Warning: A teeny spoiler for around 250-270 in the manga, but if you know who Deidara is (if you're reading this I'm guessing you do!) it won't be a problem. And I totally forgot a disclaimer, eep! (Thank you ItachiXme, your review was totally awesome and I'll respond to it fully next chapter!)
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, never have, never will. It's the property of Masashi Kishimoto (and all those other companies..blah! I dunno, but it's mainly his) and I think it's best that way:D
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Torn
Chapter 3
By Shanpuu
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This can't be happening… This really can't be happening. Any moment now I'm gonna wake up and this will aaaall be a dream…
Yep. Anyyy moment now…
Kakashi's hand gently squeezing his shoulder brought the pensive ninja back to reality. "Naruto. Are you alright?"
"No, not really," He answered honestly to his sensei, then nodded to the third man in the room. "But go on."
The two Konoha Ninjas sat before the mayor of Shunyou in his grand lounge, soberly discussing the disappearance of the third member of their team.
"Ah… as I was saying, three days ago a young boy from the village burst into my house in a flutter and gave my wife quite a shock; he was covered in blood and screaming about a demon shark and a nice lady." The mayor explained, "We calmed him down and finally managed to make sense of his words, and we found that the nice lady was undoubtedly Sakura-san and she had healed him, then… was 'captured by a demon and a shark-man in black cloaks…'" He paused, furrowing his brow thoughtfully, "I believe he said there were red clouds on their cloaks, but he may have imagined it…"
"A 'demon and a shark-man'? No, he's probably right…" Kakashi sighed, glancing sadly at his distressed student. "So it's safe to say the Akatsuki are involved."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. Akatsuki… took Sakura-chan?
"I'm very sorry…" The solemn mayor continued gently, "Quite a few strong Ninjas pass through the village, and we gathered them as fast as we could and headed down to the beach. But… we couldn't find any trace of the poor girl, and the tide had came in so any footprints there might have been were washed away…"
As the mayor's stark words sunk in, Naruto only grew more and more uneasy. When Sakura hadn't sent a letter for two days, he'd been worried sick to the extent that he couldn't even stomach his favourite ramen. When he hadn't received one for a third day, he'd been ready to charge out of the Konoha gates and find her himself, without even the faintest idea of where to go.
Thankfully Tsunade had visited him with Kakashi in tow before he could do so, and assigned the two of them a mission to head to Shunyou and find her. The Hokage had looked so apprehensive and tired that Naruto even found himself pitying the old hag; what with Konoha in such a desperate situation and now, her cherished apprentice going MIA, he really didn't blame her. He, himself, had barely been able to sleep. For three whole days he'd done nothing but worry about his missing team-mate and although he repeatedly tried to reassure himself…
Maybe Sakura-chan just couldn't find any paper!
Or… they've ran out of birds to deliver the message!
Or-or… maybe she just plain forgot
…it just didn't work. Sakura-chan was missing and nothing could distract him from that fact. And now that he knew it was the Akatsuki who'd taken her…
Clenching his fists, he suddenly stood and stared meaningfully down to his sensei. "Why are we just sitting here talking when Sakura-chan could be…" That line of thought was far too painful to explore, so he shook his head and tried again. "We need to hurry and look for her! Who knows what Akatsuki want from her?"
But if Naruto was entirely honest to himself, he could think of a very likely reason the Akatsuki would want her. And it ate away at his heart… "Why would Akatsuki take her, Kakashi-sensei? It-It's my fault, isn't it? They're still after the Kyuubi…"
Kakashi smiled reassuringly at his upset student. "They are after the Kyuubi… but I don't think it's that, Naruto. If they wanted to use her as bait to get to you, they'd have let us know somehow…" As Naruto mulled this over and decided his sensei had a point, the older man continued, "And Sakura is very intelligent… the Akatsuki seem to need her skills for something, so she's still alive. I'm confident she'll keep her wits about her and somehow let us know where she's at."
"But, saying that…" The masked man's visible eye closed in what was obviously a gentle smile, "We can't just sit around and wait, right?"
The blonde grinned gratefully to his sensei. "Right!"
"We should head down to the beach and I can summon my Ninken to see if they can find any trace of her scent."
"Alright."
His jaw set, his eyes determined, he resolutely vowed, "We'll find you Sakura-chan!"
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Itachi scooped the collapsed girl up into his arms; her limbs reached limply towards the floor, her only movement the slight rise and fall of her chest. She appeared to be in a deep, peaceful slumber but in fact, she had passed out from the extensive energy and chakra exerted in healing the leader's intricate injuries.
It was the third day of her stay with the Akatsuki, and the second morning she'd spent healing their leader, and already her progress had been more than impressive.
"I can… feel it already. After only two days…" The laying man's eyes, all that were visible in the darkness, were wide and excited. "My body, I can feel the mattress under me, I can almost move my foot. Her skill, truly it is amazing…"
The Uchiha regarded the man on the bed for a few moments, before speaking shortly. "It is fortunate."
Fortunate he and Kisame had happened across the young med-nin on that deserted beach, fortunate that she possessed the talent to heal the leader's extensive wounds, and fortunate that she'd agreed to do it so trustingly… perhaps stupidly.
"Heh… indeed it is."
Itachi continued to the door and as he left, he heard the crippled man's soft, mocking voice.
"But it is also unfortunate Itachi, mm?"
Unfortunate for the girl that Akatsuki could never give up on the Kyuubi; it was their ultimate goal after all and she was foolish for not realising that. It was possible that she'd escape with her life, however, but what a waste it was to a fool such as her, to one who was seduced so easily by the devil's tempting, deceitful words, but still- she was a necessary pawn in his grander scheme of things and because of that, he carried her to her room carefully, silently so as not to disturb her. Not because he cared, of course, but if she didn't recuperate fully and without interruption, it would just make things slower, difficult.
Itachi entered her room and laid her down on her bed, gently sliding his hands from under her. He took one of her hands in his and reaffixed the black band to her wrist, and then proceeded to do the same with the other. As he lifted his weight from the bed and turned to walk out, a soft, strangled cry escaped her lips.
He turned to regard her.
Slender fingers desperately clenched and rumpled the sheets, her breathing came fast and shallow, her eyelids twitched from the frantic movement of the eyes beneath them, as if seeing something so alarming, so terrifying…
Itachi wondered uninterestedly if she was having a nightmare. Silently, he turned again and made for the door, ignoring Sakura's desperate cries.
"Sa… Sasuke…kun…" The trembling girl sobbed, hiccoughing slightly, "Nnng…p-please don't die… I-I love you…"
At the door frame Itachi froze. Slowly, blood red eyes turned to the twitching girl on the bed and as he stared a single, solitary tear slid silently down her pale skin, glistening a trail in its wake. For a moment, Itachi only stared, barely aware that his fingers were splintering the wood of the doorframe he clutched beneath them.
Suddenly, in his mind, everything fell into place.
Eyes narrowed and mouth curled in mild disgust, he spun and exited the room, shutting the door heavily behind him.
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I will find you… brother…
A cloaked man fought valiantly against the ferocious snow-storm, his dark figure cutting a stark contrast against the blinding sea of white that desperately tried to swallow him. Although at first glance many would guess him an unfortunate lost soul aimlessly trying to break free of the blizzard's icy grip, this man knew exactly where he was going and what he'd do when he got there. Guided by his unquenchable thirst for revenge and the knowledge that he could never look back, he persevered, only existing for his one, solitary purpose.
For this purpose, Sasuke had walked and laughed with angels, danced and dwelled with devils, but still his brother had quashed his efforts as easily as one swats an irritating little fly. And now, he only relied on himself, and only lived in the raw, unrestrained need to bring his brother's end with his own two hands. But he had been searching for so long; the Akatsuki had all but disappeared. Coming to the land of Snow… he was clutching at straws, and although he was following a vague rumour from a drunken man in a distant country, he had no choice… it was the only lead he'd had in weeks.
As Sasuke pressed on and the lights of a town in the distance drew nearer, he wasn't comforting himself in the confidence that shortly he'd be warm, rested and secure… instead, he grinned deliciously in the certainty that he'd soon be one step closer to his brother's demise.
When he reached town, he headed straight for the bar. Inside it was dark and gloomy, and a smothering blanket of smoke hung over the few patrons' bent heads. From experience, he knew that if anyone visited a town they'd likely first visit the bar… a place where gossip and rumours flowed almost as freely as the spirits, and where one was most likely to catch word of the activities of a certain group of criminals.
But the place was quiet and sombre; the only sounds a few hushed whispers and the clinking of glasses and bottles as the patrons miserably drowned their sorrows. It looked like he wouldn't be finding much here, but after his battle with the bitter storm his body was aching for alcohol, so he gently lowered himself onto a stool and a young barmaid hurried over to serve him.
"What do ya-" She trailed off, startled, as the stranger had removed his hood and revealed a beautiful face that was a rare find in such a squalid establishment. A beautiful face painfully similar to his brother's that he'd cursed and loathed, and was the cause of many a shattered mirror. "Wow… so pale. What are ya, a prince or something?" She gasped, leaning closer as she rested on her elbows.
"Heh," A hollow, humourless sound, "Just get me a drink."
The lady huffed, but nodded. "Whaddaya-"
"Something strong."
As the barmaid hurried off to comply, Sasuke closed his eyes and attuned his ears to the faint, soft whispers of a couple of men huddled in a distant corner. Their conversation was frantic, excited, and the Uchiha was hard-pressed to make out any comprehensible sentences. But he managed to catch a few words here and there.
…days… nin was…-napped… sissy cloaks…-you…
His dark eyes flew open. Sissy cloaks? Before the speaking man had time to blink, Sasuke had grabbed him by the collar and raised him, growling, to eye level. "What did you just say?"
Startled, he could only stutter. "I-I…"
"Tell me!" Sasuke's voice boomed, and every drunken eye in the bar was fixed on him.
The man's face was steadily losing its colour and a fine line of sweat trickled down his temple. "I-I said I heard a coupla guys in sissy cloaks kidnapped some med-nin down in Shunyou!"
"Sissy cloaks?"
"Y-Yeah… shit, don't ho-hold so tight! I can't br-"
Grunting in irritation, Sasuke dropped the man roughly to the ground and glared down his nose with piercing ebony eyes. "Explain. Now."
After spluttering and frantically rubbing his neck to stimulate the blood flow back to his head, the man finally heaved enough air to speak. "Black… with little red clouds, real sissy ya know?" Sasuke's eyes now almost bulged out of their sockets and noticing this, the man hastily continued, "S-some guy with red eyes and a shark-man… that's all I heard, I swear it."
"…Alright. Where is Shunyou?" Sasuke couldn't suppress the excited tremor creeping into his voice.
"Fire! The east coast of Fire… shit," He was still furiously rubbing his neck, "You didn't have to half strangle me… I'da told you if you'd just asked-" The terrified man froze mid-sentence. What he was certain had just been black, bled into deep crimson.
Sasuke, his eyes wide and now blood red, chuckled a low, trembling chuckle; the kind only breaking free of the lips of madmen. "I'm coming… brother…"
The patrons only saw the tail of his cloak as Sasuke leapt over a chair and sped out of the bar's exit, leaving it open in his wake. The barmaid stared after him , her arms now shaking and goose bumped, but she couldn't tell if it was from the cold night's air now streaming through the wide-open door, or the fear of her red-eyed 'prince'. She asked the question on everyone's lips.
"Was that… a demon?"
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It was exactly the same as yesterday. The last Sakura remembered she was knelt over the Akatsuki leader healing his injuries, then she'd woke to find herself in her room just as the sun was beginning to set.
I guess this is my life for now, huh?
The… routine-ness of it all was really getting to her. Bar leaving in the morning to attend to the Akatsuki leader, she was stuck in this room day in day out, and she really couldn't figure out why. She'd accepted the Akatsuki's proposition and was bound by it now, so did they really think she'd try anything that'd jeopardize it? Sighing, she supposed they were just being extra cautious. And with what she had planned, they'd need to be.
Painfully -her limbs and joints ached from all the exertion- she stood up and moved slowly to sit in the chair by the window where Itachi had sat the first night, and looked longingly at the beautiful, waning evening outside. Although she'd yet to see the exterior of the house, she wondered why Akatsuki would be staying at such a beautiful location; the very little she'd seen of it was hardly what she expected of the abode belonging to a group of S-ranked criminals'. From what she could see through her tiny little window, it was tantalizingly close to the clear blue sea and surrounded by fields full with flowers and trees, the beauty of which she'd never seen before.
I'd give anything to be out there right now…
If she closed her eyes and concentrated she could almost trick herself into believing she was out there, and the warm evening sunshine that bathed her skin wasn't obstructed by a thick sheet of glass.
She sighed, When Itachi comes to bring me my food… I'll ask him if I can leave this room, even for a little while.
If Itachi stayed true to the routine, he would enter her room any moment now with a silver tray, upon which there'd be a hefty meal and glass of water. And sure enough, she heard the telltale clicks of him unlocking the door, and then a creak as he pushed it open and entered. Sakura turned and watched as he placed the tray on her bedside table, precisely where he'd left it the day before, and turned swiftly to leave the room.
Her eyes narrowed, and she found herself clenching her fists in irritation. Itachi… always cool, always looking so damn perfect, his whole demeanour so emotionless and uncaring, never realising just how many lives he'd fucked up … Sakura really couldn't stand him. But right now he was the key to her freedom; so before he could exit the way he'd came, she stood and spoke softly, calmly. "Itachi-san… I'd like to go outside for some fresh air."
He paused and turned to her and after contemplating her words, "That is not possible."
Her composure began to crumble. "What? Why not?" He turned back to the door, and walked calmly towards it. As far as he saw it, he'd given her his answer and if she didn't want to accept it now, she could scream and cry until she had to.
Sakura saw red. "You're keeping me locked up in this room like a prisoner! There's no need for it!"
Again, he paused, but this time didn't waste the energy to look at her, "You are here for one reason only, Sakura-san. You'd do well to remember that."
"Exactly!" Sakura yelled, exasperated, "I wouldn't forget that. I'm holding up my end of the deal, aren't I? All I'm asking is for ten damn minutes of fresh air!"
"Because I swear, if you don't let me out of this room… I'm gonna go crazy."
Itachi stepped through the doorframe, pulling the door to behind him.
Sakura's mouth hung low in disbelief.
He'd ignored her, he'd just completely, utterly, fucking ignored her. The burning anger and resentment toward him that'd been building for three days erupted inside and filled her with a rage like she'd never known before. The pain in her body forgotten, she ran to the door before he could close it fully and jammed her boot in the gap. Crimson eyes stared through at her impassively.
"I hate you!" She screamed, glaring at him with all her might, "I really fucking hate you! N-Not just for this… but for every little thing you've ever done!"
Sakura felt outside of herself, screaming with reckless abandon at a man who she knew could tear out her throat in an instant, but scarily… at this moment, she realised she didn't give a damn.
"I hate you for breathing, for being born, for existing! I hate you for killing your parents and clan," She continued, her throat now dry and hoarse, "And I hate you the most for destroying your little brother! For fucking him up so much he…"
…left me… couldn't… love me.
Tears stung her eyes, but before even one could fall Itachi had her up against the wall, his hand clenched tightly around her neck, his nails digging painfully into her skin. His eyes were furious, full of blood-lust, she knew he intended her end, and suddenly, she became painfully aware of the fact that he'd killed countless men, women and children, killed his own mother and father without so much as a second thought… and it scared the hell out of her.
"You have no idea what you are talking about," He growled lowly, tilting his head as he tightened his grip.
Sakura gasped as her lungs hitched and burned painfully with the need for oxygen, her fingernails drawing blood on his arm as she instinctively tried to pry him off. Black spots appeared in the corners of her vision and with increasing panic, she realised that the end of her life was only seconds away.
Then, as it all went black, Itachi's grip loosened and she fell heavily onto the cold floor, her chest heaving violently as she struggled to fill it with air.
As her vision cleared she held her hands to her neck, rubbing the place where his cold fingers had almost stolen her life. Itachi turned from her and, seemingly having regained his poise, moved silently towards the door.
Sakura watched his back in shock. Wh-What the hell just happened?
Itachi was calm, collected, calculating. He thought before he spoke, thought before he moved… probably even thought before he breathed. But somehow, just by mentioning his brother, she'd provoked him into lashing out at her like an unthinking, untamed animal.
I hit a nerve, She decided, I definitely hit a nerve.
She heard him shut and lock the door, then sat, still panting slightly and listened to his disappearing footfalls. Then, when she could no longer hear his departing footsteps, the tears finally came. She cried frantically, partly from the fear of the whole situation but mostly from the fear of being only seconds away from meeting her end.
Her sobs only faltered when she heard his footsteps returning, steadily approaching her door.
He's coming back… now I'm definitely going to die.
Hastily, she tried to wipe away her tears and pulled herself up shakily onto the bed; if she was going to die at that asshole Itachi's hands, she'd be damned if she'd do it while crying pathetically at his feet.
He seemed to be taking an excruciatingly long time unlocking the door… but finally, he was done, and as the door handle turned, Sakura braced herself.
But it wasn't Itachi who entered. Instead, in stepped a man with blonde hair half-up half-down and clad in the standard Akatsuki robe, and when his piercing blue eyes fell on Sakura, a wide, almost maniacal grin graced his lips.
"So you're the little med-nin who's healing our leader, yeah?"
Her eyes widened as she recalled his face. It's him… from that time when we rescued Gaara… Deidara, right?
If it was possible, his grin widened as he moved towards the bed. "And why have you been crying, hmm?"
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A/N: Hi there! Thanks
for the reviews and favs- I've taken your suggestions into
consideration and I hope it showed in this chapter.
How is the chapter
length? I'm a newb to writing fanfics (but not to reading!) and I
can't seem to get the pacing right… reading back over my fic it
seems not enough has happened and I'm over 10k words now! Ah well…I tried to pick it up a
bit in this chapter, and yes… I'm evil for introducing Deidara
right at the end, but the next chapter will make up for that I
promise -evil grin-!
--- Review Responses ---
EnV: Um… let's
just say he is super hot, Yondaime -swoon- level hot. But
that's not important in this story right now. :D
Khazia:'The
Ever Calm Itachi' strikes again this chapter. I think Sakura had a
reaction very similar to what you described too! When I argue with
people I tend to try and make a dramatic exit… and mess it up
totally, like trip over my own feet or walk into a door frame.
-sigh-
LazyyShikamaru: Mm
cookie! Thanks! Glad like you liked their meeting, when they meet
again, well…
SweetAssassin:
Happy :D ?
Blacksheep18: Yeah,
I don't really wanna attempt to guess at who the AL is… Akatsuki
are so difficult to write about, so little is known. And thanks for
your advice, I hope this chapter is more interesting!
Mind At Loss: Hmm
maybe… maybe not :D
Miakoda13: Eeep…
he's even worse in this chapter, but I can justify it! Aaall in due
time :D and you're welcome!
AnimeFreak: Okay,
you won't kill me now right? …Right?
As always, any feedback is really appreciated… Ja!
