Chapter 17
“S…Sasori…san?”

Deidara stared at him in disbelief. Sasori gave a sly smile. “Missed me?”

Sakura and Itachi came in. Sakura looked from Deidara to Sasori, wondering what was going on.

Suddenly, Deidara stormed towards Sasori and flung his arms around his neck. “Sasori-san!” He yelled out. Sakura smiled. He was so cute. Kisame shook his head, sighing, and Itachi did nothing. Sasori slightly petted Deidara on his back. “It’s ok, Deidara-san, you can let go now…” Deidara quickly released his grasp from him. Sasori sighed.

“You still plan stupid parties for Halloween?” He asked. “They aren’t stupid, yeah!” Deidara replied shocked. Sasori chuckled. “Just joking.”

“Sakura-chan is going to come, too, yeah.” Deidara said, while he petted Sakura on her shoulder. She gave a very slight smile when Sasori stared at her. “So. This is the teammate of that pathetic brother of yours, Itachi-san?” He said quietly. Sakura immediately felt her smile fade. “From Sasuke, yes.” Itachi answered. “Well I heard she’s quite something.” Sasori observed her. “How is she in bed, Itachi-san?”

“S- Sasori-san! You can’t just ask that, yeah!” Deidara said quickly. Sakura felt herself become red as Sasori watched Itachi with interest. Itachi just stared back, saying nothing.

“Well I guess he hasn’t changed.” Sasori stood up and stretched. “I’m going to get me some food…” He left.

“I still hate ‘em.” Kisame said, while still staring at the door, with an annoyed expression. “Come on, guys, yeah, be happy he didn’t die after all, yeah…” Deidara tried, but Kisame just raised his shoulders. “Where is he going to sleep? I will not share a room with that idiot, ohh no!” “We’re leaving tonight.” Itachi just said. “Oh. Okay…”

Sakura walked to the window and stared outside. “Where will we go?” She asked. “We’re going to Sound Country, yeah.” Deidara answered. Itachi looked at Sakura.

“Kisame, Deidara, pack your things.” He said. “Tell Sasori to do the same. We’ll leave at sunset.”

- - - - - -

They left at sunset, as Itachi had said. Sakura straightened her Akatsuki dress and waited for Deidara. He came out his room, carrying some bags, and smiled at her. “Ready to go, Sakura-chan, yeah?” He asked. She nodded and sighed. His smiled faded. “…You miss your friends, don’t you, yeah?” He asked softly. She nodded. “I’m sorry… It’s just… You know.” She decided. He laid a hand on her head and smiled. “As long as you know I’ll be here for you Sakura-chan, yeah. Remember it.” Sakura smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You really are one of my best friends, Deidara-san.” She whispered. Deidara slowly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her back.

‘You’re more than a friend to me, Sakura-chan, yeah… But I guess you’ll never know…’
Sakura let go and smiled happy before she picked up her hat and put it on. Deidara put on his as well when he saw her nails were purple.

“You painted your nails, yeah?” He asked. Sakura looked from him to her nails. “Oh! My nails!” She said then. “No, Itachi did.” “Itachi painted your nails?…”

“Come on, we have to go, they are getting annoyed by now!” Yelled Kisame at the end of the hall. Deidara sighed. “Didn’t forgot your stupid fish, Kisame, yeah?!” “Shuddup, I mean it!” Sakura and Deidara quickly walked up to him.

Sasori and Itachi were waiting outside. Itachi leaned against the wall, with his hat pulled far over his eyes, as usual. Sasori, also wearing his hat, was staring at a shop.

“Shouldn’t we be going then?” Sasori asked in a bored voice when Sakura, Deidara and Kisame came outside. Itachi slightly nodded and pushed himself off the wall. He slowly walked through the town, and the others followed.

At the edge of the town, Itachi turned and nodded to the group. Deidara looked down on Sakura. “Learned to ‘poof’, yeah?” “Poof?” She asked confused.

Itachi, Sasori and Kisame all disappeared at the same moment after a slight ‘poof’, and some smoke rose up. “Ohh… No.” Sakura said. Deidara smiled and reached out his hand to her. “I’ll help you, yeah.”

Sakura took his hand and they disappeared.

- - - - - -

Sakura slowly opened her eyes. ‘Oh my god!’ Screamed Inner Sakura, and Sakura felt her mouth fall open.

The five of them were standing in a beautiful hallway. There were the most spectacular candleholders, two enormous stairs on both sides of the hall, which came together at the top. Sakura had expected a dark hole for the Akatsuki lair, but she had came in… In a palace!

“Leader likes it classy.” Kisame said, twitching. “Personally, I prefer black.”

Itachi nodded in agreement and Deidara smiled uncomfortable. “You guys are always so dark, yeah…” Everyone took of their hats and dumped them with the bags in a corner.

“Sakura.” Itachi looked at her. “Come with me to talk with the leader.”

“Don’t you think its better to wait?” Replied Sasori, on a very relaxed tone. Itachi shot him one of his death glares before turning around and walking up the stairs.

Sakura quickly followed him. When they came upstairs, Itachi turned left. Doors. There were only doors, no paintings or carpets, only beautiful white doors, with symbols on it. A snake, a dark sky, a fish. They walked through the whole hallway, until Itachi stopped. He knocked on the last door and Sakura felt really nervous. Itachi opened the door.

Strange, for a man who loved white, to be in such a dark room. Sakura narrowed her eyes when Itachi closed the door and she tried to see through the darkness.

She could see a desk, a little unclear. Two eyes stared at her from behind it.

“I told you, I was fine with releasing her.” An ice cold voice said. “But now you’ve brought her in the headquarters, she knows to much.”

Sakura felt her breath stop in her throat.

“Do we still have Kakuzu’s ring, Leader?” Itachi asked. “Yes. Why? Wait.” The voice stopped. “… You want her to be an Akatsuki member.”

Itachi nodded.

“Why, Itachi? Can’t lose the pretty girl?” The Leader said, in a teasing voice. Then, he coughed. “No, serious. Why?”
“She’s a great healer. She’s stronger than that Tsunade. She’s smart.” Itachi laid his hand on her shoulder and shot a glance to the girl next to him. And he wanted her to be with him, but he wasn’t saying that.

The Leader chuckled. “Really?” He said amused. “I’d like to see that. She hasn’t got any bloodline limit Jutsus, hasn’t she?” “No.” “Hmmm. Well, we can give her a test, than.”

Itachi nodded and Sakura felt relieved. Thank god. “I’ll talk to you later than, Itachi. I want a moment with the kunoichi.”

Immediately, the nervous feeling was back. Itachi gave Sakura an encouraging pinch in her shoulder, and he left.

“So. Haruno Sakura-san, right?” She could hear from his voice he was grinning. She nodded slightly. “Myes. I wondered when our Itachi-san would bring you here.” His eyes shimmered in the darkness. “I see youre already dressed properly.”

“M- My clothes were gone.” Sakura stuttered. What, stuttered? She stuttered? Sakura never stuttered! Inner Sakura was happy to remind her of it. ‘Damn, old hag, you look like a schoolgirl standing in front of the hottest guy in the whole school! Although this one is cute.’ ‘You’re hopeless.’

“Really. Well we can use a new member, since Kakuzu died.” The Leader leaned back in his chair, so Sakura could see even less from him. “We’re not just giving you a test, pretty Sakura-san, we are already testing you from the moment you’ll walk out of this door. Don’t let your guard down and I guess you’re in, if you are what our loyal Itachi-san says you are.”

Our loyal Itachi-san? ‘Dude, is he gay or something?’

“Remember, if you fail, you’ll be killed. You know to much of the Akatsuki to be set free.” The Leader’s voice sounded very serious. She swallowed, and it was followed by a short silence.

“We’ll meet again soon, Sakura-san.” She saw he raised a hand and waved toward the door. “Itachi-san is waiting outside for you.”

Sakura made a little bow – she could better be polite, you never know – and left. Indeed, Itachi was standing outside. When she closed the door behind her, he walked through the hall and stopped next to one of the doors.

“You’ll sleep here.” He said. Sakura walked up to him, hoping it wasn’t a totally white or black room. She was a little Sakura-tree on the door, and she wondered in mind why that was there. Itachi opened the door and she entered. Itachi heard her gasp.

Sakura entered the most magnificent room she had ever seen in her entire life. It was as she had walked straight out of the cabin on that little hill. There were Sakura trees standing in her room. The ground was from grass. Sakura smelled in the air – it really was like spring. The room, no, garden was surrounded by high, white walls, with ivy crawling up. But there wasn’t a roof. A bright sky was above their heads, with a single cloud; the sun shined brightly.

“How…” She started. She noticed a king-sized bed in the corner of the room, with pink curtains surrounding it, and also a closet, hid underneath a bed of roses. She discovered more furniture.

“This’ll be your room.” Itachi said, who was suddenly standing next to her. Sakura totally hadn’t noticed him coming up to her. “If you need me, my room is marked with the Mangekyou Sharingan. Deidara’s is a brown eagle.” “…Thanks, Itachi.” Sakura’s smile grew and she looked through the room once more. “If you’ll lie in your bed,” he started, “close the curtains and it’ll block the sun.”

He left, closing the door behind him.

Sakura walked through the room and touched a tree. It was real. She stood on her toes to touch the blossom. That was real. She kneeled down and stroked the grass. Also real. She just couldn’t believe it! She was standing in a total garden!

Someone knocked shortly and the door opened. “You like your room, yeah?” Sakura turned around to face Deidara. She still smiled. “It’s amazing.” She said. Deidara grinned and fell down on the light pink sofa. “Glad you like it, Sakura-chan, yeah.” She stood up and grinned as well. “No problem, Dyeahdara-san.” “Hey!!” He threw a small pillow from the couch to Sakura’s head, which she dodged easily, laughing. He laughed too and she walked up to him and sat down.

“Hey, Deidara-san?” “Yeah?” “Why… Why do you hide one eye?” Sakura looked at him, wondering what he would say. Deidara stared back for some moments, looking really serious, but then he smiled a little. “You can see, yeah.” He raised his hand and moved the lock of hair out of his face.

Deidara didn’t have an other eye. Some sort of machine, a strange device was there, going from his eye into his hair until you couldn’t see it anymore.

“What did you do?” Sakura asked, shocked. Deidara just smiled and let go of his hair. “You’re hungry, Sakura-chan, yeah?” He stood up and walked to the door. Sakura quickly followed him. Back in the hall. They walked down the huge stairs and went through a door there.

They came in a sort cafeteria. It wasn’t to bright inside, and men were sitting around small tables, drinking or eating, talking quietly with each other. Although no one wore an Akatsuki cloak, they do were all dressed in black. When she and Deidara entered, the most looked up. Some stood up, hastily, to bow, and others just waved or greeted them. Deidara smiled a little and walked to a bar, with Sakura following.

“What do you want to eat, yeah?” He asked. “Just some food, I don’t care.” She replied, while looking around. “Okay… Two times some ramen, yeah.” He ordered. The man behind the bar placed two bowls on the counter with steaming ramen in it. ‘Naruto would like it here.’ Sakura thought. ‘The ramen is done in a second.’

Deidara and Sakura sat down in the corner and Sakura grabbed the sticks she had to eat with. “Why did everyone look at us like that?” She asked, with a softer voice. “Everyone here wants to be Akatsuki, yeah.” Deidara answered, while starting at his ramen. “So they try to make friends with some members so they will do a good word for them with Leader-sama, yeah. That means; watch with who you’re friends with, yeah.” “Hmm…” She started to eat as well and they slurped down their ramen for a while.

“Well,” said Deidara who had finished his bowl after a while. “You want to train?”

“Later, maybe,” Sakura pushed her bowl away and yawned. “It’s late and I’m going to bed, Deidara-san. I’m sorry.” “That’s ok, yeah, no problem.” He smiled at her and stood up. “I’ll walk with you, yeah.”

Sakura stood up as well and they left. While walking up the staircase, Sakura looked at Deidara. He looked back. “What, yeah?” “Well… When I’m around Sasori…san, it seems like he’s… missing something.” She said carefully as they reached the hallway. “Missing…?” “Yes, I don’t know what it is, but I’m a medic nin, and its just that feeling.”

Deidara scratched his head. “I dunno, yeah, you should ask him.” “Hm.” Sakura nodded and stopped at her door. “Thanks, Dei-san.” Deidara grinned playfully at her. “No problem Sakura-chan, yeah.”

Smiling, she disappeared in her room.

- - - - - -

Next morning, Itachi was already training before the sun was up. His eyes were even better than before he had lost his sight.

“Itachi?” Itachi turned around. Sasori looked at him, frowning. “What’s up with the girl, Itachi? I know you bedded a lot of girls, but dragging them into Akatsuki when they get pregnant, doesn’t that go a little to far?”

Itachi decided to ignore it and continued throwing shuriken. Like he would tell Sasori that he really loved her. Sasori chuckled. “Cat caught your tongue?” He asked. “Oh, sorry, I forgot you never talked already.”

“What do you want?” Asked Itachi, who was getting annoyed. He just wanted to finish his training.

“Nothing.” Sasori answered calmly. “I just want to talk.”

“Then you do want something.”

“Sort of.”

Itachi threw his last shuriken right in the target, as all the others. He turned around again to face Sasori.

“Talk about what?”

“About the girl, of course.” Sasori smiled, although it wasn’t a kind smile. “You want her to become Akatsuki right? She never will be. She’s weak.”

“She will.” Itachi only said. Sasori’s smile became a grin. “Wanna bet?”

“Over what.”

“Over the girl.”

“I meant, what’s in for me?”
“And I meant, the girl is.” Sasori took out a kunai and spun it around on his finger. “If she’s in, the girl is yours, and you can do whatever you want with her. If she’s out, the girl’s mine, and then I can do whatever I want with her.”

Itachi walked to the targets and pulled out the shuriken. “Sounds ridicules.” He said.

“Sounds fun.” Sasori corrected him. “Or are you scared you cant win, hm?”

“…I’m in.” Itachi finally said, and threw his most evil glare towards Sasori. “Get off the training-grounds now.”

Sasori smirked in victory and walked off. He wanted a new puppet, and the girl was the best offer. He would win this bet.