The cave in which the Akatsuki chose to hold their meeting was dark, damp and cold. They had so ungratefully demolished the last location therefore Pein felt disinclined to procure a comfortable location again. In fact he was not at all pleased with any off the members as of right now.
"I am exceedingly confounded that a mere kunoichi of Jonin status has evaded you for months." he began, giving them the evil eye.
There where grumbles of discontent and narrowed eyes in response.
"Is it that you are too incompetent for this simple task? I should not need to address this issue considering those of you present are supposedly S-class shinobi." he shamed them, radiating disapproval.
"So the little bitch got away, who cares?" Hidan drawled, scratching his neck. "What do you even want her for anyway?"
"Her purpose is irrelevant to the fact that you have failed again and again at locating and capturing her." Pein said sharply.
Kisame growled when his partner turned to him in accusation. He was the one who had let her slip away. The kunoichi would pay for making him look like a fool in front of everyone.
"This time we will not underestimate her. That bitch is as good as dead. No, no. We need her alive." Zetsu added. The fact that he, the best tracker in Akatsuki, couldn't locate her was striking up feelings of inadequacy and resentment.
"All other missions will be canceled until she is captured, is that clear?" Pein demanded.
"Yeah yeah, we hear you." Deidara yawned. "I defeated and captured the Kazekage remember? This will be a piece of cake."
"Don't be so arrogant, she's smarter than she looks." Kisame warned. "Much too smart for a dumb blonde and his pet moron."
"That was mean Kisame-san! Tobi is not a pet, Tobi is a good boy!" the masked nin insisted, bouncing in his seat.
"It doesn't exactly take a genius to outsmart you Kisame. You're all brawn over brain, why else would leader pair you with Itachi? He cancels out your stupidity." Deidara shot back.
"Apparently not completely." Itachi tonelessly stated.
Kisame's cheeks puffed up, aggravated that his partner and Deidara were verbally ganging up on him. "I might be more brawn over brain but you have neither faggot!"
"FAGGOT?!" Deidara screeched, standing up. One hand slipped into his robe pocket where he kept explosive clay.
"That. Is. Enough." Pein demanded, deadly ire thick in his tone of voice. "I have a new plan which should expedite the process of capturing Haruno. It has been brought to my attention that the majority of Konogakure is still ignorant of her status. This of course includes it's shinobi, in particular the Kyuubi container. In the past the Kyuubi container has somehow, against the odds, successfully located their other missing teammate Uchiha Sasuke. If we inform him of Haruno's absence he should lead us strait to her. Akatsuki would then be able to capture both the Kyuubi container and Haruno at the same time."
"Sounds like a lot of assumptions and risk." Kakuzu said, skeptical that this plan would work."This is the Kyuubi we are talking about, the strongest of all the Bijuu."
"This is true, however, against nine S-class nin it will work." Konan pointed out. The rest saw the logic in her statement and accepted their new task without argument.
"From now on Akatsuki has one purpose. Capture and bring back the Kyuubi container and Haruno Sakura." Pein concluded, dismissing them with relief that a catastrophe had not occurred.
"Fuck you fish face!" Deidara exclaimed, launching towards Kisame. The ex-mist nin had been silently mocking him with overtly gay gestures.
In response to Deidara's attack Kisame chose to draw Samehada, swinging it towards the volatile blonde.
Fortunately Deidara was able to dodge.
Unfortunately the cave wall could not.
Samehada struck hard, creating a deep fissure which then branched into large cracks. Almost immediately there came the ominous rumbling as dust and small rocks fell from overhead.
The cave was clearly collapsing on top of them.
Ah...perhaps Pein had felt relieved a little too soon.
~(o)(O)(o)~ In Otogakure ~(o)(O)(o)~
"So most people still think I'm on a long term diplomatic mission?"
Kizashi nodded. "There are rumors that you're a missing nin but it hasn't been confirmed yet. The newest bingo book won't be published for a few more months, I'm positive that's when it'll go public."
"Well you two know, who else knows for sure?"
"The Hokage told us so I'm sure she had to tell the village elders as well. It might be as exclusive as that. What I can't figure out is, if only a few officials know for sure, why are there even rumors going around?" Mebuki asked.
"It must have been Anko." Sakura whispered. If everyone still thought she was in Wind, Anko was the only one to have seen otherwise.
"Anko?" Kizashi asked. As far as he knew his daughter had little to do with the kunoichi in question.
"I was using my summons to escape the Akatsuki and she was there, training in the summoning forest. I guess it's a good thing she's known to tell outlandishly exaggerated stories or everyone would believe her." Sakura explained, heaving a sigh. It had taken her hours to catch them up to what had happened to her during the past year. Her parents where visibly distraught at some of the details, especially the encounters with the Akatsuki. Sakura, for the moment, chose not to inform them of her mutations. Partly because she was nervous as to what their reaction would be and partly because Kabuto would want to be present during that particular conversation.
Kabuto arrived around 11pm with beds for her parents and to lock them in.
"Locking us in like animals..." Mebuki grumbled, shaking out a blanket.
"It's likely for the safety of our daughter love." Kizashi corrected while plumping up two pillows.
Soon they said their good nights, exchanging hugs, and turned off the lights. Sakura felt herself drifting in that state somewhere between consciousness and slumber when she heard a whisper almost too soft to interpret.
Who is that, crafting in yonder tree
Hear her call, beckoning for thee
Her gossamer threads gleam by night
Entice you to give up, forfeit the fight
For centuries she has called out in grief
Her moment of pride, made all to brief
By jealous goddess, vainest upon weaving
Superior to all, victim of self deceiving
For this crime, we cast a fateful curse
To gather vengeance, time must reimburse
Each moment of wake, each unconscious breath
We shall seek you out and bring you death
"SAKURA!"
It was her father's terrified scream that woke her from a dream filled with green lights and sinful song.
Only to find her hand holding the kunai piercing her mother's dying heart.