The Girl They Never Saw [Completed]

Chapter 21 ~ Cracking Ice

      "Yesterday, I killed. Today, I have killed and will kill again. Tomorrow, I will kill. That is the life of a shinobi." -Sakura Haruno

      "Welcome back Saku-" Deidara's voice died when he looked into her eyes. They were blank, empty, dead.

      Sakura Haruno pushed past the blonde, never even noticing him, and slammed the door to Pein's office open. "We need to talk." Was all Deidara heard, and then the door was forcefully closed behind her.

      The orange haired head of the Akatsuki stared at the pinkette speculatively. "Where is Itachi?" He asked, already suspecting the answer.

      "Dead. At his brother's hand." Sakura informed him coldly.

       Pein had been expecting that when he sensed her chakra return alone, but it was still a bitter blow. "That is...unfortunate. He was a valueable asset to our organization."

      Sakura raised her head, and some of the old fire was back in her eyes. "Unfortunate?!" She screamed. "Valueable asset?! Do you hear the words that are coming out of your mouth right now?!" She sucked in a sharp breath of air and continued. "Itachi is irreplaceable! No one ever got me like he did, and now no one ever will!" She jabbed a finger at him. "And all you can say is that he was an asset."

      Pein folded his hands. "Sakura, I understand that you're upset but-"

      "Upset?! Upset doesn't even begin to cover it!"

      "But Itachi is replaceable. To the Akatsuki anyway." He continued, unperturbed by her interruption. "He was a genjutsu specialist." He studied her carefully. "Much like you yourself as fate would have it." He nodded to himself, ignoring the pinkette's growing fury. "You have yet to be assigned a role in the Akatsuki, correct?" He didn't wait for her to answer, and continued. "So you can take his place."

      Sakura couldn't formulate a response at first. "If you think for one moment," She hissed finally. "That I will be content to sit back and just be okay with things?" She drew in a breath. "Guess again." She stormed out of his office without another word.

      Pein sighed and summoned Konan. "Sakura Haruno is leaving the Akatsuki." He informed her.

      Konan nodded. "I'll go assign someone to making sure she doesn't make it out alive then." She rose to go.

      Pein stopped her with a wave of his hand. "No. Leave her be." His eyes sparkled with ill intent. "She will help us again soon, whether she intends to or not."

      Sakura stalked to her room and locked her door, pulled shut the curtains, and checked for any chakra signatures nearby. There were none, so she packed quickly. She'd come with little, so she left with little, changing out of her Akatsuki robe into a black tank top with fishnet sleeves, a short dark red skirt, and black leggings. She pinned an unmarked black cloak over it all, and watched with dull eyes as her robe and straw hat burned.

      Then she went to find Kisame. In her short time at the Akatsuki, she'd spoken to the tall shark-man only twice. Once when Itachi introduced them, and once when they had happened to be at the training ground at the same time.

      Now she found him sitting crosslegged in the rain, with ocean waves lapping at his knees. She silently took a seat beside him, staring out over the water. Neither spoke, content to merely sit and remember. Sakura's eyes closed, and she breathed deeply, inhaling the saltwater air and pushing it out again.

      At last Kisame turned to her. "I'm sorry."

      She nodded. "Me too."

      "What were his last words to you?" Kisame asked, curious. "If it's not rude to ask."

      Sakura shook her head. "No, it's fine. He said-" Her voice caught and she swallowed before continuing. "He told me he was sorry, and he called me Blossom."

      Kisame looked down. That sounded exactly like his partner. "He really did love you, you know."

      Sakura was crying now, and the tears mixed with the rain. "I know."

      They were quiet again. Finally, Sakura stood. Without a word to Kisame she walked away, her boots crunching against the sand.

      For a second, just a second, Kisame considered calling after her. She was young, she didn't need this, any of it. She should've been spared. But one glance at her firm posture, her purposed walk, and the words drained away. She hadn't been spared. She'd lost her family, her friends, and now, her only true mentor. She was shattered, but she had steeled herself back up and kept moving. Kisame admired her for that. Not many could watch all their loved ones die and still come out fighting. Even if she had been the one to kill them.

      To Sakura's partial surprise, there was a group waiting for her at the gate of Amegakure. Deidara, Sasori-not in Hiruko, Hidan, Konan, Kakazu, and Zetsu all looked up as she approached.

     Deidara smirked. "You didn't think we'd just let you go without a send off, did you hm?"

     Sakura blinked. "Actually, yes."

     Deidara threw his arms around her. "What kind of friends do you think we are, yeah?"

      He moved and Konan hugged her. "I'll miss not being the only girl."

      One by one they all hugged her, except Sasori, who just nodded at her and said goodbye. When it was Kakazu's turn, he told Sakura that he was only there because Hidan payed him to be, to which Sakura laughed and blew Hidan a kiss. Which she immediately regretted at his smug expression.

      Never during the entire interaction did her smile ever falter. Never did her laugh seem any less real. Never did she let on just how dead she was inside.

      When all the goodbyes had been said, and Ame was to her back, then her smile melted. It was replaced by a stone cold expression and eyes that had lost all their warmth. Sakura wasn't headed for Konoha. To do so now would be suicide. She was embarking on a journey of self-discovery, but she already knew where it would finish. Because at the end of it all, Konoha would perish for what they'd done to her. At the end of it all, she would destroy them for every time they'd destroyed her. At the end of it all, she'd watch the leaf burn in the flames of her wrath.

        But not yet. And perhaps not for some time. She was patient. She could wait. She would bide her time, gather her strength, and return. Maybe with allies, maybe alone. Maybe as Sakura Haruno, and maybe under a different name. But she would return, and she would not leave one survivor.

Author's Note ~ Fear not. This is not the end. Well it is, but not of the story. This is the end of Part 1. Now I'm going to go back and edit and correct all

Only ten days left to turn in your votes!

This chapter is dedicated RealityKeeper because I keep forgetting to dedicate one to her. Sorry fam.

Thank you all!

-Aka