Author's Note: So sorry about the long time between episodes. I had this chapter written and ready to go LAST week, but my laptop crashed and I'm lazy, so I just now got around to writing it again. So sorry, readers. n.n

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, just this wacky plot.

CHAPTER 2

"I'm afraid we're falling apart.. I'm losing you." Kakashi said quietly. "I love you more than anything. Don't you love me? I have to know..." Kakashi almost blushed. He was sitting at the Ichiraku ramen bar, waiting for his student. "What would you do for me? Would you..."

"Hey!" The old shopkeeper butted in. "Read your book to yourself! The Icha-Icha series isn't suitable for my daughter." he growled, his eyes on the young girl who worked there. She was listening to ever word Kakashi was saying, her head rested on the palms of her hands.

"Oh! Sorry! Sorry!" He smiled beneath his mask, closing his R-rated novel. "I'm just waiting on Naruto, but it seems he's not coming. Sorry, but I'll be on my way." He decided, giving a grin to the disappointed young shopkeeper.

He placed his book safely in his pouch and left the bar, ignoring the old man's grumbles of 'you should at least have a bowel!'. As he left, he bumped into Sakura.

"Sensei!" she smiled nervously. She was trying desperately to hide something behind her back, but the flower's stem was too long, and Kakashi saw it.

"Oh, hello, Sakura. Hey, have you seen Naruto today? He was supposed to meet me here."

"Well, it's barely seven. He's probably still sleeping, knowing him." she shrugged, adjusting the rose behind her.

Kakashi's eye stared at her. "Your going to the hospital again, aren't you?" Kakashi asked silently. Sakura didn't answer. "He's changed, Sakura, you know that, right?"

The pink haired chuunin studied her zori. "I know. It's just difficult to stay away." she said, giving her sensei a grin.

"Well.. Let's at least walk together. Naruto stayed with Sasuke over night at the hospital, after all"

Sakura raised her eyebrows, "He did?" she asked. They began to walk.

Kakashi stuck his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. I believe that Sasuke's return will bring a great change to Naruto. One that we'll all be glad to see."

Sakura smiled. "I hope so."

They walked in silence until they reached the hospital. They checked in and made their way to Sasuke's room. He was still asleep by the time they entered.

"Oh." Kakashi whispered. "Let's not wake him." He put a hand on Sakura's shoulder and turned to leave.

"SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura squealed loudly. Sasuke jumped to a sitting position with a magnificent start.

"Oh." the startled ninja sighed. "Only you two." Sakura rushed to his side. "Don't be so loud."

"Is there anything you need? I brought you a rose! That Ino pig tried not to sell me one because she wasn't allowed to leave the shop to come see you too, but I managed to sneak one out! I'll give her the money back later, don't worry. Besides, you're worth it! Are you hungry? I know that hospital food is horrible. I was thinking about getting you some yakitori, because I remember you eating a lot of it once when we wear on a mission, and I thought it would bring back memories -"

"Where is Naruto?" Kakashi demanded loudly. Sakura sopped talking. Sasuke's dark black eyes met Kakashi's soft gray ones.

"I don't know." He said simply. The bright hospital clothes Sasuke was wearing didn't match his attitude.

"He was here last night." Kakashi replied, his voice void of emotion.

"He left. He said he had to meet up with some people about something." his eyes still stared into Kakashi's, never blinking.

"That doesn't sound like Naruto at all, Sasuke." He glared, suspicious.

Sasuke glared back. "How would I know?"

There was a silence while the two ninja stared at each other. Sakura was at a loss for words.

"I see." Kakashi said finally, waving. He disappeared on the spot, heading straight for the Hokage.

A splitting headache brought Naruto to his senses. He could tell that strong cords bound his wrists in front of him, and he was sitting straight up against what he guessed to be a tree. Naruto painfully opened his eyes. Through his misted gaze, he could tell two figures stood in front of him, locked in a silent conversation.

He squinted at the figures until his eyesight repaired itself. He got a good look at his captors, and who he saw startled him, and made his blood run cold. He expected to see Orochimaru, flanked my Sasuke or perhaps Kabuto, but instead he was looking at the painfully familiar red and black cloak worn by members of Akatsuki.

"No..."Naruto said to himself quietly. His voice made Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame's head turn to his direction. Naruto immediately began to sweat.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun." Itachi said without emotion, his eyes a menacing shade of red.

"You..you and Sasuke?" Naruto stuttered, unable to control himself. His head was throbbing painfully, and cold fear kept him from attempting to break through his bonds.

"Is that so hard to believe? Sasuke was helping me. On command, of course. I doubt he'd help me on his own free will." Itachi answered.

"Command?" Naruto asked, still unable to pull himself from the tomoes in Itachi's eyes.

"He's joined forced with Orochimaru-sama. You heard of the Oto's defeat, yes? Well, we reached a bargain. We helped them, and they helped us. Of course, given the chance, Orochimaru would still attempt to destroy Akatsuki. That is simply who he is."

Naruto attention turned to the dried blood on his arm that had dripped off his face. "My chakra... it's gone, isn't it?" he asked helplessly, dropping his chin to his chest.

Kisame chuckled. "Of course. We can't have you trying to escape. You seemed to have forgotten my sword." he smirked.

Naruto didn't say anything. To be honest, he was simply too tired. His head was still spinning from the blow he received earlier, and his lack of chakra had weakened him severely.

"We should get moving again. We've wasted too much time here." Itachi commented.

"Right" growled Kisame as he picked Naruto up roughly by his color and threw him onto his back. They didn't jump through the trees as Naruto expected. They simply walked.

"Let me down! I can walk on my own." Naruto demanded.

"Ha! And risk you trying something fishy? You're staying right there." Kisame answered.

"Your the only one fishy around here! Let me go!"

"Let him walk, Kisame." Itachi said simply. The giant missing nin threw back his arms and Naruto fell to the ground, the air knocked from under him.

"Get up." Kisame chuckled, driving his foot straight into Naruto's head.

"Argh!" He yelled and clutched his throbbing head. He couldn't understand why it hurt so bad!

Itachi stood straight, watching Naruto rub his throbbing head. "Kyuubi isn't healing you. Have you noticed your pain has doubled from what you might normally feel with the fox's powers?"

Naruto got to his feet, cringing his teeth, all the time wondering how. "You bastards..." he muttered.

"Let's get going." Itachi said, moving to one side of Naruto while Kisame stood on the other side of him.

Naruto soon became aware of his surroundings. He couldn't tell where he was, but if he managed to escape from Akatsuki's grasp, he be able to find his way back. Wherever they were, it was beginning to get dusty. The cool spring wind blew the dry earth into Naruto's eyes and mouth. His captors both had long, comfortable cloaks with eerie samurai hats for protection, but Naruto was left swallowing pounds of dried dirt and sand. He tried to keep up while rubbing his eyes and coughing.

"You're slow." Kisame commented. "Pick up the pace."

Naruto answered with a cough. He might have said something, but he couldn't keep his mouth open long enough.

Kisame nudged the back of Naruto's head, "Come on!"

Suddenly, Itachi stopped. He picked Naruto up in one sweep and threw him onto his back. Being bound at the wrists, Naruto had the perfect opportunity to strangle Itachi, but Kisame would only jump in and cut his arms off.

"I can walk." Naruto protested again.

"You're swallowing sand, Naruto-kun. That will only make you ill. Keep your mouth closed."

Naruto hated himself at that moment. He hated having to have any contact with Itachi, and to be dependant on him was worse than torture.

"Sasuke is lying!" Kakashi protested, standing in front of Tsunade's desk. The Hokage raised her eyebrow.

"It's natural to be suspicious of Sasuke, but he has been being watched by ANBU, and I have refused him any missions for over a year. He hasn't even left the hospital yet! Sure, he's lucky he wasn't sent straight to prison like he should, but -"

"You say he's being watched by ANBU? Were they watching him last night? Were they at the hospital with him?"

"Last night I sent eight ANBU officers on missions. Four were already out on missions. I didn't have any to spare -"

"Kuso! You need to have him watched all day!" Kakashi yelled.

"That's not possible!" Tsunade yelled, banging her fist onto the desk, nearly breaking it. "You should be aware of the pathetic state this village is in - I don't have time or men to be watching a Genin around the clock!"

There was a lengthy silence.

"I apologize." Kakashi bowed.

"I am concerned about Naruto, though, don't think I'm not. If you don't see him in an hour, consult me again." she said in a much nicer tone, having taken a breath to steady herself. "You have tracker hounds at your summon. If you haven't already, use your mutt to try to find Naruto."

"Yes, ma'am." Kakashi snapped, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Once gone, Tsunade let out a long sigh. Where was Shizune with some steaming sake with you needed it?

A/N: Yays! Second chapter COMPLETE! The third is on its way, I promise. I love all the reviews I've received for this story. Thanks you so much! See you at the beginning of chapter three, where Naruto finally gains his old fighting attitude back, and threatens Itachi!