J A D E

Chapter Forty - Eight

"How was it?" I ask as soon as we are left alone. Sasori looks at me with raised eyebrows, motioning for me to elaborate what I am asking. I sigh, rubbing my eyes. "How was facing them? They were your...teammates." I mumble and close my eyes. I open my eyes, when Sasori does not say anything. He is looking through the window, his eyes not moving.

"It was...intense." Sasori mumbles in a low voice, before he looks at me. I can see pain and sadness in his eyes. "We... We all joined Akatsuki, because no one else would take us." Sasori chuckles. He bites his bottom lip and grins at me. "All of us were rejected at some point. Were not good enough, I guess." He shrugs his shoulders."I... You gave me a chance, Sakura... But there are people in that organization, who deserve it more than I did." I nod at him, knowing what he means.

"What do you suggest, Sasori?" I tilt my head and stare at the redhead. I know what he is asking from me, but... I don't know what to do. I am not Naruto. I have never been him. I don't know how to save people's lives. And... even if I change them, I have responsibility of making sure that they have chance of normal lives, something Naruto never did. He just talked criminals out of something and later never thought of checking up on them.

"I don't know." Sasori sighs and sits on the chair, tired. He puts his elbows on his knees and puts his chin on his intertwined fingers. "I don't know, Sakura." He mumbles again. "But... I have shown them that there is hope for them as well." He mumbles and closes his eyes. "I don't want to leave them like that." He adds quietly.

Sasori has changed a lot since previous timeline. He is not what he used to be. Not ever since, he started living with me and Ibiki. Even Naruto learnt to tolerate him. He started opening up, having emotions, talking to people. He started caring about people. Something that would not have happened during the last time.

"They just need a chance." I mumble as I sit across Kakashi. He looks at me with raised eyebrows. Ever since Tsunade-sama died, Kakashi became sixth Hokage. And I am, somehow his advisor. "The criminals." I shrug my shoulders as I look around the tent. "It is too late now, anyways." I chuckle humorlessly and look through papers.

"What are you talking about, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asks me confused. Both, Kakashi and Sasuke understood my point. But not him.

"The criminals... Akatsuki for example... " I mumble and sigh, tired. "If anyone has given a chance... Things would have turned out differently. It turned out that Itachi was not criminal at all..." Sasuke flinches at the mention of his elder brother. "Obito was misunderstood." Kakashi looks down at his hands. "What if... What if other members had similar stories?" I tilt my head and bite my lower lip. "But it is too late now... They are all dead... And we are at war..."

"They deserve a chance." I nod at Sasori, surprising him. I stand from my chair and start walking around the kitchen. Ibiki has left to sleep and I doubt he will be waking any time soon. "But what are we going to do?" I chuckle humorlessly. Sasori only looks at me with small smile. He does not say anything.

"What are you going to do, Blossom?" Sasori finally breaks the silence, curiosity taking best of him. I smile at the redhead in front of me and push him to his feet, holding his wooden hand tightly. "Blossom?" He tilts his head.

"We are going to find them." I mumble uncertainly. "And we are going to talk to them." I add with a heavy sigh. Sasori raises eyebrows, before small smile appears on his face. He takes a small step towards me, hesitating, before putting his arms around me, hugging me gently.

"Thank you, Blossom." He whispers in my hair. I smile, putting my head on his shoulder. I feel at ease when I am with Sasori. Calm. Collected. He helps me to realize what I am supposed to do. Telling me that it is okay to make mistakes. And I do realize that I would have been lost without him, Shisui and Sai. Three boys that keep me sane, grounded. Three boys, that created new team. Team, where I belong.

***

"Where are we going, Sasori?" I mumble, rolling my eyes as I follow him behind. Sasori turns to me, humming something, before continue leaping from tree to tree, masking his chakra entirely. H stops abruptly at a branch and I jump next to him. Sasori takes my hand and with gently squeeze, he leads me down on the ground.

"We are here." Sasori whispers in my ear, before looking around and smirking. His stance suggest that he is ready to fight if it gets to that. "Hidan. Kakuzu. Come out." At first nothing happens, but then two shadows emerge from the darkness. I watch at silver haired Jashinist with wide eyes.

Even during previous timeline, I have never seen him. I have heard stories about man, who could not die. But I have never been given a chance to see him in person. His red eyes look up and down, studying me entirely.

"What are you doing here, Sasori-san?" Kakuzu starts talking politely. I can sense that they hold no anger towards Sasori, that leads me into calming my furiously beating heart. Kakuzu has same shade of emerald eyes, as I do. He is covering bottom half of his face, much like Kakashi-sensei.

"We are here to talk." I step forward, letting go of Sasori's hand. I smile at the two figures in front of me. Immortal Duo has died once already, all I have to do now is to prevent their deaths this time around. I don't know if what I am doing is right or wrong. I don't know how this will turn out in the future. But I know that I have to try. Because if I don't, I will have the same regrets once again. And I just can't let it happen.

"Sakura..." I look at Sasori, who smiles at me. "Just be careful." He mouths the words.

"What would pink bitch want from us?" Hidan chuckles loudly, irritating me a bit. "You look weak, bitch." He adds as a matter of fact. "You would not be able to make good sacrifice." He adds annoyed.

"I am not weak, ass hat." I state bluntly. The eyes of three men around me widen at my foul mouth. But if someone is going to be rude to me, I am going to curse their sorry asses into another century. "Listen, ass hat, Kakuzu-san." I start calmly, controlling my temper. "We are here to offer you a chance." I beam at the last words, ignoring their confused faces.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Hidan raises his eyebrows. As he talks, I find myself staring at his abs. I shake my head slightly and smile at him, clashing my emerald orbs with his red ones.

"If you engage yourself in fight against Konoha ninjas, you will die." I state calmly, small smile plastered on my lips. Hidan laughs loudly at my statement. Kakuzu says nothing. "Listen... I don't know why you decided to join Akatsuki, but I am giving you a chance... To have normal lives... To be accepted back into society." I add agitated. "I know that you two... have special needs." Hidan chuckles at this. "Kakuzu needs hearts..." Kakuzu looks at me surprised. "While Hidan needs to sacrifice people in order to remain immortal."

"How do you know that?" Kakuzu asks angrily, yet calmly. His tone resembles to Ibiki's.

"I have my sources." I grin at the man in front of me. "Listen, I am giving you a chance to choose between life and death." I sigh as I rub my temples.

"What do you suggest, bitch?" Hidan tilts his head to the side, listening to me.

"I can't offer you a place in the village right now." I start with a deep sigh. "You tried to kill one of us, after all." I chuckle nervously. "But... I have an idea..." I whisper in a low voice. "I can offer you one thing. To hide, throw away your headband and your cloaks, fake your own deaths..." I mumble before looking directly in both of their eyes. "Lay low for some time and then... We all know that Pain will sooner or later attack Konoha." They all nod. "So, when he does, march in to help us. They will let you join once you help us defeat him."

"Why are you so trusting, Sakura-san?" Kakuzu asks confused, not understanding why I am doing, whatever I am doing.

I don't understand it myself.

"I believe... I believe that everyone deserves a chance." I whisper and smile at two man in front of me. "I believe that something...pushed you into this kind of life...And I want to at least, try to help you." I admit as I take a step back, in the area of Sasori's protection. The redhead smiles at me encouragingly. "I am willing to risk it." I sigh as I nervously rub my head. I look at the two man in front of me. Neither of them is moving, waiting for one another. And I pray to everything that they make the right choice. "So... What do you think?"