Shades of Grey

Chapter 50

Sakura battled the tears that threatened from her eyes as she raced through the trees. She desperately looked for any sign of Kisame and Itachi. All she really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry; both Uchiha males despised her. She took a deep breath and bottled all the feelings up. If she gave into them now, she was sure that she would self-destruct, and if she did the two partners could lose their lives.

Team 7 knew that she had been traveling with them, and chances were Akatsuki could as well. Sakura might not be as good a strategist as Shikamaru, but right now everything was screaming at her that they were walking into a trap. Odds were Pein himself would be waiting in whatever nasty hole they landed in, and she was desperate to stop it at any cost.

The kunoichi continued her frantic search both herself and the Kyuubi feeling for any trace of the partners to no avail. They had been able to get far enough and had their chakras suppressed to the point that they were both unable to detect them. She would not give up though because a part of her knew they would not make it to meet her at the inn.

"Calm yourself little one." The Kyuubi cautioned. "You are being followed; you must think."

"I know, you are right." Sakura internally sighed. "It is Deidara I felt him when you did. I just have to find a way to warn Itachi before I stop to face him."

"Your chakra is low from healing your team." The fox warned. "I am afraid that you will not have enough of your own to mix with mine for the whole battle."

Sakura did not respond; they both knew the situation was bleak. Suddenly an idea hit her, and her hands started flying through the signs of one of the jutsu that Yamato had given her without slowing her pace. Just as she was making the final hand sign, she hid her chakra and made a right, slowing only when she was sure she had lost the blonde for at least a moment. Quickly she rummaged through her pack marveling at the fact that for the moment she could see herself, but her enemy could not. Finally, she found the scroll that Sai had given her and a pen.

'Itachi Team 7 knew that I was traveling with you. I am worried that Pein might too. Abort the mission it could be a trap. I am being pursued by Deidara and have to get through him before I can hope to catch up to you. Chakra is low it may prove impossible. I am sorry'

Sakura had lied and she knew it. She made the hand sign necessary to cause her message to come to life and was pleased to see a small bird take shape. She watched until it took flight careful to remain unseen. Good it should reach the partners, but she knew even as she released the invisibility jutsu that she would not. She just had to make sure that the message reached them and try her damnedest to make sure they would be left with one less Akatsuki member to have to worry about.

"Kunoichi." Deidara greeted as his bird lowered to the forest floor. The trees made a poor battlefield on its back, not to mention he did not want to give her the chance to knock him off it. "We meet again."

"So, it would seem." She replied hiding behind the mask she had carefully crafted to hide herself from her former team.

"That's it?" The blonde smirked. "The last time you just couldn't seem to keep your mouth shut."

"Hn." She borrowed a phrase from Itachi and flicked her wrist to reveal the kunai that she had withdrawn while waiting for him. This time there would be no talking she would let the sun glinting from her blade speak for her.

"Boy did that Uchiha ever do a number on you." He laughed. "Who would have ever thought that he likes his women as boring as him? You two must have a blast in bed."

Sakura did not reply but instead called out the fox's chakra and used as little of her own as possible to mix with it before charging into battle.

"Damn woman, I guess you learned a few new tricks." A violent smirk grew on the mad bomber's face. "You really are full of surprises."

Sakura's response was to send her kunai flying at him forcing him to dodge. He was quick, but not quick enough to prevent a few blonde hairs from floating to the ground. Sakura allowed herself a smirk; twice now she had cut his hair.

"Sadistic bitch." Deidara hissed.

"You have no idea." The kunoichi purred taking pleasure in his anger. If she had to do this, if it was truly to be her final stand, then she was sure as hell going to enjoy it.

Deidara sent a few of his birds at her and his eyes widened when she batted them away with her chakra tail.

"Shit!" He was forced to dodge several kunai that she sent in his direction. The last one caught him in his left arm, and he did not miss the fact that it was one of the Uchiha's. Quickly he launched it back at her and was surprised to see her snatch it out of midair.

"Delicious." Sakura gave a wicked smile as she sniffed the blood that remained on the blade before returning it to her pouch. The Kyuubi loved the scent of blood and when she allowed his simmering rage to course through her so did she.

"Now that is art." The blonde grew excited.

"Don't get so worked up." The kunoichi chided. "It will do you no good."

"The hell it won't, yeah." Deidara sent more of his art after her. "I was supposed to bring you straight back to Pein, but I don't think that I will be following those orders. You are simply too interesting to waste like that. First, I am going to satisfy my curiosity, and then I am going to use you to destroy that bastard Uchiha."

"Trash like you could never hope to even touch Itachi." Sakura put on a brave front as she punched a tree and sent it falling in his direction. The truth was she knew this was almost over; her chakra was beginning to flicker.

"I don't have to lay a finger on him." He smiled wildly. He could feel her own chakra fading away; all he had to do was wait her out. "The things I do to you will destroy him from the inside out."

Sakura desperately hoped that his words would prove untrue. Itachi had been fine for years without her surely, he would survive no matter what happened. She was not worried about Deidara being the one to catch her; in the hands of the volatile artist Pein would never get his hands on Kurama.

She did not look forward to the torture that his sadistic mind would make her endure, but she was a ninja. She, like all shinobi, knew that each mission could well be their last. Her mind raced showing her images of all her precious people and her heart wished she could speak to them all just once again. In one final valiant effort she lifted the downed tree and managed to strike the blonde with it. Her chakra was exhausted halfway through the swing, but she ignored the pain long enough to follow through before falling to her knees.

"Got ya, yeah." Deidara smiled as he watched the kunoichi struggle to stand back up. It was hopeless, her own chakra had failed her, the nine tails angry red energy was too much for her body to withstand. "Give it up Sakura, I promise you when I kill you it won't be half as painful as this."

She tried to fight it, but she could not. Her skin felt like it was going to melt off her body, and she could not hold back the scream that tore from her lips. Finally, she could endure it no longer and harnessed the nasty power. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she hit the ground and she did not even feel the chakra restraints placed on her badly burned wrists.