Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto.

Author's Note- First off, I want to thank all my reviewers for helping me decide the pairings. I've decided the pairings to be SasoSasuSakuItaOC(Takara) and DeiShikaInoKisaOC(Miyu). Sasori and Deidara will sort of be hopping around and switching between girls from time to time so those of you who voted SasoIno or DeiSaku won't be dissapointed. Oh, and another thing. Deidara's a boy lol.

Chapter Four

The deteriorated structures of two ancient pillars steadily came into view over the horizon. Sakura guessed it was probably the remnants of the once proud village gates. As they entered, they were shocked with the impoverished state of the town. Families were camped out in the leftovers of their torched huts, scraping together what they could for shelter. Sakura's eyes softened when she saw a small child wail about a cut on his knee.

"There, there," she cooed, "It's okay." She pulled out a fresh bandage and a small bottle of antiseptic. The child cried harder when he felt the stinging pain as Sakura cleaned his wound. She finished up and tied the cloth snuggly about his leg. "There, all better."

He sniffed. "Thanks, pretty lady."

"Oh," Sakura blushed, "You're welcome." As the child hopped off, Ino smirked at her.

"Pretty lady, huh? Why Sakura, I didn't know you went for younger men!"

"Shut up," Sakura pretended to glare at the blonde. It lasted for about two seconds before both burst out into a fit of giggles.

"Are you the ninja from Konoha?" a voice shouted. The Konoha trio looked up and saw a cherubic man with a great belly stroll up to them. He smiled and held out his hand. "Good day, I'm the mayor of this village. We are extremely grateful for your service."

"Oh, it's no problem," Keiji said.

"So, is there anything you will need? Some rest perhaps?"

"We're fine," Sakura answered.

"Alright, but please make yourself at home. Now, who do I talk to about the mission details?"

"That would be me," Keiji stepped up.

As the turquoise haired male spoke with the mayor, Sakura and Ino let their eyes wander. The place was mostly populated by tree houses; hence the name Village Hidden in the Trees, but it looked like boulders had been launched at them, knocking down the walls and roof. Wow… whoever attacked the village knocked it up pretty bad. What could the attackers possible want with this simple town? A voice knocked the girls from their thoughts.

"Oi," Keiji waved to them, "Come on! We need to get to work!"

"Fine!" they called back.

Ino arched her back and groaned. She had been standing around for the past three hours, doing absolutely nothing. She sighed and slumped against the wall behind her. Keiji had gone to guard farmers as they tried to raise their houses again. Sakura had also gotten a more appealing job healing the injured. As for Ino… well, she was stuck outside the peeling village gates, watching for any "intruders".

"Pbfft, as if," she snorted, "I haven't even seen a freaking squirrel for the last few hours, nonetheless a person."

Cerulean eyes did a quick scan of the area before slowly slipping around the corner. 'They won't mind if I take a few minutes off… hehe.' Ino snickered to herself and tiptoed towards the heart of the town.

A mass of people crowded at the center of the village, where a freshwater spring ran. It used to be a fountain where citizens could come and fetch water, but now it had sort of turned into a sanctuary for the less fortunate who couldn't scrape together a home. But something seemed a little fishy… Why were there so many ninja guarding the fountain?

Ino raised her brows. There were about fifteen or so of the Village Hidden in the Trees' best jounin, standing alert around the fountain. Was their water so precious that they had to guard it so thoroughly?

They looked so serious… Ino decided not to question their motives lest she accidentally wind up in trouble. Keiji and Sakura would not like that. She sighed and continued through the streets, lost in her own train of thought.

Sakura wiped the sweat off her brow as she patted another child on the head. She had just finished healing his broken arm. He sniffled like the rest of the kids his age and ran back to his mother. For the last three hours she had been visiting family to family, giving medicine to the ill and healing the wounded.

It was very tiring, really, but her immense chakra source still remained high. "Hey, Yoshi!" she shouted to a dozing chuunin.

He bolted upright. "Eh? What happened, what'd I miss?"

"I'm going to take a break!" Sakura yelled.

"Oh," he yawned, "Alright Miss Haruno." He then pulled his forehead protector over his eyes and dozed off again. 'Wow, he's so responsible.' Sakura sweat dropped.

The Haruno girl stretched and groaned, relishing the feel of her exhausted muscles stretching. She walked through the center of the town, past the intriguing mass of people and the serious jounin around the fountain. She walked alongside buildings, looking at the simple architect. As she was about to round a corner, she suddenly bumped into something.

"Ow," the person she collided into grunted, "Watch where you're going!"

Sakura huffed. "Listen to your own advice! ...Ino?" Sakura blinked. There before her, smiling sheepishly was her best friend. "Wait, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be guarding the village gates."

"Hehe," Ino grinned, "Well I got tired of that so I decided to take a little break. And what about you? Aren't you supposed to be healing?"

"I got tired of that so I decided to take a little break."

"You copied my sentence!" Ino wrinkled her nose and tackled Sakura.

The girls giggled and prenteded to wrestle each other. Sakura locked Ino into a headlock with her immense strength. Ino growled and bit her arm. "Ow! Not fair!"

The blonde rolled out form her grip and spat. "Ew, you taste nasty."

"I bet you taste worse, Ino-pig." Sakura sneered. They had long past gotten over calling each other Ino-pig and Forehead-girl, but it was fun to bring them up sometimes.

"In your dreams, Forehead-girl," the blonde stuck her tongue out.

Suddenly, both girls gasped as they felt a familiar breeze rush past them. They could have sworn that they saw two shadows whirl by, with a few splotches of red on them. One shadow had a tiny touch of blue in the head area and Sakura saw two deep, scarlet dots on the other. For a split second Ino felt something cold and clammy, like a hand, touch her cheek. Sakura felt something warm fan her neck- like someone's breathing. And just as soon as it had come, the feelings were gone. They shuddered.

"D-did you feel that?" Ino sputtered.

"Uh huh…" Sakura shivered. Her senses suddenly picked up another chakra presence- there seemed to be two of them. Instantly, both girls whipped out a kunai and went into a defensive stance. Something was there… they could feel it.

Two black clothed figures rushed across the treetops, their feet moving so swiftly that it seemed like they barely touched the leaves at all. One shadow had an exceptionally long ponytail that whipped about in the wind as he glided through the air, while the other smirked and allowed the wind to smack his blue-skinned face. They saw a village up ahead: their target.

"Looks like it won't be long now," Kisame said.

"Hn," came the simple reply.

"Why do you think the leader sent on such a mundane mission?"

"I don't question his motives."

Kisame scoffed, "Whatever."

In a matter of moments, both partners had arrived at the Village Hidden in the Trees and were a bit puzzled as to why nobody seemed to guard the gates. They easily slipped through and hopped from branch to branch, since the village was actually more like a bundle of tree houses. As they made their way towards the center part of the village, two figures suddenly caught their eye.

Itachi saw a flash of pink, and Kisame a flash of yellow.

"Hey," the shark man grinned, "It's those girls again."

"Hn," Itachi grunted. Kisame rolled his eyes. Always the usual "Hn." Maybe he should start saying "Hn" all the time and see how Itachi liked it.

Then, Kisame got an idea. "Why don't we go down and scare them a little? It'll be fun."

The slightest of smirks tugged at the elder Uchiha's lips. "That doesn't sound so bad." Both males nodded and leapt down from the trees and snuck up behind the girls.

They smirked at the girl's startled expressions when the after wind from their fast arrival coursed past them. Kisame lifted a finger and lightly stroked Ino's cheek before disappearing in the thickets once again. Itachi bent down and put his face next to Sakura's, his warm breath fanning her neck. For a split second he was able to take a tiny whiff of her sweet, strawberry scent. Like Kisame, he too disappeared as soon as he came. As the girls recovered, the Akatsuki members watched smugly from the sidelines as they whipped out two kunai and went into defensive mode.

"Look at them," Kisame snickered.

"Hn," Itachi smirked.

Kisame and Itachi took one last glance at the females before heading toward the center of the town- where the true mission lay.

Sakura and Ino felt the presences fading, as if they were retreating. So far the presences had caused no harm, just shaking the girls up a bit, so they decided not to give chase. The remained defensive for a few more moments just to make sure, and when the chakra signatures were too far away to sense, they sank back down on the ground and sighed.

"You okay?" Sakura glanced at Ino.

"Yeah," she replied.

They both sighed again and put their kunai back in their holsters. Ino looked over at Sakura and saw that the pink haired kunoichi seemed to be zoning out, her eyes looked distant and fogged up. …She was probably thinking about Sasuke again.

Ino bit her lip. Should she tell her? Well, knowing Sakura she would understand and forgive Sasuke, but what next? Ino shifted uneasily.

Suddenly, a huge explosion erupted some distance away and townsfolk began screaming. They heard indistinct roaring as shinobi began to assemble into groups to fend off whatever caused the explosion, while innocent civilians scrambled about.

"What the hell was that?" the girls stood up and looked over. They quickly pumped chakra into their legs and hurried back towards the heart of the town- where the explosion was heard.

As soon as they arrived on the scene, it was complete and utter chaos. Women grabbed their children and flooded in random directions, desperately trying to find a way out. A great commotion was happening near the fountain, where they saw several ninja crowd around a certain spot. Occasionally, they could see a body fly up in the air: a dead nin.

"What's going on here?" Sakura grabbed a random nin and demanded answers from him.

"We're being attacked," he shouted as he tried to pull himself away from her.

"By who?" Ino stepped up.

"I don't know- two guys wearing black cloaks!" He tore himself from Sakura's grip and ran over to join the crowd of ninja.

Sakura and Ino threw their arms in front of them as another explosion ripped through the crowd of ninja, throwing them all back. Those who were closer to the source of the blast were killed instantly while the remainder collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. As the smoke cleared, the girls saw who caused it.

Standing smugly were two men, both sporting long, onyx cloaks like the nin from earlier had described. Patterned on the cloaks were crimson clouds, with matching red lining. The only thing you could see of them was their heads. Ino noticed that one had sickly blue skin, and beady, ebony eyes. He grinned, showing off wide array of sharp teeth. Ino shivered disgustedly. He looked like a shark.

Sakura was entranced by the other one. She knew that face anywhere- it was all too familiar.

It was the face of an Uchiha.

But not just any Uchiha, oh no, this one was the notorious murderer Itachi. She recognized him because he looked exactly like Sasuke, except with more matured features and two scars under eyes that were permanently Sharingan tinted. His hair was a contrast to his brother's: long and tame. He must have seen Sakura's gaze because he returned it with a stoic stare of his own.

"Ino," Sakura said, "These aren't regular ninja."

"What do you mean?" she said.

"T-These are… the Akatsuki."

The Yamanaka girl's eyes widened. Of course she had heard of the Akatsuki before. They were probably the most feared and infamous organization in the entire ninja world. Their members were said to be ruthless and vile monsters.

Itachi and Kisame walked over to the fountain and planted an exploding tag on the marble. About two seconds later, the tag detonated and sent huge chunks of marble sailing through the air. Kisame conjured a water shield to prevent any from hitting them. Itachi bent down to the remains of the fountain and found a scroll, still intact despite the blast. Advanced chakra seals and tags were placed all over the thing.

"So that's why they were guarding the fountain," Ino muttered, "There's a forbidden scroll implanted inside of it."

They watched as a familiar male with turquoise hair lunged at the duo. After a brief exchange of jutsus and punches and kicks, the man was thrown unconscious to the floor. Kisame stepped up to finish him off.

"KEIJI!" the girls screamed. Kisame stopped and Itachi looked over.

"We'll have to fight them," Sakura narrowed her eyes and drew out more weapons.

"Are you serious?" Ino looked bewildered.

"It's part of our mission- to protect the village, and to save Keiji!" Sakura shouted as she rushed toward the two. Ino inhaled and mustered up as much strength as she could, then too ran at the Akatsuki members.

Itachi cocked his head at them. Were they seriously intending to fight them? As Sakura neared, he easily caught her wrist and frowned. He'd have to kill her now- but it was such a waste. She had an exquisite voice- it'd be a shame to let it die. But he had no choice. Itachi punched her in the stomach, and, while she was recovering from the hit, he grabbed her kunai and stabbed her through the heart.

The Sakura before him burst into a cloud of smoke and turned into a log. 'A replacement jutsu.' She reappeared behind him and punched him in the face. He caught that too. Sakura grunted as he squeezed her fist, almost as if he intended to break the bones in it. Sakura leaned back and swept her leg under Itachi's, attempting to trip him.

Ino had went for Kisame and yelled as she threw numerous punches and kicks at him. He easily dodged them all. He mocked un-interest and pretended to yawn. Ino growled and infused chakra into her arms and quickly performed a jutsu. She then blasted him. Kisame smirked and drew out his gigantic Samehada blade. He placed it in front of him and allowed it to soak up the chakra powered blast, disarming it.

"What?" Ino's eyes widened. The shark man then wove his hands together in a complex jutsu and summoned a water dragon from the fountain. It lashed out at Ino and roared. She quickly rolled out of the way.

Sakura whirled around and roundhouse kicked Itachi. He caught that too. She growled and performed a turnover kick, aiming for his cheek. Using his other free hand, Itachi caught it. 'Damn, is there anything he can't catch?' Sakura thought, frustrated. She then transferred chakra into her hands and leaned back on the ground, anchoring her upper body while her legs were still trapped in the elder Uchiha's grasp. Then, she used her legs to flip him over.

Some distance away, Keiji gradually regained consciousness and groggily tried to focus his eyes. He gasped as he realized Sakura and Ino were fighting against the two who were about to kill him earlier. He saw them exchange move after move. And he watched as the Akatsuki members finally got the best of them and threw the girls to the ground.

Throughout the entire fight, Kisame and Itachi had purposely been holding back. They liked to toy with the girls- it was actually very entertaining.

"I think we'll kill you last," Kisame smirked at them. He and his partner then turned to exterminate the rest of the town. The remaining citizens screamed and hid as far as they could behind the ruined fountain.

"Wait," Sakura breathed heavily, "I'll strike you a deal."

Itachi raised his eyebrows. A deal? Interesting…"Name your price."

"Let the village go," Sakura swept her hands up to show them the shivering citizens poking their heads around walls, "And in return I will go with you."

"I will too!" Ino walked confidently next to Sakura. They weren't afraid. The mission stated to protect the village, and they were- even if it meant sacrificing themselves.

But inside the girls weren't too sure about this proposition they offered. There was a slim chance that the boys would accept her offer. They were just Konoha's most elite and beloved kunoichi, nothing more. And even if Itachi and Kisame decided to take the girls… there'd be no telling what kind of unspeakable horrors they'd endure at the Akatsuki. They might be forced to perform missions for them, or become their slaves, working until their very last breaths. Or maybe, something entirely different and wrong… They shuddered.

"No!" Keiji hollered, "Don't do it! Please, Sakura, Ino, don't."

"We have no choice." Sakura's voice was firm and strong. She glared at Itachi with as much loathing as she could muster, "It's for the good of the village and yours, Keiji."

Ino nodded in agreement. She shivered when she saw the creepy shark guy lick his lips. Itachi silently approached Sakura and circled her, examining her with crimson eyes, looking her toned physique up and down. Kisame did the same with Ino. She couldn't help but shake more at how he seemed to leer at her. It was disgusting.

Kisame had already made his choice. He wanted Ino. He liked the way she danced and how her body seemed to flow so gracefully, like the river itself. It calmed him since she reminded him so much of the water he loved. He wanted her to dance for him. But Kisame snarled slightly when he saw that she drew back from his hideous face.

Yes, that was it. His face. That's what it was ever about. Just because he looked like a shark didn't mean anything...did it? He growled. This world was only based on looks and nothing more. People only cared about looks. That's why Ino was a bit apprehensive about him- he was a gruesome shark monster. Inside, Kisame was a fun person and was a bit like Naruto- but nobody ever saw past his skin. Itachi was a sick and screwed up bastard, yet he got all the women because he was handsome. Kisame clenched his fists but soon let it go. By the time he was done with the blonde kunoichi, she would learn to see past one's outer appearance.

Itachi grabbed Sakura by the chin and gazed deep in her eyes. The medic nin pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him, determined not to show him any signs of weakness. The kunoichi knew she was probably looking into the eyes of death itself, but she would not tremble. The elder Uchiha was intrigued by her defiance and stared more intently at her.

Suddenly, Itachi crushed his lips against Sakura's. Her eyes widened and she let out a muffled gasp.

Ino and Keiji gaped. Kisame chuckled, "My, Itachi, you're so impatient. Can't you wait until we get back to base to play with your new toy?" Ino glanced at Kisame and backed away. She definitely didn't want scary shark guy to plant a smooch on her. The mental image made her shudder.

Finally, Itachi pulled away form Sakura, leaving her blushing and speechless. Her jaw hung open as she struggled to make some kind of sound.

"It's a deal," Itachi said. Usually, the Akatsuki didn't make deals like this, but this time it was different. Something told Itachi that he had to.

Keiji shakily pulled himself up, "No, Sakura, Ino, don't do it! You don't know what kind of men they are- they might not even hold their word."

The girls glanced sympathetically at their team member. True, there was no way to ensure that the Akatsuki members would hold their promise, since Ino and Sakura weren't exactly worth anything. Other than Sakura being Konoha's top kunoichi, they weren't princesses or anything worth keeping around for ransom.

"Don't worry," Sakura's eyes softened at him, "I'm sure they'll keep their promise. You just take care of yourself."

"Enough," Itachi said. He then hit a pressure on the Haruno girl's neck, knocking her unconscious. She gasped and her eyes closed, her body becoming limp and slowly sank to the floor. Itachi easily caught her and slung her light body over his shoulder. As he did so, that intoxicating scent that radiated from her cropped tresses found its way to his nose again.

Kisame had a notion to do the same thing to Ino. Though knocking her unconscious would ensure that she wouldn't attempt to escape, it was no fun if she was asleep. He pulled out his Samehada and aimed it at Ino's back. He could see her muscles tense. "Start walking," he commanded and gave her a jab in between the shoulder blades.

Ino obeyed and walked forward, her head held high. She shot a "goodbye" glance at Keiji before disappearing into the woods with Kisame. Itachi stayed behind and turned towards the aqua haired male. "When you return to Konoha," he instructed, "Tell them not to send anyone after us. These girls belong to us now." Afterwards, he drew back and followed Kisame into the shadows.

Keiji was left speechless. He stared at the spot where they stood for about an hour, his mind debating over what to do next.

Finally, after a long, drawn out silence, he stood up.

"I need to get back to Konoha."

Don't worry, Sasuke and Shikamaru haven't dissapeared. They will reappear in the next chapter! Yay! Or, "Boo" for those who cursed at them lol. Well, thanks again for reading.