Chapter 11: Control

xXx

Sakura stood behind Miu as they walked through the forest silently, the light of the moon shining down on the two of them. Miu gracefully walked over the roots of a tree and occasionally glanced back at her new experiment to see how she was doing. The pink haired kunoichi held a blank look on her face as she kept her gaze forward, her mind only able to operate with movement instructions and certain dialogue.

"Is there a problem?" Sakura asked as her red eyes locked on to Miu's. The Akatsuki member blinked at her for a moment before she glanced down at the kimono she was wearing.

"Yes, get rid of that horrid piece of clothing and put this on." Miu replied as she pulled out an extra Akatsuki cloak from inside her own and handed it to her. Sakura took it without complaint and buttoned it all the way.

"Oh, wait." The purple haired girl stopped for a second and grabbed Sakura's hentai from her head. She grabbed a kunai and drew a line through the Leaf Village's symbol.

"Hm, there," Miu said with a small smile. She turned to a tree and stabbed the hentai to it with the kunai and continued on. "No need for that anymore hm?" She asked as she glanced at Sakura. The mute girl simply gave a nod and followed after her.

Suddenly a figure dashed in front of them and landed only a few meters away in the clearing of the forest. Miu stepped back and drew her kunai, putting an arm in front of Sakura protectively. No one would take her new specimen. Not anymore.

Sasuke widened his eyes in shock as he saw Sakura standing behind Miu…wearing the Akatsuki cloak around her shoulders and in her Level 2 form. He clenched the cherry blossom kunai that was in his hand in anger and met Miu's amused gaze.

"What did you do? Why is she with you?" He bitterly spat, activating his Sharingan.

"Your dear little Sakura now belongs to me. So don't even try to take her away from me!" Miu snapped in return, activating her curse mark into Level 2. Sasuke fumed with rage as he activated his own, drawing his katana and lighting it with Chidori.

"You'll regret deciding to fight with me." Sasuke threatened in a low voice, his eyes ice cold. Miu smirked as she drew out a handful of kunai, a grin on her face.

"I'll enjoy killing you." She cheerfully said as she was poised to run. When Sasuke was just about to start, two figures appeared in front of him, both he recognized instantly with their gray spiky hair and tan long coat.

"Sasuke, stay back," Kakashi ordered as he drew his own kunai next to Anko. The former student of Orochimaru snarled as she saw Miu's face once more, instantly slipping her kunai out from under her sleeves.

"You again," She quietly said, her eyes blazing with anger. Miu grinned as she met her enemy's cold gaze.

"You don't want to finish this now do you? Because it would be a shame of you dying before your whole village does." Miu innocently said as she tilted her head to the side, tapping the kunai with her tongue. Kakashi narrowed his one eye suspiciously as he looked at her.

"You plan to destroy the village?" He asked, the more reason to retrieve Sakura rising. Miu smiled and nodded as she stepped back and grabbed Sakura's hand.

"Not yet though. But the next time you see us, Sakura here will be much different than you see her now. She'll be destroying Konoha herself." And with that, Miu hooked her arm around Sakura and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sasuke gaped in shock as the girl he realized he liked had vanished before him. Kakashi stared at the ground as the news settled in.

"Did you place it?" Anko asked quietly as she placed her kunai away. Kakashi sighed and put his own away as well before meeting her eyes.

"I did, but there's no doubt that they'll find out. At least we'll know her location for a short time." Kakashi replied as he turned around to face Sasuke. He sheathed his katana and glared at the ground in anger.

"Hey, Sasuke, we'll find Sakura so don't worry too much okay?" Kakashi brightly said as he ruffled the guy's hair playfully before walking past him.

"C'mon, we gotta find Naruto and Sai." Anko said as she brushed past him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke brought the cherry blossom kunai to his face and looked at the beautifully painted design on the blade.

"I swear, I'll find you and bring you back." He whispered as he looked up into the sky with blood lust eyes.

xXx

Naruto grimaced as he slowly sat up, the side of his head crusted with blood. He glanced over to see Sai lying next to him unconscious with a large wound coming from his back. The blonde ninja widened his eyes in shock and kneeled next to his friend, turning him around gently.

"Sai," He said when he heard the teen moan in pain. His blood covered hand slowly went over to the stomach wound and touched it, instantly hissing. Sai's eyes snapped open and met Naruto's bright blue ones.

"Naruto," He quietly uttered as he slowly sat up, his eyes squeezed in pain.

"You alright?" Naruto asked as he stood up, wiping the blood from a cut on his forehead. Sai nodded as he stood up, getting Naruto's help. The two walked out of the abandoned store, both limping slightly as they made their way through the street.

"We have to find the others. But first, where's Sakura-san?" Sai asked as he turned to his companion with curious eyes. Naruto sighed and was about to reply that he didn't know when three figures came dashing towards them. The blonde instantly perked up, a bright smile on his face.

"Hey! Over here!" He yelled as they spotted him, soon coming to a stop in front of him. Naruto glanced at Sasuke's quiet and dazed state for a second before meeting Kakashi's eyes.

"Where's Sakura-chan?" He asked as he watched Kakashi look away with a hint of emotion in his gray eye. Before he could answer, Anko stepped in and took Sai from his arms, tending to his wounds quietly. When Kakashi kept quiet, Naruto stumbled over to Sasuke and grabbed him by the collar, shaking him angrily.

"Hey! Sasuke! Where is she?" Naruto demanded, his blue eyes beginning to spark with a burning rage. Sasuke simply stared into them, seeing himself in them; his pitiful state. He couldn't be that. He wouldn't become that.

"Gone. Taken." He coldly stated, trying to regain his normal self again. Naruto widened his eyes in astonishment before tightening the grip on Sasuke's collar and meeting him eye to eye.

"What do you mean 'taken'? You didn't do anything to bring her back?" He exclaimed as he shoved his best friend back, rage boiling within him. Kakashi then stepped in and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder gently. The blonde stiffened and lowered his head, his hair blocking his eyes.

"Naruto, we're all affected by this. But we have a way to find her." He reassuringly said, his voice soft. Naruto whirled around and met his former sensei's eyes in anger.

"You should've-"

"Naruto, things have already happened. We can't change that. Now we have to use what we have to bring her back." Anko interrupted as she and Sai walked over to him. Naruto was about to say something but faltered.

"A-alright," Anko gave the teen ninja a small smile and put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"We have to leave immediately." She said as she met Kakashi's gaze gravely. He nodded in agreement and summoned Pakkun.

"What's up boss?" The small dog asked as he glanced at the condition everyone else was in.

"I need you to go back to Konoha and take them this message that Sakura has been taken by the Akatsuki." Kakashi said as he wrote the message quickly before strapping it to the dog's collar.

"Got it." Pakkun said as he met his Summoner's eye.

"Go!" Pakkun immediately dashed off in a dark shadow, leaving the rest of the team to gather their things. The group made their way back to the hotel with a grim mood set around them as they entered their rooms. Anko kindly gathered Sakura's pack and strapped it on top of her own before she made her way out of her room and into the hall. She glanced at Kakashi who was leaning against the wall, hands stuffed down his pockets.

"Hey, don't act like everything's your fault. Sakura's become strong, she can fight whatever's holding her down until we find her." Anko scolded as she leaned on the wall next to the gray haired Jounin, arms crossed in front of her.

"It is, though." Kakashi replied quietly, clearing his throat. Anko raised an eyebrow at this and raised her head to meet his gaze.

"Huh?"

"If I had taken her with us on that mission, she would've learned so much more. She would've been able to reach her full potential."

"But she's already done that with Tsunade-sama." Anko commented as she visually saw Kakashi's form slump even further-if that's even possible.

"I was-"

"-and Tsunade-sama was the one who had allowed her to be her apprentice. Sakura knew what was happening around her, so she knew what kind of different training she'd have to go through. Kakashi, she knew that she lacked in the skills of an average Genin, besides the accurate chakra control, and decided to change. This-this entire incident-is not your fault." The special Jounin stated as the wise Jounin lifted his head with a hardened gaze. She watched as he clenched a fist in acception. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it as Naruto's and Sasuke's door opened and the two stepped out.

"Let's go." Sasuke quietly said as he strapped his pack on. Naruto followed silently behind all of them, his head lowered, expressionless. Anko glanced back at him and silently sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. Friendships. She couldn't really understand why they were so important. It's not like she remembered having any friends either.

xXx

"Orochimaru-sensei!" Miu called out as she returned from her task, holding up a glass tube to her teacher. The yellow eyed Sannin turned his head from his work to see Miu hand the tube to him. He took it gently and lifted it up to his eye to observe it.

"Good, now grab that." He replied as he pointed to a case of other tubes and vials mixed together. Miu nodded and shuffled over to that side, handing him the box. She was completely estatic about what her sensei planned to do with her new experiment. Right now, Sakura was chained up to what looked like a giant steel X, her head tilted to the side. Miu had already planned ahead just in case her precious experiment decided to fight back against the curse seal and set this up. She had to admit, Sakura's fighting spirit was very impressive.

"Sensei, what are you planning to do?" Miu asked as she went to the other side of the table to watch his work. He was mixing the contents of the vials from the box into a glass bowl, the substance merging together into a murky black. The bottle that she had given him was put to the side, the specimen inside scuttling about; a black widow. Whatever use Orochimaru had with it, she didn't know.

"Using the toxin of this dear black widow, I'll mix it in with this here," He explained as he gestured to the murky liquid in front of him. "And it will enhance the effect of the curse mark on Sakura. She won't be able to fight against it once I'm finished." He ended with a low laugh, a grin spreading across his face. Miu smirked at her sensei's love for experimenting and self-consciously touched the curse mark on her own shoulder. One that Orochimaru himself put, before locking her in a room, and waiting for her to see if it had worked.

She closed her eyes for a second as the memory from those years came flooding back.

"Sensei! Sensei! Don't leave me in here!" Miu cried out as she looked at the teacher who had thrown her into the dark room. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire and she could do nothing but endure it. Orochimaru's gaze was cold as he slowly shut the door, locking her in there. The small girl sobbed in pain as she lay on her side, the black mark, or whatever he called it, throbbing.

Days later...

The pain had lessened and she could do nothing but sit. She sat against the wall, knees hugged to her chest as she thought about why Orochimaru would do this to her. She buried her face into her knees and tightened herself into a ball, the craving of power crawling up her spine.

...

She thought that she would be alone, but...apparently not. The door that had locked her in opened once more and spat out another girl; a girl with pupilless eyes and black spiky hair. She landed on to the floor with a thud and was gasping for air, her hand clenching her right shoulder. Miu noted that that was the spot where she was holding right now.

"Agh! It hurts! It hurts!" The girl screamed, her body twitching against the ground as she tried to inhale oxygen.

"You'll have that curse mark forever." Was what Orochimaru said before he locked the door, casting darkness to the both of them. The girl with spiky hair whimpered against the floor, her body shaking in fear. Miu smirked inwardly at the sight, seeing her pitiful state. Looks like the curse mark wasn't going to accept her. She doesn't crave power like she did.

"I'm better than you." Miu stated, a hint of superiority in her voice as she stepped out of the darkness. The girl turned and stepped back, her eyes narrowed in anger.

"Who're you?" She asked as she carefully pulled out a kunai behind her back. Miu grinned and appeared behind her, bending the girl's arm behind her back and pushing her to the ground.

"I'm Orochimaru's better apprentice."

"I'm his apprentice!" Miu laughed at this and shoved her to the ground, anger rising from within her.

"I was always his apprentice. He never doubted me for a second. And now I'm here to test his own creation. The curse mark, the one thing that won't accept you."

"What's your name?" The girl demanded as she got up to her feet, hands clenched.

"Miu, and yours?"

"Anko. If we meet again in the future, and you're still this man's apprentice, I will hunt you down and destroy you for wanting for him to continue being your teacher. He uses forbidden techniques and conducts illegal experiments. Is that a teacher you want?" Anko yelled angrily as she started forward, holding Miu's collar tightly. Miu in return grinned and smacked Anko's hand away, a gleam in her eye.

"Yes. He has power that I want. And I will get it." Anko gaped in shock at her statement and backed away from her. Miu smirked as she thought of what the girl was thinking. 'She's crazy! She can't possibly want to be his apprentice!' Suddenly, the door had opened and Orochimaru stood outside, a small smile on his face as his eyes met Miu's.

"Miu, come out." He stated as he opened the door wider for her. Miu grinned in delight and glanced at a shocked Anko who was on the floor writhing in pain once more.

"I'll see you again, loser."

In the end, she was better.

"Miu, it's time." The words brought her out of her daze and she looked up to see Orochimaru holding a syringe filled with the black liquid. Miu glanced over at the bottle with the black widow and saw that it wasn't moving anymore. Her sensei handed her the syringe and walked her over to the unconscious Sakura. He reached up and pushed back the sleeve of her cloak, revealing the unscathed pale skin of her arm.

"Inject that here," He said as he pointed to a spot on the kunoichi's wrist. Miu followed his instructions and stuck the needle into the girl's wrist. Almost immediately, she could see the dark liquid run through her veins and disappear as it buried itself deeper into her bloodstream. Standing back with her teacher, she watched as Sakura's form began to be covered with a dark presence, mainly coming from the curse mark on her shoulder. Miu gaped in surprise as the curse mark's flames appeared on the kunoichi's hands and on her forehead, a small crescent moon.

"Those seals will keep the curse mark under control and never yield under her fighting spirit. Let it take effect for a few hours and then we'll start her training on Morphing." Orochimaru said as he exited the room that was under the Akatsuki headquarters. Miu gazed at her new experiment in awe and smirked as the idea of destroying Konoha came to mind. They had no idea what was coming.

xXx

"So, I assume that Pakkun made it here on time?" Kakashi asked as Tsunade stared at him, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Giving me the note that my own apprentice was kidnapped by the Akatsuki?" She yelled as she stood up, her hands planted on the desk in front of her. Kakashi's guilt turned worse as he saw the look in her eyes; utter sadness.

"...yes." The Jounin replied as he moved his gaze to the floor sadly. Tsunade sighed as she sunk back into her chair, a hand pressed to her forehead exhaustedly.

"Did you place it?" She asked quietly, disturbing the silence in the room.

"Yes, but I'm not sure how long it will last." Kakashi replied as he raised his head and looked outside the window, the view of the village at night coming into his view. Instantly, a puff of smoke appeared next to him and Yamato stood up, a questioning look on his face.

"Yamato, Kakashi placed one of your seeds on Sakura. Track her immediately. She has been taken by the Akatsuki and must be retrieved at all costs. Assemble a team with another Jounin and come back as soon as possible." She ordered, a hardened glare set in her eyes. Kakashi raised his hand in interruption, and instantly earned the other's attention.

"What is it, Kakashi?" Tsunade demanded as she gazed out of the window, arms crossed in front of her.

"Also, we obtained information that they are planning to destroy Konoha, with the help of Sakura." Tsunade's frown deepened as she closed her eyes in frustration.

"Yamato," The Jounin straightened up and placed his hands to his sides.

"Yes?"

"Assemble that team and bring Sakura back!" She stated as she opened her eyes, looking out at the village.

"Yes!" Yamato said before giving Kakashi an apologetic glance and disappearing into a puff of smoke. There was a moment of silence before Tsunade turned around and met Kakashi's eyes sadly.

"Why is this happening? To my own apprentice?" She asked herself as she gazed down at her desk with a frown. Kakashi's guilt practically ate him up alive as he cleared his throat.

"I believe it is my fault." He stated, ignoring what Anko had said to him before they left.

"And why is that?" The Hokage asked in a tired voice.

"I didn't bring her on that three year mission and could've taught her so much. Knowledge that might have given a chance for her potential." Tsunade stared at him for a while before shaking her head and sitting back in her chair.

"Kakashi, she came to me, knowing what skills she lacked in. It isn't your fault so stop giving me that damn look!" She exclaimed, meeting his eyes with a hard glare. "Now, I want you on the team that Yamato groups together and all work as one to bring my apprentice back. We can't have maybe one of the best medical ninja aside from myself go against us." Kakashi nodded and bowed before exiting her room quietly. He clenched his fists in anger as the memory from long ago replayed itself in his mind. Her tears, her forced smile, that was the last image he had seen of her.

He was going to change that.

xXx

So...things will start progressing soon now. I do appreciate your reviews! I hope that everything went swell through this chapter! I'll update soon!