I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Plz don't hate me for the late update! With the exams and everything it's so hard to make another chapter ad prep for the exmas at the same time! Plus I also have these after school things and... Eh, I guess that's enough of the excuses heh heh, on with the story!

Key:

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto

R&R

Slash

Sakura's hand clutched her katana at her waist and she drew it from his sheath. In the blink of an eye she had run her blade through the youngest Uchiha. Who disappeared in a puff of smoke. She clicked her tongue in annoyance before titling her head slightly to her partner who understood and nodded then disappeared in a light gust of winds.

"Where did he go?!" Ino yelled in surprise, scanning her surroundings.

"Ino!" Ten-Ten called.

The blonde Yamanaka nodded and both kunoichi went back to back each wielding their own deadly weapons. Rock Lee followed their example and went back to back with Neji and Nara. Shikamaru's calculating eyes observed Sakura, watching carefully as she set her lips in a thin line and slowly sheathed her blade with her back to them.

He remembered the Uchiha's advice about her jutsu which allowed her to see with chakra waves. He could use shadow clones because she couldn't use her ability to find him. On the other hand genjutsu is useless as well as hiding chakra signals, but that's all the genius knows about this mysterious jutsu.

Sakura turned to look at them and using impossible speed she performed several complex hand signs before bringing them to the final seal: horse.

"Nentou! Akki Boushi!"

A charge of chakra shocked the ground. This didn't happen the first time she used this jutsu…

A rain of black flames surrounded sector B, and towered over them 20 feet high. The only opening lead to Sakura, the deadly kunoichi herself. The former Konoha kunoichi raised her fist to pound it into the ground when suddenly the force of a punch threw her onto the ground and skidding to a stop 10 feet away.

The whole sector looked up to see their squad leader panting and covered in cuts and burns. Blood ran down the side of his mouth and his eyes blazed red. His fist still extended from punching his former teammate. The flames surrounding the team died as Itachi reappeared next to Sakura with his share of injuries, watching as she stood on her own.

"I have a deal." Sasuke said letting his arm fall to his side. "We'll fight, two on two. Whoever loses must give up one person to the winning team, to do whatever they wish to that person. Kill him, torture him, whatever you want."

Kakashi descended from the air and landed his feet on the arms of his opponent, quickly slitting his throat he jumped down and watched the body fall. On the battle field many shinobi lay on the ground dead, others fought on while the injured retreated to be cared for. The numbers kept coming and coming seemingly endlessly.

7 more Amegakure shinobi headed at him and narrowing his eyes Kakashi sank into fighting position. The first shinobi that got to him first he punched straight on and shoved his body to the side temporarily. Four came to him on all sides front, back, left, and right. Grabbing the one in front's fist he flipped him into the shinobi behind him. Glancing at his left and right he quickly got down on the ground and swept his leg behind their, causing them to fall harshly to the ground. Flipping backwards into the former sensei formed several hand seals and at the last seal large icicles almost twice the size of a full grown man hailed down on all seven enemies.

Knowing they were done for Kakashi turned away from them to see hordes of shinobi grinning maliciously at a chance to kill the legendary copy nin. In the front stood Ryukai who stepped forward. Pulling down the left side of his mask he opened his eye to reveal his Mangenkyou Sharingan and just as Ryukai made hand seals he formed the same ones.

"Ryusa Bakuryu!!"

On the last seal both opponents created a large wave of sand charging at each other, pushing against each other's power. Kakashi smirked while Ryukai's eyes widened when his wave was absorbed in Kakashi's he started forming hand seals for a defensive jutsu, only for him and the Amegakure shinobi around his to drown in the ocean like waves of sand.

Breathing heavily the copy nin shook his head and sighed as he looked at the flat surface of sand, no traces of shinobi ever being there were found.

"Man…" He breathed and looked at the other shinobi battling against each other. "…I'm getting too old for this…"

Naruto ran as barrages of explosions followed him. He cursed under his breath while the large sand bird tailed him from behind, at this rate he would run out of chakra to keep up this run. He needed to get in close combat with the blonde Akatsuki.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted

Several shadow cloned appeared to his left and right. Thinking quickly Naruto and his clones turned around and threw several shuriken. Deidara shot out a hand, creating a sculpture of sand, and then sent it at lightning speed toward Naruto.

"Katsu!"

Dodging the explosions Naruto and his clones spread out. Panting out, a little tired, Naruto looked up at Deidara.

'What the hell should I do?' Naruto thought silently as the Akatsuki approached he began running again. 'I can't run forever'

Then it hit him. Why didn't he think of that before?

Coming up with a plan he purposely slowed his pace to a stop and waited as he felt the strong chakra draw closer. Closing his eyes he timed the moment and powered chakra to his legs.

'Bird boy is about 25 feet in the air… if I could get enough chakra…'

Then he felt it… the chakra at a dangerously close range.

'That's it!'

By his thumb 'till it bled Naruto turned his head slightly to look at Deidara before back flipping high up in the air and landed crouching before Deidara. His palm hit the top of the bird with a thud.

"Kat – "

"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!!!"

Before Deidara was about to use his signature move a large puff of smoke, and the sound of the sand bird crashing down to the ground sounded. Standing on top of a large toad, Naruto smirked down at Deidara's expression of disbelief. Under the toad was the crushed sand bird….

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Neji hissed at the Uchiha which just earned a glare.

"Why would we want to make such a bargain?" Itachi said, knowing full well that he and Sakura are important to Akatsuki's operation and Akatsuki can't afford to lose either of them.

"There is a Hyuuga, Yamanaka, Weapon specialist, and taijutsu specialist in this sector, there are thousands of possibilities. If you take me, then Naruto will fight twice as hard for myself and Sakura. It'd be the perfect bait, especially when he can't fight if he's clouded by anger. You could use one of us in Akatsuki even, as a threat to Konoha."

Neji, Ino, and Ten-Ten glared at the former traitor angrily. He's practically selling them away! They can't possibly fight Akatsuki with only two nin, it's suicidal even. They are sure to lose.

'The stupid traitor. We'll fail the mission if we go on with this bet not to mention a teammate! Although I wouldn't mind them taking Uchiha…' Neji inwardly thought.

"Uchiha, did you forget the mission objectives? We have to go after Pein," He said out loud making up his mind.

"No, I haven't Hyuuga. We are to go after the leader once we've eliminated Uchiha Itachi and retrieved Haruno Sakura." Sasuke said looking directly at both. "Through this bet we can kill two birds with one stone."

"Uchih – "

"Hyuuga, in this mission I am your superior and you will address me as such." Was the curt reply.

Lee watched with narrowed eyes. It didn't take a genius to know this wouldn't work. Shikamaru had the same thoughts as he looked at their captain.

'What are you up to?' The Nara genius thought suspiciously.

"Fine who will we wager?" asked Itachi.

Sakura turned to her partner clenching her teeth. How dare he agree to such a trivial thing? Did he forget the main objective?

"Itachi…" She hissed warningly with a tone that said 'Don't-do-anything-stupid'

He just gave her an intense stare before turning to face his younger brother.

"We're waging the kunoichi." He said with that unreadable tone.

Sakura repressed a twitch. 'and then he went and did something stupid!'

"We?" She lowly growled.

Itachi ignored her and gave Sasuke, who was looking at Sakura with a strange expression, a pointed look. The younger Uchiha's eyes held determination once the words left Itachi's mouth.

"We'll wage…" Sasuke trailed and looked to the team who returned the gaze almost fearfully. "Me."

Itachi raised a brow and Sakura pursed her lips skeptically.

"You're not worth it." Sakura sneered emotionlessly. "What do you possibly have to offer?"

Ignoring the hurt feeling he felt Sasuke looked at Sakura without coldness. Which surprised her along with the rest of sector B, Itachi looked on with interest and calculating eyes.

"I have close ties with Uzumaki Naruto and belong to a prestigious clan that is nearly wiped out. Konoha can't afford to lose my kei kei genkai nor the potential I have, I'm too important for them to lose."

Before Sakura could reject, Itachi cut in.

"Very well otoutou, we accept."

The Uchiha smirked while Itachi seemed to give the younger a indecipherable look that only Sasuke looked to understand. After a few seconds of the silent tension Sasuke motioned Neji to walk forward, who did so with hesitation.

"We can't afford to lose this." The Uchiha muttered to the Hyuuga. "Give it your all."

"Don't I always?"

Yeah, this is a pathetically short chap, but I'm sorry! I promise the next one will be longer! And as for the voting results we need more voters because, er it's a tie for no Team Hebi and Make the enemies to both sides. Here is the Poll Again.

a) Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo as good guys

b) Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo as bad guys

c) Suigetsu, Karin, Juugo as enemies to BOTH Akatsuki and Konoha

d) Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo not appear at all

NEW CHOICES!

e) It's a surprise but I can't tell you! All I can say is Juugo and Suigetsu are good guys but not Karin. The rest is a surprise!

f) Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin working WITH Akatsuki and FOR Sakura

SEPERATE POLL!

a) Karin Bitchy and Fangirl

b) Karin Bitchy and not a fangirl

c) Karin Not Bitchy and not a fangirl

d) Karin Bitchy and fangirling someone else