All there was, was black. Pure black. The space was too dark, it was unrealistic in her eyes, but thats all there was to see. Shadows encased shadows, enveloping her mind in the solitary color. It reminded her of a certain friend, one that she didn't want to think about in her dreams, but it kept coming back to her. Was this all there was in her dream?

For someone as bright and colorful as she was, this depressed her, but at the same time in reassured her, however momentarily. She could never live in this world, of unrealistic bleakness. It...Saddened her. Really it did.

There was as shift in the colors that trapped her conscious, for everything was flowing to the left. There was also the sound of wind brushing past tree leaves. Normally this had a calming effect on her, instead, it held a sinister vibe that scared her.

She could feel that very same wind on her skin. It was chilling to the bone. She could feel the goosebumps travel up and around her body.

She didn't want to stay here, she wanted to flee, but she couldn't move, could she? She wasn't sure. She didn't understand.

What was happening? Where was she?

The blackness seemed to take a step forward, showing her the world around her. She was in a clearing of some sort, the moon shined down, giving a menacing effect on the area around her.

Suddenly the blackness she was seeing, she realized just what it was. It was hair. An ocean of obsidian locks that fell long over the person's body. That hair; she's seen it before, but it didn't make her happy, no, it gave her panic.

Her mind couldn't keep up with her memories here, it seemed, at least not completely. There were things she knew, but only important things, no details. Just feelings perhaps? It didn't really matter did it? This was a dream, after all.

The figure with the long hair turned painfully slow towards her. Was it her that the person was looking at? She didn't know.

A pale face, that was almost like a dead corpse's gray. Snake like eyes that were a topaz yellow. They disgusted her, truly they did. It was a man, an evil filled one, that much she knew.

A morbid smile spread across his face, and his tongue escaped from his mouth. It was like he was staring at his next meal. She felt like she had just broken into a cold sweat. Was that possible here? Was he staring at her?

It dawned on her then.

Orochimaru is alive too.

Sakura awoke with a start, and she lept off her back, letting her arms hold her up to support herself. Her breathes were gasps, barely able to obtain enough for herself. She coughed a few times before she was still breathing with more speed than usual. She also noticed was drenched in a cold sweat.

Sakura threw back her covers, and clutched her head that was now pounding. Whether it be from her condition or her newly found visions at work, she had no clue.

"Just what the hell is going on?" Sakura whispered aggravatedly to herself.

She could remember her dream to the upmost clarity. Every moment that had occurred was in high definition, as if she was there herself, but that wouldn't be possible. Pein had said himself that she couldn't see herself, ever. Was this the future? There was so much that still needed to be pieced together first, but one thing was for sure. What she had seen was definitely Orochimaru.

That revelation in itself was beyond terrifying. The man-despite all Sakura has been throughout the years-scared her to no end. He was the one that had turned Sasuke all those years ago. The one that believed that he could make himself immortal by stealing and using other people's bodies. By all means, Sakura found the man absolutely disgusting. Just the thought of the man made Sakura shiver. She didn't want to think about it.

Should she tell the Akatsuki about this new piece of information? Well, maybe then they could do the dirty work for her, and Konoha, and kill him. No doubt Kabuto is with him too, which was fine with her. She wanted both of them dead. There was no mercy for those two in her heart. Well, as much as Sakura could say. She had never been one to slaughter without any rhyme or reason. It simply wasn't her. That was the life a missing ninja. The life of the Akatsuki, more like.

The Akatsuki. Kami, what was going on here? Almost nothing made sense. And that damned puppet master had kissed her. Sakura felt like scrubbing her lips to the point of ridding them. She growling at the mere thought of what had happened. Why Sasori? Not to say that she preferred anyone else in the Akatsuki. She loathed all of them to a certain extent, Sasori and Itachi making the highest on that list.

Sure Sakura may have gotten her Sight from that kiss, but really why a kiss? Was it really that cliche? Did all of the Haruno's get their Sight through their first kiss? It simply couldn't be that easy, could it? If so, then why wasn't she told? It didn't make sense! Why had Sasori's kiss unsealed her Sight?

Yes, it had been her first. Throughout the years, she has never had a boyfriend. Sasuke, until his death, had never spoken to her about even liking her, so even then, she never had gotten that far with a guy. Ino, often enough, had teased her about it, even made Sakura try to date some people, but never had things gotten to the point of a kiss. She was far too busy of a kunoichi anyways.

Sakura shivered. Her sweat was making her beyond cold, and she couldn't feel her feet. She was in between Sand and Fire country, how the hell was it cold here?

Sakura rubbed her arms and legs trying her best to warm herself up, but to no avail. She wrapped herself in her blanket, trying her best to conceal the clattering of her teeth.

It was at that moment that Deidara came bursting into her room without a second thought, his Akatsuki cloak nowhere to be seen. His almost natural grin was in its normal place. Sakura couldn't tell whether it unnerved her or comforted her to see an Akatsuki with a mischievous grin. It was a rare find here so far.

"Ahh! So your finally awake, un!" Deidara said merrily, letting the door lean on the wall.

Sakura snorted at his behavior, her teeth still jittering. "Wh-what d-do you-u mea-mean?"

Deidara looked at her strangely. "Why are you stumbling over your words so much, yeah? You seemed fine in Pein's office."

"I'm f-freezing!" Sakura growled out, as best she could, forgetting her earlier question.

Deidara's unconcealed eye widened in realization. "It can get that way, however rarely, un." When Sakura didn't respond he continued on conversationally. "You were here a few days even before your introductions, yeah. Danna and myself figured you would at least want to shower up or something, yeah."

Sakura's head shot up to meet Deidara's pale blue eye. "J-just how l-long have I been a-asleep since the me-meeting?"

Deidara hesitated. "At least three days, yeah."

Sakura's jaw dropped. "W-what?"

"It's true, un."

That was shocking to say the least. She never did that, unless she just came back from the most tiresome mission of her life. It was probably from the awakening of her Sight. She just hoped it got easier for her.

"But y-yes, I would l-like to shower up, if that's even p-possible," Said Sakura. She had no reason not to. They obviously did not want her dead, and if anything, the exact opposite. The only problem was getting up with her chalkra exhaustion. From sleeping so much she probably had some come back to her.

She steadily lifted herself from the bed. Her whole body ached with the action, and her joints felt like she hadn't used them in years. She moaned quietly. She could also feel the chalkra that she had within her. It was small, but well enough to walk around for a little while. She was just barely off her bedding when her knee's gave out.

"Hey, yeah!" Deidara cried, getting to her just in time before she hit the floor. He set her down genteelly, squatting down to her for a moment, before grinning at her. "I think I have a better solution than walking, un."

Sakura was panting as she quirked a brow at the Explosion Artist. Deidara's grin just grew wider as his hand when to his side. His clay pouch. Within seconds Deidara's hand had come back, revealing a tiny figurine of a bird. Sakura actually thought it looked kind of cute, despite herself.

Deidara threw it from his grasp letting it land on the cold floor. It stood straight up, as if it had been there forever, never moving. He made a hand sign, before speaking, "Katsu." The result was a poof of smoke.

"Y-your not go-going to blow me up a-are you?" Sakura asked partially sarcastic.

Deidara's grin returned. "Now why would I blow up something like you, yeah? Well I suppose I could just make you all the more beautiful, un."

Sakura rolled her eyes. She saw no point in not being friendly. Apparently that was Deidara's personality, despite his past sins. She knew he was only kidding, anyway.

When the smoke from Deidara's small poof subsided, it revealed the same bird, but about ten feet bigger. There was no way it would fit thorough the doorway. Sakura arched a brow, and looked to Deidara, who's grin widened. Her eyes widened in realization. "Y-you can't be serious."

"I'm very serious, yeah!" With that he threw small spiders towards the wall before detonating them with his signature, "Katsu!"

Sakura yelped at the sudden explosion while the man beside her admired his work. Sakura could just see the love that he had when he saw his art, as he called it. Sure, people loved fireworks, but this was just not the same in her eyes.

The moment that the smoke had receded from the area, a huge hole that would allow them an exit with the help of the bird was exposed.

Before she could even comprehend what was going on, Deidara was holding her bridal style. He lept onto the bird, and before she knew it they were flying across the corridors. Fear traveled up and around Sakura. She's never done something like this before.

Deidara looked down to her, and laughed at her expression. It was quite common for new comers to not enjoy their first flying session with him.

Sakura was freezing, and the bypassing wind was most definitely not helping the matter. The rush of the wind was leaving her after awhile, and soon Sakura just felt rather irritated with the man holding her. This was an event for another time, perhaps when she didn't feel this sickly. Her headache was just getting worse as time passed too. Just great. She supposed though this could be a lot worse.

Corridor after corridor passed, and Sakura was beginning to wonder if Deidara was just doing this for his own enjoyment. Either that, or he was intentionally taking her in random directions. She didn't think it would be the latter, but she couldn't be sure.

It was only after what seemed like forever that they slowly started to go to a complete stop. "We are here, yeah."

Sakura studied the door. It looked like just any other. Apparently the Akatsuki had a thing for confusing its guests. It was rather boring, Sakura concluded.

Deidara did a few hand signs, making the bird decrease in size so that it could go through the door easily. He set Sakura on the smaller version of the bird, letting her hands grip at the sides as to not fall off. He figured that this would easier for the both of them.

Deidara touched a palm on the door. It was almost as if the door itself recognized him. "All the doors allow the members to access them, other than another members chambers, un. This will be your room, yeah. Most of the things here are pretty state of the art, yeah. It's nice to have, un."

The door abruptly opened, showing a dark setting, but once Deidara had set foot into the room lights carried around, albeit rather dimly. Sakura caught her breath, clutching her heart. The room was beautiful, and huge.

In front of her, lay a large living room area with an ever going fireplace was on the wall she had just came from. While behind the living room was large sliding glass windows that let out to a balcony, but Sakura couldn't tell what was on the outside, for it was night. On the left of the room there was a vanity, along with a large four-post bed with a canopy covering the surface. On the right of her was two open doors. The closest one to her was of a walk-in closet that was devoured in clothes. The one father though was of a grand bathroom.

Once the bird she was siting on had entered the room, her chills vanished, leaving her speech to be back to it's normality. Sakura was in shock, it was clear to see, but at the same time she was confused. "Why would you..." She trailed off.

Deidara turned to her with the same grin plastered on his face. "Why would we cold-blooded murderers of the Akatsuki, even allow you such a grand room, yeah? For your accommodation, un. Your far more useful to the rest of us if you can at least tolerate us, however small, un."

"Just wow." Sakura said softly with a small smile.

"We don't want to hurt you, un. If anything it's the exact opposite, un. Not that I can truly say that I enjoy my time here, but it's better than some may believe, yeah."

Sakura was at a loss for words to respond to that. "There's so much I don't understand."

Deidara's grin dropped. "You will, in time, yeah."

Sakura's eyes slowly made their way to Deidara's one. "I can only hope."

A moment of silence passed between them before Deidara spoke with his grin intact, bringing a small twinge of happiness to Sakura. "Well, do you want to wash up, un?"

Sakura practically grasped at the opportunity. "Yes!"

"Well ok, un." Deidara chuckled. "I'll be on the couch when your done, un. There also should be a change of clothes for you, yeah."

Without a moment's hesitation the bird had flew silently to the bath room, and Sakura closed the door behind her. Slowly but surely Sakura made her way to the clear shower doors that was in the back of the room. Luckily for her that the shower had a chair already in it.

Sakura checked her chalkra levels, noting that she could probably put some into her feet just long enough so she could in and out of the shower.

The bird flew over to exactly where she wanted, which would be to her clothes. Her eyes widened in surprise at the light pinks, scarlets, browns, and whites in them. Are these...? No way... They were practically in shreds after she came here. Sakura's jaw dropped as she held out her newly washed red Haruno tunic. It looked like she had just gotten it. Brand new! She picked up her brown skirt and black leggings, and they were the same as her tunic. Even her combat boots were exactly the same! Who did this? How? It was beyond repair! And there was her scarf too, same as the rest.

With a shocked smile she put them back on the counter, before slowly making her way off the clay bird. She gripped the counter before she could fall flat on her face to the floor. The mirror lay ahead of her.

Sakura could see that the complexion had gone from moderately pale to starch white. Even her vibrant pink hair was lighter than it normally was. There were bags under her eyes too, but not from being awake, no, it was probably the stress that was on her shoulders, as well as worry, and depression that had sunk over her since Sasuke... There was only one thing that was the same. Her ever burning emeralds, the fire never fell from them. She was never one to give up, since there was always for a chance that things could get better. Things were never black and white. There was always light even in the darkest of hours. There always was. She just hoped that she wasn't the exception.

Sakura sighed at her reflection. It was definitely not what she was hoping for, even though she already knew that she would not look like she did before she came here. She was drained. Her emotions were going absolutely everywhere during her time here. Not that she could fully help it either, but the members-other than Deidara for the most part-have been nothing, but cruel to her. Not that they weren't always like this with everyone. She should't expect anything from them anyways.

Shaking her head, she saw that the clay bird was all nestled up on the rug that she stood upon. She smile down to the small creation. By all means, it was absolutely adorable. It was completely unlike the other birds that she's seen in the past by Deidara. That wasn't to say though that the thing could be deadly when Deidara wanted it to be.

Putting chalkra into her feet she striped her used clothes, and made her way over to the shower as fast as she could, closing the clear door behind her. Relaxing herself onto the chair, Sakura started the water, letting the warmth wash over her. In all actuality she felt like scrubbing herself until she felt like she was at her bones. She really felt that gross. It had been way too long since she had last set foot into a shower or even a bathtub. She moaned quietly to herself at how good it felt to finally get clean again.

When she finished she did a quick wind jutsu that she had learned from Temari so she could dry faster. Luckily it only took a very minimal amount of chalkra, but even then she could feel all her extra reserves diminish after just one jutsu. She was completely and utterly drained after that.

Quickly, before she could keel over from exhaustion, she changed back into her ninja garb. It felt so good to have something that was hers, and only hers. The only thing here that could bring her back to Konoha in her mind's eye or even in her dreams.

When the bird noticed that Sakura was ready to leave, the bird plucked itself off of the ground, and let Sakura rest on it.

Leaving the door closed behind her, Sakura found a lounging Deidara on the couch as well as an annoyed Sasori who stood before Deidara. Even in her exhausted state she still found herself growling at the puppet master. She hadn't seen him in days, and she was glad for it, but she was hoping that it would be awhile longer before she even saw that bloody red mop of hair again.

Deidara and Sasori both turned to Sakura. Deidara seemed amused at her reaction to Sasori, while Sasori himself had his arms crossed, his face back to impassive at her arrival.

"I'm guessing your not happy by my arrival," Sasori said, his eyes ever so lazy looking.

Sakura glared at Sasori. "Oh no, I'm very pleased your here," she said sarcastically.

Deidara snorted, "Can you blame her Danna?"

"I cannot change the connection," Sasori sighed with a nonchalant shrug.

Sakura's glare lost it's focus; her anger at Sasori gone. Confusion filled her. "What do you mean by 'connection'?"

Deidara's amusement turned into seriousness, and Sasori turned to her fully, staring at her right in her eyes. A nervousness escaped into her veins at the intensity he was looking at her. It was as if he was taking in every detail on her. Sakura could feel a blush coming onto her face.

What the hell? Why is this happening? Why is she inwardly freaking out? Why should she care? And why is she freaking blushing right now?!

"That," Sasori said, "Is why I came here."

Well, that's that for this chapter. I really liked making this one, really I did. I actually really enjoy making this story, but sometimes it can get kinda stressful. It's as I said before. This story is very confusing to write.

Well I hope you enjoyed. Oh and by the way I love love love Deidara! He's like the best character to write other than sometimes Itachi or Sasori, but Deidara is so fun!

Please review! I really take them into consideration! And constructive criticism is open to me!

Ja-ne!

-Cassandra