Na Na Na Na…na na na na…Hey hey hey…I do not own Naruto…

Author's note: Answer to a good question: Why didn't anyone panic when they woke up to find Sakura gone? Well…let's just say they did and I forgot to write about it or that the confusion of war had everyone but Sasuke distracted or maybe that Sakura can take care of herself and no one was too concerned.

Chapter 27: Itachi's Ultimate Plan

Itachi watched, almost uninterested, as the allied shinobi went about their business of obliterating the statue.

He even managed to tune out the incessant yelling of the Akatsuki leader. The powerful man stood next to him, screaming out orders to the scattered organization members.

Itachi looked up.

A new figure had appeared above them on the cliff edge. The oldest Uchiha's eyes narrowed at the sight of another bijuu. The seven-tails. How surprising.

He removed a kunai from his pouch.

It was time.

The Akatsuki leader glanced over as Itachi stepped to his side.

He barely had time to register what was happening before the sharingan user impaled him on the blade.

Itachi remained expressionless as he watched the life leave the other man's eyes. There was no question reflected in them—he knew why Itachi had attacked him. Itachi had known that the only one who could oppose his leaving the organization was the head man himself.

So he had taken care of that problem as he had seen fit.

He carefully wiped the blood from his blade.

Akatsuki had served its purpose. He no longer needed the help of the group to obtain the nine-tails. Another, better plan had formed in his mind, one that would allow him to force Sasuke into gaining the mangekyo sharingan. And once Sasuke could stand before him with equal eye power, the true purpose of the Uchiha clan would be shown.

Itachi knew his little brother was somewhere below, but his thoughts were not on him at the moment.

He brushed the soft pink hair again between his fingers again.

Leaving his former comrades to their fate, he slipped off the roof and away from the battle.

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After leaving Ino and her companions in the care of the other medical nin, Sakura headed towards where the sand-encased statue towered at the edge of the town.

As she ran, she became increasingly aware that most of the regular fighting had stopped. Any shinobi she saw were busy searching for friends or were badly injured themselves. They showed little interest in her as she raced through the debris-strewn streets.

Sakura was unaware that her steps were being shadowed.

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Though barely conscious after his exertion, Naruto called up to Badejiru.

The youth nodded to him, showing that he understood what they wanted him to do.

Shikamaru and Sasuke grabbed a hold of Naruto's arms and the group began making their way back towards Tsunade's refuge.

Once they were out of the way, the Tsuchikage's son grinned wickedly. Already in two-tail state, the chakra claws on his hands extended well out and beyond a normal arm's length. The Kaku's chakra oozed from him, providing him with the strength he needed.

With a fierce roar, he slammed his claws into the ledge he was standing on. The force of the impact dislodged the rock in front of him and sent the entire side of the mountain ridge crashing down.

At the bottom, Akatsuki fled, heading back in the same direction Shikamaru's group had gone.

The landslide demolished the wooden statue beneath it, burying the creation in a crypt of rock.

Up above, Badejiru motioned to his fellow ninjas. "Go, head towards the palace and be of help where you can."

He followed after them, his eyes searching for any signs of the strange Akatsuki members. He paused briefly when he noticed the crumpled form on a nearby roof top—a form wearing one of those tell-tale robes.

Curious as to what had happened, Badejiru hurried off in the direction Naruto had gone.

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Sakura had taken shelter behind a short wall when the mountain had come thundering down. A new cloud of dust had swept through the immediate area of the statue and Sakura found herself slightly disoriented. She made her way slowly, covering her mouth with her gloved hand to avoid breathing in the thick particles that hung in the air.

She hadn't gone to far when someone stepped out into the street in front of her.

Squinting against the earth-filled air, she tried to see who it was.

"N-Naruto?" She whispered unsurely.

The figure stepped closer and Sakura felt like her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Haruno Sakura." Sharingan eyes blazed at her. "We meet again."

She was so shocked that she was unprepared for his sudden movement directly at her. He stopped a breath away and hit her with such force that she went flying backward, skidding across the deserted road.

She coughed and pushed her body off the ground only to be stopped by a kunai at her throat.

"Now, listen." He whispered next to her ear. "If you fight me, I will not kill you, but I won't make living very pleasant. You are going to come with me and you are going to do what I tell you to and say what I tell you to say."

She spit a mixture of blood and mucous onto his face.

His already dangerous expression darkened and he slammed the kunai into her leg.

Sakura's scream was partially muffle as he placed a hand over her mouth and pressed the kunai to her throat again.

"No more trouble," He whispered. "Now stand up."

She struggled to her feet, aware that it was her own blood that trickled off the kunai and down her throat.

The Uchiha glanced down at her as he pulled her along, aware that her green eyes were still just as defiant as they were before. In fact, he didn't see an ounce of fear in them That bothered Itachi. If she didn't fear him, he couldn't expect her to obey him. His grip on her arm tightened.

Sakura grimaced, but kept quiet. To someone who had been on the verge of death numerous times, the rough hand bruising her arm was a mere annoyance.

"When you see Sasuke and the Kyuubi you will do your best to convince them to listen to me."

"It won't matter what I say," She sneered. "Nothing would stop them from killing you."

He pressed the blade cruelly against her skin. "Oh really? Do you think they'd sacrifice you just to get at me?"

Sakura swallowed. "I know that Naruto will save me."

Itachi raised his eyebrow. So, she and Sasuke are not as close as I thought.

The pink-haired medic glanced cautiously at her captor. She knew she had taken a risk in down playing Sasuke's feelings for her. If Itachi found out the truth, he'd surely kill her. But it would be easier for Sasuke if his older brother wasn't attempting to use Sakura as leverage.

Itachi stopped suddenly, holding Sakura in front of his as a shield.

Another form had appeared on the dusty road.

"I learned once that Sakura-san does not like being told what to do." Badejiru stepped into view. "I think it would be wise of you to let her go."

"You." Itachi remained impassive. "The Kaku host, no?"

The stripe-haired youth nodded.

"Then you are not familiar with who I am." The Uchiha smiled with the thought.

"It doesn't matter who you are! If you do not release her now then I will be forced to kill you."

Itachi looked amused and Sakura watched as one of the fingers on his hand twitched.

"No!" She cried out, choking on her words as Itachi's grip on her tightened. "He's a genjutsu user! No!"

But it was too late.

The form of the Earth shinobi lay on the ground, entranced.

"Now, how foolish of him." He glanced at Sakura. "I think he really thought he was going to save you."

"Leave him alone," she whispered. "He can't harm you now. Just leave him."

"He's a threat. I'm sure you know as well as I do that it is unwise to leave a threat alive."

She looked at the body of the man who had once attacked her. She could feel no ill will toward him. She certainly could not watch him die in front of her.

"If you kill him, you'll have to kill me too. I'll fight you every step of the way from here on out. You'll have to slit my throat to get me to go with you."

He pressed the kunai deeper into her skin. But he could tell by her cool demeanor that she was dead serious.

He pulled her along, stepping over the spellbound Tsuchikage heir.

"Come, we have work to do."

They walked on for a while until they reached a tall building in the center of town.

Keeping her in front of him, Itachi leapt up onto the building's flat roof.

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Sasuke had just reached Tsunade's wall when he heard someone yelling his name.

He looked out into the city, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from.

Jiraiya tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the center of town. There, on the tallest building, a robed figure stood. And beside that menacing figure knelt a smaller form

A smaller form…

…with pink hair.

Sasuke stopped breathing. It was as if everything else in the world had fallen away except him, Itachi and Sakura.

That bastard! He couldn't bring himself to imagine the torture Sakura might have suffered and would continue to suffer if he didn't do something.

"Sasuke!" The taunt came again. This time, Itachi sliced open Sakura's arm, allowing her scream to rip through the air.

Kakashi put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Sasuke. I know what you have to do. But let me go with you. We need to make sure Sakura remains unharmed."

"Kakashi!" Tsunade interrupted him. "The remaining Akatsuki are advancing this way. I'm going to need everyone I've got." She looked at Sasuke. "I'm already down one." She looked over at Naruto. "And he's in no condition to go back out there. I need you to be with me and Jiraiya."

For once, Sasuke looked at his former sensei with obvious respect. "Thank you. You're needed here. I will take care of Sakura."

The copy nin nodded. For the first time, he believed Sasuke would do just that.

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Sakura attempted to heal herself as they waited for Sasuke to arrive.

But Itachi leaned down and whispered in her ear again. "If you heal those, I will just inflict more."

She stopped what she was doing.

Sasuke had now reached them and was standing a few feet away on the roof.

The oldest Uchiha was slightly annoyed. "Where is Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Shut up. You have no right to ask me questions."

This created a slight problem for the former Akatsuki. He had assumed that the Kyuubi would come as well and the two pieces of his puzzle would be together.

But it was nothing he couldn't handle.

"Little brother, you still don't realize—after all these years—just why we were meant to meet like this?"

"I know about Uchiha Madara. Everyone in the clan learned that secret."

"Yet you do not realize the true purpose behind the sharingan." Itachi stroked Sakura's hair, watching for any reaction from Sasuke. "Do you not realize that I have been molding you all these years, forcing you into your decisions, so that I might use you in the final process?"

Sasuke's face remained emotionless and he did not respond.

"You see, my mangeky sharingan is different than the one you will develop. And when these two separate eye powers are united with the blood of the Kyuubi we will be able to open the gate to the founder of our great Uchiha family." Itachi smiled. "A demon unlike any other. He has no name but he has incredible power. His union with a Hyuga female created Uchiha Madara and thus created the sharingan. But he was defeated and locked away only able to be released by two separate sharingan and the Kyuubi—which was the beast who imprisoned him in the first place."

"I do not have that form of Sharingan." Sasuke said. "Only a fool would release such a demon back into the world."

"I can understand why you'd think that." Itachi hauled Sakura to her feet. "But I intend to let him take over my own body, much like Orochimaru took over yours. Then, I will be unstoppable and my power will be supreme. That is why I have been after the Kyuubi all these years."

The older Uchiha turned Sakura's face to him. He smirked when he realized she had shut her eyes tightly.

Sasuke took a step toward them, but Itachi held up the kunai. "I don't think so." He gently traced it along her neck pressing harder and harder until he drew blood.

The pain forced Sakura to open her eyes slightly.

And then the sky went red and a large moon hung overhead. She was alone and she knew without a doubt just where she had ended up.

Sasuke watched as Sakura's limp body fell to the roof of the building. Itachi put away his kunai and gently picked her up. He brushed his fingers against her face and turned his red eyes to Sasuke.

His little brother was shaking with anger. Itachi could almost see it coming off of him in waves. He had been right. He did care about the young woman.

"Now," Itachi placed Sakura behind him. "You will kill Naruto to obtain the mangekyo sharingan, at the same time spilling the Kyuubi's blood to help me unlock the gate… or I will shatter her mind from within."

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Coming soon: Chapter 28 : The Way Things Work