rainbow road
081. angel

As Itachi surveyed the scene, he wondered if he had died and been sent to some customized hell, made just for him.

"TAKE THAT, BITCH!"

Yeah. He was definitely in hell.

Pein sat calmly beside him on the couch, watching Sasori knit in the corner. "You aren't going to join?"

He bristled. "They are doing just fine without me."

When Itachi returned from his mission with Kisame, the last thing he had expected was his girlfriend paying him a visit. Actually, scratch that—that was the second last thing he expected. The real last thing he expected was to be playing Mario Kart Wii with Deidara, Tobi and Hidan while she waited for him to return. Like civil human beings. Like they weren't on the opposite sides of the war that was going on right now.

"It's nice though, isn't it?" Konan sighed. "Things are much easier when she gets along with the rest of them. I was worried about her and Deidara for a while, but they seem to be the best of friends."

Itachi cringed imperceptibly at the thought of Deidara and Sakura sharing two BFF necklaces.

"What I can't quite wrap my mind around," Pein said, "is that Sakura has beaten Hidan in the last three races."

"THAT WAS A CHEAP SHOT. YOU DON'T THROW A FUCKING BANANA PEEL IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT BEFORE THE FINISH LINE." Hidan, the unofficially dubbed Mario Kart Master, was getting his ass kicked. By a girl.

This didn't make sense. The rest of Akatsuki wasn't supposed to like Sakura. They were supposed to disapprove of her relationship with Itachi, and promptly kill her. They weren't supposed to be…friends. What was this, homicidal S-class criminals being friends with a Leaf-nin? Atrocious. Stupid. Absolutely…hellish.

"Itachi! Are you sure you don't want to play?" Sakura waved to him from in front of the plasma screen TV. "Tobi says he'll let you use his player, if you want!"

He felt a vein in his temple burst. Everyone knew that Tobi used Baby Peach as his character. Every. Time.

"I'm fine," he said, struggling to appear aloof. "You have fun."

She frowned. "If you say so. Hey, Hidan! Don't change my vehicle while my back is turned, bitch!"

A/N: Because it's the last day of my vacation, and I've been writing a lot more than I do at home. :) I'm just chilling in the hotel today while my parents do some last minute shopping.