AN: Just wanted to throw out a quick THANK YOU to Thunk. That woman has even less free time than I do these days and yet she still manages to be a source of encouragement and my beta reader.

You rule.

So here's the next chapter. I'm having a hell of a time writing with the current stuff going on in the manga. Thunk tells me I'm crazy for second-guessing everything I write -- and maybe I am -- but still... Each chapter has been a pain to write and I wrestle with every damn scene now. It has not been fun. BUT! I got the chapter finished and that's what counts, right?

Hopefully you guys will enjoy reading this more than I enjoyed writing it. :-P

As always, thank you for your encouraging reviews and private messages. You have no idea how motivating and helpful they are when I feel like just giving up. You guys are the best.

-

dawning

.:slingshot:.
chapter thirteen

He had not expected her to be able to resist his Genjutsu so well. It was a rare treat for Itachi to encounter an opponent who could sense his techniques before they were fully constructed. Granted, he had started off with a mid-level jutsu, but he was a master at Genjutsu. Even some of his genin-level techniques had been known to entrap jounin-level shinobi.

Since the medic was not a primary target, Itachi was unwilling to waste too much effort on her. He simply wanted her out of the way. He didn't have the time or chakra to waste on a fight. His role was clear, deliver the girl. The team from Konoha, and their allies from Suna, were a hindrance he would much rather avoid.

But young Haruno-san didn't simply submit to his attempts to trap her mind. Her perfect chakra control was no exaggeration. That alone provided an excellent counter to his Genjutsu, but she had more than that. Haruno-san was also a natural Genjutsu user. And a gifted one at that. Itachi absorbed the knowledge and filed it away with as much caution as he did when he learned that she possessed the same abilities as the Godaime Hokage. An accomplished medic-nin with a natural defense against Genjutsu and elite training in chakra-enhanced Taijutsu would make for a very interesting opponent.

But not today.

Upping the ante, he began his feint. Using a high-level Genjutsu developed by his clan, Itachi began the process of luring her out. The maneuver would cost him valuable chakra but it would be effective toward reaching his goal. With great care, he weaved his illusion. It had to be perfect, but simple. She would not be fooled otherwise. Finished, he slowly and carefully released the jutsu, allowing his lie to subtly mix with the truth of reality.

The corners of his lips twitched as he watched her. Crouched in a ready stance with hands curled into fists and eyes wide and alert, Haruno-san's battle-ready expression melted into determined concern when she saw the drama of his illusion play out before her. Then the medic in her took over. Moving swiftly, Haruno-san made her way toward him, completely unaware of where she was really going. As she knelt in the street with healing chakra illuminating her fingertips, he closed the distance between them and seized her.

Her wrist was tiny in his hand as he yanked her to her feet and pulled her around to face him. Jolted from illusion to reality, her eyes reflected her horror as she recognized him. Being this close to a Taijutsu expert was dangerous. He could feel her tensing to retaliate and promising him bodily harm. Wasting no time, Itachi pushed his will upon her. His eyes tingled as his Sharingan ensnared her mind and muddied her senses. She blinked once, twice, then without so much as a whimper, the young medic fainted in his arms.

• • •

Worry was gnawing at his insides. It wasn't yet time to meet, but he was growing anxious. Shikamaru scowled as he peered down the street, stubbornly trying to ignore his unease. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand. He needed to focus. He knew that, but still. He was worried. And as often as he told himself that he was being paranoid, the urge to check in with her continued to grow stronger. With a frustrated sigh, Shikamaru pressed the button on his microphone, “Sakura?”

Seconds ticked by like hours. He tried again, “Sakura, respond.”

Static hissed in his ear, grating against his nerves and adding a hard bite of fear to his worry.

'I shouldn't have separated us...'

Trying again, he called out to the rest of his team only to hear the angry reply of more static. It was then that he knew. Something was very, very wrong.

Heart hammering in his chest, he dropped all pretext of being a regular civilian and took to the rooftops. He moved silently but quickly through the residential district toward the restaurant. It did not ease his fears in the least to see the quiet stillness and empty streets. Everything was just as it had been when they parted ways with no evidence at all that anything was amiss. Worse, Sakura was nowhere in sight.

'Damn it!'

Jaw painfully clenched, Shikamaru went to the spot on the roof where he knew she had been observing the restaurant. He hoped to find something that would help him to figure out what had happened to her. Leaning over the edge of the roof he found his first clue. In the fine, reddish brown dust of the Wind Country were a pair of very distinct foot prints. Or, more specifically, boot prints. They were somewhat blurred and uneven, but he recognized them as belonging to Sakura.

Not long ago, she had jumped from the roof and based on the direction of her first step, it seemed that she had headed northwest. Toward the main street. But the prints became a blur after that. Someone else had intercepted her. But he could find no evidence of combat. If Sakura had fought with someone there would be collateral damage to indicate as much, but there was nothing.

An uneasy frown darkened his features as he circled the area once more. No damage, no blood, no witnesses...

"Shit."

• • •

"They're not supposed to check in for another 30 minutes," Hinata said, forcing her normally soft voice to increase in volume so she could be more easily heard.

Kakashi's one visible eye drooped ever so slightly as the fabric that covered the lower half of his face dented on the sides. His left jaw muscle tightened and jumped, illustrating his unease. Without the benefit of seeing his face, Hinata knew that he was frowning. She swallowed hard and glanced at Naruto, then Neji. Her cousin's expression gave nothing away, but Naruto's worry was obvious.

"Sakura-chan and Shikamaru are in there alone?" the blond jounin asked. "We know that Akatsuki is involved... why would they go in alone?"

"Gaara believes they're attempting to create another Jinchurriki," Temari said, her voice tinged with impatience. "Our mission is to locate the target and eliminate the fetus before the Akatsuki can act. It would be more than a little obvious if an entire squad entered the village."

Naruto's expression darkened. "I see," he said, voice hard. "And bullshit. They already know we're here."

"What do you know that we don't?" she asked.

Kakashi glanced at Neji, who took the gesture as an invitation to answer Temari's question.

"I saw a suspicious figure a few kilometers outside of Hitofuki," Neji said. "When we changed direction to intercept, the figure disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Hinata asked. "How..?"

The elder Hyugga paused for a moment as though considering his words. Then, "He faded into the forest."

Temari's brows furled together in confusion while Hinata's stomach clenched in understanding. There were a scant few people who could do what her cousin described.

"I know your clan's defining ability is to see chakra," the wind user said. "But if you saw his chakra disappear like you say, could it be possible that he just used a jutsu or something?"

"It was a jutsu," Neji confirmed. "I saw the flash of chakra, and then his body literally faded into the forest. He vanished into the forest as though he was part of it."

"And Zetsu has mastered the Hiru Banshō: Bōka no Jutsu technique," Temari muttered. “Damn it.”

Shino adjusted his sunglasses with his index finger, "So the Akatsuki is here but we have no information on their current whereabouts other than the suggestion that they are in the immediate area."

Neji nodded, “Correct.”

"Radio Shikamaru," Kakashi told Shino. "Alert him to what we've seen and confirm his location."

"Tell them that they need to withdraw," Shizune added, voice rushed. "The Hokage's orders override the Kazekage's in this instance."

"And what are the Hokage's orders?" Temari asked, eyebrow raised curiously.

"The protection of the squad, and Naruto in particular, in the event that contact with the Akatsuki becomes probable."

Naruto grunted as Shino attempted to contact Shikamaru.

"This is ridiculous."

Hinata's gaze turned toward Naruto when he spoke. Fists clenched at his sides and eyes bright, his frustration was plain for all to see.

"Let's just go in there and get them," he said. “There's no reason to remain covert anymore.”

"It would be unwise to send the squad in after them without hearing from them first," Neji interjected.

"What's unwise is to sit here and wait," came Naruto's sharp reply.

Neji pressed his lips together, forming a tight line as Naruto ran an impatient hand through his hair.

"We know the Akatsuki's here, right? And we know that Sakura-chan and Shikamaru are in there alone. They need backup. Let's just go in there and find them,” Naruto said, his voice reflecting the anxiety that he felt. Hinata watched him clench and unclench his fists in an effort to keep himself calm. “After that, we can find this Ami girl. If they're making another Jinchurriki it shouldn't be that hard for Neji or Hinata to locate her."

When no one immediately commented on Naruto's plan, the blond shinobi took a deep breath and ground out one word, “Right?”

It was the puppet master who broke the silence first. With a dangerous smirk lifting his features, Kankurou shrugged his shoulders and said, “He's got a point.”

Up until that moment, Hinata hadn't really been aware of Kankurou's presence. Leaning against a tree near the outskirts of camp, Gaara's older brother looked deceptively relaxed.

“If we wait too long we risk giving the Akatsuki more of an advantage,” he continued. “I can appreciate the strategy of 'looking before you leap,' but sometimes the gap widens while you're busy looking. I think Naruto is right on this one.”

Kakashi sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose and then turned toward Shino. “Anything?”

"They are not responding to my calls," he said.

The frown that Naruto wore only deepened at Shino's words. With an angry snort, he turned on his heel and left the camp without a word.

• • •

Black and red blinked into existence directly in front of him, forcing Shikamaru to come to an abrupt stop. Putting some space between them, the shadow user instinctively shifted his posture into a battle ready stance as his eyes darted from Itachi's face, to the frail form of Ami cradled in his arms and back again. His stoic expression gave nothing away, but Shikamaru knew that Itachi meant him no harm. At least not at that moment. If he was going to use a Genjutsu he would have done so already.

But Itachi did nothing but stand before him, expression calm and unreadable.

It was a facade, Shikamaru knew. The elder Uchiha had a gaze that seemed to take in every ounce of his opponent with just one look. As though his mind was a microscope examining an unfamiliar organism for scientific classification and cataloging. Detached, but perfectly aware. Even while protectively holding Ami to his chest, Itachi looked every bit the intimidating force of power that wiped out an entire clan of some of Konoha's deadliest shinobi.

Then his eyes shifted. The movement would be forgettable if performed by anyone else, but on Itachi it seemed almost exaggerated. Shikamaru glanced in the direction that Itachi looked and knew at once whom he would find upon investigation. When he glanced back, Uchiha was gone.

There were few places that Uchiha could go and Shikamaru was fairly certain that if he moved now he could catch up to him. But doing so was out of the question. Itachi had delivered a message, one that the shadow user wasn't about to ignore. He moved swiftly, senses on full alert and body tense as his brain sped through countless possibilities and scenarios. None of them very good and most screaming at him that he was walking into a trap. After all, Itachi's partner was well known and rarely were the two seen apart. The fact that Shikamaru did not see Kisame during his short confrontation with Itachi spoke volumes.

Grim determination pushed his lips together to form a tight, thin line. It didn't matter. He had to find her.

As buildings and streets narrowed into alleys, Shikamaru caught sight of a very familiar khaki-colored pack laying almost innocently near the entrance of a partially obscured alleyway. He landed near the pack and stood silently as he scanned the area for any sign of movement or traces of another's presence. Feeling slightly secure, he moved forward and, after a quick visual inspection, retrieved the pack. It was securely shut and felt full. He turned it over in his hands and saw no obvious damage or any other sign of tampering. A spark of hope eased some of the tension between his shoulders when he saw that the med-pack was free of blood stains. It was obvious that the item had been left out on purpose.

'Bait.'

Attaching the pack to his back hip, he sucked in a deep breath and walked further into the alley. It was highly unlikely that an S-class criminal would hide like a rookie genin, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't. Even so, Shikamaru knew he was being led and it did not sit well with him. As the shadows grew around him the deeper he ventured into the alleyway, the more his muscles tensed and bunched under his skin.

Then he saw her.

Pink hair splayed out in all directions and body curled into a fetal position, Sakura lay prone and vulnerable. His first instinct was to go to her, hug her against himself and drown all the pessimistic doubts that clamored for attention in his brain. 'She's alive,' he told himself. 'She's unconscious, but alive.'

But he had to be sure it was safe to approach her. Fingers twitching, he studied the space around her, feeling out the area with mind sharp and chakra ready. Was she really alone? Were there any exploding tags near her, or on her, that he could inadvertently set off, killing them both? As his mind worked over the possibilities, he studied her form. She appeared uninjured, but her bleak paleness and distinct lack of movement disturbed him.

'Itachi wouldn't go to the trouble of setting up such a trap,' Shikamaru concluded. 'Neither would his partner.'

Her name on his lips, he went to her and knelt by her side. He touched her neck with gentle fingers that trembled with barely contained concern. The strong, steady rhythm of her pulse felt good against his fingertips. He knew then what was wrong with her, but he had to be certain.

Just as it was unsafe to move someone when they were badly injured, it was equally unsafe to rouse a person from an illusion if their physical state was unknown. People tended to react unpredictably when thrust from illusion to reality. It wasn't uncommon for a shinobi, in a state of confusion, to go from a quiet, rested state to an adrenaline fueled frenzy. With her chakra enhanced strength, Shikamaru knew there would be no way that he could restrain her under such a circumstance. And if she was injured, a sudden, panic-induced movement would only exacerbate her wounds. All he could do was confirm that she was really unhurt and hope that she wouldn't punch him through a wall when he attempted to awaken her.

Every shinobi was well versed in basic first aid. The Nara Clan, with the deer they raised for their medicinal uses, were more educated than most when it came to the healing arts. But Shikamaru was no medic. And he knew that time was quickly running out. Hands moving over her body, Shikamaru sought out any sign of injury. He found two bruises and a minor scrape, but otherwise she felt fine. Satisfied, he molded his chakra to his hands and silently prayed the the jutsu that held her wasn't something that he would be unable to free her from. Bringing his fingertips together, he pushed his chakra out with a strong, “Kai!”

When she did not immediately react, Shikamaru feared the worst. He tried again, this time giving her a hard, bruising pinch under her arm with a sharp jolt of chakra. If the pain and chakra disruption didn't awaken her then he had nothing else to offer. Only a skilled medic or fellow Sharingan user would be able to pull her from Itachi's illusion.

The only reaction he observed was a minor increase in her rapid eye movement and a slight hitching of breath. Jaw tightly clenched and worry creasing his brows, Shikamaru pulled her toward him and began to lift her in his arms. Awake or not, they had to move. Holding her securely against his chest, he took to the roof and landed a bit too harsh, the motion jarring her. On reflex, he squeezed her more tightly against him as he continued undaunted. They had to get out of the village and reunite with the rest of team. The village was too dangerous and being cut off from the rest of the team was more than a little distressing.

Adrenaline fueling his movements, Shikamaru pushed himself to move as quickly as possible while keeping Sakura stable. As soon as they left the village, the terrain offered more cover but at the cost of easy movement. With every lunge pushing him from branch to branch, Shikamaru felt Sakura's body rock against him in rhythm with his leaps. Then a pulling sensation. With the ground rushing below them, Shikamaru spared Sakura a quick, assessing glance and was amazed to see her blink up at him. She seemed hazy still, but she appeared to be fighting for consciousness.

The revelation almost caused him to miss his landing, but he quickly recovered and found a thick, low hanging bough surrounded by thick foliage to examine her.

“Hey,” he gave her a gentle squeeze, “are you okay?”

She blinked again, but didn't look up at him.

“Hey,” he repeated, a bit louder and more forceful. “Look at me, Sakura.”

Green, unfocused eyes languidly blinked once, then twice. She peered up at him, then recognition came. In another time or place, her expression would have been amusing. An almost drunken smirk curled the corners of her lips causing her eyes to crinkle around the edges. Fingers curling into his shirt, she press her face into his chest, sighed heavily and snuggled more comfortably in his arms before letting her eyes drift shut.

Shikamaru wouldn't have it. Giving her a gentle shake, he repeated his demand, “Don't you pass out. Look at me.”

Her expression turned slightly annoyed and Shikamaru took that as a victory. She was definitely responding to him. And if he didn't know better he would guess that her behavior was due to chakra depletion and fatigue. There were a handful of jutsus that could cause such an effect, and all of them were Genjutsu types. Shikamaru theorized that whatever Itachi had done to her the extreme exhaustion was a side effect of being broken out of it prematurely. He had heard of such illusionary techniques before, but never actually witnessed one. The only thing he could think to do for her was to give her a soldier pill and hope that it would not only replenish her chakra, but stimulate her depressed nervous system.

“I'm going to set you down and you need to stand,” he said. She gave a half-hearted grunt in protest, but Shikamaru continued. “The tree trunk is right next to you. I won't let you fall. Just hold on to me.”

Content to doze in his arms, she ignored him. Shikamaru clenched his jaw and gave her another hard shake.

“Open your eyes, Sakura,” he commanded. “And look at me.”

She grimaced, causing an annoyed crease to form between her brows, but she did as she was told. He repeated his intentions, then lowered her slowly, carefully, with both arms around her for support. She stood, wobbly and uncertain.

"Just hold onto me, Sakura," he told her when he saw how uncoordinated she was. She obeyed without a word, reaching for his arms and moving to lean into his chest. He sighed. He had meant for her to hold onto his upper arm or maybe wrap an arm around his middle, not use his entire body for support again. Lips forming a tight, thin line, he held her shoulders and pushed her back. The gesture bewildered her and she looked up at him with groggy, questioning eyes.

"I can't hold you," he explained. "I need my hands free."

Eyes drooping, Sakura was on the verge of passing out again. Shikamaru swore under his breath and pulled her against him, wrapping one arm around her shoulders to hold her steady.

"Sakura!"

The authoritative tone of his voice startled her. He jostled her a bit to keep her awake, "Eyes open. Look at me."

She blinked owlishly at him and waited.

"Good," he said as he used his free hand to dig through his vest pockets. "Stay with me, Sakura."

Palming a soldier pill, he held it out to her, giving her a moment to process what was in his hand before holding it near her mouth. Her lips parted and he fed it to her. After listening to her listless chewing for several seconds he wondered if he had to order her to swallow the damn thing. So he did.

“Swallow it, Sakura.”

She complied, and seconds later her knees buckled as her body swooned into him. Alarmed, Shikamaru pulled her up and steadied her against him, he asked, “Are you okay?”

He felt her tense against him. A moment later, she shifted her weight to stand on her own, but her face was still bowed against his chest.

“I just got really dizzy,” she mumbled. “What... where are we?”

“The forest outside of the village. What do you remember?”

She said noting. Only the sounds of her deep breathing could be heard as she remained still against him. 'Did she pass out?'

“Sakura?”

With a low groan, she pushed away from him. “I... I'm going to be sick.”

She barely had time to turn her back to him before the heaving began. Once it started it didn't stop, even after she had emptied her stomach. Shikamaru grimaced at the sight, and sounds, but didn't leave her side. The bough was wide enough to accommodate them both, but there still wasn't much room for a sick person to maneuver safely. Shikamaru did his best to keep her steady. One hand pressed gently against her back, he waited for her sickness pass. Then he offered her his canteen.

“What did he do to you?” he asked, his voice sounded much more harsh than he intended.

She took his offering with a sheepish look of gratitude and rinsed the taste of bile from her mouth. “I'm not sure. I don't remember being hit...”

Taking one more swig of water, she handed back the canteen with a quiet word of thanks. Shikamaru barely nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes too busy searching over her form as his mind re-evaluated the evidence. Solider pills could cause nausea and sickness, but only if a person used them over an extended period of time. What if he had been wrong? What if there were some internal injuries that he failed to find? Or what if Itachi had poisoned her? Or Kisame? Didn't Kisame have a sword that could drain chakra?

“Stop that,” she said softly.

He blinked at her. “Stop what?”

“Assessing me like that,” her lips twitched downward, reflecting her unease. “Like I'm some kind of equation to figure out. Stop it.”

“I am trying to figure you out,” he sighed. “I'm trying to figure out if you're okay, and no, I won't stop.”

“I'm fine.”

He frowned, clearly not believing her. “Are you?”

“Yes,” she said, carefully standing to her full height. Shikamaru took hold of her upper arm to help steady her. “Well, I'm better. My equilibrium went from one extreme to another in a matter of seconds and my chakra is all out of whack. Vomiting is a typical reaction. The fact that I didn't pass out again is a good sign. Once my chakra stabilizes, I'll be fine.”

“That's good to hear,” Shikamaru said, a small smile playing about his lips. “You had me pretty worried.”

She ducked her head to hide her blush, but Shikamaru saw it anyway. The reaction was a welcome sight to see and for the briefest of moments, he wanted to crush her against him. He had been worried. Far more than even he realized. It was more than a relief to see her acting like herself. It was almost liberating.

“Where's my med pack?” she asked.

Still holding on to her, Shikamaru carefully unfastened her pack from his side and presented it to her. She replaced it with a quiet word of thanks. Color was quickly returning to her face, but she still seemed far too pale for his liking. And he knew that she was not using chakra to keep her feet grounded to the branch. If Shikamaru wasn't holding onto her, she could very easily fall. He wanted her to rest and recover, but their circumstances would not allow it. They had to keep moving.

“We can't stay here,” he told her. “Can you travel?”

“I can walk.”

“We need to move faster than that,” he said. “Do you think you can hold on to me if I carry you piggy back? Or should I just carry you again?”

Mixed emotions flashed across her face, only to quickly give in to a stubborn acceptance of her situation. He knew embarrassment and pride made her want to protest his suggestions, but logic had won out in the end. However, the pleasant return of her blush was something else entirely and he couldn't help but to enjoy it.

Lips curled into a half smile, he turned and crouched down. She hesitated for only a moment before climbing onto his back. Settling herself against him, she pressed her face against the back of his shoulder and gave a nod that she was ready. Then the leaves and trees blurred around them. Her muscles automatically tightened in response. The strength of her hold was hardly noticeable, triggering a renewed sense of guilt. She wouldn't be in this state if it wasn't for him. Splitting up almost cost her her life.

“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked as he launched them from one branch to another. Though it was phrased as a question, he knew it sounded like a demand. His words were carefully even, controlled, but the request still sounded harsh. Angry. He hoped that she didn't misinterpret his tone and think his ire was directed at her. Turning his face toward her he gave her a quick, assessing glance and caught her eye. If she detected his anger she didn't show it.

Adjusting her hold on him, Sakura shifted her weight and move her mouth closer to his ear. “I'm not sure what happened,” she said finally. “I remember feeling someone trying to use a jutsu on me. An illusion. I remember countering it and trying to contact you on the radio...”

He snorted. “The radios aren't working.”

“Since when?”

“I don't know, but they're obviously intercepting our transmissions somehow.” He felt Sakura tense, her fingers digging into his shoulders. The last thing he wanted was for her to worry. It was inevitable that she would, he knew. But he also knew that she seemed to be able to relax easier when she had something to talk about. Even if that something wasn't necessarily pleasant.

“Go on,” he prompted. “What else do you remember?”

“I... I don't know.”

“You didn't see anyone?” he pressed.

Shikamaru wasn't surprised when she didn't immediately answer his question. He knew her memory was muddied, but any additional information she provided could be invaluable. And she knew it, too. But when he felt her fingers digging into his shoulders again he frowned. Turning his face to catch a glimpse of her over his shoulder, Shikamaru caught her troubled and slightly confused expression.

“Hey, don't worry. It's okay if you don't remember everything--”

“A butterfly,” she interrupted. “I remember seeing a butterfly.”

“A butterfly?” he asked.

“That must be when the Genjutsu began,” she continued. “After that, I can't remember anything until you woke me up.”

“Makes sense.”

A stretch of silence followed his words, hanging thick around Sakura. Much like the gloomy, angry darkness just before a thunderstorm. The clues were all there, she just needed to piece them all together.

'Hell, she probably already has.'

Adjusting his hold on her, Shikamaru breathed deeply, and waited. His patience was rewarded with a tightening squeeze around his chest as Sakura moved her face closer to his ear.

“It was Itachi,” she said, voice grave. "They're here."

“It would appear so.”

At his words Sakura's body tightened around his, fingers digging into his flesh and knees squeezing his sides. He shrugged in an attempt to get her to ease her hold, but she ignored the subtle clue. Her grip on him wasn't painful, but it easily could be. It was a welcome sign. A bit painful, but welcome.

“Relax, Sakura,” he said through a grimace. “There's no reason to freak out about it now.”

Though he couldn't see her, he knew she was glaring at him.

“Hearing the confirmation doesn't make it any less disturbing,” she deadpanned.

“Probably not,” he agreed. “Clearly Itachi's intention was to incapacitate you and keep us separated from the squad long enough for them to get what they want.”

Her knees suddenly tightened painfully around his middle and he grunted, “Hey, careful!”

His words ignored, Sakura said, “They have Ami.”

“Yeah,” he winced, aching. “They have Ami.”