Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

RxR

Akatsuki's rival

The trio stood in silence as everything that happened went through their heads.

"Who knew you were such an uh... motivational speaker?" Deidara scratched the back of his head unsure of what to say next.

Sasori punches Deidara in the arm. "How's the wrist?"

Sakura looked down at her broken wrist. It looked horrible in all honesty and hurt like hell. It seemed that since all of the adrenaline left her the pain came ten folds. "Hurts."

Deidara and Sasori exchange knowing looks, "Are we still talking about the wrist?"

Sometimes Sasori just wanted to punch the daylights out of his blonde companion. "I'm not sure."

A sigh escape pass Sasori's lips he didn't like dealing with depressed people. If there was one thing Sasori knew about Sakura it was that she always bounced back.

"Come on Sakura we have a mission to complete. So you're going to have to deal with that wrist a little while longer."

Sakura drops the sword on the ground and slaps herself. She desperately needed to get herself together. She was known for her indifferent attitude and she saw deaf before. So what was different?

"Right let's go finish this mission so I won't have to see your faces for a while." They both sweatdrop thinking the same thing. 'Good to have you back Sakura.'

They notice Sakura pick the sword back up and look at it sadly. "If all enemies are like that... then what a cruel world." She wipes the blood off of the sword using her black hoodie as a rag.

"Alright let's go I want to come back for that sword." Sasori couldn't help but wonder why she wanted that sword maybe it's like a trophy for beating Zabuza. Whatever it was he didn't really care that much.

"Right well let's go join the other Akatsuki members."

X

The three walked forward to the front of the plane cautious. That was before Deidara said something that made them stop completely. "Y'know we should probably hurry I saw some people outside trying to replace the wheel on the plane." Sasori and Sakura snapped their heads towards him openly gaping.

Sakura dumbstruck look turned into anger quickly. She punches him in the face though I didn't have as much power to it since she made the mistake of using her hand with the broken wrist.

Sakura muttered some strong words under her breath as the pain in her wrist tingled through her whole body.

"Yeah you probably deserved that," Deidara says using his pinkie to dig into his ear flicking off the ear wax from his finger.

Sakura just wanted to grab a gun and shot him in both of him arms this time. That's when the realization came to her. She forgot all about her gun Obito gave her for her seventh birthday. "I'll be back I forgot something important." Not waiting on a reply she ran back the way they just came from at top speed that would make any track star proud.

She quickly went down the stairs to where the bodies of Zabuza and Haku were. She saw her gun discarded on the ground. Haku must have tossed it aside before he attacked her. She went to pick up her gun, but a voice echoed around her.

"My my such a gorgeous girl in such a dirty gang." Sakura hand freezes over the gun her eyes was as wide as dinner plates.

Slowly turning her head around sitting on the railings was a what looked like a kid with a head full of messy, hazel-grey hair. His eyes were what caught her attention the most those pink pupiless eyes shone with curiosity. He also had what seems to be a stitch-like scar running from under his left eye, all the way down his cheek.

She looked down at his attire and if possible her eyes widen even more. He wore a grey, sleeveless shirt with the short-sleeved mesh armor over which he also wears a green poncho along with a turquoise sash around his waist, paired with a green apron over his pants. He wears a pair of brown boots, and on his back he carried an AK47.

"Who the hell are you?" Recovering from her momentary shock she grab her gun and aims at the kid.

"The names Yagura I'm not a kid by the way." The way his face all of a sudden turned serious and looked worn from many battles. She could tell he was telling the truth.

"You're part of the Akatsuki right." She thought it over if she couldn't leave then might as well embrace it. She nods.

"I see." Yagura takes the AK47 off of his back and aims it towards her.

"As much as this pains me to kill such a pretty girl but the Bijuu and Akatsuki are sworn enemies."

Sakura knew then and there she made a mistake that will probably cost her life. How could she forget what the Bijuu main top members looked like? Standing before her ranked at number three out of ten was the Bijuu Isobu. He's said to have a giant turtle with three tails on his back.[1]

"So you finally realized who I am Sakura Haruno." Confusion flashed on her face. She didn't even know who that man was. 'How could he have possibly known my name'

"I've heard a lot about you. They'll be sad to know you're in the Akatsuki. I, fortunately, won't kill you sing I'm here for personal business. I see that that personal business has been solved." His pink eyes wandered to the two bodies behind her.

"I'll be taking my leave. Oh and Sakura-chan don't mention this talk to anyone wouldn't want Madara having a fit would we." Once he was gone Sakura collapse on the ground she stared up at on of the lights. She just wanted this night to be over with.

She still had a mission to complete so she rises from the ground and makes sure she had her gun this time. She leaves without looking back if anything else happened she was sure she was going to go into cardiac arrest.

As if the universe wanted to curse her so much the plane was straightened letting her know the wheel must have been replaced. She heard the plane roar to life letting her know that the Akatsuki were still fighting with Gato's men and haven't reached the front yet.

"Sakura hurry and grab the UAV we have to get off this plane quickly." Sakura saw that it was an all out gun fight and in the middle was what she was sure was the UAV.

"Have you fucking lose your mind. I'm a lot of things, but suicidal isn't one of them." They felt the tug of moving forward and any minute now they were going to be up in the air.

"I knew that this mission was going to turn out bad." Sakura dives behind a crate near Sasori. She shoots at someone who stuck their head up to find someone to shoot. She was right handed so of course it missed when she used her left hand.

Sasori gives her a confused look he could see that the shot was such an easy shot especially for her. "You aren't ambidextrous?"

"Do you think I would have missed that shot if I was?" Before he could answer a shot was fired their way even through experience they still flinched.

"How are we going to take them out before this plane takes off?" Sakura whispered angrily. She just wanted to go home and rest, but that wasn't happening. She had to take a detour to the damn hospital to get an x-ray and a cast.

Sasori ignores her question and shoots his gun the bullet goes right through his brain killing him instantly. The scene reminded her of what happened to Haku.

"We're in the air." Sakura hit the back of her head on one of the crates. She prayed to whoever was listening that she got out of this alive.

"Heads up Sakura Deidara is sniping them. So this should be over soon." Sasori flashes her a small smile that she used to love when they were dating.

Sakura nods and shoots a bullet at the crate. She knew it was wasting bullets, but she just needed something to occupy her mind.

While she peeked from behind her crate she felt something hit her leg. Looking down she sees a familiar looking flask with a clue carved into the silver.

Flashback

It's been a while since she's had a drink and the stress of cops currently trying to find her wasn't helping. She wondered where her good for nothing boyfriend Sasori was when you actually need him. She already fought off two guys trying to cop a feel. Guess that's what she gets for running into an alley full of disgusting drunks trying to get in her pants.

The leering eyes towards her weren't the most comforting thing in an alley. "You look like you've been through hell and back."

Sakura could hear the smirk in his voice her annoying boyfriend stood behind her. "You're the worst boyfriend ever you know that right?" Sasori chuckles and sits beside the pinkette. He tosses a flask in her lap earning a questioning look from her.

"You look like you need a drink. Don't break it you're the only person I've ever let drink or touch it." Sasori looked away from her a light shade of red on his cheeks. There were rare moments like these that made her like Sasori a lot.

"Thanks what's in it?" She shakes it a bit satisfied that it was at least half full.

"Vodka."

"Straight?" Sasori nods.

She drinks some feeling the liquid go down her throat. "You know Itachi wants you to get caught by the police."

"Yeah I know it's fun watching them trying to find you their such amateurs." Sakura puts the top back on the flask and gives it back to him. She stands up followed by Sasori.

"See you later Sasori." Sakura pecks him on the lips. Before she could walk away he grips her hand.

"You never told me what they're chasing you for this time." Sakura blinks then smirk.

"Don't worry your little red hair." She winks and continues to walk away.

"Thanks for the drink!" She yells back to him causing a smile to appear on his face.

Flashback end [1]

Ever since that day he often let her take a swig of vodka from his flask but since they broke up she hasn't really asked for it.

She flashes him a smile and takes a swig and pass it back to him. With a little bit of liquid courage, she makes her move to get the UAV. It was dangerous and a high possibility of being shot but she had to take one for the team.

Sakura crawls to another crate closer to the UAV. Before she could move closer someone shot at the crate she was taking cover behind.

'How do I get closer without getting shot?' She saw out of the corner of her eye a body moving around.

She notices that he was aiming at her she quickly moves back to her old spot but not before a bullet graze her shoulder. She holds in the yelp of pain Sasori saw this and shoot the guy in the chest. After killing the man, he quickly ducks behind her cover.

"Shit Sakura if I knew you were going to do this after some liquor I wouldn't have given you any." Sasori helps her remove her black hoodie being as careful as possible. Sakura felt the blood trickle from her wound.

"S...shut the h...ell up." She was glad she wore a tank top under her hoodie. It made it easier to tend to the wound.

"We got to apply pressure to it." Sasori pulls out a knife and starts cutting off a sleeve to her hoodie. He puts it on the wound and applies pressure thus time she actually yelps in pain.

"I have to get the UAV." Sasori eyes narrow at the persistent girl before him.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed what are you trying to prove?"

Sakura meets his eyes greyish brown eyes with her own emerald defiant eyes. "I want to prove to Madara that I'm not his puppet I'm only doing this for my friends." Sakura snatches the sleeve from him and continues adding pressure to the wound despite the stinging sensation.

"So you're going to get yourself killed trying to prove to Madara that you're not his puppet. Hell, he probably wants you to get killed."

"No, there's a reason why Madara sent me on this mission and it wasn't to kill me. Why does it bother him so much that I hang with you guys? Why does he want me in Akatsuki?" Sasori could see that Sakura has put thought into those unanswered questions she asks herself. He sadly didn't have the answers to them even if he wanted to put her mind at rest.

He had to admit that he often wondered why Itachi spent so much time with a kid. He developed her, changed her, taught her, made her into what he wanted yet she considers us her friends. We basically took her life away from her and she had no idea of it.

Was this what Madara wanted Itachi to do when he first joined Akatsuki? Make sure she was apart of the Akatsuki family. But that still leaves one question why her of all people.

Sasori snaps out of his thoughts when Sakura begins moving back to her previous spot. Before she could escape he grabs her wrist stopping her from moving.

"I got your back remember that." Her hard eyes soften up when she saw concern in those eyes.

"I wouldn't be here if you didn't." Sakura ties the sleeve over her wound to secure it. She turns back at him and winks before crawling away.

'Be careful Sakura.'

Xx

A knock echoed through the small apartment of Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto opens the door and was slightly shocked at who was standing on his doorstep.

"Gaara Shikamaru what are you guys doing here so late?"

Shikamaru walks into his home sluggish while Gaara walks in quite tense. 'What's going on?'

"There's a party tonight so we're going to it we went by Sakura's, but it seems she wasn't there." Naruto looked at the clock hanging on the wall it was about 5 minutes to 11.

"Since when were you two into parties?"

"We're not. Sasuke is throwing a party and Sakura asked us to watch him closely."[2] Naruto looks confusedly as possible since his own girlfriend never even told him this.

"She didn't tell you about this did she?" Naruto shakes his head no eyebrows twitch slightly. He was annoyed it wasn't like she didn't have time to tell him.

"Alright, then I'm going with you." From the look on his face, they could tell that Naruto was pretty upset. Shikamaru knew Naruto long enough to know that once he says he's doing something there's no way possible to talk him out of it.

"Fine let's just go and try to stay sober Naruto I don't want a repeat of what happened at Itachi's party." Naruto sighs and nods he couldn't help think that he gets drunk and high once that he'll automatically do it again.

He shrugs it off and throw on an orange and black jacket. He's been feeling a bit distanced from Sasuke anyway so it wouldn't hurt to crash his best friend's party.

He also wondered why the Uchiha family loved throwing parties so much. But that was another story for a later time.

The trio walks out of the apartment on their way to the Uchiha residents. They guessed that Sasuke's parents weren't in town like always.

X

In a place unknown sat ten people around a large table. "We have much to discuss about the Akatsuki." It seemed that a shadow covered everyone's face from view. A small candle was lit but only lighting the exit.

"They're coming for us next correct." The only confirmation the person receives was a hm.

"Leader-sama what's our next move?" A female voice speaks next.

"..."

"Continue on with the original plans. They won't initiate an attack after taking done Gato their defense would be weakened and that gives us enough time to complete the project." The said leader could tell that everyone agreed to the plan even without the light to confirm it.

The door to the exit opens a kid looking guy stood there his pink pupiless eyes scanning the room.

"You're late...Isobu. I hope you have a good enough excuse to make up for your tardiness."

Isobu takes a seat in his usual spot going to the same spot for years he knew his way through the dark room. "Akatsuki are finally going to take out Gato and they have a new member."

The others were on the edge of their seats waiting for him to tell them who it was. "Sakura Haruno... she defeated Zabuza."

"Are you serious? Damn he was our only spy in that place." Another member says.

A different female voice sighs, "I was hoping that wouldn't happen."

"Now now this could be a good thing if we have someone on the inside of the Akatsuki this could help our plans further."

"Leader-sama that's not an easy task she doesn't even know us well some of us."

"That's fine I'll just have to change tactics. Meeting adjourned."

End of chapter

A/N: Another chapter well done this story is basically already caught up to Destiny and Corruption.

EXPLANATION Of TITLE

I think it's about time to explain the title it's not that long of an explanation maybe a sentence or two. Anyway, Sakura has a very tough exterior and no, not her skin it's the way she comes off to people like Ino and Naruto at first. But in actuality she has a heart like last chapter when she shed tears for her enemy. Or up above when she talks about Akatsuki being her friends and wanting to do almost anything for them.

[1] So another gang is introduced the Bijuu yep that's the best I could do. I wanted to give them a symbol like Akatsuki clouds but couldn't think of one.

[2] I wanted to show how their relationship was when they were dating. Not too romantic but when it is it gets intense.

[3] I won't be going in-depth on Sasuke's party I plan on doing something with the gang later.