciousness yourself."
"And maybe you shouldn't have re-injured my ribs. You know you're going to have to fix them later," Naruto said slinging his arm around her shoulders and then cringing. "Or maybe Kurama will have pity on me."
"Where are the others? Aoba, Yamato, Motoi?" Kakashi asked.
Killer Bee focused his attention on his feet. "Fukai, the former jinchuriki for Gyuki—my tailed-beast, attacked us. Motoi sacrificed himself—or would have.."he trailed off.
"Octopops went back into the fray and saved Motoi and somehow reasoned with Fukai and he was able to break his zombie jutsu," Naruto explained. "Motoi and Aoba were both hurt pretty bad and are recovering in a nearby village. And, Yamato was captured while Bee was fighting and I was unconscious from a run in with that Black Zetsu. We need to find him."
"Yamato was experimented on by Orochimaru," Kakashi reasoned. "He was infused with the DNA of the First Hokage, Hashirama. Madaara most likely intends to use him to strength his army of those clones."
"Do you think he'll be okay?" Sakura asked worriedly chewing her bottom lip.
"Any clue as to where they took him?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto shook his head. "Kurama couldn't smell any sign of him and when I came to they were gone. And Bee was busy fighting for his life."
"It can't be helped for now. We need to find the Seven-Tails. That's our priority, but if we find any clue about Yamato we will be side tracking," Kakashi decided. He called forth his ninja dogs and Bull, Pakkun, and a all the others materialized. "All right boys, you remember Tenzo, he goes by Yamato now. I need you to track him down for me."
Bull ran past Kakashi and jumped on Sakura, his paws on her shoulder and knocking her to the ground and away from Naruto's lazy embrace. The large ninja dog licked her face fervently. "I suppose you two became good friends," Kakashi remarked with raised eyebrows.
"We'll find him for you, Kakashi," Pakkun promised. The pug looked over toward Sakura and Bull. "And he was worried about her when he was attacked and couldn't protect her."
"Don't worry about me, Bull. Go find Captain Yamato, please," Sakura requested. She gave the big dog an affection tousle of his fur. "So, our destination is Takigakure?"
"All right! It's been ages since our last mission together, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed with an excited fist pump into the air.
"It will be the first of many more missions I hope," Sakura said with a smile.
"We need to head out, but Sakura really needs to rest after her chakra exertion," Kakashi reasoned.
"I'll carry you, Sakura-chan! You hardly weigh anything so just get on my back," Naruto suggested crouching in front of her.
Sakura hesitated, wanting to pull her own weight. Of her options Naruto was the best. Killer Bee had a huge sword strapped across his back and Kakashi had already carried her for a pretty long distance. After a brief mental moment to run through her options Sakura climbed onto Naruto's back and wrapped her arms around his neck, the slid one hand down to heal his bruised ribs completely. She felt him give a relieved sigh.
"Which way?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi glanced around the forested area. "That way is north," he said gesturing toward their right. "And we need to head east. So we need to go that direction." He started to take off in the required direction and Naruto, Sakura, and Bee followed after him. "Keep sharp," Kakashi ordered.
OoO
"What I wouldn't give for some ramen," Naruto moaned when Sakura handed him his dinner rations. "First thing when we get back to Konoha—we go to Ichiraku Ramen—assuming it's been rebuilt after the whole Pain destruction episode."
"It was one of the first shops to open back up," Sakura assured him.
Bee was on guard duty while Kakashi slept and Sakura and Naruto ate. It had been a relatively quiet journey that day once they started toward Takigakure. At least, it had been an uneventful journey until Bee rushed back into camp and gestured wildly with his hands.
"News of the bad kind, don't wanna be behind. Some black and red clouds on the prowl," Bee explained.
"Huh?" Naruto ask with his mouth full of protein bar. "Black and red clouds does that mean the Akatsuki?"
"We must be on the right trail then if they are in the area. They are probably on their way to capture Fuu," Sakura reasoned.
"Did you recognize which Akatsuki members they were?" Kakashi asked-who was not quite so asleep.
"The Six-Path of Pain and the lady with paper wings, the two that share pain no one wants to gain," Bee answered.
"Nagato and Konan," Naruto clarified his hands forming tight fists. "I hate this cheap jutsu of bringing back the dead. We have to fight former enemies and friends alike. In the end, Nagato and Konan were students of Jiraiya and redeemed themselves by listening to reason. If Nagato hadn't believed in me most of Konoha would have stayed destroyed and so many would be dead-including you Kakashi-sensei."
Sakura placed her hand reassuringly on Naruto's shoulder. "Nagato's faith that you would find the answer remains. We have to do our best to help him return to the peace of the afterlife."
"While I agree we will have to face them, now is not the time. We must continue to find and liberate the last tailed-beast," Kakashi ordered.
"Yes sir," Naruto and Sakura chimed together. Bee nodded his acceptance of the order and the four of them set off to complete their mission.
A/N: I struggled to write Bee rhyming/rapping...yesh...what a stressor! But he's too awesome a character!