Chapter 9 is here! Isn't that great! Well… c'mon in, sit back and relax… your eyes before reading.

Title: Confusion and Argument and Joining the Enemy

Team 7 was traveling around the desert towards the places between the Stone country and Wind country. They still found nothing from the borders of the Wind. So they decided to widen their search. Everyone had been tired from their travel. And Sasuke has been most especially edgy and irritable the past few days because of Sakura's absence. And Naruto's tired of this.

The team was inside a forest clearing near a lake, having a rest. Sasuke said, "This is a waste of time! We need to keep moving."

"What's the matter with you Sasuke? You're always so calm and cool with Sakura. But you're acting so stupid the past few days!" Naruto shot at him. "Looks like you're too affected losing her."

"And you're not?! What kind of friend are you, Naruto?!" Sasuke shot back, "Maybe to you she's just a comrade. But to me, she's a very important person who has been kidnapped by my good-for-nothing brother!"

"Then I guess all you want is to avenge your family and kill you brother, is that it?!" Naruto said, "You're so stubborn! You think it's all gonna end there after you've killed him."

Kakashi was getting nervous. He signaled Sai to leave with him quietly. "Sai, Kakashi-sensei, stay here." Naruto said, not turning his stare away from Sasuke, "This'll just be short. You don't need to go."

"And did you ever notice you're the one who slowed us down all this time?" Sasuke said. "You pointed false directions and ran off into your own whenever you were too confident that you've found their hideout. You put us danger at times. And you had to help others on the way and catch up with us. And whenever we needed your help, you were never there because you were gone helping others off—just like back then!"

"At least I helped! I don't see you helping others at all!" Naruto said, "The only things you did were to complain and tell me I was stupid all the time! It hurts inside, Sasuke! You don't know how much it hurts… for a friend to be suddenly kidnapped then I can't find her whatever I do, wherever I go!"

"What about me?! You think I don't care about her as well? You don't think I get nightmares about her!? You don't think I don't miss her at all or pray for her before I try to sleep at night!? You don't think I miss her sweet voice or her scent of strawberries or the way she gets close to me!?"

Everything was quiet. Now, Naruto was sure that Sasuke and Sakura were going out. But he never believed the rumors back then. 'It's a no wonder he can't wait to find her or kill his brother…' Naruto thought. A gust of wind blew and thunder was heard, making the forest flash and making animals make noises.

Kakashi glanced from Naruto to Sasuke, then to Naruto, then to Sasuke again. "Sasuke…" Naruto said, more gently and softly now, "I never really believed the rumor that you and Sakura were going out… Now, I think its all clear that you were."

Sasuke looked up at Naruto, surprised by his words. Then he looked back at the ground. "Sometimes, you've got to listen to the rumors to know the truth… and sometimes, you need to know the truth before you make the rumors; sometimes, it's better to hear the truth than the rumors with the unreal addends to 'em… and sometimes, it's just better to listen to the rumors than knowing the truth… because, like you said, it hurts…"

Naruto didn't quite get it but he was sure that Sasuke was telling him how it hurts to him as well. "Sasuke… I… I'm sorry. You both are my best friends… the first to acknowledge me who was my age as well. I just… don't know what to do if one of you were to… die."

Another silent moment passed. Then Sasuke walked to Naruto, saying, "Naruto, I'm sorry too. I just hope we'd find her soon." Naruto nodded confidently and hugged Sasuke who tried to take him of him.

MEANWHILE…

In her dark, unlit room, Sakura was curled up in her bed, thinking of the others, a tear dropping down to the tear-soaked pillow. 'I wonder… how hard it'd be for them to accept me as the stronger, new and changed Sakura when they get me back. Would they hate me so much or would they praise me more… or would they call me a show-off… or would they try to suspect me then call me crazy then kill me? Or just kill me immediately without even looking at me then regretting they did that in the end… Only god knows how my life would end… or how long it'd keep going or even how much it'd hurt sooner or later…' Sakura thought sadly, 'Sometimes I just wish I had enjoyed my days a lot more… how I wish I had been as adventurous as Naruto or as strong as Sasuke… or as artistic as Sai or as beautiful as Ino or… as good as me…'

"Sakura," a voice said from the door. Sakura tightened up in her curled ball, "Go away! I don't wanna be with anyone right now!" She said. 'Maybe I should just wait for them to rescue me.'

"Or should I just join Akatsuki for real and take my revenge on them for not rescuing me." She murmured to herself, "Eenie meanie my-nie mo" Sakura said, pointing at two points alternately in the air, "Which one should I pick to go?"

Sakura smiled. "Looks like I'll have to join Akatsuki. I'll have to avoid Itachi though…"

A little later, Sakura emerged out her door in the complete Akatsuki clothing. She walked towards Kisame and said, "Take me to your boss. I decide to join Akatsuki." Then lightning struck which made everything white. "You won't be bringing Itachi. I don't want to see him right now."

"But Sakura, he's your trainer." Kisame said, "He was the one who was assigned to yo—"

"I don't want to see the damned Uchiha now. Not when I'm still mad at one. Let's just go." Sakura said, her features were different from when she came in the house. Her nails were black and she looked scary with the lightning. She looked like a real Akatsuki.

MEANWHILE…

Back at the hospital in Konoha, there was a flu going around that even the healthiest nins couldn't fight it. It took 5 straight days of therapy to heal. And most of Konoha was affected by it. Even the Hokage couldn't take control of the situation.

"Shizune, bring me more anesthetics. Hurry!"

"Yes ma'am." Shizune said, coming back a while later with three baskets full of bottles and tablets of anesthetics. Ino and was on standby so she helped as well. Ninjas like Iruka and Anko were replacing medics from other teams like Ino and Hinata who at least know stuff about medics.

MEANWHILE…

After almost two days of traveling through forests and deserts, the two had finally reached the main hideout of Akatsuki. Sakura saw a deserted mountain village and a steep cliff. But this isn't where they were heading. They walked up further and finally stopped at the top. Kisame did some hand seals and an opening at their feet appeared. They jumped down and landed on water which they walked on. They walked to the deep side and Kisame opened the rocky wall which was covered by darkness. And they entered a room with but a hole for dim light.

Sakura saw about eight people in the room, all seated on a rectangular ten-person table. Sakura saw that there was a big chair at the far end. 'That must be him.' She thought. She could see an orange-haired man at his twenty's who had nose piercings.

Kisame and Sakura both stood in front of the door, but inside the room and bowed. "Boss…" Kisame started, addressing to the person seated on the big chair, "This is the 'hostage' Itachi was supposed to take care of. She has come here to speak with you… and to join Akatsuki."

"Take a seat. So you're Haruno Sakura…" a deep voice said, "One of the best medical ninjas in Konoha, correct?"

Sakura nodded after she had sat down. Then Pain continued, "And you are here to join Akatsuki. But I would like to know why and I'd like to know what you can do to be in Akatsuki."

"I am here because you have told the Uchiha to train me as one of you. My training is not yet completed… according to the Uchiha… but he did me wrong and I'd like to get revenge for that." Sakura said straight, "I'd like someone else to complete my training. At the least… I'd be better off with someone else rather than Uchiha Itachi."

"I'm sorry, Haruno Sakura but Itachi is the only one qualified to train you… besides Deidara anyway. And after you've completed your training, we'll be giving you your partner and you'll be given the full cast of Akatsuki." Said Pain, after a long moment, he spoke again, "By the way, I'm Pain… the leader of Akatsuki. That's all you should know for now."

"Hey, what's your element?" Someone said from the left. Sakura felt uneasy. She never got to know her element. And her real strength was in healing after all. "Don't tell me I should still train you in knowing your elemental powers and all that." The voice said again.

"I don't think you should bother with that… But you can have me to specialize that." Sakura said, 'Then it's like I still wanted him to bother training me…' she thought.

Then Pain said, "Any other concerns?" No one spoke for a while, then someone from beside Pain did, it was a she. And she said, "Have you solved the problem with the lake? I know you know about the ghost and the 'thing' it's guarding. Tell me about it."

"Well… the night before I left, I did saw the ghost… and the 'thing' it was guarding but I don't know what that thing could be. It was shining really bright last night. So I couldn't see what it really was…"

"Okay. Enough of this. The meeting will now end." Pain said impatiently, then everyone stood up, Sakura following along. "Sakura, you will stay… so will you, Deidara."

"You may go everyone else," Pain said. Then the other figures vanished in blurs except for Sakura and 3 people—Pain, the girl beside him and a blonde guy Sakura was now familiar with. "Sakura, you will go with Deidara and train under him. He will help you complete your training."

MEANWHILE…

Back at the old hideout, Itachi was having a rage and was punching around the punching bag in his room. Then he heard Kisame arrive. He walked out his room, met Kisame and said gently, "Is she gonna be okay?"

"Haha. You worry too much. She's gonna be fine with Deidara now." Kisame said, then he suddenly regret saying that.

"Deidara?! He was the other qualifier? But how?" Itachi said.

"He used his art, of course… But now that he doesn't like art much… I guess Sakura's gonna have an easier time training with him. Hehe." Kisame said, he thought, 'I just hope Deidara's interests don't switch from art to certain pink-haired girls."

End of Chapter 9

Whew… I think the triangle's gonna turn to square… Just hope I can turn this story around from bad story to good story.

Hope you enjoyed. By the way, I think this story is going to have about… 14-17 chapters… I'm not really sure of it because I've been adding and adding ideas to it.