Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.
"Sasuke!" Neji looked serious.
"You believe me?"
"Of course I DON'T!" Then again, when does Neji not look serious? "You're basing this on instinct only! There's no solid proof to make your sudden accusation valid!"
"Big words," Naruto mumbled.
"When is instinct not enough Neji?" Sasuke boomed. "We're Shinobi! We LIVE on instinct! Proof is needed for the people we work for. And besides, I think I would know my own brother."
"He's got a point Neji!" Naruto said. Of course, who would actually trust Naruto's judgement? But in desperate times such as these, there was only one choice. "Shikamaru, what should we do?"
"I say you go for it! I'll stay here and keep a watch."
"You mean you'll stay here because it's too troublesome..."
"Same meaning!"
"Shikamaru, you're coming with us." Everyone turned to Gaara. They had forgotten he was even with them. "We need all the manpower we can get to face the Uchiha. And since this is all we can get, we're going to use it." Sure Shukaku had been extracted out of him but Gaara was still.. Gaara. So they obeyed him without question. But there was still the problem of how they were going to break out without Tsunade or some ANBU coming to check up on them.
Naruto came up with an answer. "Someone have a bobby pin or something like that?"
Sasuke handed him one and his pants came sliding down. "What? I've been working out a lot... and haven't had time to go shopping. Besides, what're you gonna do with that Naruto?"
"Pick the lock!" He pulled on the metal making it into one long rod (a small one at that), which made Sasuke go, "What about my PANTS?"
"No one gives a shit about your pants," Gaara grumbled.
Naruto finished picking the lot and gave Sasuke his bobby pin back which was amazingly back in perfect condition. "How the hell did yo - "
"Shouldn't we go now? Isn't Sakura-chan in trouble?" There wasn't any hesitating after that.
--
The first stop was Sakura's house. But it was empty. "Kyoshio was heading here though!"
"We know that Naruto!"
"There appears to be no signs of a struggle. Are you sure about your assumptions Sasuke?"
"YES I AM! HE DRUGGED AND TOOK HER SOMEWHERE! THAT'S IT!"
"You know, for someone that wants to save Sakura-chan, you sure make it seem like she's dead already," Naruto grumbled.
"Don't say that!"
"Then stop acting like it!"
"Fine. He probably went outside of Konoha. Let's go!" Sasuke ordered and pointed, somewhat lamely, and they headed out once more.
The village was quiet. Deadly quiet. "Um... guys?" Naruto whimpered. "I'm SCARED!" His last word echoed throughout the village. Loudly. But nothing else could be heard and there weren't any screams of, "SHUT UP NARUTO!"
"Something's wrong," Shikmaru noted. "There isn't anyone out and no one told Naruto to shut up... Itachi did something."
"Sasuke! You and Gaara go on ahead, we're gonna take care of the village," Neji ordered rushing back.
"Sasuke-teme, bring Sakura-chan back safely." With that Naruto rushed into the village, heading towards the Hyuuga Manor.
Sasuke and Gaara ran off. "Why're you helping me Gaara?"
"I owe her."
"Sakura?"
"Yes. She helped Suna in a time of need."
"Oh. Are you sure that's it?" Sasuke didn't know why he said that. Of course, Sasuke's crazy.
Gaara turned to look at him. And glared. A deathly glare. A very deathly glare. He finished it off with a, "Hn." They reached the outskirts of Konoha shortly after.
"Where could he be?" Sasuke muttered to himself.
"He's your brother, shouldn't you know?" Gaara asked coldly.
"Well I don't see you keeping track of your brother!"
"Yes I do. He is in Suna right now, probably at a bar somewhere. Or buying more makeup," he grumbled the last part.
"Boys, boys," Kyoshio's voice came from somewhere deep in the forest. The two spun around, trying to get a lock on him but his voice was coming from all ends. "Are you just looking for little old me? If you want your dear Sakura come and get her!" A manical laugh followed and his voice just sort of... faded.
"Wait, Uchiha," Gaara all out comanded, throwing his arm in front of Sasuke. "I can track him with my sand. He should've left some kind of trail..." Gaara started walking into the forest, Sasuke following apphrehensivly. They headed deep into the forest, the sky started getting darker. Gaara stopped in front of a cave. "They're in there."
"Alright. Gaara, you stay here."
"Why?"
"It's my fight. I'm still an avenger. Besides, what if we need a backup?" With those words he rushed into the cave.
Gaara stood in place, silently. "Whatever."
--
The cave was dark so Sasuke had to feel his way around. But it was also slipperly and he slipped a few times but he was - DETERMINED! I AM DETERMINED! - and on the brink of going crazy. Crazy for Sakura that is. It was about fifteen minutes before Sasuke's common sense kicked in. Why walk in the dark like an idiot, when you have the Sharingan? "SHARINGAN!" His eyes went all red and creepy like, but this time he spotted some sort of chakra deep into the cave and without hestiation, ran foward like a maniac.
Just as he stopped however, a figure ran foward and swiftly knocked him back. Sasuke's eyes flashed and he quickly formed the Ox, Hare, and Monkey seals before thrusting his left arm downwards, chakra quickly focusing into it. He ran foward thrusting his hand towards the figure, Chidori sparkling in his hand. But the figure flung him back into a wall. "Ugh... Kyoshio? No... Itachi!" Sasuke shook his head to clear the image in his head.
"You figured it out little brother?" Kyoshio came into focus but as Sasuke looked on, a poof later, and Itachi's form came into view. "A simple henshin enough to disguise even the Hokage of Konoha."
"Shut up Itachi!" Sasuke tried to get up, but the knock into the wall had caused more damage than he had thought.
"You've waited so many years for this, yet all the best you can come up with is a simple Chidori? How pathetic," Itachi laughed, then smirked.
But the biggest surprise was when a certain someone spoke up from the very back of the cave. "Sasuke, you're so weak." The two Uchiha brothers turned and saw Sakura standing with her arms crossed. "And that 'Uchiha smirk' is really annoying!"
Itachi frowned. "You shouldn't be up..."
"I'm not one to have the ability to surpass my sensei for nothing," she said coldly. Her hands started glowing a faint green and she pounced. Itachi got caught off guard. Her fist hit his stomach, earning a cry from him.
But he quickly rebounded and quickly performed some seals. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" A huge fireball erupted from Itachi's mouth and flew at Sakura. She quickly dodged it and latched her feet to the ceiling wall. She quickly jumped off and jumped towards Itachi, her hands heading for his head. He quickly dodged out of the way, forming a quick seal and a shadow bunshin poofed next to him. It quickly latched itself onto Sakura and Itachi shouted, "Bunshin Daibakuha!"
Sasuke's eyes widened in horror and he screamed, "SAKURA! GET IT OFF OF YOU, QUICK!"
Her eyes had gone from a calm to slightly shocked and she swiftly kicked it off effortlessly. It got flung into the ceiling and exploded, causing a few rocks to fall. Sakura dodged a few of them but a big one fell onto her leg. "SAKURA!" Sasuke yelled yet another time, helpless in his current position.
Itachi quickly approached her. Her face was a pained expression and it seemed the rock had hurt her badly. Itachi smirked. "You know, I'll just let you off with a simple Katon." He quickly formed the seals and just as he prepared to blow out the fire, Sakura swiftly kicked the rock off of her lg and rolled away, Itachi performing the jutsu anyway. It toasted the ground, and Sakura quickly hit him with a powerful jutsu. "Ranshinsho!" she hit the top back of his neck and sent some chakra that was converted to electricity to the base of his brain stem.
"Sakura... isn't that - "
"Yes it is, Sasuke, " she smirked.
Itachi started to sudenly move around awkwardly. "W - what did you do?" he yelled.
"Just a jutsu I learned from Tsunade-sensei," she said proudly. She quickly molded some chakra, forming a sort of rope and trying it around Itachi's hands and legs.
"S - sakura," Sasuke whispered. "I - I was supposed to... save you."
"Sasuke, where'd you come up with that idea?" she said softly. "I'm here for you and you're here for me."
"Yeah, but I'd feel better if I could've saved you," he said, smirking. But then his eyes widened and he screamed out, "SAKURA! WATCH OUT!" She turned around to see Itachi and then...
A/N: I don't know if I got some stuff wrong or right. It's 12:30 a.m. and here's your second-to-last-chapter :) The last chapter should be up soon and if you want something in there, just ask? As long as it doesn't mess up with my central plot for it, then I'll put any requests you have in the last chapter :)