Disclaimer: To all those who believe I own Naruto, good for you. But, I sadly must admit that I do not. . .

'Sakura's or, any one's thoughts'

'Inner Sakura's thoughts'

'Flashbacks'

A Painful Reminder

Sakura regained consciousness in not the most comfortable position. She tried to reach up to ease the pain in her head, but she couldn't. There were ropes retraining her from doing so. She'd been tied to the very tree she blacked out on. Sakura sighed inwardly.

'There you go again! Still getting captured. . .' Inner Sakura teased

'Oh shut up! I have a job to do right now!' Sakura pushed her Inner-self back into the corner of her mind.

Sakura shifted her eyes to the two Akatsuki in front of her. She kept a steady glare at Kisame. He apparently noticed and was getting annoyed. Otherwise he wouldn't be frowning with so much intensity.

"Don't get so cocky smart-ass." He snorted.

Sakura's stomach growled again. She forgot she hadn't eaten dinner the previous day, or breakfast today. It was around time for dinner by now. Sakura turned her head to see Deidara. He was trying to refrain from laughing. Naruto did say her stomach did sound odder than most peoples.

"Where'd the ebony haired guy go?" Sakura asked the two Akatsuki as she raised an eyebrow.

"First of all: His name's not 'The ebony haired guy'. It's Itachi. Second of all: I don't recall telling you it was any of you're business." Kisame said as he turned his back to her. Deidara gave an awkward smile as he followed suite.

There was a long silence until Itachi came back. She assumed he was scouting the area for ANBU. Itachi leapt from branch to branch until settling on one in front of Sakura. She clenched her fists tightly.

'So this is Uchiha Itachi. I shouldn't have expected any less. He looks just like Sasuke-kun, and he's a hundred times stronger and more skilled than me. Not to mention the same attractiveness as his younger brother. I don't like admitting it, but it's kinda true.' Sakura thought as she gave an annoyed sigh.

"Answer my question." Itachi commanded in his monotone voice. Sakura groaned. "Yeah."

"You are a medic-nin too?" He didn't sound like he was asking a question. "Yes," Sakura replied with pride in her voice. "I was trained under the legendary Sannin: Tsunade-shishou!"

Sakura couldn't help but brag about it. I mean, not many people can train with one of the highest ranking ninja in the world! But as soon as she slipped the last sentence out of her mouth, she wished she hadn't of said it.

'Nice going Sakura.' She could feel her Inner-self's sarcasm.

'How was I supposed to know they needed a freak'in medic-nin?!?!' Sakura thought back to her Inner-self.

There was a smirk behind that cloak of his. "Now, you serve Akatsuki."

Sakura glared daggers at Itachi. She was getting pissed by now. If she could, she'd try to slap him. Haruno Sakura did not belong to the Akatsuki. And there was no way in hell she was going to serve them. Sakura's violent glare was interrupted by the sound of loosening ropes. Deidara was untying her from the tree.

"Don't. Touch. Me." Sakura growled as she began to struggle. The ropes fell to the tree's branch, and so did Sakura. She forgot about her bruises and cuts, so she started felling the pain. As she pulled her self off the ground Deidara spoke.

"I hope you come without a hassle. I don't think you want Itachi-san using his Mangekyou on you, yeah."

Sakura briefly stiffened, then sighed as she regained her footing on the branch." Fine. Just don't kill me 'till we get to you're base."

"No promises." Kisame said with a sadistic grin on his face. Sakura stiffened once more, at the blood lust Kisame felt for her.

"Kisame, Deidara . . . kunoichi. We are leaving. Now." Itachi ordered with a great finality in his voice. They all turned to him, well except Sakura. They stood for a minute as Sakura analyzed her situation.

She had been captured, and now told to be an Akatsuki member's medic-nin so far; who could kill her when ever they felt compelled to do so. Obviously Kisame did. Deidara didn't seem very Akatsuki, but still he was one of them! And Itachi could care less if she were alive or dead. So her chances of getting out of this alive were looking dim.

'If you don't get back to Konoha soon, you'll just be another missing-nin!' Inner Sakura yelled.

The fear had sunk in. She began to shake involuntarily and her breathing slightly quickened. Sakura turned around hoping they wouldn't notice. Some one saw the whole thing.

"Kunoichi." Itachi wanted her to turn around. He new she had to be petrified by now.

No response.

Itachi walked across the branch, brushing past Kisame and Deidara. Itachi raised and hand to Sakura and pulled it down with enough force to break to branch of the tree. Sakura was on the floor of the forest, on her knees, grasping her head through her hair.

'Ouch, dammit! That hurt!' Sakura thought.

'It was your fault for not answering when wanted you to.' Inner Sakura stated.

'Oh, shut up! He didn't have to smack me for it!!!' Sakura thought back as she wretched in pain.

Sakura looked up at the canopy of trees. Itachi, Kisame, and Deidara had to each find a new branch, because Itachi broke the one they originally stood on. Sakura stood up and yelled.

"What the hell was that for, bastard?!?!?!"

Kisame laughed inwardly.' No one gets away with calling Uchiha Itachi a bastard. She'll be in pain soon enough.'

Itachi was now standing behind Sakura. Before she could turn around he grasped her arm, as well as dug his nails into them. He used her arm to pull her off the ground, as he put his lips to her ear.

"Are you afraid now?"

His nails dug deeper into her flesh, causing her to bleed. Now it started to hurt. Sakura bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out in pain, while the Uchiha only continued to smirk. She turned her head to meet his patient gaze.

"Yes. . .I am afraid." She tried to keep a leveled voice, but it broke in two places.

Itachi bared his nails farther into her skin and pulled back, leaving four or five bleeding scratches. They would indeed scar if they were not treated. As he stepped away he spoke again.

"Good, we shall keep things that way."

Everything went black again.

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Bad Itachi! But still, when I wrote this chapter I felt like hitting something.

Yay! School's over!

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I'll see you during the summer!

Ja ne!

-Tari-chan