Please note this is my first story so be gentle. It's just a small one-shot that I hope everyone will enjoy.

Declaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Small pants escaped Sakura's lips as she jumped from tree branch to tree branch. Her emerald orbs darted back and forth cautious of her surroundings. To say she was nervous would be an understatement. She was terrified. It had been a long time since she feared for her life and she was actually glad that she had to wear a mask to hide her fear and a cloak her gender.

She couldn't help the surprised squeak that escaped her lips as a kunai whizzed by inches from her masked face. They had found her. This was not good at all. It meant she had to fight. A fight she knew she would not win. Jumping down from her perch and onto the forest floor, she took a defensive stance. Now all that was left to do was wait for the enemy to show their selves.

It didn't take long as two figures jumped down in front of her. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the black cloaks with red clouds. Akatsuki. Knuckles white, she clenched and unclenched her fists. She knew without a doubt who they were already despite their straw hats. The giant sword attached to the taller figure gave away his identity as missing nin Hoshigaki Kisame which meant the other was Uchiha Itachi. Deep laughter snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Did you actually think you could escape us? Your little friend wasn't much fun. Maybe you will be?"

Her eyes narrowed as the shark man took off his straw hat revealing his grinning face and rows of sharp teeth. How dare he! Taking a few deep breaths she calmed down. There was no reason to let her emotions get the best of her right now. If she just charged at him in anger then there was no doubt she would die. No, she had to think of a plan to defeat him and then try to escape.

Still, it took all of her will power not to beat him to a bloody pulp. Her 'little friend' as he put it, had been her partner for over a year and a half. Ever since she became an ANBU, Kyo, her partner, had always been there for her. He had sacrificed himself to allow her to escape. She could only imagine how they must have toyed with him before finally killing him. It only seemed to anger her more. She wouldn't let his death be in vain. A small smirk formed on her lips as she motioned for the Akatsuki member to come at her.

"Bring it Jaws."

For once she was glad her mask muffled her voice as she began to laugh. She didn't want them to know that she was a girl just yet. Her laughter soon stopped as she found herself dodging Kisame's Samehada. Apparently he hadn't thought the 'Jaws' joke was funny. Taking out a kunai, she found herself dodging blow after blow. A small growl escaped her lips as she felt his sword sink into the sensitive flesh of her upper arm. Her cloak was getting in the way and her mask didn't help any either. If this continued she wouldn't last for 2 more seconds.

Back flipping, she threw her kunai at him. Her eyes narrowed as he caught it effortlessly before it turned into a smirk as hit blew up in his hand. The force of the blast threw them both back, him skidding across the ground and her back connecting with a tree. Standing up, she groaned. Her cloak was in tatters. Hissing slightly in pain she removed what was left of it to reveal her body.

"You're a girl!"

"No shit sherlock."

Sakura could have laughed at the look on his face. He really had had no idea. Shrugging, she removed her mask showing her face. She smirked, as his eyes widened. If that wasn't an obvious sign of surprise then she didn't know what was. Now, though, was not the time to bask in that small victory. Taking an offensive stance, she clenched her fist.

"Now it's time for me to get serious."

She didn't give him time to brace himself as she charged at him, her fist connecting with his jaw. It didn't stop there. Using her speed that she gained over the years she appeared behind him. Kicking him up, she jumped into the air after him. She really had to thank both Lee and Naruto when she got back home for all those hours of sparring. If it weren't for them she would have never been able to pull this little stunt off. Twisting in midair, she brought both of her feet down into his chest as he made contact with the ground, a large crater forming under him.

Jumping off his still body, she landed in a crouch in front of the crater. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the other Akatsuki member. Uchiha Itachi, he was going to be a lot more difficult to beat then Kisame. As a medic and the Hokage's apprentice, she was aloud to view classified information. She knew all about the older Uchiha and his Mangekyo Sharingan. It was something she didn't want to experience first hand.

She watched as he removed his hat. Biting the inside of her cheek, she held back her gasp of surprise. He looked so much like Sasuke. It was obvious that he was handsome. Every Uchiha she knew was, considering she only knew Sasuke and had only seen pictures of him. She clicked her tongue as she quickly looked away, berating herself for starring. This was it. She had to do something or she would die. Forming some hand seals she disappeared in a flurry of cherry blossoms.

(-)

"Kuso!"

She swore as she ran. What had she been thinking? There was no way she could win against Itachi. The only reasonable solution was to run. She just hope she reached Konoha before he caught up. She cussed again as she felt a kunai pierce her back. Looking behind her, her eyes landed on the Sharigan wielder before she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Jumping from her hiding spot she went to kick him only for him to catch her foot. Twisting, she tried to punch him only for that to be caught also. She landed awkwardly as she tried to balance on one foot, looking anywhere but his eyes. It was hopeless. She should have known he saw threw her bushin. If it was anybody but him her plan may have worked. It had still been worth a shot though.

Pain racked her small frame as she felt his knee connect with her exposed stomach sending her threw several trees. Her vision blinked in and out as she landed roughly on her back. Of all the stupid things she had ever done that had to be the stupidest. Allowing her mind to wander and leaving her open for an attack. Seriously what kind of kunoichi was she?

Sitting up, she allowed herself a moment of weakness as she cringed from the pain. She wasn't going to go down that easily. Standing up, she hissed and grabbed her ribs. That wasn't a good sign. Still she wasn't going to give up just yet. She had to bare with the pain a little longer.

As soon as she stood, she felt her back connect with another tree. Looking up, emerald met red. It was like looking into a dark abyss and yet she couldn't look away. His eyes captivated her. Behind the darkness she could have sworn she saw something. There was something hidden behind the emotionless façade that he kept up. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she began to fidget in his grasp.

"Loneliness….."

She gasped as she felt his lips crash roughly against hers. Her mind was reeling as she tried to understand exactly what was happening. Uchiha Itachi was…..kissing her. This was just way too fast for her. Before she could push him away, he pulled back. Blinking, she just starred dumbly at him.

"Run."

And she did just that. She didn't once look back. As she reached the gates of Konoha, her mind was on the kiss. Blushing, she gently touched her lips. She had always thought Uchiha Itachi was nothing more then a cold blooded killer. To think he decieved not only her but everyone else. She couldn't stop the smile that formed on her face; thoughts of what might happen during their next encounter fluttering threw her mind.