"She looks delicious." A green skinned man purred.
Sakura was sitting in the middle of what she had been told was the 'common room' in the Akatsuki lair. There were comfy looking couches scattered throughout, a table stacked with scrolls, and from what she could see a doorway that led to a small kitchen.
"Leader-sama has decided that Sakura-san will be joining us from now on." Konan told the room of would-be criminals.
Sakura had not been fazed when she walked into the room and came face to face with every member. Though every nerve ending in her body had been screaming at her that she prepare for battle, she overrode those thoughts easily. She was sure of her abilities, and not in an egotistical way, she knew if it came to it she would not go down without a worthy fight.
"Sakura, why don't you tell us about yourself?" Konan whispered to her and pushed her forward lightly.
She glared at the bluenette; she didn't like speaking with anyone, let alone in front of people. It was utterly annoying. She glanced back at the group in front of her. Kisame, the blue skinned shark-man, was grinning at her hugely. Deidara was smirking at her and roving her body with appreciative eyes, Hidan shot her a wink, Kakazu looked bored, Zetsu was... creepy. Tobi was sitting cross legged on the ground his hands folded in his lap and his head cocked to the side, he was sitting in front of a very much alive and amused looked Sasori. She noticed that his form didn't seem to be that of a puppet, after watching his chest rise and fall she deduced that he must have been revived as a human. And finally, she let her eyes rest on the Uchiha.
The flash of hatred that almost turned her vision red was completely uncalled for. But here sat Itachi Uchihha, the man that had almost single handedly ruined her life. He had taken Sasuke away from her, who had come after Naruto with intent to kill. Her otherwise stoic face altered in the tiniest of ways. So much so that he noticed immediately. The others became very still at this, tensing as the waves of irritation rolled off the tiny kunoichi. Itachi stared into her eyes for a long time.
"You are the girl he loved." His monotone voice stated.
Sakura's eyebrows narrowed. "He loved no one."
"You loved him."
She gritted her teeth inaudibly, her hand flexed slightly.
"I was young. Those kind of lustful thoughts are exactly what make a weak shinobi." She breathed.
Itachi appraised her for a moment, his eyes never leaving hers as they continued to stare at each other. For some reason though, she was transfixed with his eyes. They were the same onyx-black as Sasuke's, yet they looked as if they never ended. His eyes held a secret she noted, and some inner turmoil that she was certain no one had ever been able to ascertain. Neither of them so much as blinked, just stared. She noticed that he was just as beautiful as Sasuke, if not more so. She also noted that she had no reason to actually hate this man, what he had done was a hideous crime, but then again she had even slaughtered villages in the name of the leaf. But Sasuke had made his own choice; he didn't have to go to the snake sannin. And Naruto was still very much alive, with his own strength increasing every day because of the threat the Akatsuki posed. Even she owed her strength to the impending doom this organization held.
"Gomen..." She whispered.
Itachi didn't respond, just a slight incline of his head. But it was as if he had read ever thought she had just had.
Konan watched the interaction interestedly. It seemed as if these two knew each other. Well that was good, Sakura would need a partner and Tobi would not have been a good choice.
"Tobi, you are to be partnered with Kisame, Itachi you reassignment it Sakura." Konan stated quickly.
Sakura just stood there; her eyes bore a faraway gleam. Itachi sighed quietly.
"Now Sakura, as I asked before, tell them about who you are." The bluenette barked almost impatiently.
She breathed out her nose and had a very strong urge to tell the woman where she could go. But she knew she had to behave.
"I am Haruno Sakura, 20 years old, apprentice to Tsunade and student of Hatake Kakashi. Rank is unclassified; my last assignment was captain of ANBU black op squad 6. I was the Head medic of the Konoha hospital. I was an original member of team 7, consisting of Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto." She all but whispered.
The group merely nodded and stared at her, awaiting more.
"Well, what do you like? Do you have any goals?" A curious Deidara asked.
She paused for an instant, she really didn't know. Other than protecting Naruto... what else did she have? Thinking of Naruto had her thinking of Hinata. The pregnant fiancé of her best friend, she would have to check on her soon. Hinata would be 6 months by now, almost 7. She had been sending her medicine through mission hawks, and had been instructing her to see Tsunade every week. This brought the thought of family to her mind; did she have any desire to start a family? To retire and have children? To call any man her husband?
"I live to protect my most cherished person. I do not aspire to anything more than seeing him live to fulfill his dreams." She whispered.
"You mean the Kyubi vessel yes!? Oh Tobi knows him! We almost had him last time! "Tobi all but laughed.
Sakura felt her anger build, and before any of the group could react Sakura kicked the masked man viciously in the side of the head. He went flying, smashing through at least 3 different walls before landing in a heap.
Each group member looked at Tobi, and slowly back at Sakura. She stood nonchalantly, completely composed and relaxed, as if that had been an accidental kick.
"Damn." whispered Kisame.
"Isn't she fucking great? She did that to me and it was fucking amazing, bitch has got some super strength." Hidan laughed.
She just stood there passively.
"Erm... Okay Sakura I think that was enough for today... why don't you go with Itachi and Kisame, they will show you to your new quarters. And Itachi, you are to aquaint yourself further with Sakura-san. You are all dismissed." Konan ordered, she swirled gracefully and retreated back into the hallway.
"Well cherry-blossom, it's nice to meet you UN." Deidara smiled at her.
She nodded, before tensing as someone threw their arm around her shoulders.
"Bitch, if you ever need to get rough and fucking rowdy you better fucking comes to me!" Hidan barked into her ear.
Itachi smacked him, a loud ringing clap, and Hidan dropped his arm immediately and stepped away. The atmosphere was instantly still.
"You will not touch her. She does not belong to you." Itachi threatened.
Sakura was a tad grateful; she did not like being touched without permission. But she felt a pang of irritation at the Uchiha's arrogance, she did not belong to him either and she was strong enough to let these men know that. But when his onyx eyes fixed themselves upon hers, she couldn't object. What was it with these damn Uchiha's that left her reeling? It was completely and utterly STUPID. She felt like a child, and that just irritated her further.
"I belong to no one Uchiha." She said softly, her voice caressing his surname.
He watched as any emotion receded from her face, her body relaxed and she stood there almost as if her body was no more than a shell. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He beckoned her with a wave of his hand, and she followed behind him, Kisame joining momentarily after.
She could feel the shark-man falling into step with her.
"It seems as if that cold hearted bastard has a sweet spot for you blossom, I would be relieved if I were you." Kisame whispered.
She stared at Itachi's back, trying to deduce what exactly Itachi felt for her.
"I am nothing but his partner. It means little to me, the bonds that you all wish to make with me." She said in a dead tone.
Kisame chuckled beside her and much to her annoyance quirked her chin with his huge hand.
"You'll loosen up someday blossom."
She glanced up at the blue skinned man. He seems completely at ease, and happy. This organization was becoming increasingly strange to her. Suddenly she had no doubt that she would be "loosened up" by these strange people. It made her a very tiny, miniscule, bit hopeful that .. She, Haruno Sakura, could find herself again.