Chapter 20

“Her speed’s still nothing.” Said the Leader, while looking through the notes Deidara had just given him. “But the rest is good. Very good. What do you think?”

“I think she would be a great Akatsuki member, yeah.” Answered Deidara, who was standing in front of the Leader’s desk. “But can we trust her?” “One hundred percent sure we can, Leader-sama, yeah.” “… I want to speak with her in a hour.” “Hai.”

- - - - - -

Sasuke entered the Ichiraku ramen stand, where Naruto and Kakashi were waiting for him. Naruto was eating a bowl of beef ramen, while Kakashi was reading the newest volume of the Icha Icha series; Make Out Tactics.

“I thought you had died, Sasuke-teme! To bad you didn’t!” Naruto said loudly, grinning. Sasuke ignored it and sat down at the other side of his sensei.

“What do you want to discuss?” He asked. “Training.” Kakashi answered, not looking up from the pages from his book for even a second. “Training? I was planning to train by myself.” Sasuke said annoyed, raising his voice to get over the slurping sounds Naruto made. “Well, Sasuke, if you keep running out of Konoha all the time, we start watching you.” Kakashi replied simple. Sasuke sighed.

Naruto placed his bowl back on the counter and grinned again. “Are we going to learn a new Jutsu, Kakashi-sensei?” “No.” “Damned…”

- - - - - -

Sakura felt better than ever. She even greeted the creepy Zetsu when she met him in the hallway with a big smile.

She had Itachi back and no one would ever again tear them apart. They’d promised that.

“Sakura-chan, Leader-sama wants to speak with you, yeah.” Said Deidara when he entered her room. She was brushing her hair in front of the mirror. “Oh, alright, thank you for telling me Deidara-san.” She smiled and picked up a kunai. “What are you-” He started, but she took her hair, which already came far over her shoulders, and cut it off.

“Done!” She said joyful. Then she saw Deidara’s shocked face. “What?” She asked offended, and left, off to the leaders office.

After knocking, Sakura entered the dark room.

“Haruno Sakura-san.” The Leader said. “Please, sit.”

Sakura sat down on a chair and tried to look at the man, but all she could see were two eyes.

“Catch.” Something was thrown at her. With her quick reflexes, she caught it and opened her fist. It was a ring. On it was the sign ‘Hoku’, which meant ‘North’. “Carry it on your left middle finger.” Leader said. Sakura shoved the ring around her finger. “Why is this, Leader-sama? You’re proposing?” She joked. She heard the Akatsuki Leader laugh. “No. It’s an Akatsuki ring. You’ve passed the tests. Congrats.”

“…Wait. What?” Sakura started confused. “This was it? All I did was dodge some shuriken, kick a tree and hit the ground! And that made me a member!?” “You did a lot more than that.” The Leader chuckled. “I told you that you wouldn’t know when you got a test and what it was anyway.” “But-”

“No.” He interrupted her, now sounding serious. “Itachi-san’ll help you with speed-training. But I shall warn you know. If you’ll ever betray Akatsuki, you’ll die, in a very painful way. By the eyes of an Uchiha. Understood?”

Sakura swallowed and nodded. She couldn’t believe that Itachi would kill her with his Mangekyou Sharingan, even if the Leader ordered him to. “I understand, Leader-sama.”

“Good.” His voice was kinda cheerful again. “Dismissed for now.” Sakura stood up, and after bowing, she left. Deidara was waiting outside. “And, yeah?” He asked curious. Grinning, she held up her left hand to show him her ring. He smiled. “That’s great, Sakura-chan, yeah! I knew you could do it! Congratulations, yeah!!”

“Thanks, Deidara-san.” She said. “I’ll be off finding Itachi now. I’ll see you later!”

- - - - - -

Itachi was walking up the stairs with Sasori just when Sakura ran slash jumped down.

“ITACHI!” She yelled and jumped in his arms, causing him to almost fall off the stairs. “I’M IN! I’M A MEMBER!!”

Sasori narrowed his eyes and watched how Itachi tried to put Sakura down without falling. ‘She sure is noisy.’ He thought.

“Sakura, get down.” Sakura let go of Itachi and blushed, still grinning. She showed them her ring. “Yes, before you is standing an Akatsuki member!” She said. Itachi ruffled her hair. “Good job.”

He looked at Sasori and smirked evilly. Sasori glared back and walked further up the stairs, disappearing in one of the rooms. “What’s up with him?” Sakura asked. “Nothing.” Itachi said. “Come.” He took her wrist and led her upstairs, through the hall. He stopped next to a door, marked with an eye. It was red like the Sharingan, but had a pinwheel in it instead of the three dots. ‘Of course, Itachi’s room…’ She thought, getting exited. ‘I wonder…’

He pushed the door open and let Sakura enter first. She stepped in, but disappointing, she just entered a normal room, with wooden walls and a wooden floor. “Itachi,” Sakura started while Itachi closed the door behind him. “Why is your room so normal?” “Because it’s fine with me, I’m not interested in a splendid room or something like that.” He replied, and sat down on his bed. “Sit.”

Sakura sat down next to him and looked at him. “What?” “Don’t betray Akatsuki.” Itachi said with a very serious voice. “Please.” “I wont, I wont.” Answered Sakura, and she unbuttoned his cloak. Then, she laid her hand on his heart. “It’s a promise.”

He nodded. Sakura smiled, and her eyes fell on the neckless he was wearing.

“Pretty.” She said. “What is?” “Your neckless.” She touched it carefully. Itachi took off the neckless and pushed it in her hands. “Keep it.” “What? No!” Sakura tried to give it back. “I can’t take this!” “I’m giving it to you.” With that, he took it from her again and put it around her neck.

She sighed in defeat, but smiled again. “Thanks, Itachi.”

- - - - - -

Sakura was so proud. She had become an Akatsuki member. Grinning, she looked at the ring around her left middle finger. The sign Hoku – north – shined a little in the light from the sun in her room. And she wore her own Akatsuki robe now. Not the one from Itachi anymore, no, her OWN!

Itachi came back in, after being gone for a couple of minutes. Sakura looked up and smiled. She was happy he had forgiven her. “Mission.” He said. “My first one.” She replied proud, while standing up. He nodded. “It concludes only you and me.” He said, while giving her a scroll with information. “We have to check out our old base, the one in Waterfall Country, if it’s under control of Konoha now.”

Sakura nodded. She understood. “When do we leave?” She asked. Itachi looked at her.

“Now.”

- - - - - -

They arrived. Sakura immediately went to the other side of the cabin and smiled at the sight of the trees. Itachi came standing next to her.

“I missed this view so much…” She said, sighing. He nodded slightly. “I did too.” She reached out for his hand and slowly wrapped her fingers around his, waiting for his reaction. He allowed it, not looking away from the trees for even a second.

For quite a long moment, they stood like this.

“We have to go.” Itachi said, breaking the silence. Sakura sighed. “Yeah… I know.”

- - - - - -

Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke were walking to the training grounds when a Chuunin appeared. “Kakashi-san, you have to go to the Hokage-sama now.” He said, kneeling. “Hmmm. I’ll be right there.” Kakashi said slowly. The Chuunin disappeared.

“Aw Kakashi-sensei-” Started Naruto, but Kakashi shook his head. “I have to go, really. I’ll be right back.” He disappeared as well.

Sasuke sighed. Why did he come out of bed again? For this? “Well Sasuke-teme, it’s just you and me then.” Said Naruto. “Whatever, dobe.” “STOP CALLING ME DOBE!” “Ok, dobe.”

- - - - - -

Sakura sat in the kitchen she still knew so well. Itachi checked it. “Nothing. It seems like no one came back to here at all.” He said, more against himself then Sakura.

“We’re leaving again?” Sakura asked. “In a while. I’ll be right back.” Itachi walked out of the kitchen.

Smiling, she looked outside. She remembered being in this kitchen when Itachi, Kisame and Deidara-san went out to fight. She had been scared, right? Especially when she woke up and she only saw Deidara-san and Kisame in front of her.

Sakura grinned again. Akatsuki were far stronger than the most ANBU. She had totally made it. And, Akatsuki was sort of like a family to her. Itachi as her boyfriend slash husband, Deidara-san was like her big brother, Sasori was the evil uncle, but he could maybe become a better person after all, and Kisame was, maybe her nephew? Anyway he was nicer to her than when she first met them. Itachi was nicer too, but that’s kinda logic, since they’re getting a child. And Deidara had always been nice to her. Although, she did had the feeling she missed someone…

‘Maybe… Sasuke-kun…’ She thought. ‘Oh no, not again!’ Inner Sakura yelled. ‘Listen to me, Sakura. I totally didn’t agree with going after Itachi, but he’s hot and a really nice person, and you’re IN! You are one of the feared Akatsuki! An S-class criminal! Wow, that sounds sexy…’ She muttered, forgetting the real subject. Sakura sighed, while still looking out of the window. ‘What does that has to do with Sasuke-kun?’ ‘If your kid’s a boy, you should name him Sasuke.’ ‘What? WHY!?’ ‘Itachi cared for Sasuke right? We’ve read that ourselves.’ Inner Sakura smirked. ‘He’s like the protective elder brother! Telling Sasuke that he killed the clan so that Sasuke could grow STRONG!’ Sakura sweat dropped. ‘Not really the way I see a protective elder brother…’ ‘Whatever. Just forget that bastard of a Sasuke. He’s not in your life anymore.’

Right, on that moment, the door burst open. Sakura looked around, shocked. Hundreds of ANBU ran in. “Wha-!” She got cut off when one of them lifted her up and laid her on his shoulder. “Hey! Put me down!” Sakura screamed, struggling. The kitchen was literally filled up with ANBU. Sakura noticed the Konoha sign. The ANBU, which was carrying her made his way quickly through the others – they let him pass easily – and left the kitchen. Even more ANBU were in the hall, filling up every centimetre in the room. Then, Sakura heard a yell. She managed to turn her head. Something black in all the white ANBU was fighting there, slicing the ANBU easily with his katana.

“ITACHI!” Sakura yelled when she recognised him. The ANBU started to carry her towards the door. She heard Itachi started to kill the ANBU around him faster and trying at the same time to not be killed himself, but there were too many. Sakura stretched out her arms to him like if she could grab him. “ITACHIII!!!!”

The last thing she saw before the ANBU carried her out of the door was Itachi, who stretched one arm out to her as well, while fighting with the other, in an amazing speed. His look was terrified.

“SAKURAAAA!!!!”