I still do not own Naruto - VZ
Sakura never thought she would see the light of day again. But here it was, almost blinding her with its bright rays. Well, it has been a while since she'd last glimpsed any beams of real light. It was much better than the florescent light bulbs in the underground base. Nevertheless, she opened her eyes and enjoyed the feel of warmth on her face. Sakura noticed the white puffy clouds that dotted the vast blue sky.
The pinkette' s eyes didn't linger on the heavens above her long. Instead, her attention was caught by the sheer amount of green everywhere. The trees, leaves and grass looked so fresh and alive. She didn't care if she looked absolutely silly. Gazing at everything in sight as if she'd only seen it for the first time. But she justified her eager behavior. It has been so long since she breathed in crisp, fresh air. It was much better than the muggy and stifling oxygen that Sakura had been living on in the underground base for the past few weeks.
And now here she was, above ground. Standing in a clearing full of grass and wild flowers. Sakura wasn't blind. She could see a chance when she saw it. Green eyes scanned her surroundings, making sure the two members of Akatsuki were a good enough distance from her. She could do it, run so fast and long that she'd have a marvelous head start. Was it the smartest or safest escape plan? Nope.
Yet it was right here, just in front of her.
And so, she ran. Pumping large amounts of chakra into her legs, pushing herself. To go faster, and faster, past the point of breakneck speed. She didn't bother turning around to check if her captors were even pursuing her. Sakura just kept on going, trying to cover as much distance as she could.
But before she had the chance to take another step, a hard body collided with hers.
"Mmph!...ow…" She muttered while rubbing her forehead from her perch on the ground. Where she had fallen, thanks to the mist-nin standing before her.
"Going somewhere kid?" He asked in his usual gruff tone. Green eyes looked up and locked with his.
"No where in particular….I just felt like a run." Sakura said, still refusing to stand up and dust herself off. Frustration and anger filled her being, due to another failed attempt at escaping. The pinkette wanted nothing more than to sit and sulk. How was she going to get away from these criminals? And she still had the whole age-defying jutsu to undo.
"Uh-huh…" Kisame said unbelievingly.
"You weren't trying to escape or anything like that right?" He heaved his enormous sword over his shoulder and dropped to his knees in front of the pouting girl.
"Gee, why would I wanna do that? Hm? It's not like I'm a prisoner or something remotely close to that." Sarcasm coated her words and her eyes were narrowed into slits.
Sakura decided it was best to be hostile and bitter to the members of Akatsuki as much as possible. That way, they themselves would get irritated and most probably do the same. Hopefully…. then she wouldn't have to worry about getting anymore attached to them than she already was.
Unfortunately for her, it wasn't going to be that easy.
"Sarcasm doesn't suit ya kid. And I can't have you ditching us. Leader will most probably kill me if I let you…. and everybody else back at base." Kisame murmured the last part, a sheepish smile on his blue face.
A large blue hand lifted Sakura's pink bangs gently, and the mist-nin surveyed her forehead for any damages.
"I still don't understand why I have to be here on this mission with you guys. It's not like you need any help engaging others in battle before. Besides you have Itachi, I'm hardly of any use." The pinkette said with a sigh, swatting away Kisame' s hand in the process.
"You don't give yourself enough credit you know that? You ain't as weak as you think." He said as he ruffled her pink hair.
Sakura didn't know what to reply to that. She was getting more complements at her stay at Akatsuki than at her home. It was disconcerting to say the least.
"Anyways, I'm gonna leave ya with Itachi. I sensed some chakra signatures a couple miles ahead."
Insert viscous grin here.
Sakura couldn't help the chuckle that left her lips. Kisame saw this and patted her head for good measure.
"See ya soon kid, and try not run away anymore. It's a pain to keep up with those tiny little legs of yours." And with that said, he left to find their target. Who was a standard shinobi that has defected from one of the hidden villages in attempt to find more power by recruiting. In the end, he's been causing quite a stir in some of the nearby villages with the help of his group, a small organization of common criminals and other defected shinobi. Sakura had heard all this information from Pein himself.
It surprised her that the leader of Akatsuki wanted her to join Kisame and Itachi on a mission. In the beginning, she said no. But simply shaking her head and refusing to go made Pein chuckle and merely brief them on their assignment. Sakura hated that about him. Thinking that he was above them, that he was Kami himself in the flesh. It was completely vile and horrid for a man to claim to be a god. A bird's cry pulled the pinkette out of her thoughts.
Sakura shifted from her seat on the grassy earth, looking around and finding no one in sight.
Wait…..no one?
Elation and glee filled her tiny little body.
Just as she was about to stand up and leave, a deep, velvety voice halted her in her tracks.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Oh damn. Wait, since when did she cuss?
Hidan must be rubbing off on me more than I thought.
"Sakura..." Itachi called to her.
"Hm?" She answered, not looking at the missing-nin in the eye.
"My sharingan is not activated." He stated.
Green eyes immediately snapped up to meet his own dark ones.
For a brief moment, Sakura was lost in his deep, dark gaze.
But she finally regained her senses when an almost-smirk made itself known on his lips.
Sakura narrowed her eyes and gave the Uchiha the most aggressive look she could manage.
Sadly, being a child, trying to appear mean or hostile is virtually impossible.
"What do you want Uchiha?" She asked, her tone not exactly acidic but it was far from nice.
A dark brow arched at her behavior.
"Have I done something to upset you?" The man before her questioned as he lowered his body to sit on the ground next to her.
"…Not exactly." Was her uncertain reply.
"Hn…"
It was silent for a while. The medic-nin decided to break it by asking-
"Why aren't you helping Kisame? Isn't this part of your mission?"
The dark haired man next to her ran his hand through his hair before answering.
"Our mission entails teamwork. That is why we split into two groups. Kisame is merely ambushing their camp and reducing their numbers. Our job is to exterminate the target. "
"Ah…."
Once again, silence filled the space between them.
This time, it was Itachi who broke it.
"I've been craving sweets lately." He muttered.
Of all the things she expected him to say, this was the least anticipated.
"Um….okay?" The medic-nin replied with a shrug of her dainty shoulders.
"Especially dango, they are my favorites." Itachi went on, observing the pinkette for any reactions to his words. There was only one way to remedy his suspicions, and this was it.
"Yeah, I like them too." Another shrug.
"I have been saving a plateful of them, unfortunately…..they have disappeared."
"How sad, I haven't seen-" She stopped speaking. A steady blush was making its way to her milky white cheeks. Not from anger but from embarrassment.
"Oh….."
Itachi nodded and smiled at the sheepish girl next to him.
In truth, he wasn't mad or even annoyed that she ate his favored sweets. If anything, he was quite happy that they could share one thing in common. Even if it's simply their preference in snacks.
"It's not a problem. Although, It'd be much preferable if we share instead. Dango is, after all my favorite type of sweets." He allowed himself to smile, just a bit.
Hardly a tilt of his lips, but still. It was much better than the emotionless mask that he wore the majority of the time.
"Alright-" But before she could thank Itachi, a kunai embedded itself right in between her fingers.
"What?" Sakura murmured before plucking the blade from the earth.
"A kunai." The Uchiha declared, then activating his sharingan. It doesn't matter how many times she'd seen it before. It still gave her goosebumps, seeing his vivid red eyes.
"We are under attack."
It was true, the medic-nin finally tore her gaze away from Itachi's captivating eyes to see the many shinobi forming a circle around them. Trapping them in.
"Oh Kami..." Sakura breathed.
There must have been more than thirty nin surrounding them, each looked quite bloody but very much livid. Well, the dark liquid seeping from numerous wound on each of the men encircling them was proof that Kisame had managed to get to them first. Regrettably, it seems like he only nicked them. Which was highly unbelievable, considering the mist-nin's power and rank.
"Where's Kisame?" She whispered to Itachi who had shifted to a fighting stance behind her.
Red eyes scanned the area, then stopped. There, a mile or so away from them. Was Kisame battling with the target.
"Hn...It seems like there has been a change of plans." Itachi handed Sakura another kunai from his pocket. Taking note of the men who were eyeing Sakura rather crudely. The Uchiha then promised to make their deaths slow and painful.
"What do you mean?" The pinkette skillfully handled both blades, one on each hand. After getting comfortable with her new weapons, she fell into her stance.
"Kisame is battling with the target, I assume he was not out recruiting in one of the villages as our information had stated. There is a possibility he had stayed at the camp instead. This must be why his nin are here, bloodied by Kisame. And at this moment, he is attempting to fight my partner instead."
As Itachi spoke, he started trapping several nin under a simple genjutsu. Bodies started falling to the ground, this of course, signaled the rest of the members to take action. Sakura then took it upon herself to send a kunai straight for a man's throat. A spurt of blood and a dying gurgle indicated he was dead. After removing the blade implanted in the man's neck, the medic-nin ducked and dodged the various senbon needles flying after her. She even managed to catch a few and send them flying back. Each finding their target and lodging itself into her enemies' bodies. Green eyes followed each man's movements, in the battle field, there was no room for carelessness or mistakes. She had to fully aware of her environment, if not...her life could be at stake.
Suddenly, a masked nin approached her and brandished a katana. He was bulky and massive, and appearing very frightening and intimidating. Of course, she couldn't let him know she was the slightest bit afraid. Through the eyeholes of his mask, Sakura could see his eyes. They looked so cold and detached, She inwardly shivered. But now was not the time to cower in fear. And so, she charged. Even going as far as to enhance her speed and strength with chakra.
Sparks flew from their blades whenever they clashed. But thanks to her chakra enhanced strength, Sakura was able to drive her enemy a couple feet back with a few steps. Although she only had a kunai and nothing more, it was clear who was winning their battle. With one final push, she forced the man several yards back. And while he was slightly muddled thanks to her actions, the pinkette executed a perfect front flip towards her opponent with grace. She did so to keep her movements erratic and unpredictable, that way blades and needles have a lesser chance of hitting her. Since there were still many coming her way. After finishing her flips and landing right above her enemy, Sakura then shoved her weapon through his ribs and into a lung. Blood welled up at the wound and started flowing profusely. The man's eyes were full of fear, fear of actually dying.
Sakura simply pulled out her blade and sent some chakra to her fingertips. After which, she touched the man's temple lightly. His eyelids drooped then shut tight, already asleep thanks to her chakra. She didn't want the man to die slowly and painfully, no matter how much he deserved it. And so, she had chosen to shut his brain down. So that he will no longer be aware of the pain and suffering he might've gone through.
She turned away from the gruesome sight and opted to rejoin the battle. but before she could, someone had scooped her tiny body up and started running. Confusion filled her, even more so when she realized it was Itachi who was carrying her bridal style.
"Itachi? What are you-"
She wasn't able to finish her question. Because she noticed a kunai headed for them. And attached to the blade, was...
...dozens of exploding tags.
Sakura's green eyes widened then locked with Itachi's red gaze.
Was he saving her?
Before she could contemplate any longer, the tags detonated...
...Right after embedding itself into Itachi's back.
His eyes widened slightly, feeling the foreign object lodging itself into his body. If she wasn't so close to him then she might've missed it.
The Uchiha threw her body ahead of himself , Sakura was so shocked she didn't even bother to land on her feet. This resulted with her body strewn across the ground, a good distance away from Itachi.
"No-" She whispered with tears in her eyes.
BOOOOOOOOM
The most violent and deafening explosion Sakura has ever witnessed had just erupted right before her eyes, taking Itachi with it.
Hehe, my very first cliffy! Hope you liked it. And as always, Lots of Love and thanks to...
KyuubiHost (yey! new reviewer! I updated early after I read your review. I'm happy that my story has been helping you with your pets and what not. Although this chapter was a bit bloody and sad, it'll be MUCH MUCH MORE happy in the next. But I'm not spoiling. I hope it's okay though :D )
Trunksmybaby (hehe, thanks for your last review! and yes, they are super sexy!)
Sakura no Polen (Hope you liked the itasaku moment! :) )
Gimana Nanti51 (yey new reviewer! hope you liked it! )
Rganore Nevermore (...i feel like the fighting scene here wasn't as good as the last chapter...but i hope you still enjoyed reading! hehe)
Shadow Wolf (Thank you! :D i've never really written any fighting scenes before, i hope this one was okay too.)
Kalafina94 ( *returns hug* nah, you're waaaaaay sweeter.)
LoVeLeSs AnD bEtRaYeD (thanks for saying my fighting scene was awesome, i hope you like this one as well! ;) Love your profile pic by the way)
Akemi Spangler (New reviewer again! Oh Lord, I feel so blessed.)
Emzy2k11 (hope you like it!)
Dina Sana (oh my faithful reviewer *hugs* hope you like it.)
DarkNinjaz07 (really? hehe, i feel so touched :) )
Till next time! - VZ