Sakura was flustered, embarrassed, and going crazy. She swears she is going freaking crazy! Since when did she even care? Since when did she get red faced at seeing a guy; let alone a mass murderer that she helped kill?!

Sasori smirked at Sakura's nervousness. A dark smirk that screamed arrogance, and it was pointed directly at the pink haired kunoichi. He couldn't do anything about the inevitable, whatever happens, happens. It was Fate, and there was nothing that Sakura or him could do about it. Be it as it may be, there was simply nothing that could change it, and for some reason Sasori wasn't caring a bit about that. Perhaps, or once in his life he could finally be wanted. It was true though that Sakura was as stubborn as a mule, so no doubt that she would try to give him the cold shoulder, and try to neglect whatever Fate has forced upon her.

Sakura's blush increased, as well as her panic. Her heart was racing a hundred miles an hour at seeing him smirk. What was wrong with her? She hated him!

"Well, I'm out," Deidara said resolutely, as he got up from the couch. His eyes strode over to Sakura for a moment."Oh yes! You can keep the bird, un. It's not flammable if your worried about that."

"Why are you leaving me alone?" Sakura asked irritatedly, her blush still intact, pointing non to discretely at Sasori, "With him?"

Deidara grinned from ear to ear, as if he knew what was going to happen even before she did. "Oh, please you don't want me here, I'll just get in the way, yeah."

"What?" Sakura yelled frantically. "No!"

With a girly wave he smiled mischievously at Sakura, "Bye, bye, yeah!" And with a puff of smoke he was gone, leaving Sakura alone with Sasori.

Slowly, and embarrassingly enough her gaze traveled back to Sasori who was standing in his same spot, staring right back at her with as much of amusement as he could have.

Now taking a breathe to calm herself she asked him, "So what exactly were you going to tell me?"

"I don't like to repeat myself Sakura."

Sakura stared at him incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"What I said after Pein's meeting," Sasori deadpanned.

Huh? Sakura questioned in thought. Oh. Right. "You said that you would tell me everything that you know."

Sasori's small smirk returned, while he strode silently over to the window, and bore witness to the moon. It was a graceful silver, Sakura noted as the bird flew her over toward Sasori. It reminded her of her Sensei's hair color. She giggle inwardly, but it was taken out by the despair, she missed all of Konoha so much. She shook herself before she went any further into her memories, only creating more painful aches in her chest.

"You don't need that bird," Sasori stated. "Not with me anyhow."

"Take me away Sasori," Sakura replied sarcastically, throwing her arms out dramatically to add to the act.

Sasori's eyes narrowed sharply. "Don't do that."

Touchy, Sakura inwardly thought. On the outside she acted so innocent, her eyes wide with curiosity, and a tilted head. "Why ever not?"

His chocolate filled eyes, searched for the moon. "You are not the type."

Sakura straightened, actual curiosity making herself pull herself together and forgetting whatever she had felt moments ago. Being embarrassed in from of Sasori only made him amused. "What do you mean?"

When his eyes met hers, Sakura's breath hitched, and the racing of her heart was creating her to panic again. "Because, Sakura, you are not one to be protected."

Sakura tried to look anywhere but his eyes, but when she finally gave into the temptation she found him staring up at the sky. Somehow she could see that his features were relaxed. He didn't look like the menacing version of Sasori that she knew from the past. This version displayed thoughtfulness, and no disregard for the living, as far as she knew.

"Do you still think that emotions are useless?" Sakura whispered softly before she even knew what she was saying. She shook herself for a moment, not daring to look at him in the eye. Sasori's impassive face broke partially, as he gazed down to her, and he smiled so lightly for a mere second.

Slowly he fluttered his fingers, letting his chalkra strings work their magic. After a second Sakura was floating in the air, while the bird she was sitting on flew itself onto the same seat Deidara had been seated on.

"Sasori, what are you..." She mumbled off.

With a flick of his wrist he brought her back to the ground. "You know exactly what I'm doing."

The moonlight was the only source of light within the room, giving both of them a light glow off their skin. Most of Sakura's room was consumed in darkness now.

"And no. I don't believe in what I use to."

Startled, Sakura stared at Sasori in disbelief, but at the same time she knew. This was not the same Sasori that she had known. He was human, and humans had emotions, no matter how troublesome they may be at times.

"Your words did sink in," He said, "Albeit rather slowly."

She wasn't expecting that. "I was the one that changed you?" Sakura asked.

Sasori shrugged nonchalantly. "In a manner of speaking, yes." He leaned against the sliding glass door. "While also in a manner of speaking, I was the one that brought you here."

Sakura's head shot up like a rocket. "Tell me everything you know."

Ah, now down to business. "That ring, as you know, was mine." Sakura held out her hand, where it rest on her right thumb, exactly where it was suppose to be on his. "It was also Madara Uchiha's ring, for a time."

Sakura straightened at the mention of the masked man. "What do these things do exactly?"

"The origin of the rings has been locked away for years, Pein himself has no idea where they came from. From what we know is that they can be used as a transporter of sorts, you yourself have been most lucky to have ridden in them." Sakura's disgusted face almost amused him for a second. "They are also used as keys, like the stone in between Wind and Fire country, as well as contacting others, tracking, projecting the owner for meetings when the Akatsuki are far apart, among other practically useless things."

"You don't know that," Sakura said quickly.

He quirked a brow at her words. "Elaborate."

Sakura held out her hand looking determined, "Remove it. I can see anyone else's future except myself. I'm guessing that anything I own is within those terms."

"This ring isn't yours."

Sakura's brow twitched in irritation. "Fine then, remove your ring from my fingers."

Sasori shook his head. "It cannot be removed once it has settled onto your hands. The owner must die."

Sakura growled in frustration, "There has to be a way!"

"It is said that the ring can be removed under extreme cases of emotion, that is why death is a requirement. It can be very..." He stopped, as it searching for a better word, "Emotional."

Sakura eyes went downcast towards the purple kanji. Jewel. Was this the only method? Trying to subdue any fury that was created by her idea, she breathed deeply. Finally she looked up to Sasori, trying not to glare at him as she spoke. "Kiss me."

He was taken aback by her words. His scarlet brows raised. "You can't be serious." He didn't really care to get slapped a second time, even if she was the one that ordered it. He had allowed her the first time, but that was only to try and let her quench her anger. He didn't want a repeat.

"Pull the ring off when you do." Sakura said, trying to regulate her temper. The thought was appealing, and that's what angered her the most. She was suppose to hate him, gosh dang it!

And without a second thought he pulled her in with his chalkra strings. He rested one of his hands on her waist while the other nestled itself into her fingers, and he watched how Sakura twined them together with her own.

"One last chance, Sakura," He said. The moonlight on her face was tempting him more than he let on.

Sakura took a moment, before resting her other hand on his shoulder. "Go ahead."

Sakura didn't even see him visually smirk as he captured his lips with hers. At first it was slow, but Sasori gave into his temptation, letting himself go faster and faster with his lips. Sakura tried to pull away for a second to catch her breath, but Sasori pulled her in again, earning himself a gasp from her. He wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

Sakura didn't know what was wrong with her. She wanted answers, not this, but she couldn't stop herself. The beat of her heart and the touch of his skin was drawing her in. Was this what he meant by connection? The fact that she wanted to hate him, but at the same time she couldn't stop him.

"Tell me to stop, Sakura," He whispered against her lips.

Sakura's brows knitted together when he started to put little kisses down from her lips to her jaw, slowly making his way to her neck. She suppressed the urge to moan. Sasori smirked against her skin.

What was she doing? He had her right in his hands, and he was enjoying every moment of it! Should she? Tossing away any pleasure that Sasori was creating for her; she whispered so softly that she could barely hear herself. "Stop."

In his last seconds she pulled the ring from her grasp. He pulled away from her, letting his chalkra strings release at the same time. He frowned down to her. She was enjoying, that much he knew. Just from the amount of emotion that is needed to remove the Rings was enough of answer for him. It appears that she still had enough strength to overcome the Connection. Thing was though, it was still being knitted together. It wasn't complete yet.

Sakura's emeralds were glaring into the floor. She had let herself become enveloped by Sasori. Finally getting enough resolve in her, her firey emeralds shot up to meet sweet chocolates. "What is the Connection, as you called it?"

"I withheld information from you the first time." He felt no desire for her to notice later on that he had originally lied. "The Akatsuki partially knows of the past of these troublesome things. When Pein found them, they had never been used. Kakuzu, Pein, Konan, Orochimaru, and myself were the first members that devoted our lives to the organization. At the time we didn't know the powers that they held, but simply the little things. The ones I listed earlier is what we knew of. Now, within recent years we had found out an old prophecy about them. Without missions, we had much time on our hands."

Sakura questioned it. "A prophecy?"

He nodded. "A few of us traveled back to the ruins where Pein found them, albeit very discretely. It was said that one person will find a ring if we set them in the place where we originally died. The rings were apart of some big jutsu centuries ago, but that's for another time. Anyways, whoever found a ring was said to become infatuated or love the original owner and vice versa."

"But your not the original owner," She argued, trying to find a loophole in the whole grand scheme of things.

"Well, the original owners are dead if that answers your question," Sasori deadpanned in reply.

Sakura growled in frustration. "I don't want to be in love with you!"

Sasori's eyes lowered in lazily, "There's nothing you can do."

"I'll fight it then!" Sakura exclaimed, angrily.

Sasori was admiring the silvery moon when he uttered his next words, "There's no use." He himself had given it up a few days prior. He didn't want to fight it, and he didn't want Sakura to either, but he knew she would. The girl would probably never fully give into the ancient powers of the Rings. He had found it quite cliché how things had turned out. Him and Sakura Haruno? That was a disaster just waiting to happen.

"I never give up," Sakura muttered disdainfully, her voice rising after every word,"That's my ninja way!"

"I know," He replied bluntly, "I've seen it first hand."

A silence passed over them for awhile. Sasori could just feel the waves of fury radiating off his pink companion. It was...discomforting. The Rings had powers that he couldn't even comprehend. Heaven knows just what else they did. Somehow he knew though, that he would find out.

He glanced down to Sakura, who was staring at the moon. The night was filled with morbid shadows. It was quite eerie, he decided. Not that he would be fazed by such things, but it seemed to hold that certain aurora in the air. It was a bad Omen.

"Last time I checked we were underground," Sakura mumbled curiously.

"Ah, so you finally noticed." Sasori said, with a small smirk. He knew that it would irk Sakura. "That would be because the Base has underground pathways. There are many places that we can move to as we see fit. That's why the temperature changes sot frequently."

"W-what?" Sakura sputtered, shocked. "Just how state of the art is this place?"

"Heh," He grunted, "Very. There are more things that you haven't even seen yet."

"There's so much I don't know." She felt almost defeated by the lack of knowledge.

"I didn't come here to make you fall in love with me," He announced bluntly, distaste evident in his voice. "I came here to answer your questions."

She straightened at his words. How blunt. "Why am I here?"

His eyes trailed the path of trees that guarded the base."You were Chosen. The Rings took you here. You are here to train under the Akatsuki, learn out techniques, master them, then defeat Madara with our help."

"What?" Sakura yelled. "What are you talking about? So you guys want to help me become stronger? Defeat Madara?!"

"That's what I said."

She needed to tell him then. "Orochimaru is alive too! I don't know what he plans on doing, but he's alive!"

His eyes widened sightly, and his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. He was literally shaking in anger. His voice was soft, but Sakura could hear the iciness in his words. "When did you find out?"

She hesitated. "Right before I awoke."

He considered her words. He had always wondered whether or not it's true or not. "So it's true then."

"What is?" She was shaking with tension.

"All past members of the Akatsuki that helped are alive, that probably means that all of Taka are alive again too."

Taka. That was Sasuke's group...There was no way...No way...It can't be possible, can it? Of course, it's possible! It just had to be!"That means that Sasuke's alive! Doesn't it?"

Sasori glared at the sky. He didn't want Sakura falling for others. "More than likely."

"I need to find him!" Sakura declared. She was going to find Sasuke!

He shrugged, trying not to care."If you order it, then Pein will arrange it."

"What do you mean?" Suspicion filled her.

She would not like the reason why. "The main reason why you need to obtain out abilities is to become the leader of the Akatsuki, albeit you'll probably put up a fight."

"Leader of the Akatsuki?" Sakura repeated."The greatest criminal organization in the world? You have got to be kidding me. Me? Leader. Ha. No."

"What you decide to do with the organization is strictly up to you once you obtain leadership. I seriously doubt that anyone in the Akatsuki actually wants to be what it was in the past."

Realization set in. Of course! Pein, or Nagato, and Konan had let Naruto free, letting him be the Hero to the world. They sided with Naruto. Not, Madara Uchiha. "It all makes sense now."

"How so?" He asked, mostly curious at her response.

She had a certain gleam in her eye when she spoke up to him. "When Naruto had defeated Pein, both him and Konan sided with him. They wanted him to finish the job that they couldn't. To bring peace and prosperity to the world."

Sasori snorted, "Well it certainly hasn't lasted long."

She wanted to retort, say that it was rude to say such a thing, but she knew it to be true. It was so true, and the problem was is that the world has absolutely no idea of the future. That is, all except for her. The abilities that she was granted allowed her to see the future. She had one question though that she had yet to answer.

"Why is it that when you kissed me that my powers unsealed? It's been so long since anyone has even known about the Haruno's ability of Sight."

He held up the Ring with his thumb and pointer finger, letting her see the kanji fully. "Pein had a guess, and he guessed right." He sighed exasperatedly, "Although it was probably the most cliche moment in my life."

She tried to suppress the urge to laugh, but failed miserably. She ended up putting her hand up to her mouth to try and subdue the laughter. "Haha, I can imagine."

Sasori smirked down to her. Sakura could just feel the blush starting to brew onto her cheeks. He was just so...hot. Kami, she hated hormones. Luckily she was still giggling, so he probably just thought that it was because of her laughter.

"Also," She said with small grin, "Could you get me off the ground?"

Sakura could see the flick of his fingers. It was barely even a movement. She wouldn't have even noticed it, had she not been looking directly at his hand for that movement. She had known that he had gotten quite a bit better over the last five years. Their spar being the main cause for her thoughts.

"Is there anything else?" He asked, while he brought her to a standing position.

She crossed her arms, watching as clouds moved on their way."Nothing that wouldn't irk you. My questions would just be repeats. It's just so hard to believe."

"It's a lot to sink in." He pointed out.

"Well, yeah" She sighed. "Believing that you guys are the exact same people was my original belief."

He didn't even have to think about his response."We are all very slightly different than what we were. We all are what we are. The biggest change for some of us here was the bodily transition. I was a puppet; Hidan was immortal."

Sakura shook her head in disbelief, "I couldn't even imagine."

Sakura's head shot up when it suddenly came to mind. "You guys aren't going to be like, as merciless to people as you were in the past were you?"

"Everyone probably other than Hidan. Yes."

"Might I ask," She spoke so awkwardly, "Just, what is wrong with that guy?"

The corners of his mouth twitched in amusement at her words. "The guy is insane."

She stared up at him annoyedly, "Aren't you all?"

At that he did smirk. "Believe what you wish."

Another silence passed between them, and Sasori contemplated whether or not he should tell her. Finally deciding that there was no reason that he shouldn't tell her he did. He turned to her fully, and she seemed to noticed that he was regarding at her somewhat thoughtfully.

"What?" She asked, curious of his gaze.

"You should sleep Sakura. You seem quite exhausted."

Sasori always surprised her with his words. He was so unpredictable. For him it was practically a habit. "Umm alright."

He walked her over to the Akatsuki cloud patterned bedspread. She slipped off her scarf as she started to climb into bed. She wrapped the bedspread around her petite body while he pulled over the canopy to allow him access onto the bed. He sat at the end on the mattress. There was one thing that he wanted to say.

Sakura turned towards him while one arm propped up her head. She raised her brows at him. He looked like there was something that he wanted to say.

Sasori was still regarding her with thoughtfulness, almost on the verge of curiosity. "You said that all the Akatsuki are mad."

"Yeah, I did." She replied, not getting why they were talking about this again.

"Would you like to know a secret Sakura?"

Her face contorted into partial confusion. Deciding to go along she spoke rather unsure of herself, "Sure."

"All the greatest people are."

Haha, I thought of this ending because of the fact that my newest SasoSaku fic in a Malice Wonderland kind of thing, and those words are exactly how I ended the first chapter. Haha, I actually love Alice in Wonderland, thats why I made my own story about it. You should check it out! It's called Tainted White.

In other news. Did you guys ever expect this turn of events? I swear to God, most of the parts in this story I think up at a moments notice. I rarely plan an actual chapter, although I know exactly where I want this story to go. You'll probably see right through me though, about what this story is even going to end be about in the end. Either way though, I'm going to make this story looonnngggg.

Please, please review! It's really true that I take them into consideration. Constructive criticism is very well desired. I'm only 14 and I want to get better! :)

Current Page: 72

Ja-ne!

-Cassandra