How to be an Akatsuki Member

A/N: I wish a had a dollar for every time I had to write "DISCLAIMER: I own nothing!"…But wait! I do own something now! I own Siren! …I'm not sure I'm proud of that fact…

Anyway, I would like to remind y'all that this story is rated T for a reason.

Enjoy!

Lesson Four: How to Start Over

Warmth surrounded me like a comfortable blanket; the patch on my leg being the hottest must have been from some sunlight peeking through a window. Gentle fingers traced each scar on my slightly exposed torso and arms, rough lips following after. It felt amazing.

What is Naruto doing here? I asked myself, for he was the only one whose touch could give me these feelings. I must be dreaming.

My brows furrowed a little as Naruto's fingers paused over my blemished forearms. After Sasuke's disappearance from Konaha, I had become a bit of a drama queen. I tried to suppress the loneliness by hurting myself, but it did not take Naruto long to figure out what I had been doing. He had promised not to tell anyone as long as I swore to quit, and the situation was soon forgotten. But every now an again (especially after the accident), he would trace the small scars, telling me about how it had hurt him, too. But then he would dismiss it, not wanting to linger on the past. It was just another reminder of how lucky I was to have such an understanding teammate, best friend, and lover.

Cool breath washed over my neck, and I tilted my chin so that he could have better access. After a second of hesitation, he began to kiss my collarbone. I hummed softly, delighting in the imaginary sensation. My fingers extended, searching for Naruto's face, which was softer than usual. It was odd not feeling the bit of stubble on his chin that he was usually too lazy to trim away properly. I kind of liked the change.

"I've missed you, Naruto," I whispered, not wanting to interrupt the moment.

The grip on my wrists tightened momentarily before all contact broke. "I'm not Naruto," a voice growled.

My breathing hitched and I mentally kicked myself as I recognized the voice to be Sasuke's. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should have known better than to think that I was dreaming! After last month's fiasco with Madara, Sasuke had demanded I stay in the same room as him. He never let me out of his sight, so why did I not acknowledge the possibility of the visitor to be him?

"Shoot, I'm sorry, Sasuke! I didn't-"

"What? You didn't what, Sakura? Hmm? You just thought Naruto had showed up out of the blue to come rescue you? Well, stop hoping! He's not coming, Sakura, and he never will!" Sasuke yelled.

My teeth snapped together in fury. "Then you're in for one heck of a surprise! Naruto is searching for me at this very moment. I know it! He'll come for me, you just wait and see," I screamed back.

"If Naruto cared so much about you, then why isn't he here yet? He's had four months to look for you, and we still haven't seen hide or hair of him. It you're looking for a savior, you've been looking in the wrong place. He doesn't care enough for you to risk his life coming here. He probably never even loved you! And you can deny and hate what I'm saying, but you know deep down that I'm right. I'll bet money that Naruto's with some other girl right now."

I shook my head and covered my ears, trying to ignore him. There was no way that Naruto would do such a thing!

"Probably Hinata or maybe even Ino," Sasuke continued. "You're probably the last thing on his mind right now."

"Shut up!" I screamed. "Naruto isn't like that! He'd never do such a thing! He loves me…"

"You mean loved. You two haven't seen each other in a while. And Naruto's a man of instinct. All he needs is a time and place, and he can contradict all you thought you knew about him. And even without all of that, you know better than anyone about how he and Hinata feel about each other. I wouldn't put it past him to take advantage of any available situation now that you're out of the picture. Tell me, Sakura, do I really sound so crazy?"

I bit my lips as tears fell down my flushed cheeks. I stood from the bed, shaking with anger. Not at Naruto or Sasuke but at myself because I knew that Sasuke was probably right. I wasn't exceptionally pretty or as talented as some of the other girls in Konaha. I had always wondered why Naruto cared for such a boring person as myself. So maybe this should not come as such a surprise? Although I was unsure of a lot right then, I knew that staying in this cramped room with Sasuke was not going to help me at all.

"And where do you think you're going?" Sasuke asked, grabbing my wrists as I tried to leave.

I jerked myself away from his touch, still seething with anger. "Anywhere but here. I would rather have Madara's company than yours!" And with that, I ran out of the room, through the maze of hallways and corridors, and eventually collapsed on the floor. Sobs racked through my small frame, letting loose the floodgates behind my useless eyes.

That was it. Not only were my eyes good for nothing, but so was I as a person as well. I could not do anything right and never would without my sight. I was…unlovable.

For the first time in a long time, I let my fingernails rip through the fragile skin on my stomach.

- Sasuke's Point of View -

I left the room not but a minute after Sakura left. Although there were many things I wanted to do at that second, (like beating up Madara, having an apologetic make-out session with Sakura, or having Suigetsu drown me due to my sheer stupidity) I knew that I only needed to do one thing.

A bottle of sake found its way into my hand before I even sat down in the corner of the kitchen. Sure, drinking away my problems was not the smartest or responsible thing to do, but I did not really care at the moment. I had deliberately hurt Sakura, hoping to give her a reason to run away. There was no way I would be able to just let her go, so I had decided that she would have to do it on her own, whether I wanted her to leave or not. Feelings aside, it was a fairly good plan, especially if I made her hate me so that she would not return. But I did have feelings, and that hurt me a lot. But that obviously did not change my plan, and so in retrospect, it was a pretty good start.

I took another swig of the bitter liquid.

"Sasuke," a velvety, woman's voice purred, "what are you doing on the ground?"

My glare turned from the pale bottle in my hand to the annoying witch that hovered above me. "Keeping a wary distance from creeps like you, Siren."

A grimace crossed her beautiful features. "Now, that's not a nice thing to say to your elders, Sasuke. I thought Itachi had taught you better manners."

"If you're here to lecture me, you might as well leave because I'm not listening," I growled curtly.

Pale hands stuck out from under her large sleeves, settling on her stomach. "Geeze, so snappy. I just wanted to tell you that your teammates are back from their mission."

I blinked, her words confusing my drunken brain. After a couple seconds of thought, a light bulb flickered on over my head. I must be more buzzed than I though if I've forgotten already. I had sent my team out to find any Konaha ninjas. Hoping that Sakura would run into a few familiar faces was yet another part of my master plan. "Hmm, well, it seems that for once you have proven yourself useful. Go tell them to meet me in the conference room in a hour."

Siren leveled an even glare at me. "I'm not your messenger pigeon, Uchiha."

"You are for Madara," I pointed out coolly, taking another gulp of sake.

Brushing her hair over her shoulder, she knelt down beside me. Soft fingertips danced across my chin. "That's because he paid the right price. And if you want my help, you'll have to do the same."

I (drunkenly) swiped her hand away from me. "I'll pass. Unlike Madara, I have standards, which you don't meet."

"Hmm, and yet that pink-haired freak does? I guess that means I don't match up to your expectations since I'm not blind," Siren growled before storming off.

My eyes narrowed as I pulled myself to my feet and abandoned the sake bottle. Although my brain was a bit hazy from the liquor, I was still able to sift through Siren's words and detect something odd. I had never really dwelled upon the fact that Sakura was blind, mostly for her sake. I knew that she had sacrificed her sight for Naruto, and that it was worse than her or even Tsunade's powers could heal. But how had it happened? If my plan had not worked so flawlessly, then I could have just asked her. But, she was royally pissed off, so I would just have to wonder forever.

Deciding that procrastination was not going to help any, I made my way towards the entrance to the hideout. My eyes immediately met with a few ninjas running around frantically, shouting orders to one another. I noticed my team, looking quite stressed, in the middle of it all.

"Suigetsu," I called out as I came closer. "What's going on? Did you learn anything new?"

The white haired man halted and worried his lower lip for a moment, indecision swimming in his eyes. "Umm…well, you see…"

"We came back because we found some of the Konaha people, and when Sakura found out from loud mouth over here," Karin jerked her thumb at her water-obsessed partner, "she took off."

I stared at the three in what could only be astonishment. Had my plan seriously worked so well? After a whole month of useless planning, Sakura had managed to just up and leave in a matter of minutes. Amazing.

"Stop searching for her," I demanded in a calm voice.

"I really am so- what?" Suigetsu stammered.

"I said, stop looking for Sakura. There's no reason to keep her here, is there?" When no one replied, I simply walked past them and through the exit. "If Madara asks, I'm keeping her hidden from him. I'm going for a walk."

"Y-yes sir," they murmured.

My head bobbed slightly in a curt nod before I sealed the cave behind me and walked into the forest.

A sharp gust of wind passed through the small clearing of trees on top of the mountain. I could feel the storm coming, but I did not seek shelter. Let the Heavens cry down on me, I thought. I deserve it. Although I should have felt satisfaction knowing that Sakura was in safe arms right now, I was instead filled with grief knowing that those arms belonged to Naruto. It sickened me rather than comforted me. So, with nothing to do, I found my way to Itachi's grave. I did not make a habit of visiting him very often, but I felt that I could find some amount of comfort if I came to him now.

"Hmm. I guess it's a little late to be asking my brother for advice now, huh?" I asked awkwardly, running a hand through my hair. Was speaking to one's dead brother considered insanity? "Oh, who cares," I grumbled, falling into a heap by his makeshift tombstone. I spent the next few minute staring at the stormy night sky and telling Itachi of my predicament. Not surprisingly, he offered no reply and instead gave me silence. Was I honestly expecting him to? I thought. Hmm, another sign of insanity…

A rustling in the woods behind me broke me from my thoughts. I quickly stood, resting one hand on my katana in usual paranoia. Sure, it could be just an animal. Then again, it could be-

"Sakura?" The name rolled off my tongue with ease, but with a touch of confusion. What in the world was she doing back here?

"Who else do you know that has pink hair and a screwed up face?" she bounced back curtly. She almost seemed…annoyed.

"Why are you here?" I asked calmly, though my insides were doing back-flips. Had she led the others from Konaha here? If so, would he be able to escape in time to warn the others back at the hideout?

"I spoke with the ninjas who had come by here, Tenten, Neji, and Rock Lee. They said all was good back home, and Naruto is doing well." A grimace showed on her lovely face as she continued, "He's doing very well, indeed."

I raised one eyebrow. "You seem bitter," I noted, coming to stand in front of her. "Care to tell why? It may be just me, but I have a feeling that my earlier assumptions were correct." The look on her face told me I was dead on. I knew I shouldn't poke at such a fresh wound, but... "Who, do you know?"

She stayed silent for a moment before murmuring, "Hinata. Neji said that she and Naruto had been going steady for a month or two now." She tilted her chin towards me. "That's why I came back. No one needs me there. Tsunade has another apprentice, and Tenten said that the three of them were on a mission elsewhere. No one has been sent out to find me. They don't care!" Suddenly, she turned and punched a nearby tree, shattering it instantly. "The Elders haven't changed one bit since they screwed with your brother! I want revenge, Sasuke, and you are the perfect teacher for that."

I stayed silent and calm throughout her rant, but her last words caught me a bit off guard. I had never thought of Sakura as a person with enough hate to want revenge on somebody, but she sure looked capable now. Still, it might have been a trick. I decided to tread carefully.

"So, what exactly are you proposing?"

Sakura took a step forward closer to me, her jaw firmly set. "I want to be responsible for those traitors' blood on my hands. I promise to do everything you say from now on."

My eyes searched every inch of her face for any traces of lies or uncertainty, but they found none. "You want to be an Akatsuki member now?"

She nodded once. "I'll even wear the coat." She was serious.

"Maybe not now, but you will soon. By the time we launch the attack, you'll be a force to be reckoned with. But Sakura, are you sure you want to do this? I swear, you can leave now, and none of us will come searching for you."

She reached out one hand and twisted it until her fingers were cupping my cheek. "I'm not the little girl I used to be, Sasuke. I can do this, I promise."

Although I was still wary about all of this, I knew that Sakura was too stubborn to change her mind any time soon. "Alright then. Let's go back home and resume your training tomorrow, okay?" (There I went again, calling the hideout "home")

A breath-taking smile lit her face as she let out a quick, "Thank you, Sasuke!" before hugging me impulsively. I froze right away, not sure how she wanted me to react before I relaxed and simply returned the embrace. Things had gotten too complicated recently.

Can you see this, Itachi? I'll finally get revenge for your death, and I'll have her by my side.

The room was too quiet when Sakura and I returned from our meeting with Madara. Sakura had told the leech that she would now willing work for him, but only as long as he did not try anything like last month's fiasco on her ever again. With that out of the way, we started planning our ambush on Konaha. But when the hours grew late and Sakura began to dose off, we decided to meet again on another day. I guessed it was just her sleepiness, but she had not spoken a word since we left, which was an oddity by itself.

I gently laid Sakura onto my bed, trying not to jostle her too much. She always looked so innocent when she slept; no matter what horrible things she did or had seen. That little twelve-year-old who once drove me crazy would slip out, and I would foolishly pray for those sweet days once again.

"Sasuke?" she whispered as I sat down on the floor that had been my sleeping spot for the past month.

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Can I kill Naruto?" Her voice, so calm and lovely, spoke words that were quietly horrifying.

"Umm, actually Sakura, I don't think that's a good idea. It's best to leave the Tailed-Beast to me. But you can have Hinata if you like."

"And Tsunade?"

"Yours for the taking."

The bed squeaked as Sakura jumped out of it and onto me. "Yay! Thank you so much, Sasuke!" And without a second thought, she pressed her soft, rosy lips to my cheek. A blush covered both of our faces as we realized what had just happened. "Oh, uh, yea. I-I'm going to go to b-bed now," she mumbled, embarrassed as she returned to the mattress. "Thanks again, Sasuke."

My fingers brushed over my face, treasuring the tingling sensation that she had left behind. "No problem."

"Night."

"Hm."

Naruto sat up right in his sleeping bag. A cold sweat broke out across his muscular body, and he breathed as if he had been running.

"Naruto? Are you okay?" a soft, familiar voice asked from the dark beside him.

It took Naruto a few seconds to gather his surroundings: the mountain range that made up the Land of Lightning. He and Hinata were sent to do a little scouting up in the rarely visited country and ask for help concerning the war that was soon to erupt due to the Akatsuki. Lady Tsunade's plan was to transfer all of the children, regular town-folk, and important documents from Konaha to the rural mountains for safety. Far away, yes, but the Akatsuki would never think to come there. It was also a good reason to keep Naruto doing mindless work as he prepared to battle against his closest friend. Hinata was thrown in as an added bonus for plan "keep Naruto busy so he doesn't go looking for the Akatsuki".

"I'm fine Hinata. Just-"

"Another nightmare? Naruto, you should be taking better care of yourself. If you don't get a proper night's sleep, you won't be as strong. Your health is really important right now," she said quietly.

"I'm strong enough already!"

"Jiraiya would hit you if he heard you say that," Hinata giggled.

Naruto could not help but smile at that. She was right; Jiraiya would have beaten him to a pulp by now. "Yeah. Man, I miss him."

Hinata instantly consumed him a gracious hug that she always gave him whenever she saw the usual signs of depression coming on. And that was happening more and more lately, whether it was because of Jiraiya, Konaha, Sasuke, Sakura, or the combination of all of it. But no matter the reason, Hinata was always there to make him feel loved. "And if you don't start taking care of yourself more, then I'm going to miss you! Do you want that, Naruto Uzumaki?"

The blonde grinned, wrapping his arms around the girl's waist. "Hmm, you'd really miss me, Hinata-chan?"

Blushing, she nuzzled his neck with her forehead. "Of course, silly. Everyone would because they love you."

"So, does that mean you love me?"

There was momentary pause as Hinata fought down the shy girl she used to be. "Wasn't it painfully obvious?"

Naruto blinked a few times in shock. "No…I had no idea…" Darkness filled his eyes as he looked off into the distance. He gently pushed her away and whispered, "I'm sorry, Hinata. This feels…wrong, like I'm betraying Sakura. I shouldn't have asked you that. It wasn't fair to your feelings."

"N-Naruto…" was all she could come up with.

"I really am sorry…I have to go." He quickly stood up darted into the collection of evergreen trees that covered the mountain.

Hinata simply sat there, starring off into the distance, for an hour before gathering their things and following him. Snow began to fall from the midnight sky, melting and mingling with her hot tears as she tried not to compare herself to Sakura. There was no way she could.

A/N: Finally, I finished this chapter! Sorry about the inconsistency, guys. I'm getting more and more lazy as I get older! (I'm only fifteen-years-old…)

Thoughts? Comments? Leave me a message so I can be a better writer! Thanks! :3