Alright ANNOUNCEMENT! We have a time skip in this chapter! Not too much, I didn't get carried away so don't worry. I just need to speed things up a bit start getting to the meat and potatoes. Some of you may be shocked by a certain change in Sakura but hey, trust me I know what I'm doing I promise! I'm really excited for this chapter so please be generous on the reviews with this one!
I don't own Naruto just in case you missed it the first 5 times : )
Two Months Later
"You're finished!" I yelled as rammed my chakra infused punch into the earth causing a sink hole to form engulfing Deidera completely.
A smile of victory came upon my face as I watched him helplessly fall into the earth.
"All that training is finally paying off" I said aloud to myself.
"Is that so?" Kisame's voice came from behind me.
Shit.
I was sent crashing into the ground face first. I flipped myself over just in time to deflect the oncoming attack from Kisames shark skin sword with my shin. I cried out in pain as the razor blade like skin of his sword sliced into my leg.
Kisame pulled out two kunai launching them at head. I rolled over to my side to dodge the attack, causing my leg to pull back from the deadlock it was in with his sword. That left me wide open and gave Kisame enough time to point his sword directly at my throat.
"If this were real, by now I would have already been draining your chakra and giving Samehada here a nice little snack." He said petting his sword.
"Game over cherry blossom, you lose." He smiled deviously.
I frowned, disappointed in my foolishness and I summoned chakra to heal the wound in my leg.
"You have however, gotten stronger, Deidera over there hasn't come back from his trip underground yet. Although he was never that difficult of an opponent to begin with" he extended his hand out, offering to help me up.
Ignoring his offer I pushed myself off of the ground with my hands and stood.
"I let my guard down for a moment, It won't happen again." I dusted the dirt off of my pants.
"For your sake it better not. Itachi is going to expect improvement when he gets back." Kisame noted.
Two months had gone by since I had been here. Itachi left the compound about three weeks ago to lead the ANBU from the leaf on a false trail. Kakashi and his dogs picked up on trail and tracked down Sasori and Deidera when they were away on a mission in the wind country and ended up following them back halfway to the compound. Itachi left to re direct them on false leads before they got too close. We have since then relocated to the village hidden in the rain. I was an emotional wreck when we were relocating. I tried to flee once and Itachi locked me up for three days with no food and water as punishment. After he released me I began training with Deidera and Kisame. Itachi told me it was time that I started accompanying them on missions to build up my strength. I've still been kept in the dark on the mission dealing with Orochimaru and Saskue. Most nights I cry missing my village and my friends, I know they will never stop searching for me. Especially Naruto, I cry mostly for him. First he dedicated his life to bringing Saskue back and that still had not happened and now I know he is determined to bring me back as well. Poor Naruto, a part of me wants him to let me go because I don't want him to bear the burden of bring me and Sasuke back, but the other part wishes so badly that he doesn't give up.
Deidera has made life bearable here. He's not like the others, sometimes I wonder why he's even here. As crazy as it sounds I've actually befriended him. Kisame is tolerable, I still hold a grudge for what he did to me back when I was first brought here. He's improved a bit, still not the greatest company. Sasori is always away on missions, rarely ever around. Then there's Itachi.
Things between him and I remain pretty much the same. I've been doing research on his mangekyo sharigan, it has been a challenge to heal. His vision has improved tremendously but he continues to have his guard up at all times and rarely deactivates his sharigan despite my recommendations. He no longer calls me "kunoichi" or "girl" he addresses me by my name which was weird at first but now I seem to prefer over the other two names he used to call me. The longer I stay here the more I feel distance from my life in the Leaf village, and that scares me. That's why I am writing all this down, so if you ever do go back one day when all this is over you won't forget what you endured and how you felt. I have to go now, I have to be awake early in the morning for training with Deidera.
With all my love,
-Me
I set down my pen and closed the cover to my journal. Yawning I crawled into bed allowing myself to get lost in my thoughts.
Itachi had been gone for a while now, and it was weird. I was used to spending the majority of my day in my room, healing his eyes, or training with him.
You aren't missing him are you?
What?! Of course not.
I frowned shaking my head to dispel such thoughts. I could never miss Itachi, and I could never get too comfortable here either. I was too afraid to do such things….if I let myself do any of that here I felt myself drifting away from my life in the leaf and the thought of that happening scared me beyond all measures.
You feel something while he's gone though, you must admit.
Go to bed.
Ignoring my inner self I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The salt of the sweat burned as it dripped down my face into my eyes. I clenched my teeth grunting as I mustered up as much force as I could against Deidera in the kunai deadlock we had gotten ourselves into.
Pink strands of hair escaped my ponytail and stuck to the side of my face. I narrowed my bright green eyes challenging Deidera's icy blue stare.
"Someone had a nice dose of feisty this morning, yeah?" Deidera teased.
"Shut up." I grunted.
"I can stay like this all day Sakura, you're going to have to do better than that" he panted.
"Oh yeah? Your chakra control says otherwise." I said.
Deidera raised an eyebrow.
"If this were so easy right now your chakra wouldn't be fluctuating all over the place like sound-waves. I can feel it with my chakra." I smiled.
Mustering up an explosive amount of chakra, I secretly summoned it all to the bottom of my foot while I distracted Deidera with my stare. I purposely backed out of the deadlock causing Deidera to stumble forward. I took the opportunity and delivered a chakra infused kick to his chest send him flying a good 10 feet back across training grounds.
He landed smack on his back and rolled over laughing hysterically.
"What is so funny?" I pressed my lips together and frowned.
"Hey Sakura-chan! Looks like you have a little bug on your shirt there, you might want to check that out!" he yelled across the clearing.
A bug? What?
I looked down and there was a clay spider attached to the bottom hem of my shirt. I snapped my head back up to look at Deidera only to see him raise a hand with two fingers pressed together.
Oh no! Oh no!
I knew it was impossible to pull these irritating clay critters off and I didn't have enough time to do anything but pull my shirt off. I ripped my shirt off right over my head launching it across the clearing. It barely escaped my fingertips before exploding and sending me flying backwards.
I expected to fall back onto the ground but instead I felt myself fly smack into something firm and warm.
Lying flat on my back I tilted my head up towards the sky and met crimson.
I had flown backwards, crashed into Itachi causing him to land on his butt with his legs sprawled out leaving me lying on my back in between them.
He looked down at me and raised an eyebrow.
"Still as clumsy as you were when I left, I see." He frowned.
His eyes left mine and gazed upon my torso.
"Where's your shirt?" he asked.
Remembering my shirt had just been blown to oblivion in the explosion I scrambled to my feet, my face turning bright red.
"I uh….it…exploded." That was a terrible explanation.
Deidera came running across the cleaning.
"You got lucky Sakura-chan, if you wouldn't have stripped you'd be blown to smithereens!" he teased.
I snorted "Yeah well I still won the fight."
Deidera looked to Itachi "She's improved tremendously in her hand on hand combat and taijutsu."
"Hn." Was his only response.
I rolled my eyes, of course he isn't impressed.
"We will see" he said walking out into the clearing. "Sakura, come."
I sighed and followed him onto the field.
"Welcome back Itachi, nice to see you too." I thought.
He stood there waiting for me to make the first move.
I charged at him full speed channeling chakra to my fist, right before I approached him I switched the chakra location to my feet jumping clear over his head landing behind him.
Ha! Got him.
I swung my fist aiming right for the back of his head and met air.
"Did you really think that would fool me?" his voice came from behind me.
I dropped to the ground avoiding his kunai, and swept my leg across the ground kicking his feet from underneath him.
He back flipped and landed gracefully, recovering easily from my kick.
Frustrated I charged after him and started to swing both my fists relentlessly one after the other.
Itachi put up both of his arms in front of his face crossing them together into an "X" shape to block my relentless blows.
I continued to deliver punches, each faster and strong than the one before. I felt his defense begin to waver and took my window of opportunity.
I summoned all the chakra I had left and let out a loud battle cry upper cutting him with full force.
Itachi's head snapped back and he went flying into the clearing over 15 feet away.
I let out a sigh of relief as I watched him come to a landing.
Poof!
My eyes widened in disbelief.
"What!? No!" I screamed aloud frustrated.
A shadow clone!? Are you freaking kidding me?!
My knees buckled underneath me. I had been training all morning with Deidera and that last attack consisted of all the chakra I had left.
I fell to my knees, throwing my hands out in front of me in order to prevent myself from falling face first into the ground.
"This is what Deidera calls improvement?" he asked, holding a kunai to my throat.
Infuriated I smacked his hand causing the kunai to fall to the ground.
"Damn you!" I screamed.
"Hn."
I growled under my breath "Don't you "Hn" me Itachi! I never wanted to train like this anyway! I don't even want to be here! I'm stuck living here, enduring all this relentless training and for what?! Hell, I don't even know! Just let me go home, your eyes are better now just let me leave this hell hole!"
"That's not possible." He replied.
I decided to humor him.
"And why the hell not?" my eyes were now a piercing, icy green.
"You belong to me now, Sakura. I thought I made that clear. Your life in the Leaf village is over with. Once certain pieces of the puzzle fall into place, you will have nothing and no one to return to anyway. You are far better off here with me." his onyx eyes returned my gaze.
Onyx?
I was so infuriated with him I didn't even realize that he had fought this entire time without activating his sharigan.
"You…..didn't even activate...your sharigan…." I hissed.
He had beaten me so easily and he wasn't even trying. My anger turned into rage. I was so angry I just wanted to knock his head right off of his shoulders, but I didn't have any strength left. Without thinking I grabbed a nearby stick and launched it at his face hitting him right between the eyes.
Only for a split second did Itachi's eyes widen in disbelief, before going back to his same expressionless gaze.
Did you seriously just throw a stick at him?
"You are more childish than I—"next thing I knew Itachi was knelt down in front of me, staring into the trees across the clearing.
"Itachi?" I had no idea what had just happened.
"Don't move until I tell you do so." He ordered.
"What is going on?"
Itachi turned around still crouching down, sharigan activated.
"Your shoulder" I observed.
Itachi had a shuriken lodged into his shoulder blade. Had he…blocked an attack for me?!
He pulled it out effortlessly and walked further into the clearing.
"That was extremely unnecessary." He spoke into the forest.
Jumping down from the tree's into the clearing was a young man with glasses and white hair. His face seemed oddly familiar. As he approached us closer, I caught a better look at him.
"Kabuto! My eyes narrowed in hatred at the sight of the co-conspirator in the plan to get Saskue to leave the Leaf.
"Ah, Sakura-chan, what a sight for sore eyes." he said examining my almost naked torso.
I looked down at my bra, remembering I was shirtless.
"What are you doing here?" I snapped.
"Giving my good friend Itachi Uchiha a visit of course." He smiled at a hard faced Itachi.
"What do you want, Kabuto?" Itachi glared.
"You and I both know the answer to that question. She's standing right behind you." He gazed over at me.
Me!? What did I have to do with any of this?
"She's not an option." Itachi responded.
"Well then, neither is your little brother in that case."
"You better not hurt Saskue!" I warned.
Kabuto tilted his head and smiled "You're worried about me hurting Saskue?" he glanced at Itachi "Sakura, you're placing your worries in the wrong person."
What was he talking about?
"Itachi…" he knew what I was asking.
"It's none of your concern" he responded.
"You made a deal, I'm here to make sure you're keeping up your end of the bargain. I'm not here to cause any trouble." Kabuto reassured him.
"Says the man who just tried to throw a kunai through her shoulder." Itachi responded.
"Look Itachi, Orochimaru is growing impatient. What shall I tell him?" he asked. I have complete control over this situation going sweet or sour."
"Nothing has changed. Sakura will still accompany us on the mission to infiltrate the Leaf."
"WHAT!?" I shouted.
"Good, I'll tell Orochimaru progress has been made and you just need a little more time. Sakura-chan." He nodded at me and disappeared back into the trees.
"You're using me to infiltrate the Leaf!? That's what all this training is for? Are you out of your mind!? Did you seriously think I would agree to this?" I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head.
"You don't have to agree with it. It was still be done. I will help Orochimaru infiltrate the leaf with you as leverage and in return Kabuto will release Saskue into my care, preventing Orochimaru from taking over his body and thus keeping the power of the sharigan out of orochimaru's hands. " He replied.
"What is in it for Kabuto? And what will you do with Saskue!"
"I will help Kabuto defeat Orochimaru so Kabuto can absorb him. In return the Kabuto will join the Akatskui in orochimarus place bringing us one step closer to capturing all 9 tailed beasts."
"You didn't answer my question, what will you do with Saksue?!"
"That is between me and Saskue." He replied.
Infiltrating the leaf? Using me as leverage? Trying to harm Naruto?! It was too much to handle at one time.
"You bastard! I hate you!" I screamed out in frustration.
"That makes no difference in my life."
In the spur of the moment, classic reckless Sakura made an appearance and slapped Itachi across the face. The contact of my palm against his face cause a loud smack! to echo throughout the clearing and it sent his head whipping to the side.
In an instant Itachi had me pinned to the ground sharigan ablaze with fury.
"You will regret that." He threatened.
I spat in his face, literally.
His lips curled in anger and disgust, revolted by my uncouth behavior as the saliva ran down his cheek.
"Go to hell" I hissed.
Itachi slung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and started to carry me back into the compound.
"Put me down!" I protested, slamming my fist into his back.
Itachi wasn't even phased as he burst through the doors making his way down the hallway.
Deidera and Kisame stood and watched in disbelief.
"Itachi what in the hell is going on?" Deidera asked.
"It's none of your concern" he said as he opened his bedroom door.
Itachi threw me onto the bed, glaring dangerously.
"You just don't learn, do you?" he asked.
Leaping off of the bed I ran straight for the door but found myself slammed against the wall once again.
Itachi's lips hovered over mine.
"Go ahead Itachi, do it" I challenged.
He didn't move.
"If you rape me again, I'll never forgive you."
Itachi stared at me intensely before bringing his lips crashing down on mine.
I froze as her my mind drew a blank.
He slipped his tongue into my mouth as his hands held my wrists above her head.
I found my mind saying no to the kiss but my body was speaking a different language.
Itachi pulled away, his lips hovering over my cheek.
"I have no desire to harm you." he said as he turned around and headed for the door leaving me alone in his room, confused, and mentally exhausted.