A Reason to Leave; A Reason to Love

Disclaimer: I do Not OWN NARUTO! Though I wish I did!

Chapter 2: Encountering an Old Enemy (Sakura's POV)

I was running through the woods with my faithful companion with me. I had named her Lily and she was a great Tiger. She young and I estimated her to be about 2 years old but I had saved her and she had been tagging along with me since we met. It had been 3 months since I had left and I had thankfully not run into any of the ANBU coming after me. I met Lily about 1 month after I had left and I was glad to have her company.

We were heading towards a small town on the outside of Water country to stay for a while because the area was said to be tolerant of rogues as long as they didn't cause trouble around the area. I was hoping to stay there for about a week and find a job among the rumors to pay for some things. Even though I had money it was running low from my last job for a sleazy business guy to assassinate a rival business man of his and his family. It was easy enough work except for all the guards me and Lily had to take care of.

I was also hoping to get a drink there because I really needed to unwind a bit from all the stressing I had been doing. I knew it was putting pressure on Lily too, and I didn't want that to happen. So I was just going to go to a nice run down bag and get totally hammered…And that would take a while since I was quite the heavy-weight.

When we finally got to the town I went the closest hotel and got a nice room on the ground floor. I opened the window and let Lily in so that way nobody would know she was here and then closed it again with the shades and curtains. I got changed into a black mini-skirt with my normal shorts underneath and then a red halter top and my normal boots. I stashed away a few of my weapons on my body and then left, leaving Lily on the bed to sleep.

I found a good place for a drink that was close to the hotel and then made my way up to the bar; ignoring all of the looks I was getting from the men in the place. I quickly asked the blushing bartender for a drink and quickly did a sweep over the bar to get a feel for my surroundings and the people.

While I was sweeping over the amount of people something black and red caught my eyes. There sitting in the corner of the club throwing back a couple shots, beers, and anything else was the deadly Akatsuki and one of them was staring at me with what I guessed was probably lust in his eyes. I quickly turned around and just paid attention to my drink that had finally arrived. It was a big bottle that not many girls my age could handle, but I was taught by the best and this bottle wouldn't even be enough to get me tipsy.

I felt that guys eyes on me still, and I knew who he was, but I just hoped he didn't know who I was. He was Hidan the Jashinist of the Akatsuki, presumably immortal because of his god and was a masochist. I had to say though he was quite handsome for a crazy S-class criminal. But I just had to ignore him, that would be the best plan to stick to and I would probably have to hold off the whole drinking myself under the table for another time. Ugh, this was really annoying.

I was about to finish the bottle of sake when I felt somebody come up to my right side. It wasn't one of the Akatsuki, thankfully. It was some hammered ugly ass Sound ninja guy in the area apparently. Well, the locals were apparently really friendly to criminals in these parts or really used to seeing them. I didn't know what thought was more disturbing. "Hey Beautiful, how about I take you someplace nice so we can get to know each other?" He said, and to my utter disgust grabbed my ass and grinned stupidly. I grinned back and then using my left leg kicked him in the gut and sent him crashing into the wall near the door. I was quite happy to hear the sickening crack which probably meant I had done some nice damage to his ribs.

I glared at his limp body as it slid down to the floor and then saw as 2 other sound ninja probably went to go help their leader out of the wall I had so kindly put him in. I mean it really wasn't my fault I wasn't drunk enough to actually go with someone as ugly as him.

The 2 Sound ninja turned to face me after they set their leader on the floor leaning against the wall and they charged at me, but I was ready for them. The one on the right came at me quicker and raised his fist to punch me, but I easily caught it and flipped him over me and then stomped on his gut without even looking at him, as I looked at his partner coming at me. The one on the floor though spewed blood from his lips and then fell unconscious.

I waited for the next one to reach me and with my open palm, jabbed him in the stomach and then used the momentum to throw him into the ceiling. Everybody sat in silence and just sat and stared at me and then the unconscious bodies of the Sound ninja. I stood where I originally had, not even batting an eyelash and shrugging at it all and went back to my drink.

It was still deathly quiet in the room, but soon enough the room started to go back to normal. The bartender looked very surprised that someone as small as me could be so strong and was there on wary of me and my strength. He quickly got me another big bottle of Sake for fear of angering me if he didn't. I continued to down glass after glass of sake until I was once again left with an empty bottle and just as a I was about to call the bartender over to get me a new bottle I felt the imposing presence of a certain S-class criminal standing so close behind me I actually felt the heat radiate off of him.

I turned around slowly and looked him dead in the eye, and I smirked at him when I saw the huge grin on his face. I stuck out my hand for him to shake and said, "Sakura Haruno, pleasure." He just grinned wider at me then ever and I thought that would seriously hurt your face after a while if you kept it up.

He gripped my hand tightly and then said, "Charmed bitch. Hidan, seriously!" I just giggled at him as he looked so funny. But then he gripped my hand tighter as if he were trying to break it. I then started to put pressure on his hand and was quite smug when I heard his bones start to crack because of me. He was enjoying this and I knew it but it was fun just to do this and be friendly with someone for once in the 3 months I had left Konoha other than Lily. "So Sakura, a couple of bodies of mine were telling me some awfully interesting stories about you and I wanted to know if you were as good as they say. Care to prove them wrong or right?" That grin of his was back.

I shook my head and answered, "Well that depends on how they were talking about me. Just what type of things were you talking about and were most of them good? I should hope so; I don't want to be disappointed by my reputation." I just smiled at him as he grinned at my answer.

"The blond transvestite says that you beat his 'Danna' or something. They also say you're an S-class nuke-nin from Konoha like the little weasel of our group. Also, you are apparently very strong and I wanted to know if you would be willing to prove it, though your little showing here made you just as interesting to me than anything else." He said while looking me straight in the eye and I watched him as his eyes became lidded with lust, probably because oh how strong I was that he wanted to see if I carried that to the bedroom as well. Well, I wasn't just about to give into him, I had standards and so far he was definitely not reaching them at all. He was definitely there when it came to looks, but in other areas and such, and I was still a little on edge from the whole, he as a member of the Akatsuki.

"So what if I did kill his bastard of a partner. It was fair, he tried to kill me. And yes I am a nuke-nin from Konoha. And what exactly does this have to do with anything? I find it completely irrelevant to you wishing to speak to me just to find this out. And if you want to fight well that will have to wait to a later date seeing as how I am in no mood to do so. So Hidan, I have to go," I said and then laid down the money on the bar table and then got up to leave. Hidan was just staring at me as if I were crazy to talk to him like I just did, making a sort of 'do you know who I am?' face at me. I looked over at his 'friends' staring at me and smiled and waved good-bye to them all. Kakuzu was smirking at me, probably happy that somebody-a girl no less-had stunned his partner into silence and was making him look like a fool.

I then walked to the front door of the bar but was stopped by a hand gripping me on the top of my arm and swirled me around. I was then pulled toward them-I couldn't tell who it was because it was just so damn fast-and felt a pair of strong lips press against mine. I felt my eyes snap open and with my right arm swung and punched the guy square in the jaw and he hit the bar and went straight through it. I looked at the man and realized it was Hidan and I walked up to him and punched him in the stomach hard enough for blood to come out and for a nice sized Hidan shaped crater was formed. I then hurriedly left the bar and went back to my hotel room.

When I got there I took a nice long hot shower and then changed into my pair of black shorts and just a black sports bra and fell asleep next to Lily.

Next morning…Sakura's POV

I awoke to find Lily gone which really didn't surprise me seeing as how she did this every once in a while to go off on her own for food. I got up and was surprised to see 5 men unconscious in my room just lying their on the floor. I was totally stumped as to how they got their, but what annoyed me more was that these were the Akatsuki right here in front of me. The only thing to be said that my oh-so-intelligent mind could come up with to say, "WHAT?" As I stared at them and watched as they all started to stir at my roar that shook the whole building. Well this was definitely going to be one heck of a morning.

I am so sorry for not updating sooner but i have so much work to do for school, but my summer vacation is coming soon so i will have more time!

But, even though this was kinda just put together i hope you like this chapter of the story!

Please Read and Review this story and give me input for what you might want to see. It gives me more ideas and stops writers block for me! Who knows maybe an idea of yours will be put in, or a variation of your idea with my own twist. Who Knows?

Anyway

~Ja-ne~