Oooh, Chapter one! This is obviously taking things up from where they started in the very beginning, so I hope you enjoy it without it's future ItaSaku amazingness. I'm pretty happy with the reviews I got, I'm glad I grabbed the attention of a few of you. I was slightly worried that my simple and tiny prologue would discourage people! Well, if you come back for some more, then I will feel very accomplished! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, life does take it's priority over a chapter. Anyway, enjoy this latest update and don't forget to review!

CHAPTER ONE OF: Finish What You've Started.

TITLE: Questions

DISCLAIMER: Lindsey does not own Naruto. If she did then she wouldn't be writing fan fictions. (her fantasies would be true!! XD)

MAIN PAIRING: Itachi x Sakura

MINOR PAIRINGS: It is mentioned that Sakura and Sasuke are a couple.

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"Sasuke, it's hot as hell out here. Why are we running so quickly through the desert with limited water provisions?"

Sakura was worried for their well being; more so for her boys than for herself as usual. A selfless person she had grown to be. Her job, and her patients depended on it. Her boys were, from time to time, her patients and her job was done with them more often than not. So she couldn't help the feeling that twisted her nerves to produce an uneasy feeling. It was too hot to be pushing themselves when they only carried enough water to supply them as if they were traveling in lighter conditions.

"…" So he couldn't even bother to give her a response? The pink-haired girl glared at him, and felt her blood heat a little with anger.

"Don't ignore me, asshole. We need to slow down, we've still got to make it through today out here and-"

"Shut up, Sakura. We'll be just fine.""Yeah, ugly."

Were they all just trying to piss her off today? If so, it was working. And the heat wasn't working out in her favor either. Though they did live in a rather warm country, the Konohagakure ninja were not accustomed to the heat that they were currently enduring as they ran along the northern border of the Land of Wind.

"Uchiha, are you sure?""Yeah. Maybe we should stop at the next sight of a village, y'know?" Naruto had finally chimed in (surprisingly, he'd been quiet for some time. Had Sakura not been worrying over their water situation, she would've been worrying over the fact that Naruto had actually been quiet for once.), and Sai looked over his shoulder with the blank look that could not even compare to the shocking, handsome, and oh-so masculine features of the man running in front. A cheap copy. That's how she'd always thought of Sai. Naruto felt the same, and Sakura could tell. Neither of them really got along too well with the artistic, and former root member. But much to their dismay they both would admit without a doubt that he brought much more than insults to the team. He had learned to be just as strong as the other members. They'd all grown to be strong ninja, and had grown up. They weren't twelve anymore; they didn't run around as genin like they once had.

Naruto had hardly changed. Aside from his newly found height(Sakura recently took his measurements at the hospital and had found that he was an astounding 6'4") he looked exactly the same. Tanned skin, big bright smile and ultramarine eyes. His muscles were lean. Despite all of the ramen and other foods he consumed he managed to stay thin, much to many ninja's wonder. How he did it was beyond many of them. His orange jumpsuit had been discarded long ago, though orange was still incorporated into his outfit when he wasn't wearing standard ANBU uniform. His attitude was still just as bright as his smile, and he was as loud as ever. Forming the rear end of the diamond-formation they traveled in, he seemed to be the conversation starter, as well as the one who stood up for Sakura the most. They'd grown close in the years of Sasuke's absence. How could they not? Even when Sakura followed the youngest Uchiha around like a little puppy when they were kids Naruto had always been there for her everything. He'd even claimed that he was in love with her once or twice when they were fifteen. Now that was all behind them though. Neither of them could say the loved the other more than a sibling.

Sai was difficult to compare to his past self. Sakura hadn't known him for as long as she'd known Naruto and Sasuke, so she couldn't claim that there was a difference in his physical appearance compared to her previous image of him. He'd always been on the shorter side for a guy, maybe around 5'8" if one would have to take a guess. Dark eyes matched dark hair, and both were dull and lacking luster. His skin was pale, though from their recent travels it had taken on some color. His face had almost feminine features to it, but he was certainly all man. They'd all found that one out after Naruto and Sai got into it as the word "dickless" was tossed around. The scene had scarred Sakura a little, and embarrassed the hell out of her at that. Luckily, Sakura got the chance to smack Naruto out of any thoughts of showing the world his favorite appendage after said scarring event. Regardless, most of his expressions were not even real. Faux emotions that drove his team mates up the wall sometime. Still, he was attractive in his own light as Ino had discovered. How she could put up with that, Sakura could not fathom. But even Sakura would admit that his real smile was heartwarming. Maybe it was because he looked similar to Sasuke. The shortest male of the team took the left position of the diamond.

To the front, of course, was Sasuke. The ever stoic and brooding boy who would never relinquish the hate for his brother. His features were similar to, but distinctively different than Sai's. Some had come to the conclusion that many of his features were an Uchiha thing; for Sasuke looked very much like Itachi. As the youngest remaining Uchiha, he seemed to always be setting goals for himself to achieve. But his most distinguished trait was his quick thinking and his quiet personality. His smile was rare but genuine as Naruto had come to discover first, and his eyes were like liquid obsidian or red hot lava. If his sharingan was activated, then he seemed much more intimidating that he already was to begin with. The second tallest man of the group, with a height of 6'2", he was much more broad with more obvious muscles chiseled into his body underneath the expanse of his soft and porcelain colored skin. No wonder Sakura still fought so hard to keep him by her side. Even after he'd proclaimed that he was all hers it didn't stop the fan girl mob that chased them everywhere. Honestly, his godly good looks got on her nerves sometimes.

And finally the right corner of the diamond was occupied by the shortest ninja on team Kakashi. Even after she'd grown plenty she could barely break 5'5". Her once scrawny, flat figure had come to be that of an average woman's. She was no Tsunade, but she certainly had breasts to fill bindings with now. Her hair was long again; Sasuke liked it better that way. And since her heart still kept hold of its feelings for him the thought against growing out her hair had never once bothered her decision to grow it out. She'd become strong since her genin days, taijutsu and genjutsu were taught to her, but even more importantly she was taught medical jutsu. Though she did not have a kekkei genkai or a demon to help her fight, Sakura had still become a formidable opponent. She could hold her own, and her team had come to respect and acknowledge that. She no longer felt weak in the eyes of her….significant other(Sasuke was not fond of the word boyfriend). She no longer needed to be protected by her best friend. She no longer got to stand around and watch the boys train; her former sensei trained her vigorously like the rest of the team. Sakura honestly loved what she had become.

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A whole night had passed by, and even though they'd rested during the cooler period the sun was really taking its toll. Sai was the first to show signs of heat exhaustion, and Sakura forced Sasuke to stop. First, it was physical. She ran out in front of him, and placed her hands on his chest. He looked down at her with a mixed gaze of surprise, frustration, and even a slight twinge of exhaustion. Sasuke was tired too, they all were. So why would he push himself so much? He was being ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous, and it was starting to piss Sakura off. Her green eyes gazed up into his dark orbs in the middle of the desert. He was going to stop, before any of them, particularly Sai in this occasion, got too ill from the sweltering heat.

"You think this is okay?" She hissed at him. His only reaction, was his dark eyebrows pulling together. Of course. Had she really been expecting much of a response from him? Sakura was already surprised enough that he'd actually stayed put. "You think that running all four of us to heat exhaustion with what little water we had to begin with is okay? Just because you want to get the chance to fight your brother? Sasuke, you're being a fucking idiot."

At that, he did respond. "You don't know what it's like to-"

"I know I don't fucking know what it's like to want revenge, Sasuke. But you know what I do know? That running after somebody like a fool will only hurt you."

A low blow. He immediately knew that she was referring to the years that they'd wasted chasing after him. Eyes blazed with anger, and Sakura swore she saw a twinge of red swirl around in his eyes. Was he really planning on using his formidable kekkei genkai on her?

No. Because there was somebody coming. Somebody with an oddly similar chakra signature to the man standing only mere inches in front of her. And unfortunately, the person approaching at a very impressive speed was not alone. It didn't take Sakura, or any of them really, to conclude that it was indeed the targets they'd been sent to investigate. Though, according to multiple sources these two oncoming ninja weren't supposed to be found for two more days due east of their current point, in a remote village.

Damn. What the hell is this? Sakura's eyebrows pulled together in slight confusion and calculation, just before she responded harshly to the younger brother of the approaching ninja. "You better hope none of us die of heat exhaustion before this battle ends. Or even after, for that matter. Because it will be all. Your. Fault." Unfortunately for her, Sasuke was gone with the blink of an eye. She spun around, trying to find out just where he'd gone. His voice, and his body were now coming from ten feet in front of her as he barked orders at the other two boys of the group.

"Naruto, be careful! Don't stray to far from anybody else, especially if my brother tries to lead you off. Sai, you and Naruto take Kisame. Sakura-" He didn't even finish her order, but she imagined he'd tell her to stand back, and keep safe. He knew she was strong, but Sakura concluded that he'd always want her to stay as safe as possible. Her wonder as to why he didn't finish his sentence though, was answered by two cloaked Akatsuki members. Ah, so they've arrived. Sakura took two steps back, cautious ones at that, before taking up a defensive pose. Gloves were snatched out of her pocket, and yanked roughly and quickly onto her hands before Sakura flexed her fingers. She'd always loved the feeling of the smooth leather of the special combat gloves.

Fucking retard. Sasuke, none of us are even remotely up for a fight with each other let alone fight two Akatsuki members. Sakura shook off the fear of not being strong enough to defend themselves as quickly as it came though, and listened intently to the now speaking boys surrounding her.

"Itachi." Sasuke said the older Uchiha's name as he approached with a venomous tone. Itachi was now walking with a man who went by Kisame along side of him. The brother didn't even give so much as a response, but Kisame obviously looked as if he was itching for a fight. His hand gripped his astounding(and slightly frightening) sword. This put all of them on the edge, more so than they had been before when they took up their positions and readied themselves for an attack with the few seconds they'd had before the two men had arrived.

"Hand over the boy, heh? We'll even spare your sad little jounin lives if you do." Kisame's gruff tenor voice made Sakura frown slightly. It was gravely. It made her think that he should be talking underwater, instead of here where they stood in the desert. Hell, his looks told her first-hand that he shouldn't even feel comfortable in the dry heat of their location.

"Forget it! I'm not going anywhere! So you can just take your Akatsuki shit and run along." Naruto retorted loudly. Sakura swore she heard Sai whisper a 'shut up' to him, but she was more focused on the two strangers, her eyes purposely kept on the chest of Itachi Uchiha rather than his face. Their mission, was technically complete now. So Sakura mused that they needed to let these two men go their own way as soon as possible. Team Kakashi, your mission is to confirm Akatsuki presence in the Northeastern area of Wind. You have two weeks from tomorrow. Kakashi will not be joining you because of another mission. Sasuke will lead you through this one. Sakura remembered the instructions Tsunade had given them word for word. They weren't supposed to fight them, they weren't supposed to make any deals. Just confirm that they were around and be on their way back home. But obviously, Sasuke had other plans. Now we're going to have to cover for your sorry ass Sasuke, when we all come back fucked up because you picked a fight with your stupid brother. God you piss me off. If I break a bone you're not getting anything from me. It'll be like you're wearing a damn chastity belt! Sakura, I'm the one who is supposed to plot demented things for you when you're mad. Shut up and pay attention! Her thoughts had consumed her. She mentally reprimanded herself, and focused again only to find a battle had already started between the men around her. In the, at most, five seconds she'd spaced (which was odd, because she usually didn't do that) they'd all drawn weapons and started their attacks. Sakura blamed her loss of focus on the heat and then shook it off.

She felt a kunai whiz by her left arm. Her green eyes darted around, seeing that Itachi had thrown it at Sasuke who'd been directly seven yards to her right for a fraction of a second to push off the ground again and leap to a new location near his brother. Of course, they'd be fighting each other. Sakura assumed that they both probably scouted each other out when they were near, just to start a fight. Sai and Naruto were taking Kisame from all sides along with the help of Naruto's shadow clones and Sai's ink creatures though Kisame was doing a good job of dealing with them. Time to help, I guess. You guessed right, space cadet. The heat is no excuse for being an airhead today! Sometimes, her inner self really pissed her off.

Jump to the left. Run forward. Chakra in the legs for a boost of speed and……

Bam, rumble, crack!

She'd thrown herself into the midst of the fight between Sai and Naruto against Kisame. With three against one, their odds were even better. Plus she knew that Sasuke would probably personally show her to her grave if she even thought of interfering with his newly started battle with Itachi. She didn't blame him, either. Sasuke had always wanted Itachi dead. Ever since the day his family was killed. That was his battle, and nobody else's.

Sakura had thrown a punch, not at Kisame but at the ground only two inches to the left of his feet. Then she was gone again, pushing off the ground with her chakra-enhanced feet. The earth cracked into multiple pieces in an eight-foot radius around the place she'd punched. Unfortunately, Kisame had escaped her trap but it had thrown him off enough for Naruto to get in a good hit with a kunai. Sakura threw her fist up in the air, and cheered.

"Good shot, Naruto!"

"Thanks, Sakura-chan but this isn't over yet!" Naruto had responded. Sai was too busy now blocking an attack from Kisame to say anything. But Kisame was able to voice his opinion on his fresh injury.

"Ow. Where the fuck did you get a cheap trick like that pinky? You're lucky I don't cut off your pretty pink head and feed it to my amazing Samehade, bitch." As soon as he'd been successfully deflected by Sai, he came head on for Sakura. She infused chakra into her fists, along with what was already infused in her feet and prepared for the attack. Kisame swung his sword with great speed. For such a large thing, Sakura thought it wouldn't be able to slice through the air (or anything, for that matter) so fast. But she had dodged it, dropping to a squatting position until it passed over her head. Then she launched herself upward, fist connecting with a blue jaw as she thrust it through the air. A seething Akatsuki member stumbled backwards as Naruto cheered for her, just as she'd done for him. But Sakura did not stop to congratulate herself because as fast as he'd backed off Kisame was on her again. His attacks were now faster, more aggressive. "You. Damn. Leaf. Kunoichi. Who. The. Fuck. Do. You. Think. You. Are. Punching. Me?" His words were separated distinctly with each attack, and Sakura found it increasingly difficult to block. Even with the time she was spared whenever shadow clones, ink beasts, Sai, or Naruto had to be deflected by the blue man.

But what was more startling than when Samehade had ripped through her shoulder, was the arm that had wrapped around her waist, and the extraordinarily unfamiliar chest she was yanked into.

"The target. That's who she is." Target, what? Where they on a mission to? For her? That didn't make any sense. Why would they want…Sakura? A kunoichi with no bloodlines, no extravagant clan, and no riches? The pieces didn't click for her. But what did click in her mind was that Itachi Uchiha was spinning her around, and trying to force her to look him straight in the face- and rather roughly at that. It was hard to register much of anything now. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins, her shoulder was sending shockwaves of pain to her brain, and somehow she'd become the "target" in seconds. Where was Sasuke? Why wasn't he trying to kill Itachi? Her eyes darted around as Itachi's long fingers gripped her chin. Naruto, who seemed to have minor injuries was to the left, rushing toward them. He looked angry, and he was obviously yelling. But Sakura couldn't make out what he was saying. She couldn't hear anything. Her mind was screaming way too loud to hear much. Sai was right behind Naruto. He too seemed to have minimal damage. Where was Sasuke? Her eyes widened and she began to grow frantic. Not because she was being held forcefully like she should have been, but because she couldn't see Sasuke. Because he wasn't yanking her free from this odd grip. Sasuke was strong, why wasn't he here fighting off the S-class criminals?

She fought to keep her gaze off of Itachi's face. She knew the consequence for that, and she'd seen its affects in both Sasuke and Kakashi. She'd also been trapped under a mild genjutsu cast by him once before as well. Her eyes darted around, looking for the younger Uchiha; when she found him her inner self declared it as her "freak out" point. Sakura, stop freaking out! Calm down! How could she calm down? Sasuke was laying on the hot sand, and his injuries certainly did not show minimal damage. They screamed pain and major damage.

"Sa-Sasuke!" Her hands gripped Itachi's chest, using it as a leverage to push herself away from him. She fought hysterically to get out of his grasp and to Sasuke. And somehow she did weasel out of his hold. Her feet carried her to Sasuke swiftly. Even as Naruto and Sai called out to her, even as they attacked the two Akatsuki members in attempts to keep them from going after her again. "Sasuke!" She repeated, skidding on her knees to a stop beside him. He had fallen face down, so Sakura rolled him over. Even as her bare legs burned from the grainy and hot sand she tried to get that boy's attention.

"Hey! Hey. Are you awake? Get up! Sasuke, you have to get up! Itachi is still here! C'mon. Sasuke? Uchiha!" She even went as far to use his last name, which she reserved for when she was particularly angry with him. Her hands fled to his chest, as did her ear. But before she could confirm a heartbeat or anything she was yanked away from him. The arms of Kisame this time had snagged her, and she was thrown over his shoulder. "No! Sasuke! Wake. Up!"

It wasn't Mangekyo Sharingan that put her into an unwanted state of slumber. It was her head violently crashing into Kisame's sword as he threw her over his shoulder. From that point, she would not here Naruto trying to call to her, or Sai for that matter. She did not see if Sasuke was indeed alive or dead, she did not listen to her inner self's demand to fight to get away from Kisame. For she was out cold, from the hard blow to her head.

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The sleep that had come over her had not been peaceful, or resting or anything. It was nightmarish and terrifying. Her dreams that had consumed her after being knocked out by Kisame had been filled with Sasuke's death, or severe injuries that had given him permanent and degrading inmpairments.

When she woke up, Sakura was covered in a cold sweat. She thrashed about to sit up, eyes snapping open. Her chest rose and fell violently. She felt like she had been cut off from an air supply. Her heart was pounding beneath her rib cage and her hand fled to cover the patch of skin there, as if her had was going to keep her heart in her chest.

It was dark, dimly lit by the light coming from under multiple doors. The room was humid and hot, and she'd been set against a wall on a bed roll. Her disorientation was enough to keep her frightened state around, though her sensible state of mind fought to clear the clouded mask of anxiety. Soon Sakura was analyzing the room. It's temperature, size, and contents were soon determined. Especially since her eyes soon adjusted to the room with very little lighting. It was clear that she'd been placed in a bare room. It was completely empty, aside from the bed roll she laid on and herself. There was no furniture, no decorations on the walls. There was a total of three doors, each of them had light flooding in. There were no windows, which Sakura didn't like at all. Her hand ran along the wall she'd been rested again, before she knocked. The sound it made was that of knocking on stone. Was it a wall to outside? She didn't want to make any assumptions. She then stood up, quietly stalking to each door in attempts to open them very carefully and as quietly as possible. Two of them were locked, but she could feel that there were indescribably strong chakra identities behind each door, one of them had multiple smaller chakra presences. The third door, however was able to be opened. But as soon as she tried to open the door, it squeaked. Not quietly either. On top of that, Sakura had felt the strongest chakra presence to be in the room just behind the door she'd just opened. Making a spontaneous decision, Sakura quickly closed it again and moved back to her bed roll to sit down.

Her move hadn't gone unnoticed. The door squeaked open and closed again only a few seconds later, causing Sakura to flinch. There was now somebody in the dark room with her. The person walked silently into the middle of the room. Who was that? She squinted, trying to get her eyes to perceive more detail. A cloak. That's what she could tell for sure. That's when she remembered Kisame and Itachi calling her the "target". Was she now within Akatsuki quarters?

"Who are you? What am I doing here? How the fuck did I even get here?"

There were no answers to her questions, because the man (or so she assumed it was a man) was suddenly within very close range. He was squatting in front of a now shocked Sakura. "Answer me! How did I get here, god damn it? Fuck. Who are you?" She stammered out again. Only one of her questions was answered as the familiar sight of red eyes and spinning black tomoe could be spotted just inches in front of her face. It was like those damn eyes glowed in the dark they were so bright.

"Cursing is so unbecoming of a woman. Stop." She didn't get any of her questions answered, aside from who was in her company. And as the Sharingan wielder lulled her into sleep with the three spinning black tomoe, Sakura desperately wondered what was going on.

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So that's got to be the longest chapter I've ever written. It basically made me very happy, and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. But I figured that I should probably wrap up the chapter before I finished the story. Just kidding! It's got a long ways to go yet. I obviously didn't update as soon as I would have liked -sadface- but hey, here it is finally! I will try to update sooner next time! Peace out holmessss.

-Lindsey.