Disclaimer: Don't own :(

Brace yourselves for a slightly longer chapter! To make up for the lack of updates -_-

"What the hell?"

Before Sakura could reply to the former members of Akatsuki, Naruto spoke.

His voice was confused and angry. Not that she could blame him. The mere presence of the nin who tried several times to capture him would normally set him on edge. But this…this was something even Naruto would have a hard time handling.

"I have no idea what's going on but I do know what I want."

Sakura was surprised at the sheer tenacity of the blonde's voice. Determination and rage was evident in his features and stance. Despite his obvious confusion, it was heartwarming to see him defend her with no preamble whatsoever.

"And what is that, yeah?"

The other blonde in the room snarled, his demeanor completely different when he wasn't addressing his pink haired medic. And by the tone of his voice, it was clear that he was more than agitated by her friends.

"Leave our Sakura-chan alone!"

Naruto was about to take a step forward but stopped when Hidan spoke, his words as crude as ever.

"Fuck no!"

Electric blue eyes narrowed at the silver haired nin.

"She's not yours, you little piece of shit!"

"Oh yeah? What makes you think that she belongs to you?!"

The two were both yelling now, fully intent on drowning the other out.

"Tch…she doesn't belong to us."

For once, Sakura didn't focus on the excruciating pain at her torso. Instead, she raised her eyes and eyebrows at the vulgar mouthed nin.

"You're a blind fucker if you think she's a fucking object that belongs to just anyone."

Inwardly, She rolled her eyes, finding the words that left Hidan's lips extremely ironic. Especially since almost all of them had declared her "his".

A brief but intense flash of pain scattered around her body, spreading from her torso to her fingertips and toes. Effectively bringing her back to the present, where she was wounded and bloody, a far cry from the proud kunoichi she claimed to be. Which of course, brought shame. An emotion she hated to feel.

Speaking of things she'd rather not experience….the blinding pain radiating from her body was one of them.

As hard as Sakura tried, she couldn't contain the pathetic whimper that left her red lips.

The sound was small, especially when compared to the screams bouncing off the walls thanks to Naruto and Hidan. However for some unknown reason, everyone in the vicinity heard it.

"Aw shit." A look of terror appeared on Hidan's face for a moment when he finally realized that he was busy shouting at some kid when he should've been paying more attention to her. The woman who had given him another reason to live, to rebel and to simply be happy.

Fuck. That sounded gay.

But that didn't mean it was any less true.

"Hidan! Careful with that scythe of yours, One wrong move and you'll kill her!"

Kisame's gruff voice was slow but strong as he locked his eyes onto the frail looking girl in the center of the room, where she was dying. No one could deny it.

Just by looking at her you could tell that life was eventually seeping out of her. Just like the blood that was leaking from her body and staining the wooden floor a brilliant red.

The mist-nin watched with pained eyes as she wheezed for breath, filling her failing lungs with air that seemed to hurt her even more. But clearly, she still breathed. His angel still kept fighting to live. No matter how heart wrenching and sad the display of her latching onto life was, Kisame couldn't look away.

It was a gruesome sight.

Red just seemed to pour out of her like a steady stream.

Her body seemed like it was shrinking onto itself. Like she was steadily crumpling and folding into nothing.

He noticed that the only thing keeping her alive was her chakra and…something else.

But he couldn't dwell on that now, not when her life was in danger.

"Just don't move and-"

"I fucking get it! Just save her!" Hidan interrupted Kisame's words with a harsh yell. His eyes locked onto dimming green ones that seemed to get darker with every passing second.

"No way! Don't you dare touch Sakura-chan!"

Just when Kisame was about to step closer to the pinkette, chakra glowing in his hand, Naruto appeared out of nowhere to stand next to his childhood love.

Red and angry chakra was building up around him, bubbling and just waiting to explode.

"You little brat! Can't you see she's dying and we're trying to help her?!" Deidara clenched his fist tight, resisting the urge to throw bombs at the other blonde. As much as he wanted to set his hair on fire and his skin on flames, he couldn't when the idiot was in such close proximity to Sakura.

"Why are you even trying to help?! She's your enemy! We're your enemy! Her life should mean nothing to you!"

His electric blue eyes were wide with fear and adrenaline, he was high on protecting his teammate and his village.

"Every second you waste talking, we lose time that could have been spent on saving her life." The Uchiha of the group stated emotionlessly. Despite his calm facade, deadly intent was rolling off him in horrible, strong waves.

It was amazing that Naruto didn't collapse in pure fear.

"How do we know you'll help her? You did after all stab her in the first place."

Rage and suspicion was more than evident in his voice as he spoke, blue eyes glaring at Hidan with absolute hatred.

"It wasn't on purpose you fucking-"

"We love her."

Sasori's calm voice stopped Hidan's rant right in its tracks. Also gaining everyone's attention in the room, including the pained pinkette. Who was busy pumping the last of her chakra reserves into her wound in an attempt to clot the wound and stop the blood flow. It wasn't working so well so it seemed like she was at the end of her rope. With only one last option. A choice that she hoped to never make.

As Sakura debated on using the sacred and forbidden technique to lengthen her life span that her mentor taught her, the men circling her were still caught up in a storm of questions and unexpected answers.

"What?" Naruto's voice was no longer loud and abrasive. Instead it was more subdued. It was obvious that the red head's shocking reply pacified him.

"Are you deaf as well as stupid boy?"

"Oi! Back off!"

Kiba and the rest of the Konoha nin stood together, worry and apprehension all clear on their faces.

"Or what? You'll bark me to death?" Sasori raised an eyebrow as his condescending voice rained over them, bringing another emotion to build up within them-anger.

"What makes you think you can say that?" Shikamaru growled, his shadow creating an overwhelming aura of darkness to appear behind him.

"It's clear that you are all merely children. Unaware and inexperienced in the art of war."

Was Sasori's smooth reply, which only brought the wrath of the konoha nin to a boiling point.

"No. I'm talking about Sakura."

A spark of interest flickered in those endless and seemingly bored hazel eyes.

"What makes you all think that you can claim to love her?"

The question was said with suspicion and curiosity. Surprisingly, a pregnant silence followed after Shikamaru's words.

Different thoughts and emotions swirled around each of the former Akatsuki's minds.

They weren't under leader's influence anymore, so there was no need to hide their emotions. Besides, if they wanted to get Sakura back, they had to make their intentions known. Yet to explain why they loved her in front of eachother…who each wanted to have Sakura-chan all to themselves, it was strange to say the least. But clearly, the Konoha nin won't let them near the pinkette until they answered why they loved her.

Another minute of silence passed.

However for the sake of the dying pink haired medic before them, the former Akatsuki shared a brief moment of akowledgement.

Yes, they all vied for her love and affection. There was no doubt about that.

However they would all have to put their invitations and plans for courtship aside for now.

At this very moment, they had to work together and put all past arguments aside for her sake.

There was also the slight embarrassment of opening up their deepest feelings in front of their supposed enemy.

….

To hell with it.

Taking a deep breath of air, Deidara spoke, his voice strong despite his soft words.

"I love Sakura-chan because she is the personification of my art, beautiful and brilliant."

His one blue eye locked onto a deep jade, raw emotion shining within both pairs.

"Despite how much better I knew she deserved, I couldn't keep away. Not when she smiled at me like I wasn't some common criminal, but a man worthy of loving."

The silence before couldn't compare to the absolute quiet that followed the blonde's statement.

Naruto and his friends were unmoving physically, but mentally, they were all speeding. Thoughts scattering around their brains in an attempt to comprehend the bomber's heartfelt and fervent confession.

"Tch…guess it's my turn." Hidan muttered darkly, his eyes darting across the room nervously before connecting with Sakura's.

"You better listen good bitch, cause I'm not repeating this sappy shit."

Several eyes rolled at the crude way Hidan spoke however remained silent.

Sakura gave a tiny nod, her bloody lips tilting up in the smallest of smiles.

"I love Sakura Haruno, who is sexy just like me, because she is strong."

Jade eyes widened slightly at Hidan, not expecting those words to leave his mouth.

"Strong enough to fucking challenge me in every possible way. She pushes my boundaries and makes me…feel things. Not just horniness with that hot body of hers but actual emotions. I…damn…I just feel happy when I'm with her."

After speaking the jashin worshiper averted his purplish eyes from Sakura's.

Not even a second later, another man spoke, shocking the Konoha nin yet again.

"I love my doll not only because she is worth immortalizing, but because she helps me forget I'm a puppet."

Sasori's hand clutched onto the fabric of his chest, where his core was beating wildly.

"With her, I am no longer wood and strings but flesh and bone."

His explanation was short but passionate, thoroughly scaring the living shit out of Naruto, Kiba and everyone else.

Kisame sighed before scratching the back of his blue head somewhat sheepishly.

"This is going to sound stupid but what the hell."

Sakura gave him an encouraging smile as the thoughts buzzed around her head, much like bees in a hive.

This situation was so surreal. Infamous nin declaring their affections towards her was just…unbelievable.

And there was even a pattern already. Each man would claim to love her and then they'd explain why.

But before she could dwell on any more of her thoughts, the mist-nin pulled her out of them easily with his voice.

"I love Angel because when she looks at me, she doesn't see some blue monster. It's like she sees past the crazy hair and gills effortlessly. And not cause she wants something. And that's the beauty of Sakura Haruno…"

His eyes softened immediately when he saw her absurd but familiar head of cherry pink hair.

Just as he finished speaking, Itachi stepped forward, his eyesa deep black instead of the usual red, much to everyone's disbelief. It wasn't everyday that the great genius Itachi Uchiha didn't use his almighty sharingan.

"I don't just love Sakura Haruno."

He moved closer to her immobile and torn body, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I need her…to feel less alone."

A pale hand reached out to brush stray strands of pink hair away from her face.

"I want her…to be around me, always smiling.

Even Naruto back away a bit, feeling like he was intruding on an intimate moment he had no right to be a part of.

"I crave her…body and soul."

Slowly, so that he would not jar her body, he pressed his forehead against hers.

"You may not believe it, nor the men around us, but you are mine blossom. From the moment you decided to heal me, I loved you. The fact that you treat me like a man and not a weapon makes my devotion for you that much stronger…"

Itachi was so close that she could feel his soft lips brushing against hers as he spoke.

"My heart is yours Sakura Haruno, do with it what you will."

And with that, the Uchiha commanded his chakra to lull his love into a dreamless sleep. This way, when they would extract the blade stuck within her, she would not feel the sheer intensity of the pain.

No, it was not presumptuous to assume that the Konoha nin would help them. In fact, after watching such flowery displays coming from s-class missing nin, he was sure that they would.

The red bled back into his coal black eyes.

He would make sure that they would.

Hope you liked it! Don't forget to leave me reviews *wink* *wink*

-VZ