Hi, I know this chapter is a lot shorter than it usually is but I have another one to post later in the week. Hopefully my update schedule should be a little more regular from now on. Thanks go to Wingedmercury my beta, without whose intervention this chapter would be a lot crappier. Also thank to all of you who reviewed. I read and appreciate every single one. Also, someone pointed out that there really hasn't been any romance between the characters that I put in my description i.e. Kakashi and Itachi. I'm sorry if that nothing has happened as yet but when I started I intended to have a KakashixOC story with Itachi dying nobly in the cause of protecting Konoha (like he was supposed to) but damn, despite my best intentions my story has run away with me. Also, the damn thing wasn't supposed to be this long. I think I know exactly how the plot resolves itself but the relationship stuff continues to surprise me. Blah! Enough monologue, enjoy the chapter and if I don't post by next Thursday, may Kabuto use me in his next experiment.

I spent the next minute of my life swearing and cursing whatever not so benevolent god had decided to dump me in this place. I was therefore unresisting when Sam scooped me up in his arms and took off into the trees.

Why me? Why was all of this happening to me? I saw trees rush by and felt the wind. I ground my teeth together. This whole thing wasn't fair. Why the hell was I here if all I did was get threatened and cry? This sucks!

"Sam! Take me back. I am not running away from this!"

"What? No! And don't talk to me, I need to concentrate."

"Sam! Put me down!"

He opened his mouth to reply and then he wasn't there anymore. I fell. Before I could hit the ground someone caught me. When I saw who it was, I couldn't help it, I screamed. Hidan grinned at me and then dropped me the remaining four or so feet. I skittered backward and got to my feet.

"Not so cocky now, are you?" he said

"Where's Sam? What have you done to him?" He smiled wider and shrugged

"Shouldn't you be more worried about what I'm going to do to you?" He said as he walked towards me

I glanced around me; forest, forest, forest and you guessed it, more dense forest. Since it had been working well enough so far, I felt for my chakra and gathered it in my limbs. I don't know if it was because I was tired, hungry or because of my little spat with the human jellyfish but it felt weaker. The faint buzz it created only made the rest of my body feel more tired. I swallowed hard, this was bad.

"Where is Sam?" I asked

He flung a kunai to his left and I heard splintering wood. I saw Sam fall as though in slow motion. He landed with a thud on the forest floor and lay motionless.

"Sam!" I screamed and ran towards him.

Hidan , not to be ignored, grabbed me by the hair and tugged. I screamed as he closed his hand against my throat and slammed me against a tree. I had the disconnected thought that this seemed to be a trend with him before my focus returned. I really wished it hadn't. He was too close. That was the first thing that I thought. I could see the striations in his pretty purple eyes and feel his hot breath against my mouth...wait, what? His lips touched mine tentatively, surprisingly soft. My open eyes met his and he smiled against my mouth. It was the most frightening moment of my life till then. His body that had been very carefully not touching mine was suddenly crushed against me. His mouth pressed harder and in panic I bit down hard into his bottom lip. He pulled back, growled and pressed harder into me. His hands, which had been pinning my arms to my side, squeezed making me yelp. His lip was bleeding now. He leaned in again and my helpless struggles intensified. I tried to kick him but he was too close. I tried to pull my hands free but couldn't.

Itachi was right. He had been playing with me.

"That was a nasty move bitch." He said softly and leaned in and kissed me again.

I tasted his blood. I tried to scream and he used the opportunity to stick his tongue in my mouth. I twisted my hands, trying to get enough contact to use my chakra but I couldn't.

Wait a minute...with a concentrated effort not to gag, I relaxed and kissed him back. His eyes, which had been closed (...huh?) opened suddenly and he looked confused. He tried to pull back but too late. Gotcha, I thought at him as my chakra flooded into him through his mouth. As his mouth disconnected from mine, I grabbed hold of his wrist. His pupils shrunk to pin pricks and I felt vindictive joy that this bastard was suffering. How dare he try to hurt me! He took a step back and wrenched his hands free. He staggered, looking dazed. I took a step towards him when with a harsh thud a kunai embedded itself in his throat.

Behind him I saw a tall, silver haired man.

"Kakashi!"

I wiped at the blood that clung to my lips and tried to ignore the coppery taste that coated my mouth. Hidan reached up and wrenched the kunai from his throat and flung it back at its owner. Kakashi dodged easily and a new fight began. Hidan was slower and weaker than he had ever been and he fought not to defeat or kill but to get away. When he took off into the trees, Kakashi let him go. I learned about the fight much later because while that had been happening I had been experiencing a strange thing. I stood stunned as anger, rage, loneliness, longing and bloodlust rushed around inside me along with a dozen other feelings that I couldn't even identify. Okay, I thought, this is not normal... I heard voices like they came from far away. Why is this familiar?

"Sakura, take Sam and head to the village. Naruto stay with the prisoner and make sure that he doesn't try anything. I'll take the girl." Oh, so I was back to being the girl again? Bastards! I should kill the lot of them, that would teach them some respect! I groaned and doubled over, feeling sick. What the hell was I thinking? What's happening to me?

Someone lifted me up and spun me around unto his back. I clung on for dear life and buried my face into his back. Taking deep breaths I tried to calm the nausea that was rising in me and the strange disconnected sensation. Rather than going away, it intensified. I clenched my hands and tried to speak but nothing came out.

The next thing I remember was waking up in Konoha.

Yeah...that keeps happening to her. Believe me, neither she nor I appreciate it but there is a good reason. Next chapter, next week. Review if you can.