"Kakashi-san is right, don't loose your head over just a suspicion," Tsunade said. "We'll look into it, but I don't think my apprentice would cheat on her fiancé."
Sasuke gave a murderous glare at both of them, but let it drop for the moment. "What should we do? We have to find Sakura, before it's too late."
"Too late for what?" Tsunade asked Sasuke suspiciously.
"Nothing." With that Sasuke once again disappeared to look for his missing bride.
--
Sakura got no answer to her questions through the first evening she spent with the two Akatsuki members. She spent most of her time trying to figure an escape or at least figure out why she was here. She had asked Itachi only once before giving up on the ice block of a man.
Kisame had left a while back, looking for food. He returned shortly after Sakura had tried asking Itachi about his motives. Kisame walked in carrying three rabbits and several logs of wood. He placed the rabbits together and worked on making a decent fire pit. After he built up the logs into a good base for a fire he looked at Itachi. In answer to some unasked question, Itachi's hands made rapid seals before he blew out a small flame in order to start the fire. As the fire was getting to a good heat for cooking, Kisame skinned and prepared the rabbits to be cooked.
Sakura had been lost in her thoughts once again until the smell of cooking meat reached her nose. Her stomach gave an embarrassing growl, showing how hungry she was. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't eaten since before she started getting ready for the wedding.
Kisame gave a small, insulting chuckle at Sakura's expense.
"What are you laughing at Fish-face?" Sakura practically growled at the chuckling Akatsuki member.
"Obviously you," Kisame bluntly answered.
Sakura 'harumf-ed' and went back to her thoughts, trying to ignore the wonderful smell coming off the food Kisame was cooking. It didn't work, but Sakura refused to give up in front of these annoying men. She stubbornly kept to her decision to ignore the smell.
Sakura jumped when she realized that Itachi was standing right in front of her. In his hand he held a metal camping plate that had a piece of meat on it. Sakura's mouth watered at the sight, but she remained wary of the man who held it. "What do you want, Uchiha?"
"…" He said nothing, but put the dish in front of the starving girl and walked back to his place at the fire. He soon had another plate out and was eating his portion.
Sakura poked at the food and checked for poison with the chakra that she had left. She was surprised she had so much of her normal store.
'Maybe Kisame didn't drain me… I wonder why…''It's an insult! They are so confident they think they can leave us with our full chakra reserve! We should teach them a lesson.'
'I can't beat Uchiha even when he's alone, let alone when he has his thug with him.'
'Grr.'
After Sakura had decided that the food was poison free and okay to eat, she picked the meat up with her hands, she had no silverware, and proceeded to eat the meal she was given. Surprisingly, the meat was perfectly cooked and was very delicious. Sakura couldn't believe that Kisame, one of the seemingly more brutal Akatsuki members, could cook better than most people could.
Another chuckle had erupted from Kisame's throat as he watched the cautious woman check her food. He was amused by this little kunoichi and was determined to get some kind of answer from Itachi about why they had to take her.
--
'Sakura, where are you?' Sasuke asked in his head. He had combed over all of Konoha at least five times by this point and still, no sign of her whereabouts had shown up. He was almost ready to call it quits for the day, since the sun was quite low by this point, when he noticed a chakra signature that had a disgusting aura around it. It was one he would never forget it. 'How could I have missed it before?'
Sasuke disappeared in a flash, quickly reappearing in front of the door to the Hokage's office. He knocked three times and entered when he heard the Fifth call, "Come in."
"Hokage-sama, I think I know who took Sakura," Sasuke said.
At this Tsunade looked up at the ragged boy. "When then, tell me who you are suspecting took my apprentice."
"I think it was my brother," Sasuke was barely managing to keep his anger in check. "I found his chakra near the village, I don't know how we all missed it before, but it's there. I followed it for a ways and it didn't disappear. Hokage-sama, let me follow the trail to get back my wife."
"I don't know Sasuke, you are still unstable and I don't want Sakura to be hurt because of your recklessness. Let me think about it. Until I decide, you are not allowed outside of Konoha, do you understand me?" Sasuke nodded. "Good, then you are dismissed."
As soon as Sasuke had disappeared, Tsunade called for Shizune and ordered her to gather up Kakashi, Asuma, and Jiraya. When these men entered, the group discussed Sasuke's findings.
"How do we know that this isn't a trap?" Kakashi asked after Tsunade had finished telling what she had just learned.
"That's one of the biggest problems, we don't know. He could have just taken her in order to capture Naruto," Tsunade said with a frown on her face.
"We could just trail Itachi for a while and see where he is taking her and maybe try to find out if he is setting a trap or not," Asuma suggested.
"True…" Tsunade thought for a while before speaking again. "I will send out Kakashi-san and his dogs to trail Itachi and Sakura for a while, then when you know where they are going or why he has her, report back."
"Hai, Hokage-sama," Kakashi bowed.
"Be back here in an hour Kakashi-san, and DON'T be late," Tsunade dismissed the group around her and sat back in her chair. 'I'm worried about Sakura… What if Itachi has taken her for his own gain? I hear he's becoming blind from use of the Sharingan. You had better not hurt her Itachi, because if you do, you won't escape my wrath. Akatsuki or not, I'll hunt you down and give you a beating you won't forget.'
--
Back in the Hokage's office, one hour after Kakashi had left to get his things.
"Good, you're not late," Tsunade said without turning towards the ninja that had just appeared in her office. "As I said, just track them for now, do not reveal yourself. Once you have some idea of what they want her for, come back here and report immediately. Do you understand? This is a S-ranked mission."
"Hai, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said, all business.
"Good, then you will leave immediately, dismissed." After Kakashi had disappeared from the room, Tsunade let out a sigh. 'I hope Sakura will be okay with those monsters. I'm worried for her.'
Shizune watched her master as a shadow fell across her face. She worried over both Sakura and Tsunade, hoping that both would be okay at the end of everything.
--
Kakashi had found the trail earlier as he was packing his things and started following it as soon as he left the Hokage's office. He summoned his nin-dogs and gave them a piece of Sakura's clothing that he had gotten from her mother. His dogs gave a few barks before rushing off into the forest silently. Kakashi followed after his most trusted dog, Pakkun, who was following the trail that Itachi had left. (A/N all the dogs are, but they are mainly following Sakura's scent, but Pakkun is following Itachi)
He gave a sigh; this was going to be a long day.
--
Itachi and Kisame had started packing by the time Sakura had woken up from her restless sleep. She had been having dreams about all the horrible things that the Akatsuki could want her for.
"Wake up kunoichi, time to go," Kisame yelled at the still half-asleep girl.
"Oh, shut up Fish-face," Sakura growled at the large man staring down at her.
Kisame again laughed at Sakura. He thought her either very brave or really dumb. Itachi walked up to Sakura and held his hand out for her to take. She looked at him like he was crazy. 'Why does he want to help us up? What is wrong with this man?'
"Come, Sakura-san, it's time to leave," Itachi said without ever taking his eyes off her face. She still just sat there staring dumbly at his hand until he moved and lightly grabbed her arm in order to pull her up. Itachi then bent over to pick his cloak up from the floor and put it on. He then turned around and said, "Get on."
Shocked out of her stupor she replied with a, "Hell no!" Until Kisame gave her a freaky smile which she took as it was either Itachi carrying her or being knocked-out again and being carried by the giant fish. "Fine," she muttered in a defeated tone before climbing onto Itachi's back and holding on as the two Akatsuki members leapt off into the surrounding forest.
Even though he was carrying Sakura, Itachi had no problem keeping a fast pace. Sakura watched the trees flying past with amazing speed. She felt the wind in her hair and couldn't help but enjoy it just a little to be moving so fast without much work on her part.
Hours later the group stopped for a short lunch break. Which wasn't much of a break since it was just getting a drink of water from a stream they were crossing. After filling their canteens, Sakura again got onto Itachi's back and he and Kisame took to the trees again.
--
A/N: I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I've been really really busy and I haven't had much inspiration for this story or my other one. I finished school like two weeks ago and all my summer jobs had already started so I've been working and passing (hopefully) exams. I should start updating every month at the latest and every week at the earliest. Also my computer had broken down… evil thing. Anyway, before you guys ask, Kakashi leaving is the same day that Sakura was taken and Sakura waking up and the group leaving the cave is a new day, I hope that didn't confuse people too much.
Anyway… THANKS FOR REVIEWING!!
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