Okay, so it's Thusday, but you guys sounded so pathetic!

Let me just say, so I don't have riots, that Sakura is not dead! Let's all give a muffin to the only one who figued it out: Shadow Fox777.

But anyway, don't freak out!

Read on!

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A few hours before midnight, Somewhere in the Akatsuki Hideout

Sakura frowned. The weird one with the mask had unlocked her door, gave her the thumbs-up, and slipped away immediately after. Sakura had seized the chance.

However, now, wandering around the Akatsuki's hideout, Sakura was beginning to regret her thoughtlessness. It was impossible. Somehow, the hallways around her just went on and on forever.

Sakura decided that she had no choice now but to try one of the doors that lined the endless hallways. Shrugging, the pink-haired konoichi tried the first door on her left. It was locked.

Sakura walked a few steps and tried that door. It was also locked. Starting to feel panicked, she tried another door. And another. And another. All of the doors were locked! Slowly, Sakura sunk to the floor. She'd just stay here until Kisame found her. But what if Kisame wasn't the one to find her?

A tear trickled down the girl's cheek.

Then, she saw it. A black door, right in front of her. Somehow, Sakura just knew that it was unlocked. She got to her feet and took a step toward the door. Haltingly, she turned the knob, which was unlocked. Walking in and fumbling for the light switch, Sakura felt her heart leap into her throat.

The room's walls were painted black, and gave the overall feel of the room a dark, depressing aura. There was a closet, a bed, and a desk with a computer on it. Next to the bed was a small nightstand. The layout was almost exactly like her room, save for the computer.

Sakura crossed over to the computer and found that it was on, just that the monitor had been turned off. Maybe she could send an e-mail to Tsunade!

When the monitor cleared up, though, there was already a file open. It was a record of an IM conversation. Sakura squinted at it. ScarletNinja? CherryBlossom123? This was one of her conversations with Hideo! Why would it be in one of the Akatsuki's computers?

Deciding she would get to the bottom of this, Sakura pulled up the start menu. Next to the user picture was the name Itachi Uchiha.

"No…" Sakura whispered. "No, it can't be!"

Still not sated, Sakura pulled up the AIM sign-on screen, and stopped dead. ScarletNinja was the name saved into the screen name slot.

Sakura's eyes widened in horror. Itachi, Itachi Uchiha, was her Hideo.

About 6 o'clock in the morning the next day, Hokage Mansion,

"What do you want, Kakashi? I'm very busy and I need to get this paperwork done," Tsunade said impatiently. Kakashi had come to her office very suddenly, without an appointment, and she had been in the middle of filling out various commission forms that she had neglected.

Kakashi winced at her loud voice. He had just gotten up with a horrible hangover, and every little noise was like a jackhammer against his skull. However, this was important.

"I don't think that Sakura ran away, Hokage-sama," he said gently.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Ino tried to give me this, too. What proof do you have?"

Kakashi snorted. "Sakura was terrified of Itachi, and she hated the Akatsuki. I think that's proof enough!"

"Sakura was a clever girl. It could have been an elaborate set-up. She could have been working with them to capture Naruto." Tsunade told him. "I don't want to believe it, but I have to."

Kakashi's visible eye looked at her pleadingly. "She woke up screaming from nightmares about Itachi! I'm surprised that she was that stable, after seeing Itachi again!" he protested.

"There's nothing I can do. Give me some solid evidence… Then we can look into it," Tsunade said sadly.

Kakashi sighed. "Then just tell me one thing. Have they declared her missing-nin?"

Tsunade looked at him with anguished eyes. "I had no choice…"

At that moment, the Hokage's door was thrown open.

"Hokage-sama!" the chunin messenger cried breathlessly. "Sakura Haruno has been found… dead!"

Same time, Akatsuki hideout

Itachi passed a hand over his face and walked in the door. He just wanted to sleep. To create the illusion that Sakura was alive, he had cast an illusion jutsu on a man he had killed, turning it into a mutilated version of Sakura. Nevertheless, seeing her so hurt, even if it was an illusion, was very taxing on his newfound emotions. When he walked in the living room, Kisame was pacing, and looking very anxious.

"What's wrong, Kisame?" Itachi asked worriedly.

Kisame looked up, startled. "Uh… nothing. I… It's just that… we're out of tuna," he said quickly.

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "You're lying. Now, what's the problem?"

Tobi came rushing in the front door, holding several cans of tuna fish in his arms.

"Kisame-sama! I got the tuna!" he cried, thrusting them at Kisame and giving him a wink that went unnoticed, since he was obviously wearing his mask. Kisame thanked whatever god was listening to him after he realized that Tobi had grabbed the tuna they did have, run out the back door, and then come in the front door; creating the illusion of coming home from buying tuna.

Kisame sighed in relief. "Thank you!"

Itachi rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to bed." And with that, Itachi walked away. Just as he passed out of earshot, he heard Kisame sigh.

"Praise be to your quick thinking, Tobi."

Itachi glared. Something was up.

He wound his way around the many hallways of their hideout until he got to his door, the only black one in the house. He jumped when he saw a tiny, pink konoichi lying on his bed.

"Saku-" he started, but she moved. Itachi quickly realized Sakura was still asleep, and that the terrified expression on her face only meant she was having a nightmare.

"N-neji…" she whispered. "N-no…"

Itachi crossed the room and sat down beside the squirming girl. He slowly lowered his hand to her back, and she did not flinch away.

"S-stay away…" she mumbled.

"Shhh," Itachi crooned, rubbing her back soothingly. Sakura cried out, then, slowly calmed, her fevered face smoothing into placid tranquility.

Smiling slightly, the Uchiha genius picked her up and brought her back to her room. Kisame noticed them from the kitchen and gasped. Then he blinked and shrugged. At least Itachi wasn't killing him…

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Gasp! Itachi... being nice!!! It's the apocalypse!!!

Uhh... anyway. How was that? Keep reading, and review!