Well, HELLO THERE! It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I could sit here and write a super duper long apology on the author's notes, but I don't think anyone would read all of it (because I assure you, it would be VERY long). So I'm just going to say - I'M SOOOO SOOOORRY! I actually have quite a few good reasons (well, not 'good'... its more like just 'reasons), but hey - who cares? This isn't a long one (sorry again) but I figured I'd get this up, because I'm not writing anymore tonight!

I have finally started my Musical Theatre Course (well, it started in September, but whatever) and that's kinda mainly why I have little/zero time for everything! (Even my HP fanfic's slowed down). I did have a bit of writers block, but hey - this isn't too bad!

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR & HAPPY LUNAR YEAR & HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! Hey - at least I made it before Easter! :p Enjoy ^.^

Chapter Seventeen

Everything around her was white. She could hear soft voices in the distance, but it wasn't clear enough for her to understand. Her body was weak and barely moved from the ground – ground which didn't exist. It was like she was floating. There was nothing below her, nothing above, nothing on either side... Where was she? The soft voice was still saying something and she still couldn't make it out. She was beginning to feel sleepy. Perhaps a short nap would be a good idea. She'd need all her strength to continue her mission... Mission... The team... Naruto... Was he okay? Recent memories flashed through her mind and she began to panic. Was Naruto okay? Did they manage to tame the Kyuubi before things got out of hand? She had to find Naruto... She couldn't leave him. She managed to raise an arm and reached out to brush a few strands of hair from her face. The voice was a little louder now, but she still couldn't understand what it was saying. She gripped the nothing beneath her and tried to force herself up. It was easier to hear the voice now that her head was a little higher. Slowly, she managed to rest her body on her elbows. She bent her knees and tried to force herself up a little more.

"Ami... Please... Please wake up..."

Naruto... It was him. He was calling. Was he waiting for her? Did he need help? Was the Kyuubi still controlling him? She couldn't waste time in this place full of nothing. She had to find Naruto. She had to help him. She had to make sure he was okay. She moved sideways and tried to pull herself up once again. Pain shot through her abdomen, ran all the down her legs and up her arms. She bit her lip forcefully and continued to push herself up.
"This is nothing. Get up, Ami. Naruto needs you." She whispered.
She paused for a few minutes once she managed to get onto her hands and knees. She would need something to pull her up onto her feet.

"Fight Ami... You're stronger than this..."

With a loud and painful groan, she lifted herself onto her feet. She swayed a little before finding her balance.
"I'm coming, Naruto..."
It took only one step to send her back onto her knees. The pain was unbearable. She couldn't move. She didn't want to stay in the white nothing. She wanted Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Shikamaru, everyone in Konoha, Captain Yamato, she even wanted Sai... She had to fight her way out of this place... She had to find Sasuke... They had to find Itachi... There was still so much she had to do...

"If you wanted my help, you should've just asked."

Coming in through the distance was someone she was quite surprised to see. Someone she didn't want by her side, but couldn't refuse. She took notice of his cold stare. He would never change.

"Go away, Itachi, I don't need you." She grumbled, refusing to let him see the pain in her eyes.
"Why are you even here? You've still got too much to take care of." He said, icily. Why was he here? It was Naruto that was calling out to her, not him. Why isn't Naruto here? "If you don't get out of here soon, there will be no return."
"I can't move." Ami said, faintly. Itachi noticed the hint of desperation in her voice, but he didn't change his facial expression.
"Don't be so naive, princess. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. Next time I might not be here to help you out of this mess..."

Mess? What mess? Help her how and why? Since when did Itachi care about helping his own flesh and blood? Why was everything spinning? She clutched the nothing with her hands and tried to keep her body up – but then she suddenly crashed back to the ground.

"Ami..."

"Ami..."

"Is she okay?"

"Sakura... Do something..."

"Ami..."

"Ami? Are you okay? I can't believe it! You're awake!" Naruto grinned. His extremely hyper attitude was tiring, but it was good to see he was alright. Ami tried to sit up, but was held down by a pair of strong hands. "No... Don't move yet. You're still hurt... It might take a while... Just... Just don't move around much. Sakura's still healing you. I'm sorry... I really am... I never meant to hurt you... If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have touched you... I still can't believe I hurt you... I was so stupid. I shouldn't have lost control like that. I hope you'll forgive me someday, but I'm really sorry, Ami-"
"Shut... Up... Naruto..." Ami managed to say, weakly. She allowed a small smile to creep across her face before she turned to the side and fell asleep. A nap would be good for now. They still had a mission to carry out.

x.x

Naruto sat, uncharacteristically silent, just outside Yamato's wooden cabin. They were falling behind in their mission – and it was his fault. If only he'd maintained control of everything, then Ami wouldn't be injured and perhaps Sai wouldn't have left. He surprised himself by worrying about Sai's well-being. It was quite obvious the Shinobi had abandoned them – it must've been his sole intention from the start. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder if the strange teenager was alright. Naruto had suggested quite a few times that he continue out the mission, because he was responsible for delaying it, but the response he got wasn't a good one. Sakura mainly yelled at him for thinking recklessly.

"Are you feeling better?" Yamato asked, as he stepped outside. Naruto shrugged in response and focused his stare on the line of ants not too far from him. "Ami should be up and moving soon, and then we can head out. Sakura's taking good care of her." Naruto simply nodded, but refused to speak. Yamato silently furrowed his eyebrows and took a seat next to the blond. "You know... Ami must really care about you. It was quite insane of her to get so close to you like that. But, just so you know, it wasn't you're fault. You weren't in control. Had you been, it would've ended differently. There's no telling what the Kyuubi's capable of."
"You shouldn't have allowed it." Naruto croaked.
"You're right, and I regret not being more persistent. I grew desperate and acted recklessly as a team leader. I'm also at fault. So, don't blame yourself for what happened." Yamato smiled.
"You weren't the one that hurt her." Naruto mumbled.
"Neither were you." Yamato sighed. "Naruto... I know it's a bit hard for you, but you're going to have to forgive yourself, otherwise you'll compromise the rest of this mission. I need you to remain as level-headed as you possibly can." Naruto simply nodded once again, but Yamato accepted it this time. He patted the younger on the back and picked himself off the ground. "Don't stay out here too long."
"I really care about her..." Naruto said, in a barely audible voice. Yamato was by the door when he heard it – or thought he heard it. It was too quiet for him to understand fully. Yamato was about to respond, but the blond continued, his voice still quiet. "She's been hurt too many times. I've hurt her twice in one mission... It's not fair on her... She's strong, but she's... Quite fragile... I just... I don't want her to hurt anymore..."

"I'm certain she feels the same way about you, Naruto."

x.x

"Is this the place?" Ami asked, as she spotted Yamato's clone stood by a giant boulder.
"The entrance is straight ahead, under that rock formation." The clone answered.
"Maybe I should check you one more time, before we go in there." Sakura said, already preparing her chakra.
"No need." Ami said, holding up a hand. "We've wasted enough time as it is. I can already see Hokage-sama yelling at us for inheriting Kakashi-sensei's bad habits."
"Just take it easy... Sasuke might be in there." Sakura said, worriedly.
"At the very least, we should be able to get a lead on his whereabouts." Yamato nodded.
"Then let's go." Naruto stated.
"We'll use my Earth-style jutsu to create a tunnel from here. Remember, this infiltration must be done quietly. You three must refrain yourselves from using your strengths for a while." Yamato ordered.

x.x

Sasuke wiped the sweat from his forehead with a small towel. He'd spent another full day on training with Orochimaru and actually came back feeling good about his accomplishments. He was determined to get everything he could from his time with Orochimaru and Kabuto. He had no regrets on leaving the village. He was learning so much more, and at a much faster pace. However, there were times he couldn't help but wonder about his little sister. That moment happened to be one of those times – he couldn't shake the feeling that she was near.

"How was your training?" Sai asked, as he stopped by Sasuke's door.
"What do you want?" Sasuke huffed, moody as ever.
"I would just like to know how it was, that's all. It's very quiet around here, don't you think? I don't know how the three of you manage to spend so much time cooped up in here." Sai smiled.
"Whatever." Sasuke muttered. He grabbed his sword and started to clean it.
"They should be here soon, you know, your former team. They'll be so happy to see you, I'm sure of it." Sai said, with his smile still plastered on his face. When Sasuke didn't answer, he decided to continue. "Did you hear Kabuto speaking about Naruto? He must've hurt your sister pretty badly. I hope you're not too upset by it. She should be alright. Kabuto assured Orochimaru that Sakura could take good care of her. I wonder why it's of any interest to Orochimaru – then again, I believe anyone who possesses a Sharingan is of Orochimaru's interest. I wonder if-"
"Leave." Sasuke said, darkly. "I' m tired of listening to you speak. Leave."
"Very well." Sai nodded. He closed Sasuke's door before heading down the dark corridor once again. What was this place? Why was he suddenly feeling uneasy? He had no emotions. He wasn't allowed to feel anything. What was this new, foreign feeling?

x.x

"What do you expect to find in here?" Naruto whispered, as Yamato crouched down to the floor and began fumbling with a random door's lock.
"I have a hunch..." Yamato muttered, paying more attention to his handy work.
"Whatever it is, we're following orders, remember, Naruto?" Sakura whispered, quite angrily.
"You two aren't going to start, are you?" Ami muttered.
Yamato silenced all three when he stood up and pushed the door open. Naruto was the first inside, eyes meeting with a reasonably startled Sai.
"You jerk!" Naruto growled, and reached out to grab Sai by the collar. "You completely betrayed us!"
"Naruto, keep your voice down." Yamato ordered. "Sai, I'm well aware of everything, and I've filled everyone in. As Konoha ANBU, I'm here to take you back."
"You're an asshole." Naruto muttered.
"I was merely following orders. I am one of Danzo's tools. I am here to serve." Sai said, emotionlessly.
"This is yours, isn't it?" Sakura said, holding out a book.
"Yes, it is." Sai said, quickly taking it back.
"You say you're one of Danzo's tools, but tools have no emotion."Ami said, observing Sai's every move.
"I have no emotion. I feel nothing." Sai assured.
"Then why are you clinging onto that book?" Ami smirked.

For a second, just a single second, Sai allowed every emotion he pushed back to come forward. He was quick to recompose himself, but everyone had noticed. If Danzo saw it, he would've been punished.
"There are two boys on the cover." Sakura stated. "It's you and your older brother, isn't it? You can't bear to part with this book because it means something to you. You refuse to break your bond with your older brother. Losing that book means erasing that bond, and you don't want that to happen."
"How would you know of this?" Sai asked, suspiciously.
"We took a look inside." Yamato stated. "We're sorry for doing so, but we figured it would help us know more about you. I'm aware of the specialised training Danzo gives everyone in Root. I'm aware you know very well how to suppress emotion. I am also aware of how your graduation works."
"Wait... Like it was with Zabuza?" Naruto asked.
"Of course! It makes sense now." Sakura nodded.
"It doesn't to me." Ami muttered.
"You were put against other potential Root Shinobi and were told to fight to the death, and you'd take their weapons as a reward, but eventually you'd have to fight your brother." Yamato said.
"The unfinished page!" Sakura gasped.
"There's an unfinished page?" Ami whispered, confused.
"You killed your brother, didn't you?" Yamato asked.
"No. You're wrong. This book was going to be a present for him." Sai said. Ami was certain she heard a tinge of hurt in his voice. "Right before I finished these two pages, my brother... He... He died... He died because of an illness."
"We're sorry to hear it." Ami said, sympathetically.
"We weren't related by blood." Sai said, in a failed attempt to suppress everything once again. "Within Root there are many Shinobi with no families. During my years in training, we all took care of each other, one way or another. However, he was the only one that treated me like a real brother."

x.x

"Right, we've got Sai, we should head home." Yamato said, as he climbed out of the hole in the ground. Everyone could tell that Sai was reluctant to go back, but he didn't seem to want to put up a fight. He was still clutching his book, as if his life depended on it, and made sure no one got near it.
"Shouldn't we wait to find a little more information? It's Orochimaru's hideout, after all." Ami said, almost pleadingly.
"We can return another time. We need to get Sai back, and I'm certain Hokage-sama would want to give you medical attention after debriefing." Yamato said.
"Wait..." Sai said, suddenly. "Perhaps you shouldn't leave just yet."
"Why not?" Naruto asked, curiously.
"It's just that... I know... I know why you're so determined to look around. He's... He's here... Sasuke's here. I've met him..." Sai said, somewhat uneasily.
"He's here?" Ami asked, eyes wide. "He's actually here? Why didn't you say so before?"
"I don't know." Sai stated. "Wherever Sasuke goes, Orochimaru will always be with him. If you're going to pursue Sasuke, you'll have to fight Orochimaru. If you're captured, you'll just become one of Orochimaru's test subjects. Why risk it? It's not like he really cares. He doesn't want to leave."
"I don't care whether or not he wants to leave." Ami said, angrily. "He's my brother and he needs to come home."
"He doesn't want you in his life anymore." Sai said.
"Stop it." Naruto said. "Neither of us cares. There was a time I hated Sasuke's guts, I'll admit it, but he's my best friend. He knows what I've been through. We understand each other. I'm not going to sit around and let him live alongside danger, just because he feels like it."
"But he-"
"I told you, I don't care, Sai." Naruto grinned. "You weren't there at the time. You didn't live through any of it. It's been hard without Sasuke, for some more than others." Sai watched as Ami shifted uncomfortably on the spot. "Some of us had a really hard time adjusting without Sasuke. It's been long enough already. I'm sure he's stronger now. I'm sure he's capable of doing anything. That's why he needs to come home now, and Orochimaru won't be the one that'll stop that from happening."

And yeah, it's stopping there. Like I said - not a long one... Just continuing from where I left off really :p I'll TRY not to take almost a year to update, I promise. I've got half term starting next friday (2 WEEKS OFF, HELL YEAH!) so that might come in handy! Until next time... xoxo

Again, I'M SOOOOOOOOOO SOOOOORRY FOR TAKING FOREEEVER! :p x

ps - I shall proof read... Eventually :)