Chapter 7: Recruit

"Sasuke? Where ya heading?" Naruto asked as his dark haired friend started to walk out the room. A moment ago he had realized that he was still holding Sakura's hand and needed to cool down from almost punching his blonde haired friend in the face from his teasing.

"Out," He grunted back, waving behind him as he climbed down the steps. Naruto's raised hand, twitched as he narrowed his eyes at the retreating figure.

"Eh?" A hand landed on his shoulder as Kakashi watched his student vanish, already knowing what he was up to the moment he left.

"Don't worry about him Naruto, he's just got some things on his mind." He quietly reassured, giving him a grin before heading out as well. He stared after his sensei, shocked by his words.

"Hey Sakura, are you sure you can walk?" He turned around to see his pink haired friend, moving to climb off the bed, swinging her legs over the side. Naruto walked over to help her out but she shook her head, steadying herself.

"I'm fine Naruto, thank you though." Sakura kindly declined, grinning like she usually did. Anko looked from the side and averted her gaze to the ground, conflicted emotions behind her pupil less eyes. Making her decision, she came to Sakura's side and patted her shoulder, signaling her to follow. She hesitated for a second but decided anyway, going out the door.

Anko shut it behind her and leaned on it, having Sakura sit down on the bench. She looked up at her, her green dazzling eyes curious.

"Did you want to talk to me?" Anko closed her eyes, visually planning out what she wanted to say. Crossing her arms, she breathed out sharply and met her eyes. Judging from the look she saw, Sakura gasped softly and lowered her head, her fists slowly curling.

"You saw something didn't you? Something you weren't supposed to see." She said in a low voice, so soft that Anko had to lean forward in order to hear.

"I had and it wasn't pleasant at all. Do you know what it was?" She asked, testing to see if it really was true; that that memory was pushed to the back of her mind, permanently there. Seeing the confused look on Sakura's face, she instantly knew, closing her eyes once more.

"N-no, sorry," Sakura replied weakly, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. After a moment of silence, Anko turned and glanced at her from the side, taking the handle of the door in her hand.

"Why don't you go out for a bit okay? Get some fresh air." Entering the room, she locked Sakura out, leaving her dazed to what had just happened. She sat back on the bench, thinking all the while, not noticing the gaze of the silver haired Jounin from the corner of the hallway; his eyes sorrowful.

Recruit

He made his way into the town, his hands shoved down his pockets, silently walking through the streets. People didn't seem to notice his presence as he passed by, going on with their daily lives. His katana softly hit the side of his calf as he stopped at a shop. Ladies that crowded it immediately split as Sasuke stepped in the middle, looking at the items being sold.

He knew that they were whispering about him, how cute he was, if he had a girlfriend which then made everything worse. A scowl formed on his lips and he heard them squeal in a hushed tone.

"What can I do for you?" A young lady asked from behind the table of items, a friendly smile on her face. Sasuke glanced up slowly, then noticing the light tinge of pink that was appearing on the girl's cheeks, rolling his eyes instantly.

"Bracelets, what colors do you have?" He asked in a quiet voice, making them fangirl over him even more.

"Oh, umm why not come in? We have a variety here." She suggested, moving aside as Sasuke quietly accepted, coolly stepping inside. As he passed by the manager, she looked like she was about to faint. He really did have this effect on them, it was weird.

Stopping in front of what seemed like thousands of bracelets, he looked through each of them carefully, searching for the right colors. Spotting it, he took one hand out of his pocket and slowly reached inside, all the way in the back. His fingers touching it, he hooked it on to the bracelet and pulled it out, tossing it up to catch it. The girls whispered excitedly as they grinned at the Uchiha.

There in his hand was a simple weaved pink and black bracelet, perfect for her size. Smiling softly, he handed it to the girl and stepped back out of the store to the front.

"Is this all you wanted?" The owner asked, tilting her head to the side.

Giving her a small nod, he glanced to the side and watched the villagers walking through the streets, chatting and enjoying their time. Turning his attention back to the owner, he handed her a couple coins and took the bracelet from her hand, stuffing it in his pocket.

"Thank you very much!" She called as he started to walk away, his usual impassive expression on his face. Sasuke waved back in response, earning the squeals from the girls. He kept his eyes forward, his thoughts on what had happened only a few hours ago.

So her parents died because of him…

Why did he even hide the memory from her?

What was his purpose in doing tha-

"Kya!" A small cry jumped him out of his thoughts as he bumped into somebody who took a step back. He reacted the same way and saw her pink hair and dark uniform. He heard her mutter, "Sorry," and started to walk past him when, only a few feet away, he called her.

Recruit

"Sakura,"

She froze in placed when he called her name, slowly turning to face him, eyes wide. He noticed that her fists were clenched at her sides, her face sheet white.

"Oh it's just you Sasuke," She softly realized, giving him a small pained smile. He stared at her, bringing her under his gaze, dark and intense. He also saw that she didn't blush like she did before. Sakura fumbled with her fingers as people passed by, trying to get the words out.

"C-could I talk to you for a second?" She asked her voice even quieter than before. He looked at her fragile frame for a moment longer and closed his eyes, turning around.

"Let's go." He simply said in a low voice, walking ahead like he usually did. Walking on, he heard the approaching footsteps that caught up to his, following behind him. Chuckling inwardly, memories of when they were little flashed through his mind.

The duo made their way to the park where it was all calm, people chatting and enjoying their time. Sasuke made his way up to the branch of a tall oak tree and saw Sakura flop down on to her back on the soft grass, her bright green eyes meeting his silently. He sat down on the branch, his feet hanging over the edge, shoes off the heel.

"What did you want?" He asked coldly, yet softly, careful and cautious. Sakura averted her eyes away from his, breaking contact as she picked at the grass besides her.

"I realized that you saw something when you came to get me. Something that both of you-Anko and yourself- weren't supposed to see…..I need you to tell me what it was." She drawled out, letting go of the grass to meet Sasuke's eyes once more. She was surprised to see them filled with a certain pity, or was it something else?

"Why do you need to know?" Sasuke retorted back, stalling the time when her heart will crumble.

"Anko, she asked me if I remembered anything but I couldn't. Now I'm curious…." Sakura trailed off, her arm falling in front of her eyes as blackness floated in her mind. Sasuke was silent for a moment, his mind in a raging war whether to tell her, or to not. Sakura lifted her arm to see his hair covering his eyes as he kept quiet. Sitting up, she looked up at him, eyes curious.

"Sasuke?"

He pressed his lips together as he stuffed his hand in his pocket, feeling the bracelet with his fingertips. Sighing, he lifted his head to see Sakura staring at him, eyes wide. He blinked and jumped down, leaning against the tree instead. He met her eyes, the dark swirls boring into hers.

"What happened in there, you honestly don't remember it?" He asked before replying, his eyes narrowing in confusion. Sakura shook her head slowly, the look of puzzlement in her eyes. Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes.

"It was the night your parents were killed, and how you were the only one left alive." He waited for a cry of bewilderment, or a sob, but it never came. Opening his eyes, he looked up to see Sakura, her pink hair blocking her eyes, her entire frame shaking. All the sounds around them stopped and all Sasuke could hear was his own heartbeat.

"So that's what happened," She whispered in such a soft voice. Sasuke breathed quietly as she stood still when she suddenly chuckled, catching him off guard. He looked at her shocked that she'd react like that.

"I always knew that they were just fakes," Sakura muttered to herself, clenching her fists. She glanced up and met Sasuke's eyes, utter anger and sadness filling the green empty space.

"My parents at home, they're not real." She said bluntly, blinking. Sasuke recognized that look in an instant; it was the look of someone who was plotting out for revenge. He stepped forth, only a few inches away from her and looked down, seeing her lowered head.

"Sakura, don't choose the wrong path," She tilted her head up to just stare at his chest while he spoke. "The choices you'll make, now that you know will affect what you do in the future….I…." He trailed off, trying to find the words to say, struggling. "I don't want you to…end up like me…."

Sakura lifted her head to meet his eyes, surprised by his words. What she saw in there, changed how she looked at him, what he had done in the past had vanished from the look in his eyes; onyx eyes full of regret, pain, and misery. She gazed up at him, regretful for how she treated him.

"Going after that person will just destroy you and…we all…care about you." Sakura was speechless for a moment, her mind blank when the inevitable question came up.

"Who killed them?" She asked quietly, still keeping her sights on him. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he took a moment to answer, sighing.

"Will you go after him if I tell you?" He countered, an eye brow raised. Sakura lifted a shoulder, lowering her head to stare at the grass. After a minute, Sasuke breathed out sharply and ran a hand through his hair.

"Orochimaru," He quietly replied, waiting to see Sakura's reaction. He saw her tense, the color on her face draining into that pale sheet white. Her hands were shaking with-he couldn't tell, rage or just absolute thirst for revenge? Without even knowing, he put his hands on her shoulders softly, squeezing them gently as he shook her to get her attention.

"Whatever you do, don't go after him. It's what he would want if and when you found out. His other student is probably already waiting for you, to fall in her trap…." He paused to still see her head down, bangs covering her eyes. "Sakura," He realized that his voice had come out in a pleading whisper. She suddenly tore out of his grasp, and turned, her back to him. He watched as her hands shook beside her, her figure trembling.

"Promise me you won't do it." Sasuke said his cold tone back in his system. She whirled around, catching him by surprise with blazing green eyes, but no tears.

"Just shut up Sasuke!" She snapped, fists clenched, "Look…" She said in a shaky voice, her stare going right through him. "I know that you all want to protect me-but it just won't work anymore! She's going to come after me; I can feel it and there's nothing you can do to stop it! Orochimaru has placed his mark on me and you know he's gotten stronger! So just…stop asking me of something that I can't do…" She trailed off, letting out a trembling breath, panting.

Sasuke stared at her, his onyx eyes showing with anger and pity for his best friend. He released a breath and took two strides to close the gap between them, immediately wrapping his arms around her. Sakura tensed under his touch, astonishment on her face. He bent over and buried his face in her shoulder, his warmth spreading through her.

"Sakura, you know how we are. We'll do anything we can to stop Orochimaru and his apprentice from taking you and you know that. We're your friends and we'll do everything we can to keep you safe." He said in her ear as he felt her arms wrapping around his back. Smiling softly, he let go and took a step back, putting his hand in his pocket. Sakura looked back at him; face a light tinge of pink as she gave him a small smile.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier…Sasuke," He thought she was about to add "-kun" at the end of his name but was a bit disappointed when she didn't.

"Doesn't matter," He replied, brushing it off coolly. His hand grabbed on to the bracelet in his pocket as he slowly pulled it out.

"Close your eyes and put your hand out," He said as she did so, closing the gap once more to drop the bracelet in her hand. She opened her eyes and as soon as she saw the bracelet, she broke out into a smile, meeting his eyes.

"Thanks," She quietly uttered, slipping it on. Sasuke nodded and turned, about to walk away when she grabbed his wrist, stopping him. Turning his head slightly, he looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"See you later, Sasuke-kun." She beamed back at him as he stood there for a second, absorbing what she just said. Giving her a small smile, he rolled his eyes and slipped out of her grip, walking forward.

He waved back at her over his shoulder before he turned a corner, disappearing from sight. Sakura grinned as she looked at her bracelet, seeing the pink and black colors woven together. Her curse mark throbbed, but she breathed deeply and cast it aside, making her way back to the hospital.

Recruit

"Orochimaru, are you sure about the choice you're making?" Miu asked as she fell in step beside her master, watching as he put a hand to the tree that marked the end of the trail. His bright yellow eyes met hers as he smiled, nodding.

"Yes, this will gain us a big advantage, to them and to us Miu, so be kind to them." He explained, reaching into his pack slowly. Miu waited as he took out a black cloak with red clouds designed all over it. It was a long cloak that reached down to his ankles.

"Here, wear this. I do not have an extra for you, so you may use mine." Miu was surprised as he wrapped it around her shoulders affectionately, moving gracefully. She turned a light tinge of pink as she looked up at her master.

"T-thank you," She stuttered, surprised. Orochimaru smiled and closed his eyes, putting a hand on her head.

"Now, let us go in." He ushered, placing his hand on her back, leading her forward. There was a large vast cave in front of them with a seal posted at the top. The two of them jumped down to the water that surrounded it and walked through the barrier, already having access.

Miu narrowed her eyes as they adjusted to the darkness within, spotting figures inside. Moving instantly to defend her master, she whipped out kunai from her pouch and jumped in front of him when he put a hand on her wrist. Looking back, he shook his head, staring straight ahead. She backed off and relaxed, stepping back to his side.

"Orochimaru? Is that really you?" A loud voice called, echoing around them, bouncing off the walls. Her teacher stepped forth, bringing her behind him with a swipe of his hand.

"Surprised to see me alive, Pain?" He asked, a small hint of teasing in his voice. Laughter came from deep within, rumbling the cave.

"I really didn't expect you to come back. I am assuming you wish to come back to us?" The man called Pain asked, still not revealing himself. Orochimaru paused and looked at Miu who was looking straight ahead at the loud voice.

"I have a new recruit for you, as well as I." A chorus of shouts filled the darkened place, making Miu flinch in astonishment.

"For real?"

"You've actually found someone willing to come?"

"We could use some, after losing both Uchiha's…."

"SILENCE!"

The chatter immediately stopped as footsteps approached them. Miu heard the sound of someone's hands clapping and suddenly, torches lit up, making her shield her eyes. When she glanced up again, a man, with orange hair and purple eyes with rings around it stood a few feet away from her and her master. He had tons of piercings all over his face, in the bridge of his nose and in his ears. He also wore a black cloak with red clouds on it.

"This is the new recruit we're receiving?" He asked in disbelief, narrowing his strange eyes at her. Miu scowled and clenched her fists, offended by his words. She kept quiet however, for she did not want to disappoint Orochimaru.

"I can tell you, she has the speed and abilities to fight and do your duties when asked." Orochimaru replied simply, raising his head up in pride. Pain raised his eye brows in surprise and crossed his arms boringly.

"Is that so?" He asked with a tilt of his head, "Fine then." Then with a snap of his fingers, Orochimaru went flying into the wired arms of Kakazu, binding him down. Miu looked back at her master, in an attempt to save him, but the look he gave her, stopped her.

A look of: show them the skills you have. Show them what you can do. Turning back to the man with orange hair, she positioned herself in a fighting stance, glaring at him with fury. Pain didn't react, only giving a nonchalant scoff as he looked to the side, addressing one of the members.

"Konan," He called, hearing a rustle of paper.

"Right," Her voice was right beside Miu's ear, making her react instantly. Jumping to the side, she avoided the small paper shuriken, deflecting them with her kunai. Sliding on the ground, she charged through, slicing through the bits of paper, making a gap in the whirlwind. She made her way to Pain, who simply waved his hand to bring down a large sharp piece of rock towards her. Miu jumped to the side and turned for him, only to see him launch another rock at her.

"Your fight right now is Konan; I want to see exactly what you can do." As soon as she heard his words, little paper birds flew in front of her face, carrying on their backs, paper bombs. They blew up in her face, sending her back.

As the smoke cleared, Konan composed herself from the slips of paper, watching as the smoke cleared. She smiled slightly as she saw Miu put her arms down, the wings from her curse mark, flapping away the dust in the air.

"Orochimaru is right Pain; she has abilities no one else here does." As soon as she finished that sentence, Miu flashed under her chin and drove into Konan's chest an electric fireball, exploding on contact. She flew back, turning around as Konan appeared behind her, made of paper, sending paper kunai's at her. Dodging them, she flipped in the air, making a hand seal.

"Scorch Element: Bullet Rain!" She yelled as a buzz of light flashed through the cave, blinding Konan for a minute, as fire and wind elements combined together to create a rain of bullets, rapidly pelting into the ground and hitting Konan.

"Agh!" Konan cried out, jumping back as she wiped the blood off her face. Pain suddenly appeared in front of her and blasted some sort of energy, causing Miu to lose her balance. She flipped in the air and landed on the ground gracefully, pulling out more weapons just in case. Konan chuckled and put a hand on Pain's shoulder, stopping him.

"She's good Pain; even has the Scorch Element." She commented, walking back over into the shadows of the cave. Miu deactivated her curse mark and appeared next to Orochimaru, standing protectively in front of him. Pain turned around and smiled, clapping.

"On second thought, maybe she is a good recruit after all." Miu turned to her teacher to see him grin at her, that victorious look in his eyes.

"What is her name?" Konan asked, suddenly appearing next to him. Miu turned to her and gave her a sly smirk, crossing her arms.

"Miu," The blue haired ninja closed her eyes and nodded, approving. She tapped Kakazu's hand and he let go of Orochimaru, having him stand up. Konan met his eyes and nodded.

"You've taught your student well."

Miu stood beside her teacher as they both walked up to Pain-who seemed to be the leader around here. He observed her for a minute, scrutinizing her with his strange colored eyes. Konan handed Orochimaru a cloak and met Miu's eyes.

"Orochimaru, Miu, welcome….to the Akatsuki."

Sorry for the really long wait! I've been real busy with school and I haven't had much time to type anymore...but I'll be attempting to update each story I have up (that aren't completed yet, including my Tsubasa one) and hopefully have them...by the end of December? Or January? One of those two months...maybe...well I hoped you liked this chapter! Things are getting even juicer than before huh? Starting to like the plot? Well then, there'll be more to come! Please leave a review on your way out before you click the red x box in the corner! Those are very VERY appreciated!

FallenWing21