Shades of Grey

Chapter 16

Tea Country was as beautiful as she remembered it Sakura mused as she looked out her window. More importantly it was full of life she thought as she watched the people below going about their daily business. Somehow just watching them mill about was already chasing away the sinking loneliness. Now all that was left was to find something that could give her a sense of purpose again. Maybe she could get herself a position at the hospital.

"No." A voice growled within her head. The fox had grown increasingly moody since they had left the cave in their forest hideout.

"Why the hell not?" Sakura snapped back having had just about enough of his attitude.

"You are already too conspicuous with your pink hair." Kurama retorted. "If a pink haired medic shows up pulling people from the brink of death it will be far too obvious that it is you. This country is a haven for those as yourself with no alliance. It won't be long little one before more than just Akatsuki is after your head."

"A lot of missing nin do chose to hide here." The kunoichi concurred. It was then that a lightbulb went off in her head. She quickly rummaged around her pack for a book that Tsunade had given her.

"Tell me you aren't thinking what I think you are." The demon sighed.

"Look." Sakura did not bother to hide her own annoyance. "If I can't work at the hospital to help people then I will find another way. I am not going to hide forever; this is my ninja way. Besides, we will eventually run out of money and this will be a good source of income."

"Fine little one." The fox relented. "It will at least prove useful to your training. Just remember that it would be best not to alert too many to your presence."

Itachi's annoyance had grown greatly over the last two weeks. Though he had begun searching for the kunoichi in populated areas he had yet to have any luck. He briefly wondered how the hell it was so difficult to locate a girl that had freakin pink hair. Come to think of it in all his years of travel he could not ever recall ever running across another soul with such a ridiculous hair color.

To compound his less than cheery mood Kisame had shown up yesterday. They had been called for a mission. Now his search was on hold until they could collect their bounty for Pein. Itachi had been mildly surprised to see the price on the head of their target; it was only moderately lower than that on his own. Kisame of course had joked that it meant they were in for a real fight. Itachi had known it was the older man's way of warning him to be careful.

Instead it had only served as a reminder that he would likely be kept from his own quest for longer than he would have liked. That fact had Itachi standing on the vessel to Tea and pouting in a most un-Uchiha like way. "I will find you jinchuriki." He made a promise into the cool night air. "You cannot hide from me."