Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me, I don't make any profit with this story, and the rights of the authors are, of course, not touched in any possible way.

They had been bathing when Hinata had sensed some people behind her in the bushes that grew at the riverside: The stranger who was now standing before me and a kunoichi. She and Sakura had turned around, trying to find out more and to decide whether it would be better to stay in the river or to swim to the riverbank.

Then they heard the woman shouting at the man: „What are you thinking! Staring at two naked girls!" and saw her knocking him out.

The two girls looked at each other, wondering what that meant, and swam back to the bank to retrieve their weapons and clothes and see what was going on.

They found the kunoichi, threatening them with a kunai.

„Hurry up! Dress yourselves!" she said, and they obeyed, as this was what they themselvses wanted to do. They did not find their weapons however – obviously they had been taken.

„Don't worry", Sakura told to Hinata. „I am better at hand-to-hand combat anyway.

„So am I", Hinata replied.

They were not really afraid, as there was but one opponent and she did not seem to be particularly dangerous. Not even as the man regained consciousness and came out from under the bushes they got worried.

„It's still two against two", Sakura wispered to Hinata.

„So you are the two young kunoichi from Konoha", the man said.

„Indeed we are", Sakura replied. „I am sorry that I have not yet had the time to put my forehead protector on. I wanted to wait until my hair had dried. But here it is!" She put it forth and showed it to their two enemies. „So if now you would be so kind as to return us our weapons and let us go!"

„Ah, we will soon be so kind, young lady", the man said. „We just want to ask you some questions."

„Which we won't answer."

„That we'll see, young lady", he replied, lowering his sword.

Sakura punched him, making him fall over. He seemed not to have expected the blow, having not even tried to parry it.
„This was not very ladylike", he said, supporting himself on his arms.

To Hinata's and Sakura's surprise, his companion did not try to help him.

„Our weapons please", Sakura told her.

„First you answer the questions."

„So which are they", Sakura replied in an increasingly angry tone. She could not really take her opponent seriously.

„What information do you have concerning Akatsuki and Uchiha Itachi?"

Sakura froze – being threatened with a kunai or even a sword had not had this effect.

„Akatsuki and Itachi?" she repeated, trying to put two and two together.

„You understood me well. Akatsuki and Itachi."

„We might make a deal", Sakura said, pausing after each single word. „I tell you what I know about Akatsuki and Uchiha Itachi, and you tell me what you know about Uchiha Sasuke – most of all where he is."

The man and the woman looked at each other, trying to come to a decision, when they heard a voice from behind the bushes: „No need to search any longer!" and Sasuke himself stepped forward. Behind him was the third of his teammates, a giant of a man.

„Sakura-chan – Hinata", Sasuke said, greeting them both with a slight nod.

Sakura stood motionless.

„You did not put a genjutsu on her?" the man with the sword asked after some seconds.

Sasuke shook his head. „Of course not – why shoud I? Now speak! What do you know about Akatsuki and Itachi?"

„They are after Naruto", she answered when she could breathe again. „They want the Kyuubi that's inside him. They want to extract it, and then he will die."

„We know that already", he said. „Though, I admit, the last part of it I did not know. I am rather looking for information about their whereabouts, most of all Itachi's."

„So you are still trying to kill him."

„Certainly."
„Listen, Sasuke, we have come to search for you, we want you to return to Konoha."

Hinata told me that he had swallowed and blinked when he heard that, but that he had managed to get calm again within less than a second.

„Stupid as ever. You will not understand that I won't return."

„Ah, Sasuke, don't speak like that to a young lady", his companion intervened, who by now had managed to recover from the blow and sit up. „Even if she does not behave very ladylike", he added, rubbing the spot where the haematome began to show.

„Now, tell us what you know about Akatsuki's locations!"

„Nothing. We never had to look for them, they always came to look for us. We finished one of them off when they captured Gaara, and we defeated two others when they had come to Konoha."

„Not Itachi, I hope."

„No. But we have met him several times. We have reason to believe that it is him personally who tries to get Naruto. Even Kakashi fears him."

„Well, I don't." He turned to his companions. „Now, this was a complete waste of time. She does not know anything we have not known before. We should bind them and leave them somewhere where they can be found and freed by their companions and hope that we can put some distance between them and us before this happens."

„Wait a bit", the kunoichi said. „What about this Naruto you are talking about. The Jinchuuriki. He is not with you, is he?"

„He is", Sakura said. „Sasuke, Naruto and myself, we have been looking for you all the time."

„You don't have to tell me that. I know it."
„We could capture him and use him as a bait", the kunoichi suggested. „Then this would not have been a waste of time."

„As a bait? You cannot do that, Sasuke! You should still care enough for him not to risk his life like this."

„We cannot just capture him", he said. „He's too strong for that, and probably too well protected. We should rather think about getting away from here now that they know where we are."

„Wait, Sasuke", said the man. „This Naruto, the Jinchuuriki, he used to be your friend..."

„My teammate."

„And he still considers himself your friend, as I have understood."

„He will always do so", Sakura said. „Sasuke, come home with us."
„Now, if he ist too strong to be captured, and if he still thinks of himself as your friend, then it might work to ask him whether he will come with us of his own free will."

Sasuke was silent, thinking for a few seconds before he said to Sakura: „You may tell Naruto that he can join us if he so much longs to see me again. He might be helpful to us to attract Itachi."

Sakura stared at him, not knowing what to say.

„It does not work like that", the other man said. „This is not how one invites a friend." He turned to Sakura. „Tell this Naruto, the Jinchuuriki, that Sasuke invites him to be his companion again, and that in return he offers him his protection against Itachi."

„What?" Sakura said. „You don't mean that. You want to use him as a bait, you don't want to protect him."

„He will be as safe with us as with anyone. Maybe safer." Sasuke said.

„I won't pass your message on. I won't let Naruto be used by you."

„Ah, fine", said Sasuke's teammate. „Then I will do it myself. Where can I find your people?"
„You don't expect me to tell you this."

„It might be too dangerous for you to go to their camp", Sasuke said. „They might decide to keep you with them."

„We can keep one of the girls to ensure my safety. The loud, violent one, I suggest. The silent, gentle one will show me the way."