Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! Only the parts that I'm adapting into the original story line.

Fated Encounter

CHAPTER 27

Sakura woke up disoriented and confused. Her body felt sluggish and even more asleep then her mind. But she felt content.

These were the signs of a goodnight sleep. It had been a while since the last time she felt this out of place. And to add to the funny and happy feeling inside her, she was still surrounded by Sasuke's familiar scent. It wasn't bad smell to woke up to.

Sakura sifted to lay on her stomach and groaned against the pillows. She didn't want to get up, but the loud groan coming from her stomach opposed every other thought in her head. Begrudgingly, Sakura sat up and fixed her raised up shirt. The room was completely black and she couldn't see anywhere. For a moment, her mind tried to divert back to the memories of being in Orochimaru's lab, but she quickly shook those thoughts away.

She was nowhere near those places and this had to be one of the safest hideouts there was so far. No one could come here without Nekobaa's knowledge.

Getting up from the bed was easy but finding the light switch was everything but. Sakura even hit her knee on a chair before finding that small tab on the wall.

After making sure she was at least decent looking Sakura left the rather cozy room. Now that the hallways were lit up everywhere Sakura made her way much more safely towards the kitchen.

"Ah! The sleeping beauty awakens!" Suigetsu laughed from the table across the room as Sakura walked inside the living area.

Tamaki was placing various dishes on the wooden table in front of the white-haired man, who rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Sakura decided to ignore him for now because his attention wasn't even on her anymore.

Karin was sitting next to Suigetsu silently waiting for the rest of the food to be served. Sakura felt like shrugging her shoulders or bursting her eyes out, because it seemed too alien to watch those two sitting so close to each other without bickering at all.

"Where's Sasuke?" Jūgo asked from behind Sakura as he stepped inside the room.

"He left to train couple of hours ago." Sakura barely even woke up to him moving from under her. It was a small movement that just barely made her consciousness wake up and mumble something that she can't remember to him. The only thing she remembers from those few seconds was being wrapped tightly under a blanket and Sasuke's voice whispering to her ear about going to train.

After that it was lights out for her again.

Jūgo grunted in thanks and headed for the now finished table.

"Aren't you going to sit down?" A raspy older voice surprised Sakura and she almost jumped into the air as she noticed Nekobaa standing next to her. The older woman scrutinizing her from top to bottom with her lips pursed in thought.

"Don't you speak anymore? I remember you being much more talkative few years back."

"No, you just caught me by surprise." Sakura shook her head with a laugh. The woman had not changed one bit. The painted nose and a big hair that surrounded her head like a halo felt weirdly familiar.

"Well, then aren't you going to take a seat. You need some more fat on those bones. You look like a skeleton and not in a nice way." Nekobaa commented and slowly headed for the table. She was limping partially and Sakura couldn't even feel annoyed by her comments. Older people were like that; they said what was on their minds. And Nekobaa wasn't an exception.

Silently Sakura walked towards the empty seat opposite of Karin and sat down.

It was a quiet breakfast with only Suigetsu and Tamaki doing the talking. Sasuke was a no show throughout the whole event.

As everyone had left the room except Tamaki, Nekobaa and Sakura, Sasuke finally emerged from the hallway.

"Be ready to leave in thirty minutes." He grumbled and grabbed a tomato from the table. Sakura nodded and took her plate from the table just as Sasuke made his way out of the kitchen.

"Man, those Uchiha are so stuck up." Tamaki pouted and started cleaning the table as well. "I don't understand why you can stand them so well grandma."

"I've been raised among them almost literally, you get used to it in time."

"Are really everyone like that?" Tamaki pointed her question to Sakura who stopped in the middle of washing her plate.

"Umm, I don't know."

"You don't? But you've known Sasuke for so long."

"I've only seen his brother when we were in academy a few times, but I've never talked to him. That's the only thing I know about the Uchihas. Sasuke is the only one I've been close to." Sakura explained and wiped her hands dry.

"Oh, I would have thought you knew his family."

Sakura merely shook her head.

"Tamaki," Nekobaa said sternly, "the clan was destroyed a long time ago. Not everyone had the pleasure to get acquaintances with the them. And young Sakura here was merely a child when the massacre happened."

Tamaki pouted and bit her lower lip, "Sorry." she apologized.

"It's okay." Sakura smiled reassuringly. "But if you ask me, I think all Uchihas are emotionally constipated." She added with a laugh and earning an almost grin from Nekobaa.

Tamaki had a hard time not laughing at Sakura's comment.

"Well, then." Suigetsu sighed. "I'll be going then."

"Quite a task we have." Jūgo said as he stopped walking. "Finding Uchiha Itachi isn't going to be the easiest task."

Suigetsu shrugged and with a grin jumped into the tree line, "I'll bet I'll find him first!"

"This isn't a competition!" Karin yelled after him with a red face.

Jūgo shook his head and disappeared into the tree line.

Sakura was rather impressed with the red-head since this was the first time she exploded at Suigetsu during the whole day. Mostly she sulked at the side doing nothing but brooding in silence, which was what Sasuke was known for.

The conclusion that Sakura came to was that something had happened between Suigetsu and Karin. They weren't acting like themselves at all. To an extent, Suigetsu seemed normal with his witty comments and funny jokes, but so far, he hasn't done anything to irk Karin. It seemed that all his comments were lower in annoyance than normal or than Karin was completely ignoring them.

What had happened?

"I'll take my leave then, too." Karin mumbled ignoring Sakura's probing stare. Without another word, she went into the third direction leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone in the woods.

"Did something happen between those two?" Sakura blurted out as she stared at the empty spot in front of her. From her peripheral vision Sakura saw Sasuke shrugging his shoulders.

"You sure? Karin's really acting weird." She muttered.

"No." Sasuke said this time and continued walking down the small path.

Before leaving Nekobaa's they had decided that Sakura tagged along with Sasuke. No one trusted her enough to manage without supervision and it was quickly decided that she went along with Sasuke. Suigetsu had commented how pale she still looked even after eating and having a proper night of sleep.

Sakura didn't argue with anyone and silently walked after Sasuke. It was better to believe them for once because now wasn't the time to play damsel-in-distress. If her body decided to give up on her suddenly when confronting Uchiha Itachi or any of his accomplices it might not end well for her.

"Sakura." Sasuke's voice cut through her thinking.

"What?"

"Stop spacing out. You need to focus."

"Oh, yeah! Sorry." Sakura apologized and slapped herself on the cheek softly.

"You need to tell me if you're not ready to move yet. We can find you a place to stay and I'll come to get you once we are done."

"No! I'm totally fine!" Sakura pressed. "There's no need for rest. I want to do something rather than sit around doing nothing."

"Aren't you a medic?" Sasuke suddenly fired back with a small raise of his brow.

Sakura's blabbering mouth shut and she squinted at him, "I don't like the tone of your voice."

"Then shouldn't you know when you're able to travel?" He questioned again.

"I'm very capable to decide that on my own, thank you." She huffed and moved ahead of him.

"Sakura, I'm being serious."

"So am I." Sakura stopped and turned to Sasuke, "I'm not a weak girl, Sasuke. I can take care of myself if it comes to it."

"Just don't overdo it." And with a small shake of his head Sasuke dropped the subject. It wasn't going to work to talk her out of this.

Sasuke and Sakura continued to walk in silence through the woods. Suigetsu was supposed to check one of the two villages around the area with Karin, and Jūgo scouted the other side of the forest. It was an area between the countries and the forest was humongous area. According the Nekobaa there's been rather unusual activity around the place from what she has heard from her cats.

And since Akatsuki was being rather active the past few weeks, the only option to find Itachi was to start at the place which seemed the most obvious. And since Akatsuki traveled across the nations, Uchiha Itachi could be anywhere.

They were closing in on the edge of the forest before the area belonged to the Fire country when Sakura got an odd feeling of being watched. She turned her head to Sasuke and smiled at him.

He tilted his head in small manner of humor with a stern look in his eyes. That way Sakura knew he felt the same way. Otherwise he wouldn't have reacted. Silently they continued to walk towards the clearing in front. It was better to be out in the open if anyone decided to attack them.

Thanks for reading this chapter! I know it's been three months since my last update but as you know I too have a life that comes in the way. My clinical practices took a tool on me both mentally and physically. And because of the mental side of everything, I haven't had any inspiration to write. But from now on for the next (maybe) two months it will be my goal to update once a week.

That means this story will be posted every other week and my other story every other week. :D Back to the old schedule it is.

Thanks for reviewers:

cinnamon0325

KahnaNe

severito

Lady Rini

IheartSasuSakuIta

Emily da great

dreamsandfaiths

Uchiha Misaki

graynita

ILoveSxS

Peppei

and three guests.

I really love reading your reviews and comments. Also it warms my heart to see that people favorite or follow my stories even after all these (three) months. So huge THANK YOU to all of you lovely people. It also pains my heart to see those, because it reminds me that I'm not actively doing anything for these stories. But let's hope that is about to chance!

- Jakura