Hey friends! I'm super excited I get to update for you today. You guys probably won't appreciate what happens in this chapter, but it's for the sake of the plot; really it is. It wouldn't be a story if I had Kakashi and Sakura make-out all the time. :) Even though I would thoroughly enjoy it!

A few more chapters to go, and I think this story will be finished. Thank you for all your reviews! And thank you to all that support this story (and not the people that try to copy it!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 24: Taking Over

"I'm going to change my promise to you, Sakura-Chan," Naruto said with a sheer set of determination. "My promise isn't to bring Sasuke home; my promise is going to be to stop you from becoming something you don't want to be. I promise I will not allow you to become a monster."

Sakura smiled and walked towards the blonde. She hugged him tightly, and sighed. "Thank you, Naruto."

She stood in the middle of the bridge, Sasori's ring clenched tightly between her fingers as she waited. It had take a lot to convince Kakashi she should be the one to meet the spy… It had taken a few good broken noses later, but he agreed only after finding a safe location a few yards away for a vantage point.

Glancing back over her shoulder, Sakura saw said hiding place. Surprisingly, there were almost as many trees in Grass as there were in Konoha… it really was a beautiful place. It was hard to believe one such as Orochimaru would have a hidden base here. Sakura sighed again, before she heard a slight rustle in the trees.

Looking toward the small forest pathway in front of her, Sakura could see a shadowed outline of a figure. Sakura held her breath as the figure stepped closer.

"You aren't Sasori-sama," a vaguely familiar voice spoke as the figure stepped out from behind the trees. Sakura let out a breath as Kabuto Yakushi appeared before her. It appeared he hadn't aged a day; silver hair that matched Kakashi's, and his glasses that were ever present on his face. "What are you doing here, Sakura?"

Sakura let out another breath before stepping closer to Kabuto. Kabuto raised an eyebrow before, Sakura held her hand out before her. Taking Sasori's ring from between her fingers, she set it in Kabuto's own. "Sasori told me you might be able to help," Sakura said slowly. Kabuto looked up with questioning eyes until they fell upon her shoulder.

"Your curse mark…" Kabuto stated with slight awe. The curse mark really had grown within two years time… The mark almost encircled her neck completely. He pushed back his glasses slightly and spoke again. "It's almost complete."

"I know we have never been on friendly terms, Kabuto," Sakura said while taking a step back. Nodding her head, Naruto and Kakashi appeared at her sides; they were her two support systems. "But I need your help."

"I can't stay away from Orochimaru's lair for long…" Kabuto stated while looking towards the ground. Rubbed his temples slightly before moving them towards Sakura, a now glowing blue chakra protruding from his hands. "But I can do what I can to help it."

Sakura tried to step towards Kabuto, but Naruto prevented her from moving. Naruto raised a questioning eyebrow to Kabuto before narrowing his eyes. "Why the hell should we trust you now?" Naruto spat as his eyes burned crimson. "You tried to kill Sasuke before; why should we trust you?"

"It's different…" Kabuto stated; his hands still glowing blue as his eyes stayed fixed on the road. "Sasori had placed me under a mind jutsu. I was under his control, and worked as a mindless zombie for him; that was until someone saved me from him. I am indebted to you for killing him, Sakura."

Sakura's eyes looked into Naruto's, and then Kakashi's. Kakashi's eye appeared to be pleading to her… maybe there was another way?

Sakura shook her head slightly and walked closer to Kabuto. Kabuto looked up before he placed his hands along the curse mark across Sakura's neck. Sakura shivered slightly before her curse mark started to glow red.

Kakashi felt himself lose control as he watched Kabuto's hands dance across her tainted neck. He finally did, though, when he saw Sakura cringe and then reached out to grab her.

Sakura cringed and let out a yelp of pain as the curse mark began to grow even more across her neck. Kakashi wrenched Sakura away from Kabuto's grasp as Kabuto let out an evil chuckle.

"What the hell did you do?" Naruto screamed as his eyes turned even more crimson. Naruto eyed the now pale form of Sakura who lay motionless in Kakashi's lap. "What did you do to Sakura?"

Kabuto smirked as he leaped away from the three Konoha nin. "I was helping Orochimaru-sama."

"But you said-!"

"Orochimaru-sama saved me from being under Sasori's control." Kabuto chuckled darkly while leaping backward again, away from Naruto. Kabuto's eyes darted to the pinkette that was now in Kakashi's arms; the mark started to glow a more sinister crimson as it enclosed around itself. "He's the one that saved me from Sasori; he eliminated the mind control jutsu right away; I did say someone had saved me didn't I? And it appears I have repaid him."

Sakura suddenly stood from Kakashi's arms; her eyes glowed dark forest green mixed with an intense black as she began walking to the path Kabuto had come from. Kakashi reached to grab Sakura's hand, and successfully did so, until Sakura wrenched her hand from his grip and continued walking.

"Sakura?" Naruto questioned with a frown. After being ignored, Naruto quickly leaped in front of her. "Sakura?"

Sakura's face was clear of emotion, her eyes appeared to be somewhere far off. "Sakura-Chan?" His statement was once again ignored as Sakura just walked around him, and continued to head into the forest.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Kabuto asked as he croaked with disgusting laughter. "A strong body with no free will of her own; Orochimaru-sama will be very pleased. I only find it amusing that Team 7 would lose two of their members to Sound."

Naruto's glare darkened as he cast it upon Kabuto. Naruto let out a loud howl as his eyes glowed crimson; two tails immediately appeared and he launched himself at Kabuto.

Naruto's claws dug into Kabuto's flesh as he snarled at the silver haired man. Kabuto's evil chuckle turned to a sharp grasp of pain, and he looked pleadingly toward Kakashi.

"Tell us how to save her," Kakashi stated while taking out a kunai of his own. His eye had turned darker, and Kakashi soon moved his hi-ate so he could use his other one. His sharingan eye began spinning quickly as he stared Kabuto down. "Tell us how to save her."

"You'll have to kill Orochimaru," Kabuto gasped out as Naruto's claw fisted itself in Kabuto's stomach. Naruto smirked slightly before clenching it tighter. "I'm…se-rious."

"Naruto," Kakashi spoke with a stern voice. "Let's go."

With Naruto's eyes burning red all he could do was nod and follow Kakashi.

Sakura stopped as she appeared in front of a stone door; the stone door was connect to a mountain next to a giant waterfall. The scenery was beautiful, but Sakura wasn't aware of the scenery. Her mind was completely blank, and though she couldn't explain it, she had a unbelievable urge to come to this cave; it was almost as if something was calling out to her. Whatever it was she had to find it; a sharp pain in her mind kept telling her keep going, so she did.

Placing chakra into her fist, Sakura punched through the stone door and continued walking into the darkened cave; with her chakra enhanced eyes she had no problem seeing in the darkness.

Her body didn't react to the dark, dampness of the cave, or even the smell of death that seemed to radiate from said place; her body just kept moving forward… nothing could stop it.

Sakura found her body making turns through the hallway on its own accord; whatever was calling to her appeared to be controlling her body, as well. She found herself halted in front of another door, a larger one, and this time she did not smash through it. Knocking lightly, Sakura waited to here a loud "enter" before she opened the door.

Orochimaru sat before her, in all his glory. His skin appeared pale, and there was sweat dripping from his forehead. Sakura bowed low to the man before her; the snake man smirked before rising from his throne.

"So you have finally come to me, my Sakura-Chan?" Orochimaru's voice hissed out slowly; his movements were also slower… it appeared he would be in need of a new vessel soon.

Sakura found herself silent as Orochimaru walked up to her, and raised a hand to her cheek. "Such a fine specimen you are… I will be lucky to have a mate such as you," Orochimaru stated while caressing her cheek softly. He was about to speak again, when a sudden door a jarring prevented him from doing so.

"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru hissed out as he glanced toward the raven haired boy. Sasuke's eyes went straight to Sakura's form, he immediately glared to the snake man. Sakura's eyes did not waver, they just stared endlessly in front of her; her whole appeared seemed to be hollow. "Here to meet our new recruit?"

"What the hell is Sakura doing here?" Sasuke asked with a bit of venom in his tone. "I told you I'd come here as long as you would leave her alone."

"She's the one that came to me, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru stated with a slight smirk. Taking hold of Sakura's arms, Orochimaru turned Sakura around so she was facing Sasuke. "Say hello to Sasuke-kun, Sakura-Chan."

"Hello Sasuke." Her voice was as cold, and hollow like her eyes. Sasuke took a step back before glaring at Orochimaru once again.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Sasuke asked quickly as he immediately began getting into a battle stance.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru let out a evil chuckle as he pushed Sakura a few feet in front of him; Sakura stood straight, and tall before him much like a mannequin would. "You didn't really think I wanted just you, did you? Sakura-Chan is amazing… I only need you for your Sharingan. But how do you like the other curse mark I worked on? I have complete control of her body; no free will. Would you like to see?"

Before Sasuke could answer Orochimaru brought a chakra infused finger to Sakura's neck. "Fight." Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as the curse mark around her neck glowed crimson for only a second. Looking in her eyes it appeared a light had turned on in them, only a slight sinister light.

Sakura leaped at Sasuke with the grace of a cat, and with the power of an elephant. Her fists were already glowing blue as Sakura took a swing at Sasuke's head; Sasuke only had a few short seconds to dodge, but he managed to.

Flipping backward, Sasuke activated his sharingan and was startled to find dark chakra seeping from Sakura's body; it looked like a purple miasma.

"Sakura!" Sasuke tried as Sakura launched another fit of attacks at him; one hit from her fists and he knew he'd be done for. "Sakura you've got to stop!"

"You're so cute, little Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru spoke with another dark chuckle. "And I'll tell you a secret; once Sakura-Chan defeats you I will take over your body and finally fulfill one of your long time goals... Though I do believe this was not the one you wanted to complete first."

Orochimaru's shocking words caused Sasuke to pause, and stare openly wide-eyed at Orochimaru, but for Sakura, that was all she needed. Before realizing his mistake, Sakura sent a chakra infused punch to Sasuke's cheek; Sasuke went flying into the wall and fell unconscious.

"Well done, Sakura-Chan," Orochimaru stated with a smirk. "We'll bring Sasuke-kun to the extraction room and wait for Kabuto. Grab him and let's go."

Sakura nodded her head in affirmation, picked Sasuke up, and threw him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Orochimaru smiled a sickening smile to the pink haired girl beside him before leading the way to the extraction room.

Kakashi sprinted forward along side Naruto. Kakashi had just sent word to Tsunade about their current predicament; Kakashi could only blame himself.

Kakashi had felt Kabuto was not entirely telling the truth… He had just hoped so much that Sakura and he's nightmare would be over, and they could live happily ever after; what a stupid idea that had been.

The silver haired man looked to the youth beside him; Naruto had sprouted several more tails in their chase of Sakura's scent. Her trail almost seemed like something that was too easy to follow… Kakashi shook his head and continued to go faster.

No matter what trap they were going to face, they were not going to be defeated. As Naruto would put it, there was going to be no way in hell they'd let another of their friends fall into Orochimaru's clutches… Kakashi just prayed they still had time.

'Move faster,' he chided himself softly as he picked up his pace even more. 'I refuse to lose you, Sakura. Not now; not ever.'