Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis – an Itachi & Sakura story By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: My first Naruto story! It’s an Itachi x Sakura story so if you have any objections against this pairing, I’d suggest to stop reading and turn around. This story is slightly AU. It follows the storyline until chapter 290 and then it diverts from the canon story line. FOR FIRST TIME READERS AFTER JULY 2008: Metamorphosis was my first fiction and written while I was sixteen years old. My English has since improved tremendously and Metamorphosis has become a thorn in my eye considering all the spelling mistakes etc. Feel free to read it, but please don't leave reviews about how bad the grammar is and how illogical everything seems, I know. I'm in the midst of rewriting chapter three right now and will continue rewriting until I feel that it's improved overall. So proceed at own risk. If you chose to heed my warning, please try Twilight, Asphyxiation, or another one of the fanfictions listed. :) Chapter One – Descend into Darkness She knew she couldn’t take this any longer. It has been six years since she last seen his arrogant smirk; six long years since she heard his magnetic voice and smelled his unique scent that reminded her of rain and forest. Six years since he just knocked her out and left with just two simple words. Ever since that day, both she and Naruto had tried everything in their power to take their mind off their teammate, to train individually and when the time was ripe, they would meet again and bring Sasuke back. Which failed miserably since they were never able to find Orochimaru’s headquarters, or Sasuke for that matter. It was as if both had vanished into thin air, leaving not even a small trail behind. Desperate, they had returned after spending two weeks in the Country of Field, attempting to find their lost teammate but never succeeding. Sakura was sure she was going mad. She cried when Naruto tried to comfort her, telling her that his promise was eternal; that he’d bring Sasuke back, no matter what. She sobbed as Sai suggested that perhaps Sasuke had left Sound already in search of his older brother. Sakura wept as the annual team photo shoot was announced and Naruto suggested to make a picture of the three of them, while holding a picture of Sasuke in their hands, showing that they still knew who their real teammate was.

And now she was drained. She had hit rock bottom when Sai stepped out of the shower they were sharing during a C-Class mission, drying his hair. He saw her then and flashed that fake smile of his as the towel fell down to the ground, exposing his hair. His hair was spiky at the back and she knew it was because he was drying his hair in that place, but she just couldn’t get the mental image of Sasuke’s hair out of her head then. When he tried to ask her if something was the matter, she had quickly turned around, ignoring Naruto as he called out her name and locked herself up in her own room, spending the rest of the afternoon crying over a fading image. The year afterwards, she tried to ignore everything that had any connection with the Uchiha. She tried hating him, but failed miserably as she glanced to their group picture when they had just become Genin. She tried to ignore the pain that he had left in his wake, thinking that one day, it might just go away. Sakura tried to wish Sasuke away; wish that she had never laid eyes on him, but he would still be there when she woke up. On her seventeenth birthday, she hoped to find Sasuke standing in front of her door, congratulating her with her birthday as he pressed a present into her hands, Naruto in tow with a smile, telling her that he had kept his promise and brought Sasuke back. She smiled slightly, mentally complimenting herself for being so naïve throughout the years. “Sakura-chan,” Naruto called her gently, awaking her from her reverie. Sakura glanced at her right, watching as Naruto landed on the same branch as hers before jumping further. “What is it Naruto?” His cerulean eyes had lost the spark she was used to seeing as a child. She supposed losing your best friend and not being able to help him would do that to someone. Maybe she had lost her own spark; who knows? His hair was longer and flatter than before, but it still had that spiky edge to it. Now sporting a Chuunin uniform, Sakura couldn’t help but feel saddened with the thought that they’d left their childhood behind, together with Sasuke. “I was wondering…” Naruto stalled slightly, voice faltering. “Would you… like to eat some ramen with me?” She remained quiet for a moment, contemplating his offer and Naruto grew more restless with each passing second. “I’ll pay!” he quickly said as an afterthought, making Sakura smile slightly. “Sure,” she nodded and watched as Naruto beamed back like a child who had just been given some candy. She smiled sadly, before focusing on the road ahead of them.

They had just returned from a B-Ranked mission, concerning a certain paranoid Daimyou who thought he needed Shinobi to protect him. But nothing had happened throughout the entire mission and so they returned completely unscathed. Her eighteenth birthday was during said mission and Naruto had apparently found a way to send one of his Bunshins to the nearest gift shop and buy her a box of chocolates. She smiled lightly; it was probably the most romantic thing Naruto had ever done for her. Sakura pondered slightly on what to wear. She wanted to make it special for Naruto, one good, happy memory of her. After all, this was her last chance to eat some ramen together with him. Because on her eighteenth birthday, she decided to leave Konoha and find Sasuke. -“Sakura-chan!” She chuckled lightly. Leave it to Naruto to call her name, rather than to knock on the door. She waved goodbye at her mother who smiled back at her before continuing to chop the vegetables for dinner. Walking out of the kitchen, she could hear Naruto yell her name again and balled her first slightly in irritation, before realizing this was the last time she would see Naruto. She froze in the hallway and for the first time, she doubted her decision. According to her plan, she would eat with Naruto, wait until her mother had fallen asleep before packing her stuff and run off towards Sound. It seemed like such a good plan. If only she wouldn’t miss her mother, Naruto, Kakashi… Even Ino. Tears burned in the corners of her eyes as she recognized that she wouldn’t see any of them again, and what for? A man… no, a boy of her past who didn’t even go out with her once. A boy who blatantly ignored her feelings and ran off to gain power. But he was also someone else… He was boy who complimented her in order to cheer her up; a boy who fought to protect her. A boy who would lie next to her in the grass during a mission, and his presence would be enough to soothe her and to make her fall asleep. A boy that she had confessed to love. Sasuke was a boy and she would have left Konoha to be with him. Without fully realizing it, she had been crying. “Sakura?” her mother’s voice sounded concerned. “Are you alright? That boy is still calling out to you!” Sakura snapped out of her thoughts, quickly wiping away the tears that streamed down

her cheeks before turning around, meeting her mother’s worried glance. “I’m fine. I’ll see you tonight.” Her mother nodded with a half-hearted smile and Sakura smiled back before rushing towards the door where the blonde shouted her name once again, this time knocking on the door as well. She opened the door roughly, stopping Naruto as he attempted to knock again. “Sakura-chan,” he smiled brightly. “There’s no need to break down the door you know,” Sakura smiled weakly as she grabbed her boots, putting them on before walking through the threshold, closing the wooden door behind her. Naruto nodded eagerly. “Sorry, I thought you were gone.” The word ‘gone’ nearly made her flinch and she bit her lip slightly to stop herself from crying again. “I was just distracted,” she said quietly. Naruto smiled bright to her, obviously oblivious to her small depression as he led her to Ichiraku. They shared light conversations as they walked through the illuminated streets of Konoha. Sakura was only listening with one ear though, smiling sadly as she stared at the buildings she used to pass by so easily, not knowing that one day, she might even miss those. While Naruto was ranting about his latest technique that Jiraiya had taught him, Sakura looked at the academy as they passed it by, vividly remembering all the times that she would sit in the field of flowers with Ino, staying there for hours, just chatting until they saw the sun set and ran off to their respective homes before their mothers became upset. She missed those days. “Sakura-chan?” “Yes?” she asked, half-smiling as she continued reminiscing about her childhood. “We’re here,” Naruto grinned widely, propping his arms behind his head. “You sure you’re alright Sakura-chan? You seem a little distant tonight.” “I’m fine Naruto,” she poked his stomach gently. “Let’s go.” She was awarded with another one of his grins as they walked into the small stand. -“That was great,” Naruto exclaimed as he rubbed over his stomach as they walked away

from Ichiraku. “I can’t believe how I’ve lived two and a half years without it.” “Me neither,” Sakura chuckled. He smiled at her, sky-blue eyes fixated on the roseate kunoichi next to him and then his gaze turned serious. “Are you sure you’re alright Sakura-chan?” “Yes, why?” she asked softly. “You haven’t eaten much… I haven’t seen you so down since…” his voice wavered slightly and Sakura knew where this was going. “I’m fine… I just…miss him,” she said evasively. He nodded slightly. “I know… I do too.” They stopped on near the crossroads and Sakura smiled. “I need to go left here.” “I know,” Naruto grinned. “Want me to take you home?” “I’ll be fine Naruto,” she smiled slightly before stepping towards him. She ignored his shocked look as she wrapped her arms around him gently, pressing herself against him in a last ditch attempt to memorize the texture of his clothing, the way he smelled like spicy ramen and the way he held her in his arms as he wrapped his own arms around her. “What did I do to deserve this?” Naruto whispered softly in her ear, making Sakura hold on to him tighter. She never wanted to let go of him; she was secure in his arms and he would protect her from everything, she was sure of it. If only she loved Naruto. If only she could forget about Sasuke. And then the waterworks started, and Sakura cried on Naruto’s shoulder as he whispered gentle, soothing words in her ear while stroking over her back. He never asked why she was crying, he just held her in his arms for those precious minutes as she clenched and twisted Naruto’s Chuunin uniform in her hands, never wanting to let go. It took her several minutes to calm down and several more to finally gain the willpower to let go of him. She was afraid to look him in the eye, afraid that he might see through her instantly. But his hand cupped her chin gently before pushing it up, forcing her to look up and see the sad smile that adorned his lips. “Don’t worry Sakura-chan,” he said, voice still as strong as ever. “My promise is still valid. I’ll bring Sasuke back.” “I know you will.” And I hope you’ll bring me back too.

“You sure you want to go home alone?” Naruto’s voice was tinged with concern. “It’s no problem for me to take you home.” “I’m sure,” she said calmly, forcing herself to smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Naruto grinned at her, before clasping her shoulder. “You take care alright? It’ll be fine, trust me.” “I know.” “See you tomorrow,” Naruto smiled before turning around as he walked away towards his house. Halfway around, he turned around and waved at her before turning around again. Sakura just watched him as his form slowly blended and disappeared in the dark shadows. -When she got home, her mother was asleep already. Sakura wasn’t surprised; her mother went to bed early and woke up early just to make her daughter’s breakfast. Stealthily, she opened the door to her mother’s bedroom, and slipped inside before sitting down on the ground, watching her mother’s sleeping form. Biting her lip to quell the tears that were threatening to spill, she gently stroked her mother’s hair, making sure that she wouldn’t wake up before turning around. It hurt to know that this would be the last time she would ever see her mother. Casting one last, lingering look over her shoulder, she sneaked out of the room and walked the stairs up to her room. She opened the wooden door and walked straight to her closet, knowing that if she stayed any longer, her resolve would fade and she would end up staying in Konoha, rather than searching for Sasuke. She grabbed her backpack and quickly stowed some of her clothes in it, bandages, a couple of medicines and some anesthetics and finally, the picture of Team Seven. She glanced at it, longingly as she touched Sasuke’s photographed head, enjoying the feel of the cool glass against her warm fingertips. “Soon Sasuke-kun…” she whispered as she packed the picture. Glancing around her room for the last time, she refrained herself from crying as she stared at the picture of her and Ino. She would definitely miss Ino. She didn’t even had the chance to say goodbye. She trembled slightly as she grabbed two pieces of paper from her desk and hastily

scribbled a goodbye note for her mother and one for Naruto. Sakura knew he would understand. He would hate the fact that she was gone too, but she knew he would understand why she left. Perhaps the one most understanding of her feelings was Naruto. Placing the two pieces of paper on her bed, she heaved her backpack over her shoulder and turned around without even a second glance. She closed the door behind her and looked around her house before she walked down the stairs as quietly as possible. She toyed with the thought to see her mother again, but she knew that doing so would only lead into more tears and questions if her mother accidentally woke up and saw her daughter sitting next to her bed, crying her eyes out while carrying a backpack on her shoulder. Therefore, she settled with touching the wooden door of her mother’s bedroom for a while, wishing things could be different before she turned around and left the house. Luckily, she didn’t live far from the gates of Konoha. Sakura wasn’t sure how much pain she could handle and for a second actually envied the missing-nin who had carelessly turned their backs against their villages and left to live by themselves. Vaguely, she wondered how many of them regretted leaving. She strolled past the academy again, smiling slightly as she remembered all her fond memories in the classroom when everything was still simple. When she would still bicker with Ino about who could sit next to Sasuke. If she had known that the Chuunin exam would be such a disastrous event for all of them, Sakura wouldn’t have shown up. She would have stopped after the written exam, not giving Orochimaru a reason to find Sasuke. She would have protected all of them from the events that happened afterwards. If she hadn’t entered, Sasuke would have never caught Orochimaru’s eye and none of this might have happened. There would be three people dining at Ichiraku tonight, rather than two. She could still ask Sasuke if he would go out with her, and perhaps after knowing her for years now, he would say yes. Sakura knew this was all just a fairytale, but how she wished it could be reality. She walked past the garden of flowers, picking of the cosmos flowers and smelled it’s fresh scent as she placed it, lovingly, inside of her backpack. She would dry the flower later on and keep it as a memento for Ino. Finally, the gates that led to Konoha’s exit came into vision, and with that, the road where her hopes and dreams were crushed; where she had confessed her love for Sasuke and he had declined her once again. She stopped.

She turned around. There was still time to go back. This was foolish; she would say goodbye to everybody for Sasuke. She would leave her village, where she had build up a career as a medic-nin, the village where she had turned into a Chuunin. And for what? To help a lost boy find her revenge for his older brother? To help him train? She wasn’t even sure what she would do once she arrived in Sound. “Don’t worry Sakura-chan.” She shivered slightly as a cool night breeze passed her. “Don’t worry Sakura-san… It’ll be fine, I know it will turn out fine. Naruto-kun gave you the ‘Nice-guy’ pose after all.” “Lee…” she whispered slightly, remembering how he had tried to cheer her up after the three Genin left to search Sasuke. “Sakura… Don’t worry, everything will turn out fine.” “Kakashi-sensei…” And she took a step back to Konoha. She was right, this was foolish. Someday, they would all combine their powers and they would bring Sasuke back. This wasn’t worth it. She could lose her life if ANBU found her. For all she knew; Orochimaru or any other Sound-nin would kill her if she arrived there. There was no telling what would happen in the future and it scared her. In Konoha she would be safe. In Konoha, she still had everyone else. She took another step back to Konoha. “Sakura.” She could still hear his voice calling out to her. If she closed her eyes now, Sakura could imagine Sasuke still standing in front of her, his back turned to her, the Uchiha emblem colored in such vivid colors compared to the dark night. Sakura remembered everything he had told her that night. He wasn’t like her or Naruto… His heart had chosen revenge above them… He found her to be annoying… “Sakura…thank you.”

He had thanked her… “Sakura.” She turned around and bit her lip as she stared at the gates that loomed in front of her. “Sakura.” She clenched her fist slightly and took a step towards the gates, steeling her resolve. Sakura took another step and looked over her shoulder one last time before tears started to sting in the corners of her eyes and she turned back towards the gate and ran over the stone pavement, jaw clenched so hard that it hurt as she ran past the gate and left her home village. For Sasuke. -“Sakura-chan,” he knocked on her door as he yelled her name. This was the second time that she didn’t open up immediately and Naruto was getting worried. Usually her mother was home around this hour, and although she still stared him suspiciously, probably thinking that the Kyuubi might pop up any minute, she would always go to Sakura’s room and get her to hurry up. Then again, maybe she was already at the Hokage tower. With one last scrutinizing look and the awful feeling that something was wrong, Naruto started sprinting towards the Hokage’s headquarters; fully aware that he was fifteen minutes late and Tsunade would give him hell. He dashed past Izumo and Kotetsu, hearing them yell and swear loudly as they dropped the stack of papers they were holding. He yelled an apology back and ran into the headquarters, nearly bumped into Shizune and earned some swearing from her as well. He apologized quickly before finally reaching the room where Tsunade’s office was located. Without knocking first, he opened the door violently and stepped in, before realizing that Sakura wasn’t there. Instead, Sakura’s mother was there, crying quietly and Kakashi was standing in front of Tsunade’s desk and had turned slightly to see Naruto enter. And then it hit him that something bad had happened. “… What’s going on?” he asked, voice faltering slightly. “Where’s Sakura-chan?” “Sit down,” Tsunade directed and Naruto immediately spotted the waver in her voice, contradicting the stern manner she regarded him

“What happened?” Naruto asked again, ignoring Tsunade’s orders. “Naruto,” Kakashi spoke up, tone serious. “Sit down.” Naruto gave Kakashi an exasperated glance as he stalked forward and sat down on one of the chairs. “Well?” Usually, Tsunade would rant at him that she was the Hokage and that his bratty little self needed to show her some damn respect, but to his utter surprise, she only sighed forlornly. “Sakura left Konoha,” she said, hiding her face from view as she tried her hardest to overcome the emotions that were in danger of escaping. Hokages don’t cry. It remained silent after that statement. The only thing Tsunade could still hear were the sobs of Sakura’s mother and the harsh breathing of Naruto. Naruto’s world was shattered in that instant. Everything made sense now. He understood why she held him so tightly last night, why she had agreed to go on a date with him. Naruto even understood why she cried and why she found it so hard to let go of him. It all made sense. But he wasn’t willing to admit it. Sakura wouldn’t leave. Not after all that they’d been through together. Not after all the promises they made to bring Sasuke back and hit him until he was knocked out and they dragged his sorry ass home. She could have the first go… he promised that. Maybe she hadn’t left the village… Maybe there was something else going on. Was it his fault for leaving Sakura alone yesterday? Was she attacked? “What are you saying Tsunade-baachan…” he whispered hoarsely, chuckling slightly. “Where did she go to? The mission already? Was it because I’m late?” “You know what I meant,” Tsunade said harshly. “She wouldn’t leave,” Naruto whispered like a mantra before yelling it out to Tsunade as he rose from his chair. “She wouldn’t leave! We were going to bring back Sasuke together!” “Naruto,” Kakashi said his name half-threateningly as he laid one of his large hands on Naruto’s shoulder and pushed him back on the chair. “You’re talking to the Hokage,” he said firmly. “Show some respect.”

“Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto rose his voice desperately. “You know that she would never leave! Say something!” “Calm down,” Kakashi said in a low voice, thought Naruto could swear he heard a sympathetic tone in his voice. He heard his teacher sigh softly and clenched his teeth painfully hard in frustration before fixing his gaze back on Tsunade. “How do you know she’s gone by her own free will?” Naruto searched desperately for another solution to the mystery surrounding Sakura’s disappearance. “Maybe someone kidnapped her!” “She left a note,” Sakura’s mother finally spoke up, voice quivering somewhat as she stared at Naruto through her tears. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that Tsunade was finally looking up as well. Shocked, he muttered the only thing that he could at that moment. “What did it say?” Wordlessly, she fumbled to get something out of her pocket, before thrusting it to Naruto, who accepted the small scrap of paper wordlessly. Still staring at Sakura’s mother in puzzlement, he opened the letter and stared at Sakura’s hastily scribbled handwriting. I’m so sorry Naruto. He trembled slight as tears started to well up in the corners of his eyes. No matter how hard he tried to be strong, this always happened for some reason. He tried protecting everybody and yet failed to protect the two people closest to his heart. And he was supposed to become a Hokage? Someone who could protect an entire village? He wasn’t even fit to protect his own friends. Tears dripped down from his nose onto the paper, staining the ink. The tears blurred his vision as he crumpled the letter in his hands, unaware of the fact that Tsunade had stood up and was walking towards him with a sympathetic and sad look in her eyes. Unaware to Kakashi’s hand which had involuntarily gripped his shoulder somewhat harder. He was even oblivious to the fact that Sakura’s mother was crying again. “Why…?” he asked to nobody in particular. “Why what?” Kakashi asked gently, the firm tone from before gone. “Why is everybody leaving me?”

Metamorphosis – an Itachi & Sakura story By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

A/N: Chapter rewritten on the 22nd of April, 2008. Chapter Two – Encounter She carefully hid herself in the foliage of the large trees that surrounded the forest near the border of the Country of Fire, observing the ANBU members as they stood still on the ground for a moment, their kunai drawn ominously. Trying her hardest to regulate her breathing, she drew her own kunai from her pouch, gripping the cold metal hard as the ANBU looked up, scanning the trees and the environment. Her heart nearly pounded out of her chest as one of the members wearing a raccoon mask glanced directly into her direction and she stirred uncomfortably until he relinquished his gaze and pocketed his kunai again. They stood still for a moment longer, then hastily dashed away. Sakura exhaled in relief, moving from her awkward position as soon as she felt the ANBU were on a decent distance, then jumped down the tree and landed on a branch near the ground. Twenty-one days had passed since she left Konoha, but the borders were guarded by ANBU members who circled around in groups of four. A half-starved kunoichi who lived on the fruits and food the forest provided would be little treat to them, even if she was trained by Tsunade. Her inhuman strength and medical jutsu relied on her chakra and she was completely depleted daily as she tried to get as far away from Konoha as she could, using genjutsu to stealthily make her way out of situations where ANBU would arrive whilst she tried to escape. She had meant to go around Konoha, leaving through the Country of River and making her way to Sound from there on, hoping that Tsunade would send them directly to the Valley of the End and from there on out to Sound in hopes of finding her immediately. What she hadn’t included in her seemingly brilliant plan was the notion that the ANBU security and surveillance around the borders of River were tightened since a couple of years, after they found out that Akatsuki’s headquarters was most probably stationed there. In an attempt to make sure at least Naruto would be save, security had been doubled there and it was becoming increasingly hard to make her way through the relatively small forest and cross into River. “Stupid,” she whispered under her breath as she jumped away from the branch and made her way though the forest, hoping to finally exit the country before the next batch of the elite forces would show up. Thankfully peering to the sky, seeing that the sun was beginning to set, she jumped from tree to tree, she paused on every step, carefully listened to hear if she could hear anyone approaching and tried to sense if enemy chakra was nearing her, but nobody came. Satisfied, Sakura quickly continued, stopping only as she saw the border and the wooden cabin that stood there, light emanating from the windows, signaling that someone was

inside on guard duty. ‘There should be some ANBU members around here as well,’ she realized and made her way down to the ground without making a sound. Sakura crept towards some of the bushes, then squatted down as soon as she found a decent place to hide. There was no doubt in her mind that the best moment to pass the border would be when it was completely dark to avoid as much attention as she could. As she scanned the vicinity, she quickly realized that there were two ANBU members standing guard nearby. The setting sun cast long shadows on the muddy ground, giving Sakura enough space to hide away from the two perceptive gazes of the ANBU members. She ducked away from sight just as one of the ANBU members looked into her direction, his face hidden behind the trademark mask. Sakura held her breath, afraid that the observent shinobi might have caught a glimpse of her with his keen eyes. Her fear intensified exponentially as she heard a twig break under the man’s boot. He was definitely getting closer. But Sakura was a trained kunoichi. As stealthy as she possible could, Sakura crept away, careful not making a sound, moving only when the evening breeze passed by, using the rustling of leaves as a camouflage for her quick escape. The forest became darker and darker as the sun disappeared behind clouds, now simply a red circle on the horizon. The sky was colored with brilliant shades of peach, crimson and mauve, blending in more and more until it was completely blue. After the sun had set completely, the sky turned dark blue and the color ironically reminded her of Sasuke’s eyes. “Midnight blue,” she whispered under her breath, careful not to speak too loud, in case the ANBU member was nearby. Finally, after what seemed an eternity of silence, one of the men talked calmly about how boring their shift was. As more men joined in on the conversation, Sakura finally gained the courage to glance around the trunk she was leaning against. They stood a few yards away from her, backs turned, completely absorbed in their conversation. Knowing that this was her only chance, Sakura moved along, using the bushes and the foliage of the trees as a cover while racing from one side to another. Amazingly enough, none of the ANBU members had noticed her passing by as she reached the other end of the border. Sakura made a mental note to tell Tsunade about the slacking members. She halted, freezing on the spot. Resisting the urge to laugh at herself, she shook her head, mentally berating herself. Sakura wasn’t even sure if she’d even get to see Sasuke, much less return to Konoha in one piece. To think about what to say to Tsunade about the shinobi that actually stayed in the village simply seemed silly. Sakura sighed softly, then stopped midstride, realizing that the ANBU members suddenly came closer. Hastily, she ducked under a bush and waited for them to pass her by as they jumped into the branches and farther away from her.

Taking that as her cue, Sakura dashed away as fast as she could, completely exhausted and the slightest twinge of regret occupying her mind. She afforded one glance back to the Fire Country, the place that had been her home. It seemed like a faraway place now, somewhere she couldn’t return unless she brought back Sasuke. Resolve burned in her eyes as she relinquished her gaze and moved farther into the Country of River. -“Itachi-san,” Kisame growled, glancing up to the east as he readjusted Samehada on his back. His razor-sharp teeth were bared as he grinned to no-one in particular, mulling over the chakra level that was nearing them. Uchiha Itachi stood very still, glancing into the same directions from the corners of his eyes as he rebuttoned his Akatsuki cloak. Normally, Kisame wouldn’t even get excited about anyone nearing them. Most people didn’t know about Akatsuki, which enabled the both of them to move around the countries without too much hassle. But Itachi knew this particular chakra level. It belonged to the medical kunoichi that was with Uzumaki Naruto – the kyuubi, when he battled him for a second time. “Haruno… Sakura…” he whispered in his velvet, deep voice, still looking into that particular direction. Quickly, he weighed out the pros and cons of searching her out. To do anything rashly would be unnecessary and unlike him. And his gut was now telling him that it was the right time for him to move. “Kisame,” he whispered, barely audible, but enough for Kisame to nod and jump into the trees. Itachi hesistated for a second, crimson eyes locked on nothing in particular as he observed that general path. Though it was probably a good decision, something did not sit well with him. Only time would tell exactly what. He blinked once and followed Kisame into the trees as they swiftly made their way to their unsuspecting target. -Sakura was a day removed from the Fire Country’s border now and though she was happy with her progress, certain problems had occurred. For instance, the fact that the River Country apparently had a serious lack of fruits that grew on trees. Also, most rivers she passed were completely devoid of fish, leaving her with nothing to eat except an apple that she had taken along with her just before crossing the border. Her stomach growled and Sakura could feel herself weakening. The constant use of chakra that she used to move faster was helpful, but also tiring. And the lack of sleep was maddening. Dark circles had formed under her eyes and her tired eyelids closed every once in a while, only to snap up when she heard something more in the vicinity.

Sleep was overtaking her now as dark spots danced in front of her eyes. Sakura halted on the mossy ground, managing to stride towards a tree. She sat down, leaning against the harsh wooden trunk, ignoring the bumps that stuck in her back. Once in a while, she opened her eyes again, hoping that the fatigue had passed. But eventually, it became increasingly harder for her to open her eyes again, until finally, she gave in and nodded off. For the first time since leaving, she dreamt. A small upturn of the lips adorned her face as her dream took her back to Konoha, to the field of cosmos flowers that she had frequently visited with Ino. -The first sign of trouble came when the dream abruptely ended. Sakura could suddenly clearly feel two chakra levels extremely closeby and her eyes flew open in shock. Hurriedly, she drew a kunai from her pouch, crouching down in a fighting stance as the first person landed in front of her. Her eyesight was still bleary, but the long red and black cloaks immediately told her that she was in big trouble. As she glanced up to the man’s face, she noticed his grey-blue tinted skin, his razor sharp teeth and the rotting odor that rolled out of his mouth with every breath he took. It blew in her face and Sakura resisted the urge to hurl, knowing that this was no opponent to be underestimated. “Hoshigaki Kisame,” she said, gripping her kunai even harder. “I recognize your face from the file we have on you.” “I feel so honored,” Kisame grinned in response as he moved his hand to his back. He grabbed Samehada and pulled it off the belt that was strapped over his back. Some of the bandages that were wrapped around the sword let go, allowing Sakura to see the sharp edges sticking out. “Introductions come later though.” She gritted her teeth, readying herself for combat. But with the speed of light, Itachi interjected, appearing in front of her. Astonished, Sakura glanced up to regard her new adversary, but Itachi’s crimson Sharingan had changed already into pinwheels and swept her away. Sakura barely had time to scream before fear overtook her completely. -“Tsukiyomi already huh?” Kisame grunted, glancing at the kunoichi as she screamed loudly, eyes widened in horror. Then, she slumped to the ground and it became eerily quiet. Itachi blinked twice, allowing his eyes to return to their original color for a moment as he glanced down the kunoichi. The pink thresses and the clothing left no doubt about it. Long, pale fingers stretched out to brush some bubblegum strands away, revealing the forehead protector and Konoha’s symbol on it.

Cupping her chin, he tilted her head upwards so that he could get a good look at her face. Her cheeks were hollowed and her skin looked unnaturally grey. Dark circles were prominent under her eyes, long lashes cast shadows on her pale cheeks. Her swoon had left a light sheen of sweat on her face. “It was not Tsukiyomi,” Itachi said simply, still regarding the kunoichi’s face. “Just a mere illusion.” “She succumbed quickly,” Kisame noted, stepping closer as he slid his sword back on his back. He cocked his head to the side, still grinning widely as he observed Sakura momentarily. “Will we use her as bait for the kyuubi, Itachi-san?” Itachi remained quiet for a second, pondering over a million issues in his head as it seemed. Then finally, he let go of her face and stepped away from her unconscious body. “Take her along,” he instructed calmly before disappearing into thin air. Kisame grunted in response, not quite happy with the prospect of having to carry the girl back to the inn where they were going to lodge for a while. But Itachi’s orders were law and Kisame knew fully well that if he’d return without the kunoichi, consequences would be dire. With another sigh, he heaved the girl over his shoulder and followed Itachi, cursing under his breath as thunder crashed in the sky. Rain started to pour down relentlessly, causing Kisame to utter some vulgar words to the sky. Sakura slid off his shoulder as he reached over to grab the kunai she had dropped, falling on the unforgiving floor, her knee banging against a loose branch on the ground. He glanced at the pink haired kunoichi and grinned widely. It had been a long time since they used a bait to lure in a Jinchuuriki, and he was sure this time would be as fun as the last time they used one. -The first thing she could feel was the sharp pain that flamed through her knee. Sakura groaned hard, fighting to open her eyes. She struggled against her instincts to lay completely still on the floor so that the pain in her knee wouldn’t flare and sat up straight. The room was dimly lit, not allowing her to see much of the environment she was currently in. She rubbed her head, quickly regathering her memories, groaning even harder as she realized that she had stumbled onto two Akatsuki members. The day couldn’t possibly get any worse. She held out her arm, faintly noticing the wall there as the soft light bounced off the white wall to the floor. Using the wall as a leverage, Sakura attempted to stand up, gritting her teeth so hard it hurt. But her knee was too painful to stand up and she landed back on the hard, wooden floor. Stifling a gasp of pain, she crawled to the wall and leaned against it, propping her knee up against her stomach. Sakura molded as much chakra as she could to her hand, quickly forming some

handseals. Her hand moved to her knee, and she sighed in instant relief as the pain weakened under her warm touch. To Sakura, it almost felt as if her chakra was kneading the pain away. It was then that she heard two people nearing the room. Their pacing was calm, as if they weren’t in a hurry and all Sakura could do was grimace. Being a hostage of Akatsuki promised little good and it would stall her from her destinations. Her grimace slowly turned into a scowl and by the time the door opened, Sakura was infuriated, squinting her eyes as a bright light streamed into the room through the now open door. “Hello kunoichi,” Kisame’s raspy voice sounded from the door opening. Sakura held up her hand to block out the blinding lights and could barely make out Kisame’s huge sillouette in the threshold. “She’s awake, Itachi-san. What should we do now?” he said, not to her, but to the figure that had suddenly appeared beside him. Itachi was significantly shorter, but that wasn’t such a difficult feat when Kisame was your partner, Sakura noticed. Overall, perhaps he was just a feet or two taller than her. Immediately, Sakura started to ponder about the possible escaping options. Though Itachi was the smaller one, she knew he was significantly stronger than Kisame. And his eyes could disable her for days. She clenched her jaw. “What do you want with me?” “Are you able to stand?” Uchiha Itachi’s soft voice drifted through the room as he completely ignored her previous question. A little disappointed that she had been unable to evoke a reaction out of the Uchiha, she pushed herself up. Her knee was still hurting, but it was a dull pain now instead of the flaming pain she had felt earlier. Her knees buckled under her after she attempted to take a step into their direction, signaling that she was incredibly tired. Another attempt sent her back to the floor and Sakura bit her lip until it bled, unwilling to cry out in pain now that those two Akatsuki members stood in front of her. Her knees throbbed violently, but Sakura knew she had to stand up. She most certainly did not want to test Itachi’s patience. Feeling the sharingan piercing through the darkness, she tried to stand up again, and failed miserably. As she massaged her painfully purple knee, Itachi suddenly appeared in front of her, taking her by surprise. Itachi stared down at her, emotionlessly then bowed down, roughly taking her wrist in his hand. He helped her up, allowing her to hold on to his large hand for support while he calmly trotted out of the room. Sakura fumed with anger, trying her best not to cry out in pain while Itachi walked in front of her in a fast pace. He didn’t even bother to check if she was alright. Finally, her knee gave into the pain and became numb. She pulled away from Itachi’s strong hand and allowed herself to sit down on the floor. She tried to activate her chakra once more to heal herself. A barely audible sigh was heard, and she was suddenly being hoisted up over his

shoulder, her face facing his back as he made his way to a door. It didn’t even occur to her to yell at him for obvious reasons. First of all, she was scared. This was a killer that stood out among killers. Itachi was legendary. Secondly, the warmth of his back and shoulder radiating to her body was pleasant, as her body felt like it was made out of ice. When he finally let go of her, and she sat down on the ground while he opened up the door. Now that he wasn’t holding onto her anymore, she felt strangely numb. He opened up the door and gestured for her to go in. Knowing that this wasn’t the time to complain or disobey his requests, she stood up slowly and walked into the room, passing Itachi on her way in. Similar to the previous room, this room was also completely dark and Sakura waited patiently for her eyes to adjust to the gloomy atmosphere. “Why did you bring me here?” Sakura questioned numbly. “I wasn’t aware you might prefer to sleep in the hallway,” Itachi said in his usual quiet, baritone voice. “Sleep,” he directed before walking out of the doorway. “Kisame stands guard,” he added, almost as an afterthought, before closing the door behind him.

Metamorphosis – an Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto A/N: Chapter rewritting the 15th of June, 2008. Chapter Three – The Red Moon Calls The rain storm of that particular afternoon had ensured a clear, star-shot night. The moon’s bright rays reflected on the wet surfaces of the stones that paved the way to the Uchiha district. Behind her, the loud bustle of the town was getting more hushed as she moved closer and closer to the completely still area. All she could hear now was the faint sound of crickets that now inhabited the abandoned complex and the occasional sounds of birds flying over. Though everything seemed peaceful, for some reason, it looked off to her. As though she was missing something of the utmost importance, but she couldn’t identify what it was until she stepped into the Uchiha district and realized that the house to the far north was devoid of light. Usually, Sasuke was in the room that looked over the district by this time, reading through some of his scrolls as he apparently prepared for another day. She didn’t knew

how many times she had watched him do that, but it was always a soothing sight to see that he was still there, especially after Itachi had shown up so suddenly a few weeks ago. But this time, he wasn’t there. The room was dark and there was no sign of life anywhere around her. Behind her, a twig cracked. She whirled around and saw Sasuke. He was walking away from her, his hands pocketed in his white shorts. Then she noticed the full backpack and the fact that he wasn’t wearing his forehead protector. Sakura cried out to him, but he didn’t turn around. Instead, he just walked on until she couldn’t see him anymore. “Don’t!” she called out, her emerald eyes opened wide. Her hand was stretched out towards the grimy ceiling, the dream still vividly etched into her mind. Disorientated, Sakura glanced around the room. It was cold inside as she disentangled herself from the white sheets, sitting upright as she inspected the rest of the small room, noticing that she was completely alone. She swore profusely as memories from the previous day flooded her mind. Itachi and Kisame were near, Sakura knew that much. Escape was not probable, but she could either make it work or die trying. There was no way in hell that she’d be kept a hostage of Akatsuki. Hastily, she slid off the bed, noticing her boots near the window. Sakura didn’t even take the time to put them on, knowing that either one of them could be back any minute now and escape would be impossible from then on. Sakura grabbed the handle for the window, trying to lift it up without making too much noise. But the window was old and creaked with every inch. She cursed violently under her beath, trying to slide it open quickly now without pulling the entire wall out with her strength. “Nice try kunoichi,” a deep, raspy voice sounded from behind her. Gritting her teeth, she turned around to see Kisame’s face, a mocking grin adorning his blue lips. “Very unpredictable too,” he said, sarcasm saturating his voice. He was leaning against the wall next to the door, his immense sword leaning against his hip, handle in his hands. Evidently, Kisame was going to attack her if she would make one more move. Automatically, Sakura reached for her kunai pocket, ready to attack him as soon as he came for her. But her pouch had been removed, as was the pouch filled with senbon that used to be strapped on to the back of her skirt.

“Are you going to fight me, kunoichi?” Kisame said, laughing shortly. “Amusing.” “I am,” she said darkly, dropping into her fighting stance. Though she was exhausted beyond beliefs, her chakra almost completely depleted from running constantly through the countries since her escape from Konoha, the last thing Sakura would ever do was give into Akatsuki. But before she could even make a move, the door opened again and this time, Itachi stepped inside. He quickly assessed the situation, glancing from Kisame to Sakura. He kept his piercing eyes on her for a while, observing her as though she was a mouse in a cage, waiting to be experimented on. “Dinner,” Itachi said, gesturing towards the hallway. “Follow me,” he said to Sakura, his soft voice compelling, threatening. “What do you want with me?” Sakura said as Itachi turned to step out of the room again. He glanced over his shoulder. “We’ll discuss this while eating. Now come.” She stood still. “Kisame,” Itachi said. Kisame grinned as he grabbed his sword. Within a split second, he had disappeared from the place he was standing and stood behind Sakura. “Relax kunoichi,” Kisame said as Sakura turned around, accumulating the last of her chakra into her fist. “We’re not going to kill you…” She lowered her arm a little bit, incredulous. “Yet,” he added with another grin, exposing his razor sharp teeth to her. As he exhaled, some of his vile breath fanned over her face, nauseating her immediately. She fought back the urge to hurl, took a few steps backwards until she stood in the middle of the room, Itachi on one side, Kisame on the other. “What do you want with me?” she asked again, turning to Itachi. Itachi said nothing as he turned to face her completely, his crimson eyes blank. “I don’t like repeating myself kunoichi.” With that, he stepped outside the room and sauntered away. Quickly deliberating, Sakura looked towards the open door and then over her shoulder to see Kisame standing there, the insane grin still apparently on his disfigured face. Clearly, she didn’t have an option but to follow Itachi right now and see what they wanted with her. Her eyes narrowed as she walked back towards the window, picking up the boots she had dropped in the heat of the moment. Kisame watched her with disinterest as she put them on quickly. “Will you be standing here all the time?” she finally asked, annoyed by his very presence.

Kisame answered by laughing, following her as she followed Itachi out of the room and steered her towards a larger room to their left. She didn’t even get much more time to inspect the place they were lodging in as Kisame pushed her into the room. A large wooden table stood in the middle, Itachi seated at the head. There were some bags with a restaurant’s name on it; take out. She almost snorted, realizing that she never even thought about Itachi and Kisame cooking for themselves. It sounded almost silly and she nearly broke into hysterical laughter as she imagined Kisame with a frilly apron standing in front of a stove. Itachi evidently noticed her barely concealed laughter as he raised his eyebrows slightly, obviously under the impression that she had completely lost it. “I’m surprised you find this entire situation laughable, kunoichi,” Itachi said, gesturing to a chair on his left side while Kisame sat on the opposite side of the table. Sakura sat down on her designated spot, eyeing Kisame as he dove into one of the bags, hunger displayed clearly in his round eyes. “I was just thinking about Kisame in an apron. He seems to be your dog so I assumed he would cook for you too.” Kisame looked up, the grin gone from his mutated features. He didn’t seem to appreciate the jibe. Inner Sakura cheered her on. He threw the smallest package towards her and she caught it midair, slowly removing the lid from the plastic cup, noticing the noodles inside. She eyes them warily and then looked at Kisame as she replaced the lid and slid away from food from her, ignoring the sounds her stomach was making. “You’re rude kunoichi,” Kisame said, grinning widely as he opened his own package. Sakura choose to ignore him. Instead, she looked at Itachi as he opened his package calmly, grabbing one of his red dumplings. He turned the full force of his intense red eyes on her as he took a bite, unmistakably waiting for her to make the first move. “Deidara isn’t here?” Kisame asked, oblivious to obvious tension as Sakura struggled to formulate a good opening sentence. “No,” Itachi said, his eyes still focussed on Sakura. “Deidara?” she queried, trying to sound disinterested. If she was to be a hostage for Akatsuki for the time being, or whatever it was they wanted with her, it might be best to win as much information about their organization as she could muster. With a slight pang, Sakura also realized that it might be a good bargaining chip to try and get back into Tsunade’s good graces. “Damn,” Kisame swore, rummaging through the remaining bags. “They forgot half of my order again.”

Cursing pungently under his breath, Kisame stood up and dashed out of the room, abandoning his food and present company completely. Sakura pulled her eyebrows together. Granted, she had never actually interacted with any S-Class criminals, but Kisame seemed to be a comedian, rather than a true member of Akatsuki. “Kunoichi,” Itachi woke her from her reverie, demanding attention with his deep voice. She turned to meet his gaze, holding his eyes as she fought back the fear that bubbled up inside of her. It was only natural to be fearful of this man; he had killed an entire clan single-handedly, but it wouldn’t be wise to show exactly how scared she was of him. Shinobi rule number twenty-five; never show emotions. “Sakura,” she said, keeping her voice neutral. “Haruno Sakura.” He cocked his head slightly. “I apologize for being rude, Haruno-san.” She nodded, satisfied. At least he seemed to be somewhat dignified still. “Correct me if I’m wrong,” Itachi said in that deep baritone voice of his. “You’re a medic kunoichi who has been trained by the Fifth herself.” “Correct,” she said after a short pause, knowing that lying would get her nowhere. Itachi nodded, taking another bite of his dumpling. “And you’ve left Konoha.” She remained quiet. It wasn’t a question anyway, more a statement. Naturally it was clear to him that she had left Konoha. She was alone, without a team, without any other Konoha ninja with her. Sakura had been hungry and tired when he had found her. It was obvious. Her silence apparently was enough of an answer to him. Kisame took that moment to stomp inside again, a small bag in his hand. He grumbled something under his breath, seated himself and grabbed the rest of his food before. Without saying another word, he started shoving large quanities of food into his mouth, apparently still upset over the fact that he had to run after whoever had brought the food. “Little brat ran off with the rest of my food,” Kisame grumbled at Itachi, pieces of fish between his sharp teeth apparent. Itachi was quiet for a moment. “Kisame, the matter I asked you about?” Kisame swallowed. “Handled that already.” They ate in silence while Sakura sat silently, still refusing to eat her food. Itachi sometimes glanced at her, apparently mulling over something as his crimson eyes scrutinized her. Kisame was staring at her as well, a horrifying grin playing around his thin lips as he chewed on his fish.

It felt uncomfortable for her to be there, in the presence of two extremely strong criminals. They were strong enough to defeat the strongest Jounin from her village and now she was sitting across from them, watching them eat. Part of her wanted to run away as quickly as she could, but common sense told her to stay put, knowing that they would finish eating soon and she would finally get to learn why she was there. Itachi finished first. He turned his powerful gaze towards her, searching her eyes for answers as he puzzled together his words. “Sakura-san,” he started softly. His intense eyes were making her anxious and Sakura could nearly feel her heart stop completely while Itachi deliberated on what to say. Itachi was a man that seemed to think everything over, even shortest of sentences were thought over before he finally uttered them. It was disheartening to know that she was now, seemingly, the hostage of a man whose intelligence might be surpassing hers. Not to mention his physical strength. It was as if she were up against some kind of machine that could predict her every movement, especially with his Sharingan. “Why are you here?” he asked finally, voice void of emotion. She held her breath momentarily, quickly thinking about her options. If she lied to Itachi, he would kill her. There was no doubt in her mind that Itachi did not like to be lied to and the threat was clear in his crimson eyes. He definitely knew that lying might be part of her plan. Hesitantly, Sakura answered, trying her hardest to keep her voice under control. “Sasuke.” Kisame looked up, chewing slowly on his food, now interested in whatever Sakura had to say. Itachi said absolutely nothing, he just blinked once, slowly, as he took in the information. “I’m here because of Sasuke,” she said quietly. -It was a grim day. Though it was the middle of summer, the usually azure sky was now grey, little to no sunlight penetrated the thick layer of grey clouds. The entire sky just seemed murky, depressing and certainly did fit Hatake Kakashi’s current mood. He glanced outside as he readjusted the mask around his mouth and nose, ignoring the small itch as the fabric wrapped tightly around his heated skin. Kakashi glanced at the grey fabric of his ANBU vest, toying with the roughened texture between his calloused fingers. If he looked more closely, some light red stains still remained on the vest, an eternal tribute to his work as an ANBU member. When Kakashi had taken the vest off for the last time, he had hoped that it had been for the last time. ANBU, though most of his good friends were from that time, was horrible. Days of strolling around the border and tough fights with incredibly strong shinobi were daily business, as was patrolling every 10 minutes, over and over, until they had no more

chakra left. And yet here he was, pulling the vest over his head once more. But he wasn’t the only one. Due to recent developments in Konoha, namely Sakura’s escape and Sasuke’s current situation, Tsunade had been forced to take action. Thus she had sent out the best of the best, knowing that if the worst came to pass, they would have to fight Orochimaru, and unless the shinobi she sent were amazingly well prepared, it would end disastrous. Thus Kakashi had been sent out, together with Lee and Gai, Konoha’s presumed taijutsu specialists. Also, Nara Shikamaru had been put into the team as well, providing to be a great help when it came to distracting the enemy and help out with stategic decisions. Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru for the tracking, Hyuuga Neji for the scouting and Shiranui Genma as one of the all round shinobi Tsunade sent along. Naturally, Naruto had insisted on coming along, though Tsunade had planned to leave him out during this battle. The Fifth knew precisely that Sasuke and Sakura were Naruto’s weak spots and that it might make the entire operation even more complicated than it already was. But there was no stopping Naruto on this. Kakashi knew, Tsunade knew. To Naruto, this wasn’t an act of courage, like Sakura’s had been. In Naruto’s eyes, this was the logical decision; there had not been any other options and for Naruto to let go of the both of them… well, Kakashi was sure that would never happen. He tied his scarlet scarf around his neck and placed the mask over his head. Momentarily, he stepped towards the picture of Yondaime and his team, allowing the tops of his fingers to touch the cool glass of the frame, moving over Obito first, before moving on to Rin and finally Yondaime – Namikaze Minato. With an odd sense of clarity and déjà vu, Kakashi moved the mask until it was covering his complete face and hastily made his way out through the window, towards the Hokage’s administration building. -“He always complains about me not being on time and how he hates making others wait, but now look at the time… yeah,” a dark shadow on top of one of the many mountains that surrounded the Hidden Village of Stone said, as he looked down upon his former village with one sky-blue eye. He made a fist with his hand, and reopened it, inspecting the hungry mouths on the inside of his hands, their tongues darting outside, hoping to get some more clay. The blond smirked at them as he stuck his hands into his pockets, allowing them to eat off one of his most precious versions of his chakra-infused clay. “Deidara…” an ominous voice said from behind him. Deidara didn’t even tense anymore. Sasori’s distinct way of moving was impossible to be irrecognizable. It was probably the

slow strut and the dragging of his cloak on the ground as he made his way to his partner. “Yes, danna?” he said, turning around to see Sasori coming closer. “Kisame called in. They need you in River.” Deidara raised his eyebrow. “Why me?” “Leader wants it that way. Now go. I’ll handle this,” Sasori rasped. “I’m always missing the fun… yeah,” Deidara said, shaking his head as he retracted his hands from his pocket. “Don’t go too crazy.” Sasori simply smirked before accelerating. He rushed past Deidara and jumped off the ridge, landing a good twenty feet underneath Deidara. Without even as much as a final glance, Sasori moved away in his usually calm pace. “Well… I’ll be going then… yeah.”

Metamorphosis – an Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto A/N: Chapter rewritten August 19, 2008. Chapter Four – Sinking into Deep Water Utter silence greeted her after she uttered Sasuke’s name. Kisame’s amused stare was obvious, his vicious grin revealing remains of food between his razor sharp teeth as his horrid breath blew into her face. Itachi on the other hand wasn’t showing any visible emotion – as always. She focused on his Akatsuki cloak, trying to avoid those intense crimson eyes of his. The tension in the air was thick and nerve-wracking, and the knowledge that she might be turned into food for the dogs in a few minutes only served to fuel her fear. Her hands were shaking and her heart was beating erratically. For some reason, it felt as if Itachi could see all of that happening inside her body. ‘Calm down,’ Inner Sakura thought. ‘This isn’t helping.’ Under her inner voice, she concentrated on stopping the shaking. Itachi and Kisame were two Akatsuki members. After everything she had learned about that wretched organization, she should definitely know better than to show how scared she actually was of the both of them. Itachi especially. While Kisame was the brawl of the duo, Itachi’s intelligence absolutely matched hers, or even exceeded hers. And there was no doubt in her mind that out of the two of them, Itachi was the better fighter.

A short glance at his Sharingan reminded her exactly why Kisame even was obedient. “Your orientation seems to be off, Sakura-san,” Itachi’s reply sounded, cutting through the tense air. Kisame chuckled under his breath as she looked up to meet Itachi’s gaze. “Sasuke is not here.” A bit annoyed by his remark, Sakura replied: “I was trying to make my way out of the Fire country first, in case ANBU squads would have been sent out.” “And what, ANBU members don’t cross borders?” Kisame said, laughing louder now. Kisame’s taunting rang true. She had been too hasty in her decision to leave, not even thinking about the best route. Her best plan had been to go to River first and make her way north and finally eastward. But as Kisame’s laughing continued, Sakura realized one thing with relief: they weren’t going to kill her for going to Sound. It had been her greatest fear, that either Itachi or Kisame might have attacked her on the spot for going towards Orochimaru. He was, afterall, an enemy of Akatsuki as well. Neither of them had seemed surprised though. Perhaps she was even more transparent than she had originally thought. As she observed Itachi’s handsome face, he seemed to be mulling over something, his eyes unseeing and a million miles away from the small wooden table he was sitting at. Then Itachi blinked and returned. His eyes swept over her face for a moment, before they turned towards the hallway. A second later, a soft knock was heard. Kisame stood up, giving into a tongue-curling yawn, exposing all his sharp teeth and his blue-tinted tongue in the meanwhile. He caught Sakura staring and grinned widely, obviously enjoying her apparent disgust. He swept away from the table dramatically, his open cloak billowing behind him, the telltale red clouds moving with every step he took. When Kisame returned, he was suddenly devoid of the gills on his face, as well as the grey-blue tinted skin and the round eyes. He looked like someone she could pass on the streets without questioning his appearance. Shocked, her mouth fell open, until he released the transformation and turned back into the form she had come to hate during the past couple of days. “Simple henge,” Kisame grinned, throwing one of the packages at her. “Can’t go announcing to the world that I’m Hoshigaki Kisame, can I?” As he sat down, Kisame glanced at Itachi. “Itachi-san…” he trailed off, but Itachi seemed to understand. “We wait. There will be an oppertune time,” Itachi said, opening his package. As he deftly moved the sleeves of his cloak out of the way, Sakura noticed his long fingers, his nails painted a dark shade of purple.

Itachi investigated the rice for a brief moment, as Kisame went towards the tap, producing a glass from a cabinet. He filled it with water and put it down in the middle of the table. Itachi picked up some grains and threw them into the water. The confusion must have been apparent on her face as Kisame smirked. “New kind of poison. It’s color and odorless, yet when you throw it into the water, infected food will change colors.” She nodded. As missing nin’s, they would probably know every sort of poison or any other intoxicating medicine that could put them out long enough for the hunter nins to kill them. As Kisame mirrored Itachi’s movements, and seemed satisfied that the rice didn’t change its color, she proceeded to eat. Just before she could bring the small amount of rice to her lips, Itachi’s hand encircled her wrist in a fashion that showed her that he could easily break her hand if he applied anymore pressure. “I-Itachi-san, you’re hurting me!” Sakura flinched as she tried to break free from his iron grasp. She had hoped that his grip would slightly lessen, but it didn’t. Itachi leaned forward, meeting her frightened gaze with his fiery, red Sharingan. “Test it,” he said, the calm of his voice deceptively dangerous. She deemed it best not to fight him over it and quickly threw some grains into the water. Itachi let go of her hand and she quickly retracted it under the table, massaging her sore skin. Thee pairs of eyes were trimmed on the glass of water, watching for any irregular change. As none came, Sakura breathed a sigh in relief and glanced up at Itachi, mildly annoyed. But as she watched him watch the glass, something in his expression changed for a brief second, before reverting back to blank. She followed his gaze and her eyes widened as she noticed the water in the glass had gone blood-red. After a tense moment, Itachi spoke up: “Six ANBU. Hunters.” It remained quiet for a while. “Kisame.” Itachi’s voice was calm and leveled, but there was something in it that immediately forced Kisame to stand up. The shark nodded, grabbed the gigantic sword that leaned against the wall and placed it on his back, patting it lovingly. “Seems Samehada and I will be having some fun at last,” he said, grinning as he sauntered off. “Kisame,” Itachi’s voice was tinged with some unspoken command. “I know,” Kisame said from the hallway. As Kisame left the building, Itachi stood up, unbothered as he grabbed his package and emptied it in the garbage bin. He turned around to face Sakura, grabbing the package he had been hiding under his chair as he walked back. Her eyes were still fixed on the glass, shock registering in them, and also, disbelief. Itachi placed the box in front of her, waking her from her trance. She eyed it once and

looked at Itachi. “What is this?” “Your new clothes. Put them on. We’re leaving as soon as Kisame returns.” Before she could ask anything else, Itachi walked out of the room, granting her privacy as he closed the door behind him. Knowing that Kisame could return very soon, and that she definitely didn’t want the both of them to see her in her panties, Sakura removed the lid of the box. The first thing she saw was the red cloud embroidered on black material. An Akatsuki cloak. Underneath the cloak was a mesh shirt, similar to the one she saw Itachi wearing, and some dark pants. On the very bottom lay two identical white socks. Sakura changed quickly, the shirt fitting her perfectly, though she had to roll the pants up once. She put her boots back on, sighing as she put the socks on over them. When it came to the cloak, she looked hesitant. Wearing Akatsuki’s colors, even if it was for a short while, seemed to her like betrayal of her village. She picked up the cloak, eyeing it warily before putting it on. Though Itachi was more her size, there was definitely at least thirty centimeters difference in height. The cloak dragged on the floor as she walked back and forth with it on. Grimacing, Sakura hoped that Itachi wouldn’t mind as she grabbed the ends of her cloak and tore a strip off. She continued to do so until the cloak reached until her ankles. Just as she was closing the buttons, a familiar scent reached her nostrils. Fire. And something fresh, like rain. The cloak smelled like Sasuke did. Sakura unconsciously brought the cuff to her nose, inhaling that sweet, tangy scent that belonged to Sasuke, a myriad of emotions whirling through her. She didn’t even notice that Itachi had returned. “I trust you like the clothes, Sakura-san?” his deep voice woke her from her reverie and she looked up, blushing madly. He was standing in the doorway, leaning against the threshold with his legs and arms crossed. His Akatsuki cloak was slightly opened and she could see a small, delicate looking necklace hanging around his neck. Three silver flowers. “Y-Yes Itachi-san,” Sakura stammered. “I had to take some off the cloak though, it was too long for me to wear.” ‘Embarrassing moment, hello! Why on earth did I sniff his clothes anyway!’ His crimson eyes strayed towards her cloak and then down towards the frayed ends of the cloak. Itachi didn’t seem to mind it as he pushed himself up. Within a second, Itachi stood less than a meter away from her. She took a few tentative steps backward, until she met the table and there was nowhere

else to go. Itachi had followed her and leaned in close, his eyes calculating as they looked back and forth between hers. “The ANBU were Leaf,” Itachi said, his voice completely devoid from any emotion, yet the coolness of his tone struck her as a bad omen. He had never once used that tone on her, and this time, Sakura was sure that she would die. Surely he would think of her as a threat now that he knew that ANBU would really come for her. “They’re coming for you,” he said dispassionately. “Because you ran away from Konoha. And all of this, for Sasuke?” She nodded once, briefly, afraid to make any more gestures. Sakura closed her eyes, trembling ever so lightly as he leaned away from her, his hand trailing up until he cupped her chin between two fingers. For the first time since leaving Konoha, did she regret her decision. What would happen now? Itachi would kill her. She would have died for nothing. She hadn’t even gotten to Sound village. The pathetic end to the life of a mediocre ninja. Bitter bile surged up through her throat. Even swallowing it away seemed to be the most difficult thing she had ever done. “I see,” Itachi said finally. She opened her eyes, wide with fear, but Itachi’s face betrayed nothing as he let go of her chin and walked away from her. “Leaving Konoha for a missing nin out for revenge. Very noble.” Sakura massaged her chin and glanced at the bruises that were blossoming on her pale skin of her wrist. Still shocked, she molded some chakra to her fingers, healing the bruises. Concentrated as she was, she missed the intrigued look that graced Itachi’s face. Frustration overtook her as soon as she healed the bruise. Sakura had never been one to live in fear. Sure, it was normal in a shinobi’s life, no matter how hard school tried to teach you to live without emotions. But to have someone hurt her and not being able to do anything in return was unbearable. Adrenaline flowing through her veins, she turned her most murderous stare onto Itachi, who looked up from her wrist. A flicker of emotion passed his face as she marched up to him. “Please don’t do that again, Itachi-san,” she said, and for the first time, there was no fear or anguish in her voice, just genuine anger. -“My future is not where my dream is.” Sasuke’s deep voice resounded through the tiny, dark room. It was as if he were standing there, right next to the bed as he said those damning words. Naruto gritted his teeth, trying to fight back the tears as they threatened to spill over his cheeks.

Over and over again, Naruto sees Sasuke in front of him, standing on that small plateau in the middle of the Valley of the End. Those eyes that had turned yellow and those marks all over his face and arms. And then, he transformed into a monster. Just like Naruto did. And now… “This time… we’ll get him back together!” “Liar,” he whispered hoarsely. “Liar, liar, liar. Sakura-chan, you’re a liar.” And just like that, Naruto was bawling like a little child. He pressed his pillow against his face, stifling the sobs while his entire body shook with still unshed tears. But there was also anger, and a lot of rage. Hatred for Orochimaru and for Kabuto and Itachi and all the others that took Sasuke away. How Naruto wished he hated Sasuke like he had always proclaimed to. That Sasuke meant nothing to him, just another genin ninja who turned out to betray his village to join their greatest enemy. How he wished that Sasuke was never paired up together with him and Sakura. How Naruto wished he was enough. Both for Sasuke and for Sakura. That it wasn’t all meaningless. That there was more to life than constantly trying to save those you’ve forged a bond with so powerful that it’s impossible to let go of them anymore. Sasuke was right all along. It hurts because of the bonds. The crying continued until the early hours of the morning. When he finally crawled out of his bed, his eyes were red and puffy and he looked a complete mess. After a quick shower and some breakfast, he put his Jounin uniform on and made his way towards the administration building, hoping to learn more about their situation. And also hoping that they would be sent out today to get both Sasuke and Sakura back. Resolve burned in his cerulean eyes as he stepped inside the building. -While she had been healing her wrist, Itachi had buttoned up his cloak again. The only thing she could see right now were those penetrating crimson eyes. It remained deathly quiet for a while. Her adrenaline rush was subsiding, leaving her vulnerable again to Itachi’s intimidating presence. She tried to decipher whether he was angered or amused, but his usual blank eyes gave no indication of his current mood. Then, Sakura heard a chuckle. Her eyes grew the size of saucers as she watched Itachi, before realizing that it was not his voice. She whirled around to see Kisame standing in the doorway, a bloody Samehada in his hands. Kisame grinned again and as he stepped into the light, she could clearly see the wet stains of blood on his Akatsuki cloak. “I disposed of all of them,” Kisame said to Itachi. “Konoha, as we thought.”

He was rewarded with a curt nod. Itachi didn’t even look him in the eye, but kept his eyes on Sakura at all times. Kisame grinned at the younger shinobi’s back and stared at Sakura as well. “But kunoichi, you should be happy. You’re the first one to ever use that tone on Itachisan, and he hasn’t killed you yet,” Kisame started laughing as he walked out of the room, unaware that the tension had thickened in the last seconds of his stay. As he closed the door, Itachi spoke: “Sit down.” She stared at Itachi for a moment longer, her usual, stubborn self bubbling up inside of her, urging her to keep her self-control and not be afraid of this man. But as Itachi glared at her, her resolve quickly faded away and she reluctantly took a seat. Itachi took a seat across from her. “You left Konoha for Sasuke.” “Correct,” she said defiantly. “You’re aware he will not come back with you.” “Yes,” she said. It was the truth. There was no way that Sasuke would come back to Konoha now. Not while Itachi was still breathing. A pause. Whether Itachi was puzzling together the tiny pieces of the huge puzzle that centered around the former team 7, or whether he thought she was a lunatic, Sakura didn’t know. It was amazing how the two of them looked alike during brief moments like these. He was just like Sasuke—that intelligent brain of his always working full-time, analyzing, storing every little piece of information that he finds. Yet there was a world of difference in their manners as well. Sasuke would fold his hands together while brooding and thinking, Itachi just seemed lost in his own world for a split second, though his eyes were always aware of every single movement around him. Always calculating his movements and incalculably dangerous. “You are aware that he’ll never do this for you?” Itachi said after a moment of consideration. “Yes,” Sakura answered. Truthfully speaking though, she wasn’t sure if Sasuke wouldn’t do the same for her. Perhaps it was just her imagination speaking, but during team 7, Sasuke had been part of the team. One third of it, as strong and fierce as Naruto had been, protecting the both of them. Even when Itachi had so briefly appeared, Sasuke had run towards Naruto. Naruto thought it was simply for revenge. She wasn’t so sure about that. Would he come for her?

Sasuke’s face flashed before her, the arrogant half-grin he used to wear playing around his lips. Another Sasuke, broken and miserable in the hospital bed, dazed as he woke up. Sasuke and the curse mark spreading over his face. Sasuke activating the Chidori against Naruto on the hospital roof… Sasuke on the road that led out of Konoha, smiling almost gently as he turned around. “Thank you.” Suddenly, she was angry. “It’s been six years since he left,” Sakura said finally. “Searching power from Orochimaru nonetheless, all for his revenge against you. You broke us. All three of us. Team seven is non-existent thanks to you.” Itachi watched her as she inhaled for the second part of her speech. “This is your fault. Six years of living in uncertainty, not knowing what might happen next. You destroy lives. You started with that on the night of the massacre. Sasuke’s grief became a prison for him. It ensnared us as well and we went down, entwined with him,” Sakura said, gritting her teeth together as she finally got her act together. “Sasuke could have ignored his instincts for revenge,” Itachi said simply. Sakura shook her head. “No. He could never. Even if we tried to divert his attention, and we did, the scars from the past reminded him that everything that had happened that night was real.” Itachi said nothing. His exquisite eyes watched her every moment, taking in the set of her mouth and the way her chakra was moving, almost pulsing with anger, towards her hands and legs. “I left Konoha for him. And do you know why, Uchiha Itachi? Because the most important people are worth everything.” “Nice speech, kunoichi,” Kisame said from the doorway, wearing another cloak. She clenched her jaw as she went over his appearance, wishing he had been hurt in some way so that she wouldn’t be interrupted in the middle of saying everything she had ever wanted to say to Itachi. Kisame noticed the rage directed at him and grinned. “Give it up kunoichi. You can’t do anything.” “Just wait,” she thought, glancing at Itachi as he stood up. “I’m not going to be here forever.” Kisame stepped towards Itachi and Sakura. “Ready.” Itachi gave his trademark nod once as he straightened himself and stood up, straightening his Akatsuki cloak. He walked into one of the rooms, presumably his own, and came back with a straw hat. A small bell rang as he put it on, obscuring most of his features. Kisame did the same and handed her a straw hat as well, though this one seemed quite dilapidated.

“Emergencies only,” Kisame smirked as he glanced over the frayed edges of the hat. He was smirking still, his obvious amusement annoying her greatly. Again she went over her thoughts and over both of the shinobi standing in front of her. Escaping was never impossible. Itachi stepped out of the room, his bell ringing with every step he made, the Akatsuki billowing softly with every step. Kisame lingered, making it clear that she should follow. One last glare was exchanged as she followed Itachi out of the room, Kisame following her closely. “So where are we going to?” Sakura asked casually, trying to find more information about their precise whereabouts. Itachi ignored her, but Kisame was gracious enough to answer: “The Hidden Village of Rock.”

Metamorphosis – an Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto A/N: Chapter rewritten August 21, 2008. Chapter Five – Undeniable They had been on the road for a week, crossing through the smaller countries. The country of Rain has been exactly as the name predicted it to be. Kisame, who loved water but hated the rain, had complained during the three days it took for them to cross the land. He would always be traveling behind Sakura, making sure she couldn’t escape. Presently, they were making their way towards the border of the Grass country. Itachi was still leading the way, relentlessly. Throughout the past couple of days, Sakura hadn’t even seen him sleep. Whenever she fell asleep, he was still awake and whenever she woke, he was already awake, standing guard over their little camp. “How much longer from now on?” Sakura asked, jumping on top of a branch as she followed Itachi through the forest. Though her movements could be clumsy from time to time, Itachi moved gracefully. He barely made a sound every time he landed on a branch and jumped on. He remained quiet for a while. “One day, perhaps sooner if we can make it without resting.” As they got closer and closer to the border, the tall grass that grew on most parts of the country diminished until it went over into solid rocks. Barely any vegetation grew on the grounds and the few trees she could see were withered. Branches without leaves, they seemed almost sad, colorless against the vast, blue sky.

After yet another hour, Itachi suddenly came to a stop. Sakura halted promptly behind him, confused why he suddenly stopped. Itachi said nothing, just looked around the vicinity, before turning his eyes to a particular point in the distance. Without any warning, he continued his sprint. “Good thing Itachi-san knows directions,” Kisame said as they both followed Itachi. “I wouldn’t be able to find anything in this country.” She took in this tiny bit of information and glanced around as well. Behind them, there was still some sign of life, the forest they had crossed and the remains of the grass. Before her, it was basically just a barren stretch of land. Rocks. Everywhere. Some mountains in the distance, but mostly heaps of rocks, a rare cactus here and there and the usual desert creatures. She bit her lip to stop herself from screaming as they passed by a huge, poisonous snake. Kisame seemed to have noted her distress as he chuckled behind her while they moved on. Finally, after a couple of hours, the first sign of life came in the form of a huge village. It looked like it was carved out of stone. A small creek flowed nearby, water stations near the source. In the middle of the city was a huge, cilinder shaped building that she recognized as an administration building—it was filled with flags and carvings bearing the same symbol she had seen on the forehead protects of the Rock shinobi during the Chuunin exam. “Our inn is there,” Itachi pointed to a large building near the west exit of the city. She nodded, following him as he ran down the mountain they were standing up, right until they reached the gate. Sakura was smirking, knowing that they would never let two Akatsuki members—well, three to their eyes, into an Hidden Village. Itachi kept walking, the bell that rung from his hat rang, announcing his presence. The two guards standing there watched him carefully, then turned their gazes to both Sakura and Kisame as they came closer. Just as Itachi was about to pass them, they held up their hands. “Wait. If you want to enter Iwagakure, show us your pass.” Itachi halted. Then, all of the sudden, he made a movement. The guards stood completely still as he passed them by, and for a moment, she thought it was a genjutsu. That is, until they both fell to the ground simultaneously, senbon sticking out from their throats. He had hit a major vein and used the senbon to make them bleed internally first. Filled with both horror and admiration did Sakura follow Itachi, shock registering on her face, as well as anger in the face of pure cruelty. She wanted to scream out, to get more ninja to her side so that they could help her fight off this cruel man, but realization dawned on her that he could kill her as fast as he had killed those two guards. Kisame behind her laughed cruelly. “This village is too easy to get into. No war for years

has made them defenseless.” Sakura tried to ignore Kisame’s laugh and the injustice of it all, knowing that one day, the two of them would get what they deserved. She swallowed away the bitter bile that had filled her mouth and followed Itachi into Iwagakure. It was a quiet village, the streets were empty and virtually no shop was opened. It was the complete opposite of Konoha, where there was this atmosphere that indicated peace and serenity. Suddenly, she was hit by a wave of regret as she imagined the myriad of smells that would greet her after a long day of work; the smells of the nearby barbecue restaurants, of the flower shops nearby and the sweet smell of her mother’s perfume. Sakura nearly cried as she looked up, hoping to see the Hokage’s administration building, the Leaf logo painted on a flag fluttering as a breeze went by. But instead, she found the bleak looking building that belonged to the Tsuchikage hovering over the city. They walked through the quiet streets for what seemed like hours before reaching the western border and the inn that Itachi was intent on going to. It was old, the red paint of the building was washed out. But right now, it seemed like a roof and a bed, and that was all she really needed after the entire trip. After Itachi had checked them in, they walked towards their rooms in a steady pace and Sakura removed the straw hat, plucking some hairs out of the straw. “Itachi-san?” she asked as Kisame entered his room. He didn’t answer, but she knew she had his attention. “They will find the guards.” “They won’t,” Itachi sounded confident in this. She raised her eyebrows, but then decided to drop the subject, not wanting to know more about Akatsuki’s cruel methods. She stepped into her room, fully aware that it was between Itachi’s and Kisame’s. As she closed the door, Sakura immediately threw off her cloak, nauseated. She sat down on the futon on the floor, touching the white sheets with a fingertip as she went over the past couple of days, trying to remember as much helpful things as she possibly could. Sakura was in the Hidden Village of Rock right now. According to Kabuto’s cards, to the east, there would be Waterfall and another small country, though the name had slipped her mind, and then there was Sound. She was closer than ever right now, though in a more unpredictable situation than she had been in Konoha. Kisame doesn’t know how to orientate in the Earth country, but that didn’t bring her to an advantage. This was her first time here, even though she knew Sound was to the east, orientating in a country that all looked alike was something that was hard and timeconsuming, and time was something she did not have. Especially not if, and when, the two of them would realize that she’s missing. She gritted her teeth. More importantly. Itachi did know where everything was and she was sure that the both of them could be excellent trackers as well.

This entire situation was frustrating to the point where she was sure she develop an aneurysm in the next couple of days. She cussed under her breath and walked towards the shower, intent on washing away the grime and mud that had accumulated on her body over the last couple of days. -During the evening, there had been a small chance of escape. Kisame was snoring in the room next to her, the walls were so thin that she could hear every movement. Itachi, in the other room, was taking a shower. Out of instinct, she opened up the window as quietly as she could. She made her way out, listening to both rooms to see if she was still undetected and let herself out, landing on the ground with a small thud. Congratulating herself on this accomplishment, Sakura turned around to sprint towards the exit, only to notice that Itachi was standing several meters away from her, completely dressed even, as he watched her, apparently amused. After two more of these futile escapes, Itachi checked out of his room and bunked together with Sakura. Needless to say, Sakura was angry to the point that whatever she would say was paired up with the worst cussing she could possibly think of, leading to Kisame laughing his ass off and Itachi even flashing an amused grin. Her anger disappeared somewhat as she started to realize that Itachi showered and dressed in Kisame’s room. They would be on high alert while they left her in her own room, ready to stop her from escaping again, but Itachi came to sleep whenever she had fallen asleep. In the mornings, his futon was undone and he was nowhere to be found. A week passed and gradually Kisame and Itachi started leaving the inn from time to time. Though it seemed like the perfect opportunity to escape, Sakura was sure that they would somehow sense it if she tried to escape. Also, a part of her begged for self-preservation, still wanting to read Sound and see Sasuke. Sakura sighed and glanced at the small clock that stood on the tatami floor between her and Itachi’s futon. 8 p.m. Kisame would usually come by around six to bring her some food, but he was unusually late today. And unless her senses were betraying her, Itachi hadn’t returned either. Thinking it might be an oppertune time to try to escape again, Sakura stood up from the floor, but at that precise time, Kisame’s voice sounded through the hallway. “About time! I’m starving!” She walked towards the door, intent on giving Kisame hell for being late, when she noticed a presence entering her room. Moving on instincts alone, Sakura grabbed a kunai and hurled it towards the presence. Itachi caught the kunai without any effort, his Sharingan bright in the dim light of twilight. He pocketed the kunai and walked towards her. Before she could say anything,

he clasped his hand over her mouth. “Not a word,” he whispered softly, mouth close to her ears. He leaned back, listened to the sounds in the other room and visibly relaxed. It was then that Sakura noticed that Kisame was still talking. Eyes widening, she looked at Itachi. “There’s another Akatsuki member here. It would not benefit either of us if he knows you’re here.” Itachi looked at her, removing his hand from her mouth to cup her chin. He forced her to look at him. “Be quiet until either Kisame or I come for you.” “Why?” she whispered. “I could be another customer.” Itachi gazed at her. “We always hire three rooms so that none of our discussions can be overheard by others. If Deidara hears someone in the adjoining room…” With that, he disappeared from the room. Sakura exhaled softly and walked back to her bed as stealthy as she could. Though the last thing she wanted to do was obey Itachi, the very last thing she wanted was to be killed by another, unknown Akatsuki member. In the room next to her, a deep voice sounded for a moment, talking hastily. Kisame snorted and laughed hard. She raised her eyebrows, more questions forming as time went by. As she glanced around the darkening room, she turned on one of the lamps, bathing the room in a soft yellow glow. It was then that she noticed the basket of food that Itachi had undoubtedly brought along with him when he entered the room. Mouth watering, Sakura crawled over to the basket, intent on getting some bread and fruits. But she was clumsy and knocked over the basket, sending several oranges and apples rolling over the hard tatami floors. She flinched at the sound and immediately listened to the sounds in Kisame’s room. It was deathly quiet. Then, a few muffled sounds and the unmistakeable ‘poof’ of someone disappearing. She let out a sigh of relief, thinking that either Kisame or Itachi had prepared for this scenario. But as Sakura leaned forward to grab one of the oranges, an Akatsuki member appeared before her. Shocked, she leaned back, automatically reaching for her kunai. But the man showed no intention of killing her. He was very feminine, with long, blond hair pulled up in a ponytail. Half of it obscured his face and the forehead protector, though she could easily see the symbol for Rock on it. The one eye that she could see was sky-blue and shaped in an unusual form, long lashes framing it. He was smirking as he handed out one of the oranges she had dropped. “My, what a racket… yeah,” Deidara said, still grinning as he deposited the orange in her

hand. It felt wet. She briefly glanced down to see that some kind of fluid was coating a small part of the skin. Deidara grinned, forcing her to look up again as he turned the palms of his hands towards her, revealing two identical mouths. She watched in complete shock as a tongue came out of the left one, licking the inside of his hand. Deidara laughed softly, obviously amused at her completely shocked state. The right one suddenly spit out something and she recoiled in shock, before noticing that it was a small, clay bird. “Poor girl… you must be terrified… yeah,” he said then, wanting to hand over the strange clay puppet to her. “Back off Deidara,” Kisame’s voice suddenly appeared behind her. “She’s our ticket to the kyuubi. Itachi-san would be mad if anything were to happen to her.” As if on cue, Itachi stepped inside the room, wearing his usual blank expression as he surveyed the sight in front of him. “Indeed I would,” he said, keeping his intense gaze on Sakura for a while, then turned it to Deidara. “Put it away.” When Deidara didn’t obey him immediately, Itachi grabbed his wrist in a lightning-quick movement, his long fingers wrapping around Deidara’s wrist as they had around hers. She knew from personal experience that it was definitely not a nice feeling. “We do not meddle in your affairs, Deidara, so I expect the same courtesy for us.” Deidara smirked at Itachi. “Of course,” he said, freeing his wrist from Itachi’s iron grip. “I must apologize, I thought she was an intruder… yeah.” Deidara turned back to Sakura, a smirk still playing on his lips. “I also owe you my apologies, so it seems. I thought you were a spy… yeah,” he chuckled. “Deidara.” “Haruno Sakura,” she said in return, the initial shock fading. “So…” he started, looking back at the two Akatsuki members. “Why hide the bait?” This time it was Kisame who moved over to stand in front of Deidara. The blond man stood up, and though he was taller than Itachi, he was still inferior to Kisame’s absurd length. He showed absolutely no fear as Kisame leered dangerously. “None of your business.” “Alright Salmon-chan,” Deidara said, smiling as he held his hands up. “No need to get all worked up over a small question. I just thought it was rude to keep a girl locked up in her room… yeah.” Kisame growled in response. “About the plan… what do you think?” Deidara questioned to Kisame and Itachi. “Are you referring to what you discussed with us earlier?” Itachi asked. Deidara nodded.

“Then our answer is no,” Itachi said coolly. “I would appreciate it if you left now, Deidara. As you can imagine, Kisame and I have some urgent matters to attend to.” Itachi nodded curtly, dismissive this time. “Your wish is my command… yeah,” Deidara said sarcastically, before turning to Sakura. “Well kunoichi, I might see you around again some day... yeah.” “Not likely,” Kisame growled under his breath, causing Deidara to laugh softly. He held his hand up in a small wave and then disappeared from the room. Kisame grunted, muttered something about ‘Salmon-chan’ under his breath as he stalked out of the room. An uncomfortable silence washed over the room as Itachi watched her pick up the last of the fruit that had been scattered over the floor. By the time she looked up, he had removed his Akatsuki cloak and leaned against the windowframe, signaling for her to sit down. She complied, fretting with her clothes as she waited for him to speak. “Sakura-san,” he started, voice ominously low. “Have you told me the truth?” “… What?” she said, dumbstruck. Definitely not the question she had been expecting. “You have been to the academy, and you were trained by Kakashi-san and Tsunade-san, correct?” “Yes?” she answered, still not seeing where this would lead to. Itachi seemed genuinely annoyed. “Are you really a kunoichi?” he said calmly, a tone of mockery in his voice. Her head snapped up as she met his cool gaze, anger meeting indifference. “What is that supposed to mean?” she hissed between her teeth, offended. “If a shinobi as myself asks a kunoichi like you to be quiet, she should be as quiet as a mouse and not move with the delicacy of an elephant,” Itachi said. Inwardly, he was quite amused with her behavior and even more so as she turned ten shades of red, obviously trying to reign in her anger. He wasn’t angry though, he would have preferred to wait just a little longer before Deidara found out, because when Deidara knew, Sasori would know. And that would make up for a large part of Akatsuki. “Itachi-san. Were you just suggesting that I have the delicacy of an elephant?” she asked furiously, yet polite. If Itachi were any other man, she would have thrown a shuriken or kunai towards him, and pound him up in her fury. But Itachi was a renegade killer and the particular scene of a week ago still hadn’t left her mind. The swiftness of his kill was both astonishing and frightening. He didn’t seem in the mood to kill her though. Itachi stood up swiftly, almost startling Sakura, and leaned over towards her. For the second time that day, his lips neared hers and his hot breath caressed her cool skin. She

didn’t know how long she sat there, with Itachi hovering over her, feeling his breath in her neck and the warmth of his body radiating towards hers, when he finally said; “I believe I was.” Suddenly, the warmth of his body disappeared as he stood up again, putting his robes on and left the room. Sakura could do nothing else except watching him go. It was only after the door closed that she realized what he had said.

Metamorphosis – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/n: After the short chapter last time, I felt that I had to make it up to all of you some how, so here’s an extra long chapter to booth! Have fun reading! Chapter warning: Slight mature content (kissing and touching) in this chapter. Chapter Six – An Eye for an Eye. She wasn’t aware when she had fallen asleep. Sakura thought that she wouldn’t even be able to fall asleep after Itachi’s stunt. Every time she dozed off, she could feel the warmth of his body pressed against hers. She often wondered if Sasuke’s body would feel just as warm as his brother’s. Yet when she woke up from her slumber, there was a shadow hovering over her. As she opened her eyes, squinting a little, she could see the outlines of Kisame hovering over her like Itachi had done the night before. Immediately, she sat up straight, her eyes fixed on Kisame’s shadow and a kunai in her hand. “What are you doing here?” Sakura growled. She hated being waked up in the morning, and wished for everyone to just go away. “I was bringing in food, rude kunoichi, and wanted to get out as soon as possible, but you caught me in the act,” Kisame chuckled before walking towards the door. “And I would re-think you strategies for a moment there—Shinobi should be stealthy, sneaky, and they should get their enemy by surprise.” As Kisame resumed his chuckling he stalked out of the room. Sakura listened to his footsteps retreating before she looked at her breakfast. Fruit, some bread and an orange juice. They really like this diet, don’t they? She sighed at the prospect of having the same breakfast for two weeks now, but she was used to it and didn’t complain too much. That was, except on her moody days. They had been residing in the Hidden Village of Stone for a week now, and it was getting on her nerves. Sakura snorted as she picked up the bread and started eating, unaware that Itachi just entered the room.

“Do you like the food, Sakura-san?” he asked as she was about to take a bite from the loaf of bread. Her eyes met his, and for the first time in two weeks, she didn’t blush at that contact. Itachi walked around the bed so he could face her, picking up a chair on his way. He sat down right in front of her and observed her while she looked at him expectedly. “What are you doing here Itachi-san?” she asked suspiciously. After his weird behavior of the previous night, Itachi had become even more unpredictable, and it irritated her to no end. Sakura could feel her fear lessening over the days, and she felt more comfortable around the both of them— mainly because Kisame was more predictable and somebody she could handle. Itachi was a whole other story; the man was as unpredictable as the weather, and it could quickly drive her to the edge of insanity. Itachi was quiet, yet dangerous. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone, yet still he didn’t do anything to her. Not when she told him she was chasing after Sasuke, not when she told him not to hurt her wrist and he didn’t even hurt her when she put up an attitude. She did feel a little comfortable around Itachi though, because she knew he wasn’t going to kill her anytime soon- and besides, having one of the strongest ninja’s on your side could help a lot. “I apologize for entering without knocking, but you were eating, so I didn’t wish to interrupt you,” his reply came in his usual cold, yet smooth and deep voice. “I see,” Sakura replied with a small smile. “Do you want to talk to me about something?” “Yes there is actually.” He fell silent after this, and Sakura took a sip of her orange juice. She was used to Itachi’s way of speaking by now, and found that the pauses during his sentences didn’t agitate her as much as they used to. “As a medic nin, have you ever worked on eyesight problems?” he asked quietly. Sakura put down her glass of orange juice and observed Itachi for a while. She crawled towards the edge of the bed and sat down quietly, never taking her eyes off Itachi. “Do you have eyesight problems Itachi-san?” she asked in a quiet, hushed voice. She briefly wondered who else knew about his problem. Probably not many people at all, it would be a weakness for Itachi, and he wouldn’t want people to know about it. He nodded slowly. “Since I mastered the Mangekyou Sharingan, my eyesight lessened. Even now, I can only see you in a slight blurred state, not as sharp as I used to see things.” Sakura pushed herself off the bed and slowly walked towards Itachi, whose face remained impassive as he watched the pink-haired kunoichi nearing him. She squatted down in front of him, as she gently lifted her arm. “Can I see?” she asked. He nodded again and closed his eyes as he felt the warmth of Sakura’s chakra enter his right eye. The chakra felt soft yet warm and when Itachi opened his eyes, he found out

that the blurriness had diminished a little, and he could now see Sakura more clearly. “It’s better now,” he said, stating the obvious. “I know. I just transferred some of my chakra towards your eyes…” she said hesitantly, as if she were thinking about something. “I could probably heal them completely, at least, for a while.” Itachi stared at her. Nobody would have ever said this to him, even if they had medical abilities. A dangerous killer such as himself should rot away until he couldn’t use his eyes anymore. But Sakura had healed him, no questions asked. There had to be something that she desired. “But?” he asked while he observed her. “I want something in return,” she said softly, not meeting his eyes. “You wish to be free to go wherever you want to go?” Itachi said in his usual dangerously low voice. As Sakura avoided his gaze and nodded, Itachi sighed. She was just like his younger brother after all. Whenever Sasuke did something for his big brother, even if it was something trivial like buying a shuriken for him, Sasuke always wanted something in return. He usually asked for shuriken training. He inwardly smiled at the thought of his younger brother, whenever Itachi tapped him on his head, and apologized. Even when he had killed the entire Uchiha clan, his brother was alive. Why? He hadn’t figured that out, even during the years that he had roamed the world together with Kisame. Later on, he threw it on ‘brotherly instincts.’ Itachi could have a heart of stone, his brother had always been one of the only ones that could stand being near him, and that’s probably why he let him live. It would be a fitting ending if he would be killed by his brother. “You are still fixed on going to Sound, aren’t you, Sakura-san?” Itachi said. “Yes.” He hated the way her voice sounded at that moment. Small and weak, not like the strong-willed woman she actually was. “You do know that this is impossible, don’t you?” he asked. “You are a hostage of Akatsuki, and I cannot let you walk away this easily when you have this much information about us.” Sakura forced herself to look the sharingan user in the eye. “And you honestly think that I care about your organization? Who am I going to tell? I’m a missing nin from Konoha Itachi, a missing nin! I don’t have responsibilities to report to a Hokage anymore. And I’m sure that Orochimaru knows enough about Akatsuki, even more than I could tell him,” she spat. Before she even realized that Itachi disappeared, she was rudely thrown on the bed and Itachi hovered over her. The anger had not yet left her features, yet fear started to mingle

with her intense hate of the man. “Don’t talk to me like that,” Itachi’s voice came, the threat evident in the tone of his voice. “As long as you are here, I make the rules, and it would be wise to follow up on them. You will not, under any circumstances, leave this place.” His eyes bore into hers and had the desired effect. Sakura had shut her mouth, afraid to say anything more. She would have to wait until she could escape, whenever that might happen- if ever at all. It was clear that Itachi would not let her go. “Do I make myself clear?” Itachi resumed, now without the dangerous tone in his voice. He looked satisfied as she quickly nodded and lifted himself off of her. He sat down on his chair, watching Sakura like a hawk as she sat up straight on the bed and fixed her gaze on him. “I can heal you in two days,” she said, her voice devoid of all emotions. “Fine, I’ll come here after dinner,” he replied before standing up. He threw his robes around him, and walked out of the room without even a glance towards her. As she heard a click, signaling that the door closed, she threw herself on her back, and stared at the ceiling. Why did I offer to help him…? -She could hear somebody in the room. The man or woman walking around in her room was obviously a ninja, she could tell by the calculated movements that he, or she made. Finally, as the person neared the bed, she grabbed her kunai from under her pillow and stormed towards the intruder. In the dim light of the city lights, she could faintly recognize the profile of a man. When she was about three feet away from the man, he turned around, and she could recognize the radiating red clouds on the Akatsuki robe, and the red sharingan eyes. Shock apparent on her features, she stopped her attack, fuming at Itachi for scaring her like that. “What are you doing in MY room in the middle of the night Itachi-san?” she spat out. She could see the evident amusement flickering in his eyes, even though the rest of his features were shadowed and unnoticeable. “Sakura-san, I apologize for waking you,” he whispered smoothly. “But this is my room as well, remember?” She could hear him chuckle softly, and was stunned. His deep, smooth voice sounded so beautiful. He should definitely do that more often! Her thoughts were put on hold though, as Itachi stretched out his arm, and caressed her

cheek. Surprised, she looked at Itachi, who leaned in closer towards her. His hot breath washed over her and it didn’t take long before she could feel his soft, yet firm and masculine lips gently touching her own. Sakura’s eyes widened slightly at the contact. It was unwanted, yet she didn’t have the desire or the willpower to break free from his hold as his arms started to encircle her waist, and he drew her closer towards him. As Itachi gently nudged her lips with his own, silently asking her to deepen the contact, she complied and gasped softly as his tongue started to explore her mouth. His taste was unique, something spicy, and the faint taste of sake. She moaned as his hands started to roam around her body, leaving a tingling feeling behind wherever he touched. Sakura wanted to touch him as well, to feel his muscles flex under her touch, and she started to unbutton his Akatsuki robes. As soon as his robes fell off, and her crafty hands found their way under his shirt, his hand shot up and cupped her breast. She shivered in delight as Itachi slowly forced them on the bed, never breaking the passionate kiss. “Sakura…” She moaned in delight as he started to grind against her in a steady rhythm. She buried her hands in his hair and gasped as a wave of coolness suddenly hit her skin. “Sakura-san, is something the matter?” Itachi’s voice came. Sakura opened up her eyes, desperately wanting Itachi to continue doing those things to her and feel the heat radiating from his body. As her eyes became accustomed to her surroundings, she found out that she had been asleep. Her legs were twisted in the covers of her bed, and Itachi stood next to her. Correction, Itachi stood next to her, wearing his usual dark pants. Wearing only his pants. As Sakura’s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets, realization dawned on her that she was staring at him, and her head quickly snapped up to his face. The red sharingan eyes were gone, and she found herself staring into the same eyes Sasuke had. They were dark, almost black, and she couldn’t help but stare at them. “Y-Your sharingan is gone,” she whispered. “I don’t need it when I sleep,” he replied dryly. “Now, would you like to tell me why you were moaning my name?” “I-I WAS DOING WHAT?” Sakura yelled out, surprise and shock evident in her voice. “Please keep your voice down Sakura-san,” Itachi answered. “You were moaning my name a couple of times in your sleep.” As Sakura lifted up her blanket to cover the fierce blush on her cheek, she sought a reason to yell at him, as she desperately had to. Her dream still hadn’t left her, and him standing there, clad in only his pants wasn’t helping a lot.

“And why are you in my room?” She snapped, feeling a strong sensation of déjà vu. “I’ve been sleeping here ever since you tried to escape, have you forgotten already?” Itachi replied quietly. The tone of his voice was smooth, deep and still as dangerous as before, not filled with lust and desire, like the Itachi from her dream. Sakura kept staring at him, finding it impossible to concentrate on what Itachi said while he stood there in his pants. “Is something wrong?” he answered, the cold amusement evident in his voice. “No,” she answered as casual as she could muster. “Nothing’s wrong, I’m sorry for waking you.” With that, she turned around, ending the conversation. She felt his eyes on her back for a few moments longer, before he walked back to his own bed. As she heard the footsteps retreating, only one thought flew through her mind; Why the hell was I dreaming about HIM! -The next time she woke up, it was early morning. As she turned around to face the bed next to hers, it was empty. Itachi had already left to do whatever he did during the day. A smell entered her nostrils, and as she looked around to see where the delicious smell came from, her eyes fell on the tray with her breakfast. It was more extensive than it had been in weeks, now with a bowl of ramen, which was turning a little cold, and coffee. Ramen and coffee… How long has it been since I had lunch with Naruto in Ichiraku? We always used to order the Miso Ramen and some coffee… Her heart broke at the thought of her best friend, but she knew she shouldn’t think about him too much. They were an existence apart from each other, and would most likely never meet again. As she started on the ramen, wanting to eat it before it turned cold, she could hear a knock on her door, and it opened. Kisame stuck his head into Sakura’s room, raising his hand in greeting. “Itachi-san said that he would be back sooner tonight, so you could work on his eyesight,” Kisame said before turning around to walk out of the room. “Wait, Kisame!” she called out to him. He turned around; slightly surprised that she had called him. “Do we have extra money or something? Why did you change my breakfast?” she asked, slightly curious as to what had brought this change. She just stared at him as he began to chuckle. “Itachi bought you ramen kunoichi; he said you had a rough night.” Kisame grinned when he saw her flushed expression, and walked out of the room, still grinning. Sakura fumed. How dare he; telling Kisame about all of this too. For a moment, she contemplated throwing her ramen away as a sign that she declined Itachi’s special breakfast, but on second thought, she was hungry, and the ramen was really good. She

sighed before she continued eating. Maybe he isn’t so bad after all… -The day had been dull. After a few hours, she tried to find Kisame in the hotel, but once she found out he was training in the room next to her, she didn’t try to disturb him. She didn’t try to escape either. Itachi could be the brains of Akatsuki, Kisame definitely wasn’t stupid himself, and she really didn’t want an encounter with Samehada. Especially after Kisame had told her – with a grin on his face – that his sword could absorb chakra. Itachi had walked in around five o’clock, which was indeed earlier than the previous days, and invited her to dine with Kisame and himself. His face remained impassive when he invited her, and after he said all that he needed to say, he walked out of the room. After almost three weeks of being with the both of them, she could not ignore the fact that she was feeling more and more like home. Kisame could easily go for Naruto, with the stupid jokes he cracked, and the fact that he was mostly the cheery factor of the group, something she wouldn’t have expected when she saw him for the first time. Itachi could easily pass for his brother; both were silent, and didn’t really jump at the opportunities of talking. Of course, the fact that both fighters were a hundred times more lethal than either Sasuke or Naruto was didn’t escape her, yet she felt like she could grasp something that she had lost a long time ago. However, this was the first time since her first night in the hiding place of Akatsuki that they would all dine together. Smirking, she wondered if Kisame had remembered whose turn it was to order food this time, as she crossed the hallway, entering Kisame’s room. Only Itachi was there when she walked in, and he glanced at Sakura to acknowledge the fact that she was in the room. He didn’t say anything, but she was used to it. Briefly, she wondered if Sasuke took after his brother in that department, before the door opened again and Kisame walked through the door, carrying a bottle of sake. He politely bowed to Itachi, obviously showing his respect and grinned when he spotted Sakura. “What’s for dinner Itachi-san?” Kisame growled as he placed the bottle of sake on his table. Itachi briefly looked up and met Kisame’s gaze. “Rice balls and sushi, it’s a local specialty—apparently.” Kisame nodded approvingly, and motioned for Sakura to sit on a chair. She complied quickly and sat down on the only available place, which was next to Itachi. She glanced briefly at him, and saw that he discarded the Akatsuki robe once again, leaving him in his mesh shirt and dark pants. She blushed fiercely as her gaze fell upon his pants, and quickly fixed her gaze upon Kisame.

Even though Itachi frequently discarded his robes, she never saw Kisame without them, and briefly wondered what he wore underneath them. The silence between the three of them as maddening, and Sakura thought about what she could possibly say to release some of the tension. Finally, she decided to ask Kisame some questions. “Kisame, where are you from?” she asked tentatively, hoping that he wouldn’t mind talking about his village. He had no such problem, and she let out a sigh of relief as he answered her question. “The Hidden Village of Mist,” he answered without hesitation. “Mist? I once met two ninja’s from Mist… When I just started out as a genin,” she answered happily, now that she had a topic for conversation. Kisame chuckled. “Who?” “Momochi Zabuza-san, and his assistant, Haku-san,” she replied, after a short pause. Had it really been almost seven years since Zabuza and Haku died? It seemed like just yesterday. “Oh that kid,” Kisame responded. “I remember him; he was a part of our group.” “Your group?” Sakura asked; her interest peaked. “Yeah, seven elite shinobi swordsmen from Mist. That kid was one of us, and I was too,” he grinned. “I wonder what happened to him…” “He… He was killed,” Sakura said quietly, not knowing how to break the news to him. “Killed eh?” Kisame responded. He chuckled slightly. “A fitting end for such a fool.” Sakura was shocked at this statement. Surely Kisame would care, they were in the same group, how could you not care what happened to your teammates? “You… You don’t care about him?” she asked. “No. We were just like Akatsuki, we worked in teams or alone, but even if you’re a team, everybody needs to depend on his own powers, and when you can’t, you die. Tough luck,” Kisame replied. “So, who killed him?” “My sensei at that time had injured him badly, perhaps you know him; Hatake Kakashi,” she started to explain, only to be cut off by Itachi. “Copy-ninja Kakashi… He was in charge of you and the kyuubi?” Itachi asked. “Yes, and your brother,” she replied while avoiding his gaze. She felt his eyes upon her and became a little unnerved. “No wonder he’s so soft… No hate can come from somebody who is trained by Kakashi.

The fool, he’s led by his believes about team work and love,” Itachi commented as he looked out of the window. “The food is here,” Itachi said after a small pause. Kisame took it as his sign to open the door, and as he paid for the food, Sakura allowed her gaze to wander towards Itachi. How a man could be so cold, to the point that he thought Kakashi’s ideas about teamwork were foolish, she would never understand. As Kisame sat down with the food and the three of them tested it for poison, she knew that there was one burning question she wanted to ask Itachi, but she knew she never could. Even if she would ever get the nerve to ask such a thing, she would be dead the next second. But it still haunted her mind, even when she lied in her bed. She heard the door open slightly, and close again. Itachi’s footsteps could be heard and they stopped a few feet from her, probably close to his bed. She remained perfectly still as she heard him undress and crawl underneath the blankets. She mentally cursed herself for not falling asleep instantly, and knew that Itachi knew that she was awake. She turned around slightly, so she could see the outline of Itachi in his bed. He was looking at the ceiling, away in the world of his thoughts as he heard her say his name. He turned his head slightly, so he could meet her eyes and show her that he was listening. “Good night, Itachi-san,” she said, ever so softly, before she turned around. He lied still for a few more seconds, his eyes never leaving her back, before he turned around as well. As Sakura slightly dozed off into the world of dreams, hoping that she wouldn’t dream about Itachi again, she realized one thing, a minor detail, yet significantly important; Itachi came to sleep while she was awake; he had never done that before. He always waited until she was asleep before he came to bed… Perhaps now, finally, she was gaining his trust?

Metamorphosis – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/n: Oh my God! Thank you so much for the 100 reviews! I never expected this story to become to popular, so thank you, all of you! I apologize for the delay though. Chapter Seven – Medical Attentions “Get up kunoichi, or I’ll have to drag you out of there,” Kisame’s voice growled in the early morning. As the pink-haired kunoichi by the name of Sakura finally opened her eyes, she found him standing in front of her bed, sneering at her with a look she hadn’t seen before. “We have to go immediately, so hurry up and get dressed,” he said quickly, and walked

out of the room. A little peeved, Sakura tried to wake up and rubbed her eyes. She turned around to see if Itachi was in the room. As she found out he wasn’t there, she quickly discarded her pajamas and dressed herself. She ran a comb through her hair, and threw her Akatsuki robes around her shoulders when Kisame walked in. “Done?” he asked; the tone of his voice a little bit more friendly then earlier. “Yes,” she replied, before following his retreating form. Not a word was said until they stepped outside, and Sakura couldn’t help herself. She looked around to check the area again for any signs of the dark-haired man that traveled with them, and when she saw none, she turned towards Kisame. “Where’s Itachi-san?” she asked hesitantly. “We ran into some friends of yours, ANBU from Konoha. Deidara and Itachi-san are fighting them now, and Itachi-san specifically asked me to get you out of the inn,” Kisame replied simply. As Sakura focused on his voice, she could hear that he wasn’t worried in the least that Deidara and Itachi would lose, and this thought slightly stopped the fear that ran through her body. She nodded, and both disappeared in a flash. As they made their way through the forest, Sakura suddenly found an opening in Kisame’s watchful eye. He would be looking around and focusing on enemy chakras, rather than keep his ever watchful eye on Sakura. Her opportune moment arrived when Kisame started sprinting through the forest, his hand on the Samehada and a bloodthirsty look in his eyes. As Kisame let his guard down for a moment, thinking that Sakura would surely follow him, she dashed away in a random direction, making sure that her chakra was well hidden. She could hear the faintest sounds of Kisame cursing as she made progress through the forest, and slowly those sounds diminished, until she could only hear the sound of the birds and the leafs rustling. Feeling a little faint from her dash, she sat down after a good two-hour run, hoping that she had lost Itachi and Kisame. She felt exhausted. The run had depleted most of her chakra as she needed to get as far away as possible, and she wasn’t used to running as much as she used to now that she had been locked up for two weeks in one hotel room. And then, she felt it. His chakra was nearing her fast, and it showed no intention of stopping to look around in the surroundings. This could only mean that he knew exactly where she was. Sakura slowly stood up, and prepared herself to start running again. It would be wise to try and get as far into Sound as she possibly could, without Itachi following her. She started gathering chakra into her feet when she sensed it. Itachi had stopped. More precisely, Itachi was untraceable at the moment. It was as if his chakra had completely vanished into thin air. No matter how hard she concentrated, she couldn’t feel it anymore. “Damn,” she cursed silently.

“That would be the appropriate word for this situation, yes,” a smooth male voice came from behind her. As Sakura cursed her luck, and inner Sakura threw a tantrum, she slowly turned around, not wanting to see the man who had uttered those words. The first thing she saw was three Akatsuki robes, and as she slowly moved her gaze upwards, she saw that Itachi stood nearest to her and Kisame and Deidara stood behind him. Sakura tried read the look in his eyes, but as always, Itachi remained poker-faced while he stared back at her. Sakura tore her gaze from Itachi’s blood-red sharingan to observe Deidara and Kisame. Deidara was grinning, as usual. His light hair was obscuring his left eye, but she could see something black with a spiral on it poking out there. She removed her gaze from Deidara and looked at Kisame. He was slightly hunched, his hand fisted in his robes. I wonder what’s up with him…? “Going somewhere?” Deidara asked; the grin still in place. “As a matter of fact, yes,” she retorted angrily. “To meet Itachi’s bro… yeah,” Deidara chuckled before pointing towards Kisame. “Itachi was quite pissed actually, look what he did to Kisame… yeah.” “That is enough Deidara,” Itachi finally interrupted. Deidara glowered at Itachi for a second, undoubtedly angered that his fun was spoiled, but he remained calm as he fixed his gaze back on Kisame. He laughed out loud when Kisame shot him a glare of impatience and anger and squatted down in front of him, starting a conversation while talking in hushed voices, ignoring Itachi and Sakura completely. Finally, Sakura found the strength to talk to Itachi, while stubbornly ignoring the glare he was giving her. “Why did you come here?” she asked quietly, not knowing how to deal with her anger now that another one of her brilliant escape plans failed her. “You are a hostage, I cannot allow you to escape,” he answered. “Well, then let me go,” she retorted. “I’m afraid I can’t. My eyes haven’t been healed yet, and perhaps your medic skills will come in handy.” “So, I’m just a tool for you to get your eyesight back? Don’t you even care about your brother!” She watched him like a hawk as his eyes slightly narrowed. She knew he was getting agitated because of her tone, and the fact that she was half-yelling at him. Kisame and Deidara had stopped their conversation, and now shifted their attentions from Itachi to Sakura. “I don’t care about anyone,” he said, voice still devoid from emotions. “If you ever

thought otherwise, it would be best if you used your mind next time, before throwing a tantrum at me.” He took a few steps towards her, making sure that she was pressed up against a tree when he slightly leaned towards her. His sharingan made sure that she kept her eyes on his, even if she didn’t plan on looking away. “After all, I am an S-Class criminal,” he said quietly. He abruptly let go of her and stalked off towards Deidara and Kisame, ordering them something as the both of them stood up, and he was gone within an instant. As Sakura’s gaze focused on the place he was standing just seconds ago, Deidara dashed towards Sakura, eyes wide. “How the hell did you do that!” Deidara asked incredulously. “Do what?” she asked, still slightly confused. “If Salmon here, of me would have thrown such a tantrum towards Itachi, he would have killed us without hesitation, whether we’re Akatsuki or not… yeah,” Deidara explained hastily, making Sakura snort when she heard Kisame’s nickname. “But he didn’t kill you? Perhaps old Itachi is become soft… yeah,” Deidara smirked. Sakura chuckled. Deidara was certainly her only source of entertainment at the moment, and she couldn’t help but laugh when she saw Deidara turning around, calling Kisame a Salmon again. After Kisame let out a string of curses, in which she was sure she heard the words ‘Samehada’ and ‘shaving’ he stood up, still clutching his Akatsuki robe. Itachi’s probably really strong, if he can make Kisame flinch like that after one punch. As Kisame struggled to walk towards them, Sakura tentatively stepped a few steps towards him, molding her chakra to her hand. “I’ll heal you,” she said, a little self-conscious that she had been the cause of his injury. He nodded, gritting his teeth in pain when she opened up the Akatsuki robe, and he pulled up his shirt a little. She had been prepared to see Kisame’s blue skin, as she had learned over the weeks that it was a trait of his clan, but she hadn’t expected to see that his body was a normal as a human’s. She would have expected more shark-like traits, but his stomach was normal, except for the blue hue that graced it. As her chakra entered his body, and she quickly healed him, she wondered how someone like Kisame could survive in this hard world. She knew that Naruto had been ignored for almost twelve years. She knew that even the Kazekage – Gaara – had been alone for such a long time, both because they were the vessels of demons, but what if you just looked that way because you were born in a certain clan. Years ago, when she was still a genin, when she was still twelve, when she still had Sasuke, Zabuza had told them that the Mist country was a lot tougher than Konoha. She didn’t quite understand what he had meant with that, until Naruto told her the tale of Haku, how war had corrupted the minds of the citizens of the Hidden Village of Mist,

how they were killing everybody with a bloodline limit. Now that she thought about it, Gaara had gone completely berserk without friends, or any loved ones. If Kisame had shared the same kind of fate as Gaara had, it wasn’t unlikely that he had gone wild as well, killing whoever stood in his way. Sakura didn’t exactly know what Kisame had done, but what she had heard from a few Jounins in Konoha, it seemed he killed a feudal lord, and a few shinobi while he was at it. Strange to think about it, as Kisame had always acted pretty nice around her. Perhaps he needed somebody else to talk with. She could imagine that traveling alone with Itachi could work on ones nerves. “Oi, kunoichi, I think Salmon’s wound is already healed,” Deidara’s voice came from her right. The train of thoughts left her, and she suddenly found herself with her hand still pressed against Kisame’s stomach, staring at his shirt. As she looked to her right, she could see that Deidara was biting his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing, and as she looked up to meet Kisame’s face, he was staring at her in a weird manner. “Yes, I’m sorry, I was lost in thought there,” she apologized. “Kunoichi,” Deidara said, the laughter not escaping his voice. “You’re still holding him.” In shock, Sakura stared at her hand, which was positioned above Kisame’s lower abdomen, and she removed her hand so quickly as if his skin was burning. She could hear him chuckle slightly with Deidara, happy that he didn’t read more into it than it actually was. He pulled his shirt back down and closed the Akatsuki robe, before thanking her and standing up. As he inspected the rest of the area, focused on enemies in the vicinity, Deidara neared her. “You really are an interesting kunoichi, aren’t you? … Yeah,” he chuckled slightly, and Sakura found herself annoyed, as well as amused with Deidara. He was certainly something else. He had a great sense of humor, and he wasted no time in using it. He smirked as he caught Sakura staring at him. “So, first you work your magic on Itachi,” he grinned as Sakura choked. “And now, you’re seducing Salmon with your hands on his stomach… Should I be worried? … Yeah.” Deidara laughed out loud as Sakura turned a deep shade of red. Kisame wisely ignored the conversation. He knew Deidara was only joking, and despite of that, it still got on his nerves. He knew that Deidara was very skilled in fighting though, so that wasn’t an option. He’d give him hell later on. “How is Sasori doing?” he grumbled as the three of them walked towards the border of the Hidden Village of Rain. Deidara grinned as soon as he heard the name. “Who is Sasori?” Sakura asked before Deidara could answer the question. As soon as she asked that question, Deidara and Kisame exchanged a significant glance, before Deidara turned towards Sakura.

“Another Akatsuki member. He’s weird though… yeah. He’s from Sand and supposed to be my teammate, but we don’t hang around that much. Itachi and Kisame are far better entertainment… yeah,” he answered her question after a slight pause. “He likes art too though!” “Art?” she asked confused. “What kind of art?” “He’s a puppeteer,” Deidara replied. “He collects the bodies of the people he kills, and turns them into dolls. Like I said, he’s weird,” Deidara shrugged. “Personally, I like the more finesse side of art,” Deidara continued ranting. “I prefer clay over those bodies, and at least I don’t have to cut the bodies open.” He grinned at that statement. “You made a big mistake there kunoichi,” Kisame growled as he tried to cover up his ears to protect himself from Deidara’s ranting. “Once Deidara talks about art, it’s all he does. He’ll give a demonstration sooner or later.” After that, Kisame grinned and proceeded to walk in a faster tempo than Deidara and Sakura, determined not to drive himself crazy. Deidara’s demonstration proved to be sooner than later, and after a few minutes of Deidara putting things together, and making hand seals, she watched in awe how the little bird he made flew away. As soon as he saw the smile lit on her face, Deidara chuckled, making another one for her. He liked the kunoichi, it wasn’t too often that he came in contact with someone else than Sasori, Itachi or Kisame, and he liked the fact that she could appreciate his sense of humor and his art. No matter what people thought of S-Class criminals, they were still human, and sometimes, Deidara just craved for somebody to talk with. Sure he enjoyed the senseless batter he and Sasori had sometimes, but Sasori was a sore loser when he lost the discussion. He inwardly grinned and gave the new bird to Sakura. “How old Sasori now?” Kisame asked as soon as he realized they’d stopped talking about art. “Depends,” Deidara answered vaguely. “Depends?” Sakura asked. “Yeah, sometimes he’s around fifty and sometimes he looks as young as the handsome fellow here.” Deidara laughed out loud when he uttered that last statement, and Sakura could hear Kisame chuckle. “Can I ask you one more thing Deidara-san?” Sakura asked timidly after they passed the border. “Sure thing kunoichi… yeah, what is your name?” Deidara asked. “Sakura,” she responded. “Nice, it fits your hair… yeah,” he grinned slightly. “So, what did you want to ask me?”

“What did Itachi say when he left?” “That we should get you to the Hidden Village of Rain, and should we lose you a second time, he would kill us, whether we’re Akatsuki or not,” Kisame responded instead of Deidara. “It’s good that you didn’t try to escape again though.” Deidara nodded in agreement. “Itachi never gets really angry, but if that’s the case, you might as well kill yourself because a look in the Mangekyou Sharingan isn’t exactly a walk in the park” Sakura nearly stopped walking after that statement. So even his own group was scared of him. No wonder that he was almost in control and Kisame followed his orders. She knew Itachi was strong to have killed the entire Uchiha clan in one night. She had also heard about Kakashi’s injury and had spent every day next to Sasuke’s bed when he had been attacked by Itachi, but the mere thought that he was this powerful, that even the strongest missing nins from different villages were scared of him frightened her slightly. “So, who is your boss?” she asked out of mild curiosity. She had been wondering about him for a long time actually. Yet when she asked that question, she could feel two intense gazes upon her form, and she realized she had asked the wrong thing. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, without knowing what she was apologizing for. “It seems I’ve offended you,” she added quietly. “No need to apologize, it’s normal to want answers about a group that is as secretive as ours,” Deidara said in an unusual serious voice. “But you’re not part of Akatsuki, so we can’t tell you anything other than our members.” She nodded understandingly and the remaining part of their journey remained silent. Deidara and Kisame occasionally chatted with each other about things Sakura knew nothing about, and when Kisame was checking in at the hotel they would be staying, Deidara showed her some neat tricks that she could do with the bird. -Dinner had arrived a few hours after they finally got to the inn, and as Deidara and Sakura joined up and headed for the dining room, they saw Itachi arrive. He was unharmed, and it didn’t look like he had been in a fight of some sorts. He looked normal, and Sakura couldn’t help but question what he did when he went out. Itachi glanced at the both of them, and headed for a room. To her dismay, she saw that it was her room that he had entered, which could only mean that they were sleeping in the same room—again. Sakura kept wondering about Itachi’s whereabouts until they had arrived in the dining room. Kisame was already seated in one of the chairs. Sakura sat down on the opposite side of Kisame, and Deidara sat down next to her. “So… Who ordered?” she asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

“I did,” Itachi’s smooth voice came from the doorway. “Shit,” Deidara cursed. “If Itachi ordered, it means that we’re having a ‘well out-balanced meal’ as he calls it himself. But Kisame and I think it’s boring to eat so much sushi… yeah.” He snorted as Itachi dropped the bag on the table and seated himself next to Kisame. “How did it go?” Kisame asked. Naturally Sakura tried to understand what they were talking about, but she figured that this was ‘Akatsuki stuff,’ so she had taught herself not to ask them about it. Deidara seemed to understand though, as he smiled when he passed her the sushi. “Oh Itachi!” he suddenly exclaimed, forcing Itachi and Kisame to stop their conversation and look at Deidara who had stood up, holding a cup of Miso in his hands. “You actually bought something without rice in it! Miso soup, my favorite!” Sakura laughed when Itachi decided to ignore the overly-happy Akatsuki members, and resumed eating as Kisame was laughing at Deidara as well. He had trained himself for years not to smile, whatever happened, yet Deidara could act so stupid at times that he had to stop himself from smiling. The cold exterior which he had built wasn’t there for nothing. He felt the corners of his mouth tug a little as Deidara confessed his love to the cup of Miso and yet said his condolences as he had to open up the cup to eat it. Moron. He switched his gaze to Sakura instead. The kunoichi had grown since she first arrived. She seemed friendly with Kisame and Deidara, and kept out of his hair, which was good, but a little disappointing at that. Itachi couldn’t deny that having somebody intelligent to talk with was a nice change from Kisame and Deidara, but he wasn’t one to push a matter. If she wanted to have a conversation with him, which didn’t involve threats, she could come to him herself. That didn’t make him forget about that fact that she was going to heal his eyes soon, and he couldn’t help but feel a little excited at the thought of his old eyesight returning. He had walked with those blurry eyes for a while now, and he couldn’t wait to see everything as sharp as he once could. It had been long since he was excited about something. “Sakura-san,” he started as he watched her taking a bite of her sushi. She immediately choked because of her surprise. Deidara started to pat her back enthusiastically and because of that, her lungs were free of rice again. She wiped away the tears that had set in motion and drank from her glass of water before turning to Itachi. “I apologize Sakura-san,” he said smoothly. “When we’re done, I’d like to start working on my eyes.” “After dinner?” she asked while glancing at Deidara’s disappointed look. She knew he couldn’t go in against his wishes, but she had really looked forward to his demonstration of his powers and he had promised her to teach her the trick of his paper bird.

As Itachi nodded, Sakura braced herself for what she was going to say. “I can’t,” she blurted out, her eyes never leaving the table. At that moment, everything became quiet. She couldn’t hear the soft scraping of the chopsticks on their plates, nor the sounds of them eating; all three had stopped eating and were looking at her in utter amazement. “And can I ask why not?” his voice didn’t betray his emotions, even though she knew he was fuming inwardly. “Deidara and I are going out after dinner, he was going to show me something,” she calmly replied as the shaking of her voice gave her true feelings away. She lifted her head up to meet his eyes, and couldn’t help but be surprised when she saw amusement flicker through his eyes. She could also notice the fact that he was slightly peeved and inwardly cringed with that thought. “We had a deal Sakura,” he remarked and she noticed how he suddenly stopped using the suffix, indicating nothing more then trouble. He can’t kill me… He needs me, don’t forget that Sakura. He won’t kill you. “Well, the deal never said anything about a strict time we should follow, so I thought there wasn’t going to be any problem if I treated your eyes one day later,” she retorted, finding back a little more of the strength that she used to have. Itachi’s eyes narrowed slightly, another indication that he was beginning to get impatient and angered. Deidara noticed this change in Itachi and quickly rose from his chair. “Don’t worry Sakura-chan,” he started. “If Itachi wants you to heal his eyes, we’ll do it another time. We’ve got all the time in the world anyway.” Deidara grinned reassuringly. “No,” her voice was stern. “Deidara, Kisame, leave,” Itachi suddenly spoke up. Kisame and Deidara exchanged a significant glance, before Kisame nodded and disappeared, and Deidara followed after a slightly worried look towards Sakura. Sakura just sat in silence. From the worried look that she had gotten from Deidara, and the way Itachi dismissed the two, she could sense that she had definitely passed the line, and that he would be angered. “We had a deal Sakura, you were supposed to heal my eyes,” he said in his low voice. This tone always helped him out in Sakura’s case, and he couldn’t be more surprised now that her scared looked disappeared and a scowl came in place. “The DEAL never said ANYTHING about the time! I can’t even go out and have fun with Deidara because you’re in such a hurry to have your eyes fixed!” she yelled at him. His eyes narrowed again, and she should have noticed it but she was too blinded with the piling emotions inside of her that she needed to throw it all out, be damned the

consequences. With one swipe of her hand, she threw everything off the table, slamming her palms on top. “Who the hell do you think you are! Just because you find me, you automatically assume that I’m your hostage and I’m going to act like your lapdog, well GUESS AGAIN!” she resumed, yelling at him at the top of her lungs. He stood up now, discarding his robes and stood still as she continued her tantrum. “AND THE WORST THING ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS THAT YOU’RE KEEPING ME AWAY FROM MY GOAL. DAMN IT ITACHI LET ME GO TO SOUND, LET ME GO TO SASUKE,” she screamed, not caring that she was acting like a child. She continued screaming, and finally, Itachi had enough. He moved so quickly that she couldn’t even see his movements, but the next thing she knew, she was with her back on the table, looking at his furious face. His mask finally broke and the emotions that he had kept bottled inside came out. She didn’t stop yelling though. She pounded at his chest, demanding him to let go. That soon stopped though by a tiny movement of Itachi. His lips were pressing against hers. Metamorphosis – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/n: I am SO sorry it took so long. I had a small writers block for a while there, and that, combined with school and loads of other stuff that needed to be completed resulted in a very belated chapter of Metamorphosis. Chapter Eight – Sacrifices Must Be Made Sakura knew something was brewing between the two of them, after all, Itachi was one very handsome man, and some kunoichi just fell for that kind of guys. Brooding, partially evil, and drop-dead gorgeous. Itachi and Sasuke definitely were these kinds of men. She couldn’t deny the obvious attraction, but she had always thought that she could stop herself before she was in too deep. She couldn’t. As his warm body hovered over hers, his masculine lips gently brushing against hers, she found her will slipping away more and more until it was completely banished to a far corner of her mind. As much as Sakura wanted to stop it, she did exactly the opposite, and snaked her arms around his waist. She could feel him smirk against her lips before he nudged them slightly, deepening the kiss. Itachi pinned her against the table, kissing her feverishly. Sakura’s senses were overloaded, she could feel him everywhere; pressed against her, she could smell the elusive scent that was his, and a burning sensation that nearly send her nerves to overload. Her tongue engaged with his, sending shivers all over her spine when the tips

of their tongues touched each other. Sakura broke the kiss first as she ran out of air. She could feel his hot breath fanning around her neck as he lied on top of her, trying to regain his breath. He pushed himself off her and sat down on one of the chairs as Sakura struggled to sit up straight. An uncomfortable pause stretched between the two of them. “Itachi, I…” Sakura stammered, trying to regain her composure. At that exact moment, Kisame stormed through the door, followed by Deidara. “Sorry Itachi-san, but we thought you should know there’s a small army of Leaf hunter nin outside,” Kisame said before either Itachi or Sakura could say anything. Itachi nodded, and without a second glance towards Sakura, he walked out of the room. Kisame followed him, but Deidara lingered a little longer. “Are you okay?” he asked, the curiosity in his voice evident. “Fine… Just fine,” she replied vaguely. “How many hunter nins?” “Around twenty, yeah.” Deidara looked slightly worried. “Salmon-chan told me they were hunting you… Any particular reason why?” “I left Konoha a few weeks ago; I take it they’re afraid that I’ll pass on Tsunade-sama’s secret moves and healing jutsus,” she sighed. “I’m really of no further value to Konoha than a good medic nin,” she added. Deidara nodded in understanding. “When I was younger, they used to tease me that I wouldn’t be of any value, since I’m not much good in the taijutsu and genjutsu areas. So I perfected my ninjutsu with the help of clay and paper.” He sighed. “After I turned sixteen, I left Stone and joined Akatsuki shortly after. It was then that I perfected my taijutsu and genjutsu… yeah” He glanced at her before pulling his forehead protector off and played with the cool metal of the Stone sign. “I guess my hometown never really cared for me… They only sent hunter nins after me because of my clan… yeah.” As he put his forehead protector back on, Sakura glanced at him. He’s exactly the same… Like me. He probably felt useless in his childhood as well… Feeling the sudden rush to tell him more about her, she stood up until she was standing right in front of him, and squatted down. “When I was still a genin, I was placed in a team with a brilliant jounin as our leader, a member of the genius Uchiha clan, and another boy who had the kyuubi sealed inside of him,” she spoke softly. As Deidara waited for her to continue, she took a deep breath in and continued. “I wasn’t any good for the team. Sasuke was our number one rookie, the strongest genin at the moment. When our first fight against a few nins from Mist came, the only thing I could do was jump in front of the man we were supposed to protect, and hope that I could save him.”

She could almost see sadness flicker in Deidara’s eyes, but she quickly dismissed it. Akatsuki were still ninjas, and that would mean that Deidara could never show emotion in front of anybody else. “Then, as time went by, Naruto became stronger, and perhaps he even surpassed Sasukekun. After Sasuke-kun left, and Naruto went with Jiraiya, I knew that I couldn’t keep up with them. They were growing out of my reach, even further than before,” she lowered her gaze slightly. “So I asked Tsunade-shisou to be my mentor, and teach me the arts of medical ninjutsu.” Before she even knew what was happening, she was crying. As the tears made their way down her cheeks, she knew she wouldn’t stop them. She couldn’t, even if she wanted to. Every ninja should cry once. “But even now, I lack in strength. I’m a good kunoichi, yet I’ll never be able to catch up with them. I’ll always keep seeing their backs,” she finished, tears now spilling freely over her clothes. As the tears blurred her vision, she could faintly see Deidara standing up, and moving towards her. It wasn’t until she felt his arms around her, almost hesitantly as if he hadn’t embraced anybody before that she could let go. She clutched his robes in her hands, not caring if Itachi or Kisame, or Deidara for that matter would think of her as weak. At that moment, the only thing she cared about was talking to somebody who would be able to understand what she had been through. She crushed him in her embrace and cried freely on his shoulder until there were no more tears. -“Damn it, that sneaky little hunter nin injured me,” Kisame cursed as he fell in step behind Itachi. He growled slightly as he inspected the wound on his arm. During the fight, a hunter nin, almost as short as a child came up to him when he wasn’t on his guard and attacked him with a couple of shurikens. He cursed loudly as more of his blood spilled out of the wound. “Let the kunoichi inspect the wound later,” Itachi replied. He too was tired, even if you couldn’t tell he was. He had used his sharingan too much and his vision started to blur again, to a point that he couldn’t even see Kisame’s outline clearly. The Mangekyou sharingan was a great weapon, but it drove him insane that he could deteriorate his vision whenever he used it. As they dashed through the forest that led to their Inn in Rain, Itachi’s mind focused back on the pink haired kunoichi that he had left in Deidara’s care. Without thinking, he had kissed her. Never in his entire life had he gotten close to anybody, especially no females. He never had any needs that he couldn’t control, or the urge to just go out and screw around. Yet whenever he was near the kunoichi, he had the sudden urge to be near her— in every possible way. He let out a soft sigh before dismissing the thought. He never liked anybody in a romantic fashion, and he would certainly not be starting on his twenty-third year on this

planet. It was probably just some belated hormones. As they walked into the room where they had left Sakura and Deidara, they stood in the door opening in shock. There, Deidara sat with Sakura in his lap, who was obviously either asleep or unconscious. He was cradling her in his arms, and it seemed he had dozed off too. As Kisame let out a small sound of disbelief, Itachi could feel the instinct to kill burning up. He fought with his murderous thoughts though, and kept on his poker face as he watched Deidara awakening from his light slumber. “Having fun, eh Stone boy?” Kisame grinned. “I hope she isn’t too tired, I really need her to check my arm here,” Kisame added. Deidara gave a lopsided grin, before turning his gaze towards Sakura, who was opening her eyes when she heard the faint sounds of Kisame and Itachi returning. She blinked a couple of times, before she realized she was staring directly at Deidara and moved her gaze from the ex-Stone ninja towards Kisame and Itachi. Itachi looked the same as always. A little amount of blood was spattered over his cloak, and he looked slightly exhausted to her trained medical eyes. He still had a poker face though, and when she moved up, she came to the startling conclusion that he didn’t have his sharingan on. “Kisame wants you to check out his arm,” Deidara whispered softly. Sakura blinked a couple of times, oblivious to the soft and gentle tone of Deidara and nodded before standing up. She didn’t once look at Itachi again, afraid of the obvious blush that graced her features. She could remember every thing that happened earlier. From the gentle, masculine lips that had pressed against her, to the warmth of his body. She took in a deep breath before walking towards Kisame, who started to roll up his sleeve. Now that the wound was visible, all thoughts of Itachi disappeared into thin air. The flesh on his wrist looked mangled and it didn’t take the best eyes in the world to see how deep the wound actually was. She gasped as she stretched out her hand to inspect the wound. He flinched as soon as her hand touched a particular painful spot. Sakura immediately started to mold chakra and started the healing process. Instantly, the pain on Kisame’s arm was diminishing and as Kisame opened his eyes, he could see his flesh healing almost instantly under the warmth of Sakura’s chakra. He muttered a thanks when she was done, still admiring the amazing skills of the kunoichi. She smiled slightly and nodded. “How did it go?” she asked Kisame, wanting to know who could possibly inflict such a wound upon him. “Twenty Leaf ANBU; not much of a challenge, but one attacked me when I wasn’t focusing well. A really small kid, I think it might even be another kunoichi,” Kisame reported, almost dutifully.

Sakura’s eyes widened with that thought. She only knew two female ANBU members, and both of them were friends of hers. Praying that she didn’t know this ANBU, she continued her interrogation. “Did you see her hair?” she asked, almost afraid of the answer. Kisame shook his head. “No, but they did call out her name as I killed her, strange name too,” Kisame grinned. “I don’t remember it though, just that it sounded slightly weird.” “I heard,” Itachi finally spoke up. Sakura could almost feel the heat radiating off her cheeks as she turned around to face him. His face was still dead serious, no indication that he was joking. His midnight blue eyes were staring directly at her. “So, what was her name?” Please don’t let it be Ino or Tenten, please God, please… “Tenten,” Itachi answered smoothly. For a moment, Sakura felt as if the world had stopped. She fell down on her knees, breathing harshly, as if somebody had knocked the air out of her lungs. She could sense that Deidara was crouching next to her, checking if she was alright. Neither Kisame nor Itachi said anything. Apparently they understood that Sakura had known Tenten. “W-Who said her name…? Do you know?” Sakura asked, shakily. Tenten and Sakura weren’t exactly friends, but during the six years since the chuunin exam, they had grown a little closer, especially because Lee and Sakura were friends, so they saw each other pretty often. Lee had told her about his teammates, and that he respected Tenten because Tenten was almost the same as Lee was. Tenten couldn’t mold chakra as well as Neji or any other genin at that time could, and because of that, she focused on weapons. Tenten quickly became a first-class kunoichi because of her determination. Tenten was the first one to pass to chuunin after she perfected her skills, and she was promoted to ANBU soon after, because her booby traps were perfect, and her aim was dead right. And now Kisame killed her… Faintly, she could hear Kisame mumbling something. As she lifted up her head to face him, she found herself unable to hate him, even now. Kisame was nice to her, like Deidara. They made her life as a missing nin bearable, but it was still hard to know that the shark like man standing in front of her had killed one of her fellow Shinobis. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you,” Sakura spoke up quietly. “I said that I didn’t know who had said her name,” Kisame answered truthfully. “Was he using the Byakugan technique, or perhaps taijutsu?” she asked. “Are you implying that one of the Hyuuga made it to ANBU?” Itachi asked smoothly.

“Hyuuga Neji did,” she spat out. “Or did you kill him too!” Sakura struggled to get up; pushing away the hand that Deidara had offered her. As she looked up to the two men in front of her, her sadness disappeared and blind rage quickly filled her mind. “That’s it isn’t it? You’re Akatsuki; you kill everybody who stands in your way, not caring who it was! And you!” Sakura pointed at Itachi. “You’re the lowest! Killing your own clan because god knows what reason, you’re sick! You don’t care whose life you destroy, whether it’s your little brother or mine, all to satisfy your own selfish needs!” She had expected him to be angry with her. She had half expected him to kill her, and the other half of her mind thought about him beating her up. She never expected this though. “You expect us to act differently?” Itachi’s smooth voice asked her. “We are Akatsuki, as you just confirmed. We are missing nins who are used to this, and we do kill everybody who stands in the way.” His midnight blue eyes were focused on hers, and only her. “Now, if I’m correct, we had a deal concerning my eyes,” he continued. “When you’ve calmed down and restored your chakra, we will begin at once.” After that, Itachi disappeared into thin air with a small poof. Kisame stood there for a little longer, before shrugging and following Itachi’s example. Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Deidara’s half-grin, before he turned around and walked out of the door, leaving her alone again, with only her thoughts to ponder about. -“And so, we’re back where we started off,” Kisame chuckled slightly as the trio walked into Deidara’s room. “That kunoichi hated me and Itachi now because we killed one of her former friends.” Deidara nodded before sitting down on a bed. He couldn’t let the image of Sakura go just yet. She had just told him everything there was to know about her village, and she had told him about everybody she admired, and that Tenten girl was part of them. He sighed; never in a million years would he have expected Sakura to be so open with him, but it seemed she was feeling comfortable with him, something that nobody except Kisame had achieved. Ever since his little sister Iname had died, Deidara had never been so close to anybody again. He didn’t mention it to Sakura though, nobody except Kisame knew about his little sister. She was the spitting image of him, with blond hair and the amber eyes. In Stone, she was the only one he could trust, and he couldn’t have been prouder when she became a chuunin at the young age of twelve, four years younger than him. But something that should have been a joyous event turned out to be a disaster. Deidara had been Iname’s caretaker from the moment she was born, but when he had left her side,

just for a moment to discuss a mission with the Tsuchikage, she was murdered by some Shinobi from Sand. He left the village after they had found her, declaring a personal war to Sand, and as soon as he had been accepted into Akatsuki, he didn’t hesitate to ask if he could be the one to bring the Shukaku into headquarters. He was paired up with Sasori, the one who came from Sand, and soon left to try to extract the Shukaku from the Kazekage; Gaara of the Desert. He never allowed himself to be close to anybody again, that it, until Sakura showed up. He sighed again. Her spirit, her voice, the willpower that Iname once possessed was now mirrored into Sakura. After Sakura had fallen asleep in his lap, he knew that he had lowered his mental barriers, just for her. Maybe he was feeling something for her? Naah, just the fact that she looks like Iname… yeah. He glared at Itachi as the dark-haired Uchiha walked into the room, toweling off his hair. Itachi also had a bond with Sakura, albeit somewhat different, but he still couldn’t erase the memory of him and Sakura kissing. He didn’t even mean to walk in on them, but he knocked and nobody answered, so he did walk in. Big mistake. There she was, her beautiful pink hair splattered around the kitchen table, the food on floor. Itachi was hovering over her until she pulled him down in a kiss. He had turned around at that moment, knowing that he was interrupting something. Whatever Deidara was feeling, it was clear to him that Itachi was feeling the same. Perhaps Itachi’s feelings for her were more intense than his. Deidara chuckled with the thought of Itachi as a love sick puppy. It would certainly explain the fact that he hadn’t killed her yet. Salmon is the only one stupid enough here to believe that Itachi’s keeping her just for his eyes. Itachi’s a skilled ninja, I’m sure he could have found another medic ninja sooner or later who could heal his eyes. As Itachi combed through his hair quickly, Deidara didn’t waste this opportunity to fold a small paper bug. After placing a ninjutsu over it, he quickly send it to Sakura’s room, knowing that he could hear their conversation through that jutsu, and it would be a perfect opportunity to learn about their relationship. He raised his hand in a farewell bid as Itachi stalked out of the room, and laid down on the bed, activating the jutsu. He could hear Sakura’s slow breathing, which could only mean that she was asleep. A second later, he could hear a door open up; Itachi was there already. -During his young years, Itachi was mostly praised for three things. One; his ability to use his sharingan from the early age of seven. Two; the way he moved. You wouldn’t even be

able to hear him if he wanted to. The last thing he was praised for was the fact that he was aware of his environment. The minute Itachi stepped into the room he and Sakura initially shared, he noticed two things. Firstly; there was a bug in the upper left corner of Sakura’s bed. Paper, so it would mean that Deidara was listening in. The second thing was that Sakura was still asleep. He could hear her soft, steady breathing. In a flash, he stood next to her bed, squashing the little bug in an instant. He smirked slightly as he heard Deidara curse. Out of the four Akatsuki members he knew best, he was definitely the smartest one. As soon as he got over his little triumph over Deidara’s plan, he lowered his gaze to the pink haired kunoichi who was still sleeping soundly. She was beautiful; there was no doubt in that. Even Itachi could admit this little fact, even if he would never tell her this. Her pink hair was splayed all over the bed, his eyes closed to the outside world, and her perfect lips – the lips he had touched with his own – were slightly parted. Her hand was gripping the light blue sheet of her bed, and one leg was exposed. He couldn’t help himself to follow the smooth, elegant curve of her body. But as his eyes roamed over her body, Sakura shivered. His eyes never left her face as he bowed over her slightly, tucking her in so she wouldn’t feel cold anymore. Just as he wanted to praise himself with his own stealth, sea-foam green eyes were staring at him. She looked halfasleep, half awake as she stared at him through half-lidded eyes. She smiled slightly; a smile he hadn’t seen before. It lighted up her features, and she closed her eyes again out of pure exhaustion. Just as Itachi turned around to leave the room, Sakura murmured something softly. At that moment, Itachi’s softened gaze made place for his usual poker face, as he made his way through the room, throwing his clothes off in the process. As he crawled under the sheets, he inwardly cursed for letting a girl get under his guard. He knew very well that he wouldn’t forget those words; they reminded him of her mission. Her only mission. “Thank you… Sasuke-kun.”

Metamorphosis – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/n: There might be slight confusion in this chapter with the thought lines. Some of them are the things that Sasuke said and the others are just Sakura’s thoughts. Chapter Nine – A Story of Storm and Fire.

“Sit down,” the Fifth signaled. As soon as she said the words, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, Inuzuka Kiba, Shiranui Genma, Nara Shikamaru, Rock Lee, Maito Gai and Hyuuga Neji sat down on the chairs reserved for them. “It’s been four weeks since Sakura has left Konoha, and we still haven’t heard anything,” Tsunade said, sighing slightly. “So I’ve issued this mission. The eight of you will break up into two teams, the forward team, and the back-up team.” Seven heads nodded, yet one hand that belonged to the blond boy raised. “Why are we splitting up?” he asked confusedly. “Because it’s troublesome if all eight of us are going together, we’d be easily spotted,” Shikamaru sighed lazily. “Correct,” Tsunade replied. “Kakashi, Gai, Genma and Shikamaru will be in charge of both teams. Kakashi and Genma, you’ll be in charge of the forward team. Kiba, you and Naruto will accompany Kakashi and Genma.” Kiba nodded, brushing away the stray bangs of hair that fell into his eyes. He and Akamaru had grown up a great deal since the chuunin exam of six years ago, and Kiba was now a young man of eighteen years old. “The rear team will have Gai and Shikamaru in charge. Hyuuga, you and Lee will be in the rear team,” Tsunade continued patiently. “If anything should happen to the forward team, Neji would be able to see that with his technique, and Shikamaru and Gai are clever enough to devise a plan.” Four heads nodded in agreement. None of them laughed like they used to. When none of this happened, when Sasuke and Sakura were still there, they laughed whenever they had gotten a mission, happy to go out. But now, it was different. Either they’d get killed, or they would be able to rescue Sasuke and Sakura. “Now that we’ve handled the teams, I’ll explain the precise mission and the plan.” “The forward team will leave in a week’s time, and we hope that you’ll arrive in Sound in a few days. The back-up team will be several miles behind, not too far so Neji can follow you. If and when you are attacked by any of the Sound nins, I can trust Kakashi, Genma, Naruto and Kiba to handle the situation. If not, and the Sound nins are overpowering you, the back-up team will enter and hopefully end the fight.” “When you arrive at the whereabouts of Orochimaru, which will be in the main building, seeing as he is the ‘Outokage.’ You can almost be certain that his most trusted right-hand will be there; Yakushi Kabuto. He has entered the chuunin exam several times, but don’t let that boost your confidence; Kabuto is at jounin level and uses Medic jutsus. I’ll trust Kakashi, Gai and Genma to get rid of him.” Kakashi nodded slightly, Genma uttered a ‘yes ma’am’ and Gai grinned. “If you get past him, Orochimaru will be waiting for you. As Kakashi and many others of

you know, Orochimaru is a very strong man, so you’ll have to find another way to get past him. The primary goal here is to get into Sound, get Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura out of there, and bring them back to Konoha without starting a war. That is all.” All eight of them stood up when the Hokage dismissed them. As soon as they walked through the door, Kakashi, Gai and Genma left without even saying goodbye. Kiba waved goodbye and ran out with Akamaru, followed by Rock Lee who claimed he had some training to do. Neji nodded as a goodbye and followed Lee out the door. Soon, only Shikamaru and Naruto were left in the large hallway. “How are they handling the situation?” Naruto asked quietly, as Neji disappeared out of the door. “I don’t know. I heard from Ino that she saw Lee crying when he heard the news, and Hyuuga didn’t say a word, he just turned around and walked away,” Shikamaru answered, knowing what Naruto had meant with that question. “Her death certainly was un-expected,” Shikamaru continued. “Hmm,” Naruto replied, his eyes downcast. Tenten’s death was a surprise to everybody who knew her. She hadn’t told them anything, and then one day, Tsunade had called Team Gai to her, telling them that their former team member had died during a mission. After Naruto had heard the news, he couldn’t help but think about Sakura. What if he was going to be called any day now, that Tsunade had said that Sakura had been found by the hunter nins. It was an awful thought to think about such a thing, but he couldn’t help himself; what if Sakura was next? “Let’s go, Naruto; I need to be at the exam office to discuss the plans for the new Chuunin exam,” Shikamaru interrupted his thoughts with a sigh. “So troublesome, but it’s the best jounin job you can get.” “Yeah, let’s go!” Naruto grinned before running towards the door. -Sakura sighed. Now she could fully understand why it was called the Hidden Village of Rain. It kept raining throughout the day, and she was getting sick of it. From the moment she had woken up, till midday, it rained and rained. She hadn’t seen Kisame or Itachi during the day. Deidara had told them that they had some business to attend to, but that Itachi would return earlier so she could work on his eyes. She was quite shocked actually when Deidara had told her that Itachi had gone to her to work on his eyes, but she hadn’t woken up during the night, and neither did Itachi wake her. Her only conclusion was that he had let her sleep. Perhaps there’s a softer side to Uchiha Itachi, deep down… She shook her head violently, as if she tried to remove those thoughts from her head by

shaking. There’s no way that Itachi has a softer side. The man killed his entire clan, ruined Sasuke-kun’s life, and he’s a huge pain in the rear! As Inner Sakura agreed with her, she could hear a movement behind her. Without even turning around, she knew Itachi had just entered the room, and wanted her to know that. If he didn’t want her to know, he would have used his unique talent to sneak around without somebody hearing him. “Your chakra has restored,” Itachi commented smoothly. Without even turning around, Sakura nodded slightly. Itachi seemed pleased with this answer. “We’ll start now,” Itachi said quietly, trying to hide his excitement. “I’m tired of waiting.” Sakura nodded again, before turning around, now facing Itachi completely. She saw he had discarded his Akatsuki robes and he was only clad in his mesh shirt and his dark pants. As she followed the sleek contours of his body, she remembered how it felt when that body was pressed up against hers. No that again Sakura. You’re in love with Sasuke-kun remember, not his brother. She sighed heavily, signaling Itachi to sit down on a chair. He sat down, looking at her expectedly as she sat down in front of him on the bed. She brushed her stray bangs of hair from her eyes, and started to mold chakra as she raised her arm to meet his eyes. He closed them as her fingertips brushed over his eye, and she could feel the softness of his lashes against her skin. She started to mold chakra, gently pressing against his eyelids as she started the healing process. It took her four hours to completely restore his eyes. As he tentatively opened his eyes, adjusting to the sharp sight, he couldn’t hide the excitement that his vision had returned, better than ever. “Your eyes will deteriorate in time again, I can’t heal the completely. You’ll have to see a medic once a year,” Sakura explained. “Now that I’ve healed your eyes, will you let me go?” She watched as a small smirk formed around his perfect lips. “To Sasuke,” he said, almost like a question. “To Sasuke,” she confirmed boldly. Sakura watched him as he stood up and watched like a hawk. He opened his eyes, which were black again and stared at her directly, still the smirk now missing. “You are annoying, Sakura-san,” he said in response, before he walked out of the room. “You really are annoying.” She choked, as she grabbed a pillow from her bed, throwing it with all her might to the closing door. His voice, his looks, even the way he talked reminded her of him. “The four of us did lots of things together, but my heart decided to chose revenge in the

end.” He left her six years ago, but she could remember everything about him, from his raven black hair, to his deep voice. She could remember everything he had said to her, all the things he had taught her. Even after Sai had entered her team, as a replacement of Sasuke, the real third member of Team Kakashi, of Team 7… It would always be Sasuke. If not, Team Kakashi wouldn’t exist. It would have stopped when Sasuke left Konoha that day. She felt guilty. She had told him that she loved him, yet here she was, enjoying his brothers company. She loved Sasuke. No, scrap that; she still loved him. She would always love him. But would he ever love her back? Would he ever kiss her like Itachi had? Would he even remember her, Naruto or even Kakashi? It was six years since she last saw him… Who knows how much he had changed in the meanwhile? Would he still be thinking of revenge…? “That’s my purpose in life.” No. She shouldn’t worry about him. Sasuke was strong, he would still be the old Sasuke, yet stronger because of Orochimaru’s training. He would remember her; he would definitely remember Naruto and Kakashi. He would still be Sasuke, their third member. She released a breath that she wasn’t aware she was holding before forcing herself to smile. Itachi’s eyes are healed, I’ll be out of here in no time, and I’ll come for you Sasuke-kun; I’ll come to see you. What’s a few more days compared to six years? Two knocks on her door woke her up from her reverie. “Sakura-chan? You in there?” Deidara’s voice sounded. “Yes I am Deidara, come in!” she called back as she wiped away the stray tears on her cheeks. As Deidara opened the door and peeked inside, he saw Sakura sitting on the bed, smiling at him, even though he could instantly see she had been crying. It wasn’t in his character though to ask Sakura about it. He had learned that if she wanted to talk, she would open up to him, there was no need in forcing her. As he sat down next to her, scanning her room, he saw a picture on her nightstand. Curiously, he bent forward to pick up the picture before he noticed Sakura’s look. She sat that, stiff as a board, looking wide-eyed at his hand which was stretching out to grab the photograph. Within a second, his hand shot back to his lap. He scanned her features to see if she was relaxing or not, and when she finally relaxed, he thought about his words carefully, before he stared directly into her eyes. “I’m sorry Sakura-chan… I didn’t mean to… Well, you know,” he stammered slightly,

falling off his cool image. He didn’t care about his reputation though, knowing that Sakura would never laugh at him for his lousy attempt to apologize. He watched her as she grabbed the photograph off her nightstand, caressing the frame slightly as she stared at the picture. She passed it to him after a while, and he reluctantly accepted as he faintly wondered if it was okay for him to see her personal stuff. He didn’t look at the photograph and scanned her face to see approval before lowering his gaze to see the four people in the picture. He knew the top one; it was Hatake Kakashi, the infamous Copy-Nin. Only an idiot wouldn’t be able to recognize his one eye, his dark blue mask and his silver mane. His hands rested on the heads of two boys; one was blond, he recognized him easily as the kyuubi. The other one looked slightly cocky and irritated. His raven black hair and his looks reminded him of Itachi, and he instantly knew that this was the boy Sakura was chasing—Uchiha Sasuke. He felt a slight pang in his gut, instantly realizing that Sakura was crying for him. His eyes wandered over the features of the boy, faintly realizing that he really looked like Itachi, except for his significantly shorter hair and the lines on his face. Itachi looked far more controlled though. But even if it was just a picture he was holding in his hands of the boy, he could understand why she loved Sasuke. The boy had a certain aura around him, he could feel it. Like Itachi’s, it would be the urge to become stronger, the fact that he was strong enough to protect her. He probably made sure that she felt safe in his care too. He sighed softly before moving down to the last person on the picture. She was six years younger there, with longer hair and a different outfit, yet he could still recognize her. Her pink hair was unmistakable. Deidara smiled as he saw the twelve year old Sakura smiling at him—a smile he had never seen on her face until that moment. A smile she probably saved for him. He faked a smile as he returned the picture to her. She smiled as well, not as bright as the smile on the picture though, he noted. “We took that picture after our three-man teams were chosen. I was really happy to be teamed up with Sasuke-kun,” she smiled. “Yet, I was less happy to know that Naruto was teamed up with me and after that, that my teacher was a lazy bum.” Deidara grinned. He had heard of Kakashi’s aloof and distant nature, but also of his laziness that found its way to the outside world when he wasn’t on a mission. “But,” Sakura continued. “After a while, I got attached to both of them, more then I could ever say. I loved Sasuke-kun more then ever, and Naruto also found his way to my heart. But after the chuunin exam, and Orochimaru, Sasuke started to change, and Team 7 was changing. It never became the same as before, the teamwork was lost, and after Sasuke left Konoha, and Naruto left with Jiraiya, I was left alone.”

He nodded as a sign that he understood. He knew what had happened from that moment on. She had trained with the Fifth Hokage for three years, until Naruto came back. Yet neither one of them had become strong enough to attack Orochimaru straight on, dealing with his Sound nins and Kabuto. That’s why Sakura left. She could never get to Sasuke if she had to fight against Orochimaru, so she would join them as a medic nin. He never knew Orochimaru that well. Orochimaru had been paired up with Zetsu during his time in Akatsuki. He was a great addition to Akatsuki though, being one of the sannin, but his ambitions to become immortal made him leave Akatsuki, granting him a place on the list of the traitors of Akatsuki, which had always been empty until that day. Deidara had been in Akatsuki for a few years now, yet he still had a few Akatsuki members to meet. At the moment, he only knew Sasori, Kisame, Itachi and Zetsu. He heard the other’s voices during their meetings, but never met them face to face. Their leader apparently thought that they wouldn’t have to meet. Not that he disagreed with that statement. As far as he could make out, the only ones who had a few brains left in their heads were definitely Itachi and Sasori. Kisame too, even if he wasn’t the brightest fish in sea. Zetsu kind of spooked him with his weird looks, but he had never talked to him, just watched him from a distance. “Sakura, can I ask you something… yeah?” Deidara started. “Sure Deidara-san,” she responded. “What’s your purpose in life?” he asked simply. “That’s my purpose in life.” Again. His words never left her, his farewell words. She had stored them in the back of her mind, acting like he never left her. But now, two people on the same day asked her the things he had answered already, years ago. It was hard to feel his words thrown back at her. In her mind’s eye, she could still see the last grin she ever saw on his face. “You really are… annoying.” “My… My purpose?” she stammered, trying to regain her composure. “What do you want out of life? Is it just Sasuke? You just want to be with Itachi’s brother?” he asked softly, meeting her eyes. “I… I always wanted to be with Sasuke-kun. It had always been my dream to marry him. But I don’t just want that out of life. I won’t deny that I still want a family with Sasukekun, but I want to be like Tsunade-shisou,” she answered quietly. “I want to become a top medic… I don’t want to be left behind, to see only their backs when they’re fighting.” Deidara nodded, knowing what she had meant. Naruto and Sasuke were always stronger than her, always protecting her. Iname was the same; she tried to break free from Deidara’s protection… And died. “Mine’s revenge… yeah,” he said quietly. Sakura’s head snapped up at this statement.

She knew Deidara had left Stone without even committing a serious crime, and she had wondered why he left. Was it because of revenge? “Revenge?” she asked tentatively. “Yes. The only person I could trust in Stone, the one I could talk to… She was killed by shinobi from Sand. That’s why I entered Akatsuki… That’s why I asked if I could go to Sand,” Deidara answered, feeling slightly uncomfortable to talk to her about his past. “I wanted a crack at the shukaku. I wanted to let everybody in Sand feel how I felt when she was taken away from me… yeah” “She?” Sakura asked quietly. “My little sister; Iname,” Deidara replied. “But you didn’t succeed… Gaara is still alive.” “I know. Perhaps wanting revenge is stupid; one might even say it’s stupid,” Deidara sighed. “But I can understand why Itachi’s little brother wants revenge. It would be the logical thing to do. If my brother had killed my clan… I would want revenge too. Somebody who has had a real family… Real friends… People like you wouldn’t understand how it feels to lose everybody... yeah” “I’m different from you guys… I walk a different path than you do. I can’t become like you and Naruto.” “But, when you lose friends, isn’t it the same?” Sakura asked, trying to bite back the tears that stung in the corners of her eyes as the raven black boy in her memories turned around and grinned at her. “I wouldn’t know,” Deidara answered simply. “I never had friends. Everybody in Akatsuki that I know is the same. Itachi never had friends because of his solidarity. Salmon never had friends because of his looks. Sasori just spooked everybody away that came close.” Sakura’s sea-foam green eyes widened slightly as she thought about Itachi as a younger boy. She always imagined him to be alone, just like Sasuke. Now that she thought about it, they were similar. They were both alone, both geniuses and both had ambitions. Sasuke wanted revenge, while Itachi wanted to get stronger. “Revenge isn’t the answer to things,” Sakura said softly. “It isn’t… But it really helps to vent out your frustration… yeah,” Deidara confirmed. Noticing Sakura’s slightly widened eyes at this statement, he continued explaining. “When something happens, people want to blame others; people want to hurt the other person. Even if that person is innocent… You just want to vent out your frustration, no matter how high the price should be.” Sakura nodded, knowing Deidara was right. No matter what happened, whether an accident or murder, people always felt the need to blame somebody else—or themselves.

She had done exactly the same thing when Sasuke left. If only I took Naruto with me to see Sasuke. If only I had woken up Kakashi-sensei. If only I could have stopped him… “Yes, I understand your point…” Sakura answered. She smiled as Deidara stood up and said goodbye before walking out of the room. He certainly had given her some things to think about. She never gave revenge that much thought. Lee told her that he viewed the world in two parts; you can have grudges, or you can’t. If you hold a grudge against somebody, it’ll consume you as you try to have your revenge. On the other hand, if you don’t hold a grudge against anybody, you can keep on living your own life, without holding out or having regrets. She always thought it would be easy to thrown away your grudges for someone, but now that she had talked to Deidara, she could understand the feelings of those who wanted revenge. Why it would be so hard to let go… “Why do I have to tell you anything?” She finally understood why he hadn’t told her anything. I wouldn’t have understood him… Because I didn’t understand at the time, what it means to hate somebody… What it means to want revenge. -“So this is where the missing nin Haruno Sakura is, eh?” a Rain ANBU whispered to his colleague as he sneaked closed to the hotel. “Yes, she’s supposed to be brought back to Konoha alive… And since Rain is having financial problems, this will bring in a lot of money,” the other one whispered back. “Let’s go then,” the first one said, before standing up, his dark hair camouflaged in the darkness. A lone, light blue eye pierced through the darkness as he smirked, disappearing in a flash; his partner following him. -Deidara left a couple of hours ago, but she swore it was minutes before Kisame knocked on the door, rapping his knuckles on the wood, before telling her that dinner was ready. She could hear his light footsteps on the floor retreating, wondering how a man that large could make so little sound. Shaking her head, she sat up straight, brushing through her hair with her fingers. I’ve got to buy myself a hair brush somewhere. She stood up as soon as she felt Itachi in the vicinity, knowing that he would come to get her. As soon as she jogged around the bed, he already stood in the door opening. He nodded at her before calmly walking towards his backpack, fetching a wallet. He noticed Sakura’s stare and looked up for a while, shocking Sakura. His gaze was cold,

as cold as a rock, now even more then before, she couldn’t read him. It was like the man that showed himself during their kiss buried himself deeper and deeper inside Itachi, showing only this man; a ruthless killer without emotions. Knowing that she was still staring at him, she tried to break the uncomfortable pause. “Why do you need your wallet?” she asked hoarsely, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. She remained silent as he straightened himself, walking back towards the door. “I need to pay the delivery man, what else?” Itachi answered coldly, before disappearing as soon as he came. She watched how the door slightly creaked as he left, lost in thought. Unconsciously, she touched her lips, craving the heat of somebody’s lips against hers. She had always thought that Sasuke would give her, her first kiss. She had imagined it many ways; but never like the kiss that Itachi had given her. It happened a day ago, yet she could still feel the tingling in her body as she thought about it—which happened a lot. Sakura, get over it. He just did it to silence you. It didn’t mean anything to him, neither to you. You’re in love with Sasuke right? That’s why you’re doing this. She sighed before throwing the Akatsuki robes around her shoulders and walked out of the room, her heart filled with excitement that this might be the last day she’d have to spend with Itachi before going to Sasuke. Itachi had no more use for her; he would surely let her go. She was going to miss a few things though. Deidara’s conversations and jokes, Kisame’s rough exterior and the way he turned into a fun loving guy whenever Deidara was around. Even if she wouldn’t admit it; she would even miss Itachi. His blood red sharingan eyes were a reminder of her mission, and somehow comforted her, even if he was a renegade killer, completely different from Sasuke. She smiled slightly as she walked into Deidara’s room; knowing that this might be the last ‘traditional Akatsuki dinner’ she’d experience before leaving. “Yo,” she said, raising her hand slightly in an imitation of Kakashi. Deidara grinned at her and greeted with a ‘Yo’ back, while Kisame just grinned and Itachi looked in the other direction. She sat down next to Deidara, which was her favorite spot as Kisame and Itachi always discussed the things they did during their missions and never paid much attention to her during the first ten minutes. This time though, Kisame didn’t say a word against Itachi, and instead picked up a tray of food which was filled with fish. “I told you so… yeah,” Deidara smirked. “Whenever Itachi orders, it’s always healthy.” She chuckled slightly as Deidara passed her the rice balls, picking up a few. Automatically, she broke off a small part, before throwing it in the water, testing for poison. It was a ritual. First, she’d go to either Deidara’s room or Kisame’s room for

food, they’d greet each other before sitting down to eat. Kisame would report to Itachi, while Itachi would sit still and nod occasionally. As soon as all the food was unpacked, they’d all break off bits of their food, testing for poison. She felt slightly sad that she’d have to leave them soon. Deidara was becoming a good friend, somebody she could talk to. Kisame was a nice guy after you get to learn a bit about him and Itachi… Itachi was the unpredictable one, the mysterious one. Just when you thought you’d understand his actions and thought patterns, he’d do something else to throw you off guard again. She slightly shook her head, wanting to enjoy this dinner instead of spacing off. She heard Deidara roar with laughter as Kisame accidentally dropped some sushi in the soy sauce, spilling it all over his robes. Kisame swore loudly, making Deidara laugh even harder. She chuckled and at that precise moment, she swore she heard a snort from Itachi. Deidara apparently heard the same thing, as he turned to Itachi in shock. “Itachi! You laughed just now?” Deidara asked incredulously. “You heard that, didn’t you Salmon-chan! Even Itachi thinks you’re funny… yeah!” Sakura fell into a fit of laughter as soon as she saw Kisame spouting out some foul language while he glared at Deidara. Deidara didn’t seem to notice though, as he tried to control his laughter. Just as he reduced his laughter to a mere grin, Kisame stood up roughly, accidentally throwing more soy sauce over his robes. “God damnit!” Kisame swore loudly as he gritted his teeth. He murmured something under his breath to Itachi, before throwing off his robes. He stalked off to the bathroom, and Sakura swore that Kisame had said something that included; “never getting these stains out.” Deidara kept cracking jokes during the entire dinner, and just as Kisame returned, Itachi silenced them all by activating the sharingan, staring directly at Kisame. “It’s just Salmon-chan Itachi, calm down,” Deidara said, surprised as Itachi stood up. “Genjutsu,” Itachi answered smoothly. “Get the kunoichi out of here.” Kunoichi? What happened to “Sakura-san”? Deidara nodded as he held out his hand, signaling Sakura to grab on to him, but before he could even open his mouth to ask where the real Kisame was, another nin stood behind him, holding a kunai to his neck. “Haruno Sakura,” the fake Kisame grinned as he stared at Sakura. “You’re coming with us.”

Metamorphosis – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi

Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/n: This chapter is dedicated to one of my friends, and most loyal readers; blackbloodedkunoichi! Hope you like it! Chapter Ten – Konoha’s Mission Commences! “Me?” Sakura asked stupefied, staring at the dark-haired man in front of her. He had stunning light blue eyes, which were a huge contrast to his dark hair. A smirk played around his lips as he lowered the kunai further, until the tip touched Deidara’s neck. Sakura’s gaze switched to Deidara as he gritted his teeth, glaring at the man who held the kunai to his neck. “Itachi, where’s Kisame?” he asked, changing back to his serious side. “Still in the bathroom,” Itachi answered smoothly. If he felt any emotion at that moment, he was really good at hiding it. Sakura stared at him as she tried to uncover the secret to his poker face. Whoever these nins were, they were no match for three Akatsuki members. But the fact that one of them was holding a kunai against Deidara’s throat wasn’t a good thing, not at all. “You know, I’m getting slightly pissed off here… yeah,” Deidara said suddenly, breaking the silence as he turned around to see his enemy. “I agree, let’s end this soon,” Itachi answered darkly. Sakura watched in awe as the red of the sharingan bled into his eyes. “Fools, do you honestly believe that you can win from us? We’re top Hunter nins from Mist!” “Mist eh? So that’s why you impersonated Hoshigaki… yeah,” Deidara answered as he glanced through the room. “And you’re here, with just two hunter nin?” “Of course, Haruno poses no threat to us, and you are probably all some low-class nins who joined her,” the other one grinned. He released the jutsu, turning back into a brown haired nin, whose face was covered with an ANBU mask. “You heard that Itachi? We’re low class nins, they probably think we’re genin or something… yeah,” Deidara chuckled. “They don’t even notice your sharingan.” “S-Sharingan? But you mean that… You’re an Uchiha!” the masked Hunter nin asked incredulously. “Correct,” Itachi answered, before turning around. “Deidara, Kisame.” In a flash, Deidara had turned around and kicked the dark-haired nin towards the wall. His hand shot into his Akatsuki robe, pulling out some clay. From another door, Kisame stormed in, holding the Samehada in his hand as he dashed towards the dark-haired nin. Sakura whirled around to check how Itachi was doing, when she noticed he was gone. Apparently, the nin had noticed too, and glanced around the room in search of Itachi.

Itachi re-appeared in front of him, burying his fist in his stomach, which sent him flying through the room, slamming into another wall. “What the…” Deidara’s voice came. Sakura turned around to see him staring at the wall where he just threw the nin at. “He’s gone… yeah.” Next to him, Kisame spouted out some foul language, before scanning the room. “I thought so. It seems they know our specialty,” Itachi said quietly. “Specialty?” Sakura asked, surprise in her tone. “All Akatsuki members are taught our special technique when enrolling in Akatsuki. We can use a percentage of our chakra to make another body, exactly like ours; almost like a replica, only this one can fight without disappearing. Until the amount of extra chakra in the replication is depleted,” Kisame hastily explained. “Yeah, and these guys know it… yeah. Look here,” Deidara said as he pointed at two men appearing on the ground. “Their sacrifices.” “They aren’t far away, I can still sense them,” Kisame said suddenly. “Should I go after them, Itachi-san?” “No,” Itachi answered smoothly. “We will wait until they strike again. Now that they know I’m part of this little entourage, and Kisame is too, they will come at us more prepared next time.” “What makes you think so?” Sakura asked curiously. “They might still think you’re an easy opponent.” “They won’t. Kisame is known in Mist, and so am I,” he answered. “Do not underestimate your opponent, Sakura-san.” “Salmon, Itachi,” Deidara interrupted. “Hunter nins are in the vicinity… yeah” “I know,” Kisame growled, gripping his Samehada. “Deidara, you take care of the kunoichi,” Itachi started. “Kisame and I will-“ “I’ll fight too,” Sakura interrupted, ignoring Itachi’s orders. “I’m not weak Itachi-san. The three of you can’t always protect me from the hunter nins.” “Then let’s go kunoichi, we don’t have all day,” Kisame said, excitement in his tone. “She’s right, Itachi-san, let her have some action as well.” As soon as he said this, Deidara stepped forward. His eyes were narrowed, his hands were fists, and as soon as he spoke, Sakura could hear the anger evident in his voice. “Are you suggesting, Itachi-san, Kisame,” he said in a controlled voice, although his eyes and hands gave him away. “That we should let Sakura fight? There’s a small army of Hunter nin outside!” Shocked, Sakura looked at Deidara. She would have never believed it if she wouldn’t

have seen it first. Deidara was trying to stop her, trying to keep her out of harm’s way. What was he thinking? Did he think she was weak? Even after everything they talked about? “I’m perfectly clear to make my own decisions, Deidara-san, and I don’t need your approval,” Sakura answered coldly, angered that he had so little faith in her. “After all, I’m a jounin, not a genin. They are chasing me, so I should be fighting here. Now, let’s go.” Kisame grinned widely as she stalked out of the room, a kunai in her hand as she formed the seals for a Replacement jutsu. Itachi just watched her go, before disappearing into thin air. Kisame followed soon after he signaled Deidara to follow them. Deidara stood alone in the chamber, gritting his teeth as he pulled out some clay and decided to keep an eye on Sakura. She couldn’t die. She wouldn’t die. He would make sure of it. -As the sun started to set in the Hidden Village of Leaf, eight people walked through the village. Some mentally saying goodbye to the buildings they always visited, the large faces of the Hokage’s gracing the mountain, Ichiraku, and the memorial. Kakashi, Naruto, Kiba, Neji and Genma were dressed in their ANBU costumes; their masks dangling around their necks. Black, swirled tattoos graced their arms. Shikamaru, Lee and Gai were dressed in their usual Jounin outfits. Neither of them had ever made it to ANBU, and they were content with that. As the gate of Konoha came into view, several people stood there; watching them. Hinata, Ino, Chouji and Iruka were part of the group. Several meters further, Raidou stood there too, together with Shizune, Kurenai and Asuma. They waved ever so slightly as the team neared them. Genma split up from the group with a small wave of his hand, appearing next to Raidou in a second, talking to his friend. Naruto grinned slightly as he made his way to Iruka. Kiba ran next to him, enthusiastically hugging Chouji, who had become a good friend of his, before moving to Hinata, giving her a gentle hug as well. Ino stepped forward slightly; her hands fell lightly to her sides as she made her way to Shikamaru and Chouji. Several meters further, Kurenai and Asuma were talking to Kakashi, who had his hands in his pockets as usual, giving them the casual look. Gai, Neji and Lee stayed together. Since Tenten was gone, nobody would say goodbye to them. As Lee and Neji started a conversation, a very nervous Hinata shuffled towards Neji. “Ah… Neji-niisan,” she stuttered nervously, biting her lip as she held a small jar of ointment in her hands. She looked down as Neji turned around, giving her his complete attention. “T-This is for you,” Hinata spoke quietly as she trashed her arms forward, bowing slightly. Neji scanned the ointment, before moving over her face. As soon as he decided

that she was being sincere, his eyes softened slightly, before taking the ointment; storing it into his bag. “Thank you, Hinata-sama,” Neji answered quietly. He didn’t move as she shuffled away again, but he kept his eye on her. Ever since the Chuunin exam, he had tolerated the main Hyuuga family, but he still didn’t trust any of them, afraid that they might attack his brains next. He sighed slightly, before turning around again, resuming his conversation with Lee. A few feet next to them, Genma was giving Raidou a small hug, saying goodbye to his friend before moving further towards the gate. Naruto joined him too after waving goodbye to all of his friends. Next to arrive were Gai, Neji and Lee. Kiba and Shikamaru also stepped forward, joining the group. Kiba was laughing at Shikamaru, as Shikamaru was rubbing his cheek slightly, trying to remove the remains of Ino’s farewell kiss as he tried to look irritated. The agitated look on his face was soon replaced with a smile as Ino started to cry slightly. He waved at her, before turning around, trying to stop himself from looking too soft. Kiba grinned, hugging Akamaru lovingly. He wasn’t allowed to take Akamaru with him. The mission required stealth and the ability to go unnoticed into the Hidden Village of Sound. If Akamaru would go with them, they would be spotted in no time and they would be ambushed. It was the first time that Kiba went on a mission with Akamaru, and it was hard to say goodbye to his partner. A few teardrops left his eyes as he ruffled Akamaru’s fur in a spur of affection. “See you later, Akamaru,” he whispered affectionately, before turning around, joining the other members of his team. He turned around once to wave at Akamaru, and the second they left the village gates, they were gone. “I hope they’ll be successful this time,” Ino whispered slightly as she wiped away the remains of her salty tears on her cheek. She smiled at Chouji, who still had his gaze fixed on the gate. “Don’t worry. As long as Shikamaru is with them, they’ll be alright. Besides, they are all capable ninja’s, they’ll be fine,” Chouji said, smiling as he turned around. “Let’s go eat some barbecue meat!” “Chouji! For once, think about something else then eating!” Ino yelled, half agitated, half laughing as they made their way to Chouji’s favorite restaurant. Behind them, Asuma, Shizune, Raidou and Kurenai snickered as they heard the banter from Ino and Chouji continuing. All four of them were scared; not only for their students, but for their friends as well. Even if Gai could be a pain in the behind at times with his ‘youthful rivalry’ with Kakashi. Kakashi was a friend of all of them as well; they had supported him during his rough period after the death of Obito; the yondaime and Rin soon following. And there was Genma, good old Genma, who could be serious yet chivalrous at the same time. They all knew what this mission entitled, and held in their breaths as soon as they heard

who were issued to go, but they trusted every last member of the team, and knew that the Fifth had made a wise decision to let them go. Her last order had worried them slightly though, it wasn’t an uncommon thing that the mission would be sooner then expected, but they’d never expected it to be moved up one week. Kurenai turned around slightly, looking at the wide open gates, staring at the leafs as the wind moved them. Chouji was right. As long as these eight capable ninja would go to rescue Sasuke and Sakura, everything would be alright. All they could do at the time was to have faith in every single one of them. -“Okay, perhaps we miscounted,” Kisame grinned slightly as soon as he stepped outside the hotel. The entrance was surrounded with ANBU members. Their white tops, tattoos and masks revealed their identities. Forty ANBU members or so were scattered; some holding a kunai in their hands, while others held shurikens or nothing at all. They were all silent and just watched as Sakura first left the building, followed by Kisame and Itachi, and finally Deidara. “Oh no Salmon-chan, you don’t say,” Deidara sarcastically remarked. Sakura stood next to him, amazed how Deidara could change from a light-hearted, crazy guy, to the serious, sarcastic Deidara standing next to her. She also noticed that he was aggravated. Faintly, she wondered if she was the cause of his mood swing, or the Hunter nins. She watched as Kisame and Itachi walked further towards the nins, leaving Deidara and Sakura alone. “You know, I knew that they would send out shinobi to capture me after I left Konoha,” Sakura said softly. “I just never imagined that they would send out entire squads.” Deidara’s eyes slowly softened as he heard her talk. She was right, she was a missing nin now and she would have to fight every Hunter nin off her back. It was difficult though, to fight against your former team, or even your fellow shinobi. Silently cursing himself for acting like a jerk, he hesitantly lifted his hands, putting it on her shoulder in a spur of affection. Sakura turned around, her sea-foam green eyes widened at the contact, as she tried to read the look in Deidara’s eyes. He knew she was expecting him to say something, but he didn’t know what to say. He watched as she bit her lip softly, still waiting for Deidara to say something. In an agonizing slow pace, Sakura proceeded to moisten her lips with the tip of her tongue. That’s when he felt his control slipping away until it was banished into a far corner of his mind, and he did precisely what he shouldn’t have done. He grabbed her shoulders while turning her around. The surprise on her face was evident, but he didn’t pay any attention as he moved forward and captured her lips with his own. The kiss was chaste, gentle and lingering. Deidara could faintly taste the cherry balm she used on her lips before he backed off to see her reaction. It was just like he had thought it would be; she was shocked. Her eyes were widened, her lips slightly parted.

He could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn’t angry with him, just shocked. He remained silent for a little while longer, weighing the consequences of the decisions he could make. Lost in the sea-foam color of her eyes, he made his decision and removed his hands from her shoulders. “I’m sorry Sakura-chan, I don’t know what came over me… yeah,” Deidara apologized as he averted his eyes from hers. “Let’s go.” Deidara turned around without even a second glance at Sakura and flashed out of her sights within seconds. What was that all about? She silently shook her head and concentrated on focusing her chakra to her feet, giving her more speed as she tried to catch up with the Akatsuki members. It didn’t take long for her to get there though. The battle had already begun, she could tell because several ANBU members were lying lifeless on the ground. She landed swiftly and before she could turn around to see where Itachi, Kisame and Deidara were, a kunai was thrown at her, followed by a kick in her stomach. The air escaped her lungs as she was punched in the gut, followed by an uppercut. Sakura felt her strength leave her as the hands of the unknown ANBU member left hers. Damn… He’s draining my chakra whenever he hits me… Gritting her teeth, she drew chakra to her hand, releasing the inhuman strength punch that Tsunade had taught her. The ANBU member blocked it, yet the immense power of her punch knocked him off his feet. She quickly stood up as the ANBU members tried to regain his composure, shrugging off any dust. “Impressive. I wouldn’t have expected anything different from a student of the Fifth,” the ANBU member sneered from behind his mask. “You know about me?” Sakura asked as she crouched down in her battle position. “What’s your name?” He snorted, before discarding his mask. His dark hair and light blue eyes were unmistakable. It was the Mist nin from before. He grinned before mimicking Sakura’s movement, crouching down as well. “The name is Tooya,” he replied. “I’ll tell you the last name when I die.” “Charming,” Sakura remarked sarcastically, before she formed the seals to activate one of her medical jutsu. Tooya stood there quietly, not moving an inch, as if he waited for her. As she completed her jutsu, she threw one of her shuriken towards him, trying to distract him. She jumped up, waiting for him to make his move, but the shuriken hit the target. Sakura gasped as she realized that he had used a Replacement technique, and frantically searched the ground for any signs of the Mist nin. She felt him re-appear behind him, and just as she tried to strike him down, his hands

grabbed her wrists in a firm grasp. She could almost feel the smirk on his lips as his hot breath caressed her ear. “I’m not interested in fighting that Uchiha, or a fight with Hoshigaki,” he grinned before continuing. “I hope we’ll meet again, Haruno-san.” And just like that, Tooya disappeared into thin air. Sakura landed on her feet quietly, trying to search the vicinity for any more ANBU members before Kisame’s form stepped out of the bushes. “Eighteen,” Kisame said, as he grinned, showing his sharp teeth. He caught her look of confusion and chuckled. “We always play a game to see who killed most shinobi. I got eighteen” “Twenty-seven,” Itachi’s smooth voice came from behind Sakura. She turned around quickly, to see Itachi standing there, looking almost unfazed. Kisame cursed slightly before turning around. “Let’s get going,” he grumbled, apparently still aggravated that he had lost their little game. Itachi nodded before he took a few steps towards Kisame. He turned around to see Sakura standing still, exactly where he had found her. Cocking his head slightly, he stared at her, trying to figure out why she was quiet all of the sudden. “Is there something wrong, Sakura-san?” Itachi questioned her; the impassive look in his eyes never left. Her head shot up in amazement; Uchiha Itachi just asked her if everything was alright? Okay, whatever Deidara had for lunch, Itachi probably shared it with him, he is acting out of character. “Nothing’s the matter Itachi-san,” she smirked slightly as she tried to find a weak point in his system. “Why do you ask?” His face never changed and he retained his poker face during the short pause that entered their conversation. “I have no need for shinobi who freeze whenever this kind of thing happens,” he answered coldly. Itachi turned around and joined with Kisame, obviously waiting for her to come with them. “Where’s Deidara?” Sakura asked as she swirled around, trying to find her friend. She felt uncomfortable after that kiss, and he probably did too. Sakura just wanted to clear the air with him; Deidara was her best friend at the moment, and losing him as a companion would be a huge loss. “Gone,” Kisame answered. “He’s gone to Sasori, claiming he had a mission. I reckon he has had enough of us for a couple of days.”

“What do you mean?” Sakura asked confusedly. “Deidara isn’t used to being hunt at. That, together with the fact that that mouth on his hand drains his chakra at the same speed as my Samehada does increases his chances of dying,” Kisame replied off-handedly. “Why does the mouth on his hand draw that much chakra?” she asked quietly, wanting to know more about Deidara’s medical conditions. “I don’t know, I don’t have a bloodline limit,” Kisame shrugged. “Itachi-san knows more about bloodline limits then I do.” “That mouth is a bloodline limit?” Sakura asked incredulously. “He never told me.” Itachi, who had ignored the entire conversation, turned around to face the both of them. “If we want to go, we should go now,” he said smoothly. Sakura and Kisame nodded, following obediently as Itachi led the way to their new destination; Grass. -“Home at last… yeah,” Deidara sighed as he kicked the wooden door open. His home was located deep in a forest near Cloud, and nobody had ever discovered him there. He glanced at his clock. Three more hours before Sasori would come and they would discuss their plans. Sighing again, he ripped off his Stone forehead protector and threw it on one of the chairs, undressing from his Akatsuki robes as well. These past couple of weeks were crazy and he was acting out of character. All because of Sakura. Unconsciously, his fingertips touched his lips as he remembered the softness and warmth that radiated from her lips. She tasted like cherries, like he had expected her to. He groaned as he tried to remove the images of Sakura out of his system and undressed as he made his way to his bathtub. As soon as the tub was filled with the warm water, he discarded his last pieces of clothing and slid into the tub, letting out another sigh, this time of satisfaction. Itachi and Salmon always pick out hotels without bathtubs. I’m Akatsuki, not a dog. I need a bath; showers get on my nerves gradually. Placing his arms on each side of the tub, he relaxed slightly, allowing his head to drop down slightly. His bloodline limit had taken its toll and his chakra was depleted to a minimum after their last fight. He had excused himself from Kisame and Itachi right after, telling them about his mission. He hadn’t been looking forward to go on a mission with Sasori, but it was a requirement from him to stay with his teammate during missions. Nevertheless, the mission would be a pleasant distraction from a certain pink-haired kunoichi whose heart belonged to a dark-haired Uchiha. Who had willingly betrayed his village for the likes of Orochimaru. Deidara snorted as he remembered Orochimaru. It was a year after his entrance into Akatsuki that Orochimaru had left, yet he would never

forget the look on Sasori’s face when he found out that his teammate split, and that he was going to be paired up with Deidara; another art lover. Initially, he loved having somebody to talk with; but when he found out that Deidara liked the art of clay more than puppets, their usual interesting conversations turned into useless banter. Deidara let out another sigh before he pulled out his tie in his hair, letting it fall loosely around his face. He noticed how his hair had grown quickly, now reaching his shoulder blades. Damn hair is getting too long. He let out a groan of frustration as he remembered who else had hair that length. The only difference in their hair would be the fact that hers was pink, instead of his blond hair. Gritting his teeth, he sank further into the tub, demanding his mind to stop thinking about her. Damn hormones. The last thing Deidara remembered before lulling off into a deep slumber was her distinct taste, and the warmth of her lips.

Metamorphosis – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/n: At long last, a chapter that’s fixating on the relationship of Itachi and Sakura, bet you were all waiting for this moment, huh? A chapter dedicated to all reviewers and readers, to thank you for all your support and sweet comments. Merry Christmas to everybody! Chapter Eleven – Dangerous Circumstances A knock on his door woke him from his light slumber. Deidara shook out his blond hair, quickly realizing that he must have fallen asleep in his tub. Another knock on his door urged him to step out of his bath. He quickly put on a bathrobe, before getting some clay from his Akatsuki robes. Using his stealth, he crept up to the wooden door, peeking through a small hole. The large Akatsuki robes veiled most of his appearance from Deidara’s eyes, yet he instantly recognized the form of the man, and he opened up the door. “Good afternoon, Sasori-sama,” Deidara greeted, grinning lightly. The man turned around, pulling off his straw hat. Sasori shook out his red hair before giving Deidara a glance. “You’re late again. I told you not to keep me waiting,” Sasori sighed slightly, getting sick

of Deidara’s constant lateness whenever he had a mission to accomplish. His features remained poker faced though, as Deidara plastered a smile on his face. “Fell asleep in the bathtub… yeah,” Deidara grinned. Sasori nodded slightly, he knew that this was the closest that Deidara would ever come to apologizing. As Deidara’s eyes roamed confusedly over his features, he gave him a weird look. “What are you looking at?” Sasori said, slightly aggravated. “Since when are you using your younger form to walk around?” Deidara asked; confusion in his tone. “I thought you always used one of your puppets. Mind you, you look much better this way… yeah.” Deidara snickered as he received one of Sasori’s death glares, which looked strange and out of place on the angelic features that Sasori owned. Sasori sighed once more, a soft smile appearing on his lips. “Are you going to invite me in, or should I wait longer?” Sasori asked, still smiling, but irritation was etched into his voice. Deidara’s grin slightly faltered, as he stepped aside, letting Sasori into his house. Grumpy, are we? … Yeah. “Wait just a little longer, I’ll get dressed… yeah,” Deidara chuckled, before stalking off to his bedroom, grabbing his unwashed clothes from the ground. He made a face before throwing them into a basket full of dirty clothing, making a mental note to himself to wash those clothes after the mission. Closing his bedroom door behind him, he put the clay in his hand on his desk, before walking to his closet to find himself some Akatsuki clothes. He dressed himself quickly, before he walked back to his partner, who was waiting impatiently. “I really hate it when you let me wait,” Sasori said; slightly irritated. “Being late is a form of art… yeah,” Deidara answered, equally irritated. “As usual, you don’t have the slightest idea of true art,” Sasori retorted heatedly. “Art is eternal beauty, something that is left in the future.” “As usual, you still don’t grasp the concept that art can be many things,” Deidara answered, his grin still plastered on his face. “As long as it’s in that single, fleeting moment of explosion… yeah” Sasori groaned softly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We are not going to fight over this again.” “Who’s fighting?” Deidara retorted easily, enjoying their little banter. Obviously, Sasori had enough. He noticed that immediately when Sasori’s sweet, angelic look changed to the look of pure anger. “I trust you’ve heard about the mission?” Sasori replied, ignoring Deidara’s last remark.

“We are to capture the sanbi.” “And does Leader know that I’ve already captured one of the bijuu?” Deidara asked. “I already claimed mine, so we’d better chase this sanbi for your sake… yeah” “Of course I told him,” Sasori looked offended. “I don’t slack off, like certain other members of our organization.” “Are you referring to me, Sasori-sama?” “I believe I am,” Sasori answered, smiling once more. Now it was Deidara’s turn to look offended as he stood up, closing his Akatsuki robes. “Fine, who is the sanbi?” Deidara sighed. Sasori grinned, knowing that he had won the battle between the two of them. He mimicked Deidara’s movements and as he put his straw hat back on his reddish hair, he answered him. “A Hunter nin from Mist; Tooya.” -“Okay, your turn now Kisame,” Sakura panted slightly as they ran through the forest that would lead them to the Hidden Village of Grass. Sakura and Kisame had been trying to kill time by asking each other questions about their likes and dislikes, while Itachi remained quiet during the entire journey, running several feet before them. “Fine, the shinobi rank you dislike most,” Kisame grinned, baring his razor sharp teeth. “Chuunin,” Sakura spat out. “I always got guard duty. I stayed a chuunin for about three years.” “Be glad,” Kisame groaned. “I was a chuunin for six years, and just like you, I always got guard duty.” Sakura chuckled slightly, before fixing her attentions to the man who ran before them. “What about Itachi-san?” Kisame shrugged. “I don’t know; Itachi-san has never told me anything more about his past other then the fact that he had been a Leaf shinobi and killed his clan at the age of thirteen.” “I see,” Sakura nodded understandingly. It seemed that Itachi really liked being alone, since he never tried to get close to anybody. At least, that’s what she had heard from Deidara. Her eyes were downcast as she remembered the look on Deidara’s face before he left. She should have said something, what if he never came to see her again? She didn’t want to lose his friendship over one little kiss. Damn it Deidara… You have to return, or I’ll royally kick your ass… yeah!

She inwardly grinned as she realized that she was taking over Deidara’s habit of using ‘yeah’. Sakura was getting attached to Deidara. She wasn’t completely sure if she even could grow to like him when she first met him in Stone, but he had grown on her; just like Naruto did. Naruto… Four weeks since she saw him and Konoha. Time had flown by and she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to still be alive, and yet how unlucky she was to fall into the hands of the Akatsuki members, who delayed her reunion with Sasuke. On the other hand, she had made friends with Kisame and Deidara; perhaps even Itachi; even if his feelings for her would be in the dark for eternity. Unconsciously, she touched her lips, remembering the feeling of his lips pressed against hers. It was the first time that anybody had ever kissed her. She had saved it up for Sasuke, but Itachi stole it. And Deidara stole her second one. Deidara’s kiss was gentler though, while Itachi’s was full of passion that she hadn’t expected from a killer. She really wanted for him to kiss her again. Hold on Sakura. Itachi is Sasuke’s brother! Got that? Brother. Sasuke’s. Off limits. She made a fist, as if she tried to punch Itachi for being a stupid ass to kiss her. A chuckled came from her right, and disturbed, she turned her head to see Kisame grinning widely as he watched her movements. “You really are interesting, kunoichi,” Kisame chuckled slightly. He laughed out loud as he watched her face turn red from embarrassment and glanced at Itachi. First Deidara enters the room where Itachi and Sakura were fighting, and he comes back without any color in his face, telling me that nothing’s going on there. Then Sakura almost refuses to look at him, and when she accidentally glances at him, she’s blushing. Then Deidara practically ran away as soon as he could, and Itachi-san suddenly got very angry during our battle with the Mist nin. I know I’m not one of the brightest, but really, it’s obvious to anybody that something is going on between the three of them, and I’m getting sick of it. A bright blue hue from his hand awoke him from his thoughts as he stared down at his ring. It was glowing – an indication that their Leader was calling him to his hideout. “Itachi-san,” he called out, stopping on a branch. Sakura stopped next to him before giving him a confused glance. Several feet before them, Itachi halted. He turned around; his face still in poker mode, yet light irritation was etched into his voice. “What do you want Kisame?” he asked. Kisame held up his hand as an indication that their Leader was calling him. Comprehension dawned on Itachi, as he nodded, checking his own ring.

“It seems that I’m not needed this time,” Itachi said smoothly. “Go Kisame, he’s calling. We will meet you in Grass.” Kisame nodded, before turning around. He raised his hand as a bid farewell to Sakura before disappearing. Confused, Sakura stared at the branch Kisame had been standing on, before turning towards Itachi. “Let’s go, Sakura-san,” Itachi said after a short pause; the tone in his voice leaving no place for questions. “But, what about Kisame?” she asked. It seemed that everybody who was nice and kind to her left her to be with the cold, poker faced man in front of her. “He is gone for Akatsuki business, that’s all you need to know,” his cold reply came. He turned around, apparently feeling that the subject needn’t to be further discussed. But Sakura felt differently about that. She sped towards him, halting next to him. The anger that she had bottled inside of her was on the verge of emerging. That feeling only intensified as he looked questionably at her, undoubtedly wanting an explanation for her rash and sudden behavior. “It bothers you this much that Kisame and Deidara are gone?” Itachi asked smoothly. “Of course it does, now I’m all alone with you,” Sakura spat out. To her chagrin, his poker face didn’t change. On the contrary, he seemed amused with the entire situation. He straightened himself, as he turned around to face her completely. “This bothers you?” “Yes, at least when Kisame and Deidara are around, you behave yourself,” she retorted, before clamping a hand over his mouth, sensing she had gone too far. She was right, to say the least. His eyes narrowed slightly, and the initial anger that had filled his eyes earlier returned. “I don’t need anybody to tell me how to behave Sakura-san,” he answered, still in control of his voice. “Yet, if I have offended you in any way, I wish for you to tell me so.” A bluff, that’s what it was. He knew she didn’t want to bring the subject up, and he knew exactly what was bothering her. If she didn’t respond, he would drop the subject and move further towards Grass. If she would blame him for kissing her, she would be a hypocrite for she had been kissing him back; but he would know that it bothered her. Either way; she was screwed. “Fine,” she spat out. And I don’t care about the consequences. “You kissed me!” “The only intention I had was silencing you,” he retorted, not missing a beat in their

conversation. “You could have done it another way,” she pointed out angrily. “You didn’t listen,” he replied smoothly. “You stole my first kiss,” she answered heatedly. Only after the words had left her lips, did she realize what she had said. “You risk your life for my brother, who hasn’t even kissed you yet?” Itachi answered coldly. “How very admirable.” “Don’t mock me,” Sakura hissed. “I was merely complimenting you on your determination,” Itachi answered as he stepped closer towards her, cupping her chin softly. “D-Don’t.. Itachi-san,” she stammered as his face drew closer towards her. She could feel his warm breath caressing her skin. His arms circled around her waist, drawing her closer into his embrace. Shocked, she tried to back out of his arms, until she noticed that he wasn’t going to her go. His powerful hands fanned open against the small of her back, his warm fingers pressing against her gently. Her heart hammered in her chest as she felt his lips brush past hers lightly, before smothering her soft whimper with his mouth. His kiss contained the passion and tenderness that she had experienced before, but the desire that entered the kiss was new to her, and not entirely unpleasant. As much as she would love to think that Sasuke would ever kiss her as passionately as Itachi could, she knew he wouldn’t, so she enjoyed every little aspect of their kiss, hoping that it would last longer. His coaxing mouth overwhelmed her as his lips nudged hers, demanding more intimate access. Passion shot through her veins, throbbing deliciously as she snaked her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. She felt herself slipping more and more into the depths of desire as his smooth tongue strokes sensuously against hers. His hands slipped down towards the crest of her hips, his thumb slowly stroking her hips as their kiss came to an end. Out of breath, the both of them parted. Itachi slipped back into his poker faced mode as he watched Sakura staring at him; her eyes glazed over with passion. His thumb lazily drew circles around her hipbones as he kept staring at her. “Why?” she finally asked, quietly, as if she didn’t want to know the answer. His eyes remained cold; he didn’t smile or grin as he slowly let go of her hips. He turned around slightly. “I can do everything I like,” he answered smoothly. If he felt any emotions at that moment, she wouldn’t be able to tell. She had been accustomed to read other people’s emotions and feelings by looking into their eyes, yet Itachi excluded nothing that could

possibly indicate any emotion. “You had no right to do that,” she answered angrily. “And to prove that there are other males on this planet, other than Sasuke,” he added, not even indicating that he had heard her. “But you already knew that, did you not, Sakura?” It was a rhetorical question, and she knew it. He had probably seen Deidara kiss her and assumed the wrong thing. She almost leapt into her defensive mode, until she realized that she owed him no explanation. She felt stupid as she closed her mouth again; realizing that she probably looked like a fish that was short on breath. “I owe you no explanation for the things I do,” she retorted heatedly. “The only one I need to explain things to is Sasuke, and you are not him, nor will you ever be.” “Nor do I wish to be Sasuke,” Itachi replied smoothly. There was no sign whatsoever that she had stung him with her words. “Let’s go,” Itachi said after a significant pause. Sakura nodded and followed him towards Grass; pondering over the things that he had said, and above all, the things that he had done. -“How the hell do people survive out here?” Sakura wondered out loud as her foot got stuck in the high grass. She bit her lip in pure frustration as she tugged at her leg in a desperate attempt to break free. Finally, her foot shot free and she stumbled backwards, losing her balance before falling down on her behind. Smooth Sakura, smooth. “That hurt,” Sakura fumed. “You’d think you’d fall soft as the grass is this high.” “You really have the delicacy of an elephant,” Itachi said as he appeared behind her, looking down at her. “What is with you and your tendency to call people elephants?” Sakura retorted. Her question was left unanswered though as Itachi’s attention seemed to focus on something else. Itachi’s calculating mind seemed to resurface as he scanned the area almost unnoticeable. His eyes turned to the right as he heard a rustle in the nearby bushes. A second later, he had identified the chakra, allowing himself to relax somewhat. “Zetsu, come out,” Itachi ordered quietly. Immediately, a form sprouted out of the ground. Sakura shrieked as she tried to back away from the thing that had closed in on her. After she had calmed down slightly and lowered the kunai she had grabbed, she noticed that the thing standing in front of her was wearing an Akatsuki robe.

She eyed the Akatsuki robe wearing monster with suspicion, taking in his deformed appearance, as well as his half black, half white face. His eyes looked lifeless as he mimicked Sakura’s movement and took her in. “Who’s that?” Zetsu asked harshly, not even bothering to introduce himself. His voice was deep, raspy and very unpleasant to the ears. Sakura couldn’t suppress the shudder that ran up her back as he took a step closer. “Yes,” Zetsu said; this time in a complete different voice. This voice sounded younger somehow and it lacked the rasp that it had before. Itachi must have felt her confusion as he stared at her. “Split personality,” he said quietly as he stepped forward to meet Zetsu. “This is my hostage, that’s all you need to know,” Itachi answered smoothly. “Hostage, eh?” Zetsu replied in his dark, raspy voice. Okay, that voice is definitely called ‘creepy’. “Sanbi has been seen, Deidara and Sasori are after him,” Zetsu reported in his softer voice. “The Leader thought you should know.” Deidara? “Is that all?” “Yes,” the raspy voice was back. “That, and a warning that you haven’t captured one of the bijuu yet, and neither did Kisame.” Itachi nodded before turning around and made his way back to Sakura. Zetsu gave her one last look before he grinned devilishly. The look that he had given her had something morbid, and she sighed with relief as Zetsu turned around before disappearing as soon as he appeared. “Who was that?” Sakura asked, trying to control her nerves. An icy feeling had spread over her entire body and she desperately tried to cover up the goose bumps that had appeared on her arms. Itachi just glanced over her before staring off in the distance again. “Zetsu, another from Akatsuki,” he answered simply before looking down. “Are you ready?” Sakura stood up, brushing the stray twigs and leafs from her hair. Brushing off her clothes, she walked towards Itachi. Itachi gave her a curt nod, before signaling that she was to follow him. He started running through the high grass and she complied reluctantly, too tired to fight with him. “So, how many more members of Akatsuki are there?” Sakura asked, trying to start a conversation. He didn’t respond immediately. Sakura knew; she had learned several things about Itachi

in the past couple of weeks; things that you could only see when you were paying close attention to him. For instance; he always discarded his robe after fighting, as if he wanted to get rid of the scent of blood. He always ate slowly, probably to enjoy his meals to the fullest. Whenever he didn’t want to answer right away, he’s pause for a while until she would think that he wouldn’t answer. His questions and answers were mostly cryptic, completely the opposite from Sasuke’s ‘straight to the point’ answers. “You’ve met four, our organization consists of nine,” he answered. What did I tell ya? Although she was slightly irritated with Itachi’s cryptic answers, she smiled slightly with the knowledge that she was starting to learn about him. She smiled slightly at his back, admiring the way he moved and the way his hair seemed to flow in the wind as he jumped on another branch. Sorry Sasuke-kun… It seems I’m starting to like your ultimate betrayer… Her smile slowly faded as she mused over these thoughts, knowing them to be true. She was starting to like to hang around with Deidara and Kisame, but most of all; she liked being in the vicinity of Itachi as well. -In the land of Field, there stood a small building that led to an underground passage. Although it was just one building, that building was called; “The Hidden Village of Sound.” Hundreds of cells were located in the building, and there was one main room, lit by candles. Two people stood there, watching over a small candle as the silver-haired man stepped closer. “Orochimaru-sama,” he started. “They are coming soon.” The one called Orochimaru cackled softly, his eyes were yellow and his pupils were small slits, just like a snake’s eyes. He stared at Kabuto before smiling in a vicious manner, a long tongue slipping out of his mouth to lick his lips. “Let them come, Kabuto,” Orochimaru said quietly. “I’ll be waiting.”

Metamorphosis – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/n: Happy New Year to everybody! May it be filled with great stories and great new aspiring authors! This chapter is dedicated to somebody who sent me a wonderful PM which gave me some extra drive to continue with Metamorphosis; thank you for everything blacksheep18!

Chapter Twelve – The Last Peaceful Day “Tooya!” The man named Tooya stood on top of a hill, watching over the Country of Grass like a hawk. She was going to be here, and this time without her precious Hoshigaki and Deidara. The only thing he’d have to worry about would be that Uchiha. Who was most lethal of their group. He sighed, turning around to look at his companion, Kira, who looked frightened. “Come on Tooya let’s go,” Kira urged, shaking out his blond hair while he stepped closer. “That Uchiha is far too strong for us, and if he finds out about… About your condition, you’ll get killed too.” “Since when does any of you care about my ‘condition’?” Tooya asked calmly. “Mist has been trying to get rid of me for years; wouldn’t it be the perfect solution if they take me as well? The entire village would be relieved from the burden that came when I was born.” “You know that not everybody feels the same about you,” Kira retorted heatedly. “I don’t need friends or family, Kira,” Tooya replied quietly, his light blue eyes narrowing slightly. “All I want out of life is to meet others, just like me, to prove to myself that I’m not a freak of nature. And to do that, I need that girl to take me to the kyuubi.” Kira slammed his fist into a tree, looking peeved as he took a few steps closer to Tooya. His eyes almost burning with rage and hatred. If Tooya would continue this useless pursuit of Haruno Sakura, he would lead both of them to their doom, no matter how strong they were. “Listen to me Tooya, if you continue this useless pursuit of Haruno, you’ll get killed,” Kira spat out. “Haven’t you seen those three Akatsuki members with her? Damn it, she’s got Hoshigaki, Deidara and Uchiha. Do you honestly believe that we even stand a chance against them?” Tooya opened his mouth to answer Kira before closing it again. He had felt two people nearing him, and judging by their chakras, it was definitely Deidara and his partner. He grinned slightly, knowing that they were coming for him. He turned around slightly, contemplating if he should go and meet them, or wait for Sakura to take him to the kyuubi. “Tooya, let’s go. If Deidara and Sasori find you, they’ll kill you and your foolish ambitions will end,” Kira said quietly, knowing exactly what Tooya was thinking. Tooya nodded slowly, still musing over his thoughts, before straightening himself from his crouching position. He watched as Kira disappeared into thin air, before following his example. -“It seems they are able to track us… yeah,” Deidara said slowly as he tried to concentrate

on the chakras of the sanbi and his companion. “Found them,” Sasori answered quietly. “It seems they are going towards Sand.” “Sand? Oh, nostalgia,” Deidara grinned slightly. “What about Itachi… yeah?” “He’s in Grass… Somebody is with him,” Sasori answered as he tried to focus on Itachi’s chakra. Out of all Akatsuki members, he was the only one who could sense chakras, and identify them. Deidara gave him a look before staring towards the same direction that Sasori was. “Kisame?” he asked quietly, as if he dreaded the answer to his simple question. “No, Kisame isn’t in the vicinity,” Sasori answered slowly. “It’s a medic nin, judging by the flow of the chakra.” “…Sakura,” Deidara whispered as his grin slowly faded. She was alone with Itachi. His jaw clenched as he thought about the things that could happen while Kisame was gone. Sakura had an interest in Itachi, he knew, and if Itachi would kiss her again, he would lose the battle. “Sakura?” “Medic nin from Konoha, she was on her way to find Orochimaru, Itachi’s little brother is there, remember… yeah? Well, it seems she was his team member during his time in Konoha, and she wants to see him again,” Deidara explained hastily. “What does Itachi want with her?” Sasori glanced at Deidara. “It seems his eyes are deteriorating,” Deidara sighed slightly. “What is Itachi thinking, that girl could spill secrets from Akatsuki to her Hokage,” Sasori thought aloud. Deidara shook his head slightly, before turning around to face Sasori. “She wouldn’t do that,” Deidara retorted heatedly. “Besides, she’s a missing nin, so the only one she could tell about Akatsuki would be Orochimaru; and he’s not going to be around for much longer… yeah.” “True,” Sasori smiled slightly. “That’s what you get for leaving Akatsuki.” Deidara grinned, his mind at ease because Sasori accepted Sakura’s stay with Itachi; he wouldn’t make a fuss when he would see her. Not that he could protest much, Itachi was effective in shutting people up. “Who’s going?” he asked, the grin still plastered on his face. Deidara never really liked Orochimaru; he always thought it would be a great thing when the world would be Orochimaru-less. His ideas for immortality were sick, and Deidara was disgusted by them. “Kisame and Zetsu are in the team, he’ll probably add you and me to the team as well,”

Sasori answered. “Although we haven’t been called yet.” “What about Itachi?” Deidara asked incredulously. “Leader is leaving him out of this? I would have thought that Itachi would lead this entire operation, Orochimaru is one hard bastard to kill... yeah.” “He wants Itachi to capture the kyuubi as soon as possible. He’s been slacking off lately,” Sasori replied simply. “That’s because of that Jiraiya,” Deidara sighed. “You wouldn’t believe how strong that man is, Itachi would have a hard time against him, especially now that his eyes are deteriorating.” “Hmm,” Sasori agreed. “Let’s go, the Sanbi is getting away.” “Of course, Sasori-sama,” Deidara grinned. Within a flash both of them disappeared into thin air, off to the land of Sand. -“And why are we sharing a room together?” Sakura snapped as they made their way to their bedroom. “A honeymoon suite nonetheless!” “He thought we were just married and offered this room for a good price,” Itachi replied smoothly. “A good price?” Sakura replied sarcastically. “Surely Itachi, you do know that honeymoon suits only have one bed, don’t you? Where are you going to sleep? On the floor?” “What makes you think that I will not take the bed and force you to sleep on the floor?” Itachi replied as he fought the urge to grin when he saw the look of disgust on Sakura’s face. “Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?” Sakura retorted heatedly, before clamping her hand over her mouth; instantly realizing what a foolish mistake she had made. She watched Itachi like a hawk, but as usual, he wore his poker face mask. If he felt any emotion when she mentioned his mother, she would never know. Well, it’s not like he cares anyway… He killed her in cold blood as well. “Sorry,” she apologized quietly. His usual poke face look made place for a half amused one as he stopped in front of their door, turning around to face her. “Why are you apologizing?” “I mentioned your mother… I thought it might be a taboo subject,” Sakura clarified. “I killed her,” Itachi reminded her. “That means that I do not care.”

“But, she was your mother, surely she meant something to you,” Sakura coaxed. She wanted to know more about the mysterious man in front of her. Nobody could tell her anything about his childhood, except for Sasuke, and talking about Itachi with him would be suicide. “She was the one who brought me on earth, that is all,” he replied coolly, before sticking the key in the keyhole. It turned around with a soft click, and as Itachi opened the door, Sakura’s mouth fell open. The room was decorated white, like the room she had spent in during her first night with Akatsuki. But this one was decorated with the most beautiful, pink flowers she had ever seen. She mouthed a soft ‘wow’ before stepping into the room, admiring the small flowers. “Cosmos,” she whispered, the images of her and Ino sitting amidst the field of cosmos flowers entering her mind. She turned around and smiled at Itachi, ignoring his cold look. “It’s the cosmos flower,” she pointed out happily, before walking further into the room. Itachi said nothing in response. He closed the door with a soft click, before following Sakura. To his dismay, Sakura was right and there was only one bed. This meant that either he had to sleep on the ground, or she had. Any other man in his position would bow down graciously, before offering Sakura the bed, but Itachi was no ordinary man. They would have a fight over the bed, and he would not be the first one to back down. Come to think of it, they were fighting and bantering a lot since Kisame and Deidara left. Not that he didn’t enjoy it. It was one of the few pleasures in his life to talk with somebody who had moderate intelligence. Sakura definitely was one of those, nothing more, nothing less. Itachi dropped his bag on the bed, before stalking off to the bathroom, checking the windows for any signs of Anbu members. Satisfied with what he saw, he stepped back into their bedroom, observing Sakura as she opened up the door that led to the balcony. The white curtains billowing because of the soft evening breeze that entered through the open doors. Itachi shrugged off his Akatsuki robes, before following her outside. He stared at Sakura as she leaned on the balcony rails, a soft smile gracing her features. Her bubblegum colored hair softly moved as a breeze passed by. For a moment, he was speechless; something that had never happened before. Slightly put off as he realized this, he slipped back into his cold mode, before stepping forward. During his twenty years on earth, he had several pictures of people in his mind. People who were important to him, or of any significance. One of them was his mother, tending to Sasuke’s wounds after he had practiced a week to control a jutsu. Another one was Sasuke, sitting next to him as he silently agreed on the fact that he despised Itachi’s genius mind. The third one was one of the kyuubi, as he stood in front of him, his chakra filling up the space. Lastly, there was Sakura; she was lying on the kitchen table, her hair

fanned around her head as she gazed up to him, half angered, half filled with emotions that he could not name. For the first time in his life, somebody had burned two images in his mind. Sakura’s second picture; she was standing on the balcony, a breeze running through her hair, and the soft smile that she had on her lips. “This is nice,” Sakura commented softly, the smile still gracing her lips. “A rare moment of peace,” he agreed as he hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “Itachi-san?” she started, waiting for him to give her his fullest attention. Once she was satisfied, she continued. “Why do people crave power?” He paused slightly, wondering why she was asking this all of the sudden. “They fear to be weak. Fear to die soon,” he answered smoothly, his voice devoid of any emotions. “What about revenge?” she asked softly. “What if you crave power to have your revenge?” He glanced at her. It was about Sasuke, who else. Is that what it means to care about someone? To learn everything about that person? He fought the urge to sigh as he wondered about her question. “A sense of justification,” Itachi replied after a short pause. “Justification?” “Yes,” he said quietly. “Take the murder of my clan with Sasuke as an example. Sasuke feels it’s justice if he kills me after what I did to that idiotic clan. Only then can he live in peace.” “But if he kills you, his life-time ambition will be over,” Sakura added thoughtfully. “What will he do then?” “He is an avenger for one purpose, that is murdering me,” Itachi replied coolly. “I imagine that he would start rebuilding the clan after that, which would be the perfect scene for you.” “For me?” she asked incredulously. “What do you mean by that?” “Sasuke learned not love since that day,” Itachi replied simply. “In order to revive the Uchiha clan, he would pick a lifetime ‘friend’ or companion. Female, naturally. Tell me; How many girls qualify for that?” The tense pause that followed told him that his comment struck home. Although he was being harsh, he knew she needed to wake up from her foolish dream that Sasuke would love her one day. He would never do such a thing. Itachi was the same. Both had gone through much, and both had grown because of that. If Sasuke wanted to revive the

Uchiha clan, he needed a girl. He did not need love for that. “I don’t care,” she whispered, trying to camouflage the shakiness in her voice. “You don’t care that you’re merely just a tool for Sasuke?” Itachi asked half-surprised. “I would never have guessed you for a fool Sakura.” “You don’t know the first thing about Sasuke,” she hissed, turning around to face him, her eyes blazing with anger. “He is not like you.” “On the contrary Sakura, he wants power too, only for different reasons.” “But he would never kill his family to gain it,” Sakura retorted angrily. “I didn’t murder them for power Sakura,” Itachi replied smoothly. “I needed to measure my container.” “Measure your container?” Sakura asked incredulously. “You killed your entire clan to check how strong you are?” Itachi gave a curt nod before glancing over the Hidden Village of Grass. He could see her teeth sinking into her bottom lip; she wanted to say something, but was afraid to. After five weeks, he had become accustomed to her behavior, even if he didn’t see her a lot. Whenever she bit her bottom lip, she wanted to speak up, but found herself unable to. She would play with her hair whenever she felt embarrassed, look far away when she was thinking about something, and folded her hands in her lap as she waited for the opportune moment to say something. People were so easy to read; even when they thought they could do a good job at hiding their emotions. He could figure out what somebody was thinking in mere seconds; even the famous Copy-nin could be easily read. “You are afraid of me,” he stated after a long, tension-filled pause. “Of course I am,” she snapped, finally finding her voice back. “What assurance do I have that you won’t kill me whenever I cross one of your invisible borders?” He turned around, crossing his legs as he leaned against the balcony railing, his hands folded. He smirked, something he rarely did before he looked straight at her, activating his Sharingan. Itachi just watched as she took a few steps backward, scared. “Why are you activating your sharingan?” she asked quietly. “Why are you afraid?” he asked, amusement etched in his voice. “Because you can kill me instantly if you release your doujutsu on me,” Sakura whispered quietly. “Because you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.” “Correct. Isn’t it now that you crave for power, so that you can kill me?” Itachi said coolly. “When these moments occur, aren’t you afraid that you might get killed within the

next five seconds?” “…Yes,” she whispered. “All living beings are the same Sakura. Whenever threatened with death, they crave for power so that they can survive,” he continued smoothly. “There are no exceptions, except those who wish for death.” She visibly relaxed as he de-activated his Sharingan, admiring how the midnight blue of his eyes bled back into the blood red. “I’m not one who kills just for the hell of it Sakura,” Itachi turned around and walked calmly towards the door. “I wouldn’t kill you.” With those words, he disappeared behind the white curtains, leaving Sakura behind with a puzzled look in her eyes. -She stayed outside until she almost froze to death before entering their suite again. Sakura had a lot to think about and everything Itachi said had given her some enlightenment about her situation. However, there were other things to consider. Would she mind if Sasuke just used her to revive his clan? She would. She had been craving for Sasuke’s love since she saw him, almost ten years ago. He never reciprocated, always letting her down whenever she asked for a date. What Itachi said made sense; Sasuke was an avenger, if he killed Itachi his life goal would be over, and he would focus on reviving his clan. “I have an ambition. That is to kill a certain man, and the revival of my clan.” The idea of him using her as a tool was saddening, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew she wouldn’t want to be used like that. She wanted his affection, his love. She didn’t wish for his body alone. Making a mental note to talk some more about this with Itachi, she fought her way through the white curtains, stepping inside the warmth of the room. She glanced around the room, before noticing that Itachi wasn’t in the room anymore. A futon was rolled out on the floor next to the bed, and the curtains around the bed were closed. Must be Itachi’s futon. I never imagined him to be graceful and give me the bed. She smiled slightly, before quickly undressing. Clad in only her oversized, silky black shirt that Itachi had given her, and her panties; she opened the curtains, slid into the warm covers of the king size bed, and closed the curtains again. Wrapping herself in the soft, warm sheets, her eyelids slowly closed. “What are you doing, Sakura?” a soft male voice called out to her. Her sea-foam eyes shot open as she identified the voice as Itachi’s. She sat up straight, before clicking on a light. What she saw made her eyes widen and her heart hammered in her chest.

Itachi was lying next to her, wearing only his pants, which seemed to be his sleeping gear. Although his midnight blue eyes looked as alert as ever, she spotted the tiredness that filled his eyes. He had probably been asleep, and woke up when Sakura entered the bed. She got a glorious look at his abs as he sat up straight as well, his muscles tensing slightly. Unaware that she was staring at him, her gaze roamed over his broad torso, his well defined six-pack and stopped at the small plane of hair on his lower abdomen. Her eyes shot up to meet his as he stared at her; the same cold look as ever was etched into his features. “I-I wanted... I just…” Sakura stammered, not knowing exactly what to say. He said nothing as he sat down on his knees. He leaned forward slightly, his arm resting next to her leg to support his weight. Inch by inch, he came closer towards her, until she could feel the warmth of his body radiating against hers. “W-What are you doing?” she asked hoarsely. She stiffened as she felt his lips on her neck, his warm breath fanning across her skin. She could swear that she felt him grin against her skin as his lips parted slightly. “I thought it would be clear that the futon on the ground is yours,” he answered simply, before pulling away. He looked at her expectantly, and it took Sakura some time to figure out that he wanted her to sleep on the ground. The look of shock immediately changed into anger as she scowled. “Uchiha Itachi, you have quite the nerve,” Sakura snapped, her sea-foam eyes darkening. “How could you tell a girl to sleep on the floor? You really don’t have any manners!” Itachi grunted before he lied down on the bed, signaling that he didn’t want to continue bantering. She would sleep on the ground, end of story. He never had intention to leave his bed, and if she started shrieking until he would go away… Well, let’s say that that scenario would lead in his eyes deteriorating slightly. “A girl? If you see one, tell me,” he retorted easily. Sakura fumed. Firstly; he stole the bed. Secondly, he didn’t acknowledge her as woman. Angered, she threw a punch at him, which he caught easily. They stared at each other for the longest time as Itachi’s thumb lazily stroked over her knuckles. “Let go,” she said as soon as she has mustered all her willpower to break free from him. “No,” he answered. His long fingers gripped her wrist as he pulled her closer, until she was hovering over him. Her long hair fell over her shoulder, slightly obscuring her view as his hand moved around her neck. Itachi pulled her closer and closer. His fingertips drew circles around her neck, caressing the soft hair on the base of her neck. His midnight blue eyes took in her widened sea-foam eyes, before he moved his head to meet her lips. His lips slowly brushed over her soft lips. He relinquished his hold on her neck, before pulling her down under him. Sakura’s eyes widened slightly in shock as he

hovered above her, waiting for him to kiss her, and when it finally happened, no words could describe the explosion of emotions that she felt. His soft lips pressed against hers, his eyes blazing with emotion that she hadn’t seen before. Desire and lust filled his eyes as his tongue delicately swept over her bottom lip, making her shiver in sheer delight. He bit down softly on her lip, sucking on the soft flesh as he took her lip in his mouth. Sakura’s hands roamed over his naked torso, admiring his strong build, feeling the iron muscles underneath the soft skin that belonged to the dark haired Uchiha. Itachi apparently had enough of his little play with her bottom lip as he pressed his lips against hers possessively, nudging her lips slightly to deepen the kiss. As soon as the tip of his tongue touched hers, stroking hers passionately, she snaked her arms around his waist, raking her fingernails over his spine. He relinquished the kiss as he moved his body next to her, lying on his side as he instigated another toe-curling kiss. His right hand slowly stroked her side and rested on top of her hipbone. Itachi started to stroke her hip softly, as his mouth devoured Sakura. Her whimper was not missed by him as his hand started to roam over her body, first drawing circles around her stomach, before tracing the outline of her enticing breast. Sakura arched her back, wanting to feel more of his body weighing on hers, the warmth that he radiated. She sighed as his arm hand cupped her breast before tilting her head slightly so she could reach his ear. Sakura gently nipped at his earlobe, causing Itachi to stop with his assault on her body momentarily. This caused Sakura to crawl back out of the depths of desire and lust as she rested her chin on top of his shoulder. “Itachi-san… I’ve got to go to the bathroom,” Sakura breathed out as his hand slowly retreated. Slowly, she pushed back until she could see his eyes. The cold exterior was back again, signaling nothing to indicate that they had been doing something intimate only seconds ago. He nodded, before lying down again. She sighed, before crawling over his long legs. As soon as she fought her way through the curtains, she regretted leaving the bed. It was warm and cozy inside. Out here, the air felt cold against her heated skin as she made her way to the bathroom, picking up her bag in process. She closed the door with a gentle click, before rummaging in her backpack. Sakura held up a small, green flask. This would be her one and only opportunity to use it. -Itachi just watched as she made her way out of the bed, immediately missing her warmth against his bare skin. He smirked as she fought with the white curtains that were draped around the bed, before making her way to the bathroom. As soon as the bathroom door shut with a gently click, his midnight blue eyes focused on the pillow next to him. He had never expected anything like this to happen when he took her with him. He would have let her heal his eyes and set her free, yet he couldn’t explain why he had the sudden

urge to have her near him. If not for this urge, he would have set her free long ago. But not only did he keep her as a hostage, he did the unthinkable; kissing her. After he saw Deidara and Sakura sharing a kiss, it felt as if his insides were burning, and he had the urge to just go ahead and kiss Sakura without restraint. Not that he didn’t enjoy it. Unconsciously, his fingertips touched his lips, as if he wanted to feel the sensation of her lips on top of his once again. Her lips were perfect; soft and warm. Her taste was unique, something he wanted to taste all day long. Itachi sighed. It was out of character for him to feel anything for anybody and he wouldn’t ever feel more then respect for another human being; yet he felt new emotions whenever Sakura was around. He blamed his belated hormones for that. Lust and desire was a dark thing, and it should be handled with caution. Next time, he should be on his guard whenever this happened. He could not afford any mistakes. His train of thoughts was rudely interrupted as Sakura shuffled out of the bathroom door, closing it softly. He could feel her closing in on the bed slowly, hesitantly, before walking in a huge circle around it. He followed her chakra with his eyes, every little sound she made indicating where she was. Finally, a curtain was opened on the other side of the bed and Sakura shuffled in slowly. She was playing with hr hair, indicating that she was embarrassed, and biting down on her bottom lip, showing that she wanted to say something. “Something wrong, Sakura?” Itachi tried to coax it out of her. She bit down even harder on her lip. “Can… Can I sleep next to you?” Sakura asked, looking away out of sheer embarrassment. Itachi stared at her, trying to read her emotions, to see if she had any hidden agenda. “Why?” he asked, eyeing her suspiciously. “It’s warm in there,” she responded simply, the blush still apparent on her cheeks. Once he was satisfied with his little analyses, he scooted over so that Sakura could lie down. She stepped closer to the bed, not wanting to look too willingly as she bit on her lower lip. She eyed Itachi with slight suspicion. “I don’t take advantage of sleeping women Sakura,” Itachi said quietly. “Besides, you were the one who asked if you could sleep in the same bed as me.” “I know,” she stammered. “I just… Never mind.” She sighed, gathering all her courage before sliding between the covers next to Itachi. He seemed comfortable lying next to her, his arm propped under his head. Sakura on the other hand was a nervous wreck. This was the first time that she ever slept next to a man, a man who had less then pure intentions with her; she could gather that from his kisses.

But he also was a man of his word. If he promised he wouldn’t touch her, she could be certain that he wouldn’t. Not that he would get the opportunity to do anything to her. She bit her lip in anticipation of what she was going to do, gathered all her courage once more, before leaning over to Itachi. His dark eyes watched hers as she moved closer towards him. She bowed down slightly, until her lips brushed against her, instigating a kiss between the two of them. Unlike the first ones, this one was filled with tenderness instead of passion and lust. When Itachi pulled away from the innocent kiss, he noted that she tasted slightly different this time. Unable to categorize the taste, he moved back in for another kiss, his hand cupping the back of her neck. They lied entwined on the bed for several moments, before breaking up hesitantly. Sakura’s cheeks were slightly red, her lips reddened because of the bruising kisses they had shared and her hair was slightly tangled. She smiled softly at him, before lying down again. Itachi mimicked the gesture, feeling sleepy all of the sudden. Sakura mouthed a ‘good night’ before turning around, her back facing him. Itachi moved over slightly, spooning against her so that he could absorb the warmth of her body. He threw his arm around her waist, almost possessively, before sleep overtook him. The last thoughts on his mind focused on the backpack of Sakura, and the anesthetic she had put in there. -Sakura tensed as she felt Itachi closing in on her, his arm over her waist. She relaxed gradually as she heard his breathing steadying, signaling that he was falling asleep. Sakura was afraid to move before he had fallen asleep completely, afraid that he might kill her after he had found out about the anesthetic. She had put enough on her lips to knock out an elephant, but Itachi had a lot of willpower and if he had found out about her drugging him, she could be almost certain that he would follow her, walking on willpower alone. Sakura counted the hours that he would be asleep and did the math to see how far she would come if Itachi would wake up. Assuming that he wouldn’t wake up until she had reached Waterfall, she gently pushed his arm out of the way, checking if he would wake up. When his breathing didn’t change, and he didn’t make any sound, she dared to turn around. He looked somewhat peaceful, rather then the cold soldier she knew he was. The lines on his face seemed to lessen slightly when he relaxed. His long, dark lashes cast shadows around his eyes, and his perfect lips were parted slightly; his hot breath warming her cheeks. Sakura knew that she wouldn’t ever see him again after this. When he’d catch up with her, she would long be reunited with Sasuke. Even though her heart felt heavy at the prospect of leaving Itachi, Deidara and Kisame, she couldn’t help but be overjoyed with the thought of seeing Sasuke again.

She smiled softly, leaning in for another small peck. She caressed his long, dark hair, before tracing the lines on his face, followed his jaw line and touched his warm lips lastly. She moved off the bed, turning around to throw a blanket over Itachi’s sleeping form. Sakura took one last, lingering look at him before turning around. She grabbed her backpack from the floor, dressed herself quickly, and dashed through the balcony window towards her freedom. To Sound… To Sasuke.

Metamorphosis – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/n: I sincerely apologize for this belated installment. Trust me, I wanted to update as soon as I got back from Disney, but then this HUGE writer’s block appeared, and I didn’t have any inspiration to continue for a while. I’m still not satisfied with this chapter though… I hope you won’t hate it. Chapter Thirteen – Go If You Must “I’m getting sick of this, yeah,” Deidara grumbled. “First he sends us out to get that damn sanbi, and now we have to report at headquarters. Leader’s a genius, but he’s a bit indecisive if you ask me… yeah.” After a tense pause, Deidara glanced at Sasori to find his partner staring in another direction, completely focused as he blocked out all other sounds. He sighed; Sasori was obviously using his technique to find chakra’s again. The man never gave up, even if the Leader himself tried to stop him. “That kunoichi you were talking about,” Sasori whispered quietly. “She left Itachi.” “Say what?” Deidara asked; his eyes widened slightly as he tried to regain his composure. “She’s nearing Waterfall quickly,” Sasori replied easily. “Itachi is still in Grass though.” “Damn it,” Deidara swore. “Why the hell did he let her go by herself. Sakura’s strong, but she’s no match for Orochimaru… yeah.” Carelessly brushing his long, red bangs out of his eyes, Sasori tried to find Itachi’s chakra again; noting quickly that Itachi’s chakra almost seemed sedated. “Itachi’s asleep,” he answered simply. “It seems the kunoichi sedated him… Do you still think she’s trustworthy?” “She is,” Deidara quickly replied. “She just wants to see the person she loves most again… I’m still surprised that she managed to sedate Itachi though. It’s not like him to drop his guard like that.”

“I am sure that he’ll be more on his guard then ever after this,” Sasori smiled. “But have you ever thought about it that Itachi might still be awake?” Deidara stared at Sasori before answering. “What are you saying? You just told me that it seemed that Itachi was drugged… yeah.” “Itachi isn’t one to fall for such an easy trick like that,” Sasori stated; the smile still plastered on his face. “Either he’s really slacking off or he’s just playing along and he’ll kill her later on.” He watched in mild amusement as his partner gritted his teeth. He had known Deidara for many years and it wasn’t too hard to see that his blond partner had an interest in the kunoichi. He was looking forward to meet this mysterious kunoichi; she seemed interesting enough. He grinned slightly as he mimicked Deidara’s movement and dashed towards the country of River in double speed. If Orochimaru was murdered before this Sakura could get to him, Deidara would have nothing to worry about. If she arrived earlier than the Akatsuki members at Sound – which would undoubtedly happen – she would be murdered by Orochimaru. Sasori had known Orochimaru for a few years; it wasn’t hard to learn about Orochimaru’s sick mind as he didn’t mind people knowing his secrets. He wasn’t like Itachi, who hid his emotions all the time. He grinned slightly with the prospect of seeing his old team member again. Ah…Soon my friend, we will meet each other again. -The moonlight illuminated the way in front of Sakura as she dashed through the Hidden Village of Waterfall, determined to get to Sound before dawn; before Itachi would wake up. The only sounds that she could hear were the waterfalls in the distance and she could occasionally hear a few birds chirping. She shook the stray pink strands of hair from her eyes before halting slightly. Her chakra was drained after she had used it for hours to run and she was starting to get hungry. She stopped running after she had left the village; unnoticed, thankfully. Grabbing her backpack, she quickly opened it up and took one of her apples out. She had found a bowl of fruit lying in the reception and she just couldn’t resist. Itachi should be waking up around this time… I wonder how angry he’ll be… Deciding that she didn’t want to face an angered Itachi head on, she quickly finished her apple before drinking some water. Her throat was parched and it welcomed the water as it flowed down her throat. She splashed some of the water over her face before drying her face with her sleeve.

That’s when she felt it. She had never felt chakra this strong, not even when Gaara or Naruto fought. She instantly realized that this was a person of an entire different caliber and it would be wise to run as far as possible. Especially because it seemed to run towards her. She molded her chakra as fast as she could and started to sprint through the country. Who could it be? Kisame is an option, and then again, so is Deidara… But neither of their chakras are this strong. Itachi is sedated, there’s no way that he can be this close to me already. Even if he started to chase me, he couldn’t be any farther than the border of Grass and Waterfall. She bit her lip out of pure frustration. How many obstacles were going to stand in her way before she would be allowed to reach Sasuke? She cursed as she felt the chakra nearing her quickly and doubled her speed. She had to reach Sound, no matter what. Sakura’s eyes squinted slightly as she scanned the horizon. It was tinged red and the moon was slowly fading. Almost sunset and she was nowhere near Sound. Sakura was tired and worn out; she had never used this much chakra. She panted as she forced her legs to keep moving. Even if her stamina increased tremendously after her training with Tsunade, she wasn’t anywhere near the stamina level of the more experienced shinobi; like Kakashi or Naruto. She focused on the chakra behind her, trying to figure out who it was. Whoever it was, he traveled alone, which would exclude Deidara; he was on a mission with Sasori. Kisame wasn’t this strong, she was certain of it. He had a monstrous amount of chakra, but it didn’t feel like this one. That only left Itachi and that mysterious shinobi from Mist. She was certain that Itachi was still asleep, or had just woken up and the Mist shinobi traveled along with another shinobi. And then it stopped. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate, the chakra she had felt so clearly just seconds before had disappeared into thin air; as if it wasn’t there in the first place. She gasped with the realization who it might be. Ignoring the pain in her legs, she sprinted towards the border, determined not to meet her chaser. If by any chance she would meet him, she would be murdered. There would be no question about that. -“Kakashi-sempai,” a voice called out. The man called Kakashi turned around slightly; showing his student that he was listening. “How long until we get there?” Naruto asked quietly. He wasn’t tired, not even worn out; he just trembled with excitement to see his friends again and to bring them back home. He knew it would work out in the end; he would bring both of them back. His ANBU mask that represented a fox dangled around his neck as he tried to keep up

with Genma and Kakashi. The stray bangs of hair that hung in front of his eyes was blown away as a breeze passed by. His sky blue eyes were focused on Kakashi; waiting for his answer. “Two more days from now,” Kakashi answered simply. His lone eye closed slightly as he smiled. Inwardly, he sighed. How many times had he been through this? A team member leaves; one is left devastated while the other one shuts his true emotions away. He glanced at Naruto before focusing back on the road in front of him. In the years that Sasuke had left, Naruto and Sakura both changed tremendously. They started out as a fun-loving team; all with high hopes and dreams. Naruto wanted to become the Hokage, Sasuke wanted to revive his clan and have his revenge… And Sakura… He never knew what Sakura truly wanted. Whether she truly just wanted to marry Sasuke, or become the greatest medic of all times after she had seen Tsunade in action; he would always be there for her, supporting her. Kakashi blamed himself for not watching over her like he watched over Sasuke and Naruto. He never knew what hit him when Tsunade came to him and told him that she was training Sakura. Jiraiya had come to him first, telling Kakashi that he was going to train Naruto. Then Tsunade, telling him that she was training Sakura. In one week, he had lost all of his students. Then again, he was grateful that the legendary sannin would train them. Naruto had become even more powerful than Kakashi and Sakura was a top-classed medic who almost stood on the same level as Tsunade did. He couldn’t be more proud of them. “Kakashi,” a smooth voice came from his side. He glanced at Genma as his train of thoughts left him. “What is it Genma?” he asked simply. He watched as his friend bit down on the senbon that was perched between his lips. There were times that Kakashi questioned himself whether that senbon had been glued to Genma’s lips. “We’re nearing something,” Genma said as his chestnut brown eyes focused on the road in front of them. “Don’t you feel that chakra?” “Aa… It’s one of Akatsuki,” Kakashi replied. “I saw him before… Hoshigaki Kisame.” “Akatsuki?” Genma hissed, trying to keep his voice under control. “The Fifth never said that we had to battle the Akatsuki members as well.” “We don’t,” Kakashi replied calmly. “Our mission is to go to Sound, get Sakura and Sasuke and go back. If Orochimaru rebels, which he undoubtedly will, we will have to fight him while the backup team escapes with Sasuke and Sakura.” Genma looked at his friend; he trusted Kakashi with his life. If Kakashi said that there was nothing to worry about from Akatsuki, he’d trust that without a doubt. However, it was strange that they felt one of the strongest Akatsuki members near Sound. “What if their headquarters are near?” Genma said; calmed down slightly.

“We’ll report this to the Fifth later on,” Kakashi said easily. “For now, we follow our instructions.” Genma nodded. He understood the importance of this mission; Uchiha Sasuke was an extraordinary ninja that Konoha couldn’t afford losing to Orochimaru. Haruno Sakura was one of the best medics that Konoha ever had. The only time he saw Sasuke was during the Chuunin exam, weeks before he left, and even in that fleeting moment that he and Gaara were battling, Genma could feel the inner strength of Sasuke resounding in his every movement. He always thought that Sasuke would be a genius, that’s why he sent out Sasuke to get Gaara. After that, it went downhill. Genma never saw Sasuke again after that. He occasionally saw Sakura though, especially when she was training with the Fifth. Never being able to learn medical jutsu himself, he admired her greatly for her strength. He sighed inwardly. Both are admirable for sticking to their believes and goals…Even if their choices aren’t always the good ones. -It was well past sunset when Deidara and Sasori walked into the cave in the Country of River; their headquarters. Sasori raised his arm to greet Kisame, who was sitting on a huge rock near the entrance. Once their eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the cave, they could make out the form of Zetsu as well. Their leader stood on the other side of the cave, his spiral red eyes watching Deidara, Sasori and Kisame as they walked inside. “I’ll get right to the point,” Leader spoke up. His eyes scanned the eyes of the four Akatsuki members in front of him before he continued. “This is an assassination. The four of you are to go to Orochimaru’s hideout in Sound. You’ll murder him and this Yakushi Kabuto.” “Excuse me Leader,” Kisame rasped. “Why isn’t Itachi here? If we had Itachi on our team, the assassination of Orochimaru would be quickened.” “All four of you are not Akatsuki worthy if you’re not able to defeat Orochimaru with ease,” the leader replied coolly. “Remember, Kisame, he was one of the weakest among us. All four of you are dismissed.” They nodded before walking out of the cave again, squinting their eyes as they adjusted to the light. They said nothing as Kisame grabbed his Samehada and strapped it on his back. “To Sound then?” Deidara said; his trademark grin back on his lips. “To Sound,” the others agreed, before vanishing into thin air.

-Sakura collapsed on the ground as soon as she spotted the border of the Country of Field. She was tired, hungry, thirsty and worn out. The chakra that had been chasing her earlier seemed to have disappeared into thin air and it didn’t return for the remains of her journey. She knew it didn’t mean much though, if Itachi didn’t want her to find him, she wouldn’t stand a chance. He had pulled off a similar stunt when she escaped from Kisame, and she wasn’t able to track him until he removed the jutsu and showed her his chakra. This meant that he could either be far away, or very close. She panted hard as she sneaked closer towards the border, cursing as she found a couple of Waterfall shinobi standing guard. She didn’t have a pass that said that she could cross the borders, neither any kind of identification. She was also listed in the bingo book of S-Class criminals; ANBU members wouldn’t chase her otherwise. There was only one option left; she’d have to find a way to sneak past the guard. She crept closer towards the guards as she tried to count them. “Sixteen, all ANBU,” a voice spoke from behind her. Shocked, she grabbed a kunai as she whirled around to face Itachi’s poker face. Nothing on his features indicated anger or any other kind of emotion. He just faced her before looking at the guards. “Waterfall is specialized in water element attacks,” he continued, acting as if nothing had happened. “They also like to use attacks that summons mist.” “What are you doing here?” Sakura hissed, half angered, half afraid. He paused in his speech, his blood-red Sharingan eyes focusing back on her. He scrutinized her before answering. “I do not like it when people try to poison me.” “That’s… I…” she stammered, before regaining her composure. “It’s your fault for kidnapping me. If you let me go before, I wouldn’t have to sedate you to get away.” “You didn’t need to,” Itachi answered simply. His lips formed a small smirk as he leaned in towards her. “You were free to go since you healed my eyes.” Her sea foam eyes widened in response; she clenched her jaw as she stared at him with her most menacing glare. “Then why didn’t you say so?” she managed to spat out. “I thought it would be clear to you that I had no further use for you,” Itachi replied smoothly. “If I still considered you my hostage, you would have never crossed the border of Grass without me.” “But I sedated you,” she whispered hoarsely. “There’s no way that you could have woken up and caught up with me this fast…” He paused before answering. Perhaps he didn’t want to answer her, knowing that he

would tell her about one of his techniques. Perhaps he didn’t want to share the knowledge. He leaned in somewhat and scanned her features. It was easy to see that she was scared but she was determined to cross the border. He admired her inner strength; a lot of shinobi would give up in a situation like hers, but she wouldn’t waver from her path. “I also know medical jutsu,” Itachi replied after glancing at the guards. “I am able to counter anesthetics and certain kinds of poison with my chakra.” “How did you know that I used an anesthetic?” she asked, amazed at the man’s skills. Whenever she thought she had figured him out, he did another amazing thing. He truly was full of surprises. “You tasted different.” “I-I what?” Sakura stuttered; shocked at what he just said. “Your lips, they tasted different after you had put the anesthetic on them,” Itachi said coldly. Clenching her jaw in pure frustration, Sakura glanced towards the guards. She wanted to ask him why he had come after her if he did not care about her; whether as a hostage or something more. Taking a deep breath, she faced Itachi. “Why did you come after me?” she asked coolly. “You don’t care for Sasuke or me, so why did you come?” “I have business that needs to be handled,” Itachi replied easily. “Business,” Sakura snorted. “And this business would take you to Sound?” Itachi glared at her, before standing up. “I do not need to explain my every move to you Sakura,” he retorted. “But it will take me close to Sound.” “What will?” Sakura asked, afraid of the answer. “The Kyuubi,” he responded as he placed the straw Akatsuki hat on his head. He watched as the angered expression on her face turned into fear. She knew what he was talking about; Naruto was trying to hunt her down and now was the perfect opportunity to capture him. “Don’t…” she pleaded as she gripped his robes. “Please don’t kill Naruto.” “I want to become stronger,” Itachi replied as he looked down at her, his eyes devoid of any emotion. “Naruto-kun is my ticket to power, therefore I need him.” “But you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met,” Sakura kept begging. “Surely you don’t need Naruto to become stronger?” Itachi remained quiet as he stared at Sakura. She had kissed him, sedated him and finally, she ran away from him. If anyone else would try to do such a thing, he would be long

gone by now; yet he didn’t wish for Sakura’s death. He wished to get to know her better. She kissed him when she thought he was asleep. Even if the kisses before that one were fake and just insinuated to sedate him, the last one was genuine. She had feelings for him; whether lust, desire or love, they were there. “I am Akatsuki, Sakura,” he replied smoothly as he put their scene in the bed out of his mind. “If I didn’t wish for more power to become the strongest shinobi that this world has ever seen, I would not have murdered my family and joined Akatsuki.” Her eyes widened as her grip on his robes slightly lessened. He stood there for a few more seconds, scrutinizing her. She was trembling slightly at the prospect of losing her friend. If he were anymore compassionate like Deidara, he would kiss her and tell her everything was going to be alright. Unfortunately for Sakura; he wasn’t that kind of man. He would never be gentle; he would never know how to love somebody, because all of that were withheld from his childhood. He never learned to love, and he never will. “I don’t care for anybody Sakura,” Itachi continued ruthlessly. If she wanted to leave him, she could, but he needed something to sting her with; to tell her how Uchiha men worked. Sasuke would never love her; he refrained himself from loving anyone since the massacre. Itachi would never love someone; these feelings would weaken him in battle. To be the ultimate shinobi means to make ultimate sacrifices. “I’ll kill everybody who stands in my way. Know this; if you ever see me again, do not try to sedate me once more. It might be the last time you do so.” She gasped as he turned around, getting ready to leave. There was so much she wanted to ask him, even though her insides were burning slightly. He just told her that he didn’t love anyone… Did he just use her for his own good? Did he wish for a bed partner, rather than somebody to love? “Wait, Itachi,” she stopped him in his tracks. Sakura watched him as he turned around slightly, signaling that she had his attention. She paused, thinking over her words carefully. She didn’t want to know that his words had stung her, but most of all, she didn’t want him to think of her as weak. She swallowed hard as she opened her mouth to speak up. “Thank you,” she spoke up, ironically using the last words that Sasuke had spoken to her. He said nothing in return as he glared at her. Itachi curtly nodded before disappearing into the forest, leaving no sign that he had just stood there moments ago. Sakura fought back the tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes. She wouldn’t see him again, nor Deidara and Kisame… Not even her friends and family back in Konoha. This was her goal; the end of her journey. She had left Konoha six weeks ago, and even though she made it to Sound, she had an experience that she wouldn’t ever forget. She had lost friends, family; yet gained friends, and now, she would find her loved one again.

A sad smile found its way to Sakura’s lips as she stood up, full of confidence. She was worn out, tired and sad. But her heart filled with joy with the prospect of seeing Sasuke again. Finally, after six years of patient waiting; they would be reunited. Encouraged by that thought, she walked into the dark forest that would lead her to Sound.

Evolution – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: This is the sequel to Metamorphosis! If you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you do; the story won’t make much sense if you haven’t read Metamorphosis haha. The overall warning; Spoilers for the entire manga, so if you haven’t read it yet to at least chapter 260, I suggest you stop reading if you don’t want to be spoiled. Chapter One – A True Forest of Death “Just a little bit further,” Haruno Sakura panted out of pure frustration. Her soft, sea foam, green eyes narrowed as she gave the apple of her desires a death glare. Out of chakra, she had tried to hit the apple off the tree, but thus far, all her tries were useless. She sighed slightly as she dropped the stick that she had been holding to scout her environment. The sun barely shone through the thick masses of leaves and trees, casting dark shadows over the tall grass. She couldn’t hear a sound except for the wind that softly rustled through the tall grass and the beating of her heart. This forest gave her the creeps; it felt like Orochimaru could be hiding anywhere and, ironically enough, it reminded her slightly of the Forest of Death; the forest where she had first met Orochimaru. She shivered as a cold breeze passed by. For some reason, her instincts had told her several times to turn back and find Itachi. She had shrugged them off as fear to meet Orochimaru surfaced again, and deep down inside, she was scared. They could murder her the minute she would arrive, or torture her to death. She had no reassurance whatsoever that they would keep her alive. Her instinct however, was never proven wrong. She was either being watched, or walking right into a trap. Either way, she would be on her guard. Sakura couldn’t afford any mistakes now; from this point forward, everything had to go according to plan. One failure and she would be killed; of that, she was certain. Tentatively, she stepped forward as she grabbed a kunai from the pocket that was strapped on her back. There were no traps in the vicinity as far as she could tell. Encouraged, she took another few steps forward, checking the area again. Once she was satisfied, she started to walk calmly through the forest, ignoring the chill that crept up her body as she went in deeper and deeper. No matter what, she wouldn’t back down like a

scared animal and run. It had been her goal to reach Sasuke ever since she left Konoha, and she would not back down until she was reunited with him. Inevitably, her mind started to wander off to Itachi, as she proceeded through the forest. She knew he was out there, hunting Naruto, but she had complete confidence that Kakashi and Jiraiya would keep Naruto safe. If Itachi was forced to face Jiraiya in a battle, surely he would have a hard time. In spite of everything that had happened to her, she still didn’t want to see Itachi hurt. She knew it was wrong and foolish, but the bittersweet farewell still stung. Half of her, the part that still believed in hopelessly silly and girlish notions, had hoped that he would have decided to stay with her, but she knew it was impossible. If Itachi had gone with her, and Sasuke had spotted them together, Sasuke would never forgive her. A selfdepreciating smile graced her lips at the thought. He would never forgive her if he ever found out what had transpired between Sakura and his older brother. And she would never forgive herself for losing Sasuke in such a matter. A faint rustle in the bushes made her forget all about Itachi, Sasuke, and the tangled web she was caught up in. She whirled around, the kunai in her hand readied, as she attempted to focus on the unknown chakra. “Come out,” she demanded harshly. “I know you’re there, there’s no sense in trying to hide yourself.” Her eyes were narrowed as she watched the bushes rustle again, and a girl came into vision. Her coffee-brown hair almost touched the ground, and her deep-grey eyes looked menacing. It didn’t take long for Sakura to recognize her. Kin Tsuchi, the Sound-nin that had grabbed her hair in the second exam. “What are you doing here?” Sakura asked incredulously. She knew Dosu had died, and that Zaku was unable to fight anymore since Shino had launched his attack on his arms. Sakura always assumed that Orochimaru had killed her; he wasn’t one to tolerate fools. “I should ask you the same thing, lollipop,” Kin snapped. Ignoring the insult, Sakura scanned Kin’s body, something that she did automatically since she became a medic. It didn’t take long for Sakura to see that one of her arms was broken and she had some serious wounds on her legs. “You’re hurt,” she stated simply. Kin wasn’t one of the people she liked, especially after their little rendezvous in the Forest of Death, but she was a medic. She couldn’t just leave Kin banged up like that, as much as she would have liked to. “What’s it to you,” Kin shot back. “Leave me alone. If you don’t, suffer the consequences.” Sakura remained quiet as she stared at Kin; wondering what to do. Her instinct as a medic told her that Kin could die if she didn’t heal her soon. Then again, Kin was an enemy,

perhaps even sent to kill her. She sighed inwardly as she realized that her instinct as a shinobi was winning; Kin was an enemy, she could try to fight Sakura and seriously wound her, perhaps even kill her. But first things first: she needed to find out what Kin was doing there. “If you tell me what you’re doing here,” she began. “I’ll heal you.” “I could lie to you, and you would still heal me?” Kin answered sarcastically. “No thanks bubblegum. I don’t need you, Orochimaru, or anybody else to help me again.” Kin’s attitude was starting to get on her last nerve. Sakura opened her mouth to retaliate, but she closed it, as awareness dawned on her. Kin told her that she didn’t need Orochimaru to help her again. Had she escaped Orochimaru? Was she injured because of that? “Did you run away from Orochimaru?” Sakura inquired curiously. “None of your damn business,” Kin answered angrily, momentarily fumbling in her pocket, her efforts producing a few senbons. Sakura, simultaneously, grabbed one of her kunais and a shuriken. She had entered the Country of Field dedicated to continuing her journey to find Sasuke; she wouldn’t back down now. She would fight and defeat Kin to obtain her goal. “Don’t do it Kin,” Sakura warned. “You’re hurt and your arm is broken. If you fight me now, you’ll lose.” “I’d rather lose then have your sympathy,” Kin retorted, her sharp eyes never leaving Sakura’s. Kin could sense that Sakura was out of chakra; that explained why it took her so long to even notice Sakura being there. But even if her opponent didn’t have a large reserve of chakra at the moment, Kin could tell that this girl was going to be a pest. Mentally, she cursed herself. She had just broken away from Orochimaru’s cell and now she ran into this. She couldn’t afford to lose; if she did, not only would she lose her dignity; she’d lose her freedom. It was Kin who made the first move; throwing three senbons in Sakura’s direction. Using her kunai to deflect the senbons, Sakura crouched down, collecting the small remnants of her chakra in her right hand before running towards Kin. Grinning at her, Kin only threw another senbon. Again, Sakura deflected it without much care. But when she lowered the kunai to ready herself for an attack; Kin had vanished. Confused, Sakura stopped quickly as she scanned the vicinity. She wasn’t in any of the tall trees surrounding her, nor was she hiding in any of the bushes beside her. Sakura whirled around as she checked the shrubs behind her, but it was no use. She could feel Kin as if she stood right in front of her; but Kin was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, a senbon flew towards her. She avoided it with ease, but missed a senbon that came from behind. She gritted her teeth in pain as the weapon punctured her ankle.

Damn it, a genjutsu…I’ve seen this before with Shikamaru, I know what she’s up to. Quickly, she formed the tiger seal and concentrated. “Release,” she shouted and as she opened her eyes, she could see standing on a lower branch in a tree. She was holding another bunch of senbon and seemed surprised that Sakura had released the genjutsu. “Clever kunoichi, you released the genjutsu I had cast,” Kin said, malice lacing every word. She hadn’t anticipated this. Her original plan was to employ a genjutsu, allowing her to hurt the girl enough so she would faint, which would conveniently give her the opening to run away. But now that she had found out that this scrap of a girl could break genjutsus…well, this could last a bit longer than expected. “I am no longer the weak genin you fought six years ago,” Sakura countered with confidence. “So I see,” Kin shot back. “But don’t think that you’re going to beat me this time by cutting your pretty hair and using mediocre skills like the Kawarimi no Jutsu. You’ll need more then that.” “I won’t,” Sakura replied. Once again, she accumulated all of her remaining chakra into her right hand. Kin might be expecting run of the mill ninjutsu and genjutsu, but there was no way of her knowing that Sakura was trained by one of the legendary sannin. This would give her the advantage in battle. Quickly, she formed the seal for a Bunshin no Jutsu. Kin watched amusedly as two more Sakura’s appeared and stormed towards her. She ducked as one Sakura tried to punch her and avoided the second’s attack; but a third strike came from behind, the impact of which made her fly through the air until she collided with a tree. Sakura panted hard; it took all of her remaining chakra and strength to give Kin a punch of that magnitude, and if she was still conscious, she would have a huge problem on her hands. Fortunately, Kin didn’t rise to strike back. Cautiously, Sakura stepped towards the unmoving body. She looked unconscious; her breathing had steadied and she looked more peaceful then she had ever looked when conscious. Fighting against the tiredness that had suddenly washed over her, Sakura squatted next to Kin. She sighed heavily. Her medic’s instinct kicked in and told her to set the bone that Kin had broken, now that she was unconscious. She had been running away from Orochimaru, living in the forest for what seemed quite a while and had to fight Sakura afterwards; she deserved it. Clenching her jaw in concentration, she began to work on Kin, using the last of her chakra to make it as painless as she could. Minutes later, she looked at her handy work with a sense of pride. Kin’s arm had been set and Sakura used some of her last bandages to use as a splint for Kin’s arm. Satisfied, she stood up and smiled slightly before grabbing her backpack and walked away.

She never noticed Kin opening her eyes and smiling haughtily before she ran off in the opposite direction. -Cold, calculating Sharingan eyes followed the movement of the Nine-Tails Demon as the four of them set camp. He knew that one of the Hyuuga clan was close; which would bring him in danger of being exposed. And he acknowledged that he wouldn’t be able to handle the Copy-nin and all of his companions. He inwardly sighed; getting the Kyuubi was easier said than done. Either Jiraiya travelled with him, or he had an entire team to travel with him. Getting rid of Kakashi would be no problem for him, but handling Genma along with the rest of their little group and the others that were most assuredly on their way would be quite the obstacle. Retreating would be the best option. Without a sound, he jumped back on a branch and dashed through the forest; masking his chakra. It wouldn’t be good if the others discovered him now; he would just have to wait for the opportune moment. His eyes were fixed now, he could use them without worrying too much about his eyesight; but if he had to use the Tsukiyomi on seven shinobi just to capture one, his eyesight would deteriorate fast. He didn’t like that idea. He would take the opportunity to capture Naruto next time; when he would be alone with Jiraiya. Jiraiya would give him quite the fight, but he was certain that he would be able to win. Kisame could fight the Kyuubi in the meantime. With ease and certain grace, he jumped from branch to branch; his Akatsuki robes billowing in the wind. The bell that dangled from his straw hat made an eerie, peaceful sound whenever he landed on a branch and the loose strands of hair that hung in front of his eyes moved slightly whenever he jumped back up. A lot of things had happened in the past few weeks, both wanted and unwanted. He had never felt more confused in his whole life. First of all, he had taken care of Sakura when she was his hostage; protecting her from the ANBU that hunted her, even kissed her several times. Secondly, he felt emotions when he saw Deidara kiss her. And it was the first time that he wasn’t included in a mission which required Kisame. He figured that it was because of the fact that he still hadn’t captured one of the bijuu, as Kisame had. Slowly, the image of Kisame disappeared and was replaced by Sakura. The only pinkhaired kunoichi he had ever seen. Faintly, he wondered if she had reached his brother already. It had been several hours since they had separated from each other. Itachi sighed inwardly. He was acting out of character since Sakura had been captured and it was a good thing that they parted ways. He needed to regain his composure. He was a shinobi; one of the deadliest in the world. He wasn’t about to let his mind wander

off to less important things. Emotions made a shinobi weak. He couldn’t afford being weak. -“Can you see anything suspicious Neji?” Gai asked his student. He watched as Neji formed the seals and activated his Byakugan. Neji remained quiet as he scouted the vicinity for enemies. “Kakashi and his team are setting up camp near the border,” Neji replied, still focused on the area. His eyes widened for a split second as he detected another presence in the bushes. The enemy was wearing an Akatsuki robe; he recognized it from his battle with Kisame years ago. But this one wasn’t Kisame; this Akatsuki member instead had a striking resemblance to Sasuke. “One of the Akatsuki is hiding in the bushes near them,” Neji reported. “It looks like he has the Sharingan and he looks exactly like Uchiha Sasuke. He’s not making a move yet, just observing. The others don’t know he’s there.” “… Itachi,” Gai whispered quietly. “Double-up speed; if Itachi is fighting them, they’ll need all the help they can get. Get your gear ready and get ready for an intense battle.” “Not necessary,” the Byakugan-user answered. “He’s going away. He’s too far for my Byakugan to spot him.” Gai remained silent as he pondered over this. Itachi was a smart man; he would undoubtedly know that Kakashi’s group wasn’t the only group on the road and called it quits. It was even more suspicious that his partner didn’t travel along with him. Perhaps they all travelled alone now? He made a mental note that he should talk to Kakashi over this matter. Their mission would become even harder if they’d have to fight any of the Akatsuki. “Gai,” he heard Shikamaru call out. He turned around slightly, signalling to Shikamaru that he had his attention. He waited patiently until Shikamaru spoke again. “Why is Akatsuki after us?” Shikamaru asked quietly. He knew Akatsuki had fought Naruto, Jiraiya and Sasuke years ago, and a couple of years back, they fought again. But nobody had told him why they were fighting with Naruto’s group. He had a suspicion though, that it had something to do with Naruto. He just hoped he wasn’t right. “I can’t tell you about that yet,” Gai answered after a pause. “Although, if you want to know more about the situation, you should talk to Naruto. I’m in no position to tell you anything at the moment.” And he meant it. Every adult knew about the Kyuubi that had been sealed inside of Naruto, and every adult was bound by law to fasten their lips; to never speak of such matter ever again. Gai was aware that Naruto had somehow learned about this information years ago, and that he had told Sakura about it too. Apart from her, he strongly doubted that Naruto had told anyone else about the creature that inhabited him.

If Naruto wanted anyone else to know, it was his right to make that decision. Shikamaru’s brains worked overtime after that bit of information. Gai obviously knew, but didn’t want to tell him. Either he would have to ask Naruto himself, or he could try to figure this out by himself. He tried to puzzle all the information together: Naruto had told Gaara that there was a monster inside of him too; Akatsuki was hunting Naruto, of that he was certain; and Gai didn’t want to tell him about whatever was going on and told him to ask Naruto. Either Naruto was the one being hunted, or he played a huge part in all of this. Temari had told him that Gaara had been hunted and killed by Akatsuki as well. Although Gaara was alive at the moment, they had still extracted the demon that inhabited Gaara. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he finally found the answer to all of his questions. That’s it! Akatsuki was hunting Naruto, because Naruto had a demon inside of him, like Gaara had. Both were vessels for demons; Gaara had told him so when he tried to murder Lee and Naruto had shot back that he had a monster inside of him too. At that moment, he didn’t really think much of it, as he was struggling to keep himself and Naruto alive. And he hadn’t really thought about it afterwards when they left that room, even though Naruto practically confessed that day that there was something inhabiting him. Although he was happy that he had found the answer, fear slowly crept into his mind. There was an immense possibility that Naruto would be killed if he were captured. Gaara, ironically, was living proof of that. Over the years, Naruto had become one of his closest friends. Naruto, Chouji, Neji, Kiba and Shikamaru had all been on the mission to save Sasuke, and since that time, they had only gotten closer. He gritted his teeth in pure frustration. He swore that it wouldn’t end up like the last time, when he’d almost lost his best friend. He wouldn’t lose Naruto like he almost lost Chouji. He would never forget the pain and agony of standing there in the hospital, waiting for good or bad news. After Tsunade had told him that Chouji was going to be fine, he made a silent promise to himself. He would protect his friends, no matter what. Even if he had to give up his own life, he would do it gladly to save one of his friends. -Sakura collapsed on the ground as soon as she left the forest. Her chakra was gone, she hadn’t slept for twenty-four hours, and she hadn’t eaten a thing except for one measly apple. But she was there; she had finally reached the Country of Field, and would soon find the Hidden Village of Sound.

Fighting to get up, Sakura leaned against a tree to keep her balance. With a small smile, she could see the faint lights of a small town in the distance. She could regain her strength there before she moved on to find Sasuke. If she were to encounter anymore shinobi in her current state, she would be killed without even putting up a fight. Using the very last of her chakra, she gathered it all in her feet and made a sprint towards the town using the last energy sources that she had. Sakura reached the town within minutes and stopped running just outside the gates. Her knees buckled as she gritted her teeth and stumbled forward. Managing to regain her balance after a couple, desperate gasps for air, she focused on the ground and took a few, small steps. She knew people were watching her; it wasn’t too often that you would see a shinobi in this state. All the same, she didn’t care and tried to walk towards the inn she had spotted. It was only a few feet away, but her knees collapsed once more, and this time, she lost her balance. She was unconscious before she even hit the ground. -When she opened her eyes again, she was lying in an unfamiliar bed. The room surrounding her was entirely white, just like the honeymoon suite she had slept in with Itachi. She turned around, mildly hoping to see Itachi next to her, but he wasn’t there. Instead of Itachi, there was an older lady sitting next to her bed. She was bandaging Sakura’s wound on her ankle and smiled as she noticed Sakura staring at her. “You’re awake,” she remarked. “W-Where am I?” she asked quietly in a hoarse whisper. “You’re in the town of Eiyo, in the Country of Field,” the woman replied. “You fainted right in front of my hotel, so I brought you in and tried to fix you up a little. I’ve also mended your clothes.” “Thank you,” Sakura answered softly. “I feel better now.” “That’s good to hear. You’ve been asleep for two days,” the woman smiled. “My name is Junko. If you need anything, just ask.” “Yes, I will,” Sakura replied as she tried to sit up straight. “Can I ask you something, Junko-san?” “Yes of course,” Junko answered, the smile still plastered on her face. “Can you give me directions to the Hidden Village of Sound?” Sakura asked bluntly.

The smile that Junko had given her quickly faded after that question, and for a moment, it almost seemed like Junko was mad at her. Sakura remained quiet as she waited for an answer. “Why do you want to go there?” Junko finally replied, suspicion in her voice. “The man I love is there,” Sakura answered her question. “I’ve been searching for him for over six weeks. I need to find him, and if I had to search for the village on my own… It would take even longer. That’s why I need your help.” “I see,” Junko replied quietly. She sighed heavily before nodding. “Leave this town on the north side. Continue until you see a large hill, surrounded by pine trees. From there, carry on to your right and you’ll arrive at Sound.” Sakura nodded gratefully. Thanks to this generous woman, she had recovered fairly well from her injuries and was now well-rested. All that was left was to eat, get something to drink and she would be on her way. “How long does it take to reach Sound?” “One day for the normal folk, but I’m guessing it would be half a day for a shinobi,” Junko answered simply. “I must warn you though; after you’ve reached the hill, be on your guard. There are a lot of Sound shinobi there, and they aren’t too fond of other shinobi.” “I know,” Sakura sighed. The prospect of fighting already tired her. Junko smiled softly before she left the room to get some food for Sakura. -After a good meal and some coffee, Sakura stood next to her bed, where her gear resided. She strapped on her shuriken holster, before putting her sandals on. Checking her gear and bandages one last time, she took a quick glance in her mirror, she smiled as she strode towards the door; her backpack in her hands. “Today is the day,” she spoke quietly to herself. “If I’m lucky, I’ll get to Sound by nightfall.” She had been waiting for this moment and now that she had arrived in the Country of Field, everything felt surreal to her. She couldn’t believe that she was this close to achieving her dream; to see Sasuke again. Encouraged by this thought, she stepped out of the room and padded off the stairs towards the main hall of the Inn. She waved goodbye at Junko, thanking her for all that she had done, before stepping outside. She shivered slightly; a cold breeze passed by. She looked up, reflexively, to inspect the weather and to her dismay, the sky was swarming with ominous, grey clouds. Feeling the first raindrops fall on her cheeks, she swore softly.

Wonderful. What a great way to start this perfect day. She grimaced as she accumulated her recovered chakra to her feet and dashed through the village towards the northern gate. From there, she would have to run until she saw a hill surrounded by pine trees and then she would have to veer right. She had memorized the entire description and smiled slightly as she set off towards the hill. Using her chakra, she ran towards the north while doubling her speed The rain was still falling down mercilessly, while being accompanied by the strong wind. Nearly freezing to death forced Sakura to find shelter under one of the bulky pine trees. She sighed contently as she sat down. The long journey had worn her out since she had been rapidly racing for well over half the day. She pulled her old Akatsuki robe from her backpack and draped it over her frozen body. She knew she should have burned it the first chance she got; such a garment being discovered on her would bring a multitude of questions that she rather not answer. Not to mention a possible trip to the Torture and Interrogation Unit. But she always knew that it would come in handy in a situation such as this one. Touching the soft, warm fabric with her fingertips, the memories of her time together with the Akatsuki members surfaced and she inwardly smiled when she thought about the first time she had met Deidara. At first, she thought he had been a girl, but when he opened his mouth, she was proven wrong. Very wrong. Another memory she was fond of was the time that he had hold her in her arms while she well asleep. She’d never forgotten how the soft, warm cocoon of his arms felt. She had felt safe in his arms; safer then she had ever felt since she had become a missing nin. Kisame was another one who had proven her wrong. She had him cut out as a ruthless idiot that just followed Itachi’s orders without hesitation. Sakura was right about that last part, but Kisame certainly wasn’t an idiot. Ah well… Perhaps he is an idiot at times… I wonder if he ever gotten the soy sauce stains out of his Akatsuki robes. She giggled, as her mind turned to Itachi. Uchiha Itachi; he had surprised her most of all. In her mind, she had always pictured him to be quiet, brooding and whatnot. What a surprise when Itachi turned out to be one of the most polite Akatsuki members she had met. An even bigger surprise, and the understatement of the century, was the fact that he had kissed her; several times in fact. Unconsciously, she touched her lips. She remembered their last, sincere conversation on the balcony. Itachi had told her that Sasuke would just use her as a tool to revive his clan, and although she had told Itachi that she didn’t care; in reality she did. It had hurt her when he had told her that, and for a couple of minutes, she actually thought about aborting her mission and staying with Akatsuki. She regained her senses quickly though; even if Sasuke would never love her, she would

love him, and always be there to support him. He was her team-mate, classmate, fellow shinobi, and above all, the man she loved. She had become a missing-nin for him, survived Akatsuki, several assassinations, and escaped from his deadly brother; fighting constantly to reach this moment. Even if he would never love her back, nobody could ever take this moment away from her. She was proud of herself for having this much strength to go on a seemingly hopeless mission, and still be alive. What the…? Sakura narrowed her eyes as she looked in the distance. She was fairly certain that somebody walking in the distance, but the rain was clouding everything, and all she could see was the outline of whoever was walking towards her. Although, through a barely discernable lanky body and broad shoulders, it seemed that this figure was male. Suddenly, the shadow faded and Sakura sighed with relief. She couldn’t sense a chakra level nearing her; so it must have been just her imagination. The rain isn’t stopping anytime soon. She groaned as she stared at the sky; arriving at Sound, completely wet and frozen wasn’t her ideal entry, but it seemed that she didn’t have another choice. She folded the Akatsuki robes and placed it back into her backpack. Standing up, she checked her clothing and gear, making sure nothing fell out of her pockets, when she abruptly felt the overwhelming sense of chakra. She whirled around to counter the punch that was sent in her direction. Her attacker was hiding in the darkness of the pine tree, so distinguishing who it was, was next to impossible. Gritting her teeth, she gathered all of her chakra into her right leg and tried to kick her attacker. She missed, and without missing a beat, her attacker seized the opportunity to grab her ankle. White-hot pain seared through her frozen ankle as she realized her opponent was using a medical jutsu to cut the tendons in her muscles. Kabuto!

Evolution – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Ehm… Yah, sorry for the delay, school has been hell. Seriously. Chapter Two – I Always Believed In You Gracelessly, Sakura stumbled back as Kabuto unexpectedly relinquished his hold on her

ankle. Lightning struck not far from them, illuminating Kabuto’s face for a second. He hadn’t changed one bit; he still wore his glasses and his trademark purple outfit. Face set in a slight scowl, he lowered his hand. “It’s been a long time, Sakura,” Kabuto said after a significant pause. “What brings you here?” He asked almost conversationally. “None of your business,” she bit back in frustration as she accumulated some of her chakra to heal her ankle. Knowing who she was dealing with, she stayed on her guard; pulling out a kunai from her holster when she heard Kabuto moving closer to her. “You have become a medic-nin,” Kabuto stated the obvious. He analyzed her strength quickly, presuming that she was probably trained by Tsunade herself. Judging by her jutsu he was right. Lest she’d be distracted in healing her ankle, she didn’t answer. Fortunately Sakura had a great teacher; Tsunade had wisely warned her about these kinds of medical jutsus, and within seconds, she had healed the damaged muscles in her ankle. “What are you doing here Sakura?” Kabuto asked once more, the malice gone from his voice. He sounded just like he did so many years ago, during the Chuunin exam. “I’ve come here to offer a deal to Orochimaru,” she answered, clenching her jaw. “That’s all you need to know. Will you take me to him?” Fleeting disbelief crossed over Kabuto face as he took a step closer. Preparing herself for any action on Kabuto’s part, she held her kunai in front of her as she picked herself off the ground. This guy is prolific in medical jutsus. Just now, he easily cut the tendons in my muscles. I have no doubt that he can kill me just as easily with those moves. But if he wants to fight me, this will be a medic-nin versus medic-nin. “Orochimaru-sama already knew you were coming,” Kabuto said finally. “Asking Junkosan for directions… You are still the naïve kunoichi I met six years ago.” Junko…? No… She was a Sound-nin as well? Sakura’s eyes widened slightly in realization: she had been nursed back to health by one of the Sound-nins. Quickly, she checked her own chakra level for any sign of alteration or poison; her quick scan proved that her chakra had not been tampered with. She never would have suspected Junko to be a nin, especially one working for Sound. I guess I really am naïve. “Junko is a Sound-nin as well?” she asked quietly, not believing how trusting she could be at times. “Yes,” Kabuto answered, smiling. “Though she is under the influence of a jutsu Orochimaru-sama created, but yes, she is a Sound-nin.” Mentally cursing herself, Sakura crouched down as she readied herself for battle. Kabuto

hadn’t said anything about Orochimaru wanting her in Sound; for all she knew, Kabuto was there to kill her. She couldn’t afford to be defeated now; there was too much at stake. “I have no intention in fighting you, Sakura,” Kabuto scoffed. “Orochimaru-sama sent me to find you and bring you to him.” Shocked, Sakura lowered her kunai slightly as she scanned Kabuto’s face. His poker face was as impenetrable as Itachi’s; it was impossible to decipher his emotions and determine if he was lying or not. The irony was not lost on her. The impassive shinobi that stood before her was the one who had earned their trust during the Chuunin exam through presenting himself as the nice, older brother type who would help them through the exam. She couldn’t help but suppress a snort. Nice older brother type. Yeah, right. “What are you waiting for then?” Sakura said with confidence. “Take me to Sound.” “As you wish,” Kabuto replied sarcastically as he adjusted his glasses. He turned around without another word and signalled for her to follow him. With a moment’s hesitation, she pocketed her kunai before following Kabuto. Well…At least she gave me the right directions Sakura bit her lip to hold in a bitter laugh. She should have known; she was in Field. In this country she should have trusted no one and searched for Sound by herself. Faintly, she wondered what Junko’s reward would be for turning Sakura in. “Kabuto… Why are you allies with Orochimaru?” Sakura inquired, breaking the tense silence that had stretched out between the two of them. Kabuto visibly tensed, not expecting her to talk to him. He glanced backwards at Sakura’s face as he started to gain pace through the field, ignoring the rain that was pounding mercilessly on both of them. “He had brilliant ideas,” Kabuto answered simply. “I couldn’t resist joining him to know more about his projects.” “Brilliant ideas?” Sakura snorted. “He uses younger, more powerful children as his vessels. You could be next, Kabuto. Ever thought about that?” “I actually offered my body to him, so yes, I have thought about it,” Kabuto replied, slightly annoyed as he adjusted his glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose. Due to the rain, his silver hair hung in front of his eyes, obstructing her view of his face, but she was fairly certain that he wasn’t lying. He had offered his body to Orochimaru. She sighed inwardly; Orochimaru and his followers were an enigma that she would never be able to understand. While her first, and lasting, impression of him during the Chuunin exams was that of fear and revulsion, it seemed that others went to him to find power. Even if they didn’t need really need Orochimaru’s help to gain it. Sasuke-kun is the perfect example of that…

-“Talk about a boring landscape… yeah,” Deidara grinned as the three Akatsuki members made their way to a distant town in the Country of Field. His grin disappeared as soon as he glanced at the sky. “And the weather is perfect as well.” “Shut up,” Kisame growled as he wrung out his robes. Rain was something Kisame thoroughly disliked; even though he was born in Mist. “How far are we from that Snake?” “Judging his chakra level,” Sasori softly spoke up. “I think we have half a day to go before we reach Orochimaru.” “My ideal way of travelling: wet and frozen to the bone… yeah,” Deidara chuckled softly as he brushed some of his stray blond strands of hair from his eyes. “Where did Zetsu go?” “He’s underground. He claimed he can move faster that way,” Sasori answered calmly. “I reckon he’s just hiding from the rain.” “Why would he do that? Is he afraid that his venus flytrap is going to grow even larger… yeah?” Deidara snickered. Kisame chuckled slightly while Sasori shook his head in amusement. He tried to concentrate on Orochimaru and his environment again, before noticing that two people were heading in his direction. Medics, judging by their flow of chakra. “Deidara,” he called out. Although he couldn’t see more then Deidara’s straw hat and his robes, he knew he had his partner’s attention. “That kunoichi medic you were talking about… She’s nearing Orochimaru’s headquarters rapidly, and there’s another medic-nin with her. This one is male.” Deidara muttered a string of curses as he turned around completely, facing both Kisame and Sasori. “Sakura is with another medic-nin… yeah? Is he a Sound-nin?” Although Deidara’s expressions were pokerfaced to a point where Itachi could be proud, Sasori could sense the underlying worry in Deidara’s voice. “I can’t tell whether it’s a shinobi from Sound or any other village, but you’ve told me the kunoichi was strong. She’ll be alright.” “Hold it,” Kisame suddenly spoke up. “That kunoichi ran away from Itachi? And actually made it to Sound without him finding her? He really is slacking off.” “She tried to sedate him, I could sense it, but his own medic skills are top-class,” Sasori replied quietly. “He just repelled the anaesthetic from his body.” “And she’s still alive?” Kisame asked incredulously. “Can we talk about this when we’ve eliminated Orochimaru… yeah?” Deidara’s voice sounded calm, but the irritated look that came with it wasn’t lost on the both of them.

They both nodded before following Deidara. Although Deidara could be overpowered by both Kisame and Sasori, fighting him would not be the best of ideas; especially not when Deidara was pissed off. Sasori inwardly grinned. Orochimaru… You’re in for a surprise if you dare to hurt that kunoichi. -Throughout the entire journey towards Orochimaru’s headquarters, Kabuto had barely spoken to her, but Sakura couldn’t care less. The remainder of her journey and her offer to Orochimaru were crucial; everything would have to go perfectly, or she would be murdered without a second thought. Soon, she would enter the lion’s cave, and there was a high probability of not returning. Before she could lose herself in that thought, Kabuto abruptly stopped running and jumped down from a branch. Sakura followed quickly, landing on the ground, as a building came into view. It was a veiled fortress under the high grass with barely visible stairs, cracked and overgrown with moss; the foreboding Sound logo situated on top. “We’re here,” Kabuto said quietly. Watching in mild irritation how he pushed his glasses back on top of the bridge of his nose, she took a deep breath in, before walking towards Kabuto and the entrance of Sound. He curtly nodded before walking down the stairs, Sakura in tow. Sakura flinched slightly at the sound of her soaked sandals on the rigid stones of the steps, noticing how much noise it made in the hushed atmosphere. A huge door was blocking their way. It was similar to Konoha’s gate in a way, yet this one had the insignia of Sound sharply engraved in the wood. She watched how he effortlessly pushed open one of the doors, gesturing that she could go in. She complied easily and slipped through the opening of the gate into a stone hallway. Kabuto joined her as soon as he closed the gates. He nodded before leading her into the dank hallway, only lit by a few candles. She knew that she smelled something peculiar in front of the gate, and it seemed that venturing farther into the building only intensified the familiar scent of rotting flesh. She swallowed hard, fighting her sudden nausea, before reflexively studying her environment. Cells surrounded her, each of them filled with people that looked more like corpses, with their sunken cheekbones and skeletal figures. Belatedly, she realized with horror, that a good portion of these prisoners were children of all ages; their small frail bodies trembling with some unspeakable emotion. And all she could perceive was their overwhelming torment and grief. She found herself drowning in their devastating agony; her mind and body no longer functioning. And for a moment, there was no Itachi, nor was there a Sasuke or Orochimaru. There was only the overwhelming desire to release these people from their cells and give them their freedom back. “Experiments for Orochimaru’s research,” Kabuto spoke up softly. Sakura raised her eyes

to meet his deep-grey ones. She swore she saw sadness flicker through his eyes, before it was gone, replaced by the blank face he had adopted. “Let’s go,” Kabuto added after a significant pause. Sakura could only nod and follow Kabuto as he walked through the hallway. In front of the last cell however, Sakura halted as she spotted the arm of a young child poking through the bars in an attempt to grab Sakura’s leg. She gasped softly as she saw the face that belonged to the girl. A long lesion stretched out from over her right eye to her chin, oozing with dried blood and pus; it was infected, Sakura hazily noted. Shying away from the wound, Sakura notice that her short black hair was tousled and filthy, matching the tattered garment that barely covered her gaunt shape. But it was the girl’s eyes that horrified Sakura the most. There was only one way to describe them. I want to confirm the reason why I’m alive, Sakura thought, recalling the words that Gaara had said. Her eyes look just like Gaara’s… Aghast, Sakura scrambled backwards, accidentally bumping into the cell behind her. Immediately, hands gripped her form through the bars, wrenching her against the grimy cell. Sakura clenched her jaw as she tried pull herself out of their grasps, but found herself unable to. A mere second later, Kabuto stood in front of her; his face was set in a small scowl as he activated a medic jutsu. “Hurt her and I’ll make sure you never get out of these cells,” Kabuto threatened menacingly. As if on cue, the hands instantly released Sakura, prompting her to stumble forward; the sound of whispering noticeable in her ears. She looked up to see Kabuto looking over her whole body, checking if she had any injuries, before he gave a subtle nod. Without pausing he walked around her and disappeared into the darkness of a second hallway. This time, Sakura didn’t hesitate and fell into step beside Kabuto. There were no more words as they passed more cells; no more glances. Sakura kept her eyes straight forward, trying to ignore the helpless people behind bars. Detachedly, she realized that the stench of decomposing flesh wasn’t as apparent as it was in the other hallway, but it was still there. “What kind of technique is Orochimaru developing?” Sakura asked quietly. “Why does he need human beings to try it on? Why does he let them die?” “Orochimaru-sama has no need for those who are too weak to withstand the power of his techniques,” Kabuto answered simply. “He cleans the cells up every month, if that’s what you were wondering.” Sakura nodded as she vaguely realized that Kabuto had only answered one of her questions. She remained silent as the both of them entered another chamber, this one the size of an arena. They were standing on a platform, similar to the one that she stood on during the preliminaries of her first Chuunin exam. In contrast to that area, there were a

handful of doors lined up against the sides of platform, each with a name. Although the darkness shrouded most of the kanji, she squinted her eyes focusing on the nearest door. Tayuya… The next ones that she was able to decipher were: “Sakon,” “Jiroubo,” and “Kidoumaru.” She turned around to try and read the kanji on the other ends. Kimimaro… Kabuto… and… Although the kanji was blood-red, almost the color of the Sharingan, and undistinguishable against the blackness of the room, she recognized it instantly. Sasuke Her eyes widened and her breath came out in harsh pants as she realized that these were dormitories, and that Sasuke might be there, only a few feet away from her. In her mind’s eye, she could already see Sasuke lying on a bed, one single candle illuminating his face and the metal of his forehead protector that held Sound‘s emblem; reading a scroll while thinking of Itachi and his revenge. His hair would be a little longer, and his face would have matured, but his eyes would still be the same color: midnight blue. Unconsciously, she stepped closer towards his door, entranced by the idea of seeing him again. However, Kabuto seizing her wrist banished such hopes and stopped her progress. Angered by such an obstacle, she furiously glared at her assailant. “This isn’t vacation Sakura; you’ve entered Sound as a shinobi from Leaf. That means that you’re our enemy,” Kabuto hissed. “Don’t even try to make a move towards that door. It might be the last thing you do.” Sakura nodded hesitantly as she tore her gaze away from the door that possessed Sasuke’s name. She would have to make the deal with Orochimaru first before seeing him. It was hard to turn back when could only be just a few meters away from her, but she knew would see him soon… Very soon. With pain in her heart, she walked away from his door as she followed Kabuto down the stairs. They crossed the arena before halting in front of a red, wooden door. Kabuto knocked softly. “Come in Kabuto,” a voice called out. Sakura instantly recognized it as Orochimaru’s. She shivered slightly as Kabuto opened the door, before walking in. He bowed towards a shadow in the corner of the room, before signalling Sakura to come in as well. Tentatively, Sakura stepped inside the room, ignoring the cold chill that travelled up her spine. In attempt to calm her nerves, she observed the room around her. Several scrolls hung on the walls - medic jutsus, she realized - books were scattered on the floor, and the

room was illuminated with the light of the candles that burned on top of an old, shabby desk. A small cough was heard from Kabuto’s direction and Sakura whirled around hurriedly, embarrassed that she had been distracted by the contents of the room. There he was, Orochimaru, standing beside Kabuto. He hadn’t changed one bit; the sadistic smile that she had seen in the Forest of Death was still etched on his lips and his golden, snake-like eyes were narrowed slightly in suspicion. He still freaked her out. “Well, well,” Orochimaru grinned. “It’s been a long time since I saw you… Sakura.” A jolt of recognition shot through her as she realized he was talking differently than last time; his speaking pattern had changed and for some reason, he sounded smoother this time. That and he somehow knew her name. “It certainly has, Orochimaru,” Sakura answered, mentally applauding herself for keeping a steady and calm voice. “I heard you were expecting me?” Orochimaru’s grin seemed to broaden as he took a few steps towards her. “Yes, I felt you nearing our base, and our spy at the inn notified us of the arrival of a pink-haired kunoichi from Konoha. I automatically assumed it was you, as I’ve never seen another pink-haired person walking through the streets of Konoha.” I don’t know if I should be disgusted or honored that he recognizes me… I’ll go for disgusted. “I am sure you know that I came out here to see you out,” Sakura continued. “I want to propose a deal with you Orochimaru.” “A deal?” Orochimaru chuckled. “And what kind of deal do you propose?” Taking in a deep breath, she calmed herself down. Sakura had envisioned this moment for a long time, and had calculated exactly what she was going to say to Orochimaru. “I propose to heal your arms, I have been a student of one of the legendary sannin for over six years, and I think that I might be able to heal your arms. In exchange, I want to become a shinobi of Sound.” She stopped her flow of words as soon as Orochimaru started to laugh. It wasn’t a pleasant laugh, it sounded rather creaky, as if he hadn’t laughed in a long time. He lifted his hand to cover his mouth as he tried to calm himself down. That’s when she saw them. His arms were healed, and the color of his skin was back to his normal, pale color. “I sincerely apologize,” Orochimaru replied after his laughing fit had stopped. “But I honestly don’t have any use for you. Kabuto is our medic and my arms are healed, so you are of no use to me.” Frantically, Sakura started to seek for a solution. Her entire plan had been foiled because

of this. Orochimaru would kill her before she would even see Sasuke. There had to be something else that she could use, something that Orochimaru didn’t have. But no matter how hard she thought this over, she knew it was hopeless. It was the end of the road. Unless… “Can I at least see Sasuke-kun?” Sakura’s voice wavered slightly as she spoke the words. She didn’t know if Orochimaru would allow her to see Sasuke one last time. There was a chance that Sasuke hadn’t forgotten about her and would stop Orochimaru from killing her. “Please…” she begged after a moment of silence. “I’ve left Konoha for him; can I please see him one last time?” She did not know if Orochimaru possessed any compassion, but he curtly nodded, his grin still plastered on his face. Kabuto apparently took this as a signal as he left the chamber, undeniably to get Sasuke. Her heart was pounding wildly. Would he still recognize her? Would he save her? Or would he leave her for the snake that stood in front of her? She swallowed hard as she tried to think clearly; Orochimaru was standing right in front of her, this was her moment to ask him whatever she wanted, consequences be damned; she was already in grim situation. Glancing at the wall, her eyes focused on the scrolls that she had noticed earlier, the medic jutsus. “They are experiments for Orochimaru’s research.” “What kind of technique are you developing?” Sakura whispered, hoping that such a question wouldn’t awaken his temper. “A technique that will enable me to live forever,” Orochimaru answered, his words laced with sickening pride. “You see, with this technique, I’m able to transfer my mind to another body. The person who inhabited the body will die, but I’ll be able to control the body leftover.” He really is sick, Sakura thought as her eyes widened slightly. Suddenly, the medical jutsus on the scrolls made sense, just like Kabuto being a medic. Orochimaru didn’t give a damn about his subordinates, Kabuto wasn’t there for them. He was there to heal the prisoners once Orochimaru was done experimenting with them. “I finished perfecting the technique quite a while ago actually,” Orochimaru continued without missing a beat, his eyes ever watchful. “Thus far, I’ve inhabited three bodies.” “You… monster,” she muttered as tears stung in the corners of her eyes. “You kill people all in the name of your selfish need to live forever… The Third was right; you are a monster.” “Some call me a monster, some call me brilliant,” Orochimaru flashed his sadistic smile once again. “It depends on what your view on life is.”

Sakura gritted her teeth in pure frustration; she knew she was bordering on the edge of no return, and Orochimaru was as unpredictable as the weather. He could get enough of this little conversation and end it without anyone getting seriously hurt; or he could attack her, and most certainly kill her. She just hoped it would be option one. “Now, you wished to see your Sasuke-kun?” Orochimaru asked with genuine interest. “Y-yes,” she stammered, not understanding the direction this conversation was going. Wasn’t Kabuto getting Sasuke? “You may, but I’m afraid he won’t talk back,” he said simply. “What do you mean?” Sakura asked, clenching her fists. “Is he injured? What have you done with him?” She wanted to wipe that self-satisfying grin from his face; it irritated her that someone like him could be so pleased with himself that he couldn’t stop smiling. She watched him like a hawk as his fingers caressed his cheek, before burying his fingers deep within the skin. He’s wearing a mask? Sakura didn’t blink once as he pulled the mask off; his long hair obscured the rest of his face but she tried to look for the features behind the mask anyway. When he finally looked at her again, his face free from all guises, she gasped. Oh god no… Please no… Orochimaru brushed away the strands of hair that were in the way, before giving her that smirk again. Her breathing had progressed to irregular gasps as her heart abruptly stopped. Sasuke was standing in front of her; his blood-red Sharingan blazing and the trademark Uchiha grin that she had seen so many times plastered on his lips. His face had matured significantly, but the aspect that held her attention were the purple lines that graced the sides of his nose. Orochimaru’s trademark. Deep down, she wanted to believe that this was the real Sasuke; that he had just used a jutsu to transform himself; but she knew better. Orochimaru’s explanation of his jutsu only served to verify this tragedy. This isn’t Sasuke… It’s not him… His suspicions were confirmed as ‘Sasuke’ parted his lips to speak. “Sorry, Sakura, but Sasuke hasn’t been here for a long, long time.” She watched in horror as Orochimaru’s tongue slipped out of Sasuke’s perfect lips,

intensifying his previous taunt. He took a step towards her, but Sakura found herself fixed to the ground. Memories of her time together with Sasuke flooded her mind and her shinobi instinct left her. Rule number twenty-five; a shinobi must not cry. But she did. The tears that formed in her eyes shrouded her vision as she felt lightheaded. Distantly, she heard voices yelling in the chamber she had come from and she could see Sasuke’s no… Orochimaru’s grin disappear, before he walked out of the room, but nothing mattered anymore. Sasuke is gone… He’s really gone… Her knees that had been threatening to give out since she stepped into Sound, finally buckled under her weight, forcing her body to rock forward onto her knees. Desperate, shallow breaths escaped from her bloody lips; bitten violently in anguish. With the grace of a dying flower, fluttering to the ground, Sakura collapsed on her face, meeting the unforgiving ground and black comfort. Nothing matters anymore

Evolution – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Ehm… Sorry for the delay… Again. Chapter Three – Arrival of the Red Cloud “Long time no see Orochimaru,” Sasori smiled as his ex-partner walked towards them. Deidara and Kisame stood up as soon as they heard Orochimaru arrive. Kisame grinned as he licked Kabuto’s blood of his hands. “Gross Salmon-chan… yeah,” Deidara chuckled evilly. Kisame versus Kabuto had been an interesting fight, until Kisame sapped away all of Kabuto’s chakra and let the Samehada devour him bit by bit; Kabuto didn’t stand a chance after that. “Can’t help it, it’s my special shark quirk,” Kisame’s grin broadened. Orochimaru smiled sadistically before stepped out of the shadows. “Four Akatsuki members, all for me?” He pocketed his hands as he continued his stride towards the cloak-wearing Shinobi. “Yeah,” Deidara grinned as Orochimaru came into view. “We thought you would like a small reunion… Before you die that is… yeah.” “What makes you think I’m going to die?” Orochimaru’s smile was replaced by an

amused look. “You see, I am stronger than the last time you saw me… Oh, how long has it been? About thirteen years?” “Funny you should say that,” Sasori’s smile was still apparent. “We have been getting stronger too.” “Where’s Itachi?” Orochimaru inquired curiously as he ignored Sasori’s statement. “I thought that out of all people Leader would send here, he would be one of them. After all, he is the only one who could rival my strength.” “And why is that Orochimaru?” Kisame growled viciously as he grabbed his Samehada. “This time, I have a secret weapon,” Orochimaru said simply as he tore off his mask. “The Sharingan.” “…Oh no, I’m so scared,” Kisame replied sarcastically. “I’ve been in a team with Itachisan for years now; do you think that I’m afraid of the Sharingan? Or your mind techniques that enable you to take over another body?” “…Damn it,” Deidara cursed as he inspected Orochimaru’s new face. “This is Itachi’s little bro… yeah.” Sakura… I wonder if she’s here…? “Yes, I thought so,” Sasori nodded. “You couldn’t get Itachi, so you caught his little brother. I imagine you’ve been using the Sharingan frequently since you’ve taken over that boy’s body?” “I have,” Orochimaru cackled softly. “But, let’s get to the point. You are here to assassinate me?” “We are,” Sasori answered as he flashed a smile. Deidara stared at his partner in mild amusement. It seemed that Sasori actually liked this reunion and he honestly enjoyed talking to Orochimaru again. But even so, he could easily spot the gleam in Sasori’s eyes. He always had that look whenever he was about to murder; a look of pure satisfaction. When he had first teamed up with Sasori, he had thought that aspect of his partner was a bit creepy and scary. At that time, he was young, only fourteen years old, and he was a scared little kid who just wanted revenge for Iname’s death. Deidara smirked. It was hard to believe that he had changed this much in the years that he had been a member of Akatsuki. And of course his perspective of things had also not withstood the passage of time; it too had changed dramatically After being in a team with Sasori for a week, he was certain that Sasori was a monster specifically created in order to scare the wits out of Deidara. But gradually, he started to become more and more like a big brother to Deidara, and he enjoyed Sasori’s company and their little banters. He stared at the two in front of them. It almost seemed like they didn’t realize that one of

the most heated battle in history would commence in just a few seconds. A legendary sannin versus Akasuna no Sasori. This would be interesting to say the least. Then, Sasori turned around to face Zetsu and Deidara’s train of thoughts stopped. “Zetsu,” Sasori’s tone suddenly became serious. “Get Itachi.” Zetsu, who had remained silent during the entire conversation, glanced at Sasori. It seemed he was contemplating things over, before nodding his head as he disappeared into the ground. Finally, banter between old teammates had ceased, and preparation for battle had begun. Sealing this rapid change in atmosphere, Orochimaru activated his Sharingan. Sasori’s response was immediate as he pulled out three scrolls from his robes, placing them on the ground as he crouched down. Deidara stepped forward, quickly removing his straw hat from his head as he gave Orochimaru one of his most menacing glare. Kisame followed his example and readied his Samehada as he hunched down slightly. “Don’t look at his eyes, the doujutsu and genjutsu from the Sharingan are unbreakable,” Kisame warned quietly. His two team members nodded in acknowledgement. “Let’s start this show then,” Sasori said quietly as he formed some seals to activate his puppets. “You know how I hate to wait.” “I do,” Orochimaru smirked before storming towards them; Sharingan eyes blazing with red ferocity. -There were a few things that could calm Itachi down after a long, tiring day. But he would never completely relax; he was an Uchiha. Uchihas don’t relax. They stay on their guards, even when sleeping. However, there were a few things that could calm him down. One of them was the sound of water trickling in the bamboo fountain that stood in the backyard of the main house of the Uchiha compound. Although those who visited the main house thought it was irritating, especially because the fountain was located on the opposite side of Itachi’s room, he had always found the undulating sound somewhat soothing. He craved to be alone as well. Solitude was something he needed, like the homeless needed a roof, or junkies who needed a fix. He was addicted on it and couldn’t ever get enough. There were no interruptions as he trained; no obnoxious voices that disrupted him as he contemplated; no little brother who wanted to train with him; not even a father who tried to order him around. Since he had joined Akatsuki, he had rarely been alone and he had never heard that fountain again. But there was one other thing that could calm him down; rain. When Sasuke was born, the entire house was roused with sounds; Sasuke crying; mother trying to calm Sasuke down; father as he sighed heavily before stalking out of the room

with firm paces. Fortunately for Itachi, Sasuke was born in the rain season. During those excruciating, long days where Itachi couldn’t even focus on learning new skills, he often just went outside to the forest that surrounded the Uchiha complex. There, in the middle of the clearing that was his personal training ground, he would quietly stand, allowing the rain to wash over him. And he would listen. Itachi would listen to the rain striking the delicate grass; listen to the howling wind that ripped through the threes. He would do so for a few hours, just standing completely still, before returning to the main house, completely drenched. His mother would come towards him, running with a towel in her hands, and the loud noises would start again, but he couldn’t care less. As long as he had his precious few hours of solitude and rain, he could make it through any day. He sighed heavily as his blood-red Sharingan scanned the vicinity. Itachi had arrived in the Country of Waterfall several hours before and had found a small inn near one of the smallest waterfalls in the land. It was quiet; there were no other customers besides him. His room was cold and small. The walls were painted a light shade of grey and there was nothing else in the room except the tatami mats and a small, simple futon. A shoji screen in his room led to the gardens and the waterfall, slightly reminding him of his house. That was one of the aspects of his house that he appreciated, the shoji screens and the gardens. In other words; Itachi found it perfect. Until he spotted something unwelcome. Or rather; someone unwelcome. “What are you doing here?” Itachi asked as he narrowed his eyes, angered that his sense of peace and solitude had been disrupted. “Sasori asked me to get you, Itachi,” Zetsu’s dark voice rasped. “They are fighting Orochimaru at the moment.” “They need my help?” Itachi inquired curiously. Sasori, Deidara and Kisame were more then enough for Orochimaru; surely they wouldn’t need him as well. “He took your brother’s body as his new vessel,” Zetsu’s raspy voice made place for the softer version. “He possesses your brother at the moment and is using his Sharingan.” Itachi didn’t as much blink as he heard the news about his brother. So he had died all because he was too stubborn to back down and too stubborn to listen to him. He resisted the urge to sigh as he nodded curtly. “I’ll be there shortly,” he informed Zetsu as he reached out for the straw hat that lied on the floor. Zetsu nodded and turned around slightly.

“I’m no longer needed there. I’ll report to Leader,” he reported before disappearing in the ground. Sharingan followed the movement of chakra beneath the floor, until Zetsu sped up and disappeared within seconds. He sighed as he placed his hat on his head. Leaving a generous amount of money, he stalked out of the room without even making a sound. He halted as soon as he passed the small garden that belonged to the inn. There it was; the sound he hadn’t heard since he left Konoha. The sound of a bamboo fountain. Calmly, he walked towards the origin of the sound, admiring the small fountain as he stood in front of it. “Itachi,” Mikoto smiled as she crouched down next to her six year old son. “There’s an adage in the Uchiha clan that whenever you hear the sound of a bamboo fountain similar to this one, something good will happen to you.” She watched in silence as her son said nothing, but glance over the small fountain in disbelief. “Your father wants to talk to you,” she finally says, before ruffling his hair. Slightly irritated as her voice cut through his thoughts, Itachi shot her a look of impatience, before his features softened slightly and he nodded as he bowed. “Okay mother,” he answered dutifully, before getting up to find his father. Itachi’s eyes slightly narrowed as he remembered the scene that had played out fourteen years ago. His mother had told him that fountains like these bring good luck. If they really bring good luck, let the Kyuubi be alone for a while, he thought. A small smirk graced his lips as he glanced over the small fountain for a moment. That would make things a lot easier. Then, he vanished into thin air. -“Kisame, get your ass up,” Deidara growled as he spat on the floor to remove the blood that had pooled inside his mouth. “You have more chakra then the entire Akatsuki organization combined... yeah.” Kisame shot him one of his famous death glares before standing up. Even if he tried to straighten himself, Deidara could easily see that he was slightly hunched over in pain; Orochimaru had gotten to him as well. Damn it… yeah “Deidara, pay attention,” Sasori warned him as Orochimaru dashed towards the youngest member of the assassination squad. “Why does everybody pick on the young one… yeah?” Deidara sighed before forming a

few seals. “Doton: Doroku Gaeshi.” As soon as he finished his attack, a large shield shot up from the ground, formed with dirt and rocks, effectively blocking Orochimaru’s attack. Deidara smirked slightly before forming more seals. “Kage Bunshin no Jutsu,” he whispered quietly. Immediately, another Deidara appeared next to him. He nodded as he formed another flurry of seals. “Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu.” He waved goodbye at his clone before disappearing into the ground. Smirking slightly, he focused on Orochimaru’s chakra before dashing through the sand and mud. I love Earth jutsus… yeah. You never get filthy. He grinned as he located Orochimaru’s chakra right above him. He sighed before thinking of the move he should use for Orochimaru. He could copy every ninjutsu with that Sharingan and see through every genjutsu. Deidara couldn’t use his explosives because that would endanger both Sasori and Kisame; not to mention Sakura, who might still be in the building. Sakura… That’s it… yeah! “Now, what did she say again,” he mused quietly as he thought over Sakura’s words. Okay, first, accumulate chakra in the hand or foot you want to use, and then release that chakra as you punch or kick. It’s as simple as that. “Piece of cake,” Deidara smirked before gathering his chakra into his right hand. His smirk broadened as he finished his move and used his jutsu to resurface from the ground. The goofy grin of his face quickly disappeared as Orochimaru punched him hard in the guts. With his other hand, Orochimaru grabbed Deidara’s neck as he started to choke him. “Silly boy, this Sharingan sees everything. I easily saw you under the ground. There’s no point in trying to conceal yourself.” His grip on Deidara’s neck tightened and Deidara desperately gasped for breath as he felt the air disappearing from his lungs. Within seconds, a puppet appeared behind Orochimaru and dashed towards him. Orochimaru whirled around quickly, a menacing look in his eyes as he used the helpless Deidara as a shield. “Damn,” Sasori swore softly. By the looks of it, Deidara was almost out of breath and on the verge of losing consciousness. If Deidara fell, things wouldn’t look good. And where on earth is Itachi? Summoning another one of his puppets, he quickly bound it to his fingertips using his chakra. “Kisame,” he called out to the half-shark that stood behind him. He heard a grunt in response and said nothing as Kisame sprinted towards Orochimaru; the Samehada in

hand. Orochimaru sighed as he turned around, the same sadistic grin on his face. As Sasori studied Deidara’s face, he could see that he had lost consciousness. Orochimaru threw Deidara against the nearest wall as if he were just a lifeless doll. Sasori sighed, before sending one of his puppets to protect Deidara. Akatsuki were supposed to take care after themselves; everyone for themselves was the unofficial motto. Whenever a member died, he died. There was nothing that could be done about it. But Deidara was his teammate; his partner. And sometimes, he even felt like a younger brother. He wouldn’t let Deidara die this way. He turned his attention back to the fight before him just in time to see Kisame lunging at Orochimaru. Orochimaru however stood completely still, his eyes closed to Kisame. Sasori’s eyed widened slightly. Wait… I know this…Oh damn. “Kisame,” he yelled, losing his composure completely. “Watch it; he’s going to use Mangekyou!” It happened all at once. One moment Kisame leapt in the air, lunging towards Orochimaru, and then in the next, he was down on the ground, muttering and swearing as he clutched his head; Samehada forgotten. Sasori shook his head. He knew this scenario all too well. Kisame would be as quiet as a mouse and it would seem like nothing had happened to him. But to those who understood the Mangekyou, knew Kisame’s mind was broken. Itachi had explained the doujutsu to them once and he would never forget those chilling words. Being a shinobi means to fight with certain finesse and perhaps some could even call this skill ‘art’. But Itachi’s moves could hardly be compared to art. Art was something that would survive throughout the years; something of eternal beauty. The Mangekyou Sharingan was a butcher to everything that stood for art. He hated it. Not to mention that because of the Mangekyou, Kisame was left motionless on the ground. He gritted his teeth as he glanced at Deidara. He hadn’t woken up either. For a second, he contemplated hitting him with one of his puppets to wake him up, but quickly discarded the thought as Orochimaru closed in on him. “That wasn’t much of a fight,” Orochimaru’s malicious smile was in place as he traced his lips with his abnormally long tongue. “I hope you’ll resist more, Sasori.” “I will,” Sasori smiled. -In an abandoned, shadowy room, a pink-haired kunoichi lied boneless on the floor. She had long since woken up, but it felt like the weight of the words that Orochimaru had uttered to her was pushing her down to the comforting ground. Her body refused to move

and that was just peachy with her. She didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to live. So she remained in the pathetic fetal position, allowing her anguish to consume her. She was barely rational to hear somebody scream from the huge arena next to her, followed by a violent bang against one of the walls. There was a momentary silence after that until she heard conversation once more, but the thick paneling muted their speech, preventing her from discerning the voices. Then suddenly, a voice rang clearly through the room, as if he stood next to her. “I’m awake Sasori-sama… yeah,” the unmistakable voice of Deidara said. Upon hearing his voice, she quickly snapped out of her trance and struggled to sit up straight. Hearing him talk felt like a stone had just been lifted from her heart. Deidara was there. … But Sasuke wasn’t. Her world collapsed once more as she realized where she was again. Sound… Sasuke was… was… Orochimaru had taken over his body. Countless prisoners… A few male voices in the room next to her. Akatsuki is here… Her eyes widened in disbelief as she came across this little truth. Akatsuki was here. With newfound motive, she forced herself to stand up, gritting her teeth as she made her way to the door. She took in a deep, shuttering breath before touching the freezing doorknob. Without thinking her fingers numbly traced the outlines of the metal, but before her resolve broke, she shook away her deadening thoughts as she turned the knob and opened the door. What she saw made her eyes widen and froze her on the spot. Sasuke… no… Orochimaru was standing in the middle of the arena. A man with red hair and angelic features stood several feet from him. And in front of that man, stood Deidara; blood splattered all over him: the left side of his face was caked with the crimson substance, slowly trailing down his neck, his leg guards had small tinges of red on it, and although it was hard to distinguish, she knew that parts of his robe were soaked. His hair had come undone as well and now hung around his face in loose, tousled strands, the end of those strands matted with blood. Unable to stand the sight of the injured man, she focused her attention at the other end of the arena, only to gasp again at the scene. The distinctive form of Kisame lied several feet behind Orochimaru, seemingly unconscious. There were several puppets, similar to the ones of Kankurou of the Sand, scattered all around the floor in pieces, as if they were discarded playthings. Puppets… She thought as she tried to reorganize her thoughts. … Then this must be Sasori, Deidara’s partner. Deidara had mentioned that he used puppets to fight.

“Sakura,” a voice suddenly called out and woke her from her thoughts. Sasori was staring directly at her, but the one who had called her was Deidara. A goofy smile was on his lips as he waved. “Fancy seeing you here… yeah.” “Moron,” Sasori muttered in his muted voice, but it was loud enough for Sakura to hear it. She closed her eyes as she tried to stop the memories from flooding her memories, but it was too late. “Surname; Uzumaki. Name; Naruto. Alias,” Naruto introduced himself to the feudal lord of the Country of Tea. “Moron,” Sasuke finished for him. “Moro-," Naruto echoed before realizing what he was saying. “No, no!” Back then, she laughed at Naruto’s stupidity and Sasuke’s dry sense of humor. Briefly, she wondered if she would ever be able to laugh like that again. A sudden crash made her look up and she trembled as she saw Sasuke - No, Orochimaru. It’s Orochimaru! Orochimaru kicking Deidara out of the way as he advanced on Sasori. A vicious grin was still plastered on his face as he stepped closer towards Sasori. Sasori however, kept silent and didn’t move a muscle as he saw Orochimaru closing in on him. Sakura admired him already; she flinched whenever Orochimaru simply lifted a finger. “I’m… not done yet… yeah,” Deidara’s weakened voice muttered as he stood up, trying to control his knees that were shaking under his weight. It pained her to see that strong man, who always been able to make her laugh, that made her feel comfortable… To see that man losing a fight to her ultimate betrayer. Her blood boiled with rage as she clenched her jaw and balled her fist. He killed Sasuke; he took out Kisame; he was toying with Deidara as if he were nothing. Wasn’t there anybody who could stand up against his monstrous power? She had always figured that the Akatsuki would be able to kill Orochimaru without even breaking a sweat. But she was wrong. Deidara stood defiantly in front of Orochimaru, still dripping with blood and his blonde hair obscuring most of his face. But she knew he would be smirking. Because that was a part of Deidara’s magic. He always smirked. She stared at Deidara for a moment, before glancing at Orochimaru. He was forming seals at a high speed, but she could easily recognize that pattern. After all, she had seen Sasuke performing that attack so many times that she could execute the seals in her sleep. Katon; Goukakyuu no Jutsu

Something snapped inside of her as she realized that she was going to lose another friend. If Orochimaru released such a powerful attack from only a few feet from his target, Deidara would be roasted within seconds. She would lose another one of her friends. She couldn’t let that happen. As if she was in a dream, she watched how Orochimaru made the ‘horse’ seal and knew that there was only one more seal left. Mustering all of her guts and courage, she sprinted forwards. She saw Orochimaru turn towards her, completely surprised as the pink-haired kunoichi threw herself in front of Deidara. “Sakura…. What are you doing? …Yeah?” Deidara whispered hoarsely. She had thrown herself in front of him. Why? Sakura’s eyes narrowed as she started to accumulate her chakra in her fist. “I don’t ever want to see someone precious to me die,” she spoke up, unaware that she was echoing Sasuke’s words. She turned around slightly to smile at Deidara before looking back at Orochimaru. Immediately, she saw the change in his body. His stance had changed significantly: before Orochimaru had just stood up straight, his body poised for attack, now he was partially hunched over as he crouched on the floor. But it was his eyes that had changed the most. Instead of the burning red Sharingan, or the sharp gold eyes of Orochimaru, his eyes were midnight blue. Sasuke’s original color. It felt like everything had stopped in that moment. She could faintly hear Sasori talking to Deidara, and Deidara calling her name; but nothing registered. She stared at the older form of Sasuke as he tried to orientate himself, before he looked up and blue met green. “….Sakura,” he managed to utter, before wincing. “Sasuke…. Sasuke-kun,” Sakura whispered as tears rolled over her cheeks. This was his voice. It was deeper and it sounded more mature, but it was Sasuke’s. She could immediately hear the soothing softness and smoothness that Sasuke’s voice possessed. Taking a few tentative steps in his direction, she dropped the kunai she had reflexively pulled out when dashed towards Orochimaru. This wasn’t Orochimaru. It was Sasuke. Sasuke’s back… As soon as her shaky, tentative steps brought her only a hand breadth away, she unceremoniously threw her arms around him. She felt how he stiffened under her touch, but didn’t relinquish her hold on him. She had been dreaming of this for so long; she wasn’t about to let go. Not now; not ever.

“Sakura…” his muted voice sounded weak. “I can’t control him much longer Sakura.” Shocked, Sakura let go of Sasuke as she stared at him. “What do you mean?” “Orochimaru took over my body,” Sasuke gritted his teeth as he continued the struggle in his mind. “Listen carefully Sakura. If you kill me now, I won’t resist.” “Kill you…? Why would I?” Sakura muttered in confusion and distress. How could he ever think she would kill him? “If I die, Orochimaru dies with me, because he won’t be able to transfer in time,” Sasuke’s eyes pierced through hers. “I was banished into a far corner of my mind for such a long time, but I had to stop him when you jumped in front of that guy in the middle of Orochimaru’s attack.” “I don’t ever want to see anyone precious to me die again,” Sasuke added softly. “Do it Sakura. Do it now, while I’m in control.” “No… I can’t kill you,” she whispered softly as she started to sob softly. “I love you Sasuke, I can’t let you die… Please… There has to be another way, please…” she pleaded softly. “There isn’t another way,” Sasuke’s reply was unintentionally harsh. “Orochimaru will kill you when he regains control. The Sharingan is too strong.” Using all of his willpower, he continued to drive Orochimaru back into a dark spot in his mind. He wouldn’t let Sakura get killed. There was no other way; he was too weak to control his own body and Orochimaru was strong. Too strong. “Please Sakura,” Sasuke finally resorted to begging. “I’m not strong enough to use the Chidori on myself.” “No… I won’t do it,” Sakura said resolutely. “I can’t kill you… We’ll find a way; we’ll find something to get you back in control Sasuke-kun. I promise.” “There isn’t,” Sasuke flinched. He was losing his inner battle and Orochimaru was starting to take over again. It was now or never. “He’s coming back; I can’t stop him for much longer. Do it Sakura! For me… This is the only thing I’ll ever ask of you!” He watched her like a hawk as she weighed the pros and cons of his proposition. It was the hardest decision she ever had to make, but she knew he was right. If Orochimaru finally reclaimed total control over Sasuke’s body, he would become unstoppable, wreaking havoc upon all. She was sure that he wouldn’t stop his gruesome experiments and he would definitely try to take over Konoha again. This was her best chance at defeating Orochimaru. This was her only chance. So she nodded. “I love you Sasuke-kun… I’ll always love you… Don’t ever forget that,” she sobbed as she pulled him close for another hug; a last embrace. This time, although briefly, he put

his arms around her, hugging her affectionately. “Thank you,” Sasuke replied. And then he smiled. “Farewell Sakura.” With tears in her eyes, she started to store her chakra into her right fist, using all of it to ensure certain death. Sasuke shouldn’t suffer anymore. He had been suffering for the past ten years already. As the tears rolled down her cheeks, clouding her vision slightly, she smiled back at him. “Farewell Sasuke,” she smiled before thrusting her fist though his stomach. She watched with a soft smile how his midnight blue eyes changed back to the vicious gold color and Orochimaru’s voice cut through the air as he screamed in pure agony. Sakura had punctured a hole right through him; large enough for Orochimaru to bleed to death within seconds. Orochimaru stared at her as he cackled with his last breath. Shallow breaths departed from his parted lips. Death was coming fast, even faster than the time when he had been fighting the Sandaime. He felt tired, more tired then he had ever been in his life. Closing his eyes, he could hear the voice of his former mentor. “So, you’re finally here, Orochimaru?” -“Thank you…” She finally understood what he had meant with those words. Why had had replied with a simple ‘thank you’ while she had spilled out everything to him. She had told him that she loved him; that she would follow him wherever he would go. And he replied with ‘thank you.’ Now she understood. He had said thank you, because there were no other words. There was nothing she could say that could change his mind, not even her confession of love for him. But he loved her back, perhaps only as a teammate, but he had loved her. He wouldn’t have looked out for her if he didn’t. He wouldn’t have protected her if he didn’t. It took her ten years to get there, but she finally understood him. She finally understood Sasuke. Evolution – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi

Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Yes, the last omg-Sasuke-died-cry-chapter. After this, it’ll be slightly angsty, with the occasional drama, and let’s not forget, ItaSaku-ness. Chapter Four – The Whereabouts of Happiness For the longest time, she stood there… Watching Sasuke’s body on the ground; how the blood slowly seeped from the wound, tainting everything it touched. Half of his ashen face was already lying in a puddle of the red liquid, stained forever. She felt oddly empty inside yet found herself unable to cry; it was as if she had no more tears left. She let herself fall down on the floor, not caring in the least when her knees harshly met the floor. From behind her, the sound of Deidara and his partner talking to each other echoed in her ears, as well as the sound of someone moving towards her. So she wasn’t exactly surprised as she suddenly saw the black and red Akatsuki robes standing in front of her. Deidara… He’s hurt… So much blood… She stretched her arm out like a helpless child reaching out for their parent, before gently pulling Deidara to the ground. He kneeled down before her, a worried look in his eye. Ignoring his concern, she made a few seals and as her hands glowed with her chakra, she moved them to his neck and healed the cuts and bruises there. Deidara remained completely silent and still, not moving one muscle, until she leaned in closer to heal a shallow cut in his cheek. His hand rose and cupped her cheek as he tilted Sakura’s face to meet his. “Your eyes look older… yeah,” Deidara spoke softly as he caressed her cheek; Sakura’s eyes devoid of any emotion. No words were spoken as she slowly stood up, strolled to the other end of the arena, and crouched down beside the sprawled form of Kisame. Forming another series of seals, she quickly healed Kisame and stared at him as he groaned and carefully opened his eyes, trying to collect himself. Clutching his head in hopes of easing the pain, he sat up straight and warily glanced from Sasori and Deidara to Sasuke’s body on the floor. Wordlessly, Sakura sharply stood up, turned around and left the room, unaware of the tense silence that lingered behind. Stunned at the kunoichi’s impassive behaviour, Deidara tossed Kisame and Sasori a worried look before following her out of the chamber. He spotted her on the stairs that led up to the dormitories; her bubblegum hair almost like a beacon in the darkened room. He quickly jogged after her and hurried up the stairs, taking two steps at a time until he had reached her immobile figure. He was sure that she had heard all the commotion he created, but she didn’t even twitch at his presence, she just simply stared at the door in front of her. Tentatively, he took a few steps forward until

he stood behind her. She was tracing the kanji of Sasuke’s name. “Sakura,” he whispered softly as he stretched out his hand to touch her shoulder; this small gesture waking her from her trance. The hand that had been caressing the bold kanji in a loving matter dropped down as she touched the doorknob hesitantly. Taking in a deep breath, she turned the doorknob with a soft click, before slowly pushing the door open. The room, as expected, was pitch black, but being the kunoichi she was, her eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly as she gradually ventured into the room. “Here,” Deidara broke the heavy atmosphere as he formed a few seals and created a minifireball to light up the candles that stood on a small desk near the door. It was a bleak, cramped room, much too small to be called comfy, and much too dismal to be called welcoming. A large scroll with the character for ‘shinobi’ hung on the wall and a bed with black covers that was fit for someone Sasuke’s size was located on the opposite side of the room. His eyes roamed over the room as he took in every detail; from the neatly folded clothes on a chair near a small desk, to the pile of scrolls in the corner to the hitae-ate with the emblem of Sound and the lone picture that rested on the desk. Deidara watched in silence as Sakura sat down on the bed, grabbing one of Sasuke’s pillows and squeezing it with all of her might. Not knowing how to handle a situation like this, Deidara turned away from the despairing kunoichi and picked up the picture that stood on the desk. It was covered in dust, but he could easily recognize the Uchiha fan that was found on the frame. Using his cloak, Deidara wiped the dust from the thin glass and his eyes widened as soon as he realized that he was looking at a picture of Itachi’s family, although it seemed that Sasuke had torn Itachi out of the picture. The first person to catch his eye was a woman with friendly, midnight eyes, long, black hair, and a bright smile that outshined her other attributes. A rather stern looking, elder man stood next to her, and Deidara nearly lost his composure when he realized that this had to be Itachi’s father. He was the complete opposite of his wife; he didn’t smile and his eyes weren’t as lively as his counterpart’s were. Between his parents stood a young Sasuke, a pleasant grin like his mother’s plastered on his face, both young and chubby with baby fat. His eyes were brimming with hopes and dreams; he looked completely different from the first picture he had seen of the Uchiha. Little did that boy know that his world would collapse… yeah. “Deidara,” Sakura softly murmured. Immediately, he whirled around, surprised that she had spoken. “I’d like to be alone for a while,” she continued in a hoarse whisper. Deidara gave her a worried glance before nodding reluctantly. She needed some time to herself; he understood. Without another word, he parted, closing the door behind him. She couldn't hear or see anything anymore when she buried her face in Sasuke's pillows; trying to catch the scent that was unique, and his alone.

Unfortunately, rather than smelling the combination of sandalwood and forest, she could now only smell the musky scent that had lingered throughout the entire building. His scent has faded, just like the rest of him. Realization dawned on her along with a form of acceptance. He would never return to Konoha, nor would he ever sit in between her and Naruto, brooding like always after he and their blonde team mate had yet another competition that ended with a “bastard” and “dobe”. She would never hear that small ‘hn’ he made whenever he was amused, or his fierce fortitude and smooth stance when they were about to enter a battle. She would never see his back again. “He hasn’t got any parents... That's why he’s so selfish!” “Solitude... It’s a whole other level of sadness than when your parents get mad at you.” “What’s gotten into you?” “You’re...annoying.” She sobbed softly as she buried her face deeper in the softness of the pillow that he had slept on for three years, anxiously trying to find his scent again; the one that could always reassure her that he was there; the one that made her feel peaceful. “I told you this before; I’m an avenger. And nobody, not even you, will stop me.” Her eyes were drowning in tears as she recalled all those memories of their time together. "Why did you leave me Sasuke?" she asked desperately as she looked around the room. “Go home and sleep. Everything will be over in the morning.” Then she broke down. Throwing herself off the bed, she embraced the freezing floor, enjoying the way her hands and knees were horribly bruised and scratched from the harsh texture. Pressing her face in her hands, she tried to stifle the anguished sobs as she whispered his name over and over again; a mantra for her suffering soul. “Sakura... Thank you.” His arrogant grin, his useless fights with Naruto and his look of determination. She could remember them all so clearly that her chest throbbed in agony. “Thank you.” "Sasuke," she cried softly, gasping each syllable of his name. "Sasuke..." A flash passed before her eyes and she was twelve again. He stood in front of her staring menacingly at her opponents, as purple chakra surrounded his body that was engulfed by Orochimaru's cursed seal.

“Who did this to you Sakura?” Another flash; the three of them were stalking Kakashi, desperately trying to get a glimpse of what was underneath the mask. “Idiot! You let him get away.” He was standing in front of her again as Zabuza closed in on the three young genin and Tazuna. No matter what battle, he always stood in front of her, protecting her. “Sakura... Thank you,” he had whispered softly from behind her. She could still smell his unique scent and feel the warmth of his body. She could even hear him breathe softly before he knocked her out and everything ended. She balled her fist as she started pounding on the floor; fingers becoming bloody and bruised from the repeated impact. “No!” she screamed hysterically. “NO!” Deidara ran in suddenly and captured her wrists before she could continue her assault on the floor and her injured appendages. She struggled frantically in his grasp. “Give him back,” she choked out as she her hands landed on his chest. "Give him back…” Deidara remained silent as Sakura abruptly threw herself on him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. Not knowing what to do, Deidara settled for stroking her back softly as he soothingly whispered words of comfort. “Sasuke…” she continued to mumble softly. In her mind’s eye, she could see him flashing her that trademark Uchiha smirk. "Give him back to me... Sasuke…” Nothingness was slowly conquering her. The last thing she saw was Sasuke finally opening his eyes after Haku’s devastating attack; he had narrowly escaped death. “Sakura... You’re heavy.” And then he smiled. -Deidara cradled the pink-haired kunoichi in his arms until he felt her weakening, finally succumbing to oblivion. He picked her up in his arms and carried her outside the room. Without much effort, he walked down the stairs, towards the center of the arena where Kisame and Sasori stood silently, waiting for the both of them. “Itachi is on his way, Zetsu just came by to tell us that,” Sasori said as soon as Deidara

stood in front of them. “He’ll be here in an hour or so.” “Good,” Deidara replied as he laid Sakura down on the floor, before he took off his robes and wrapped them around Sakura’s petite frame in an attempt to warm her icy frame. “How is she?” Sasori asked as he glanced at Sakura’s unconscious body. “As well as can be expected… yeah,” Deidara sighed. “It was his own damn fault though,” Kisame growled. “He was given the choice to stay in Konoha or join Orochimaru. He knew the consequences, and yet he chose Orochimaru. It was a huge mistake.” “Don’t say that,” a weak voice whispered. The three Akatsuki members turned around to see Sakura still lying on the floor, staring numbly at the ceiling. “It’s not Sasuke’s fault.” “Then whom do you want to blame, kunoichi?” Sasori’s soft voice coaxed. “The boy made the decision to leave; you can’t blame anyone else for that.” “It’s his fault,” her voice was nothing more then a throaty whisper. “It’s all Itachi’s fault.” “I don’t think it’s appropriate to blame me for this,” a smooth voice interjected. Sakura’s eyed widened slightly; she may have remained stationary in her place on the ground, but she didn’t need to get up to see who it was. She already knew. It was the man that Sasuke hated with all of his heart; the man who Sasuke vowed to slay once he became strong enough. It was the man who she despised with all her heart yet inexplicably longed to see. Uchiha Itachi. “You’re early,” Kisame grinned slightly as he spotted his partner. “Zetsu said you would arrive in an hour or so.” Itachi didn’t answer as his gaze drifted around the arena. His blood-red Sharingan focused on the broken kunoichi on the floor for a moment, before looking away. Removing the straw hat he had been wearing from his head, the bell attached to the hat made a serene, yet eerie sound as the hat fluttered down to the floor. Although she had always found it peaceful to listen to the bells that the Akatsuki members wore, she couldn’t help but suppress the thought that it sounded rather haunting at the moment. “I’m guessing Zetsu reported to you?” Sasori asked quietly, his eyes fixed on Itachi. “Yes,” Itachi replied after a short pause. “But not the entire situation.” Sasori nodded in understanding. “We arrived here yesterday. The first shinobi we encountered was that medic, Kabuto. Kisame killed him promptly.” Itachi nodded curtly, before gesturing for Sasori to continue the explanation.

“Orochimaru stormed in right after we killed Kabuto. We killed him too,” Sasori continued emotionlessly. “And I don’t know if Zetsu has told you the news; but Orochimaru had already taken over your brother’s body. He died three years ago.” Sakura’s eyes widened at the unsympathetic words that Sasori had uttered; yet those words had provided an important realization. ‘Already’… They knew… They knew that Orochimaru could take over bodies, and they never told me… She had experienced many emotions throughout the day; sadness, anger, rage and now: betrayal. Betrayed by Deidara, who was supposed to be her friend and by Itachi, who had the nerve to kiss her and sleep in the same room as her even though he knew. If Itachi felt any emotion to the news that his brother had been killed and the fact that he was the last Uchiha left; she would never have known. She could hear nothing except the soft breathing of Deidara. When the suffocating tension in the room became unbearable, she raggedly dragged the upper part of her body off of the ground and swivelled her head to face him. He was staring at her, his eyes as blank as ever, just like the rest of his face. His eyes slowly travelled over her body, before he turned back to Sasori. “Who finished him?” Itachi inquired curiously. “Sakura… yeah,” Deidara spoke up for the first time since Itachi entered the arena. He crouched down on Sakura’s left, his elbows resting comfortably on his strong thighs and his back slightly hunched. I finished him… I killed him… Sasuke. Itachi gave Deidara a cold stare before moving his gaze to Sakura. Although he didn’t utter the words, he found it hard to believe that this girl in front of him would be able to finish Orochimaru off, especially since he inhabited the body of his little brother. “If a kunoichi of Sakura’s caliber was strong enough to kill him, then he didn’t put up a good fight,” Itachi’s cold reply rang in her ears. When she heard those words, Sakura struggled to sit up straight as anger filled her. Deidara quickly put an end to her struggles though when he pushed her down using only the palm of his hand. “On the contrary Itachi, your brother’s body put up an even better fight than the Fifth Kazekage,” Deidara replied, malice lacing every word. “You have forgotten the fact that Sakura is a strong, capable kunoichi. Don’t underestimate her.” Sakura scrutinized the blonde Akatsuki member next to her carefully. He seemed so diverse today; before he had been tenderly comforting her and now his chakra was radiating a dangerous intent.

To be honest; she was fearful of the gleam in his eye. What happened between the two of them that made them act so hostile towards one another? Itachi, however, just calmly glanced at Deidara before taking a step into his and Sakura’s direction. Instinctively, Deidara dropped on his knees, staring menacingly as Itachi closed in on the both of them. Sakura stiffened as she witnessed the unadulterated anger and fury manifest in Deidara’s visible eye. Itachi stopped several feet before them, staring at Deidara with his impassive look still present on his face. Deidara didn’t relinquish his hold on Sakura nor did he turn his eyes away. Sakura on the other hand, started quivering violently; she was afraid of the look in Deidara’s eyes. She had seen it once before, that pure form of disgust and rage in Sasuke’s eyes when he had defeated the Sound-nin in the Forest of Death. Feeling the kunoichi squirm under his hands, Deidara finally lowered his gaze to ask Sakura what she was doing. What he saw nearly stopped his heart. She was staring at him, her eyes widened as she tried to wriggle away from him. Tears had formed in the corners of her eyes and uncontrollable fear was blatantly obvious in her orbs. Quickly realizing that he was frightening her, Deidara took in a deep, consoling breath before counting to ten, trying to rein in his temper. As he visibly relaxed, he relinquished his hold on her shoulders. The same, goofy grin she remembered vividly found a way back to his lips and his eye creased slightly in relief. The dangerous chakra that seemed to encircle him was gone in an instant, and finally, she could recognize Deidara again. “Sakura,” he whispered soothingly as he bowed over her to give her a hug. “You’re back with us; everything will be alright now.” He brushed away the tears from the corners of her eyes before nodding as he stood up. “What should we do now?” he asked Itachi, the malice and anger gone from his voice. “Sasori and you will set off for Mist. Kisame will report to Leader and I’ll take the kunoichi,” Itachi answered evenly. No! Inner Sakura screamed. I don’t want to go with him! He’s the reason that Sasuke is… That he’s… She couldn’t say those words. If she did, it would become reality. He was gone, but it would feel real if she uttered them. Just for a little longer, she would refrain herself from saying those words. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to live with herself if she voiced them now. She watched in horror as Deidara flashed her an encouraging smile before vanishing into thin air, abandoning her. Looking to her left, she noticed that Sasori had also disappeared. Kisame was the last one left before he nodded at Itachi, lifted the Samehada back into his

sheath and followed the example that Deidara and Sasori had set. And just like that, she was all alone with Itachi. “It’s been a while Sakura,” Itachi’s muted, smooth voice cut through the tense silence. He watched how she turned away from him, staring at a wooden door on the other side of the room. “Two days,” she spat out bitterly. He had betrayed her and Sasuke; she wouldn’t give him a second chance to get under her skin. She was stronger than that. “Two days and I find you in a pathetic and broken state, just like when I first found you,” Itachi answered simply. She chose to ignore that comment. “Why did you come here?” her voice sounded raspy to her own ears. “I am Akatsuki. Although we don’t work as one, large team, we do assist each other when missions are endangered of failing,” Itachi glared at her form. He had never expected to see her again, yet here she was; his brother was murdered by Orochimaru and she was an emotional wreck. Typical. She remained silent after that. She didn’t care if he killed her; she didn’t care much about anything anymore. The door in front of her led to the room where her hopes faded and her dreams were shattered; her soul was destroyed there. Taking a deep breath in, she turned around again to face Itachi. His black robes blended in perfectly with the darkness that shrouded the both of them; he was almost one of the large shadows that surrounded the room. Yet oddly enough the red clouds on his cloak looked out of place; distorting the illusion along with the burning Sharingan that pierced through the dark “I’m not a coward!” Sasuke yelled, standing in front of Orochimaru. Blue bled red as he activated the Sharingan, his eyes blazing with rage. “If I freeze up during times like this, I don’t have a chance against him!” She shook her head faintly as she tried to stop those memories from surfacing again. It hurt to think about him; the wound on her heart was still fresh and bleeding. She forced herself to look Itachi in his eyes, to prove that she wasn’t the weak kunoichi he thought she was. The blank look in his eyes was still there as he crouched down beside her. “Are you hurt?” he asked after a short pause. “Yes,” she answered as she swallowed hard to try and remove the large lump that had formed in her throat. Itachi was a smart man; he would understand what she meant. If he did, he never said a word as he leaned in closer. “Stand up,” he said in his muted voice.

“No,” Sakura replied defiantly. “I’m not your hostage anymore. You can’t tell me what to do.” “You wish to stay here?” Itachi asked curiously. “Sasuke is dead. There’s nothing left here.” “I don’t want to go with you,” she muttered under her breath as she avoided Itachi’s piercing gaze. “Leave me alone.” “You’re a missing-nin,” Itachi said as he grew slightly impatient. “You have nowhere else to go. Come with us Sakura. You’ll no longer be a hostage of Akatsuki.” “No,” she said clearly as she tried her hardest to refrain herself from striking Itachi. “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t killed the Uchiha clan, they would all be alive and Sasuke would… Sasuke would still…” “Sasuke wouldn’t have died,” Itachi finished for her, ignoring her flinch at that particular word. “But I did kill them, and Sasuke did die. I cannot change the past. Nor do I wish to change it.” “Why?” She mentally berated herself for sounding so weak. “Why did you kill them? Was it really just to measure your strength? Tell me Itachi.” “Please,” she added as her tone turned into imploring. “You are strange,” Itachi avoided her question. “First, you accuse me of killing Sasuke, now you’re pleading.” “I’m pleading because I want to know,” she answered softly. “I want to know the reason why Sasuke was chosen for Orochimaru. Why didn’t he pick you?” “It should have been you,” she whispered sadly. Itachi paused for a bit as he mused over the words that the kunoichi had thrown at him. She was definitely hurting because of Sasuke’s death, but he could sense that a part of her wanted to hurt him as well. It wasn’t hard to figure out; it would be have been much easier for her to see him die than Sasuke. But he couldn’t bring himself to care. This was all Sasuke’s fault. If only he had listened. If he had just followed the simple rules that Itachi had given him. He resisted the urge to sigh as he mulled over his current situation. The Konoha squad was close and if he didn’t leave now, he would have to fight. And then there was Sakura. Quickly, he weighed the risks of leaving her there. If he left her, the Konoha squad would either kill her or take her with them. If he took her with him, she could heal the rest of Kisame and Deidara’s wounds, not to mention that she would be a good bait to lure the Kyuubi.

“Sakura, get up,” he said smoothly as he stood up, ignoring her stare of incredulity. “Didn’t I just tell you that I’m not leaving with you?” she hissed. She watched him warily as he closed his eyes. Although she had tried to act tough in front of him, he could still get under her skin and frighten the living daylights out of her. After all, this was an notorious shinobi she was dealing with, the strongest of the Uchiha clan. The only one left… She swallowed hard as she willed herself to stop thinking about Itachi in terms of being the last Uchiha left. She had feelings for Itachi; less then pure ones to boot. He had kissed her, and she had let him. With an inexplicable pain in her heart, she had watched him leave her, and now she felt that same sensation as she realized how he made her feel. He first and foremost, inspired sentiments of disgust and betrayal from his involvement in Sasuke’s death, but she just couldn’t find the willpower to rid herself of those other emotions. She would never tell him about them though. She would never let him touch her again; let him kiss her again. If she gave in, she would become a traitor to Sasuke’s memory. He hated Itachi to his dying breath, and so would she. She would never leave with him; she would rather die. Itachi opened his eyes. Mangekyou Sharingan. Slumber captured her before she even realized it. -His eyes stung as he reverted back to his normal Sharingan. He hadn’t planned to use the Mangekyou Sharingan so quickly after he had recovered, but he deemed it impossible to take Sakura with him without a fight. Besides, Itachi didn’t force women. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he tried to adjust to the irritating feeling in his eyes, before he kneeled down and picked Sakura up with ease. Unceremoniously, he threw her over his shoulder and then proceeded to walk into the room where they had hidden Sasuke’s body from Sakura’s view. Itachi felt nothing as he grabbed his brother’s body that was soaked in blood, even when he noticed that the fluid was seeping into his robes. An instant later, he appeared outside the building and set both Sakura and Sasuke down. Checking to make sure Sakura was still unconscious; he stalked towards the stairs that led to Orochimaru’s former headquarters, before walking down them at an even pace. Entering the illuminated hallway, he grabbed one of the candles that stood on a small, stone platform and resumed his way.

Holding the candle in front of him, he saw a countless number of gritty, unkempt cells that radiated a vile stench among them. He ignored the inhabitants of the nauseating atmosphere as they stood up, rushing towards the doors. They stretched their hands through the bars, trying to grab him, but he was too quick for them, and gone before they knew it. Upon entering the arena for the second time that day, he searched the walls thoroughly. When he had been there earlier, he had seen something out of the corner of his eye that had sparked his interest. As his fingers nimbly searched the stone wall, he found what he had been looking for: a control panel. He brought the candle closer to the panel as he tried to distinguish the hastily scribbled kanji on the panel. Arena… Medic chamber… Research lab… Cells. Turning the last switch, he could hear the cells doors gratingly open and the prisoners inside gasp and murmur in disbelief, some of them eagerly escaping their containments. Even a few of the more venturous souls wandered into the arena where Itachi was, curious about his appearance and actions. “Orochimaru is dead. None of you will be used as experiments anymore,” he explained, leaving no room for questions. “Leave now.” Everybody complied easily, some of them cheered softly, others muttered words of gratitude. Soon, the arena and the cells were completely empty, with the exception of Itachi and a small girl with tousled black hair and an infected scar that stretched from her right eye to her chin. Blank, light blue eyes stared at him. “Uchiha Itachi?” she rasped softly. His eyes turned into slits as he heard her murmur his name. By the looks of it, the girl had been born there, so there was no way of her knowing him. His unyielding gaze never left her frail body as she grasped something in the pocket of her tattered garment. She pulled it out gently and when she had removed her hand, he could clearly see that it was a scroll. “Your brother asked me to give this to you,” she continued in her raspy, yet muted voice. “He came to me before Orochimaru took over, and told me that you would come in an assassination squad of the organization Akatsuki.” She took a few tentative steps forward before carefully placing the scroll on the ground. She made a deep bow in front of him, then turned on her heels and ran away from the room, towards her freedom. Eyeing the scroll with suspicion, he observed it cautiously. It seemed to be an ordinary scroll. He used his Sharingan to check for any signs of chakra in the scroll that could indicate a trap, until he was satisfied. Grabbing the scroll from the ground, he placed it in his robes for safe keeping. At the same time, he grabbed some of his explosive tags out of his back pocket. Using his

skill of agility to the fullest, he sped through the entire building, setting the timer on each tag for three minutes. He couldn’t sense anyone else in the vicinity, indicating that all prisoners had fled. Forming a few seals to activate the tags, he appeared back outside the compound. Sakura and Sasuke were still lying there, and he could see that the prisoners had walked right past them; none of the tracks seemed to go towards the two. He glanced at his brother for a second, glaring as he came across the markings on his neck. He had seen them years before, when Sasuke was still alive. At that time he had already been branded as Orochimaru’s. Leaning forward, he closed his brother’s eyes. This was not what I had planned Sasuke. Konoha would find him and give him a proper burial; it was the least he could do. Itachi quickly glanced at the building that served as Sound’s base; he would have only one minute left and if he’d leave Sasuke in that place, he would be obliterated along with the structure. Sighing heavily, he picked up his younger brother’s body and Sakura before moving several hundred yards away. Placing Sasuke on the ground, he glanced one last time at his foolish little brother, before moving Sakura to his back, her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Now that I think about it, I never kept my promise to take you out for shuriken training, Itachi thought as a small smirk tugged on the edges of his mouth. He bended over slightly as he tapped Sasuke’s forehead. Forgive me Sasuke, maybe next time. Just as the former headquarters of Sound exploded, Itachi vanished into thin air, carrying a comatose Sakura on his back.

Evolution – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: This chapter is dedicated to a good friend! Thanks for everything Phantomica! Chapter Five – Bittersweet Reunion “Who did this…?” Naruto whispered in disbelief at the remains of Sound’s headquarters. It had only been two hours since the group heard the explosion and when they arrived at their destination, the source of the detonation had been found; Sound was completely obliterated. “Someone with exceptional skill,” Shikamaru remarked softly. “Neji, could you use your Byakugan? Perhaps there are survivors.” Neji easily complied by closing his eyes and forming a flurry of seals. When he reopened his eyes, the veins around his eyes protruded his pale skin. The figure that lied several yards behind them was spotted easily.

Sasuke… He stared at the body of the Uchiha for what seemed like a perpetual moment. The tint of blood was overflowing and the steady flow of chakra had halted. It was easy to conclude that the Uchiha had died not too long ago. Sighing heavily, Neji deactivated his Byakugan; this wasn’t going to be an easy report. During the journey towards Sound, Naruto had been going on and on how he was going to drag Sasuke’s ass back to Konoha, even if he had to Rasengan him into a coma; Sasuke was his best friend, they were like brothers. Fate was cruel at times. Naruto was staring at him expectantly just like his other team mates. This was it; he would have to be the one to tell him. Taking in a deep breath, he opened his mouth to speak, yet found himself unable to. Memories of the day that he found out that Tenten had died swamped his senses. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this… But Tenten died during an ANBU mission this morning,” the Fifth said with a painful look in her eyes. With nostalgia washing over him, he shut his mouth and closed his eyes, while he pointed to the area where the corpse resided. He couldn’t tell him; it wasn’t his place. Naruto got the hint right off the back and sprinted towards the direction that Neji had pointed into; Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee, Genma and Gai close behind. The only one who stayed still was Kakashi; observing Neji and his grim demeanour “He’s gone, isn’t he?” Kakashi asked quietly. When confirmation came in the form of a small nod, Kakashi bowed his head slightly; devastating guilt overtaking him. He was such a foolish teacher; if only he could have stopped Sasuke, helped him, talked to him, then none of this could have happened. In the distance, he could hear Naruto frenetically crying Sasuke’s name and without faltering, he sprinted towards the origin of the shouting; Neji right behind him. Every second that took them to get there had become an hour. His feet and chest felt heavy as he stepped into the clearing where the others had assembled. The body that had once belonged to Sasuke lied half on the ground, his upper body cradled in Naruto’s now blood-soaked arms; the aforementioned not caring about the stains. It was glaringly obvious that the cause of death was due to the large, gaping hole in Sasuke’s abdomen; parts of his vital organs could be seen littering the ground. Nausea was imminent. Unable to look at the scene that was painstakingly familiar, Kakashi shifted his focus to his team mates’ reactions; trying to distract himself from the mangled carcass. Kiba stood several feet behind Naruto, a miserable expression on his face that mirrored the downtrodden Lee next to him. Genma was one of those who remained calm, having witness these type of occurrences

on a daily basis. His features soft and dismayed; toothpick nowhere to be found. Next to the composed Genma stood Gai; flabbergasted eyes and tremors running through his body. There was little doubt in Kakashi’s mind that Gai wasn’t reminded of the death of his own student. Attempting to reassure the distraught jounin, Genma placed a comforting hand on Gai’s shoulder. Neji and Shikamaru both were silent, yet not unmoved by the site. Kakashi sighed softly before daring to glance at the source of misery again. He froze when his eyes met Naruto’s. His cerulean eyes were a maelstrom of swirling suffering; seeing the typically joyous and boisterous boy in the midst of such emotions made Kakashi’s heart stagger. I looked the same way when Obito died… “Sakura,” Naruto muttered hoarsely, tinted with alarm. “Neji, where’s Sakura!” Horror struck all of them as they realized that they hadn’t found Sakura yet. Neji quickly reactivated his Byakugan. “Check the ruins first,” Kakashi muttered from beside him. Neji nodded curtly, before scanning the area that lied behind them. He let out a small sigh of relief as he couldn’t see anything at first, but with a second and more in-depth look, something came into his vision. A chakra level, depleted to the point where it was nearly impossible to see. His milky-white eyes widened as he realized that he was gawking at the stream of chakra that belonged to a medic-nin. And by the looks of it; she had died before they came. “What is it Neji?” Naruto asked in a steady voice. Although his tone had risen without wavering, Neji knew better. He had gotten to know Naruto better these past few years and there was no uncertainty in his mind that this was slowly and surely killing Naruto. “I see somebody lying in the rubble… A medic,” Neji softly spoke up; trying to repress the quivering in his pitch. The blonde boy just stared at him for the longest time, before letting go of Sasuke, gently placing him back on the floor. He stood up promptly, before stalking to Neji and grabbing his ANBU vest, blood-stained hands and all. “What are you saying Neji!” Naruto yelled as he shook Neji violently. “That’s not Sakura I tell you! Are you going blind? That’s Kabuto! It has to be Kabuto!” “Naruto,” Kakashi put a hand on his former student’s shoulder. “Orochimaru wouldn’t leave without his prized medic. Look around; there’s no sign of Orochimaru anywhere.” “This isn’t happening…” Naruto whispered gutturally as he tried to calm down. “How can they be dead?” Sobbing softly, he allowed himself to fall to his hands and knees as discolored fingers clutched the long grass in mourning. “Sasuke… Sakura-chan…” They were gone and he was left alone.

The last thing he could remember was urgently grasping the person nearest to him and wailing over their shoulder; wishing, hoping, praying, pleading, desperately demanding that they could all be genin again. -Where am I? Sakura opened her eyes little by little, letting them adjust to the bright light that engulfed the room as she attempted to hold up a hand to block the nauseatingly cheerful sunlight. Without the glare of light burning her eyes, she could see that the room she was in was huge, according to her viewpoint on the bed. And not badly decorated, she admitted as she admired the soft, blue pastel walls. Suddenly spotting a huge vase with the cosmos flowers next to her bed, she gave a small gasp of delight. Propping herself on her elbows, she gently touched the silky petals of the flowers. “You like them… yeah?” Deidara’s distinctive voice whispered. Sakura quickly snapped her head around and found him standing on the other side of the bed. He had probably snuck in while she was admiring the flowers. “They’re one of my favorite flowers,” she smiled half heartedly. “Thank you Deidara.” “You’re welcome,” he grinned back before sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Itachi told me that they are your favorite, so I knew which ones to choose... yeah.” …Itachi? Oh, the wedding suite… Right. “Feeling better?” Deidara inquired curiously. She nodded slightly, idly noticing that his hair was loose; long bangs hung in front of his eyes and framed his face perfectly. His light blue eye was teeming with kindness, contrasting from what she had seen the day before. “How long have I been asleep?” Sakura asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Six hours,” Deidara answered without missing a beat. “You don’t know how much hell I wanted to give Itachi for using the Mangekyou Sharingan on you… yeah.” Sea-foam colored eyes shot open at that declaration. “Itachi used the Mangekyou Sharingan on me? Why?” She resisted the urge to get out of bed and find Itachi so she could slap him. “Said you didn’t want to go with us… yeah. Why is that Sakura?” Deidara replied, his gaze never leaving hers. She clenched her hands around the disgustingly fluffy sheets as she bit her lip softly. There were so many reasons why she didn’t want to go back with Akatsuki. The most imperative reason, she kept reminding herself, being Itachi. Yet, there were certain other factors that she had to consider, but loathed to do so. All of them – Deidara, Kisame, Itachi – had betrayed her; no one among them had said a word about Sasuke’s condition

to her. “You didn’t tell me,” she whispered harshly, keeping her eyes on those damn, downy sheets. If she looked into those blue eye of his, she knew she would crack. “Why?” “You’re talking in riddles… yeah,” Deidara replied confused. “Didn’t tell you what?” “… Sasuke.” “It seems Orochimaru has already taken over your brother’s body.” ‘Already’ “So you knew?” Deidara’s deep voice penetrated her thoughts. He paused for a moment and oddly enough, it reminded her of Itachi in a way. He always paused when talking about important things, as if he had to settle on what information he would give her. “I didn’t know about it either,” came the soft reply. Sakura’s head shot up as she turned to face Deidara completely. “What are you talking about?” “I didn’t know about Sasuke’s condition when we met. I found out when our squad was being sent to Sound,” Deidara clarified patiently. “Itachi was the only one who knew.” “I’m sorry Deidara…” Sakura fumbled for words as she struggled to keep Deidara’s gaze. “I just assumed that you knew…” “No worries,” he grinned lackadaisically before turning serious again as he grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry too, for kissing you like that. It’s just that Itachi… and you… you’re extraordinary, Sakura, in so many ways… yeah.” He resisted the urge to smirk with manly pride as he noticed the hard blush that stained her cheeks. But he had spoken the truth. Never before did he have romantic feelings for someone and even if he couldn’t say the words out loud; he knew she would understand. “Deidara… I… I don’t know what to say,” she said softly, hiding behind a curtain of bubblegum bangs. “Don’t say anything then. I know you’re still upset because of the whole Sasukesituation,” Deidara ignored her as she flinched. He caressed her hand with his thumb before continuing. “But I just wanted to tell you this… yeah.” She nodded, before painting another half-smile on her face. Deidara grinned back at her, before patting her knee and standing up. “I’ll be back tonight… yeah.” “Wait, Deidara,” she called out as he passed the threshold. She heard him chuckle slightly before he turned around and stuck his head in the opening. She bit her lip in anticipation as she steeled herself to look him in the eye. “What did you mean when you said ‘Itachi and you’ just now?” “Isn’t it obvious?” Deidara said simply. “Itachi likes you. And if you’re completely honest with yourself, you know that the feeling is mutual.”

He smirked to mask his pain as her eyes widened with understanding and turned around before she could see his smile slip from his face. -It was the unobtrusive knock on her door that woke her from her reverie. Looking up from the small couch she was sitting on, she stared at the door for a few moments, wondering who it could be. “May I come in, Sakura?” his muffled voice inquired. Her chest slightly constricted with the thought of having to confront him so soon, but she knew she couldn’t avoid this any longer. For a moment, she thought about just being silent to see if he would go away, but she knew he would be able to see her with the Sharingan. “Come in,” she replied, trying to steady her voice. She intently watched the doorknob as it turned and the door silently opened. Without a word, Itachi stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. He turned around slightly and Sakura quickly noticed the fact that he wasn’t wearing his Akatsuki robes. It was interesting to note that his outfit had change; deep-purple trousers with a black shirt that was similar to his previous shirt, but the fishnet triangle from his previous shirt was obviously missing. He was staring at her, his face still the same blank slate as ever. Vaguely, she wondered if she would ever be able to read him. Probably not. “What are you doing here?” she asked coolly, trying to match his tone. “I came here to present you with an offer,” he replied after a tense pause. His searing red Sharingan twirled objectively at her as he sat down on a chair opposite to the couch she was sitting on, crossing his legs comfortably. “An offer?” she whispered as she swallowed hard. “What kind of offer?” “A choice actually,” Itachi resumed, resting his elbows on the arm rest of his chair. He gave her another intense look before continuing. “You’re no longer a hostage of Akatsuki.” “You’re repeating yourself,” Sakura snapped, interrupting him rudely. “Cut to the chase.” For a moment, it almost seemed like he smirked, but it was gone the next moment. Fascinated by his poker-face, she kept her gaze on him as she tried not to blink. There had to be moments where that perfect face of his slipped and he showed some sort of emotion. Perhaps just amusement or a smirk, but he had to show emotion sometime! Didn’t he? “Very well,” Itachi answered evenly. “You have a choice to stay here, alone, in Deidara’s house. It’s Deidara’s own offer.”

“Deidara’s house?” Sakura inquired curiously. “This is where Deidara lives?” “He obviously did not tell you,” Itachi commented after a moment. “Your other option is to come with us.” “What happened to the option where I am free from you?” Sakura murmured sarcastically. “That would depend on what you mean with that,” Itachi remarked coldly. “If you are talking about me alone, this will not end as quickly as you desire it to. If you’re talking about Akatsuki, you can end it by staying here and running away as fast as you can once we’re gone.” “What do you mean by that?” she asked; a scathing tendency in her voice. “Why won’t this – whatever you mean by that – end quickly?” He just watched at her with his exquisite eyes. Although she had promised herself not to let him get under her skin, there was no escaping from him whether she wanted to or not. He was the reason Sasuke was killed, but she couldn’t stop this situation from unfolding itself. “Itachi likes you. And if you’re completely honest with yourself… You know that the feeling is mutual.” Wordlessly, he stood up and turned around to leave. “Why?” He whirled around to face Sakura again. Her eyes were fixed on him and it seemed that she was on the verge of crying. Strangely enough, he was somewhat affected by the thought of her tears. He had seen many people pathetically weeping in his life, but never before did emotions bubble up inside of him because of it. Needless to say, he would keep this to himself. “Why what?” his insipid response came. “Why…everything?” she was sobbing by now. “Why can you be so caring yet so dangerous at times? Why do you know which flowers I like best while Deidara has no idea? … Why are you the only one who truly understands me?” “What is it that you want from me Sakura?” Itachi asked quietly as he ignored her tears. “I do not understand what you wish from me.” “I know,” she answered cryptically as she tried to dry her eyes. Crying made her look weak in front of him. “I know it’s not your fault. Sasuke went to Orochimaru… If he hadn’t gone away…none of this would have happened.” “But still, you blame me,” Itachi’s voice drifted through the room. Curiously, it calmed her to hear the velvetiness of his voice. Since she had found Sasuke, she was sure that nothing could in still tranquillity in her again. But he could.

“Because I killed my clan,” Itachi added calmly. “It’s the reason why Sasuke went to Orochimaru in the first place,” she wiped away the stray tears from her cheeks. “You don’t know him like I used to. He was strong and kind, even if he didn’t show it. Deep down, he had always looked up to you Itachi.” She hesitated for a moment, contemplating if she should go on, or stop her flow of words right there. Sasuke may have been dead, but she certainly knew that he would be turning in his grave if he could hear what she was saying to Itachi now. “I know,” his soft voice dragged her from her thoughts. “I’ll be sleeping in this room tonight,” Itachi said after a short pause, changing the subject abruptly. Her eyes widened yet a part of her wasn’t as surprised. Sasori and Deidara shared a room, since the both of them were partners, and she had expected Itachi to sleep in the same room as Kisame, since she was no longer a hostage of Akatsuki. So he wouldn’t have any legitimate reason to sleep in the same room as her; if she escaped it was no skin off his back. Then again, did he ever have a reason for something like this? “Kisame snores,” Itachi answered her unspoken question without even a hint of amusement in his voice; Sakura watching in silence how Itachi strode out of the room and closed the door behind him. She snorted softly and quickly realized that this was the closest she had come to laughter for quite some time. -“Did you get her, Itachi?” Deidara called out to the younger shinobi. Itachi appeared in the hallway, his empty look replaced by a questioning one. “Get her?” “Dinner, Itachi. Dinner,” Deidara smirked. He sounded so convincingly happy that he nearly fooled himself. “Don’t tell me Kisame forgot to tell you that you should tell her that we’re about to eat.” Itachi just raised an eyebrow and watched how the shark-man hit Deidara on his head. “Stop talking in such confusing sentences, you’re giving me a headache,” Kisame growled viciously. “You’re probably still feeling the after-effects of the Mangekyou Sharingan,” Sasori appeared next to Kisame. “Why don’t you let the medic look at it?” “I don’t want to bother her now…” Kisame’s voice trailed off. Deidara chuckled slightly, before poking the taller man’s stomach with his elbow. “Kisame is such a sentimental dork… yeah! How did they accept you into Akatsuki?” Deidara’s smirk broadened as he continued his assault on Kisame. “I bet you sing bedtime stories for Sakura too!”

“I should hope not,” a soft voice answered amusedly. The four Akatsuki members turned around and faced Sakura in the threshold. “I don’t think that Kisame is the world’s best singer.” “You too, huh?” Kisame growled and turned around to hide his grin. “I’ll be in the dining room.” “We haven’t been properly introduced,” Sasori took a step forward and smiled softly. “I’m Sasori, the puppet master.” Behind Sasori’s back, she could see Deidara imitating Sasori’s introduction to a less than amused Itachi. Itachi turned around without saying anything and walked into the dining room. Deidara gave an encouraging nod before following Itachi’s example. “Haruno Sakura, from Konoha,” she replied politely as she shook Sasori’s hand. There was a certain aura around him, similar to Itachi’s: it was somewhat soothing, but then again, also had a dangerous edge that Deidara and Kisame lacked since she got to know them better. “Am I frightening you?” Sasori spoke up softly. “No,” she replied, fascinated how a man of Sasori’s caliber could look as angelic as he did. “I was just lost in thought.” Sasori nodded before turning around. “Let’s go, Deidara ordered some food for us all.” Sakura nodded and without dawdling, followed Sasori into the dining room. As she closed the door behind her, she instantly recognized the usual paper bag with the familiar symbol on the table; they undoubtedly contained their dinner. “Do you always order from this company?” she asked curiously as she sat down beside Deidara. Sasori and Kisame were sitting opposite of them and at the head of the small table sat Itachi. “Yeah,” Deidara replied. “These guys have establishments all over the world. Plus, their food is really good. And they serve sushi, Itachi’s favorite. And fish, which happens to be Kisame’s favorite… see? … yeah.” Grinning wildly, he pointed at Kisame, who was practically drooling at the sight of a large salmon in front of him. “Now, that’s the reason why I call him ‘Salmon-chan’… yeah,” Deidara chuckled before handing Kisame a knife. “Now remember Salmon-chan. Fish are friends, not food.” Kisame glared at Deidara for a moment, before snatching the knife out of the blonde’s hand. She could feel Deidara shaking next to her and from the looks of it, he was trying everything he could to stifle his laughter. He pressed the bag into Sakura’s hands before taking a sip of his water. Sakura smiled feebly before she took a peek into the bag. One set of sushi and rice balls; definitely for

Itachi, a huge box of takoyaki; possibly Sasori’s, a large cup with the kanji for ‘Miso’ on it; unquestionably Deidara’s. And one cup of ramen, which was probably for her. She smiled as she handed Itachi, Sasori and Deidara their food, before taking the lid of her ramen. She eyed the substance warily, knowing about the dangers of the food that they could carry with them. “Don’t worry,” Deidara gave her a reassuring smile. “There’s nothing in there, Sasori and I already checked.” She gave her usual small turn of the lips in return before grabbing her chopsticks from their holder, grinning as Deidara cracked another joke, but completely unaware of the fixed gaze that Itachi was giving her. She’s faking her smile. Itachi’s eyes narrowed slightly before he mimicked Sakura’s moves and started to eat. He would talk to her about the matter later. -“Good night,” Deidara waved cheerfully as he closed his bedroom door behind him. Once the door was completely shut and the only one in his room was Sasori, his grin quickly disappeared. “Did you see that?” Deidara asked worriedly as he sat down on the bed. “Her cheerfulness is not sincere,” Sasori remarked softly. “Much like yourself.” “They are completely different circumstances,” Deidara shot back. “You can’t even begin to compare... yeah.” “Yes, but the obviousness of her act is just as apparent as yours,” Sasori stated calmly. “She has just lost the so-called love of her life. Of course she’ll be sad. She is a kunoichi who is driven by emotions, rather than her own power.” “Since when do you know this much about girls… yeah?” Deidara gave his partner a scrutinizing stare. “Since reading people is an art,” Sasori replied steadily, a smile plastered on his face. “Oh really?” Deidara laughed softly. “What happened to ‘art is eternal beauty, something that lasts forever’… yeah?” “Shut up,” Sasori growled as he turned around. “I won this round,” Deidara answered triumphantly. “I said shut up,” Sasori repeated, his collected tone substituted by an irritated one. “Grump,” Deidara stuck his tongue out.

-“You can take the bed,” Sakura said before Itachi could even utter a single word. “I don’t feel like fighting over trivial things like that. But please turn around for a moment, I need to undress.” Noiselessly, Itachi turned around, taking off his own shirts and throwing it on a chair in the process. Removing his sandals and leg-guards, he sat down on the bed. “Why are you pretending to be over Sasuke’s death?” The ruffling of her clothes stopped and it didn’t take his genius intellect for him to figure out that she was staring at him, wondering how he could solve her so effortlessly. “So you knew?” her soft voice wafted across the room. She couldn’t say she was taken aback; she knew he would be the one to find her out. “Of course,” Itachi answered plainly. “I would pity anyone who didn’t notice.” Ignoring his last statement, Sakura grabbed one of the long, black shirts that Deidara had left for her earlier and lied down on the soft couch, wrapping herself in the blanket that had been let there for her before turning her back towards Itachi. She could hear his soft breathing and knew he was waiting for an answer. “I didn’t want everybody to be worried about me,” she whispered softly. Apparently, Itachi thought her answer was acceptable as he turned off the lights. She could hear him settle down on the bed and twisted her head around to glimpse at his still form. He didn’t ask her to share the bed nor did he decline when she offered the bed to him. Any other person would immediately give the bed to the female, but Itachi wasn’t like that. Feeling a strange kind of affection for the elder shinobi, she smiled sadly. “Goodnight Itachi.” It was indifferent and barely audible, but it was there. “Goodnight Sakura.”

Evolution – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Tissue and smut alert! Haha, enjoy the chapter! Dedicated to blackbloodedkunoichi, my little sister! Chapter Six – Something Unexpected “Sorry Sakura… But Sasuke hasn’t been here for a long time.”

Green eyes shot open into dizzy consciousness; the feeling of asphyxiation overwhelming her, forcing her to frantically gulp for sweet relief. Her heart was beating erratically almost as if it were trying to drill a hole through her chest - and she was drenched in her own sweat. The large black shirt that served as her night clothes was like a second skin and her hair transformed into a damp and stringy style; sticking to her slick forehead and cheeks. Harsh breathing continued as she tried to pull herself together; taking in the large bed and the cosmos flowers. Deidara’s house… I’m in Deidara’s house… Itachi is lying in the bed. Orochimaru isn’t here. Sasuke-kun isn’t here… Fighting back the sensation of tears, she sat up and callously rubbed her eyes, sneering as her hand wiped away more sweat than tears. Glancing at the bed, she could hear Itachi’s slow, steady breathing. But she knew better; she had woken him up with her outburst. Itachi wasn’t a heavy sleeper, on the contrary, he was in tune to the sounds around him; trained to wake at the sound of a falling needle. “Itachi…” she whispered softly, knowing that he would hear her. She heard him shuffle around in the bed slightly, signifying that he had heard her. Gathering all of her courage, and throwing away any ounce of dignity she had at the moment, she threw her legs over the edge of her couch and stood up once she felt the soft carpet tickling her feet. Gently, she padded towards the bed, making sure that he could hear her. She hesitated momentarily as she stopped in front of the bed. His back was turned to her and to anyone else, he seemed peacefully asleep. “Itachi?” “What is it?” His deep voice made her shiver. She grabbed her shirt, clasping it in her hands as she bit her lip in pure frustration. If he were Deidara, this would be so much easier. Without saying a word, Itachi turned around, her breath catching as his bottomless, scarlet eyes gazed upon her. “Can I….” she started, unable to hide the small quiver in her voice. “Can I sleep in the bed tonight?” The intense gleam in his eyes refused to wane as he gave her a scrutinizing stare. Wordlessly, he sat up straight, before removing the heavy duvet from his legs. He stood up without even so much as a glance in her direction and moved to pass her. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks as he turned around to face her. His face was a rigid void, as he gazed at her attempt to stop the tears from spilling over her cheeks; her lithe hand holding his wrist in an unyielding grip. “Don’t go,” she said quietly, her eyes downcast, avoiding the cold look in his eyes. “You asked for the bed,” Itachi replied languidly as his hand moved forward and cupped her chin. Gently, he tilted her head so that he could see her eyes. “Which is it? Do you

want me to leave or do you want me to stay? The decision is yours.” “Then stay,” she whispered, blushing faintly as she forced herself to look him in the eye. She stepped back slowly, releasing his wrist before she turned her back towards him, making her way towards the bed. She didn’t know if he would follow or turn away, but she had made her point clear. I’m sorry Sasuke… She crawled underneath the blankets, inhaling Itachi’s addicting scent before scooting over to the other side of the bed, leaving enough room for Itachi to enter the bed if he wanted to. She took in a calming breath as she felt the bed dip with his weight. “You accepted Sasuke’s death and stopped blaming me for it,” Itachi stated, his voice as flaccid as ever. Dimly she wondered if he would even be able to raise his voice even if he tried. “Yes,” her voice no more than a hollow whisper. She heard him shift around next to her and turned around. He had his back facing her, lying on top of the sheets, exposing his well defined back. She swallowed hard as she closed her eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that a part of her wanted to be near Itachi at all times. She was longing for him to wrap her in his arms again, but the more she thought about it, the feelings of guilt swarmed her. This was wrong. This was Sasuke’s brother. But Sasuke was gone. He just wanted me to be happy, Sakura reasoned. Would he hate me if I had feelings for his brother? She didn’t know. Opening her eyes, she gave Itachi’s back one last searching stare before moving forward, letting her fingers skim his back. Immediately, she felt the rigid muscles under the heated skin tense. Biting her lip, she silently wondered if she had done the right thing. Perhaps this was just a one-sided thing and Deidara was wrong. “If…” she started, not really knowing what to say. “If you don’t want this… You can push me away. It’s your decision.” A long, taut pause passed by and to her surprise, she could gradually feel his muscles relaxing under her touch. Nevertheless, when he finally spoke, she couldn’t help but feel scared. “What is this, Sakura?” he asked curiously. “I… I don’t know,” she said quietly as she unconsciously stroked Itachi’s warm skin with her thumbs. She was intrigued by the way his muscles flexed under her touch. When

Itachi made no movement to stop her, her right hand crept over his side and before resting on his sculpted pectoral. The warmth he radiated felt pleasant against her cold skin and she slowly scooted closer towards him. She took in a deep breath to take in his unique scent as she pressed her forehead against his back. “Do you want to push me away?” she queried softly, her arm dropping down to his waist, instinctively pulling him closer towards her. “I’m not a substitute for Sasuke, Sakura,” Itachi’s whispered back. Sakura flinched as the full meaning of those words hit her. Her grip on his waist lessened as she tried to quell the emotions he inspired with those severe words. “I know. I don’t want you to be a substitute for Sasuke,” Sakura sat up straight, her arm still wrapped around his waist. “I just wanted you to stay…” When Itachi said nothing in return, Sakura lied down again, sighing heavily. The atmosphere had changed rapidly with his last remark; whereas it was relaxed and inviting earlier, the room felt acerbic now. Eyeing her arms, she could see goose bumps appearing on her pale skin. Her arm snapped back as realization hit: she was still touching his abdomen. She moved away from the heat that he radiated, to the far side of the bed before resting her head on her pillow, wrapping herself in the blankets in a feeble attempt to warm herself. All of a sudden, fatigue overcame her senses and coerced a yawn out of her. Soon she didn’t have the strength to keep her eyes open. Then she was gone. -Her eyes burned with unshed tears as she opened her eyes several hours later. Another nightmare about Sasuke. With a dejected sigh, she rubbed her eyes gingerly as she yawned widely. It wasn’t until she felt something shift next to her in the bed that she realized that he was still there. She bolted upright as she glanced at the dormant Uchiha. She hadn’t expected him to remain there. To be perfectly honest; she had thought he would leave as soon as she fell asleep. Her gaze softened as she noticed that his hair had come loose during his sleep, falling around his face in an impeccable manner. His eyes were closed to the world; long lashes casting dark shadows against his cheek. Peculiarly, his face looked more relaxed when he was asleep, or at least feigning sleep, than when he was awake. She took in the lines on his face that betrayed his youth; how did he get those lines? Tentatively, she curiously stretched out her hand to trace them. When her fingertips were just a hair width away from his face, ruby eyes snapped open. Shocked, she hastily recoiled her hand; etched alarm on her face. “I’m sorry,” she stammered as she felt a hot blush creeping up her cheeks.

“There’s no need to apologize,” he answered plainly. Casually, he brushed some of the stray bangs in front of his eyes as he turned to lie on his back. “Why are you still here?” Sakura peeked at the elder shinobi before averting her gaze to the windows, admiring the soft white clouds and the clear blue sky. “Why wouldn’t I be?” “You’re always gone in the mornings,” Sakura clarified. Itachi nodded slowly, “I am.” “Why?” Finding some small inner strength, she tore her fixed eyes away from the window and faced the man that lied beside her, resting comfortably with his hand propped under his head. “You’re asking many questions this morning,” Itachi remarked evenly as he locked eyes with her. His Sharingan was captivating as it was treacherous, but she found herself unable to look away, not that she was really exerting a proper amount of effort. Is this an illusion? In a trance-like state, she watched Itachi stretch his arm to caress her cheek. His skin felt sweltering against her wintry cheeks but they warmed up soon enough as Itachi cupped her cheek, thumb stroking her soft flesh. As she shut her eyes she felt him hesitate. It was the first time that she knew exactly what he was doing and she couldn’t help but smile slightly. Sakura reopened her eyes before lifting her hand to cup his; a silent confirmation for him to continue his tender brushes. Wordlessly, Itachi moved in closer towards her, his hand moving down to her neck as his balmy breath fanned over her skin. Breathing throatily, awaiting his touch in anticipation, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She ran her fingers through his silky hair, clenching it softly as his lips finally made the much desired contact with her skin. Tipping her neck gently, he continued his assault on her delicate skin, his hand wandering towards the small of her back as he pulled her closer towards him. Sakura whimpered softly as his lips trailed a way towards her jaw. His scent was intoxicating, scrambling her wits; an aroma she couldn’t get enough of. She gasped softly as his teeth softly nipped her earlobe, amazed at how good it felt. “Itachi…” she whispered, her head inclining with sensation as he moved back down to her throat, pressing his lips against her jugular. His hand moved under her oversized black shirt as he started to stroke the small of her back, just a hair away from indecency. Their moment was rudely interrupted as a loud knock on the door stopped Itachi’s movements and Sakura’s small gasps. Abruptly, Itachi let her go, sliding over the bed with certain ease until he stood next to the bed. He strode towards the door and narrowed his eyes slightly as he felt Sakura disappearing from the room through the window.

He turned around to glare at the innocent window, before he moved his hand over the polished doorknob and opened the door, revealing the rude perpetrator. “Yo,” Deidara greeted, his trademark smile plastered on his lips. “Zetsu just informed us that we have to report to headquarters separately, it seems Leader wants to know each of our stories… yeah” Itachi nodded slowly, “Who is first?” “I am… yeah,” Deidara snorted. “Somehow I get the feeling that the Leader won’t like it when I tell him how Orochimaru nearly killed me. If Sakura didn’t jump in front of me… yeah.” Itachi blinked slowly as he tried to digest the information offered. Sakura jumped in front of Deidara? His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as he glanced at the elder shinobi in front of him. “I’m off,” Deidara nodded. “Oh, Sasori will be gone too, said he had some business. And give Salmon-chan a break, okay? Let him drink some sake or something, he looks worn out… yeah.” “He should bear with it,” Itachi replied simply. He nodded curtly as a goodbye before turning around. Deidara glanced at the younger shinobi, irritation apparent in his eyes. Sighing slightly, he closed the door again before stalking away. “Grump.” -“His knuckles were bleeding severely and,” Tsunade’s voice sounded like music to his ears as he opened his sleep-ridden eyes. “You’re awake. Good.” The smell of cool, impersonal sterility and disinfectants alerted him to his surroundings long before his eyes did. He was in the Konoha hospital, in fact he was in the very same bed he had occupied when Sasuke had injured him; in the bed where Sasuke challenged him to a fight on the rooftop. His vision was unfocused but he could clearly make out Tsunade hovering over him. “Tsunade-baa-chan,” he whispered. “I’m here Naruto. Can you tell me what happened? When you were brought in here by Kakashi, you’re knuckles were bleeding; the bones in both hands were almost shattered, and covered in dust and grain,” Tsunade replied, giving the young man on the bed a worried look. “Naruto,” a soft voice sounded from his right. Ignoring Tsunade, he turned his head slightly, disregarding the stabbing pain in his head and faced the one who had called him. There she was; still the radiating beauty he remembered. Her luminous pink hair was reminiscent of a halo, accentuated by the bright rays of the afternoon sun; giving her an

unearthly quality. Her eyes though, oh her eyes were breathtaking! The emerald green danced with life and laughter; shimmered with compassion and shrewdness. Although denial had become his best friend since he returned, he was still infatuated with her. It would never come to fruition though, since she was completely devoted to Sasuke and would never stop loving him, of that he was sure. But here she was and he thought she had died. He had almost given up hope as he cried on Neji’s shoulder, before running towards the ruins of Sound in blind fury. With bare hands, he tried to fight a way through the rubble and caved in walls, trying to find her. He vaguely remembered someone stopping him although he could not remember who. “Sakura-chan,” he said quietly as a smile bloomed on his lips. With the greatest of effort, he lifted his arm as he tried to caress her cheek. But she disappeared. His eyes widened in shock before he bolted upright, startling Tsunade. “Where is she?” he demanded coarsely. The shock in his eyes shifted into sadness. “Where did she go?” “She’s gone Naruto,” Tsunade put a hand on his shoulder. “Sakura is gone.” Naruto paid no attention to Tsunade as he unwrapped himself from the blankets. Soundlessly, he picked up his ANBU vest that lounged on a nearby chair, before sliding his feet into his sandals. Tsunade said nothing as Naruto passed her, looking straight head and still keeping his peace. “How long have I been asleep,” Naruto asked calmly, mildly surprised how aloof and level-headed he sounded. “A week,” Tsunade sighed heavily. “Naruto I…” When she turned around, he was gone. -“Have you heard Tooya? Your mother is expecting a second child! It should be a relief to her; at least now she can die with the knowledge that not all her children will be monsters.” He clenched his teeth, trying to stop the memories of his childhood from lingering; in the effort, he was almost sure he chipped a tooth. “Tooya,” a soft voice called him. Immediately he identified the voice as his partner; Kira. “What?” he asked impatiently. They had been roaming around the Country of Wind for a few days now and every one of those days Kira bugged him about ending his search for the Kyuubi. There was no doubt in his mind that whatever Kira had to say would be connected to his goal. “Akatsuki raid in Sound,” Kira explained hastily. “Tooya, they set your family free.” “They’re alive?” his clear eyes widened slightly.

“Yeah, apparently so,” a smile broke through the blonde man’s lips. “Let’s visit them, one of our ANBU just reported that they’re in Stone.” “No,” Tooya replied easily. “As long as this three tailed Isonade is inside of me, I won’t visit them. I want to reach my goal before I see them again.” Kira nodded understandingly, “Where are we going now?” “You’ve ceased your futile attempts to stop me?” Tooya asked curiously. Kira smirked before putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Although you might not consider me as one, I’m still your friend. If wanting to find the Kyuubi is your goal, then so be it. I’ll be by your side when you meet him.” “Your loyalty is admirable,” the black-haired man replied, returning the smirk. “And foolish,” Kira snorted slightly before putting his ANBU mask back into place. “Very foolish,” Tooya’s smirk broadened as he mimicked Kira’s gesture. “Let’s go.” “Yes sir,” Kira murmured sarcastically as the both of them vanished into thin air. Then they were gone. -She hummed softly as she looked over Deidara’s small garden, deliberately blocking out the memories of Itachi kissing her. The soft sound of the bamboo fountain in his garden soothed her momentarily, reminding her of Konoha. Sea-foam eyes turned despondent as she thought about her village. I’m sure Naruto has completely flipped by now, she smiled at the thought of her blonde best friend. Tsunade-shisou will be angry… Quietly, she watched the clear water from Deidara’s fountain trickle into the bamboo, before the bamboo clapped down on the rocks, letting the water fall down into the small pond underneath the stones. As soon as all the water had flown out of the bamboo, it went back up and the circle continued. It’s just like our lives, she thought ironically. We try to hold on to everything that comes our way and at some point, we need to let go, whether we want to or not. After that, we try to fill the void and the cycle continues. The dulcet jingling sound of bells woke her up from her reverie, Deidara stood in front of her, clad in his complete Akatsuki uniform. His straw hat was in his hands and unusually serious expression on his face. “What’s wrong?” she asked immediately, eyeing his look warily. “I need to report at Akatsuki headquarters, nothing to worry about,” Deidara tried to smile, but Sakura saw through his deceit.

“You’re lying,” she pointed out the obvious. “So I am,” Deidara nodded in response, his usual ‘yeah’ absent from his speech. “Where are you going?” she asked again. “Akatsuki headquarters,” Deidara answered simply. “I need to report to the Leader… yeah.” Sakura stood up as Deidara took a step backwards. “There’s something you’re not telling me,” she remarked as her green eyes narrowed. “It’s likely that I won’t live through this encounter,” Deidara replied seriously. “What are you talking about?” Sakura’s brows furrowed as she stepped closer to the blonde shinobi. “What do you mean?” “Akatsuki does not need anyone who isn’t strong enough to handle a Jinchuuriki,” Deidara explained patiently. “And yet I was nearly killed by Orochimaru and to top it off, you jumped in front of him.” Although he tried to hide it, the bitterness in his voice was still apparent. “But Kisame…” she whispered as she desperately sought for a solution. When she jumped in front of Deidara, she did it with the intention to kill Orochimaru and save Deidara. She had no idea that it might bring Deidara in danger. “Different,” Deidara half-smirked. “Kisame was hit by the Mangekyou Sharingan and unable to fight back. Itachi can explain the consequences after facing that attack; Kisame had a perfectly good reason why he was knocked out by Orochimaru. I don’t.” “Orochimaru was strong,” she said quietly as she took another step into his direction. This time, she was so close to him that she could almost feel his warmth radiating from his body. “There’s no way that any of you could have escaped without injury in that fight.” “There is,” Deidara answered sourly. “If Leader had put in Itachi instead of me in the team, as originally planned, all of this would have been a piece of cake. Orochimaru feared Itachi while he was alive, that’s why he left Akatsuki in the first place.” Sakura’s locks served as an emotional shield when she tipped her head down in desolation. Her eyes followed the lines of the clouds on Deidara’s robes, not wanting to look him in the eye. It was her fault that his life was at stake now. But as if he could read her mind, Deidara’s hand moved to her chin, cupping it gently as he tilted her face to meet his eyes. “Look at me, Sakura,” he instructed quietly. Her eyes travelled up to meet his as his arms wrapped around her waist in an intimate hug. Sighing heavily, she could feel her eyes stinging with tears as she grabbed a handful of his cloak, clinging on to it for dear life. She didn’t want to let him go. If he left, he

might never come back. Like Sasuke. “Deidara,” she whispered against the soft, black and red fabric. His grip on her waist lessened and for a moment, she was afraid that he was leaving her right then and there. But when his soft, full lips pressed against her forehead, she exhaled in relief. She had to let go; he had to go. So she let him go. With pain in her heart, she unwrapped her hands from his robes, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks and onto the ground. She bit her lip in cruel defeat but her helplessness quickly faded as she felt his lips on her cheek, then on the corner of her eye. He was kissing her tears away. Stunned, she took a harsh indrawn breath, closing her eyes in heartache. She needed to say goodbye; this was no time for crying. When she opened her eyes, he was gone. -His long, calloused fingers traced the newly imprinted characters that represented the names of his best friends. Uchiha Sasuke He gritted his teeth unkindly as he tried to fight back his tears. “What do you want, idiot?” He could still recall the way his voice sounded whenever he tried to insult Naruto. Deep and smooth; one of the qualities that Naruto admired about Sasuke was definitely his voice, although he never said anything of the sort to him. But since his childhood, he had wished for such a voice, a voice that could sweep Sakura off her feet. “I don’t ever want to see anyone precious to me die again.” He took in a deep, shaky breath as he tried to stop his tears, but to no avail. There was no stopping them now. “You, who had no parents or siblings from the start… You without any ties to anyone… How could someone like you understand me!” “I understand Sasuke,” he sobbed softly as his fingertips gently traced the outline of Sasuke’s name. “I know what it is to lose someone close to me…” “To me… You have become my closest friend…”

“Naruto… I want to fight you as well.” “Sasuke…” he whispered as he balled his fist. “Sakura-chan…” “Naruto… This will be the only thing I’ll ever ask of you… Bring Sasuke-kun back! I wasn’t enough… And I know that you’re the only one who can bring him back… Who can save him!” Burying his fingers in his blonde hair, he stared at the name of his only female friend. “Ne, Naruto. I believe you now… I thought it was some stupid dream you had, about becoming the next Hokage, but I know you can do it.” “I’ll become the next Hokage,” Naruto whispered as he placed his hand against the cold stone of the memorial. “I’ll become the next Hokage, because the two of you believed in me.” Because the two of you believed in me. Because the three of us are one.

Evolution – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: I really, really dislike transitional chapters, and this one can definitely be considered one, although I think I filled it up pretty nicely. (Off-topic note) It’s my birthday today, hooray! Anyway, enjoy reading! Chapter Seven – Unwelcome Surprise His scent was easily recognizable, a sweet combination of refreshing sandalwood and forest; truly an addicting aroma. One that reminded her of Sasuke. Idly she realized that the two brothers almost smelled the same, but each carried a distinct tang that was only theirs. Brushing a few stray bangs of bubblegum hair out of her eyes, she tensed as he sat down next to her, his hands folded and comfortably resting on top of his stomach, casually letting his gaze wander through Deidara’s garden. Gradually, she allowed herself to relax as she leaned back, letting out a small sigh. “Did Deidara leave already?” Itachi’s smooth voice drifted through the air as he glanced at Sakura. “Yes,” she confirmed quietly, eyes saddening as she thought about her comrade and his

impending fate. She said nothing more as she watched the small bamboo fountain, closing her eyes to block out everything but the soft sounds of the water. She smiled sadly as she thought back about Konoha; Ino had a fountain similar to this one in her garden. They used to play there all the time, picking flowers from the garden, making flower chains and working on their flower arranging until dark. And she would be so exhausted by that time that Ino’s father would give her a piggyback ride back home. “Itachi…” she started, fighting back her tears as she thought back how Ino always waved at her when she was leaving. “Do you ever miss Konoha?” “No,” he said simply, not a trace of nostalgia in his tone. “I see,” she said quietly, hugging her knees. The sun was starting to set; brilliant red and orange beams of light illuminating the calm water in the pond, reflecting on the decorative stones in the water. Sakura smiled contently as she watched the water trickle down the stones as the bamboo clapped down on top of them. It was one of the most tranquil things she had ever seen. Unaware of Itachi’s gaze, Sakura stood up and walked towards the small pond; crouching down while she kept her gaze on the ambient lights in the water. His eyes thinned almost imperceptibly as he watched her. Her smile was as bright as the stars twinkling in the night sky in the honeymoon suite, when she was standing on the balcony. “It’s beautiful here,” she said softly, the smile still adorning her lips. She was enjoying the simple, yet appealing scenery in front of her, and as Itachi moved his gaze away from Sakura’s still form towards the multi-colored water and the bamboo fountain he was fond of, he silently agreed. “There’s one place in Konoha that I loved most,” Sakura said slowly. “It’s a small river at the end of the forest, near the gates. It was surrounded with the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen. Simple, I know, but marvelously beautiful.” Itachi nodded slowly as he stood up and walked towards her. He knew that spot, he had trained there many times before and after Sasuke had been born. It truly was an enchanting place; the wind howled through the thick foliage and the delicate flowers as the river traveled unhurriedly through the area, catching renegade leaves and natural debris. “What’s your favorite place in Konoha?” Sakura asked quietly as she glanced at him, wondering if he would answer the question. She figured that the question was inappropriate when he remained silent for a long time. In order to answer her question, he would have to give her a piece of his past, something he was more than reluctant to share; that much was clear already. Mentally berating herself for making such a foolish mistake, to think that he would ever open up to her, her smile faded as she stood up once the sun had completely disappeared

from the horizon. “I’m sorry,” she apologized softly. “The same as yours.” “The same as mine?” Sakura queried curiously as she whirled around to face Itachi’s back. It took her a moment to figure out what he had meant, but when it finally clicked that he had actually answered her question, a smile bloomed on her lips. Satisfied with the turn of events, she turned around to leave, but yet again, his words stopped her. “There’s no need to leave,” Itachi said evenly as he sat down on the ground. Green eyes widened as she turned around, a searching stare drifted over his back, before she cautiously took a step forward. When he did nothing, she sat down next to him; his eyes never focused on her form. “Can you tell me more about your childhood?” Sakura was careful not to press the subject. The last thing she wanted was to stop him from talking at all. She gave him a thoughtful stare as she refrained herself from commenting, wondering what had happened in his youth. Why he killed his clan—his family. “I was born and I murdered my clan thirteen years later, there’s nothing more to tell,” Itachi said as he rested his arm on top of his knee. Sakura stared at him, looking for any signs of emotion on his face, but it was as uniform as always. “There’s always more to tell,” Sakura coaxed, unwilling to let the subject go. She had already given so much of her; it was time for Itachi to give some of him as well… If he was willing. She shook her head slowly, “There’s no need to tell me now, but just tell me about you one day. I want to be able to understand you.” Although she knew that she would never be able to fully comprehend him, she looked him in the eye, awaiting his reply. When none came, Sakura averted her eyes dejectedly, picking a small flower that grew near her feet. She touched the silky petals carefully, savoring in the feel of the texture under her fingertips. “Why do you wear that ring?” she asked conversationally as she glanced at his scarlet ring. “It’s a requirement for Akatsuki,” he answered without hesitation, as if he knew that she would ask him that sooner or later. “Can I see it?” She felt like a curious six-year old, asking all these inane questions. Surprisingly, Itachi said nothing as he calmly slid the ring of his finger, before handing it to Sakura. “Scarlet,” she read out loud as she admiring the black kanji in the center of the red. “Why scarlet?”

“It’s the color of Konoha,” Itachi replied. “Deidara wears yellow… Does that mean that Stone is yellow?” she asked curiously. He nodded curtly. “Kisame has blue for Mist, Zetsu green for Grass and Sasori brown for Sand.” “Why are you wearing correspondent colors, if you have cut all of your bonds to Konoha?” she resumed her inquiry, sliding the ring over her finger before admiring it in the dim moonlight. “It’s a reminder,” Itachi blinked slowly before continuing. “In every country of the Akatsuki members, there is one bijuu. As long as the bijuu in one’s country isn’t captured, one shouldn’t take the ring off.” “Sasori isn’t wearing his ring… Is it because the Shukaku was extracted from Gaara?” she pondered out loud. Itachi nodded before standing up, casually brushing the stray grass from his cloak. “Kisame is back with the food.” Sakura mimicked Itachi’s movement and stood up as well, “Wait, Itachi, your ring.” She slid the cold, circular band from her finger before thrusting her hand towards him. He eyed the ring for a moment, before turning around. “You can have it,” he answered in that deep voice of his, before striding towards the main house, leaving Sakura behind. As soon as Itachi disappeared through the door, Sakura shyly put the ring back onto her finger, smiling softly before following Itachi into the main house. -She entered the room quickly, sliding the shoji screen shut behind her and took a seat next to Sasori, opposite to Itachi. Upon seeing Sasori, something clicked in her mind. “Is Deidara still gone?” she asked worriedly as she glanced at the shinobi. “Yes,” Sasori smiled as he brushed strands of hair out of his eyes. “It takes two days for the journey to the headquarters and back. The soonest Deidara could be back would be tomorrow night.” “Will your leader…” she swallowed hard, trying to ease the huge lump in her throat. “Will your leader kill him?” “Perhaps,” Kisame growled, answering for Sasori. “Sasori and I both have our opinions on the matter though; I don’t think he will be killing Deidara so soon.” She let a small sigh out of relief, glad that there was some reassurance that Deidara wouldn’t die. A smile played on her lips as she grabbed the bag of food, grabbing her cup of ramen before passing it on to Sasori. “You were worried,” Sasori remarked as he opened his carton before throwing a little bit

of his food in the can of water that stood in the middle of the table. Satisfied when the color didn’t change – a sign that the food hadn’t been tampered with - Sasori picked up his chopsticks before glancing at Sakura. “You like Deidara very much, do you not?” Sasori resisted the urge to smirk into Itachi’s direction. Although Itachi was an impenetrable fortress when it came to deciphering his feelings, there were a few moments when he let his guard down and showed little emotion; such was the case at the moment. Itachi’s eyes were but slits of repressed anger as he body emitted a dangerous wave of chakra. Funny though, how Sasori was the only one who could read others, thanks to his unique ability. Kisame wasn’t noticing anything at all, despite the half-shark not being as dense as one might think. Sakura on the other hand was a clever kunoichi, but she too was left in the dark. For some odd reason, the girl’s attention was solely on her hand. When she finally put her hand on the table to grab her own chopsticks, he at once noticed Itachi’s ring around her finger. My, my, what an interesting development, Sasori smiled in amusement as he glanced at Itachi. Deidara has some competition alright and it seems that the victor has already been decided. “Kisame,” he called out softly. “Can you pass me the soy-sauce?” Kisame grunted in response as he handed the small, black bottle. Sasori accepted it with yet another smile and shared a light conversation with the shark-man, but all the while keeping his eyes on Itachi and Sakura. It soon became clear to him that Sakura was sneaking glimpses towards Itachi during dinner and Itachi was quite comfortable with her stare as he continued eating his sushi. Sasori half-smirked as he realized that the tension around the table was rapidly growing. He had another mission to accomplish after dinner and he had been contemplating asking Itachi to join him on the mission now that Deidara was gone, but it seemed like a good time to leave the both of them alone for the time being. Now Deidara can’t complain about me not having a soft side. “Kisame, I have a mission to accomplish after dinner. Want to come?” he asked, the smile still apparent on his lips. Kisame gave another grunt in response as he dumped his empty carton in the bag they used for the trash and stood up, obviously waiting for Sasori to get up as well. Aren’t we hasty? Sasori resisted the urge to smirk. I hereby revise my opinion about Kisame; he knows exactly what is going on here. Giving a knowing smile at Kisame, he lifted his hand in a farewell, before disappearing into thin air, Kisame following him. Sakura smiled in response as she watched the two shinobi disappear from the small dining room, leaving her and Itachi behind. “Why aren’t you going on anymore missions?” she asked as she resumed eating.

“I am as soon as this has been cleared up,” Itachi replied before glancing at her. “This is Sasori’s mission; he is free to choose whomever he wanted to complete the mission with since Deidara is gone.” “I see,” Sakura remarked, as she twirled the ring on her finger. “Don’t you want to go on missions? You could have asked Sasori to go, couldn’t you?” As much as she tried to hide the underlying tone, a hopeful glint was obvious in her eyes. Itachi knew exactly where she was going with this; she was trying to provoke him, to ask if he remained there for her sake. His glance turned into a glare and she flinched at the hardened look. He didn’t like it when people had certain expectations of him, whether it were things that he should accomplish or say; nobody would force him to do anything again. So he said nothing and silently continued to eat his meal. Sakura quietly watched him, mentally admonishing herself for saying such a thing. She knew Itachi for little over two months now and slowly, she understood what things he would allow himself to talk about and which subjects were taboo in his eyes. And as a side effect of being close to him, she had also learned about the things he liked and the things he disliked which were – unexpectedly – almost similar to Sasuke’s likes and dislikes. Sasuke liked healthy food, and so did Itachi; both were dedicated to keeping their bodies in top form. They also shared the love of the night stars; she had seen on more than one occasion, Itachi fixated on them; just like Sasuke. Sasuke and Itachi both disliked talking about their pasts and the both of them hated fermented soy beans with a deep passion. Sakura almost giggled as soon as she thought back about the time when Deidara decided to offer Itachi some beans. She had never seen a look of such profound disgust in someone’s eyes that clearly, especially not in Itachi’s. But they were different in their own ways. Sasuke was prone to brooding, slouching over when sitting and walking down the road and always showed some sort of emotion; he never hid his disdain or fortitude. On the other side of the spectrum, Itachi was perpetually calculating and cold, and whether he was fighting a foe or sitting in deep contemplation, he always carried a certain pride and dignity that Sasuke lacked. Now that she thought about it, the two brothers were similar in their own ways; yet worlds apart. “I’m going to the village tonight,” Itachi’s voice awoke her from her musings. She looked up to find Itachi looking at her. “Village?” she asked confusedly. “What village?” “Cloud,” Itachi answered as he deposited his carton in the bag. Rising from his seat, he grabbed the Akatsuki cloak that he had thrown over his chair and dressed himself quickly. “Can I come too?” Sakura asked timidly; a small hint of hesitance in her voice. She didn’t

want Itachi to go away, especially not now when she was starting to understand him; if only just a little bit. She also had never been in Cloud before, this would be a perfect opportunity to see some of the village. When the tense silence became too heavy, Sakura spoke up softly, “If you don’t want me to come, you don’t have to…” “Put your cloak on,” Itachi cut in quickly as he turned around and stalked towards the hall. Inner Sakura made a small dance in her mind as she smirked broadly, before running towards her room to find her robes. Quickly, she put them on, before hurrying back towards the hallway where Itachi waited for her. Sharingan watched her every movement as she hastily slipped her sandals on. Wordlessly, he handed her a straw hat before sliding the door open. Itachi left first, undoubtedly to check out if the perimeter was safe before they went out. Sakura padded behind him, sliding the door to Deidara’s house shut and followed Itachi as soon as he started walking. “Itachi-san? Aren’t we supposed to be inconspicuous?” she said as she walked faster to meet his step. “Aren’t our outfits going to rouse suspicion?” “Cloud and Stone aren’t on good terms,” Itachi remarked, a little surprised that Sakura was using an honorific again. “If words get out to Stone that there are Akatsuki members here – especially Deidara – Stone would want to send out hunter-nin for us. But Cloud is against this, so if Stone decided to dispatch the ANBU forces anyway, they will go into war, which is the last thing they want to do.” “But Cloud is one of the five great shinobi countries… Why won’t they send their own ANBU this way?” Sakura inquired curiously. “Cloud has weak shinobi, none of them can match the Akatsuki members,” Itachi answered. “The Daimyou of Lightning is corrupt; he’s doing business with our leader. If the Raikage tried to assassinate us, the Daimyou has the power to put Cloud out of business.” “But what if the Daimyou refuses to answer to your leader’s call?” She tipped her head in consideration. “He would be a fool if he dared such a thing,” Itachi said quietly. Sakura tried to look at him, but the straw hat was obscured the rest of his face. “You would kill him?” she asked incredulously. Surprisingly enough, Itachi laughed softly. Sakura’s eyes widened at the sound; this was the first time she had ever heard him laugh. “Our torture squad would do exactly as the name implies; torture him,” Itachi replied amusedly. “Sasori has a way with human beings and poison.”

“And you could use the Mangekyou Sharingan,” she whispered quietly. “Correct.” Sakura sighed heavily as she fell into step beside him, pondering over all the things he had just shared with her. During her time in Konoha, she never even gave it any thought that Akatsuki had this much power and influence. Sure enough, she knew that they were composed of nine very deadly shinobi, but to think that they had enough power to threaten a Daimyou from one of the great five shinobi countries… It was unbelievable. They say Akatsuki are ruthless executioners, Sakura thought. But aren’t we all the same? Aren’t we all supposed to be impassive machines trained in the art of silent killing. Isn’t that why ANBU exists? -It took them one hour of complete silence to get there. “The Raikage’s headquarters should be easily spotted,” he said in his soft, level voice as they entered through the gates. Surprisingly, only a fleeting look at their robes was enough for them to be granted entrance and Sakura watched in amazement how the stern guards scurried away after only glancing at their cloaks. “Are we going to the Raikage?” Sakura tore her gaze away from the guards and stared at Itachi. “Why?” “We’re visiting the Daimyou,” Itachi replied simply. “He should be in the headquarters.” “Akatsuki business?” she asked as her eyes roamed through the village. It looked just like Konoha; young children playing ninja with smiles on their faces, woman carrying large bags of food; Chuunins who shared light conversations about their recent mission. “That’s right,” Itachi took his hat off, the bells attached to the hat chiming slightly. “You’re free to go wherever you want,” he added after a short pause. “There’s a little café in the main street. I expect you there at six o’clock.” “At six o’clock,” she glanced at the large clock in the center of the square they stood on, tipping her head slightly as she narrowed her eyes. “Wait, Itachi-san. That’s four hours from now!” “You’re not a part of Akatsuki, so I cannot take you with me,” Itachi answered darkly before stalking off. Sakura watched his retreating back for a moment, before she sighed faintly and took her own hat off. Smiling brightly, she starting humming softly as she made her way through the main street, oblivious to the poignant stares she got from the inhabitants of Cloud. -“That wasn’t too hard to find,” Tooya remarked squarely as he glanced at the house in

front of him. Fingertips gently caressed the shoji screen before him, clear-blue eyes sharp and alert. “So this is where Deidara lives?” “Yeah,” Kira responded neutrally. “They’re not here though, I can’t sense their chakra signatures. Do you want me to watch the perimeter and warn you when they’re near?” “No,” Tooya shook out his short black hair as he pushed the shoji screen open. “Let’s check his house out. Perhaps we will find something interesting about Akatsuki.” “I’m sure the Mizukage would be happy,” he spat out as an afterthought. He heard his partner chuckle behind him as he stepped inside the house, not bothering to pull his sandals off. He stalked into the house, taking his time to make as much a mess as he could. Behind him, Kira bore a smirk on his face as he followed his partner. That’s Tooya for you, he mused amusedly. Although he’s a grown man, he can still act like a child. He watched as Tooya walked into one of the bedrooms. Seconds later, he reappeared, holding a red shirt in his hands that obviously belonged to a woman. As he gave the top a once over, he came to the conclusion that it was the same one that the girl – Sakura – wore when they first saw her. “That medic from Konoha?” Kira arched his eyebrows. “Why is she still with them?” “Beats me,” Tooya grinned. “I’m sure they don’t belong to Deidara though, and as long as she’s still with them, it will make everything a lot easier.” “Question,” Kira leaned against the small desk, letting his fingertips roam over the pastelcolored walls. “Why is the Kyuubi so interesting for you? Why not meet up with the Kazekage? He was a Jinchuuriki too.” Tooya halted his movements for a moment as he turned around to face his brown-haired companion. “That’s the whole idea; Sabaku no Gaara has lost his demon. I want to meet one of my kind who still has one.” “Let’s go into another room,” Kira suggested after a while. Tooya curtly nodded before stalking out of the room; Kira falling into step beside him. -“Damn, where did I put my wallet?” Sakura cussed softly as the salesman stared at her expectantly. Fumbling in her inside pocket instead of encountering soft fabric, she stumbled upon a small scroll. A scroll? How could I not have noticed it? Frowning slightly, she took the scroll out of her pocket before reading the bold kanji emblazoned on the parchment. Uchiha Itachi

With a start, she quickly realized that she knew the handwriting; the distinctive kanji was easily recognizable; a style she had seen many times before. Sasuke… Without another word, she turned around, leaving the flabbergasted salesman behind. Her eyes stung as she traced the kanji strokes gently. Reaching a small, quiet alley, Sakura guardedly looked around before breaking the seal.

Evolution – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: After a great remark that came from Stem, I couldn’t help but laugh. She told me that DeiSaku is my Frankenstein. Perhaps she’s right, before, I couldn’t find any DeiSaku fics and now they’re starting to come up! I’m glad to see people are giving other pairings a chance as well and that there are some who are actually inspired after reading Evolution! Chapter Eight – Perceived Threats With trembling hands and tears clouding her vision, Sakura hastily rolled the scroll up and stuffed it her robes. Wiping away the offending droplets with the same frantic pace she had adopted, she took one last intake of air before stepping out of the alley and merging into the crowds. She could feel eyes on her, scrutinizing her hunched body as pink locks fruitlessly tried to hide red, puffy eyes. It didn’t help her composure when she noticed she was still receiving some disgusted stares at her cloak. After a period of listless wandering through the village, her earlier spirit absent, she ended up in the same place where she started; the square. Checking the large clock in the center of the square, her eyes widened slightly as she realized it was almost six o’clock and she ought to find the café Itachi was talking about. She needed to talk to him, for now that was all she wanted. The sun had disappeared long before and the streets were now completely deserted, save for a stray cat and two children playing near a small fountain in the center of the piazza. She watched them for a moment – it was yet another sight that made her wistful with memories of her first meeting with Ino – before she remembered herself and her objective. Staring at the youngsters for just a moment longer, she turned around. The square broke off into four other streets, three of them were small pathways that seem to lead to the residential area of the village while the last one was crowded with shops and restaurants; it was the very same road Itachi had taken to the headquarters of the Raikage. Assuming that this was the main street Itachi was talking about, she starting walking, pocketing her hands as she caressed the smooth exterior of the scroll absentmindedly.

There was only one café opened, leading her to believe that this was the same café Itachi was talking about. Taking a peek inside, she quickly noted that he was already there; his red and black cloak was easily distinguishable to her senses. Pushing the door open, she flinched as the small bell above the entrance rung and caught most of everyone’s attention. Patrons and workers alike looked up from their conversations to watch the roseate kunoichi walk inside; interest and disgust alight in their gazes. Ignoring their fixed stares, she made her way through the bar, crisscrossing around the tables and chairs before reaching the dark corner where Itachi was seated. Wordlessly, she sat down opposite of him. Before long, a very nervous man shuffled towards them, sweat gleaming on his forehead as he tried to smile politely. “Can I get you something, madam?” he spoke up, tremors lacing each word as he held up his notepad and pencil. “Sake please,” she ordered, not caring that she was still two years too young to actually drink sake. The waiter obviously realized that she wasn’t twenty yet, but nodded and headed towards the bar, whispering something to the bartender. As her gaze traveled back to Itachi, she found him looking at her, genuine interest flickering in his eyes. “I didn’t know you were twenty,” he humored her. “And had such good taste too.” Sakura’s eyes widened in shock; she would had never guessed Itachi to be capable of teasing, even if he wasn’t as tight lipped as he had been when she had first laid eyes on him weeks ago. He still didn’t openly share his feelings with her or let them shine through when he didn’t want them to, but she was starting to get accustomed to him and his strange mood swings. Her eyes roamed over his blank features for a moment habit she had unknowingly developed, when her eyes darted to his masculine lips that curled into a small smirk. She mentally admonished herself for being so attracted to him, it complicated everything. She took in a deep breath in order to clear her mind and prepare the words she wanted to say, but was interrupted before she had even uttered a syllable. Curtsey of the waiter and her sake. “One sake for you, madam,” he put down the small, beige bottle and the porcelain cups before retreating, finding safety in the direction of his other customers. Before she could even grab the bottle, Itachi picked it up, removing the cork before sniffing the sake, presumably to check for any sign of poison or perhaps even anesthetics. Satisfied, he poured some sake into her cup. “I’m going to leave,” she blurted out as the sake come to an abrupt halt, amazingly enough, Itachi didn’t allow a drop to spill. Unable to answer the intense gaze she felt radiating off him, she started to trace the lines on the wooden table with her eyes, unsuccessfully trying to distract herself from the situation at hand. Itachi put the bottle back on the table before he lifted her sake to his mouth, taking a

small sip as he leaned back, giving Sakura a searching stare. With resolve set in her mind, she held up one trembling fist towards him, before opening her hand to reveal his ring. He couldn’t help but be a little surprised; he had expected her to keep it, not give it back after only one day. She meticulously placed the ring in the middle of the table before her hand drew back into her lap. He noticed that the quiver in her hand had spread to the rest of her body and knew that underneath her small curtain of pink hair she was crying. Yet he said nothing as he picked up the ring, and slid the familiar metal in place. “Where will you go now?” He asked after a long silence as he took another sip of sake, enjoying the way it warmed his insides. Pinwheel eyes watched her shuffle around in her chair, awaiting her answer patiently. “… I don’t know,” she whispered quietly, still not prepared to meet his gaze. “What changed your mind?” he continued the questions, fairly interested in why she suddenly changed her mind. She was still weeping; he could see the tears gather at her chin before dripping down on her cloak and hands. Quietly, he wondered why she was crying if she was willing to leave. “… Sasuke…” Eyes contracted in annoyance as he put the cup back on the table. His eyes were glued to her as her hand slipped into her robes and pulled something out. Quickly recognizing the familiar scroll in her hands, he stared at the broken seal; she had read it. “Sorry for reading it,” her voice faltered slightly but he could easily hear that she was slowly regaining some of her inner strength. “But I recognized Sasuke’s handwriting and well, curiosity got the better of me; I wanted to know why he left you this.” “Does it say anything interesting?” Itachi queried as he brought more sake to his lips. Sakura finally tilted her head up as she brushed the strands of hair away from her eyes. No longer was she scurrying away from his stare, instead she met the apathetic glint with new conviction, despite the few remaining tear trails on her cheeks. “I think you should read it,” she said firmly as she pushed the scroll towards Itachi in a decidedly negligent manner, contradicting the care she had earlier shown his ring. His eyes lingered on Sakura before he picked up the offending object. The parchment was crisp with age and blotchy with blood, but it was readable. “Itachi, By the time you get this, Orochimaru will have taken over my body and you have most likely murdered him; Orochimaru informed me that Akatsuki would be coming for him sooner or later. Next week will be the day that I die and my only regret is that I couldn’t face you one last time. So I’ll place my faith in Naruto. I was told that the Kyuubi inhabits his body and I finally

understand why you are hunting him. After all it was because of the demon that Naruto was able to heal fast and have an endless stream of chakra. A creature that powerful must certainly intrigue you. I anticipate the moment he kills you, so that whatever ambition you had when you killed my clan, is destroyed and cleansed from this earth. He will finish what I could not. And I shall see your traitorous soul join me soon, brother.” Itachi eyed the rest of the scroll curiously, unaffected by his brother’s cold words. Sasuke had obviously revised the letter many times; crossing through any errors and unnecessary sentences. But Itachi’s uncaring outlook changed almost imperceptibly as he realized that Sakura’s name was mentioned too, although Sasuke had crossed through the sentence where her name was. Trying to decipher what it said, he could only read a few of the words. Sakura… Top medic… Friend… “I…” Sakura whispered, tears rising to the surface once more. “I wanted to believe that Sasuke wanted me to be happy. I wanted to believe that Sasuke wouldn’t mind if I continued this…this…whatever this is with you. But I can’t now that I’ve read that.” “I have to leave,” she added softly, but with a steadfast undertone. “You’re a missing-nin. The ANBU who used to protect you will now hunt you down and murder you,” Itachi remarked coldly as he refilled his cup. “Your only friends are Deidara and Kisame but even they will not help you if you leave.” “I know,” she swallowed hard. “But how long will it take before your leader orders you to kill me? How many more hunter-nin will come and put all of you in danger because they’re following my tracks?” Itachi nodded slowly; she did have a point. “If this is what you want, then you are free to go.” “My stuff is still at Deidara’s house… I need them.” They were her only possessions after all. Itachi said nothing as he stood up and threw some money on the table. The anxious waiter quickly ran towards them and bowed deeply as they steadily walked away. Itachi opened the door, allowing Sakura go out first. She sighed softly before placing her hat back on her head and passed the threshold quickly. Itachi followed soon after her but purposely lagged behind as they made their way through the main street. Although it had been hours since the sun had set, the moon bathed the streets in an almost ethereal light. Sakura harshly bit her lip as she looked at the moon. No matter how many times she saw the celestial roundness of the full moon, it would always serve to remind her of Sasuke.

He left when the moon was full – she would never forget about that. Her train of thoughts suddenly came to an end as a warm hand grabbed her wrist. Startled, she already had three kunai between her fingers before she realized that it was Itachi holding her wrist. There was no time to say anything as Itachi roughly dragged her into a passage between two stores. She only had a brief moment to realize that this was the same alley she had stumbled into earlier before Itachi had her pressed against the frigid stone wall. His hand clamped over hers as she tried to squirm away from him, maybe even punch him for startling her. “Itachi! What are you doing?” Her angry tone made place for a silent whisper as his thumb lazily rubbed her cooled hand. She could feel his warm breath fan over her cheeks as he delicately pulled her hat off, exposing the glare of her rosy tresses. In a tender manner she had never before witnessed in him, he brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, before he traced the elegant curve of her neck. His eyes were still unreadable as they traveled over her face. His gaze stopped several times on various spots, as if he tried to memorize all of her during those few, precious moments. Finally, his eyes found hers as he snaked one of his arms around her waist possessively. Deep down, she knew that she should have stopped him. In order to remain loyal to Sasuke as she had promised herself, she should have pushed him away every time. But the warmth that he exuded was much too tempting and she found herself unable to stop him or herself. The first brush of his lips against her own inspired a wonderful feeling her stomach; she hadn’t felt this giddy since before Sasuke’s death. She whimpered softly as his hand fisted in her short hair, tipping her head slightly as he deepened the kiss. She knew this kiss was the last; that this was goodbye. No matter how much she wanted to stay with him, she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. Desperate to make this moment last, her arms winded around his waist, clutching him closer against her. She could almost taste the smirk upon his lips as he leaned in closer, instigating another toe-curling kiss. Passion shot through her veins, throbbing deliciously as he moved down to the supple skin of her neck. Only a small part of her cared that the rough wall against her back was rather uncomfortable, as her shoulder blades and vertebrae were starting to strain from the unkind surface, but to say something now would ruin the moment. In an effort to distract herself from her aching back, she tugged the tie loose from his hair, her hands reverently ravaging the glossy hair and admiring its texture and sheen. “I want you to stay,” Itachi whispered against her neck. Eyes shot open in response, breaking the spell of desire as Itachi remained silent, waiting for a response. She bit her lip as she valiantly tried to fend off the tears that were threatening to overwhelm her. As Itachi moved back to see her reaction, she avoided his

eyes. She was afraid to show him how much those simple words affected her, especially when they came from his mouth. When she finally mustered up the courage to look him in the eye, his eyes were already drowning in her own; a questioning look caught in the haze of red. With a small start, she realized that this was the first time that she ever saw a hint of uncertainty in his eyes, however microscopic it may have been. “I… I wish I could,” Sakura whispered softly, breaking the fragile connection between her and Itachi. “But I can’t Itachi, I’m sorry.” Itachi blinked slowly as if he tried to digest her words. Then as quickly as he pinned her to the wall, he backed away from her. Reaching in his robes, he pulled out a new tie and fixed his hair with certain dignity and ease, as if a heated interlude had not just taken place. Sakura took in a deep lungful of air before pushing herself from the wall, flinching as she felt Itachi’s hand cup her cheek. “You’re cold,” Itachi remarked, the nonchalant tone back in place. His thumb casually wiped a few of her tears away before relinquishing his hold on her. He turned around and placed the hat back on his head before striding away calmly. Sakura watched him walk away in that regal manner of his before following him, putting the hat back on her head to conceal her tears. Reaching up to idly dab the tears away, she realized that he was right. She was cold. -“Damn,” Deidara cursed as he shakily landed on a branch. He had been running for the past four hours and finally reached Cloud. Cursing softly, he checked the wound on his arm to make sure he hadn’t made it even bigger in his haste. Deidara was pretty sure that Leader had meant to rip it off as a punishment for being such a fool along with the added delight of the unsightly abrasions he was sure to find on his abdomen. Damn, I hope Sakura will fix me up… yeah. He sighed before doubling his speed, flinching with every jump and landing. The sooner he got home, the sooner his pain would be history. That was his only consoling thought. Passing the town where the Raikage resided, he contemplated finding a medic, but ultimately decided against it. Not only was Sakura an extremely qualified medic-nin, she was also a dear friend to him and the thought of Sakura fixing him was more tempting than the idea of an unknown nurse touching him. Just as he was about to turn in the direction towards his house, his eye fell on the gate to Cloud. “Akatsuki?” he whispered confusedly, eyebrows furring. “One is definitely a girl.” Girl? Hold on Deidara. We don’t have females in Akatsuki…Then…

“Sakura!” he yelled ecstatically as he started waving frantically. He watched in glee as the Akatsuki-clad girl turned towards him, and pulled his hat off, revealing his trademark blonde hair. Sakura mimicked his gestures and waved back as she pulled her hat off her head, revealing her own pink hair. As the figure next to her turned towards him, he could easily recognize that her companion was Itachi. Deidara’s smile wavered momentarily as he gritted his teeth. But the anger that had welled up inside of him at the sight of Itachi quickly vanished when Sakura started to run towards him. “Deidara,” she panted as she jogged towards him, leaving Itachi behind. “You’re hurt!” “You don’t say… yeah?” Deidara murmured sarcastically as he sat down on the grass. “Leader didn’t go easy on me.” “Let me see,” she whispered softly as she crouched down beside him. Sighing heavily, Deidara stood up with the greatest of effort, aided by Sakura as she grabbed his arm. He smiled gratefully before lifting his hands in an attempt to open up his robes. Immediately, an intense, white-hot pain flamed through his arm, forcing an obscenity out of his mouth. Sakura said nothing as she unbuttoned his robes and slid her hands inside the sleeves, gently helping him out of his cloak. Her eyes meandered over his battered body, taking in every cut, every bruise and the large, gaping wound on his arm. “Did he try to kill you?” she whispered unbelievingly as she urged him to sit down again. “If he had tried, he would have succeeded,” Itachi said calmly as he appeared next to Sakura. Glancing at the wounds on Deidara’s body with a certain curiosity, he sat down on the grass, observing Sakura as she started to heal the lesser wounds. “He’s angry though… yeah,” Deidara chuckled painfully. “It seems Zetsu has been killed in a mission.” “Zetsu?” Sakura inquired as her hands moved up to Deidara arm. “When did that happen?” “Yesterday… yeah,” Deidara answered thoughtfully. “And now there’s an open spot in Akatsuki and it seems Leader has no idea who to replace Zetsu with… Interested, Sakura-chan?” Sakura’s eyes turned downcast and Deidara’s smile disappeared as soon as it came. He had fully expected her to smile at him, to humor him, but certainly not this. A quick glance in Itachi’s direction told him that Itachi had seen the change in Sakura, but chose not to speak up. “I’m leaving…” Sakura murmured quietly as she started the healing process on Deidara’s arm.

Deidara gave Sakura a perplexed gawk before chuckling softly. “Nice Sakura, you almost had me fooled… yeah.” “She is not joking,” Itachi answered flatly. “Say what?” Deidara’s visible eye widened before he grabbed Sakura’s hand. “Is he serious about this Sakura? Are you really leaving?” Silently pleading for her to tell him that it was all just a joke; that she wouldn’t leave – that she would stay – he watched her, biting his lip in anticipation. Even if she wanted to leave, Itachi would probably stop her this time around; he would not want Sakura to go away… would he? “I… I am leaving Deidara,” she said evenly as she averted her eyes. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. “…But why?” Deidara’s voice implored. “I mean… Where would you go? Aside from us, I doubt that there’s anyone who wants to help you now that you’re a missing-nin… yeah.” “I don’t know, but I can’t stay here,” she sighed heavily before glancing at his wound again. “Let me heal this for you.” As her hands stretched out towards the gaping wound that showed signs of infection, Deidara moved his arm back and grabbed her wrist with his good arm. “No, not before you tell me why you’re leaving… yeah.” The same angered and somewhat threatening look she had seen in Orochimaru’s lair was etched on his features once again, but his rage wasn’t directed at her. While her eyes wandered over Deidara’s face, she could see that his lone, blue eye was directed at Itachi. Itachi however, was looking as stoic as ever – maybe even more so than usual – as he watched Deidara with an interested expression in his eyes. “No particular reason… I just felt that I should leave you be,” she lied quickly, feeling how rapidly the intensity in the atmosphere had risen. The same, cold sensation she had gotten before was filling the air, making it difficult for her lungs to catch a good breath. For some reason, a wrathful Deidara had this effect on her. “Right,” Deidara whispered, eyebrows arched. “And I suppose this has nothing to do with us individually, just the organization?” “Yes,” she smiled sadly as his eye focused back on her, the animosity in the air disappearing gradually. “Okay then,” Deidara forced himself to grin, forced himself to cast the illusion that he believed her deceit. He knew that the source of her leaving was Itachi; whether it was something he had said or done, it was definitely Itachi’s fault. Not for the first time did Deidara feel true hatred towards his companion. The first happened when he kissed Sakura on the kitchen table so many weeks ago. The second

was during their raid in Orochimaru’s lair, when he had upset her after she had found out about Sasuke’s death. And now this. But Sakura loved him. Sakura would do anything for him. Deidara was sure that if Itachi asked her to stay, she would stay, no matter what consequences. His false grin broadened as he allowed Sakura to heal his wound, staying completely still in order to let her concentrate. He ignored Itachi’s deep gaze through the entire process, determined not to let his anger get out of control again. Sakura was scared of his temper. Especially the way it seemed to strangely influence his surroundings. Deidara never paid it any heed as he repeatedly told himself that it was ridiculous to get angry since there never were any good reasons to be. When he joined Akatsuki, he should have left his emotions back in Stone. He watched in awe how Sakura’s skilled chakra quickly patched him up. He could actually see the tissue healing quickly before the wound closed. Astonished, he glanced at Sakura who was smiling happy as her hands withdrew. Sure that his eye was popping out of its socket, he smiled back before inspecting his hand. “Damn Sakura, you’re a miracle worker… yeah,” he admired her handy work before standing up and picking his robes up from the grass. “I’ve seen a few medic-nin, but you are by far the most talented,” he added, genuinely complimenting her. “Thank you,” Sakura smiled, glad that the evening sky didn’t reveal the hard blush that stained her cheeks. She had been complimented many times on her skills since Tsunade had trained her, but she had never expected a compliment from an Akatsuki member. Then again, her entire judgment on the organization had changed tremendously and she found herself amazed how friendly some of the Akatsuki members were. She had expected them all to be ruthless killers with no conscience and a lifeless face, like Itachi. Never in a million years would she have expected to find a second Naruto in Akatsuki. But Deidara certainly equaled her friend in more than a few aspects. He had the friendly disposition, the blonde hair and the blue eyes, although Naruto’s hair was significantly shorter. Their personalities were similar as well; both were friendly and protective, yet both were dangerous when angered. It wasn’t the first time that she had compared Deidara with Naruto, and the more she learned about him, the more he reminded her of the blonde back in Konoha with the dream to become the next Hokage. The longing to see Naruto struck her for a moment, filling her mind with the memories of her and the blonde boy. After he had returned from his training with Jiraiya, it dawned on her how he had matured, and perhaps just for a little while, she had a crush on him. But she had dismissed it quickly enough, blaming the hormones that were raging through her body. Forcing herself to smile, she helped Deidara as he clumsily tried to get his robes on,

obviously forgetting that his wound wasn’t fully healed. “I’ll completely heal it when we’re back at your house,” she said, the smile still apparent on her lips. “This was just emergency treatment.” “I see…” Deidara chuckled. “And here I was, thinking that everything would be alright since Konoha’s top medic would fix me up. You’re quite the disappointment…yeah.” Sakura tried as hard as she could to give him a death glare but failed miserably as his eye creased happily and a genuine smile bloomed on his lips. She chuckled softly, before hitting Deidara half-heartedly on his shoulder. The whole time Itachi had watched them silently as the two of them laughed boisterously before they finally started to walk back towards Deidara’s house. Surprisingly enough, a strange but wondrous feeling welled up in his chest. In his life, he hadn’t experienced many delightful things, but hearing Sakura laugh without any false pretenses, was truly pleasurable. And beautiful. -“Home at last,” Deidara sighed contently as his small, traditional Japanese house came into view. Never before had he been any happier to be home. Smiling, he turned around to face Sakura, before holding out his hand towards her. She was leaving soon and he really wanted to talk to her one last time, fully determined to find out why she was so intent on leaving. A smile flourished on her lips as she accepted his hand, before being led towards the house. She turned her head around slightly as she tried to face Itachi, but the Uchiha was standing still, a curious expression on his features. He’s probably checking the perimeter… Her smile slightly faded as she turned around before following Deidara into the house. Taking her sandals off, she noticed Deidara looking at a spot on the floor, eyebrows knitting together. “Sakura, have you ever forgotten to take your sandals off… yeah?” Deidara’s expression became serious as he crouched down on the floor, inspecting the mud on his usual pristine, wooden floor. “No,” she answered simply before crouching down next to Deidara. “Perhaps it’s one of Akatsuki?” “No… Itachi always takes his sandals off when he steps into a house, and Kisame does the same,” Deidara moved towards another spot where the unsightly mud resided. “Sasori-sama’s footprints are smaller than these and he knows better than to irk me by making my house a mess.”

“What about the other members?” Sakura asked as she stood up, attention drawn to a spot on the wall. Examining the spot, she concluded that it was a muddy handprint. “They don’t know where my house is, except Leader, but he never leaves the Akatsuki headquarters… yeah,” Deidara replied before standing from his crouching position. Turning around, he quickly found the lights and clicked them on, intent on finding out who entered his house. “The prints are all over the house,” Sakura exclaimed as she started to follow the footsteps carefully, whipping out a kunai in process. “They’re definitely not hunter-nins, they would never leave such evidence.” “There are footsteps outside too,” Itachi’s soft voice drifted through the air. Sakura turned around, absentmindedly twirling her kunai around her fingers. “What about civilians? Perhaps it’s someone from Cloud who lost their way?” she asked, brushing a couple of pink bangs from her eyes. “This house is hidden between two mountains. There’s an entire forest you need to cross in order to find this location, not to mention that it’s miles away from the nearest town,” Deidara explained hastily, grabbing his pouch to check his clay reserves. “The only ones who could reach this place would be a high-skilled shinobi… yeah.” “There are two shinobi hiding,” Itachi answered as he turned around to face the shoji screens. “I think they just realized that we know they’re here, and they’re closing in on us. I believe you were hunting those two with Sasori.” “That darn sanbi?” Deidara’s eyes widened. “Why would he voluntarily seek us out? Is he out of his mind? Does he want to die… yeah?” “…Tooya,” Sakura whispered, remembering the dark-haired shinobi from Mist. “His name is Tooya, right? He has dark hair and blue eyes.” “You met him?” Deidara turned around to face her. “Yes, it was on the night when you first left. I heard Sasori describing him later on and knew that I had fought him,” Sakura remembered. “I remember that he has the ability to steal your chakra.” “Great,” Deidara beamed. “I was hoping to get another crack at someone to prove myself. Once I’m done with that bastard, I’ll make him mop my house… yeah.” “They’re here,” Itachi remarked before spinning on his heels, leaving the house. “Well, let’s go Sakura… yeah,” Deidara grinned as he walked back to the shoji screens, sliding his sandals on. Sakura following his lead, hurriedly put her sandals around her feet before standing up. As she watched Deidara take out his clay, she suddenly appreciated how much she truly loved her friend. Acting on this spur of affection, she wrapped her arms around his waist,

eliciting a small chuckle from Deidara as he encircled his arms around her in response. “What’s this about… yeah?” Deidara kept chuckling. “If you wanted a hug, you could have just said so… yeah.” “I’m sorry, I’m acting ridiculous,” she quickly pulled away from the hug as she felt a tear escape from the corner of her eye. Deidara stared at her before wiping the tear away from her cheek. He seemed like he was contemplating something for a moment, before bowing down to meet her eyes. She watched as his eye crinkled in happiness, smiling in return. But when she momentarily closed her eyes to calm herself down, she could feel his lips pressing against hers. Amazed by the compassion of his kiss, her eyes opened to watch Deidara’s closed one. Whether it was because he didn’t want to see her reaction as he kissed her, or if he just tried to shut everything else out, she didn’t know. The kiss was soft and chaste, filled with certain tenderness. Pulling away from her, he smiled uncertainly as he inspected her reddened cheeks and flushed smile. He had seriously thought that she would hate him for kissing her again, maybe even start yelling and cursing him, especially after making her feelings for Itachi apparent, but to his surprise, Sakura just pulled him closer to her and kissed him warmly on his cheek. His little sister Iname had once told him that whenever girls are sad or worried, the thing they long most for is comfort. And there were various ways to comfort someone; you could give them a hug, speak soothing words, or give the other one a small kiss as a reassurance – although she had mentioned that the only ones who could do this were very good friends. Silently thanking Iname for being right, he grinned widely before leading Sakura outside. -“Well, well, look what we have got here,” a deep voice drawled as Deidara and Sakura stepped out of the house. “Blondie boy and our prey.” “Prey?” Itachi asked curiously, casting a sideward glance towards the two who had just joined the battle. “Why is Sakura your prey?” “We want the Kyuubi to join us in a battle against Akatsuki,” the brown-haired man answered. “If we use Sakura to get what we want, the Kyuubi’s powers will be ours.” “Ah, so you’re an inept Jinchuuriki… yeah,” Deidara taunted. “You need the power of the Kyuubi to have a standing chance at killing us.” “Let’s see how inept I am once I’ve killed you all,” Tooya growled as his incensed chakra started to swirl around in the vicinity, making Sakura slightly flinch at the overpowering murdering intent. “Then what are you waiting for?” Itachi replied coolly. “Good question,” Tooya smirked as he lifted his hands up, forming a series of seals.

Deidara gave him a puzzled look as he crouched down into fighting position. “Itachi, what are those seals? I’ve never seen them before… yeah,” he shot a questioning glance towards Itachi before grabbing a kunai. Even if the boy seemed weaker than most Jinchuuriki he had seen, they were not a force to underestimate. But he’d prefer to end this all with just a kunai, instead of using his explosives. Destroying his house and the surrounding area was not on his to-do list. Itachi let out a small sound of amusement as the tomoes in the Sharingan started to spin wildly. “I’ve never seen this technique before.” “What!” Deidara stared at Itachi in incredulity. “You know over a thousand techniques, Kisame showed you everything of Mist, yet you’ve never seen this one!” “There is no way of knowing this one,” Tooya laughed maniacally. “It’s a technique reserved for the Jinchuuriki. I’m the first one who will ever use this technique on you and I might as well make it the last.” “Little brat,” Deidara viciously gnashed his teeth together as he glanced at Sakura. She still had the stubborn look in her eyes, but now he could also spot insecurity and fear. Gripping the kunai in his hand even harder, he tried to charge towards the Jinchuuriki but found himself unable to. “We’re paralyzed,” Itachi remarked simply as he stared at the dark-haired ANBU who was forming a ball of chakra in his hands. Quickly calculating the density of chakra in the attack, he frowned slightly as he realized that he was preparing for a fatal blow. “Deidara,” he called out, attracting the blonde’s attention. “If we get hit by that attack, we’ll most certainly die.” “Shit,” the man next to him cursed. “Can’t you use the Sharingan or Mangekyou!” “Both of them aren’t looking at me,” the Uchiha replied as he tried to find the flaw in the paralyzing technique with his Sharingan. “I can’t use my doujutsu if they aren’t looking at me.” “He finished his attack,” Sakura called out softly, her voice trembling slightly. The attack had paralyzed her as well and to be honest, the enormous chakra that Tooya was emitting was scaring her. Both men watched as Tooya and Kira took a step backwards and Tooya started to aim the attack. The ball was not much larger than a melon but all three of them could feel the devastating energy within it. Especially Sakura, after being trained in recognizing chakra and feeling the intensity of it, she could feel the immense power of the ball weigh down on her, constricting her chest and making it hard for her to inhale. It was then that Tooya directed the ball towards her, a maniacal expression on his face as he released the ball and it started to careen towards her. Quickly, her medic mind took over, going over all the possibilities that she could use

once the ball hit her. Hinata had been trying to teach her how to release chakra into a barrier, but she hadn’t perfected her technique yet and if it went through the barrier, it would be all for nothing. Then again, Tsunade had taught her a technique that Kabuto knew well. If she begun the healing process before getting hit, the damage would be severe but not life threatening. Deeming it the best option, Sakura closed her eyes as she started to mold chakra throughout her entire body, getting a head start on the healing process. As a last resort, she could use Tsunade’s special technique to heal all her wounds at once. It would cost her a couple of years of her life, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t want to die yet. Just as the ball was about to tear into her body, something flew out in front of her. She gasped breathlessly as she realized that her savior was wearing a terrifyingly familiar Akatsuki cloak. She could heard the blood rushing to her head and her heart strumming erratically as she screamed for the person in front of her when they took the full impact of the deadly attack and plummeted lifelessly towards the ground.

Evolution – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Wow, it’s almost the end of Evolution! I can’t believe how quick this project is moving! This chapter is dedicated to Tsumii, who had been terrible impatient for the last chapter, so I hope that this one satisfies her needs while she’s waiting patiently every weekend for an update. Chapter Nine – Distracted by Defeat Years ago, when Team 7 was still Team 7 and Sasuke was still living and breathing, all three of them had gone on a C-ranked mission to protect a business man from harm from robbers and other scum in Rain. It was their last mission as a team together. Two weeks later Sasuke took off. They had been watching the stars all night - Naruto eventually dozed off, snoring softly from her left as Sasuke shifted on her right. She still could remember that night, the moment that everything felt…perfect. Just to be there with two of the most important boys in her life was amazing. Yes, once upon a time she had loathed Naruto and was disgusted by his abnormal behavior and childish outlook on life, but by the time the Chuunin exams were over, she had grown to respect him, even admire him. His reckless determination and fierce loyalty

astounded her to this day. But the one on her right was the one that captured her full attention. Even long after he had turned his back on her and wished her goodnight, she kept her gaze steady on the Uchiha insignia on his back, wishing with all her might that one day, he would actually see her and acknowledge her as more than an annoyance. The maybe she could have the life that she had been dreaming of. She drifted off shortly after that, but returned to the land of the living only after a few, short hours, bathing in cold sweat. Nightmares about Sasuke leaving had been haunting her for quite some time now. But when she woke up, he was there, hovering over her with a concerned look in his eyes. After quietly murmuring that it was just a nightmare, his eyes saddened, but only for an instant. The foreign emotion in his eyes was gone as soon as it came. Yet the shock of seeing something other than distain and ambition in his eyes was nothing compared to her astonishment when he wiped away the tears on her cheeks before giving her a chaste and uncertain hug, whispering in that deep tenor of his that it was just a dream and that everything would be alright. It was one of the only times when he had made an effort to comfort her and try to soothe her fears. She could clearly remember how his calm voice sounded in her ear and how he had blushed wildly when she mentioned that he never voluntarily hugged her before. For the first time since Orochimaru appeared, she had genuinely believed that he would stay with them forever, that he would be strong enough to resist the temptation and find power in his own way - in Konoha. How she wished that she could still smell how the scent of forest and sandalwood clung to his skin. How she wished that he could be here with her and comfort her once more as another one of her friends fell. Finding herself unable to move, she watched in utter horror, as Deidara’s trademark blonde hair came into terrifying focus. The moment could have been a disturbing, yet enthralling portrait. His body arched gracefully with exquisite pain and blood the color of roses soared in the air in an almost artistic manner. His face, oh god, his face…though it may be splattered with crimson, a small turn of the lips adorned his face and made him an immortal figure of art. But the moment was over as he landed on his back, barely ten feet away from her and the paralyzing jutsu was suddenly released. But for all she knew the jutsu could have worn off ages ago and she stood frozen of her own will. The problem she seemed to have with her knees persisted, and once again they couldn’t hold her horrified figure. For a moment, she had thought that it had ended, but Deidara proved her wrong as he coughed violently, blood gushing from his lips and staining his chin. On hands and knees, she crawled to him as quickly as she could, ignoring the loud crash of thunder that resounded in the air and the downpour of rain that the heavens unleashed upon them. Forming a flurry of seals, she quickly started the healing process on Deidara.

Eyes that had been trained to understand the human body and all of its maladies, immediately informed her that his inner organs were severely damaged and he was more than likely suffering from internal bleeding. In addition the numerous lacerations and broad hole in the middle of his upper body may very well kill him from blood loss if she didn’t act fast. But the side of her that was emotionally attached could only see the blood. Throughout her entire career as a medic and as a kunoichi, she had never seen the red liquid flow so generously out of person before, never really understood just how much blood was in a person. But with Sasuke…and now Deidara… Her ignorant eyes had been opened. She knew right off the back that she didn’t have enough chakra to heal his entire wound, but she had a sufficient amount to heal just enough. If she could just make it in time, Deidara would live. Deidara had to live. As she closed her eyes in concentration, she could vaguely hear a battle going on; the clashing of kunai and shuriken was just barely audible over the raging storm. Knowing that Itachi was busy defeating the two shinobi, she closed her senses to the outside world and focused them back on Deidara. Opening her eyes, she realized that he was looking at her, his characteristic grin plastered on his lips. His penetrating eye watched her skilled hands as she fought to heal the large, gaping wound on his chest. “…Sakura,” he called out weakly, a satisfied smile crossing his lips as she looked up immediately. “It’s okay… You can stop now…” “Deidara…” she tried to smile encouragingly as she placed her hands back on his chest. “I can’t stop now, you’re still hurt. If I don’t heal you now… Deidara… You’ll…” “Die?” he asked simply before falling into another coughing fit. Green eyes widened as she gauged the damage. His lungs had also been injured; he wouldn’t be coughing up this much blood if they hadn’t. Nodding vehemently, Sakura started to collect chakra into her hands, hell bent on saving her best friend from certain death. This couldn’t happen again - Deidara couldn’t end up like him. She didn’t want to lose anyone special to her again. Although she tried to fight it, tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes. She closed them, before taking in a deep breath, refusing to let emotions interfere with her task. She had to make quick work of this; Deidara was on the verge of dying. He was counting on her. “Don’t…” Deidara said gently, ignoring the pain as he lifted his arm to stop her. He was a dead man, they both knew that. Sakura just didn’t want to accept it.

“Deidara, I have to!” Sakura was scared, frustrated and was on the verge of becoming hysterical. She had to make him listen; he just didn’t understand the severity of the situation. There had to be something that could make him change his mind so that she could heal him. “You know…” he said to her, a gentle smile gracing his lips as his hand refused to relinquish his hold on her hands. She only felt warmth against his cooling skin. “When I first met you, I thought you were just some stupid kid whose only ambition was to marry one of the Uchihas... yeah.” “Deidara,” she pleaded in a whisper as she tried to free her hands from his tight grip, but to no avail. Even when he was half-dead, Deidara was stronger then her. He ignored her as he tried to muster more strength for his story. He needed to tell her this before leaving this world. “But… when you went against Itachi and told him that we had plans for that night,” he coughed roughly. “You gained my respect… And I was thinking… ‘this girl is really amazing’… yeah.” There was no stopping her tears now as they slid down her grubby cheeks as she recalled the event. His hand squeezes hers faintly as he tried to continue. “We’ve been through quite a lot together… yeah,” he spat out some blood and Sakura could do nothing but watch helplessly, all the while trying to free her hands from his iron grip. How a man could be this strong while he was almost dead was beyond her. “How long have we known each other? Three months now… yeah.” She nodded softly. “Three months,” she whispered softly. “Remember when you fell asleep in my arms…?” his eyelids were getting heavy as he fought to keep them open. “Right after you told me everything about life with Sasuke and Naruto…” “I remember…” she sobbed. “I think that it was the turning moment for me then…” Deidara said, a smile surfacing on his lips. “…That was the day that I fell in love,” Deidara said to her before his eyelid shut. The grip on her hands lessened and finally, she could pull herself free from his grasp. Desperately wrapping her arms around him, she started to shake him violently, refusing to believe that Deidara was gone. “Deidara…” she whispered, tears mingling with the rain as they fell down on his lifeless body. Someone was standing next to her; whether it was the enemy or Itachi, she didn’t care. All she wanted was for Deidara to open his eyes again and smile at her like he always did, chuckling in that deep voice of his. “Deidara!” she screamed for him in gut wrenching sobs as she continued to shake him, trying to wake him up, trying to convince herself that it was just a bad nightmare. That Deidara would still be there when the rain would stop; that he would still be there in a

week, fighting with Itachi over the food during their Akatsuki-style dinners. But he wouldn’t ever be there again. Her illusions were shattered as she realized that she was soaked in her dead friend’s blood, desperately clinging to his body in the pounding rain. Her head shot up, searching the skies for some sort of deity that would correct this wrong and bring him back to her. But she couldn’t see anything amidst the grim thunderheads. Bending over, she pressed her head in the nape of his neck, sobbing shamelessly as she pressed the blonde’s corpse against her. “Deidara? Do you think that there’s a heaven? That when we die, we’ll be in a perfect place, reunited with everyone we love?” “You know what I think about heaven?” Deidara smirked. “I think that heaven is overrated.” She smiled back at him. “So do I.” -When she woke up again, she was back in the room Deidara had given her. Bolting upright, for one glorious moment she had thought that she had a bad dream. She told herself that Deidara would be walking in any second now, a tray with breakfast for her as they discussed a cacophony of things. But her blood-encrusted fingers spoke of a different tale, quickly dashing her hopes. She was still in her nightmare and escaping was futile. “You’re awake,” Itachi’s voice drifted through the room. Looking around, still disorientated by her living nightmare, she found his form on a chair on her left side, legs crossed over as his hands rested on his stomach. How Itachi could be so unruffled at times was still a mystery to her. “Obviously,” she snapped, trying her hardest to keep her emotions in check. “Obviously,” he echoed softly before standing up. “Come, Kisame just brought in breakfast.” “So this is how it goes?” Sakura clenched her teeth hard as she closed her eyes to stop the tears from coming. Taking in a deep breath, she reopened her eyes, only to receive a cold stare back. “One of you dies and you just live on like it’s an everyday occurrence?” Itachi nodded before turning around. “You’re a shinobi too; you should know that death isn’t uncommon in our lifestyle.” “At least I mourn the ones I’ve lost,” Sakura glared at Itachi’s back. “How do you do that? How can you just go on like nothing happened?” “Be glad it wasn’t you,” Itachi responded calmly before striding towards the door. “…I wish I had died there,” Sakura’s eyes saddened as she clasped her sheets in her

hands. “Everybody around me is dying, but I’m still here…” “Don’t say such things,” Itachi said to her. “Deidara sacrificed his life so that you could live. I suggest you don’t waste such a valuable present.” As he passed the threshold, he only stopped when he heard her voice again. “Itachi…?” she spoke up softly. Turning around, he could see her watching him with an uncertain look in her eyes. “I’m… I’m leaving tomorrow.” Itachi just nodded as he walked away. -“Is Uzumaki Naruto still in the hospital?” Shikamaru asked one of the nurses. As she nodded slowly, he walked away and towards the room that seemed to have become Naruto’s second home. Ever since he had found out about the deaths of his two best friends, Naruto had been training like crazy, taking the hardest missions that ANBU could get, just to become the next Hokage and drown out the pain that came when he lost his friends. Sighing lazily, Shikamaru stopped in front of a huge room that was reserved for ANBU members. Opening the door slightly, he could easily see Naruto. The blonde hair almost functioned as a bonfire for him. “Naruto,” he greeted as he stepped inside the room, earning a grin back. Although it seemed like the old Naruto was back, Shikamaru instinctively knew that Naruto was just faking it. It had become so easy to read him since their first mission together. He had always been an open book, but Shikamaru had found out that once he befriended you, he’s even easier to read. But even Naruto kept certain emotions hidden from his friends. “I heard from the Fifth that you went on an S-Class mission again,” Shikamaru sighed heavily as he sat down on a small chair next to Naruto’s bed. “She’s planning to make you the next Hokage anyway, so just relax, okay?” Naruto’s sky-blue eyes widened almost comically. “Wait, she’s going to make me the Sixth Hokage!” “She didn’t tell you yet?” Shikamaru asked incredulously. “Everybody knows this already, although it’s not official yet.” “But…” Naruto stammered, eyes scanning Shikamaru’s for any fabrications. “Are you sure? Did she tell you this?” “I overheard her talking to Shizune,” he offered a lopsided grin. “Apparently, she wants to stop working as a Hokage when she reaches the age of sixty, which is just about four years from now. She’s afraid that something similar to the Third will happen to her and that she won’t be able to keep the village safe. Can’t say she’s wrong though, I’d like to welcome a Hokage that is younger than forty for once.”

“I’ll be twenty-two then…” Naruto spoke up softly. “I’ll be one of the youngest Hokages!” “Only the Third was younger, he became Hokage at the age of sixteen,” Shikamaru smiled as he patted Naruto on his shoulder. “Good job Naruto, you proved everyone wrong.” “I see you’ve already told Naruto the news,” Tsunade’s serious voice made both of them look up. “Shikamaru, leave now please.” “Yes, Hokage-sama,” Shikamaru nodded politely before walking away. Once Tsunade felt him leaving the vicinity, she turned her gaze back towards Naruto, observing the shocked expression on his face. “Tsunade-baa-chan…” Naruto whispered softly. “I would have preferred to tell you this myself, but I guess some things are inevitable,” the sannin sighed as she walked towards the chair that Shikamaru had been occupying moments before. “What Shikamaru said was true.” She smiled at him, hoping to finally see him smile again. Ever since Sakura and Sasuke had died, Tsunade had not seen one, genuine smile on his face. All he ever gave lately were half-smiled and fake grins. It pained her to see the once so happy boy transform in the dull young man in front of her. But she didn’t get what she had expected. Instead, Naruto bowed his head slightly as tears spilled over his eyelids. Pushing away the heavy duvet under which he was resting, he threw his legs over his bedside, getting up promptly. Without saying a word, Naruto stepped towards Tsunade and slid his arms around her neck, crying without any restraint. For a moment, Tsunade looked surprised. It had been so long since someone ever cried out on her shoulder; the last time it happened was when Nawaki was still alive and he had hurt his legs with shuriken training. Smiling softly, Tsunade kissed his head in a motherly fashion before caressing his blonde hair as wept in her arms, hoping and praying that wherever Sasuke and Sakura were; they would be watching over him and smile for him when the day came that he would become the next Hokage. -“So, that little sanbi ran away after you and Deidara broke that genjutsu he had cast?” Kisame growled as he grabbed a sandwich. “You weren’t able to catch him?” “No,” Itachi answered simply. “Deidara had died, it was my obligation to stay with him and report to Leader.” “True,” the shark-man said as he took a large bite. “Sakura?” “Upset,” Itachi answered flatly before grabbing some of the grapes that Kisame had

bought. “She’s leaving tomorrow.” “Again?” Kisame grinned as he took another bite. “Where will she go?” A pause ensued as Itachi ate one of his grapes, chewing slowly as he thought about it. “She isn’t sure yet.” “Are you going to miss her?” Kisame queried, keeping his eyes on Itachi to see any reaction. During the time that Sakura had been with them, he could easily see the change in Itachi. Love was a foreign concept to both of them, but Kisame was fairly sure that Itachi cared for Sakura in some way. He had known Itachi for thirteen years now but Itachi had never even touched a woman. Sakura was the sole exception and it seemed that she had found a way into Itachi’s cold heart. Whether this was a good or bad thing, Kisame didn’t know. “What do you mean by that?” Itachi answered, staring at Kisame with his usual empty face. “Deidara told me he had seen you and Sakura,” Kisame said carefully, not knowing if this would upset Itachi. “…kissing.” Itachi said nothing as he resumed eating. “Your point being?” “Where’s Deidara’s body?” a soft voice interrupted their conversation just as Kisame opened his mouth. Shutting it, he looked at Sakura, who looked like she had been crying nonstop since the incident. Her eyes were swollen and rimmed with red and she was clenching her Haruno shirt in her hands. “Not here,” Kisame spoke up. “Sasori took him. Akatsuki members who lose their partners are supposed to take care of the bodies.” “I see,” she whispered quietly as she shuffled forward, sitting down on one of Deidara’s wooden chairs. “Deidara… Why is everything wooden in here?” “Cleaning up is troublesome… yeah.” Everything she saw was a memory of him. Every smidgen of clay reminded her of the time when he made a bird for her out of the substance, using a ninjutsu to breathe life into it. They had played with the birds and his techniques for hours. It was one of her fondest memories of Deidara. “Sakura,” Kisame asked worriedly. “Are you alright?” “I’m fine,” she replied as she stood up and left the room wordlessly. Kisame gave her retreating back a scrutinizing glance before he resumed eating his sandwich, the conversation he had earlier with Itachi forgotten.

Itachi remained quiet as he eyed the door for a second, as if he were contemplating something. Making his mind up, he stood up from his chair, ignoring Kisame’s questioning gaze as he stalked out of the room. He knew exactly where she was; she was much too predictable. As he slid the shoji screen that led to the garden open, he could easily hear her crying softly. She wasn’t aware of his presence and to be honest, he didn’t know if she wanted to see him. He didn’t care though; she would leave in one day and they had much to discuss. As he got closer towards her, he could hear that she was trying to quell her weeping. She had obviously sensed his presence and was working hard to make him believe that she was the cool-headed medic that she always was. He sat down next to her in the grass, shaking his robes off in the process. Elbows resting on his knees, he said nothing as they watched the sunset, just as they had the day before. Little did they know that they would lose a companion – a team member only a few short hours after watching that sunset. “Why did you come here?” Sakura asked softly, secretly admiring herself for having such a steady voice while she felt that her world was falling apart once again. “We need to talk,” Itachi answered promptly. “About what? Why, of all times, do you want to talk to me now?” “You’re leaving tomorrow,” Itachi stated the obvious. “I may not have time to talk with you tomorrow, depending on how and when you’ll leave.” “What do you want to talk about?” Sakura flung in a bitter attitude as she glanced at Itachi. “Our leader has an offer for you,” Itachi explained calmly. “We need a medic for Akatsuki and it seems that Sasori and Deidara recommended you as the best medic they know.” “You’re asking me to join Akatsuki?” Sakura’s eyes widened. “You have got to be kidding me! You’re all highly-trained missing-nin from various villages.” “So are you,” Itachi reminded her. “You’re a missing-nin with experience and training from Tsunade herself.” “…But if I join Akatsuki… There’s a chance that I might have to hunt after Naruto as well…” She shook her head. Although she had long left Konoha behind her, there was no way that she would ever betray Naruto or any other friend in Konoha. “Technically you would heal us when we’re hurt,” Itachi folded his fingers together as he waited for an answer. “But yes, it would also mean that you would be helping us capture Naruto-kun,” he added as an afterthought. “Then I can’t join,” she answered immediately. “I will never backstab Naruto or Konoha

in such a way.” “I know,” Itachi’s mouth curved, just a shy away from a smirk. “I already told Kisame to tell leader. Your choices are predictable, Sakura. Although I must say that I had been expecting you to cry incessantly for Deidara.” “I’ve run out of tears,” Sakura answered as she swallowed hard. “I know that Deidara would want me to smile instead of cry, so I’m going to do just that.” “What time are you leaving?” Itachi said, changing the subject. “In the morning, I don’t want to risk Tooya and Kira finding me again,” Sakura answered truthfully. She tipped her head in consideration. “Itachi?” Though he said nothing, she knew she had his attention. “Why do you think that they want to meet Naruto so badly? Is it really just because of Naruto’s power so that they can use him against Akatsuki?” “I don’t understand how a Jinchuuriki thinks,” Itachi answered truthfully. “Perhaps he really wanted to use Naruto-kun against Akatsuki or perhaps it’s the same as Zetsu’s case.” “Zetsu?” Sakura inquired curiously. “What did Zetsu have to do with this?” “The demon inside of him apparently wanted to have contact with other Jinchuuriki. That’s why leader gave him the position as a lookout,” Itachi answered. “Zetsu was a Jinchuuriki?” Sakura’s eyes bulged out of its sockets. “Which one?” “The five-tailed demon, a Hoko,” Itachi said to her. “The Hoko has a connection to nature, especially trees and grass, that is why we used Zetsu, as he was a missing-nin from Grass.” “I see…” Sakura pondered over this for a moment. “Does everybody have a Jinchuuriki for the demons you’re about to capture?” “Yes, Naruto-kun’s Kyuubi is destined for me. The Isonade, the three-tailed demon is already inside of Kisame,” Itachi said flatly. “The eight-tailed demon was inside of Orochimaru and we need to confirm the other demons before designating them to their Jinchuuriki.” “Wait,” Sakura turned towards Itachi. “Kisame and Orochimaru both have a demon inside of them?” “Kisame wasn’t born a fish nor was Orochimaru born a snake.” She smiled softly as she heard the dry remark come out of Itachi’s mouth. “So, Zetsu wasn’t born a plant either?” Itachi shook his head in amusement. “Neither would Deidara have been born with insomnia.”

“So… Deidara would have gotten Gaara’s Shukaku?” Sakura said sadly as Itachi reminded her about her lost friend. Although she was trying to be happy and untroubled on the outside, her heart was still broken and she doubted if anyone could ever fill that hole in her again. Deidara was unique for so many reasons and he was actually the first one – other than Naruto and Lee – who confessed his love for her. He had sacrificed himself to save her and there wouldn’t be a day where she wouldn’t be grateful to him. The life of a missingnin was hard, but she would try her hardest. She owed that to him at least. “Thank you,” she whispered with tears in her eyes. Knowing that Itachi was looking at her, she quickly wiped away her tears. “One more question,” Sakura glanced at Itachi. “If Orochimaru changed bodies, wouldn’t the demon be left behind in his original body?” “The demon is bound to the soul, so he would take his eight-tailed demon with him through every body,” Itachi answered slowly as he tried to think of an answer. “That’s probably why he waited the extra year since I entered Akatsuki.” “Deidara,” she fought her sorrow back at the mention of his name. “Deidara told me that Orochimaru left because of you… How old were you - if he was that frightened of you?” Itachi glanced at her for a second and a large, tense pause followed. Patiently, Sakura waited to see if he would answer her question. She was asking about his private life; his life before Akatsuki. He hadn’t let go much of his past and even less about his future dreams apart from the fact that he wished to be a Jinchuuriki, but she truly hoped that he could at least share this much with her. “I was almost ten years old when I joined Akatsuki,” Itachi answered almost hesitantly. “I murdered my clan three years afterwards and officially joined Akatsuki after the massacre. Orochimaru left two years before that.” “So you were a part of Akatsuki when you murdered your family?” Sakura queried curiously. “Yes,” Itachi stood up. “It’s getting late, if you are leaving in the morning, I suggest you should sleep.” Accepting this as the end of their conversation, Sakura stood up, watching Itachi as he picked his robes up and walked towards the house. She followed him quickly into the house, walking behind him as he stalked towards her own room. Opening the door, he gestured for Sakura to go in first before entering the room himself. As she rummaged through her stuff, packing her clothes, she could sense Itachi walking out of the room and whirled around quickly. “Are you going?” “Yes,” he answered in that deep voice of his. “What are you going to do?” Sakura asked softly, watching his reaction. “What are you

going to do from now on?” “I’ll continue the path I’ve been walking since the massacre of that ridiculous clan,” he turned around to face her, that vacant look in his eyes as he observed her. “What about Deidara?” Sakura whispered as she looked at Itachi. “What about Deidara?” Itachi echoed softly. “He died,” Sakura reminded him as she fought her tears back. “He died and you just keep on going. He was a teammate, but you don’t care about him, do you? Sasuke died, yet you don’t care, even though he was your little brother…” “You expect me to deny this?” Itachi seemed to smirk. “I have no use for emotions; they will just get in the way.” “That’s it isn’t it?” Sakura said through clenched teeth. Deidara had just died, his brother died several days before, and Itachi just didn’t care. Because emotions would make him weak. “You think that everything is black and white. Everything is divided into strong and weak. And that’s it, end of story. No room for exceptions.” She was starting to become dizzy with anger and frustration. They’ve been doing this dance since she encountered the Akatsuki. Back and forth always playing this one note - “Why won’t you show emotions?” “Because emotions make you weak.” - over and over again. She was sick and tired of moving in circles with him - of getting nowhere with him. His lips curved into a smirk as he observed the change in her. While she had been griefstricken and silent before, she seemed to have found her voice and anger again. And apparently her fighting spirit also came along in the package, as he observed her balled fists, each one tense and ready to strike him. “Are you going to fight me?” Itachi humored her. “Will you kill me if I attack you now?” Attempts at maintaining a cool demeanor were forgotten and only raw emotion remained in her voice. “No,” Itachi replied honestly as he watched the roseate kunoichi with interest. “Good,” Sakura yelled as she dashed towards him, eager to punch that satisfied smirk from his lips. As she thrust her fist forward, Itachi disappeared in a flash. Predicting that this was going to happen, she whirled around before she attempted to kick Itachi, who had appeared behind her. He raised his arm as a defense and managed to grab her ankle in the process. Sakura only gritted her teeth harder as she started to gather chakra in her leg, trying to wretch it free from Itachi’s iron grip. Itachi however, followed the stream of her chakra with interest before letting go, most likely sensing what her next move would be. He disappeared in a flash, leaving a

confused Sakura behind. On reflex, she turned around and saw him standing against the wall, his arms crossed as he watched her amusedly. Amazingly enough, this only fuelled her anger as she dashed towards him, hell bent on hitting him at least once. She swung her leg up, trying to connect with his side but Itachi parried the attack with his leg guard. Trying to find a hole in his defense, Sakura’s arm swung up to hit him but his hand clamped around her fist before it could connect with his face. “Stop.” Sakura ignored him as she moved her other fist to give him an uppercut, but Itachi was too fast for her and tackled her, letting Sakura fall onto the hard, wooden floor unceremoniously. Before she could even try to stand up, Itachi pushed her down as he laid half on top of her, successfully pinning her to the ground. The smirk was still playing on his lips as he stared at Sakura’s eyes that were attempting to shoot daggers at him. She writhed underneath him, trying to break free from his grasp, but soon found that it was impossible now that Itachi lay on top of her. She gave up, body resigned, but eyes still flashing dangerously at the man on top of her. “I hate you,” she whispered to the blood-red eyes that hovered above her. And she meant it. She hated his aloofness to everything around them - that current events didn’t affect him at all. Even when his own brother died, he never showed any emotion. And now Deidara – his very own team member – and he was there, eating his breakfast with Kisame as if nothing had happened. As if her life wasn’t falling apart. “I hate you,” she repeated when no answer came. “I hate you for taking Sasuke away from me. I hate you for not caring when Deidara died...” She was crying by now, her hands pushing against his chest in a feeble attempt to push him off her. “I hate you for making me feel like this!” “Hate is such a strong word,” Itachi replied as he relinquished his hold on her before standing up. Sakura pressed her hands against her mouth as she tried to stifle her anguished sobs. Itachi just watched her with mild interest before turning to leave the room. It was so hard to see his back; so hard to know that this was their last night together. Sakura quickly stood up, leaning against the wall for support as she uttered those illicit words. “…Stay.” She had promised herself to stay away from him, to hate him as Sasuke had; but unfortunately, the world didn’t work as Haruno Sakura wanted to. The urge to press her lips against his was still there and would always be there. She couldn’t help it anymore.

Itachi turned around slightly, facing Sakura. “I will.”

Evolution – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: The end of Evolution! Thank you all for reading this fiction, it means a lot to me! Warning: Chapter contains M-rated material. It’s not very detailed but it can be offending if you don’t like to read about two people making love. Just skip that part. If you want to read the lemon, it can be found at my livejournal. Dedicated to blackbloodedkunoichi! Chapter Ten – Until We Meet Again A soft sob next to him quickly woke him up; midnight eyes stared at the ceiling before realizing that Sakura was crying. Turning around softly, he watched her shaking back as she continued weeping, oblivious to the fact that Itachi had just woken up. Vaguely, he could hear her whisper Deidara’s name. He watched her for several moments before turning around softly, arm propped under his head. She stopped her crying momentarily; finally noticing that Itachi was awake as well. She shifted slightly before snaking her arm around his waist, pulling herself closer to Itachi. Spooning herself against Itachi’s warm body, she clenched his black shirt in her hand as she fought the tears that were coming. Even before she had even asked Itachi to stay, she knew that this would be a sleepless night. She tried to act tough around the other Akatsuki members, but the truth was that Deidara’s death had cut her deeply and it felt like her heart was torn out. The fact that she was leaving Itachi the next day didn’t make it any easier. But she had to do it. Sasuke was her teammate and she would never try to betray him. No matter how much she hoped and wished that he would be happy to find out that she had found love, even if it was with his older brother, she knew they were just pretty lies to cover up the truth. The other reason for leaving the Akatsuki members was simple; she didn’t want any of the Akatsuki members she knew to die. And if Tooya and Kira were hunting her, she would make sure that they’d never find her together with Akatsuki again. If she had to lose another one of her friends, it would kill her. “…That was the day I fell in love.”

His deep voice still resounded in her ears and it felt as if he could barge in any moment now, warning both Itachi and Sakura that hunter-nins that were coming. She wanted to believe that he would still be there forever, but wasn’t that foolish? Hadn’t she learned her lesson after seeing how battered he was after Orochimaru’s assassination? But he was still alive then… Unconsciously, she pressed herself harder against Itachi, wanting any kind of comfort, whatever he could give her. It didn’t matter; he would never be Naruto who pressed her against him before earning a smack in his face. Itachi would never be Kakashi who gave her an affectionate stroke through her hair as he smiled at her. He could never be Sasuke who offered only words as a comfort and that would be enough. Itachi could never be like Deidara, who had the magic to smile and make everything better. But Itachi comforted her in another way. Just being there, lying completely still as she cried against his back would have to be good enough. He couldn’t give her anymore than what he was giving her now. And then he turned around. It happened before she could even pull her hands off him. He had turned around and stared at her with his exquisite eyes. Sakura’s hand was still on his abdomen but he didn’t seem to mind. Rather than the usual cold look in his eyes, he seemed slightly confused as if he was a child who needed guidance. But like every momentary emotion in Itachi’s eyes, it quickly disappeared and she found herself looking him in the eye as he gazed back. Slowly, tenderly, his arm moved up and rested on her side, hand pressing against her back. It wasn’t the first time that he had touched her back, he had done it often as they shared kisses, but this time, he tried to comfort her in his own, unique manner. Understanding this, Sakura moved closer towards him, mimicking his gesture as she wrapped her arm around him, touching his back as she felt him tense for a moment, but he soon relaxed under her touch. Burying her head in the warm spot between his shoulder and neck, she soon felt herself drifting off to sleep as Itachi stroked her back almost lovingly. -It was still very early when she woke up. Shifting a little in her bed, she quickly realized that there was someone else there. It took her a few moments to understand that she was still sleeping in Itachi’s arms. Looking up, she noticed that his breathing was steady and deep, although that meant nothing. Itachi was good enough of a shinobi to just fake his sleeping. Taking in his closed eyes and his long lashes that caressed the tops of his cheek, she smiled softly. No matter how many times she saw him asleep, she would always be astounded to see how

peaceful he looked. Caught in the moment, Sakura moved her hand up to cup his cheek before pressing her lips against his, enjoying the feeling of his soft, velvety lips against hers. Itachi’s eyes opened briefly as he pulled back slightly, watching how the roseate kunoichi smiled sadly at him. “Good morning,” she whispered as her hand moved over his hair before touching his long, soft hair. “Good morning,” Itachi said before leaning towards her, capturing her lips with his own. The kiss was soft and chaste but as Itachi leaned back, Sakura found that she was unable to stop and wrapped her arms around him, instigating another kiss. Boldly, her tongue swept over his lips and as access was granted, Sakura moaned into his mouth when he kissed her back with passion and tenderness. He shifted slightly before lying on top of her, the warmth of his body scorching through her clothing. His hand was touching her shoulders, caressing it with his knuckles as she moved her arms around his waist, letting her hands rest on top of his back, admiring the way his muscles flexed underneath her fingertips. Itachi broke the kiss before moving down to the supple skin of her neck, kissing ever so tenderly while his hands roamed down her sides, making Sakura shiver in sheer delight. Her hands yanked his silky shirt up as far as she could, nails raking over his defined muscles and down towards the faint trail of dark hair on his lower abdomen. She was leaving in a few hours but she needed this. Silently apologizing to Sasuke, she tried to remove Itachi’s shirt but he just glanced at her, a questioning look in his eyes. “Are you sure?” he asked softly, knowing where this would lead to. The kunoichi was a virgin, he was certain of that. Watching her as she nodded silently, he complied and pulled his shirt off before leaning in for another kiss. Tucking his fingers underneath her shirt, she raised her arms to help him remove it as she sat up straight, Itachi on his knees in front of her. The way he was looking at her was enchanting, there were no false pretenses there, no cold looks. He gave her what he could and right now, he was looking at her with so much desire that it made her feel as if her heart might pop out of her chest. As her tongue slid out of her parted lips in an attempt to moisten her dry lips, she inadvertently drew Itachi’s attention. She grabbed one of his hands, nuzzling it with her lips before smiling at him. He didn’t return the smile though, but looked at her as if she was an instrument and he was learning how to play it. His hand stretched out towards her side, sliding down until it was resting on the crest of her hip. Sakura moved closer towards him until one of his knees was between her parted legs and she could feel the heat of his body searing hers. As he stroked her arms she shivered before bending towards him, raining kisses on his jaw. In return, Itachi nipped her earlobe

softly, his hands moving towards her shoulders. Fingertips touching the soft material of her simple, pink bra, he looked at her one more time. Itachi could be called many things, but he would never force himself on a woman, much less a woman who was as exquisite as Sakura was. “I’ll ask you one more time,” Itachi whispered in her ear. “Do you want this?” Sakura remained quiet for a while before wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing herself against his chest. “Yes.” -“Damn light,” she swore softly as she lifted her hand to block out the bright sunlight that streamed in through the small window. Thoroughly enjoying the heat that came from the warm body next to her, Sakura smiled before moving backwards, pressing herself against Itachi’s chest. His arm rested around her waist, stroking her stomach softly as his warm breath fanned around her ear. “You’re awake,” his deep voice remarked. “Hmm,” she answered before turning around. Itachi lied down on his back, eyes squinting ever so slightly as he tried to block out the sunlight with his hand. Sakura smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder, her hand stretching out as well. Touching his hand, she linked her hand with his before bringing it down, kissing his knuckles softly. Although she tried to deny it, she knew she had deep feelings for Itachi, perhaps even loved him. But telling him so would result in nothing so she kept it to herself. However, she was having second thoughts about leaving him after what they had just done hours before. She knew she had to though; she would put Akatsuki in danger if she didn’t leave. The last thing she wanted was another Akatsuki member dying… As she tipped her head slightly to face Itachi, he was looking at her, his usual blank look in his eyes. His mouth was an unreadable line as she moved up, pressing her lips against his. When he didn’t respond, she laid her head on his chest, wondering why he had fallen still all of the sudden. “Are you having second thoughts?” she whispered onto his chest as her fingertips touched his clavicle. “No,” he simply response. “Will you tell me what’s bothering you then?” Sakura probed carefully, afraid to ruin this small moment of peace. Itachi didn’t answer and Sakura dropped the subject. If Itachi wanted to share what was going on in that brilliant mind of his, he would share it with her. But for now, it seemed that he was reluctant to give her any information. Perhaps he thought he had given her enough already.

“It’s raining,” Itachi remarked quietly and sure enough, as Sakura looked through the small window, she noticed that the sun had disappeared and was replaced with the rain. How fitting, Sakura thought bitterly as she caressed Itachi’s chest absentmindedly. I’m leaving and it has to rain... “Itachi…” she said quietly as she mentally prepared for what she wanted to say to him. “Do you wish me to bring you to the border?” Itachi interrupted, his deep voice leaving goose bumps on her skin. “…No,” she whispered. Itachi gave a simple nod as he played with his ring, turning around as he lost himself in thought. He could feel her touching his necklace, observing the small flowers around his neck. “How did you get it?” Sakura whispered as she hovered above him, sheets wrapped around her naked body as she admired the trinket. “Someone gave it to me,” Itachi said to her dispassionately. He observed with genuine interest how her eyebrow shot up as she looked him in the eye. “A girl?” she asked, mentally berating herself for giving him the third degree. “Yes,” Itachi answered, his lips curved just a little shy from a smirk. He fought as hard as he could to keep his face blank when Sakura scowled obviously, a jealous look gleaming in her eyes. “Who gave it to you?” “My mother,” Itachi replied seriously. “Sasuke wanted the same one, he never got it.” “Right,” Sakura muttered sarcastically. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, just don’t joke about it.” “Why the sudden interest?” Itachi queried, curiosity taking over. Sakura turned red as he stared at her inquisitively, an almost imperceptible smirk adorning his lips. “Well… You… You know…” “You’re jealous,” Itachi remarked as his hand crept back to the small of her back. She was definitely upset by now, her green eyes were almost smoldering. Pushing herself up, she gave him an insulted look before glancing into the other direction. “No I’m not.” Itachi laughed softly as she uttered the words, noticing how child-like she was when angered. Sakura turned back towards him with a shocked look in her eyes as she stared at him. Itachi, being the patient man he was, calmly waited until she would speak up. “…You laughed just now,” she pointed out.

“I’ve noticed,” Itachi replied, amusement in his tone. Sakura just stared at him with the same, shocked look in her eyes as she observed the behavior of the usually cold Uchiha. “Who are you and what have you done with Itachi?” “What do you mean?” Itachi asked as he stroked her back softly. “You laughed,” Sakura replied. “And you’re not being… you.” “Tell me then, what is the picture that you have of me?” Itachi replied, interested in her reply as he watched her think it over. Contemplating what to tell him, Sakura put a finger on her lips as she sunk into deep thoughts. Itachi was an enigma; him asking her to describe her impression of him was too hard to do without even thinking about it. “Cold,” she said quietly. “Cold,” Itachi echoed. “Correct, anything else?” “Mysterious… Distant… Polite,” Sakura named as she lied down beside him once more. “Polite?” Itachi almost laughed again. “Is that a picture you have of me?” “It’s better than the picture I had of you before we even met,” Sakura replied resolute. “Before we met, I thought you were a ruthless, impolite and cruel pig who murdered his own family just for the hell of it.” “But I am ruthless,” Itachi mused darkly. “And I am cruel. If I understand this correctly, the only thing that has changed is me being polite.” “But you’re not as cruel as I had expected you to be,” Sakura whispered softly. “Naruto told me about the first time he met you and told me that you were creeping him out since your chakra seemed so powerful to him. Did you know that he even confused you with Sasuke at first?” “Sasuke?” he asked softly, a grin cast across his face. “I don’t blame him actually, you do look like each other,” Sakura defended Naruto. “But then again, you’re very different from Sasuke. For instance, your hair is longer, you’re taller than Sasuke was… And you have lines on your face.” Itachi said nothing in reply as Sakura observed him for a moment. “What’s your picture of me?” she asked as she looked back and forth at his eyes before closing them. She knew she had to leave very soon, but she needed to know this. Itachi sighed softly, his chest heaving up lightly before falling down as he thought about her question. “You show too much emotion, which makes you weak,” Itachi started, ignoring her disgruntled gaze. “You seem to feel right at home here although Akatsuki is a dangerous organization.” “Can you only name negative things?” Sakura looked at Itachi, half-smiling, halfirritated.

“What is it you want me to say?” Itachi replied simply. “I don’t know which words you wish to hear.” “What I want you to tell me,” Sakura whispered quietly. “Is why you’ve chosen me? I want you to tell me why you’re protecting me, why you know so much about me… Why you want me to stay.” Suddenly, the atmosphere turned from light to very heavy. Neither of them said anything, they just stared at each other. Sakura awaiting an answer that she knew wasn’t coming and Itachi was just looking at her as if she was the puzzle here and he couldn’t wait to solve it. Just when Sakura wanted to open her mouth and speak to him, a loud knock on the door made both of them look up. “Itachi-san,” Kisame growled, sounding muffled through the wooden door. “Leader wants you to report.” “I’ll be right there,” Itachi answered, the soft tone gone from his voice, replaced by the cold one she was used to. It was astounding to see how Itachi could change from a person who shared light conversations with her to the calculating shinobi that lay next to her in the bed. But the thing that got to her most was the fact that she was probably the only one who saw him like this. Itachi slid out of the huge bed effortlessly and Sakura quickly turned around as he started to dress himself. Bending her knees slightly, she let her elbows rest on them as she listened to Itachi dressing himself. After a few minutes, Sakura turned around, knowing that he was done. He was adjusting his forehead protector and had his long, black and red Akatsuki cloak draped over his arm. “I don’t think you’ll be back tonight, will you?” Sakura asked sadly, knowing that this was the last time she would ever see Itachi. He nodded slowly to confirm her suspicions and watched her as she scrambled out of the bed, the white sheets still wrapped around her body. Wordlessly, she snaked her arms around Itachi’s waist, pressing herself against his warm body for one last time. In return, Itachi cupped her chin gently as he moved her face up so that she could see his face. His eyes were blood-red once again, Sharingan, as he looked at her leaning towards her. Itachi captured her lips with his and kissed her hard as her hands desperately hold onto his dark shirt, trying to hold on to him. Letting go was so hard. By the time he let go of her and backed away, she was crying. Tears streamed over her cheeks as he cast one more glance in her direction before turning around on his heels, leaving the room without even uttering a single word. “Goodbye Itachi,” she whispered before sitting down on the bed, pressing her palms in

her face as she tried to stop the crying. She felt sick at the thought of leaving him, leaving Akatsuki and all of this behind, but she knew she had to. Sometimes, she truly cursed her loyalty. “Sorry Sasuke,” she whispered between sobs. “I think I love him…” As soon as she said the words, she burst into tears, tears flowing freely from her eyes, washing away all the bittersweet feelings away until there were no more feelings left, just emptiness. -Silently, Sakura packed her backpack, folding her Akatsuki clothes into a neat stack before placing them on the bed. Grabbing the picture she had taken with her of Team 7, she wrapped it inside of an old Haruno shirt, afraid that the glass might break during the long journey. She had made her mind up several hours after Itachi had left. The Country of Tea would be her best solution for now. The people there were friendly, there were no shinobi villages there and nobody would ever think of finding her there. But she had a huge journey ahead of her since she couldn’t cross Konoha, it would bring back too many memories, not to mention of trail of hunter-nins. Thus she had to make a huge detour, through Sound, Waterfall, Grass, Rain and a country called River. From River, she had to take the boat to the Tea country and hope that there would be nobody there that recognized her. She hated the fact that she needed to pass all those countries, especially Sound. Every single one of them, with the exception of River, held memories of both Itachi and Sasuke. It was hard to believe that she left Konoha three months ago. Even harder to believe that she found Itachi four days after leaving Konoha, just by sheer coincidence. She had lost Konoha and her friends, yet gained something she had always wanted. Someone who deeply care for her, although he would never admit it. It was a dark love, something close to a forbidden love, but she didn’t care anymore. It wasn’t the puppy-love Naruto could offer her, or the gushy looks that Lee used to give her. Not even the cold looks of Sasuke could weigh up against Itachi anymore. He had become too important for that now. Kisame had left before she could even say goodbye. Perhaps Itachi never mentioned the fact that she would leave today, perhaps he didn’t care. It didn’t matter to her anyway. Goodbyes were always hard. Swinging her backpack over her shoulder, she looked around once more, touching the soft blue pastel walls and the soft, white sheets of her bed. Smiling softly, she whispered. “Goodbye Deidara…”

Taking in a deep breath, Sakura turned around and left the room, left the house, and left Akatsuki. -In the headquarters of Akatsuki nine shinobi gathered around a large cave, the members obscured by the shadows. The leader looked around, satisfied as he found every member there. “Itachi, did you propose the deal to the medic?” he asked as he glanced at the shortest member. His blazing Sharingan momentarily looked at him before Itachi nodded almost unnoticeably. “She refused?” Sasori’s soft voice sounded from the shadows. “As expected from the medic. She has a strong sense of loyalty. So she left?” “Yes,” Itachi answered simply. “Are you going after the sanbi?” “Yes, we are,” Sasori chuckled softly. “Isn’t that right?” “Don’t be so hasty,” another dark shadow answered, before opening his eyes, revealing one blue eye. “The sanbi is mine… yeah.”

Salvation – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: And here’s the final arc of the Metamorphosis trilogy, Salvation! Just to let you know, there are still spoilers in here up till chapter 290. Also, there has been a time-skip of four years in the story. Chapter One – Once Again Hidden underneath a bush, green eyes carefully watched the open space in front of her, a kunai poised in her hands. Sakura held her breath; only moments ago, a couple of Konoha ANBU had passed her. Although it was nobody she recognized, she knew that she would be identified as Tsunade’s former student immediately. Apparently, there was a rumor circulating that Sakura had died four years ago and she couldn’t help but be a little pleased. This meant that no ANBU would be actively searching for her, that is, as long as nobody sighted her. Positive that there were no more ANBU in the vicinity, Sakura stood up, her limbs sore

from being locked in position for such a long time. Grunting softly as she massaged her throbbing legs, twenty-two year old Sakura returned her kunai back to her pouch before lifting her rucksack from the ground on her back. Another sigh passed her lips as she started running through the forest, towards her destination; the Country of River. Her throat stung horribly as she coughed softly behind her hand, afraid that someone might hear her. Over the years, she had become taller and her body had finally gained curves. Her Haruno shirt and the brown skirt she once wore were long gone; as a missing-nin, Sakura could not afford being recognized by someone who had heard about her clan. Now, her old attire was replaced by a silky, black shirt and dark-brown pants that reached her knees, giving her, what she thought to be, a very casual look if not for her forehead protector. But Sakura had matured on the inside as well. Being a missing-nin, she couldn’t afford any mistakes; one false move and she was dead. Her mind was sharper than ever, picking up and memorizing every significant detail she came across. Her skills had improved tremendously as she tried to pick up a couple of jutsu as she traveled through the world. She was a force to be reckoned with. If only her friends were here to see her now. Her heart clenched almost painfully as she thought about her friends and family back in Konoha. It had been four and a half years since she had last seen them. She briefly wondered if Naruto had become an ANBU already, if he was together with Hinata… If Kakashi was still reading those perverted books of his… If Ino had given up Shikamaru or was still pursuing him. So many questions she wished to be answered; so many questions that would be left unanswered forever. Thinking about her friends stirred the memory of someone else. It had been four years since she had last seen Itachi. Biting down on her lip, she allowed Itachi’s image to flood her mind momentarily before pushing his beautiful Sharingan back to the far corners of her mind. She had made a ardent promise with herself to forget the feelings she had for Itachi. He still haunted her dreams on a daily basis and when she woke up, she was still very conscious about the empty spot next to her, waiting to be filled by his warm body. But he wouldn’t ever be there again; she had vowed never to go on that path again. She didn’t want to betray Sasuke’s memory. Sakura knew that she loved Itachi; albeit she never wanted it to happen, it did, and it hurt. During the first weeks after she left Akatsuki, her pillow would be soaked with tears whenever she woke up. She found herself throwing away the robes she had received there and the shirt Itachi has lend to her; that masculine, unique scent of his lingered on the

clothes and always seemed to drive her to tears. But there was one thing that she kept. One little reminder that her life with Itachi wasn’t something that she imagined. His Akatsuki ring. Itachi had probably put it in her bag after their last morning together; she found it when she was busy unpacking her stuff when she spent the night in Grass. At first, she had been uncertain about what to do. Should she keep it or should she throw it away? Should she wear it or should she put it away and never look at it again? In the end, she slid the ring around her finger and never took it off. Her thumb softly stroked the cool surface of the ring as she started sprinting through the forest; her eyes alert as she tried to escape from the ANBU that were circling around the forest. She held her breath as she ducked behind a couple of bushes. Barely a second after she had jumped away, ANBU landed on the place she had been standing moments before. As the ANBU moved on, she released her breath before standing up. There were no more ANBU in the vicinity and this was her chance to get away from them and safely enter River. Accumulating chakra to her feet, she dashed away, jumping from branch to branch. She smirked slightly as she realized that she was closing in on the border of River. It wouldn’t be long now. -“Naruto!” Shikamaru knocked on the door. “Hurry up, the ceremony is today!” As he moved his hand up to knock again, the door was opened violently and in the threshold stood a very nervous Uzumaki Naruto. Shikamaru took a moment to take in Naruto’s messy hair and the way Naruto was shaking in excitement, anticipation and perhaps, fear. “Ready?” Shikamaru drawled, smirking at Naruto as the blonde closed his door in silence before walking away with Shikamaru towards the administration building. “Naruto, you should be happy,” Shikamaru cast a worried look at Naruto. “You’ve been dreaming about this moment for over a decade. You’re a Hokage.” “Hokage…” Naruto whispered softly, his voice sounding hoarse. “Why are you up so late anyway?” the dark-haired boy glanced at Naruto. “You’re usually up and running around at the crack of dawn.” “I was up early,” Naruto replied, avoiding Shikamaru’s piercing gaze. “I visited Sasuke and Sakura-chan.” Shikamaru remained quiet as his eyes saddened slightly.

It had been four years since Sasuke and Sakura died. Since that time, Naruto had grown silent and more mature than he thought possible It was as if the real Naruto, the prankster he knew since he was a little kid, had disappeared and made place for this serious looking man. In terms of celestial bodies, Naruto was the earth while Sakura was the sun and Sasuke was the moon. The earth can live without a moon, but when the sun disappears as well, the earth slowly dies. When Sasuke and Sakura died, they left a hole in Naruto’s heart, which was vulnerable and could kill him if someone attacked him there again. Because of this, Naruto practically barricaded his heart, not allowing anyone near him again. He still had his friends and Kakashi, but it would never be the same as with Sasuke and Sakura. Every since they had gotten back from that dreadful mission, Naruto had been visiting the memorial on a daily base with Kakashi. The two would sit next to each other, staring at the memorial and the names of their friends for hours, and when they parted, they did so wordlessly, just a nod in each other’s direction. Shikamaru sighed softly as he hit Naruto’s shoulder lightly, causing the blonde boy to look up with a questioning look in his eyes. “Sasuke and Sakura wouldn’t like it if you were gloomy on the day you became Hokage.” Naruto smiled sadly. “You’re right.” “Of course I am,” Shikamaru smirked. “Let’s go, Hokage-sama.” “Yeah,” Naruto returned the smirk halfheartedly. “Let’s go.” -“Room for one please,” Sakura smiled at the man behind the desk as she inspected the inn. It wasn’t fancy or crowded, but Sakura could care less at that moment. All she wanted was a warm bed and a hot bath and she would be just fine. Though she supposed that those were akin to luxuries in her lifestyle. That was the hard life of a missing-nin. “Yes madam,” the man said politely, giving her ring a curious glance before turning around to fetch the key. “Room ten is yours. Up the stairs and on your right.” “Fine with me,” Sakura said flatly as she accepted the keys that the man offered her. She nodded politely before walking towards the stairs, dragging her bag along. Feeling his eyes watching her back, she turned around and glanced at the man, only to find him staring back at her with a lustful look in his eyes. Sakura glared before turning around, ignoring the man’s disturbing stare. “Pig,” she muttered under her breath as she stopped in front of her room. As far as she could tell, there were no other rooms occupied except the one opposite to hers. Sounds were coming from the room and it seemed that someone was talking. Sakura however took little interest in this. She snorted as she imagined two ANBU from Konoha

in the room, playing cards while swatting away the cockroaches that probably roamed throughout the entire hotel. Sticking her key in the keyhole, she turned it around until she heard a click. Turning the doorknob, she walked inside her room, surprised to find it completely clean and decorated with flowers—completely the opposite from the wooden floors and dirty walls in the hallway. Amazed, she looked at the bathroom, discovering a huge bath that was fit for two people, I told him to give me a single room, Sakura thought, mildly irritated. But instead, he gives me a damn honeymoon suite. A soft knock on the door made her look up. Throwing her backpack on the bed, she stalked towards the door. “Who is it?” “Takemura, I’m the manager,” the man outside said. Sakura instantly recognized the voice as the same one from the man who gave her the room. Relieved, she opened the door and stared at the man as he stood there with a disgusting, lecherouslook in his eyes “What is it?” Sakura didn’t care that she sounded impolite; she just wanted to take a bath and sleep. “I was coming by to see if everything is alright madam,” he smirked widely as he leaned against the threshold, arms folded. “I’m fine,” she tried to calm herself down. “Anything else?” “Yes,” Takemura straightened himself. “Dinner will be served at eight o’clock.” “I won’t be dining here,” Sakura said shortly. “Do you want me to bring dinner up to your room then?” the tall man was still grinning, exposing his crooked teeth. Sakura looked at him as anger surged through her veins, her hand itching to hit him. Unfortunately, this little outburst of anger temporarily made her forget her guard and she gasped in shock as his hand cupped her breast. “Come on now, your husband won’t ever find out,” the man breathed as he pushed Sakura against the wall. “We’ll be quick.” Husband? Inner Sakura shrieked. Who said ANYTHING about a husband! “Get away from me!” Sakura roared as she punched him in the face, sending him flying through the door and through the shabby, wooden door of her neighbors. She could hear a woman yelling and a man staring at her through the huge hole in the wall, but Sakura didn’t stop to apologize. Grabbing her backpack from her bed, she hurried out of the room. Lashing out like that was stupid and thoughtless; the man could tell someone about her

and as soon as ANBU found out that a certain pink-haired kunoichi was still alive, hunter-nin would be after her again. Mentally berating herself for making such a foolish mistake, she ran down the stairs and dashed through the door. -It took her two hours to reach the next village. Sakura sighed in relief as she jumped down from the branch she had been standing on to inspect the perimeter. The village she was heading to was small and it didn’t seem like there were many people there. Exactly the way Sakura liked it. Walking in a calm, steady pace, she reached the gate of the village minutes later, smiling to the guard on duty as he let her through without even asking for identification. Pushing her bubblegum strands of hair out of her eyes, she looked around, finding one large street in front of her while numerous, small paths led to the houses near the outskirts of the village. She sighed before looking back at the main street and that’s when she saw it. A black cape with red clouds. She blinked, stupefied, but the cape disappeared as soon as she saw it. It’s just my imagination. I’ve been thinking about Itachi too much. “Excuse me,” Sakura smiled slightly as she stopped an elder lady in her tracks. “Is there an inn here?” “Yes of course,” the woman smiled back. “Only one, but I wouldn’t recommend going in there.” Sakura shook her head. “Why not?” “There are a lot of rogue shinobi who stop by for the night,” the woman’s smile turned into a look of fear. “It would be wise to stay away from there.” “I don’t mind,” Sakura responded. “Where can I find this inn?” The woman’s forehead creased momentarily. “It’s near the Daimyou’s house. You can’t miss it. It’s the huge, bulky building.” “Thank you,” Sakura bowed before turning around. “Be careful!” the old woman yelled as she watched the pink-haired girl wander away. --

“Done for the day,” Kisame grinned before sitting down on one of the uncomfortable, wooden chairs. “I’m done as well,” Sasori mimicked Kisame’s gesture, lifting his hand to decline the sake that Kisame offered. “Long mission?” Tobi asked timidly. Kisame glanced at Tobi before nodding. He still didn’t trust the boy. Tobi enrolled in Akatsuki just after a certain kunoichi left. Apparently, Tobi had been asking Zetsu to enter Akatsuki for a long time and Leader deemed him a good candidate because of his unique spying abilities that only Zetsu could rival. However, being a part of Akatsuki didn’t necessarily mean that every member trusted you right off the bat. Now that Kisame thought of it, there were hardly any members he trusted. Perhaps it was just Itachi and Sasori. It was justprobably a part of being a missing-nin. Sometimes though, he would wonder about friendship and occasionally, he wondered about love. Was it love that made Itachi become even more introverted after Sakura left? Was it love that he even gave his precious Akatsuki ring to the girl even though she gave it back to him? Or was Itachi just losing his mind? So many questions and Kisame knew that they would never be answered. After the huge, disastrous last showdown with that darn sanbi and his companion, Akatsuki has successfully accomplished another assassination. Kisame couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Deidara smirk so triumphantly, but he was sure that it would never happened again with Sakura gone. Though, Kisame couldn’t be happier. After researching Tooya’s background, they had found out that the soul of the Sanbi was split in two. They had given half of it to Tooya and half of it to another Jinchuuriki; one that Akatsuki found years ago. Unbeknownst to Kisame, he had been walking around with half a bijuu in him. Imagine Kisame’s glee when he found out that he would receive even more power when they sealed the second half of the Isonade inside of him. The downside of it all was that Kisame’s looks seemed to change even more. Now, his skin was darker than before and he lost his eyebrows. His eyes were completely black now and Kisame still found himself staring in the mirror, wondering what happened to the man he once was before he became the new Jinchuuriki. He glanced at the red-head sitting opposite of him. Sasori hadn’t changed a bit. Neither did Deidara for that matter.

It took Kisame a week to find out that Sasori had changed Deidara into a puppet. Apparently, Sasori had slipped a drug into Deidara’s food which would hold him in a suspended state in case of a severe attack that killed Deidara. Sasori then proceeded to turn Deidara into a puppet. Something Deidara wasn’t too happy with. When Deidara woke up, his first instinct was to find Sakura and see her, but as he got there, Kisame told him that Sakura left. Furious at Itachi for letting Sakura go without a fight andangered at Sasori for bringing him back to nothing, Deidara went to the Leader and asked permission to change his partner. Kisame wasn’t sure if Deidara had ever forgiven Sasori for turning him into a puppet. He was almost certain that Deidara despised being made of wood. So Deidara’s new partner became Tobi. Kisame and Sasori were paired up together and Itachi would handle everything alone since Leader thought that Sakura could join Itachi’s team. After it was made clear that Sakura wouldn’t be joining Akatsuki, Leader allowed Itachi to roam around the world by himself until Leader could find a new partner that would fit Itachi. “How is Itachi doing?” Tobi asked casually, waking Kisame from his reverie. “Don’t know,” the shark-man answered roughly while shrugging. “Haven’t seen him for months.” “I’m back… yeah,” a voice called out. “Hello,” Tobi responded, dipping a finger under his mask to scratch his cheek. Kisame and Sasori turned their heads to the door that had just opened, revealing Deidara as he grinned half-heartedly. “Yo,” he called out while raising his hand. “Sit down,” Sasori gestured to the empty chair as Deidara made his way to the table. “Want some?” Kisame gestured to the sake. Deidara glared back. “I’m made of wood Salmon-chan.” Kisame shrugged before refilling his cup, bringing the sake to his lips. Deidara stared at Kisame, a half envious look in his eyes as he watched the shark-man enjoy the sake. Sasori told him that he wouldn’t be able to drink or eat again and that nearly devastated Deidara. To be half alive was one thing, but to be unable to even enjoy the small joys of a good meal was harsh. Leaning back on his chair, Deidara crossed his arms slightly as he ignored Kisame while he drank. Sasori spotted the angered look in his eyes, but wisely chose not to say anything. Ever since the accident, Deidara refused to have a good conversation with him and to be honest, Sasori doubted if saving Deidara had been the best choice. Deidara knew that it was for his own, selfish reasons. Sasori just didn’t want to lose his partner. Although they bickered a lot, they still had a good connection with each other

and Sasori just didn’t want to lose that. Knowing that it was just for Sasori’s sake that Deidara was rescued made Deidara even more bitter. “I’m going out… yeah,” Deidara said suddenly before standing up, pushing his chair backwards. “Sure,” Kisame said quietly while Tobi and Sasori just nodded. “Sure,” Deidara echoed softly before turning around abruptly. -“Miss, I’m telling you, there’s no more room,” the exasperated hotel manager said to Sakura. “And I’m asking you how it’s possible that you have over the fifty rooms here and every single one of them is full?” Sakura shot back while banging her fist on the man’s desk. “I’m sure there’s still a room available and I’m not leaving until I get the key to that room.” “Miss, please,” the man’s tone turned pleading. “There are a lot of shinobi in here who will be mad if they’re disturbed in any way.” “I suggest that you give me a room so that I can stop biting your head off then,” Sakura hissed while leaning over the counter. She hadn’t slept properly in a few days, hadn’t had a single bite to eat all day long and her legs were too tired to take her any further. Even if she had to break into one of the rooms, she was not leaving the inn. “I don’t have any rooms left,” the young manager snapped back. Obviously, he was at the end of his patience. “There’s a village, just two hours away from here. There’s bound to be a room free there.” Sakura had enough. Gathering a small amount of chakra in her hand, Sakura banged her hand on the counter, creating a hole. She smirked as the young man’s eyes nearly popped out of its sockets. “Now, will you give me a room?” “Oh, just stop it and give the girl a room,” a deep voice sounded. Sakura turned around to find one of the lower rooms opened. A man with one eye stared directly at her before glaring at the young manager behind the desk who was fidgeting nervously. “I’m trying to sleep here.” “Thank you,” Sakura said smugly as she turned around. “Room for one please.” The man quietly muttered something, but Sakura’s attention was diverted somewhat as she felt someone staring at her. She didn’t feel any change in the man’s chakra though, all though it seemed very familiar to her.

Brushing it off as nothing, her attention focused on the matter at hand, which was getting a room. “Like I told you miss,” the coffee-haired guy said. “I do not have any rooms available at the moment. Please go to another inn.” “Now that’s a lie if I ever heard one,” a very deep voice answered from behind her. Green eyes widened as she realized that she recognized the voice immediately. It had been years since she had last heard it, but its tone was unmistakable. “There are a few rooms unoccupied next to mine,” the man stood so close that she could almost feel his robes around her as he placed one hand on the counter, showing her his golden Akatsuki ring and his perfectly manicured, purple nails. Sakura still refused to look around, afraid that this might be an illusion, another dream about him. He still plagued her dreams and she would occasionally wake up, bathing in sweat as she checked her hands. They were always clean, but Sakura could never forget the blood that once coated her fingers. His blood. The man behind the counter smiled nervously to the man standing behind her as he turned around, frantically searching for a free room. As Sakura gained the courage to turn around, the arms of the man standing behind her stopped her as they wrapped themselves around Sakura’s arms, crushing her against the man’s firm and muscled chest. Tears filled her eyes as a strand of blond hair hung in front of her eyes while Deidara’s chin rested on the top of her head. She didn’t know how he survived that deadly blow that Tooya dealt him, but this was real. He was really here. Sakura’s hand moved upwards, touching the soft fabric of his robes as she clenched it in her hands as if she tried to memorize the texture of it. Then, her hand moved to his. His hand felt cold in her grasp, but Sakura couldn’t express the amount of joy she felt as he squeezed her hand slightly, bringing it up to his lips. Tears ran freely over her cheek as she felt him press his soft yet firm lips against her hand. Then, his head moved down until it rested near her ear, his lips so close to her skin that she could almost feel them. And then he whispered the most beautiful words she had heard in four years. “It’s been a while Sakura… yeah,” Deidara chuckled softly as he held the trembling girl in his arms. “I thought I’d never see you again, and yet here we are.” “Once again.”

Salvation – An Itachi & Sakura story. By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Wow, 100 reviews already! Thank you all so much! Sorry that I posted the same chapter twice. Fanfiction was acting weird and I had gotten several emails that the review function wasn’t working, so I reposted the chapter. I’m sorry for the false alert! Chapter Two – Tempting Offer If she turned around, he would go away. She was sure of it. If she turned around, he would fade away, leaving only a memory in his wake. If she turned around, she would still be able to hear his voice but he would be gone. And if she turned around, the warmth of his Akatsuki robes around her shoulders would disappear. But she couldn’t live in a memory. This was just an illusion. It probably was just another S-Class missing-nin who had his nails painted purple like all Akatsuki members had. She was just imagining his voice to be similar and the blonde hair that caressed her cheek as she was pressed against his chest. “Deidara…?” she asked tentatively, almost certain that he would vanish any minute now, yet she relished in the feel of his arms wrapped around her. “Shh…” Deidara whispered, putting his index finger on her lips in an attempt to shut her up. It didn’t take Sakura long to notice that the mouth that was once a prominent part of Deidara’s hand, now had vanished. “Thanks… yeah,” he said to the young man who had laid the key to Sakura’s room on the counter. He bowed quickly and released Sakura before grabbing her hand, dragging her with him into the hallway that led to the floor where Sakura would stay. Vaguely, Sakura noted that the hall had pastel blue walls, just like Deidara’s house. Just like the room where she used to sleep in. Still shocked, Sakura’s mind hardly registered that Deidara had pushed her against a wall and was kissing her gently on the lips as he held her in his strong arms. She didn’t know how long the moment stretched, but all she could recall was moving her lips against his.

Sakura loved Deidara, she knew this. But this kiss was something other than love. It went beyond friendship. Perhaps Sakura was just kissing him to see if he was real, still convinced that he wasn’t there, that he wasn’t alive. But as she felt him smirk against her lips before reciprocating to her lips, she knew. Deidara is alive! After what seemed like an eternity, Deidara leaned back, grinning like he always grinned while pressing her against his chest in a bone-crushing hug. Unable to control her emotions, she snaked her arms around his waist, crushing herself against him as she wept quietly; silently thanking the heavens for bringing him back to her. “Now that is what I call a nice welcome home…” Deidara chuckled. Sakura laughed softly before unwrapping her arms from his waist, allowing herself to look at him. He hadn’t changed a bit. His hair was still long and in a ponytail and his lone, sky-blue eye sparkled in joy and the same goofy grin adorned his lips. Sakura felt her eyes burning with unshed tears, unable to comprehend how he could be with her again. “Deidara… I thought,” she whispered softly as tears streamed freely down her cheeks. “I thought you were gone… I was so sad…” “I heard,” Deidara’s eyes saddened slightly as he caressed Sakura’s cheek lovingly. He wasn’t ready to tell her what happened to him. Not yet. “But I’m here now, that’s what counts… yeah.” Nodding vehemently, she smiled through her tears and allowed Deidara to hug her once again. “Four years,” Deidara said as he inhaled softly to catch a whiff of her scent. “Four years…” she echoed. “Come on… yeah,” Deidara let go of her before grabbing her wrist gently. “I’m sure everybody would love to see you.” “Everybody…?” she asked hazily, trying to figure out what he had meant by that. “Akatsuki, Sakura. Akatsuki,” Deidara replied enthusiastically as he tried to drag Sakura with him. Itachi… Eye grew wide as she tried pull free from Deidara’s grasp, making the blonde look around in shock as his hand let go of her wrist, a questioning and rejected look in his eyes as he whirled around. “What’s wrong Sakura?” Deidara asked. “I thought you wanted to see the others… yeah.”

“I do…” she whispered ruefully. “But I can’t….” “Don’t worry… yeah,” Deidara said after a short pause. “He isn’t here.” She looked up to meet his gaze and found out that he was smirking once again. He shook his head slightly before stretching his hand, silently asking her to accept it. “We haven’t seen him in months… yeah.” Part of her was relieved; relieved that she could be with Akatsuki without having to confront Itachi head on. But her other half was distressed. From what she had gathered in the few months that she had spent with Akatsuki, they had to have regular correspondence with the other members… But if Itachi hadn’t shown himself for months now… “He’ll be fine,” Deidara answered as if he could read her mind. “You know Itachi. He’s one hard bastard to kill… yeah.” She snorted slightly. “Yes, he is.” “It’s just Salmon-chan, Sasori-sama and Tobi… yeah,” Deidara smiled encouragingly. “Tobi?” she asked as she finally accepted his hand, allowing him to lead her to the room where the Akatsuki members resided. “My new partner… yeah,” Deidara grinned. “Akatsuki is different now… I’ll explain it to you later on.” With that, he stopped in front of a door and slid the door open. Sakura smiled happily as she heard Kisame’s familiar, rough voice above all noises in the room while Sasori’s soothing and calm voice was attempting to calm him down. In the midst of it all, she could hear an unfamiliar voice. She guessed it to be Tobi. “Back!” Deidara shouted even before they had even entered the room. “Guess who I found in the lobby?” “Your brain?” Kisame said rather bluntly, making Sakura chuckle softly. “Very funny Salmon-chan,” Deidara snickered good-heartedly before taking Sakura’s hand in his once again, leading her into the room. It was silent for five entire seconds and Sakura started to feel a tad uncomfortable as she felt three intense gazes focused on her. “Hello,” a man with a mask greeted after the intense pause, obviously unaware of the thick tension that had filled the room. “Hi,” Sakura greeted politely as she forced a smile on her lips. “….Damn,” Kisame suddenly started laughing. “I lost my bet.” Sasori’s shocked face turned into a smile as he nodded towards the stunned pink-haired

kunoichi. “It’s been a while Sakura-san. You look good.” “Thank you,” Sakura smiled back, feeling the tension that surrounded them fade away as Kisame continued laughing. “What bet, Salmon-chan?” Deidara’s voice sounded slightly threatening from next to her and as she looked up to meet his gaze, she found out that he was staring at Kisame, his eye narrowed dangerously. “I had a bet with Sasori,” Kisame hastily explained as he searched his pockets. “That Itachi had probably found Sakura again and they had eloped together.” “I told him not to think such a foolish thing,” Sasori pointed out as he stood up to fetch another chair from the second table in the small room. He flashed a slight smile as he put the chair in front of her and gestured for her to sit down. “Please, sit.” Sakura nodded and sat down; Deidara following her example as he sat down next to Kisame. “It’s been a long time kunoichi,” Kisame growled good-naturedly. “At least you’re doing fine.” Yeah, she thought absentmindedly. Just fine. “I am,” she lied quickly, relieved as she noticed that everybody believed her. “I’m glad to see you’re doing fine as well.” “We can’t complain,” Kisame said rather gruffly. “Except Deidara that is.” A piercing look was shot towards Kisame and whatever light-hearted mood there was before had vanished in an instant. Sakura sat completely still, watching the faces of the Akatsuki members as Deidara wordlessly shut them up. She saw that Sasori wanted to open his mouth and tell her something but he decided against it, closing his mouth again. “… Deidara?” her voice was questioning and Deidara nearly flinched. “What’s wrong?” “Later… yeah,” Deidara flashed a smile, but Sakura could instantly see that it was a fake one. Whatever happened to Deidara, it was clear that he wouldn’t talk about it until he was ready. Sakura nodded before looking at Sasori. “Deidara told me that a lot has changed in Akatsuki since I left…” “Oh yes,” Sasori answered before pouring some sake into Kisame’s cup. She chuckled softly as she saw the shark-man close his eyes as he downed the sake. Now that she looked around, the entire table where they were seated was littered with

sake cups and several bottles of sake. Sakura prayed that most of them were still full. She had never seen Kisame drunk before. The same could be said about Deidara. She knew Sasori wouldn’t get drunk though; being a puppet automatically stopped him from drinking. She had seen him eat though, but she knew that he rather did it to show himself that he was still human. He didn’t need anymore food to live on. Not anymore. “For instance, our teams changed,” Sasori said simply. “I’m teamed up with Kisame at the moment and Deidara and Tobi are another team.” Her lips felt dry as she uttered the next question. “Itachi?” Sasori frowned momentarily. “He’s been traveling alone for a few months now.” “Alone?” Sakura inquired. “Yeah,” Kisame answered. “Leader expected you to join and switched the teams already since he was convinced that you and Itachi would make a good team.” “Itachi and me?” she questioned, shocked. “Itachi asked you to enter right?” Deidara replied this time. “Leader deemed it best for the medic to be with the one whose eyesight is deteriorating whenever he used the Mangekyou.” “Itachi-san is a prized member,” Tobi suddenly spoke up. Sakura looked up, slightly startled. She had already forgotten that he was there. “True,” Sasori nodded. “Leader’s favorite.” She laughed softly. “So he’s all alone now?” “Yeah, we haven’t seen him in four… perhaps five months,” Sasori answered casually. “I see,” Sakura whispered softly. “Any other changes?” “Well, we’ve stopped hunting Jinchuuriki… yeah,” Deidara said as he grinned. “You have?” Sakura asked, stupefied. She didn’t know much about Akatsuki’s objective, or what they wanted to do with the Jinchuuriki and the Bijuu they captured, but from what both Deidara and Itachi told her, they resealed the demons into their own bodies. Sakura had tried to persuade both Deidara and Itachi to stop hunting, but neither of them listened to her. Deidara already had the Shukaku and was waiting for the process of sealing while Itachi would still hunt Naruto’s Kyuubi. And now they told her that they’d quit. “Why?” Sakura asked, noticeably interested. “Look at Kisame… yeah,” Deidara gestured. “Don’t you notice a difference?”

“I’ll try not to feel insulted,” Kisame growled before refilling his sake cup. His eyes… And his eyebrows…and his skin have changed, she thought, but kept quiet. Nodding towards Deidara, he noticed it and started explaining. “We went after that sanbi about half a year after you left… yeah,” Deidara explained. “And we found out that he had the other half of a Jinchuuriki sealed inside of him.” “The Isonade to be precise,” Sasori interjected. “So we found out Kisame had been walking around with half a Bijuu inside of him.” “And Sir Leader sealed the rest of the Isonade inside of Kisame-san,” Tobi continued. “And this was the result… yeah,” Deidara said with a tinge of humor in his voice. “Salmon-chan has evolved to Sharky.” The blonde laughed out loud as Kisame tried to hit him, but missed. Sakura smiled slightly as Kisame attempted another hit but gave up due to his alcohol-induced state. “Plus, it seems that the Bijuu don’t like it when they are re-sealed in another body and they start to fight it,” Tobi said knowingly. “It happened to Zetsu too. That’s why he was so easily defeated.” Deidara nodded, trying to look serious as he pushed Kisame back on his chair, commenting that his breath stank. “That basically sums it up,” Sasori said amusedly as he watched Kisame muttering some obscene words under his breath. “Sakura-san, would you mind if I ask you a few questions now?” “No, of course,” Sakura smiled. “Go ahead.” “Why did you refuse Akatsuki’s offer?” Sasori asked casually. “She’s friends with Naruto… yeah,” Deidara answered before Sakura could even answer. “That’s right,” she nodded slightly as her thoughts flew back to the blonde shinobi she had left behind in Konoha. “Ah, the new Hokage,” the redhead commented. “What?” Sakura looked absolutely stunned as she stared at Sasori. “He’s the new Hokage?” “Well… Yes,” Sasori frowned slightly. “I thought you would have known about this.” For a moment, she was speechless. “And… Tsunade-shishou? What happened to her?” “She’s alive,” Deidara said reassuringly. “We assume she thought she was too old for the job and wanted a younger Hokage. We all know what happened to the Third.” “A wise decision too,” Sasori replied.

“Hokage…” she whispered happily. Although Naruto had always said that someday, he would become the next Hokage, she never would have believed that he would become the Hokage at such a young age. Faintly, she wondered how his face on the mountains would look. His grinning face would ruin the serious looks of the previous Hokages, she thought while grinning widely. I’m sure of that. “One other question, Sakura-san,” Sasori’s soft voice awoke her from her reverie. “Yes?” “Now that we’ve stopped hunting Jinchuuriki… Would you enter Akatsuki?” Suddenly, she could hear nothing at all. Deidara had a dead-serious look in his eyes as he stared at Sasori before watching Sakura intently. Kisame looked like he had sobered up and was waiting for an answer, just like Tobi. Sasori was smiling at her, undoubtedly knowing what he was doing to her. “It depends…” she answered evasively. “On what?” Sasori didn’t miss a beat. “What you guys are doing now,” Sakura answered. In truth, she didn’t really want to enter Akatsuki since there would always be the chance that she could be coupled to Itachi. She coughed softly, ignoring the dull pain that welled up. “Nothing much really,” Kisame commented, his speech slightly slurred. “We roam around, collect jutsu from various towns. We perfect them and we move on until we know all the jutsu in the world.” Ironically enough, it somehow reminded her of Orochimaru. “And you have nothing to do with the Bijuu anymore?” Sakura asked sharply. “We’re smart shinobi, Sakura… yeah,” Deidara propped an arm behind his head as he leaned back. “We’ve seen what the Bijuu do to some of our members. We don’t want to die like that… yeah.” “Hunting Jinchuuriki would be meaningless now,” the red-haired Akatsuki member said softly. Sakura coughed violently, rubbing her sore throat as she looked at the Akatsuki members. “You have one nasty cough… yeah,” Deidara pointed out. “How come?” “While traveling towards River it was raining constantly, so I just have a cold,” Sakura explained quickly. “But if I understand this correctly…the offer to join Akatsuki still

stands?” “Yes,” Sasori answered. “You’re going to enter?” Deidara asked incredulously. She remained quiet after this. To be honest, the idea to enter Akatsuki was plaguing her mind. She had entertained the idea on several occasions since leaving the Akatsuki members, but never really acted on it; knowing that they were still hunting Jinchuuriki. But they’ve stopped hunting them. And Deidara would be there. He would be there too. “I… I don’t know,” Sakura whispered truthfully. Sasori nodded curtly. “Think about it.” “You look tired, perhaps you should go to sleep… yeah,” Deidara grinned at her. “I will,” Sakura stifled a huge, tongue-curling yawn as she stood up, only noticing how tired she actually was after standing on her feet again. Picking her backpack off the floor, Sakura turned around before seeing that someone was moving at the table. Deidara was standing as well, fumbling in his pocket for the key to her room as he brushed past the table and waited for Sakura to follow. The roseate kunoichi smiled softly before following Deidara out the door after saying goodbye to Sasori and Tobi. She smiled slightly at the sight of Kisame who has long since passed out. She never really knew how much she had missed all of them. Of course her mind was constantly occupied with both Itachi and Deidara, but Sasori and Kisame definitely held a place in her heart. To Sakura it felt as if she had two older brothers. They stopped in front of her door – which conveniently enough, was next door - and after a chaste hug from Deidara, Sakura said goodnight before walking into her small, yet comfortable looking room. It was decorated simply, with long crimson curtains and white carpeting. The bed looked warm and comfortable, and oh-so-inviting. She smiled slightly before throwing her backpack on the floor, not even bothering to unpack as she kicked her sandals off before jumping on top of the bed. She drifted into a deep slumber and that night, she dreamed of crimson eyes. -A loud knock on the door awakened her quickly.

Shaking off the daze that came after sleeping she instinctively grabbed the kunai that she would hide underneath her pillow in case of a sudden attack. But instead of a kunai, she found sheets. River… Hotel… Akatsuki, she quickly went over her memories. Right. “Sakura, are you decent?” Deidara’s deep voice sounded from the other side of the door. “Yeah, come in,” she called back as she sat up straight, facing the door as it opened, revealing Deidara who was grinning sheepishly. He pushed the door open with his foot, revealing a tray of food as he stepped inside; hissing softly as the kettle filled with hot water for Sakura’s tea almost fell. As he looked up, he found Sakura beaming at her and he grinned back. “Breakfast is served,” Deidara smirked as she smiled and revealed the food and fruits he had gotten for her. “Thank you,” Sakura accepted the tray before picking up some rice. “Eat… yeah,” Deidara ordered half-heartedly. “You look pale.” “Is the pot calling the kettle black?” Sakura joked as she brought some of the rice to her mouth. “Yes he is,” Deidara said, humor laced in his voice. A pregnant pause ensued as Sakura continued eating while Deidara watched her. Deidara knew that the inevitable was about to happen. He knew so much about Sakura and one of her more prominent characteristics was the fact that she was too curious for her own good. After last night, he was certain that she would ask about his resurrection today. And Sakura didn’t disappoint. “Deidara?” her tone was inquisitive as she stopped eating, yet chose to look at her food, rather than him. “I know what you’re about to ask,” Deidara answered, letting his hand run through the long bangs of hair that hung in front of his eye. “I was waiting for it.” Sakura set down her small bowl of rice with a sigh and looked at him as his eyes were downcast. “Sasori saved me,” Deidara whispered slowly. Memories of that fateful day flooded his mind. He could vividly remember every detail of that night; even the feel of the burning pain through his chest and stomach. Deidara remembered the rain; his confession. He remembered that she tried to heal him,

but failed. He knew that he had fainted at some point, but that Sakura thought he was dead. He had tried calling out to her, but his mouth wouldn’t move anymore. Seconds later, he felt the rough hand of Itachi checking his pulse. But even Itachi thought he was dead and carried him inside his house while contacting Sasori. Deidara could still hear Sakura scream his name, late at night. He could still see his blood coating his fingertips and his entire Akatsuki cape. But the thing he would never forget; was the fact that Sakura resigned herself for death as Tooya’s lethal attack hurtled towards her. She was prepared to die and didn’t wish for anyone to save her at their expense. The look in her eyes scared him more than the attack. “But… how?” Sakura whispered softly. “I checked your pulse… I’m a medic-nin, how can I make such a critical mistake…?” “Because I did die… But not completely… yeah,” Deidara answered, hoping that she would figure it out without him having to spell it out for her. The fact that he was a doll – a mere puppet – still hurt him. Deidara would have rather died than become another doll in Sasori’s collection. “… But…” Sakura started to protest, before her beautiful mind pieces everything together and her eyes grew wide with realization. “Oh…” Deidara chuckled ruefully. “Exactly my reaction when I found out.” “I’m sorry…” she said, still shocked. “I shouldn’t have asked.” “I would have told you either way.” A sad smile and then: “I know.” Deidara fidgeted nervously as he scratched his head. He thoroughly disliked uncomfortable silences; especially after dropping a bomb like that. Unable to think of anything to say, he settled for counting the grains of rice in Sakura’s bowl as she thought everything over. “So… have you thought about joining Akatsuki?” he finally asked, getting sick and tired of the thick tension that hung around them. “Yes,” Sakura answered truthfully. “Sasori-sama probably understands if you tell him no,” Deidara tried to smile, but failed miserably. He had hoped that Sakura would say ‘yes’ and stay with them forever. Life with Sakura would be twice as better as life was now. Even if it was probable that her partner would become Itachi, it still would have been nice. “I’ll do it.”

Deidara thought he had fainted and gone to heaven anyway. There was no way that he had heard that sentence correctly. Mentally berating himself for not cleaning his ears on a daily basis, he looked up to meet her eyes as she repeated those beautiful words. “I’ll join Akatsuki.” He wanted to seize her up in his arms and swing her around the room. He would love to kiss her until she begged him to stop because she wouldn’t be able to breathe. He would give his life this instance in order to make love to her over and over again. There were so many things he wished for and so many things would be unrequited for eternity. Not only was there Itachi in the picture, but he was a doll. A mere puppet. Sakura could never fall in love with a puppet. So instead, he opened his mouth and felt how dry his tongue had become. “…Y-you will?” Sakura smiled and nodded. “I don’t want to spend my life alone. And if you guys really stopped hunting Jinchuuriki, I see no reason not to join you.” Deidara was positively beaming by now, the sparkle of delight and joy returning to his lone eye as he regarded her. “Welcome,” he said quietly before wrapping his arms around her, careful not to touch the tray of food that still lay in her lap. “Thank you,” she whispered back. When he released her, he smiled at her and cupped her cheek lovingly before standing up. “I’ll tell the others about your decision… yeah,” Deidara almost skipped to the door. “Eat your food.” She giggled before replying. “Yes mother.” Deidara chuckled before turning around. “What made you change your mind?” Sakura remained quiet for a while before answering with the saddest look he had ever seen in her eyes. “Pain.” “I understand…” Deidara answered after a long pause, before leaving the room. But Sakura knew that he didn’t truly understand what she had meant with that one word.

Salvation – an Itachi & Sakura story

By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Hidan & Kakuzu are two new Akatsuki members that have been introduced in chapter 312. Chapter Three – Ephemeral Dreams She was the epitome of stupidity. Sakura mentally berated herself for making such a monumental decision based on selfish motives when she needed to be unbiased. What happened to her resolve to not betray Sasuke’s memory? Had she traded it in exchange for companionship and Itachi? But it was too late now. Awakening from her thoughts, she noticed Kisame moving through the forest as fast as she was, jumping from branch to branch. Deidara was on her left, keeping pace with her, while Sasori and Tobi were behind her. She had no idea why all four of them needed to come. Sakura had expected only Deidara to come with her. Faintly, she wondered if Itachi was at the headquarters. “Sakura-chan?” A voice intruded her thoughts and she looked up to find Deidara staring at her with a curious expression in his eyes. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” she said with fake sincerity. “I’m just thinking things over.” He frowned slightly, unconvinced. “If you’re not sure yet, we can always go back… yeah,” Deidara said genuinely. “I am sure… I was just thinking about how everything will be from now on,” Sakura said to him. She was doubting her decision, he was sure of it. Deidara was more than willing to give her as much time as she needs to decide, but he couldn’t force her to go back. He sighed softly. “We’ll reach Akatsuki’s headquarters in an hour.” In the corner of her peripheral vision, Sakura noticed the slight sigh and the way his hands clenched involuntarily but she remained quiet, allowing Deidara to assume she hadn’t noticed his tense demeanor. She only briefly wondered what had upset him, before she chose to ignore it and just drop the subject. He probably had seen the doubt that had momentarily crawled into her consciousness, but she had decided to go through with it after all. She couldn’t take off now. She wouldn’t do that again.

She had tried to run away from them twice before, but they just kept popping back into her life. Perhaps it was because they were her closest friends at the moment – her surrogate brothers. Maybe it was the fact that she just couldn’t forget Itachi, no matter how hard she tried. Then again, maybe she just wanted to stay because she didn’t want to feel alone anymore. Because solitude was a wrenching feeling. Sasuke had been right about that. Oddly, she wondered how the Akatsuki attire would look on her now. Snorting slightly, she secretly hoped that she could have some adjustments; a privilege, if you will, for the only female Akatsuki member. She couldn’t imagine herself dressed in those manly pants that hung loosely around her waist for the rest of her life. Or in the mesh shirt that barely covered anything. “Sakura-chan?” Deidara called out gently. “Yes?” she replied as she smiled at him. “Where did you go to?” Deidara jumped out of sight momentarily to avoid a branch before jumping next to her. “I mean, during the time that you were away… yeah.” “Everywhere except Konoha,” Sakura said offhandedly. “Why?” “Just wondering why we hadn’t spotted you during those four years… yeah.” “I’ve been more in the country side than the capitals of the countries and hidden villages,” she said calmly. “I was afraid of encountering ANBU if I stayed at the more popular inns.” Deidara nodded. “That’s understandable… We heard a rumor that you had died though. I never believed it… yeah.” She smiled. “And the others?” “Sasori and Kisame didn’t believe it either. They said you were too strong to be dead now… yeah,” Deidara smirked. “Plus, you’re a medic. You’re able to save yourself.” She smiled bitterly. “True. I’m glad Sasori and Kisame didn’t see me as a weakling though.” “They respect you… yeah,” Deidara’s smirk intensified. “Just like I do.” “Thank you,” she replied earnestly. “No problem,” Deidara said as he quickly, gently caressed her cheek before jumping away in an attempt to catch up with Kisame who was still yards in front of them. She smiled slightly as she touched her cheek, stroking the place where he had touched her.

She felt oddly warm. -They reached the Akatsuki headquarters an hour later. Sakura stood in front of the imposing gate; staring at the seal that only the Akatsuki members could activate. The cave would open and once she set foot in there, there was no turning back. She would be a part of Akatsuki until she died. Deidara was standing behind her. Although he wasn’t radiating any body heat anymore, he was, nevertheless, a comforting presence. When he put one hand on her shoulder, she smiled slightly. It wasn’t a gesture for her to go in; Deidara just wanted her to know that he would be there for her, no matter what decision she chose. So she nodded and took a step towards the gate. Sasori nodded curtly and quickly formed a sequence seals with his hands before pressing one hand on the rock. It remained quiet for a moment and then the rock slowly started moving backwards. Sakura could feel the earth shake beneath her feet and slightly struggled to keep her balance. The huge rock seemed to vanish into the cave and after a while, the quakes stopped. Sasori turned around. “We can go in now.” Sakura silently released the breath she had been unconsciously holding when the gate opened before stepping forward, Deidara in tow. Tobi and Sasori had entered the cave already. Kisame was about to enter, but he looked around once and gave her the most encouraging smile he could muster. Sakura laughed softly as she saw the shark man walk inside, quickly blending in with the shadows. “Don’t worry… yeah,” Deidara whispered as they stopped just a few feet short from the opening. “Everything will be alright.” “Don’t worry Sakura…” Kakashi said as his lone eye creased in a smile. “Everything will be alright.” She smiled sadly, reminded of her former teacher. Sakura wondered what he would say if he saw her now; about to join one of the most deadly groups ever to walk the face of the planet. Vaguely she wondered if she’d ever see one of her former team members again, but she quickly banished that thought out of her mind as one Akatsuki member she hadn’t seen before emerged from the cave. He was blonde, just like Deidara. His hair looked slick and was combed backwards.

Around his neck was a forehead protector. She didn’t recognize the symbol, but she quickly noticed the slash on it. “Nice to see you again Deidara,” the man said in an equally slick voice. “It’s been a while, Hidan… yeah,” Deidara greeted back. “How is Kakuzu doing?” “Oh he’s inside as well. We’ve heard that another Akatsuki member is about to be recruited and decided to stay around,” Hidan looked at her and smirked devilishly. “The Nibi escaped from us again.” “Wait,” Sakura said harshly before turning around, facing Deidara who looked completely oblivious. “You told me that you stopped hunting Jinchuuriki!” “We have,” Deidara defended. “It’s just that Leader wants the Nibi dead for taking our three of our members. It’s the same with that Sanbi.” “Feisty one, isn’t she,” Hidan sounded amused. “Shall we go then?” “Go on ahead,” Deidara said without glancing away from Sakura’s scrutinizing gaze. “We’ll follow soon.” “Suit yourself.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Hidan walking back into the cave. “I’m sorry for not trusting you,” she apologized softly. “It’s no problem, I would have thought the same thing if I heard that… yeah,” Deidara waved it away. “Shall we go then?” Sakura echoed Hidan’s earlier words. “Sure,” Deidara smirked, before taking her hand into his. “If you’re scared, just tell me… yeah.” “I’m not scared,” Sakura said to him. “Not anymore.” “Good.” And together, they walked into the cave. -It was dark in the cave; only a few candles were lit and it was barely enough to show the outlines of the Akatsuki members present. Sakura counted seven Akatsuki members, including Deidara who still stood behind her. She had been looking around to see if she could find the Sharingan, but with the exception of one other person with red eyes, she couldn’t find them. Itachi wasn’t there.

“It’s been a while since we had a meeting like this,” she heard someone’s voice rasp. Looking to the left she found an Akatsuki member with very peculiar eyes, staring at her. “Kakuzu,” Deidara whispered in her ear and she nodded slowly. “It has,” Sasori said. “The last time we were together, nine were left.” “Only eight remain now, and we have new blood,” Hidan said calmly. “Tobi… That was your name, right?” “Yes,” Tobi said politely. “And we have a girl,” Hidan continued. She could vaguely see him gesture towards her. “What’s your name?” “Haruno Sakura,” she said in her most collected voice. “Ah, the medic,” another unfamiliar voice spoke up. Although Deidara hadn’t whispered a name in her ear like with Kakuzu, she immediately realized that this was the Leader. The quiet whispering in the back of the cave had stopped once he had started talking. He was standing in the middle of the cave; blood-red eyes with dark circles around the irises. His hair seemed spiky and dark, but it could just be the lighting in the cave. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Leader continued. “You declined my offer last time. I assume you think differently about the entire matter now.” “I do,” she said quietly. “I’d like to join Akatsuki.” “I see.” “Excuse me,” Hidan interrupted condescendingly. “Do you have any special skills, except for being a medic? It seems to me that we could just kidnap another medic or force her to work for us, instead of with us.” “Hidan,” Sasori said smoothly. “She’s been trained by Tsunade.” It remained silent for a while. “The Tsunade?” Hidan asked skeptically. “Oh yeah, and she has the power to break through stone walls,” Deidara said, deceptively nonchalant. “Do not underestimate her Hidan… yeah.” “Very well,” Hidan said icily. “Forget I said anything.” “The teaming might prove as a problem,” Leader said, a tinge of amusement in his voice. “Since Itachi hasn’t returned yet.” “He hasn’t come back?” Kakuzu asked. “No,” Leader said easily. “Sakura.”

“Yes?” “You’re teamed up with Itachi, like I wanted years ago,” he said ruthlessly, ignoring the soft, protesting sound Deidara made in the back of his throat. “Hidan, Kakuzu, the two of you will go out and look for Itachi.” “Yes sir,” Hidan and Kakuzu answered quietly. “Tell him I’m not content with a member who disappears for months in a row.” “Sasori,” Leader continued sternly. “You and the rest of your entourage will go back to the city where you just came from and you’ll wait there.” “For Itachi?” Tobi asked quietly. “Yes. Hidan and Kakuzu shall bring Itachi there and when the teams are complete, you can continue your missions in River.” All Akatsuki members nodded and it would be wise for Sakura to do the same thing. “You’re dismissed.” “Wait…” Sakura spoke up, earning the attention of the other Akatsuki members. “WWhat about my outfit?” “You may adjust the uniform underneath the robes to fit your own needs, as long as you wear the robes. I trust Deidara to fill you in with the rest of the information,” Leader answered simply. “And before I forget about this… This is your ring. Wear it and protect it; this will be your sign to show you’re Akatsuki.” He then proceeded to throw a ring towards her. She caught it in her hand and bowed before even looking at it. “Welcome to Akatsuki,” Deidara whispered as he led her outside. Sakura blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the bright lights that contrasted with the dark cave they had been in. She smiled at Deidara before looking at her ring. It was identical to Itachi, though this ring had the kanji for ‘Sky’ on it and it was lightblue, rather than the scarlet-red color of Itachi’s ring. She smiled slightly and slid the ring around her ring finger on her left hand. The ring reflected the light slightly and she stood still to admire the small trinket before looking at Deidara. “So… When do I get my Akatsuki robes?” “We have a tailor who makes these things for us. He lives in the city where we just came from. We’ll go back there and I’ll go pay him a visit… yeah.” “Thank you,” she smiled gratefully. “Hey you,” Hidan’s sleazy voice sounded from behind them. They turned around slightly,

keeping quiet as Hidan walked towards them, Kakuzu in tow. “Do you have any idea where we can find Itachi?” “I have no idea. Haven’t seen him since he left months ago… yeah,” Deidara replied honestly. “Great…” Hidan sighed. “While you can relax, we’ll have to search the entire world for that idiot.” “He’s not an idiot,” Sakura whispered slowly. “I’m sure he’s held up.” Hidan snorted undignified. “Yes, he’s probably occupied with some hookers in a rogue country.” “You know he’s not that kind of guy… yeah,” Deidara said, voice dangerously low. “Just do your job so we can all part ways again.” “Sure. Whatever you say,” Hidan smirked. “Your wish is my command.” Hidan turned around to face Kakuzu and with one jerk of his head, both of them vanished into thin air, leaving no sign that they were just standing there mere seconds ago. “Don’t worry, they’re not as bad as they seem…yeah,” Deidara said calmly. “Hidan acts like he’s high and mighty when he’s pissed off and Kakuzu hardly speaks at all.” “So they’re pissed off because they have to search for Itachi?” “Exactly. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack… yeah,” Deidara answered. “But both are experienced trackers,” Sasori interrupted. Apparently he and Kisame had returned without Deidara and Sakura even noticing. “They’ll find him in no time once they’ve found his trail.” “True… yeah,” Deidara smirked. “Come on, let’s wait for him in our hotel. It’s getting chilly.” “How would you know about such a thing Deidara-san?” Tobi said timidly. “What do you mean?” Deidara gave Tobi a questioning stare. “You’re made of wood. How do you know that it’s getting chilly?” Sakura carefully placed her hand in his chest in an attempt to stop Deidara from massacring his partner. She shot Tobi a glare, although she was uncertain if he had received it. Perhaps he couldn’t even see it with his mask on. “Stop it Tobi,” she said calmly. “Stop what?” Tobi asked, oblivious to the animosity that hung in the air. “Just don’t talk anymore,” Sasori said serenely.

“Okay.” -Six days passed and there was no sign of either Hidan or Kakuzu, and certainly not Itachi. Sakura was getting restless. She lied in her bed, staring at her ceiling as she was picturing Itachi in front of her. How would he look now? Would he still be the same or would he look older? Was his hair still the same? How much stronger had he become? How would he react when he found out that Sakura was a part of Akatsuki now? In her mind’s eye, she saw him laughing again, like he had done during her last precious hours with him. It wasn’t the cruel smile she was used to, or even the humorless one. He actually laughed out loud and it was beautiful. It was one of her favorite memories of Itachi and secretly, she hoped to hear it once again. She turned around in her bed, watching her clock as minutes ticked by, trying to fall asleep but finding herself unable to. The heavy, dark-blue duvet felt constricting and she pushed it off together with the rest of her sheets. Signing heavily, she pushed herself off the bed, dressed in only in a pair of boxers and a plain shirt. She walked towards the balcony and slid the glass door open before stepping outside. The cool, night air hit her as soon as her feet touched the cold tiles, but it didn’t matter to her. Walking towards the railing, she leaned on top of it, watching over the quiet city as the lights burned dimly. The full moon was bright enough to illuminate the rest of the streets and she found herself watching people as they passed by. Some were clad in kimonos, evidently drunk as they ran around with a bottle of sake. Behind them, a couple of girls were chasing them, fruitlessly trying to get them to be quiet since half of the city was asleep now. A few were clad in business uniforms; the people who she assumed had just finished work and now were trudging towards their home. She saw two shinobi pass by, both in Chuunin uniforms. Although she was unable to see their forehead protector, she recognized the clothing as Sand’s attire. For a moment, she wondered how Gaara was doing. Toying with the Itachi’s ring on her finger, she continued watching people; laughing out

loud as a drunk couple fell over. Smiling as another couple made out underneath one of the lanterns. Irritated as another drunk man started singing a lewd jingle at the top of his lungs. Shocked when she thought she’d spotted three people walking in Akatsuki robes. She was sure her eyes had popped out of their places as she hung over the balcony, trying to get another glimpse at the trio, but it seemed they had vanished into thin air. Sakura sighed; it was just another figment of her imagination. “Can’t sleep either?” Deidara’s voice sounded from her right. Looking up, she spotted Deidara clad in only his pants, standing on the balcony next to her as he waved at her with a smirk on his face. “No, it’s too warm in my room,” Sakura smiled slightly as she shamelessly ogled Deidara’s body. Sasori had done a magnificent job. She had expected to see lines where his limbs joint together but it seemed that Sasori had changed nothing on the outside; just the inside. He looked human and Sakura was glad for it. She had understood from Sasori that he had a pretty rough time after finding out what Sasori had done. If he looked like a puppet too, there was no doubt in Sakura’s mind that Sasori would have been murdered by now. “Do you like what you see?” Deidara asked teasingly, not oblivious to the kunoichi’s eyes on his body. “And what do I see, according to you?” Two could play this game. “A very handsome, young Akatsuki member, who’s presently single, twenty-four years old and has the prettiest hair that you’ve ever seen… yeah,” Deidara didn’t miss a beat. “Plus he has a great sense of humor and likes art.” “It looks like you’re placing an ad for a dating bureau,” Sakura laughed. He laughed with her. “I don’t know how to describe myself in any other way… yeah.” “Do you think there’s any way for me to fall asleep tonight?” Sakura queried softly. “Eat something, always helped with me… yeah,” Deidara answered. “Good one…” Sakura smiled. “Want to come inside? Might as well talk to you if I don’t have anything else to do.” “Sure, I’m probably a better sedative than food is,” Deidara joked as he stuck out his tongue before jumping on top of her balcony. “Speaking of which, do you have any food?” Deidara asked quietly. “I thought… I thought you couldn’t… you know,” Sakura muttered as she looked at him.

“I can… but I only eat when I’m nearly starving to death. Everything tastes like grains of sand now… yeah,” Deidara made a face. “Everything?” “Well… almost. Fruit is probably the only thing which still has taste left on my tongue… yeah.” “I got some inside,” Sakura smiled as she gestured for him to follow her. She slid the door open and stepped into the room, allowing Deidara to follow her before she closed the door halfway, so that fresh air would be allowed to seep into the room. “I’ve got grapes, is that alright?” Sakura questioned as she opened the mini-bar before fetching her bowl of grapes. Sasori had offered them earlier during dinner but she didn’t feel like eating them. Plus, if Deidara could eat fruit and actually taste it, she was more than willing to give it all to him. “I’ve never eaten grapes before… yeah,” Deidara said, amusement in his voice. “Strange, don’t you think?” “There’s nothing strange about that,” Sakura answered as she sat down on the bed, next to Deidara as she offered him the bowl. “They’re sweet though.” “I’m sweeter,” Deidara smirked rakishly as he eyed a grape warily before inserting it in his mouth. She laughed softly as Deidara made a sour face. "No, grapes are definitely not my kind of fruit... yeah," Deidara said as he squinted his eyes. "These ones were sour!" "They are not," she stated as she ate another one. "They are... yeah," Deidara pouted, making Sakura laugh even harder. "You're back." Both of them looked up as they heard Sasori's soft voice speak up, not too far from them. It took them by surprise; they had never expected the walls to be so thin. It sounded as if Sasori stood next to them. And then it hit them what Sasori said. Deidara stared at Sakura as she was staring towards the door, eyes widened while a spark of excitement passed them. But after that, she looked doubtful and afraid, absentmindedly turning Itachi's ring on her finger. "Let's go Sakura... yeah," he whispered hoarsely, before clearing his throat. "I'm sure he wants to see you too."

She nodded hesitantly, eyes still focused on the door. Deidara stood up, extending a hand towards her and together they walked towards the door. He sighed as he slid the shoji screen and it revealed the hallway. Sakura gasped. He was still the same as ever. Although he was not looking at her, his raven hair was still in a ponytail, long bangs gracing the sides of his face. His Akatsuki cape was still the same although it looked a tad filthy, as if it had been dragged through mud and bushes. Itachi seemed to realize that Sakura was there too and looked up. In that instant where the intensity of the situation almost radiated throughout the hallway, Sakura raised her hand to cover her mouth in an attempt to still the sobs that were coming. She had never expected this to happen. Although it seemed Deidara hadn’t noticed it yet, Sakura’s medic eyes spotted it immediately. Itachi was blind.

Salvation – an Itachi & Sakura story By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Sorry for the late update! Chapter Four – Blind Vision This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He wasn’t supposed to be blind. His Sharingan was supposed to look at her with that same intense, yet blank look of his. She wanted to be under his spell again, if only for a little while. “Idiot…” Deidara whispered softly from behind her, obviously realizing what had happened. “That’s a good way of putting it,” Hidan appeared next to Sasori and observed Itachi with an arrogant smirk. “How…” Sakura said slowly. “How long have you been blind now Itachi?” Itachi said nothing but stared right through her as if he tried his hardest to see her. He didn’t respond as Sasori took him arm and led him through the hallway, past both Sakura and Deidara into Sakura’s room.

“Well, we’re counting on your abilities, Sakura,” Hidan said smoothly before disappearing into thin air. Deidara placed on of his large, calloused hands on Sakura’s shoulder in an attempt to calm her down somewhat. He could feel her muscles tense under his fingers as if she wasn’t used to such contact anymore. She was trembling slightly and Deidara didn’t fail to notice that her hands were clenched rigidly. “Sakura…” he started but was abruptly cut off as Sakura turned around, flashed him a weaksmile before walking past him, stalking into the room with determined steps. For a moment, he stood there stupefied before realizing that she was going to heal Itachi and then give him hell. Knowing that Itachi would never kill Sakura, Deidara smirked knowingly before following Sakura into the room, gently sliding the shoji door shut as he stared at the company that was presently occupying the room. “Well hello Itachi… It’s been a while… yeah,” Deidara said, voice tinged with malice. Itachi refrained from speaking to anyone. “Blindness got your tongue?” Deidara’s lone eye observed the ever silent Uchiha. “Deidara…” Sakura said blandly, though Deidara could almost hear the warning in her tone. He nodded and sat down next to the pink-haired kunoichi as he watched her. “You haven’t followed my advice, have you?” Sakura said to Itachi. He remained silent for a moment before finally uttering his first words: “It’s been a while Sakura-san. I’m pleased to hear that you’re alive.” Itachi’s voice was somehow changed, although Sakura couldn’t put her finger on it. It still had that dark tone to it, the one that used to make the made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge, but there was something else now too. “You’re avoiding the subject at hand,” Sakura pointed out. “I haven’t.” “Haven’t visited a medic since I left?” she asked calmly. “Correct,” Itachi said after a pause. She hated the way he seemed to have distanced himself from her. He was addressing to her in a polite way again, instead of the informal way she had gotten used to. She didn’t want him to detach himself from her. Sakura didn’t want Itachi to be further away from her; she wanted to know more about him.

She wanted to learn everything about him. “Are we back to formal speech then, Itachi-san?” she said coolly. Itachi remained quiet. “Is it possible for you to heal him?” Sasori queried softly. “… Perhaps,” Sakura answered evasively, keeping her eyes on Itachi. “It depends on how long ago Itachi-san turned blind.” “Two months,” Itachi said to her. She grew quiet as she contemplated the entire situation. Tsunade had told her how to heal people who turn blind thanks to factures of glass or other objects that hit their eyes. But she had never explained how to heal people that turn blind thanks to techniques of bloodline limits. Healing Itachi’s eyes while his vision was deteriorating wasn’t that hard. It was a matter of observing the Sharingan, the chakra that streamed to his eyes and fix the main problem, which was the fact that when his eyes turned Mangekyou, the amount of Chakra would double and it would steadily ruin his eyes. Obviously, he hadn’t gone to a medic in four years and used his Mangekyou more than ever. Vaguely, she wondered why he needed it so much. “I… I don’t know if I’ll be able to heal it,” Sakura replied honestly. “I’ve never tried healing a blind man’s eyes if he turned blind thanks to a bloodline limit.” “You’ve healed his eyes before, have you not?” Sasori asked quietly. “Yes, but there’s a difference in deteriorating eyes and blindness,” Sakura explained carefully. “The process of healing will be extremely hard on both of us. We’ll have do to this in several sessions since I’ll be draining my chakra and Itachi will have to have some time to let his eyes rest and recover after it.” “This will be no problem,” Sasori glanced at Sakura. “Thus far you haven’t received missions since Itachi wasn’t here. Kisame and I will handle most of the missions so that Deidara and Tobi can handle yours if necessary.” Deidara nodded curtly, flashing her an encouraging smile. “Sasori,” Itachi’s deep voice drifted through the room. “Has Sakura-san entered Akatsuki?” I’m right here! Inner Sakura screamed in frustration. You can ask me you know! It’s the politest thing to do.

“Yes, Sakura has entered Akatsuki,” the roseate kunoichi answered before Sasori could even open his mouth. She heard Deidara chuckle behind her and even Sasori made an amused sound as Sakura put Itachi back in his place. “Pardon my impoliteness,” Itachi said, cold amusement etched in his voice. “She is also your new partner,” Sasori added in with that angelic smile of his. Sakura sighed slowly. “Itachi-san, I’m going to check your eyes and see what I can do.” He just nodded and Sakura resisted the urge to hit him through the wall as she turned around to face Deidara and Sasori. “Do you mind if I ask you to leave the room? I’ll be able to concentrate better if there isn’t anyone else in the room.” “Of course,” Sasori said before turning around and left the room, Deidara in tow. -And just like that, she was alone with Itachi. “You have changed Sakura-san,” Itachi said quietly. “I still look the same,” Sakura said nonchalantly. “I wasn’t talking about that.” “I know.” “Your voice seems more confident since the last time we spoke.” “I know,” she said gently before pressing her right hand on Itachi’s right eye. She felt him blink, the soft hair of his lashes tickling her hand slightly before he closed his eye, perceiving that conversation wasn’t necessary anymore. He was surprised to hear how much she had changed. Before, she always had that one tone in her voice that implied that she wasn’t scared, but she always remained a little afraid of him. Now, her voice was completely poised and the way she took charge had taken him by surprise as well. He supposed that no one would stay the same forever. Sakura was a perfect example of that. Itachi resisted the urge to sigh as Sakura’s cool chakra spilt into his eyes, calmly checking every vein for any sign of damage. His eye felt strangely cool as she removed her hand and moved to his other eye, repeating the process. She still smelled the same; still the myriad of spring flowers. Her hands were more

calloused than he remembered as he felt the roughness of her fingers as she pressed them against his forehead. They were a deep contrast from the still delicate and smooth hands that once belonged to her. He could feel her warm breath fanning over his cheeks, quickly noticing how close she was to him as the warmth of her body radiated against his frozen skin. Itachi stayed completely impassive as Sakura removed her hand and sighed, clearly thinking things over. Finally, after an excruciating long pause, she spoke up. “I think I’m able to heal your eyes.” Mentally, Itachi congratulated himself for taking the medic with him so many years ago. He had been advised to go to many medics as people noticed his blind state, but no other medic could help him. And here, one of the best medics in the world would be able to help him. Telling Kisame to take her with them was a stroke of genius. “However,” Sakura’s voice turned sharper. “I can only heal one eye at a time, so you’ll be half blind for quite some time.” “That will not be a problem.” “It’ll take me at least two weeks to heal both eyes to perfect state,” Sakura said to him. “How will you heal them?” “I’ll take it slowly,” Sakura said, explaining the entire process calmly. “It’ll take me several hours to heal one of your eyes to the point where you can actually see colors again. From there on, I’ll have to heal everything one by one which means that you’ll see more clearly with every passing session.” “Very well.” Sakura stayed silent for a while as she stared at the man she thought had been invincible. She had never expected something like this to happen. In her mind’s eye, Itachi was invulnerable. Itachi was the strongest person she had ever known and he would certainly die from old age, rather than be defeated in battle. But he was defeated already. Conquered by his own weakness and he didn’t even realize it. Carelessly, he ignored her warnings and went his own way and this was the consequence of his actions. “Shall we start immediately?” Itachi said mutely. “Yes,” Sakura said, equally quiet. “Which eye do you prefer to be healed first?”

“I have no preference,” Itachi said as he shrugged his dirty cape off, leaving it to pool around his feet. “Right eye first then,” Sakura responded softly. “I’ll have to cover it up afterwards since you’ll risk the chance of undoing the procedure if you accidentally open your eye.” “I understand.” Sakura eyed the bandages on the table next to them warily. The bandages would be more practical for battle injuries, rather than something to cover Itachi’s eyes with. Her eyes searched around the room until they stopped on her old, silky, black shirt that hung on a chair. Standing up, she grabbed the shirt and ripped a small strip of it that would be sufficient to serve as a temporary bandana for Itachi’s eye. She walked back, the silky material clasped in her hands as she sat down and put the material on the table. Sakura proceeded to pull her chair closer to Itachi and sighed slightly, enjoying the way his warm breath heated the space between them. Sakura formed some seals as she activated her medical jutsu and pressed her palm against his right hand before muttering quietly: “Trust me.” Itachi said nothing in return. -Halfway during the process of healing Itachi’s eye, she discovered that the sun was starting to rise, coloring the sky with deep, rich shades of red and purple outside. But that wasn’t the only thing she noticed. Chakra was filling up the room next to her and with Sakura’s trained senses; she immediately noticed the danger that lied in that. Quickly scanning over the hallway, she came to the conclusion that it was in the room where Kisame and Sasori resided. Itachi evidently noted the way she had tensed as he spoke up to reassure her. “Don’t worry,” he said simply. “This happens on a monthly base since we sealed the second part of Kisame’s Isonade.” “What do you mean?” Sakura asked, interest peaked. “Once in a while, the Bijuu takes control and makes Kisame lash out,” Itachi said to her. “Sasori usually handles it by himself.” “Usually?” Itachi paused for a while before continuing, as if he had to choose his words carefully.

“At times, Kisame’s Bijuu proves too strong and Deidara might assist.” “Just… How strong is Kisame now?” Sakura asked fearfully, afraid of the answer. “His chakra reserves at the moment are equal to the remaining Akatsuki members combined,” Itachi stated simply, as if he asked her to pass him the soy sauce. Sakura’s eyes turned as wide as saucers as she observed the Uchiha to see if he was joking. The mere thought that Kisame’s chakra would be equal to the all of the Akatsuki members’ reserves was preposterous. At the very least, Kisame’s chakra would technically enable him to kill at least half of Akatsuki. “You’re shaking.” He woke her from her thoughts and she looked at her hands to find out that she was trembling slightly. Itachi didn’t seem to mind and remained completely still as he patiently waited for Sakura to continue the healing process. She couldn’t even feel him blink and was aware that he knew exactly what was going through her mind right then. “What happens when they won’t be able to control him anymore?” she whispered softly, noticing how Deidara sped past her door. “Leader has issued that we are free to kill him if we can’t help him.” “But he’s… he’s Akatsuki,” Sakura said to him. “We can’t just kill him because the Bijuu is getting restless.” “It’s killing Kisame, or getting us all killed,” Itachi said quietly. Sakura’s glance turned from the wall to Itachi’s ever aloof face. It seemed almost amazing to her that he still kept that poker face of his. Even while being blind, his lips still formed that unreadable line. He wasn’t frowning or smirking and his left eye was opened, revealing one of his midnight blue eyes staring lifelessly in front of him. She hated it. She wanted to hit him for not following her advice. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Itachi was supposed to look at her with those exquisite eyes of his and truly see her. He was supposed to be surprised that she had gotten into Akatsuki and perhaps they would build their relationship again. She shook a little before smiling at her own stupidity. Even after so many years, she still believed in fairy tales. “And you don’t care if Kisame dies, do you,” Sakura stated deceptively blasé.

“Correct,” he returned smoothly. “You’re still the same as ever,” Sakura told him in an ironic tone. “You probably still believe that emotions make you weak.” Itachi’s silence was her answer. She sighed slightly, knowing that pressing this matter would resolve into nothing and her primary goal was to heal at least one of Itachi’s eyes before the night was over. The sooner she could get that tedious goal out of her way, the sooner she could check up on Kisame and the others. Collecting chakra to her hand, she sat down again with a certain amount of resignation and pressed her palm against his left eye. For now, she would enjoy the warmth of his skin against her cool hand. -“Just when you think this day couldn’t possibly get worse… yeah,” Deidara sighed as he watched Sasori’s puppets surrounding Kisame in an attempt to stop the shark-man from lashing out. “I’m afraid I have some bad news for you,” Sasori said, calm as ever. “Go ahead,” Deidara raised his hands in exaggerated enthusiasm. “It seems Kisame has lost control completely this time,” Sasori gestured with his hand to the two tails of chakra behind Kisame. “If we do not get him out of this building, we might all become his victims.” “Want me to go and tell Sakura?” Deidara questioned hastily. “Yes and Tobi too while you’re at it,” Sasori said serenely. “Why do I have to save that little bastard?” Deidara responded intentionally obtuse. “He’s Akatsuki,” came Sasori’s simple reply and Deidara nodded, obviously aggravated, before stalking out of the room. Behind him, he heard Kisame growl viciously as Sasori’s puppets commenced the attack and he could almost feel the chakra swirling around in the room and the hallway. Kisame was strong; almost unnaturally strong. Deidara was glad he wasn’t able to receive the Shukaku. What if he had ended up in the same way? What if that wasn’t Kisame standing there, fighting Sasori? What if it was him, what would happen if he turned into Shukaku in front of everybody? Would he lose his mind as well? Would he kill everybody? Deidara knew the answer to all those questions was ‘yes’, no matter how hard he tried to

deny it. It was times like these that he understood how foolish Akatsuki used to be before the reformation. Reaching Sakura’s room, he mulled over knocking before entering the room. You never knew what to expect if those two are alone in a room, that was for sure. But Sakura wasn’t the type of girl to make out with Itachi when she should be healing his eyes. So he opened the door and watched as Sakura sat opposite of Itachi; her light-blue chakra illuminating her face, making her pink hair look almost luminous and her face even paler. She then opened her eyes and as her sea foam eyes stared at Deidara, he smiled slightly in contempt. Itachi gets her, and he can’t even see such beauty… yeah, Deidara thought. She looked like an immortal figure of art just now. It’s astonishing. “Is there something wrong Deidara?” Sakura asked him. “We need to get out of here… yeah,” Deidara said numbly, mind still reeling over Sakura and Itachi. “Sasori-sama said that it was too dangerous to stay here since Kisame just sprouted another tail.” He watched Sakura’s eyes widen, but she nodded quickly, grabbing a small piece of black cloth from the table before saying something to Itachi. He nodded and she quickly tied the cloth around his right eye. Afterwards, she made him look up so that she could see if the bright lights of the ceiling lamps would penetrate the material. Itachi said something that Deidara couldn’t hear and Sakura nodded before beckoning Deidara. He ran towards her and waited for her to speak up as she frantically ran to her closet, pulling out her custom made Akatsuki outfit. “Could you escort Itachi outside while I pack all my belongings?” Sakura asked hastily. Deidara nodded. “Can you go get Mr. Mask for me too?” “Sure,” Sakura nodded, smiling slightly as she heard Tobi’s new nickname. Deidara stood in front of Itachi, pondering the best way to escort him outside before grabbing Itachi’s wrist forcefully, not caring that he might hurt the Uchiha. Itachi however said nothing as he freed himself from Deidara’s grasp. “You can lead the way. I’ll hear where to go by listening to your footsteps,” Itachi said apathetically and Deidara nearly slapped himself for thinking for a moment that the great Uchiha Itachi might even need some help. “Fine…yeah,” Deidara sighed as he ran out of the room, Itachi following him closely.

As hard as he tried, Deidara couldn’t stop smirking as Itachi’s shoulder hit the threshold on their way out. -Sakura coughed violently behind her hand as she quickly packed all of her belongings into her bag. Stuffing the dark skirt and her dark spandex that went underneath her robes into the bag, she looked around the room, trying to figure out if she had left anything behind. She smiled slightly before dressing herself in the Akatsuki cape, heaving her bag over her shoulder and ran out of the room to get Tobi and to leave the inn before any of them got seriously injured. “Tobi get up!” she yelled as she pounced on Tobi’s door and moments later, the masked Akatsuki member opened up the door, clad in his usual dark uniform. “Can I help you, Sakura-san?” he asked, voice muffled though his tone was curious. “Kisame is losing control so Sasori issued everybody to leave the inn at once,” Sakura breathed out. Tobi merely nodded before grabbing his Akatsuki cape that rested on a chair next to the door and his bag. “This happens all the time to Kisame-san, so I’m prepared for everything,” he merely said as Sakura flashed him an incredulous look. “I see,” Sakura smiled as they both ran towards the other side of the corridor, knowing that this was the only was where they could exit the building. But as they neared Sasori and Kisame’s shared room, Sasori flew out of the room before he crashed into the wall opposite to the threshold with a mind blowing force. “Oh damn,” Tobi said, this time genuinely perplexed as Sakura dashed towards Sasori. The redhead was pushing himself off the ground as Sakura reached him, refusing to take the hand she hold out for him. He gritted his teeth and for the first time, Sakura could see the frustration and anger that was etched into his eyes as he glanced at her for a moment, before looking back at the door. Kisame was standing in the threshold; a maniacal grin gracing his lips. A dark-blue chakra seemed to surround his body and behind him, she could clearly see two tails, made of chakra sweep through the air. She supposed that somewhere deep inside, she felt relieved that there weren’t three tails and that he hadn’t changed into the Isonade completely, but right then and there, she only felt sad for Kisame; knowing that this might be the last time that he’d ever see the sun rise. Kisame stepped into their direction and Tobi walked past them. “It might be wise to leave now,” he said, before jogging calmly towards the exit.

“I won’t leave you behind Sasori,” Sakura said firmly as she observed the wild look in the usually so serene and calm puppet master. “Let us go outside then,” Sasori replied in the most composed voice he was able to mutter right then and there. He was still fixated on Kisame but urged Sakura to walk and he paced right beside her, all the while keeping his eyes on Kisame. Then, Kisame lashed out and Sasori suddenly fell down on the hard floor. Sakura abruptly stopped and turned around, just in time to see Sasori’s eyes widen as Kisame’s claw pierced through his wooden body. The red-head stared at her as he tried to signal for her to leave by staring at her. Kisame – no, the Isonade – then retracted his claw and Sasori lied on the floor, lifelessly. Breathing was becoming hard as she mentally tried to stimulate the puppet master to stand up, but it was no use. The dark-blue chakra was spreading throughout the area and Sakura clenched her teeth as she saw Kisame taking a step into her direction, knowing that she might not be able to avoid his next blow. The maniacal grin she had seen on Gaara’s face as he attacked Sasuke, the same one that appeared on Naruto’s face as he faced Orochimaru now found a way onto Kisame’s lips. He raised his arm and Sakura saw how his chakra started to form on his hand in the form of a lance. Her eyes grew wide as she realized that she recognized this technique; it had a different shape but the density of the chakra was the same. It was Tooya’s technique; the one he used to kill Deidara with. Realization hit her that Sasori might not be unconscious; that is Sasori got hit with that blow, he would be dead by now… and Sakura could be next. No. Sakura would be next. But she wasn’t frozen this time; she could still move, unlike the time where Tooya had paralyzed her. She could turn around, get Sasori and run out of there. Kisame was still staring at her with that gleam in his eyes that accentuated his newfound lust for blood and she swallowed hard before she turned around, keeping her eyes on Kisame. Then, when she blinked, he was gone. Then she felt an excruciating pain flame through her abdomen. Sakura violently coughed up some blood that slowly dribbled down her chin, as her eyes focused on Kisame who was in front of her, his chakra-laden lance embedded within her stomach.

She could hear someone call out her name, but the voice was muffled and her vision was fading fast as another tremor of pain racked her body when Kisame’s weapon slowly slid out of her stomach, followed by her gushing blood. Numbed by agony, Sakura pitched forward, uncaring that her body met the ground brutally, only taking comfort in how the cool wooden floor felt against her heated cheek. In the far distance, she could feel someone touch her back gently before the only thing she knew were the shadows dancing on the back of her eyelids.

Salvation – an Itachi & Sakura story By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Please read the author notes at the end, they are important this time. Chapter Five – Ethereality And then there was chaos. Deidara panted harshly, his gaze drawn to the unmoving body of Sakura; sprawled on the floor near Kisame’s morphed feet. Further in the hallway, he saw Sasori had too, been taken down, but Tobi had reported that Sasori’s heart wasn’t hit and that he would recover. When he had inquired about Sakura though, Tobi merely shrugged and he was forced to come back. And witness this. “Tobi!” he yelled harshly. “Get Sakura and Sasori out of here!” The masked man ran towards him. “But Deidara-senpai! If he hits me, I’ll get killed too!” “If you get killed by a Jinchuuriki, you’re not worthy of being in Akatsuki,” Deidara said harshly, keeping his eyes on both Kisame and Sakura as he grabbed his precious pouch that contained his clay. From the corners of his eyes, he could still see Tobi doubt his decision. “Move!” Tobi fidgeted some more before finally disappearing with a small, scared cry. He reappeared next to Sakura, quickly grabbed her and then vanished again. Moments later, he reappeared next to Sasori and repeated the process. Kisame, meanwhile took a step closer to him, the same maniacal smile on his features. Deidara wasn’t afraid though. There was only one place that Kisame could hit in order for him to die, and Kisame wasn’t even thinking clearly at the moment. This put Deidara in a hard place though. He could either attempt to subdue Kisame and bring him to the headquarters of Akatsuki and recommend a second sealing to the Leader… or kill him right away if he couldn’t stop him.

He gritted his teeth in frustration, taking a step back as he realized that Kisame was accumulating his monstrous chakra for another attack. Tobi appeared next to him, panting harshly. “Itachi-san and the others are in the forest miles away from this place,” he said, face directed at Kisame. “Go back, make sure Sakura’s wound stops bleeding and then go and see if you can find either Hidan or Kakuzu. I might need some more help,” Deidara instructed quickly, before pushing Tobi out of the way as Kisame’s chakra lance shot towards Tobi. “Go! Now!” “Yes Deidara-senpai!” Tobi obeyed without asking anymore questions. He then vanished into thin air, leaving Deidara alone to dodge another one of Kisame’s lethal blows. “Just you and me now, big guy,” Deidara muttered under his breath, the mouth in his hand working overtime as he spit out the form of a small bird. Kisame apparently understood this and the wicked grin faded somewhat. Instead of the grin, a vicious look appeared in his eyes and Kisame growled before he finally made his move and ran so swiftly towards Deidara that it was hard to see him. The blonde prepared for the clash, crouching down slightly as he grabbed the explosive tags that were stored in the pocket that hung on his belt. Just as Kisame tried to attack him, he dodged the blow and ran towards the other side of the room, scattering the explosive tags over all the walls before he jumped into one of the rooms and jumped out of the window, dropping the clay bird in his hands. Quickly forming a seal, he activated his jutsu and with a large bang, the bird transformed into a larger version of itself and caught Deidara’s fall. The Rock-nin stared at the building for a moment, before he brought his hand up. “Release,” he muttered as he molded his chakra and instantly, a chain of explosions was heard as the entire inn collapsed. He sighed, knowing that it wouldn’t be enough to stop Kisame. As he looked down on the previously quiet, little town, he tried to see if he could find Hidan or Kakuzu in the crowd that was running away from the battle scene, frightened and yelling for help as Kisame appeared from the remains of the inn. The twin chakra-laden tails swept away several people in its wake as he looked up to meet Deidara’s gaze, a sadistic grin gracing Kisame’s lips. The Jinchuuriki that was his teammate jumped up from roof to roof until he stood on top of a building, almost on par with Deidara. From what the blonde could see, Kisame would not be stopped so easily and Deidara sighed again, this time out of resignation. There would be no other option. Before, it had

always been possible to pacify the Jinchuuriki, but they had never tried to do the same thing while Kisame had sprouted two tails, since said event had never happened before. And now that Sasori, Itachi and Sakura were unable to fight with him, he had to handle it all by himself. Reminds me of the good days when we were still hunting the Shukaku… yeah, Deidara smirked somewhat before he fumbled in his pockets, pulling out some of his clay. “Sorry Salmon-chan,” Deidara whispered. “You were a good drinking partner.” Forming two birds of the homing type, he sent them to Kisame and watched as Kisame jumped towards him, but was stopped midway by the birds. He lifted his hands and quickly activated them, allowing them to explode in Kisame’s face. Smoke obscured the entire scene and Kisame from Deidara’s eyes and he hastily checked if he could see Kisame land somewhere else. But when the smoke finally cleared, there was no sign of the shark-man at all. He cursed violently, flying in a circle with his bird in order to see where Kisame had landed, but the tall Akatsuki member was nowhere to be seen. Then, the bird started to shake, forcing Deidara to lean on his hands in order to regain his balance. He could hear Kisame chuckle as if he were sharing a joke with the Rock-nin, and then finally realized that Kisame had somehow dodged the blow and had been hiding underneath the bird. “Crap,” he said dryly as Kisame’s head looked over the edge. Knowing that there was no way out of this one, Deidara grabbed a kunai from his pouch, readying for the inevitable attack. He was definitely not the close-range battle type, that’s why he had perfected his technique so the battle would stay at a desirable distance. Kisame quick movements blended together, making him seem almost like a blur, and when Deidara blinked, Kisame was gone. A lone, sky-blue eye widened in both shock and fear as Kisame appeared in front of him, twisting Deidara’s arm brutally in his grasp. As hard as he tried to ignore the pain, he felt it flaming throughout his entire arm as Kisame gave a harsh tug and he felt his arm pop out of its original place. He grinded his teeth, determined not to give Kisame the pleasure of seeing how much it really hurt him as he gathered chakra to his leg, copying Sakura’s Taijutsu movements almost flawlessly, congratulating himself for asking her years ago how she was able to land such strong kicks and punches. Kisame seemed stunned as Deidara’s kick sent him over the edge, tumbling over the clay bird before he fell out of sight. I hate Sasori-danna, Deidara thought as he tried to move his dislocated arm back into its socket. He never said that I would feel so much after turning into a doll!

Knowing that it was probable that his pain came from the muscles and other human body parts Sasori had kept intact for Deidara’s body, he cursed before staring over the edge, finding Kisame standing on top of the rubble of their previous inn. He had no choice, he was certain of that; in the end, he would have to use that technique. -“How is the battle going?” Itachi asked calmly as he heard explosions in the distance. “I don’t know Itachi-san,” Tobi said as he stared at Sakura’s wound in morbid fascination. “What should I do, Sakura-san won’t stop bleeding!” It was at moments like these that he cursed his Sharingan for turning him blind. He knew he should have followed Sakura’s advice, but after she left, he ignored all of it, convinced that he would be fine. He truly was a fool at times. “What does the wound look like?” Itachi inquired coolly. “A hole,” Tobi responded, voice tinged with worry. “Then bandage it,” Itachi instructed easily, finding the entire situation incredibly mundane. Tobi was a pest and everybody in Akatsuki knew it. Ever since he screwed up a mission with Deidara, he hadn’t been the favorite member of the Leader and naturally, the rumor that Tobi had failed in a mission spread throughout Akatsuki and he wasn’t dependable anymore, that is, if he ever was to begin with. Itachi smirked lightly; served Deidara right for changing his partner. “But it’s really large…” Tobi said quietly. “And she won’t stop bleeding. This will be the third time I’ve changed the bandage.” It remained quiet afterwards and he could feel the sun radiating warmth on his skin. He wanted to gauge the damage himself. He had seen her heal often enough to copy some of her handy jutsu for future use and he was sure that he could even use it now. But he was blind, and would only be able to distinguish colors. Plus, Sakura had told him not to remove the cloth because the danger of him undoing the process was imminent. Yet if she kept on bleeding, Akatsuki would lose another good member and their only medic. This completely proved Tobi’s ineptness for not even being able to close a wound. He would need to report to Leader about this later on, Itachi was sure of it. An Akatsuki who couldn’t even heal an injury was useless and unwanted. He heard Tobi twitch a little bit and then decided that he truly was a spectacle and the

worst thing that ever happened to Akatsuki. “Tobi,” he called out. “Yes Itachi-san?” “Apart from healing Sakura-san, what else did Deidara instruct you?” he asked blandly, crossing his legs. “Heal Sakura-san, and then find Hidan-san and Kakuzu-san,” Tobi recited without a second thought. Itachi remained silent. “After you bandage her, go out and find Hidan and Kakuzu.” “But… But Sakura-san is still-” “She’s Akatsuki,” Itachi said, as if that answered all his questions. “She’ll be fine, so will Sasori.” “Yes Itachi-san,” Tobi answered. Itachi just listened to the way Sakura was breathing harshly, and the sounds of Tobi wrapping Sakura diligently. After a while, the sounds stopped and he could almost hear Tobi sigh heavily. “I’m done, Itachi-senpai.” With that, Tobi disappeared from the vicinity and Itachi didn’t move a muscle until he felt Tobi’s chakra further itself from them. Then, he listened carefully to Sakura’s breathing, deducing the place where she was lying. It didn’t take too long to locate her and on his hands and knees like a small child, he moved towards her in the most dignified way he could muster. Finally, he hand touched her skin and he retracted his hand before moving so close to her that his knees touched her side. Carefully, one hand descended upon her and he sighed softly in relief as he immediately touched her bandages, knowing that he wouldn’t have to search for the wound. Long, calloused fingers followed the line of the rough texture of the bandages until he came on a part that was soaked in her blood, and he knew that this was it. For the first time in his life, Itachi hesitated. If he messed up, he could kill her and his chances to regain his eyesight. His skill in medical jutsu was inadequate in comparison to his other abilities. He could gauge the damage from the inside; certainly. Seeing Sakura do it over and over again had automatically led him to copy her technique. But what if he killed her? What if he accidentally increased the damage?

What if she died? He balled his fists in light frustration, knowing that he had to do something soon, otherwise Tobi and the others might be back and questions would surface as to why he was sitting so close to Sakura with his hand still on her stomach, feeling the drenched bandages. If there was something the Uchiha disliked, it was most certainly to be put in a position where he didn’t have much choice and just had to act reckless. He didn’t care if Sakura died. It wouldn’t hurt him if he never heard her voice again. Itachi was a one-man army that was deployed with other one-man armies by their leader. If Sakura was too weak to survive through one of these attacks, Sakura wasn’t worthy of being Akatsuki. But Sakura was the only one capable of healing his eyes. And Sakura was their only medic. If she died, they would have no medic. Imagine the anger and wrath of Leader then. He had decided. He unbuttoned his Akatsuki cape quickly and threw it over his head so that the sunlight wouldn’t blind him instantly. Then, he moved his hands to the back of his head and unwrapped the bandana Sakura had tied. Faintly, he smelled her scent as the bandana passed his nose and fell down to the ground. Itachi still kept his eyes closed as he moved slightly to hover over her, using his cape to obscure the light from the bright sunrays. Sakura would scold him for this if everything worked out fine, but he was willing to take the risk. As long as his eyes would be healed in the end, everything would be fine. That was the entire reason why he wanted to come with Hidan and Kakuzu, rather than search for another medic. After they told him that Sakura was with the others, he hadn’t hesitated to join them. He knew Sakura would heal his eyes; she would always help him. He had no reason to believe that she wouldn’t do the same thing this time. Besides; Sakura was the only medic he had faith in concerning her abilities. Slowly, he opened his right eye and closed it as soon as soon as the dazzling lights blinded him somewhat. Moving his cape further over his head until he was sure that he blocked out most of the sunlight, he tried opening his eye again. This time, no light blinded him and although everything was still blurred, he could see the white of Sakura’s bandages and the dark color that stained it. For a moment, he just sat there; amazed with Sakura and the progress she had made on healing his eyes in a few hours. He stared at the light colors of her bandages and the way

it moved whenever Sakura inhaled and exhaled. Thoughtfully, he moved his hand to the dark stain on the bandages and closed his eyes before activating his chakra, calmly letting it enter her as he tried his best to feel what was happening on the inside. He sighed slightly before he retracted his hands, and formed a couple of seals to activate the standard medical jutsu that ANBU taught all of its members, in case there wasn’t a medic in the neighborhood. All ANBU were forced to remember the standard medical jutsu. This way, they would be able to avoid too many casualties. Itachi stopped just before his hand reached the wound. He was getting soft. He should just let nature run its course and if Sakura died, there would be other medics. Other skilled shinobi for Akatsuki, rather than a medic who fell right away when Kisame transformed into the hideous creature he was now. There would be others. But none like her. Itachi smirked slightly in amusement. He was getting soft. This was absolutely not a good thing. Emotions made someone weak, that was his motto. To have no emotions is to be the ultimate shinobi, and here he was, partially blind and risking his eyesight just to heal a medic. He was acting like a pathetic fool. Shinobi die, that’s the cruel reality of truth. But as he backed away from her, something told him it wasn’t right. He couldn’t put his finger on the strange and foreign emotion that he was feeling at that time, but Itachi knew he had to follow his instinct, it usually proved to be right. Keeping Sakura alive would serve a purpose and he was sure he would understand what it was later on. Brow creasing slightly in concentration, Itachi brought his hand back to the wound and started to stop the bleeding. -She wasn’t able to open her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t open her eyes. With every breath she took, she felt an intense, white-hot pain flare in her stomach, making her want to flinch and cry out, yet her body wasn’t allowing her to do anything. She felt warm hands atop her stomach, changing her bandages, but the heat didn’t penetrate through her skin. The hands left and for a moment, there was nothing anymore.

She heard sounds, muffled and almost indistinguishable, but somehow, she knew she was safe with the remaining members of Akatsuki. Sasori… Again, the hands were changing the bandages. Apparently, she kept on bleeding; Sakura couldn’t find another reason why the bandages would be changed in such a short time, unless her sense of time was lost on her when she took the hit. The warmth left her once again and the talking stopped. Then, someone bumped against her side, blindly touching her stomach, tracing what she believed to be the seam of the bandages until he reached the wound and it stung momentarily. And the thing she had never expected to happen, did. Chakra, formed in a medical jutsu, entered her. Her trained, medical mind immediately understood that whoever was checking her, was trying to discover how badly her insides were injured. The chakra felt warm and heated her from the inside in, clouding her already hazy mind as the warmth poked inside of her, investigating her wounds before it completely left her and she felt cold again. She waited patiently, feeling the hand hover over her but not quite touching her. Desperate to feel more of the heat, she tried to move slightly, tried to make the person see that he should continue the healing process, but the hand slowly moved away and for a moment, she was afraid that salvation was lost. But it returned and it heated her once again; this time with healing chakra and Sakura would sigh in relief if only her body wanted to work with her. With each passing second, she wanted to open her eyes and see who was healing her, but she was slowly drifting back into unconsciousness. -Being a Hokage was tiring. Naruto had found that out after one week of constant administrational work, Genin nagging at his head for better missions than gardening, being obligated to go to various meetings a day and the fact that he hardly saw his friends anymore, except when they had to report to him about missions. He enjoyed the fact that everybody respected him now though; he loved the way that everybody would smile at him whenever they passed him by. The adoring looks in the eyes of younger children, tugging at their mother’s kimono as they gently whispered that they wanted to become the Hokage when they grew up. It was refreshing from the looks he used to get; that cold, hard look of hatred. He felt

unwanted then but everything had changed. Since he had become Hokage, many of the adults smiled to him, rather than ignore him like they used to. Sighing, he sat down on his comfortable chair, grabbing a few scrolls that contained missions and stored them safely in the drawer. Glancing at the clock, he creased his brow in frustration as he realized that time was passing by very slowly. Folding his arms on the table, he let his head rest on them for a while, not caring that it was unfitting for a Hokage to look that way. Naruto was sure that Koharu and Homura’s speeches about etiquette and being a good Hokage would never be forgotten. He had to sit through various sessions of them and quite frankly, by the end of it, he had decided that his first duty as a Hokage would be to replace those two with less tedious people, like Iruka-sensei. Naruto had always imagined that Sasuke and Sakura would be sitting next to him and that they would be his advisors as well. Sakura would be a top medic and the head of the Konoha hospital while Sasuke would be an ANBU captain who would be successful in capturing even the toughest missing-nin. Instead, their names were on a polished rock. Sakura’s body was never retrieved. Yet due to the fact that Orochimaru and Kabuto were never found as well, people assumed that it was Sakura’s body that Neji spotted deep in the bowels of Sound. Sasuke had a proper burial, in the Uchiha graveyard, between the graves of his parents. Not many people were there; some of them were there out of respect for the last Uchiha to go; most were the Rookie nine that had known him while he was still normal, when he was still Sasuke, rather than a monster Orochimaru had created. Kakashi resumed his position in ANBU, now leading forces around the borders, claiming that he missed his old life. Naruto thought that Kakashi wouldn’t ever want to have students again, after the fiasco that was called Team 7. Naruto missed them all. He missed their time as Genin, when they would stand on the bridge, Sasuke casually leaning against the wood while Sakura would just stand there with an adoring look in her eyes, even though she was tired and disheveled from getting up so early in the morning. They would bicker a little, Sasuke would inform them that they were annoying and Naruto would shoot an insult back. After hours of waiting, Kakashi would show up and Sakura and he would scream at him for being late, again. And they would go on their missions, Naruto trying his hardest to be the best in everything he did, but he would always fail miserably and Sasuke would be there to pick up the pieces and smirk in that style that told Naruto that he had screwed up - again - and he was nothing compared to Sasuke.

Afterwards, Naruto would have a good feeling about completing another one of his missions and would smile brightly as they returned to their homes, exhausted, but still content. He would go to Ichiraku then and eat as much ramen as he could before he returned home, dream a little bit about becoming a Hokage and he would fall asleep. And the next day, everything would be the same. As he stared out of the window at Konoha, how the sun brightly shone and the children outside played ninja, he couldn’t help but think that he would give up his Hokage position in return for having Sasuke and Sakura back. -“Damn it,” Deidara cursed as he avoided one of Kisame’s hits and landed on his bird again. The fight was long and tedious, but it seemed that several explosions had thoroughly weakened Kisame and the shark-man was actually panting now, the chakra armor around him fading somewhat, before returning again. The genius from Iwagakure had analyzed the entire fight, trying to bring Kisame back by using his words first, then his techniques, but nothing was helping. The Isonade inside of Kisame was still rampaging and it seemed like an impossible mission to stop it now. Deidara still had his number eighteen clay waiting for him, the strongest clay he had ever developed and had used successfully against Gaara, knocking him out instantly. If he used the technique on Kisame now, it would probably lead to instant death since Kisame was already weakened, even more than Gaara was when Deidara used his jutsu on him. He had hoped for back-up from Hidan and Kakuzu who were very effective in battle, but both of them hadn’t shown up yet and Deidara couldn’t conclude anything else than they had both already left the village and Tobi was probably still searching for them since he hadn’t turned up yet. How Akatsuki could allow such a fool to enter their ranks was still a mystery to him. Kisame was standing on top of a building, smirking at him as he licked his lips, like a predator ready to devour his prey. Deidara sighed in contempt before opening his pocket where he stored the clay and grabbed the biggest piece out of there. “Sorry Kisame,” he whispered gently as the mouth in his hand formed the clay doll. “I hope we’ll meet again in another lifetime.” As soon as the bird was formed with his number eighteen clay, he brought it to life, using the last of his chakra, before he moved towards Kisame and let the bird loose behind him. Kisame obviously didn’t see the bird fall down behind Deidara and open his wings before it flew away, circling around the building he was standing on. All he could see was Deidara and that he was coming closer towards him.

The blonde formed some seals and in his frenzied fury, the shark-man didn’t realize that Deidara was casting a jutsu to escape. He roared harshly before jumping towards his former teammate and slowly started to realize that Deidara was fading away from the scene until there was nothing more. Kisame prepared to land and collected his massive chakra in his feet before realizing that a single bird was flying next to him. There was only a split second for shock, fear and a gruesome scream as the bird exploded violently and shook the entire vicinity.

Salvation – an Itachi & Sakura story By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Dedicated to Kayuuko-chan, one of my best friends and fellow Akatsuki-addict! Chapter Six – Transcendent “How is she doing?” Sasori asked the blonde that sat next to his bed, chin resting in his folded hands as he watched the puppet master move around in the bed. Deidara sighed. “She’s still delusional and her fever isn’t going down…yeah.” “I see,” Sasori replied softly. “Have you reported to Leader yet?” “I’ve sent Tobi out to do that. Itachi intends to report Tobi as well; apparently he wasn’t even able to stop Sakura’s bleeding… yeah,” Deidara’s eye creased in irritation, before he softly muttered: “Incompetent fool.” The corners of Sasori’s mouth quirked slightly as he leaned back against his comfortable pillow. It was times like these that he enjoyed being a puppet. The only way someone could possible kill him was to hit his heart and Kisame had hit it. Though it wasn’t a fatal blow, it was enough to knock him unconscious and render him immobile for a few hours. When he had woken up, Deidara was using one of his jutsu to heal the heart. Sasori had never been more proud. Though not much had been said about the event that led up to his little problem, Sasori had understood that Kisame was killed and disposed of and so, yet another Akatsuki member fell. It was truly amazing sometimes to realize that they had lost so many members in such a little time. Perhaps they were becoming incompetent; all of them. “What about Itachi?” Sasori queried quietly. “Still as blind as a mole…yeah,” Deidara said roughly.

Two days with only the silent and blind Uchiha as his companion was hell, he was sure of it. Now that his vision was gone, it seemed that Itachi’s life existed purely to annoy Deidara and it was getting on his nerves. He only wished for one thing; for Sakura to wake up and heal the Sharingan user’s eyes as soon as possible. An unreliable Itachi was worse than an Itachi with eyesight. He resisted the urge to curse violently as he recalled a particular event when he had cook, since they were in the middle of nowhere and there was no way that they could phone someone to get them food. It was an entirely new revelation to the genius from Iwagakure, but apparently, Itachi knew how to cook and knew exactly which buttons to push so that Deidara would eventually get frustrated and kick the burned fish away. Itachi then commented that fish and mud wasn’t a good combination while Deidara walked away in an attempt to suppress the longing of punching that smirk off the Uchiha’s face. “So he wants to report Tobi?” “Yeah,” Deidara replied easily. “Seems his majesty wasn’t too happy with the way Tobi handled Sakura. He said something about Tobi not even being able to stop the bleeding with his chakra.” Sasori smiled softly. “Yes, that sounds like Tobi. But you have to wonder how the bleeding stopped then. You mentioned that by the time you arrived, it had stopped.” “Hmm,” the blonde stared at Sasori. “I thought it was peculiar. Such a wound doesn’t stop bleeding unless someone heals it.” “Itachi?” the redhead said to him. Deidara shook his head. “Blind.” “Yet Tobi was unable to heal her, I was unconscious and you were off fighting Kisame,” Sasori’s smile increased. “Maybe she learned how to automatically heal herself from Tsunade. There’s a rumor that the Slug trainer is able to do such a thing.” “That might be an option,” Deidara stretched out on his chair before folding his hands on top of his stomach. He made no attempt to stifle a huge, tongue-curling yawn as he leaned back, enjoying the brief moment of peace. “When will you be done healing?” “Tomorrow at the latest,” Sasori answered simply. Deidara nodded before he stood up. “I’ll go check on Sakura.” Sasori nodded back and watched as his former partner walked out of his room. He sighed slightly before staring out of the grubby windows of his shabby room. They had found an inn not far from the city they had ruined and Deidara had reckoned that if they went any further, Sakura’s condition would only become worse and he needed the time to heal Sasori. If they had stayed in the forest near the city, they were bound to

encounter ANBU sooner rather than later. Sakura had been unconscious for the past two days, feverish and delusional. Deidara had told him all about the way she had suddenly grabbed onto his Akatsuki cape and held on, telling him that she would die, but that she would protect both him and Naruto. It soon dawned on the blonde that she thought he was Sasuke. Unfortunately, due to a lack of medics, Deidara was forced to take care of Sakura, seeing as Itachi was still blind and Tobi was out to report the entire incident to Leader. He sighed softly, hoping that the rain that had been falling endlessly since the day they arrived at the inn would clear up sometime soon. -He listened to his own footsteps on the wooden, almost rotten floor in the hallway as he stalked past his own room and stepped into the room where Sakura was resting. Outside, it was still raining; cold air blowing inside, the curtains billowing with every breeze. He closed the door before stepping towards the window, closing it in case Sakura was cold. He stared at the roseate kunoichi as she writhed on the bed, brow creased as her hands clenched the thin material of her blanket. She was sweating and her eyes were shut firmly; her lashes casting scant shadows on her cheeks. He sighed before he moved towards her, fingers caressing through her soaked hair and over her heated skin, cupping her jaw slightly as he pressed his lips on her forehead. He was afraid to move, afraid that when he left, she would be gone and the intensity of losing her would grab his heart and wring it dry so that there wouldn’t be any emotion left. Deidara didn’t want it to leave. Tightly, he shut his eyes, enjoying the feel of her warm skin against his lips before he finally let go. Grabbing one of the chairs that stood near the bed, he sat down, and folded his arms as he watched her move, noticing every detail from the elegant curve of her leg that stuck out of the sheets to the way that her hair stuck toher forehead. She was a living piece of art. The vibrant colors of her hair, the fair, pale color of her skin, her emerald eyes and beautiful smile all were part of the explosion of emotions that he had named Sakura. Deidara smiled slightly as he folded his arms over the back of the chair, leaning forward so that his face rested on his arms as he stared at her perfect form during that fleeting moment. She wasn’t perfect, and that appealed to him. Art wasn’t eternal perfection like Sasori always said to him. Art was a fleeting moment of pure perfection, something to feast your eyes on for a brief moment before it would

disappear again. Sasori would never understand the beauty in that. Sakura started to move again, groaning slightly as she wildly turned around, gripping her sheets violently as her head thrust from one side to another. Within seconds, Deidara moved to her, a worried look in his lone eye as he bent over her, trying to decipher what she was saying while attempting to calm her down somewhat until she suddenly grabbed his shirt and stared at him. “I’m dying,” she whispered, eyes frighteningly wide as she glanced at him for another tense moment, before her eyes turned away and she let go of him, unconscious once more. He sat down on the bed, softly stroking through her hair as he gave her another worried look. “You’re not dying Sakura. I won’t let you die. You’re not allowed to die.” Then, Sakura slowly shifted in her sleep and albeit it was soft and almost undistinguishable; Deidara could clearly hear Sakura call out for Itachi, ripping his heart out in the process. Deidara stood up and walked away, unable to contain his emotions anymore. If he were able to cry, he would cry at that moment, but his heart only seemed to wither and all he wanted was to get out of that room and to get away from the kunoichi he had come to love when he thought his heart had frozen over. As he walked out of the room, he wished his heart was still made of ice. -Two days, that was forty-eight hours. He finally understood why the forty-eight hours was the breaking point for even the strongest shinobi if he used Mangekyou Sharingan on them. After all those minutes ticked by, there was no way they wouldn’t go nuts; especially when there was no hope for salvation. There was only the hope that it would all end soon. Itachi was a fool. He hated waiting. He hated waiting for news if Tobi had been killed by Akatsuki due to his incompetence that might or might not have led to their new arrival’s death. Itachi hated not knowing where he was walking half of the time, waiting for news that Sakura was alive so that she could heal his damned eyes and he could stop relying on others. Because that’s what Itachi hated most. Relying on others.

He would never forgive Sakura if she died on him now. Not after he foolishly took the initiative to weaken his eyes again so that he could save her life. Not after he made a fool of himself and acted as if he cared. Because he didn’t. Itachi didn’t care for her and he had almost killed Tobi when he spilled the news to Deidara that he had seemingly sounded worried. The Uchiha wasn’t worried and didn’t care about the kunoichi. All he wanted was to heal his eyes so he could be independent again. That was what being the ultimate shinobi meant; no emotions, no feelings, no regrets and to have the mental ability to be able to close your heart away from everything and everyone. Though, there was one thing he didn’t understand. Why hadn’t he left after he slept with her? He always left immediately, feeling disgusted that his primal urges would make him commit such a vulgar deed; disgusted that something like sex could calm him down somewhat. After the girls fell asleep, he would pick up his clothes, get dressed and leave without a trace. Once he would arrive at the inn he was staying, he would shower for an hour straight; rinsing himself from everything connected to the girls he left behind. But with Sakura, he had stayed in the bed, not feeling disgusted at all, yet more confused and bewildered as she woke up and snuggled against him as if he were a weak-hearted fool like Deidara. And he had allowed it. If there were any sense of his thirteen-year-old self left in his mind, he would kill her right after he let her fix his eyes. That was part of the reason why he killed the clan. Yes, he killed to confirm the extent of his container and to make sure he started a vicious cycle in which Sasuke would get caught and his younger brother would get stronger and stronger until he would be able to defeat him. But his second reason was because the clan was holding him back; they were making him weak because he was forced to act as if nothing had happened. As if they were still a family while they had been a wrecked family ever since his invitation from ANBU came. Itachi had to act as if he cared and in a way, he still did. He wouldn’t have shed tears for Shisui while strangling him, drowning him in the river in his search for the ultimate power of the Uchiha clan. He wouldn’t have kept Sasuke alive as an afterthought. His katana wouldn’t have faltered just before he hit his mother who had done nothing wrong in his mind but support his father. The Sharingan user smirked slightly, finally realizing how ironic the entire situation was. The Uchiha massacre was to get away from them. They were holding him back. He had transcended far above the clan and was the beacon of light that they had somehow held on to.

The recent rivalry with the Hyuuga clan was diminishing the respect for the clan but there was no genius in Hyuuga or anybody in Hyuuga for that matter that could compare to Itachi. He hated having the role of savior. All he wanted was to grow on his own, to see how powerful he could become. Only to realize, years after he left them, that he had only gotten weaker ever since he left. His eyesight fading, half of his time consisting of killing ANBU or escaping from them, plotting strategies for capturing the Kyuubi, and it all led up to an older Uchiha Itachi, who was blind and just fractions stronger than he was when he was thirteen years old. Perhaps his mother’s warning rang true. Geniuses start off strong, but their talents dwindled with age. He was precisely the same. The night of the Uchiha massacre was supposed to stand for the night that he killed the innocent child that still lived inside his body, shedding all of his emotions and closing his heart to the world. But, it was then that he had reached the limit of his capacity and although all emotions were locked away now, there was no doubt in his mind that he was starting to become weaker rather than stronger. Softly touching the black bandana around his eyes, Itachi enjoyed the feel of the wind on his face, releasing the lethal grip he had on the railing of his balcony, finally letting go of his frustration. “Itachi?” a deep, male voice sounded from behind him. Itachi immediately identified him as Deidara. “Yes?” “She’s been calling for you…yeah,” was all Deidara said before he disappeared from the vicinity; presumably going back to Sasori. The root of all his problems was calling out for him. He smirked slightly before he turned around, not noticing how the warm breeze had suddenly turned as cold as it did on the night of the Uchiha massacre. -“Can I join Akatsuki?” Hidan looked up, slightly disturbed as he watched Kakuzu look up from his stack of scrolls too. “You want to join Akatsuki?” Kakuzu asked in his usual, raspy voice. A young, ambitious looking man stood before them; the forehead protector from Sand tied around his forehead, his pants black, while he was dressed in the Jounin uniform of Sand.

Kakuzu quickly gazed at him, before raising his eyebrow. “No.” “Why not?” the Shinobi asked quietly, almost disappointed. “I might be a simple Jounin with no special powers, but I’m still an excelling shinobi. And as it stands now, you need new members, don’t you?” “He seems to be informed about us,” Hidan smirked lightly. “What is your name?” “Raito,” the light-haired shinobi answered, seeing an ally in Hidan. He smiled knowingly as he pulled a chair away from another table before sitting down boldly, obviously forgetting who he was up against. Hidan said nothing, just flashed him a look of distaste as he looked towards his partner. “This guy is perfect, seriously.” Kakuzu waved it off. “Do whatever you want.” The gray-haired shinobi ignored his partner as he turned back to Raito. Observing the young man’s determined look in his gray eyes, he smirked slightly, knowing that he would be perfect. “Why do you want to join Akatsuki?” Hidan asked as he took a sip of the tea that he had ordered. “Isn’t it obvious?” Raito said cockily. “Akatsuki is one of the strongest organizations in the world. I want to join you to prove my worth and become stronger than any other shinobi in Sand.” “Ah, kids these days,” Hidan’s smirk increased somewhat. “Idealistic thoughts… And once you’ve become the strongest shinobi of Sand, what then? Will you leave us? Have you ever considered the thought that joining Akatsuki means leaving Sand?” “Harsh,” Kakuzu murmured under his breath, Hidan ignored him blatantly. “But I could have some use for you,” the gray-haired shinobi said as he stared at the Sand-nin. Kakuzu finally looked up. “Are you a missing-nin?” Raito shook his head in confusion. “No.” “Worth any money then?” “No?” Raito responded, still puzzled by the questions. “Then he’s all yours,” Kakuzu said to Hidan, earning another sly grin as he stood up and walked away from the table. “Well then…” Hidan smiled brightly. “I need some more information about you before approving you into Akatsuki.” Raito grinned back. “What do you want to know?”

“Age?” Hidan asked, before taking another sip of tea. “Twenty-one,” the brunette answered. “Religious?” “No,” Raito said to Hidan. “I thought all Akatsuki members were atheists.” “Hardly,” Hidan smiled knowingly as he started to toy with the rosary beads in his cloak momentarily as he stared at the shinobi who wanted to become an Akatsuki member. “Any other complications on your end?” Hidan queried. “Revenge, people wanting your head, you know; the usual.” “I only wish to kill the one that killed my older brother,” Raito said quietly. “But I’m not being chased by anybody, or hated by anybody in particular.” “I see… Follow me then.” “To where?” Hidan stood up, straightening his cloak before adjusting his scythe on his back. He pushed his chair backwards before stepping away from the table, ignoring the question Raito had just asked while beckoning for Raito to follow him. The Sand shinobi stared blankly at Hidan for a second before he stood up and followed the gray-haired ninja, convinced that he was allowed to become an Akatsuki member and he would take him to the boss. They stepped outside, away from the loud noises inside of the bar they had been conversing, into the cool night air. Momentarily, Hidan stopped as he turned around, flashing that calm and arrogant smirk of his as he signaled for Raito to follow him and he did. Hidan led him far away from the town that they stayed in, the road under their feet crisping as they walked away silently until they reached a small forest. Raito could hear a river nearby and smiled slightly. If there was one thing he loved about the world, it was nature. His eyes moved down and widened slightly as he realized that there were black lines drawn on the ground, carefully hidden in the grass. There was only one second in which he turned around to ask why the lines were there before a metal pike was shoved into his chest, killing him almost instantly. The last thing the young shinobi saw was Hidan’s smile and the rosary beads he was clutching in his hands, before crouching down, watching him die as he faded away from the world and closed his eyes. “You were a good guy,” Hidan said apathetically. “But Akatsuki is invitation only.”

With that, he started his sacrificing ritual in order to please whatever god was watching over him that night. -She was sleeping, groaning slightly with every breath as she turned around restlessly in the bed. Itachi’s heightened senses enabled him to hear everything perfectly and he stopped to wonder why she hadn’t awakened yet. It had been two days; he had almost completely stopped the bleeding and Deidara had taken care of the rest. She should have awakened hours ago. Itachi didn’t care though. She was a tool, a medical kunoichi who is known as one of the best kunoichi in the world; her talent mostly coming from her jutsu and her abnormally strong punches and kicks. She was intelligent, smart and quick-thinking and Itachi knew she would be the perfect partner for him in future Akatsuki missions. However… Weakness was intolerable and emotions were unacceptable. He remained quiet as he pondered about Sakura, giving his mind the time to straighten it all out before he went into action. Itachi should have killed her. Right after she healed his eyes completely, he should have killed her. He should have murdered her brutally when she sedated him. Itachi should have left her behind when she refused to leave Sound and let her vanish together with the entire complex. So many opportunities, all wasted because he was growing weak. All Itachi wanted was for it to end. To let him just go back to his old ways and be the emotionless killer everybody saw in him. His life was simple in Akatsuki. He just needed to go on some missions and follow some rules but his life was his own. Itachi only needed to look out for himself. Somewhere, deep inside, he tried to convince himself that he was still that killer. But he knew better. If he still was that man, Sakura would have died by now because Tobi couldn’t stop the bleeding and Itachi refused to sacrifice his eyes for her. He had changed because of her and for the first time in his life, he felt fear. It was a foreign emotion to him; to him who thought he would be fearless throughout his life, having cast away all of his doubts years ago. It was strange to know that one girl, one girl who was weaker than him, made him afraid.

Ironically enough, it was not the girl that made him afraid; it was the emotions she had unleashed when she stepped into his life. He walked towards her, hands touching the wall for support until he bumped against the bed and he calmly sat down on the edge. His hand ran over his fingers, up to her shoulder before cupping her jaw gently. Her drenched hair stuck to his fingers, but he couldn’t care less and he moved up and touched her forehead gently, feeling the heat radiate from it. Itachi believed that in the end, she knew he would be the one who would kill her. His hands moved down to her neck, touching the supple skin, recalling the exact places he had graced with his lips whenever they kissed, before banishing those thoughts from his mind. The image of Sakura in his head was still spurring him on to go on with it, but his conscious stopped him, knowing that she would be the only one able to heal his eyes. His mind was telling him to stop, wait until she was healed and fixedhis eyes before ending her life. There it was again. Doubt. Unconsciously, his hands released their grip somewhat as he recalled Sakura’s face when she lied underneath him, writhing in pleasure. Her face when she was crying over Sasuke’s death and blamed him for it all. The expression in her eyes when she fought him and told him that she hated him. “I hate you,” she repeated when no answer came. “I hate you for taking Sasuke away from me. I hate you for not caring when Deidara died...” He breathed deeply as he remembered the next words. “I hate you for making me feel like this!” “I hate you too…” he whispered coldly, fingers wrapping around Sakura’s porcelain skin mercilessly. He was disgusted. How could it be that one girl, one damned single girl was able to make him feel like he was human again? Emotions were a weakness, that was his motto in life. To seal away all emotions was to become the ultimate shinobi. And here she was, keeping him away from his goals like that foolish clan once did. “Goodbye Sakura.” With that, he grip tightened; his emotions buried again, his lips a thin line of concentration and his mind blank as he squeezed the life out of the only one that had ever loved him.

Salvation – an Itachi & Sakura story By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Sorry for the late update. School is murdering me and my creative mind. Chapter Seven – Martyr Fragile. Breakable. It was so easy to kill. So easy to bury away all emotions and just press down, squeezing the life out of someone who loved you, who wanted to be with you, who wanted to do anything in their power to please you. So easy that it was almost ridiculous. She gasped slightly, attempting to inhale as all the air escaped from her lungs. Her eyes opened widely and stared at him, shocked, though another emotion penetrated her gaze. He couldn’t see it. He didn’t see the fear in her eyes being replaced with an eerie calm as she finally gave in to her inner martyr, knowing that resistance was futile and fighting was useless. He didn’t notice the light smile on her lips as she felt his hands tighten. Then, the pain, the lack of air, everything disappeared, as Itachi moved off Sakura in an attempt to block the incoming attack from Deidara. The blonde’s fist barely missed Itachi’s head and he inwardly cursed violently as Itachi gracefully landed just a couple of feet away. Deidara glanced in Sakura’s direction, hoping that she was alright, but before he could make a move toward her, Sasori walked past him, making a beeline towards the bed. His lips were a thin, unreadable line, but Deidara knew that the puppet master was angered. Itachi said nothing as Sasori checked Sakura. “Itachi, you fool!” Deidara yelled as soon as Sasori confirmed that Sakura was alright. “Did you lose your common sense when you lost your vision? She’s Akatsuki!” “What were you thinking Itachi?” Sasori queried softly, dangerously. “My point exactly,” Deidara spat out. “He wasn’t thinking.” Sasori silenced him with one harsh look that looked oddly out of place on his usually virtuous face. The blonde wisely shut up and just bit his lip fiercely to keep himself from yelling at the Sharingan user when Itachi did nothing but chuckle calmly.

“I am becoming weak,” Itachi said simply. “She is the source of my weakness. I depend on her to heal my eyes.” Deidara’s eyes shot up from Sakura’s bed to Itachi. “And so, you kill her? Is that how you handled the Uchiha clan Itachi? You killed them because you depended on them too much?” Itachi said nothing in return. “Whether Sakura is your weakness or not,” Sasori said softly. “Sakura is Akatsuki. You should have thought of the repercussions before you acted.” With that, the puppeteer walked towards the door before continuing. “I believe Tobi is back. I’ll check his wounds.” As soon as the sound of Sasori’s footsteps faded, Deidara gritted his teeth and stared directly at the Sharingan user. He knew that Itachi couldn’t see the intensity in his eyes, and it aggravated him to no end. “Love works in strange ways, or so they say,” Deidara said slowly. “But this is insane.” “Love?” Itachi asked after a slight pause. “Love is an overrated word.” “It is…yeah,” Deidara nodded as he walked to the chair he had placed besides Sakura’s bed. “Then why do you associate that word with me?” Itachi asked. Deidara chuckled slightly. How on earth Itachi could possible be one of the best shinobi in the world and still be completely dense when it came to feelings and the like? Unbelievable. “It’s not the word I associate with you…yeah.” “Then what?” “I’ll tell you when you grow up,” Deidara taunted mirthfully. Itachi seemed to contemplate the answer Deidara had given him and wavered on the spot before the corners of his mouth quirked slightly, obviously amused by something. Lifting his hand up, he quickly formed a seal and disappeared from the room. “What I associate with you, Itachi,” Deidara whispered to the shadows as he slowly caressed Sakura’s hair. “Are the feelings that you’re experiencing thanks to this particular kunoichi…yeah.” -Sixty-two hours after Kisame’s deadly attack, Sakura’s fever finally went down. He wasn’t sure how he should celebrate her return to good health. Finally, she would be able to open her eyes, talk in coherent sentences, and return to the lively person he knew so well. She would be Sakura again.

One of his ideas was to create a bundle of clay birds and let them all fly through Sakura’s window, but decided against it, due to its sappiness. Flowers were cliché, chocolates were distasteful, a card was too simple, and Tobi’s head on a platter was too macho. So he settled with staying by her side, changing the cold cloth on her forehead every so often as he silently encouraged her to wake up from her unconsciousness state and show him her bright, green eyes once again. “Deidara, you’re in love,” he said to himself as he refreshed the cloth for what seemed like the millionth time. “You know it. But seriously, you’re acting like a love-sick puppy. It’s repulsive.” As he closed his eye and sighed, he heard her chuckle. Opening his eyes, he saw Sakura staring at him, a weak smile adorning her lips as a myriad of emotions whirled through him at the sight of her awake and perfectly fine. “I think the love-sick puppy routine is actually quite cute,” Sakura joked, voice sounding somewhat hoarse from disuse. She coughed gently and smiled as the shinobi from Rock stared at her incredulously for a moment. Deidara forced himself to grin back. “Glad you liked it. You won’t be seeing it again… yeah,” he joined her, making her laugh slightly. She gasped as she clutched her sheets. “What happened?” “Kisame went berserk,” Deidara said softly. “Attacked Sasori-danna, and after that, he went after you. I found you unconscious and told Tobi to take you, Sasori and Itachi to a safe place. We all survived…” “And Kisame?” Sakura asked, eyes widening. “I…killed him,” Deidara whispered regretfully. “There was no other option.” “I understand…” Sakura whispered. “I’ll miss him…” Deidara nodded, perfectly understanding what she meant. Kisame was an enigma, though he might have seemed distant and cruel, once you got to know him, he was a partner, a fellow teammate and Deidara was sure that he would be missed. Salmon-chan had a sense of humor, was strong, detached, sarcastic, and didn’t care much about others, but in his own interesting way he did show them he that he did care. In short, he was everything Deidara wanted to be; except for his looks. He severely lacked in that area. “How are you feeling?” Deidara questioned tenderly as he stared at her. “I feel…better,” Sakura said thoughtfully. “But I’m famished.”

Deidara laughed out loud. “That makes sense. You were unconscious for several days.” As if on cue, Sakura’s stomach growled grumpily and both stared at her belly, before Deidara burst into a fit of laughter, followed by Sakura, despite her embarrassment. “I’ll get you something to eat…yeah,” Deidara grinned at her before standing up. “Anything particular you want?” “I’ll be satisfied with anything,” Sakura replied as she leaned back into her pillow, fatigue somewhat overtaking her. Her male companion just nodded before he turned around and walked towards the door. As he neared the threshold, he held onto the wood as he turned around to face the kunoichi who rested comfortably in the bed. “Sakura?” “Yes?” “What’s the last thing you can remember?” Deidara asked, his mind focused on Itachi earlier that day. “Kisame transformed… Sasori on the floor… And a lot of pain,” Sakura answered contemplatively. “Why?” “Never mind,” Deidara flashed a smirk. “It’s not important… I’ll be back soon.” He closed the door, breathing a sigh of relief that she finally regained consciousness and didn’t remember what Itachi did to her. As he walked away from the door, he remembered Sakura telling him that grapes were her favorite kind of fruit and he made a mental note to search the entire inn for the fruit. -As the first rays of sunlight entered the small room, the Hokage opened his eyes, rubbing them slowly as he tried to wake up, resisting the urge to burrow into his sheets and continue sleeping again. He groaned lightly before sitting up straight, still rubbing his eyes before blinking slowly. Naruto gave in into an enormous, tongue-curling yawn as he stretched his arms above his head. Throwing his feet over the bed, he shivered when his toes touched the cold, wooden floor. He yawned again, unbuttoning his pajamas as he stepped into the bathroom, before turning on the shower, and immersing himself in the soothingly warm water. Half an hour later, he emerged from the bathroom and quickly got dressed into his usual Jounin uniform. Naruto stared momentarily at the Hokage coat he had received during the ceremony. Apparently the tailors in town had specially made him the coat with crimson flames on the end, made to resemble the Fourth’s coat.

Naruto wasn’t sure if he liked the fact that people saw him as the new Fourth, rather than the Sixth. A loud knocking on the door startled him somewhat and he put on his coat before he walked to the door. Hoping that it wouldn’t be a Chuunin, telling him he had another emergency meeting, he opened the door, revealing that only Shikamaru was standing behind it. “Hey,” he said as he stared at the dark-haired Jounin. “Hey,” Shikamaru replied. “Chouji is in the hospital, as it seems that he was attacked during a B-Class mission. He’s alright now, but I want to notify Ino.” “Why are you here then?” Naruto asked, confused. “I can’t find her anywhere,” Shikamaru explained quickly. “Have you seen her anywhere?” “No,” Naruto shook his head. “But if I see her, I’ll tell her to go to the hospital.” “Thank you,” Shikamaru smiled lightly before he sprinted away. Naruto smiled back, slightly worried about Chouji but quickly shrugging it off. Chouji had been in worse situations before and always fought like a lion. He would be fine, he was sure of that. Sighing heavily, he stepped outside and closed the door before heading towards the memorial. -“What are you doing here?” Deidara asked, malice lacing his voice as he noticed Itachi sitting at one of the tables in the kitchen. “Last time I checked, the kitchen wasn’t open for the public...yeah.” Itachi didn’t respond, just took a bite from the apple he was holding in his hand. “Did she wake up?” he asked after a long pause. Deidara nodded until he remembered that Itachi couldn’t see him. “Yeah, she woke up.” “Good.” “Good?” Deidara asked incredulously. “Last time I checked, you were trying to strangle her!” Itachi smirked slightly. “When Sakura is fully conscious, my eyes can be healed.” “Selfish pig,” Deidara muttered under his breath, attempting to glare the Uchiha to death as he stalked to one of the refrigerators. “I thought the kitchen wasn’t open for the public?” Itachi said quietly before taking

another bite. Deidara choose to ignore him as he quickly grabbed some fruit and juice from the fridge before closing it again. He turned towards Itachi, as if he wanted to say something, but closed his mouth before he shook his head. Even if he wanted to reprimand Itachi for his actions, he wouldn’t care anyway. It was foolish to think that the great Uchiha Itachi would listen to anyone. Sighing lightly, he walked away from the kitchen and quickly made his way back to Sakura’s room. The half-rotten stairs felt as if they were about to break under his weight as he looked up the stairs disdainfully. This was no proper place for Akatsuki. Just wait until Hidan and the precious treasurer of Akatsuki, Kakuzu, showed up again. He would force some money out of them, even if it was the last thing he did. Cursing, he stalked to Sakura’s room and knocked curtly before opening the door, revealing Sakura as she held onto the wall, staring right at him as he stepped inside. “What are you doing?” he queried as he put the food down on a nearby table before grabbing Sakura’s arm in case she fell. “I wanted to see if I could move around,” Sakura panted lightly, face set in a scowl as she tried her hardest to move. “You should go back to bed,” Deidara spoke up, worried. “Let her walk,” Itachi’s voice sounded from somewhere behind the both of them. Scowling, the blonde looked over his shoulder, finding Itachi standing not far from them, his mouth set in a slight smirk. Sakura had turned around as well and watched Itachi without even batting an eye. It was evident that the fear she once harbored for Itachi was almost completely gone now, especially since the Sharingan user was blind. She sighed gently before prying herself away from Deidara’s grasp, earning a shocked look from the shinobi as she leaned against the wall. “It’s alright, I can walk,” Sakura said calmly as she pushed herself away from the wall and slowly walked towards her bed. Breathless thanks to the hard effort she put into impressing Itachi, she sat down, smiling at Deidara as he brought her the food he had found for her. “Thank you,” she smiled. “Could the two of you please leave now? I’d like to be alone for a moment.” Deidara nodded while Itachi just walked away without saying anything. The blonde shot a glare to the Uchiha’s back before smiling at Sakura. As Deidara followed Itachi, he missed Sakura’s saddened look as she rubbed her throat.

-“You underestimate her…yeah,” Deidara sniped icily to Itachi as he caught up. “No,” Itachi replied calmly. “You’re the one underestimating her.” Deidara opened his mouth to reply before freezing on the spot, realizing that Itachi was right. He did underestimate her; Sakura wasn’t weak at all, she was Akatsuki. What was he thinking when he ran to her side to help her? “She’s Akatsuki,” Itachi said with a tinge of amusement in his voice. ”It’s time you learned to accept that she’s not the weak kunoichi she was before.” With those words, Itachi left Deidara alone in the hallway to ponder his words. -He found Ino sitting in front of the memorial and silently cursed as he realized that this was the first place where he should have started searching for Ino. He should have mentioned this to Shikamaru. “Ino,” Naruto greeted as he sat next to her. The blue-eyed girl stared at him momentarily before smiling. “Hi Naruto.” “Shikamaru is searching for you,” he started, glancing at her face. “Chouji is in the hospital.” Ino sighed softly. “I know… I should be visiting him, but I got scared.” “Of what?” Naruto asked calmly, though he already knew the answer. “Chouji dying?” The blonde nodded slowly. “I couldn’t bear it if I had to visit this memorial for Chouji too.” “I understand,” the Hokage said gently as he lay back, enjoying the warm breeze and the sunshine on his face. “But Chouji will be fine. Shikamaru told me so this morning.” Ino smiled gratefully as she heard the news. “You know, Sakura and me used to hang out around here, picking flowers and stuff.” “Really?” Naruto looked at Ino. “I never knew.” “She became really upset one time when I told her about flowers and that I saw her as a bud, rather than a flower,” she continued, smiling lightly as she remembered the day vividly. “Then I told her she might grow more beautiful than anybody else.” Naruto smiled. “You were right.” The kunoichi grinned half-heartedly before smacking Naruto’s head. “So Sakura was more beautiful than me?”

“She was,” Naruto grinned as he teased her. “And kinder, too.” “So all the times she hit you so hard that you almost flew were…?” “Affection, what else,” Naruto said without missing a beat. “Of course,” Ino snorted before standing up. “I’ll go check on Chouji.” Naruto nodded. “Tell him I said, hi.” She smiled as she nodded and jumped out of sight, quickly making her way to the hospital while the Hokage sat in front of the memorial, gently stroking his best friend’s names, remembering them and their times together. As he stood up a couple of minutes later, he noticed a single cosmos flower near the engraved stone and felt tears burning in the corner of his eyes. They were Sakura’s favorite flower. -A loud knock on the door awakened Itachi from his sleep, automatically making him reach for a kunai in his pouch as he sat upright. Knowing that it could be someone from Akatsuki, he stood up, making his way through the room effortlessly – having memorized the entire outlay of the room already. He opened up the door, but even before she said anything, Itachi knew it was Sakura. “We have a mission soon,” she said, her voice very business-like. “I thought I might heal one of your eyes right now and do the other one while we’re on our mission.” Itachi nodded and stepped away from the door to let her in. As soon as he heard her enter the room, he closed the door and followed her. “Lie down on the bed,” Sakura instructed gently. “How long will it take?” Itachi asked as he sat on the bed. “Two, maybe three hours. After this session, you should be able to see shapes again,” Sakura answered as she grabbed a chair and placed it next to the bed. “Close your eyes,” Sakura said soothingly. Following her instructions, Itachi closed his eyes while Sakura untied the knot. “Closed?” “Yes.” The bandana was removed shortly after Itachi’s response and it didn’t take long before he felt Sakura’s chakra entering his eyes, warming his face completely. “You took the bandana off?” Sakura questioned calmly after a while. Itachi didn’t answer her; the question was more a statement anyway. He heard Sakura

sigh loudly but paid her no heed. He just waited patiently until she started again. “Disobey my instructions again and I’ll stop the process,” Sakura threatened. The kunoichi waited for his response, until it became clear to her that he would never answer to her threats. Itachi was too proud and too strong a person to ever listen to her if he didn’t want to. And he needn’t listen to her this time either; he knew she would heal him, no questions asked. “Why did you take it off?” “I wanted to know if I could see something,” he said, knowing that it was only half of the truth. “You should have waited until I was done healing them,” Sakura reprimanded. “You were unconscious,” Itachi pointed out. “You shouldn’t have taken it off in the first place,” Sakura said, face set in a scowl. “Don’t do it again.” She coughed lightly before accumulating chakra into her hands, letting it wash over Itachi’s eye and starting the healing process again. -Three and a half hours later, after her chakra was completely drained and she had to support herself on the bed in order to stop herself from falling over, Itachi’s right eye could distinguish colors and shapes again. After regaining her breath, she calmly wrapped the bandana around Itachi’s left eye, his right eye now out of any potential danger. The Sharingan user stood up and listened with half an ear to Sakura’s advice. Instead, Itachi was fascinated with the fact that he was actually able to see the colors and the shapes in the room. For the first time in months, he could see where he was walking again. His decision to keep Sakura alive was a wise one. Insanity probably took him over when he tried to strangle her. Temporary insanity. But regardless of Deidara walking in when he did, he would have stopped anyway. Sakura was still his Akatsuki partner, someone who could heal him if his eyes deteriorated again. She was a tool, like all of them, but she was most useful. From the corner of his eye, he could see Sakura stir before she stood up, moving in a rather strange fashion until it occurred to him that she was probably exhausted. “When is the mission?” he asked blandly.

“In two weeks,” Sakura responded while making her way to the door, determined to get some more sleep and let her chakra replenish before her next session with Itachi. She yawned lightly as she reached the door, allowing her heated fingers to touch the cold doorknob before Itachi pressed her against the door, turning her towards him in the process. Startled, she looked up, her green eyes meeting his midnight, blue one. There was no time to even question his motives as he pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was soft, chaste, yet lingering and as Itachi moved away from her, she found herself longing for more. “Itachi…” she whispered slowly, resting her hands on his arms as he leaned against the door. How the mood could change from professional to as intimate as this was a mystery to her. He moved towards her again, his mouth hovering over hers, waiting for something she didn’t quite understand as Itachi’s warmth surrounded her, making her feel pleasantly giddy though she had expected nothing else. There was an attraction between the two of them and it would always be there, no matter how hard she tried to ignore the feeling and the voices inside her head. Itachi was a killer, he was dangerous, and he was Akatsuki. But she was the same. She didn’t want to resist anymore. He bent towards her, feeling her acceptance as he kissed her intensely, parting his lips to deepen the kiss. She whimpered as she wrapped her arms around Itachi, her fingertips playing with the ends of his hair gently. Itachi relinquished the kiss after a few passion-filled moments, breathing harshly as he moved away from her. “You’re completely drained,” Itachi pointed out. “I know,” she admitted, her eyes closing in exhaustion. Itachi picked her up effortlessly before carrying her towards his bed. As he laid her down, he realized that she had already fallen asleep. Healing him had sapped all of her strength. She told him she wanted him fit for the mission, but he knew better. Sakura was too easy to read. Feeling tired, he lied down next to her and soon felt himself drift off into a deep sleep.

Salvation – an Itachi & Sakura story By: MitsukiShiroi

Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Mitsuki hates school. Chapter Eight – Stigma Tobi never came back from headquarters. Whether Leader had decided to kill him immediately or kept him there for more torturing, nobody knew. Though she hadn’t known him for long, Tobi was still a part of Akatsuki, and she couldn’t help but feel as if Akatsuki was close to crumbling again. Yet another member was gone and another hole had emerged. Three days had passed since her last healing session with Itachi, whose eye was now almost completely functional again. He seemed to be able to distinguish figures and people much easier these days, but obviously his vision was still too unclear to function properly. After the fight with Kisame and her two-and-a-half-day coma, Sakura found that restoring chakra had become increasingly harder and longer to regain enough strength to even accumulate chakra in her hands and to start healing. Sighing, Sakura stared out of the window, watching the bare wasteland they had crossed before reaching the inn. Toying with her hair, she clearly heard Deidara discuss something with Sasori in the next room through the thin walls. During the time she spent with Akatsuki and in Akatsuki, she was sure she had seen pretty much every crappy inn there was to find in the world. It wasn’t natural to wake up every morning with a cockroach or two crawling up your arm. Though her skin crawled constantly with each bug she saw, her recent dreams about Sasuke disturbed her the most. She didn’t know why, or even how, but she did know that Itachi’s presence had something to do with them. When she was apart from Akatsuki, she hadn’t dreamt about Sasuke that often, though visions of Orochimaru’s crude eyes and his disgusting smirk were not uncommon. She would never forget the moment she realized he had taken over Sasuke’s body; her worst nightmare come true. “Sasuke…” she whispered as she lifted her fingers, touching the cool, stained window. Itachi was the reason why she still harbored so much guilt deep inside. If it wasn’t for him, perhaps she would have found some inner peace concerning the entire situation. But she was still felt that she was betraying Sasuke. Maybe she was. She grimaced as she started drawing figures on the window, determined to stop her inner conflict by concentrating on other things, like wondering what was for dinner, how her next session with Itachi would go, what happened to Tobi and perhaps most importantly,

how Naruto was doing. Leaving Naruto had hurt the most. Sakura expected that leaving Konoha would be hard enough, but abandoning Naruto packed the extra punch. She knew he had broke down once before when Sasuke left; he had supposedly cried after that last battle with Sasuke, until exhaustion had overtaken him in the hospital. Knowing that he might have done the same for her - chased her relentlessly before being forced to give up, perhaps he even assumed she had died…that was too harsh. He didn’t deserve to lose them both, but Sasuke was blinded by revenge and Sakura was selfish. A knock on the door came and as Deidara told her that dinner was here, she smiled at him like she always did, plastering that mask of confidence and happiness back on her sullen face before she stepped away from the window, not even noticing that she had unconsciously drawn Naruto’s face on the foggy glass. -Years after Sasuke was found, Konoha’s council finally issued the order to clean up the Uchiha estate so more people could live there. Before, it was a grim place, dark, with dust covering the rotting tables and houses and the Uchiha symbol painted on every door, every lamp, every building. Now, the once so quiet estate was filled with workers who were tearing the walls down, laughing loudly as they happily tore down the entire complex that had somehow become a stain on Konoha. All Uchiha members were dead; there was no reason for them to keep the estate intact while other citizens were waiting impatiently for new areas to live in. It felt strange to Naruto that the place he frequently visited just to see how Sasuke lived years ago and if he could find any clues that would lead him to Itachi…that that particular place was being torn down. It felt as if someone was stepping onto Sasuke’s grave while laughing loudly. He knew they needed the extra space; Konoha was becoming an even bigger nation than before and houses were become scarce, but the Uchiha complex was a memorial for all that had died during that fateful night, when his best friend’s older brother massacred the entire clan and killed Sasuke from the inside before abandoning him. And so, the Sixth just watched as they tore down memories in order to create new ones. -“How is the healing process going, Sakura-san?” Sasori asked as he inspected the seam of his Akatsuki cloak, finding a small tear in it. The redhead just sighed before discarding it, looking up to meet Sakura’s eyes. “His eye seems to be healing well,” she said carefully. “However, he needs to stop putting

too much strain on it. There will be a day when I won’t be able to heal his eyes anymore. I doubt he’d enjoy being blind for the rest of his life.” Sasori nodded. “When will you start on the left one?” “As soon as the right one is healed up nicely and he’s able to see with it again,” Sakura answered. “I only need some time to observe the change and see if it’s working out or if it isn’t.” “How high are the chances for him turning blind again?” the puppet master continued to query. “That’s up to Itachi. If he listens to me and checks his eyes regularly, the chances of him turning blind are virtually nonexistent,” she said, taking a bite from the apple she had been holding. “If he neglects to do that… He’ll go blind in no time.” Deidara smirked at that remark, glancing at the silent Uchiha in the corner. “So you’re stuck with us all - more specifically, Sakura - or you’ll go blind again.” The pink-haired kunoichi turned around to look at Itachi, controlling that satisfied smirk that had been playing around her lips all day long, knowing that Itachi couldn’t leave her alone. Although she might just be a tool in his eyes; he still needed her. He wasn’t able to pull off a stunt like Orochimaru’s. Sasori and Orochimaru had been partners in Akatsuki, but while fighting one of the Jinchuuriki, Orochimaru decided that he valued his life more than capturing the Jinchuuriki and left the fight, leaving Sasori all on his own. If Itachi did the same to her, she was sure she wouldn’t survive. Though being psychically stronger than most Akatsuki members, and her intellect surpassing some, she still only had her medical jutsu and the few jutsu she had gathered while passing through the shinobi countries. She was strong, but to take on a Jinchuuriki that might equal Naruto’s power when transformed? It hardly seemed possible in her opinion. Sakura sighed contently, happy that Akatsuki stopped hunting the Jinchuuriki and that she wouldn’t have to face any of them in combat. The only threat they had to worry about were the regular ANBU teams that patrolled through the countries and the bounty hunters who would foolishly try to challenge them, only to be defeated in mere moments. Life was as good as it could get, considering she was officially classified as an S-Class missing-nin, yet presumed killed in action. Now the only ones she had to worry about were the remaining Akatsuki members. After hearing about Hidan’s unique ability to be almost invincible and that Kakuzu was probably the strongest shinobi from Waterfall, she stopped thinking about the two of

them. All that mattered to her now were Deidara, Sasori and perhaps most importantly, Itachi. She had never met the last Akatsuki member, but had heard from several stories that she was female and from some distant country. The female Akatsuki member had her interest, but she hadn’t given her much thought, knowing that she wasn’t even there when they introduced her to Leader. “How is your eye doing Itachi?” she asked, taking a bite from her apple. Itachi remained silent for a while before answering. “It’s the same.” “So it’s not deteriorating,” Sasori said, almost sounding bored. “This is good news.” “What do you see?” Deidara asked, genuinely interested as he glanced at Itachi. “Shapes and colors.” “I see…yeah,” Deidara nodded before turning to Sakura. “How much longer until he completely regains his sight?” “Two more days,” Sakura answered thoughtfully, finishing her apple before throwing it in the small bin that stood next to the table. “Want to start now, Itachi?” The Uchiha stood up without a word and left the room, wordlessly making his way through the hallway towards the room he was staying in. Sakura smiled to the other members before following Itachi, watching the movement of his cloak as it billowed softly with every step he took, the red clouds almost hypnotizing. He stopped in front of his room, fumbled almost inconspicuously with the doorknob, obviously trying to hide the fact that he was blind and still somewhat helpless. If it were anyone else, she would have helped, but Itachi wouldn’t be treated in such a pitiful and condescending matter. If she helped him, he would most certainly become cross with her and that was the last thing she wanted. He finally managed to open the door after a little while and glanced over his shoulder with his one, half-healed eye. Although she knew Itachi couldn’t see her, she still felt as if he could see right through her. Daringly, she stared back into his eyes, unsuccessfully attempting to decipher his mind until she realized for the umpteenth time that it was plainly impossible to read Uchiha Itachi; unless he allowed her to. “Do you want me to start in the hallway?” she asked, somewhat irritated as Itachi refused to relinquish his gaze on her. “What are you hiding?” he asked blandly, his voice completely devoid of any emotions, as usual. “Hiding?” she queried. “What do you mean?”

Itachi turned towards her completely now, a small smirk tugging on the corners of his mouth as his eye stared down at her. It remained frigidly quiet for a moment before he just sighed and turned around, not even bothering to answer her. Sakura just stood in the hallway before following him, still baffled. -The light that seemed to have surrounded her nearly blinded her as she raised her arm to block it out. Before her was a lone figure with dark, spiky, a dark-blue shirt with a high collar and the Uchiha emblem on his back. Sakura lowered her arm and smiled sadly as she moved towards him, her hand stretched towards Sasuke’s back, wanting to feel the soft fabric of his shirt against her hand. But Sasuke moved away faster than she had anticipated; his hands in his pockets as he casually walked away. “Sasuke!” she called out to him. He stopped in his tracks abruptly before turning around, a menacing and threatening look in his eyes. Sasuke’s dark-blue eyes were full of hate and akin to the look he once gave her when she ridiculed Naruto for being an orphan. She lowered her hand, tears building up in the corners of her eyes as she realized that he despised her. It was unlike all those times where he got irritated by her, or the times when she aggravated him by saying childish things. Sakura was selfish for wanting to be with Itachi. Sasuke would hate her for loving Itachi. And yet she knew this when she first became involved with Itachi and realized her feelings for him. There was only one thing she wished for and only one thing that she’d ever ask for from Sasuke. “Why can’t you forgive me?” she whispered, eyes brimming with unshed tears as she stared at her childhood friend; the one she was supposed to protect with her life and the one that she had lost forever because she was too weak to stop him. The look in his eyes softened somewhat as he turned around silently and walked away. Then she woke up. Bathing in her own sweat, she panted harshly as she sat up straight, pressing a clammy hand against her forehead and wiping off the sweat that started to gather there. Sakura kicked the sheets off her legs, enjoying the feel of the cool, night air. Glancing at the small clock on the nightstand, she sighed as she realized it was still midnight. Throwing her legs over the edge of the bed, she stood up, mind still boggling over her nightmare as she walked towards the balcony.

She opened the glass doors quietly, making a disapproving sound as she saw how dirty the glass was and made a mental note never to sleep in a cheap inn like this one again. As she stepped outside, she shivered, not anticipating the wind to be this icy. And then she smiled as she realized that she wasn’t the only one having problems with sleeping. Itachi’s room was next to hers, but he was sitting on the rail of her balcony. One of his legs dangled over the side while the other one was on top of the rail with his arm casually on top of his knee. His head was turned away from her, but she knew that he was aware of her presence. He always knew. “Can’t sleep?” she asked as she stepped forward. He turned his head towards her, his half-blind eye as piercing as ever. Though uncomfortable, she kept quiet, looking at the small village below them rather than the unnerving stare of Uchiha Itachi. “The walls are thin,” he just answered. Puzzled by his words, she looked at him and met his gaze. “What do you mean?” “You were asking for forgiveness,” Itachi answered plainly. “Multiple times.” “I see,” she replied hesitatingly, already knowing what she would be asked next and that Itachi already knew the answer. “How is your eye doing?” “Who?” his voice was soft, yet stern. Sakura took another step forward and leaned on the rail, feeling incredibly tired. “Sasuke.” “He won’t forgive you,” Itachi said curtly. “I know,” she responded. “I just had to ask.” “We’ll be leaving this place tomorrow,” Itachi said after tense pause. “To where?” “A small town near the border of the Fire country,” the raven-haired man answered. “For any particular reason?” Sakura questioned. “Apparently someone with a large bounty on his head is located there,” he explained. “We need to capture him and bring him to the station.” “That’s all?” “Yes.” She nodded, memorizing what he just said as she looked down at the village, smiling as a stray cat made his way from roof to roof and yowling loudly as he slipped away from one

of them. “Itachi?” she called out. “When you were younger, what were your dreams?” She heard him make an uncharacteristic sound that resembled a snort. “I didn’t have dreams.” Sakura looked up, surprised as she lookedat his face. “Never?” “Never.” This surprised her. Although he had hinted that the Uchiha clan influenced his entire life until the moment of the massacre, she had always thought he had dreams of doing other things besides being in ANBU, or being the prodigy of his clan. “So when you…during that night, did you have any idea of what to do next?” “No,” he answered truthfully. “I just left.” “How did you get into Akatsuki?” she looked at him, hoping that he would grant her a little bit more of himself to her; hoping that he wouldn’t avoid her questions like he usually did. “Leader heard I became a missing-nin,” Itachi answered calmly. “He found me weeks after I left Konoha.” “I see,” she said thoughtfully, piecing the parts of Itachi’s past together as her mind reeled somewhat. “I think… I think I saw you once. While you were still in Konoha, I mean.” “Oh?” he asked, displaying a minimum amount of interest. “It was in the forest,” she recalled. “I remembered Ino talking about a certain training area where Sasuke used to hang out all the time, practicing with his shuriken. One day, I decided to visit, but instead of Sasuke, I saw someone else in the distance.” Itachi kept quiet, seemingly wanting her to continue her story. “He was wearing a dark shirt with the Uchiha insignia on it, so I’m sure it was a clan member, but was it you?” “Most likely,” the Uchiha said. “I used to train in the forest, Sasuke always followed me.” She smiled, trying to remember more about that day, so many years ago. Sakura had tried to find Sasuke, wanting to give him a small present that she had prepared. According to Ino and a few of her friends, he was usually in the part of the forest behind the training areas. Following their advice, she had gone there; the lunch she had made for Sasuke gripped tightly in her hands. Instead of finding Sasuke however, she spotted another clan member. Not paying that person much attention, she walked away, not even realizing that it was Sasuke’s older brother until many years later. She wondered just how many times she had seen Itachi when she was a child and didn’t

even realize it. Or just how many times she had heard people talk about the Uchiha prodigy without realizing that she would some day end up by his side, as his partner. Destiny was a strange thing. If she had stayed in Konoha, she would have never known about the kinder side of most Akatsuki members, or the fact that Orochimaru had taken over his body. If she had stayed in Konoha, Deidara might have died because she wasn’t there to intervene, Itachi might have been blind forever and Naruto might have been happier than he was now. What if Sasuke never left Konoha? She would have probably still been by his side, maybe even been an ANBU member. Perhaps they would have been together with Naruto, who was the best Hokage there ever was. Sasuke would have been ANBU squad leader, and she would have become one of the top medics. They could have been happy, just the three of them. If only Sasuke stopped thinking about revenge rather than the future. If only Sakura wasn’t so selfish that she ran out to get Sasuke herself; if only Naruto could have stopped either of them. “Do you think we’re predestined to make certain decisions?” the kunoichi asked quietly. “Perhaps,” Itachi replied. “It was my destiny according to everybody to become the next Hokage, yet I killed my clan and left Konoha. Perhaps this was my true destiny. Or maybe I altered my future by making the decision to use my katana on the first clan member I saw.” “Meaning…” she started, but Itachi finished her sentence. “Meaning we will never know what is our destiny, and if we can change it.” Sakura stifled a yawn. “Do you think I was wrong for leaving Konoha?” “Do you regret it?” Everyday she thought about her life had it turned out thus far; losing Naruto and Konoha, seeing Sasuke, losing Sasuke, losing Kisame, gaining friends like Deidara and Sasori, becoming stronger finding Itachi… “…No.” “Then you were right for leaving Konoha,” he said quietly. She shook her head. “I guess I miss Naruto and my mother.” “Naruto-kun seems to be doing fine as a Hokage,” Itachi answered, moving off the rail, now leaning against it. “I guess I’d like to see him one more time,” she said dreamily, knowing it was impossible.

“You could always return.” She stared at him. “You think it’s that simple?” Itachi looked at her. “Nothing is simple, unless you make it that way.” “It’s not simple if I leave Akatsuki,” she told him. “I’m pretty sure Leader wouldn’t like it if I left just like that, with so much knowledge about Akatsuki.” “True, you would become one of our targets,” Itachi said plainly. “Like Orochimaru.” A small smile adorned her lips momentarily as she moved forwards, pressing her hand against his eye. She felt him close his eyes, his lashes tickling her hand as she gently gathered chakra in her hand and checked his eye. “How is your eye?” “Better.” “Good,” Sakura said, closing her eyes slightly as her chakra poked around in his eye, checking if it was healing properly. “I think you’ll have your complete vision back tomorrow.” Itachi just stared at her as she removed her hand from his eye and she wondered if he was going to repeat their passionate embrace from the other day. But he did no such thing as he turned around and moved away so quickly that she could barely follow him with her eyes. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned, stretching as she walked back inside, feeling a lot more comfortable than when she woke up. It was almost as if talking to Itachi had taken a load of her shoulders. She crawled onto the bed and as soon as she laid her head down on the pillow, she succumbed to a deep and peaceful slumber. -In the room next to Sakura’s, Itachi laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his hands casually folded underneath his head. The kunoichi had made him think about certain aspects of life before, but their talk about destiny and if they could alter it had been especially interesting. Before the conversation with Sakura, he had always believed himself to be a man who changed his own destiny by massacring the clan and the path that they had set for him. Now, he wasn’t so sure. He touched his eye softly, recalling the warmth of her hand and the chakra that spilled over his face as she checked his eye. Sakura was a tool, and nothing else. She served as one of the Akatsuki, his partner, their medic and that was all.

No. Itachi turned around in his bed. Sakura was someone who he could have intelligent conversations with, someone he couldn’t outwit as easily as Deidara and most other Akatsuki members. She was someone who could possibly kill him if she truly wanted, someone who dared to show compassion in a world where expertise and skill was the key and emotions were useless. And she was the first person to break down the wall he had been building around his heart since he was a child. For the first time since decades, Itachi was insecure about the future developments of his own destiny.

Salvation – an Itachi & Sakura story By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: Please take your time to read the author note at the bottom. Chapter Nine – Secret “Done,” she breathed as she removed her hands from Itachi’s eyes, waiting for him to open his eyes and see the small miracle that she had made with her own hands and chakra. Itachi slowly opened his eyes, letting his sight adjust to the bright lights of the morning sun. As everything came to focus, he realized that his sight had completely returned. He could now clearly see the ceiling, see the sheets around him and her smiling face as she hovered over him, proud of what she had achieved. “How is it?” she asked, still staring at him in anticipation. “Perfect,” he answered; somewhat astounded that she actually pulled it off. “It’s perfect.” Barely able to contain her excitement, she stared at him as he looked back. He could finally see her after years of not having her by her side and days of just hearing her voice and seeing a flash of pink sometimes. She looked older, he noted, but hadn’t changed much. Her hair was as short as he remembered and her eyes were bright as always and shining with the underlying pride in her handiwork. “Give me a few days to recuperate and I’ll start on your other eye,” she said, gazing at his handsome face as he looked around the room like a child who had just opened his eyes for the first time in his life.

He nodded offhandedly, obviously more interested in other things. “I just need you to do one thing for me,” she started, gaining his attention. “Can you activate your Sharingan?” Itachi frowned slightly at her, but did as she requested and seconds later she saw the familiar blood-red of the Sharingan enveloping the blue color of his eyes. It was slightly unnerving to see his bloodline limit again after all these years, but she quickly relaxed, assuring herself that he wouldn’t use it on her. “You can deactivate it now,” she said to him after gauging the damage the Sharingan could do to his eye with her chakra. “I recommend that you shouldn’t have the Sharingan on all the time. It speeds up the deterioration and I’m afraid that if you use Mangekyou Sharingan often enough, you’ll lose your vision again.” His frown deepened as he inspected her face. “How many times?” “Activate Mangekyou for me,” she instructed calmly. She watched him as his eye bled crimson again and the pinwheel appeared. Inhaling softly, she tried to ignore the stare of Itachi as she closed her eyes, gathered chakra in her eyes and started the assessment. “Seven, maybe eight times,” Sakura said after a while, opening her eyes. He deactivated the Mangekyou almost immediately after Sakura removed her hands. Sakura’s words hit home as his mind reeled with the information that she had given him. Seven or eight times the Mangekyou was nothing. He probably used it seven or eight times a month which meant that the Mangekyou had probably severely damaged his inner system. This would explain why his eyes would degenerate almost four times faster than before. Sakura probably realized what he was thinking of, as she bit her lip in contemplation. “I didn’t heal it perfectly, I apologize.” “I see.” “I tried the best I could, and if you didn’t have a bloodline limit, I would have been able to completely heal them,” Sakura said softly. “But I’ve never healed someone who was blinded because of a bloodline limit. It greatly increased the difficulty of the healing process.” “So I will always have this weakness?” he asked absently. “Yes,” she answered, feeling weak and disorientated due to the lack of chakra and sleep. She had gotten up early to go to Itachi’s room so she could have at least healed one of his eyes before their first mission together. However, she hadn’t realized how much damage there was left and ended up mending his eye for almost twelve hours. “I see,” he repeated quietly.

“I’m sorry,” she said, equally quiet. “There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said emotionlessly. Sakura exhaled as she stood up, feeling immensely tired and fatigued. She wobbled slightly, earning Itachi’s attention. He frowned slightly, before realizing that she had exhausted her chakra reserves. Before she could even take a step, her body betrayed her and she collapsed on Itachi who had sat up straight and caught her before she reached the bed. After he placed her motionless body on the bed, Itachi scrutinized her carefully, taking in her slightly flushed cheeks and her soft breathing. Although she was a part of Akatsuki, she didn’t follow the trend of wearing a fishnet shirt most Akatsuki members wore, but a silky black one with her usual skirt underneath it. Her long legs were pale, making Itachi question whether she spend most of her time inside, rather than on the run. He took off her boots and put them next to the bed in an attempt to make her as comfortable as possible before he turned around and left the room in order to take a bath. -The Sharingan user slipped out of his clothes, relishing the feel of the cold tiles against his bare feet. It was a pleasant change from the clammy warmth of his sandals. He loosened the tie around his hair, letting it fall down freely around his head before stepping into the grubby tub. He sighed irritably when he realized that the water was more lukewarm than hot, but settled in anyway. Itachi exhaled, tilting his head back in pure relaxation as the soothing water soothed down his tense muscles. His thoughts flew back to Sakura’s simple words, knowing that he’d be unable to use the Sharingan as much as he used to. It felt as if he was handicapped; as if the one single thing, the one useful tool that that ridiculous clan gave him, was another one of their curses. With a faint smirk adorning his lips, he wondered whether his family knew about this affliction. They probably didn’t or they would have warned everybody who awakened the Sharingan. Fools. A loud knock on the door awakened him from his reverie as he looked up, the kunai that perpetually lay on the side of the bath immediately grasped in his hand. “Yes?” “Itachi-san,” Sasori’s voice sounded. “Deidara and I are going to the headquarters; we

need to check up on Tobi. Let’s rendezvous in the small town near the Todaiji temple tomorrow after your mission is complete.” “Understood,” Itachi responded, putting the kunai back in its place as he heard Sasori walk away. He took a few more precious minutes to enjoy his bath before standing up, drying himself and putting his clothes back on. He walked out of the bathroom, knowing he should try to catch a few hours of sleep before their first mission tomorrow. -Sakura yawned as she jumped from branch to branch, following Itachi as he moved with great speed through the forest. Their target was a young missing-nin, who presumably had great powers when it came to controlling the wind. According to Sasori, the young man was from Sand, but had left the village several months ago. However, due to the talent he had, he’d been targeted by numerous bounty hunters. They reached the border of the Fire country within a few hours and landed near one of the posts. Sakura sighed in nostalgia as she looked over the familiar woods of her country. Though she was a missing-nin now, Konoha and the Fire country would always be her home. “He’s in this village,” Itachi said as he pointed to a small village in the distance, just a couple of miles away. “How do you suggest we capture him?” Sakura questioned, scouting the area for ANBU. “Efficiently and quickly,” Itachi told her. “Capture him and get out before the ANBU members notice it.” “Aren’t ANBU members just circling the borders?” the kunoichi asked. “No,” the Uchiha said, clearly experienced with the routines of the elite group. “They regularly check the villages around the borders as well.” “So that’s why we’re hardly close to the border,” Sakura pondered. “I guess our best option is to lead him away from the village for a while.” “Too much commotion,” Itachi said, mind reeling with the possible options. “Are you carrying anesthetics?” Sakura looked at him and nodded, rummaging through the pouch of medical supplies on the back of her skirt. Moments later, she pulled out a small bottle of her strongest anesthetics. Itachi nodded, somewhat pleased. “We can use this. It’s vital not too cause too much of a disturbance.”

“How do you suggest we give it to him?” Sakura queried, interested in Itachi’s plan. “We wait until he goes to get something to eat, and then slip the drug into his drink.” “How?” “You’ll offer him a drink,” Itachi said simply. Sakura frowned as she contemplated Itachi’s idea. “And you think this will work?” she asked skeptically as she glanced at him. “Unless you’re willing to wait until he enters a dark ally and jump him then this is our best chance,” Itachi said. Sakura snorted before laughing softly at the thought of Itachi jumping on some man. For some reason, the mental image of Itachi doing such a thing was incredibly amusing to her. “We should try that technique,” Sakura said, trying her hardest to be serious. “The jumping or the drink?” Itachi responded, a smirk gracing his lips. “The drink.” “As you wish,” he answered mildly. She smiled, knowing this would be an easy job. Just pour the anesthetics into his drink, lure him outside and minutes later he should fall into a deep sleep that would last until they reached the bounty station. -What should have been an easy job turned out to be an extremely troublesome one. The missing ninja named Ryousuke reacted differently than they had expected. In the beginning the plan had worked perfectly; she managed to slip the medicine into his cup before handing it over to him, grabbing his attention almost instantly. The next moments were sickening to her, but she knew she had to use her skills as a kunoichi and as a female to lure him outside where he should have passed out. She got him outside, but it seemed as if he had a natural resistance against the medicine and just kept on as if there was nothing wrong. Sakura on the other hand had grown restless. As she counted the extraordinary long seconds that passed, she hoped he’d fall asleep soon; otherwise she’d have to resort to violence to knock him out. Ryousuke never fell asleep, rather he started to sing loudly and Sakura was turning desperate. She checked the area if she could find Itachi’s chakra in the vicinity, but the Sharingan user had hidden his chakra and it seemed impossible to find him. Inwardly, she cursed, knowing that she’d have to solve this by herself, even though her chakra reserves were still somewhat drained from the other day.

Mentally going over the pressure points of the body, she started to accumulate chakra in her hand, knowing she’d only have one chance. If she missed, the ‘efficient and quick’ way would be out of the question. Naturally, she missed the point as Ryousuke suddenly turned when she jumped on top of him. He started yelling at her and gave her a vicious punch in her abdomen that knocked the air out of her lungs. She dropped down to the ground, gasping for air as she felt her throat starting to burn. Her chest seized heavily, warning her of the upcoming coughing fit. The missing-nin from Sand was closing in on her, yelling at her as he grabbed a kunai from his holster. Sakura coughed, trying to quell the burning in her lungs several times with a helping of air. She looked up, tears burning in the corners of her eyes, and watched Ryousuke’s face as he lashed out, but the kunai never hit her. Rather, he stopped right before hitting her, wobbling slightly on his legs before he collapsed in front of her. Sakura coughed again, feeling the pain subside slightly as she looked as the shinobi, trying to discern if the anesthetics helped or if it was something else. A long, senbon stuck out of his neck, hitting one of the critical points directly. Knowing it was Itachi, Sakura smiled before realizing her failure. How stupid and pathetic she must look in his eyes for not being able to handle one weak missing-nin. She felt foolish and humiliated for being saved once again. This time it wasn’t by Naruto, Sasuke, or even Deidara, but by Itachi. Faintly, she wondered whether she’d spend the remainder of her life protected by those close to her. Sickened by her actions and Itachi’s senbon, she stood up, a tumultuous look in her eyes as she noticed Itachi sitting on the roof of a small building, not too far from them. Sakura just stared at the Uchiha as he gracefully jumped off the rooftop and walked towards the unconscious body of the ninja he just caught. He stopped right in front of him, scrutinizing Sakura with a strange and foreign look in his eye before picking up Ryousuke with ease, throwing him over his back. Itachi said nothing as he sped away, Sakura in tow. -“Wait here,” Itachi said as they reached the station. He said nothing more as he opened the door while still holding Ryousuke. Sakura complied, sitting down on the filthy and mud-stained stones of the stairs and burying her face in her hands as she tried to calm herself down. The Sharingan user reappeared minutes later, holding a bag of money in his hands as he calmly looked down on her, not missing her murderous gaze. He almost seemed amused as he returned her gaze without even batting an eye. “Is something wrong?”

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she snapped. Itachi smirked at her words and Sakura got only more frustrated, not caring about the strength and skill he had on her. She wasn’t a twelve-year-old kunoichi anymore who needed to be rescued. Although he was close to killing her, she could have quickly devised a way to save herself. Sakura wasn’t weak, she wasn’t. “He would have killed you.” “I could have stopped him,” she said, slamming her hand down on the stairs. “How?” Itachi questioned, his voice giving no signs of actual interest. “You were on the ground.” Sakura gritted her teeth. “I could have stopped him,” she repeated viciously. “By doing what?” Itachi said, irritable. “You weren’t even holding a weapon, as most would do in situations like that.” “I was preoccupied,” Sakura said, stubbornly. “By coughing,” Itachi said simply. “You seem to be doing that a lot lately.” “It’s just a cold,” she commented, annoyed that he changed the subject so quickly. Itachi shot her a look that immediately showed her that he didn’t buy it. Frustrated, she sighed before pushing herself off the stairs. “What?” “I think you know what,” Itachi said smoothly, fastening the bag of money to his belt. “I don’t,” she lied blatantly. He stared at her, the smirk from earlier gone. “I hate you…” she whispered, tears of frustration making their way down her cheeks as she gritted her teeth, staring back at him without feeling a trace a fear; she was beyond that now. “I hate you, Uchiha Itachi.” “Then stop coming back,” he said calmly. Angered, she raised her hand, lashing out before even realizing it. Itachi just moved to the side, gracefully dodging her fist as he kept his eyes on her. Sakura had anticipated his dodge and followed her punch with a kick, which he also avoided without much trouble. She hated that he could move away from her reach in mere seconds. She’d never get her hands on him unless he allowed her to come close. “I hate you,” she repeated, the words becoming a mantra to fuel her anger. “I hate you.” “Do you wish to kill me?” Itachi said, amusement laced in his voice as he sidestepped another one of her punches.

The pink haired kunoichi never answered, yet continued her attempts to strike Itachi until she realized there was no use anymore. Itachi seemingly realized that she had given up, standing quietly just a few feet away from her. “I hate you…” she said weakly, as she walked towards him until she was standing right in front of him. She balled her first and gently hit his chest as she buried her head in the nape of his neck, not caring that he wouldn’t comfort her; that he was standing still without even lifting his hands. “Damn you…” She inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh scent of forest and his unique, musky scent. Sakura hit him again, tears streaming freely over her cheeks. “Damn you for finding out…” she whispered. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her like Naruto used to do, or to comfort her with words alone, like Sasuke used to do. Perhaps even stroke her cheek like Kakashi used to do, but he did nothing. He just stood there, watching Sakura as she coughed again, rubbing her throat. “Let’s go to the inn,” he said as her coughing fit subsided. -“Welcome back,” Sasori said as the two Akatsuki members walked through the door, immediately noticing that Sakura had been crying and Itachi was mulling over something. “How did the mission go?” “It was a success,” Itachi answered as he sat down on the opposite side of the puppet master, Sakura sitting down beside him. Sasori nodded slightly, pondering whether he should ask them about what had happened, but decided against it in the end. “Tobi returned,” he said, changing the subject. “It seems Leader tortured him and he was too weak to come back for a while.” “How is he?” Sakura asked softly as she looked up to meet Sasori’s eyes, wondering if Tobi needed her help. “He’s doing quite fine,” the redhead replied. “It seems another medic in a nearby village healed him. He’s resting now in his room.” “I see,” she said, averting her gaze. Taking this as his sign to leave, Sasori stood up and picked up his Akatsuki cape, before he stood up from his place on the wooden chair. “I’ll check up on him,” he said serenely, before leaving the room. She swallowed hard before getting up to get some water for her parched throat. But before she could go any further Itachi’s soft voice stopped her in her tracks. “Stay.” Hesitantly, she turned around, meeting his piercing gaze. “Why?” she questioned roughly. “Explain,” Itachi said, calmly as he looked back at her, cold, impassive, blank.

“Explain what?” she barked back. “You know what.” It took every ounce of her patience not to jump on top of him and try to beat his pokerface to a bloody pulp. It bothered her that he had figured it out, and it aggravated her even more that he could just sit there and watch her as she fidgeted uncomfortably. It was as if she were some kind of stage performer who had forgotten her lines and he was the audience who waited to see what she would do next. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. “You’re going to have to, Sakura-san,” Itachi answered coolly. “It’s none of your business,” she said cryptically, determined not to let him get under her skin again. “You are sick,” Itachi replied, being intentionally obtuse. “You are also Akatsuki. It’s our business to keep a watchful eye over our partners, whether you like it or not.” Sakura snorted derisively. “I know how this watchful eye of yours works, Itachi. You didn’t lift a finger to help Deidara when he was attacked; rather, you fought the Jinchuuriki and his partner off because you thought they were a danger to you. And then you just watched when Kisame lost control and died. You just don’t care.” “Sakura,” he sighed, clearly irritated by her irrational behavior. “How many times do I have to repeat this before you understand?” “Emotions make you weak,” Sakura answered apathetically. “I know.” There was an obvious pause in the conversation. Inwardly, Sakura knew this was the time, and that she’d have to answer him. She didn’t have any other option left. The kunoichi glanced into Itachi’s direction, purposefully avoiding his eyes. “Why?” “Why what?” Itachi answered smoothly. “Why do you want an answer this badly?” Sakura questioned numbly. “Is it because of your eyes? Are you scared that my sickness will prevent me from healing your eyes completely?” She inhaled deeply as she realized that she’d just admitted that she was sick. Sakura knew she couldn’t lie forever and that someone would eventually find out, but she had just hoped it wouldn’t be this soon. She wanted everything to be as peaceful as possible, before they’d know. Deidara would pity her; Sasori would find it a shame, Tobi wouldn’t care and Itachi… If he would feel anything, he wouldn’t show it to her, she was sure of it. “I…” she started, before being rudely interrupted by the door opening, revealing the blond Akatsuki member.

Deidara, obviously noting that he came in at a bad time looked up from his scroll, smiling somewhat nervously to Sakura, who had turned around to face him, before his eye focused on Itachi. “Am I interrupting something?” “Come in,” Itachi said icily. “Sakura-san was just about to tell us something.” She turned around, shocked as she stared at Itachi’s cold and calculating gaze. Sakura hadn’t anticipated this sudden change of events and had been ready to send Deidara away, if only Itachi hadn’t interrupted. The kunoichi glanced over her shoulder, noticing that Deidara had put away the scroll and was looking at her, genuinely interested in what she’d have to say. Sakura sighed. The last part of her story was unfolding and the end was near. The charade she had been living for the past couple of weeks was over. Faintly, she wondered if she could worm herself out of this one until she realized that Itachi wouldn’t let her go until she told them the truth. “…You’ll probably think I’m weak,” she started, smiling ironically as she thought of Itachi’s words. “You know we wouldn’t,” Deidara intervened, opening his mouth to say something else, only to be stopped by Sakura as she held up her hand, wordlessly silencing him. “I’ve been trying hard to make it go away, but it seems impossible,” she stopped, tears forming in her eyes as she looked down at her calloused hands. The hands that once healed wounded shinobi…once removed deadly poison injected by one of the Akatsuki members into a Sand shinobi...once healed sick children… She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth so hard that she almost tasted the bitterness of her words. “Even my hands can’t heal it.” From the corners of her eyes, she was able to see Itachi’s impassive face, listening with curiosity. A quick glance at Deidara told her that he was doing the same. She exhaled. “I’m sick.” “You have a cold…we know,” Deidara said calmly, the somewhat tense look in his eyes disappearing. “You told me a couple of weeks ago, though I find it odd that you’re still having coughing fits.” The corners of her mouth turned into a fleeting smile before she calmly continued. “It’s… more serious than a normal cold.” “How serious is it?” the blond asked, voice still calm, though she could detect a slight waver to it. Sakura tried her hardest to stop the almost painful tears that blurred Deidara’s gentle gaze, but could only manage a feeble smile that tried to wordlessly convey what she couldn’t say.

A moment of silence passed as Deidara stared back at the smiling kunoichi until understanding hit him and he could do nothing but bury his head in his hands.

Salvation – an Itachi & Sakura story By: MitsukiShiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: The last chapter… Wow. I’m saddened. Extra long note at the end! Dedicated to Stem, who spent many hours working on this entire piece together with me, who’s been patient, helpful, a good critic and especially a good friend. This is for you dear! Chapter Ten – Eternity Awaits There once was a kind-hearted Jounin. Sakura could still vividly recall the day that she first saw her newly appointed teacher and thought that hell had frozen over. How on earth could they assign such an incompetent shinobi like their new teacher who couldn’t even avoid one of the oldest pranks in the book? The fact that he was three hours late didn’t help either. He was light-hearted, seemingly careless and sadistic. She would never forget the time when she thought that he would kill the three of them for breaking his rules by feeding Naruto. The look in his eyes was of pure madness and she wondered if he actually was insane. Afterwards, she thought he was strange, but kind. He had actually let them pass when she did nothing but pass out and Naruto got caught in every trap that the Copy-nin laid. Sasuke was the only one who had an opportunity to take Kakashi’s bells. He became more important to her during the mission to Mist though. It was the first time she really saw Kakashi battle with all his strength against the Demon from Mist, Momochi Zabuza. She really thought they would lose their teacher right then and there. Sure, he was able to avoid some attacks from two random shinobi and even Sasuke-kun’s attacks, but he wouldn’t be able to beat someone who was that strong. Sakura really thought she would lose Kakashi and it frightened her. Luckily, he survived. She would never forget the day that Sasuke and Naruto sparred on the roof of Konoha’s hospital. She knew something was wrong between the two of them, especially when the attacks turned vicious. It looked like they were really going to destroy one another.

Then, both of them activated their strongest jutsu and Kakashi intervened. She was crying again when Sasuke left but Kakashi had been patient and he told her in the gentlest voice that he could manage to not worry. He comforted her with those simple words and she had always believed in them. “Sakura, everything is going to be fine,” he said to her, eye creased kindly. “Don’t worry.” Sakura wished with all her heart that she could hear those words come out of his mouth one more time, and she would believe them. -There was a moment of complete silence, before Deidara moved to the table where Itachi was sitting. Deidara muttered something under his breath as he sat down on one of the wooden chairs. He said nothing more as he buried his face back in his hands in a desperate attempt to wake himself up from a living nightmare. Itachi had said nothing since she uttered those words and just stared at her with his one, crimson Sharingan. His mouth was set in an unreadable line and Sakura didn’t even try to guess what he was thinking of now. She was sure his mind was reeling with thoughts and for once, she didn’t care. She was afraid to look him in the eye though. Sakura was afraid to see that blank look in his eye that told her he didn’t care one bit about what happened to her. Sighing softly, she fought back the tears that were threatening to spill, even though she thought all her tears were dried up. Deidara lifted his head and stared at her with a lost look in his eye and Sakura realized that he probably had no idea what to say to her right now. She couldn’t even try to comprehend what he was thinking about her right now, but she was sure that he thought she was a liar. There were plenty of opportunities to tell him about her disease, to back out of Akatsuki, knowing that she would die in the end. He had told her about being a puppet and she should have listened and just told him about it. But instead, she lied to him, lied to Itachi and lied to Akatsuki. It was unforgivable and Sakura knew it. It didn’t matter if he’d say anything to her now. Sakura knew that there were no words for this, she understood that. The blonde stood up without even uttering a word and ignored the ever-silent Uchiha that was still sitting in the corner, Sharingan fixed on Sakura’s quivering form.

Deidara said nothing to Sakura as he stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her, pressing Sakura against his chest in an attempt to make it all just go away. He wanted to believe that it was all a dream. That he’d wake up and that he would be able to feel things again, that he was able to feel the softness of her hair or the warmth of her breath upon his skin. When he woke up, she wouldn’t be sick, she would be healthy. Finally, he understood what she meant. He realized why she wanted to join Akatsuki and it wasn’t just because of Itachi. No, it was because she wanted to spend her last months together with them. Pressing her closer against him, he softly whispered soothing words in her ear as he pieced everything together. The coughing, the pain, the small hints all made sense now and he was a fool for not noticing them before. “What made you change your mind?” “Pain.” He understood now. “Too bad miracles don’t exist…” Sakura whispered sadly. “I’d like to see myself as an eighty-year-old.” Deidara breathed out something just short of a chuckle as he heard that, still convinced that this was just a bad dream and Sasori would wake him up any time now and scold him for being asleep when they had an important mission to complete. Sakura had once believed that miracles existed. She thought that becoming a part of Team 7 with Sasuke would bring them together and that he would one day accept her offer to go out on a date. They would eat in a fancy restaurant and afterwards they would go to the Uchiha mansion, sip expensive wine as they sat outside on his porch, watching the stars while kisses would rain down on both of them. He would bring her to his bed which he had covered with the silky petals of red roses and surrounded with the dozens of candles and then he would make love to her over and over again until both of them were sated. He would hold her in his arms afterwards and she would relish in the feeling of holding him so close to her. His calloused hands would stroke through her hair as he confessed his love to her, over and over again. Until his voice gave out… --

There once was a lonely orphan. If Naruto hadn’t been her classmate in the academy, she would have never believed that there was someone actually more inept at being a shinobi than her mother who possessed no skills at all when it came to techniques. Naruto had proven her wrong though. After three years, he was still unable to conjure a proper Bunshin, while most of the students had mastered it after only one year in the academy. Naturally, Sakura’s perfect control enabled her to become one of the brightest students in the classroom and apparently, she had caught Naruto’s eye. He loved her and she hated him because he was everything Sasuke wasn’t. He was obnoxious, rude, stupid, and the thing that irritated her the most, was the fact that he hated Sasuke simply because he was jealous of Sasuke. When she had first found out he was in her team, she was ready to go to Iruka-sensei and tell him what a fool he was for putting Naruto in the same team as the genius Uchiha. But gradually, she started to accept Naruto more and more. He was becoming a brother to her, someone who would always be there and protect her from harm. In return, she tried to protect and support what was most precious to him. She tried to help him reach his dream, to become a Hokage. Sakura was even prepared to quit the Chuunin exam to save his foolish dream, regardless of Sasuke’s wishes at that time. Naruto’s dream was her dream at that time. She would never forget the time that Sasuke left and shattered her world. Naruto had practically confessed his love to her before leaving her. He guaranteed her that he would bring back Sasuke as he flashed that bright smile, the exact smile that he flashed to her when he came back and swore to keep the promise he made years ago. The smile that reassured her that everything would turn out alright. He was her teammate, her classmate, but most importantly, her best friend. Someone who would always pick her side, who would cheer her on during fights. He was the one who believed in her when she didn’t even believe in herself anymore. She wished that he would be happy for the rest of his life, loved, recognized and admired by Konoha and its citizens, no longer shunned. Instead people would applaud for him at the end of his life, knowing that this would be the Hokage who gave them peace, who led the entire village into prosperity. Sakura wished that Naruto would never be alone again. -“I wish I could make it go away…” Deidara whispered slowly, voice thick. And then she cried.

The sheer emotion in Deidara’s voice was enough for her to bury her face into his shirt and cry freely, as her hands twisted the simple black shirt that Deidara wore. In return, Deidara remained silent, seemingly at a loss of words as he stroked her back gently, being the silent support he had always been. “What’s this?” Sasori’s soft voice sounded from somewhere behind her. “Ménage à trois?” Deidara’s arms tightened around her involuntarily. “Shut up,” he muttered, voice nearly dripping with venom. “We’re in the middle of something important.” “I can see that,” Sasori remarked simply, a tinge of humor gracing his voice. “Oh my.” Tobi seemed to have joined the group. Ignoring the others, Deidara let go of her while watching her in that dangerous and serious manner of his. Yet the harsh-looking shell cracked somewhat as he tried to smile for her while caressing her cheek gently. “How long Sakura?” Knowing what he was referring to, she closed her eyes slightly, relishing in the feel of his knuckles brushing against her jaw. “I don’t know…” she swallowed hard. “Perhaps a year, probably less.” “Are we counting down to something?” Tobi asked, curiosity lacing his voice. Sasori sighed lightly. “You’ve just pushed past Deidara’s limit.” “Limit?” “You’ve got five seconds to get out of here before I strangle you to death… yeah,” Deidara snarled icily as he reached for a kunai in the holster strapped to his leg. “But how do you plan on strangling me with a kunai Deidara-senpai?” Tobi pressed on. Whether he was determined to get under Deidara’s skin or just simply wanted answers to his stupid questions, Sakura didn’t know. She felt Deidara’s arm jerk around her swiftly and instantly realized that he had thrown the kunai in Tobi’s direction. Momentarily, she was worried, wondering if Tobi got hit before she heard him run away while yelling on the top of his lungs, “But Tobi is a good boy!” A long pause ensued as Sakura stared at Deidara’s shirt, following the seam just to avoid Deidara’s piercing glance. It was Sasori who finally broke the excruciating silence. His voice was cool and collected as he gently stated, “You’re ill, Sakura-san?” She chuckled softly as tears flowed over her cheeks again, unable to stop them. Her light chuckle turned into laughter, until she was almost laughing hysterically, desperate to shake all those tense feelings off of her and just move on with her life without being ill or on the verge of dying. Just her and Akatsuki. And in a perfect scenario, there would also be Naruto and Sasuke.

There would be no pain, just utter bliss as she turned back into a healthy Genin in her mind’s eye. There would be only the taste of the fresh fish that they caught from a nearby river and the feel of the cool breeze in the evening while they watched over the million stars during a bright night. On her left, Sasuke would be asleep, his back turned to her, the Uchiha logo contrasting against his blue shirt. On her right, there would be Naruto, sleeping a restless sleep as he drooled slightly. Occasionally she would hear a mutter from him as he turned around, trying to find a good position to sleep in while using his blue backpack as his pillow. She closed her eyes and allowed the memories to linger for a moment longer before banning them to a far corner of her mind. Silently, she uttered: “Yes.” “Incurable?” Sasori asked blandly. “Yes.” “That is most unfortunate,” Sasori sighed. Moments later, she felt his chakra disappear from the room and understood that he was probably trying to find Tobi, who seemed to have completely vanished into thin air. “I have to leave you alone for now…yeah,” Deidara whispered gently in her ear, pressing his lips against her temple before lifting his hand so that she could see the Akatsuki ring lit up, the signal that Leader needed Deidara. “I’ll be back soon, but Leader is calling.” “I understand,” Sakura whispered back. With tremendous effort, Deidara finally let go of her, flashing the Uchiha in the corner a weary glance before flashing Sakura a smile. “See you.” Sakura nodded, following Deidara with her eyes as he picked up his discarded Akatsuki robe and walked out of the room, leaving her alone with the Sharingan user. -There once was a genius shinobi from Rock. Ever since they met so many years ago, their bond was indestructible. She was shocked when she first saw him, thinking that he might mean her end. He would kill her for overhearing one of his conversations with Kisame and Itachi, but before he could even lift a finger, Kisame had stopped him from doing anything. After a while, she realized he wasn’t so bad at all. She grew fond of him. His humorous jokes were a nice reminder that Akatsuki didn’t just consist of ruthless killers. They would fight, bicker and joke around, even if they were the strongest shinobi in the world.

Sakura loved the way that Deidara somewhat humanized Akatsuki. As time passed by, she grew to love Deidara more and more. His kind yet devious smirk always managed to make her smile as well, but it was the way that he cared so much for her that he died for her that made her truly understand what a good friend he was…and that he truly loved her. She owed him so much. Sakura wasn’t even sure if she would be able to repay him for everything he had done for her before she faded away from this world. Perhaps her fondest memories of him where the times they spend together, sitting outside doing absolutely nothing as Deidara made a clay bird for her or folded one out of paper and using his unique jutsu to awaken them. They would watch as the birds flew towards the horizon, discussing random subjects as they became more acquainted with each other, revealing their most inner desires and thoughts to one another. His death had nearly destroyed her. Although she kept her act up in front of Itachi and Kisame, his death was another blow to her heart and it had not healed until she saw him again. No words could express the amount of happiness that she felt then. She wished for him to find peace with his new existence and hope that he would always stay the Deidara she had come to love. -Itachi had said nothing since she confessed and Sakura didn’t glance into his direction to see his reaction. It was silent after Deidara left until Sakura finally found the courage to turn around and look at the one-eyed Uchiha. And it felt as if someone pierced her heart. Itachi was looking at her with a look of intense sadness. The face that was always blank, always emotionless was now filled with so much emotion that she didn’t recognize him. She made the mistake of blinking and as soon as she opened her eyes again, she found the blank look back in his eye. She wasn’t sure if that moment was real or just a figment of her imagination. Perhaps she just wanted to see something, just a sign to show that he cared for her one way or another. Sakura tried to search his face for anything else, but his eye betrayed nothing. “Itachi…” she finally whispered. “You’re a medic-nin, healer of all.” Itachi said coolly. “Except yourself.”

It was true and she knew it. Her life after leaving Konoha was just one continuous, ironic joke. She left to save a lost boy, yet she was the one who became lost. She loved a man who didn’t care about her. She was a shinobi trained to save lives, yet she couldn’t save her own. It was ironic indeed. The words Itachi had uttered slapped her in the face, her gaze turning towards the floor as she walked towards the chair that Deidara had previously occupied. All the while, she pondered Itachi’s harsh words. She had no idea what would happen now, although she was certain that she would be thrown out of Akatsuki. There was no doubt in her mind about that. There was no way they would have use for a medic-nin who was sick and could die within the next few months. She was going to die. It was a strange emotion to feel for a shinobi. You always had to be prepared for death, there was always a chance of dying when you finally became a Genin and it only increased if you made your way up the ladder. When she had turned into a missing-nin and abandoned Konoha to find Sasuke, the thought of dying had been playing on her mind but she had always believed that she wouldn’t die because there still was something she needed to do. A goal she had envisioned for herself and nothing, not even death, could stop her from achieving that goal. “I want to remain an Akatsuki member…” she whispered slowly. “Then stay,” Itachi replied calmly, his blood-red eye focusing on Sakura, noticing the way she was shaking lightly. She looked up, meeting his gaze. “I’m allowed to?” He remained quiet for a while as he observed her. “Once you join Akatsuki, you can’t resign.” She laughed humorlessly. “I should have known.” “You should have known,” Itachi echoed softly. “There’s something I want to do before we move away from this place…” Sakura said to him. “Now that we’re so close to the Fire country, I’d like to visit Konoha.” Itachi stared at her. “You wish to enter Konoha, knowing that ANBU circles around the village and we can get caught?” “You were an ANBU member, you should know the schedule of the patrolling,” Sakura

pointed out. “I can sneak in at night. I just want to visit my home and get some of my stuff… And I’d like to see Naruto’s face on the mountains.” Itachi said nothing, calmly grabbing an apple of the table, taking a bite as he chewed thoughtfully. “We shall go tonight,” he responded to her as soon as he finished the bite. “ANBU checks the gate every half hour, assuming they still have the same pattern.” “We?” Sakura asked, looking at the Uchiha as he consumed his apple. “You’re coming with me?” Itachi returned her gaze. “Yes.” She smiled lightly, unable to flash that fake smile of hers that she had used so many times since she joined up with Akatsuki again. Itachi coming to Konoha with her, risking his life just to join her while she relived her memories was something she had never expected from the Uchiha. “Thank you,” she whispered, echoing Sasuke’s last words to her to Itachi, knowing that this was the only thing she could say to him. Anything else would just be unnecessary. -There once was a lost boy. Uchiha Sasuke was the genius student of her year. Born into the famous Uchiha clan, he had made it into the academy at the same age of Sakura. Along with being the being the best-looking boy in the academy at that time, Sasuke was destined to become the class heart-throb. So naturally, he caught Sakura’s eye. The first time she openly admitted that she liked Sasuke was to Ino and her friends. Sakura should have immediately spotted the look in Ino’s eyes but missed it and instead blurted out all her secrets and little facts she pretended to know about Sasuke. Until one day, she told Ino that she would grow her hair because Sasuke liked girls with long hair and Ino stopped cutting her hair as well. Born with a genius mind, it didn’t take long for Sakura to find out why Ino starting to grow out her hair. Obviously, the blonde also liked Sasuke, thus starting their rivalry which only existed, not because Ino liked Sasuke enough to continue acting as Sakura’s rival, but to inspire each other to surpass the other. Cutting herself away from Ino’s friendship and becoming rivals might have been one of the best things she had ever done. When Sasuke was assigned to her team, it was like a dream come true. No matter if the other one in the team was the obnoxious Uzumaki Naruto, Sasuke was in their team. That was all that mattered.

During the following missions, she finally understood how foolish she was, thinking of Sasuke as a knight in a shining armor, someone who would always rescue her, who would never be defeated, someone who one day would return her affections. Sasuke wasn’t a knight; he was a boy who was trapped in the body of an eight-year-old whose only goal was to have his revenge. The day she realized that she truly loved him was the day that he left. Everything about that day was still so vivid in her mind. She still knew how many seconds she waited until she finally heard him approaching her, how many words were spoken, the tone of his voice, the color of his backpack and most importantly, the last words he spoke to her before he knocked her out and left her forever. She was willing to leave Konoha for him. It didn’t matter that her future rested there. She would become a skilled kunoichi, one of the best, someone who deserved to be in a team with Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. She would never be left behind again, Sakura wanted to be sure of that. She was ready to recklessly throw it all away to join Sasuke in his search for power, just to stay with him to keep his mind clear from all the manipulation that Orochimaru was known for. In the end, perhaps Sasuke knew he wouldn’t be coming back. Yes. He knew he wasn’t coming back. That was precisely the reason why he left her behind with two simple words to thank her for everything that she had done for him. For being there as a friend and for unfreezing his heart somewhat, showing that there were other, more important people than Itachi. She liked to believe that wherever Sasuke was now…he would be together with his family, no longer the brooding twelve-year-old he used to be but the bright eight-year old boy who still had his hopes and dreams. And he would be watching over her until the day she would join him and finally be together with him as well. She wished that Sasuke finally found the peace he had been craving for since the night of the massacre. Sakura wished for Sasuke to forgive her for being with his brother who took everything away. -Itachi’s prediction turned out to be right, ANBU did circle around the gates and the entrances to Konoha every half hour and as soon as one of the teams left, the two Akatsuki members snuck inside. Their Akatsuki capes were left at the hotel in River, knowing that they would be recognized immediately if someone spotted them.

Using their stealth and speed, they passed the ninja academy and Sakura smiled slightly as she recalled her time in the academy and the field of flowers that lied behind it. She wondered if Iruka-sensei was still teaching. It was a full moon and rather than the darkness she was used to from the nights in Konoha, the streets were illuminated brightly, reminding her of the night that Sasuke left. The Uchiha remained silent throughout their entire trek through Konoha, his eye ever watchful as he often scanned the perimeter for any shinobi or other signs of life. On their way to Konoha, Sakura had contemplated if she wanted to see her mother again, but decided against it in the end. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to see her mother without breaking down completely. Plus, there was always the chance that her mother might spot her and she would be unable to leave then. Giving herself back to Konoha months before she would die was something she would never do. Scanning her house, she found that the window on the first floor was opened. And conveniently enough, it was the window that led to her room. “She left my window open…” Sakura whispered to Itachi, pointing up. Itachi followed the direction she pointed to before nodding silently, following her as she jumped towards her window, landing without a sound. She made her way inside, Itachi following shortly afterwards. Her room was exactly the same. Her pictures were all still there, her bed was untouched and it seemed that her mother still cleaned her room regularly. Sakura sat down on the bed, weeping softly as she noticed the picture of her and Ino as eight-year-olds, smiling brightly. Another picture that stood on her desk was one of her and Naruto; taken a few days after he had returned. Picking up one of the frames, she gently caressed Naruto’s smiling face through the glass, noting that she missed seeing his more mature form than the twelve-year-old featured on the picture she had taken with her. She put the frame down again before turning around to walk to one of the other windows in her room; the one that gave her a view of the Hokage Mountain. Tears continued to stream down her cheek as she noticed Naruto’s face carved on the rock, positioned underneath Tsunade’s face. Like the other Hokage, he had a stern look, rather than the happy smile she was used to. She sighed sorrowfully, knowing that the look in his eyes was partially her fault. The roseate kunoichi turned around, wiping the tears from her eyes as she watched Itachi stare at the pictures of Team 7, the ones where his younger brother was featured on as well.

Briefly, she wondered if he ever felt any guilt for putting his brother through all that, but she cast it aside quickly. Itachi wasn’t someone who would regret whatever he had done. She should know better than to think that he had some kind of conscience. He looked up then, his lone Sharingan piercing. And then she smiled. “I should hurry,” she said quietly. He merely nodded. -There once was a ruthless killer. If anything, she had expected Itachi to be the most disgusting man on the planet. She had envisioned a tall man with dark hair and dark eyes, with a malicious grin constantly gracing his lips as his eyes showed how insane he truly was. Itachi would be rude, cold, distant, heartless and sadistic. Imagine her surprise when only half of her vision was right. She hated him at first. Hated him for stealing her away from her goal, hated him for forcing her to heal his eyes, hated him for kissing her, and hated him for making her care. But gradually, her hate for him seemed to disappear as they grew closer until he started to show signs that he might actually care for her. He was still cold, detached, heartless and ruthless, but he had gained another side, and that was the side that showed her that he cared. He was able to care for others. And finally, she started to like him as more that a companion. She started to crave for him to show more of his affectionate side, rather than the cold man he was in front of others. More than often, she found herself wanting to just touch him and see if he was still there and wouldn’t leave her like Sasuke did. Perhaps that was what appealed most to her. Itachi wouldn’t leave her. He showed that to her numerous times, even to the point that he asked her to stay. And yet, she refused him and left him for a second time. There would be a third time that she would leave him, and this time, it would be forever. Sakura loved him. She used to believe that there was only one person she would be able to love and that was Sasuke. There was no one before him and there would be no one after him. Believing that everyone could only truly fall in love once, she had no qualms about being in Itachi’s

company after finally accepting Sasuke’s death, knowing that she wasn’t able to love anymore. That is, until she left for a second time and finally understood that she probably cared more for Itachi than Sasuke at that moment. Her feelings for Itachi, ironically, had broken her heart. She had betrayed the love of her life in more ways than one. One of the moments that she would never forget was the day that she found Sasuke’s letter to Itachi and told Itachi that she was leaving. He pressed her against a wall, asked her to stay and days later, he gave her one of his most important possessions that she kept with her for the years to come, reminding her of the life she could had with Akatsuki. Sakura just hoped that one day, Itachi would find whatever he was searching for. -Dawn was nearing when they approached the gate, coloring the sky in fiery shades of red and casting scant shadows across their faces. According to Itachi’s calculations, the ANBU batch circling around the main gate wouldn’t be back for another twenty minutes and that would be enough time for the both of them to leave Konoha and reach a safe distance from the ANBU patrols. The only things she took with her was her photo book she had hidden and was filled with snapshots of Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi and Ino; the backpack Naruto had once bought for her birthday and the gloves that Tsunade had given her as a token that she had succeeded in her training and had become an excellent medic kunoichi. She smiled slightly as she turned around one last time, watching how the beams of sunlight lit up Konoha as it awakened from its slumber. Sakura stared at the Hokage Mountain for a moment, noticing that someone stood on top of the administration building, but she didn’t pay it much heed. She knew that she would be unrecognizable from that distance. Looking up at Itachi, she noticed him looking at her, as if silently asking her if this was the right thing to do, if she didn’t just want to stay here and see if there was still a chance of her surviving. But this time, she had no second thoughts as she boldly grabbed his hand and walked towards the gate. Itachi followed her with a surprised look in his eyes, staring at their entwined hands before the look faded from his eyes and made place for his usual poker face. Sakura smiled brightly as they exited Konoha for the last time. There were many times that she could have chosen to be with Itachi; many years that she had missed thanks to feelings of guilt and obligation. But this time, she would stay with Itachi for the remainder of her life and live from day to day, waiting to see what the next day would bring her.

And one day, she was sure Team 7 would be reunited in a far away place when all three of them cease to exist in this world. But until that time, she was sure that this was the only place she wanted to be. -On the administration building, the Sixth Hokage smiled gently as he watched the gates. Sakura was standing there, not the eighteen-year-old girl that had left, but the twelveyear-old girl, clad in her Haruno uniform, smiling brightly as she waved happily at him. Next to her was Sasuke, his hands in the pockets of his white shorts as he stared at his best friend. Then, he moved his hand up and waved at him as well, hesitantly, as if not certain what exactly he was doing. Naruto forced himself to smile back, waving back at Sakura and Sasuke as they turned around, Sakura tugging on Sasuke’s arm while Sasuke ignored her. Together, they walked towards the gates, both casting one last glance back before they faded away from his vision… And he knew that he had finally accepted their deaths and that finally, he could move on. There are things we don’t want to happen but have to accept…things we don’t want to know but have to learn… And people we can’t live without but have to let go. The End

Salvation - An Itachi & Sakura story By: Mitsuki Shiroi Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. A/N: After tons of requests, here’s the epilogue. If I could live my life again If I could call the world my friend If I could write the story’s end. I would. I would give all these things in vain,

Just to hold you once again. Epilogue

He smiled as he glanced at Sakura's drowsy form, nearly asleep with her head on his lap. Her radiant pink hair was fanned all over his lap as he gently caressed it, admiring the soft texture of it under his roughened hands. Friends, they were. Nothing more; she was in love with the Uchiha, he knew that, but still, he wished it would be different, especially during these small intimate moments that meant nothing more for her than ordinary bonding. "Deidara?" she whispered, voice laced with sleep. "Hmm?" "Did you mean it?" Sakura asked quietly. "Mean what?" "After Tooya's attack, you said you loved me..." she opened her eyes and looked him in the eye, searching for answers. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, not sure what he should say to her. All that he told her that fateful night was the truth, and he knew it was in vain and that it wouldn't matter, but he just had to say it to her. Feeling like an absolute idiot, he tried his hardest to flash a smile and then answered, "I did... yeah." "Did?" "I guess my feelings for you receded to just a brotherly love after you left," he lied easily. She was not his and would never be his; he accepted that. It was time he let go of her. "And I always knew you were in love with Itachi... yeah." Sakura smiled sadly, then pushed herself up and against Deidara, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered softly in his ear, clutching his shirt in her hands. Then, his shirt suddenly felt wet and it took him a mere second to realize she was crying. "I'm so sorry." "Don't apologize," Deidara laughed it off casually, wrapping one arm around her waist as the other one stroked her short hair. He hesitated, then kissed her cheek quickly as she pulled away to face him. Sakura gave him a watery smile, her fingers gently touching the place he had kissed her. She then bent towards him and returned the kiss. He grinned happily. "Don't call me brother though... yeah!"

"I won't," Sakura laughed as Deidara wiped away the tears that still rolled over her cheek. A curt knock on the door made the two of them look up. He already knew who was standing on the other side of the door, but asked anyway. "Who is it?" "It’s me," came the monotone reply and the bed lurched as Sakura pushed herself off and opened up the door to reveal the raven-haired man. His piercing crimson eyes glanced over Sakura's cheeks momentarily, obviously noting the fact that she had been crying, then turned to the blond who still sat on the bed, his hand on the place where Sakura had sat moments before, still feeling the warmth radiating. "You've been crying," Itachi observed, still looking at Deidara. As Sakura looked up to meet his eyes, she could clearly see something other than his usual blank look. Another emotion flickered behind those long lashes of his, and for a moment, she thought it was anger, before dismissing it immediately. "It's nothing," Sakura replied, touching her eyes. "We were just talking about the past." Itachi curtly nodded, then calmly walked away, his thumbs hooked in his pockets in a nonchalant manner. She turned around and smiled at Deidara, waving, before following her partner to wherever he was heading. He turned around the corner and stopped there, causing Sakura to almost bump into him as she hastily followed him. The kunoichi stood still for a while, waiting for him to say anything, but as he turned around, he gently pushed her against the wall and before she could even speak up, he pressed his soft lips against hers, displaying his hunger and urge in a way she hadn't ever seen before. Sakura complied, wholeheartedly welcoming his warm lips as they nudged hers in demand for more intimate access as Itachi's hands settled on her hips, softly kneading the flesh. These flashes of passion from Itachi's side were rare and she'd take any chance she had to make them last. With a quiet moan, she gave back as good as she got and the kiss went on, growing hungrier and more insistent by the second, until she felt that familiar pain burning in her throat and she quickly pulled back. He held her tightly as she coughed, a hand calmly resting on her back as she doubled over and when she nearly fell to the ground, Itachi held her calmly, allowing her to reach the ground without hurting her knees, patiently awaiting the moment that the coughing would stop. When it finally stopped, she was too tired to even look him in the eye and just passed out in his arms. Without too much effort, he picked her up and carried her to their room, once in a while glancing down to see whether she was awake or not, but she didn't open her eyes. As he laid her down on the bed, he could clearly hear her even breathing and looked

satisfied as he calmly took her boots off and pulled the heavy duvet over her. Itachi then turned around, picked up one of the wooden chairs that stood near the door and sat down on it, watching over his kunoichi as she slept. With his elbows resting on his knees and his hands folded against his forehead, he finally let go of his mask for the first time in years, and let the dreadful fear that lingered within take over for a split second. He aspired to be the ultimate shinobi; a powerful being who was a part of Akatsuki. He had hidden all of his feelings for so long and then she showed up again and told him the news and nearly broke him from inside out. This is why he didn't want to get close to anyone again. This is why emotions are unnecessary. This is why he failed as a shinobi. But still, as he pondered about all of these things, he wasn't able to suppress the feeling that the next time she had a coughing fit and passed out, she might not wake up again. And that mere thought was enough to bring a stinging to his eyes that he hadn't felt since he was a mere child.