Sakura spent a year in Akatsuki, training and doing Pein's bidding. She grew to know each of the members at least a little, especially when they had to pass time while draining the six-tails. She'd learned to complement Itachi on his missions and not be totally useless, and although she still couldn't hold a candle to the sharingan her genjutsu had improved. They treated every mission equally importantly, whether it was a life-death situation or getting Pein a cup of top-class tea. Speaking of which, tea—the Akatsuki had AMAZING tea. Sometimes Sakura would sit down with a cup of tea made from water Itachi boiled, and think that for this kind of tea she could get used to this life.
Deidara and Kisame naturally weren't too fond of her, but that was okay because she didn't like them much either. She avoided Hidan, because he made a slur on her whenever possible. Tobi was silly, but alright to be around because he was a much needed dose of humor and lightheartedness. Konan educated Sakura in the necessary arts for a kunoichi, detailing all kinds of missions she'd done. Sakura had gone on a mission with Konan once, and only once, because it involved a coven where only females were let in and while the other Akatsuki members could look like females, acting like one would take a lot of training.
Itachi had loosened up a bit, and taught Sakura to paint, since there was some free time when they would be caught in a snowstorm or sandstorm and only had Itachi's fire to warm them. Itachi had caught hypothermia once—that had been a bit of a mess. And when he had had a bit of sake, he even told her old legends of the Uchiha, things that hadn't been in the scrolls. He got this distant look in his eyes and Sakura never disturbed the moment by asking why he was so compassionate about the clan he'd slaughtered. She had no doubt that if she did, she would be in extreme pain before she could move a muscle. Or maybe she wouldn't, and that thought was worse…what if Itachi didn't care that he'd killed them, but missed them anyway?
Most nights Sakura thought about Sasuke—not cold and ruthless Sasuke, but the Sasuke who had laughed with her and Naruto, the one who had smirked, the one who had once, in his sleep on a long mission, snuggled up to her and an also sleeping Naruto and the moment was so perfect Sakura had been loathe to disturb it. The Sasuke who could be chastised by Kakashi. Sakura came to the conclusion that if she ever saw Sasuke again, she would beat him into the ground, then send him back to Konoha in a stretcher with a note to Naruto saying, "Happy birthday". Because Naruto needed him back more than she did at this point. Because she had a goal to achieve first, but Sasuke WAS Naruto's goal. He was his best friend, after all. After that, Naruto could focus on Hinata's advances—because it was so obvious she had feelings for him—and have fun with everyone.
Those nights, Sakura had to pinch herself repeatedly and take sleeping pills to stop thinking and remembering. It was better without the memories.
As much as she tried, Sakura had become known in the nearby villages—it was difficult not to notice a girl with pink hair parading past every so often in an Akatsuki cloak. She'd even gotten a reputation as a killer—even though the only people she'd ever killed were two people in Orochimaru's posse and Sasori, who didn't even count as a person. She spilled plenty of blood, though. She supposed coming out of a dark alley with it splattering her face could give her a bit of a reputation. Even when Sakura tried dying her hair black, it didn't work—even as she changed it back she heard that she'd been given a nickname. She almost felt flattered. She had her very own criminal reputation.
One morning at the base, Sakura had found herself lying on the ground, probably having slipped off her bed from tossing and turning. She turned her head and saw Itachi, who was sleeping. Without a doubt Itachi would wake the moment he sensed even a sliver of killing intent in the room—it was how the best ninja trained themselves to sleep. Since Sakura was not a threat, Itachi did not wake. He may as well have been dead but for the breath which moved a stray hair every time he exhaled.
Silently, Sakura poured some water into a basin and checked her reflection, combing her hair and frowning at the outbreak of pimples across her forehead.
Sakura may have been a wanted criminal and nuke-nin, but she was also a teenage girl.
That was why red flooded her cheeks when she heard a voice right behind her—"There is a jutsu to take care of long hair, you know."
Itachi would know something like that. Ignoring the fact that she hadn't noticed him waking up, Sakura muttered vapidly, "Is there really?"
"Certainly. I was unfortunately forced to witness it at least twenty times when I was following a princess for a mission a long time ago. Eventually, even without my sharingan, it became burned into my head."
So that was how he kept his hair so silky and smooth looking.
"I imagine it's a forbidden jutsu," Sakura smiled. Itachi chuckled, still right behind her, and placed a hand on her neck. Normally Sakura would have jumped up and hit anybody who touched her in such a vital place, but she managed to restrain herself as she felt a burst of chakra and her hair flew up and fluttered down.
She checked her reflection. Her hair was immaculate, silky, and altogether better than it had ever been before. Even the split ends had disappeared.
Sakura almost laughed. Out of a lot of S-ranked jutsu, this had to be one of the most impressive she'd seen.
"So I imagine you do this instead of brushing your own hair every single day," Sakura said wryly.
"Indeed. I may be an S-ranked criminal, but it doesn't mean I have to look entirely uncivilized."
Sakura thought of Sasuke's hair this silky and laughed, "I imagine you didn't teach this to Sasuke."
In the basin, Sakura saw a twinkle in Itachi's eye. "I don't intend to."
"Thank God."
"You called?" Pein asked, stepping into the room. Examining the position of the two—Itachi leaning over Sakura, hand on her neck, Sakura smiling—he added dryly, "Glad to know you are using your resting time well. I have another mission for you. I need a certain herb gathered—Haruno will probably recognize it—in the Hidden Poison Village. Not only will it help us, but also it is rather expensive and will fetch a good price according to Kakuzu. However, we don't know what awaits you in Doku, so Uchiha will be needed to fight any powerful enemies you may find. Additionally, it was the Uchiha clan that wiped out the this should be quite interesting to you. Haruno, report to Konan. She knows the name of the herb and where it is usually found. Uchiha…prepare."
"Yes, sir," Sakura and Itachi answered, Sakura brightly at being in her area of expertise and Itachi as monotone as ever.
After Pein left, Sakura made to find Konan, but Itachi stopped her for a second. "Sakura."
She sensed this was something important. Something huge.
"I'm going to fight Sasuke there. Wake him up a bit. I imagine he's gotten rather comfortable with Orochimaru—it's time to change that.
"How do you know he'll show?" Sakura asked as steadily as she could.
Itachi closed his eyes and smirked. "He will come." His expression hardened and he stared straight at her. "You will help arrange the fight…you will not interfere in it."
It wasn't a question or a request. Sakura turned away, gritted her teeth, and nodded. Then she left to get Konan and pack her things, knowing this mission was going to get a lot more complicated than it had to.
Sasuke hardly ever got mail, so when there was a crow carrying a package tapping at his window—he was currently at an inn, retrieving a scroll for Orochimaru—he was quite surprised.
His life had been fairly uneventful other than training. He'd been sent on a few missions with Tayuya, one of the nin sent to get him from Konoha, but they were all trivial. Orochimaru's justification was that since he was getting free board and training, he had to do his share for the village. As if he didn't already have enough lackeys. But Sasuke went with it, if only to occasionally get a whiff of news in the outside world. To make sure nobody had killed Itachi before he could. He'd heard scattered stories about a new Akatsuki member.
He went to open the window somewhat apprehensively. The crow flew in and plopped a piece of paper in Sasuke's hands. It sat on the nearest flat surface it could find—a chair in the corner of the room—and seemed to be waiting for something. He stared at it in astonishment, then unrolled the scroll, clenching his teeth at the very first line.
He finished it, crumpled the paper in disgust, and set it on fire.
Dear Foolish Little Brother, the letter had read…
I suppose you'd like to know what I've been doing with my spare time, since you've so liberally taken some yourself. After all, you seem to have done nothing at all, and, judging by Haruno Sakura's evaluation, you haven't improved either.
Sakura really is quite the prize, isn't she? Silky locks of rose-colored hair—running one's fingers through it is enjoyable; the fit, trained but curvaceous body of a well-tuned machine of a kunoichi—and she certainly knows how to handle it; a mind as sharp as the kunai I ran along her chin when she came to me; a delectable mouth with shapely lips that allow her to speak and do…other things; her trained, calloused, medic's hands that I grip as I demonstrate shuriken techniques to her; and finally those lovely emerald green eyes. I could just stare into them for ages.
Yes, I have been enjoying my free time dearly. And so has she, judging by the smile her beautiful lips can form.
Wouldn't her blood taste so sweet? Watching it pour out of her body, straight from the heart where a kunai is lodged? Watching her lips part in her last gasp, watching the brilliant light in her eyes slowly…go…out? Perhaps I could hear her clear, lovely voice scream in pain for me as I force her to watch the image of her death on a loop for seventy-two hours before actually doing it.
After all, a person is most beautiful after you've killed them. Just like Mother and Father were. Red always did look good on Mother. I wonder how you would look dead.
Well, we will have a chance to find out—or rather I will, because you'll be dead—for I am telling you that I will be at the ruins of the Hidden Poison Village. Do you remember your history lessons? Our father, Uchiha Fugaku, was the very one to assassinate the leader. Of course it was kept quiet from the rest of the Leaf, but I'm sure it was let slip at least once to the other Uchiha. I'm sure you will be able to remember or find out where it is.
You have two days to get here…Sasuke. After that I'm leaving…along with my partner, Sakura. Who knows how much longer she will satisfy me alive?
Love always,
Itachi.
Sasuke grabbed an empty scroll, scribbled three words onto it, and gave it to the crow to fly back.
The words weren't "I'll be there"," I'm not going", "Give me time" or even "I'll kill you."
The scroll read, in neat print,
Fuck you, Itachi.
AN: Oh, Itachi. You're so evil. And such a good artist and writer, in my head at least. I imagine Itachi does a lot of writing in his spare time, since he had to be all refined!Uchiha for a good part of his life. And he WOULD rub everything in Sasuke's face.
-clears throat- anyway, sorry for the wait and short chapter. It's just...yeah. Sorry. A lot of crap to deal with. Midterms and stuff. Also writer's block, sort of. So it may be a while to the next update too. BUT! I'll probably upload a few oneshots which might be semi-funny, so read those if you don't have enough OS to satisfy you :)
As for those asking about pairings: I know what I posted the story as. Just look at the story summary. That's all I'll tell you. -shrug-
Thanks for all the reviews and everything! You guys are AWESOME!