AN: This chapter actually took me more sessions to write than most before. I guess I'm just not sure I like the low. Let me know what you think, okay? I feel it's a bit too choppy for my liking. Anyway, thank you for reading! Please review!

Nothing but the Truth

Chapter 9: With Longing

"The sea always filled her with longing, though for what she was never sure."

― Cornelia Funke, Inkheart

As the sun was now beginning to peak itself beyond the trees, the small clearing near the stream was silent with the exception being the birds that were wildly indicating that a new day had begun. Sakura Haruno stared with strong, defiant jade eyes at the Uchiha in front of her, who was regarding her with a stoic face, not making a sound. Her entire body was the epitome of tense – shoulders scrunched, back braced, eyebrows furrowed, and hands clenched in white-knuckled fists on her knees that were crossed in front of here, mere inches away from the Uchiha's.

Uchiha Itachi was silent for a moment as his analytical mind ran through every possibility of what the kunoichi could possibly mean. How could she possibly blame him for her own capture by the snake sannin? This was surely a stretch. There were countless other events that he could be blamed for by her, but his supposedly genius mind was having a difficult time fathoming how he could have possibly caused this incident in the girl's life.

Inclining his head by a fraction of an inch, he says evenly, "Do tell."

Sakura's eyes widen for a moment, but they quickly return to their previous state of slight anxiety mixed with passive-aggression. However, she does not speak to him as the memories are rolling over in her head tumultuously. Emotions betraying her, a silent tear makes its way to the corner of her eye, but it does not fall. It will not fall – she won't let it.

"It's no longer important," she replied darkly.

"I disagree," was his adamant response. "If you are holding me accountable for something I don't understand my role in, I deserve to at least know the circumstances."

Sakura released a long breath and closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. Knowing that bridging this subject to the Uchiha was a mistake and was leaving her vulnerable did not sit well with the girl in the least. Finally, after regaining some semblance of mind, trying to keep a flat and even tone, she said, "I should not have brought the subject up. I do not wish to speak of it."

When she braced her arms on the ground to pull herself up, Itachi's hands were quick to grab her wrists, urging her down. "Tell me," he commanded.

Sakura scrunched her brow at him fully, angry emerald eyes trying to pierce into his now onyx orbs. "No."

"Then I hope you like it here, Sakura, because we aren't leaving until you clarify your earlier…accusation," he explained evenly, not allowing his grip on the kunoichi to weaken in any way.

"I wasn't accusing you of anything!" she huffed heatedly.

"Once again we are at a disagreement," he whispered dangerously. "Now talk."

"Fine," she hissed. Her eyes changed from a furious scowl to that of an expression Itachi could only imagine on a kicked puppy as the memories seemed to churn within her right before his eyes. "Only three people in the entire world can fabricate body tissues using medical chakra."

"Yourself, the Godaime Hokage, and her other apprentice," Itachi noted; Sakura nodded in return.

"However, five years ago when Orochimaru first approached Tsunade-shishou about healing his arms, she refused, albeit tentatively," Sakura continued. Her jade eyes were fixed to Itachi's and something sparked within the onyx depths of his mind as the true understanding of her words came to him.

"Aa," he stated. "So the snake sannin captured you in order to fulfill the task of healing his arms; arms which I cut off in a battle with him."

A slight inclination of Sakura's head was all he received in response, but then her eyes lightened a bit and she began to chuckle softly. Well, Itachi was surely confused although his face did not betray this. Nothing of his previous statement had been said in a joking or teasing matter at all. Perhaps the kunoichi really did suffer from some sort of mental ailment – first her inner personality and now she was laughing to herself at what he would assume is an incredibly painful memory.

"I suppose now I was just blaming you because I wanted to," she clarified as her light laughter died down, "Because you were to blame for all of my other problems. I suppose now I see that it's probably unfair of me to make such a loose link to you although I would have never been captured if you hadn't cut of Orochimaru's arms."

"I fail to see the humor," Itachi remarked.

"Oh, stop it. It's a little funny. Plus we were having such a lovely conversation. Don't ruin it with your social impediment," Sakura continued.

"Do not accuse me of having a social disorder, kunoichi. I could still kill you," he retorted darkly.

Sakura's eyes were still bright with joy when she replied, "That would surely not be in your best favor, Itachi."

Suddenly Sakura began to wonder when she and the mass-murdering probable-sociopath had come to know each other on such a basis that she dropped any honorific title from his name, and he seemed to be doing the same. This very train of thought led her somewhere else – Itachi didn't seem like a mass-murdering-sociopath. In fact, he seemed to generate quite a bit of emotion behind his eyes although he'd like to pretend otherwise. He had even said it in the forest after her confrontation with Sasuke – he regretted killing his family and the despair and confusion that had flickered in his face for the briefest of moments had been real. No matter how talented of a liar he may be, no matter how skilled a shinobi, there was no faking that.

Sakura continued to observe Itachi closely. The once strong grip on her wrist had faltered and faded slightly although he still left his firm, calloused fingers around her wrists. He was staring at her with equal inquisition, as if trying to read her soul through her eyes, and they were now leaning in to each other so their faces were a few inches apart. As Sakura pulled herself backwards, stretching her previously tense spine, she decided the Uchiha required further study for she felt that there was something lurking deep within him – a truth that had not yet come to the surface; a truth that could help Konoha keep the Akatsuki away from Naruto, and that truth would be worth dying for.

"Perhaps not," he muttered quietly. "I also fail to see how a conversation about what is possibly one of the most traumatic experiences in your life could be considered pleasant."

Sakura shrugged noncommittally as she pulled herself up so she was standing with Itachi quickly following suit. "I guess it wasn't the subject matter that was pleasant, just the conversation itself," she indulged as she slowly knocked the dirt from her pants.

"Aa," was his response. Sakura's eyebrow ticked in annoyance automatically and Itachi allowed the wisps of an amused smirk to play his features. The way she let her emotions control her completely was always something that Kisame and Deidara seemed to use to their advantages for entertainment purposes, and Itachi was now beginning to see their reasoning – it was really quite comical indeed. Sakura quickly realized that his lack of response was a way to tease her and she turned in a huff. Then, suddenly, as if remembering something, she whipped back around; however, Itachi had been following her closely so she smacked right into him.

"Ouch," she hissed although Itachi didn't make a sound. Rubbing a sore spot on her head where it had theoretically collided with his collar bone, she looked up at him warily. "I forgot to soothe your lungs so we can make the trip back. I only diagnosed them."

"Aa." Sakura's eyes went cross at the lack of response. Chakra covered palms slowly and unsurely made their way to Itachi's still bare chest (as he had never re-buttoned his shirt). Pushing a bit of soothing chakra into his upper torso, she heard him sigh in relief. Although she couldn't completely heal all of the infections with the minute amount of chakra she was allowed, she would be able to make their journey back to whatever base they were going to. "You seem to like to undress Uchiha men, Sakura."

The statement came as such a shock to Sakura that she actually squeaked and pulled her hands back, face turning a deep shade of red. Shaking it off, she turned indignant eyes to meet his very amused ones. "Well there's nothing better around here," she retorted.

"Back home, perhaps?" he asked, trying to get a rise. But her face flashed with a sudden sadness and regret that made Itachi's entire idea of teasing her falter. Her hands clenched a little as she remembered something, her face paling as she gulped down whatever emotions were now consuming her.

"No, not back home either," she responded quietly. Then her hands removed themselves.
"Better?"

"Aa."

"Good now let's go catch up with the others," she whispered as she turned away. Itachi was about to ask her if she was feel alright when she looked back at him, the happiness returning to her eyes as she quipped what inner-Sakura would accuse as a big fat lie, "And button your shirt up. No one wants to look at that."

X

"Engaged?" Sasuke echoed warily. Naruto turned to look at him, his expression going slightly sour. Tsunade had left the room on Hokage business, leaving just the three remaining members of Team Seven. That didn't include the four ANBU guards stationed outside of Sasuke's door to ensure his placement in Konoha was permanent.

"Yeah and Sakura-chan was really excited about it too, but the Hyuuga clan has really high expectations for its' women who marry into the family, one of which being that the wives are expected to quit any jobs they may have to tend to the house and children," Naruto explained, his voice even and serious now.

"Hn," was Sasuke's reply, understanding why the relationship didn't work out immediately. Although he may not have known Sakura well over the past few years, his encounters with her had shown him fully how talented a kunoichi she was and how much she loved it. "She wasn't willing to give up being a shinobi."

"Well not exactly," Kakashi muttered from behind his usual choice of reading material, pretending to be disinterested. However the entire situation with his pink-haired solo female student troubled him deeply. She is my favorite student, after all. He joked to himself, inwardly, albeit a little bitterly. The almost one month absence of Sakura was beginning to strain everything in his relatively secluded world. Everyone the copy-nin knew or socialized with was also a friend of Sakura's, and the entire group was taking her capture incredibly hard.

Naruto and Sasuke began to talk about her relationship with Neji, as Sasuke saw it as an odd coupling. Naruto joked that he was just a nicer, stronger, and better looking version of Sasuke who Sakura used to love too. However, he did grant Sasuke a little insight on Sakura's relationship with the Hyuuga. One day after a mission together, Sakura just started training with the Hyuuga. Then it seemed to progress steadily from there into what one would expect of a shinobi relationship. The courtship began, and then they were engaged a few months later, and the wedding planning begun almost instantly. The best part about it was that Sakura was so happy – truly happy for the first time since Sasuke defected.

"Sakura-chan was willing to give up being a kunoichi," Naruto continued. Sasuke's eyes widened at this revelation – it seemed so not Sakura, "But she really didn't want to and Neji knew that, so he broke off the engagement with her, explaining that one day she would grow to resent him and that they should just be friends. He said he couldn't bare it if Sakura felt bitter about him and their life together one day because his stupid family made her give up her passion."

"Aa," Sasuke said, furrowing his brows and staring at his clenched fists that were resting on his legs.

"She was crushed," Kakashi noted, coming from his own dazed thoughts on Sakura. Sasuke looked at him, but Kakashi's eyes never left the page that he was reading from. Yet, the copy-nin didn't seem to be reading but seemed to be thinking about something instead. Then his book lowered and his one visible eye crinkled. "It's all in the past now."

"Is it?" Sasuke asked sounding unconvinced. "The Hyuuga seemed as if he were ready to kill me for information about her."

Kakashi chuckled a bit. "I suppose their deep…connection…to one and other will never cease, but their relationship as romantic partners is now definitively over. If I'm not mistaken, Neji's uncle has called for an arranged marriage for the young man. He didn't object."

"But Neji refuses to get married until Sakura is back and safe," Naruto continued. "He just said Sakura should be there."

"It's different here now," Sasuke muttered, reclining back in his bed. He sighed silently to himself. Being sent back here wasn't part of this plan at all. The last thing he needed was the stupid dobe to follow him around like a dog now that he was back; it would only make an escape harder. If he could escape, that is. The hokage said that he would soon be put under strenuous interrogations before going into trial.

The slug sannin said that at very best he would be under house arrest for several years, his chakra would be sealed for twice that time, and he would be stripped of all shinobi status. That was his best hope. The other extreme is he would be executed; however, he doubted that would happen. The Sharingan belonged in Konoha and the village wanted that particular blood-line back. Kakashi had guessed that it would be somewhere between the two.

As if reading his thoughts, a firm, commanding knock echoed from the door. Inoichi Yamanaka and Ibiki Morino walked in silently. Kakashi stood from where he was leaning on the wall and waved to Sasuke, "See you later."

Naruto glanced once more at Sasuke before leaving the door, gave him a reassuring smile, and walked out. Stupid Naruto, he didn't need his reassurances. "Let's go Uchiha," Ibiki stated, pulling him to his feet, strapping chakra cuffs on him, and led him out of the room silently.

X

"Hey what took you two so long, yeah?" Deidara asked as Sakura and Itachi began to approach the group. "We were just about to come back to find you, yeah. We thought the kunoichi may have killed you, Itachi-san."

Itachi merely stared at the blond ninja silently, but Sakura quickly shoved past him to greet the group. "I don't think I could do that even if Itachi was half dead," she joked, turning back to meet the eyes of said Uchiha, who just observed her wordlessly.

"Put this on, kid. We're right outside of Wind Country and the last thing we need is for you to be recognized," Kisame ordered as he threw the girl her temporary Akatsuki robe and bamboo hat. Sakura huffed but did so without question. Really, she didn't want to wear this stupid thing and have others think that she was part of the Akatsuki. But…it was very warm and fall was quickly approaching. "We're heading to the base in Lightning Country," Kisame announced.

"Lightning Country?" Sakura echoed. That was further than she's ever been from Konoha without her team. The thought made her uneasy.

"Yes we're going to travel north through Earth Country and then take a barge to Lightning Country. There are some things that we all need to do there, and let me remind you that you're a hostage, and you have to come," Kisame continued gruffly. Sakura huffed again and stormed past them in a rage. Itachi surmised it would only last a few minutes before she calmed down and attempted to make conversation with either Deidara or Kisame.

"If we're going through Earth Country that means we'll be right by Iwa. Screw you guys I'm not going anywhere near that place, yeah," Deidara protested as the rest of them began to walk.

"You can fly in an arch once we cross the border," Itachi intoned, not wanting to even begin to argue. He would never admit it, but Deidara was right – it would be the equivalent of him strolling next to the gates of Konoha and not expecting to be attacked. The move would be foolish to say the least.

"Fine, yeah," Deidara snorted but if one listened close enough, you could hear his sigh of relief.

Two full days of travel later, only breaking briefly for rest and food, and the group of Akatsuki was rapidly approaching the coast of Earth Country. With each step Sakura took, she became more and more wary. Earth Country was only two days' travel from Fire Country, but Lightning Country was a solid week away from her home. The thought of going that far and not leaving a direct path for her comrades to find her made her very uneasy.

Deidara managed to quell some of her troubles as he was the only source of good conversation most of the way there. As they got close to Iwa, he took off on his bird to take a different path, leaving the group effectively silent. Sakura noted that at home Kisame was much more relaxed and conversational, but on their travels he stayed as silent as the Uchiha. Even Tobi didn't offer much solace so Sakura was left with her thoughts and internal conversations with…no one.

Earth Country was quickly turning from sparse woods and large rocky outcrops to a thicker, denser forest as landscapes often did when water was near, showing the group that they would soon arrive at the coast. The cold, snappy fall winds from Rock Country were now absorbed by the forests, giving a little ease to the frigid air.

Itachi stopped and then turned back to face Kisame, giving him a knowing nod.

All of a sudden, in less time than Sakura could possibly even comprehend what was going on, Kisame's arm was snagged around her waist and he pulled them into a rocky cave that was about twenty feet away from the path they were travelling on. Sakura took a moment to note that both Itachi and Tobi were absent from the cave, but she sensed them closer to the path hiding in the woods. Sakura gave Kisame a questioning look, but he simply nodded his head in the direction of the path. "Mask your chakra. Now," was his stern, whispered command. Sakura complied and kept her eyes fixed on the trail.

Then she sensed the chakra signatures that were walking the opposite direction on the path then Sakura's group had been – south, towards Konoha. As they got closer the identities of the ninja were revealed to her, "No," she whispered and her body jerked upwards as she tried to get out of the cave.

Kisame's hand went up quickly to grab her wrist, pulling her down, and his other arm was wrapped around her head so his hand rested tensely over her mouth. "Do not make me snap your neck, kid. I really don't want to," he whispered gruffly. Sakura merely nodded as tears began to fall down her face.

First, Sakura saw Team Ebisu make their way around the winding path into view, and then she heard Konohamaru's ecstatic voice, apparently excited about the mission they were coming home from. The only thing Sakura could do was shake her head as tears fell down her face. Heart sinking into her stomach, she prayed they would not sense them there. This was not the team Tsunade would send for her, and therefore they were not tracking her or looking out for her.

The team continued on the path until they passed where Itachi and Tobi were hiding when Moegi stopped suddenly, her orange pig-tails bouncing as she did so, and looked around. No, Moegi, just go. Please. The fifteen year olds were only chunin and Ebisu, while an amazing ninja, could not handle four Akatsuki on his own.

"What is it Moegi?" Udon asked, turning towards her. The solo kunoichi on the team just shook her head, seemingly bewildered.

"I felt like I sensed Sakura-senpai for a minute and I caught a whiff of strawberry, like her shampoo," Moegi replied, her voice trailing in the wind. The tears were now streaming steadily down Sakura's face, and Ebisu ran over to his student, taking her shoulders in his hands.

"Are you certain, Moegi?" he asked harshly, his guard now up as he scanned the surrounding outcrop. The implications were enormous – Sakura had been captured by the Akatsuki, and if she was around, then they were nearby. Moegi just nodded her head. The team leader scanned the surrounding areas closely. Just as his eyes met Sakura's in the outcrop, his eyebrows rose behind his sunglasses in complete recognition, and then he began to shake. Uchiha Itachi stepped from his hiding place, met the eye of the jounin as he began to scream.

Sakura did the only thing she could think of – in a split second she clamped her teeth down on Kisame's hand who grunted at the pain, elbowed him with what chakra she could muster right in the ribs, and flung herself out of the cave as quickly as she could, discarding her Akatsuki apparel. "Moegi, Udon, Konohamaru, run!" she commanded as she made her way to the battlefield, but the trio stood there, petrified in place. Kisame had now caught up to Sakura only ten yards away from where the chunin stood, and his large arm wrapped threateningly around her neck. Sakura's eyes and voice were pleading, "Itachi let him go, please."

The Uchiha merely looked up at Sakura but he released him from his genjutsu. The man fell silent but he was still unconscious as he would remain for a while – most did after suffering such a trauma. The chunin were now looking at Sakura fully. Moegi finally said, "Sakura-senpai? Is it really you?"

Tears were still falling from jade orbs and Sakura was trembling, but she managed to reply, "Yes it's me. Kisame please let me go. I won't run. Don't hurt them, please," she begged at Itachi and Kisame, "they are only 15 years old and only chunin. Please."

"Sakura-san, why are you with them?" Udon asked quizzically.

"She's a hostage, kid," Kisame replied but he loosened his grip on the kunoichi. To Sakura's dismay, Konohamaru snorted and laughed. "What's so funny?"

"Sakura-san can't be a hostage," he said, sobering a bit to the situation.

"Konohamaru," Sakura said with the most warning she could muster in her voice. "Be quiet."

"What do you mean?" Itachi asked, his attention now fully on the chunin. "Tell me or I will kill you." Sakura could tell the threat was more for her than for the kids, telling her not to interfere with the answer. Judging by the curt tone Itachi was taking, he would be having words with her later for this situation. That is insinuating that they would all survive the situation – Sakura would have to make sure to guarantee that outcome first.

Konohamaru pointed at Sakura fully. "It looks like besides the shark, the only thing you have on her are chakra restraints."

"Yes. They have worked so far," Itachi replied coolly. Konohamaru snorted with laughter again, sounding much to like Naruto. Really, most self-respecting ninja would find themselves absolutely quaking in fear at this situation. Not Konohamaru – he only manages to find the stupidity of others amusing. Sakura narrowed her eyes as she took a few steps from Kisame. He allowed her to go, but he grunted when she got more than three feet away, telling her to stop there.

Konohamaru continued, ignoring Sakura's withering stare, "Chakra binds don't work on Sakura-san."

Silence, all she heard was silence and her heart jump into her chest as she turned to face the three Akatsuki, moving back slightly. Itachi turned his very, very angry glare at her. "Sakura?" he asked, voice dripping with fury.

Sakura shrugged, her hands facing the sky and moving up as if she didn't know what they were talking about, but then there were eight simultaneous puffs of smoke and they all fell off. "Oops, forgot to mention that," she muttered innocently, but she sent a very pointed look at Konohamaru that said 'you are in so much trouble when I get home.'

"If Deidara-senpai was here, he would blow Sakura-san up," Tobi piped, joining the conversation for the first time.

Sakura smiled guiltily at them as her hand went to the back of her neck and she peeled the small chunk of clay off. "Doesn't work either, guys, if we're all being honest here."

"What?" Kisame asked angrily. "You mean you could have escaped this whole time?"

Sakura merely nodded shamefacedly again. Udon spoke hesitantly, "Yes especially at full power, Sakura-san can transport herself fifty miles in any direction – a very good head start indeed."

"Fifty-miles?!" Kisame sputtered with incredulity. Once again, Sakura merely nodded.

"Sakura-senpai," Moegi murmured, her voice tentative and frightened, "Why don't you just come home then?"

Sakura looked at the trio remorsefully, but then her gaze went back to the calming Uchiha. "Can I? I won't run, I promise. You can even listen," she asked. Itachi gave her a curt nod. Sakura walked over to the team and crouched in front of them. "Remember last year when you asked me why I do the things that I do?"

The trio nodded. "Remember the reasons I gave you?" Another synched nod was their answer. "Good. Now I made a deal, and as an honorable shinobi I cannot go back on my word. Also, there are other reasons why I need to stay with the Akatsuki a little while longer – you know the reasons. Do you understand now?"

The three nodded but a single tear leaked down Moegi's cheek. Sakura wiped it off dutifully. "Has Shizune been helping you with your medic training since I've been gone?" she asked the chunin, who responded by nodding. The girl couldn't seem to make words in her emotional state. "Good. I'm sure you're getting better by the day. Oh, one more thing…"

Sakura pulled herself up and ran to her discarded Akatsuki robe and pulled out a small orange box with black ribbon laced around it. "I was going to mail this once I got into the next town, but I trust you to deliver it for me. It's Naruto's birthday gift." She held the small package out to Konohamaru who took it shakily, but it was swiped out of his hand.

Sakura squeaked as she had not sensed the Uchiha approach her. "Itachi, give it back. You were with me when I bought it!"

"I was," he replied, studying the box. "I was merely making sure you had not laced it with a chakra message. I believe allowing you one was more than enough."

Sakura's retort was cut off completely as what he had said sunk in. He had sensed that? "Oh that…yeah," she muttered back. Thankfully, Itachi quickly replaced the box in the chunin's hands.

"Take Ebisu and find a cave to hide out in until he wakes up. If he's…not well when he awakes then send a message to Konoha to have you extracted," Sakura said responsibly and commandingly.

"Yes Sakura-san," they echoed.

"Oh, Sakura-san, there's one more thing you should know…" Konohamaru stated warily before they turned to leave. The kunoichi had already pulled back on her Akatsuki robe. She simply raised a brow at him, urging him to continue. "It's Neji-san…he um… he's engaged. I guess it's arranged."

Sakura's eyes widened and her heart sank as a knot slowly formed at the base of her throat. That hadn't been expected. She choked back, "Oh. All I want is for Neji to be happy. Now go."

The three turned and dragged their sensei into the woods to find a hiding spot, but Sakura just stared at the place where they had disappeared. Itachi appeared next to her. "Sakura," he stated flatly. "You are a fool."

"In more ways than you know," she replied as her entire focus was on suppressing the tears that were threatening to reemerge.

"Neji was your boyfriend?" he asked, cautiously. "A Hyuuga if my memory serves."

"Fiancé," she corrected slowly, attempting to regain composure. This entire day had been so emotionally draining.

"Hyuugas expect their women to revolve their lives around caring for the home as did the Uchihas," Itachi responded evenly, "A waste of true talent, I think, especially for a kunoichi like you."

"Are you complimenting me, Itachi?" she asked incredulously, her head snapped around so it was staring at him; however, he didn't return the eyecontact. If Sakura had to guess, this entire situation was perhaps making him a little uncomfortable.

"Perhaps. I do give compliments when they are due, and you deserve this one," he replied, his eyes focused on the same spot in the forest where the three Konoha-nin had left. "Also I know you would never agree to a marriage if you were not prepared for the…repercussions. Therefore, I believe he was the one who ended the engagement?"

Her heart twisted in more knots than she could possibly count for multiple reasons. The first being that she was now forced to confront many of the feelings she had been subduing about her failed relationship with Neji. The other was that she was having a very personal conversation with Uchiha Itachi and she was not sure how to react to that. All she could do was nod her head.

"Then, Sakura," Itachi replied, his voice seeming softer and gentler than she had ever heard it, "He is perhaps the most foolish man I've ever heard of."

AN: Alright, so we're slowly kinda seeing the emotional connections between Sakura and Itachi begin. I always feel like it's better to ease the way into a Sakura/Itachi relationship which is hard because all I want to do is write about them being together. Anyway, if you have any questions/comments/concerns/suggestions, please review! I hope you liked this chapter!