Kiss The Rain

A/N: It would seem that the writers block is over, so let's milk it all for what its worth, shall we. Please enjoy and remember to read and review.


~!~

He stared at his reflection in the lake for several moments before throwing the rock that he held tightly in his hand. His reflection disappeared, but his unease remained. It was nearly two months since his heart’s sister had been taken by his enemy and now, he was not sure if she was ever going to return to him.

After all, Akatsuki never kept a prisoner alive this long, and despite how strong she was or that Itachi-bastard might not hurt her; he knew that the other freaks in that organization held no such qualms. In fact, he had already run several scenarios across his mind about what that weird shark-man could do to his precious Sakura and there was nothing he could do to help her.

In the two months that she had been gone, Tsunade baa-chan had made several teams for gathering intelligence on the Akatsuki and so far, none of them had returned with any sort of new information. That was why baa-chan had decided to let his ero-sennin leave for the village hidden in the rain in hopes of finding the information they so badly needed.

He knew that there was always a possibility that one of his precious ones would be killed in battle, but Sakura was a different story. While he had given up on her returning his love, he had settled into another kind of relationship with her that was even more fulfilling than if she had agreed to be his girl. Now, he did love his Hinata, but knowing that his Sakura was out there with the enemy made his blood run cold. He would not rest until she was back by his side.

With that thought, Naruto turned and began to make his way to the training ground. He needed to be in top form when he finally went and collected his sister from those bastards.


~!~

“Sasuke is becoming a problem.” Tsunade announced, her honey-colored eyes narrowing at the man before her. “I want you to keep him busy.”

Kakashi nodded and calmly asked, “Has there been any further word about Sakura?”

Tsunade sighed and sat back in her chair. “No.” She replied flatly. “As you know, Jiraiya has gone to rain in an attempt to discover more about the Akatsuki. Apparently, the last time we were in rain as a team, he had taken to a group of kids whom he felt that he needed to care for, at least until they could defend themselves. He is going to try and find one of those kids to see if they know anything about the Akatsuki. For our sakes, as well as Sakura’s, I hope that he is successful.”


~!~

A knock upon his door caught his attention. When it opened, his narrowed eyes softened and be beckoned her to enter. As she moved, he noticed that her lips were pressed into a thin line and he wondered what could have caused her such annoyance.

Before he could ask what had vexed her so, she said, “Our former master has returned to rain. Apparently, he is sniffing out information regarding us and Itachi’s female. Should I intercept him?”

He sat back and folded his hands in his lap. So, Jiraiya-sensei had returned. His newest master would not be pleased if the toad sage managed to discover his true identity or the location of the base.

“Go to him, but do not fight him, Konan.” He ordered, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “I will be watching and will step in should the situation become aggressive.”

She bowed and turned. However, before she could open the door, she felt him wrap his hand around her wrist and then allowed his other hand to cup her chin and move it so that she were looking up into his eyes.

“Do not take any unnecessary chances with him.” Pein warned. “He may be our former master, but now, he is our enemy and we will not give him the chance to discover what we are planning. Do you understand?”

She nodded and watched as a small smile crossed his lips. He bent forward and allowed his lips to brush across the soft skin of her forehead before stepping back and allowing her to leave his office. When she was gone, he turned and walked to the huge window that overlooked the village in the rain.

“Now, Jiraiya-sensei, let us see which is stronger: the master or the pupil.”


~!~

She cried out and clutched her side as the man before her grinned. It had been nearly a month since she was able to fully heal herself from Pein’s attack and now, the other Akatsuki had been ordered to get her into fighting shape.

“Is that all you got, yeah?” Deidara purred as his grin widened. He watched as she moved into a defensive position and when he attacked, she completely changed her stance and disappeared before his eyes. Before he could raise his defense, she appeared behind him and allowed her kunai to rest at the skin of his throat before bringing her soft lips to his ear. “For you, it’s enough.” She whispered, the heat from her breath causing a shiver to run down his spine. He could feel her leg tightening around his and knew how they looked to the others. Sakura was coiled around him like a python and he just knew that in a few moments, Kisame would probably make some sort of crude comment about it, especially since her calf had encircled his thigh and was holding his leg tightly. Any movement and his groin would come into contact with her calf, and that would probably cause him quite a few more problems.

Kisame chuckled as he held up his hand and called out, “That’s enough.” He glanced over at his partner to find Itachi’s eyes narrowed upon the intimate way Sakura’s and Deidara’s bodies were pressed together.

Sighing, Kisame motioned for Sakura to let Deidara go and when she did, the blonde man quickly straightened up and righted his clothing; however, when he glanced up and saw Itachi’s eyes narrowed upon him, he knew that the sharingan user had seen just how much the pink-haired girl had affected him.

Taking a deep breath, he looked over his shoulder and watched as Sakura put away her kunai. She wasn’t the most beautiful of women, but she did hold something about her that caught a man’s attention. It could be a combination of her looks and spirit, but the fact that she managed to capture the Uchiha’s attention told him that she was a diamond in the rough.

It also told him that she was not on the market and should any other male try, they would find themselves at the end of the Uchiha’s kunai at the very least. Either that or they would be subjected to the mangekyo, and after experiencing it once, he was pretty sure that he never wanted to experience it again.

Kisame moved over to where Sakura was and leered down at her. “Well, at least you didn’t make a fool out yourself, princess.” He jeered. However, his smirk was wiped off his face when she turned to look at him and snapped, “Well, at least I didn’t trip over my own feet, fall flat on my ass, only to hear a sharp rip when my bottom hit the ground. By the way, I thought the little fish on your boxers were very cute and a little disturbing.”

He clenched his jaw and was about to tell her just where she could take her opinion, but Itachi came up beside him and quietly said, “You have done well. Deidara will escort you back to your room so that you may clean up before the evening meal.”

Nodding, she glanced over at Kisame, who was still fuming over her comment and winked saucily at him. His growl vibrated over the training field as Deidara quickly led Sakura out of their sight. Once she was gone, Kisame tilted his head back and allowed a vicious howl escape his throat.

When he finally quieted down, Itachi calmly asked, “Do you feel better?”

“I’d feel a lot better if the leader would let me kick her ass.” Kisame grumbled and then sighed. “I don’t get it. Why doesn’t he just let her go? We don’t need her fucking up our plans, yet he is insistent on keeping the little pain in the ass around.”

“He is going to use her against Konoha.” Itachi murmured as he closed his eyes. “In fact, I believe that the reason why he keeps having her train with Deidara is so that she will be comfortable enough with him to be his partner.”

Kisame whistled. “Are you okay with that?” He asked, his tone lowering. “I know that you watch over her, so are you going to be okay with her working with Deidara?”

“It does not matter if I am comfortable with Sakura being partnered to Deidara.” Itachi replied, his eyes opening and narrowing as he stared at the entrance of the base. “The decision has been made and I will abide by it.”

Kisame watched as his partner walked towards the entrance. Taking in a deep breath, he followed the younger man and wondered if he wanted to be around when Itachi finally dropped his aloof facade and started to act on his obvious desire for the girl. While others may be fooled by Itachi’s indifferent attitude, he was not. Scent never lied and it was clear in Itachi’s scent that he wanted the girl. The only question was: Did he want her to sate his lust or did he want her for keeps?

Either way, any other male who got between them would probably wish for a quick death.


~!~

Sakura sighed as she walked out of the bathroom and over to the bed. Dressing quickly, she left the room and made her way to the dining hall, where she knew everyone else would be seated. Ever since she healed her injuries, she was made aware that she was being watched and that if she should step out of line, Pein would make her last injuries seem like a sweet dream.

Remembering that last beating kept her well-behaved. However, she was constantly looking around, looking for anything she could use against the Akatsuki. But, to her great disappointment, she had not come across anything that would give her leverage against the organization.

When she entered the dining hall, she noticed that everyone, with the exceptions of Zetsu and Konan, were present. Once she sat down beside Deidara, Pein motioned for everyone to begin eating. The first thing that she noticed was that Tobi kept looking up at her and when her eyes met his, he gave her a friendly wave and said, “Zetsu has requested that Tobi look after his greenhouse and Tobi was wondering if you would like to help Tobi?”

Taking in a deep breath, Sakura gave a little nod. Anything she could do to avoid returning to that room would be a blessing. Tobi gave a satisfied nod and returned to his dinner and she could not help but smile. The mess that he made when eating put Naruto’s mess to shame.

Itachi noticed that Sakura’s bright eyes dulled as she watched Tobi. He knew that she was probably thinking of Konoha and he knew that with every day that passed, a small part of her crumbled away into the darkness.

He had only felt regret a couple of times in his life and he could honestly say that removing her from her home was now included in those times. But, he had to face facts. He could do nothing to change the current situation and he could only hope that for her sake, Sakura continued to prove herself worthy of the leader’s attentions.


~!~

“Tobi likes it in here.” Tobi said cheerfully. He and Sakura had spent nearly an hour going over Zetsu’s greenhouse and watered all of the plants within. Once the plants had been watered, Sakura sat down on a bench and sighed. Tobi joined her moments later.

Nodding, Sakura replied, “It is quite pretty here.”

Tobi turned his masked face towards her and said, “Zetsu-san worked very hard on this greenhouse. It is where he conducts most of his experiments with poisons.”

“Is Zetsu aware that you are telling me all of this?” Sakura asked. It seemed odd to her that any shinobi, even a very friendly one such as Tobi, would tell his comrade’s secrets to an enemy. Tobi, however, appeared unfazed.

“Tobi is only speaking the truth.” He murmured happily. “It was Zetsu-san who said that Tobi could invite you to help him.” He watched as Sakura inclined her head in acceptance and then looked away. He noticed that her shoulders were relaxed and he tilted his head towards her.

“You miss Konoha.” He stated, his tone matter-of-fact. “Tobi can’t remember his real home, but Tobi has found that this home makes him happy.”

Taking in a deep breath, Sakura quietly replied, “You want to be here, Tobi, but I don’t. I don’t belong here and I can’t help Akatsuki destroy Konoha. I am not a traitor nor am I going to simply roll over and do what I am told. If your leader thinks that he is going to dictate what I am and am not going to do, well, I suppose that I’d better be ready for another beating.”

She felt Tobi’s hand cover hers and noticed that his hand was considerably larger. “Tobi would never let anyone hurt you, Sakura-chan!” He exclaimed. “If leader-sama wants to hit somebody, he can hit Tobi. No one should be made to do something that they don’t want to do and if you don’t want to attack Konoha, then don’t do it.”

Despite herself, Sakura grinned and then shook her head. It was clear to her that this young man didn’t know just how vicious his leader could be. However, it was still nice that he was offering to protect her. For the first time since being brought to this cold, damp place, she felt as though she had a friend. A weird, childish, and slightly unnerving friend.


~!~

When Tobi left her at the door to her room, she watched as the young man bounced down the halls as he whistled a merry tune. Shaking her head, she opened the door to her room and found Itachi sitting in the chair beside her bed. He glanced up from the book he had been reading and tilted his head in her direction.

“I believe that you and I are long over-due for a discussion.” He murmured and motioned for her to close the door. “You deserve to know what really happed on that night and I am going to give you the answers.”

Sakura stared at him for a moment and then slowly made her way to the chair that was sitting across from him. She watched as he moved his chair so that he could rest his elbows on the small table and waited for her to get comfortable. When she was finally settled, his red eyes faded and she found herself staring into the darkest eyes she had ever seen.

When she was settled, he laced his fingers together and rested his chin upon them. At first, he was quiet and then he softly said, “What I am going to tell you is going to require you to be open-minded. As a medic, you are taught that there are certain limitations that a person’s body can take. What I am going to tell you is going to rip apart everything that you have been taught and ask that you have faith in what I tell you.”

When she silently nodded, he took in a deep breath and calmly said, “I am going to tell you about a man from the Uchiha clan who defied the laws of death. His name was Uchiha Madara and he was the ultimate reason for my clan’s destruction.”


~!~

Tobi entered his room and allowed his posture to straighten. He calmly strolled over to his bed and sat down upon it and removed his sandals. He thought back to the conversation he had with Sakura and began to snicker.

How easy it will be to bend her to his will. He would gain her trust and when he felt that she was completely vulnerable to him, he would use her to destroy those who had defied him. Then, he would be able to see the youngest Uchiha’s strength for himself. He would put Sakura up against Sasuke and finally see if the boy’s rage would be enough to satisfy his blood-thirsty desires. And, the best part of all would be to see Itachi’s greatest failure come to fruition.

Itachi would fail in his endeavor to protect his little brother from him and he would take great delight in rubbing Itachi’s nose in that fact right before he killed him.


~!~

Kisame and Deidara were sitting across from each other. Both men were silent and finally, Deidara sighed and placed his cards on the table. “I’m out.” He declared and watched as the larger man grin before reaching out and sliding the chips towards his pile.

Several seconds went by and Deidara finally decided to ask what he had been wondering for a long time. “The Uchiha wants the medic, doesn’t he?” He asked. “He is always watching her and glared at me earlier, yeah.”

“That’s because the two of you were too close.” Kisame replied and started to shuffle the cards again. “It doesn’t help that she had her leg wrapped around you nor did it help that you popped wood because of it.”

Deidara’s face reddened and he took in a deep breath. It wasn’t his fault, damn it! Glaring over at the shark, Deidara snapped, “If he is so into her, why doesn’t he go after her then, yeah?”

“He won’t.” Kisame replied as he began to deal out the cards. “Itachi won’t get close to her because he doesn’t need any kind of distractions. His main priority is to this organization and he can’t allow himself the luxury of any kind of relationship, especially with a female whom invokes these kinds of reactions out of him.”

Deidara snorted and slumped in his seat. He picked up his set of cards and casually said, “You know that they are going to be putting her with me, yeah.”

Kisame looked up and narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, I know.” He said.

“I have to wonder what the Uchiha would do if he thought that me and my new partner will be sharing close quarters all alone, yeah.” Deidara said, smirking.

“Let me give you some friendly advice.” Kisame murmured as he leaned forward in his chair. “When she is trusted enough to leave with you, keep it in your pants and keep her from harm. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with Itachi again and unlike the pink nightmare, you don’t have the ability to escape from the mangekyo.”

Deidara cringed at the mention of Itachi’s favorite technique, but then smiled. “Wouldn’t you be interested to see just how far he would go for her?” He asked and watched as the shark’s eyes widened a bit. “I mean, if he is this protective now, what will he be like if he saw Sakura and I getting closer, yeah.”

Kisame snorted. “Do as you like.” He muttered, his eyes trained on his cards. “But, don’t come crying to me when Itachi rips out your intestines and uses them as a jump rope.”

Deidara grinned. Finally, a way to pay Itachi back for forcing him to join Akatsuki had arrived. He watched as Kisame discarded the cards he didn’t want and did the same to his own hand. When Kisame dealt the new cards and both men put in their chips. Finally, Kisame smirked and laid down his hand and Deidara groaned. This was just not his day.


~!~

Jiraiya stood in the middle of the village and looked around. He knew that he was being followed and decided to make his way to the edge of the village, just in case the one following him decided to engage him in a fight.

Once he felt that he was far enough away from the civilians, he turned and found himself looking at a young woman. He would have known her even if she didn’t have that paper flower in her hair.

“Konan.” He called and watched as she slowly looked him over. “I’m surprised to see you wearing Akatsuki colors, but then again, I suppose anything is possible, isn’t it?” He asked.

Konan tilted her head a bit and replied, “It was foolish of you to come here, sensei. Why have you come into our territory?”

Jiraiya looked around and narrowed his eyes. “Where is Yahiko and Nagato? I would have thought that they would have come with you.” He asked.

“They are here.” She replied and allowed her papers to form two massive wings upon her back. “I am the messenger of God, sensei. He does not want you here and you are being granted this one opportunity to leave with your life.”

“A messenger of God, eh?” He repeated, his hand coming up to rub his chin. “And, who is this God that you are referring to?”

“That would be me, sensei.” A masculine voice replied and when Jiraiya looked up, he found himself looking at six men who all had the same eyes as Nagato. Standing in the middle was Yahiko and Jiraiya’s eyes widened.

“Yahiko, what have you done with Nagato? Why do you have his eyes?” Jiraiya demanded.

The man with Yahiko’s face stepped forward and said, “I remember someone by the name of Yahiko, but that person is no longer alive. What you see is the extension of my power, sensei.”

Turning to Konan, Pein said, “Go back to the base. He has clearly made his choice and I will be the one to teach him the error of his decision.”

Konan slowly nodded and allowed her paper wings to surround her. Within seconds she was gone and the two men stared at each other, both sizing the other up. Finally, Pein allowed a grim smile to cross his lips.

“This has been a long time in coming. Now, let us see if you are powerful enough to defeat a god.” He said.