"Ehen (hiccup) ehehh"

"Mmm, Sasori-no-dono did you hear that?"

"Hm, it's coming from the woods…"

Leaves rustled and two cloaked men stepped through the brush of Irigakure's outer forest. The two cloaked figures coming from the hidden village due to a recon mission that was cut short when the village was attacked.

"Mmm, look at that, un," The blonde stopped and blinked his one visible blue eye, "A little doll eh, Sasori-no-dono?"

The black haired puppet master stared at the little quivering mass of child, a little torn and blood stained white dress, covered in dirt and tear stains from the child's constant crying and sniffling.

Little white stockings now soiled and ruined, a skinned knee, short hair falling out of the ribbon it had been secured in.

Long dark eyelashes, pouted dark lips, the little girl opened her eyes and shakily looked up at the two figures, she let out a little hiccup and closed her eyes again tired and scared.

Large emerald eyes, light pink hair the color of a cherry blossom…

He turned to walk away, what a pretty little doll she would have made…

"Ah, Sasori-no-dono," the puppet master glanced behind him at his partner, his partner pouted, "We can't just leave it!"

It… a doll…

"Then kill it."

Deidara shrugged and looked back at the sad little child as his partner walked away, he kneeled… "Where are your parents? Un."

The little girl wearily opened her eyes, tears no longer falling as she had worn herself out crying, "They wouldn't wake up," she said softly, her voice musically sad, so shy, so cute!

Deidara, 'hmmed', "Is that so, un, well," He reached out and picked the little girl up, she didn't weigh hardly anything, "Your mommy and daddy decided to leave on a very long trip, and they decided that we would take care of you, un."

The little girl nodded her head before clutching at the black and red cloak the man was wearing, carefully she laid her little head where she could hear his heart, mmm, mommy and daddy didn't have this anymore…

She liked this person.

Deidara turned and walked to where his partner was waiting for him, "Hmm, I don't like to be kept waiting," he glanced over at his partner, his black eyes narrowing, "What… you didn't kill the doll…"

Deidara grinned, "Ah, can't we keep it? I'll take care of it I swear!"

Sasori sighed in disgust, "Hn, leader won't like this."

Deidara just grinned and followed Sasori.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Child's Play

Prologue: Welcome to Parenthood

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Sakura awoke she found out that she had two new daddies, Sasori-no-dono and Deidara, they looked perplexed when she called them Sasori-otou-san and Deidara-otou-san.

Sasori-otou-san, the scarier one left the room.

Deidara-otou-san asked her name, "Sakura," Deidara liked that name, "Children are a blast, un."

Sakura didn't get that…

Deidara decided Sakura was too dirty and needed a bath, Sakura said she didn't want to take a bath, Deidara said Sasori-no-dono would not like her if she was dirty.

Sakura decided to take a bath.

Instead of taking a bath they went to the hot springs, Sakura liked the hot springs, for a five year old she was a very good swimmer.

The nice lady at the hot springs helped her get out of her dirty clothes and rinse before going out to the hot springs with her 'daddy'. Deidara had told the nice lady, 'she took a tumble' that's why she was so messy.

Sakura had watched with wide eyes as the lady gave her a lollipop, Sakura liked candy.

Sasori-no-dono wasn't in the hot springs, but a red headed man was talking with one of her otou-san. Sakura wanted to show him what a good swimmer she was.

Deidara was arguing with Sasori when Sakura popped out of the water with a 'duhduh!'

Sasori jumped and Deidara burst out laughing, Sakura went under the water again but didn't make it too far as she was grabbed and pulled out of the hot water by the red haired man, he stood up and handed her to Deidara, both of them had towels drabbed around their waists.

He reached behind him and grabbed a towel to wrap her in before taking her back and setting her on the edge of the hot spring to allow her to dangle her feet in the water.

Deidara cooed at how cute Sasori was being, "It wouldn't do to let her drown when we have such a good cover going."

Deidara chuckled, Sakura frowned and furrowed her eyebrows together, "That isn't Sasori-otou-san; Sasori-otou-san is scarier and has black hair."

Deidara twitched and tried to hold back his laughter, "Do you find Sasori scary?" The red head asked.

Sakura nodded her head, "He's like my other daddy from before, daddies are scary sometimes, Deidara-otou-san is like okaa-san but he's a boy," she blinked and looked over at Deidara as if to confirm this, "So he has to be otou-san too, right?"

She looked so confused; it was adorable!

Thus Deidara explained red headed Sasori and scary daddy Sasori where one in the same, "Oh, so Sasori-otou-san likes to play dress up in his turtle?"

Deidara burst out laughing and Sasori threatened Deidara's life, thus Sasori walked around without his 'turtle.'

"Do you like me now that I'm clean?"

Sasori 'hn'ed and walked away toward the locker room to change.

Deidara told Sakura, "That meant 'yes'."

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sakura couldn't very well walk around in Deidara's oversized shirt the rest of her life and that night Sasori brought home a dress for Sakura, Sakura struggled putting on the dress so Sasori helped her tie and zip the back. It was a pretty red dress that Sakura loved so much she didn't want to take it off to sleep.

Thus let her sleep in it, the next morning they had to leave but Sakura's hair was every which way when she woke up and Sasori made a sound in the back his throat that sounded like a deep 'tsk'.

Deidara went to get food and check out so they could leave.

When he came back Sakura had little ringlets in her hair and a pretty red bow, she also had little white stockings and little red shoes.

He cooed at her and poked fun of Sasori.

They ate and left, Sakura asked why all the people where gone from the hotel and why the nice lady from before wasn't at the desk, they said they all went on a trip, Sakura 'oh'ed and asked if it was a trip like Mommy and Daddy's'?

They agreed, "Just like mommy and daddy's trip."

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sakura liked to chase Deidara-otou-san's birds around, she liked the butterflies too, she liked it when they would fly high in the sky and go "BOOM!" She liked that a lot, one time however, Deidara made a frog to jump around for Sakura to play with, but she started crying and ran to Sasori-otou-san holding his cloak out to hide behind it so the 'scary frog' would go away.

Deidara made the frog explode and Sakura was happy again.

Deidara and Sasori made sure no frogs came anywhere near Sakura-chan ever again.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

They had Sakura for two weeks before they had to meet with leader, Sakura had to go too. Sasori and Deidara seemed different when they walked with her hand and hand to the cave. Sakura asked where they where going and Sasori and Deidara told her 'a trip.'

Sakura asked, "Like mommy and daddy?"

They didn't answer her.

Sakura had thought the rainbow man was pretty and told him so, Deidara looked a little mortified but hide it well; Sakura couldn't pronounce 'Pein' correctly so she called him 'Uncle.'

Pein told them they could keep her as long as it didn't interfere with missions; he had a plan for her 'just keep her alive.'

Sasori didn't say anything as he carried Sakura to the next town; Deidara was behind them covering their tracks.

He wouldn't admit he liked his little doll.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sakura had woke up from a scary dream and looked around to find herself alone in a hotel room, she got up to find one of her otou-san's because she was afraid of being alone.

Since they weren't in the room Sakura opened the door to look out in the hallway, they weren't in the hallway either so Sakura left the room and decided she would look for them.

She didn't get far when the door opened and a scary looking blue man stepped out of it and glared down at her, Sakura almost started crying, "You're scaring her, un."

Deidara pushed past the blue man and scooped Sakura up chastening her for being up so late, Sakura told him she was afraid of being alone. He took her in the room with him, the blue man, a very pretty man with black hair and bright red eyes, a scary snake looking man and Sasori-otou-san where all in the room.

Sakura didn't like the scary snake man; she huddled close to Deidara and shut her eyes.

The meeting commenced, Sakura didn't look at the scary snake man once, he reminded her of the scary frogs, she wished Deidara-otou-san could make him go 'BOOM!' too.

At one point Sasori told Deidara to go put her back in the room because she was falling asleep again, he did and when he went to tuck her in Sakura asked why Deidara couldn't make the scary snake man go 'BOOM!' too.

Deidara laughed so hard he fell on the ground, he made Sakura a teddy bear out of clay and told her it would keep her safe so she could sleep soundly.

Sakura went to sleep, but from then on Deidara couldn't look Orochimaru straight in the eye without thinking, "BOOM!" and giggling.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

One month later Sakura had to go stay with someone because her daddies had to go on a mission, Sakura asked if a mission was like a trip, they said sometimes but they would be back soon.

Sakura went to stay in a very big building under ground that they called the, "Akatsuki hideout."

Sakura met with the scary blue man but she knew he would be nice because her daddies where leaving her with him, she tried to make friends, "I like your skin, it’s a pretty blue."

He grinned, "I like your hair, it’s a pretty pink."

Sakura liked the fishy man.

Kisame came out like Salami though and Sakura called him, "Fishy-chan." He didn't complain he just called her 'Pinky-kun.' She pouted but didn't complain.

The first night she was there she got scared in the dark bedroom without her daddies or her teddy bear, (she had lost it in the sheets.)

So she had gone out into the hall way to look for 'Fishy-chan'.

She couldn't find Fishy-chan but she did find the pretty-man from before, he had his door open and was sitting on his bed.

Sakura walked in and to the edge of the bed to peer at him with watery eyes. He turned and glanced at her but didn't say anything, "Can I sleep with you? I'm afraid of being in the dark alone."

He didn't say anything at first but didn't tell her no, so Sakura stayed where she was in her oversized shirt that used to be Deidara's (when Sakura had insisted that she wanted to sleep in it instead of the dress because Sasori was getting mad at the wrinkles she put in it.) (he wasn't really but she insisted he was so he went along with it.)

'Itachi.' Was his name, so she got to stay with Itachi and she wasn't afraid that night.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

There was a big fuss when 'Fishy-chan' couldn't find Sakura in the morning, he looked all over the hideout but she was nowhere to be found, he was even looking in spaces much to small for her to crawl into.

He was mildly surprised when a sleep mussed Itachi carried a sleep mussed Sakura into the kitchen and set her on the counter and walked away. Sakura yawned and asked 'Fishy-chan' for some breakfast because her tummy didn't feel good.

That was the first time Sakura got sick within the confines of the Akatsuki.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sakura was running a fever and no one really knew what to do when Sakura started crying, Itachi made Kisame put cloths on her head and continue changing them with cool water while Orochimaru lurked in his room.

It was the first time Sakura meet Zetsu, Zetsu suggested an herb that grew not far from where they where and when he was done explaining how to get there he told them that if that didn't work they could always eat her.

Kisame decided Zetsu should be the one to get the herb.

Itachi didn't say anything.

When all this was mentioned to Pein, Kisame figured he'd just have him kill her, my, my, what a surprise when he sent Zetsu and Orochimaru to find the herb.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

It took two days to secure the correct herb and in that time Orochimaru had found his plan to take over the Uchiha was failing miserably and he needed to rethink it before he got himself hurt.

He never came back to the Akatsuki.

Uchiha said good riddance, Kisame admitted he couldn't stand the snake, Sakura took the medicine Zetsu made and got better.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Deidara and Sasori came back a week later having finished their mission early, Pein had been impressed that a little girl could speed mission success so well.

Sasori looked horrified to come home and find Kisame and Sakura sitting outside having a tea party… with sake and mud pie (Sakura hadn't been drinking the sake only pretending too because this was the only way Kisame would play with her.)

Sakura would become an expert at pouring Sake before the year was over, Sasori looked pissed at 'Fishy-chan' and Sakura started crying because she thought he was mad at her.

She was covered head to toe with mud and she had gotten her dress dirty.
Sasori picked her up and held her away from him as he made his way to the baths.

Deidara had clucked his tongue and shook his finger at Kisame who had, by now, consumed a bottle of sake and been playing tea party with the teddy bear Deidara had made (that after a quick look had fallen under the bed) and Sakura since morning.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sakura forgot all about being dirty and making Sasori mad when she changed into a new dress. When she skipped out of the hall way, Deidara had made her a new toy, it was a little clay bunny. The teddy bear got to sit on the bed and make sure monsters didn't try and sneak under it when she wasn't there to see them and call for help.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

The time flew by and Sakura lived with the Akatsuki, one day she got up and got dressed and asked curiously, "What'd you get me for my birthday?" Sasori, Deidara, Kisame, Itachi, Zetsu and the newest member Hidan where all at the table when she asked.

They all looked at each other, 'birthday?' Sakura set down her bunny and held out six fingers, "I'm this old today!"

"Uh-oh, un."

So in the lull of things the Akatsuki had its first birthday party with burnt cookies and all. They all took turns sneaking out to get her presents and gave them to her at the end of the day, she loved the painting supplies and canvas from her daddies, uncle had sent her a pretty silver ring with a little red jewel, it was not, mind you, an Akatsuki ring.

Zetsu got her a book on herbs, Hidan got her a doll that she called Miko and it lived with Mr. Teddy to keep the bad things out. Kisame got her a goldfish which she called Mr. Bubbles because it had lots of orange dots that looked like bubbles and Itachi got her a book on anatomy and chakra.

Deidara argued she couldn't read and Sakura wrinkled her nose and looked insulted, well the best a 6 year old could look insulted, "I can to read!"

And to prove her point Sakura took her books and her presents and went to her room and sat on her bed and started to read her new books.

That's when they found Sakura-chan had a photographic memory.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sakura cried when Itachi came back from a mission with Kisame with a gash in his side, Itachi told her not to be a baby, big girls don't cry.

Sakura still cried because she didn't want Itachi to go on a trip like her other parents did and she didn't want him to bleed to death.

Sakura went to her room and brought out her books that she had gotten for her birthday a few weeks ago, she wanted Kisame to fix Itachi with chakra, Kisame admitted he didn't know how, Sakura stomped her foot and made him put stitches in Itachi instead, he did need them so Kisame did so, Itachi didn't flinch once, Sakura made Zetsu take her to find 'this herb' so Itachi wouldn't get an infection.

Deidara and Sasori mentioned this to leader, leader sent Deidara and Sasori on a new mission.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Due to the overall lack of culinary skills in the house, Sakura took it upon her self to learn how to cook, she somehow got a cook book and read through it, how ever she wasn't able to reach anything so she had to get Itachi to help her.

It became known that Sakura and Itachi made very good sugar cookies.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Sasori and Deidara came back a week or so later they weren't alone, they had a woman with them.

The woman had agreed to what they offered (through some hypnotism), also, she didn't want to die. Very simple reasoning really.

When Sakura met the lady she was told the lady was going to teach her all about being a medic-nin and shinobi.

Sakura hadn't liked this at all, she had cried and asked why they didn't want her any more, she didn't want to go with the lady, she wanted to stay with them.

Deidara had panicked and assured her that they weren't getting rid of her, the nice lady was staying with them, they still loved her very, very much.

Sakura had sniffled and made him pinky swear.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

The lady had asked if the men in red cloaks did bad things to Sakura.

Sakura had replied, "Oh yes, they ground me sometimes when I do something bad."

Sakura had made a point to pout on bad, "But its fun to build tents in the hallways…" She mumbled.

The lady had tried again, Sakura had been confused with the ladies questions but had answered them to the best of her six and a half year old ability.

It was soon clear that nothing inappropriate was going on and this little girl was treated very, very well by these 'cold hearted murderers.'

The woman had begun to teach Sakura the basics of being a shinobi, Sakura had quoted all the rules of a shinobi even if she didn't understand some of them because she didn't live in a hidden village.

The woman, however, was animate about teaching her with these rules and guidelines.

When the woman had explained about death and how no medical ninjutsu could bring someone back Sakura had begun to tear up.

The woman had made it better though and she liked the woman.

Sakura soon got bored over time and all her family started helping her, Itachi hadn't at first wanted to help her but then decided he might as well mostly out of pure boredom and showed her how to throw kunai and shuriken.

Deidara and Sasori had explained about different ways to fight and the woman had started showing Sakura how to use her chakra.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

One day Sakura was outside walking up a tree, she made it to a very tall branch and sat down. Kisame and Itachi where coming back from a mission when they saw her.

Kisame panicked, Itachi very calmly told her to come down before he was forced to come up there and get her himself.

Sakura didn't know what she did wrong but started walking down the tree again, before she was all the way down, she lost her concentration and fell, Itachi caught her and set her on the ground.

He took her hand and lead her back inside with a hyperventilating Fishy-chan trailing behind them.

Sakura was sent straight to her room with a very angry (though you couldn't really tell) Itachi trailing after her to make sure she got straight into bed. Sakura was very sorry and she would never climb the tree again if it made Itachi mad.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

The next day when she and the lady and Deidara where outside (she could never go outside with the lady alone) she refused to climb the tree. The lady and Deidara knew she could do it but didn't understand why she wouldn't.

Deidara picked her up and went to help her with the tree but when she was within a few feet of it she started screaming.

Deidara was so shocked he dropped her. She hit the ground and kicked her legs refusing to go up the tree.

The lady was just as shocked as Deidara and didn't know what to do. She ran forward and tried to hush Sakura and make the little girl stop but she couldn't, Deidara turned and returned to the hide out to get Sasori. This was the first tantrum Sakura had ever thrown.

The lady watched him leave and saw her chance. She looked down at the screaming Sakura and gently touched her neck. Sakura went straight to sleep.

The lady took Sakura and ran.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Deidara came back up it was with Itachi who immediately knew what was wrong and why Sakura wouldn't climb the tree, Kisame who wanted to see what the fuss was about, and Sasori who had hit Deidara on the head for leaving the woman and Sakura up there alone.

It seemed Sasori's concern was well founded.

The lady had taken Sakura and ran.

The Akatsuki was pissed.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Sakura came to, she was on the lady's back barreling through the trees and branches, Sakura sat up a little and looked around, "Where's Deidara-otou-san?" she mumbled looking around for her otou-san.

The lady replied they where playing a game of hide and seek and they had to beat Deidara and the others back to the village so they didn't have to be 'it.'

"Oh." Sakura had replied, but she didn't quite believe the lady, but she was suddenly sleepy and against her will she took a nap.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sakura awoke to voices, she liked these voices, she knew them.

Sakura opened her eyes and yawned, covering her mouth then stretching out on the cloak she was curled up in.

"She's awake, un."

Sakura turned and sat up blurry eyed, "Mm, did we lose the game of hide and seek?"

She heard Sasori make an angry sound, and turned towards him, she got up and walked over to him to crawl into his lap. "I don't like her hide and seek, it made me sleepy." Droopy eyed she yawned and went to sleep in Sasori's arms, not seeing how angry everyone was around her.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

The nice lady that Sakura didn't really trust wasn't there when Sakura got back to the hideout, she also discovered that they where all moving.

Sakura didn't want to move but she didn't complain, she got to take her goldfish and toys with her so it was okay.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

The woman from before breathed deeply as she leaned against the wall of the village, shinobi coming to her from all around, she had been missing for a while now, it was amazing she would turn up at her original village, "Shizune-sempai!"

xoxoxoxoxoxox

For some reason she couldn't remember what the little girl looked like when she tried to describe her, she couldn't remember anything about the little girl, in fact, was there even a little girl there?

xoxoxoxoxoxox

At Sakura's 7th birthday she got lots of books and more art supplies, while Sakura wasn't very good at drawing yet, she was very good at coloring.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

At Sakura's 8th birthday party a new member of the Akatsuki joined and Sakura thought he looked like a nice plushie.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

By the time Sakura was nine years old she had a whole closet full of dresses and shelves full of books, but she was also growing very lonely, she told her family she loved them very much but she wanted to play with children her own age.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sasori and Deidara had to go on a reconnaissance mission to Suna, they decided to take Sakura along, Sakura had on a pretty red dress much like the one she had on when she was little, it was wispy and Sakura felt she should run around bare foot in it because it was just that kind of dress. Now Sakura was a very, very pretty child, she had grown up very, very happy and very, very healthy.

And very, very naive.

Sakura had a porcelain face and a lovely doll like body with barely a flaw on it due to having two artists as fathers and very protective very fast family members.

But Sakura was still a very active little girl and as she had grown up she had learned to be very graceful in her chaos.

So when Deidara and Sasori had told her to stay near the play ground Sakura had done what she was told to do.

She stayed. Sort of.

While Deidara and Sasori went away Sakura had taken off her shoes and stockings and danced around the playground long past the time when all good little children should be in bed. Her hair had come lose and her ribbon had been lost but she continued to dance in the sand and swing and slide and have all the fun she could all alone.

But she wasn't really alone, there was a red headed boy watching her from the roof, well it was near the playground…

She skipped over to the side of the building and jumped right up the sides landing barefoot next to the red headed boy.

He glared hard at her, he didn't look very happy.

"Do you want to play?"

He looked pained for a moment, he had a tattoo on his forehead, Sakura liked it very much.

Being raised where she was and with who she was raised with you would think she would have an issue with personal space.

Quite the opposite actually.

Sakura liked the quiet boy even though he didn't seem to like her.

She stepped forward…

Sand came up and caught her outstretched wrist, it hurt very badly as it was crushed but Sakura didn't cry much, she pulled her hand back and stepped back to hold it. Yes it hurt very badly but Itachi told her crying was for babies so she tried very hard to show it didn't hurt at all.

The boy looked pained again and went to clutch his head. Sakura held her wrist in her hand, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt." Her hand glowed green and the bones fit back together. She held out her hand again cautious of how close she held it to him, "See."

The boy didn't respond right away so Sakura decided he didn't feel good. She stepped forward again and the sand didn't rise, so she reached out and pat his head, "Do you not feel good," She kneeled and brought her hand down to rest on his forehead.

He caught the wrist she had healed and breathed heavily to keep his sand at bay. "Get. Away. From. Me."

Sakura frowned, she felt a little hurt, "Oh…sorry."

She pulled her wrist from his hand and backed away, she was a little sad he didn't like her, crestfallen she made her way to her stockings and shoes. And down hearted, made her way back to the hotel room.

The boy disappeared in a swirl of sand as a red ribbon floated up and got caught in the whirl of it.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Deidara and Sasori got home it was well past midnight and Sakura was lying in bed still in her red dress without shoes or stockings or her ribbon. She wasn't sleeping but she wasn't crying either.

Deidara exchanged a glance with Sasori, "What's the matter, un?"

Sakura didn't reply.

It was the first time Sakura had ever ignored any one of them, well besides the one time Fishy-chan had called her short and she had huffed out of the room and refused to talk to him when he called her that.

But that was for a reason that they could all understand easily.

Hormones, ugg.

"Sakura, answer him."

She still didn't reply, she just curled tighter around the pillow she was clutching.

Deidara walked over and sat at the edge of the bed, "Sakura-chan? What's the matter, un?"

Sakura ignored them.

Deidara gave Sasori a desperate look, Sasori rolled his eyes, "You're going to wrinkle that dress beyond repair."

It was the first time Sakura didn't care if she wrinkled one of the dresses Sasori got her.

Sasori felt the ghost of his stomach drop, "Are you sick?"

Deidara reached over and felt her forehead, she shrugged him off and he huffed, "Come on Sakura-chan, un, this is ridiculous, what in the world is wrong with you?"

She mumbled something so softly neither of them could make it out.

"Say that again, un."

"No one likes me anyway, why does it matter if I wrinkle my dress."

She said it so desolately that Deidara was taken aback.

Sasori looked startled, "Who doesn't like you?"

"The boy."

Deidara and Sasori looked at each other and for the first time since they had 'adopted' Sakura they realized that Sakura was a girl.

"Uh-oh." Deidara stood up from the bed and paced. Sasori shifted nervously.

"Um, Sakura-chan," Deidara started sitting back down, "Sometimes boys at your age aren't quite into girls yet."

Sakura turned and faced the ceiling, "So if I was a boy… he would like me."

Deidara glanced at Sasori, "Uh… no, not really, I mean…"

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows together, "So he'd hate me either way?"

Sakura had tears forming in her eyes and Deidara had panic on his face and looked miserable because he didn't know what to do, Sasori sighed and stepped forward, "Sometimes it is best not to question what people like and don't like about a person, it just makes that person act like someone they aren’t."

Sakura didn't respond right away, "So… what you're trying to say is…"

Deidara blurted out maybe the worst possible thing he could have said…"It means if he says he doesn't like you he likes you!"

Sakura looked confused, "huh?"

Sasori pierced his lips at Deidara, "But what if he says he likes me?"

Deidara turned his head, "Uh, then he likes you… un."

Sakura sat up totally confused, "So no matter what he says… he likes me?"

Sasori hit his forehead with a palm and walked to the bathroom. Deidara stood up and fell on the other bed, "Un! I don't know…"

Sakura rubbed her eyes, "I'm confused…"

"So am I, un, So am I."

And with that Sasori and Deidara had to prepare themselves for what all girls where soon to go through, but luckily for them, not quite yet.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Before Sakura left the village she saw the boy again, she didn't know if Deidara and Sasori where right about him liking her or not but she wanted the boy to know that she still liked him regardless.

When Sakura walked over to him (once again on the roof) it was just before sunset and she and her otou-san would be leaving very soon.

"Hello."

The boy turned, when he saw her he flinched and moved to step away, Sakura frowned, "It's okay if you don't like me," She saw his confused look, it was almost pained, "I have to go soon but I just wanted to tell you something."

She rocked back on her heels and smiled, "I like you very much and if we meet again and you change your mind about not liking me I would very much like to play."

She turned before he could say anything and skipped away.

That night outside the gates while all the guards were 'sleeping' (which they really were just with some help from our two favorite otou-san) a swirl of sand appeared.

Sasori and Deidara prepared themselves for a fight but it surprised them when Sakura skipped up to it and down came a red ribbon, Sakura's red ribbon.

Sakura held it in her hands for a second before smiling, "He likes me."

And she skipped away ahead of her fathers.

They exchanged a glance, confused, before following after her covering their tracks.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Sakura was ten years old her fish died, the one Kisame had gotten her (it had actually died before but Sakura hadn't noticed and they had time to replace it before she had come into her room again) Sakura was very upset. She tried very hard to make the fish better with her chakra.

The Akatsuki members, all very proficient in killing had no idea how to explain to Sakura that the fish was dead.

When, finally, they got up the courage to go into her room and tell her the fish was dead, they found her doodling on her sketch pad, the fish swimming in his tank, they all turned and hightailed it out of there before she could ask what they where doing.

Sakura shrugged, "My families weird, right Mr. Bubbles?"

The fish let out a few bubbles.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Sakura turned eleven they (being her otou-san's) took her to a hot spring town, they had a mission but they told Sakura it was a birthday present and she could stay there while they left, they would be back very soon and she wasn't allowed to leave the hotel but she could do whatever within the confines of it.

Sakura decided she wanted to go into the hot spring, she put on the pretty red bikini that her otou-san had gotten her because she insisted she wanted to go into the hot springs with them when it was allowed.

So Sakura got a bathing suit. Her hair, by now, had been grown long, cut only when absolutely necessary, it was below her shoulder blades at this point and pretty bangs decorated her face, her hair had been curled the day before so it fell in lose ringlets all around her.

She pulled it up and pulled on the white dress that she liked to wear in the evening because it was airy and soft.

She skipped down to the baths, not worrying that it was unisex, she was very naive for being in the Akatsuki hideout for most of her life.

Slipping off the dress she jumped in and immediately began to play in the water.

The hot water never bothered Sakura, she could regulate her chakra so the heat didn't make her dizzy. Itachi had shown her how to once when she complained about the bath water being much to hot.

Imagine all their surprise when Sakura discovered she could walk on water and at one point would stand on the water then take her chakra away from her feet to crash into it. That was a very fun time for Sakura, Deidara had almost had a heart attack when she did it while they where training.

Sakura didn't do it anymore.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Hatake Kakashi was a good ninja, hell, he was a great ninja, but he still wasn't letting anyone see his face, especially not his sometime partner, sadly his friend, Genma.

Hell no.

The two made their way into the spring happy to be off the mission they had been assigned to and happy to have a little break at the hot springs. Genma had poked fun at Kakashi the whole way in until he noticed the little girl standing on the water with chakra.

Kakashi shushed him, "Cute, a little kunoichi."

Genma snorted then peered through the fog, "Hey, she is pretty cute."

Kakashi gave Genma a dark look, "Ew, no way man, I'm no pedophile, but I'm serious, she's like a cute little life size doll-'SPLASH!'

Well maybe Sakura did the chakra drop every once in a while, but only when she wanted to have imaginary tea parties under water, she'd sink to the bottom sit down and see how long she could hold her tea parties before she needed air.

"Looks like she's going under."

Kakashi commented, "Yep." Genma agreed, they waited for the little girl to resurface but found that she wasn't planning to anytime soon. 45 seconds passed and Kakashi sighed, he could feel her chakra so she was still alive, "Shouldn't you get her?"

Genma made a face, "Why me?"

Kakashi shrugged and slipped into the water followed by Genma, "You just seem more the 'knight and shining armor' type. Go on, go make a little girls dreams come true."

Genma made a face at him then secured his towel, "Lazy ass, you're even late when you're saving someone."

Sakura was starting to run short on breath after a full minute under the water, she could usually hold her breath much longer than this but she had let out a 'woosh' as she had fallen under the water releasing most of her air supply.

She was surprised when she felt someone close to her, Sasori-otou-san had called it a chakra signature, she was very good at sensing this.

She turned in the water and was surprised when a man swam over next to her, she didn't know him but he didn't seem too dangerous and Sasori and Deidara never really told her not to talk to strangers, her mother had said it once but she barely thought of her mother anymore.

The man grabbed her arm and in seconds they where above the water. Sakura blinked, kicking her legs to stay afloat, the man had to do the same as the spot they where in was at least 8 feet deep. It was a natural hot spring so it naturally would be all different depths.

"Jeez, what where you doing down there kid?" The man used the hand he wasn't holding onto her with to sweep his hair back. "Come on."

He swam with her to a spot he could stand then proceeded to continue until they reached a spot Sakura could stand. He walked over to his friend and sat down by him. Sakura frowned, "Now spill kid, what where you doing down there." Sakura thought about going back to where she was, but then thought twice about it.

After Deidara and Sasori where 'ignored' by her once there was a new rule, she was to never ever not tell them the truth when she was asked a question. She could not just not answer either.

And since she didn't want to get in trouble (as she didn't know if this rule applied to everyone or not) she replied.

"I was playing make-believe."

Genma glanced at Kakashi who shook his head before commenting, "Make-believe what? Life-guard?"

Sakura frowned, what was a life-guard? "No sir, I was having a tea-party."

Kakashi glanced at Genma and smirked under his washcloth mask at him, "Sir." He snorted.

Genma sighed and shook his head, "It's dangerous to stay under the hot spring water that long kid, you could have fainted and drowned."

Kakashi leaned back, ha, Genma was playing concerned patron, look how frustrated he looked, the girl was standing perfectly straight, like a perfect little doll, her face flawless, not an emotion on it.

Kakashi shifted a bit, a shinobi kid huh, the guard he didn't realize he dropped was immediately put back up.

"Where's your parents Miss?"

Sakura frowned, "They're not here right now, they're in town."

Genma and Kakashi exchanged a glance.

"Doing what?"

Suddenly a smile broke out on Sakura's features and they where both taken a back, this perfect little doll with no emotion showing on her face looked like the happiest child in the whole wide world.

No emotion, hah!

"It’s my birthday today! I'll be eleven years old!"

Genma grinned, "Well ain't that the bee's knees."

Sakura blinked confused, "Huh? Bee's don't have knees."

Kakashi chuckled, "Ah, what he meant was, congratulations."

Sakura smiled brightly at them, "Thank you very much."

Genma shook his head, "So what do you think they're getting you kid?"

"Sakura," she corrected, "My name is Sakura, and I don't know what they're getting me, it's supposed to be a surprise."

Kakashi shook his head trying not laugh at her enthusiasm and easily naïve answers.

"Are you sure your parents would be okay with you talking to strangers?"

Kakashi amended her, not to be mean to her or anything but he wasn't a baby sitter and didn't want to be responsible if she was playing her tea party and drowned.

Sakura shrugged, "But you're not strangers," Genma and Kakashi exchanged glances, they knew this kid? "How so?"

Genma asked, Sakura looked thoughtful, "Fishy-chan said strangers are bad people who try and do bad things."

Sakura looked forward at Genma, "You mistakenly believed I was drowning, so you saved me."

Genma looked surprised, he kinda figured this girl was more doll like than all looks, he figured she was doll like in mind too.

She wasn't stupid apparently, just naïve.

Sakura shrugged her dainty shoulders, "That doesn't seem bad to me."

Genma shrugged, "But what if we where bad people tricking you by doing nice things."

Kakashi rolled his one visible eye, was he trying scare the doll? Erh, kid?

Sakura's face washed off her curious look and she went to get out of the water, she grabbed a towel and faced them, "If you where bad people, which you aren't," she made that a very stressed point, "Then I would tell my Daddies and they would be very unhappy."

She said in a matter of fact way, "Bye, bye!" And with that she skipped away.

Kakashi and Genma looked at each other, "Daddies?" They said in unison.

No wonder the kid wasn't 'weird'ed out about two older guys randomly talking to her in the hot spring.

Kakashi shook his head, "Weird kid."

Genma shrugged, "Bet she'll be knock out when she gets older though. Two daddies or not."

Kakashi slapped Genma in the back of his head.

"Ow! Hey!"

And their arguing ensued for the rest of the night.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Sasori and Deidara came back in that night Deidara collapsed on the bed with heavy, quick, shallow breaths, Sasori cursed and checked on him again, the poison in his system was moving fast. Sasori needed time to find the antidote.

The light and the bathroom flicked off and the door opened, Sakura skipped out ready for bed. When she came out she was immediately concerned, "Deidara-otou-san? Sasori-otou-san?"

Sasori cursed again and stood up, "Sakura-chan listen carefully, take care of Deidara until I get back."

Sakura nodded her head vigorously as Sasori left, he would need more supplies then he had to try and find a cure for the poison.

Sakura walked over to Deidara who was now covered in a light sweat, face pale, breathing ragged.

It was the first time Sakura ever felt truly scared for anyone other than herself.

It was also the first time Sakura ever showed any potential as a medic-nin.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Sasori returned nearly an hour later he found Sakura on the floor passed out, a light sweat had broken out all over her and her breathing was shallow. Sasori swept her up and put her on the bed. When he checked Deidara…

His breathing had regulated and most of the poison was gone from his system the poison that was left was a small enough amount that Deidara's system could get it out on its own.

Sasori immediately went to check on Sakura again. She could barely open her eyes, "Is Deidara-otou-san better now?"

Sasori nodded and whispered 'yes' as Sakura feel back asleep with a 'good.'

Sasori reported this all to Pein then fell asleep taking care of the two of them.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Deidara found out what happened with Sakura he chastened her for using so much of her chakra that she passed out, Sakura apologized but did not promise never to do it again.

He didn't notice.

He thanked Sakura and told her she did a good job.

Sakura got her presents from the two, a beautiful, intricate red kimono with greens and golds and browns.

Sakura loved it.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

When Sakura got home there was a new member of the Akatsuki, she didn't get to meet the person but the person left her a present none the less.

A paper crane sat on her pillow.

"Happy Birthday, love."

It read.

Sakura smiled and put it with Mr. Teddy, her clay plushie bunny, her porcelain doll 'Miko' and all her treasures throughout the years.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sakura got to go on a mission with Kisame and Itachi once, she had to pose as Itachi's younger sister, she was very happy because she got to wear her beautiful kimono, Kisame had to help her put it on though.

She couldn't do it all by herself.

The two walked down the street of the festival hand and hand, she had cotton candy the same color as Kisame's skin. She was very happy.

Kisame had fallen back and was hidden in the crowd and as Sakura looked this way and that she found many people looking at her.

Were her lips blue?

She peered down her nose and stuck out her tongue to see if it was, indeed blue.

Itachi glanced down at her, "What are you doing?"

Sakura pulled in her tongue, she knew it was rude to stick out her tongue at people, but she wasn't aiming for a person, she looked up, "Are my lips blue?"

Itachi paused and kneeled, using his Haori sleeve he wiped at her lips, "Yes."

Sakura let him wipe the rest away before he stood up and they took each others hand again.

She didn't understand why all the woman were 'oo'ing and 'ah'ing.

As they continued walking Sakura could feel the chakra signatures become more distinct, she realized then that they weren't becoming more distinct, just more familiar, someone had been following them around for some time…

Sakura shifted closer to Itachi, "Itachi…" He hushed her, "I know."

She walked a little closer to him as they neared the farriswheel, for a second Sakura forgot about the chakra signatures, but not enough to let go of Itachi's hand even for a second, "Oo, what is that?"

Itachi glanced up, "A Farriswheel." Sakura paused in her steps beside Itachi, "What does it do?"

Itachi glanced behind him, "Would you like to see?"

Sakura nodded vigorously.

He stepped forward and they got in line, the man laughed at Sakura's perturbed look as it spun.

"Two then?" Itachi shook his head and ushered her forward, "Just her."

The man laughed in good nature, "This way little lady, up you go."

Sakura didn't seem to like the idea of going in the farriswheel alone but Itachi shook his head and she remained quiet as the ride started.

He disappeared swiftly into the crowd.

Sakura sat nervously in the seat watching the crowd below.

It was the first time Sakura had been out in such a big crowd with no one close by. Itachi had disappeared from the spot he had been in.

Sakura took a deep breath as the Farriswheel began its spin, music playing all around her. She closed her eyes. It was actually kind of nice.

When Sakura got off the Farriswheel Itachi still wasn't back.

Glancing around she decided she was done with her cotton candy and wanted to throw it away and wash her hands before Itachi got back again.

Sakura was a very smart girl, just very naïve. She found the trash can and placed her cotton candy inside, mindful of her kimono she made her way to a fountain near by.

Rinsing her hands, still very careful with her kimono she stood up.

A woman walked towards her, the woman smiled very nicely, Sakura thought. She had very nice teeth.

She also had a very pretty kimono on, but there was less fabric than Sakura's kimono and Sakura was very slim and small for her age. The woman smiled, "Hello doll."

Sakura watched the woman with bright emerald eyes very alert at the way the woman moved, she swung her hips very subtly when she walked, she always had some kind of smile on her face.

Sakura supposed this is what a 'woman' looked like.

The woman smelt nice too, "Where's your mommy and daddy?"

"'Daddies' not here and I don't have a mommy."

The woman frowned, "Poor thing," She reached up and brushed Sakura's bangs from her forehead a bit, "Who are you here with?"

Itachi had told her if anyone where to ask he was her brother, that was perfectly fine since she had gotten a cotton candy out of the deal. "My brother."

Sakura's eyebrows drew together, she didn't like lying.

The woman clucked her tongue, "Would you like me to help you find your brother?"

"But what if we where bad people tricking you by doing nice things?"

"No thank you." The woman seemed perfectly nice but Sakura didn't think she should go with the woman.

"I'm supposed to wait by the Farriswheel."

The woman nodded, "Then let me walk you to the Farriswheel."

Sakura nodded, she didn't see why the woman couldn't.

The woman took Sakura's hand and began to lead her away. Sakura frowned and felt cold all of a sudden, her hands shook a little as she tried to pull from the woman's grip, "That's not the way to the Farris wheel," she said shakily, the woman smiled but it wasn't the same smile, it was snake like, evil, scary.

"Sure it is, it’s a short cut."

Sakura felt cold all over, "No its not, let me go!"

Sakura felt the breath 'woosh' out of her as the woman grabbed a hold of her before she could run off or attract attention and disappeared in a whirl of black dead leaves.

Sakura screamed as she was grabbed and transported away.

Seconds later two very angry sets of coal black eyes appeared, one set growing red as his anger increased.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sakura was in a cold, dark place that she didn't want to be in, she didn't like it one bit.

Sakura huddled in the corner crying lightly because she had gotten her kimono dirty when the bad lady had put her in the dungeon.

Sakura didn't like it here one bit, she wanted her family.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

The first time Sakura was kidnapped the Akatsuki had caught up with Sakura and only lost their prisoner in making sure Sakura was alright as she had been out cold when they had found her.

The second time Sakura was kidnapped the Akatsuki was out for blood.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sakura cried lightly still as she huddled in her kimono, so sad that Sasori would 'tsk' at her clothes that she couldn't help but feel miserable, it hadn't even been her fault!

A door slammed somewhere and Sakura began to feel something she had never felt before, Sakura had thrown a tantrum before but only because she didn’t want to disappoint Itachi by taking back what she had promised (even though he had explained to her afterward that he was no longer angry with her and it was okay to climb trees with someone with her).

Sakura began to feel angry, and it was a dark feeling she had never had to feel before, she had felt annoyance but it was all in the name of great fun, but never anger.

And with that anger came a power she had never felt before rushing through her veins.

Sakura stomped her foot.

And the cell floor burst into pieces bending the bars of the cell and giving her enough room to slip out.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Next: Chapter 1: Escape

Because children see the world differently then adults.