The figures haunted her… she ran, but she didn't go anywhere. She screamed, but no noise came out. She shut her eyes, but she still saw them.
She opened them, but a new image appeared. It was a mother and her child, cowering in the corner of a dark, empty room. Standing next to her was another shrouded figure, but she could make out metal piercings and the slightest hint of orange.
She was then ordered to kill them.
When she refused, a blue light shone from behind her. She slowly turned around, eyes widening as she saw more and more of the blue chakra cage. Her dear friend was inside and awake. He was begging her- pleading. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she gripped her head in pain.
Next to the cage was the leader himself, and in his hand was a kunai. She couldn't move as he easily stepped through the cage to hold her friend by the neck. He lifted the kunai, and again ordered her to kill the mother and her child. She felt a pang of pain in her chest at his words.
She turned back to the two innocent people. She watched with clouded eyes as the mother grabbed her son close to her chest, burying her head in his hair. She grabbed the first weapon she felt in her pouch, which was a shuriken. She lifted it out, and set it in ready position. She tried to ignore the strange feeling of déjà vu… no… she wasn't in the right position for déjà vu… then what…?
The child was rushing in last minute apologies for little things, such as taking the last sweet and lying to his mother. She placed her body in front of her child's, and waited for the blow.
The medic's eyes stung as she stared at the two… an image of her own mother doing the same thing flashed in front of her eyes, and she dropped her weapon and fell to her knees.
"Mom… I'm sorry…! Mom…!" Someone placed a gentle hand on her shoulder but she shook out of its hold. "Mom…! I'm so sorry…!" the pink-haired girls voice rang out higher than the child's.
"Saku-Saku?" she ignored the voice and went on with her cries. "Is Saku-Saku okay? Please wake up, Saku-Saku!" she felt a shove against her shoulder, and Sakura's eyes shot open to see a man in an orange mask looking over her. "Yay! Saku-Saku's awake!"
The pink-haired medic scooted back, and up into a sitting position on the comfortable bed. "WH-WHO ARE YOU?" the strange man cocked his head to the side. Her eyes strayed down to the Akatsuki cloak he wore.
"Tobi's name is Tobi! And you're Saku-Saku!" she stared at Tobi with wide-eyes.
"Saku…Saku…?" for a minute she wondered if it was a trick. No Akatsuki could be that childish.
"Tobi likes nicknames. But Sempai hurts Tobi every time he tries to give him a nickname... Tobi isn't sure why, though…doesn't everyone like nicknames? Tobi does." He tilted his head a little more, as if wanting to hear if she liked nicknames.
"Umm… Tobi?" she started slowly.
"Yes, Saku-Saku-Saku?"
"May I… May I ask you a question…?" the boy nodded eagerly and leaned towards her. "How the hell did you get into Akatsuki…?"
"Hahahaha! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Pfffft… okay, tell me again what happened??"
"Deidara got his ass kicked by a girl." Kisame smiled while he said it. The blue-haired Akatsuki laughed out loud once again as she looked at the artist's condition.
"It's called karma! Ever hear of it?" Konan burst into another giggle fit as the blonde glared menacingly at her. The shark-like man sighed and allowed himself to laugh. He picked up his friend and placed him over his shoulder and carried him to the clinic.
When the two men were out of earshot, the only other female member smiled to herself. "That little girl beat Sasori and Deidara, huh? Interesting…" she laughed again as she recalled the blonde's injuries. "This will be entertaining…"
Sakura planned to stay in her room all day and sulk, but her stomach objected greatly to that. She blushed as her abdomen made strange noises, and she finally gave up and decided to go search for the kitchen.
She left the room quietly, but quickly, and hurried down the hall. She checked every room for the kitchen, but it didn't seem to be any. She kept walking until she made it down to the leader's room. "Definitely not a kitchen…" she muttered. Just when she was turning to go back to her room, she noticed another door next to the larger one. This one blended in with the wall, and was difficult to see. She crept over to it, twisted the knob, and pulled.
Behind it was a fully furnished living room with a going fireplace and television, leather couches and a chestnut oak coffee table. The walls were a whitish tan color, and the wood floors were polished to a shine, even though half the room had a nice rug covering it. There were stairs that led up and out of the room on one of the walls, and for a moment she wondered where it went. She hated to admit it but…
…they had good taste.
There was an opening on the opposite wall that led into a bright room. She mentally cheered when she saw a refrigerator and counter.
"Who the hell are you?" Sakura jumped and turned to the staircase, and her eyes met with beautiful violet ones.
"Isn't proper manners to give your own name before asking for someone else's?" The man scowled as the medic analyzed him. He had beautiful, slicked back silver hair and a perfect face. His violet eyes seemed to glow in the semi-dark room. He wore the trademark Akatsuki cloak that was open a little more in the front then the others. She saw his bare chest and a strange medallion that she didn't recognize.
"Quit your ogling and tell me who the hell you are." Sakura blushed and began to raise her voice.
"I wasn't ogling." He nodded and muttered something that sounded like a "sure, sure."
He seemed to look her over for a minute before taking a step or two away from the stairs and towards her. He didn't seem to notice the figure that limped down the staircase behind him. "You know, you aren't half bad, bitch. Everything about you seems sexy except for your big forehe-" a hand clamped over his mouth before he could say any more.
"Don't go there, man. You really don't wanna' go there…" Deidara used the jashinist for support as he held a hand over his mouth. The silver-haired man was still for a moment before pushing the artist back and wiping off his mouth with both hands.
"That is sick! Watch where you stick those things, you bastard!" the mouth on Deidara's hand didn't seem to like it either, and they were trying to spit his taste out.
Sakura couldn't help but think it was funny, and she allowed herself a chuckle. Both Akatsuki paused and stared at her. She just shrugged and went over to the kitchen, not liking both of the Akatsuki's attention.
"What the hell is she doin' now?" the artist was already limping after her.
"Yo, Bi- I mean Sakura!" The pink-haired girl sighed as she shuffled through the cabinets barely finding anything edible. She turned to Deidara and asked what he wanted. "Since you are one of us now, don't you think you should heal this?" he spread his arms out as if trying to emphasize.
Sakura put her finger over her lips in mock thought. "Nah." She turned to the refrigerator and was happy to see several eggs, ham, and cheese. She took those out and pulled a pan down that was hanging on a hook by the stove. "And just for your information, I will never be one of you."
Deidara huffed and pulled out a stool and sat, painfully, on it. "Well, then, I hope you know my forgiveness doesn't come cheap."
"I don't give a damn about your forgiveness!" she snapped. He flinched and scowled, but shut up anyway.
She cracked the eggs into a bowl, and couldn't help but think that maybe she was a bit hard on him… wait- what was she thinking? He's Akatsuki!
She looked at him through the corner of her eye. He was staring at the granite countertops with his one visible eye, a dazed expression on his face.
"Why do you wear your hair like that?" he snapped out of his trance and looked at the medic.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Doesn't it get in the way in battle?" she looked through a few drawers before pulling out a whisk.
"Not really." The look he gave her seemed to be a permanent scowl.
God… Someone holds grudges. But she couldn't really blame him. She had dislocated his shoulder and paralyzed him head to toe.
"Hey…Deidara?" he shot her a glare.
"What now?" he snapped. She gave him a glare of her own, but she softened it, which confused the artist.
"Look, you're right. We are kind of a team now, and I don't wanna' put up with your crap the whole time I'm here. I'm not apologizing, but I am going to heal your wounds." Deidara seemed a bit confused by her words. Sakura just sighed and continued making her meal. "Do you want one?" he was quiet for a minute before asking what she was making. "Omelets… don't tell me you've never had one."
"No…" He got up and walked over to the stove and peered down at the simmering egg. He looked back and forth between her and the omelet with a suspicious look on his face.
"It's not poisoned if that's what you're thinking. I don't need poison to kill you." She smirked when he grimaced at the truth of her words. Deidara sighed and went back to his stool.
Outside the door stood an orange-haired man with metal piercings.
'She's trying to get on good terms with him.' thought the leader. 'I wonder…'
He stood there for a minute longer and listened to their voices in the kitchen. He felt a strange pang in his chest as he heard Sakura's bell-like laugh ring out.
'…jealousy?' The minute he thought it, he was questioning it.
'What a stupid thought.' and with that, Pein retreated to his quarters.
Ahh :) all done! I'm still trying to decide if I should make this a PeinSaku or a DeiSaku… heck, maybe even HidaSaku :) help! I need some input! Until I get input it will be a triangle, but I really want it to be one couple…
this is kinda' a filler chapter -_-; sorry...
Thanks a ton for the reviews! Those are what keep me from abandoning this story! *hint, hint* lol :)