Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I ruvv you!
darkdemonish: Hehehe. Ohhhh just wait till you read this chapter.
SakuraHarunoGirl: You're an AMAZING writer! When will you be updating? Teehee.. I'm glad you like!
Warning: It is a long one. So brace yourself... You might wanna grab something to eat... or drink something... maybe go to the bathroom. Anyway! On with the story!
'doooon dooon dooon doon dooon'
Sakura was pleased with Pain's decision. She was excited to stay in a room with Sasuke. She went over to her side of the room and began to pack her things until Itachi grabbed her.
"Ow! What this time?!" Sakura snapped.
"Don't go... please." Itachi begged.
"You practically molested me! Why would I stay?!" Sakura started to pack her things again.
Itachi slipped his hands around her waist and put his head on her shoulder. "Sakura.."
She felt adrenaline rush down her spine. 'What the hell?' She thought. 'Why did I just feel that?'
"Sakura... I've always had my eye on you... and now that you're finally here... I don't want to miss this opportunity.." Itachi whispered. Sakura wanted to lean on his head, but she fought off the sudden urge to.
"Itachi...please..." Sakura tried to push him away but he pulled her in closer.
"Since you're leaving... just a couple more seconds..." he closed his eyes.
Sakura relaxed, "Fine..." his arms closed around her more and another shot of adrenaline went through her and she blushed.
"Um... okay that's long enough." Sakura left his embrace and started to pack faster.
Itachi didn't argue with her decision. He understood that she loved Sasuke, but did he love her back..? Itachi helped her pack her things. Sakura smiled and thanked him which made Itachi want her more.
"You need help bringing stuff into your new room?" Itachi asked.
"No, I think I'm good" She smiled and walked out of the room with her stuff.
Itachi stood there for the longest time. 'I'm so stupid... Why did I do that?! Damn it!' he thought.
Sakura wondered 'Why do I feel this way...? D-do I have sudden feelings for him too? No! Of course not!' Sakura reached Sasuke's room and opened the door. Jugo was still packing his things and Sakura gladly helped him. She didn't see Sasuke though. Sakura looked around the room while still helping Jugo pack.
"Sakura?" Jugo looked at her.
"Mmm.. Yes?" Sakura answered.
"...Do I have to sleep with him?" Jugo muttered.
"Haha. You don't have to if you don't want to. There is probably an extra bed in Karin and Suigetsu's room." Sakura reassured him with a smile.
"Thank you Sakura-Chan" Jugo smiled. That smile reminded Sakura of Naruto.
She missed him severely. She wanted to know how he was doing, what he was doing. Jugo left the room with his stuff and went into Karin's room. You could hear Karin stomp around in frustration as Suigetsu yelled at her. Sakura began to unpack her things and set up her bed.
After she finished she went out to the living room where everyone was, and sat by Kisame. She tried her hardest not to look at Itachi. But she felt his eyes on her while everyone was talking to each other. Sakura looked around and still no Sasuke. 'Where could he be?' she wondered.
"The regular routine today. Just do what you need to do." Pain said.
"I'm going into town to buy some groceries, wanna come Sakura?" Konan asked.
"Of course!" Sakura clapped her hands together.
"I'll go too!" Hidan said.
"Me too!" Tobi waved his hands in the air.
"You coming to?" Konan said to Pain.
"I guess... Does everyone have something to do?" Pain shrugged.
"..." No one answered.
"Okay then it will be an Akatsuki shopping day!" Konan exclaimed.
Sasuke came back panting from training.
"Oh, good of you to come Sasuke-Kun! We're going into town." Karin said trying to hook her arm around his but he moved away.
"Why are we-"
"Just go Sasuke..." Konan rolled her eyes. He agreed and went with them.
***************With The Search Team************
"This is hopeless! We've been traveling for hours and still nothing!" Kiba complained.
"Sakura isn't going to come back is she..." TenTen whispered to Neji.
"Don't you dare say that! She will come back!" Naruto snapped.
"Naruto... she's right... it's been too long... we need to go back... We're running out of supplies..." Shikamaru said rubbing the back of his neck.
"...Naruto-Kun... Don't worry. We'll get her and Sasuke back. But for now we need to go back." Hinata reassured patting his back.
"NO! We'll just buy new supplies in the nearest town!" Naruto yelled.
"Fine. We'll do that." Shikamaru gave in.
***********Back with the Akatsuki**********
They all got into town and separated to buy their necessities.
Sakura went to the medical shop to see if they had any herbs that she could use. Itachi followed her secretly to see what she was going to do. Sakura looked at the prices of the herbs she went through, they were pretty expensive. She sighed and only got the one that she think she would need the most and left the store. Itachi noticed her sad expression and went into the store to buy all the herbs.
'Maybe this will make her forgive me...' Itachi thought holding the bag of assorted herbs.
Sasuke went to a restaurant with his team and got some food.
"Ahh... It's been a while since we've had some real food." Suigetsu smiled.
"Are you saying that the food I cook is terrible?!" Karin objected.
"I didn't say that out loud..." Suigetsu sipped his water.
"Excuse me!?" Karin was about to slap Suigetsu until Sasuke grabbed her wrist.
"Not here... People are staring." Sasuke warned.
"Haha! Bitch! That's what you get!" Suigetsu laughed and took another sip of his water.
"Where's Sakura-Chan?" Jugo asked.
"Why do you want to know?!" Karin glared at Jugo.
"I like her... She's nice to me." Jugo replied eating his fish.
"What?! That bitch!? Nice?!" Karin laughed holding her stomach.
"Excuse me?" Sakura stood behind them.
"Uh... nothing..." Karin sat back down chugging down her tea while looking at the wall.
"Sakura-Chan!" Jugo jumped and hugged Sakura almost squeezing her to death. "It's your girlfriend Sasuke!" Jugo teased. Everyones eyes widened.
"WHAT?!" Karin spat out her hot tea and got all over Suigetsu.
"What the hell Karin!?" Suigetsu stood up and went into his water form.
"What is he talking about Sasuke-Kun?!" Karin raised her voice.
"He's just teasing. You always tend to overreact Karin." Sasuke sighed.
"You guys are so loud! Everyone in the town can hear you." Konan said walking with Pain holding all the bags.
Karin looked down and sat on her chair.
"Anyway... Where is everyone else?" Konan asked.
"I don't know they could be shoppi-..." Sakura was stopped by the Itachi appearing before them.
"We have visitors. They're probably here for you.." Pointing at Sakura.
'Naruto?!' She thought. " Where did you see them?!" She asked.
"We have no-"
"Ahh! I'm starvi- … Sa-Sakura-Chan?" Naruto stuttered walking in with the others. 'Why is she with them? Why is she wearing their uniform? Sakura-Chan? Why..?' Naruto thought.
"Time to go!" Suigetsu said gathering his stuff.
"N-Naruto..." Sakura said motionless.
"I'll find the others. You guys go!" Pain ordered.
Team Hebi all got up and left the restaurant.
"Oh! No you guys wont!" Shikamaru said running after them.
Sakura stood there, tearing up. Part of her wanted to go back and stay with Naruto, but part of her wanted to stay with Sasuke...
"Let's go!" Itachi warned Sakura. But she still stood there.
"Sakura! Come back! Please I miss you!" Ino said.
"Fine! Sakura! You asked for it!" Itachi carried her bridal style and ran out of the restaurant with the others after them.
"What the hell?! Let me go!" Sakura squirmed in his arms.
"You wouldn't move!" Itachi yelled and Sakura relaxed.
"Saakuraaa-Channn!" Naruto screamed out.
"Damn it... We gotta lose them" Itachi said looking back reaching the forest.
"I'm okay now you can put me down." Sakura said. Itachi put her down gently.
Itachi did his katon justu to set the trees on fire to slow them down as Sakura threw smoke bombs into the air.
"Great teamwork." Itachi praised and Sakura smiled.
Each step Sakura took she laid traps onto the trees and ground. She closed her eyes because tears began to build up in her eyes. She rubbed them away and when she opened her eyes a branch hit her face.
"Fuck!" Sakura fell down still rubbing her eyes.
"Ugh... you're such a hassle." Itachi carried her again bridal style. Sakura didn't argue this time. She kinda liked Itachi holding her. She relaxed again holding back the tears.
"Sakura. Don't cry." Itachi said looking ahead still getting back to the hideout. "It ruins your pretty face."
Sakura laughed at his comment. "Haha! Did you get that out of cheap pick up line book? It's worse than Hidan's.." She laughed again.
"...No... I mean it." Itachi shrugged. Once again she laughed.
Sakura heard explosions behind them. She knew they set off some traps. They should probably be far enough from them.
"We're almost there." Itachi said adjusting Sakura in his arms running faster. "Hold on." Sakura grabbed onto his cloak. With him running Sakura kept bouncing and her grip kept on getting lose. She grabbed on again but this time she pinched his nipple.
"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to!" Sakura blushed.
"Haha... Not now Sakura..." Itachi winked.
"No! It wasn't like that!" Sakura shrugged barely holding on to his cloak far away from his body as possible. He adjusted her again making her bump into him. Butterflies in her stomach began to develop and she blushed.
"Sureeee.. It wasn't.." Itachi smirked.
They reach the hideout and team Hebi was standing outside. Sasuke was glaring at Itachi. 'Why the hell is she in his arms?!' Sasuke thought and his eyes narrowed. Itachi put her down gently and walked into the hideout with Sakura following. They all sat in the living room in silence waiting for everyone to come back. It was getting to be sunset and most of them weren't back.
"WHO DA FUCK SET THE TREES ON FIRE!?" Hidan exclaimed pushing the door open with his hair burnt.
"I did. Why?" Itachi smirked.
"YOU RUINED MY GORGEOUS HAIR YOU BASTARD!"
"I didn't know you were there." Itachi looked away.
"LOOK AT THIS! LOOK AT THIS! DO YOU NOT SEE WHAT YOU DID TO MY HAIR?!" Waving his crispy hair locks in front of Itachi's face.
"Calm down Hidan... It's not a big deal..." Konan said.
"NOT A BIG DEAL!? MY LIFE IS RUINED!" Hidan exclaimed running into his room and slamming the door.
"Hidan...I got your conditioner... Stop yelling." Kakuzu said walking into Hidan's room.
"THAT'S NOT GONNA FIX MY SPLIT ENDS! NO ONE EVER CARES ABOUT MY PROBLEMS!" Hidan yelled at Kakuzu.
"The reason why it took so long is because Hidan kept sulking on every tree we stepped on..." Sasori said.
Pain walked into the living room holding all of the groceries and set them on the table. Panting from all the weight. Konan kissed him on the cheek and thanked him. Pain just nodded and fell onto the couch.
"Cook dinner, woman.." Pain jokingly said.
"Fine..." Konan walked into the kitchen.
"Need help Konan?" Sakura said walking after Konan.
Sakura helped Konan carry the groceries into the kitchen. No wonder Pain was complaining. They set everything down and wiped the sweat off their foreheads.
"What should we make?" Sakura asked.
"I don't know..." Konan shrugged.
"We can make ramen... haha." Sakura giggled.
"Sure!" Konan clapped her hands together.
"I-I was joking..." Sakura said.
"You have to try my ramen!" Konan said.
"...Okay..." Sakura smiled nervously.
**************With Naruto and them***************
"Damn it!" Kiba said recovering from all of the fire
"I know..." Neji shrugged.
"SO CLOSE!" Ino punched the tree.
"We know that she's somewhere in this area! We can't give up now!" Naruto stood up.
"Naruto... We need to get reinforcements. We'll head back to Konoha for now." Shikamaru said wiping of the ash from his shirt.
"B-but.." Naruto looked at his comrades they were all pretty messed up. "Fine.."
*************Back at the hideout*************
"Ta-Da!" Konan said setting the bowls of ramen on the table.
"...Ramen?" Suigetsu mumbled.
"Oh...You haven't lived until you have tried Konan's ramen." Kisame said grabbing a bowl.
"What's so special about it?" Jugo asked grabbing a bowl as well.
"Just eat it!" Konan ordered.
They all grabbed a bowl and Konan observed them. The sound of slurping filled the room.
"This is really good!" Sakura smiled and got some more.
"Of course! I made it!" Konan praised herself.
"Good job, Hun." Pain smiled and hugged her.
They all finished their soup and sat back on their chairs.
"Ahh... That was delicious!" Suigetsu rubbed his tummy.
"It was!" Karin agreed with Suigetsu for once.
"Well it's late now... we should all be getting to bed.
"Right... Night." Deidara walked with Sasori to their bedroom.
'That's right... I'm sharing a room with Sasuke tonight...' Sakura thought. Nobody was in the living room. Someone grabbed her hand and pulled her into the hallway.
"Itachi? What?!" She whispered.
"Here." Itachi handed her the brown bag.
"What is it?" Sakura looked inside and she saw all the herbs she couldn't afford.
"Why...Why did you-"
"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have done what I did to you earlier today..." Itachi took her hand.
"How..? How did you know I wanted these?"
Itachi's eyes widened. He didn't want to say that he stalked her half of the day. "I um... Well, I know your a medic... So I assumed you needed them." Looking away.
"How sweet... Thank you Itachi." Without thinking Sakura threw her arms around him burying her face in his shoulder, he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her as well. She pulled away blushing violently. Sakura started walking away but ran back and whispered into Itachi's ear, "I might consider sharing a room with you again." she skipped away to her room leaving Itachi with the biggest grin on his face.
When she got to her room Sasuke was lying on his bed looking at the ceiling one hand under his head and across his stomach.
"Hi Sasuke-Kun." Sakura greeted.
"Hn..."
Sakura walked over to her bed still thinking about what just happened setting the bag of herbs down. '...Do I like him? ...No... I can't... I love Sasuke...' Sakura looked at Sasuke still in his same position.
"Sakura..." Sasuke looked at her from his bed.
"What Sasuke-Kun?" Sakura sat up.
"...You've grown up..." Sasuke mumbled.
"What'd you say?" Sakura listened in closer.
Sasuke got up and went to her bed, "I said that you have grown... a lot."
Sakura blushed and looked down at her fingers. "Thanks..."
"You have improved a lot as well.." Sasuke added.
Sakura was confused. 'Why is he acting so nice?' she thought. "Well... You have been gone for a long time... I didn't sit around and do nothing you know?" still looking at her fingers.
"Sakura. Look at me." Sasuke said.
She did as she was told. Her eyes widened as Sasuke's arms went around her. "W-what are you doing Sasuke-Kun? Are you okay?" Sakura asked but he only held hugged her tighter.
"Sakura... I've missed you..." He said.
Sakura pushed him away. "Who are you?! Where is Sasuke-Kun!?"
"It's me Sakura." Sasuke's eyes widened. 'Why is she doing this? Doesn't she want this?'
"Sasuke... I love you... But do you know how much pain I went through for you?" Tears began to build up in her eyes. "You pushed me away so many times... When you were at your lowest I was there for you, but you still didn't accept me... All I wanted was for you to accept me as a ninja! As your comrade! As your friend..." Tears ran down her face.
Sasuke was speechless he didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do. The girl that was always chasing him just pushed him away. Sasuke put his hands on her cheeks and lowered his face down and met Sakura's lips. Her eyes went wide. 'W-what is he doing...? ...This is what I've always wanted... His lips on mine... but not like this...'
Sakura broke the kiss gently sighed and walked out of the room. Sasuke was frustrated 'Why did I do that?! ...She hates me now... I've done so many wrongs to her... and now she hates me...' Sasuke punched the wall biting his lip from the slight pain.
Sakura closed the door quietly. She could hear Sasuke's frustration as she walked down the hall. She closed her eyes still walking. She opened the door to the exit and walked to the lake. The moon was shining unusually brighter. She reached the lake and sat down and buried her face in her knees. Tears were streaming down her face again and she ran her fingers through her hair, sighing once again.
"What is wrong Sakura? You did this for Sasuke... right? ...Then why are you crying?" Sakura talked to herself looking at her reflection in the water. "The boy of your dreams just kissed you tonight and you just walked away from him? What the hell is wrong with you Sakura!?" She splashed the water where her face was.
When the water cleared up she saw Itachi's face. She turned to her right to see if he was really there, but he wasn't... She shrugged.
"Wrong direction." Itachi whispered.
Sakura gasped and backed away. "Creeper!"
"What's wrong... Why are you crying... I told you not to cry." Itachi helped her up.
"...it's nothing..." Wiping her tears.
"What did Sasuke do!?" Itachi's eyes narrowed.
"Nothing bad! I promise!" Sakura calmed him down.
Sasuke left his room to find Sakura. He checked into the living room but she wasn't there. He saw that the exit was open and he ran that way. He heard Sakura's voice and ran in that direction, he stopped when he saw his brother helping her up.
"What. Did. He. Do?!" Itachi clenched his fists.
"Itachi! Calm down! It's nothin-" Sakura turned to her left.
"I kissed her." Sasuke came out from the trees smirking.
"...what?" Itachi looked at Sasuke, then at Sakura
"It's not what you think! Itachi!" Sakura held Itachi's hand. "Sasuke what are you doing here?!" dropping the "kun."
"Why are you telling him it's nothing? It was something...Do you have feelings for my brother?!" Sasuke raised his voice.
****************PREVIEW******************
"...Sakura. I'm not mad at you..." Itachi sat next to Sakura.
"You sure act like it..." She shrugged. "You have been ignoring me this whole time."
"I didn't know how to react. How do you expect me to act after the girl that I like kisses my little brother?" Itachi asked.
"Y-you what?" She asked.
"Yes... I like you Sakura."
She looked down blushing fiddling with her fingers. "I..I don't know what to say..."
Itachi took her hand and tilted her chin up and kissed her. Her heart skipped a beat when their lips came in contact. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him deepening the kiss.
***************AN****************
Okay... okay... it was a long one... I'm sorry.. I CAN'T HELP IT!