Chapter 2

"What the hell do you want?" She spat, despite the obvious shaking of her hands and the nervous thudding of her heart.

A Rinnegan.

Here was a man who possessed the famed Rinnegan, one of the San Daidōjutsu, the Three Great Eye Techniques.

And from what she had read, the last Rinnegan wielder was the Sage of the Six Paths, long, long ago.

It was a legend.

"Your eyes are freaky." She finally squeaked, as the man took a step towards her.

The man blinked. Silence ensued as everyone waited for his response.

"Freaky...?" A silver haired man behind the group repeated, his voice incredulous.

Sakura immediately regretted what she said. It just slipped her mouth, swear! It was because his eyes are really freaky. Well, she had to admit, every time she and Neji met eyes, she can't help but think his eyes are an oddity. Same with Sasuke, with the Sharingan. They're both odd, but still beautiful to look at.

These, however are just plain... well, freaky.

Not to mention the purple colour clashed horribly with his hair.

And what the hell was with those piercings?

She's officially gone insane.

Booming laughter broke through the silence. The blond man holding her legs released her as he clutched at his stomach and pointed at the silent, freaky-eyed man, muttering incoherent words between wheezing laughs. She could hear Kisame sniggering behind her and the silver haired was the loudest, his guffaws filling the hallway as Sakura's eyes widen in shock.

"That―that was... I mean―"

"I think I like you, little girl." The loudest man said, a few snickers still escaping his lips, as he wiped at his eyes, "It's been a long time since I laughed so hard! And for that I won't kill you yet," he winked, amusement still dancing in his eyes.

Despite the weirdness of the situation, she flushed slightly red, but kept her eyes on the man in front of her, who kept his face stoic as he stared back at her.

"You are a powerful kunoichi , Haruno-san, to have defeated Sasori-sama and his puppets." His voice was calm but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. Or was it because of his Rinnegan?

"I wasn't the only one who fought him. I had help."

His eyes flicked once to the woman beside him. "Ah. The old kunoichi from Suna." Regarding her once more, he turned, seemingly exchanging silent words with the woman.

"A kunoichi with skills such as yours is highly needed in the village, Haruno-san." Sakura frowned at this, and Pein countinued. "You will understand once you see them. Of course, your chakra will be unsealed for the time being, but remember Haruno-san, you are still our captive so any foolish―"

"If you think for one second that I am going to heal any of you, you've got another thing coming," Sakura hissed, wrestling against the men holding her. "I refuse to help a single one of you, even if ―"

"Even if we could very well go back to your village and attack it, Haruno-san?" At this, Sakura stopped, eyes widening in horror. They wouldn't.. They would not ―

"A village for a village, Haruno-san. Heal the villagers of Ame, and your precious Konoha will be spared. However, I could not say the same for your Jinchuuriki friend." With his back to her he added, "He will come for you, Haruno-san. And when he does, we will do what we must."

Finally breaking free of their hold on her, Sakura closed the distance between her and the leader of Akatsuki. Her fist however, was caught by Itachi, who slid a few metres backward. Snapping her head up, her eyes met with the blood-red orbs of his Sharingan. Darkness welcomed her as she was brought back to her easily forgotten dreams once more.

She woke up the next morning lying on a bed. Sitting up, she cursed silently at the pounding on the side of her head. Looking around, she saw a different room from the one she was in last night. This one now had a window, to which she was glad for. Shaking her head slightly to ease the pain, she flung the covers aside. Stepping towards the opening, the scent of damp earth and rain met her nostrils. It was raining.

As if on cue, the door to the room opened, revealing the blue-haired woman from last night. She was carrying a stack of clothes on her arms, which she put on top of the small table to the right of the bed. Looking at her, face expressionless, "Best get ready, Haruno-san. Pein expects us to be at work in an hour, and I do think you would like some breakfast before we go."

Sakura frowned in response. "You talk as if I agreed to your terms."

Sighing, "You would rather let your village be destroyed?"

Clenching her fists, she replied. "No."

"Then it's settled." And she left without saying another word.

After taking a shower and changing into the clothes, she went downstairs, silently observing. There were four rooms in each of the third and second floor, all silent and doors closed, except for one room which was faintly emitting the smell of smoke.

Loud and booming voices met her ears as she descended the stairs. Following them, she could hear small popping sounds, chatting and the clatter of dishes. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine being back in Konoha, with Naruto and the rest of Konoha 11 having breakfast together.

A few steps away from the kitchen, she halted. Her chakra whirling, she had to consciously stop it from pouring towards her now clenched fists.

Sakura was not in Konoha. She was here, with Akatsuki, the men who had taken Gaara and killed him, who was now planning to kill Naruto and threatening to destroy her village.

She will get out. She will save Naruto, protect him as he had always done for her. Protect the village.

Exhaling the breath she didn't realized she was holding, she entered the kitchen.

The room went silent as she pulled a chair next to the blue haired woman, who poured her tea and offered her dangos, which Sakura refused.

After inconspicuously checking the tea and deeming it free of poison, she sipped her tea, all the while avoiding everyone's eyes.

Itachi sat across from her, with Kisame to his left. The blond man, who Sakura remembered being the one to taunt Naruto when they rescued Gaara was smirking slightly at her. The silver haired man who laughed at her last night was seated in a chair away from the table, his arm slung over the back of his chair eating dangos. Next to him was a man with his face covered, his eyes following her every move. They were already wearing their black cloaks, even this early in the morning.

The man seated to the right of the blue haired woman, stood up, went to Sakura and introduced himself. "Hi, Sakura-chaaaaaaaaan! My name is Tobi! Very nice to me―"

He was interrupted by Sakura slamming her cup hard down the table, making everything on the table jump.

Gritting her teeth, "Please don't call me that," she said as everyone looked at her.

It was as if this man was mocking her! That unusually cheery voice, calling her with that suffix…

"Don't call me that…" She repeated, eyes downcast.

"O-oh, so sorry, Sakura-cha―, I mean Sakura-san…" Tobi rubbed the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. "Uhm…"

"It is time for us to go, Haruno-san." The other woman in the room stood up and Sakura did the same. "Hidan, Kakuzu, you should get moving."

"But Konan! We just got back! Can't we rest for the day?" the silver haired man asked, running a hand through his hair.

"What we would only do is sit and watch, Hidan. Its guard duty. You won't even stretch a muscle." Kakuzu muttered.

Hidan made a face. "Heh, I'd rather sleep." Catching Sakura's eye, he grinned. "Sure hope, we'll see ya later, little girl! And don't try to run off, 'kay? I kinda like seeing a new face around here for a change."

Choosing not to reply, she followed Konan out. She waited as Konan went to retrieve something from the room next to the kitchen. When Konan returned, she was holding a black cloak in both of her hands, unmistakably the same one the woman is now wearing herself. Handing out the apparel to her and seeing the scandalous look in Sakura's eyes, she explained, "It's raining outside."

Hesitantly, she reached for the cloak. Satisfied when Sakura put it on, Konan smiled slightly at her. "Well let's go."

Out on the streets, with the dark skies and cold water relentlessly pouring over their heads, Sakura decided she hated the rain.

Well it wasn't called Rain Village for nothing.

Back in the academy, at her geography class, she could remember the lessons they had on Amegakure. It was that small patch of land, squished in the centre between the Four Great Villages. It was renovated more times than all the other villages put together.

When ninja wars happen, they make the Rain Village their battlefield.

Sakura eyed the rundown stores and stalls, but with an ample amount of goods. A lone old woman was sitting outside of her porch, with the overhang roof above her head keeping her safe from the downpour of rain. She smiled and nodded at Konan, who waved and smiled back, which made Sakura confused.

After passing by more houses and local eatery, they stopped at by far the biggest building in Ame, as far as Sakura had seen today. The building must have been built recently, as it stood gleaming with its white paint even under the rain. Several windows were lit and Sakura wasn't surprised to hear a subdued chatter punctuated by horrible coughs and moans coming from inside.

The hospital.

As soon as she stepped into the wooden floor of the building, Sakura was in her element. Her eyes immediately scanning over the patients sitting in what she supposed was the waiting area. Walking over to the nearest patient, who looked at her in surprise and alarm upon seeing the red clouds on her cloak. Ignoring his reaction, she put a hand the man's forehead, which was hot enough for Sakura to determine a deadly high fever.

A girl clutching a clipboard went up to them. "Konan-san!" she greeted. "What brings you here? Do you need anything?"

"Hikari," Konan nodded in greeting. "This is Sakura Haruno." She gestured to the pink haired girl behind her. "She will be helping with the patients today. She's a medical ninja."

Hikari gaped at Sakura, with the latter giving her a small smile. "Can I borrow a stethoscope and a thermometer please, Hikari?"

The girl rushed over to nearest shelf and grabbed the things Sakura requested. Handing them over to her, Sakura, in a manner she is accustomed to, put the thermometer to the young man's mouth and checked his heartbeat and breathing rate.

The heartbeat was normal, but the man's heavy breathing was enough to warrant a slight panic within Sakura. When the thermometer beeped, showing 39.6 degrees Celsius, Sakura was downright alarmed now.

"Sir, what is your name?"

"Masahiko." The man replied, coughing into his hand.

"Well, Masahiko, I'm Sakura, I will be your doctor for today." Sakura smiled at him. "Tell me, how do you feel right now?" she asked, running a doctor's once over as she spoke.

"I've been feeling just ill really, with the cough and muscle cramps."

"When did this start?"

"Just a little over three days ago. A lot of people have been getting sick lately," he paused, readying himself for another coughing fit, but nothing happened. Masahiko continued. "We all thought it was just the flu, with the rain and all.."

"That lump on your neck, how did you get that?" Sakura asked, noticing two bumps on the man's neck just under his left ear.

Masahiko slowly touched the bumps and winced. "At around the same time I guess. It's painful when you touch it."

"Do you have more of those or is that just two?"

"Um…" With her question, Masahiko lowered his head, and Sakura could see the tips of her ears burning red.

"It's okay, " Sakura assured him, patting his hand. "You can tell me, I'm a doctor."

Masahiko looked up at her seriously, as f contemplating whether to tell her or not. "I have two more on my upper thighs, andanotheroneonmyprivates." He said in a fast whisper Sakura almost didn't catch it.

Her eyes widened.

For the rest of the morning, Sakura went on and about, examining the patients who have been there longer. There were six who had been there for over a week. They are now vomiting blood, experiencing chills and had painful bumps that were mostly on their armpit, neck, legs, or for the men, the same as Masahiko.

Getting blood samples from the oldest patients and the newest, Sakura set on analysing them to determine the cause. She can now fairly say Amegakure was taken over by an epidemic, with less than 50 people now admitted to the hospital for the same illness, to which Sakura still has no name for.

After the second hour of poring over the data accumulated from the past week, Sakura leant back in her chair and yawned, covering her mouth. There had been similar cases like this, with the lumps, high fever, and cough, but there weren't any that has the patient vomiting blood. It couldn't be airborne, or the village may have been taken over in less than a week, so most likely the virus is spread on contact. If she were in Konoha, she would have known what this virus is by now.

Wait.

Flu-like symptoms. Muscle cramps. Painful bumps. Blood vomiting and experiencing chills.

Oh no.

Sakura remembered faintly, of an incident years ago of an epidemic caused by an unknown insect thriving on cold areas. It happened just a few months after the Land of Snow's 'spring' season ended.

It was Yukie Fujikaze's first crisis as the newly reinstated princess of the land.

The Korudo fly.

It was a cross between a fly and a mosquito, as it had the body form of a fly but the body size of a mosquito. It lives in cold areas, and mostly keeps to itself, but like a bee, strikes out when its home is threatened or destroyed. Its antennae is twice as long as its body, but it is so small and so alike a mosquito that unsuspecting humans won't even feel a thing when they're pricked.

It was included in the book 'Newly-discovered Species of the Era'. A few had been collected for study, but it had a short life span once exposed to a warm environment.

The insect could easily be taken care of. Its victims however…

A cure for the illness was never found. The victims couldn't be saved, but they found a way to finally kill off the insect for good. It is why the Land of Snow is now known as the Land of Spring.

Sakura had to find a way to save this people.

First things first though, she has to find the breeding ground and catch herself some insects for research.

She might need some help with that.