Beta by: RedCommandar72. Let's cheer her for balancing her won fic (Really good), a full-time job and do beta reading for me!

A/N: I apologise for any and all error left, although we try, we are still bound by the laws of being imperfect humans.

1.8 Attack at the Manor

Whoever said surprises are fun has never been a Shinobi. Because in a Shinobi's life, surprise might just mean certain death. Itachi cursed his rotten luck as he dodged another set of kunai thrown at him and kept running. He had no choice but to keep running. He wasn't sure where rest of his team went, God help his enemies if anything happens to any one of them.

His last conversation with Naruto, an incomplete one, still lingers in his mind. She had asked him if he liked anyone. Not wanting to lie, he had said yes and watched her face fall, with a small mumbling voice she had said 'I see'. Itachi didn't know what to make of her reaction, he wasn't going to over think this, at least he was trying not to. Itachi might be way over his head, but the girl might just feels the same way about him. The thought gave him enough reason to get to her as soon as he could and finish this long overdue conversation once it for all.

Although she said I see, but Itachi knew she didn't. Not at all!

Itachi was few second away from explaining her exactly who this girl he was pinning after, for years now, before two consecutive loud explosions shook the manor, and they were forced to stop their conversation. Naruto and Itachi had wordlessly turned in opposite directions and made a dash towards the places where smoke was forming from.

"Itachi Uchiha!"

Itachi had to holt his mad sprint. To his utter disgust Orochimaru's pale figure was forming out of a freaking snake's tongue. Itachi gagged a little in his mind. Gross!

Now, Itachi wasn't a prude by any means, but snake saliva was just too gross no matter how you look at it. Period. Only person who seemed to enjoy this grossness was the snake Sanin himself.

"What is the hurry Itachi dear," the snake Sanin asked, licking his pale lips, grossing Itachi out even more. The dude just licked snake saliva! What a bloody creep! Besides, Itachi wasn't anybody's dear, certainly not that stinking Orochimaru's. Damn it!

So, Itachi just activate his sharingan in response.

"You are in such a hurry my dear." Again with the dear, who does this creep thinks he is?

"Do not worry about your comrades, the Akatsuki will like that pesky little yellow girl and the others will be disposed of shortly," Orochimaru helpfully informed Itachi.

How generous of him, Itachi mused sarcastically.

From Orochimaru's words, it was confirmed to Itachi that the snake freak was still playing house with the Akatsuki. He was sure the leaders, aka Pein and black Zetsu both, didn't trust the freak, but kept him as a side puppet anyway.

Orochimaru on his part was dying to get Itachi's eyes. Thus, without wasting anymore daylight, Orochimaru launched at his pray with full force of his jutsu, slicing Itachi's right cheek. Itachi moved out of the way for the next attack, not giving his wound much thought. Itachi was ready within a second and unleashed Amaterasu; the black flame.

Orochimaru's shrill scream echoed the hall way. Itachi sagged back deactivating his eyes.

"If anyone is dying, it is you, Orochimaru," Itachi stated and slowly gained his balance. He knew Orochimaru will not die that easily and the freak had his importance in the upcoming war, he also knew the damage he had done to the snake Sanin will force him to go into hiding for a few days. He left the black flame burning in his awake and speed up.

Itachi easily followed the sound of metal clashing and found Sai and Haku fighting Kabuto and some red headed girl.

Haku had imprisoned Kabuto, but he was proving quite effective against Haku's ice attacks. Both parties have in-depth knowledge about human body, thus making their tango of death quite a fascinating site. On the other end, a red headed girl was launching herself at Sai with speed all the while screeching at the top of her lunges.

Itachi disliked screeching people very much, it was uncomfortable for his good hearing. Before the red head could attack Sai, Itachi swiftly kicked the girl under her knees and she landed with a thud sound. The girl was quick on her feet, Itachi had to give it to her, she gained her footing before Itachi's next attack and faced both Sai and him with vengeance in her eyes.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Kicking a lady, really?" she screeched out, fixing her red glasses as well as petting down her equally red hairs.

"I am Sai and this is Itachi," Sai was quick to introduce. "Who are you?"

"Umm… Karin," she answered, blinking her eyes a few times as her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light in the hall.

"Holy shit!" Karin suddenly moaned out before they could continue to clash. "Why do I have to fight the hottest guys I have ever seen?" she complained.

Every sound halted in the hall on her declaration. Sai had his jaw on floor and both Haku and Kabuto stopped their struggle and gaped at her.

"Umm, because they can kill us if we don't?" Kabuto answered, pushing back his glasses, not looking very certain. He was bleeding from multiple places making Itachi even more impressed with Haku. The girl could fight, a very good addition to the Leaf village indeed.

"I don't care. I am not fighting them!" Karin said and packed her kunai back. Itachi had never been in any situation where his enemy had refused to fight him because of his looks. It was a bizarre situation to say the least.

"Find me if you survive, okay?" she said and winked at both Sai and Itachi before running down the hall, away from the fight.

"I am sorry about her, we are short on staffs these days," Kabuto explained. "You see, your village got hold of Jugo and we had not many good options left to bring with. She is a nut job, but she is also an Uzumaki."

The conversation was too weird for even Shinobi standards. The leaf ninjas looked at Kabuto with confusion. Momentarily they understood why the conversation was sounding this weird. Kabuto was stalling for time, he managed to break the ice prison he was trapped inside of and dashed towards the same path Karin had disappeared to.

Itachi tried to follow him only for his legs gave away.

A painful throbbing on his cheek reminded him of the cut Orochimaru made on his person earlier. As Itachi continued to lose the balance of his body, it became evident that the snake Sanin had poisoned him. Itachi cussed, he should have known their brief encounter as too easy and smooth for comfort.

Sai and Haku quickly reached the fallen Uchiha with worried faces.

"Find Naruto," Itachi managed to say, his visions turning hazy. Sai decided to stay and Haku ran along without wasting any time.

Soon Itachi started panting, his lower body had lost all its feelings and it was spreading quickly. He wasn't sure what kind of poison the snake Sanin had used on him. Whatever it was, if they don't find the antidote soon, he wouldn't make it back to the Leaf.

Sai was hopelessly looking down at him. His face deadly pale and lips trembling.

"I-," Sai began and stopped. He kneeled beside Itachi, looking panicked and unsure.

Itachi was fading fast and there was nothing he could do. Damn! Was this how he was going to parish? All the things which Itachi left pending was flashing in his mind. He had promised Sasuke to finally teach him that one jutsu the younger Uchiha always wanted to learn. He was two second away from finally telling Naruto how he felt. He had yet to fight off the Akatsuki's plan and kick Kaguya's deletional Godly ass. Damn it!

"Please don't die, Itachi. Sasuke will never forgive me if you do. I have lost my older brother to that snake. I can't let Sasuke lose his too," Sai pleaded, his voice coming out small and his eyes filled with tears.

Itachi wanted to tell Sai everything would be okay, but who was he kidding? Itachi had lost the sensation in his torso. It wasn't long for him now.

Damn it all!

Line break...

Naruto and Itachi had parted ways to cover the manor. She had found Asahi not too long after. Luckily, the noble man wasn't injured too badly, but he was slightly shaken.

"My love, what is happening?" Asahi asked with a slight tremor in his voice. The guards and servants were nowhere to be seen and smoke was coming from both the front and back of the big house.

"We are under attack, we need to secure you, my lord. Please follow me," Naruto said and turned to find a clear path.

They didn't take more than ten steps when she was interrupted by a puddle that was forming into a man.

"Hello!" the puddle guy said cheerfully. "I am Suigetsu, I like swords."

Naruto blocked his first attack easily, pushing Asahi behind her a few steps.

"I don't care," she said.

"That is a rude thing to say," Suigetsu pouted. "Say, are you the Nine Tail's host?" he asked cheerfully.

Naruto didn't answer. Suigetsu continued to attack and talk at the same time. "I heard she is smoking hot, that matches the description with you."

Naruto's temper flared. Yeah? If she was so hot than why Itachi didn't like her? When she asked Itachi if he was interested in anybody, she wasn't expecting a positive answer, but to her utter surprise and demise, he said yes. Naruto was seconds away from busting into tears, she wasn't aware exactly how much her feelings for the older Uchiha had increased until then. Now, she was torn between seeing Itachi happy with some other girl and strangling that same girl, whoever she is!

"Wow you are feisty, aren't you?" Suigetsu asked dancing around the whole place.

"You kno- what the hell?" Suigetsu was suddenly screaming. "Hey! Don't turn me into ice!"

Some of Naruto's tension released when she recognised the chakra flare. Haku was with them and she had frozen the loud-mouthed brat for a sword lover. Haku didn't even bother to acknowledge the screaming Suigetsu.

"Itachi is hurt let's go. We can come back for this one later," Haku said hurriedly, pulling on Naurto's hand with urgency.

Naruto momentarily lost her mind, only thing she was able to understand was, Itachi got hurt. A terror like she had never felt before shook Naruto to her chakra core.

What if -? No! she would not let her mind wonder to any negative territories. She refuses to lose Itachi.

Naruto followed Haku with a fast sprint, Asahi's existence was forgotten.

A certain fox suddenly felt a huge amount of negative energy forming inside his host and lifted his giant head.

So, an Uchiha was her weakness, how ironic! he mused.

Line break...

"I can save his life."

Sai's head snapped his head up to see Karin standing not too far away. Karin had pretended to run away, in reality she hadn't. Karin was busy eyeing the two delicious boys and was enjoying herself. Now one of them was on the verge of death and the other almost in tears. Hot boys and tragic scenes were just a huge turn off for her. She liked her boys brooding, sulking and all dark and mysterious, but dying was a big no no.

Sai took up a defence tense not trusting her words. Kain rolled her eyes and pulled down the collar of her top.

She pointed to the large number of bite marks all over her neck and explained, "My chakra is a naturally healing one. All he has to do is bite me and the poison in his body will be neutralized within seconds. I am the antidote for that poison."

When Sai still didn't show any signs of agreement, she continued farther.

"Look, as ninjas we all have some immunity towards poison, right? Well, this particular poison in your friend's veins is made specially. I helped Orochimaru develop it. Kabuto, Orochimaru and me are the only people who can counter it. Orochimaru was probably going to render this guy useless before taking over his body."

Sai still looked unconvinced. But a quick look at how blue Itachi had become and the painful groans coming from him helped Sai make up his mind. Itachi was already dying and with the rate his body was collapsing, the Uchiha was minutes away from certain death.

"Do it," Sai said, his eyes locking with Karin's. "But I am warning you, if anything happens to him, I will kill you."

The words from the pale guy made Karin flutter in her steps. He looked like an angel of death, all dark and angry. Delicious.

She quickly reached Itachi and pulled up her long sleeve, exposing her wrist. She gently lifted Itachi's head placed him on her lap and brought her wrist closer to his lips. Karin cursed when Itachi was unable to open his lips, his face was turning blue rapidly.

"Look handsome, you really need to bite me. Like right now!" she said, gently supporting her patient's head. Itachi remained unresponsive.

Karin soon realised, she should not have offered her help, this was a bad idea. Hot or not, this guy was almost done for. She could barely detect Itachi's heartbeat now.

She looked up at Sai and a cold shiver ran down her spine. The look on Sai's eyes made Orochimaru's glares pale in comparison. No one in Karin's wretched life had ever cared if she died or not. But these people, they actually gave a damn about their friends. Karin closed her eyes for a few seconds and let her past pains wash over her. An unwanted child, an orphan and a lab rat, that's all she was. Somehow the intensity of Sai's intension for saving his friend's life made Karin irrational and it reached to that tiny part of her, that still held hope.

With sheer determination, Karin bit down her own lips till blood came out and promptly bowed her head down and connected her lips with the lips of the injured shinobi.

Sai was startled by Karin's bold move but refrained from taking any action. Karin forcefully pushed her blood in Itachi's mouth while he made a choking noise.

"Good, he still has some strength left, now bite me damn you!" Karin sassed not moving her mouth away. Itachi was almost out of his consciousness bit down out of reflex.

Sai watched with astonishment that the blue poison lines in Itachi's body started to fade away.

This was how Haku and Naruto found the male members of their team. Sai was watching while Itachi was biting some one's lips while lying on their lap.

Both Haku and Naruto had come to a shocked stop. They stood there and took in the scene. After which felt like hours, in reality which was more like a few minutes, Karin lifted her lips and let Itachi's head hit her lap. All physical traces of poison were gone from Itachi's body but he still looked too weak to move.

Itachi could feel his organs starting up their usual activities.

"Umm," Karin said licking her lips, unaware of her audience. "I can't say I hated the kinky kiss," she smirked down at the still recovering and wobbly Uchiha. Itachi by this time was trying to lift himself up from the floor without much success. His limbs still felt like they have turned into jelly.

"What is going on here?" Haku finally dared to ask, her voice coming out as a squeak. Naruto had turned to an expressionless stone.

Karin looked up and saw other two leaf ninjas and knew immediately that her time with the handsome boys was over. She helped Itachi up and shoved him in Sai's direction. Sai caught Itachi reflexively.

"Here, take him. I will collect my fees later," Karin jumped away from the bewildered leaf ninjas and made a quick escape.

Her heart still felt a little burn, she wanted someone to care for her, just the way those leaf ninjas seemed to do for each other. She looked behind at the four Lead ninjas for the last time and caught Sai's eyes. She winked at the guy and vanished out of the manor.

Karin would be seeing Sai again, very soon if she could help it.

Line break...

Gaara woke up with an uneasy feeling. He quickly flew out of his room and took a quick glance at the village below him.

Everything seems fine, then what was the uneasy feeling for? He thought with a frown.

The whole village was sleeping after a good day of work. The Kazekage tower was also submerged in darkness. Only one room still had its lights on, Gaara slowly moved towards that room.

Sora had sensed Gaara coming, thus didn't bother to look up. He continued to sit on his bed with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Can't sleep?" Gaara asked once he was inside Sora's room.

Sora shook his head. "I woke up after a... dream of sorts," Sora hesitantly answered.

Gaara set down on a chair. "Of sorts?" one of his eye brows reached his hair line.

Sora nodded. "I was back in the fourth ninja war and somehow Naruto remembered that night."

Gaara took a shaper breadth. "What are you saying?" He could guess which night Sora was referring to.

"That in my very realistic dreams, she remembered our promise, for her to be the strongest ninja in the world and for me to wait for her..." Sora tailed off; his mind lost in the cosmos.

"Is this," Gaara thoughtfully asked, "is this the first time you are had this dream?"

Sora shook his head. "I have been having these dreams since I got back from...well, home I suppose," he said with a sad smile.

"These dreams, could they have some meaning?" Gaara asked after a moment of silence.

Sora tiredly laid on his back. "I don't know," he closes his eyes. "I just want them to stop, these dreams are not making much sense and we have things to do in this universe." Sora was tired, so tired.

In the last dream, Neji had died, saving both Hinata and the Nine Tails host. Naruto was having a mental breakdown and Hinata, alongside Kurama, were trying to comfort the girl. He had just reached the crying girl and she had jumped into his embrace without much ceremony. He knew they had raised some eye brows, but at that moment he didn't gave a damn. Sora was stroking the back of her head softly and trying to comfort his girl when he woke up.

The dream felt too realistic, again! This incident in his dream never happened. Why was his subconscious mind showing him things which were not there? Which never happened. Sora was so tired of these dreams and memories. He was very much afraid because soon he would reach the part where Naruto dies and he would have to re-watch it, not something he was looking forward to.

Gaara was deep in thought when he left Sora's side. Was Sora's past changing in some way? This wasn't possible, but what if? A hope started to tingle in his heart, if these dreams were indeed reality, things might not be as grim for Sora as he originally thought.

A/N: I love you guys for all the reviews, follows and favourites. I can't reply to the guest ones, but I will try to update more often. Thank you!

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