Assassinators, Assassinated At Least That's What You Think.
"One thing," Naruto hesitated "How exactly do you plan on getting into the Akatsuki?"
"We don't plan to." Neji said
"Then, why are you here?" Sasuke asked.
"We are meeting Kakashi in a sound village just north." Neji explained.
"Kakashi? Why?" Sakura asked.
"Kakashi talked to us before he left and told us that Tsunade had asked him to go meet us after we had told you what is happening." Neji said
"And what is happening?" Sakura asked
"The Elders are trying to get all they can to destroy the Akatsuki and take control of the sound and they want to get all the Jinchuuriki away from Akatsuki." Neji explained
"This is turning into a war." Sakura stated.
They all nodded.
"Look, we need to go we told Kakashi we would meet him the day after tomorrow, see you in a couple of months." Shikamaru said
"Months?!" Naruto cried "What are you going to do for a couple of months?"
"See if we can rally a few people of our own, we are going to Gaara to see what he thinks of all of this." Ino said.
"Ok that sounds good." Sakura said.
"Ok then let's head off." Shikamaru said and hugged Sakura slipping her a note. "Tsunade asked me to give you this."
"Thank you." Sakura said.
Shikamaru moved to Naruto and shook his hand.
Then he moved to Sasuke. They looked at each other for a moment.
"Umm…" Shikamaru scratched his head. "Good luck and all" Shikamaru nodded
"You too." Sasuke replied.
"Alright everybody move out!" Shikamaru called.
They all started to walk off, all but Hinata who stood at Naruto's side still.
"Hinata you coming?" Ten-Ten asked.
Hinata looked up at Naruto and then to the others.
"I want to stay here." Hinata said plainly.
A movement caught Sakura's attention her head snapped to the trees. She studied them carefully. In the background she could still hear everyone talking.
"Can she?" Naruto asked "Sakura?"
Sakura tore her eyes away from the trees reluctantly. She didn't answer for a while, she looked around to everyone they were all waiting for her to answer, she stopped on Sasuke.
Sasuke moved forward slightly.
What did she see?
Sakura looked back to Naruto and quietly said. "I will tell Pein what is happening and tell him you are our new member."
"Oh thank you so much Sakura!" Naruto cried.
Shikamaru and the others turned and left.
Sakura turned back towards where the hide out was. Sasuke walked quickly after her.
"What did you see?" he asked.
"Nothing just a slight movement don't worry about it." Sakura simply said
Sasuke grabbed Sakura's forearm and pulled her over to the side.
"Ow!" Sakura winced
"Cut the bullshit, what did you see?" Sasuke asked more forcefully
Sakura took a deep breath and sighed.
"I thought I saw a woman in the trees the next minute she was gone, not the type of gone into the shadows the type where she disappeared right from where she was standing." Sakura explained
"Are you sure she was even there?" Sasuke asked.
"I knew you would think I was imagining that is why I didn't want to say anything, God!" Sakura said and walked away.
Sakura made her way to Pein's chamber and knocked on the door.
"Come in." A low voice called. Sakura opened the door and entered.
The room was totally black all she could see were Pein's eyes.
"Shinobi from my Village came and told us about what the Elders of Konoha are trying to do, they are trying to rally an army to wipe out the Akatsuki and control the Sound, I wanted to tell you that if we go to war with Konoha I don't want anyone to be killed it is the elders who are doing this not anyone else, Tsunade doesn't like what is happening either and I wanted to tell you that Hinata Hyuuga will be joining our team."
"What makes you think you have the right to tell me what to do and who is joining your team?" Pein's voice echoed. "Huh Sakura?"
"I only came here to tell you what is happening and how it should be dealt with." Sakura turned to leave the room.
"Aren't you meant to be on a mission at the moment? Pein asked just as she left.
"I am going now." Sakura replied.
Sakura went around and round up Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata.
"We all ready?" Sakura asked. "Hinata do you know what we are doing?"
"Yeah, Naruto explained it all."
"Good, let's go." Sakura said and jumped up onto the trees the others followed.
After a couple of hours Sakura turned her head around to the others, keeping the pace.
"We are almost there, when we get there we will have to change our plan a little to fit for the four of us but that shouldn't be very…" Suddenly out of no where a shadow came from the side and grabbed onto Sakura sending them both to the ground.
The figure threw Sakura down to the ground. Sakura rolled and flipped into a crouch. She flicked her head up to see who had grabbed her. Her eyes widened.
"Sakura!" Naruto yelled.
They all made their way down to Sakura's side
The girl that stood infront of Sakura was tall, with long red hair and Hazel eyes, she stared at Sakura
"I saw you before." Sakura said.
"I highly doubt that." The girl said. "You see no one has ever seen me, well at least no one I don't want to see me has."
"Shame, it seems I have broken that little record then." Sakura said and smiled.
The girl looked at Sasuke and smiled evilly.
"Well who do we have here?" she said and moved closer to Sasuke.
Sasuke rolled his eyes.
Great another immature girl.
Sakura could feel the anger boiling inside of her as she saw how close the girl was trying to get with Sasuke but chose to push it aside.
Sakura breathed in.
"Who are you and what are you doing out here?" Sakura asked.
The girl stood back and looked at them all.
"Who I am is none of your business and as for what I am doing here that is none of your business either." she answered, Sakura saw the girls eyes flicker up and around the trees and saw her smile slightly.
They are here!
Sakura pulled out her kunai and held it near the girl's neck
"Why are you really here?" Sakura asked more forcefully
"As I said before, that is none of your business." The girl said again
"Sakura! Why are you doing this?" Hinata asked.
Naruto put a hand on Hinata's
"Just let her explain." Naruto said
"She…" Sakura said and pointed the kunai at Kai "Is who we have been sent to kill and she has others with her, one on the left on the second branch of that tree and another on the first branch of that tree on the right." Sakura moved the kunai from the girl to the trees but then back to the girl's throat.
"You are still very observant, Sakura." The girl said.
"Bring them out, now!" Sakura ordered.
"As you wish." The girl smiled sarcastically and started to turn. Sakura turned to face the others
"I don't trust her one bit."
Sasuke watched as the other people from the girls team landed on the ground and watched as the girl turned around and pulled out a small knife and disappear towards Sakura.
NO!Sasuke thought, he ran towards Sakura.
Sakura looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
What is he doing?
Sasuke finally reached Sakura and put his arms around her waist and pulled her towards the ground, he suddenly felt something slide through his skin and then the sting came.
"Fuck." He swore and looked at the wound.
The girl had stopped above him and Sakura. He looked over to Sakura she was still on her back trying to breath. He looked at her face. It was pulled into a grimace.
"You alright?" He asked.
Sakura opened her mouth at first nothing came out.
"Yea just got a little winded." She squeezed out.
Sakura took a deep breathe.
Oh my God that is better finallyI can breathe.
Sakura lifted her head slightly to see the girl still standing above her and Sasuke. The girl was smiling with her arms crossed across her chest.
Sakura looked at her anger boiling. Sakura lashed out her leg and knocked the girl off her feet. Sakura got up and stood over the girl.
"How is it down there?" Sakura asked
The girl's teammates stood still and didn't even move a muscle when she hit the ground. Even so Sasuke and Naruto went to guard them from any further attacks.
"Now I will ask you again, what are you doing out here?" Sakura said firmly.
The girl took a deep breathe.
"My team was sent out here to kill the Akatsuki member Uchiha Madara." She said
"Madara is dead." Sasuke said angrily.
"According to whom?" The girl challenged and smiled.
Sakura's eyes widened at the thought of Madara being in the Akatsuki.
Pein told me that the only person who didn't like the alliance between the Haruno's and Uchiha's was Madara and he helped the Elders destroy the Uchiha's for their alliance with my clan.
"Even if Madara was alive he is not in the Akatsuki." Sakura said
"And you know how?" The girl challenged again.
Sakura looked at Sasuke and widened her eyes in question.
Sasuke furrowed his brow in and slightly shook his head.
Sakura looked at the girl again and noticed something she hadn't noticed before.
"When did you get the tattoo on your arm?" Sakura asked getting anxious.
"Sakura I am sure a tattoo has nothing to do with what they are doing." Hinata said
"When did you get it?!" Sakura asked again but louder.
"When I was born, it is a tradition my clan had we mark all our new born with this symbol." The girl explained.
"Go but I don't want to ever see you here again understand?" Sakura said.
"What makes you think you can tell me to never come here again as far as I am concerned you haven't beaten me." The girl sneered.
"Does it look like you are in a good position to be pissing me off?" Sakura said and pointed her Kunai and the girl's throat again.
"I will be back, Sakura." The girl said.
"JUST GO! Leave before I actually kill you!" Sakura yelled.
"Fine, Fine I am going." The girl said, she turned around and left the clearing.
"Sakura looked at Hinata, Naruto and Sasuke.
"Come on we should head back to the Akatsuki." Sakura said
Naruto looked at Sakura then noticed something.
"Hey Sakura what is that just above your wrist?"
Sakura quickly put her other hand over the mark.
"Nothing, just something I drew this morning." Sakura said quickly.
"Come on we have to go." Sakura said.
I almost didn't recognize you Kai.Sakura thought
Next Chapter: Vunerable