Shades of Grey

Chapter 10

Before getting ready Sakura had been prepared to finish healing her hands, but much to her delight the fox seemed to have taken care of those while she slept. Once she was satisfied that the healing was flawless, she threw on another set of ANBU gear. Almost as an afterthought she stepped in front of a mirror and ran her hands through her hair watching as the pink was replaced by a dark raven shade. Next, she blinked her eyes and her jade was replaced by a blue as bright as Naruto's.

Sakura then made her way to the village streets. After having the fox confirm Itachi's warning she was eager to get out of town, but she needed a few supplies as she wasn't sure how long it would be before she allowed herself to go into a village again. Just as she had made her final purchase, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"You have been spotted." The Kyuubi cautioned.

"I figured as much." Sakura sighed. "Have you figured out which Akatsuki member it is yet?"

"Only that it is indeed someone Naruto has faced before." He offered.

"That narrows it down considerably." She allowed sarcasm to seep into her tone. "It could be anyone from Hidan to that guy in a mask."

"Your impudence is not appreciated little one." The demon growled.

"Neither is your uselessness." Sakura let out a growl of her own growing angry at the situation.

"Calm yourself." He barked.

"I am sorry." She sighed. "This is not your fault. Just let me know if you can narrow it down any further."

She increased her speed wanting to get as far away from the small village as possible. If she was going to have to fight, then she sure as hell was not going to do it around innocent civilians. She was going to have a hard-enough time saving her own skin she would not be able to look out for others too. Damn that stupid Uchiha; he just had to go and be right.

Damn that stupid kunoichi, Itachi though as he sped his way towards the two strong chakra signatures that he could feel in the distance. Didn't he tell her that River was not a haven at the moment? Now he was having to go through the trouble of traveling with the ribs that she had broken still un-mended.

He growled in frustration. It would not serve his goals to have her brought in just yet. "Right tell yourself that. Of course, that is the reason you are rushing to her aide." A voice teased in the back of his mind. Itachi quickly silenced the annoying voice. He was driven by nothing other than his goals. No kunoichi that reminded him of a long dead part of himself would ever change that fact.

"You aren't who I expected to see, yeah." A voice spoke from over Sakura's head.

Great she thought to herself, it just had to be Deidara. When she was listing off Akatsuki members who could be after her she had somehow forgotten him, and that could be a deadly mistake. Of all the remaining members he might just be the worst for her to come across. He was a long-range fighter and that left her at a definite disadvantage. She figured that she would just have to throw him off his feet a littler, until she could come up with a way to throw him off that damn bird.

"I am sorry." She shrugged trying to take inners advise and let none of her fear show. "Who is it that you were hoping to see?"

"Well that idiot Naruto, yeah." He replied. "There is only one jinchuriki left, and that's him. But I know the chakra of a tailed beast and you most assuredly have one."

Great she thought, it seemed that he had not heard that Naruto was no longer the nine tails' container. Maybe she could use this to throw him off. She allowed her henge to fade away and her jade eyes locked with his blue orbs. His eyes widened as he realized who she was.