Chapter Twenty Five

Naruto had just left the hospital, completely disappointed with the teacher Kakashi had found for him. He sighed heavily and shook his head, smiling in sorrow as he passed by the bookshop, remembering when Sakura lectured him on reading the 'inspiring' magazines. He scowled, rubbing his forehead and trying to rid himself of the memory.

"I can't be thinking about Sakura-chan." He scolded himself. "She betrayed Konoha. She betrayed me."

BAM!

"OWW!" Naruto complained, holding the back of his head where he had been hit by something that felt like a rock. He turned quickly and his eyes widened, seeing a furious Hinata. "Hinata-chan!"

"Shut up!" She ordered. Naruto took a step back, seeing the murderous glint in her usually passive eyes. "How dare you?! Sakura-chan was nothing but nice to you, and this is how you thank her! You have no trust in her at all!"

"What're you talking about?" Naruto growled, baring his teeth at the Hyuuga heiress. "She's been working for the Akatsuki! To get to me! She used me!"

"No!" She denied. "She would never! How can you think that?! Sakura-chan was being used by them!"

"How...How do you know that?" He asked, unsure how to react to what she was saying. Hinata's eyes filled with tears.

"She's been dropping hints for years. I...I can't believe I never saw it. All those times when she said she had to go and meet someone...when she came back, covered in cuts and bruises. When she would always ask me to hang out with her, even though she knew I was busy." Hinata began to cry. "I'm so stupid!"

"Wait! You're telling me that Sakura-chan didn't betray us? Then...Then why did Akatsuki come to get her?" Naruto demanded to know, thoroughly confused.

"They pr-probably didn't want their se-secrets getting out." She stuttered through drying tears, pulling her backpack tighter on her back. "I'm going after her."

"I'm coming too!" Naruto announced, his face set with determination. Hinata spared him a cold glance when he wasn't looking and glared.

"A-Alright, Naruto." She nodded, turning away from him. Naruto noticed the drop in suffix. "But, when we f-find her...Stay away from her." The girl threatened, her glare causing Naruto to shiver. "Okay?" She asked perkily, a happy smile instantly replacing the glare.

"Scary." He whispered, following his new alley towards the gates. She shoved a cape at him as she pulled up the hood on her own brown one. "What's this for?"

"We're sneaking out of here." Hinata told him, facing the crowd. "And they're helping us."

—With Hidan and Deidara—

"YOU MORON!" Hidan yelled. "You Jashin fucked heretic!"

"Are you just going to insult me, or are you going somewhere with this?" The blonde asked in a bored tone. Hidan's eyes lit up with rage and he grabbed Deidara's collar and held him up against the wall.

"Shut your mouth, shit face." He growled. "Now listen, and listen well. I don't give a fuck about your undying love for Sakura-san—"

"I don't love her!"

"—but you need to get your head straight!" He finished. Deidara paused, glaring at Hidan with hate.

"What're you talking about, Old Man?" He scoffed. Hidan rolled his eyes at the name and continued.

"Out of everyone here, you're the closest to Sakura in age. Well, physically—no one can be sure about your mental age, after all, psycho." He snorted, dropping Deidara on the ground. "So grow up a bit. She's never gonna pick Akatsuki over that Kyuubi kid if the only person she can get along with is bad-mouthed Jashinist who is always tempted to use her as a sacrifice."

"You want to sacrifice her?"

"Oh for the love of—Deidara! Would you focus?! There's only one was to get her to be more loyal to Akatsuki than she is to the Jinchuuriki." Hidan sighed. "The Jutsu."

"You don't mean—?"

"Of course I fucking mean it! I wouldn't have said it otherwise!" He ground out, resisting the urge to punch the blonde all the way back to Iwa. "And you're the only one I'd allow to do it."

"Why?" Deidara asked, genuinely curious as to why he had permission to use that on Hidan's favourite Akatsuki member.

"Well, let's make a fucking list, shall we?" He said sarcastically. "You and Itachi are the teenagers—close to her age—and you actually fucking love her!"

"I do not!"

"So, it's my opinion that you'd look after her better if the full effects occur." He finished. "And that's all there is to it."

"...So, what now?"

"GO CAST THE FUCKING JUTSU!"

—With Orochimaru—

'Kabuto is an idiot.' The Sannin realised quite suddenly during lunch. His reason for this epiphany was the subject of Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. When Kabuto had found the last Uchiha for the Snake-nin and infiltrated the exams, he had overlooked the possibility that a shadow from their past was lurking behind the Uchiha, by the side of a certain Jinchuuriki.

Having a Haruno by his side to protect and serve him had always been a dream of Orochimaru, ever since he had met Haruno Amarante—coincidentally, Sakura's great grandmother. She had enchanted him with her green eyes and bright red hair, and only further drew him to her when she used her Kekkei Genkai to save Tsunade from certain death at the hands of a Hoshi. It was during his first mission out of the village and they had been charged with the protection of a scroll that needed instant delivery to the clan head—her father.

She was twenty four and already married—he was thirteen and experiencing his first crush. It was a match that was never made, and Orochimaru only looks back on it as an embarrassing story to tell himself sometimes when he forgets his humanity. He was visiting again in her village three years later at the age of sixteen and she had shown him a baby—her son. If Orochimaru had known the boy would grow to be a ruthless and cruel as he did, well, he might have taken him along with him back to Konoha.

However, he was very glad that he didn't. After all, if Orochimaru had taken Amarante's child, Haruno Sakura would have never been born. The pride of the Haruno clan and a prodigy who's name spread across the world before she was ten. As soon as word of her defection from her village had reached his ear, Orochimaru personally set out to find her, with or without permission from his 'Leader'. And find her he did.

The child was everything he knew she would be. Cautious, calculating and strong, with a hint of naivety. Perfect. Drawing her in to his scheme was the easiest thing he ever did—it was proven that she had lived a life sheltered from sly humans that would say anything to get their way. A foolish mistake on her father's part. There was one thing, however, that almost made him change his mind about giving her the curse seal. A minute bump in the road to his ascension to power.

She had Amarante's eyes.

Nonetheless, he quickly pushed that aside and continued his plan. What he wasn't expecting was for Pein to be so interested in her. Certainly not to want to have control over her through the seal. Needless to say, Orochimaru was less than happy to give Pein the key to a Haruno's power, but in order to remain in Akatsuki long enough to sway Uchiha Itachi to his side, he needed to oblige in any way possible.

"Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto called as he stepped into the room. "Is something the matter? You haven't moved in five minutes."

"Is that so?" Orochimaru hummed with a slightly chuckle. "It's nothing, Kabuto-kun. I just think that it's about time we collect our little blossom and bring her to Otogakure, where she belongs."

"Very well, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto bowed, leaving as Orochimaru began to laugh loudly at his own insane genius.

—With Sakura—

Knock, knock

"Go away, Deidara!" Sakura called, burring her face in her pillow. The door opened and she heard someone stepping inside. "I said go aw—"

"I am not Deidara, and therefore that warning does not apply to me." A deep voice commented, closing the door. Sakura immediately shot up from her bed and entered a fighting stance.

"Itachi. What do you want?" She asked, flinching when he used his speed to get closer to her. Itachi took her arm gently and pulled it down to her side, his eyes never leaving her face. Sakura boldly kept eye-contact.

"You're a traitor to both Konoha and Akatsuki." He stated bluntly, letting go of her arm and turning away from her. "I do not understand how you can still have attachments to a village that shuns you."

"You have attachments to someone who hates you." Sakura retorted. "I know all about your brother, Itachi. He was on my team and loved to blab about his horrible past. However, no matter how much of a bastard you are, I know you well enough to know you wouldn't kill your family in cold blood."

"So?" Itachi asked through gritted teeth, his firsts clenching. He hated that Sakura could easily stir his anger without even trying.

"I did some research—"

"Stuck your nose where it didn't belong."

"—and I found the mission file." She carried on, ignoring the interruption as Hidan had ignored Deidara previously. The Uchiha froze. "Is it true? Did Konoha force you to kill off your entire clan?"

"Yes." Itachi told her.

"Then I guess you're not as bad as it thought you were." She added.

"What're you talking about?" Itachi snarled, turning around to face the girl with a glare. "I killed my family on an order."

"Not quite." She smirked. "You failed your mission. The assignment was the massacre of the Uchiha clan. However, you missed one."

"...Sasuke..." Itachi whispered. "Is he okay?"

"Apart from dedicating his life to revenge, you mean?" She asked sarcastically.

"You never fail to annoy me, Haruno." Itachi growled. "I hate that about you. It's just your personality, even when you're not acting like yourself. Before I met you, no one could make me feel anger, nor pride, joy...jealousy, guilt." He paused to sigh. "How is it that just one girl can change someone so much?"

"The same way one Jinchuuriki could change me." Sakura smiled slightly. "Just by being himself."

"Aa." Itachi sighed, looking away. Sakura was quick to take his chin in her hands, having to stand on her toes to do so, and made him face her. There was a wicked glint in her eye and Itachi didn't like it one bit.

"Jealousy, huh?"

"Be quiet, insolent girl."

—With Naruto and Hinata—

"Keep your head down." Hinata hissed under her breath, tugging Naruto's hair and pulling his hood further down.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Naruto whined. "I preferred you when you were quiet!"

"That's exactly what you should be!" She growled at him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He complained when she dug her elbow into his side harshly. "I'm no good at sneaking. Can't we just jump out and hit them a couple of times?"

"Idiot." Hinata muttered. "What chance does a pair of Genin have against the Chunin that guard the gates, huh? None!"

"But, what if I use—?"

"If you say Kage Bunshin, I will kill you." The Hyuuga threatened. Naruto shut up instantly. "It's your signature move now! Everyone'll know it's you. And besides, Sakura-chan's in danger! What'll happen if we're caught now?" Hinata said to him, noticing the stiffness enter his shoulders and Naruto removed Hinata's hand from his hair.

"Let's go." He muttered, blending perfectly with the crowd as the two of them escaped the village. They walked on for a bit until they were two of the one ones left on the path, as the others had moved to the trees for quicker travel. The girl grabbed his cloak and dragged him towards the forest, where the stopped to talk. Once they were out of view, Naruto turned to the Hyuuga, both removing their hoods.

"Finally. I can't believe we got out so eaily." Hinata sighed in relief.

"Okay, Hinata, where to now?"

"...I don't know..."