When Opportunity Knocks

(A/N: Hello my wonderful readers and reviewers. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement (some of you). I've decided to try out a new pairing. Lord knows I write enough ItaSaku to last us a lifetime. So, here goes nothing… or something. I'm not sure just yet. Tell me what you think. Please!!)

~xxx~

The presence of the Akatsuki in the large village of Konoha had been a huge shock to the system of it's citizens. Only four of them but it was enough to scare the villagers into a panic, rushing in the opposite direction to keep their lives intact. Konoha's elite sprung into action, placing themselves in harms way to keep their home safe. But one sentence from the orange-haired man leading the pack of S-class criminals, made them reconsider their choice to protect and defend.

"Tell your leader we've come to speak with her." The words were a deadly whisper from the thin, pierced lips of the Akatsuki leader. But the shinobi stood their ground, brandishing weapons of all sorts and sizes. Konoha's shinobi were known as the jack of all trades and their weapons proved that much. There was a thunderous boom from ahead of the group causing the earth to quake under foot.

"Get out of my way!" came a shout mere seconds after the shaking ceased. Tsunade strode purposefully towards the group of criminals, her chakra surging with malicious intent. The show of force did not surprise the Akatsuki, Tsunade had every right in the world to be resistant to their appearance. But, the Leader was surprised to find his group surrounded on all sides.

Capturing his attention was Hatake Kakashi, standing to their left, battle ready. To their right was Naruto, growling at them with a vicious glare in his gleaming red eyes. Sai, the Uchiha's replacement had a scroll ready in hand as he stood behind the group. And, arriving with the Hokage was the pretty apprentice, small fists clinched and prepared to unleash all hell.

"Just as you had predicted, Leader-sama." The blue-haired kunoichi whispered from his right, a slight smirk on her plump lips.

"What do you want?" the blonde Hokage asked as she readied herself for a confrontation. Whatever the outcome… she had to keep her village safe.

"I have come to offer you an opportunity." The orange-haired male spoke, voice as smooth as silk. Tsunade stared at him in disbelief. Clearly, he had to be kidding her. But as his grey-ringed eyes stared at her calmly, she could feel no deceit coming from him. Tsunade nodded but kept her guard up.

"Very well… my office. Try anything funny and your dead." She warned and received at nod in return. The group of S-class criminals followed her lead while being followed themselves. Team Kakashi was not about to let their Hokage stumble into an knowing attack… not if they could help it. The crowd of shinobi parted like the Red Sea as their leader led the way to the Hokage's tower.

~xxx~

Itachi and Kisame watched as their leader and Konan disappeared behind the solid oak doors of the Hokage's office along with Kakashi. They were left standing in the hallway with three members of Team Kakashi as the final member appeared from around the corner, unable to believe his eyes.

"What are you bastards up to?" Naruto growled as he took a step forward. "How dare you just--"

"Naruto!" Sakura cut in, pulling him back to stand next to her. "Don't do anything stupid, Naruto."

Kisame snickered. "Listen to your teammate, kid. We're the last people you want to mess with." Sakura turned a sharp glare in Kisame's direction and growled. Itachi gave a 'hn' as he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall.

"Don't make me come over there and prove you wrong, Fishy-chan. I've heard about what you can do… and I'm not impressed." She hissed with her hands on her hips.

"Bring it on, Pinky. I highly doubt a weak little thing like you could possibly scratch my hide." Kisame said with a wave of his hand as the other shouldered Samehada.

"What the hell did you just say?!" she breathed. Naruto and Yamato jumped up to hold the pink-haired kunoichi back. Inside the office… things were more civilized. Tsunade sat straight in her chair as the two Akatsuki members stared blankly at her. Kakashi stood to her right, one hand in his kunai pouch; just in case. They sat in strained silence for a few moments, listening to the commotion in the hall as they waited. Once things in the hall grew quite, Tsunade sighed.

"What is this opportunity you were talking about?" she asked with a huff.

"Orochimaru is amassing an army and is planning to invade Konoha with help from Kirigakure." Pein said with no hint of emotion in his voice.

"Why are you telling me this? Wouldn't you benefit from his actions?" Tsunade questioned with a growl.

"Not if he kills Naruto-kun in the process."

"Konoha will not hand him over, especially to the likes of you!" she shouted, pounding her fists on the table. There was a pause before Pein cocked his head to the side.

"With Orochimaru out of the way… we will have no need for the Jinchuuriki. All we require is a medic." He assured. Tsunade wasn't buying it.

"This has to be the biggest load of crap I have ever heard." The desk snapped in half under her palms. Konan looked at Pein, a sort of 'I-told-you-so' look in her eyes as she sighed and nodded.

"In exchange for a medic, any and all information concerning Uchiha Sasuke and Orochimaru will be handed over to you. As well as our assistance in the capture and execution of the Sannin." She said in a soft tone.

Tsunade bit back a growl. "Why should I trust you?" Pein stood then, straightening his cloak.

"Because without us," he started, looking Tsunade right in the eye. "Your village will fall." Standing from her devastated desk, Tsunade contemplated the offer. "We will give you some time to think it over."

"We'll do it." She said, turning to face Kakashi. "Heaven forgive me…" she whispered. "You will get your medic."

~xxx~

Sakura stood as stiff as possible while the man before her looked her over. Of course, he just had to touch her hair and ask if it was natural. She squeaked out a 'yes' before he turned away from her and walked to the next person in line. Once he was five people down the line, Sakura sighed heavily.

"I don't believe I said you could breath." A voice whispered in her ear, warm breath ghosting over the sensitive skin there. On instinct, Sakura pushed herself away, aiming a swift kick to the person's knee as she fled for safety with a kunai at the ready. Pein had evaded the kick with ease, taking a step towards the frightened kunoichi. "She will do nicely."

Tsunade appeared next to him, a smug look on her face. "That is my apprentice, Haruno Sakura." Of the fifteen medics called into the grand hall… Sakura just had to be the one they picked. Just wonderful. It was explained to the medics present, as well as the rest of the shinobi population, that Konoha and the Akatsuki were in a sort of alliance. Thus any action against them was an act against the Fire country and would be dealt with accordingly. There went her plan for beating the crap out of Kisame.

"Ah, yes. I've heard stories about you." Pein said as he eyed the hyperventilating, pink-haired medic. "You've even managed to kill one of my subordinates; one of my best, in fact." Sakura just stared at him as she collected herself. This man was something else, she concluded while he and Tsunade watched her.

"He got in the way of my mission." She finally said, calming herself and standing upright from her battle ready position. Something gleamed in Pein's eyes, something she couldn't quite describe. He paused for a moment, ringed eyes locked on hers that made her gulp.

"You're a very entertaining kunoichi." He commented before turning to Tsunade with a nod. "I believe we have a deal."

~xxx~

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. Sakura had to be kidding, she was just playing a prank on them. Yeah, that had to be it. But the longer she scowled with the raven-haired Akatsuki member standing next to her, Naruto had no choice but to believe the facts. She was going with the Akatsuki to be their medic until Orochimaru was captured or killed. Kakashi had to hold the blonde back as he screeched about the unfairness of the 'deal.'

"You guys just barged into our village, demand us to work with you AND you're taking Sakura-chan when you leave?! How the hell is that fair?" the fox container shouted as he desperately tried to wiggle his way free from his sensei's grasp.

"I don't like it either, Naruto." Sakura said with her arms crossed. "But for the sake of the village and your safety, I have to go with them, Naruto. Otherwise, we don't stand a chance against Orochimaru."

"But… Sakura-chan, who's going to look after you?"

"Haruno-san is perfectly capable of looking after herself." Itachi intoned as he gave Naruto a blank stare. A vein threatened to burst in Sakura's forehead. Leave it to Naruto to make her look like a baby.

"Naruto, I'm going to be fine." She said softly. "They need me to heal them. Nothing's going to happen."

"You can't be sure of that!" he snapped as he finally stopped squirming in Kakashi's grasp, falling limp in the older jonin's arms. He shot a glare in the older Uchiha's direction. "You had better take care of her or so help me…"

"You worry too much, Naruto." Sakura sighed as she pulled the fox container into a tight hug. "Everything's going to be ok, you'll see. I'll be back in no time." She smiled.

"Think of it this way, Naruto," Kakashi said as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "She's leaving for a little while to train." Naruto paused for a moment before nodding his head reluctantly and let her go.

"It is time to go." Itachi intoned as he moved towards the door. Sakura still had to pack some things before she left at midnight. She had been told it was safer, for her, if they moved out in the cover of darkness. Orochimaru's spies were everywhere… closer to the leaf village than they really knew. After exchanging quick good byes, Sakura and Itachi went to her apartment and packed one bag for her. He explained to her that she would be able to get anything else she needed after she arrived in Rain country.

Midnight rolled in quicker than she had imagined. A light fog rolled in, bathing the village in a smoky atmosphere as the Akatsuki members and Sakura stood at the gates. They were completely alone, save the night patrol shinobi on duty, as they waited for something…

Pein looked at her suddenly, giving her a once over before nodding. "We will take our leave then." He said as he turned from her and proceeded out of the gates. Sakura adjusted the straps on her pack. She looked around one last time before following the Akatsuki members out of the village and into the night.

"Don't get all sentimental on us, Pinky. You have to be at the top of your game from here on out." Kisame said from her right. Sakura glared at him, an enchanting scowl etched on her lips.

"Kiss my ass, Kisame." She spat and crouched, bounding into the nearest tree. "The 'top of my game' thing is nothing compared to you guys." If she had a dime for every time someone said that phrase to her… Sakura was positive she could have retired years ago.

"That just means you'll have to work harder to pick up the slack." Kisame grinning, sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

"Have I told you how much I hate you?"

~xxx~

Pein gazed across the darkening sky, thoughts blank as he scanned the tree line ahead of him. Amegakure was just a days trip from here, but they stopped for the medic-nin. Sakura had been able to keep up with them, which he hadn't expected. She didn't complain about the trip nor the arrangement but she did have something to say to Kisame every time he opened his mouth. It was amusing, really, to watch them argue… even if he had tuned them out.

His gaze turned to the girl sleeping by the fire. Pein was reminded of a child as he watched her curl into a ball, snuggling deeper into her sleeping bag. The glow of the dying fire lit her porcelain skin in shades of orange and gold, much like his hair. The glow highlighted her high cheekbones, softly shaped nose and parted lips. He smirked as she murmured something in her sleep and rolled over to lay on her back.

Itachi came into view moments later, having finished laying traps as Konan and Kisame scouted the area. So much for voyeurism. But he continued to watch, eyes on Itachi now that he had returned. The raven-haired male walked passed Sakura's sleeping form, pausing in his steps and turning to look down at the girl. But only for a moment. Itachi walked over to the other side of the fire and propped himself up against a tree.

"The area is secured, Pein." Konan whispered, standing next him. He gave a nod and walked away from her, finding a small nook in one of the trees and leaned against it. Pein would not sleep tonight. Too many things demanded his attention as he let his mind wander.

Three hours later, Sakura sat up with a start. Chest heaving, eyes wide and searching and a kunai held tightly in her shaking hand. The four Akatsuki members were prepared to fight in an instant when they discovered what made them jump. She was shaking like a leaf on a tree, trying desperately to keep her tears at bay.

"Something the matter, Haruno-san?" Konan asked as she stepped forward.

"I-I'm fine, Konan-san." Sakura said with a shaky breath, running a hand through her pink locks. "I'm sorry… it was just a bad dream." Ringed eyes watched her hunched form with a slight quirk of the eyebrow.

"We should get ready to go." Pein said, eyes still on the young kunoichi. She turned her head to look at him. Green met grey in a brief exchange. Sakura nodded mutely and shuffled about her sleeping bag.

Dawn broke over the horizon, casting long shadows through the clouds as the five travelers bounded among the trees. Amegakure was just beyond the forest.

"Oh, wow…" Sakura breathed as she took in the sight of the large city below her. Towers and buildings made of steel and stone dotted the landscape. Long paved roads crisscrossed before her as people walked through the rain to reach their destination and the lights on the buildings glowed dimly in the early morning. This had to have been the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. She reached out and stuck her hand under the waterfall of rain. Funny… it was raining on one side and not where she stood. "It's so beautiful." She said with an awed expression on her heart-shaped face.

"The rain is a barrier." Pein spoke from beside her, he too, stuck his hand under the rainfall.

"This is… the amount of chakra and control… amazing." She said as she looked up at him.

"A God must always know who enters his city."

~xxx~

"What the hell are you doing here, yeah?"

"Why the hell are you still alive?"

Expect the unexpected, Kakashi had always told her… but Sakura never imagined that a man she believed to be dead would be eating an apple the exact time she walked into the kitchen area. In all of her eighteen years, Sakura had never been so surprised. Here she was, minding her own business and walking with Konan, when out of the blue… an apple core just missed her face by inches.

"Why is the bitch who killed Danna here, yeah?" Deidara shouted, pointing a finger in Sakura's direction. Konan turned a blank stare in his direction.

"She is our medic." She said. "You would do well to remember that we need her." Deidara growled, body shaking with rage. "Come, Sakura-san." Konan waved her hand to dismiss the fuming blonde and led the way down the hall.

Three lefts and a sharp right turn later, Konan stopped at a door. "This will be your room for the night. Be ready to leave early tomorrow."

"I'm not staying here?" Sakura questioned as the door opened.

"I'm afraid not." Stated Konan, stepping aside to let Sakura through. "Get some rest."

~xxx~

A Field of flowers rolled over vast hills as the midday sun shone in bright beams. With a sigh, Sakura lay back and took in the moment. All was quite, save the soft whistle of the wind as it swept by. Everything was perfect. Everything from the small rays of sunshine to the soft breeze fluttering across her skin to the light rain that started to pepper the field. Emerald orbs blinked in surprise.

"I don't recall seeing rain clouds." Sakura said as her brows drew together and she sat up on her elbows. With a frown, Sakura stood and headed down the hill. The sound of metal clanking against metal caught her attention and she ran towards it.

"Sakura-chan! Stay back!" Naruto shouted as she came to a stop just meters away.

"Naruto!" She screamed, watching in horror as Sasuke appeared behind her best friend and stabbed him with his sword. "Naruto!" Sakura rushed towards her fallen friend and dropped down at his side. Pumping chakra into his body, Sakura tried in vain to heal him. She sobbed as she worked but gave up and slumped forward.

"Sakura, huh?" a voice said from above her. Sakura looked up and into the dead eyes of Sasuke… but they were different. She gasped as his eyes flashed a golden color, the color of…

"Orochimaru…" she hissed. 'Sasuke' raised his sword above his head and turned the blade toward her. There was a pause in his movements then the sword came racing down, piercing her heart--

Sakura jumped out of bed with a flurry of movement, kunai in hand as her wide eyes scanned the room. Emerald eyes landed on a dark figure standing at the foot of her bed. She gave a strangled cry of surprise and fell backward.

"I apologize." Pein whispered as he moved to help her stand up. Sakura gripped his hand and stood, still trying to catch her breath.

"I-I'm sorry…" she stammered and tossed the kunai on the bed. "Did I oversleep? Are we going to be late… ?"

"You are up early." He stated and let go of her soft hand. "When you're ready, Konan has made breakfast."

(A/N: Well… this was going to be a one-shot but it kind of took on a live of it's own. This will be a short story, two to three chapters maybe more (you decide). Please, I'm begging you, let me know what you think! I apologize if it seems to skip around a lot… I wasn't exactly sure how this was going to play out.)