I don't own Naruto so don't ask…dobe…

Chapter 21

I can't keep trying to conserve my strength! It hasn't gotten me anywhere, and as far as I'm concerned, it won't get me anywhere. I need a plan of action that will have some results. I don't even care if it works, I just need to feel like I'm doing something. I would rather die fighting them to being killed for losing any sort of usefulness they have tagged on me!

Sakura's anger flared as her pent up irritation from her capturers and situation began to fill her mind. But she didn't realize the amount of chakra she had unintentionally unmasked…nor did she notice the chakra signature moving to her location.

OoO

Itachi walked swiftly down the hall, moving with practiced precision, each step light and sure, taking him closer and closer to the kunoichi's holding room.

His face held the ever-present demeanor that expressed neither dislike nor care, like he was simply void of any emotion. And as his feet carried him further, an aura he was unfamiliar with crossed his own.

Itachi focused on the aura of the foreign chakra, trying to find out the source, and his discovery surprised him slightly, yet a small feeling of anticipation quickly followed.

The kunoichi.

Itachi knew the chakra was coming from her room, but he only assumed that it was the pink-haired captive. The thought that another may be trying to free her crossed his mind fleetingly, before he discarded it, knowing that nobody made it pass him while he was training in the field.

But, I wonder…why has she chosen now of all times to unmask her chakra? How cute, she thinks she can beat Akatsuki now. He thought sardonically. I suppose I should be a gentleman and remind her of her place, since she seems to be willing to test her limits.

Itachi's long steps brought him gracefully to the kunoichi's door within seconds.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of Itachi's mouth as he lifted his hand up and rested it lightly on the door handle.

Time to play.

OoO

Sakura moved slowly to the side of her bed and sat down softly on the floor with her back against the broad flat side of the bed, trying to get more comfortable in order to placate her anger. Her left leg stretched out fully as her right knee bent up to give her arm an elbow rest.

Damnit, I need to calm down! I have come too far to risk it all.

We haven't gone far enough!

As if, we don't stand much of a chance with the chakra inhibitors in this room. I barely have half of my normal strength.

That is more then enough to take out an Akatsuki member!

No, that will let me hold my own against them, not beat them. Sakura's reasonable side argued softly.

Bullshit! All we need to do is get close enough to cut a main artery! That requires skill not strength!

Shut up! We will fail with that sort of thinking. It may work on the first member we attack, but not the second.

They aren't that smart!

They may not be…but Sasori and Itachi are.

What's your point!?

That-

Sakura's eyes widened in alarm as her head snapped over to the door.

The fixture was plain and annoyingly mocked her captivity as always, but there was a difference. And this difference didn't deal directly with the door, but with what was behind the door.

She could feel the dark aura of chakra waiting to come in. How often she had thought that the darkness was almost ready to consume its owner. She feared the ominous pulsing of barely constrained strength, masked almost to perfection yet in an odd way, she felt awed by the silent promise of strength and power hidden underneath the sinister chakra.

"Damn…" she whispered softly under her breath.

Did my chakra spike when I lost my temper? It must have! It is the only reason for him to come here.

Sakura picked herself up off the floor and unconsciously went into a defensive stance, her left foot pushed forward a little farther then her right and a slight angling of her left shoulder gave her the ability to quickly defend an attack from any direction. She stared hard at the location her enemy would soon be appearing, putting up a façade that hid the anger and surprise of his visit.

Why did he pause? What is he waiting for?

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she watched the door handle turn slowly.

Get ready. She mentally warned her herself.

Sakura's senses went into overdrive as she watched the door slowly push inward and open.

She faced the man indignantly. Staring at him while attempting to work out the possible reasons for the visit.

Itachi watched her with a simple bored expression on his face, betraying the excitement he felt at the prospect of fighting the kunoichi before him.

He examined her tense stance. Inwardly, he had to praise the position she had.

Smart choice, she doesn't know my intentions, so standing that way leaves no openings, and at the same time, allows one to quickly block an attack. The only flaw is the lack of offensive opportunity…

Itachi watched her calm, almost peaceful expression, the only indicators of her tenseness were her slightly clenched jaw and…and…and something else. At first, the Uchiha couldn't quite put his finger on it as he silently scrutinized her. Something about her appearance simply created a fierce look about her, making her appear more dangerous and unpredictable. Suddenly, it hit him, her eyes.

They were still the cold jade color he had come to known, but the ivy color had become slightly darker around the edges and a small glint in her eyes gave the illusion of a flame that seemed to burn deep inside her.

That pride. Her determination to take on whatever comes her way. Such an unfettered spirit, unbridled and untamed by anyone, yet strangely obedient and loyal.

So much promise of strength and devotion shone through her green orbs, and the thought of it completely disgusted the man before her.

If she wants to live, she best fight back this time, I'm in no mood to deal with her obstinate attitude and I intend to play rough.

Both shinobi kept their silence as a tense atmosphere began rapidly building up from their intense stares.

Sakura consciously began forcing herself to remain still under the Uchiha's gaze.

Damn Uchiha…why does he have to bother me of all people?

She felt time drag by as the nonchalant man before her barely quirked an eye at her, yet his eyes were all he needed to make the kunoichi feel the weight of his presence.

Screw this immature staring contest…Sakura thought annoyed.

"Can I do something for you Itachi-san?" Sakura asked politely, though not bothering to cover up the slightly sarcastic undertone.

Itachi smirked at her remark.

"Hai kunoichi." He replied simply.

Sakura kept her impassive gaze on the imposing figure, but Itachi didn't seem inclined to further explain.

Should I indulge him and see what he wants…or should I refuse and tell him to go to hell? She thought darkly.

Tell his sorry ass to go to hell!

As much as I'd love to, that would be asking for a fight.

Then fight damnit! He left the door open! It's about time they knew who they were dealing with and we aren't going to get a better chance!

Maybe it is time they knew my limits…but still, I'm curious…what could Itachi want?

Itachi watched the kunoichi deliberate her choices briefly, weighing her options and the consequences of her actions.

"What do you want?" Sakura asked bluntly after a few seconds.

Itachi was slightly surprised at the forward question, yet he found himself oddly amused at her wording.

She is definitely one of ANBU level to ask questions like that. Though, I usually have even those from ANBU rethinking their comments. She holds no fear of me or what I could do to her. That means she is either ignorant or confident…but either way she is foolish.

"If you don't know what you want, you are free to leave. I don't care to waste my time in your presence if the only answer you can give is silence." Sakura spoke clearly, not bothering to hide her annoyance at the man for not answering her question.

Itachi's eyes narrowed at the girl in anger at the way she spoke to him.

"You forget your place girl." Itachi spat the name out like venom, drawling out the word to make it sound derisive.

His displeasure was made blatant in his tone, and he obviously looked down on Sakura. His posture tensed slightly as he restrained himself from slamming the kunoichi up against the wall and cutting off her air supply.

Sakura noted the slight shift in his mood, and the aggressive stance that subtly warned her of his intentions.

And now the fun begins…

Sakura let a small smirk appear on her face, as she shifted her right leg forward.

"No, Itachi-san. I know exactly where my place is…" Her left arm crossed the small of her back as she extended her right hand out in front of her. "My place is above trash like you."

Itachi immediately reacted, feeling thoroughly infuriated against her condescending tone and over-confident attitude.

Sakura watched as the Uchiha moved with god-like speed. Her eyes followed him like a hawk stalking its prey, yet her body remained motionless.

So, Itachi is as impulsive as his brother when his strength is questioned…how disappointing. I sort of hoped that Itachi would recognize the goading…

Sakura's head snapped to the right as she sensed his presence closing in on her side.

In one fluid motion, Sakura shifted her weight back while her left hand began dropping to a small concealed senbon attached to the lining of her pants. She slid her right foot back while twisting her body to face Itachi. Just as she secured her stance, the thin cold metal of the senbon fell into her hand and she met Itachi's attack head on.

Itachi's kunai was held tightly in his left hand as he met the kunoichi's weapon.

Annoying girl. How many weapons does she have concealed on her? He thought irritably.

He pushed heavily against her, but despite his added pressure, the kunoichi remained as stoic as ever, meeting him inch for inch.

Itachi pressed all of his weight against the girl in a second before jumping back and revealing several shuriken settled snuggly in-between his fingers. Sakura's eyes narrowed at the small weapons before she saw the slight shift in his stance. Almost immediately, her eyes widened in disbelief at the genius's speed as she brought her own hands up to make shadow clones.

Damnit! I didn't even see the signs, Kakashi-san wasn't exaggerating Itachi's skills at all…that is not a good sign.

Two clones appeared on either side of Sakura. Immediately, one of her clones intercepted the clone Itachi had just made in a blur of signs.

With a swift roundhouse kick, Itachi's clone was disposed of and the three turned expectantly to face the Uchiha.

Smugly, Sakura met Itachi's dangerous and hypnotic eyes, but the amusement clearly written across his face immediately sent her heart racing as she realized that she missed the trick, that Itachi's clone had simply been a distraction and she fell for the stupid show like a newly recruited genin.

Mentally, she cursed herself as she turned around to face the second clone that she hadn't even realized existed a second before. But it was too late, as a kick sent Sakura flying through the air and into the stone wall.

Sakura's back hit the cold cement roughly, and proceeded to knock the air out of Sakura, causing her to arch her body away from the hard wall while biting down the small yelp trying to escape her lips.

Sakura felt the wall shift slightly and a spider web of cracks emerged where her body made impact. Slowly, she felt her body pull away from the wall and she braced her legs to support her weight as she fell to the ground.

Pain shot up her legs and reacted rebelliously against her muscles, but she remained on two feet.

Tenderly, she righted her upper body as a small trail of blood leaked from the corner of her both. She could already feel the bruises on her back and the sting of the dirt and sweat in the newly acquired cuts and scrapes on the backs of her arms and hands.

Heh…two cracked ribs…I should have been ready and expecting it.

Sakura brought her hard eyes up to meet Itachi's gaze and she saw much to her disgust that he hadn't even moved during the time she was regaining her bearings. Her eyes narrowed at him and this time, she charged. Her two clones stood nearby, brushed off by Itachi as not worth his effort to dispose of.

Itachi watched her approach with the other two clones as if she was some simple nuisance. Once again, the Uchiha demonstrated his supreme and god-like speed as only a small movement in his hands gave away that he had performed seals for a jutsu.

Sakura watched as Itachi smirked at her, before she felt her legs become heavy and her body sluggish. Sakura immediately closed her eyes for a second and shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

Damnit! I can't be running out of chakra already! No, I have only done minor chakra enhancement and made a couple shadow clones! That's it, that's not enough to use up all of my chakra!

Sakura's eyes narrowed in concentration as she began racking her brain for possible causes while nearing her target. She rolled the metal senbon between her fingers before launching it at Itachi when she was within five feet. The man didn't move, as the senbon at first stuck into his chest before slowly being absorbed into his body, disappearing from sight, causing Sakura to stop short at his reaction.

What the --?!

Realization immediately dawned on her as Itachi closed the rest of the distance to attack her. The two shinobi became locked in a series of blows as they tested the limits of their taijutsu. While only half-paying attention, Sakura caught Itachi's punches while dealing some of her own, though none of her hits ever landed on him.

Damn him! I'm in a genjutsu! For all I know I'm fighting a damn coat rack!

Sakura felt for the small pressure that a genjutsu exerts on the mind, a force that represses what your own eyes see as the user implants a new scene and found the small weight, confirming her suspicions.

I haven't been caught in a genjutsu since I was a chunin! I can't believe I was trapped in it, and worse then that, I can't believe that I believed it for so long. I have always been able to sense an illusion before it is ever even cast…but this one I much more advanced. At least I can be thankful I'm not stuck in Tsukuyomi.

Sakura pushed off of the illusionary Itachi and landed squarely several yards away. She swiftly closed her eyes in concentration and began focusing her chakra. She quickly built up her chakra and released it in one quick second before quickly pulling the energy back into her body and circulating it to check for newly acquired injuries.

She knew she had escaped the illusion, but when she opened her eyes, she found that returning wasn't going to be pleasant at all. The Uchiha was looming not three feet from where her feet were planted, and the sluggish effects from the illusion were still causing her reaction time to slow.

"Damn." She murmured as Itachi's leg shot out and hit her full force in the chest, propelling her backwards.

For one brief second, Sakura felt the dread that would come when she came in contact with the wall again. But she couldn't linger on the idea of the coming pain for too long as she slammed into the hard cement. But this time, the wall didn't support the force of Sakura's body being thrown into it. She felt the wall crumble and crack before falling through and Sakura's body fell to the ground at a dangerous angle.

Heh, I used most of my chakra to break out of his genjutsu, I can't hold out much longer…

Down Sakura careened towards the earth as Itachi stood at the ledge and watched her body fall limply towards the ground.

Itachi watched the kunoichi's frame land in the dirt and a dust cloud lifted at her impact. The Uchiha jumped out of the large hole in the wall and landed lightly on the ground.

He stood silently staring at the location that Sakura landed in.

I should go see if she is dead or not…she wasn't half as entertaining as I expected.

Itachi slowly moved forward to the girl's location, stepping into the dirt that now floated in the air and interfered with his sight (AN:I mean that he was having issues seeing through all the dirt, his actual vision isn't effected right now in the Sharingan form). But two steps into the dirt-clogged air Itachi felt a large release of chakra.

His eyes widened slightly as he recognized the kunoichi's aura behind the power. He immediately pushed chakra to his feet and jumped away from her until he knew what the kunoichi was up to.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he watched as the dirt cloud dispersed from the winds that the power of her chakra emitted. His eyes narrowed as he took in her battle worn appearance.

How does she have more chakra now then she did earlier?

Itachi wondered curiously.

"Itachi-san," Sakura called lightly. She stood in the middle of the swirling air that whipped her hair around her face, and head pointed down examining her upturned hands as if there was something fascinating about them. "I apologize for my lack of ability previously…" Sakura said before balling her hands in fists and finally looking up to meet Itachi's gaze. "But I now promise that I will win this fight…for now, I have all of my chakra back."

Sakura smirked at her last few words and stared at Itachi with new determination shining through her.

Well, I know it has taken forever for me to get this out, but life should start easing up on me for now so I ought to be able to start updating every Saturday or Sunday evening again. I hope ya'll enjoyed, because it's not even over yet and Sakura is just getting started!

For those of you who didn't pick up on it, when Itachi knocked her through the wall, he also knocked her out of the room thus away from the chakra suppressors. Without those inhibitors, she is now almost up to full speed. Now use your brain here, if she has been concealing her chakra, the barrier couldn't absorb it because it was already absorbed within Sakura's body. But while fighting, performing jutsus forces the shinobi to unmask their chakra, it was during these times that the barrier really effected her.

Now keep in mind that the room has no effect on the actual Akatsuki members because it is their chakra in the field, in other words, their own chakra in the barrier keeps the barrier from acting against them.

Okay now that that is explained so nobody can ask me, please review and as always thanks for reading!! Ja ne!

Kia