Cold As You

Chapter Eight: Wisdom of The Slug Princess and Toad Sage.

Kakashi had been on edge the entire way back to Konoha. They had been searching for months and still nothing. It killed him to think she was out there without him. The pinkette he loved so much was gone. He sighed before running a hand through his unruly hair. He had been standing in front of the memorial stone since they had arrived back to the village.

Tsunade had turned everyone away from the office and said she would call them once she knew what their next strategy would be. Kakashi clinched and unclenched his fist as it rained heavily. He looked up at the sky. Was it raining where she was? Was… she even alive?

He shook that thought away. She had to be alive. There was no doubt in his mind. She was much too strong to be done in so easily. He closed his only visible eye and tried to will his tears away. He swallowed hard. "You alright?"

Kakashi turned around quickly to find Jiraya standing a few feet behind him. Kakashi nodded before looking back down at the stone. "Her names not there," Jiraya assured him. Kakashi nodded before covering his face with his hand.

"I'm so scared… that it will be," Kakashi whispered. Jiraya nodded understanding the man's pain. "Once we get her back… I'm never letting her out of my sight again."

Jiraya smiled. The care that Kakashi had for his former student was so large anyone could see it. "Come on," Jiraya said turned around his back to the memorial. "We need to go speak with Tsuande," Kakashi nodded before following after the toad sage.

Tsunade glared at the two men who carried a lake into her office. "We've got a lead," she said. Kakashi visibly relaxed.

"Where are we going?" Kakashi asked quickly.

"Orochimaru has stopped all movements," Tsunade said. Kakashi's eye widened slightly. "He's tightened his security over one base. Before he had hundreds of sound nin out looking. We believe he found her. We can only assume that she's in the land of rice patties. That's why we've made a new team to take there."

As she finished her speech the door opened and Anko walked in a large grin on her face. "So we finally found that bastard,"

Kakashi nodded. "Who else is on the team?" he asked. The door opened once more and Naruto and Sai walked in.

"Jiraya will also be going with you," Tsuande said looking at him. Her stomach turned at the thought of him leaving. "Shizune will also come with you incase anyone's hurt. Also… since you're going to Orochimaru's main mission is to rescue Haruno Sakura. A side mission if possible is to capture Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto took in a deep breath. Finally. Finally there was a chance that all of them, all of team seven would be back together again.

"Shizune will meet you at the gate in our hour, hurry." Everyone in the room nodded before leaving. Tsunade looked up Jiraya who sat in on the window seal behind her. He took a few steps forward before placing his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him with worry.

"Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it. With Sakura and Uchiha," Tsuande nodded trying to force back her tears. These past months had been hell on her. Her breath hitched in her throat as Jiraya moved closer and closer until his breath ticked her lips. "I'll be safe too you know… wouldn't want you to miss me too much."

Tsunade glared before clinching her fist she flung it up colliding with Jiraya's chin causing him to fly backwards. "Idiot…" she mumbled before standing up.

Jiraya who now sat on the floor pressed against the wall stared in horror as she moved closer. He quickly threw his hands up waving them about. "It was a joke! Just a –"

He sat there shell shocked as perfect pink lips pressed against his cheek. He blushed as she moved always from him. "Please be safe," she said looking at him, her honey eyes smiling. Jiraya chuckled slightly before scratching the side of his face nervously.

Sasuke refused to look at her. The fabric of his pants were clinched in his hands. He didn't want to believe her. He wanted to think it was all a lie. Itachi had killed his family in cold blood. He had to have! But then… he started to remember things that he had forced to the back of his mind. How Itachi had cried that night.

He finally looked up to meet Sakura's eyes. "No," he said.

"No?" Sakura questioned. No he didn't believe her? She clinched the dress that she wore. Right over her heart. God did it hurt.

"No… I won't kill him…" he whispered. Sakura's eyes widened before tears fell over. She leaped forward and hugged him. She sniffled as she held him tight.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she cried over and over again. After a few moments Sasuke pulled back from her.

"I have to leave now," he said. "I'll be in touch. Tell Orochimaru tonight that'll you'll do it. Plan it for three days from now," Sakura nodded.

"Sasuke," he stopped before he reached the door. "We're family now…"

He took in a deep breath before looking down at the floor bored. She was absolutely right. The one thing he had wanted for so long was no turning into a reality. And then it finally hit him. The one thing he had wanted to deny since he first left Konoha.

"We've always been family," Sakura smiled through her tears before she nodded. Then he was gone. She sat in her room alone for what seemed like hours until the door opened to revile the one person she didn't want to see.

"How is your day going Sakura-chan?" she shivered at his voice. So much evil. She looked up and met his gold eyes. In his hand was a platter that she could only assume carried her dinner. "I brought you dinner, so eat up."

Sakura watched as he placed the platter in front of it. She started at it for a moment. She watched as he turned to leave the room. "Orochimaru," he turned and looked at her a slight look of annoyance on his face.

She hardly had a moment to blink as a scrape was heard throughout the room as her chair scraped along the wooden floor and she was forced to look up at him. She pressed her back further into the chair as he stood over her. One of his hands pressed again the part of the chair that sat behind her the other was firmly gripping her thigh. She gulped.

"What was that Sakura-chan?" she whispered as he moved closer and closer to her. His breath on her neck again. She gulped.

"O-oro-chima-ru-sama," she shivered. He smirked before pulling back.

"Yes?" he asked this time happy with how she addressed him. She let out a sigh of relief. Her chest heaved as she tried to take in enough air.

"I've found a cure," his smirked quickly grew into an all-out smile.

A/N

I think there are going to be one or two more chapters. I'm thinking two cause I don't like to leave multichapter fics with less than 10 chapters. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I finally brought in Konoha. And I put a little bit of TsunadeJiraya ;) lol Please reviews! Super stoked that you guys got this fic over 100 reviews. Woop woop! Also I know someone said that they were a little sad that Kakashi was in love with Sakura in the fic but he wouldn't get to be with her... well if you want some KakaSaku I have two of that paring in progress fics that you should read lol.

Thanks for reading everyone! This is my favorite of my fics! And to think when I first posted Not That Different it didn't get over 10 reviews lol