Itachi's Promise: Fifty-three

Itachi ran through the trees, his arms wrapped tightly around Sakura as she lay limply in his arms. Even though his legs arched and tears fall freely down his face Itachi continued on. Itachi ran towards where no one would find him, he ran towards where no one could ever find her. Itachi finally got lost; he stood on the edge of a cliff with sweat running from his body and Sakura still in his arms. Itachi laid Sakura gently down away from the cliff and began to dig, for hours Itachi dug deeper and deeper into the top of the cliff. Until he had created a one metre deep, one metre wide and two metres long hole. Itachi picked Sakura up and set her down in the hole; Itachi took one last look at Sakura, before he went about pushing the first load of sand back into the hole. As the sand hit Sakura's body, Sakura's eyes snapped open. Itachi went to push more sand into the hole when Sakura jumped out and ran at Itachi. Itachi stood there in confusion and surprise, until Sakura pulled a kunai from her pouch and slicing at Itachi. Itachi stepped back and then dodged as Sakura aimed for his head; Sakura grabbed Itachi's shirt and slammed him into the ground before running off into the forest. Itachi sat up on the ground and stared at the empty hole.

"What the hell?" Itachi whispered, his face pale and his tears no longer running down his face.

In Sakura's Head – Sakura and Inner

"Inner, what is happening?" Sakura asked.

"You are dead," Inner replied.

"I know," Sakura replied sadly.

"Don't be so sad, you can't die yet," Inner said.

"But you already said I was dead, so how can I be alive?" Sakura questioned.

"You used your life force to injurer Madara and save the Akatsuki, so I have temporary taken over your body until you recover," Inner replied.

"Taken over my body?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, for example at the moment I am running through a forest away from Itachi," Inner told Sakura.

"Itachi, why away from him? He must be worried sick," Sakura said.

"I know, what we have a limited time frame before you take over the body again and that will decide where or not you will survive," Inner answered.

"Fine, what do 'we' need to do?" Sakura asked.

"Find Madara and take away the energy that was you transferred to him," Inner replied, Sakura sighed as Inner continued to talk and Sakura barely listened.

Hidden Leaf Village – 4 Days after Sakura and Itachi had gone missing

The Akatsuki had returned, finding Itachi in the middle of the nowhere. The Akatsuki had brought Itachi home; Tsunade yelled at him as he walked through the gates, but he didn't say anything just stood before Tsunade and allowed her to yell. Tsunade stepped closer to Itachi and look down at him; Itachi remained quiet and still. Tsunade sent Itachi to the hospital and he had yet to speak or even ask to leave the hospital (Note: Itachi hates hospitals).

"Why isn't he talking?" Tsunade asked Pein, as they sat in her office talking.

"I don't know, but it reminders me of a when he first arrived in the Akatsuki after killing his family. He wouldn't talk at all, it took weeks for him to say anything," Pein told Tsunade.

"We still have to find out where he put Sakura," Tsunade said.

"I think it would be better if we didn't know. He obviously buried her," Pein replied.

"Yeah, I kind of agree," Tsunade said, spinning in her chair to view the village through her window.

" Tsunade, I must go. The Akatsuki and I are having our daily visiting of Itachi," Pein replied.

Tsunade stood from her chair and looked towards Pein, as he waved and disappeared.

Madara's Base

Inner hid in the shadows as she heard Madara walked towards her, as Madara walked pasted the spot where Inner was hiding. Inner watched as Madara limped past her towards the stairs. Inner slowly stepped from the shadows and watched Madara walked, his legs shaking and his body barely able to stay upright.

"Madara, how are you going?" Inner asked, stepping from the shadows.

Madara turned towards Sakura and growled.

"Leave me alone; I could still kill you," Madara growled, truth being he could probably beat Sakura but not Sakura and Inner working together.

"No, you could kill Sakura, but not me," Inner said, Madara stepped back knowing that Inner had taken over Sakura's body.

Inner stepped closer to Madara, her hands grabbed at his throat and she tightened her grip. Madara grabbed at Inner's hands, Madara was forced back as Inner kicked him in the chest. As Madara hit the wall Madara, Inner was quickly jumped forward and grabbed Madara by the throat and looked him in the eye.

"You will die," Inner said, taking her other hand and snapping Madara's neck with one swift move.

Inner screamed as Sakura's energy suddenly increased and she was once again pushed deeper into the back of Sakura's mind. Sakura once again took control of her body and fell to her knees from not being use to having a body. Sakura looked around, finding herself in Madara's base once again. Sakura looked straight ahead and froze; Madara was lying on the floor in front of her. Sakura stood up and looked down at the body again.

"Madara?" Sakura questioned, there was no answer so Sakura continued to back away.

Sakura turned and ran, as she saw the front door. A hand grabbed her arm and she was pulled back towards someone, Sakura looked at the person holding her wrist to find Madara standing next to her.

"Madara?" Sakura asked, trying to pull away

'Inner, why try killing me you know I'm immortal," Madara told Sakura, Sakura looked at Madara and bit her lip.

"Let me go, Madara," Sakura ordered, ignoring the fact that Madara thought she was Inner.

"Inner, why so mean after you just killed me?" Madara asked, Sakura froze from a second Inner had killed Madara.

"Inner, killed you," Sakura whispered, Madara released Sakura and stared down at her.

"You are Sakura, aren't you?" Madara questioned, Sakura nodded.

Madara sighed and forced Sakura back into the wall, Sakura pushed back against Madara but she was too weak to fight against his size and strength. After struggling for a minute, Sakura stopped and smiled up at Madara.

"I've had enough of this," Sakura said, leaning back against the wall and looking to the side.

To Be Continued...Please Comment.