Itachi's Promise: Chapter Thirty-Three

"Let me go or before you end up in the hospital," Sakura yelled, struggling against the two Anbu that held both of her arms.

"Calm down, Sakura," Kakashi ordered, stepping away from Sasuke and Naruto and in front of Sakura.

"Make them let me go, Kakashi," Sakura yelled, kicking one of the Anbu in the knee and letting a crack run through the forest.

The Anbu cried out in pain and with held the urge to let Sakura go and reach for his knee; Naruto stared at Sakura his tears full of tears and his face fully of sadness. Sasuke stood beside Naruto, watching Sakura as she had kicked the Anbu and broken his knee.

"Good night, Sakura," The Anbu said, hitting Sakura in the back of her neck and then feeling her go limp in their arms.

"Why is she acting like this?" Naruto asked near tears.

"Itachi and her are friends, they have been since she was small baby. Her mother was killed just outside the Hidden Leaf Village and Itachi found her; he protected her and took her in. Sakura and Itachi have been friends for years, I have heard he comes and visits her regularly," Kakashi told Naruto.

Naruto looked at Kakashi like he was lying and Sasuke looked away from Naruto; and sighed.

"We must get moving," One Anbu said, lifting Sakura on to his teammates shoulder and turning towards the Hidden Leaf Village.

Far Away in the Sound Village

"Pein, what a pleasure to see you again," Someone said from the dark shadows the surrounded his throne.

"Yes, what a pleasure," Pein replied, holding a kunai in each hand under the long sleeves of his Akatsuki cloak.

"How is young Sakura doing?" The person asked.

"She is returning home, where she belongs," Pein answered.

"What?" The person growled, moving in the shadows and making Pein really uneasy.

"Sakura and Itachi, are returning to the village; the Akatsuki will be following soon," Pein answered, looking up at the darkness and seeing two red sharingan eyes staring at him.

"Following soon, good luck. I would be surprised if you can walk out of here alive," The person said, running at Pein with speed even Itachi couldn't track and slammed him to the ground.

Pein threw the two kunai and missed both times; Madara looked to where the kunai landed and took a seat on Pein's stomach. Pein coughed as he breath was taken away from him and tried to hide the fact that he could hardly breath. Madara smiled down at Pein beneath him and then pulled a kunai from his pouch and held it against Pein's throat.

"Kill me, the rest of the Akatsuki are protecting Sakura and Itachi," Pein said, lying almost calmly beneath Madara.

"I knew I should have killed Itachi, when I had the chance," Madara told Pein, stabbing Pein through the thigh and disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Sakura, Itachi," Pein whispered, looking down to where he ring should have been to find it missing.

Madara had taken his ring and he had no way of getting to the Akatsuki, Itachi or Sakura before Madara.

Hidden Leaf Village – Half a Day Later

Sakura sat crouched in the corner of the cell; she had been locked in. Sasuke sat outside the doorway of her cell, watching as Sakura refused to meet his eyes.

"Sasuke, you need to leave," An Anbu ordered, Sasuke stood and left the cellblock for the first time since Sakura had been locked in the cell.

The Anbu left without another word and Sakura stood for her seat and walked to the door of the cell, thanks to a small lock-picking needle Sasuke had passed to her when no one was looking. Sakura unlocked the cell door and stepped from the cell; Sakura walked to the end of the cellblock, where she knew was a single wall to her and the outside of the building. She set her hand on the cold wall and focused what chakra she had left into destroying the particles that held the wall together. The wall collapsed and Sakura jumped, landed on the floor and ran towards the edge of the village. Reaching the edge of the village Sakura heard the sirens of the cellblock begin and saw Sasuke seated on the wall of the village.

"Hurry up, Sakura," Sasuke ordered, running beside Sakura as they jumped into the trees just outside the village.

"Sorry Sasuke, I never took lessons in how to escape the cellblock of the Hidden Leaf Village," Sakura joked, Sasuke rolled his eyes and continued running faster.

"What ever. Now Sakura we need to find Itachi," Sasuke said.

"I know," Sakura replied, looking back at the village a single time before speeding up faster than Sasuke and making him catch up.

Sasuke ran beside Sakura, heading towards the Akatsuki base.

"I don't think he will be at the Akatsuki base," Sakura told Sasuke.

"Neither do I, but something there might help us figure out where he or the Akatsuki went," Sasuke replied.

"If only we could find a ring, we could call him," Sakura said.

"Akatsuki ring?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah," Sakura answered, looking at Sasuke.

"Orochimaru, had one," Sasuke answered.

"Orochimaru, is die," Sakura replied.

"Yeah, but his base is still there and last I check no one had entered it," Sasuke replied, Sakura nodded and the two changed their course.

"Here we come, Hidden Sound Village," Sakura whispered, causing Sasuke to smile.

To Be Continued...Please Comment