Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Contentious Heart ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

 

Spoilers: The story follows the canon storyline until the part shortly after the Sasuke-Orochimaru battle (approximately chapter 353). After that, I took liberties with the facts, so expect things to be different from canon.

 

A/N: This chapter is a lot calmer than the last few - kind of transitional, actually. If you squint really hard, you might be able to see some hints of Ita-Saku. And oh, if you want to see my spoiler-ish fanart of Itachi and Sakura for a scene in this chapter, head to my deviantart page. The address is on my profile.

 

 

The Contentious Heart by elle6778 - Chapter 7

 

 

“Itachi-san.”

 

Itachi tensed when the loud female voice broke the chain of disturbing memories. The kunoichi was studying him, her features tinted with curiosity.

 

“What's wrong? You stopped so suddenly.”

 

“Nothing.” Forcing his legs to move, he said, “Let's go.”

 

Shisui wished to kill him, and he had responded accordingly. It was in the past, something which had opened his eyes further in more ways than one. Still, he was somewhat disconcerted by the emergence of the memory. Why was it resurfacing now? Was it because he was getting closer to his goal? He glanced out of the corner of his eyes at the figure beside him. Or was it because of the kunoichi and the picture he had seen earlier?

 

Irked at his thoughts, Itachi instantly tamped it down. Instead, he focused on showing the kunoichi the various areas which made up the building. Soon, he found himself walking out of the door at the back of the house. There was an open-air space surrounded by trees and tall stone walls. Crossing the grounds was a narrow river which weaved between the trees to disappear under one of the walls.

 

“This is the training grounds,” he explained. “You may use it as you wish.”

 

Her eyes gleamed with interest as she studied her surroundings. “Perfect,” she murmured before she began to walk around the area.

 

All signs of her emotional distress were no longer present and Itachi wondered if she was merely hiding it now. Judging by how explosive her feelings were not long ago, it was unlikely that she had managed to shed it so quickly. Idly, he watched as she went from one spot to another, seemingly intent on finding something. Deciding to stop there, Itachi settled on the bench set to one side of the training grounds. With her back turned to him, she lifted a rock and then picked something out of her pouch. Then he felt a flare of chakra.

 

What was she up to?

 

He was oddly curious about her antics, but he did not like the notion of getting up to approach her. His gaze landed on the kunai holster strapped to his thigh. In one swift move, he drew out a kunai and flung it towards the kneeling form in the middle of the training ground. Just as it was about to connect with her neck, a hand snapped up to intercept it. She did not bother to turn around, he noted with an inward smirk.

 

Then a streak flashed before him and she was standing an arm's length away. He would not have seen her move if it was not for his Sharingan. Unperturbed by the glare she directed at him, Itachi simply leaned against the back of the bench, tilting his head up to look at her. He did not even flinch when she pointed his kunai threateningly at him.

 

“What was that for?” she bit out testily.

 

He inclined his head towards the spot she had been earlier. “I was merely wondering what you were up to.”

 

Her eyes bugged in the most unattractive manner. “You threw a kunai at me for that?!”

 

“Hm.”

 

She gave him an incredulous look. “You couldn't have just asked, right? Oh wait! I get it.” Her tone was dry when she continued, “You can't raise your voice.”

 

He decided not to grace her comment with a response.

 

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, you're just going to have to continue to wonder what I was doing back there.”

 

“Tell me.”

 

Her brow tilted. “No.”

 

Itachi's eyes narrowed. But before he could say anything, his senses detected that Kisame had returned. He turned his attention back to the kunoichi, wondering if he should press the issue.

 

“Food's here,” the Mist shinobi announced loudly as he stepped out from the building.

 

Beaming, Sakura clapped her hands together, her attention shifting to Kisame. “It's about time. I'm starving. Thank you, Shark-Face!”

 

Kisame scowled. “It's about time you stopped calling me that.”

 

When her eyes gleamed, Itachi could tell that nothing good would come out of her mouth next. For some odd reason, she seemed to take delight in riling the Mist shinobi.

 

“Fine. Let's go eat, Kisame-senpai!”

 

The muscle under Kisame's right eye ticked. “Kunoichi, a simple `Kisame' would do,” he gritted out.

 

“I'll try to remember.”

 

Itachi suppressed a smirk as he watched Sakura enter the house with a backward wave of her hand. Kisame was staring at her with a scowl on his face. Her presence certainly changed the dynamics of their team, particularly due to the interaction between her and Kisame. Still, he could not tell if it was a good thing or not.

 

“I see she's back to normal again,” Kisame observed once Sakura was out of sight. “Much better than all that crying.”

 

Itachi thought back to what he had seen on her pack. “She is carrying a picture of her genin team in Konoha.”

 

Kisame raised a brow. “Really?” After a short pause, he asked, “You're going to report it?”

 

Itachi had not decided if doing so would benefit him. “Perhaps.”

 

A thoughtful frown marred the Mist shinobi's brow. “Maybe you should leave it for a while.”

 

Itachi gave his partner a sharp look. “Why?”

 

Shrugging, Kisame explained, “She's new. Hell, even Tobi took some time to calm down. Not that he's much better now.”

 

“Being excitable is not the same as being emotionally involved,” Itachi pointed out. And Tobi was a completely different matter, he added mentally.

 

“Does it matter as long as she does her job?”

 

“Hm.” That was what the kunoichi had said earlier.

 

“So, what do you say, huh?”

 

“We'll see.”

 

 

 

…***…***…***…

 

 

 

Sakura took a deep breath, tucking her hair behind her ears as she stepped out into the training grounds. The horizon was glowing faintly orange, signaling the approach of dawn. It was a little too early to be training, but she realized she had to do it before the other two Akatsuki woke up. After all, the last thing she needed was for them to see all her abilities. She had to keep some up her sleeves, and the development of this jutsu was one of them.

 

Inhaling the crisp air into her lungs, Sakura glanced around. It was really a nice place to train, and it was obviously set up for that purpose. Walking to the bench, she sat down.

 

It seemed almost unfair that she was sitting there in one piece when she knew that Naruto and Sai were stuck in the hospital now. Looking back with a clearer head, she wondered if she had compromised her position at all with all her outbursts yesterday. Neither Itachi nor Kisame had said anything about it over dinner, but that did not mean anything. For all she knew, Pein already knew about it.

 

For all she knew, they were now looking for ways to get rid of her.

 

Pressing her lips together, she decided that there was nothing she could do about it now. She would just have to continue to make it look like she was part of Akatsuki and nothing else. Though she had to be careful just how far she went, because overdoing it would only make it seem as if she was guilty of something. The main thing to remember was to seem as natural as possible.

 

She straightened her spine in determination and stood up. Now that Kakashi knew that she was in, Konoha would expect some inside information on the Akatsuki. She would not fail them.

 

But in the meantime, she had to improve the wind jutsu that she had shown Kakashi. Brows furrowed in concentration, she began to modify the sequence of seals to test the effect. Her aim was to get the wind spikes to spread out to cover more ground. Her first try resulted in her wind spikes shooting out in a wider spread, but it died down shortly. A frown of irritation crossed her features. There was not enough force in it. She rearranged the sequence of seals in her mind, hoping that this time, her attempt would bring her closer to her objective.

 

But before she could raise her hands to form the seals, the soft sound from the direction of the building caught her attention. Spinning around swiftly, her gaze landed on a smirking Kisame.

 

“That weak wind jutsu is all you got?” he taunted.

 

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Your pathetic water jutsu is much better?”

Kisame's expression darkened. “My water jutsu can tear you apart into little pink pieces.”

 

“Oh? Like it did the last time we fought?” she taunted.

 

“I was taking it easy then.” His lips twisted into a grin, exposing his saw-like teeth. “But I owe you an ass kicking.”

 

Recalling their conversation during the meeting a week or so ago, Sakura chuckled. “Let's see whose ass will be kissing the ground, shall we?”

 

Kisame's grin widened as he swung Samehada down from his shoulders.

 

Eyes not leaving the Mist shinobi, Sakura widened her stance in preparation. If she and Kisame made a habit of fighting like this, she would be able to hone her skills. Not to mention it would benefit her mission. Yeah, the more familiar she was with their fight patterns, the better position she would be in when she had to fight them for real. Of course the reverse was true as well, that Kisame would be equally familiar with her skills, but she did not have much choice in the matter, did she? She would just have to hold back on her more powerful jutsu.

 

Abruptly, Kisame disappeared out of sight. Spinning around, she scanned her surroundings. Where was he? Left? Right? Behind?

 

Up!

 

Given no chance to think, Sakura simply threw herself to one side to avoid the descending Samehada. Rolling to her feet, she whipped out a kunai tagged with an explosive note and flung it towards the grinning Mist shinobi. To her surprise, Kisame did not move. When the explosive detonated upon impact, Kisame's form turned into water at her contact. She cursed under her breath. A water clone, huh?

 

Then he reappeared again in front of her. “You're underestimating me, kunoichi. C-Rank moves don't work on me.”

 

She snorted derisively. “I don't need to bring out the heavy stuff for someone like you.”

 

“Heh! Then let's see how you like this!”

 

Sakura followed Kisame's hand seals, immediately realizing that he was using the same attack as their last fight. But this time she was prepared. She finished her own set of seals just as he called out the jutsu.

 

“Suiton: Suikoudan-no-Jutsu!”

 

“Doton: Doryuu-Jouheki!”

 

Once again, her earth wall came up to meet his shark-like water projectile, and once again, she panted with the effort of holding the jutsu intact. But like the last time, the strength of their jutsu was evenly matched and eventually, the earth wall and his water projectile exploded into a muddy mess.

 

“You won't be able to block the next one,” he taunted with a laugh.

 

Sakura smirked. “You seem so confident for someone who haven't even landed a hit.”

 

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “We'll see, won't we?” With that, his hands moved to perform a quick set of seals.

 

Sakura almost groaned when she realized that he was performing another water jutsu. Kisame must have realized that it was safer for him to use long-range attacks instead of risking getting close to her hands. Deciding that the Earth wall barrier would not work again, she tried another one of the Sandaime's techniques and quickly formed a series of seals.

 

Kisame reached out his hands in the direction of the river. “Suiton: Suigadan!”

 

The water shot out from the river, forming something shaped like a drill which was headed straight for her.

 

“Doton: Doryuudan!” Sakura countered swiftly.

 

A form of an earth dragon rose from the mess of mud between them. Before the water drill could reach her, the dragon opened its mouth to fire earth projectiles directly at it. The projectiles pierced the oncoming body of water, but it was not enough to stop it completely.

 

Swallowing a shriek of alarm, Sakura henge-ed into a log and disappeared sideways. Unfortunately, she did not move far enough to avoid the splash of water when Kisame's jutsu dissipated. Weakened by her earth jutsu, Kisame's water attack was not forceful enough to harm her, but it was enough to send her to her knees when it washed over her. She suppressed the urge to scream. Stupid water jutsu! Now she was all wet.

 

A mocking laughter reached her then, making her snap towards its owner. Kisame seemed to find it hilarious that she was completely drenched.

 

“What are you laughing at?” she spat irritably as she flipped her wet hair out of her eyes.

 

“You look like a drowned rat.”

 

“Even in this state, I still look better than you,” she shot back belligerently, trying to ignore how childish she sounded.

 

He hissed in annoyance.

 

And with that, they launched towards each other again.

 

 

…***…***…***…

 

 

Itachi's brows furrowed as his eyes snapped open. As always, sleep had eluded him until a few hours before dawn, and the last thing he needed was more disruption. Knowing that it was only a battle between Kisame and Sakura, he had tried to sleep through the commotion outside, but it was next to impossible. A normal person would be awakened, let alone a shinobi.

 

They had been going at it for a while now, and Itachi was beginning to wonder if they planned on stopping anytime soon. Even without watching, the length of the fight and the absence of a death-cry were enough to tell him that they were almost evenly matched.

 

Perhaps if he left it long enough, they would kill each other and his peace would be restored.

 

An unnecessarily loud cry of an earth jutsu reached his ears and he hissed in displeasure. Deciding that it was pointless to remain in bed, Itachi got up and began his morning routine. Once dressed, he walked out of the room and then made for the training grounds.

 

He was greeted by the sight of Kisame charging towards the kunoichi, his Samehada raised in preparation for a swing. Just as Samehada was about to make contact, Sakura's body disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Then she was there again, sending a rain of shuriken towards Kisame. The Mist shinobi brought Samehada up, blocking the attack before he bounded back some distance away.

 

Flicking a glance at him, Kisame inclined his head in greeting before turning back to his opponent. “We have an audience, kunoichi.”

 

“Good morning, Itachi-san,” she greeted politely, her eyes not leaving the Mist shinobi. “Now someone's here to watch your ass getting handed to you.”

 

“You talk big, kunoichi,” Kisame pointed out. “But you're weak as ever.”

 

Her eyes flared. “Oh yeah? Let's see how you deal with this.”

 

With that, the kunoichi streaked away in what seemed like three directions. But with his Sharingan, Itachi could tell that the real one was to right of Kisame. Unfortunately for the Mist shinobi, he went for the one on the left. The bunshin disappeared in a puff the moment Samehada struck it. And by that time, the real kunai-wielding Sakura was already in the middle of an attack.

 

Kisame spun around just in time to deflect her kunai with his Samehada, but her chakra-filled kick grazed his side, instantly throwing him to the ground. Itachi's Sharingan told him that his partner had swapped with a bunshin. Unaware of this, Sakura charged forward with another kick, only to release a frustrated shriek when she realized that she had been tricked.

 

When the real Kisame appeared behind her, they locked into a furious fight, their limbs appearing blurred at the speed of their attacks. She seemed to be weaker on the left side, Itachi noted idly. In fact, that was how Kisame had injured her during their first battle. That time, Samehada had caught her left arm. The weakness was not an obvious one, and the only reason he noticed it was because of his Sharingan. Still, such weakness was unacceptable in battle.

 

Itachi did not know what possessed him to do so, but before he could stifle it, the words escaped his lips. “Your left side is weak, kunoichi.”

 

She shot him an irritated look before flipping away from Kisame. Landing closer to him, she hissed, “I'm not asking for pointers.”

 

“Keep on distracting her, Itachi-san,” Kisame said with a laugh as he propped Samehada in front of him.

 

His partner was just as arrogant as the kunoichi, Itachi thought as the two of them charged towards each other. Once again, their limbs darted out at a speed which none could decipher unless they had the Sharingan. From what he could see, Kisame was growing careless.

 

“Kisame. Your head is unprotected,” Itachi pointed out blandly.

 

“Damn it!” Kisame snarled as he ducked away from Sakura's chakra-filled kick. Shooting him a disgruntled look, Kisame said, “I saw that! Don't distract me.”

 

The kunoichi's kick would have connected, and Kisame would no doubt suffer another `headache' if that was the case. Still, Itachi decided that perhaps he should simply observe and be entertained. After all, there was nothing else for him to do and they were not leaving the place until tomorrow.

 

Straightening, kunoichi said levelly, “Hey, Shark-Face. There's external interference in this battle. That won't do.”

 

As one, they turned to face him. Itachi simply raised a brow as both of them gave him a meaningful look. Then, to his incredulity, both of them advanced towards him. Were they truly foolish enough to challenge him?

 

Kisame must have realized his error, for his steps halted. Turning to the kunoichi, he smirked. “You know it's suicide, right?”

 

Sakura's steps did not falter. Eyes gleaming, she glanced over her shoulders and taunted, “You're scared of him?”

 

A snort escaped the Mist shinobi. “Not scared, kunoichi. Just not stupid enough to try it.”

 

“Eh! He's only scary because of his genjutsu,” she remarked, waving a dismissive hand around.

 

Itachi's eyes narrowed a fraction. He could not help but feel slightly aggrieved at her insinuation. It was true that he preferred his genjutsu, for the simple reason that it was more efficient than physical battles. After all, there was no need to exert himself unnecessarily. However, that did not mean that his other skills were weak.

 

“See? He's not denying it,” the kunoichi said to Kisame in a smug tone.

 

Kisame cast her an incredulous look.

 

The kunoichi came closer to him, a challenging grin adorning her features. “So, what do you say to a taijutsu spar, Itachi-san? I'm almost out of chakra, so ninjutsu is not an option.”

 

He regarded her contemplatively, taking in the gleam of anticipation in her eyes. So, she truly wished to fight him? Especially considering that she was not even at full capacity after fighting Kisame? He did not know if he should feel flattered or insulted. Still, perhaps it would be a good exercise to start the day. In the process, he would alert her to his strength.

 

“Very well.”

 

“No Sharingan,” she stipulated.

 

“The Sharingan stays,” he insisted quietly. Whilst her healing had helped, his vision without the Sharingan was inadequate for such a fight.

 

She tilted her head sideways, giving him a contemplative look. Then she brought her hands up to her own eyes and pressed her fingers to them. Itachi simply watched, wondering what she was doing to her eyes. When she lowered her hands, he noted with interest that her usual jade green eyes were now a brighter green. Were her eyes glowing with chakra?

As if sensing his question, she explained, “Just leveling out the playing field.”

 

“Hm.”

 

What she did to her eyes was of a medical nature, for the chakra was different from her usual offensive one. He was interested to see how she planned to use it, since he did not recall seeing something like that before. With that thought, he stepped into the middle of the training grounds, facing her.

 

“Come.”

 

Her eyes glittered.

 

Then she shot towards him.

 

Eyes following her movements, Itachi did not move until she was almost upon him. At the sight of her fist heading towards his face, Itachi took a step sideways and released a kick. To his surprise, she easily flipped out of the way before he made contact, landing a few feet away. A flicker of interest ran through him as he studied the green glow of chakra in her eyes intently. Deciding to test her, he flicked a kunai out of its holster and blurred towards her.

 

The early morning sun glinted off her kunai as she reached out to block him. Their weapons met with a clang, and then Itachi spun around away from her. Standing some distance apart, he regarded her thoughtfully.

 

“What you did to your eyes, it allows you to see my movements,” he remarked softly.

 

She shrugged. “Well, it's only fair, since you have your Sharingan.”

 

“Aa.”

 

In which case, normal speed would no longer suffice. He would have to truly show her what he was capable of. He waited for her next move, but she simply remained staring at him. Why was she not attacking?

 

“What are you waiting for?” he asked calmly.

 

“Just waiting for you to prepare yourself,” came her retort.

 

A snort sounded from Kisame, but the Mist shinobi did not comment. The tone Sakura used was similar to the one she bestowed Kisame during their fight. Truly, did the kunoichi expect him to react like Kisame? If so, she had truly underestimated him.

 

Itachi gave her a condescending look. “Do not be so smug.”

 

Her lips thinned slightly, and his eyes took in the way her hand clenched tighter around her kunai. Then in a flash, she launched into the air. Her body betrayed her actions, and Itachi saw her kick long before it reached him. Once again, he stood unmoving until she was within range. Arm shooting out, he closed his fingers around her ankle and threw her off.

 

Before she could land, Itachi drove his fist towards her. He saw her eyes widen before she twisted mid-air to avoid the attack. Smirking inwardly, he jumped swiftly into a kick. A gasp sounded from her as his foot connected with her arm. She might be able to see his movements, but her body lack the practice to keep up with him. He had yet to meet one who was able to do so, therefore it was hardly surprising.

 

Landing in a crouch, she glared at him as she touched her wounded arm. The redness of her skin told Itachi that it would bruise badly, marring her skin. His eyes were drawn to the rest of her exposed limbs. Idly, he wondered if her skin felt as creamy as it looked. When he realized the direction of his thoughts, he immediately gave himself a mental shake. It would not do to regard her in such an inappropriate manner.

 

A second later, she came at him with her kunai raised. At the last moment, she switched, but he had seen her other fist coming towards him. Dropping low to avoid it, he swept his leg in a wide arc, catching her legs.

 

Dust erupted around her as she landed on the ground.

 

A loud laughter instantly followed, but once again, Kisame said nothing.

 

The kunoichi's eyes were flashing as she glared at him, her body moving in rhythm with her pants. A light sheen of sweat glistened upon her skin, and Itachi could not recall the last time he had seen someone looking so… alive. But he could tell that she was growing weary, for her movements were growing more careless. It was unsurprising, considering that she had been fighting Kisame earlier.

 

He should end this soon, for it was pointless. Even though she was obviously skilled, the kunoichi would never defeat him in taijutsu, at least, not until she realized that she required more practice in speed. And also never to fight him unless she was at full capacity. With that thought, Itachi streaked forward, reaching her just as she stood up. Their limbs met in swift attacks and counterattacks. Occasional gasps sounded from her as his attacks connected, but Itachi remained unharmed.

 

In a final move, he delivered a kick to her midsection, throwing her some distance away. Following on swiftly, he reached her before she could get up. Then he planted a foot on her throat, watching her eyes shoot open in alarm. Waves of fear emanated from her, almost tangible in its intensity, telling him that at this very moment, she was truly concerned for her life.

 

How odd. Surely she realized that this was simply training. He had no intention of killing her, for that would serve no purpose. Besides, her death would only complicate matters and delay his goals.

 

“Why did you lose?” he asked quietly.

 

Those green orbs flared with annoyance. “Why don't you tell me?”

 

His lips twitched as he removed his foot. The kunoichi was the type who would not let go of something once it got into her head. Deciding that it would be amusing to see how far she would go to obtain the answer to the question, Itachi spun around without replying and began to walk back to the house. Behind him, Kisame was laughing.

 

The kunoichi sputtered indignantly, and then her voice echoed throughout the training grounds.

 

“Hey! Aren't you going to tell me?!”

 

Simply for the sake of aggravating her further, Itachi smirked at her over his shoulders before he entered the building.

 

 

…***…***…***…

 

 

Ten days had passed since her encounter with Team Kakashi and they were now back in Rain Country. And so far, Pein had not said anything to her to indicate that he was aware of her emotional outburst. She was inclined to believe that Itachi and Kisame had not said anything to their leader, but she knew that she had to keep her defenses up and be prepared for that eventuality.

 

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance at the thought of Itachi. Ever since she had lost to him in that fight, his words had been ringing in her head. Did she possess some sort of weakness that she was not aware of? As far as she could see, she had lost because he was simply stronger than her, not to mention far more experienced. But the way he had said it in that soft, almost mocking voice grated at her nerves. She had tried to get him to spar with her again the next day, but he had declined. She would have to try again, and hopefully he would agree the next time. And maybe this time she could figure out what exactly he had meant by his words.

 

Now was not the time, though. Since their return to Rain Country, she had been busy trying to get to grips with everything that was Akatsuki. Although small, it looked like a lot of thought had been put into forming the organization, judging by the piles of books in front of her. It had been daunting to see the books lining the walls, and she had been relieved when Tobi had helped her select the ones which she would need.

 

What would the rest of the hidden villages give up to go through these accounts of the Akatsuki? But as expected, the organization was not stupid enough to allow just anyone to access the information. Her eyes landed on the ring around her left little finger. Without it, she would only see blank pages instead of the writing.

 

In the piles of scrolls, she had found something more interesting in the form of the bijuu extraction process. Ideas had been pouring into her mind ever since she studied it. The fact that she was responsible for the capture of the hachibi fit really well with her real mission, whichever Shikamaru's plans she chose to go with. The best case scenario was of course, was to keep the jinchuuriki from being captured. But this was a task for the Konoha ANBU, not her. She just have to make sure that Tsunade or the other two got the message in time.

 

In the event that the capture could not be prevented, she would have to move to the alternative plan. This involved trying to stop the extraction. Sakura frowned, thinking that the probability of success would be low on this one. Which mean that it was likely that she had to resort to the final option. And this option required her to get close to the jinchuuriki. The only thing that worried her was that the idea for this plan was untested. It could all end very badly.

 

But the Akatsuki scroll had given her valuable information on the extraction process. The statue the Akatsuki summon to seal the extracted bijuu had its own energy cycle, therefore the sealing could only be carried out successfully at a certain point in the cycle. Around that time, there was a window of about a week for the Akatsuki to carry out the extraction process. From the records, it appeared that all the bijuu extraction process had been difficult, except for the one carried out on the Sanbi. The only thing different about the Sanbi compared to the rest was that it did not have a host.

 

Sakura frowned thoughtfully. If she had to guess, she would say that the jinchuuriki's own life-force and chakra were disrupting the extraction process. Which was understandable considering that the bijuu and the jinchuuriki were practically merged. This sort of tied in with the research she had been carrying out prior to her assignation to this undercover missing-nin mission. In conclusion, if she managed to get the theory to work in practice, the life of the jinchuuriki would be spared, with a side effect of speeding up the extraction process.

 

She just needed to work a little bit more on it, now that she had additional information. It looked like she would have to resume her research on the jinchuuriki theory.

 

The door to the library opened suddenly, and Deidara walked in. His gaze wandered around the room momentarily before it settled on her. Wearing a curious look, he strode towards her to peer at the book in her hands.

 

“Someone's working hard, yeah?” he quipped.

 

She rolled her eyes at him. “And someone's pretty nosy today.”

 

Deidara raised a brow. It was obvious that the blonde was still wary of her, but at least he was talking to her instead of glaring at her suspiciously each time they met. Still, she was surprised when he pulled out a chair to sit opposite her.

 

Inclining his head at the book, he asked, “So, you worked everything out already?”

 

Slumping on the table, she released a heavy sigh. “I thought I wasn't ever going to finish this. But I think I got the hang of it.” She lifted her head to stare balefully at him. “Did you have to go through this when you joined?”

 

He smirked. “No. It's all because you're the treasurer, yeah. You need to know all this shit.”

 

Her forehead fell back onto the table with a thump. Deidara chuckled, but she could not bring herself to move. She remained in the same position for a while until she heard his voice again.

 

“Just between us, yeah, you were forced to join or what?”

 

Puzzled, she straightened to stare at him. “Huh? Why do you ask?”

 

“Just curious.”

 

Not quite understanding what was going on, she chose her words carefully. “I didn't want to join at first, but Konan gave me a week to consider the invitation. When she came back the second time round, I decided that there's no harm in checking things out. I don't know what she would have done if I rejected the offer, though.” Then it occurred to her. “Did you join involuntarily?”

 

For a brief moment, an expression that looked suspiciously like anger flashed across his features. Then his usual carefree look was back again. “I had to join because I lost a challenge.”

 

“Eh?” She wondered what he meant by that. Did he mean that he had been forced to join the Akatsuki?

 

He waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Never mind, yeah. It's history,” he evaded.

 

Guessing that that was all Deidara was willing to say about the matter, Sakura let it drop.

 

“Is Pein around?” she asked.

 

Deidara raised a brow. “Remember the golden rule, hm? We can't be all together at the same place, yeah?”

 

She tried to think of who might be there. Tobi was out somewhere, while Itachi and Kisame were nowhere to be seen although they should be still in Rain Country. She knew that Konan was out on some mission, so where was Pein?

 

“Use the ring to contact him,” Deidara said as he stood up to leave.

 

“I'll do that.”

 

As the door shut behind the blonde shinobi, Sakura raised her hands and performed the necessary jutsu. Surrounded by darkness, a moment of disorientation overcame her before she received an acknowledgement from Pein. When she everything came into focus again, she found herself, or rather her projection, standing before Pein in some sort of study. To her surprise, Tobi was there in person, standing next to the window.

 

Pein looked up from the scroll he was writing in. “Sakura,” he acknowledge as he replaced his brush on the table. Then turning his attention to Tobi, he said, “We're done, aren't we?”

 

“Of course, Pein-san,” Tobi chirped. “Please don't forget about that thing we talked about, okay? It's really important to me.”

 

With that, the masked shinobi left the room, leaving her and Pein alone. Tobi's tone when he had said those words did not escape her. If she had not known better, she would have thought that she heard a hint of threat in them. But it must have been just the distortion effect of her projection.

 

“Sakura.”

“I've gone through the books.”

 

“And?”

 

“As far as side missions go, we should really start scouting for some soon, or the funds could run low as early as next month.”

 

“What are your suggestions?”

 

“There are jobs up for grabs in most countries. Well, except for Earth Country,” she muttered darkly. “There's nothing interesting left there. Anywhere else would do. I say maybe Wind Country or Snow Country.”

 

“We have a base in Wind Country, but perhaps Snow Country would be more appropriate for these missions.”

 

Sakura nodded. “Should I go ahead to scout it out first? Or do we all leave together?”

 

Pein looked thoughtful. Then he said, “You'll leave first. There is no reason for the rest to follow until you found something. Also, don't choose any missions which last more than six or seven weeks. You know what you have to do then.”

 

“The hachibi.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Then she paused as something Pein said nagged at her. Deciding that there was no harm in asking, she ventured, “I read through the scrolls on the extraction process and was just wondering why do we have to wait almost two months to capture the hachibi? Why not now?”

 

Pein's expression did not change. “Ah, I've neglected to update the records. We missed the last cycle when Zetsu failed to retrieve the hachibi just short of four months ago. The next opportunity for the sealing would be in two months.”

 

“I see.”

 

Two months would be enough for her to work a bit more on the theories of splitting the bijuu and the jinchuuriki. But then, would she be willing to try it out on the hachibi?

 

“You wish to say something else?”

 

Her eyes snapped up at his question. Something must have been displayed on her face. She did not mean to raise his curiosity. But should she broach the subject now? Or leave it until later when she had more concrete facts? On the other hand, if she told him her ideas now, he might not be adverse to it later.

 

“What is it, Sakura?”

 

Coming to a decision, she ventured, “Something occurred to be when I read through the extraction scroll. Something that might help speed up the extraction process.”

 

A flash of interest crossed Pein's features. “Is that so?”

 

She nodded, and then explained, “As you know, the bijuu and its jinchuuriki are closely connected. The process takes a long time, and is often complicated because the jinchuuriki's own life-force and chakra are fighting the extraction. Theoretically, if we could keep the jinchuuriki's life-force and chakra from interfering, the extraction process would be much simpler and faster.”

 

As Pein regarded her contemplatively, Sakura keep her unflinching gaze on him. Was that a hint of suspicion hidden behind the interest in his eyes? She could not tell for sure.

 

After a long while of silence, he asked, “How did you come upon this idea?”

 

Sakura fought the urge to fidget. Should she tell him that she had just thought of it, or should she just go for the truth? The truth, she should stick to the truth as much as possible.

 

“In Konoha, I was part of the research team studying the relationship between the kyuubi and Naruto.”

 

“I see.”

 

Pein did not seem surprised at her answer, so was this just a test? Did Pein know about this already, and was simply questioning her to see how honest she was with him? She suppressed the urge to scowl. So he did not really trust her yet. Maybe Itachi and Kisame had told him about what happened after all.

 

Pressing on, she said, “It is still at the theoretical stage, though. And I need to study the facts further.”

 

Another pause followed, and Sakura forced herself to breathe steadily.

 

Then finally, Pein spoke. “The idea is interesting. However, I need time to think over it. I'll let inform you when I reach a decision.”

 

It was not quite what she wanted to hear, but she guessed it was as good as it could get for the moment. At least he did not just reject the idea.

 

“I'll leave now to scout for missions.”

 

Pein nodded. “While you're here, you might want to know that you will be joining Itachi's team from now on.”

 

It had taken Pein long enough to come up with this decision. Itachi and Kisame, huh? It was good that she would be teaming up with them. That would give her more chances to practice with Kisame and find out what Itachi was not telling her about the fight. Yes, she was glad that she was now in their team.

 

It was then that a small voice that sounded suspiciously like Inner Sakura calmly asked her why she could not do the same with Tobi and Deidara.

 

Sakura blinked.

 

She could not answer that question.

 

 

…***…***…***…

 

 

 

A/N: Hope you've enjoyed the chapter. Please review if you can - it feeds my muse, hehe! Thanks.

 

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