Disclaimer

K. I'm not sure if I have to write these things but I will. I don't claim any rights to Naruto or the charecters. I give full credit to the rightful owners, blah, blah, blah. Except my story line. I mean I have no problem with them using it in Naruto, but I want credit if they do. lmao.

And you can dream, so dream out loud.

-U2

Sakura slid her window open when the sun appeared on the horizen. The scenary around her was covered in a damp visage – from the rain – and a slight haze. She watched a squirrel slowly moved out of its burrow and wander around the ground, looking for food. Her door slid open behind her, but she didn't need to turn around to know that Suigetsu took it upon himself to become her alarm clock that day. He hesitated when he saw her standing by the window.

"Sasuke wants to move now. Get an early start at the day, or whatever." The blue-haired man told her, tilting his head to the side when she didn't respond. "Are you feeling okay?"

Sakura's eyes followed the squirrel back into its home before she turned around and pasted a fake smile on her face. "No, I'm alright. Let's go." She walked passed him and out into the hallway. Suigetsu followed with a frown, but didn't say anything.

Did you sense that to, Houkou-sama? Sakura asked warily, her eyes darting around the main room before descending the stairs.

I did. Her inner demon responded.

Sakura looked up when Sasuke, Jugo and Karin entered the room. She followed them out the door and back onto the dirt path they had been following the day before. Suigetsu resumed the conversation of swords from the day before, though she only joined in half-heartedly. Her senses were all on high alert – as were Jugo's and Sasuke's, but she knew they were only doing it to be safe. Karin had gone back to glaring at the back of Sakura's head when she thought no one would notice. Suigetsu seemed to be the only one willing to talk.

"So, then I grabbed his sword right out of his sheath and stabbed him through the heart with it!" Suigetsu said, finishing his story. His proud smile disappeared when he saw that no one was sharing in his victory. He looked Sakura up and down in confusion. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? You've been acting weird all day."

"Huh?" She asked, glancing at him before looking back a the road in front of them. "No, no. I'm fine, really. Just a bit…. Tired, I guess. I didn't get to sleep until late last night."

Suigetsu nodded, bying her lie, and started another story.

The others remained quiet, listening to Suigetsu's stories in silence. It was hours before anything happened.

They were passing a large wooden building when the sun was directly above them. The road around them had grown in size and was meant for deliveries from carriages or large building had a field behind it with trees framing the grass and covering their view of the paths leading to their posistion. They were in the perfect place for an ambush.

Sakura froze when that thought entered her mind. The others – sensing her fear – stopped and turned to her. Sasuke took one look at her shocked face and pulled his sword out, Suigetsu copied him.

The pink-haired kunoichi took a deep breath and a step forward. "I didn't think it as your style to ambush people. I always pictured you as the 'jump head first' kinda guy, sempai." She called to the empty space around them, hooking a kunai on her finger and pulling it out.

"Very good, Sakura. You have grown." A deep, throaty voice congratulated from the trees to their left.

They all turned in the voices direction as another one joined in. "Though, I can't help wondering, did you actually wait for a better battle ground or did you not notice us?" This voice was higher than the last one, but still definetly masculine.

Sakura chuckled under her breath. "Geez, I thought you were better than that, sempai. If you couldn't tell then we might as well not be having this conversation." She turned to continue their path.

Suddenly, a man with shoulder-length white hair was standing beside her – facing her companions. He had a thick Akatsuki cloak on his shoulder, her group stiffened at this and jumped back. Sakura stayed where she was.

"I heard Deidara already offered you a posistion in the Akatsuki?" He asked her softly, she nodded. "And yet, you declined…. A shame. You did make things more fun around the manor. And, not only did you assist in Itachi's death, you murdered Sasori? Fasinating."

Sakura's expression iced over. "Why are you telling me things I already know, Hidan?"

"Leaving the Akatsuki is punishable by death, Sakura." Another man emerged from the bushes. He had a white cloth tied around the top and back on his head with a crossed out Waterfall headband holding it together. An Akatsuki cloak covered himself, the same as his partner.

"Aa. I am aware of this, Kakuzu. But, you both know that I killed Sasori, what makes you think that I won't kill you two, as well?" She asked, her eyes narrowing considerably.

Hidan laughed and pulled a metal pole off his back, the tip was pointed. "We won't know unless we try, right?" He pulled the pole back and swung it towards Sakura.

She disappeared and reappeared between Sasuke and Jugo. They slowly moved closer to her.

"What are we watching for this time?" Suigetsu asked her quietly, readying his blade.

"Don't get cut." Sakura warned them, her eyes flickering over to Kakuzu's submissive form and back to Hidan. "It doesn't look like Kakuzu's gonna fight, so we only have to worry about Hidan. Just don't let yourself get cut by his weapon and we should be fine."

They all sent her strange looks but spread out anyway, trying their best to ignore Kakuzu. Suigetsu was the first to make a move, he launched himself away from his allies and towards Hidan. His blade sliced through thin air as Hidan jumped backwards. Sakura pulled a handful of shuriken from her pouch and tossed them all at Hidan, he twisted out of their way only to find himself face to face with Sasuke's katana. Hidan growled and permormed the hand signs for a replacement jutsu. Sasuke's blade broke through the log and he landed on the ground, looking around them ferociously.

Jugo glanced up at his friends when his curse seal was fully activated and let out a low growl.

"Where did he go?" Jugo ground out, glaring at the broken log.

No one answered.

Without warning, Sakura spun around and held a kunai up. Hidan's weapon slammed into hers and he let out a laugh of pure joy. She growled in annoyance when he reached forward with his free hand and grabbed the wrist that held her knife.

"Game over." He said plainly, pressing his index finger into the inside of her wrist. Her hand fell limp in his and her kunai fell to the ground.

Sakura swore under her breath and disappeared, just as his weapon cut through the place her arm had been moments before. Jugo, Sasuke and Suigetsu regrouped near Karin when Sakura reappeared close to them, flexing her fingers.

"What'll happen if he cuts us, Sakura?" Suigetsu asked, watching the terror slowly disappear from her eyes.

She shook her head. "He'll be able to kill you in one move." She told them, glaring at the man in front of her. "Ready to quit screwing around, Hidan?"

He shrugged and twirled his weapon. "I thought you'd want a chance to warm-up."

Sakura frowned in response. "Hmm… well, I don't remember asking for that chance." She told him easily, flicking a kunai into her hand – seeing as her other one lay at their opponents feet.

He laughed. "No, I suppose not. But, you always seemed to be a shy kid, to me." He stated, glancing up at the sky calmly.

"Yeah, well, I'm a bit older now, sempai. I'm not the same little kid anymore." She said conversationally, balancing her kunai on the tip of her finger. "Well, we don't have all day. Ready to finish this?"

"Of course."

They both vanished. Metallic clashes sounded from all around them. Sasuke could barely follow their movements with his Sharingan, while Suigetsu and Jugo seemed completely lost. Karin had given up trying to find them with her eyes and was following their chakra patterns around. Suddenly, a hollow crack echoed direcly above them and Sakura was sent flying back. She hit the dirt path with a low moan. Hidan laughed and jumped back to his starting location.

They watched Sakura warily as she sat up with a groan. A dark bruise was slowly forming under her eye.

"That was a low blow, sempai!" She cried, placing her hand over her cheek.

"Hey, no one ever said I couldn't use Taijutsu." He argued easily, as he started twirling his weapon again. "Who's next?"

Jugo didn't waste any time and jumped towards their enemy. Jugo raised his leg and twisted around, sending a round house kick towards Hidan's chest. The Akatsuki easily caught his leg and aimed his own punch. Jugo ducked under it and swung his free leg at Hidan's. The second they collided, Hidan fell to the ground – pulling Jugo with him. They rolled on the ground – exchanging blows – until Hidan got enough leverage behind him to shove Jugo into the building beside them.

Sasuke swore and followed Suigetsu towards Hidan. If one-on-one wouldn't work, two against one would.

Or so they thought.

Suigetsu swung his blade towards the Akatsuki. Hidan jammed his pole into the ground – to keep Suigetsu's sword from getting any closer – and caught Sasuke's with his bare hands. He twisted the metal around and swung the sword – and its owner - away from him. Sasuke went flying and smashed straight into Jugo, both men let out grunts of pain and fell to the ground. Hidan ignored them and grabbed the front of Suigetsu's shirt, tossing him towards Sakura. She barely rolled out of the way in time, as Suigetsu fell into the small dent she had left.

Hidan laughed and darted towards the only unarmed member of their group, his weapon held above his head.

"Karin!"