A/N: Here you go - I'm updating a little early because I was already here and thought, what the heck.
Poor chapter five of this fic has been sitting, not even a quarter of the way done, on my hardrive for a week and a half now. I'm such a lazy little bee-otch.
Onwards - you, to the fic, my dear reader, and I, onto editing chapter 2 of Individualistic Monsters. If you're reading that one, too, then know that the next update will be tomorrow afternoon/evening or so.
Thanks for reading, guys. Love to ya all.
He found her awake and sitting up on the bed. She watched him quietly as he pulled off his cloak and folded it over one arm, wringing out his wet hair and retying it into a low ponytail.
"Well, what's going to happen now?" Her voice was low and gravely, proof of her recent imprisonment.
He set crimson eyes on her dirty form. "You are to train as a member of this organization. You will be my student, and follow my orders only. Any hint of betrayal to the Akatsuki and you will be killed without hesitation. Am I clear?" She nodded. "Now, you will come to the medical ward, for examination and any healing required."
Head bowed, she followed him down the long hallways, unwisely not mapping out her position and memorizing the maze-like passages. Her mind was reeling. The past two years had held so much pain and agony, physically, mentally and emotionally. Her pain was finally paying off. The mission was now rolling forward.
"I guess I'll pack, then say my goodbyes." She turned to leave. Tsunade's sharp call stopped her abruptly.
"No!" Sakura turned back, face confused. "No one can know about this. If we're to pull this off and be convincing, it's got to be a total performance. Even everyone here must think it's real."
"Not a soul can know?"
"No one."
She turned back to the door. Her hand gripped the doorknob so tightly that her knuckles turned white. When she finally replied, her voice held no tremor, only determination and acceptance. "Then I will do my best, if it is for the mission. Goodbye, Tsunade."
That was the last time the Hokage saw her.
The next thing Sakura knew, she was standing with a bloody kunai in hand, several helpless civilians lying dead at her feet. She felt nothing; she was numb. Then Naruto was yelling at her, hands grasping her shoulders tightly, his wide blue eyes holding hers. She could read the raw emotion in them. The disbelief and horror.
She struck out at him, hurt by what she read in his eyes. She didn't care if the kunai she held cut him; she thought only of escape. And so she fled, heart growing heavier the further she got from her home. Only when night fell did she allow herself to cry. It was the last time she cried.
A month later, the new issues of the Bingo Books bore her name in bold, fresh ink.
She nearly ran into Itachi's back when he stopped in front of a doorway. It had no door, but a canvas flap hung down, muffling the sounds within. Pushing past it, he left her to fumble with the cloth barrier as it swung back to hit her once he had passed.
"Kenishi-sensei?"
"Good evening, Uchiha-san," spoke a pleasant voice from the corner. Both Itachi and Sakura turned their heads in that direction. A tall, lanky man sat beside an infirmary bed, leaning over his patient's arm, which was stretched out on a metal tray. He didn't look up, opting to continue stitching the gash.
He finished with professional efficiency, gently bandaging the wound and giving the wounded man a small, quick nod. He cleaned up his tools, and disposed of his gloves. Turning, he greeted Itachi properly with a handshake.
"You haven't been in here for a while, Uchiha. You've been well, I hope?" He let go to attend to the gray bangs falling into his eyes. He caught Sakura's eye from where she stood behind Itachi's shoulder. "And who is this?"
"She's my new…apprentice." Apparently, Itachi was still a bit sore over the subject. "She has been in the prisons for a while, and an examination would be a needed precaution."
"Ah, yes. Follow me, please." He led them to the other side of the room, through an opening and into a small hallway. Turning to the first door on the left he opened it, ushering them inside. He picked up a clipboard from the rack on the wall and stuck a pen behind his ear
Heaving a sigh, Kenishi gave Sakura a warm look, before gesturing for her to sit on the table in the middle of the room. As soon as she was settled, he plucked the pen from his ear and set it to the paper.
"Name?"
"Haruno Sakura."
He wasn't surprised. Most of the recruits he examined were missing-nin or criminals. He was intrigued, though, that such a young looking girl could be the Haruno Sakura. "Age?"
She paused, and he looked up, almost seeing the cogs and wheels in her mind turning. Living in constant motion and away from proper civilization unlike a normal person could cause one to loose track of time. "Almost eighteen," she finally replied.
The next few minutes were passed as he weighed her and measured her for height. He did the usual reflex and sight tests. Matter-of-factly, Kenishi asked her to remove her clothing, scratching down information in his nearly illegible handwriting. He paused and looked up. Shooting a pointed glance at Itachi, he waited for a response.
"She is under my care. I'd like to be kept privy on her physical condition."
Sakura forced herself not to cast a glance at Itachi, knowing full well that his eyes were upon her. Ignoring him, she slowly slipped out of her ragged clothing, standing when the doctor asked her to. He gently prodded at her wounds, applying various salves to them, rotating the joint at her left shoulder where it had dislocated several days ago and she had merely popped it back into place.
He also poked and prodded at more private places, as was his job, and she endured without complaint, ever aware of the dark-haired Uchiha's heavy gaze from across the room. She shuddered lightly, then blocked him from her thoughts.
When he was done, Kenishi gave her a friendly smile, and presented her with simple clothing from a cabinet along the wall. The material was soft and black. The pants were a little big, lying low on her hips when she tugged them on. She snatched the breast band from her discarded pile of clothing, relieved when it was in place, slipping the shirt over her head.
"All seems well," Kenishi pronounced, "Damage done in the dungeons aside, of course. Be careful of that shoulder, and put on some weight, girl. You're all skin and bones." He sent her out of the room, catching Itachi before he could follow. His eyes hardened slightly. His voice held a note of warning. "I've seen how you treat others when training. Don't be so harsh on this one. Wait until she's healed up. If I find her back here because you've done something, I won't be happy."
Itachi nodded tersely, and left the infirmary, pink-haired kunoichi following behind.
The next morning found Itachi moving down the hallways silently, mere presence causing most he passed to move as far from him as possible. He entered the trainee's wing, stepping past a group of younger shinobi, moving to the door of the girl. He did not bother to knock, but opened the door without preamble, eyes immediately adjusting to the darkness.
He saw her curled up in the bed, sheet wrapped tightly about herself. Jerking the curtain back, he allowed light to flood the small space, frowning when she didn't wake. He stepped over to the bed and kicked the frame, hard enough to knock one leg free of it. The unsupported corner tipped the bed haphazardly, hitting the ground with a thump and causing her to tumble from the mattress.
She made a sound of protest, and a tousled pink head popped from the sheets. Shaking her head, she cleared the pink strands from her face, looking up at the figure of Itachi with cloudy green eyes.
"Members of the Akatsuki do not have the privilege of sleeping late," he commented with crossed arms and a slightly raised eyebrow.
She rose from the cocoon of warm blankets and rubbing at her eyes, groping about for her pants. She yanked them on unsteadily, tied the drawstring and looked at him expectantly.
He led her in a different direction than he had before, pushing open a set of double doors and letting the sunlight stream in. She stepped onto the springy grass and inhaled the fragrant air. The warm sunlight streamed down her body, lighting her hair and warming her cool skin.
Itachi waited, letting her have her moment, watching her lips quirk in some semblance of a smile. She breathed deeply once more, then turned to him, eyes brighter than he could remember them ever being.
He shifted, pulling off his cloak, then producing from it a small bundle. "Here is your breakfast." He then set both on a nearby rock. "But you must earn it." He heard her mumble something along the lines of "I knew there was a catch," and smirked. "I will test you in the three main areas of skill: taijutsu, genjutsu and ninjutsu. When I feel you are proficient in these fields, then you will eat."
Several hours later, he had to admit, she was indeed skilled. The reputation she had built for herself was built entirely upon fact, not rumor or exaggeration. He tossed the bundle of food to her and she dropped heavily to the ground, digging in immediately. An apple came sailing at his head, and catching it effortlessly, he caught her eyes. She lowered her hand and wiped the juice from a pear off her chin, turning back to her meal.
He looked down at the red fruit in his hand, rubbing it absently with his thumb. He thought that perhaps training this Haruno Sakura wouldn't be such a bad thing. She was skilled; she came at him with the intent to kill while training, something that very few of his sparring partners were capable of. She could possibly present him with a challenge, were she polished enough. Also, he could tell she was a woman of spirit. In due time, she would put up a little resistance. He relished the idea.
Biting into the apple, he was pleased by its sweetness.
As he ate, he was aware of her watching him, felt her eyes traveling along his form, studying him. He turned and quirked his eyebrows, eyeing her with his red stare. She sniffed and looked away, watching a bird flutter across the sky. Itachi allowed himself a tiny smile. There was the spirit he sensed in her, surfacing. It wouldn't be too long now.
"Come now, girl. Your break is over, but the day is far from done." He tossed the apple core into the brush. She groaned softly, dropped the empty cloth bag into the grass and rolled her shoulders. Stretching her arms above her head, she moved to face him.
"Ready for another go, huh? You know how the saying goes, burned twice and you're the fool."
The fresh air, food and exercise certainly had perked her up. Itachi moved into a taijutsu stance, deciding that he would analyze her more closely this time. He hadn't known Kakashi to be so good in that area, yet the man's former pupil was outstanding. She must have gone to a master and learned from him.
She didn't wait for him to be ready, already moving in quickly. She aimed a kick low to his side, which he blocked easily, recognized as a feint, then blocked the fist aimed at his face. Her mouth was set in a grim line, concentration evident on her face.
Itachi swiped his hand towards the side of her neck, aiming for a point that could throw her into unconsciousness if hit right. The outer side of her forearm snapped up, halting the attack, and in the blink of an eye, had slipped down so that her hand could clamp onto his wrist. Drawing back her free arm, she fisted the hand, then shot it forward, slamming it into his chest, then spreading it out. Pushing a little chakra into her hand, she sent him a little jolt, enough to send him stumbling slightly.
Realizing she shouldn't have used that little bit of chakra as her legs shook, she smiled ruefully to herself and looked up at her sparring partner. He was down on one knee, panting lightly, looking at her steadily.
"Who taught you how to do that?" He didn't hide the inquisitive edge from his voice.
It hurt her to answer. Any mention of her past stabbed her like a knife. "The 5th Hokage of Konoha."
"Interesting." He stood up, brushing his pants off, rubbing at his sore side through the mesh shirt. She'd hit him a good one there earlier on. "Now, let's take this up another level…"
Hours later, as Sakura collapsed in her bed after eating the dinner left in her room, she found herself to be smiling wider than she had in years. Oh yes, the plan was in motion; it was going far smoother than she could have imagined.
And, it didn't hurt that she was having fun beating the crap out of Uchiha Itachi at the same time.
Yeah...In case no one knew this, "sensei" doesn't just mean teacher. It's used quite often to address masters of a craft or trade and professinals of certain fields, like doctors.
Eurgh. I had such horrible issues spelling 'kunoichi'.
