AN: I know...it's not mine and it's late. Forgive me! But I do hope you enjoy it :) Also, just to remind you all that I do have aplot and this is not the ending. In fact, it's the complete opposite ;) Also, everything that happens in this fanfic is from my imagination. SO if anything is different then just know that I did it on purpose and that everything that I write has meaning.

Mmkay, I'm done ranting.

Enjoy!

-VZ

"This….cannot be happening right now."

Kiba shook his head, scratching the back of his ear with his hand.

"Tch…tell me about it. Of all the things I expected Haruno to be involved in, I didn't think it would be the Akatsuki." Shikamaru spat out the last word as if it left a foul taste in his mouth.

The pair were sitting next to each other on a tree branch that sprouted from an enormous oak. Which towered over the forest, its woodland creatures and incidentally…their enemies.

Well….former enemies.

Acquaintances?

….

Fuck it.

This was completely unbelievable!

Shikamaru and Kiba glanced at one another, sharing a mutual brainwave.

The Hokage was going to kill them.

Deidara, contrary to belief, was a very patient man.

True, it sounded odd. A pyromaniac who loved to blow things up could wait on month's end.

And truth to be told, patience was something he needed for his art.

It is a vital ingredient, a value.

One that he appreciated considering how he must anticipate for the exact and perfect moment for his art to come to life.

Any idiot could set things on fire and detonate buildings.

However, a real genius waited for the ideal moment for his bombs to explode so that it would create an explosion of beauty.

Simply put, the blonde was accustomed to waiting.

So why…..why did every second next to Sakura's unmoving and frail body seem like an eternity that even his partner would find too long?

Just watching her made an ache bloom inside of him.

Just hearing her wheezing breaths brought immense pain.

Just…..imagining her leaving him….was excruciating.

Deidara grit his teeth at the mere thought of a world without her.

"Do you think she'll make it?"

Kisame's gruff voice was tired, worry evident in his features and body language. The mist-nin shuffled quite awkwardly into the small tent they had made to shield their pink haired medic from the elements.

"The hell are you talking about fish-face?!"

The loudmouth of the group interrupted their rather cryptic conversation, a frown on his pale face.

For once, he was without his bloody weapon, a clear sign that he would never bring his blade near Sakura ever again.

"Of course she's going to fucking make it! She's Sakura for fuck's sake!"

Although Hidan's yells were confident, his eyes betrayed him, showing the fear that everyone in the campsite felt.

But before he could rant more about how annoyingly strong and stubborn their blossom was, an intimidating presence appeared, thoroughly immersing the trio in a sea of aggravation.

It was a heady discomfort that they all wished to get away from.

"Uchiha." Deidara muttered darkly, a scowl adorning his usually smiling face.

The dark haired man didn't even spare the blonde a glance. Instead, he focused all his attention on the sleeping figure hidden beneath piles of blankets.

The obvious dislike the two men had for each other was clear however they both tried to quell the anger within themselves. Not only was it unbecoming for top ranked ninja to start a brawl in the middle of a tent, but it would be more than difficult to for Sakura to heal under such circumstances.

True, they could leave the area so that they could battle but neither wanted to part from the object of their affections.

"She needs to rest."

It sounded like an observation. But coming from Itachi, it was a clear message, which said-

Leave.

And as much as the rest of them wanted to fight, they all agreed.

Just when everyone was about to leave and wait outside to give her some much-needed peace, a sound stopped them all in their tracks.

"nghhh…"

All eyes were practically glued to the form moving subtly under the sheets, waiting…hoping, that Sakura Haruno would wake from her three-day sleep and join them in the land of the living.

Sakura felt….numb.

It was as if she were drifting, wandering aimlessly.

It was an odd sensation however she preferred this dull world compared to the one filled with nothing but pain and red.

So much red.

It was beautiful and brilliant. But terribly frightening, considering that the more she saw, the closer she was to dying. Something she had long since accepted once she agreed to be a ninja. However imagining her death was much easier than actually undergoing it.

All she felt was fear and the horrible cold.

No.

There was something else. A pleasant emotion that mingled with the horror of death.

Acceptance…

Warmth…

…

Love?

Yes, she had definitely felt loved.

Suddenly the fatigue parted, not by a gentle hand but a harsh and desperate cry.

DON'T YOU DARE DIE SAKURA HARUNO!

The current of nothingness she had been floating in dried up completely, leaving her lost.

DON'T BE SUCH A COWARD! FACE YOUR FATE!

Green eyes rolled at the drama her Inner was expressing.

I was. She murmured as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

OH HELL NO! THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE DYING-

Sakura was astounded at her Inner's conviction to life….

-AS FUCKING VIRGINS!

….Only to face palm at her utter perverseness.

No…it's easier this way. No pain, no difficult choices…no choosing sides.

For a brief moment, her other side was silent. But of course, not all good things last.

Trust me, I of all people understand what you're going through….but this isn't the solution. In fact, it could make things worse.

A humorless laugh left her lips at this.

How worse could it possibly get? My friends are probably disgusted. They must think I'm some whore after watching the oh so great Akatsuki-oh wait…former Akatsuki, confess to me.

Inner's scoff was her only reply.

Like you we care what they think.

Well…I do. They're practically my family.

So what?! Why should their opinions matter?!

It just does.

So you're willing to die than face a few disappointed looks?

A pregnant silence filled the air.

You are a fucking coward.

Sakura didn't bother correcting Inner, not when the words that left her lips were the truth.

When the voice in her head stopped speaking, the pinkette realized that Inner had stopped fighting. Why would she when it was all for a lost cause?

Why should she go back to a world filled with hard choices and killing?

Sasuke would end up killing her friends and family at some point.

Her mentor would be more than disappointed with her.

And she had to make a choice between the men who vied for her affections.

There were just so many hard decisions to be made but no effort to do so.

Just when Sakura was about to retreat into the blackness and simply give in, an image appeared in her mind.

It was of her and her parents, getting into an argument but the love was still there.

Warmth bloomed in her chest, only to be silenced by the cold and shame.

She was about to leave the people who gave her life and encouraged her dreams…well, most of the time.

Without warning, Sakura had an epiphany.

She couldn't give up.

No matter how sweet and tempting succumbing to the darkness would be; she had to be strong.

She wasn't named the Hokage's apprentice for nothing.

And so, the pinkette willed her spirit to return to her body.

Despite the pain she knew awaited her back in reality, there was no other place she belonged.

Also, Sakura had a feeling that she knew exactly what to do to get rid or at least…numb the pain long enough for her to get to Tsunade-sensei.

As she woke, Sakura could hear a voice, pleased and proud.

I knew you'd make it….Give em' hell.

The air in the makeshift tent was immediately heavy with energy, thrumming like a weapon ready for battle.

"What's happening?" Kisame questioned, his eyes darting across the area in search for any threat.

Which seemed unlikely, considering how many impressive nin were guarding the perimeter.

"Why the fuck are you looking at me?" Hidan cussed, a matching look of confusion evident on his pale features.

"Everyone!"

An unfamiliar voice appeared at the entrance of the tent, gathering the attention of the men inside.

"It's Sakura, she's waking up."

Grins appeared on Deidara, Kisame and Hidan's faces at the news, Itachi however, remained stoic.

"Yet there is an abnormality in her chakra system. I now only see it due to her semi-conscious state."

"Cut the crap bastard, just tell us if she's going to be alright."

Neji almost scowled but was proud to say he had maintained his cold mask.

"At first I was worried for her health, especially since none of us are specialized medic-nin so healing her was quite a risk. In the end we were only able to stop the bleeding and remove the weapon...Once she was in a stable condition it seemed like she fell into a coma. Thankfully, I can feel her chakra pathways revitalizing, a clear sign she is coming back…"

"Sounds great? What's the bad news yeah?" Deidara said, hoping there wouldn't be any.

The young man's pale lavender eyes darkened.

"There is foreign chakra within her body. Normally this is not possible. However she must have gone through something that has mutilated her chakra. Has there been any side effects?"

Confusion must have been obvious on Hidan and Deidara's features for Neji rushed to explain.

"Anything…odd or strange happen to Haruno?"

A beat of silence passed before Kisame spoke up.

"She kept switching forms."

The Hyuuga focused all his attention on the mist-nin, tilting his head to the side slightly, indicating he should further expound.

"One day she'd be a kid then she'd change into a…woman." His voice cracked slightly at the last word, anxiety filling him as he reminisced about how…womanly Sakura could truly be.

"Interesting…..I will relay this information to the Hokage as soon as we arrive in the village."

Neji turned on his heel and left immediately, most likely to inform the others.

"That was…." Kisame spoke, only to be interrupted by Hidan's rough and husky voice.

"Weird as fuck!"

Just when Itachi was about to literally kick everyone out of his blossom's breathing space, a soft sound stopped him from moving a muscle.

It was a tiny whimper.

One filled with pain.

His blood red eyes locked onto the delicate body under the covers, watching carefully for any movement.

For a few seconds nothing happened, which made the hope that bloomed in his chest deflate.

But then the energy that had been humming steadily suddenly increased, raising to such a degree that everyone present shared shocked glances at the sheer intensity.

It was so strong that the elements itself responded accordingly. The air was powerful and coiled around the room, blowing the sheets and eventually the tent into the air, effectively exposing the males and Sakura to the rest of the forest.

The ground rumbled slightly while everyone watched in interest and rapture, curious to what was happening.

Oblivious to the attention she was receiving from everyone in the vicinity, Sakura forced her chakra to move, commanding it to heal her body through a sacred and forbidden technique. Underneath the pile of blankets, her hands slowly but steadily moved, going through the hand seals.

True, she wasn't supposed to do this unsupervised by her superior but she was desperate. Besides….the pinkette had already broken one rule, what's one more?

Despite the lack of jewel on her forehead, there was still some chakra left over in her system and all she had to do was what she did best, control her chakra.

With that thought in mind, she focused all her energy on healing herself.

With sweat dripping down her temples and her lips stretched tight into a grim line, it was obvious that she was in pain.

Although agony was evident in Sakura's expression, so was strength and the refusal to give up.

Every male watched with rapt interest, all their eyes on her.

Many of their gazes were filled with curiosity.

However there were few filled with something much deeper, something much more substantial.

Sakura inhaled and exhaled evenly, her chakra thrumming with power.

Deep purple lines appeared on either sides of her face, which started at her forehead then ran across her pale cheeks and criss crossed in an elaborate fashion down her neck and arms until the tips of her fingers.

Just she finished the final seal, her eyelids lifted, revealing the brightest and most stunning shade of green. Her lips relaxed and lifted at the corners, forming a small but relieved smirk.

Instantly, the creation rebirth revitalized every single part of her body, cleansing her chakra pathways completely.

Moments later, the wind calmed down.

A signal that it was over, much to everyone's solace.

Silence followed the impressive display of power from the pink haired medic who was still lying down in a pile of blankets.

Cautiously, a few brave (and rather impatient) males stepped forward, moving towards Sakura's prone body.

Once both blondes and the eldest Uchiha were within range, they all observed closely, curious and worried for the blossom staring into the night sky.

"Oh Kami….that was a lot harder than I thought it'd be."

All males in the vicinity relaxed, breathing sighs of relief at the sound of Sakura's sweet yet weary voice.

"Sakura-chan! You're alright-"

"I'm so happy you're alive-"

Before Naruto and Deidara could finish their sentences, let alone come closer to the resting medic-nin, Itachi appeared next to her, a stoic expression on his lined face.

A pale hand tipped with black nails gripped Sakura's chin, firmly but gently, indicating she look into his eyes. Which were black as the night sky above their heads, no longer the brilliant red she had known to love but fear.

"You almost left me."

The words were said tonelessly, not betraying a single emotion behind the cold mask he always wore. However She knew better. Deep within those coal black depths were feelings, ones that he couldn't show so openly to others. So it brought some peace to her tired mind that he wasn't as blank as he presented himself to be.

"I know."

The words between them were short yet held such meaning. For some unknown reason, she felt like he understood her internal struggle amidst life and death. As if he knew exactly what she was going through.

As Sakura gazed into those fathomless black eyes, she just…sensed that he had gone through the same private battle.

"I do not permit you to leave my side ever again."

Abruptly, all the emptiness in his face and voice was filled with such…raw emotion that Sakura had to remind herself to breath properly.

However she did feel some displeasure at the way he bossed her around so easily.

Like hell she would obey him like some canine!

Emerald fire flared to life within her eyes, which of course made amusement and pleasure to flower in Itachi's chest.

"And why should I listen to you?"

He replied almost immediately, satisfaction clear in his dark gaze.

"Because you love me."

When Sakura didn't rebuke the Uchiha, several hearts throbbed painfully, all breaking into so many pieces that the owners doubted that they'd ever be healed again.

Cookies for all those who finished this chapter. An extra one for those who liked it ;)

Once again, I apologize for any and all grammatical errors on my part. I was, as usual, very excited and could not wait to update this next installment as soon as possible.

Please leave me reviews that voice out your opinions and thoughts on this chappie!

Who's rooting for team Itachi? or Team Deidara?

Remeber, your reviews are my inspiration and motivation to write! Not the only one but you get the point hehe :3

Love you all and till next time!

-VZ