That's MY Book!

Disclaimer: No... I do not own Naruto. If I did... well, let's just say the viewers would probably kill me for waiting so long for the second episode. *smirks*
--------------------
Sakura stood there, shocked as the name stumbled from her mouth, "Za...Zabuza?"

He was dead. She remembered seeing him dead, laying right next to Haku. How could he...?

When did...? WHAT was going on!

"No masks or tricks here, kid." Zabuza said with a light growl, tugging at his cheek as if to prove his point, "This is me in the flesh. Though maybe I'm a little paler than what I used to look like. Near death can do that to you..."

As the kunoichi took in his words, her green eyes took in the forms of her knocked out comrades. Itachi was knocked out in a posture that looked suspiciously like he was bowing towards their campfire. Kakashi was half dressed beside her. And Gaara was strewn over a small log and- Wait...

Was that... was that his THUMB in his mouth?

Noticing that he didn't quite have the pink-haired chunnin's attention, Zabuza frowned a little as he asked aloud, "Hello...?"

But Sakura was too busy trying to get a better angle on Gaara.

'Was he... was he really sucking his thumb?' Sakura wondered in disbelief. Was the famous Kazekage, former unstable killer due to his traumatic past and being a demon container, sucking his thumb?

"Little girl?" Zabuza was starting to get irritated, making the mist ninjas around him a little nervous, "I'm talking to yo-"

"Shh!" Sakura hissed as she stepped a little closer to the maroon-headed Kazekage, still trying to see if her earlier suspicion was correct.

Underneath the mask he wore over his mouth, Zabuza's lip twitched. Did that kunoichi just... shush him? Did she just SHUSH him? Beside the black-haired jounin, his henchmen took another few steps back.

"I don't think she should've done that." One whispered to the other, earning a scalding glare from Zabuza.

Sakura was closer now as she crouched next to the Kazekage, her bangs trickling over her face as she studied the maroon-headed sand ninja. That's when she saw it. The slightest movement where Gaara's finger had just flicked over to something beside his face.
Thankfully Zabuza and his henchmen were on the other side of Gaara, so they couldn't exactly see any movement.

Sakura frowned, trying to find out what exactly the Kazekage was attempting to tell her as she stalled Zabuza by demanding, "Are they dead?"

Getting tired of the little kunoichi's antics, Zabuza growled, "No, they are NOT dead. My employer wishes to kill them himself."

Sakura's eyes finally tracked to what the Kazekage was pointing to.

It was... a pebble.

Sakura's eyes twitched ever so slightly.

"Curious as to who my employer is? Well, unfortunately for you, I cannot release information like that. Though if you stick around, you'll meet him VERY soon." Zabuza grinned, restraining his murderous intent as he reminded himself what his employer would do if he killed them.

Normally, Zabuza was very in control of himself. Especially back when he allowed Kakashi to beat the crap out of him in order to figure out the Copy-nin's weakness. He was VERY in control of himself.

Yet right now, at this very moment, this pink haired kunoichi was testing his limits like no other. Why did he allow her to trouble him so? Why had she tested his patience so easily? Why did she not seem as afraid as she should be?

And why was she picking up a pebble from the ground?

"Little girl-" He started to say, his breath hitched in anger.

But beside him, he felt his henchmen tense and one even had the gall to interrupt him, "Uh, suh-sir... that pebble is actually-"

"DO NOT interrupt me!" Zabuza snapped, the chords of his neck taut from the restraint he was placing over himself.

In the meantime, Sakura was staring pointedly at the pebble, then equally as pointedly at the Kazekage pretending to be knocked out in front of her.

Just WHAT in the world was she supposed to be doing with a pebble?

That entire, shouted question was what she tried to convey with just a steeled look that she sent to Gaara.

Still numbed from the small amount of tea he had swallowed, Gaara was having trouble focusing on the girl before him. But he DID remember that there was a VERY important reason that the kunoichi should NOT keep that pebble in her hand. A very, very, VERY important reason that he needed to remember or else-

Gaara interrupted himself midthought as his mouth rediscovered his thumb. Huh... interesting texture. This was better than just LOOKING at his hand. With that thought, the Kazekage closed his eyes as darkness descended on his heavy lids.

Sakura's eye twitched. Did he just...?

Did he just fall asleep!

"But sir-" The foolish mist nin was still arguing with Zabuza, "it's not just a normal pebble!"

"I don't CARE if it's a normal pebble or NOT! My employer may have limited me from killing them, but he certainly didn't say anything about not killing YOU!"

Ignoring the shoutings of the dangerous nins before her, Sakura brought the pebble closer to her face, trying to figure out what exactly was so special about it. Suddenly, her eyes widened.

A split second later, the whole section of forest in a twenty mile radius exploded in a shower of dirt and a bright flash of light. BOOM!

-o-o-o-o-o-

The mysterious ninja stepped into the cleared out section of the forest, his eyes flashing over the wreckage as a sneer of disgust grew on his face.

He spotted movement and headed towards a broken tree trunk. With no surprise going through him at all, the long-haired nin found Zabuza alive and well, even though his arm and leg were pinned.

"Zabuza..." The pale nin hissed.

Groaning, the mist nin opened his blood-crusted eyes, his gaze raking over the tall, lean form standing next to him. When he realized who it was, his eyes involuntarily widened, "I can explain-"

Hand snaking forward so fast it was a blur, the other shinobi grasped Zabuza by the neck, pulling him up forcefully as the broken trunks rolled off with a load crash. Zabuza winced as the pain struck like lightning through his very bones. But he knew better than to express his pain aloud. It just might make the other man want to make it more excruciating.

"I don't NEED your petty excuses!" The other man's eyes were flashing dangerously, tightening his grip on Zabuza's neck as he brought the bandaged man's face closer, "Just don't make me regret allowing you to live... yet again..."

That said, he released the slowly choking man, his arms folded as he walked back into the shadows of the forest.

Coughing, Zabuza touched his neck where the other man's cold hand had just been, straightening his hunched over form on the ground.

Eyes narrowing as he glared at the spot where the other ninja had disappeared, Zabuza growled out, "... of course..."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Itachi woke up for the second time that morning, his sharingan eyes narrowed as he took up a defensive posture.

They were in an Inn room, that was for sure. What with the second rate furniture and the sparse decor. Itachi was used to such... luxuries...

Gaara was in the other bed, sitting indian-style with his gourd beside him, obviously meditating. But what the Uchiha was trying to figure out was why he had woken up for the SECOND time that morning. What could possibly have-

Then he spotted a particularly irritated silver-haired shinobi sitting on a chair before him.

Before Itachi could bring himself to demand what had happened, Kakashi beat him to it, "If you even DARE to touch a single hair on Sakura's head AGAIN I will personally-"

"Why would I even THINK about-"

"You mumbled something about her hair being FIRE or something." Kakashi growled, his eye twitching, "And then you-"

"I would rather not relive the experience." Gaara said, his voice curt yet polite.

When Itachi glared sideways at the sand nin, Gaara looked as if he hadn't spoken at all, his eyes still closed and his posture ever perfect and non-moving. Turning his attention back towards the silver-haired Copy nin, Itachi snapped out arrogantly, "Why would I even think about tou-"

"Do you want me to repeat the painfully satisfying way I knocked you into near oblivion?" Kakashi growled, sitting on the edge of his seat as if Itachi would readily agree to such a request.

That's when Itachi noticed his pounding headache and the way his skin felt as if they'd been pummeled by rocks in a violent sea storm. Glaring into the uncovered ebony eye of an extremely irritated Kakashi, Itachi noted the pain was like he'd been in a very, very, VERY violent sea storm.

Wisely, Itachi decided to scour his pride and keep his mouth shut. He wasn't in a state to take on the Copy nin and win unscathed.

Noticing the way Itachi kept sullenly silent, Kakashi dejectedly returned to a bored posture slumped over his chair. He had really wanted another excuse to beat the crap out of the younger shinobi.

Gaara, on the other hand, decided to note aloud, "She's back."

A moment later the door swung open, the kunoichi's face hidden by the pile of objects in her arms.

Stepping into the room, hands full of food, Sakura thanked Kakashi as he strolled over to help her with her burden. With an icy glare sent towards Itachi, Sakura went over to sit on Gaara's bed, allowing herself to relax slightly.

Itachi was curious as to what exactly he had done, but felt no urge to voice anything aloud.

Kakashi, on the other hand, stated, "I still don't understand how you were able to get all three of us out of there."

"Well," Sakura declared proudly as Kakashi laid the food on the small table near the window, "some say I can be as strong as Tsunade when I want to be."

Smiling at her through his black mask, Kakashi shot a glance towards the sullen Uchiha on the other bed, "But did you have to bring HIM?"

Besides his eye twitching, Itachi made no other show of just how deeply Kakashi aggravated him.

"Well, I couldn't possibly carry all three of you, so I had to make a sacrifice and drag one of you on the ground." Sakura said, her face thoughtful.

Half of Itachi's face twitched. So THAT was why the pores of his skin felt clogged? And why he smelled earth and dirt with every breath!

Itachi's red swirling eyes spun in slight jerks, the loud thought running through his head, 'Must... KILL...'

That's when he caught the slightest movement from Gaara. In a moment, his eyes were covered with sand, a calm voice speaking from beside him, "I suggest that you remember why you are here. Why we are ALL here, Itachi, before you decide to act rashly..."

Itachi's lip twitched, 'Must... remember the mission... must suppress urge to kill...'

"Aw, Gaara. You missed." Kakashi drolled, his voice tinted with disappointment, "You're supposed to cover his mouth and nose as well. At least, only until he stops breathing."

Itachi clenched his jaw, 'Must also make note... to KILL the Copy nin later...'

"Would you three just CALM down?" Sakura sighed shrilly.

"I am calm." Gaara stated.

"Yeah, whatever." Sakura relented before leaning back on her arms, her green orbs taking in the sight of the three weary shinobi. She was tired too. But who wouldn't be after dragging three drugged idiots through the brush to the nearest Inn?

Gaara slowly released the sand from Itachi's eyes, which only allowed Kakashi and Itachi to openly glare at eachother, as if stabbing the other shinobi with their eyes alone.

"ANYWAY..." Sakura said loudly, getting their attention, "Now that I've saved all your butts, would someone please explain to me just WHAT this mission is about?"

Her eyes had been closed when she had spoken, but when she recieved no answer, she opened them, "Guys...?"

And she was shocked with the sight of three very tired, very HUNGRY notorious shinobi wolfing down the food she had brought, making Sakura almost feel sorry for the table the food had been placed upon.

At least, she would have felt sorry if she hadn't been overcome by a large wave of anger.

Multiple veins popping across her forehead, Sakura went slowly towards the table, each stomp of her foot shaking the entire Inn itself.

Too late, Kakashi realized just who Sakura was aiming for when he suddenly found his ear caught in an iron-clad grip.

"Ow... ow, ow, ow, ow..." Kakashi repeated aloud in pain as Sakura dragged him away from the food, "Oh, come on... Sakura. Don't be so stingy. I'm HUNGRY."

"You can eat AFTER you tell me what we're all doing here." Sakura said, arms crossed as she released Kakashi and glared at his pouting eye.

Tired with her yapping, Itachi sighed as he revealed bluntly, "We're going to rid the world of Orochimaru and the threat he poses to the Hidden Villages..."

"AND...?" Gaara stated.

Flashing an annoyed glance towards the Kazekage, Itachi grumbled, "And... to the... Akatsuki..."

Sakura blinked.

The other three shinobi men leaned in as they awaited her reaction, their breaths held.
They expected anger. Disbelief. SOMETHING...

But they didn't expect to be looking at a pink-haired kunoichi doubled over with laughter.

"Hahah hah haha HA!" Sakura threw her head back, eyes crazed.

Sighing, Kakashi sprawled on the bed, "We've lost her..."

"Haha! HAHAHA! HA HA HAHAHA!" Sakura continued to laugh, oblivious to the talk around her as she doubled over, hands clutching her sides.

"What do you mean?" Itachi demanded, unconsciously taking a step back from the hysterically laughing young woman before him, "What's... wrong with her?"

Eyes tearing at the sides, Sakura stumbled blindly over to the table, accidentally breaking it as she continued laughing, "HAHA! HAHA! HA HA HAHAHA!"

"THIS is going to take a while..." Kakashi mumbled, his gaze lazily inspecting the ceiling.

"What...?" Itachi looked around, confused.

But Gaara was already back in his meditating pose, his sand swirling slowly around him in case the uncontrollable little kunoichi slammed into him in her mad laughter.
Stepping wisely away from Sakura, Itachi sat on the window sill and did one of the things he excelled at.

He waited.
---------------------
A/N: Yupp... that took forever to get out. But it finally is. I wonder if anyone is still interested.