Cloud Village, they say it's a place to start a new life, where no one can harm you or you harm anyone. It's peaceful, just like clouds.
The wind danced around the place, making the Sakura petals go with the wind, the same as the clothes the nine shinobis on the field of sunflowers, which had been tainted with a few blood.
They stared at each other for awhile before Sakura, who seems to be the only stable one right now, decided to break the silence awkwardly. "Hello." She said in her sweet but not forced tone of voice which snapped the thoughts of those around her thinking of 101 ways kill each other.
Hinata looked at Sakura. Though she's not really that close to Sakura, she can't help but notice the great change in Sakura, not only physically, but mentally as well.
Back then, she clearly remembers a loud-mouthed, love sick, and overly hyper active girl she was and then became a determined one after the Chuùnin Exams. Now, Sakura is more stable, calm and happier in a contented way, with more self-esteem and self-control, something she greatly lacked back in the day.
She really changed a lot. Hinata then began to wonder what made this change. Hinata was pulled out of her thoughts when a clay-like round ball rolled in their center, and when she looked at around her, she noticed Sakura and that other person vanished. Sai and Sasuke seemed to know what it is as they shouted something about move, fortunately they made it in time.
"Sakura!" Naruto shouted sensing Sakura's chakra vanish, but he could still feel it in the distance and moving fast. "Sasuke, the scroll! That guy took it." Suigetsu shouted as well. No one said anything as they chased after Sakura's chakra and Sasuke's team going in the same direction, but one thing Team Taka made clear, they are not working together, proven how Juugo kept getting in their way, throwing explosives.
"Hinata, how fast are they moving?" Naruto inquired. "I can't calculate their speed, it's often changing." Hinata answered staring ahead with her Byakugan. "What do you mean?" Sai asked as he drew tigers that went ahead of them and another 3 that was left behind to face Team Hawk. "Their speed is masked, like there's something blocking my Byakugan, but I can still sense them." Hinata answered. "Let's move faster then." Naruto said as they doubled their speed.
"Tch." Sasuke muttered as he saw the tigers. Suigetsu easily slashed them. "Double your speed." Sasuke commanded as his team did what he asked. Karin, who was in the back, noticed the change in Sasuke. He wasn't this fast, he wasn't this tense and she has never seen these emotions in Sasuke before. He seems more... alive than his usual dead self.
"Onii-san?" Sakura inquired looking above Sasori as she was carried bridal style as they leaped from tree to tree in a fast and masked pace. "Why are you here? I thought you were on a mission?" Sakura said. Sasori didn't answer and Sakura knew he was mad. Mad because Sakura's existence was exposed. Mad because he wasn't able to prevent it.
"I'm sorry... Our cover's blown. I should have been more careful." She said looking down, remembering all those times Sasori worked so hard in keeping her away, there was even a time when Sasori had to expose himself to the enemy just to protect Sakura, and his mission went haywire.
"What happened, happened. We can't hide your existence anymore, they already know and soon, they will look for you non-stop." Sasori stated still looking ahead.
"A burden again..." Sakura thought as she clenched her fists. She's long over being the weak girl she once was, she feels sick just thinking about how weak she was and maybe is, and she HATES being weak.
Only then did Sasori notice what he just said. He knows Sakura so much that he could easily read her like an open book all his to read. "You're not a burden." He said. Sakura looked away. "Put me down, Onii-san." She said as she wriggled in Sasori's hold. "And do reckless things?" Sasori spat back, Sakura may have changed a lot, but there is something she usually does... Being stubborn for the people she loves.
"No, I'll explain everything to them! Sai surely didn't tell them proven by Naruto and Hinata's reaction." Sakura said. "Including that Uchiha boy?" Sasori was clearly mocking her know, he shows no signs of letting her down nor letting go. That seemed to hit a nerve in Sakura as she tensed and quiet down.
"Naruto and Hinata already saw me anyway, it's only right for them to know why I didn't come back. Knowing Naruto, he won't give up looking for me. You saw the way he can sense me easily on our first encounter." Sakura started explaining. "And besides, Naruto would understand. That might even stop their predictable search for me and-"
"You really think that would stop them, Sakura? I know you know how Naruto's strong will never waver and I'm sure in the back of your mind, you know they won't. You know better, so stop being stubborn." Sasori said. He knew Sakura was also panicking as she was saying dumb and much more stubborn things that are so not like her. She knows better and he knows that.
"What's wrong with me?" Sakura thought as she realized what she was saying. Panicking was an understatement. It was a good thing she was able to maintain her composure back when they untimely reunited in the field but now, her emotions seemed to reacted late as she was being like this. Sakura was pulled out of her thoughts when Sasori abruptly stopped.
Sasori wasn't expecting them to gain on him that fast. He was too caught in his thoughts. Sakura seemed to catch up with the situation as she wriggled until Sasori let her go. "Run, Sakura. Deidara will be waiting for you in the east bridge." Sasori calmly commanded. "What? I can't leave you here!" Sakura protested but then saw the look in his eyes. The determined look of keeping her away.
"No, I won't leave you, Onii-san!" Sakura shouted. Then suddenly they could barely see them in the distance, not stopping to fight, just throwing explosives and kunais at each other though knowing it's pointless. Though it was questionable why they didn't stop and just fight. It looked like they were going easy on each other.
Naruto summoned a dozen clones to fight off Team Hawk as his team advanced. Then he saw Sasori in the distance... alone.
Now they stood 15 feet away from each other. "You won't give us those two things we need easily, won't you?" Naruto said though knowing he won't get a response.
"You always come in time, don't you? Though that little reunion we all had was untimely." Sasori mocked with venom to all of them. He really loathed them for always ruining everything. He was finally with his Sakura and then they always come in time to ruin everything. He will never give Sakura or that precious scroll to them, not until he memorizes the seal, then they could eat it for all he cares.
Suddenly, Hinata felt rigid and then she tensed. It was already too late when she noticed what was happening. Chakra strings were all around her and then went loose, only to find the strings controlling her.
"Naruto, Sai, move!" She shouted but her teammates seemed to not get her point as for a moment they looked at her alarmed. She hit her with taijutsu all the way.
"Hinata?!" Naruto shouted as he blocked a roundhouse kick from his teammate. "He's controlling me." Hinata answered the unspoken question.
"You bastard!" Naruto shouted at Sasori, who looked unfazed. Sasuke analyzed the situation from a distance. He could sense Sakura far in the distance with someone else, another strong chakra, but he doesn't know who has the scroll. "Juugo, Karin. Stay here. Get the scroll if he has it. Suigetsu, come with me." Sasuke said as they teleported away from them.
"Deidara, let me go! I have to go back to Onii-san!" Sakura protested wriggling out of Deidara's grasp. "If I hadn't come, you would have undoubtedly stayed, making it harder for Sasori to fight." Deidara stated with seriousness which made Sakura uneasy. It was rare times like these that Deidara would be like this. Sakura was about to say something he knew all to well what so he beat her to it. "I know you're not weak as you loathed to call yourself anymore, Sakura. I'm just saying Sasori would be all to worried about you that he couldn't concentrate on his own fight. That woulnd't be good now, would it?" He paused, then looked at her.
"But tell me Sakura... When you see them fight and then get injured, whose side would you be on?" Deidara asked. Silence then enveloped them as Sakura's bangs covered her eyes in shadows.
That sent Sakura to the world of Realizations. Deidara was right. If she stayed there, she would only bother Sasori, especially with his over protective side constantly watching her. Sasori wouldn't be able to fight well 'cause he would be protecting her, something that he had drilled to his mind the moment Sakura first took in air; and when they fight, she wouldn't be able to choose which side she would be on. She refused to choose. She wouldn't even know which side to choose. It pained her. She still felt useless after everything.
Deidara abruptly stopped. "Damn." He cursed under his breath. "It's no point in masking your chakras ya' know. Come out now, brats." Deidara side looking ahead but the question was directed behind him. That's when Sakura sensed it.
"You sure are sharp." Suigetsu commented coming out of the thick trees. Deidara let Sakura on the ground as he shielded her with his body. "What is it with that girl? You keep protecting her. Tell me, is she some treasure for the Akatsuki?" Suigetsu mocked, beside him was Sasuke who, for a mili-second tensed but then it faded away easily.
Deidara grinned. "You want to see my treasure?" He said as he threw a clay in front of them which formed into tigers. "What? That's it? How boring. You know, I'm curios why that girl is wearing a white cloak instead of black. What, is she some pure or light in your damned dark world?" Suigetsu mocked again as he stared at Sakura, who kept her guard up while maintaining her composure.
For a moment, there was silence until Deidara's lips twisted into a smirk. "You bet she is." He answered and then the tiger attacked. Sasuke dodged it easily while Suigetsu held his gigantic blade. The clay was as tough as metal. Deidara hand seals and then three more tigers appeared. All the while, Sasuke just defended himself from them all. As if saving his strength for something else.
Deidara was so in to their fight with Suigetsu that he didn't notice Sasuke disappear and appear behind them with such speed.
He immediately pulled Sakura's arms and held it behind her as he took her away. Deidara's face clearly showed fear-stricken emotions. He was about to go catch up when Suigetsu pointed his blade at Deidara in front. Deidara mentally cursed for getting carried away.
"Sasuke! What are you doing?" Sakura thrashed around but then abruptly stopped after feeling the pain in her arms which was held behind her back. Sasuke teleported them far from the chaos. Sasuke formed a hand seal and then Sakura felt her chakra being repressed.
All the while, Sasuke held an impassive and stoic façade. Sakura couldn't believe she went down that easily. She was weak again and only a burden to her companions.
"What will you do know, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, still having her composure. She was leaning against a tree, leaning her back against the tree. Sasuke didn't answer her, just stared in the distance as if waiting for someone. He was bothered by the way Sakura didn't freak out or fawn over him, the latter; not that he wanted to. Sakura's drastic change just surprised him.
Even though Sasuke's face was stoic, he was thinking very deep. He was still adjusting to the fact that Sakura was well and alive. Not that he didn't want her to, he just couldn't believe it. How had she survived that? Other than that, what had happened to her? Why hadn't she returned back to Konoha? Naruto sure was surprised as he was when he saw her.
Sasuke waited for his team. If only he realized it earlier, they wouldn't have to split. Then he remembered the events earlier, how Sasori and Deidara protected Sakura. The way Sasori would look at Sakura. There was something in his eyes that shone bright like the sun. It's like she's so precious to them. Well, obviously she is.
"What... are you to them?" He finally asked. Sakura's lips then twisted into a small smile. Sasuke saw the way their protectiveness around her. She thought.
"...Family." She answered, but then realized Deidara and Sasori were still battling while her she was, chakra repressed but still physically okay, aside form her arm cut from her and Sasuke's battle earlier. She was about to formulate a plan when Sasuke said, "Your attempts in escaping will be in vain."
How could he so easily figure her out? "You don't know that." Sakura calmly said, looking at Sasuke. "You don't know me anymore." She continued and then sighed.
Sakura looked up at Sasuke and realized how much he's changed physically, mentally and emotionally, if there's still emotion in him besides hatred and his goal of avenging his clan. Training with Orochimaru did a lot to him. He did become stronger, but it's still wrong. He wasn't contented in what Konoha had, and in the end, he killed his own mentor. This is a completely different Sasuke from before.
"Sasuke..." She thought. Sasuke suddenly became alert. He began looking around and activated his sharingan. Sakura was oblivious to it all as she was too enveloped in her own thoughts.
She was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts as an arm pulled her by the arm and then before she knew it, they were leaping on to the tree branches at such speed. Sakura was flung over to Sasuke's shoulder. Then she heard Sasuke curse under his breath. Sasuke teleported them to a cliff, over looking the forest.
Sasuke eyed the forest hard. "They always come in time to ruin everything." He thought. Sakura could tell Sasuke was tense and more alert to his surroundings.
Suddenly, Sasori appeared behind them, a good distance away. Sasuke sensed him right away but didn't get how Sasori could easily appear without him sensing it first.
"Give me Sakura and you'll get the scroll." Sasori easily said. Sasuke analyzed him carefully, contemplating on whether to agree or not. Sasori couldn't possibly give the scroll like that. It could be a trap.
Sasori slightly smirked. "This isn't a trap, Uchiha. I memorized the seals, eat it for all I care. Now, give me Sakura." Sasori stated.
"What relationship do you have with her?" Sasuke asked. He already put Sakura down on her feet but kept a deathly grip on her arm which prevented her from moving.
Sasori just looked at Sasuke, unfazed. "What is it to you?" He asked. Sasuke pushed Sakura to Sasori as Sasori threw the scroll to Sasuke.
Sakura tumbled in Sasori's arms. She looked at Sasuke one more time and then stood properly.
Naruto hissed in pain and exhaustion as he lay on the ground. Sai lay on the ground, passed out as Hinata panted heavily and drained of chakra. Sasori put one heck of a fight in just 2 and a half hours and they easily got tired out. How could it be?
He put his arm on his eyes as a tear flowed. "Sakura... Sasuke..." He whispered their names in the wind.
He couldn't bring them back. He lost them again. How could it be? Sakura suddenly appears out of nowhere well and alive along with Sasuke who's as cold as ever, and once again, he failed in bringing them back.
Hinata, although drained out of chakra and exhausted, crawled towards Naruto. "N-Naruto... I-It's okay. You'll bring t-them back soon..." She said weakly. "Believe it..." She quoted Naruto's motto, which had an affect on him as a small smile crept to his face.
That's right. He's gonna bring them back for sure. It may not be now, but it will be soon. They will be reunited soon.
Sakura with Sasori leaped from branch to branch. They were in total silence since they got reunited. Sakura was in deep thought. When she first saw Sasuke, she tried to control her emotions. She had to stay calm no matter how much she missed him, no matter how much her arms are aching just to hug him and no matter how much tears were threatening to fall. When the three of them got reunited untimely, she tried to remain calm though it was breaking her. Naruto and Sasuke had looked so strong that if you were to stand next to them, you would feel like shrinking.
She couldn't let herself look so weak in front of him again. Never. She vowed to become stronger and yet, Sasuke took her down that easily.
Sakura was in deep thoughts when Sasori suddenly pulled her arm and brought her to him, wrapping his arms around Sakura's fragile body. Sasori noticed how Sakura was so lost in her thoughts as she was going faster into the trees.
At first, Sakura was stunned but then relaxed in Sasori's embrace. "It's okay..." Sasori whispered softly.
Sasuke leaped around the forest, cracking a few branches. He was feeling something unknown. What was it? When he saw Sakura, there was some sort of relief in him seeing her well and alive, and when the three of them were reunited, he felt warm inside his heart. When he saw how Sakura reacted to Sasori, there was this some sort of fury in him. He disposed of these feelings long ago. Why now?
Suddenly, he felt the presence of his team near him. He went to where Karin and Juugo's chakra signatures were and found them laying on the ground drained out of chakra.
"What happened?" He asked stoically. "I-Itachi..." Juugo murmured before he completely passed out and as he said the name, Sasuke went timid and when he regained his composure, he immediately searched for Itachi's chakra signature.
Karin tried to heal herself although almost drained out of chakra. "S-Sasuke..." She muttered, but then sensed a dark aura around him.
Sasuke left in a blink of an eye. "He's here!" His mind screamed. He went around the forest. His thoughts then remembered Sakura and then Sasori and that's when it hit him. Sasori was an Akatsuki and he was bound to meet Itachi. He needs to find them now, or else he won't find Itachi.
He doubled his speed until he finally sensed the chakra signature he was looking for. He just needs to get there.