Pink Fox [Sakura's Brother: A Naruto Fan Fiction]

Chapter 16: No Return

The next time Javen awoke, it was dark. He quickly looked around and relaxed as soon as he spotted a window. He wasn't underground, which meant that he most likely wasn't with the Akatsuki. He moved to push himself up but noticed his hands were bound tightly with rope. His worries came back. The only people that would tie him up would think of him as an enemy. Maybe the Akatsuki thought of him as a traitor now. He got to his feet with a great deal of trouble and leaned on a wall to lessen the pressure on his wound. He carefully made his way toward the door to the other room. When he was greeted with the welcome sight of a ton of Leaf shinobi sleeping on the ground, he laughed, falling to the floor with a thunk. The thunk, of course, woke everyone up, causing them to wake up, alert, with kunai in their hands and looking toward the source of the noise. When they saw Javen, they all seemed to relax except Sakura, who nearly flew across the room to hug him. Javen welcomed the hug with a laugh and then pulled back as best he could with his hands bound. She looked at him with tears in his eyes, and he looked back at her before looking at his hands,

"Do you mind?"

She nodded, cutting the rope with a Kunai.

He looked to the room, "I'm sure I owe an explanation and hugs?"

Several of them nodded their heads. Javen locked eyes with Kakashi.

"Which one first?"

Kakashi paused and then looked at the shinobi in the room. Naruto seemed ready to fling himself across the room.

"Hugs, I suppose." Kakashi laughed, and with that, Naruto did the same as Sakura. Many people followed after that, and then Javen joined Kakashi's side before moving to sit on the ground again, his wound throbbing from standing. Finally, Kakashi joined him on the floor, and Javen was quick to sit on the other's lap, touch-starved.

"I guess it's explanation time, now?"

Kakashi nodded.

"My time in the Akatsuki didn't last long... I thought I would be better at being an Akatsuki member than that, but I guess I'm weak against Kakashi." He laughed, and when Naruto let out a disgusted groan, Javen continued explaining.

"Honestly, I got captured and decided I could strike a deal with Hidan and Kakuzu. I would help them and join the Akatsuki if they promised not to hurt Kakashi."

He smiled, and Kakashi flicked his head irritated, "That's why you joined? Are you stupid?"

It wasn't the first time Kakashi had been irritated at him, but it was the first time it was over something so serious.

"Originally, yes. I ended up meeting with Pain-sama," Javen paused at the formality, "I mean Pain. I made a deal with him to devote myself to the Akatsuki until you captured me. I would not go easy, though. That was the deal."

Kakashi nodded, "I heard you say something like that to Kakuzu."

"Yep. I figured that joining the Akatsuki would be the best way to stay alive and keep some of you guys, at the very least safe. I could also collect information along the way." Javen looked back at Kakashi, "Did you figure that out from my note?"

Sakura piped up this time, "Actually, Naruto did."

Javen looked at her and then at Naruto with surprise, "Maybe I should have sent it to you instead."

It went quiet for a minute, and then Shizune spoke up, "Did you get any information? You were there for only a short amount of time."

Javen paused and looked down, "I know names and their goal, but that's not much more than I knew before."

"That's a shame." Shizune sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"I could go back." Javen looked at her, and the room collectively gasped at the statement. Kakashi seemed about ready to snap at him, so Javen explained.