Chapter 8: Feeling

Sakura put her hands on Itachi's chest, pushing him away, but it was like trying to move a mountain with your bare hands. The door opened, and Itachi stopped, and sat on the bed, as where Sakura had scooted in the last second all the way over to the other side of the bed, and had the covers up to her nose, in case Itachi tried to pull something on her again.

It was Kisame, humming and holding a whole bottle of Sake in his trembling hands. Kisame started dancing inside when he spotted Itachi and Sakura. "Were you two having a moment?" he asked, looking a Itachi's somewhat annoyed but blank face, and Sakura trying to get as far as Itachi as she could.

"You know what you guyses need?" Kisame slurred. "Sake!" he yelled, downing half the bottle in one go. "Come on, t'ere's plenty of it downstairs." Sakura heard another voice singing behind Kisame, and heard a thud.

"I am okay…yeah" Deidara called, and came into the room as well, blinking when he saw Itachi and Sakura sitting on the same bed. Sasori soon followed, but he looked fine. "What happened in here?" Deidara asked, looking at Kisame.

Itachi was silent while Sakura proceeded in denying it all. "N-n-nothing happened! We were…talking. Yeah! Arguing is more like it…but that's all!" she laughed nervously and fell off the bed. "Oops." She laughed again and blushing a deeper shade of red she got back in the bed and put the covers way over her head. She did not want to be seen by any of them, and she was so tired the thought of them wanting to party all night long sent a twinge of annoyance.

"Aw, Sakura-chan…come on we're going to go get more sake, come with us, yeah." Deidara said.

"We have a right to celebrate, we have bait, and Itachi you're as strong as hell we practically already have that kyuubi in the bag." Kisame said, nonchalantly. Sakura's eyes widened under the covers then her face turned angry.

"No. I'm not quite feeling well. I think I'll stay in here." Sakura replied, her voice muffled by the white sheets that didn't seem quite comfortable anymore to her.

She felt Itachi get off the bed, and heard the door close, mumbles of "Party-pooper" and "Fun-sucker" drifting out with them. The other bed squeaked as someone lay on it, and she realized Itachi was still in the room. She "humphed" and turned around to face the other way, Itachi laying on his back staring at the ceiling.

"Don't try to escape I'll know if you try." Itachi said, but Sakura ignored him. Since when was he allowed to do something like that! He stole my first kiss…the one that was meant for…Sasuke. I just cheated on Sasuke.

Sakura! Inner Sakura intervened. You did NOT cheat on Sasuke…you were never

WITH him in the first place!

Well THANKS for pointing that out. Sakura retorted, her fists unconsciously tightening and loosening.

But it's true. Face it Sakura, he didn't love you…didn't love you at all. Sasuke was just a childish crush you had when you were younger. He's probably forgotten about you by now…all he cared about was power to kill…

Itachi. Exactly…it's all his fault that Sasuke left. And he's using me and thinks he has a right to kiss me because of it. I am a traitor to Sasuke. Even if he did not love me back, he was someone special to me and by kissing his brother…the whole reason for this mess, the one he wants revenge on…I have betrayed him.

You didn't kiss him though. He kissed you.

Sakura was silent. He had kissed her, but she was talking so much it was probably to shut her up. Something done by his idiotic male brain, like the other night when he had pulled her to him for her body warmth. All these memories with the bonus of remembering him bathing ran through her head and her cheeks grew warm. Everything that has happened between us has been an accident…nothing more. She thought before drifting off to sleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Thank you." Sasuke said, his mouth so close, she could feel the breath on her ear. The tears streamed down her face. She turned around, Sasuke was there, but Orochimaru was behind him, and snakes were twirled around his body.

"Sasuke-kun!" She called desperately.

"I never have a never will have feelings for you, Sakura. Instead of chasing after me with Naruto, you should be improving your skills. You're worse than Naruto in skills…and you're annoying." His voice echoed in her mind, a new set of tears blurring her vision, Orochimaru smirking in the background.

"Syaonara, Sakura-chan." Sasuke murmured, and the snakes surrounding him shot out at her.

But something stepped in front of her, taking the blow for her. She looked up and saw Itachi, the snakes embedded in his chest but his blank face showed nothing. Now pain, not anger...he just stood there taking the blows for her and this time it was all her fault…

Sakura woke up. She wasn't panting, she wasn't sweating. She had this nice feeling in her stomach…on she wished would not go away. She looked around and saw Itachi on the bed beside her, and she remembered last night, and her stomach dropped sharply and the feeling was gone, but she felt better than yesterday and a somewhat guilty feeling entered her stomach as she remembered all the awful things she had thought about last night.

It wasn't completely Itachi's fault…it was there parents, for the way they raised him, especially their father, who was said to be strict and only pleased if Itachi was the top at everything, and didn't view Sasuke as anyone unless he showed any signs of being a child Prodigy like Itachi had been. It was also Sasuke as well and his stupid vengeful spirit.

She got up and began to get dressed. She was up achingly early, but she was going to use it to get ready and perhaps go downstairs and eat something…real food not the instand rame crap they had been having to eat for the past two days. If they even had to look at another package, she thought she might throw up.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After everyone had eaten, they had gone to the town's grocer to get more and better things than instant ramen packages, which Sakura enjoyed doing immensely. They were paying when a commotion began at the gate entrance. Kisame and Itachi were outside too, and Itachi grabbed Sakura's upper arm and dragged her out of the store.

"Ow, what are you doing?" Sakura asked, rubbing her arm. She looked at the gate and gasped. There were many ANBU, looking in homes. They didn't violate anything, but their means of getting the people out of their houses was forceful and crude. Itachi picked up Sakura and flung her over his shoulder, to her great protest and started to move. She noticed that Deidara and Sasori were trailing behind them.

"We can not let you pass!" Sakura heard an ANBU speak at the opposite gate where they tried to get away. She heard the drawing of a weapon, a couple of screams and the whistle of the weapon as it made it's way through the air. They began to run again and when they passed she could see the bloody and mangled bodies of the ANBU, their masks torn off and in pools of blood by the bodies.

I could have known one of those people… she thought, suddenly feeling nauseous, with the added discomfort of her stomach bouncing on Itachi's shoulder every once in a while. After a long while, Itachi finally set her down so they could begin walking again.

"We need to change our route, they're on to us!" Kisame said, glaring at Sakura as if were all HER fault that THEY had taken HER hostage. She glared right back at him, daring him to make this all seem like her doing. Kisame didn't oblige, but it was tense all around them in the air.

"Fine." Itachi agreed. "I say we head east, to Konoha again. They'll never suspect that we'd actually go to them…" Itachi said and began to lead the way. Deidara and Sasori followed until they passed by another city, going around instead of through it.

"We have to stop here. It was nice seeing you guys, and a pleasure meeting you, Sakura-chan, yeah." Deidara said, bowing and winking at Sakura before he and Sasori disappeared, leaving a smiling Kisame, a blank faced Itachi (Big surprise there) and a blushing Sakura.

"Let's go." Itachi said and they started to walk again.

-ANBU-

"Kakashi…no one would say if they had passed through here or not, but we found an article of clothing in one of the town's inn's rooms…one of Sakura's gloves…we believe they were here." An ANBU in a panda mask said, his body in a kneeling position as he reported to Kakashi. Kakashi nodded.

"Thank you. They would have probably seen us, so they changed direction span out from the opposite side of the city and clear out the forest…they must be in there somewhere, and we're probably not very far behind." Kakashi said, and the ANBU nodded, disappearing in a gust of smoke, preparing to spread the news to his and other teams.

I don't believe it's a coincidence that Sakura keeps "forgetting" her clothing everywhere. Kakashi thought. First at the river, then here. She's most likely either telling us she's still alive or trying to help us track them. Or both. He though, and smiled at his former student proudly.

-Sakura, Kisame and Itachi-

It was the next morning, the previous day and night nothing special, they traveled then. Sakura had snuck away, pretending to have to use the restroom, blushing and was currently hanging a piece of a shirt she had ripped in shreds to give the ANBU a "heads-up".

The day was half way and they had stopped for a lunch break when Itachi came up to her. "You dropped this." He said, and handed her the strip of her shirt.

Uh-oh, Sakura got caught! Lol. I am totally unsatisfied with this chapter, and it's so short but I got a complete writer block this morning…not to mention we celebrated the fourth of july yesterday and one of the sparklers landed on my toe when it was lit and it burned and hurt like hell, I tell you. I was seriously cussing and putting my foot in the bucket of water, even though it hurt it was mildly funny seeing me run around like that and a lot of people video taped me, at my expense…-sigh- Anyway thank you for all of your reviews! –hug- I'm trying to get these out ASAP for you guys!

Midnight-Miko666- Thank you for all your constructive criticism I'm glad you took the time to tell me! You know you're right, it wasn't that much of a fight at all but I'm not good at writing fight scenes…at least verbal fights. Physical fights I'm better atwriting…but sorry anyways, lol I shall try to make it up to you in the next chapter, as this one was just mindless fluff I pulled out of my dryer today….XD

Kasaiaisu- Thanx a whole bunches for your review! I try to make the Kisame vs. Sakura parts as funny as I possibly can…XD

Angel locket- I try to update everyday so keep reading please! –hugs- Thankies…lol

Kurenai Chinoumi- Thank you for your review I would so know what you meant if I knew what Sugoi meant! XD

Xinoria- Thank you for your constructive criticism as well! I know he's awfully out of character, but I've read so many other fanfics where he has been, I'm coming to a point where I kind of don't care, lol. But I shall try to get him In character for you, and I tried in this Chapter, please tell me what you think!

Sakura5584- It's my favorite reviewer! Lol –hugs- thank you for always reviewing I look forward for your reviews more than you guys look for new chapters in fanfics! Lol

-moonlitXkunoichi