DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!
Sakura stared wide-eyed at Fran, unable to believe her ears. She had expected anything, but not this...nothing had prepared her for this. In shock, her hand slipped away from Fran's shoulder, and disbelief clouded her green eyes.
"Of the...Ak-katsu-ki?" she stammered.
Fran nodded sadly, breaking her gaze away from Sakura's eyes in guilt.
"B-but Fran...how...how could...?" Sakura stammered, staring at Fran.
"When we went searching for the two who destroyed the Fire Temple, a ninja attacked me and almost killed me when a guy intervened and saved my life. I didn't know who he was because he wasn't wearing the Akatsuki cloak. But the second time I met him, he was, and I was shocked. But he never hurt me, in any way. He was so nice to me, he didn't even appear the slightest bit dangerous! Instead we fell in love and met up in secret every night. He even told me about the other members. He told me everything about him. But last night he wasn't there. Something must've happened..." said Fran.
"So...when you said that the Akatsuki might not all be bad...you were referring to..." said Sakura, realising what Fran had meant.
"Exactly, and I couldn't say I had met him could I? Not when love was involved...not when I can't live without him...not when he saved my life..." said Fran.
Sakura shrugged, completely at a loss of what to say or even think. This was one tricky situation that she couldn't handle.
"Please, please tell me that you won't tell anyone! Please Sakura!" Fran begged.
"I-I won't but...but Fran listen...how do you know that it's not some kind of trick?" said Sakura.
"Of course not! It can never be!" said Fran.
"But how can you be so sure? He might've even put his...um-"
"-necklace," said Fran.
"His necklace there on purpose to lead you into a trap!" said Sakura.
Fran had never gave the matter a thought. Could she have been too blinded by love to see the truth of things? But what proof was there that Sakura was right?
"And Fran...I hate to say it but...we're looking to wipe out the Akatsuki not befriend them!" said Sakura.
"If it was Sasuke...would you say the same thing?" said Fran.
This made Sakura quieten down and consider the matter. Sasuke, the love of her life, who had left them, abandoned them, even when Sakura begged him desperately to stay, even when Naruto and the others had risked their lives for him...he had still left.
And she still loved him.
"No...I wouldn't..." she admitted sadly.
"I'm sorry to have brought him up Sakura, but it was the only way you could understand how I feel," said Fran, watching Sakura's eyes fill with tears.
"I know, and I do, I do understand. But I can't help you find him...how can I?" said Sakura in a broken voice.
Fran understood. Yes, this was something she had to do alone. But where could she start? She had no clue as to what had happened. Nothing.
"Sakura...I'm sorry," said Fran.
"No, I'm sorry. What kind of friend am I if I can't even help you?" said Sakura.
"You have your reasons, and I understand. But I will find him Sakura. It won't end this way I promise. I've never been one to give up on something, never, and I'm not starting now."
Fran stood up, and raised her head towards the sky, watching each cloud go by and the sun's thin rays filtering through.
"What will you do?" asked Sakura.
"I'll search the whole forest and see what I can find," said Fran.
She was already moving towards the direction of it when Sakura got up and ran towards her.
"Wait, I'm coming with you," she said.
And the two kunoichi ran towards the forest, prepared to search forever if needs be.