J A D E

Chapter Forty - Three

"Ugly." I look up at Sai. "Are you okay?" I nod, not saying anything, focusing solemnly on the road. None of them say a word, as he continue jumping from tree to tree.

"We will be there soon, Sakura-chan." I nod once again. We have been running for several hours without rest. I know that they are beat up and barely standing, but I can't stop. I have to hurry in order to save Kankuro. The poisons that Sasori uses are terrible and difficult. They kill while torturing the victim.

"I know. We have to hurry up." I say once again, fastening my pace. Boys follow me, having no other choice. They are already used pushing past their limits, especially when they are on the missions with me.

***

"He is stable now." I whisper as I leave the ward, sweat running down my forehead. I have managed to get the poison out of his system, create new antidote and appeal it to him before Naruto came. Temari nods and hugs me tightly.

"Thank you." She whispers in my ear and I gently pat her back.

"You need to rest, too. Temari-chan." I smile at the girl, who is barely standing on her legs. She nods, and yawns. "You can go in Kankuro's ward... There is additional bed." She smiles and goes inside, while I walk towards Kakashi and Naruto.

"How is he?" Kakashi asks me in a low voice.

"He is stable." I shrug my shoulders and look around. "We have to hurry and find Akatsuki with Gaara. Every passing second might result in him dying." I add with gritted teeth.

***

"Sasori of the Red Sand." I whisper his name as I stand in front of him. My whole body is trembling from excitement. I grin at the puppeteer in front of me.

"Oi, I am here too, Sakura-chan, yeah!" Deidara exclaims loudly. I only spare him a glance, before my eyes land back on Sasori. Chiyo is standing behind me gaping at her grandson.

"Haruno Sakura." Sasori states my name with distaste. I smirk at his direction, putting my ANBU Rabbit mask away, facing him without it. "So, you have come to greet your death." Sasori chuckles. "You will be extraordinary add to my collection." I don't say anything. "Deidara." The blonde nods, taking Gaara and hopping on his clay bird.

"Follow him." I bark the order out. Being ANBU Captains gets you used to ordering others around. "I will take Sasori." They nod as start chasing Deidara. Sai starts making his ink birds. Chiyo stays behind once again.

"Chiyo-baa-chan." Sasori's voice is venomous. He makes his puppet to attack her, but I punch it away, shielding her in the process.

"Please, stay away Chiyo-sama." I whisper in low voice. I look back at Sasori with fire burning in my eyes. "I am going to kill you." I whisper as I jump towards him. Ram. Horse. Tiger. Rabbit. Snake. "Earth Release : Devouring Earth." Two walls of earth raises at either side of the puppet, crashing it as soon as they close.

"Impressive." Sasori states monotonously. "You have greatly improved." He states again and I can feel smirk in his voice. How can someone put a wood into genjutsu? Easy. They can't. His senses does not exist. Only his chakra. Thus, he will never fall for it.

We continue fighting, while I continue punching and destroying his puppets. Much like the last time, Chiyo attacked her strings on me to help me in moving. I smile at the old lady in gratitude and punch another puppet.

"You could have reached so much more in the village." I mumble as I plant another attack in his direction. Sasori look at me confused, as I have already destroyed his outer shell, I can clearly see his expression.

"Stayed in the village?" Sasori laughs loudly. "What would village have offered me? Peace?" Sasori laughs again. "Village will never be able to offer you power, blossom." Sasori states bluntly. "If you want to become powerful, you have to leave the village and bonds behind." He sneers the words out.

I chuckle at his remarks. I punch another puppet into tiny pieces.

"You don't have to leave in order to succeed." I whisper in low, dangerous tone. "I reached everything thanks to my village and people, with whom I created bonds." I say in calm and collected manner. I punch his body, my hand penetrating into his wooden stomach. Splinters cut and scratch me. I watch in awe as blood streams down my hand.

"You are not strong, Blossom." Sasori smirks and chuckles. "You will never be able to defeat an immortal." He chuckles.

"It is not about if I manage to defeat you." I sigh and look directly in his chocolate eyes. "It is whether or now, I want to kill you." Sasori looks at me confused, not knowing what I mean. I jump back from him, cutting chakra strings Chiyo has attached to me. "I remember you, Sasori of the Red Hand. And I remember how you helped me to escape." Sasori looks at me with wide eyes.

"It will be shame if you died, Blossom." Sasori whispers in a low voice as he kneels next to me. I am lying in my own pool of blood. Barely breathing. "Despite the fact, that you would make a perfect puppet... I don't want to kill you." Sasori remarks as he picks me up.

I don't even have strength to kick him and fight against his hold. He starts running towards Konoha.

"It was easy finding you." He starts in low voice. "You fought good against us." Sasori continues talking. "That why, I have decided to gift you your life." He adds as he stops by the gates. He puts me down gently on the ground and flares his chakra slightly. "Till we meet, Blossom."

"You don't want to kill me, because I saved your life?" Sasori chuckles. He shakes his head and sighs. "It does not work like that, Blossom. I saved you once, but I am going to kill you now." He adds with dangerous glint in his eyes.

"I don't want to save you, because you helped me." I smirk, shaking my head, avoiding yet another attack. "I want to save you, because there is a hope for you. If you were hopeless, you would not have saved me." I explain lightly.

"And what do you want me to do?" Sasori sighs, stopping his attacks, seeing no point. "You could kill me in any second, yet you don't." I nod, showing him that he is right. I know how to kill him. And unlike last time, I have strength to finish him in single blow.

"You can join us." I state bluntly, which earns another loud laugh from him.

"Join you?" Sasori laughs loudly. "Why would I do it?"

"Because you know that it is only way to survive." I shrug my shoulders and start approaching him. I stop in front of him, none of us moving. "I am offering you a chance." I whisper loudly. "You can join us, atone your crimes and help us fight against Akatsuki." He does not say anything.

"Why do you believe that I won't betray the village again? I have done it once." Sasori looks up at me with patient gaze. I shrug my shoulders. I know that I am risking a lot by offering him to join us. But I can't just kill a person, who helped me survive.

"Because as soon as you try to do it, I will kill you." I warn him with soft smile. "And... I just have to trust you on that. But unlike previous time, I am not offering you a place in Suna. I am offering you a place in Konoha."

"How old are you, Blossom." Sasori asks me with soft chuckle.

"Fifteen." I mumble.

"You are too young to know about the world, Blossom." Sasori chuckles once again. "People don't just accept criminals in their lives. They will turn against you as well. And I doubt you have enough connections to win this over." This time, I chuckle at him.

"We will have to try, right?" I tilt my head and look at him carefully. "So, what you say, are you in?"