Against All Odds

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.

AN: THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! It's really cool to check the email and say, oh! There's a fanfic review! You guys made my day over and over again.

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5: Angels and Demons

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Uzumaki Naruto, his short blonde hair still messy from the wind, knew exactly what to expect when he arrived at Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf. To be honest, he figured he'd march right on, jump over the rooftops, and announce, in the grandest, most Naruto-way possible, that he had, finally, returned. Jiraiya-sensei could catch up eventually, and Naruto in turn, would catch up with Sakura-chan and Shikamaru and everyone else he had sorely missed.

What he didn't expect was a welcome party. Especially one that consisted of Tsunade and Kakashi-sensei, each wearing the grimmest of expressions. Naruto frowned.

"Some greeting," he pouted, running right up next to them, disappointment etched across his face. It would be one thing if it were the whole village. But two people…

"So, you've returned…" Tsunade surveyed him quickly. "Well, you've grown taller. And strangely enough, you look more like your pervert sensei."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed, squinting his eyes in confusion and agitation. "I come here only to be insulted by the two of you? That's it! I'm going back and making a run for my grand entrance!"

Kakashi stepped forward, sighing.

"My apologies, Naruto," he said. "But you're wrong; this isn't a greeting. Because greetings are more casual and we have some serious news."

Naruto pondered over his sensei's message, frowning as he thought of what they would wait out here for. Something, no… someone he cared about was missing… but…

"Sakura-chan?" His blue eyes were wide open.

Kakashi-sensei nodded gravely.

"And Gaara-kun."

What, Gaara? Wait, a second, what the hell was going on? Gaara was far away, in Sunagakure, the Hidden Sand. Gaara wasn't here, and plus, Gaara was powerful. Why the hell was he in trouble?

"Judging by your confused expression," Tsunade said, eyeing him warily, "you have no idea that the Akatsuki are after the demon within Gaara. We've heard of their plots to attack Sunagakure. As allies, tight allies at this point with Gaara as Kazekage, it is the duty of our village to send aid."

She sighed as Naruto processed this information. Yes, he knew about Akatsuki, that the nine evil members were after the powerful demons within both him and his friend. But Gaara was Kazekage? Ugh… he was happy… but so jealous…

"We decided you were the best person for the job," she continued, "especially as our numbers are still cut short. Naruto, I have to trust you to help Gaara. I think you both can take on this upcoming attack. Demons rarely ever work together, so your efforts combined will catch them off guard."

Yes. He had to help Gaara, who shared his pain, who knew his pain, but who never knew his joy. Gaara, who he had felt so close to though they had exchanged few blows and even fewer words. Yes, he certainly needed to save him…

"But what about Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked finally after a long silence. "Don't tell me I have to choose between the two!"

"I'll go looking for Sakura," his sensei replied. The silver-haired man looked at him with his one normal eye. "Chances are, it was just a misadventure. But if she was captured by the Akatsuki, as bait for you which is the only real explanation, then saving her would mean walking straight into their trap." He shook his head grimly.

Naruto felt his heart break. No, this was wrong.

"But Sakura-chan…" he said glumly, letting his voice trail off.

"Will be fine, I promise," his sensei said, and Naruto could tell he was smiling though he couldn't tell if it was fake. "I'll bring her back. But you should go. Your journey is much longer than mine."

Naruto nodded suddenly, mind set. He could change nothing…

"Come back safely," Tsunade said, catching his eye, "and you can have the grand entrance you've been waiting for."

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Sakura felt her eyes flicker open slightly, then close quickly. It was so incredibly bright, burning light from the fake sun. Only a silhouette prevented her from going immediately blind, and she opened her eyes again, this time, to examine the mysterious object. As her eyes adjusted, she almost gasped.

She was dead. That was it. For the being in front of her could be no less than an angel, a sleepy angel with red hair and perfect features, beautiful and completely serene. It wore a black cloak, plain and travel-worn, but she could only stare into his hypnotizing grey eyes.

"Are you alright?" His voice was soft, melodic, but not at all feminine like she thought it might be. Well, that was a relief. Definitely not a girl. She nodded slightly, still looking at him. The angel almost smiled, though strangely, it resembled a smirk.

"Well are you going to blink?" he asked.

In the back of her mind, Sakura frowned. What kind of question was that, and didn't angels know everything? But she answered obediently anyway.

"If I blink," she replied, dazed, "you'll disappear."

Pulling back, the angel took on a most un-angelic expression, and Sakura, suddenly finding a strength she didn't know she had, lunged at him and snatched his cloak.

"No!" she cried, pulling herself towards him. "Don't go!"

The figure looked momentarily surprised, then immediately disgusted. "I'm not going anywhere, you fool," he snapped, trying to pry off her fingers which were now glued to his clothes. "Jeez. I had been under the impression that you were intelligent. I suppose that assumption makes me the idiot."

Sakura frowned, now loosening her grip. For an angel, this guy certainly had an interesting way with words. Actually, she realized, he spoke less like an angel and more like… more like someone else she knew. Definitely not Naruto, and, she decided, not as cool and aloof as Sasuke-kun. Not like this guy looked like either of them. Well… he… he talked like…

Oh crap. So the splintered wood had scratched her arm-

"You're not an angel!" Sakura moaned, and she flopped back onto the ground. "Crap! I can't believe it! You're… you're…" Oh shit. And it was coming-

"You thought I was an angel?" Sasori sounded like he was choking back laughter.

Sakura winced. Spirits, angels… before she knew it, she'd be thinking he was some kind of Buddha. She had been so embarrassed, too embarrassed to realize to her blunder. Now, he even knew what she was thinking! And what she was thinking was stupid. Sasori, an angel? She'd never thought it was possible, not even if he was good-looking. And she had thought he was old! And yet… he looked no older than eighteen, maybe twenty…

"Hell, no! You look more like a scorpion!" she snapped, and then moaned again, burying her head into the dirt. That had to be the most immature, the stupidest, that didn't even come out right… God! Yes, God. Yeah, why did he have to make angels in the first place?

"A scorpion?" Sasori asked mockingly, oblivious to her other thoughts. "Well, what do you think I am, then? Does my name suddenly translate into spider? Or perhaps, I was mistaken about my own name-"

"Oh shut up," Sakura mumbled, her voice muffled by the ground. Groaning, she turned over again to spit the dirt out.

"Well what are you going to do now that you've discovered I'm not meant to send you heavenly guidance?" Sasori asked, sounding both unnaturally impatient and sadistically amused. "Are you just going to lay here forever?"

"In humiliation?" Sakura asked. She covered her face with the back of her arm. "Actually, that sounds like a wonderful idea. And then, I will rot away here, and a real angel will come." She sighed. "Damn it. Well at least I'm sure that my angel will be in the form of Sasuke-kun."

"Your boyfriend?" He sounded incredulous.

"No." She uncovered her face. "But he will be." Or would've been. If I wasn't stuck in this horrible place forever.

Sasori almost rolled his eyes. Sakura almost laughed in turn at his resistance.

"Oh get up," he told her flatly. "Now I'm really going to need your help, especially without Hiruko." She didn't budge. With a sigh, Sasori grabbed her arm and pulled her up roughly. Or tried to. He pulled her up about halfway, but she fell down again, utterly depressed, her eyes downcast. Oh, he would not degrade her any further by dragging her around like a doll. Recognizing his defeat, he dropped her hand in aggravation. Sakura thought, with some pride, that he had given up. She didn't realize he had taken another route.

"So heavy and you call yourself a girl."

Immediately, she was on her feet and in his face.

"Excuse me!?" she shouted, too pissed to care she took the bait. "Fat? I was on a diet for weeks, and I'm accused of being fat? Here I am, in the middle of goddamn nowhere, and suddenly there's this guy who thinks it's okay to call me stupid and ugly? I'm sorry, but I draw the line at fat!" She poked a finger on his chest. "You… didn't… dare!" she snarled, emphasizing each word with another poke.

He said nothing. She continued glaring at him and for the very first time, got a clear view of his face. She spoke the first words that came to mind. "Besides," she snorted at his silence, "you look much uglier now that I can see your features."

Okay, so she was being immature. But at the same time, there was some truth in that statement. His eyes were lifeless, his expression blank. There was no warmth. Only emptiness. Kind of like Hiruko.

Some angel. Now, she felt really, really stupid. She almost wished he had been genuinely beautiful.

"I can hear you," Sasori said flatly, grabbing her hand off his chest and forcing it to her side while ignoring her actual words completely, "quite clearly, even without your stupid poses and shouts. I can probably hear you even better than you can."

Sakura didn't even try to delve into the implications of that statement. Oh, she had never been more disgraced.

"I can't believe it," she groaned. "I thought you looked like your machine…" She couldn't even look at his feet. "I've never been more ashamed in my life."

"Yes, I agree it's quite shameful," Sasori snorted, "but we have to get moving. We have to get moving now."

Sakura was tempted to drop to the ground again, but she decided to hear him out.

"Why?"

Sasori really did roll his eyes this time, an odd move for eyes so weary-seeming. But it didn't change the effect. He looked as sarcastic as anyone, and Sakura made a mental note to hit him at the next excuse she had.

"Because," he explained, utterly vexed, "we were attacked trees powerful enough to destroy Hiruko. It would probably be best to avoid them while getting out of this miserable place." He waved to his own body. "Though under the unfortunate and highly likely circumstance that we do, I need your assistance, shockingly and regrettably enough." Though he was difficult to read, he was obviously no more pleased with the situation than she was. Shocking, indeed. He sighed. "You have the brute strength that, without my weapons, I lack."

"And I'm a medic," Sakura countered, trying to save face while feeling dumber by the second. Ugh, everything he said had been so obvious. "That's pretty handy, too, right?"

"Not for me." He turned away from her and began walking, gesturing with his arm for her to follow. Sakura stuck out her tongue at him. Didn't need a medic? What, did he think he was some sort of god? She grunted. Oh, well. She was the idiot who thought he was an angel in the first place, but still…

She watched his walking form in irritation. That didn't make him her boss, and she stomped up towards him.

"I'm not going to be led around like a dog on a leash," she told him, as she shoved him out of way and put herself in the lead. His quiet laughter echoed throughout the trees. Evil bastard.

"Think of it more as a puppet with strings."

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Sakura watched Sasori rather grumpily. Tired as she was, she had let him take the lead. He wanted to be boss? Fine. And anyway, now she had an excuse to pick on him.

"Hey, great puppet-master," she said cheerfully, though it was evident she was not cheerful at all, "have you found a way out yet?"

Sasori didn't reply.

"Because you know," she said simply, all her annoyance and dissatisfaction finally finding an outlet, "that's why you thought you should lead, right? Because you're such a genius. Well, you're certainly helping us out so incredibly much! I'll probably die of frustration before starvation at this point."

Finally, he turned around. His face was blank. His words weren't.

"Then just drop dead," he snapped at her. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Sakura actually couldn't remember the last time she had been so immature; she really was acting like a child. But at the same time, she was… tired. And she was hungry. And exceptionally cranky that she had embarrassed herself so grandly earlier.

Worst mission ever.

Well, at least she was warm, even in her own pathetically skimpy outfit. Well, it wasn't that skimpy like Ino's or Tsunade-sama's, not that she would ever tell that to Tsunade'sama's face. But a lot more of her skin was exposed than her companion's – he instead wore a dark, faded cloak and long brown pants. Kind of badass looking. But angelic? No way. And it wasn't that impressive or anything. Sakura knew she looked pretty badass herself.

"How come you haven't dropped dead yet?" she asked him. "Aren't you sweating?"

"No. Not really."

Oh, well, okay. So not only was he an asshole, but he was invincible. Just like the whole didn't-need-a-medic-nin thing.

Well, whatever. She could deal with that.

"So you don't need any healing, you don't sweat, and yet you can't even fight a prehistoric bird with a bad dental job. Well, that's pretty awesome. I'll have you know that I'm astounded!"

She was being such a bitch, she knew. Usually, she acted nicer. Much nicer. But she hadn't really slept in a while, had she? And she definitely hadn't eaten… not since before reading to those kids…

"Will you shut up?" he glared at her fiercely. "You've really gotten on my nerves. I preferred those fifteen minutes when you were out."

So she had been out for about fifteen minutes? No wonder she was still so tired…

"What?" she asked him. "Never had to deal with a teenage girl before?"

"Not one that I didn't –"

He cut himself off abruptly, twitching his head back to their nonexistent destination. Sakura's eyes widened. It sounded like… not one that he didn't get to kill. His tone had become so dangerous, and suddenly, she had felt, despite his dependence on her, that there was a vast difference in strength between the two of them. She stopped walking. He halted with her, obviously aggravated.

"What is it now?" he demanded impatiently, and he turned his whole body around so that they stood face-to-face, albeit a great many feet apart. She had to ask.

"How strong are you?"

He looked uncomfortable with the topic as if half of him wanted to childishly brag about his abilities, while a more mature half recognized that it was probably best to keep some things hidden. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his face was utterly blank. Slowly, his eyes narrowed. Apparently, he had made up his mind. He nodded curtly to her, the slightest of his trademark smirk on his face.

"I'm fairly skilled."

The way he said it seemed to echo through the trees, echo through her heart, and it sent a nasty chill down her spine. She had felt that before with powerful ninja, felt it with ones that were much stronger than her, true killers. His statement was simple – it revealed nothing – but he scared the hell out of her on purpose, because he could. That chill came from a small release of chakra, a small glint of bloodthirst – what a bastard, frightening her like that.

So he probably was very, very strong; in all likelihood, he was much stronger than her. She had seen it in his eyes; usually, he didn't have to lie or be modest about his powers because it didn't matter whether his opponent knew or didn't. And that wasn't all. He had fought kids like her before – no. He had murdered kids like her before. Deadly. He was deadly.

They continued walking, and she trailed even further behind. A puppet with strings? She could believe it… she was no more than a tool… just one, in this case, not easily dispensable…

...A thing...

What the hell? She was past that! She wasn't going to be scared anymore! She wouldn't walk behind anymore! She had promised that a thousand times! Immediately, she clenched her fists.

"Hey!"

He didn't even stop this time.

What would Naruto do?

"I'm not scared of you!" she shouted. "You aren't going to frighten me, even if you are much stronger! Maybe, we'll be stuck in this cave together, but I will not be a puppet with strings!"

He still ignored her, and she raced to his side, the dirt kicking at her heels. He didn't even look her way; he still kept facing forward. She grabbed his shoulder though she knew he wouldn't turn.

"We're equals now," she told him, somewhat proud of her Naruto impersonation. It was a damn good impersonation. "I won't make fun of your pathetic sense of direction, but you're not going to aimlessly lead us around."

"So you'll share the blame with me?" he asked her, obviously pissed off that his plan to shut her up backfired.

She smiled slightly – it was grim.

"Well, that is, if you can keep up."

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AN: Ha, ha. Did you know that the middle section was the first one written for this story? Oh, I know – I'm so unorganized.

And I'm not saying Sakura's a Christian. If this chapter offended anyone religiously, then I am very, very sorry. That was not the intent at all.

…And the title of this chapter… I hate to say it, but I love it… XD.