Accidentally

Chapter 18: Collaboration

As Shikamaru slowly lowered Kakashi to the ground, Sakura approached them, smiling.

"That went well."

Shikamaru gave her a look. "If you say so."

"Sakura-chan?" they turned to see a Flying Naruto coming straight at the aforementioned kunoichi.

"Sakura-chan!" he tackled her to the ground, tearing up in joy. She easily caught his weight and stood, him still hugging her. She noticed Sai frown at her.

"Sakura...what are you wearing?"

Sakura froze.

Naruto stopped dead. He pulled away, looking her up and down. "Sakura-chan...?"

She still donned her Akatsuki cloak, though now ripped and bloodied in many places. The entire bottom half had been torn at a slant from her struggle with Sasuke. Her headband still wore its slash as she bowed her head in...Shame? Remorse?

Shikamaru, noticing Naruto's shoulders rising in soon-to-be anger, stepped between the two. Putting up a keep-the-peace gesture, he moved Sakura back a few feet. "Listen, Naruto..."

Naruto glared up at them both, tears in his eyes threatening to fall. "What the hell is there to listen to?! What is this, Sakura-chan?!"

Sakura's face went impassive. "Naruto, it's Orochimaru."

Naruto paused in his rage. Sakura hardened her gaze. "I know where Sasuke is."

The air in Naruto's lungs dissipated. "What?"

OOO

"If you've done all that...no, HOW did you do all that?!"

Sakura's brow furrowed. "Hell if I know."

Sai stared at her until she was looking at him. Then he spoke. "Are you asking that we aid you in rescuing the Akatsuki? Konoha's number one enemy?"

She flinched. "I'm asking that you come by your own will. If you come, you see Sasuke, save the Akatsuki from something more dangerous than even themselves, and kill off Orochimaru for good."

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, briefly feeling the sweat on his forehead. He grimaced when Sakura finished her point. "If you don't, you fail your mission, Sasuke will be in danger, and I'll die."

There was silence for a while.

"Fine...but I'm not goin' anywhere near those damn Akatsuki!" Naruto shouted as he began to walk by her.

Sakura whirled and grabbed him by the collar, giving him a look of death that rivaled with even Kakuzu's stare. Terror, utter terror, ran through Naruto's veins. She wasn't playing around. This wasn't irritation. It wasn't anger or annoyance or malice.

It was an absolute look of You-Fucking-Listen-to-Me.

"I don't think you get it, Naruto," her voice was colder than it had ever been when she spoke to him. "The only way you'll ever see Sasuke again will be through saving Akatsuki. I'll make sure of that."

He was so confused. This was his Sakura?

"You may not even recognize him by the bloody pulp I beat him to. But then, if you refuse my orders, he'll be the last thing you recognize for a long time."

"Sakura-chan..." she wasn't giving them many options. About two, actually.

Sasuke or Death.

Just then, Kakashi chose to wake up. Upon sight of Sakura's appearance, he noted he must be having a nightmare.

"Aw hell, someone please brief him for me!" Sakura shouted in distress.

"I'm on it, Saks."

OOO

"I see..."

It was apparent that Kakashi disapproved of next-to everything he'd just heard, but still he glanced at Sakra with respect.

"Your terms are...unorthodox, but it's not my decision to make on behalf of the team anyway," he said. "After all, I'm not the platoon leader."

Everyone turned their gazes to Shikamaru. He hesitated, not enjoying the sudden pressure on his shoulders. He looked among his friends and teammates. Kakashi was impassive, Naruto looking anxious, Sai blank-faced, and Sakura solemn.

This decision was made the moment I let her leave the village, he thought.

There would be a lot of consequences based on his decision. It was an offense of the highest degree. Not only would they be abandoning the mission, but helping a group of S-class criminals as well-albeit a bit inadvertently. After all, it was mostly in an effort to destroy one rogue ninja (and his assistant, hopefully) and save another.

Many fluctuations on this roller coaster of honor and reputations, there were.

Thankfully, according to Shikamaru's math, their case was biased a little more towards the positive end.

"Where we headed to, Saku?"

She smiled.

OoOoOo

I KNOW IT'S SHORT OKAY JEEZ

Just thank the gods I was suddenly encased in a tyrade of ShikaSaku fanfiction so procrastination could go fuck itself.

XD Anywaaayy~

Thank you for reading. :)

Also happy birthday, Deidara-san

Also also go vote for the pairings. Go.

~Raven100