"Even if everyone in the whole world dies, I won't care, as long as my beloved survives." - Shinra, Durarara!

"Then I broke the frienship and we became rivals in love," Sakura paused for a moment, her lips tugging up into a wry smile, "Nothing really interesting happens before I graduate though, still want to know every single detail of my time in Konoha?"

Sasori, who seemed as stoic as ever, nodded his head, "Skip to your graduation, I'm tired of hearing of Sasuke."

Sakura couldn't help but giggle, "Then you're going to hate the next part. I was assigned to Team Seven with Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki as my teammates under the guiding of Kakashi Hatake."

"I know that much."

"Well, of course you do, considering your allies are after Naruto," Sakura was careful to keep her tone as neutral as she could.

"What was Hatake like?"

Sakura frowned, recalling that Kakashi's father had killed Sasori's parents. If she had known that from the start, she wouldn't have been as fond of Kakashi as she was. Although Sasori would never admit it, Sakura knew that Sasori still missed his parents.

"He's always late and he's a pervert. But, he's been through a lot."

"Did he teach you anything?"

"Team work and Tree Climbing."

Sakura didn't blink as Sasori looked at her, "...your skills are all thanks to Tsunade then."

"Yep," Sakura wasn't even ashamed to admit it.

Kakashi wasn't a good teacher by any means. Whether or not he tried was still debatable. He continued on a C-rank turned A-rank mission with a team filled with amateurs and signed said amateurs into something as dangerous as the Chunin Exams. Sakura wasn't sure she'd even be alive if she wasn't lucky enough to have Naruto and Sasuke in her team.

Of course, everything could be blamed on the situation rather than Kakashi too, if looked from another point of view. But Sakura wasn't going to give Kakashi a break, not now that she knew that Kakashi's father was the one who killed Sasori's parents.

Sasori kept looking at her though.

It was times like these that Sakura wished she could tell what the man was thinking.

"So this is your true form, Sasori," a new voice said, earning the duo's attention.

Sakura bit back any visible reaction at the new guy's appearance. The new guy was basically half black and half white, with eerie gold colored eyes and green hair. He was also wearing the Akatsuki cloak.

Next to him, stood another person who wasn't wearing the Akatsuki cloak, but...

'An orange mask?' Sakura couldn't help but wonder, finding it kind of silly.

But she didn't drop her guard.

As silly as the masked man seemed, Sakura knew that he could be dangerous. Otherwise he wouldn't be hanging around the Akatsuki, now would he?

"Zetsu," Sasori nodded to the Akatsuki, completely ignoring the masked man.

"Ne, ne, who is this pretty lady?" the masked man childishly asked.

"Yes, I'm curious too," Zetsu affirmed.

Sakura tensed as they all looked at her.

"She's my associate," Sasori smoothly said, leaving no room for further inquires about her, "Where's Deidara?"

Sakura secretly hoped Kakashi and Naruto had managed to off this Deidara person. If only because she'd be able to easily replace him as Sasori's partner, and also because he seemed crazy.

But considering she was crazy enough to give up everything for Sasori, she didn't have much room to talk, did she?

She watched as the masked man and Zetsu exchange a look.

Maybe she was lucky. Maybe Deidara really was offed.

"Is this his arm?" Sakura had to fight to keep the cheerfulness out of her voice as Tobi picked up Deidara's arm.

Maybe her luck's turned around.

"Get your hands off that, you fool."

Sakura, Tobi, Zetsu and Sasori turned to look at Deidara, who was leaning heavily against a tree and scowling at Tobi.

Sakura's shoulders slightly slumped.

As it turned out, she wasn't lucky.

Which wasn't surprising considering her life. Being abandoned in Suna as an orphan, being placed in a team with the last Uchiha and the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, almost dying two times while on that cursed team. Really, her list of examples of her lack of luck could go on and on, and perhaps maybe that's why she and Tsunade got along.

Because of their shitty luck.

"So, you're still alive, brat," Sasori drawled.

"Eh? Danna? Is that your real body, un?" Deidara's eyes comically bulged out, "You look the same age as me!"

"Where's the jinchuriki?" Sasori asked, ignoring Deidara's question.

Deidara then sighed, the tiredness seeming to overtake him again, "Don't look at me. I did my job."

"Dear, you must have had a close shave, huh Deidara? But you're in one piece," Tobi paused for a second, "Oops. Sorry."

Sakura stifled an amused giggle. Okay, maybe Tobi wasn't as bad as she thought. Or maybe he was just affable, despite being arguably evil.

"Tobi, even the Buddha loses patience when insulted a third time. One more word and there won't be a doubt about the cause of your death."

"You're just gonna bomb me to death, right?"

Zetsu turned to look at Tobi, "That was the third time."

Sakura was mildly impressed as Deidara managed to suffocate Tobi using only his feet.

"...is your organization always this lively?" Sakura looked at Sasori.

He was already looking at her.

As usual, she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Hidan's worse, I assure you."

"Can't wait to meet him then," Sakura sarcastically said.

"Who the heck are you, un?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at Deidara, who was suddenly in her face. He was giving her an assessing look, filled with weariness. Didn't he recognize her? Was he that focused on Naruto that he didn't even bother to acknowledge her?

"What, cat got your tongue?" Deidara taunted with a smirk.

"Don't bully pretty lady~!" Tobi childishly scolded.

Sakura glanced at Sasori, before looking back at Deidara.

"I'm Sakura, Sasori's," she answered in a drawl, similar to Sasori's own.

Deidara raised an eyebrow himself, "Danna's what?"

"Just Sasori's," Sakura shrugged, "Kind of like a puppet."

"More like a doll," Sasori finally spoke up, "A doll you shouldn't reckon with, brat."

Deidara thoughtfully hummed, taking a step back and glancing between the duo curiously. His eyes skimmed over Sakura's headband, connecting the dots. "She was part of the Jinchuriki's team, yeah? What's she doing here then?"

"I was a spy for Sasori," Sakura answered in a clipped manner, "Anything else?"

"So, you're not going to kill her Sasori-danna?"

Sakura's eye twitched as Deidara dismissed her. She should punch him straight to Iwa!

"Deidara, pretty lady's the Hokage's apprentice! She's important!" Tobi spoke up.

"For once, Tobi's being smarter than you," Sasori smirked.

Tobi cheered, wailing something about Sasori siding with him for the first time.

Deidara cocked an eyebrow at Sakura, interest once again piqued, "Hmmm, is that so?"

"Brat."

Both Sakura and Deidara looked at Sasori.

But Sasori was looking at Sakura, "Fix Deidara up. I've got somewhere else to be and-"

"-you don't like being kept waiting or making others wait," Sakura finished Sasori's sentence with a smile.

She ignored Deidara's surprised look as she plucked the missing Iwa-nin's arm out of Tobi's hands.

Re-attaching Deidara's limbs was going to be a pain.

Sakura walked side-by-side with Sasori, her eyes watching Deidara in amusement.

The Iwa-nin was still marveling over his arms being as good as new.

"No wonder Danna hasn't killed you, you're useful, yeah!" Deidara cheerfully exclaimed, looking back at Sakura with a grin, "Tell you what, as a thank you, I'll turn you into my art!"

"Your art?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Art is a bang!"

Sakura winced as Deidara blew up some of his clay. As fascinated as she was, she wasn't sure she'd want to end up blown to pieces in the name of 'art,' well if it could even be called art.

"Insolent as always Deidara," Sasori spoke up, "Art isn't fleeting," he glanced at Sakura, "Art is eternal."

Sakura shivered.

As usual, she couldn't tell what Sasori was thinking. But she was sure that he could probably read her like a book. And it frustrated her. It made her feel vulnerable around him, even when she knew it was a bad idea to feel vulnerable around someone like Sasori.

Chapter End.

Author's note: short chapter, I know, I know. It's just, it's hard to write this pairing without making the two characters too OOC, ya know? But I'll try to make the next update longer!