I see nothing in your eyes, and the more I see the less I like

Is it over yet, in my head?

I know nothing of your kind, and I won't reveal your evil mind

Is it over yet? I can't win

So sacrifice yourself, and let me have what's left

I know that I can find the fire in your eyes

I'm going all the way

Get away, please…

You take the breath right out of me

You left a hole where my heart should be

You've got to fight just to make it through, 'cause I will be the death of you…

Excerpt from "Breath" by Breaking Benjamin.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any Breaking Benjamin songs.

Silent Sacrifice Chapter 8: Tempest

"Pein," a soft voice came, barely decipherable through the wind that sliced past his ears.

He turned his head in her vague direction.

Konan added an extra burst of speed to her pace, savoring the feeling of the air whipping her Akatsuki cloak into a frenzy. She traveled right beside him, her clear grey eyes focused on the forest. "Tell me again why we are meeting with Itachi so far from home."

Quietly, he answered, "It seems Itachi has been hiding something from us. According to his and Kisame's recent reports, they have been traveling quite often, but at the same time fulfilling any missions I have ordered them to complete." He paused before continuing, "He also requested an object which he could not obtain on his own. I am curious as to why he would want it."

Konan's ceil-blue colored hair lashed against her cheeks as she turned to look at him. He slid his Rinnegan eyes over to glance at her. "Is there something wrong?" she asked.

He opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off when a burst of laughter came from behind him.

"Tobi thinks that Konan-chan needs to stop worrying so much!" the exuberant voice yelled joyfully. "Tobi thinks that everything is going to be all right!"

Pein frowned as he stared at the forest before him, picking up his pace even more.

"Tobi can't wait to see Itachi-san! Itachi-san is always nice to Tobi!"

Konan smirked minutely. "You're right, Tobi. I'll stop worrying."

But through the orange mask that concealed his true identity, Madara's eyes narrowed to slits.

This encounter was going to be interesting.

Under Itachi's orders, Sakura had dyed her hair black (for some reason he wouldn't let her just use a genjutsu). She didn't like the feeling it gave her. With a genjutsu, she could rest assured that her pink hair was just a flick of chakra away. Now, however, the fact that the dye wouldn't come out for another few weeks irritated her to no end.

Thoughts such as these - unimportant and trivial - filled her mind as they waited at the border of the Fire Country. She purposefully forced them to the surface, refusing to let herself fret over the meeting that was to take place.

But her mind betrayed her.

After all, she was about to meet Itachi's superior (adding to that was the fact that they were so close to her home). She could barely comprehend that someone could be stronger than him. Was it possible that there was something out there that could defeat the Sharingan? Or was his leader simply strong enough without a kekkei genkai? She thought…

She glanced at Itachi, who stood beside her, and immediately his Sharingan eyes flashed to meet hers.

…and sincerely doubted it.

Sakura shifted her eyes to her other side, where Naochi stood. She locked gazes with him, and he smiled at her. She grinned softly back before turning to stare ahead of her again.

Naochi met Itachi's eyes, and he glared openly. The Uchiha's eyes narrowed back at him.

The tension in the air dispersed when Kisame complained loudly, "Where on Earth is he?"

Sakura turned to him and shrugged, reaching up to brush her hair aside. Kisame grunted in response.

"They're here," Itachi murmured, eyes locked on the darkness of the trees. The day was coming to an end, and Sakura now had to rely on the gentle moonlight to see.

"They?" she asked curiously, peering in the vague direction that Itachi was. "I thought only your leader was to meet us."

His eyes, when she looked at him, had narrowed distinctly.

"Itachi-san, Itachi-san! Tobi is here to see you, Itachi-san!" came a bold, carefree voice.

Sakura's eyes widened, and then her hand came up to smother her laughter. Hearing the stoic Uchiha's name paired with the informal and admiring suffix just seemed utterly hysterical to her.

He frowned at her shortly before turning back to the trees - back to the three dark forms that were now visible. The man in front stepped out from the shadows, his face seeming eerily pale in the moonlight, his various piercings glowing silver. Orange hair was dulled along with the red clouds on his Akatsuki cloak.

"Itachi," he spoke in a neutral voice that was even more impassive than Itachi's - if that was even remotely possible. "Who are these people?"

Before the Uchiha had a chance to answer, another shadow stepped forward, the cheerful voice coming from it. "Tobi is very happy to see Itachi-san and Kisame-san!" the man with the strange orange mask and black, spiky hair called. He rushed forward, flailing noticeably. "Isn't Tobi a good boy?"

While speaking, Madara's eyes ran over the two unknown shinobi standing beside Itachi. The silver-haired one he deemed a waste of his time, but the other…

Pein was mildly shocked when Tobi's ranting came to a sudden halt. He looked over to find the black-haired man staring at one of Itachi's new partners - the dark-haired female, to be exact.

Sakura's eyes widened in alarm - and horror. Of course she remembered what Itachi had told her - of course she knew that this seemingly carefree man was really Uchiha Madara.

And he was staring at her, his one visible eye narrowed as he studied her.

Then Madara took a step forward.

A sudden warning burst of chakra surprised him - but what surprised him more was that it was Itachi's. He glanced over to find the other Uchiha gazing at him with narrowed, whirring Sharingan eyes.

The words "touch her and you will regret it" were easily discernable.

So Madara reverted back to his Tobi persona with the intentions of doing everything he could to piss Itachi off - and to find out why the girl was with him in the first place…the girl with the marks on her skin that warned him of something dangerous.

Tobi gasped and rushed forward only to throw his arms around the black-haired girl. "Tobi is so lucky! Tobi has found a very pretty girl! She is just as pretty as Konan-chan!"

Sakura stiffened with wariness - one moment she had glimpsed the person Tobi really was, and the next he was in disguise again. But he didn't know that she knew, so she had the advantage.

Sakura glanced at the orange-haired Akatsuki leader, then at the form that was now beside him. She was shocked to see that it was a woman, tall with face-framing pale blue hair and metallic grey eyes. Sakura assumed it was Konan, as Tobi - who was still attached to her - had said.

Konan was staring at her with an assessing gaze, and Sakura averted her eyes to focus on the problem before her.

"O-okay," she said uncertainly to the man still clinging to her. "You can let go now."

Tobi rubbed his mask against her neck. He complained, "But Tobi is so happy. Tobi doesn't want to let go."

She hesitantly placed her hands on his chest and tried to dislodge him. He didn't budge.

"Well, I think that Tobi had better move away," Naochi's warning came from beside her. She turned to see him glaring at Tobi.

Tobi released her. "Ooh, is this Pretty Girl's boyfriend? Tobi is so sad! Tobi thought that Pretty Girl liked Tobi!"

Sakura threw the Akatsuki member a look that read, "You are freaking insane."

Naochi's cheeks, in the meantime, began to tinge with red.

Away from the group, Pein turned to the other Sharingan-wielding shinobi. "Itachi," Pein said flatly, walking to stand in front of the Uchiha (who had been glaring at Tobi). "Explain yourself."

Itachi slowly shifted his gaze to his leader. "Wouldn't it be more convenient to discuss this in private?" he suggested, voice equally detached.

Pein nodded faintly, and together they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura's head snapped up at the sound of their departure, freezing in the act of watching Kisame happily smack Tobi on the head with his sword (Naochi stood to the side, glowering at the scene).

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the small trace of smoke left behind. She wondered how much Itachi was going tell his leader…and she wondered at the consequences of that telling. An unwelcome shiver passed through her body, for she knew this was neither the time for her to leave Itachi or to die.

She sensed a gaze upon her, and turned to meet Konan's grey eyes. Cautiously, she stared back.

The blue-haired kunoichi lowered her eyes, and slowly slid down to sit cross-legged on the ground, her back resting against the trunk of a tree. After, she lifted her eyes to stare at the darkening sky.

Sakura smiled marginally, and took such a vulnerable move to be an invitation. She quietly walked over to Konan, and placed herself beside the other kunoichi. The Akatsuki member glanced at Sakura for a moment before continuing to gaze at the scarcely visible stars.

Sakura allowed herself to relax, and continued to observe Naochi, Kisame, and Tobi as they brawled with each other.

Wind created havoc around him, causing him to lose his sense of hearing, and forcing tears out of his eyes. The speed at which he traveled at should have fatigued him by now, but his anger only fueled his energy.

How dare the Hokage try to keep something so infinitely important to him hidden? Sakura was his teammate. He needed any scrap of information he could get about her; he desperately craved any sign that could assure him of Sakura's safety. Tsunade knew that, and yet she had tried to keep it from him.

It was all he could do not to start screaming. His rage was overwhelming, controlling, blinding…

Naruto clenched his fingers together, and slowed to a halt before the Kyuubi's chakra could begin to manifest. He felt the sinister power rising to the surface and understood it well enough by now to know that if he did let it reign over him, the end result would be horrific. He breathed in and out repeatedly, concentrating on calming his senses.

That was, until a voice called with a hint of surprise, "Dickless?"

Naruto's head snapped up, and he scanned the surrounding forest warily (inwardly appalled at how far from the village he was - while running, he hadn't been too aware of his location) in search of the voice. "Is that you, Sai?"

A figure materialized before him, revealing Sai's lean, fake-smiling form. "Why are you out here alone, Dickless?" the dark-haired ANBU member asked impassively. "Did you get lost?"

Naruto seethed. "No, I did not get freaking lo -"

He paused, eyes widening, as he remembered that Sai had been away on a solo, S-class mission for the last six months (he silently pouted at the sight of Sai's virtually unharmed form). "I forgot," he whispered, despair clouding his eyes. "Y-you don't know about…"

"I don't know about what?" Sai questioned, seemingly trying to force the tone of curiosity into his voice.

Naruto turned his head away and clenched his teeth, his hands balling into fists. At the same time, he pushed back tears. "About Sakura-chan being kidnapped…"

Sai blinked.

And blinked again. "Well…that it certainly unfortunate," he stated.

Naruto whipped back around and grasped the other shinobi by his neck. Body trembling, he growled, "You asshole. How can you say that? Sakura-chan was your teammate!" Tears now rolled down his whiskered cheeks unabashedly. "I don't care how emotionless you are; you at least have to feel something! You should feel sad and lonely and…and…"

Slowly, he loosened his tight hold. His eyes lost their passion, and he spun on his heel and began to walk away - away from the village and away from his teammate. "I'm leaving," he informed Sai callously. "You can go back and tell Tsunade-baachan, but I'm going to leave either way. I'm going to find Sakura-chan."

Naruto's muscles tensed as he prepared to leap into the dim forest, but then Sai's voice called out to him, "May I come with you?"

Itachi locked eyes with Pein, and they stared at each other mutely. Slowly, without breaking eye contact, the Uchiha reached into his cloak and pulled out a small white scroll - tied closed with a green ribbon - and offered it to the Akatsuki leader.

"Her name is Haruno Sakura," he stated, ever stoic.

Pein eyed the scroll before he rolled it out and read it quickly - the scroll held all of Haruno Sakura's information from her time in the Hidden Leaf Village; and, as he noticed, there were a few recent things written down in black ink: her classification as a shinobi had been changed from B-rank to A-rank, the number of her mastered jutsus had increased, as had her number of weapons, and, obviously, her age. But what shocked him the most was that a new section had been added under her listed blood type:

Demon container: Fujin na Tora Seishin

His brows furrowed slightly. "Why have you not informed me of this?"

With a small smirk, Itachi responded, "Would you have let me?"

Pein narrowed his eyes. "The Fujin na Tora Seishin could be a great asset to Akatsuki, and yet you placed it inside a child?"

"She is more than capable of harnessing such power," Itachi said frigidly.

"Wouldn't it be…more convenient, so to speak, to kill her and use the power first hand?"

"No, it would not," Itachi replied curtly.

Pein raised an eyebrow imperceptibly.

"The Tigress is difficult to contain, and impossible to control. Only by her approving was I able to lock her away, and she was the one to decide who was to be her host. She chose Sakura, and I doubt she would be too happy with us if we tried to do so otherwise."

Pein scrutinized Itachi, his Rinnegan eyes hypnotic as he stared. But the Uchiha's face gave nothing away. With a small outtake of breath, he asked, "If what you say is true, then so be it. However, what of the other traveler? The male?"

Itachi's eyes hardened, and although he was anticipating the loss of Naochi, he knew Sakura would not be happy. But he had to say it. "…the male is not needed. I merely kept him around to provide entertainment for Sakura."

Pein nodded. "Then he shall be eliminated," he said flatly, and paused. "But before I go, here is the item you asked for." He held out his hand and dropped it in Itachi's palm.

The Uchiha tilted his head slightly in thanks, and the Akatsuki leader vanished in a puff of smoke.

Inwardly, Itachi dreaded seeing the look on Sakura's face. Hopefully she would not be so angry once he gave her his present.

Slowly, he opened his fist and examined the small, unmoving summoning peregrine falcon.

Hopefully, she would forgive him.

"Dickless, do you have any clue where we're going?" Sai's bland voice vaguely reached Naruto's ears.

"Just shut up, will you?" His eyes darted back and forth, searching for anything with pink.

"Searching like this won't get you anywhere," Sai called. "You need a track, a scent, something to go off of -"

…and then a scream reached their ears.

"What are you - no, stop! Naochi-san!"

Silence.

Then: "I'll kill you!" The voice was distinctly female - inconsolable, enraged, and screeching.

Naruto knew that voice. That voice yelled at him whenever he did something overly idiotic. That voice had haunted his dreams for the past six months. That voice had called out his name and Sasuke's so many times all those years ago - when they were in trouble, about to die, or just simply because she wanted to.

Her voice.

He began to sprint in earnest, faster than he ever had before.

Her voice.

He reached a small clearing in less than ten seconds.

Her voice.

And he saw her. One of his two best friends. One of his most precious people…

…Sakura.

Naochi was dead.

Her mind kept repeating that sentence, circling in her head, poignant.

She felt her fangs grow out, and she bared them slightly. The golden marks on her cheeks began to sting, but she ignored them.

Naochi was dead. In his own pool of blood. Lying there…motionless, lifeless, and limp.

With a kunai - one simple kunai - lodged in his heart.

Dead.

She lunged at his killer with the intent of ending his life, also. She ignored Kisame's hand that reached out to stop her, and she ignored Desunei's wild pleas.

The orange-haired Akatsuki leader stared at her dispassionately as she rushed him.

But a voice halted her clear in her tracks.

"Sakura-chan!"

Her eyes flew open from their narrowed position, and she felt Itachi's chakra appear in the clearing.

Slowly, she turned toward the voice and was met with wide, royal blue eyes. "Naruto…"

Know nothing, yet see everything

Think of water, and feel the heat

Cry a tear, erase the track

Be yourself, yet know no recognition

Fight until blood runs, heal the wounded

Memories are precious, so never forget

Love is fragile, so hold it carefully

Pain is forever, so tolerate it with no fear

Death is inevitable, so live until dying is worth it

A/N: I am very sad, my readers. So many of you have added this story to your favorites/story alerts, but almost none of you have reviewed! D: Of course, to those of you that did, I am forever grateful. You are all amazing, and thank you for your support! :D For the rest of you, it only takes a couple seconds to write a review - even just one word is fine! I would really appreciate it if you would let me know your thoughts. If it's to point out a mistake, then tell me. I want to know how I'm doing so far (I'm pretty new to this). So, again, PLEASE REVIEW!

Well, beside that, I'm sorry for such a short chapter. I just wanted to get it out there. I'll get the next one out as quickly as I can (if you get bored, check out my one-shots; they should at least be able save you from monotony). :D

Until next time!

Random Your Mom Joke: Your mom's so fat, when she asked The Mattress Store for a water bed, they threw a blanket over the Pacific Ocean.