…Naruto, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet but would still be unowned by me…

Author's Note: Some clarification.

Okay, yes, I believe it is unlikely that Tsunade would put Sakura in harm's way like that. However, it is not an impossibility. In one manga chapter she says "I should go pay them a visit" in regards to Akatsuki…making the reader believe she knows where they are for one reason or another. So, that's where my thought process stemmed from.

Also…

I do stick to the theory that Sasuke is on some kind of medication. Sakura herself mentions it post manga chapter 306 when she is in the hospital with Kakashi.

And lastly…

As far as a deeper speculation for the sharingan is concerned—I won't get into the Japanese mythology behind all the theories that are out there. I will simply say that all the clues point to the fact that there is something else going on with Itachi. However, in this story, I will explore a different theory than the one I wrote about previously.

Please feel free to ask me to explain my thoughts at any time. I do try to keep this as close to the manga as I can, so I implore you to speak your minds.

Thank you.

Chapter 4: Eureka!

"I must admit, now that you're free again, things will become more difficult," Kabuto said as he circled around Sakura. "You should know by now that I won't hurt you."

"Just because you heal what you do doesn't make it alright," Sakura sneered.

He shrugged. "You see it one way, I see it another."

She continued to circle away from him.

"Perhaps we could make this into another game? I really don't feel like chasing you around, Sakura-san."

"No more games, Kabuto. There is nothing you can offer me."

"What about our previous deal?" he asked. "There is still much to learn about Sasuke-kun."

For as smart as Kabuto was, he had fallen into her trap. "You said yourself Sasuke-kun has forgotten his friends; that he cares only about himself." She watched Kabuto's movements carefully, prepared if he were to move suddenly. "As far as I'm concerned, you've answered all my questions."

"I may have been hasty in my descriptions. No one care truly know what goes on in the young Uchiha's mind. He is not the most open person in the world."

"It doesn't matter, Kabuto. My mind is made up. I'll just take Sasuke-kun home by force."

The grey-haired man chuckled. "Sakura-san, when will you realize that Sasuke-kun doesn't want to go back to Konoha? He believes his destiny lies with the death of Itachi."

"Naruto and I will help him. That's what friends do for one another," she said.

"He doesn't want help. He wants to do it on his own."

"On his own? How is letting Orochimaru take over his body doing anything 'on his own'?"

"Part of Sasuke-kun will still remain after the transfer jutsu. He will still be able to relish his victory."

As much as Sakura had trapped Kabuto with words, he had trapped her by slowly pushing her where he wanted her within the room. She had no where left to move to. If he was going to try and overpower her, this was the place he wanted her.

As she watched him smile, Sakura curled her fingers into fists. She had no where left to go, but she was going to make sure he left his fair share of blood on the floor.

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Sasuke wasn't sure what to make of the loud racket coming from Kabuto's personal quarters. It sounded as if a wild animal was on the loose. As he neared the collection of rooms, the sounds stopped.

His face impassive, he pushed open the heavy wooden door.

The sight that greeted his searching eyes was more confusing than the one from the previous night.

"Sakura?"

The young medic was pinned to the floor. One of her arms hung limp at her side. A trail of blood flowed from her nose, and one of her legs was bent unnaturally. Above her, Kabuto appeared to be just as badly injured. One of his eyes bulged, bloody and oozing, from its socket. A shard of glass from one of his lenses could be seen in the tender flesh. More than one bone poked through the fabric of his clothes.

Both medics appeared to be trying to heal themselves. They stared in surprise as Sasuke walked into the room.

Kabuto, however, was faster off the mark than Sakura. "Ah, Sasuke-kun," he said, out of breath. "I was just practicing with this reanimated body. Your former teammate provides me with a nice challenge from time to time."

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura gurgled through a mouth full of blood. "Sasuke-kun, help me, please."

With a quick motion, Kabuto tapped her neck and ruptured her voice box. He smiled at Sasuke. "Sorry, was there something you wanted?" He waited patiently while the Uchiha stood there studying him. It was moments like this that Kabuto was grateful Sasuke had been absent from Konoha for the last few years. If he had been up to date, he would have known about Sakura's new abilities. He also would have known that they were not something Kabuto would be able to replicate within a lab setting.

Sasuke's expression remained blank. "Why would you bother fighting with Sakura?" he asked.

"Well, when I last saw her, she had developed many medical skills. I have been able to duplicate some of them. Even I need to practice from time to time, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura turned her head, her green eyes silently beseeching her former teammate. With her one good arm, she tried to reach out to him.

Sasuke's gaze however, only passed over her briefly.

She fought to heal her voice box before he turned and left.

"I need to speak to you." Sasuke said. "I need you to explain the reasoning behind the Akatsuki bodies you have created."

"Oh? You found those, did you?" In reality, Kabuto had known about Sasuke's discovery. He played dumb to strengthen the lie that Sakura was the same type of creation.

"When you have the time." Sasuke turned to leave, sparing one more glance at the battered pink-haired body. Though he remained calm on the outside, inwardly, something surprised him. Are those tears? He looked away from the misted-over emerald eyes. Do reanimated bodies cry?

With that thought in his mind, he turned and headed back to his own chamber.

Kabuto sighed with relief as the Uchiha left. Sasuke had never visited him like that before. The young man was growing restless and inquisitive. Both those things spelled disaster in the long run.

He smiled down at Sakura, aware that he only had a short amount of time to shackle her back up before she healed herself again. It was a shame, but he was going to have to keep her low on chakra until Orochimaru needed her. She was far too bothersome at full strength.

"Well, that could have gone much worse," he said. "And you even got to see your precious Sasuke-kun."

Even though she was able to speak, Sakura remained silent. Sasuke had barely acknowledged her. He didn't seem bothered by the image of her battered body. Even if he thought it wasn't really her, she would have expected him to do…something…anything.

But he didn't care.

Maybe…

…he had never cared.

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Sasuke couldn't get past the image of green, tear-filled eyes.

He had no reason to doubt Kabuto. He had seen the doubles the medic created of Akatsuki. There was no reason to believe the Sakura he saw wasn't a double as well. And it was more than reasonable to believe that Kabuto needed someone of the same profession to spar against.

But the tears he had not expected.

Reanimated bodies had no feelings. They had no thoughts; no emotions. He knew they didn't cry.

But Sakura? What in the world would she be doing in Orochimaru's lair? Had she come after him by herself?

He found it hard to believe that after three years she would suddenly attempt such a thing on her own.

And if she hadn't come on her own, then why was she there? What use could they possibly have for her?

Sasuke knew Tsunade had taken his former teammate under her wing. Perhaps it was possible Kabuto wanted to learn some of the sannin's techniques.

A strange feeling stirred within him. Something he hadn't felt in the last three years. He couldn't even remember the name of the emotion.

If that had truly been Sakura…

He had only seen her badly beaten once before. And he had almost killed the person responsible for it. That incident had been minor compared to what she looked like moments ago.

The Uchiha's jaw clenched.

He stood, and headed back to Kabuto's room.

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"You didn't really think you could sneak away, did you?"

Naruto ignored Kakashi's comment.

The former ANBU member strode quietly behind him through the forest that bordered Konoha. "Naruto, were you going after her alone?"

"I have to take care of Sakura-chan. If granny Tsunade won't send someone after her, then I'll go myself."

"You know Sai, Yamato and I won't let you do that."

"You can't stop me." The youth turned to glare at his former sensei.

Kakashi held up his hands in an offering of peace. "I wasn't suggesting it. I'm just saying we wouldn't let you go alone."

As if on cue, two other forms dropped down in front of them. Sai and Yamato nodded in greeting.

For a moment, Naruto wasn't sure what to say. He knew it wasn't just concern for his own welfare that had brought them. Each one of the members of team seven had thought about going after Sakura. The only natural conclusion was for them to go after her together.

"You know this is against the Hokage's orders," Yamato said sullenly.

"Sometimes orders have to be broken." Naruto looked at Kakashi. "Teammates and friends are more important."

The masked shinobi nodded. Out of them all, he knew the importance of teammates. He would never again make the mistakes he once had. Sakura's abduction had hit far too close to home for comfort. Sometimes, in his mind, her face was obscured with the image of another medic he had lost many, many years ago.

They traveled in silence until Sai quietly asked, "Do you think Sakura-chan is alive?"

The other three stared at him, not knowing what to say.

"I just think it's unlikely that she survived both Orochimaru and Sasuke," he concluded.

"Sasuke would never hurt Sakura!" Naruto's face flushed red. "Never! He told me once he never wanted to see an important friend die in front of him! He told me I had to save Sakura-chan no matter what! At that moment, I knew that he…"

"But he attacked her not all that long ago, Naruto." Sai did his best to act sympathetic, but he was only voicing the facts. "We might all have died that day if Orochimaru hadn't stopped him."

"Feelings just don't disappear," the kyuubi youth grumbled. "You don't know Sasuke like I do."

"He tried to kill you too. I don't know how you can ignore…"

"HE WOULD NEVER HURT HER!"

They all stared at Naruto, shocked by his outburst.

Sai wisely chose to remain silent.

"Does anyone even know where we are headed?" Kakashi asked casually.

"We're heading to Sound. For now, that's as good a place as any to start."

That was a fact no one could argue with.

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Coming soon: Chapter 5: Plans Revealed

Author's Note: Yes, I know… a shorter chapter than usual. The next ones will be longer. I had to end it here or else I would have had to keep on going for another 6 pages. I just don't have that in me tonight.