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Hunter	By : Zelha Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female > Itachi/Sakura Views: 3374 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, duh. I only own a pair of sleepers, so obviously I don't make any profit with this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Chapter 10: Come to Me

-X-

A bang on
her door was enough to fill her senses with dread.

Naruto dropped by the day before, talking to
her like everything that happened... well, like everything that had happened didn’t happen at all. She understood his silent plea and they spoke about
different things, about her training with Tsunade, about his training with
Jiraiya, and about Sasuke. Just when she thought everything would fall into a
semblance of normalcy, said young Uchiha entered her bedroom via her balcony.

He came looking for Naruto, of course. The
ensuing discussion – or argument, rather – between them had Sakura at wit’s end.
Unable to take their endless bickering any longer, Sakura stood from her bed
and proceeded to throw both young men out.

What was more frustrating, she simply couldn’t
look Sasuke in the eye without remembering how his older brother’s eyes seem to
darken whenever he looked at her.

“What is wrong with you?” he asked tonelessly. His
confusion, combined with his blatant rudeness, only served to anger Naruto.

“What do you think is wrong with her, teme!”
Naruto’s eyes narrowed with hurt. “She got suspended and yet you didn’t even
visit her!”

“Naruto,” she called from her bed, but the
blond ninja was too fed up with their teammate to listen.

“I want her back with our team, you idiot! I
really hate the way you treat her! She’s a Jounin for crying out loud, and all
you do is belittling her at every chance you get!”

And that made Sakura snap. Standing, she
pointed at her balcony, her messy hair clinging to her face and hiding her gritted
teeth.

“Get out.”

“Sakura-chan, I’m jus –”

“I love you guys, but I can’t deal with you
right now. Get the hell out of my home.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“What I just said, Sasuke. If you two are going to fight, then get the hell out of my home. I have
enough to worry about already,” she said, raising her eyes to his, her scowl
turning into a wicked sneer as she spoke. “Besides, you don’t want to be seen
with a suspended shinobi, right? Your family wouldn’t be pleased.”

Naruto gaped in stunned surprise, while Sasuke
scowled darkly.

“You have no right to speak about them–”

“On the contrary, Sasuke, I have every right.
Especially when they think this suspension will stop me from being myself. Go
tell your father all about it, go right ahead.”

Yes, Sakura was that mad.
An old, stupid, stupid Uchiha idiot who
felt perfectly fine about pulling some strings to have her suspended while taking
offense to something only she should have been offended by. A stupid, stupid
blind and pigheaded teammate that only felt her suitable to be around when a
cool mission was in sight, and a – another stupid, stupid – gah! That
stupid, arrogant, idiotic man!

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and stormed out of her
apartment. Naruto, on the other hand, didn’t know if the storm had passed.
Sakura lowered her head, not wanting to meet her brother’s eyes.

“Sakura –”

“Let it rest, Naruto,” she said with a heavy
sigh. “It’s the first time I’ve stood up to him like this, and it won’t be the
last. I’m sick and tired of this.”

“I know,” he said. “I just don’t want you guys
to fall apart, that’s all.”

And that
was the crux of the problem. Two days had passed since then and she hadn’t seen
hide nor hair of her teammates. Then the sound of someone banging on her front
door came, rattling her already frazzled nerves.

Breathing
deeply, she opened the door to find the – Uchiha – bane of her existence. The
very one who kissed her stupid and showed a hint of gentleness in his gaze the last
time he had visited her, confusing her to the point of insomnia.

“Itachi-san,”
she whispered, eyes wide with surprise. Outside the
door, a few passersby lifted a brow or gaped at the sight of the Uchiha Heir at
the young medic’s door.

“I bear bad
news, Sakura,” he said in a low tone. “May I come in?”

“Of course,
of course,” she said hastily, stepping aside to allow him access to her abode.
“What’s going on?”

“Naruto-kun...
has been kidnapped,” he said softly, closing her door behind him. She stared at
him, trying to process the magnitude of what he just said.

“...What?”

He offered
her a scroll. “We thought he was safe here,” he murmured with a flat tone akin to
irritated dejectedness. “Tsunade-sama got the report this morning. Naruto-kun
did not sleep in his home last night, and his kunai pouch was on his night
stand.”

Knowing
full well that Naruto simply didn’t step out of his home without his pouch,
Sakura’s eyes went wide in horror and her legs buckled. Itachi caught her
before she hit the floor, both kneeling in front of the door.

“Oh my
God...” she whispered, hands trembling. “Naruto... and the Akatsuki... no, that
can’t be... please,” she lifted her emerald eyes to meet his turbulent onyx
ones, “please tell me he’s okay...”

Itachi
closed his eyes and shook his head minutely. “I do not know.”

A sob broke
the uncomfortable silence, as she buried her face in her hands. Itachi had his
hands on her shoulders, feeling her emotions rippling and shaking her frame. He
just stayed there, not knowing exactly what to do in a case like this. Sure, he
had been the ‘bad news crow’ to other ninja families when a casualty made its
way into his subordinates. He had seen how mothers, fathers, husbands and wives
broke down when they learned of their loved one’s demise.

But now,
seeing that she didn’t start to wail like others had, he felt a little at a
loss.

And nothing
prepared him to see her raising her head, her emerald eyes dark with fury and
even a bit of bloodlust.

“I need to
get him back,” she said simply, clutching the scroll he had given her. “I don’t
care if I’m suspended – he’s my
brother, and I will bring him back.”

His eyes
narrowed with blatant approval. “Open the scroll, Sakura,” he said in a low,
intimate tone that meant a myriad of things. “I’m summoning you for the
retrieval mission.”

If Itachi
had ever doubted that she would participate in this mission, the way her lips
frowned hard with determination and her eyes burned with rage – just like he
had seen when she fought Sasori of the Red Sands – killed those doubts in an
instant. Now, more than ever, he was certain that Sakura would even travel to
the depths of hell just to get Naruto back.

“Time of
departure, Taichou?” she asked, her gaze back to his. He smirked slightly at the
way she addressed him as they both stood.

“Two hours.
Go see the Hokage. She needs to speak to you.”

Nodding
obediently, she waited until he opened the door. “Itachi-san,” she said softly.
He stopped, and she continued. “Thank you. I owe you one.”

“No thanks necessary,
Sakura,” he said lightly. “But I might take advantage of your offer soon.”

She refused
to acknowledge the fact that she was blushing as she marched to her room to put
her kunoichi garments on and gather her weapons and medical tools.

-X-

Being suspended
was the worst thing ever, Sakura thought as she snuck around the Hokage tower,
leaping into her shishou’s window. The sight that greeted her was her mentor’s
amber eyes fixed on hers, as if she had known that Sakura was going to come
through that way.

She nodded
at Sakura and stepped back to allow her entrance to the office, but she didn’t
say anything until the pink-haired kunoichi slid the glass-pane close and
rounded her desk, standing at attention.

Only then,
Sakura saw her surrogate mother’s eyes. Sunk and hollow, the Slug Princess
Tsunade looked as if she was about to break down crying. And she knew why.

Naruto.

Only Team
Seven and Shizune knew of the Hokage’s fondness for the loud, blond ninja. It
was more than sympathy for the brat, Sakura had observed, because her shishou
had confided her about the loss of her little brother and her lover. The
pink-haired medic knew that Tsunade regarded Naruto as if he was her own son,
just like she regarded Sakura has her daughter.

It was a
matter of bonds, she figured, as her eyebrows knitted in concern for her
surrogate mother.

“Tsunade-sama--”
she started, but a pale, manicured hand rose to refrain her from speaking. The
blonde lowered her eyes to an object in her desk, and Sakura gasped when she
recognized her own hitai-ate.

“I have
known of Uchiha-taichou’s request for you to join this mission,” she started,
flicking her amber gaze to Sakura’s. “I told him about your punishment, but he
won’t take another medic but you. I don’t know what is going on between you and
the Uchiha Heir, Haruno, but your penance for your lack of respect regarding a
superior such as an ANBU Captain needs to be delivered, now.”

Taking the
headband in her hand, she presented it to her pupil.

“Bring him
back to me, Sakura.”

The strain
in her voice made the pink-haired female realize how badly shaken her mentor
was about this whole ordeal. The perfect
excuse had been found. This was her ‘punishment’ for her insolence towards Itachi
not so long ago.

“Hai,
shishou,” she whispered fiercely, taking the hitai-ate and gripping her
mentor’s fingers in her hand. “At all costs.”

“No,
Sakura,” the Hokage shook her head with a sad smile, noting the change on her
pupil’s address of her persona. “I don’t want to lose you as well. Just... try
your best. Show that idiot Uchiha Fugaku that you are more than he thinks.”

“I will,
shishou,” she smiled with determination, clenching the metal plate on her palm.
“This is my promise to you.”

A knock sounded
on the door announced the arrival of ANBU Alpha team and the remainder of Jounin
Team Seven into the office. Kakashi offered Sakura a hidden smile, while Sasuke
avoided her eyes as he stood next to his brother.

“The orders
are the following,” Tsunade spoke in a low, detached tone. “You are to retrieve
Uzumaki Naruto from the Akatsuki, taking down as many
opponents as possible. The Kyuubi belongs to Konoha; the Yondaime
Hokage had ensured that when he sealed that wretched tailed beast into his very
own son.”

Sakura
gasped, while Sasuke stood a little straighter, both surprised by this
unexpected information, but the Hokage paid no heed.

“You are to
rescue the Kyuubi vessel and the Yondaime’s legacy, alive. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you
this is an S-Class mission. The Akatsuki had been a pain in our asses for too
long. I want it taken down. I want that organization see of what kind of steel
the Leaf is really made of.

“Itachi,
Kakashi, you both understand the importance of this. Naruto is to remain alive
at all costs, for the release of the Kyuubi will be a disaster for all the
shinobi countries. Yamato, I’m counting on you and your jutsu.”

“Hai,
Hokage-sama,” said the brown-haired man with a grim nod.

“The Alpha
team has gathered all the intel we have collected throughout the years about the
Akatsuki members. I want Team Seven to learn all they can about their
opponents. Sakura, I authorize you to unlock the chakra seal if you need to.
Sasuke, Shisui, Sakura, be aware of your temper: these are not your regular
enemies. These are top criminals, and I want you to think carefully before
attacking them.”

“But if
they want to extract the tailed beast they’ll need a considerate time to do
so,” Sai piped in. Tsunade nodded, furrowing her brow even more.

“It would
be perfect if you crash their summoning ceremony,” she said. “Kakashi, Sakura
and Itachi know the communication jutsu. I’ll send Team Gai and Team Shikamaru
out behind you when you deem it feasible.”

“Hai,” was
the response of the seven shinobi.

“Konoha won’t
stand for criminals or demons,” Tsunade’s voice became lower, harsher with her
contained anger and anguish. “Konoha doesn’t bow her head to anyone. Make them
remember that.”

Sakura
stretched the red cloth that bore her insignia as a kunoichi and tied it to her
hair with a practiced motion. Her heart leapt and sang with wild joy at the
familiar weight of the metal upon her head, and her emotion showed in the
savage smile that graced her pale features.

Itachi
smirked faintly, a gesture that was caught by his cousin and his brother.

“Leave it
to us, Tsunade-sama,” he said with his deep, professional tone. “We won’t
disappoint you.”

“I’m
counting on you.”

-X-

Flying
through the branches, the seven cloaked figures gathered together as they made
their way across the lush forest. It had rained in this part of Fire Country,
making the atmosphere humid and grim.

Sakura
hadn’t said a word since they left Konoha. Alpha ANBU team knew how worried
Team Seven had to be, so they left them to their own devices. Sasuke had closed
himself from everybody, taking over the Jounin team even though their leader
was Kakashi. It was fine with the silver-haired ninja, though. Sasuke practically
radiated killing intent, so it was
best to just leave him alone. However, the Copy Ninja was more worried by Sakura’s
silence.

Kakashi
didn’t know what had happened for Sakura to get suspended, seeing as she was
one of Tsunade’s right hands. But something was for sure, he concluded when he
caught wind of a certain Uchiha Clan Head being severely injured in a sparring
session with his very own elder son. The outcome of everything that had been
handled by Uchiha Itachi himself was more than satisfactory, in his personal
opinion.

“Sensei,”
Sakura professional voice filtered through his ears. “How are your injuries from
your last encounter?”

“Ah,
they’re fine!” he exclaimed cheerily, rubbing his chest in an absentminded
manner. “Just a little sore because of training, but everything is back into
place.”

“Tch,” he heard her scoff, as she jumped onto the tree
branches next to him. “Can you be any more reckless? Be careful, Kaka-sensei.
Maybe next time I won’t be able to save your sorry ass.”

“Ouch,
let’s pray for that not to happen then,” he countered easily, knowing perfectly
well that Sakura would destroy heaven and earth to save her teammates,
regardless of how she fared in the process. He merely humored her grumpy
statements because he wanted to let her know he was as worried as she was for
Naruto.

And there
it was, that glint in her verdant eyes that screamed
her restlessness and concern for her brother’s wellbeing.

“We’re
going to get him back,” he murmured loud just enough for her to hear, and he
was surprised when Sakura’s eyes hardened in frustration.

“Can you
promise that?” she asked, leaping ahead to get to Shisui’s side.

He
couldn’t, and they both knew that.

-X-

Resting
breaks were never relaxing, especially in a retrieval mission, Shisui mused as
he accepted Yamato’s water canteen. It had been a long journey to Grass
Country, only stopping two or three times to refill water provisions and to get
a breather. Two days later, they were camping at the very forest line that
marked the borders of Fire and Grass.

Team Seven
was as silent as they were since they left Konoha,
Sasuke looked especially frustrated and angry because of their lost teammate.
Only the Gods knew what those bastards were doing to Naruto-kun. Apparently,
Sakura had the same thought because suddenly she stood up from the tree root
she was sitting on and started to pace around the campsite.

“Try to get
some rest, Sakura,” Kakashi’s voice came from behind the orange-covered book,
but his student paid no heed. “This is the last stop before entering Grass
Country.”

Sasuke’s
head whipped round with Sakura’s to face their team leader. “Why are we
entering Grass anyway?” the younger Uchiha asked, narrowing his eyes.

“We need
information from an Akatsuki member,” Itachi’s deadpan voice came from behind
his weasel mask. “And we happen to know the location of one of them.”

Sasuke
stared at his brother, narrowing his eyes. “Orochimaru?”

Sakura
groaned when she saw the ANBU Captain nod curtly. “Great. This is just great. As
if that stupid snake doesn’t already want to give us a hard time every single
time we step out of the village, now we’re going to pay him a visit of
courtesy.”

“You’ve had
encounters with him?” Shisui asked, surprised. It wasn’t the first time they
got wind about Orochimaru’s special customs, especially after his defeat in the
last invasion. It was truly a blessing that most of the Uchiha ninja were
around to counteract the effect of the serpent’s summons with their Katon, as well as provide the necessary backup for the ANBU
that were supporting the Sandaime. Their efforts had
been to no avail, though, because the loss of the Third Hokage was one that
still weighed heavily on Konoha’s memory. Their only consolation was that most
of the village had been saved.

Then there
was also Naruto’s extraordinary performance in bringing the Ichibi
vessel down.

They had
been mere children, but Team Seven started its brilliant career by having a
blond knucklehead in their midst.

Sakura
clenched her jaw and nodded. She wasn’t going to tell Sasuke’s brother and
cousin that Orochimaru wanted to get his slimy, dead hands on the Sharingan,
because her Uchiha teammate had bound them to silence. Surprisingly, Kakashi
had backed him on that, and Naruto and Sakura just had to comply, much to their
displeasure.

Kakashi
didn’t miss the quick look that Shisui and Yamato shared at Sakura’s admission,
but just when he was going to say something, she shook her head and looked up to
the sky.

“It’s
getting late.”

The rest
nodded, and proceeded to pack and clear their resting site. It was time to
continue their mission.

However,
there was a certain Uchiha that observed the slight glance that Sakura had
thrown at his young brother. They were hiding something, and it was obvious
that Sasuke had silenced his pink-haired teammate, because that livid look
didn’t leave Sakura’s eyes as she finished putting up her gear together.

...Maybe it
was true what he had investigated about Orochimaru, but until he got some more
information about what Team Seven knew, everything would only come to a moot
point.

-X-

As Yamato’s
hands clasped together and opened a hole in the ground after they secured a
place behind a few boulders, Itachi relayed the plan they had devised.

“We do not
really know what Orochimaru is plotting, so I advise you to keep to each other.
Yamato and Sai will bring up the rear. Shisui and I will take the lead, and
Team Seven will be in the middle of the formation. Remember that this person is
not to be taken lightly.”

A mutter of
“as if we don’t know that already” from Sakura was their acknowledgment of his
orders, and one by one, they entered Orochimaru’s base.

The hideout
was cold, dark, and downright disgusting, Sakura thought as they made their way
carefully through the maze-like hallways. It was a necessary precaution; a
misstep could spring a trap. After all their encounters with Orochimaru and
Kabuto, it was a lesson they’d learned quite thoroughly.

“Sakura,
Sasuke,” Kakashi murmured beside the kunoichi, hands stuffed in pockets. Sakura
knew better than to assume he wasn’t prepared for battle. “Get in formation for
Royale, just in case.”

Both jounin
nodded. Yamato and Sai noticed how they started to walk outside of the line
they were walking, yet within reasonable distance of their sensei. Sakura
reached back to her pouch, taking her gloves and pulling them on as they
searched.

Kakashi
stopped suddenly. “I smell something rotten,” he said, lifting a hand to
silence his team. The Alpha Team kept silent as he turned his head, searching
for the origin of the smell. After he located it, Itachi and Shisui let him
take the lead wordlessly. It was better if someone with sharp canine senses
like the Copy Nin went ahead.

Sakura and
Sasuke followed the two Uchiha ANBU, until they reached a wide, circular hall.
Then, everybody could perceive the awful stench. “Kami
help us all,” one of the ANBU muttered, as they took in the gruesome scene in
front of them.

A charred
corpse lay next to a Kabuto that was practically drowning in a pool of blood. A
little ahead, several wooden bodies were scattered around the hall, but just
one stood out of the rest.

“Sasori,”
Yamato whispered, as the ANBU took off their masks.

“He’s
dead,” Shisui observed. “By the looks of it, it seems that he and Orochimaru
killed each other.”

“Not yet,”
Sakura whispered, making her way to the wooden doll that gave her such a hard
time in Konoha and almost killed her. “You’re still alive, Sasori. I can feel
it.”

“Maybe,” a
smooth voice came from the broken puppet. “But I am at my limit. It would be
best if you finish me off.”

“Not until
we got some information,” Yamato started, but Sakura leaned onto the puppet and
placed her hand onto the red seal.

“Where is
Naruto?” she asked with a low, controlled voice. “Tell me and I’ll personally
rid you of your misery.”

A little self-deprecating
chuckle came from the fixed-eyed puppet. “Who would have thought that I would
be at the mercy of a Leaf ninja, especially such a deceptive-looking kunoichi. You would have made a beautiful puppet, Haruno
Sakura. I am impressed you could survive my poison.”

Her gloved
hand dug into Sasori’s chest. “Tell me what I want to
know,” she pressed in the same controlled voice. “And I’ll tell you how I
survived.”

“It is not
necessary. I know you are the Godaime’s apprentice.
It was just a matter of time that someone broke my poison scheme. How very
remarkable. As for your friend, I am certain he is in Amegakure.”

“What?!”
Sasuke snarled. “Why in Amegakure? Are you trying to fool us, Akatsuki?”

“It is
rumored that the Akatsuki main base is in the Hidden Rain,” Itachi’s voice
sounded collected and business-like. “Is that true, Akasuna no Sasori?”

“Indeed,”
the puppet said with a cold tone. “It is truly a pity that I could not fight
you, Uchiha Itachi. And even worse that you did not accept our invitation. Our
leader was not pleased with your decision to remain in that weak village of
yours.”

Sakura’s
fingers gripped the cylinder that kept Sasori’s life
with a growl. “Why are you here then? I thought you all were needed for the
ritual.”

Sasori
chuckled again, this time sounding amused. “How significant that such a strong woman
holds my life in her hands. Yet again, she is such a walking contradiction.”

Sakura scoffed, already sick of the situation. “I’m going to show you another
contradiction then,” she let go of her grip and stood. “I won’t take your life.
I won’t give you the pleasure, because I don’t take lives from defeated
enemies. Uchiha-san, he’s all yours.”

And then
she walked away, not really feeling like turning her head when she heard a
sword ringing and the sound of steel piercing flesh. But then she noted that
Kakashi hadn’t stepped over the fallen Akatsuki, preferring to walk to the
other fallen foe.

“Kabuto is
still alive,” he noted. “And the other body is Orochimaru.”

“That’s
just sick,” Shisui observed, making his way to examine what was left of the Sannin
with Yamato and Sai re-sheathed his ninjato. Sakura,
being the medic she was and her calling deep ingrained into her very bones,
wandered near her sensei, watching the battered handyman of the man that gave
them so many headaches in the past.

“He’s poisoned,”
she intoned softly as she kneeled next to Kabuto and pushed some chakra into
his system. “It’s starting to shut his organs down.”

“You... a
medic,” Kabuto coughed out. Sakura nodded, watching him carefully. “We...
thought you... dead.”

“I’m pretty
much alive, thanks to my own garden,” she shot back with a sneer. “They killed
each other?” she asked, motioning with her head at the charred corpse and the
puppet.

“...Hai.
Akatsuki wanted... Orochimaru-sama...”

Sakura
placed her glowing hand around Kabuto’s throat. “He’s gone now.”

“Sakura-san,
pl-please...”

“Do you
know anything else about Akatsuki and its members?”

“The...journal
in...his room.”

“It doesn’t
matter if you’re lying to us,” Kakashi said as he towered over Sakura. “Your
master is dead, and you’re about to die as well. You might as well do something
to save your soul.”

Kabuto
nodded briefly and closed his eyes. “Not... lying.”

“Very
well,” Kakashi answered. “Sakura, do you want me to--”

“It’s not
necessary, sensei,” she whispered, raising her hand from Kabuto’s throat. “He’s
gone.”

A tense
silence settled over them as they realized she had finished the medic-nin off.

“You did
well, Sakura-san,” Shisui said, as Itachi pushed a scroll back into his pack. A
new sword-like injury was on Orochimaru’s burnt body, but no one thought to ask
them about it. “He would have spent more than five hours of agony if you
hadn’t.”

“I know,”
she whispered, standing up and reaching for her canteen. “I didn’t do it
because I pitied him, but because I know how awful that poison is. It was the
same Sasori inflicted on me.”

Another
silence fell over the Konoha ninja, until Itachi nodded to his cousin.

“We need to
split up to locate Orochimaru’s room. Be careful, we do not know if his demise
disabled the traps. Yamato and Kakashi will go to the left hallway. Shisui and
Sasuke, go to the right hallway. Sai, use your ink animals to scout the base
for other people. Sakura, you will come with me.”

Nobody
dared to say anything, walking away to comply with the Captain’s orders.

But Sakura
stared up at the Uchiha, who suddenly looked at her with intense eyes.

“Come.”

-XxX-

AN: Damn you, Sasori, and damn your character! It
was because of him that I was stuck in this chapter. Never again! DX

Again, another half-assed chapter. I’m really sorry, but I’m sick of this story.
What happened to Itachi, plus what happened to Kakashi in the manga is making me have a foot outside the fandom. I took a
break from this because of my writer’s block with this story, but also because
I’m pissed at the manga. I don’t know why I keep
reading it; I guess I’m a glutton for WTF-ery.

Now it’s a
matter of pride, finishing this thing. I also want to thank to the people who
was kind enough to send me private messages and reviews in concern of this
story. Believe me when I tell you that I read them all and took your requests to
heart; I opened Word almost every day and tried hard to make this work for you
guys. Thank you, really. I really appreciate it. I am so, so sorry for making
you wait!

Thanks for
reading, and I apologize in advance.
- 9
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