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Shades of Crimson	By : Onileo Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 2074 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. My fanfiction is for entertainment only and is not intended for financial gain.

Chapter List
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Chapter 2
          Pain roared through Sakura's head as she fought for consciousness. Cursing her hangover, she sat up in bed, clutching her temples. When her bleary eyes opened, she looked around in confusion. This wasn't her bedroom. Where was she? The last thing she remembered, Ino had come over to her apartment, and they had spent the evening watching television and eating dango. So what happened since then?
          Struggling against her pounding head, she tried to remember anything that could tell her how she managed to find herself in someone else's bedroom. Blurry memories finally surfaced, and she was immediately alert. That's right. Someone had drugged her. Shinobi senses fully utilized, she took in her condition and surroundings. She was extremely dehydrated and hungry, which meant she had been out for several days. She wasn't bound, but she could feel the strong pulse of chakra seals on the door and window. And she was alone. Where was Ino?
          Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, Sakura tried to shake off her lethargy. Her stomach revolted at the movement, heaving violently. Oh, Kami, she was going to be sick. Eyes darting around quickly, she spied a bathroom adjoining the room. Stumbling forward, with one hand to her temple, she managed to make it just inside the door before she retched violently in the sink. Gripping the porcelain with shaking hands, she stood there until her breathing had returned to normal and her stomach ceased its protests.
          Slowly lifting her head, Sakura gazed at her reflection in the mirror. It was shocking. Her face was very pale and dark shadows hung under her eyes. Her pink hair was tangled and knotted, with bits of leaves and dirt stuck in it, as if she were drug through the woods carelessly. Her eyes looked slightly dull. She figured she probably still had a small amount of the tranquilizer in her system. Luckily, she had full use of her chakra. But with her body so weakened, it would be depleted quickly.
          Turning her chakra inward, she checked all of her organs for damage. Then she proceeded to flush the rest of the drugs from her system. She looked back into the mirror, satisfied to see that her eyes were considerably brighter. Then the world started spinning as her exhaustion caught up with her. Stumbling back across the bedroom, she sat down on the edge of the bed, gripping the blankets and willing the walls to stop moving.
          Frustration set in. She should be looking for a way out of here, not sitting around. But she was too weak to do anything at the moment. She needed food and water to get her strength back. This meant she would have to face her captor or captors. Before she had time to think of anything more, Sakura felt two chakra signatures outside her door. Her head snapped up to watch the door where the seals were being removed. She winced, but the pain was considerably less.
          The door cautiously opened and two figures stepped inside, blocking her only way out. It was a man and a woman, and Sakura had to force her jaw to not hang open in surprise. They were about as different as two people could be. The man was actually a plant...man... thing. She didn't really know what to call it. He had mandibles like a Venus fly trap and what she could see of his face through the greenery astounded her. His face was divided perfectly down the middle. One half was stark white, while the other was as black as midnight. His gold eyes stared at her with a hungry intensity. Sakura suppressed the urge to shudder under his gaze and looked away.
          The woman on the other hand, looked perfectly normal. Sure, her hair was a nice shade of cerulean, but Sakura herself had a strange hair color. Other than that and a small ball piercing peeking out from her bottom lip, she could easily pass you on the street and go unnoticed. That was until Sakura saw the way they were dressed. Both wore black, high-collared cloaks. Crimson clouds floated across the material. All the remaining color drained from Sakura's face as she realized her day just went from bad to worse. They were Akatsuki.
          Any hope she had of overpowering these two and escaping flew right out the window. It was well known that the Akatsuki only had S-ranked ninja for its members. And they had only one goal. To capture the jinchuriki. Well, if they thought they were going to use her as bait to get Naruto, they had another thing coming. She would die fighting first. Summoning up her courage, she glared at them, her jade eyes flashing.
          Unfortunately, it didn't have the intended effect. The woman gave her a tight lipped smile and the plant-man just smirked. They obviously knew they had her right where they wanted her, and that she was in no position to do anything about it. So she was forced to sit there, still glaring, while they approached calmly. The woman stepped closer and spoke to her in a soft, but firm voice.
          "Haruno Sakura, I am Konan. Zetsu and I are here to escort you to the kitchen to get something to eat. If my guess is correct, you are probably famished by now." she said.
          Sakura was quite hungry, but there was no way she was telling her that. Besides, she had some questions she wanted answered before she went anywhere. "Why am I here?" she demanded.
          "Leader-sama will explain everything to you once you're finished with breakfast." Konan replied.
          Sakura narrowed her eyes. "I'm not just going to sit here and let you guys use me as bait for Naruto." she said, menace dripping from every word.
          Konan arched a fine brow. "Don't sell yourself short. We're not using you for bait."
          "Your own skills interest us very much. The nine tails will come later." the one called Zetsu said. Sakura stared at him, eyes widening. Did he just speak with two voices?
          "It's time to go." Konan said firmly. "We can't make Leader-sama wait."
          At this, Zetsu stepped closer, ready to take action if Sakura refused. She just looked at him and inwardly shuddered. There was no way he was touching her. He was just too creepy. So, standing on wobbly legs, she followed Konan out the open door. Her head was still dizzy, but it wasn't anything she couldn't manage. Once she had some food in her, she was sure it would pass. Zetsu stayed close behind her, and she could almost feel his breath on the back of her neck. A squeak emerged when she heard him mutter something about how tasty she looked, and she hurried to catch up to Konan, who had just turned the corner into the kitchen.
          As soon as Sakura entered the room, she froze. There sitting at the table was Hoshigaki Kisame. She recognized him from both his picture in Tsunade's bingo book and stories from Rock Lee and Tenten about their battle with the shark ninja. At first she had thought that they were exaggerating their description of him. Now she knew otherwise. All she could do was stare at the man before her, casually eating his breakfast like he wasn't a notorious criminal.
          He was easily one of the tallest men she had ever seen, even without his dark blue, gravity defying hair. And also, one of the most built. He didn't have his cloak on, just a mesh undershirt and a pair of blue pants with his sandals. Every time he lifted his chopsticks, she watched the muscles in his arm flex under his odd bluish gray skin. His shoulders and chest were broad and she could easily see the defined muscles of his stomach through the mesh.
          "See something you like, Pinky?" he said in a deep, amused voice.
          Sakura felt her face heat up when she realized she had been caught staring. Quickly, she yanked her eyes up to his face. He was grinning at her, displaying sharp white teeth. Her eyes widened when she took in his facial features. His nose, cheekbones and the line of his jaw were sharply defined. His eyes were fierce, with piercing yellow irises. But his most striking feature had to be the black, gill-like markings on each of his cheeks. He was almost as scary looking as Zetsu. He just didn't have that I'm-going-to-kill-and-eat-you feel about him.
          "Nice pajamas, by the way." he added when she still hadn't spoken.
          Her blush deepened as she realized her state of dress for the first time since she had awakened. It had been hot in her apartment and she had changed into a jade silk tank top with matching shorts as soon as she had come home. The shorts were very short, the bottom just covering her upper thigh. Suddenly self-conscious, Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and slumped into a chair across from Kisame. Muttering an embarrassed 'thanks', she sat there in silence until Konan brought her a plate.
          She ate methodically, not really tasting any of it. Refusing had crossed her mind, but her stomach quickly vetoed that option. She wouldn't get far in her current state. Maybe, if she feigned cooperation, she could gather information on Konoha's greatest threat before she made her escape. That way, she would be useful, not just a hostage. With a new purpose she finished her breakfast and stood. Kisame stood with her, and carried both of their plates to the sink. He then picked up his cloak and sword, which was leaning against a far wall, and disappeared out of sight.
          Feeling much better, Sakura walked between her two escorts as they led her down the hallway to a part of the base that was far from the room she had been held in. Without knocking, Konan pushed the door open and strode in. Sakura followed, Zetsu close behind. The door was closed with a loud click, the sound sending a chill down her spine. Looking around the brightly lit room, Sakura gasped. There, sitting in a chair between two more Akatsuki, was Ino. She was staring straight ahead, a dazed look in her eyes.
          "Ino!" Sakura cried out. She tried to rush over to her, but strong hands grabbed her arms from behind, holding her in place. "What have you done to her, you bastards?!"
          One of the Akatsuki standing beside Ino stepped forward. Sakura's eyes widened in recognition as they landed on his swirling orange mask. It was the same ninja that had confronted the eight man squad sent to find Itachi and Sasuke. He had said that his name was Tobi, but later, at the debriefing, Kakashi had told them that in fact, he was the eldest of the Uchiha clan, Madara. Her breath caught in her throat as a wave of fear passed over her.
          "She was beginning to make my head hurt with her screaming, so I sent her to a quiet place to wait for you." he said.
          Genjutsu. Now it made sense. Finding her voice, Sakura glared at the masked man. "What do you want with us?"
          "It's simple. The Akatsuki doesn't have a medic-nin and we are in need of your unique talents. I'm going to offer you a deal. Complete the task I assign you and I'll return your friend here to Konoha, unharmed." he replied.
          "And if I refuse?"
          "She will die, right here and now."
          "How do I know you aren't lying? Once I complete whatever you want me to do, how do I know you won't just kill us both?"
          At this, the one who had been standing quietly until now stepped forward. Sakura couldn't help but stare at him. He had spiky reddish orange hair and an extreme amount of piercings on his face. Inner Sakura took this inopportune moment to surface and laughingly point out that he looked like an evil Naruto. His silver ringed eyes stared right into her jade ones as he spoke. "Haruno Sakura. You might not agree with our methods, but I assure you, we are not a group of thugs. If we make a deal, I guarantee we will keep our end of the bargain."
          Sakura was silent for several minutes, weighing her options. If she went along with what they wanted, she would be aiding a known enemy of Konoha. In essence, she would be betraying the village. If she fought them, she and Ino would die. It was four S-class criminals against two chunnin, not very good odds. Not only did she have her own life to consider, but Ino's as well. With a defeated sigh, she turned back to Madara.
          "What do you want me to do?" If there was one thing that Kakashi taught her, it was that sometimes you had to break the rules, because loyalty to your friends was more important.
          Zetsu released her arms as Madara waved her over to a table she hadn't noticed in the excitement of seeing Ino. As she approached, a gristly sight met her eyes. There, laid out was a body. It looked like it had been blown to bits. Someone had put the pieces in the correct area, but it was basically a pile of separated flesh and cloth. Trying to keep the contents of her stomach, she turned and raised a questioning eyebrow to Madara.
          "Heal him." he commanded.
          Heal him? How was that even possible? "I can't. He's dead." she replied. Madara just stared at her. Things were starting to look very bleak for Ino and herself.
          "Can you put his body back together?" the pierced ninja asked, coming up behind them.
          "I suppose so. I don't see how it would do any good though. Even if his body is whole, it would need blood to stay alive and I have no idea how to bring his soul back." she admitted honestly.
          "Just do the basics and I'll take care of the rest." he answered.
          Sakura nodded and let her medic's mind begin to work. There was a huge amount of damage. "This is going to take some time..." she muttered.
          "That's fine." Madara answered her. "It's been five years since he was incapacitated anyway."
          Five years? No way. She stared down at the body as realization suddenly hit her. If this body was this way five years ago, then that means this is...Hidan. Her gut twisted in a knot as she remembered the meeting with Tsunade and Kakashi's warning. She was about to heal the man that Shikamaru, Ino and Choji hated more than anyone else on the planet. Asuma's killer. The sight of their faces that day popped into her head. They would never forgive her. Ino would probably choose death over bringing him back. For a moment, she considered changing her mind.
          She glanced over at her friend and made her decision. Ino would go free. She would stay behind. After what she was about to do, she would never be able to look her friends in the face again. Once it was complete and Ino was safely back, she would turn on them and pray for a swift death. She would fight with everything she had, outnumbered or not. With a grim set to her mouth, she set to work.
          She started with the legs. They seemed to have the least amount of damage. Gathering her chakra, she sent it into the body, and began working at the cellular level. Soon she was consumed with the meticulous task of reattaching ligaments and muscle, reshaping shattered bone, and grafting skin. It was strange, working on a body that had no chakra to mix with her own. It was almost like healing the melon she used to teach Ino.
          Time seemed to blur as Sakura worked. She barely noticed as the Akatsuki moved around her. At any given time she could feel at least one pair of eyes on her, watching in morbid fascination. Mostly she ignored them, concentrating on her work too much to care. She didn't stop unless they made her halt long enough to eat or when she was swaying with weariness. Two cots were brought in, one for her, and the other was occupied by Ino, still caught under whatever jutsu Madara cast on her. In a way she was glad her friend couldn't see what she was doing, but another was worried about her being under the effects of a jutsu for that long and what she was doing while lost in that inner world.
          Finally, on the evening of the third day, she was finished. Stepping back, she looked at her handiwork. Everything was in place; you couldn't tell that there had been anything wrong. The only thing left was the blood needed to get his heart started and keep it going. It would take a massive amount, much more than a simple transplant would provide. Then they still had to return his soul. How on earth they were going to do that, she hadn't a clue. Turning, she wiped the sweat off her forehead and looked at Madara.
          "Alright, I'm finished." she said.
          With a nod, Madara rose and left the room. He returned a few moments later with Konan and the pierced ninja. Pein, she had heard him called. Zetsu trailed in after them. Sakura noticed that Kisame was nowhere in sight. In fact, she hadn't seen him at all since the first morning she was awake. Figuring he was probably out on a mission, she waited silently beside Ino's still comatose body.
          "Zetsu, take her back to Konoha." Madara said, pointing to Ino.
          "Wait!" Sakura cried out. "I want to make sure she's okay. She's been in that genjutsu for days, there's no telling how it's affected her."
          "I assure you, she's fine. A little pissed because she thinks she's lost in the woods, but fine." Madara replied. "Besides, I can't keep our bargain if she knows too much about us. I wouldn't be able to take the risk of sending her back if that happened."
          Sakura frowned. Damn him for having a point. With a nod, she stepped to the side, allowing Zetsu to pick her up and walk out of the room. A little unsure of what would happen next, she stood silently, watching the Akatsuki. Pein and Madara exchanged glances, and then Madara left the room. Pein and Konan walked over to the table, and Pein examined the body carefully. Curious about just how they planned on resurrecting Hidan, she edged closer to the table.
          "So, what happens now?" she asked. She would have said it was impossible to bring back the dead, had it not been for Chiyo-sama. But her technique had died with her, and she was the only one who knew it. So they must have figured out a different way. The medic in her just had to know what it was.
          "Now," Pein said, "it's time to see just how faithful our Jashinist was." Turning to Sakura, he held out his hand. "I'm going to need a little of your blood."
          Her blood? Oh, Kami, was she going to be a sacrifice? Fear engulfed her. Ino had told her what Shikamaru had confided to her about the way Asuma had died, being a sacrifice for the bloody god, Jashin. She had planned on going out fighting, not as part of some sick ritual to resurrect a maniac. Panic set in and she tried to bolt for the door, only to find it blocked by Konan. Before she had time to react and find an alternate route out, Pein had a hold of her. Sakura struggled, but she had no weapons. Even her chakra was too low to gather into her fists for a decent punch.
          Dragging her back to the table, he gripped her wrist hard. Pulling out a kunai, Pein sliced her palm. Pain shot through her arm at the injury. She watched as a stream of crimson steadily made its way down her hand and onto Hidan's chest where her hand was forced to hover. Slowly, Pein lowered it until she was touching the lifeless flesh with her palm. Dragging it counterclockwise, he drew a circle with her blood. Once completed, he started at the bottom of the circle and drew a triangle within its confines.
          Sakura struggled hard to keep him from finishing it. She knew as soon as he did, her life would be over. But it was no use. He was much stronger than she was, and her hand barely wavered, despite her efforts. Then it was finished. Pein lifted her hand, but retained his hold. The room was deathly still for several minutes. Three pairs of eyes watched a pair of clouded violet ones for any signs of life. Nothing happened.
          Pein frowned. He chewed on his lip deep in thought for several minutes more. Then an idea struck him. Pulling Sakura's hand back over the table, he tilted Hidan's chin down with his free hand, until his mouth was open. Then he let her still bleeding palm hover inches from his face. A thin stream dripped down her hand and onto his tongue. As soon as the blood settled there, Sakura screamed.
          An unseen force had a hold on her arm. It was so strong that Pein was forced backwards, away from her. It crawled up her skin, making its way toward her chest. Sakura fought against it, but she couldn't get away. Then it reached her torso and she screamed again. A wave of pain tore through her body. It felt like her arm was on fire. She stared at it in horror, expecting it to disintegrate to ash any second. It wasn't just her body. What was left of her chakra was being sucked out of her as well. As her reserves began to dwindle, she felt her head grow light, despite the intensity of the pain in her body.
          It was as if the very life was being drained away from her. The pain made its way up her neck and surrounded her head. The room grew blurry. She couldn't see anything, couldn't feel anything except the searing pain consuming her. Was this how she was going to die? No, she refused. It wasn't going to end like this. Gathering her courage, she fought against the agony ripping its way through her body and mind. But the harder she tried to pull away from it, the more intense and forceful it became.
          Finally, after what seemed like hours, she felt her resolve start to weaken. It could have been that long, or only minutes. She had no concept of time. Only pain. It would be so easy just to give in. Sakura knew if she did, it would be over and she could rest. Relief seemed like a distant dream. Just give up, her mind whispered to her. Give up and it will all be over. Inwardly, Sakura sighed. Fine, she was planning to die anyway. This way was as good as any other. It certainly couldn't be any more painful.
          'Jashin, or whoever the fuck you are, if you want me so badly, take me. But end this pain. I can't take it anymore.' she willed herself to think. Then she just let go. Of everything. She stopped fighting. To live, to breathe, to do anything. And in that moment, everything went black and she knew no more.
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Shades of Crimson