Title: For I Can Touch The Sky
Author: ZukoKrazy (me!)
Rating: T maybe, most likely, M later
Summary: Taken by the Akatsuki in order to lure Naruto to them, Sakura is forced to cope with some of the most dangerous men in the world. She must learn to fend for her safety and she must learn to close the door to her heart…and throw away the key. Akatsuki x Sakura. You decide whom she ends up with.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys. As I said before, this is a DeiSaku fic. I wrote an ItaSaku fic, Sweet Revenge. Check it out if you want to…
Special Thanks to: mfpeach, Kiba-and-Sakura-4ever, sakura5584, Pirate Shinju, XUchihaSakuraX, JusticeDream, Sailor Leo, luvzsasuke, CherryBlossomOfSpring, Siy, sesshoumaru13, Sesshomarubaby18, sakura-chan-ikah, CraZy-AneH-GiRL, Silver Element , JustPlainPeachy, Cupid's ichor, Mind At Loss, Sakura0890, and SasukeLuva.
On with the story!
----
Sakura gasped and jumped off of Daybreak.
Now that she was concentrating on her surroundings, she did notice an extreme amount of chakra moving towards the direction of where Sakura and Deidara where at right now: the Akatsuki hideout.
Before following Deidara back into the hideout, Sakura tied Daybreak to a nearby tree, stroking his muzzle once before running after the blond.
Upon entering the hideout. Sakura immediately noticed the tension in the air.
Walking quickly to the room she shared with Deidara, Sakura shut the door behind her. She quietly packed all of her things (which was close to nothing) and put them aside. Sakura was done with Akatsuki. She was outta here.
All at once, there was the clang of metal-on-metal as the battle began.
Picking up her bundle and a kunai, Sakura took a secret exit out of the hideout and was met with a surprising scene. There were many Suna shinobi, and the Akatsuki members were having trouble fending off all of them.
Suddenly Sakura ducked as shuriken whipped over her head. She gritted her teeth and jumped into the trees.
Landing softly on the ground a little while away, Sakura noticed Kankuro.
He was trying to catch Kisame with one of his puppets, but Kisame kept using Samehada to break the strings of chakra.
Sakura felt something brush her leg and to her surprise found that it was a couple of spare grains of sand.
Hearing a noise behind her, Sakura whipped around and found herself face-to-face with Gaara.
He looked at her with an emotion close to pity and stretched his hand out to her in a gesture of friendship, but Sakura quickly backed away.
Gaara started to say something but stopped when Akatsuki members started fleeing.
Sasori shot Sakura a look that said, "Get out of here!" and Sakura remembered Deidara bragging that someday he would make the biggest exploding bird the worlds ever seen. Judging by Sasori's look, that bird was about to take flight.
Sakura bolted from Gaara and jumped onto Daybreak, whose eyes were wide with fear and excitement.
Sakura urged the black horse into a gallop. Dodging the trees and fallen men was tough, but Daybreak seemed to have experience in the art.
Sure enough, when Sakura and Daybreak were very far away, a huge explosion rocked the forest.
Sakura slowed the poor horse down a bit, giving him a chance to rest a bit.
The mental image of the Sand Siblings popped into Sakura's head. She hoped they were all right.
----
Naruto sat on his favorite stool in the ramen shop. Stirring his now cold ramen with his chopsticks. Thinking about Sakura and Sasuke.
If only I had been able to stop them from getting her. Or if only Tsunade-baa-chan had.
FLASHBACK
Arriving in a puff of smoke, Tsunade immediately took hold of the situation.
Tsunade slammed a chakra-enforced fist into the cheek of a certain blue man and Kisame was sent spiraling.
Picking up Tsunade's unconscious student, Itachi ordered a retreat. Busting through a wall, the Akatsuki members and their captive jumped away
END FLASHBACK
The only reason they took Sakura was because Tsunade appeared in front of me, Naruto thought miserably.
"Naruto…Naruto…Naruto!" the owner's sharp voice snapped Naruto back into reality. It was completely dark out and no one else was there.
"It's closing time," the owner said gently to the depressed boy. Naruto nodded, paid the owner and left.
The old man sighed. Naruto just wasn't the same anymore…
----
The horse's hooves clattered loudly on the near-empty street.
Exhausted by the hard day of riding, Sakura dismounted in front of the nearest inn. Luckily, it was a girls-only hotel, so Sakura didn't have to worry about encountering any Akatsuki here.
Then again, Deidara could pass as a girl. And they could always use Henge to appear a girl.
Sakura shook her head. She needed to stop over-analyzing.
Quickly checking in, Sakura inquired about any near-by barns. The woman at the front desk nodded and told a young boy standing by to take the black horse to the stable in the back.
Once satisfied that Daybreak was happy, Sakura dumped her stuff in her room. Sakura collapsed on the bed and let sleep claim her without a second thought.
The next morning, it was gray and cloudy out.
Sakura rose early and found that she hadn't changed from yesterday's attire.
Sakura looked and looked but she couldn't find her red qípáo.
Sakura groaned and called for a maid. When said cleaner arrived, Sakura told her to go look for an outfit that would last days of riding. She gave the maid a tip and sent her on her way.
Sakura wondered where the red qípáo had gone.
----
Naruto's sky blue eyes filled with tears at the sight before him.
In Tsunade's hands were the charred remains of Sakura's red qípáo.
It was nearly black now. It looked as though it had recently been on fire.
Hand trembling, Naruto reached out and grasped the thing.
First he looked at the Hokage and then back at the charred piece of cloth in his hands.
Tsunade and the Kazekage, Gaara, who was there as well, bowed their heads in respect for the assumed dead kunoichi.
"I…I have to…I have to tell Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said so quietly Tsunade almost didn't hear him. Tsunade nodded and Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Kakashi looked up from his reading as Naruto approached. At once he knew something was wrong. Before he could ask, Naruto showed the piece of clothing.
"First our mission failed…Then Suna failed. Kakashi, Sakura's…" Naruto trailed off and Kakashi knew at once. Said jounin nodded and he disappeared to confirm with the Hokage and to arrange a service of Sakura.
Then, and only then, he would go home and cry.
Naruto fell to the ground and with a surprise he found himself at the place where Kakashi had tied him up and where Sakura had fed him from her own lunch.
Naruto sighed as memories overwhelmed him…
----
Sakura slipped on a pair of black ninja pants and a black shirt. Taking the black hooded cloak that the maid had brought back, Sakura made her way to the front desk with her things and her money.
"Thank you," she said to the owner, putting the money on the counter.
The owner nodded and gave her the directions to the stable.
Sakura walked back to the nicely kept barn and took Daybreak back.
"That horse is the devil himself!" one stable boy cried.
"You'd do well to sell him," an older stable boy advised.
"Why?" Sakura asked, surprised.
"That devil took out Takeo's eye, and he fought with the other horses every time we put him out. He's a menace," the older boy said, turning away.
Sakura grew angrier and angrier by the second.
Leading the tall black horse out of the stable she heard the comments as they passed.
"There's that one that almost killed Bailey."
"Look at his eyes, I wonder if he's possessed."
"That's the one that made it so Takeo can't see anymore."
"Listen up!" Sakura yelled, turning the horse around so she could see all the stable boys. "If you want to live to see tomorrow, I suggest you shut your big traps!" To put emphasis on her words, she gathered chakra in her feet and, dropping the reins, appeared behind a random stable boy, her kunai to his throat.
Dropping the kunai and gathering up the reins, Sakura mounted up onto Daybreak and sped off into the drizzling rain.
The stable boys all looked on in amazement.
"Now that is one force not to be reckoned with. The devil and his rider."
----
It was a dreary day in Konoha.
On top of the same building that held the funeral of the Third was where everyone was gathered, clad in black.
Before the assembly was an upraised mound, decorated with Sakura petals and white flowers.
One by one, the shinobi placed a flower on the upraised mound. Naruto came last with Kakashi, both looking on in sadness at the picture of their former comrade.
Choking back tears, Naruto places his flower next to the picture of a smiling Sakura.
"Good-bye, Sakura-chan," he whispered. Kakashi, upon hearing this, was greatly saddened.
Walking back to his place, Naruto looked up to see Kakashi still standing there, flower in hand.
"So many things I never got to say. Take care of her, Obito, Rin," Kakashi murmured. Placing his flower down on the other side of the frame, Kakashi looked at the picture of his former student. She looked so happy, so carefree.
Head bent, he walked back to his place beside Naruto.
"Sasuke's gone to Orochimaru…Sakura's dead…Kakashi-sensei, we're the only ones left," Naruto said sadly.
Kakashi places a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder. No words were needed.
Once the service was over, Sakura's name was added to the memorial stone.
Sitting alone in his apartment, Naruto looked at the picture taken with his teammates and himself.
How stupid it was. Naruto and Sasuke were glaring at each other. Sakura and Kakashi were the only ones smiling.
Looking back, Naruto thought about how frivolous it was that he and Sasuke were always fighting.
Sighing, Naruto put the picture on his bedside table and walked to his bedroom. He needed some rest.
----
Sakura slumped in the saddle. Three weeks of intense riding.
She was lost.
She didn't know where to go. She was trying to get back to Konoha. But Sakura hadn't been out of Konoha too far before. Obviously Itachi and Kisame had. It had only taken them a little while to get to the Akatsuki hideout.
Sakura closed her eyes. Maybe she could just rest them…just a bit…
Sakura was at the exit to Konoha. She was basically spilling her heart out to him, asking him not to go, or to take her with him.
"You're still annoying," came the cold reply.
After awhile, she realizes that she lost and threatens to scream. Quick as light itself, Sasuke knocked Sakura out and leaves.
Sakura woke with a fright, gasping for breath. Then she looked around.
Hey…this forest was familiar! She was really near Konoha!
Jumping off and tying up Daybreak, Sakura jumped past the guards without them even noticing.
I'll surprise Naruto and Sasuke-kun! She thought joyously.
Spotting Naruto eating outside, Sakura nearly bounded straight over to him.
Then she noticed something. Naruto wasn't alone. He was with a girl.
Hinata.
Sakura looked on, interested.
"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata's timid voice reached up to Sakura.
"Yes?" Naruto said.
"Wha-What about Sakura? Don't you love her?" Hinata said sadly.
"Sakura? Hinata, it pains me to say this, but Sakura is gone and I need to move on…" Naruto trailed off.
Their conversation continued on, but Sakura wasn't hearing anymore.
Gone? They thought she was gone? Why? She was right here!
Suddenly, Naruto laughed and leaned across the table. Closing his eyes.
He.
Kissed.
Hinata.
Sakura felt her heart stop.
No. There's no way. Naruto couldn't have just kissed Hinata.
"Hey! You there!" came the voice of Kotetsu.
Naruto and Hinata got up. They walked down the street, hand-in-hand. Naruto kissed Hinata on the check again.
"N-Naruto," Sakura whispered.
"Hey! Identify yourself!" Izumo shouted, the two bounding up to her and grabbing her wrists.
Finally turning towards the two proctors, Sakura looked at them with tears in her green eyes.
Izumo's eyes widened and he dropped her wrists in shock.
"No…no way! You're dead!" he cried. Then his eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?" Kotetsu asked fiercely.
Sakura's eyes widened at how much her old friends had changed.
She had to be dreaming. Yes, that was it. Dreaming…
Or under an Akatsuki member's trick!
Sakura grabbed two kunai and flung them at the two men.
Dodging them, Izumo and Kotetsu immediately raised the alarm.
Bounding from roof to roof, Sakura dodged kunai thrown by various ANBU.
Not surprisingly, Sakura soon ran into a hard chest.
She looked up through tear-filled eyes to find Genma staring back at her.
"Sakura?" he asked, amazed.
Sakura shook her long locks out of her face.
Suddenly she screamed and attacked the jounin with all of her strength.
Genma blocked all of her attacks.
Sakura cursed as she felt her chakra drain.
Seeing and opening, Sakura bolted and headed towards the woods.
Sakura screamed out in pain as kunai and shuriken alike struck her all over.
Falling down on a leafy pile, Sakura gasped as all her chakra left her.
Sakura's eyelids drooped as she felt sleep claim her…
----
Deidara looked again at the small compass in his hands. It pointed not to the north, but rather to northeast.
Deidara sighed. Where was Sakura? Obviously she was heading back to Konoha, but would they accept her back?
Bounding through the trees, Deidara followed the directions given to him by the seemingly broken compass.
Placing the metal thing against his ear, Deidara listened closely and heard a metallic beeping.
Deidara had to give it to Itachi. He never lost track of anyone.
Hearing voices from a clearing ahead, Deidara froze.
Concealing his presence, Deidara's eyes widened at the sight before him.
"…Obviously an imposter..." an ANBU's voice drifted up towards Deidara.
"What should we do?" another asked the jounin standing there.
"Kill her," with those words said, half the ANBU, including the jounin, leapt away.
Only two ANBU were left.
Deidara grinned. Easy prey. He started forming an exploding bird in his hand when suddenly he realized that if he created a big bang this close to Konoha, more jounin and ANBU would surely come.
Cursing the ninja in Konoha, Deidara whipped two kunai at the ANBU, who deflected them.
Grinning, Deidara jumped down and threw some shuriken.
The ANBU frowned behind their masks as the deflected the weapons thrown at them.
"That's the Akatsuki bastard, Deidara," one muttered.
"No, this is the Akatsuki bastard, Deidara," a voice chuckled behind them.
The two ANBU turned around and in a split second they were dead.
Deidara grinned and turned towards Sakura, who was suffering major blood loss.
"Deidara…" she whispered, "Thank…you…"
Deidara cried out and picked Sakura up off the blood-covered ground.
Placing some of his chakra inside of her, he muttered, "Perform Henge. We're getting you healed."
Nodding, numbly, Sakura turned into a black-haired boy with a couple of scars of his face. Deidara performed the seal and turned into and older version with more scars: obviously her brother.
"Help!" Deidara called out; he had had his voice changed as well. "HELP!"
Soon, three or more ANBU arrived and examined the two dead.
"What happened?" the ANBU hound asked Deidara.
"I don't know! Five ninja leapt out and started attacking me and my brother, and then these masked people showed up! They drove away the enemies, but they died, and my brother is gonna die soon!" Deidara said in a rush, resisting the urge to say "yeah" after every sentence.
The ANBU nodded to his comrades and they gently carried the boy to the hospital, one letting Deidara lean on him.
When they arrived, the nurses healed them and while Sakura rested, ANBU interrogated Deidara, who had little trouble answering.
When Sakura woke up, they asked her the same questions. She was still delusional, however, her story was similar to Deidara's.
During the night, Sakura and Deidara snuck out of the hospital. Unfortunately, they were in their true forms and were delayed by two ANBU.
Deidara quickly killed them and they took their uniforms and masks, leaping off into the night.
Sakura followed with Daybreak in tow, but not before taking one last look at the place where she grew up, grief and memories washing over her senses.
----
"I want to join Akatsuki," Sakura stated coldly.
Deidara looked up from his cooking in surprise. "Sakura…" he started.
"Save it Deidara. I was, no, I am forgotten in that village. They think I am dead. Even Naruto thinks I'm gone. Though since I showed my face to numerous people, he will probably come looking for me again," she finished thoughtfully, stroking Daybreak's muzzle.
Deidara placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Suddenly Sakura pulled out her forehead protector and a kunai.
"Sakura…!" Deidara said, shocked.
Ignoring the blonde, Sakura drove the kunai into the metal and slowly pulled it across, memories engulfing her mind.
Finishing, Sakura held the newly marked protector up in the fading sunlight.
Quietly, Deidara pulled the pink-haired girl into a tight hug, whispering soothing things into her ear as she cried into his chest.
About an hour later, Sakura stopped sobbing and Deidara knew she had fallen asleep.
Moving carefully, Deidara picked the sleeping girl up bridal style and placed her in his sleeping bag. Taking a spare blanket from her pack, Deidara shook it out and lay down next to Sakura.
Looking at the peacefully sleeping kunoichi, Deidara was painfully reminded of Rini…
----
A/N: There's chapter three for you! I hope this chapter wasn't too bad. In the next chapter:
Who is this Rini? Why is Deidara so attached to her? Will Sakura be able to join Akatsuki? Wait, what is Itachi doing? Where is Deidara?
All these questions will be answered soon enough.
Until then,
-ZK
P.S. Please review!