It's easy to tell when one arrives in the Land of Rain. As soon as one sets foot in its territory, a curtain of water hangs over everyone's heads, announcing that they have reached this damp region and will soon reach the ninja village.
Itachi and Sakura walked through the streets of Amegakure, each holding an umbrella in their hands in an unsuccessful attempt, at least for Sakura, to avoid being completely soaked by the rain.
Although Sakura was soaked from head to toe and looked like a pink wet rat, she didn't mind. The cold didn't affect her as her gaze darted around.
If Suna had left her amazed, Amegakure was incomparable. She soon began comparing the three places. Konoha was sunny, with huge trees surrounding the village, and the sun tanned people's skin. Suna, on the other hand, was a place where sand seeped in from all sides at the slightest breeze, with extreme temperatures ranging from scorching heat during the day to intense cold at night.
Here, however, was something completely different from what she had seen or imagined. Enormous structures seemed to brush the sky, with numerous paths and bridges intersecting with corridors and streets throughout the city. People wore curious umbrellas on their heads, like a common item for walking the streets.
She even saw some ninjas wearing masks covering their mouths.
Contrary to what many in Konoha would say, Sakura liked the rain. After the rain came the smell of wet earth, and besides, on rainy days, she didn't have to run errands that her family ordered her to do.
After so much walking, Sakura's feet began to throb, although not as much as her heart did. Anxiety began to creep up in the pit of her stomach. She would soon meet what would be her new family. Questions like, What will they be like? Will they be as great as Itachi? Are they strong? and the most important one, the one that scared her even to think about: Will they want her in the family? Fervently, every hour and every day, she wished to the spirits that they would be the complete opposite of her family, at least not looking at her with disdain like her parents did.
They soon began to ascend a staircase of the grandest and most imposing building Sakura had seen since setting foot in Amegakure. It was so massive in her eyes that it seemed to touch the sky when they reached the highest part. Now that they were close, it appeared even more impressive, with the four large faces sticking their tongues out on each wall of the building.
If it weren't for her anxiousness about what would happen once they entered the building, she might have found it amusing that a building had four faces.
As they stood in front of the iron doors to enter the building, Sakura swallowed hard and instinctively grabbed Itachi's hand, seeking the courage she had momentarily lost.
Itachi noticed Sakura's small hand on his and then turned his gaze forward, not letting go. The doors opened slowly, and they both entered a long, dark hallway, illuminated by a long row of torches that seemed endless to the terrified Sakura.
The only sound that could be heard was the echoing of their shoes and the cold drops falling from her small body to the ground. As she glanced back and saw the trail of drops she left behind, she hoped they wouldn't be bothered by dirtying the floor. She made a mental note to clean it later and prevent anyone from slipping.
They traversed wide and narrow corridors, passing through large and small doors, some closed and others open, where their emerald eyes could only distinguish a deep darkness. They soon ascended a spiral staircase until they stopped in front of a door that occupied the entire wall.
Sakura held her breath as she saw that the only thing preventing them from entering was a beautiful woman, whose piercing gaze lingered especially on her. Sakura thought she had beautiful almond-colored eyes, unusual violet hair that made her feel identified, as she was always teased about her own rare pink hair. Additionally, the flower in her hair accentuated her beauty, and the piercing beneath her lip gave her a tough appearance, something Sakura admired.
"Itachi Uchiha," the woman said in a serious tone, examining Itachi from head to toe before fixing her gaze back on Sakura.
Sakura wished she could shrink into the ground. For the sake of Itachi and her own, she told herself she had to be brave. If she wanted to be there with Itachi and the others, she had to be strong. The woman simply turned around and opened the door, stepping into the darkness of the room. The two followed her in silence. Upon entering, Sakura had to blink several times when suddenly the door closed behind them and a light turned on, revealing a man with pale skin, orange hair, and violet eyes adorned with multiple rings.
"Welcome to Akatsuki, Uchiha Itachi," the man's voice resonated deep and thick.
Itachi simply looked silently at the man before him. He knew he was nothing more than the face of Akatsuki and that the true leader was very close by, observing everything. Pain... The name of the supposed leader who was under Madara's command.
"Who is this girl?" Pain inquired, his violet eyes fixing on Sakura.
Due to fear and anticipation, Sakura released a wave of chakra that dispersed farther than she had ever achieved before. She blinked several times as she processed what she had just felt. Curiosity overcame fear and she looked back at the man, who was observing her seriously.
"Why is there more than one with your chakra?" she asked innocently.
Both Konan and Pain were intrigued by the little girl, whom they had barely paid attention to until that moment. They were about to instruct Itachi to take her and leave, as she was not and would not be a member of Akatsuki. However, when the girl spoke, they became interested. She had discovered something that not even the village ninjas had noticed.
Suddenly, five more Pains emerged from the shadows and lined up alongside the original. The six of them fixed their eyes on Sakura, who watched in astonishment as there were not one, but six of them.
"Do you all get along?" she asked with a hint of uncertainty. Upon seeing the six, she pouted slightly. "It's strange. You have the same chakra and it's strong, but..."
The occupants of the room fell silent, waiting for her to continue with her thoughts.
"But you don't look the same as Itachi-nii's or the lady's here," she added with a slight blush, referring to the woman whose name she did not know. Her eyes sparkled as she had an idea. "Where's the real one? You guys look like Itachi-nii or Gaa-kun when they make a clone."
Even Itachi was taken aback by Sakura's declaration. The six men and the woman in front of her were stunned to realize that such a young girl had uncovered one of Akatsuki's best-kept secrets in a matter of seconds. Pain's curiosity about the girl reached a new level, so he rose from his seat and approached Sakura.
"What's your name?" he asked this time with a less severe tone than before. Even so, he managed to send shivers down the young girl's spine.
Sakura remained motionless, gazing into those violet eyes that were at her eye level. As she looked into them, she sensed immense power but also profound anguish. Suddenly, she felt her body becoming as heavy as lead, yet as light as air at the same time. A fog seized her mind, and her body began to move mechanically. Without control over her actions, she raised her arms toward Pain's face. When her hands touched Pain's cheeks, a small electric shock ran through both of them, and their chakras briefly connected. It was as if an ancient sense of recognition was present, something that bound them together and that they couldn't express in words.
"My name is Haruno Sakura," she murmured, moistening her lips as she felt the urgency to keep speaking. "Itachi-nii saved my life. I also fled from Konoha, although I didn't kill my family. They used to beat me and say horrible things to me, and when I went out on the street, the kids called me a monster because of my pink hair and my wide forehead. I was going to escape alone, but Itachi-nii rescued me. Now I want to become a great kunoichi, like Itachi-nii."
Sakura's hands moved away from Pain's cheeks to roll up her kimono sleeves and reveal the old bruises that were starting to fade on her body. Pain's gaze softened almost imperceptibly; the girl knew pain. Although it didn't compare to what he had experienced, he knew it must have been difficult for her to reach the point of deciding to join a renegade ninja whose history she knew.
"How did you find out?" Pain inquired. If Madara could trust Itachi and the girl revealed his secret in front of him, there was no point in continuing to hide it.
"Itachi-nii taught me the basic principles of chakra, and I accidentally discovered that I can sense the chakra of every living being."
Before they could say anything, they were interrupted by a loud, cheerful voice that caught everyone's attention. Near where Sakura and Pain were standing, a man with an orange mask appeared, jumping in place to attract attention. Behind him was a strange figure, half-white and half-black, surrounded by a carnivorous plant that stared fixedly at Sakura. Seeing her, Sakura felt a whirlwind of sensations in her chest, as if something was stirring within her. Unbeknownst to her, Zetsu became wary upon seeing the girl; she wasn't what she seemed, but somehow he felt the need to approach her.
"Hello! What's your name? I'm Tobi. It's rare to see a girl here, but if you stay, it'll be fun!" exclaimed Tobi in a high-pitched voice.
Sakura turned to look at him and instantly smiled. Her cheeks flushed red, and her lips stretched into a wide grin. A spark of hope ignited in her chest as she was greeted enthusiastically by this member, who, although not wearing the Akatsuki cloak, had been present in the room along with the plant man. Although she thought it would be rude to expose him if he didn't want to reveal himself yet... maybe they would accept her.
"Uh... Haruno Sakura... I thought you weren't going to come out," she said a little shyly with excitement.
"Oh! So you found us in our little game!" exclaimed Tobi excitedly before hugging her so tightly that he lifted the astonished Sakura off the ground. Then he turned to the leader and started jumping around. "Leader-sama, this girl is adorable! I want her as a pet! I'll play with her, feed her, and teach her to behave!"
Everyone watched in silence as Tobi continued playing with Sakura, who was blushing with embarrassment as she was shaken back and forth in his arms, not knowing what to do. Even amidst the excitement, and paying no attention to being called a "pet," she began to laugh with joy. Her laughter echoed throughout the room like a glimmer of hope, while the others fell into their own thoughts at this turn of events.
"Haruno Sakura," Pain intervened. At that moment, Tobi ceased his antics and held her so she could look at Pain. "Welcome to Akatsuki."
Sakura's eyes sparkled, and together with Tobi, they shouted with joy. She was radiant with happiness knowing she could be with Itachi, Akatsuki, and these strange people who would soon become her new family.
After the jubilation, Tobi set Sakura down, and she ran to hug Itachi, so excited she could barely contain herself. She had been accepted into Akatsuki! She wouldn't have to be separated from Itachi. Pain and Konan began to head towards a side door, and the others followed suit.
Upon opening the door, they were met by other members of Akatsuki: a tall man with green eyes and a facial mask, one hunched over with a scorpion tail, and another with pale skin and slanted yellow eyes.
"These are the new members of Akatsuki, Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura."
Nerves fluttered in Sakura's stomach as all eyes turned to her. She would have to prove her worth to everyone to avoid a repeat of what happened in Konoha.
Soku and Kakashi entered the Hokage's office, ready to report on the recent mission after their prolonged absence.
"Hokage-sama, we lost track of Itachi," Kakashi expressed, handing over the written report.
Sarutobi took a long drag from his pipe as he meticulously went over in his mind the information provided by Kakashi and Soku: the trail they followed from encountering Itachi and Sakura to losing them in Suna. He noticed that time had passed and that Soku looked noticeably more tired than the last time he saw him.
"I feared as much. That man is very skilled for his young age," the Hokage murmured. He turned in his seat to gaze out at the village of Konoha through the window.
He felt old and exhausted. This job was becoming an increasingly heavy burden as the years passed since the death of the Fourth Hokage. He should be playing with his grandson, tending to plants like any elderly person, and teasing his children, instead of being here dealing with Konoha's affairs.
If he didn't already have enough on his plate with the responsibility of overseeing Uchiha Sasuke, who was still suffering from the trauma caused by his brother, and taking care of Naruto, now he would also have to deal with Soku, who surely wouldn't sit idly by while searching for his sister, Sakura Haruno.
"You are relieved of your duties. Kakashi, Soku, for now, continue to keep an eye on the young ones. Later, I will send you to continue the search for Haruno Sakura."