Naruto 1. Betrayal

A rustle in the bushes is made. Just as soon as the sound is heard two soft whistles are followed by soft thuds as two kunai hit the tree behind the bush. Soon the ANBU are out looking around for the source. Out of the shadows a figure emerges. The light from the moon is the only light around. The figure steps into the light.

And there stands..."Haruno Sakura surrender now if you wish to keep the charges against you light." Emerald green eyes dance with mischief as a small smirk plays over soft, pink lips. Sakura made dash for the North border, traveling on the higher branches. Pumping chakra into her feet she ran as fast as she could to escape her fellow Anbu.

-Flashback-

_It was a bright and sunny day in Konoha. A blur of pink could be seen traveling through the crowed streets. Haruno Sakura was walking home in her Anbu uniform. _

_Her black pants matched her short sleeved tight black shirt. Covering her arms were bandages wrapped tightly. From the knees to the ankles were more white bandages. Black traditional ninja shoes adorned her feet making her, "Hollywood Scarlet",nail polish pop. Her waist length hair was in one solid braid down her back. A few stands of hair framed her face. Two twin katanas were strapped onto her back. Sakura's Anbu mask hid her face from view. The mask reminded one of a fierce tiger. _

_Sakura made her way through town, towards her home. Her mind was already set on her next course of action. Everything was already planned out, as to be expected from an Anbu captain. In the village Haruno Sakura was not only the right hand woman of the Hokage, but also Anbu captain of squad 5 and part of the interrogation squad. Sakura also spent some of her time working at the hospital working short, easy shifts. Sakura just returned from a training session with her team._

_Exhausted Sakura walked up the steps to her home. She lives alone in a small house near the outskirts of town. Sakura instead of using a key to get into her home her chakra needed to be identified. So she channeled chakra to her hand as she placed her palm on the door knob. The lock clicked signaling that she did indeed unlock the door. Sakura dispelled her chakra and turned the knob. Walking in she closed the door behind her._

_Sakura walked straight to her bedroom and opened her closet. At the bottom in the back corner was her black bag she uses for missions. Pulling it out she dropped it onto the bed. Sakura went back to her closet and pulled out two formal outfits, just incase. She also pulled out two more outfits and threw them into her bag. She reached into the top drawer of her bureau, where all of her weapons are kept, and pulled out her spare shuriken and kunai holster, also tossing it into her bag. Sakura grabbed two small daggers. She placed one in her shoe and the other tucked into the hem of her pants on the small of her back for safe keeping. Sakura pulled out a pair of wrapped Sais and put them into her bag along with Wakizashi. _

_Sakura hurriedly walked to her bathroom and grabbed the basic necessities, like a toothbrush, three tubes of toothpaste, a hairbrush, a pack of hair ties, a bar of soap, shampoo, and her make up kit. _

_Sakura walked back into the bedroom throwing the stuff into the bag. Realizing she had to much she took out a casual and formal outfit. Sakura looked at everything and felt that something important was missing. She put her finger to her chin in thought. Tampons! She grabbed a few boxes and emptied them out into the bag. She grabbed the bag and made her way to the kitchen grabbing some ramen and a bottle of water. Finally she zipped up the bag and made her way out of the house._

_She closed the door behind her, shouldered her pack and picked up a fast pace towards the training grounds. The sun was setting so she knew that if anyone asked she'd say she was training by herself and the pack was for a solo mission in the morning. Sakura's plan was to use the training grounds to sneak out of the border. She got to the grounds and started to make her way out not noticing that an Anbu had hidden his chakra and was hiding in the shadows. He figured out what she was planning and made a break to alert the Hunter-Nin._

-End Flashback.-

Sakura knew that if she got to the border before they caught her she had a chance to escape. Knowing that Anbu can't leave after a shinobi without orders from the Hokage first. Quickly she neared the border. She was only a few miles away and that wouldn't take her long only five minutes at maximum. Pulling her mask down over her face Sakura jumped over the gate and into enemy territory. Just because the Anbu were behind and waiting for orders to follow didn't mean she could slow her pace. It only meant she had to increase it. Sakura knew that her destination was only a few days ahead. It was the perfect spot for her to hide for a week or so for the pace of the Hunter-Nins on the lookout for her to slow.

Her destination: Orochimaru's old hideout.


	2. Changes

Sakura collapsed at the base of the tree. Her breathing was ragged, her hair tousled and she was dehydrated. She opened her pack and produced a water bottle. As she drank from it her thoughts were elsewhere. _I need to find a village. I need to change my appearance…I guess that will have to wait until after I come out of hiding. _Sakura shakily stood up and began to walk the rest of the way. She was almost there. She was sure she would get there before midnight.

After about an hour or two of walking Sakura finally made it to the entrance of the base. Carefully she managed to side step and dodge all the booby-traps. Sakura finally got to the center of the base and started to walk around looking for a bedroom that she could hide out in. She opened the first door on her right and there was a torture chamber. Shaking her head, she closed the door and moved on. A few doors down on her left this time she found a pretty good-sized room. It smelled like stale blood and the muskiness of a man. Shrugging it off Sakura stepped inside and laid her pack down at the end of the bed.

Sakura jumped onto the bed and collapsed from low levels of chakra. _I'm going to get stronger…. just you wait…_ Was the last thought on her mind.

She awoke later on. Sakura turned onto her side and brought a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn. She stretched out like a cat before sitting up and looking around. She noticed a window near the bed a looked out to see what time of the day it was. From Sakura's guess she slept for at least 16 hours.

She got off the bed and started to do some taijutsu training. Sakura first started with one hundred push-ups. Then she moved onto curl ups, then onto punching the stonewall in the same spot. Her goal: to create a hole through the wall with out her chakra, but the catch…the hole needed to be the same size as it would be with her super strength.

After about an hour or so Sakura succeeded in make a dent. _Looks like these walls were made to keep their residents in and others out._ Giving up Sakura sat down crossed legged in front of the wall.

She knew she had to keep her chakra masked and that meant no training with chakra. It was okay with her; she still needed to improve her taijutsu anyways.

Before long Sakura slumped forward in exhaustion. Her head hung lax as her thick pink locks created a curtain around her face. Heavy lashes cast a shadow on her cheeks.

A loud explosion caused Sakura to gasp. Her head snapped up, eyes open and alert. She was on her feet in seconds. She strained her ears to listen for any other sounds. She could barely hear the sound of footsteps, they were almost inaudible but they were still there. They were hastily making their way towards the room she was in. Frantically Sakura looked around for an escape.

The door to her room banged open as an Anbu stepped. He looked around the room for any signs of the missing-nin. Not seeing any he continued on his way around the base.

Thankfully he didn't seem to notice that the only window in the room was open a crack. Sakura was hurriedly making her way to the nearest town. She was hoping for Kami's sake that it wasn't a fishing village nor a shinobi one at all.

Sakura got there around sunset. She walked through the gates casually. Her clothes were grimy and all she wanted to do was change and rest. But she knew what she had to do first. She walked into a bar and made a beeline straight for the girl's restroom. She was grateful that she packed a casual outfit. Once she changed into that she started to walk around town looking for some stores.

Sakura found herself in front of a women's department store. She walked in and started going through the racks of clothes until she could find an outfit that would work. After a few minutes of rifling through the store. Sakura found a black skirt that would come up mid thigh, with a slit on the left side. She also found crimson colored shorts to go under, a white tank top that had slits on it with a bright red tank top underneath. Sakura walked up to the counter and smiled at the young girl behind the register. As she was waiting for the girl to finishing ringing up her purchase Sakura spotted something that caught her eye. She saw a necklace. But not just any kind. This necklace had a silver skeleton key hanging on a silver chain. Sakura walked over and picked it up She fingered the necklace in her hand. With her free hand she looked at the price tag, 6,000 yen. Sakura just shrugged, it would be well worth it. She walked back and placed it on the counter with a smile. The young girl with short blonde hair and deep brown eyes just smiled at her, "Will that be all Miss?" She asked kindly. Sakura just nodded her head silently and placed 12,000 yen down, grabbed her stuff and walked out.

She knew she was running out of time before the hunter-nin would be here looking for her. She quickly walked down the streets looking for a salon. When she found one her mood brightened up considerably. She walked in a with a small smile and walked up to t a woman she presumably thought would the owner. The older woman looked her over with a smile. "Hello, deary. What can I do for you today? Perhaps highlights and a trim to bring out that beautiful shade of yours?" Sakura shook her head in no. She walked closer to the woman bringing her lips to the elder woman's ear. She whispered something and pulled out a pouch of money and gave it a soft shake before putting it away. The older woman nodded and gave a greedy smile. "I understand. My name is Keiko." She said politely. Sakura took a step back and put on her fake smile. "Emi. My name is Emi." She said in a respectful tone.

A hunter-nin was walking by the salon in this small happy village just a few miles north of the Snake Sannin's base. He looked in the window, looking for any sign of pink hair. All he saw was blonde, brunette and black.

Little did he know that Sakura was making her way out of the salon. She walked right passed him without so much as causing suspicion. Her waist length pink locks were now cut down to a pixie cut and died a deep black with pink highlights. Her bright emerald orbs were now a gray color, but with a violet hue to them.

She walked right passed with shining gray violet eyes and a cheerful smile. Sakura walked into ramen stand and started to make small talk with the owner as she waited for her food.

Out of the corner of her eyes she kept a close eye on the Konoha Anbu. She waited until they were gone before she set back out into the trees. She traveled for hours on the high branches.

Finally, she landed on the ground, outside a stone entrance. She took a deep breath before she did the six seals to open the entrance for her. Head held up high she walked in calmly. Sakura noted that her footsteps echoed throughout the long, bleak hallway. There were only several doors on each side of her. When she reached the end she could either turn left or go through the doors before her. Sakura opened the big doubled doors. The room was dimly lit. As she stepped into the room she heard the doors creak close behind her. Sakura could barely make out a table in the center of the far wall. "Ah, Haruno Sakura. I've been waiting for you." A figure in black stood up from the chair and made his way toward her. Sakura immediately recognized the voice as Leader's. She gave a small bow with her head. "I'm sorry it took me so long, Leader-sama." Her voice was just above a whisper, but she knew he could hear her. "Now now, Pein will do." Sakura gave a small nod of her head. Pein went on, "Well now that your here you most hold up your part of the deal. Are you willing to?" Sakura looked into Pein's golden eyes and gave a cold stare. Her voice was low but stern. "Of course. I will get started right away, Pein-sama." She turned on her heel and headed for the door. On her way out she unsheathed her twin katanas. Once she was in the night air she took off under the rising full moon.


	3. Marking the Beginning

In the silent night all that could be heard was the deep breaths of the sleeping villagers. Overhead a figure jumped from roof to roof in the silent dread from the night's actions to come. In a blur they disappeared from sight. A light thud sounded above the main building. The plan was already calculated. It was too simple.

The figure leapt down on the big windowsill. And there crouched in the shadows was none other than Haruno Sakura.

A wicked smile twisted upon her face. Her eyes glinted a dangerous silvery sheen. Those soulless orbs looked into the window before her as her freshly manicured black nails started to slide open the window, in a stealthy manner. Tonight she was no longer the innocent, naïve Sakura that Konoha knew her as. Instead she was the dangerous scorpion out to stalk and kill her prey.

The window opened with ease as she jumped in. She landed with a soft, 'tack'. Pulling out her twin katanas. The bright moonlight cast a soft spotlight on her, giving her blades a crimson glint from past slaughters. But tonight the crimson was actually, fresh warm liquid that gracefully slid down the smooth edges of the blades. Drops of blood dripped down onto the hardwood floor that she knew all too well.

Our newborn, Scorpion quickly flashed her eyes down to the dripping blood with interest.

-Flashback- 

As the guards stood by the back entrance to Hokage manor the two's eyelids started to become heavy form the lack of sleep. With Kotestu every thing started to become blurry almost dream like. It all seemed to have a sense of foretelling. Now Izumo on the other hand was starting to feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise, and the cool chills running up and down his spine.

As they two started to wake themselves up and become more alert they saw in the distance that a figure was coming, a strong wind blew past making the two of them spread their feet apart to keep themselves up. All of sudden the weather went from a cool summer night to almost a night you would expect in Suna.

Izumo shook his head to get a hold of himself. He looked on to the approaching 'visitor'. In a quick blink the person was standing there before them. The stranger was wearing a long black velvet hooded cloak that swept onto the ground behind them as they walked. The hood was pulled over the head and shaded the face behind it. Its red trim gave contrast to the darkness of the night. The hooded figure shook their head, just enough so that two piercing eyes glared at the men.

Kotestu and Izumo sunk down into their defensive stance. Each pulling out a kunai and holding it in front of them as a means of protection and aggression. The person pulled out two katanas and held them before them with their elbows in front of their chest making the blades point behind them. In whip like motion the two blades crossed over one another and slashed their opponents across the chest. Before the two Anbu had a chance to even let a first thought flicker in their minds of an attack the blades were already make its way across their chest and the poison making itself known as it sunk deep into the two's hearts as they both fell two the ground with little life left for both of them.

The person tossed back their hood and kneeled down before the dying men. The woman's nose scrunched up in distaste as she let the two know who exactly killed them. Before the light left their eyes she neatly stepped over the bodies and into the gate.

-End Flashback-

She tore her eyes away form the spilt blood on her blades and stepped lightly across the wood flooring nearing the bed. Sakura expecting the sleeping occupant to sense her masked chakra and wake up for the battle. But sadly to say they were too drunk to recognize any thing least of all the danger that lurked around their bed.

Wanting to do this fast and as painless as possible she lifted her poisoned katanas over the body. Sakura looked down at the woman who **was** her Hokage, her mother, mentor, and her best friend. She wanted this last image of her to be peaceful and unforgettable. The woman below her (No dirty thoughts you pervs!) was breathing lightly through full pink lips. Her thick lashes cast a shadow on her high cheekbones. Her fair skin had a slight flush to it from all the alcohol she consumed earlier that night.

Sakura paused too long and before she knew it she was flung into the opposite wall cursing under her breath for her stupidity. Above her stood a very menacing woman, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't you know that if I want to sleep I sleep! I mean god I'm not in the office any more. What's wrong with you, Shizune?" Sakura looked up at the fifth Hokage of Leaf and spit on her shoes. "Watch who your yelling at grandma!" She bit out harshly. Tsunade blinked and realized just then that this wasn't her assistant it was some other woman. "Eh?! Who you calling old!" She screamed over the glaring girl.

Sakura kicked Tsunade in the stomach sending her stumbling backwards so that she herself could get off the ground. Tsunade's eyes widen a slight fraction,   
"Wh...Who are you?"

Sakura smirked. "As if I'd tell you that. But I can tell you this will be your last night." Tsunade charged at the girl with her chakra enhanced fists. Now Sakura having dealt with these fists before quickly moved to the side and lazily slashed the older woman's chest making the chakra in Tsunade's hand deplete. Tsunade tried to mold her chakra over and over again but found it to be hard. Sakura scoffed. "The name's Scorpion. And don't even try. Your chakra is gone. Tell me how's your breathing. I can hear it's a little ragged." Tsunade was gasping in air. She was trying to make her mind work double time to figure out what was going on. The more she tried to mold and summon chakra the more she had trouble breathing. Now her body was shaking form the lack of air and her muscles started to contracting. She fell to the ground wide eyed on her back. She stared up at the ceiling and managed with great difficulty to gasp out, "H…How!?" Scorpion walked over to the woman and looked down at her. "It doesn't matter, Tsunade-Shishou. This is you last breath. I'm sorry but I don't regret the decisions I've made." With that Sakura lopped off the other woman's head and even though it pained her she sunk the blade of her katana into the other woman's chest to let the poison make its self known to the headless body.

Grabbing the sheets to the king sized bed she wrapped the head inside the sheets and heaved it over her shoulder. She hopped up onto the windowsill and took one last look over her shoulder at what was her Shishou. She leapt off back into the night.

She ran with all her willpower to get back to the base as fast as she possibly could. She was sent to retrieve two things and she brought back one, but this one came with a price of two maybe three.

All of these were shown with this one death. Sakura achieved this and still managed to save lives along the way. This was most important to her.

When she got back to the front gates of the base awhile later she stopped and regained the composure of indifference. Her poison laced katanas were back in their respectable sheaths and the head was being held by her left hand behind her back. Her free hand preformed the jutsu by itself to open the entrance. She walked quickly and stealthily through the hall and to the meeting room. She pushed open the door and walked in.

She immediately noticed Leader's piercing golden eyes through the darkness. "I only see one. I believe I told you to bring three." Swift and too the point. Always the way Leader greeted her. Sakura smirked. She tossed the head onto the table with a 'thump'. She started to unwrap the head and let it sit there exposed to the air around it. She stepped back to let him see her accomplishment, never taking her eyes off the item.

"It was well worth it. This requires all that you asked for. The head of a Hokage. The head of a Sannin. And proven loyalty to the Akatsuki. I slayed my mentor and Hokage. This one head fulfills all that you asked of me does it not? You never were specific that I had to bring three separate things." She lifted her mocking gaze upwards to meet the glare directed her way. "Why you…"The Leader let out a low throaty growl before a heavy sigh.

He took a step towards her. "You are indeed a member. We will go through the details later. For now I will have some one supervise you. They will show you to your room and will be your escort for the time being. You may go." He turned on the ball of his heel and walked out of the back entrance of the meeting room to go to Kami-knows where.

Sakura sighed at the vague explanation of what is soon to happen. She walked to the door and opened it. Her mind went blank and her hand flew up to her mouth as a small gasp escaped her lips as she looked up at her escort.


	4. Settling In

**A/N:** So sorry for the long update. It's been about nineteen long months of no posting for this story. Well I plan to make it up to you all who have followed me through. I will write longer chapters and try to update WAY more frequently. Oh , All the deceased characters in the series will be either brought back or pretended that they never died. Unless I really want them not to be in the story or I had them killed.

Read and review!

Last time:

"_It was well worth it. This requires all that you asked for. The head of a Hokage. The head of a Sannin. And proven loyalty to the Akatsuki. I slayed my mentor and Hokage. This one head fulfills all that you asked of me does it not? You never were specific that I had to bring three separate things." She lifted her mocking gaze upwards to meet the glare directed her way. "Why you…"The Leader let out a low throaty growl before a heavy sigh._

_He took a step towards her. "You are indeed a member. We will go through the details later. For now I will have some one supervise you. They will show you to your room and will be your escort for the time being. You may go." He turned on the ball of his heel and walked out of the back entrance of the meeting room to go to Kami-knows where._

_Sakura sighed at the vague explanation of what is soon to happen. She walked to the door and opened it. Her mind went blank and her hand flew up to her mouth as a small gasp escaped her lips as she looked up at her escort._

Chappie Four:

No sound was heard in the hallway expect for some distant chatter. Her emerald orbs zoomed in just on the astonishing face. She didn't pay attention to the cold stone carved walls nor the same material below her feet. She didn't hear the soft pitter-patter of the rain hitting the top of the hide out. She had no care in the world that she had blood on her cheek or smelled of sweat, woods, and death. All that she was concerned about was the man in front of her.

The face looked carved of porcelain with a chiseled chin and sparkling blue eyes. She couldn't seem to comprehend anything other than the fact that this man before her looked to be a true work of art. '_So beautiful.'_ Her thoughts could only seem to revolve around this one description as she took in his full image. A small nag in the back of her mind told her that she had seen him somewhere before. As she began to ponder it, she was interrupted by a chuckle.

Deidara looked down at the girl before him in amusement. With a quick once over he remembered her perfectly as being the weakling to kill off his partner along with the old hag's assistance. Though he had to admit that she didn't look anything like she had when he had last seen her. He dismissed it as nothing and turned on his heel to walk away. Lifting a hand over his shoulder he motioned for her to follow. "I'm Deidara. I'll show you to your room and escort you around, un." He spoke to her in a calmly, but Sakura heard the annoyance laced with each word about getting so simple an order as to monitor her. Apparently he underestimated her.

As he led her through the dingy dark corridors, Sakura tried to map out and remember her way back to the entrance. Eventually he walked into a large circular area that was lit up from the light coming in through from the ceiling. Doors and opened passageways surrounded them in this circular area. Her guide stopped in the middle of the light and looked around for a split second before heading over to a door with large bleeding pink petal on the front of it. Deidara motioned for her to open the door herself. When he received a raised brow and doubtful look he sighed and explained for her. "These doors are locked by the owner's chakra so that none may open it but the owner, un."

Sakura nodded her head and reached out. Taking the handle in her slim hand she felt the knob pull and ebb at her chakra. Taking in what Deidara had said she paid it no mind. Finally she pushed it open and was once again shocked into silence as she took in her new living quarters. The room was large and massive and fit for royalty. As she peered at all the mahogany furniture her emerald gaze found large double doors on the opposite end of the room. A thin white material covered the glass surface giving off an illusion of privacy. Sakura made her way straight towards the black iron doors and pulled them open. Ahead of her was a balcony with the view of the training grounds in the Akatsuki headquarters. She may have thought before that it would be dingy and wrecked but her thoughts were changed when she saw the magnificent terrain and unending view of an artist's perfect landscape. Deidara came up behind her and laid a hand gently on the door to his right. He spoke to her honestly about how things worked as his eyes never once left the visage in front of him. "A jutsu has been cast over some of the land so that any damage that befalls it during training is mended quickly, un. But it is a picture of long lasting art." A shine set in his eyes as he quoted his old partner's view on art.

Sakura was too focused on the scene before her to notice that Deidara sounded upset and lost in a world of hurt. But Deidara quickly broke the moment by turning around and moving towards the door. "I will leave you to rest and adjust before the meeting later on, un." After that he left and shut the door behind him. Sakura looked around once more and began to explore. She found an adjoined private bathroom and a large closet filled with clothes for her. Reading the note attached to the door the mystery of how everything was her size and style was answered. In a scrolling script it read, _'We sent Konan in to your home to take your measurements and tastes for your apparel.'_ Sakura had to admit that it was a nice thought that the only other female member understood her feminine needs to keep to her own style of fashion.

Sakura grabbed a silk black nightgown that ended a bit above her knees. Slipping into it she walked towards the large bed and slipped into the pale pink and white sheets. As soon as her head touched the pillow her eyes slid shut and sleep over came her. She had been up late and had exhausted much of her chakra from her last few days of travel and adventure. This was her deserved rest after so many days. She had no idea how long it would last but she could only hope it was long enough to replenish her.

**XXX**

Sakura awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar room. Quickly she jerked upright as she scanned the area. It took her a moment to finally figure out her surroundings and how she got there. Throwing back the blankets she slid off the bed and began to walk to her closet. Opening it up she took inventory of her new clothes. Grabbing tight black capri pants and a red halter off the hangers she slipped them on over her body. Looking into the mirror she checked her image over. Her newly dyed brows furrowed together as she saw the state her hair was in. _'Oh that's just perfect. I look like I have a bird's nest up there.'_ Grabbing a brush she pulled it through her hair and worked out all the knots. When her hair was finally smooth she restyled it. With a smile she moved towards her room door. Pulling it open she stepped into the stone hallway.

Not sure which direction to head to she strained her hearing. When her ears picked up on a lot of noise coming from the hall on her left, Sakura headed that way. After a few minutes of following the sound through endless twists and turns she found herself in the entryway to what looked like a large common room. Lounged around the big space were some of the other members of the organization. She felt panic prick at the back of her scalp. A few heads turned in her direction. Sakura was expecting there to be at least a few hostile glares or something but all she got was blank expressions. There was one face that stood out from the sea of expressions. Deidara's face lit up when she entered. This confused her because when she had last seen him he looked like he could care less about her. Getting up from his seat and leaving his previous discussion and traipsed over to her side. Throwing an arm around her he gave her a quick once over. "Let me introduce you to everyone, un."

He led her to the center of the room and began to make the inevitable introductions. "Hey! Everyone, this is Haruno Sakura. Sakura, this is Kisame, Hidan, Kakuzu, and Tobi." As he named off the other members he pointed to each one in turn. Kisame she noted was still as blue and sharky looking as ever. Then Deidara's slim finger pointed at a pair of men. One had slicked back gray-ish hair and the other's face was concealed behind a mask. Finally he pointed out a man donned in an orange mask. At the end of it Sakura lifted her hand in a small wave. Before she could open her mouth to say anything a blur of orange tackled her to the ground. With a surprised and dazed expression Sakura looked up at her perpetrator. Sitting above her comfortably on her stomach was the one named Tobi in his orange and black swirled mask. "Sakura is really pretty! Tobi wants to be your friend!" With her new violet eyes Sakura glared up at the immature man on top of her. "Well, Tobi could you…GET OFF ME?!"

Surprised at the loudness of her voice and the anger clearly showing on her face, Tobi scrambled off of her. Getting up Sakura dusted herself off. As she turned to look at everyone she noticed Deidara had a huge grin on his face as Tobi was cowering behind him. The others also sported amused grins. Peeking his head out from behind his partner Tobi peered at Sakura cautiously. "I'm sorry I snapped, Tobi. Please forgive me." A small but sweet smile lit up her face. Stepping out from behind his partner Tobi reached out and pulled Sakura into a tight hug. "Tobi forgives you!"

A forced smile made its way to Sakura's lips. Mechanically her arms wound loosely around the Akatsuki. After a minute or so she let them fall to her side in a sign that she was done with the hug. Thinking to herself she noted that that had to be the most awkward hug of her life. But Tobi paid no attention to her apparent discomfort. It seemed he didn't even notice that her arms had drooped down to her side. And then without warning the two arms squeezed around her slim figure. Sakura remained motionless and silent through the embrace. Could you really do anything when the deadly coils of a snake were crushing your middle? Nope. And that's exactly what she did. She would just have to face the music.

Thankfully in the room she had a savior. Sure, it was maybe not the one she expected or wanted but it was one nonetheless. Strong hands grabbed the masked man by the back of his cloak and ripped him off the girl. Green eyes stared ahead in shock and watched the scene unfold. Tobi flailed his arms in protest, he cried out against the man. Yet still the hands pulled and held him steady. Eventually Tobi calmed down and gave in. "There we go, un." The masked man snapped his head up to look into the face of Deidara. Both Tobi and Sakura were surprised at Deidara's actions. "You alright?" His voice may have been calm and aloof as he inquired about her but the wrinkles on his brow said otherwise. Anger coursed through Sakura's frame. "I don't need your protection or your help!" Her fingers curled into a fist. If the blonde was surprised he showed no signs of it. He just glanced at her fists and shrugged. Stepping back he released his partner and moved to recline on a seat across the room. Sakura surveyed the room and its inhabitants before finding a seating place herself. Sitting down on a large red couch she felt the urge to lean back and just relax. But she ignored that impulse due to the fact that highly trained S-class criminals surrounded her and relaxing around that meant death. The other members glanced between the two briefly in curiosity and bewilderment before resuming what they were doing before.

With nothing else to do Sakura took note of each of the Akatsuki members. In one corner of the room was the man introduced to her as Kakuzu who was counting a large pile of cash and seemed to be recording it down. Her gaze flickered over to Tobi who was bouncing in his seat and pestering an annoyed looking Deidara. Kisame and Hidan were playing some kind of card game that she wasn't familiar with. Kisame looked slightly amused, as the man across from him seemed to be swearing in earnest. She guessed it was due to the fact that he was probably losing. As she was studying Hidan a voice behind her causes her to jump in surprise. "That's Hidan. He's a worshiper of Jashin. He's not too hard to figure out if you know anything about the religion." Sakura turns to see a woman that looks to be a bit older that herself with blue hair.

"I'm sure that could be helpful but I know nothing of said religion."

"The followers of Jashin are expected to bring about destruction in his name. And this may have caused Hidan to become cold and heartless."

"Well that explains a lot."

The woman older woman smiles. I'm Konan. And you're the new recruit Sakura, right?"

Said woman could only nod in shock. She had been sure that no one knew she was coming. Even though the other members of the room acknowledged her but must be thinking that she was Deidara's one night stand that had stayed too long. She could see it in their faces. That must've been why they were so curious and shocked when she and Deidara got into the little spat.

The blue haired kunoichi moved around the couch and seats herself beside the ex Konoha nin. Her lips curve upwards as she begins to explain herself. "I work closely with Pein-sama. He sometimes informs me of his plans for the organization, but not usually. You came up a few times in our conversations though." As this information registered with Sakura that she was talking to Pein's partner she nods her head. Then in a moment her lips quirk up into a smile of her own. "Then he must have told you of how I found a loop hole in his little test of loyalty that I was to do." Sakura got her answer in the way Konan's face cringed in memory before relaxing. "Yes. And I must commend you. Not many are able to challenge or irritate Pein-sama and live." This only caused Sakura's little smile to bloom into a grin.

The two then sat in a comfortable silence as each was consumed by their own thoughts. Sakura's own train of thought was on the Akatsuki. She noticed how each member seems to contribute something to the organizations as a whole and then also into their own two man squads. That's when she noticed that the number of members was a round number, meaning that everyone was paired up. Shifting in her seat she faced Konan and inquired, "Ano…How can am I going to fit in with this group when everyone already has a partner?" Konan turned to the girl and took in her curiosity and slight distress in one glance. "Everything will be explained later tonight at the meeting, Sakura-san. It should be an interesting night." Confusion had Sakura's brows knitting together and if she tried to hide her voice certainly didn't. "What do you mean by 'an interesting night'?"

"This will be the first time in a long while that all the Akatsuki have been physically gathered in one area. Usually things are done through hologram. I'm not sure if I should tell you this but…" Konan paused a moment looking rather concerned before that flicker of emotion disappeared. "Pein-sama is planning something and he may just give us all a glimpse of it tonight. On that note I'll leave you be; I have things to attend to anyway." She bowed her head as she got up and left the room.

Sakura watched as the blue haired woman departed. By herself she was able to evaluate just how much she had changed since her days in the academy. She was no longer boy obsessed and neglecting her training. By surpassing her mentor in skill and making it to Anbu she had proved that. Although, she had also slayed her Hokage and went rouge. But well plenty of powerful ninja have done that….right? Sure. Maybe none of the people in the room with her have killed their Hokage before leaving but they have all left and gone rouge to be more powerful. That's got to mean something. She sighed. It was useless to try and work through the guilt she was feeling.

All she could do was try to guess at what Pein had in store for her tonight. Looking around the room her eyes landed on the members present from the infamous group. She knew without a doubt that if she were to be shoved into one of these guys' teams there would be a fatal death in the future and it most definitely would not be hers. Or at least she hoped so.


End file.

Naruto, Drama, Romance