AN: Apologies that this is a bit shorter than the others - but! I have a reason:

I was writing this chapter and it turned out so long that I decided to cut it into two! So while you did wait a long time just for this...the next one will be out SOON!

Thanks to my lovely reviewers: rawr, Genny4, la canelle, cutehoney4, Love Is a Myth, Sincerely Athena, alice Orihara Scarlet, PieKiller, and everyone else who favourited/followed

"Welcome to my house," Uchiha Sasuke smiles.

Sakura freezes.

In front of her, Ino and Karin squeal while the two boys sigh, rolling their eyes.

Definitely not winner material.

But more importantly - Uchiha Sasuke is standing in front of them dressed in fucking fighter gear with a gigantic sword in his belt.

"I apologise for the attire," he says, with a smile that borders deranged. "I was at a photoshoot."

Bullshit bullshit bullshit. Photoshoot my ass.

This is dangerous.

Sakura begins to make her way towards Ino, one eye on the two men, the other on Uchiha Sasuke.

"Ino," she hisses, "We need to get out of here."

"What are you talking about?" Ino whispers back dazedly, eyes fixated on Uchiha Sasuke in all his glory. His white shirt is open, exposing his chest, and the whole attire is wrapped together by some sort of purple rope. But Sakura is beyond caring. She's seen many fine specimens as a doctor anyway, and the old appeal Uchiha Sasuke had has completely dissipated now.

"This is dangerous," she repeats, "Ino. Please we have to-"

"Is there a problem?" Uchiha Sasuke cuts in. He's standing in front of her now.

How did he get there so fast?

And suddenly she notices that the other three 'winners' have positioned themselves around Sakura and Ino in a circle, almost as if they're ready to attack-

"No," Sakura says quickly, "No problem."

And then Uchiha Sasuke smirks.

"I beg to differ."

And suddenly his eyes turn red and Ino collapses and then the other three 'winners' who are not fucking winners are reaching for her-

Sakura brings chakra to her hands and slices. The shorter boy howls then turns into fucking water and now Karin has daggers out-

"Hebi. Stand down." Uchiha barks.

Hebi.

Hebi.

Sakura shakes, mind pounding, but Uchiha Sasuke has his sword out, and pointed at her face.

And there's no way that that is some photo shoot prop.

"Who are you?" Sakura asks softly. Her heart is pounding at a million miles an hour, fear clouding her head. But there's something else there too. A familiarity, a jolt of adrenaline, a hidden fighter.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he answers back cockily. "You love me. Now come. Come with me and leave Akatsuki. I know they have their claws in you but-"

And then Sakura jumps. He's not expecting it, and that's why she manages to punch him right in the face.

He flies back, and for a millisecond Sakura is hopeful, even smug-

But then Hebi pounces.

The shorter boy? Water boy? Is on her in an instant and he grabs her hands, spinning her around and pushing her onto her knees. His fingers grab hers and pries them apart, preventing her from making anymore seals. Then Karin - fucking Karin - is on her next and she grabs her head, tilting it back.

The taller boy bends down next to her and begins pushing Ino's body away from the centre of the room.

"Don't touch her!" Sakura shouts.

Karin wrenches her head back further, exposing her neck to the open air and nearly cutting off her air stream.

Sakura begins to struggle and gasp for air. Uchiha Sasuke reorientates himself and stalks towards her. The water boy further bends her fingers, and she can hear them crack. She's completely at their mercy.

"I see you're still loyal to them then," Sasuke snarls, and then his eyes turn red.

It's a horrible sight, a familiar sight, and pounds and pounds of fear are beginning to swarm her vision. The lack of air is getting to her already and Sakura can barely think.

"You must be disposed of," he says, a strange glint in his eyes.

And then, eyeing her carefully, he grabs his sword and slides it out.

"You love me," he hisses, and then he swings.

Sakura closes her eyes - she can't watch this - and she knows death is breathing down on her-

"Foolish little brother."

Sakura's eyes snap open.

A man stands before her, a small, knife-like weapon countering Sasuke's large sword. He has dark hair, sharp cheekbones, just like Sasuke's but he's dressed in a suit and why is so familiar?

And how the fuck did he get here?

Sasuke steps back, and the man in front of her glances back for a millisecond.

And Sakura realises that he's Uchiha fucking Itachi, CEO of Uchiha Corporations – and Sasuke's brother.

And he's got chakra too. Everyone in this room has chakra.

And then his eyes bleed red into the same, hauntingly terrifying pattern.

"You bastard-" Sasuke begins, but he's cut off as all around her, Hebi drop to the floor unconscious. Sakura wrenches her head forward, gasping for air.

Her fingers have been broken - she's sure of it - which leaves her completely defenseless. Is Uchiha Itachi friend or foe?

She doesn't know, but what she does know is that the only way to guarantee her safety is get the hell out of here.

But Ino's here too, and there's no way she's leaving her best friend to fend off madmen. And what about Karin? Since when was Karin- this?

Itachi turns back to Sasuke.

"I thought I told you leave her alone."

Sakura's head shoots up.

What?

"You also told me to stop chasing you," Sasuke says, normally as if this was a conversation about the weather. "And now look. You're chasing me."

"So that's it then, little brother," Itachi says softly, "You want to fight."

And then he turns to Sakura.

Her eyes lock onto his red ones, almost as if commanded by a divine force.

But then she's paralysed-

He lifts two fingers and taps her forehead.

Sakura topples backwards, Sasuke's enraged screams the last thing she hears before she tumbles into oblivion.

"Madara's secured the hachibi."

Across from the Raikage, the other war leaders break into nervous chatter. Sakura shares a quick glance with Gaara.

"So what do we do then?" Onoki asks, slamming his folder shut with finality. "There's no hope."

"That's not true," Sakura interrupts quickly, temper flaring. "Naruto is here."

"Naruto is only a boy," Onoki shoots back.

Sakura opens her mouth to reply, but Mei cuts in first.

"Not the only hope," she says gravely.

The other leaders silence.

"Chojuro bumped into Hoshigaki Kisame last night," she explains softly.

"He's reanimated! So what!" A says, rolling his eyes.

"So listen," Mei says. "He – and the rest of the Akatsuki under Pein – are reanimated, and Uchiha Itachi has managed to give them free will."

There is a beat of silence. Sakura's heart hammers against in her chest. What is the Mizukage suggesting?

"Free will?" Tsunade says icily.

"Yes," Mei repeats, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Free will. And if you recall, before Pein died – he had a certain change of heart. Which means-"

"Akatsuki is fighting on our side," Tsunade breathes.

For a moment, the whole congregation is silent, digesting the news, the hope.

"Wait! Wait!" Onoki says quickly, "How do we know we can trust them? There's no time to figure out all the technicalities on that side when we need to figure out how to get to Madara!"

"I will appoint my best on it," Tsunade says, "You need not worry. She will be able to do it."

And then she turns back and grins at Sakura.

"Won't you, Sakura?"

.

"She looks like a ragdoll."

Sakura grins and slowly taps her finger on the desk, little miniscule cracks appearing before the whole structure splits open neatly into two halves.

"What were you saying?" She asks delicately, crossing her legs before raising an eyebrow.

"Ooh," Deidara calls, "Burn!"

"I told you so," Sasori says calmly from his place behind the desk. "She did kill me."

Sakura flushes.

"Um- well that is I- sorry about that."

Sasori shrugs before pinning her with a blank stare. "No. You deserved it. You were good. Perhaps, in another life, I would have taken you up as an apprentice. What is your name?"

"Haruno Sakura," Sakura says with a small smile. "I'm-"

"Seventeen, recent ANBU graduate. Medical kunoichi. Field. Specialises in poisons. Average chakra reserves, perfect control. Second smartest in your year."

Sakura stares at Itachi.

"I don't know whether to be creeped out or impressed."

"Yeah," Kisame seconds, "That sounded really stalkerish."

"Poisons…" Sasori muses.

Itachi turns up his nose. "I, unlike you imbeciles, simply did my research into who would be corresponding with us."

"A wise and practical move," Konan says quickly before anyone else can respond, "Now, if we may drop the subject, I would like to talk to the only other female I have worked with in a good thirty years."

Sakura grins and bounds over to Konan. Pein even looks a bit affronted.

"This is going to be a blast," Deidara grins, leaning back into his chair with a contented sigh.

Sakura can't help but agree.

.

"Who's this?" Hidan asks, nudging the dead body with his foot.

Deidara takes one look at the corpse and scowls.

"I'll tell you who. That's Orochimaru!"

"Silence you," Sasori says, pushing past him. He leans down and carefully lifts up the corpse. "We need to take this back to base."

Deidara sighs and scoops down, picking up the dead body and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Disgusting," he spits, "I'll call over my bird now-"

"Wait," Itachi says, holding a hand up. He turns to the bushes, sharingan eyes pinpointed on a spot. "I know you're there. You can come out."

Sakura blushes and undoes her genjutsu.

"Jashin-sama," Hidan whispers, his eyes widening. "You did this?" Then he grins. "Bitch's got some fight in her after all."

Kakuzu sighs and swats his partner over his head. "Language," he chastises before turning to Sakura. "Since you did do that - and thanks for the bounty, by the way - it would be appropriate if you took the ring."

Sakura tilts her head questioningly. "What?"

"The ring," Kakuzu repeats impatiently, "Take it. You killed him, you take it."

Deidara nods and drops the body back onto the ground, inspecting it before retrieving a ring and handing it over to Sakura.

She takes it gingerly, inspecting it - it's pale blue and the kanji 'sky' is engraved on the band.

It's Orochimaru's old Akatsuki ring - a symbol of memborship for the group.

"Wow," she breathes.

Her heart's hammering, but it isn't- it isn't a bad feeling.

It's a good feeling.

A great feeling.

A feeling of liberation, of freedom, of happiness.

Of teamwork, of friendship. Of belonging.

"You're one of us now," Deidara grins.

.

"Who?" Sakura asks hollowly.

Tsunade purses her lips before walking forwards and pushing Sakura into the chair.

"Sakura," she says slowly, "You can't let yourself be distracted, especially at such a volatile ti-"

"Who."

Tsunade swallows harshly before placing a firm and on her apprentice's shoulder.

"Ino."

Sakura bursts into tears.

They flow relentlessly down her face and she's sobbing, collapsing into that seat. She doesn't think she can even hold herself together physically anymore because Ino - her Ino-

The tears begin flowing even faster and Tsunade looks torn between comforting and uncomfortable, but Sakura can't bring herself to care because all she feels inside is-

Fucking empty.

.

"This is our time," Pein says slowly.

In front of him, the Akatsuki incline their heads.

"I'll miss you," Sakura whispers brokenly."I want to come with you."

"No," Itachi says, "It is Akatsuki's time."

It is their time, Sakura knows, and it is also Naruto's time.

Except it is Naruto's time to shine, and Akatsuki's time to die.

After all, that was why they were sent to hold off Madara and Kabuto while Naruto took on the juubi.

.

"What is he doing?" Sakura breathes shakely.

"I don't know," Itachi hisses. "I don't fucking know."

That is the first time Itachi has sworn in front of her – of course, there had been the time when he'd lost the chess game to Shikamaru, and it had only been a half an hour game, but Shikamaru had been forced to go into his thinking pose because his queen had been taken-

I'm going mad, Sakura thinks deliriously, Uchiha Madara's planning our demise and I'm thinking about chess.

"Everyone's still here right?" she asks tentatively, reaching out, "Are you still here?"

"Yes," Pein says quietly, reaching out and clasping Konan's hand in his. "We're all here."

Then suddenly, Itachi's Susanoo shakes and begins to crumble.

"Fuck," Deidara swears.

"What is he doing?" Sakura repeats, nearly hysterical. "What is he doing?!"

"Planning your end," Uchiha Madara laughs, his voice reverberating through the area.

"Where is he?" Sasori says, opening another scroll and summoning his last remaining puppets.

"I don't know," Kisame groans, "Sameheda can't feel him anywhere."

"What are you doing?" Pein calls out.

"It's just a little jutsu of mine," Madara giggles, "An Uchiha secret."

Next to her, Itachi stiffens.

"No," he hisses, "You can't- not without-"

"Another sharingan," Madara hisses with glee.

"What's happening," Sakura repeats. Kakuzu bites his lip before leaning over her and compressing her wound tighter.

"You're losing too much blood," he says, "You're going delirious."

But Sakura just looks at Itachi, pleading for answers.

Finally, he says - "He's going to take us somewhere worse than death."

Akatsuki is silent.

Then Pein asks gravely - "Where?"

"Out of this world."

"But-"

"He can't. Not without another pair of mangekyou sharingan. And I won't- I would never-"

But then Sakura's head rolls, and she peers out the bones of Susanoo and sees-

"Sasuke?"

.

I'm dead, Sakura realises.

I'm dead. And I'm in another reality.

This is not my reality.

This is someone else's.

I am not this Haruno Sakura.

But-

Shh.

This Haruno Sakura is waking.

Sakura opens her eyes.

She is in a hospital bed, an IV dripping from her arm. Her room is empty, but she recognises Ino's favourite handbag lying on the visitor seat.

Ino.

Is her friend really Ino? The Other Sakura's Ino is dead.

Who is she?

She had always thought that Inner was a split personality, a little disorder she had had.

But Inner isn't Inner. Inner is real.

Inner is Haruno Sakura, and she – she is Inner.

Yes.

Accept it.

And become one.

AN: So. You have some answers... the rest - they'll come later. This is not the end, just to clarify - I have so much more planned!

And in answer to questions regarding pairings - I haven't decided on any. Right now it's quite a neutral AkaSaku. Of course, the plot will give her more screentime with some than others, but romantically, I'm still undecided.

So... hope you enjoyed and please review!