OMG, guess what?! I don't own Naruto…hehe, got you all psyched out for nothing…In any case, here to the LONG (and I mean really really long) awaited chapter! Sry for not getting back sooner, but I'll try every other week! Arigato for reading and review if you love me!!
Chapter 28
Sakura stared amused right back into Itachi's eyes.
He doesn't control my actions or thinking…I refuse to let him have any effect on me! Let's see his reaction to me when I don't do as he expects! I won't be manipulated by anyone!
A small thought passed through her mind that she had lost her sanity, but it quickly passed, replaced by the thrill of her adversary…and overcoming a great obstacle, her own anxiety and fear.
"You'd do well to mind what you say little kunoichi." Itachi whispered. But the low tone of his voice did nothing to alleviate the deathly threat underlying his words and anger.
Fear is nothing more then a prison that holds back weak-minded people. Sakura realized. I am no longer weak…Shikamaru once told me that "A fool follows orders from others, but a genius follows their own rules." I think I finally understand what he truly meant by that. I won't conform to what Itachi wants, and expects me to do. I won't cower and sit quietly waiting for something to happen. I'll make something happen, and I'm going to make it happen my way, by my own rules.
"And if I don't?" Sakura challenged once again, a satisfied smirk etched on her face.
"And if you don't, then you will learn the true depth of the torture I can put you through." Itachi whispered with a hard edge.
"Is that so?" Sakura egged the Uchiha on. The slight thrill she felt from having the man's threatening person near her gave her courage to continue her game.
"Your comrades are on their way as we speak, your actions dictate their fate. Is that enough of an incentive for you to hold your tongue?" Itachi asked evenly.
Sakura's breath hitched in surprise as her eyes widened slightly.
My actions dictate their fate? What kind of comment is that? My use is gone, he just confirmed what I've known for a while now, my usefulness has reached its limit, and I'm no longer necessary. In theory, I should be terminated! Hell, if I were in his predicament I wouldn't have even let him regain consciousness! What is this Uchiha trying to gain?!
And it was this last thought that set Sakura's blood on a low boil. Her eyes narrowed to slit as her breathing evened out and her muscles tensed in anticipation.
"What the hell does that mean Uchiha?!" She viciously spat out to the stoic man hovering over her.
Itachi revealed in the ability to throw the girl off. He doubted that he would have noticed the slight change in her breathing if he wasn't so close, but the way her eyes widened was enough of an indication for him to know that he had finally gotten her attention. And her anger had come on so quickly, he was surprised at how quickly she changed her emotions, and was even more amazed at how passionately she felt about her friends.
Any other shinobi wouldn't shred a care for their comrade's safety so long as they escaped. However this kunoichi isn't trying to preserve her own life, but save theirs. At the slightest threat to them she becomes obedient. What have they ever done to receive her undying loyalty?
Slowly the Uchiha bent down until he mouth was next to her ear. He felt her body tense, but she remained silent and unmoving.
"Tell me kunoichi, to what length are you willing to go for your comrades?" Itachi whispered in a dark velvety tone that sent shivers down the kunoichi's spine.
"Far enough." Sakura replied monotonously, her anger dissipating.
This has gone too far. I don't know the rules to this game anymore, and I don't think I have any more cards to play. I have to see what he is implying, but if I ask, that means I'm committing to his twisted mind game, but if I don't, what are the consequences of that?
"Explain yourself Uchiha." Sakura finally gave him, her voice sounding weak to her own ears and she felt her self fill with loathing at the man before her as the words slipped off her tongue.
Itachi smirked, her fate was now sealed...
OoO
"Hai." The men replied, and promptly they took off again, moving at an even harder pace then before.
Shit…this isn't good. We need Hinata in order to communicate with Neji's group. Shikamaru's gaze drifted over to the kunoichi. She'll need some time to recuperate enough chakra for to her to use the Byakugan. Geez, this is so troublesome…
"Hinata." Shikamaru called out while keeping his eyes glued to the horizon.
We also lost our "eyes." Hinata has been telling us where the Akatsuki and the other team are in addition to keeping us informed on the location of the bombs. Now we are running blindly while being corralled by these stupid bombs.
Unconsciously Shikamaru's jaw tightened. Their situation had escalated exponentially, and now, Shikamaru wasn't sure his team could pull it off.
"Hai Shikamaru-san." Hinata's voice carried over the wind whipping around them.
Shikamaru turned to glance at the girl. She was currently being carried by Naruto and he didn't seem the least bit affected by her weight. Shikamaru also noticed their speed, Sasuke had been correct, they were now doubling their pace compared to their speed before the assault.
"How long do you think it will take for you to naturally regain your chakra enough to use your byakugan?" He asked bluntly.
"HEY!" Naruto shouted indignantly. "She just got blown up! Leave her alone!"
"Shut-up dobe." Sasuke iterated annoyed. We need her ability in this situation. "Without her, we might as well turn around and head back to Konoha. He isn't insulting her, he is trying to think of a plan."
"I-its fine Naruto-kun." Hinata began hesitantly trying to placate the disgruntled blonde. "I'm not sure Shikamaru-san. If I activate it now, I-I don't think I could stay conscious for 10 minutes before my chakra ran out."
Shikamaru nodded his head.
Sakura would kill me for doing this, but I don't see much of a choice. She told me to only use them as a last resort, and currently I'm running out of resorts.
FLASHBACK
"Where'd that last burst of energy come from, huh?" Kiba asked the pinkette curiously.
They had just finished a rather brutal fight with a band of rouge ninjas. The Konoha nin had already been tired from searching non-stop for the group, and once they found them, the squad was surprised to discover that the united missing nin were a lot more numerous then intelligence initially indicated.
They had left on a mission to find five rouges that were stirring up trouble. Their cell was specifically picked for their abilities. Kiba and Akamaru was currently the top trackers from Konoha, Shikamaru's intelligence qualified him as the most capable ninja for taking out the group with the least amount of work and shortest amount of time, and Sakura's medical abilities and adaptive nature made her ideal for ensuring the success of their mission and decrease the risk of leaf casualties. Figures it was their luck that the band was run by five rouges and they had close to twenty under their command.
The extra ninja hailed from various villages, and were nothing special. The three-man cell from Konoha could have easily taken them on. But the five rouges turned the fight into something much more spectacular…they had greatly underestimated the enemy.
Most of the leaf nin's attention was focused on the strongest of the group, the leaders. It was common knowledge that groups without leaders fell apart, but their mission wasn't to take out the five missing nin that happened to be leading the group, their mission scroll said to annihilate the band of rouges. And that was exactly what they did.
While Shikamaru focused on taking down the ringleaders with Kiba and Akamaru, Sakura was left to deal with the extra trash. This wasn't due to skill level, but due to simplicity. Sakura's natural attacks were more aimed at taking out larger numbers of enemies. True, her teammates could do it as well, but it was just as easy for her to take them out.
Despite the low levels of the enemy nin, they got a few hits on the medic due to sheer numbers. Shikamaru had drawn the strongest away from her, she was easily outnumbered, but the thought never crossed her mind. She had made some sacrificial injuries, but for each scratch, two or more ninjas fell from her attacks.
It was one of Sakura's first missions as an ANBU operative, and she fought beautifully. It was a deadly dance of life or death, and at the end of five minutes, she alone stood, splashed with the rich red blood of her adversaries.
Sakura took a deep breath to relax herself before concentrating on her chakra levels. She wasn't dangerously low, but she was well on her way. With a quick check, she knew none of her injuries were life threatening and with that in mind, she took off to her comrade's battle.
She was shocked at the sight that greeted her. Shikamaru was down on one knee in front of one of the leaders. Three others lay unmoving in the foliage as Kiba and Akamaru double-teamed the last one on the far side of the clearing.
Without thinking Sakura disappeared for a second before reappearing at Shikamaru's side on one knee. Her right hand held a kunai in it that flashed threatening in the sun as her left hand rested on Shikamaru's back.
At first, Shikamaru tensed at her sudden appearance, but the feel of her chakra circulating through his body and quelling his aches made him feel relieved.
"Stay here." Sakura commanded quietly. "I've blocked your nerve senses, so you feel fine, but all the damage is still there. If you move too much, you're more likely to make your condition worse. I'll take him out, then heal you."
Shikamaru looked over at the girl surprised. He felt her levels, she wasn't very high, and that surprised him.
"You can't take him out with the amount of chakra you have left." He said bluntly, fully intending to rise and help her.
"I know, and I don't intend to." At that, Sakura's lips pulled up into a smirk as she reached into her kunai pouch to pull out a small green pill.
Without hesitation she brought the pill to her lips and swallowed it whole. Shikamaru looked over at their adversary, surprised the man hadn't tried to attack them yet. Nearly immediately he felt the effects of Sakura's pill. Her chakra replenished itself at an alarming rate, building until it was her usual level, then it surpassed that, filling the kunoichi with more energy then she normally ever had.
"Stay." She repeated before standing up and walking towards the renegade ninja.
Shikamaru watched in awe as she took the man out within minutes, without any trace of exertion.
After her kunai slit his throat and the man fell to the ground unceremoniously in a pathetic heap, Sakura turned to face Shikamaru and slowly walked towards him will dropping the weapon back into its respective bag without bothering to wipe the blood off.
The kunoichi dropped slowly to her knees next to Shikamaru before bringing her hands up to his chest and healing his injuries. Throughout the process, Shikamaru remained silently observing the kunoichi. He had never seen a pill give so much power back to anyone, and now his mind was in overdrive.
"What are the side effects?" He asked.
"Side effects to what? By the way, damn Sakura! I didn't know you had that much chakra!" Kiba said as he walked over with a limping Akamaru.
"I don't have that much chakra Kiba-san." Sakura said as if she was giving a weather forecast. Her eyes averted to catch Shikamaru's. "But I'm going to pass out soon, the additional chakra will leave my body just as quick as it came and I'll have some major internal damage to heal. Not bad for a med nin, but for another shinobi, it would be critical."
"Is it based on a time limit?" Shikamaru asked curiously.
"Before I lose the chakra? No, it actually works on the hormones in your body. Specifically, this one is driven by adrenaline. So long as your body is producing adrenaline, as it does naturally in all fights and rigorous activity, then the side effects won't kick in."
Shikamaru nodded his understanding.
"You're not exercising anymore, why haven't you passed out yet then?" Kiba asked.
"Even though I'm not fighting, I still have traces of the hormone in my tissues, but in another five or so minutes, that won't be true, and I'll drop like a brick." Sakura said good-naturedly, laughing like it was some joke.
"Why is that good, huh?!" Kiba shouted.
"Because it worked." Sakura said confidently as she finished up on Shikamaru and beckoned Akamaru over to her.
These could be very useful. It is true that I need to be careful with when I use them, but in this case, the benefits outweigh the risks.
"Any chance you'd be willing to let me have some Sakura?" Shikamaru asked lazily as he watched Sakura's hands finish up on the large dog.
"No. A med nin can use them and be okay. But if I were to give these to you, they'd wreak havoc in your system unless you had a medic close enough to heal before the effects set in." Sakura answered calmly.
"I'm not talking about taking any now. I mean as store for a last resort. If I'm as low as I was before, then I could have taken one. You were just finishing up the others and could have healed me in plenty of time. So, can I have some Sakura?" Shikamaru asked again.
"Kiba-san, are you hurt at all?" Sakura asked the shinobi, ignoring Shikamaru.
"Nah, I'm alright. Akamaru took the hit for me, that is how he hurt his leg." Kiba answered, his guilt evident for letting his comrade take his pain.
Shikamaru smirked lightly. She won't give up the pills…oh well. It's just as well I suppose.
"Come on. Lets head back." Shikamaru intoned as he stood up, relieved that he felt so healthy.
Sakura nodded her head in the affirmative and stood up, but before she could take a single step, she faltered. Her leg unable to support her body and she tumbled forward into Kiba.
On reflex the larger ninja caught her before looking up at Shikamaru questioningly.
"The side effects took over." He said simply before letting out a sigh. "Hand her to me. I'll carry her. You make sure our path is clear. We can't afford to run into any more problems on the way back."
"Right. Akamaru!" The shinobi shouted behind him before taking off into the foliage.
Shikamaru looked down at the kunoichi before reaching deftly into her kunai pouch and pulling out a bag with green pills. He took two and dropped them into his own pouch before returning the bag.
"Sorry Sakura, but you knew what I was planning anyway. There are too many advantages that these pills can give." With that he adjusted his grip and took off into the trees, trailing behind his comrade.
END FLASHBACK
"Hinata." Shikamaru said softly. "I've got a favor to ask."
The other shinobi looked up at him questioningly.
"So troublesome…" he murmured to himself. "I have a pill that you can take that will replenish your chakra fully. However, it has some costly side effects. Without a medic, there is a strong chance that you won't make it once the effects kick in. In theory, we will reach Sakura in time and she can help. But there are a lot of things wrong with that theory. Do you accept?"
OoO
"In order for the beetle survive, it started to leave its normal home and began living near another creature…the enemy of its enemy...the snake. At first, the birds suffered greatly, and started dying off from lack of food, while the beetles they once preyed on grew in numbers, thriving off the snake's existence. But finally, two of the birds, in a desperate attempt at survival, worked together to get a meal. One bird served as a distraction and flew low to the ground to draw the snake out of its home, while the other bird went to the snake's unattended home and consumed as many of the beetles as it could."
Shino looked over to Neji, his eyes hidden under his dark shades.
"Which bird would you rather be?" Shino asked.
"The one that lives." Tenten murmured sarcastically under her breath.
Neji ignored her. Shino's plan was their only chance of succeeding in their mission. But there were several factors that could go wrong.
What if both of them come after our group? We couldn't hold off two Akatsuki members, and Tenten is running low on chakra. She will be more of a hindrance that an asset. Furthermore, if both do come after us, the others would be more likely to come to our aid then go after Sakura. That would ruin the point of drawing the Akatsuki's attention. But what if-
"There is no point in trying to come up with all possible scenarios Neji." Tenten said. She was looking forward, but the hard glint in her eye told Neji that she was being serious. "We could 'what if' for the next month, we need to act. Shino's right, that is our best option. We just need a way to tell the other group."
Neji hesitated a second before nodding his agreement. He'd been so focused on the bombs exploding behind them and the Akatsuki in front of him that he hadn't spared at glance at his cousin in a while.
"I can handle that. So long as Lady Hinata is looking at me we can communicate through sign language."
"You never answered." Shino intoned subtly. "Which bird would you rather be?"
Neji was silent for a second, weighing which group would be more suitable.
Sasuke would be the most suitable to fight his brother. As much as I distrust the Uchiha, I have no choice but to accept that. Shikamaru would also be less suitable to fight these two shinobi then myself. He couldn't catch the blonde's flying bird anymore than he could hope to stop Sasori's numerous puppets. The sheer number would wear his chakra down within minutes. There is also Naruto to consider. With the Fox Demon inside him he would be seen as the main objective. With Akatsuki searching for the bijus, it wouldn't be wise sending Naruto in like that. Although, sending Uzumaki with the Fox into their main base sounds even less tempting. And Lady Hinata, she is also there. Kiba will protect her as much as Naruto, but sending her to the main base makes it less likely for her to actually meet up with any members. Sending her team as the distraction she will definitely have to fight. Besides, Shino and myself are more suited for taking on numerous enemies where Tenten is the top long-range fighter in the village. There really isn't an argument, the choice is obvious by all means.
"We are going to be drawing the bird from its home." Neji said resolutely.
Neither of his comrades looked at him, but the small affirmative nod informed him that his team agreed with his decision.
With that Neji shifted his byakugan to focus on the other team where he saw his little cousin in Naruto's arms, bringing a small pill to her lips before swallowing it.
Damn, I really really have slacked off haven't I?! But I know you still love me…right? In any case, I'm not promising regular updates, but I do have my own laptop now, so I'm catching up. I promise to finish this story, because leaving something undone just isn't my style. Review if you like and hold on for more!! Ja ne!
Kia
P.S. I know that the Flashback ended up longer than I wanted it, but it plays off the story and I couldn't really edit it without messing up the story, because the story will go back to it! XD
