The Monster Within Me

Chapter 18: Mission With A Robot

"I don't like that girl." Kakuzu said, counting his money. "I know, right?" Sakura, Suigetsu and Jugo said all at the same time. "I'll take Koori to his room." Sakura said. "Let me. I heard Orochimaru-sama call for you." Suigetsu said, taking Koori from Sakura. "I thought it was Kabuto-san?" Jugo said. "I should be going then. See ya." Sakura said, walking out. "See ya, Kakuzu." Suigetsu said, grinning as he walked of with Jugo. Kakuzu sighed as he continued counting. "Such troublesome bunch." He said to himself.

Sakura knocked three times on Orochimaru's door. A few seconds later, a come in was heard. She opened the door only to see Pein and Kabuto beside Orochimaru and Itachi beside Pein.

"You called for me, uncle?" Sakura asked, eyeing Pein. "I did, Ssssakura-chan. Pein-kun and I were planning to send you on a mission with Itachi-kun. But Kabuto-kun isss against it." Orochimaru said, massaging his temples.

Sakura twitched upon hearing this. "Even I'm against doing a mission with a robot." She mumbled to herself. "Well, you did leave me in Kabuto's hands, didn't you?" Sakura asked Orochimaru. "Sssseems like I forgot. Very well then. Kabuto, you're going with them." Orochimaru said, making Kabuto and Pein look at him in shock. 'It's only a two man cell!' They thought.

"Very well, your mission is to get rid of the group of assassins near the rice village and to protect our client." Pein said, getting over the fact that Orochimaru broke one rule of the mission. "Hai." Itachi, Sakura and Kabuto said. "Return as soon as the mission ends. You leave as soon as possible. Dismissed." Pein said.

Sakura entered her room only to see Koori sitting on her bed, readnig a medical book. "Interested in medicine?" Sakura asked as she put scrolls in her pouch. "Yes. I still have a lot to learn before learning actual healing though." Koori said, grinning like a maniac as he read through the book.

"I'll teach you the basics of it once I return but you should be ready by that time though. Practice chakra control and try to perfect it. What do you say?" Sakura said, grinning as she stood up ready to go. "Thank you Sakura-nee!" Koori said, ecstatic about it.

"See ya, I'll be back soon." Sakura said, walking towards the door. "Good luck, Sakura-nee! Come back alive!" Koori said. "Of course I'll be back alive, stupid!" Sakura said, hitting Koori over the head with a vein popped on her forehead. "You better!" Koori said pouting as he rubbed his head. "Yeah, I promise, see ya~" Sakura said as she walked out the door only to see Kabuto waiting for her outside.

"Shall we go?" Kabuto asked, smiling. "Yeah, don't wanna arrive late." Sakura said, grinning, and so the two walked towards the exit, only to see Itachi patiently waiting for them. "Did we keep you waiting?" Sakura asked, receiving herself a hn from the Uchiha.

Sakura ignored this and started running towards the rice village with the two guys hot on her trails. "Among the borders of the village." Itachi stated. Kabuto nodded. "Take care of Sakura-chan." Kabuto said smiling as he ran towards the other way.

With that Sakura and Itachi casually walked into the village. They came upon a worn out building and saw a guy in a robe. "Did you get rid of them?" The guy asked. "Hn, Kabuto is up to it." Itachi stated. The guy in the robe nodded. "I need you to escort me towards the other side of the village." The guy in a robe said. A few meters away Itachi suddenly took out a shuriken and threw it among the bushes.

A few seconds later, a group of armed ninjas jumped out. "Hand over the guy and we will leave you be." One of them said. "Is that a threat?" Sakura asked as she put on her gloves. "We'll take that as a no." One of them said, yet again, but this time they took no hesitation to attack.

One of the ninjas took a hold of his katana and attacked Sakura. Itachi took his own kunai and blocked the katana. Sakura thanked Itachi and sent a ninja a few trees back. A few minutes later, all the attackers laid unmoving infront of Sakura and Itachi. Their client a few feet back. "Shall we get going?" Sakura asked, smiling. Their client nodded as they continued on their merry way.

To Be Continued...