Unwoven
Sakura defects from Konohagakure on a beautiful spring May day. She walks out the gate calling greetings, a pack on her back and they wave her out with smiles. No one realizes she has defected for three months.
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She growled at him, low and guttural, a noise meant to inspire terror and Uchiha Itachi felt the thrill crawl up his spine. She came at him with fists and feet, spinning wildly with the speed as she went for his throat. He dodged and danced with her, twirling beneath the moonlight and he kept the same bland expression on his face even as he felt his respect grow.
It was not uncommon for him to respect an opponent, but it was unusual for him to respect a missing-nin. Despite the hypocrisy he hated missing-nin. Those that fled their village for selfish reasons, for blood or for battle or for hate. He hated most those who had turned on their own comrades. There was only ever the odd ninja who had left for reasons out of their control. For hatred unearned turned towards them.
He did not know her reasons yet, even as he recognized the pink haired girl that had been teamed with his brother as genin. He did not know her reasons, be they selfish or not, but he did recognize the reckless way she threw herself at him, all emotion and no finesse. She was bubbling with rage, not at him, but at someone else, and often rage was a very telling emotion.
When she finally tired, when she was finally worn down, and his own breath laboured, he slammed her to the ground, arm twisted up behind her back and her face dug into the dirt, his knife at her throat.
“Now," he said, voice halfway to breathless which was impressive feat on her side. “What is a konoha-ninja doing so far out here.”
“Not a konoha ninja,” she spat, blood and vitriol mixing.
“I find that hard to believe,” he said, “Konoha is known for its loyal ninja. And one such as yourself should only be loyal.”
“One such as myself?" she sneered, “Konoha produced you, did it not.”
He did not let the barb dig in. From where she couldn’t see him, he released a slight secretive smile. Sometimes he could only laugh at his own situation, or else he would start screaming and never stop.
“Give me one reason then and I may let you live,” he murmured.
He waited for her to mull her words over. Waited for her to disappoint him. But then she went slack, the fight leaving as she curled up beneath him.
“Danzo,” she muttered so quietly it was only a breath of air.
He did not outwardly change, did not tense or flinch, but inside he barred his teeth.
“The council-man?" he asked idly.
“The bastard,” she sat again, a sudden surge of rage rising in her. “He will destroy Konoha!”
“So you abandon it to his mercy?" he asked.
She shook her head, face still in the dirt and tried to breathe through her anger.
“I am no help to Konoha anymore. I found out, and was found out in return. No one would have believed me as I had no hard proof. He will send men after me and he does not care for collateral damage.”
That, Itachi could understand.
He slowly pulled the knife away and stepped back, allowing her to roll over. She watched him with hooded wary eyes.
“I care not for Konoha’s internal politics,” he lied, “But one such as yourself would be useful.”
“One such as myself?" she spat again.
He did not answer only tilted his head in a gesture and started to walk. He heard her stand, heard her pant once caught in indecision. Then she followed.
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……BLANK…..
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“If I have to sew you up, one more goddam time I’m going to sew your head to your ass,” Sakura hissed as she snapped his neck back into alignment.
Hidan’s head let out a moan and Sakura shuddered.
“God, you actually enjoy this.”
“Shut your heathen mouth,” he sighed happily.
Sakura gave Kakuzu a pleading look but the man grunted and left.
“You could at least take his head with you!” she called after the man.
“Oh, do that again!” Hidan let out a groan as she twisted his arm back in place.
“Shut up. How did you even get yourself torn apart like this,” she muttered.
He just gave a faint whimper of pleasure and Sakura nearly snarled in frustration. She flung his head against the wall and watched dispassionately as it fell out of sight.
“Bitch!” he cursed, voice muffled by the distance.
“I’m gonna make it hurt, you bastard,” she called back as she reached her hands into his chest cavity.
By the time she had pushed the ribcage into alignment and popped his sternum into place, she was elbows deep in blood and gore and Hidan had finally stopped making noises and started to simply pray. She grabbed her prepared needle full of wire and started to sew quickly and efficiently, sealing up the large wounds before she finally, grudgingly retrieved his head and sewed it into place. She had to hold him still as he flailed in her grip, wanting to sit up even as she tried to sew his neck together.
When she was finally done she gave him a hard slap for good measure and scooted back. He jolted once, still muttering his prayers before he seemed to snap to attention. He gave a low groan, his whole body shuddering.
“Bitch. What did you do?" he groaned.
“I told you I’d make it hurt,” she glared at him.
She made to stand and he was quicker than a viper. She felt a hand close about her ankle and tug and she was suddenly on the ground, breath knocked out of her. Hands crushed her shoulders to the floor as legs straddled her and she looked up with a mixture of anger and fear at Hidan who gazed down at her adoringly.
“You send such sweet prayers to Jashin-sama,” He murmured, leaning over so his face was inches from hers, expression rapturous. “He would enjoy you as one of his own if only you would commit to him.”
“Get off me!” She shouted, trying to buck him away.
“Let me prove it,” Hidan said, hand caressing at her throat before he started to squeeze.
Sakura tried to scream again and gasped against his hand as he strangled her. He was praying again, eyes glazed and his other hand skimming down her side to retrieve her own kunai. She started to fully panic as he vision danced and as he levelled a blade to her heart.
“He will show you the meaning of plain and pleasure and how they can never be separated!”
Then there was a sweep of a large fist and suddenly Sakura could breathe. She rolled onto her side, gasping and heaving for breath, hand going for the kunai he had dropped, scrabbling against the floor for a grip. The sharp sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed and then stopped before Sakura could even scramble for her feet. A large hand gently helped her up, gripping her elbow to keep her stead.
Sakura looked up into Kisame’s concerned gaze as he reached out, brushing his fingers against his throat. Past him she caught sight of Hidan out cold on the ground.
“I am not sewing him back together, ever again,” Sakura rumbled, voice like gravel.
Kisame’s eyes flashed with rage and he had turned back towards Hidan before Sakura stopped him, one hand grabbing his sleeve the other going for her own throat. She healed her throat with ease and she winced only slightly
“He just caught me by surprise,” she winced.
“I’ll kill him,” Kisame insisted.
“I will deal with him.”
They both started and turned to face Konan who stood in the doorway, face drawn with distaste.
“I will deal with it,” she repeated. “Sakura, go rest.”
“Thank you,” Sakura said honestly.
Konan gave her a softer look, a flash of softening eyes, before the dragged Hidan off. Sakura let Kisame drag her off back to her rooms and knew that he would be telling Itachi about all of this as soon as he returned. Itachi would not be happy with Hidan. Which was the whole point in riling the bastard up.
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…..BLANK……
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Kisame grabbed the slip of a girl and high tailed it out of there. She screamed and screamed and screamed, and he could feel her struggling in his hold but he held fast as he booked it. He felt his respect both fall and rise from her in the same moment. Fall because she was acting like every foolish woman in love, struck by shock and terror and not keeping her calm. But on the other hand he could see the love she held for Itachi and he respected that loyalty. She would follow him to his death if she could. And Kisame respected Itachi enough he would not let that happen.
“We have to go back!” she shouted at him. “We can’t leave Itachi!”
“The whole forest is on fire,” he said calmly, already knowing there was no going back for him. “Fire that will not be quenched by anything for the next three days. It is death to go back.”
She understood as well as he that Itachi was most likely already dead. If not yet, he would be.
“Please,” Sakura tried one last time.
“No,” Kisame said and turned in the direction of Ame.
She crumpled again him, sobs starting to bloom and he said nothing, just went on.
That night he watched as she tore up her room, throwing out anything remotely looking like Itachi’s. He waited until she had collapsed in the center of the room, looking wrecked and then he picked her up and took her to his own room, far away from Itachi’s. He would keep an eye on her for now, allow her to grieve, and then he would ask her to replace Itachi as his partner. He could use the small ball of rage that was Haruno Sakura at his back.
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…..BLANK….
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Hatake Kakashi found her on a fresh July day when the sun was shining and the bird singing. She had no supplies, only a few kunai, and a sealing scroll at her waist marked with designs meant to hold multiple corpses.
“Sakura," he called, “I think this run is over.”
Haruno Sakura was a stubborn vicious fighter. She carried tenacity in her very bones and would not be pushed down, would not be called weak. She booked no insults and fought with her fists as much as her chakra.
But Sakura was tired. Marrow-deep weariness had settled in and all she had left was exhaustion.
“Okay,” she said.
She went without a fight.
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Sakura peered about the interrogation room. She looked over smooth walls and perfect corners. She looked at the faces watching her across from the desk and from the doorway. She looked down at her own hands.
“Could I get something to eat? Lunch with this date?” she asked, trying for a light tone but only getting something flat.
She felt like a rung out rag and wondered when she would be allowed to sleep. There was movement by the door and she looked up at the smirking scarred face of Nara Shikaku where he shifted against the wall. Yamanaka Inoichi beside him did not look away from Sakura for a moment, clipboard in hand. Morino Ibiki, in his own corner, let out a snort. Yamato in full ANBU gear behind Tsunade didn’t move a single muscle.
“Sakura,” Tsunade said, trying to draw her attention again, “Explain it to me.”
“Everything?” Sakura asked.
“Everything.”
Sakura nodded and looked down at her hands again. Before she could start the door swung inwards. Only Sakura and Tsunade looked up, every other eye focused on Sakura and her every movement.
“Tea?” Kakashi called cheerfully, a large tray balanced on one hand.
Tsunade gave a sharp nod. Kakashi slumped in, kicking the door shut and meandered over even under the tense atmosphere. He set the tray down and quickly and efficiently served tea. A plate of rice cakes found their way to Sakura’s side of the desk.
“I suppose there is no point in telling you to get lost, is there?” Tsunade said dryly.
Kakashi merely smiled at her and took up point at Sakura’s shoulder. Sakura resisted the urge to lean into him. She would never admit how nice it was to have him there at her side in a room of interrogators and guards.
Tsunade sighed and folded her hands again, eyes going to Sakura.
“Sakura,” Tsunade repeated and this time it was a demand that booked no disobedience.
“Yes Hokage-sama,” Sakura bowed her head, “Jonin Haruno Sakura reporting for duty. I have completed my S-rank mission to destroy the Akatsuki. Mission status; successful.”
She heard Inoichi’s sharp intake behind her, heard Shikaku shift, saw Ibiki twitch a frown. Yamato and Kakashi didn’t even blink.
“Welcome back,” Tsunade said, softening her expression just enough to give Sakura a smile, “Good job, konoichi. Now report.”
“Shall I start the day I left?”
“Start with first contact with Akatsuki.”
“After leaving Konoha it only took one month to initiate contact with Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame,” Sakura said, “I gave the pre-decided cover story for me ‘defection’. It had enough key words to make Uchiha Itachi listen and enough information to keep Hoshigaki unsuspicious. When I had a moment alone with Itachi I gave him the mission and he agreed to work with me. They introduced me to Pein, the leader of Akatsuki, and Itachi vouched for me. I played it as you said and acted wary and distrustful of them.
“It took me four month of various missions with teams before I saw my first opportunity. I killed Sasori of the Red Sands during a conflict via arrow to the heart. I made sure to have a fall guy and ‘killed him in a rage’. They passed it off as a lucky blow and paired me with The Bomber Deidara permanently. I waited for a few months and started a visible relationship with Itachi. Then I went for Hidan of Jashin next. I managed to doses him with a paralytic before I dismembered him. Itachi helped make sure he would not be coming back despite his ‘immortal’ status. Because of some animosity between them no one batted an eye when he ‘disappeared’.
“I had to play the waiting game again for a few weeks after that until Deidara and I ran across an Iwa team during a mission where I staged their assassination of him and my own injuries. During my ‘injuries’ I let lose a few emotions to convince Pein I was still loyal. Kakuzu was harder to deal with especially after they paired me with him. I didn’t want to do anything to draw suspicion this far into the game. Luckily he was sent on a solo mission and a Konoha and Kumo teamed up to take him down. Let Asuma know I said good job on that.
“That was when Itachi revealed to me his theory of who Tobi was. We tag teamed the being named Zetsu when we saw an opportunity and Itachi used Ameretsu to make sure he was truly defeated. Itachi was nearing the end by this point so he immediately put his end game into play with my ‘angry, but understanding’ sort of encouragement that you said would convince him to go ahead with his plan.
“Pein benched me after my ‘wild display of grief’ and it made it easier to get him. Itachi and I had concluded that Pein was not the real mind behind the Paths of Pein and it led me to using Konan to kill him. I managed to infect her with a strong strain of influenza and then ‘cured’ her when she came to me. It was easy to make the illness symptoms banish while keeping her contagious. A few days of her visits to the real Nagato and he fell sick. She brought me to him and I got to see him but lied and told her there was nothing else I could do for him. He died and in her grief Konan let me closer. A quick contact poison swiped from Sasori earlier led to her death a month later and it was mourned as heartbreak.
“Kisame was probably the easiest after all of that. With Akatsuki dead we fled together, Kisame feeling at least some loyalty towards me as ‘Itachi’s Girl’. I killed him in his sleep and sealed his body. Then I went on my secondary mission and tracked Uchiha Sasuke down. He was quite easy to manipulate when I mentioned his brother, Madara, and Danzo. It only took the barest of effort to turn him away from Konoha and towards ‘Madara’. With Sasuke and his team as backup we managed to kill the unknown Uchiha who turned out to not be Madara. We suffered casualties of course and it was easy to put the rest of Sasuke’s team down before I sealed his chakra pathways. Then I sent out the signal to pull me out and Kakashi responded.”
Sakura finished her report inelegantly by shoving the last rice cake in her mouth and washing it down with a swallow of tea.
“Do I have a cover story for my ‘defection’?” she asked idly, “Or do I need to lay low?”
“Where could you even lay low?” Kakashi asked amused.
“Suna,” Sakura joked, “Or another long-term mission. To be honest I wasn’t quite sure I would make it back alive from this mission.”
He squeezed her shoulder, a twitch in his cheek that tried to etch pain on his face. She reached up and squeezed his hand in return, sorry for being so blunt but too tired too much care what came out of her mouth right now.
“No,” Tsunade spoke up, “You will be on leave starting now until Inoichi, Ibiki, and myself all agree you are mentally and emotionally capable of taking further missions.”
“You sound like you are thinking that might take a while,” Sakura said, fighting between amused and indignant.
“Most people who do such a long term S-rank mission are retired afterwards, if they survive,” Ibiki finally spoke, “and if they don’t go insane after completion.”
He gave her a very focused look and she raised a brow at him. Their staring contest was broke when Tsunade rolled her eyes.
“You deserve a holiday Sakura,” Tsunade said.
Sakura considered it.
“I think my nerves are shot,” she admitted quietly, “A break would be nice.”
“I’d be more concerned if they weren’t, to be honest,” Inoichi said making a note on his clipboard, “That said I’d like to do a full psych evaluation before you are released to wander the streets.”
“Of course,” Tsunade agreed for her, “After I finish the medical examination you can take her straight to your office. It’s why I called you here.”
“And why am I here?” Shikaku asked sounding bored despite his rigid posture, “I had assumed as an extra guard against a S-rank prisoner before I realized you gave my jonin missions without my knowledge.”
“Because I am the Hokage. I can do as I please if I think it is in the villages best interest. And I thought my Jonin commander would like to hear our biggest enemy has been gutted,” Tsunade said dryly, “But you are both dismissed for now. I will summon you to get Sakura when we are finished.”
The two gave sharp bows and left the Hokage’s office silently.
“Ibiki, you may leave as well. Uchiha Sasuke is your main priority now.”
Ibiki gave a sharp nod and vanished after the other two.
“Yamato, please go secure a hospital room for me. Kakashi, Naruto will have heard by now. Go head him off.”
Yamato vanished in a swirl of leaves but Kakashi made sure to give Sakura one more encouraging squeeze before leaving her and Tsunade alone. For a long moment there was silence.
“Good job Sakura,” Tsunade finally said, slumping, “And I am sorry I asked it of you.”
“I was happy to do it,” Sakura only half lied.
“No you’re not,” Tsunade said bitterly amused, “But it was needed and I trusted no one else to do it.”
Sakura offered her a small tired smile that said she was long since forgiven.
“Did you…” Tsunade started.
Then the Hokage cut off and gave a deep sigh that sounded as tired as Sakura felt.
“I need to know if you’re compromised Sakura.”
“Compromised?” Sakura played dumb, “Everyone is dead.”
“Will you go after Sasuke for Revenge?”
“For what?”
“For killing Itachi.”
“Why would I? Itachi was my mission partner and chose to die by Sasuke’s hand,” Sakura said blithely.
“Sakura. Please,” Tsunade said softly, “Did you love him?”
Sakura was silent. She looked anywhere but Tsunade’s face and tried not to think to deeply on the question.
“Does it matter? He’s dead.”
“Sakura,” Tsunade said impossibly gently.
“I…I think I could have loved him,” Sakura swallowed, “I could have if we had had more time. Or if we weren’t deep undercover. If we hadn’t been on a mission. If he hadn’t been an inconvenience to Konoha and the best thing was for him to die at the end of his decade long mission. Maybe I could have loved him if it wasn’t only a doomed sort of love available to us.”
Sakura tried to calm her breathing, tried to calm her anger. Sakura tried to still her shaking and her beating heart.
“Tsunade,” Sakura said, voice cracking, “I think I am compromised.”
Tsunade enfolded her in a hug and Sakura shattered.
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After a physical exam and in depth psych evaluation, Sakura was released a free woman. It was already spread through Konoha that Sakura had been a deep undercover informant. Nothing was said about her hand in killing all the Akatsuki. She, Tsunade, and Kakashi had all agreed that would paint a target on her back that she didn’t want. She didn’t want any of the fame that might come with killing an organization of S-class criminals. All Sakura wanted was peace, and infamy wouldn’t give her that.
Naruto was the first person she saw as a free woman. Bright blinding Naruto who said nothing. He didn’t shout any accusations, asked no questions. Naruto simply folded her in a hug.
“Welcome home,” Naruto whispered in her ear.
If Sakura wasn’t cried out and bone weary she would have shattered all over again.
“Thank you,” Sakura whispered into his shirt.
And that was that.
Sasuke had a trial and was released on probation, his chakra still sealed. He and Sakura didn’t avoid one another. They didn’t fight. They didn’t hate one another. Sakura was just as surprised as anyone else that Sasuke held no grudge. But Sasuke looked as tired as her and they enjoyed their suspension from duty by spending hours in the sun talking about everything and nothing and Itachi.
It only took a few years for Sasuke to thank her for bring him home. It only took a year after that for him to ask her to marry him.
She agreed.
They never spoke of how she saw Itachi in his eyes. They never spoke of the man they were both striving for who was long dead and buried. Instead they found some sort of peace in each other that no one else seemed to understand. And when she gave him children the name Itachi was never suggested. But Sakura did insist on Kisame for their first son.
And years and years and years later when Naruto became a Hokage and got tired of staring at the hidden safe in the office, he opened it. He went past the scrolls marked Yondaime and Uzumaki Kushina. He went past the scrolls marked Uchiha Massacre and Kyuubi Jinchuriki. Instead he went right for the scroll marked Haruno Sakura and read it back to front until he had it memorized.
He didn’t have the courage to ask Sakura so he went to Tsunade who had long retired and looked positively ancient if not happy in her sunny garden. He broke and asked her why Sakura had left, why she had accepted that mission so long ago. Tsunade gave him a fond glance.
“For you, you idiot,” she told him, “For Team Seven and the future where you were Hokage.”
And next time he saw Sakura and she told him she loved him he smiled and said:
“I know.”
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NOTES
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So This happens during a slightly longer time-skip. Naruto is still with Jiraya, Sakura is about 15 and she’s on the mission for a year in a half. She changes enough that the timeline is different and Tsunade makes Jiraya keep Naruto away for longer.
TIMELINE:
First contact with Akatsuki leads to Probation – sent on missions with established teams. They accept her because it would be useful to have a medic. She acts super uninterested, wary of them. Doesn’t really want to join them but has no other option. Acts reluctant which makes them believe her more. Can always use her as bait for Kyuubi if needed as well.
Sasori = Wins his attention after she cures herself of his poison when he ‘accidentally’ poisoned her. iArrow through the heart using a battle as cover and a fallout guy she killed before he could call her out.
(Paired with Deidara)
(starts relationship with Itachi that’s half as cover so they can keep planning together, half real). Itachi is told by Sakura he needs to put more effort into the destruction of Akastuki instead of just information gathering as he as been doing; Hokage’s order.
Hidan = Has been tasked with sewing him together all the time. She makes it painful though which makes him want to a) sacrifice her and b) have her teach him how to do that. Sews packet of poison in his body that she stole from Sasori wrapped in seal. He wants to sacrifice Sakura/likes the pain she can give him. No one suspicious when he disappears after Itachi hears the news. (Itachi uses black fire to ensure death)
Deidara = Waits until the are fighting an Iwa team and then she stabs him in the back with doton spike after he’s done enough damage to the area and killed 2 opponents. Makes it look like a big fight scene. Drags him back and breaks her own leg and ribs as well as giving herself signs of concussion. Literally collapses on the border with him and Ame ninja bring them in. In her ‘concussed state’ she calls Pein Naruto and tells him she misses him but is trying not to since he’s doomed (makes Pien trust her more).
Kakuzu = Asuma and Kumo team get him (Konoha and Kumo in the middle of hush hush peace talks). Sort of like a less organized Kage summit, Konoha is approaching other villages with info it’s getting on Akatsuki from Sakura.
Itachi fills her in on ‘Madara’. They become proactive and destroy Zetsu with his black flames just before he does his suicide play with Sasuke. The suicide play was one he’d planned out because of his illness and the whole story line. Sakura is told by the Hokage to encourage it. They know Itachi is loyal to leaf but it’s a cut-throat world and bringing him back into the fold would be much harder than letting him die. To get Sakura, Sasuke, and Itachi back into Konoha and off scot-free would be much harder than one or two of them, So Tsunade ruthlessly tells Sakura to make sure not to heal him and to let Sasuke get his closure. Sakura acts distraught after his death and it bringers her closer to Kisame.
Pein = flu or illness she ‘cured’ Konan of but kept infectious. He’s already pretty haggard at the end so I think a bad flu would put him down. She had suspicions he wasn’t the real person which Itachi helped her with. Knew Nagato had to be out there as Konan often disappeared.
Konan = Contact poison, seen as grief.
Last ones are Kisame and ‘Madara’. Kisame is easy. With Akatsuki splintered, she and Kisame take to wandering (though she thinks he’s still loyal to ‘madara’). She kills him in his sleep because he trusts her. Tracks down Sasuke and he says he hopes she didn’t follow him. She says she knows about the massacre and that she will always hate him for killing Itachi, but they are ultimately on the same side. She turns him against ‘Madara’ and lets Sasuke kill him with help from his team and Sakura. She had no idea who Obito is and Kakashi’s not there to make the dramatic reveal. They counter him out of surprise and because he has no back-up or ace-in-the-sleeve after Itachi’s tell-all. When Obito is dead Sakura seals Sasuke’s chakra messily (meaning he may never be able to access it again) and dumps his ass at a drop off point.
She’s supposed to meet a Konoha team with him to get brought in but a year and a half of all this fucked up betrayal has her twitchy and lost and she sort of just wanders into the woods and tries to find some sort of peace. Kakashi ends of tracking her down and bringing her home. Sakura semi-retires from shinobi life after this; she’s done more than her duty for Konoha and despite no Forth-Shinobi War, all the old leaders are handing their hats down and Naruto being Naruto is friends with many of them. Peace happens anyways.
No one ever knows the full details of what she did, its all hidden under the idea she was simply an informant in Akatsuki. Even Naruto doesn’t know what Tsunade asked her to do (until the very end).