Chapter 4:

Later that night Sakura sat on her bed with her knees hugged to her chest. As she sat there thinking of her bleak future, she could faintly hear the noise of the television from the living room. She brushed back her bangs and heaved a sigh.

"What am I going to do?" She moaned softly. A knock on her door caused her to jump in surprise and give a startled squeak. She jumped down onto the floor and strode over to her door.

"Who is it?" She asked.

"Itachi." Sakura tensed up a bit and began deciding whether or not to let him in. Finally, she turned the brass knob. She observed him standing in her doorway with his peculiar bland look and his piercing crimson eyes.

"What do you want?" Itachi's eyes gave a dangerous flash as his temper flared.

"I suggest you take the edge out of your tone," he said in a cold, proper fashion. Sakura shrank back a bit and felt her nerves giving out. Satisfied that she had gotten the point, he continued. "We have received a mission to Iwagakure. We are leaving tomorrow morning at 4:00. I suggest getting some rest, you are coming along." Sakura was furious and scared at the same time.

Furious, because she felt they had no right to simply drag her around like worthless luggage. And scared, because she knew they could and they will, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"…alright," she softly agreed. Her eyes momentarily dropped to the ground. When she raised them once more, Itachi had already taken off down the hall.

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Kakashi took a deep relaxing breath as he gazed up at his tent ceiling. In the tent beside him he could hear Naruto breathing as well and constantly shifting around.

"You better get some rest," Kakashi suggested to his student.

"You should take your own advice," Naruto fired back obviously on edge. Kakashi sighed. He hadn't meant for naruto to get defensive about anything.

"Probably." After a long pause Naruto spoke up again.

"So you feel guilty too?" He confirmed. Kakashi gently nodded, knowing that Naruto couldn't see him through the green canvas.

"Yeah, something like that," he answered.

Kakashi felt horrible about everything he did and didn't do. He wished that he hadn't excluded Sakura so much. After all, he spent most of his time and energy training Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura was always the one left out. Kakashi suspected, it was for this reason she had become Tsunade's apprentice, because she knew she wasn't going to get any stronger training under him. And she was right. Her being kidnapped is truly the only time she had his attention in the past years. Kakashi felt that maybe if he had treated her equally and help her train more, that maybe she could have defended herself better.

Naruto's reason for guilt was of different circumstances. He was focusing on Sasuke now. He felt that if he had been less of a nuisance that perhaps Sasuke might've stayed. He would have realized something was wrong and would have saved Sakura from her kidnapper, But he was gone, and Naruto felt that it was all his fault. Right then and there, Naruto made a silent vow. He would become a better friend and ally. Perhaps then none of his companions would leave him, and his dream of being the Hokage might one day come true.

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Itachi was jerked out of sleep as a peculiar feeling drifted upon him. Something was wrong. The air was oddly thick and still, and the scent of blood wafted into his nostrils. Checking his clock he saw that it was 12am. He quickly threw the sheets off of him and exited the room.

His gut was telling him to go to the kunoichi's room. As he marched down the hall and grew closer and closer to her room, the feeling of unease thickened, so much that he considered breaking into a sprint. The second he turned the knob he knew something definitely was wrong.

His crimson eyes landed on the petite woman on the floor. Her hair was splayed around her and was resting in the pool of blood seeping around her. Itachi grumbled and went to her side. She better not be dead. If she was dead their leader would be pissed. They needed her to gain the full power of the Kyuubi. He placed a finger on the jugular vein in her pale slender neck. There was a pulse…barely.

"Kisame!" He called loudly.

Kisame soon entered after being summoned. His eyes were tired and unfocused, and his hair was unkempt. He immediately smelled the kunoichi's blood and took a few steps towards her.

"What should we do?" He asked. Kisame had no idea how to heal, nor did he want to. Medical jutsus bored him. Besides, as a murderer, he had no reason to heal people. Itachi looked up at his partner with eyes of casualness.

"I've memorized a few medical jutsus over the years," he answered plainly while forming seals with his hands. Kisame watched, as the eldest Uchiha began closing Sakura's wounds. She had a deep cut on her wrist, and a head wound from falling to the floor.

"Then why did you summon me?" Kisame asked grumpily. He was tired and had no desire to be up at this time watching his partner heal a suicidal woman. Itachi looked up for a brief moment and then began healing once more.

"For you to clean up this mess while I take care of her." Kisame narrowed his eyes at Sakura. When she was better and he was in charge of looking after her, she'd have hell to pay. The shark man was close to making a verbal protest, but a death glare from Itachi, who sensed this urge, made him hold his tongue and go find a wash rag.

Itachi lifted Sakura into his arms and stood up. Droplets of excess blood dripped from her and landed in the deep, murky pool beneath. Giving one last look at Kisame, he turned his back and exited the room.

As he strode down the hallway with the limp woman in his arms, he couldn't help but muse over the situation. He was aware she was unhappy with being a hostage, but to actually try to kill herself over it was unexpected. He now has to clean her up and heal her if they ever want to leave by 4am; it was already 12:30. Not to mention, this now meant both he and Kisame would have to keep a closer eye on her. She truly was becoming a nuisance.

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An hour later, Sakura was healed and sleeping on Itachi's bed. Her wrists had been wrapped since he didn't want to use too much chakra healing her, seeing how he was going into a mission in a matter of hours. Her head was healed and now what remained was getting rid of the dried blood clinging to her strawberry locks. He was now grumpy and more on edge than usual from sleep deprivation. Using a small amount of chakra, he ran his fingers through her hair and abolished the blood.

"How is she?" Kisame asked carelessly as he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. He appeared annoyed and on edge as well.

"Fine, just weak." The shark-man's eyes glinted with amusement, obviously finding something entertaining in this.

"I'm going to bed," he said, and turned down the hallway towards his own room.

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At 3:30am, Itachi opened his eyes and stood up from his place on the couch. He walked to his room to wake Sakura up. Kisame was already awake, as he strode into the kitchen fully dressed, and began fixing instant coffee.

Upon entering his room, he spotted Sakura was already awake. Though her back was turned to him, he could hear that her breathing wasn't shallow as it was when in sleep.

"Time to get up," he said coldly from the doorway. Sakura didn't budge an inch and remained trying to play off sleeping. Itachi was pissed. "You have caused me a big enough head ache already. Get. Up. Now." With a sigh, Sakura sat up and twisted her body so that she was looking into his eyes. He observed the bleak, dead look in her jade orbs. Truly, the eyes of a woman ashamed and bearing a hatred of life; her life.

"You saved me," she stated with a hollow tone. Itachi's expression remained the same.

"I need you." Sakura felt a bit uncomfortable with his reply. 'Calm down, he meant he needs your Kyuubi chakra,' her inner self snapped. "Now get dressed in something not covered with blood," he ordered. "I believe your dresser is full of clothes." She silently nodded and stood up, finding it difficult as her legs wobbled and threatened to come out from beneath her.

As she walked down the hallway to her room, she couldn't help but have the feeling that Itachi was hovering over her. When she entered her bedroom, she was shocked to see him follow in as well. She spun around to face him feeling lightheaded in the process.

"Could I have some privacy?" She asked. Itachi's eyes gave a dangerous glint suggesting that perhaps her tone was a little too sharp.

"You have lost that privilege for the time being," he answered coolly. Sakura bit her lip knowing what he meant by that.

"Could you at least…turn around?" Her tone was more gentle and suggestive this time. Itachi crossed his arms over his chest and turned his back to her.

Feeling more comfortable, Sakura began shifting through her drawers for something clean to wear. There were 3 drawers. The top one was underwear. Checking to make sure he wasn't looking, she slipped out of her own clothes and put on clean undergarments. The second drawer was shirts, she was a bit disappointed to find nothing but fishnet shirts, the next identical to the last. She pulled one over her head, satisfied that she looked good in it, and relieved thinking it might show her bra, but finding it didn't. The 3rd was black pants, again, exactly the same pants throughout the drawer. She pulled on a pair, glad that they fit her, and noticing she was now wearing the same outfit as Itachi and Kisame.

"Your Akatsuki coat is in the closet," Itachi informed her, still facing the door. Sakura nodded and strode to the closet, where she opened the small door. She was greeted by several Akatsuki coats, 5 in all, and immediately took one from the hanger to try it on.

She was surprised to find that it was made of light, easy to move in, material. It was perfect for her, and she loved the warmth it gave her.

"Ready yet?" Sakura turned around and nodded to his back.

"Yes…but where are my shoes?" Looking around the room she could find none.

"By the front door, where shoes belong," he answered taking his leave from the room and ushering Sakura to follow…

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I know, slow chapter, but I still have a bit of the Writer's block. Don't worry, I'll get rid of it soon pulls out knife I'll update ASAP, and perhaps I'll be able to get some more SakuIta going, along with having the plot reveal itself more. Don't worry, both those things shall be in the next chapter .

Well, bye

-Russian Princess.

P.s. I found something that I believe was kind of funny in the paragraph starting with "Time to get up." If you guess it, I'll give you candy