Well, another chapter written after so long. I'm finding it rather hard to keep my creativity for this story. I think That I will force myself to wing it back onto the story line itself to set it as a type of guidance for me.

And of course I thank those who decided to be patient for this arriving chapter and for reviewing for the last. I been through a lot over the past few months. Having hardly no time to write, being busy with family matters and moving to a different country. Rather difficult indeed. But I also been finding myself rereading this story. And I decided to go back and re-edit some old chapters getting right of spelling errors and adding more than just a small simple detail to it.

So as I'm fixing this I'm also writing this chapter as carefully as I can so I can avoid unintentional typos and what not. I still wonder how I would spark the romance between two completely different Characters. But I already have a bit of a hint from there. So even when I start winging this story to follow Kishimoto's work I do apologize if things seem a bit out of line. Like the order in which the Jinchuuriki are captured and extracted and I best start killing off some people as well.

But thank you for sticking around once again and enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 24: Vulnerability

Today was blissfully a silent day. It has been perhaps almost merely two days since her return back to headquarters and not once had she been bothered by any of her fellow Akatsuki members, of course they had greeted her and such upon her and Pein's return but since after that they had left her to her own devices. So there she was just reading an old medical textbook, the dust covering most of the pages as she flipped through them in the peaceful isolation of the Akatsuki's vast library. Sakura for once enjoyed her rare time to herself as she perched herself up on one of the high beams that granted her a full view of the enormous archive below in case someone who was unwanted (Madara mostly) appeared, and she didn't really wish to repeat what happened during her first trip to this room. And of course the Rokubi was sealed away down in the dungeons, kept under tight lock and key until the next extraction. Sakura had informed the Konoha councilors of this new development in Akatsuki plans, but she could not help but wonder if Itachi had also reported to them as well. She hasn't seen the eldest of the Uchiha brothers since before her mission, and vaguely wondered what it was he did all day. Not once had she felt his chakra signature leave the premises of his room, but every now and then his chakra would flair to life when Konan or Yasou made their appearance for only a few short minutes before leaving him once more. And even Kisame would go to him, though missing the ex-kiri Nin's enormous chakra reserves was a bit impossible since he had an ungodly amount of chakra.

In the end, it was none of her business.

Sighing through her nose she leaned back, supporting her back against the pillar she rested against and scanned the words of the medical book. The processes of cell regeneration catching her eye and briefly made her think about her old Shishou and her wondrous Sōzō Saisei (1) technique, something that that taught and passed down to her as well.

Sakura frowned as she turned the page over, her focus no longer being on the words in front of her as she thought about the jutsu in which she learned. Not once has she ever tried to activate the jutsu knowing the consequences of what would happen if she should use it. And the fact that the jutsu itself could shorten a user's lifespan and the fact that she did not have any intention to die just yet.

Closing the book softly she lowered her gaze.

Running her fingers over the dusty old cover once more she decided that remaining in the library for the majority of the day simply won't do it. Falling off the high beam that she was on she landed her feet on the solid ground below, her knees bending to absorb the impact as her cloak ruffling behind her as she made her perfect touchdown. Going to the book self she placed the old text back where is belonged and strode out of the room and into the hallways. Her feet guided her, as her mind wondered elsewhere. Not anywhere in Amegakure per say, but far off to her home in Konoha. First thought was of her mother Haruno Mebuki, she was a tough woman, Sakura had no doubt that she could take care of herself along with anyone else in the village. Most would probably kill her for agreeing to taking a mission to defect from the village only to sedate her thirst of vengeance.

Perhaps she was indeed no better then Sasuke.

Thoughts fleeing from her she glanced up in surprise when she stopped in front of a familiar door that belonged to one of the last remaining Uchiha. Tilting her head to the side she stared thoughtfully at it, wondering what to do now that she was here. Go to her room or knock on his door?

'Why not knock? He's in there! Ask him if he wants to train or something!' Inner urged.

'Why?' Sakura countered back 'There's no point in all this, besides he hasn't left his room since we got here it's probably best if we him alone.'

Her Inner had other plans when she rolled her eyes and forcefully raised Sakura's hand and knocked lightly on the door 'Must I do everything?' she muttered. But her Outer was staring in shock as her hand remained suspended in air. It was rare that her Inner would do anything outside of just speaking in her thoughts. But to forcefully take over for just a split second was something new to her. Though she heard nothing on the other side of the door she was thankful that perhaps her Inner knocked to quietly for him to hear and was about to take a step back until the door knob slowly twisted and the doorway slowly opened up to her. Itachi stood there, half hidden by his door as he regarded her curiously. His already pale skin looking even more so as his dark hair framed his face, though nothing seemed to be more enticing then the onyx orbs that captivated her gaze. Even his long lashes seemed to stand out, every time he blinked they would flutter in a way that would make any woman jealous of his natural beauty, even if he was a man.

"Sakura-san...can I help you?"

She blinked and snapped out of her reverie "I was wondering if you would like to train with me today?"

When he did not answer she added hastily "If your not up to it then a walk through the village would suffice."

It did not take a genius to know that the the wheels were turning in the Uchiha's head, mulling over her request, as if he was trying to establish what the pros or cons would be if he were to accept either. Much to her surprise, the pinkette felt a bit anxious the longer the silence continued. Though with honed skill and years of practice her expression was complete calm and serene. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her, her posture was straight. It was a familiar trait that she seemed to have picked up from Akatsuki's only other female member. And so the Uchiha nodded, leaving the door open as he went to collect his cloak and shoes much to Inner Sakura's delight.

When Itachi reemerged from the depths of his room he stepped out into the hallway. Closing the his door with the soft click, all while turning to face the young woman "Where do you wish to walk to Sakura-san?" he rasped.

Sakura's brow rose with how hoarse his voice sounded. It was much more deeper than usual, if not a bit strained.

"Are you feeling alright Itachi-san? You seem a bit...off" She asked him, a bit suspiciously when he brushed her off. Assuring her that he was well and that he was just getting over a small cold.

She didn't believe him, not for one second. She decided that she would press him later about the issue. But if he decided to avoid her there were still two others that she could grill the information from.

So without further adieu she led them away in peaceful silence. Itachi following her out of the base and into the open streets of the village, their conversations were short when they would pause at a random shop when something caught their interest. But silence was a typical Uchiha trait, but unlike his brother Itachi was rather polite when he was addressed. A redeeming quality, Sakura mused.

But once they started following one of the many forest trails along the village Sakura decided to speak up.

"Did you inform the Village of the Rokubi?"

The only slight indication that Itachi was not expecting that question was a slight misstep. Sakura chose to ignore it as he regarded him. He was studying her closely, Sharingan eyes narrowed before gracing her with an answer "I have, they are not to pleased...they might end up calling upon the Kyuubi host to return to the confines of the Village."

Sakura scoffed "Naruto wouldn't be chained down easily, not with the favor of the Hokage on his side."

"Keeping him away from the organisation that hunts him proves to be a sound strategy." This was the Uchiha's strategic genius talking now, of course it made sense to try and keep something that is valuable to the Akatuski away and under a tight lock and key. To be constantly watched, but with how convincing the blond Kyuubi host was Sakura knew it was less than likely that the Village could keep them within their gates for to long. Not with her and Sasuke running about, getting to them first was perhaps Naruto's top priority then running for Hokage.

"You do not know him like I do." She said, a sense of knowing in her voice "Naruto is capable of taking care of himself, and he is not alone. You should know Itachi, he is just a bag full of surprises and he managed to outsmart you even if that wasn't the real you when we came to retrieve the Kazekage."

He couldn't disagree "He certainly is." The slight smirk on his face made Sakura smile a bit herself. Reaching some sort of understanding with her fellow Akatsuki member, and her fellow spy.

Coming across a clearing they chose to rest under the great many trees. Some color flared to Sakura's cheeks discreetly when this became to similar to another occasion, sure she wasn't sitting on Itachi's lap or anything but resting next to him under a tree when the rain decided to drizzle down reminded her of the time she was out with Deidara only to wake up in the Uchiha's arms instead. A memory that was to imprinted in her mind to forget.

She couldn't deny that being in the embrace of the Uchiha was...nice. Aside from their differences from when she first joined the organisation she was happy to say that they were on civil terms. He was pleasantly more agreeable than Sasuke. And had even risked his own life for her own in the hunt for Orochimaru's ring. Grudgingly he was a good companion to have. She could be civil to some point with the other Akatsuki yes, but when it came down to it Itachi was her only closest ally.

"So why did you do it?" she suddenly found herself asking.

She heard the ruffling of his cloak when he moved to face her. She didn't dare look at him "Why did you choose the village over your clan?" she clarified.

Sakura felt that perhaps asking was to personal, she was about to tell him that he didn't have to answer to her but once his baritone voice broke the silence she opted to listen.

"When I was young" he started "The world was at war, it was of course the Third Shinobi war. It was a massacre there was always casualties and bloodshed no matter where you went. I witnessed battles firsthand." His words were laced with disgust. Sakura couldn't help but look at him now, studying his face when he stared at nothing before him. As if he were living that memory as he continued to speak "With the slaughters of war I grew to hate violence, I turned to a more peaceful nature. A pacifist one might say" he ignored Sakura's look of surprise.

"Despite that fact I put my own needs second and became a Shinobi. I trained tirelessly to improve myself quickly and accepted the fact that I subjected myself to the inconveniences of life as a Shinobi in simple motivation of being useful to others. With my skills I managed to complete most of my missions with less violence...it was satisfying. But once the Clan started to plan to overthrow the village things changed. I loved my family, I did all in my power to try and sway my father into not instigating a civil war. But my plea fell on deaf ears, instead they wished to exploit my talents as a prodigy and infiltrate ANBU in order to spy on the village. But instead I went to the Hokage and told him everything, and became a double-agent. The council demanded that the Uchiha be dealt with swiftly, the Hokage along with myself wished for a more peaceful solution." Suddenly his face turned into one of vulnerability, a frightened child. The look nearly stole Sakura's breath away as she stared. Enchanted by his story and his words, she suddenly felt an emotion that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Pity.

She pitied, and sympathized with the Uchiha. Who out there aside from Sasuke cursed his mere existence? She was one of the many who had, she cursed him when she knew that he had caused the majority of Sasuke's pain. The reason why the young avenger left the village. He had at some point tried to take Naruto, another reason for her scorn. Even with the sudden revelation of her new thoughts on the Uchiha he continued his sad tale.

"The annihilation of the Uchiha Clan was inevitable, to me there was no other solution that would have less bloodshed than to kill my own Clan. During the final days I lashed out at my fellow clansmen violently, I criticized them and openly disrespected them in my anguish as they sealed their fate along with my own. But after my mission was complete...in the end I could not blame those who had given me the mission but out of them all I did not trustDanzō even though I knew he had the Village's best interest at heart...my next assignment was to join the Akatsuki, a suspicious group that was forming at the time. I agreed to keep an eye out on them, and so began to spin the web that would create the image of the Uchiha murderer. Cold and ruthless in nature, not willing to spare mercy on those who got in my way."

"So in the end what have you to gain for it?" Sakura interrupted. She felt betrayed and angered on his behalf, her reasoning alone was not as bad as his. Her reasoning to allowing herself to leave the village was justified in her eyes. But now it was just sickening to hear that the elders took advantage of a selfless man and turned him into a criminal. What on Earth did Itachi hope to gain from even agreeing to this?

"The village was safe, to me it was one of the greatest blessings to have. And my brother would be protected as long as I continued to provide information to the elders. I would do anything for Sasuke I blackmailed Danzō to insure that." he answered simply. All the vulnerability he expression was gone, replaced with the sudden tenderness and adoration for his brother.

"Sasuke abandoned the village!" Sakura spat, suddenly furious. Emerald eyes sparking to life like a scorching sun, without thinking she got onto her knees her fists grasping onto the collar of his cloak as she yanked him forward her faces nearly inches from his face as she unleashed her pent up fury upon the man. "He became a criminal! He tried not only to kill me but Naruto as well is this what you were hoping for when you suddenly thought it was a great idea to plant the idea of revenge in his mind!?"

The glare he sent her was intense but he did not make any move to force her away, keeping his hands to his sides. "A miscalculation on my part, I was not anticipating Sasuke defecting from the village."

"A miscalculation!?" she sneered.

'Whoa! Dude Outer chill out and think! Do you realize what you're doing!?' Inner suddenly appeared, forcing Sakura to take in the situation before her.

Her anger melted away as Inner soothed her quietly her grip on his clothes started to become slack, her eyes wide. The crimson depths of the Sharingan met her dead on, and for the longest time neither of them pulled apart. Now it was her turn to feel vulnerable under those unrelenting eyes. Those damn eyes that could pierce into one's very soul itself. With all it's beauty it was also so terrifying, she remembered Sasuke. Her fear of his eyes when he became crazed by power during the Exams in the forest of death all those years ago. She feared them, she loved them, she was envious of them.

Slowly all the emotion that poured itself out was forced back into the further reaches of her mind. And with a calming breath she slowly let the Uchiha go.

"I apologize...that was unintentional."

He did not reply, he straightened out his cloak and got back onto his feet. Towering over her but never taking his eyes off her, but the hard look was gone now. His face neutral and tranquil once again. Wordlessly he offered his hand to her. Her confusion must have shown on her face because his voice filled the air once more, it was soft and oddly comforting "Let us return to the base before you get a chill, I am certain Akatsuki wouldn't want their only medic sick."

A smile almost worked it's way onto her face as she slid her hands slowly into his. Her fingers curling around his hand, he copied her as he gripped her hand. Hoisting her up onto her feet without to much problems. They ended up staring each other down once again, Sakura registering that he had not let go of her. Glancing down at their intertwined hands her cheeks began to warm up. A light red blush starting to dust her cheeks as she started to grow a little nervous, and a bit bashful. Awkwardly so...

"Itachi-san?" she muttered.

When he didn't seem to get the hint she tilted her head down. Catching on quick he glimpsed at what was causing her slight predicament. He released her and swiftly took a step back as if nothing had happened.

"We should go."

Itachi followed a few steps behind the pink hair Kunoichi. Scowling secretly at her back for no reason, but also cursing himself for what had transpired between the both of them. If Itachi hadn't known better he would assumed that they just had abonding moment.

Something that shouldn't have happen yet it did.

Was his sickness starting to get to his head? Was his guilt finally starting to crack his resolve? His fists clenched, anger flashing in his red eyes as he snarled silently to himself. Free to express himself while no one was watching. Sakura seemingly lost in her thoughts to notice and they weren't close to being in a residential parts of Amegakure. Why he had agreed to an outing in the first place was a mystery to him. Part of him saying that fresh air would do him good, another because he wished for company, or the desire to escape the dark haired girl that haunted his past. Every clansmen haunted him, though not as much as her.

It was both infuriating and tiresome.

But he couldn't say that the young woman's presence before him was a bad thing.

Here he was presented with one person whose fate was similar to his own. Made a criminal by both signing their own fates, they might have contrasting motives but how they got their start was almost the same. Except for the fact she did not kill her family. She had killed, but not like him.

Just that fact alone seem to pacify him.

And it made him hopeful that at least out of the both of them she would have a chance of redemption. She was loved by her peers, by her mentor the Hokage, being granted pardon would be so easy for her. She would be welcomed, she was powerful, she was clever, a worthy foe to anyone who went against her might. He shivered as he thought about the young woman who trained herself so hard to become what she was today, the similarity between them was to uncanny. He might not have been weak at first, but he strove to be better. It was the least he could do for Sasuke at the time.

The distant memory of her victory over the Akatsuki puppeteer came to mind. She was much younger then now, taking on a man twice her age with more experience on the battlefield, without her vast knowledge in the medical field her fight with Sasori would had be utterly fatal. It was astonishing not only to him, but to the rest of the Akatsuki themselves to hear that she came out victorious.

Haruno Sakura to him...was an enigma.

A puzzle to be cracked, it was hard to escape his natural inquisitiveness. He was a genius in his own right, and it was hard to pass up a good case.

What was it about this woman who walked in front of him that caught his attention?

For starters she was once a member of his brother's team, not only just his brother but the Kyuubi host as well with the Copy Nin Kakashi for her sensei. She was knowledgeable in Genjutsu; an area he was an expert in himself. Sakura was the apprentice of the Slug princess Tsunade, her monstrous strength was feared and well known. But she was also a healer, medics of today since their praise of the pink hair Goddess of life and death.

There was many things he could list off in his head about her.

She reminded him of Hachi. She was kind to those around her, tried to care for everyone, tried to care for him. The fact that she displayed anger on his behalf during his sad story was flattering in some way, a small sign that she did feel and cared. Itachi couldn't help but wonder why she would feel that way.

Being so caught up in his own musing he didn't even notice that they were once again back at Headquarters.

Both of them slightly wet from the rain but he didn't care and he doubted that she did either.

When she came up to the doorway that lead to the dining room she spun on her heels to look at him. Her emerald orbs shining brilliantly in the light, she was surely a unique beauty.

"This is where we go our different ways. I'm sure everyone is hungry I best start cooking some supper." she told him, her voice somewhat aloof when she rocked back and forth on her heels. Itachi agreed, during her hunt for the Rokubi many had miss her cooking he was no exception.

"Then I will see you another time Sakura-san." he dismissed himself, walking past her. But against his better judgement his hand reached out. Resting on top of her head as he ruffled her hair just only slightly, an affectionate gesture before he left her behind to stare at his back.

He didn't look back when he exited the hall.

Lol, to tired to write on...I stayed up until 5:30am to write this sooooooo tired!

I thank those who reviewed for the previous chapter and all the encouragement that I get from my loyal readers. I will try to work on my story best I can and try to make sure that I don't have any spelling errors or what not. I really do try.

So I'm going to keep this short and go to bed.

Love, fav, and review~

Your friend,

Shizu