(The hunt, I don't own Naruto, fans of many characters would have ended me long ago)
The village of the hidden Leaf was in panic. Sasori sent one message: "I have showed my power, give me the Jinjuriki and the Uchiha boy, or I'll march on your village with an army over a hundred strong." The village couldn't submit such a demand that would go against all of their principals, also because it's also difficult to give what you do not have. Sasuke had escaped and Naruto was found missing, people but two and two together. A select few said they cowered away, but the majority hoped and knew that the pair had gone to challenge the menace threatening their village.
Naruto, Sasuke and Lee come to the spot where Tsunade fought. The only way to describe the sight was pure utter destruction. The field earlier that day was nearly flat, where well groomed grass grew, not any more. All the earth had been over turned, not a speck of green could be seen and the semi-flat plane was upturned with huge scars and craters in the ground. It gave Naruto some comfort to know the old lady didn't go quietly. Lee broke the silence asking "so where do you go from here Naruto-kun?" "You go in two different directions," a voice said from above them. The trio looked up and saw Shino sitting up on a tree branch. "Oi Shino!" Naruto called "you know where they are?" "I'm ninety percent sure two of my female insects have managed to find their way onto what you seek, these two male ones should lead you" Shino said sending off two insects to hover in front of the pair. Lee bowed saying "thank you Shino-kun, but will you not join us?" "No, I'll be of little use, these insects feed the chakra from flesh, something our enemy lacks, also be careful apparently your being hunted by the village, Sasori has made specific demands for you Naruto and Sasuke, threatening to attack the village," Shino explained leaning up against the tree he was sitting in. "Thanks Shino," Naruto said knowing this will be all the help he will get.
"Naruto-kun if there is two ways we must go what must we do?" Lee asked. Sasuke was curios as to what Naruto could come up with still believing him to be an idiot. Naruto stroked his chin thinking, suddenly getting an idea he put his hands in a seal making a shadow clone. "Here Lee follow this insect and I'll follow you," he told Lee gesturing at his clone. Lee bowed, and then he and the clone turned and followed one insect. Sasuke turned to Naruto "so why does the real you have to come with me?" he asked very annoyed. "Let's just say I don't trust you yet," Naruto told him hopping Sasuke remained an ally till at least after they rescue Sakura.
Sasori finished sending off his messenger bird before turning to work on his damaged puppets. Sakura flexed her arm fully repaired, she was happy as she could be when after tending to her Sasori repaired himself. She found she was taking a much keener interest in his health more then ever before. She was watching him work of Hiroko, the puppet was badly burned but Sasori made it so the puppet could be easily repaired and rebuilt from nearly any damage. She ran her fingers through his hair, down his back creasing his cloak. He didn't mind so she continued running her fingers over his body till she came over an insect that clung to his cloak. She went to pull it out but noticed its unique shape. She pulled it out and held it before her eyes. Its little legs squirmed trying to get out from her pinched fingers. She was nearly completely sure what type of bug this was and she knew that if it was what she suspected they would have company soon. "Sasori-sama look at this," she said holding the insect before his eyes. He laughed saying "contrary to popular belief I'm not that worried of termites," he started to say but he checked her thoughts. "Hmm never mind, we could use this to our advantage," he said with a smirk. She checked his thoughts and new of the plan forming in his head. She checked her body over even stripping off her clothing just to be through. Sure enough another little insect had clung to her.
Sakura waited, she felt very uncomfortable with Sasori away out of her sight. Also she wasn't sure how it would feel to be summoned. Sasori had decided to split-up to divide what ever the hidden leaf was sending, then summon her leaving half the force miles away while they both attacked what ever was sent after them. Then marching on the heavily undermanned village would be easy to acquire the Jinjuriki and the Uchiha for both of their purposes. "With two S class shinobi on them they wouldn't even be a challenge," Sasori explained. She caught the movement of two people with her enhanced eyesight. It took her a moment to recognize them. She was smiling at the unexpected outcome "Sasori-sama you don't need to summon me away, I'll deal with these two," she thought to herself knowing he would hear her.
Lee was talking to the clone beside him, "so you're just like the real Naruto?" "I am Naruto it's hard to explain," the clone replied. Sakura hid above them listening, she was disappointed the Naruto was a fake but she still would like to deal with Lee. Lee looked like he wanted to inquire more but noticed the male insect they were tracking suddenly stopped moving forwards. The pair looked down as the insect flew down to a piece of clothing the female was trapped in. "Aw we lost track-" the clone started to say when Sakura fell on them. She punched the clone with her monstrous strength making it disappear in a puff of smoke before it could even see her. In the same motion she whirled her foot around to strike at the surprised Lee. He moved out of lightning fast reflex far out her range, she missed and stuck the ground leaving a huge creator. Lee looked at the attacker in the Akatsuki cloak, his old rage at the loss of his sensei, the only one who thought of him as a genus, his friend. Lee clenched his fist and charged at the Akatsuki with all his rage, pain, and hurt he felt. Sakura turned to face him before he could strike her. Lee stopped his attack with his fist barely touching her face every muscle in his body was tensed to stop himself. "Sakura?" Lee asked looking confused. Sakura raised an eyebrow "Yes?" she replied before she backhanded him. Lee managed to raise his arm in a block before she could connect but her brute strength threw him back.
Lee was thrown into a tree with tremendous force. He was hurting all over he checked his arm for injury. It didn't feel broken but it hurt none the less, "Sakura why do you fight me?" Lee asked standing back up. "Let's just say you broke your promise to protect me and now I'm very disappointed in you," she said without the slightest bit of emotion. "I broke my promise?" Lee asked looking down sounding confused and depressed. "You couldn't protect me from Sasori, and now I'm nothing more then one of his toys, you said you loved me and would protect me from anything, you lied to me Rock Lee," Sakura flatly told him. Lee sounded shocked as he said "I failed my own good guy promise." He bowed to her then looking more determined as he sadly said "Sakura I'm sorry but I can see you have become a villain and I must save you or stop you," he had with obvious tears in his eyes. That alone irked Sakura the most. It was like he was flaunting emotions she no longer had. Lee kneeled and reached into his stockings pulling out his training weights. He stood holding one in each had "In memory of Sensei Gai I can only fight this way to protect something important, I'm going to protect you from yourself," he said before dropping them.
Sakura tensed knowing his far superior speed will be a problematic. Lee's training weights left huge creators in the earth where he dropped them. Their eyes locked for a moment before he disappeared. She moved to defend herself but too late as he appeared right in front of her hitting her. She flew and instantly he was behind her hitting her yet again. Even during that she realized she was taking no real damage that his blows where feather light compared to what he could do. He appeared yet again before she could hit the floor striking her with perfect accuracy on her side. She noticed he was hitting where her pressure points would be. She let herself go slack and cry out with pain. Lee hit her in four more would be pressure points before he stopped his attack. She lay down doing her best impression of being in paralyzing pain. "Sakura I'm sorry I had to do that but I don't know how but well break his hold on you-" he told her before she whipped out and arm and struck his knee. There was a loud crack sound that time as Lee collapsed with pain. Sakura immediately stood up and grabbed him by the throat lifting him high up in the air.
Lee was wriggling chocking her grasp. He was striking her arm with his free hand aiming for a muscle that would have released her hand. "Lee your so sweet, I'm sorry I should have dated you at least once in the past," she told him tightening her grasp. "Sakura I need you now," Sasori's voice demanded in her head. "I'm nearly done," she snapped at him. "Now Sakura or have you been enjoying too much freedom," Sasori baited. Sakura shuddered at his threat. She lowered him till his face level with hers. "Until next time Lee," she told him before planting a soft kiss on his lips that had turned blue from his lack of air. Sakura was summoned away in puff of smoke dropping him to the ground. He coughed and crocked out with his strained voice for Gai.
Sasori was a little disappointed he wasn't able to completely repair Hiroko, the hair was still singed and few other cosmetic things but the puppet was battle ready and it would have to do for now. He waited within Hiroko in a clearing for the net group to challenge him. He saw from Sakura's end that there was only two of them, he smiled thinking maybe what he wanted would come to him again. The young are always rash didn't matter how gifted and will always dance if the right stings are pulled, he thought thinking of that Shikamaru. Sasori gave a quiet chuckle as the two men he wanted ran right into the clearing following an insect. "Welcome this is unexpected I guess my grandmother was right about something, all good things come to those that wait, I just rarely ever put that into practice," Sasori said to the pair. They stopped, the blond one he recognized to be the Jinjuriki turned to the raven hair one who looked like he could very well be Itachi's little brother. "You ready?" Naruto asked Sasuke who was eying Sasori as he nodded. Naruto turned to Sasori "before I beat the crap out of you where is Sakura," he demanded. "Sakura…is currently engaged in another matter," Sasori said watching her pounce on the Naruto clone. Naruto eyes lit up as he turned Sasuke "Lee is in trouble."
Sasuke shrugged "he can take care of himself it's most likely a distraction anyways lets break this puppet and find Sakura," he said activating his Sharingan. Naruto's eyes took a slightly red shade as he turned to face Sasori "sorry Lee," he mumbled having yet another reason to defeat the puppet master as soon as possible.
Sasori made the first move as he selected a batch of needles that had his old curable poison on it knowing he needed the Jinjuriki alive for the Akatsuki. He opened his mouth and fired his first barrage of deadly needles. Naruto formed a never ending wall of clones around him, always replacing them when ever one fell. Sasuke drew a kunai using the sharingan he easily defected the needles. Sasori closed his mouth and chucked "I see using this puppet wouldn't do any good and I haven't even put the fishing touches on his repair yet," he said before opening Hiroko. Both Naruto and Sasuke where a little shocked to find see how young Sasori looked who is from what they have gathered to be a thirty year old man/puppet was looking like a teenager younger then them. Sasori pulled out a scroll labeled Akatsuki telling the pair "feel honored both of you, this will be the first time I'm using him and Uchiha this time he will not be sick, dieing, and wanting you to kill him." They both looked in horror at what Sasori summoned but Sasuke more so. A perfect wooden replica down to the finest details of Itachi stood before them.
Sasori not only had strings going into his puppet but he had one special string that sent information back. Seeing the world through the Sharingan he now fully understood why Orochimaru sought it out so desperately. Sasori had once before acquired a Byakugan user winning that fight by senselessly crushing him with the third Kazekage's iron sand, he was thrilled to add it to his collection, but from earlier use he discovered his human puppets many flaws. Using the same method he was using with his Itachi puppet he saw the world through the confusing and ultimately for his purposes useless Byakugan eyes. In the end the puppet was a failure and was scraped lest it tarnish his collection. The Sharingan was totally different, he could see both the chakra and flesh of the pair before him, and in fact the immediate world around him was so ultimately clear to him not a twitch escaped his puppet's eyes. That wasn't all he understood everything he saw before him, as well as what their meaning was and the hidden impactions of it.
Naruto turned from the puppets before him and tried to gain Sasuke's attention, "hey snap out of it you hear me, we have to save Sakura!" he shouted. His voice seemed far and distant as Sasuke examined his brother with his eyes. Naruto infuriated shouted out at Sasori "I won't even let you use Itachi!" He summoned two shadow clones while he had his hand out stretched together they quickly formed an odd whistling Rasengan. "So this is the jutsu that killed Kakuzu, this child isn't playing games" Sasori mentally remarked. He summoned the Hidan puppet and used him a shield while Naruto built up his Wind style Rasengan to awesome power. With the added commotion Sasuke broke his trance noticing Naruto. He knew that jutsu from very personal experience and leapt back. Naruto built it up to its maximum before throwing it at Sasori. He jumped back making the Itachi puppet do so as well while the Hidan puppet leapt forwards taking on the full brunt of the blow.
The area was devastated, a huge creator was left where the Hidan puppet once was and Sasori was humbled by the sheer power of the attack. He sent out some chakra to the Hidan puppet causing it to be very slowly reformed having been blown into so many millions of pieces. "You will not do that attack again," Sasori said, reaching for a summoning scroll. Naruto looked smug "you don't have any idea just how much chakra I have, I can do that all day if I want to," he bragged. Sasori smirk as he unrolled a scroll labeled Sakura, "you will not do that again because I hold a string to both of your hearts," he explained.
Being summoned was…interesting to say the least Sakura decided. It was almost like suddenly being pulled very fast and stopping all of a sudden. She stood next to Sasori looking very calmly at the two shocked men near before her. "What you did with that Lee boy was very cruel," Sasori mentally commented to Sakura, she wasn't sure but it did sound like compliment. Naruto was the first one to react asking her "Sakura…is that…is that really you?" She shrugged "what's left of her yes…" Both men where confused by this, Sasuke asked her "you where not supposed to take this sort of path Sakura why did you do this?" She shrugged again like this all meant nothing to her "this wasn't exactly my choice though I like to think I did a small part of it to save you Naruto." Naruto pressed on "Sakura you don't have to protect me together all of us can defeat Sasori." Sakura suddenly looked very serious "I can't let either of you do that, do you have any idea of what kind of hell you would send me to." Of course neither of them could understand that, they would need to experience the vast nothingness for themselves she decided from the blank look on their faces. Naruto made his last attempt "what ever your reasons do you know what this bastard did, he killed Kakashi and Tsunade, our teacher and your teachers!" Sakura smirked and looked at Naruto "well well Naruto you have gotten smarter for once your life you're at lest half right Sasori-sama did kill Kakashi, Gai and Neji personally as well as a whole task force of Konoha Shinobi but, I killed Tsunade," she said. Both men where stunned by this. "Why!" Naruto called already tears of rage and hurt brimmed in his eyes. "Because…" Sakura started to say, she whipped off her cloak and revealed her body "I'm Sasori-sama's puppet."
Sakura looked at the two boys she had loved. Naruto was crying realizing what he must try to do, even Sasuke was letting out a few tears, "I guess he must now know how I felt when he betrayed us and turned to evil for power," she thought to herself. The supposed to be dead red haired puppet heard all her thoughts as he thought back to her "I thought you loved them?" he asked testing her. "Loved….past tense, you took that part of me away," she though back to him.
(Well doesn't any one here love the whole full circle plot? Thank you all for reading and commenting on my first fan fiction I feel so much more confident and have a slightly better idea for what people seem to like, next chapter red curtains fall as the last act of Sasori's manipulations of his favorite Marionette, please comment to add your two cents for the last chapter)