A/N: I have returned with a longer chapter since you people can't stand short ones! Hahaha neither can I XD we always need more!

Sorry that the last chapter was so short (xbLoOmZx lol) I felt that it was too much for this section which is why I split it from this segment and made it its own chapter.

Uh, I don't know if this story seems too slow or too fast but I'm holding back on revealing too much all at once for the sake of not confusing people and myself XD lol (I is a bear of little brain and too many plot twists at once bother me XD hahaha)

Thanks for the review Ellisha. Sorry, no Shikamaru for now but he'll be back soon. He's too awesome to leave out for too long ;)

Piru! Thanks again for reviewing! There's a little more about their past in this one so I hope you like it XD.

Thank you CrImIsOn ReGrEt (I hope I got that right lol XD) for the review. I'm glad you like it. I was bored of stories that rushed into the SasuSaku centric too. I hope that through this story I can make the journey into their relationship something relatable and meaningful. (woah that deep… XD)

Thanks for the follows and favourites! I'm always surprised that I pick up a little more each time.

So next up we get back to the action part of my story and I'm throwing in a flashback too.

Check out my music list!

Disclaimer: I don't down Naruto or anything I happen to reference XD.

Warnings: Violence and language

Other Notes: (fonts)

• Sakura thinking

• 'Inner Sakura'

• Flashback

The Peacemaker

Chapter 10: Test?

5 years ago…

"Sakura!"

My eyes flew open and I was greeted by a blinding light of fire in the night sky that made my head pound. "Sasuke?"

"Get up, we're in danger. We have to go!" He commanded, gripped my arm and pulled me to my feet. All at once I became aware of what was going on. We were in a battle zone fighting for our lives after we'd been ambushed and I'd been knocked back by the shockwave of a grenade. We'd been dealing with a rogue group of mercenaries looking to gain more power and a platoon of KSF soldiers had been sent to stop them. Kakashi, Sasuke and I had infiltrated the rear of their base and gathered intel on them while the main force attacked them head on. After we'd completed out part we headed out for extraction. But our plan had gone south when a group returning to base caught wind of what we were doing and bombed our small envoy of shuttles with their heavy artillery airships.

"Where's Kakashi?" I panted and he tugged me along to a safe spot behind a downed shuttle.

"I don't know," He breathed heavily, his eyes darting all over the place looking for attackers. "I lost track of him in the midst of this chaos."

Just then a KSF soldier motioned at us for our attention.

"Come with me!" He shouted, "I'm heading up to the landing on the east side. There are soldiers waiting to extract us there!"

"Understood!" Sasuke replied but before we could move towards him a sniper shot the man through his helmet and an explosion of blood was last I saw of him before he dropped dead behind a low wall.

"Shit," Sasuke hissed and check his Holo-Gauntlet for feeds for backup but all he got was static.

"Do you still have the information?" I asked, trying not be shaken up by the poor man's sudden death.

He nodded and gripped my wrist. "Let's get to that building there. It's too open here."

"Okay." I said eagerly. I trusted Sasuke judgement completely. With him I was certain we'd make it through this. He was the best in our grade in the Academy. He wouldn't fail. We crawled along the battlefield, keeping to cover, behind what was left of the structures here and wriggled in and out of bomb craters to reach our destination. I was wide eyed and terrified even though I'd seen places like this before, bodies strewn across the dusty terrain and the sounds of gunshots in all directions. Explosions made the earth tremble and sent dirt and debris everywhere. Typical mission turnouts for grunts like us. Everything always went wrong.

We stumbled in through the doorway and I fell to my knees catching my breath and shoving the thoughts of the horrors I'd witnessed to the back of my mind. I hated that. The images that were still fresh in your mind even after it was over.

Unfortunately at that point in time it was not over. A large fist connected with my face and I was sent falling to the floor. Then an assault rifle was pressed into the back of my head.

Sasuke whirled round too late and stopped in his tracks. His eyes flickered to the window and back to me and I realised in dread what he was thinking.

The information came first. It was important. Something that he had to leave me to die for. I'd let my guard down for one second and now I was about to die.

"Hand over the data or she dies." The enemy said and Sasuke glared defiantly at him.

Tears ran down my face. I knew what was coming. I knew he had to go. But I didn't want him to leave me, to let me die like this. In that moment I was utterly convinced that it was the end for me. That my young life was going to be snuffed out like a little candle; quickly and cruelly.

The confliction in his dark eyes was momentary… and then he moved.

A movement that proved irrelevant when a crash above me made me scream and instinctively pull my body into a ball to shield myself. The aggressor was knocked away from me and, to my astonishment, Kakashi landed on him and stabbed him in the throat, blood gushing out over his uniform, quickly ending the man's life.

He stood up and he said. "Hey, you two." The eye not hidden by his eye patch crinkled up as he smiled behind his mask.

At that point the tears streamed down my face as my mind fully absorbed what had happened. I was alive. No sacrifice had to be made and the mission could still be successful.

"Come on. Let's get you two out of here." He said and I slowly stood up only to fall to the ground again, my legs like jelly because of the shock not having worn off yet.

Without hesitation he gathered me into his arms and walked briskly with me out the door. I clung onto his neck in silence taking in small gasps of air as he told me to calm down and that everything was alright now.

I couldn't see Sasuke through my tears but I suspected he was guarding the two of us as we ran towards the extraction point through the dark alleys. He handed me over to a KSF medic on the evacuation shuttle to tend to my scrapes I'd suffered from the first explosion. Sasuke stood at the sliding door in my vicinity and listened as Kakashi told him he did well and took the data from him.

As I sat there watching the medic I sobbed softly as I recalled the moment before Kakashi had saved me and Sasuke had moved. He hadn't made to run away, he'd lifted his arm with the data on his Holo-Gauntlet to save me…

Sasuke Uchiha had wanted to ditch protocol to save me…

I jumped awake at the sound of my Holo-Gauntlet device blaring on the kitchen counter and found myself on the couch. The Holo-TV was still on. I'd fallen asleep watching some stupid action movie and it had triggered that memory.

Wiping the sleep from my eyes I was surprised to find tears there. Even after all this time that single movement Sasuke had made haunted me. I couldn't understand why he had wanted to do that then and I sure as hell couldn't fathom it now either.

Damn it! Can't I just have one night where I don't think about him?

I got up and wobbled over to get it, locking it on my wrist and putting my earpiece in my ear. Drowsily I wondered where Sai was before I answered it, mumbling, "Good morning?"

"It's afternoon. You're still sleeping?" The voice of the boy I hated most for the day muttered; seeming incredulous over my strange sleeping habits. And for Sasuke to sound incredulous... well…

"I had a late night." I wasn't about to point out I'd wasted my evening watching reruns of old movies for the sake of not thinking about him. That idea obviously turned on me. Destiny was such an ass. "What is it?"

"I need to speak to you." Sasuke said sounding a little agitated. Who pissed his porridge today? Maybe it happened every day and that's why he was the way he was.

"I'm listening," I yawned and then pulled a face at the reflection on my fridge of the atrocious pink monster called My Morning Hair.

"Not over the phone."

"Then where," I said wandering around the loft looking for Sai.

Where'd he disappear off to?

"Industrial District where the buildings are scheduled for demolition."

"Huh?" I said, having no idea what he meant by that. There were lots of buildings in the poor districts that needed to be dealt with.

"Squirrel man," he sighed.

"Ooooooh," I said remembering the mission he was referring to that we had as kids. It wasn't really a mission. It was more like a test of our abilities as small children before we were given anything too serious at the Academy, if we could handle that line of work. It was a miracle I passed. "Right…"

"Get here as soon as you can."

"You're already there?" I swayed back and forth seeing the pink hair monster do the same in the window reflection overlooking the city.

"Yes."

"Uh, well, it'll take me at least half an hour to get there." I pulled my upper lip up to look as scary as it did.

"Then hurry up." He murmured in a tone you could call borderline threatening.

"Why do we need to meet there?" I shook my head about about making the pink monster wave about menacingly like it was going to attach to the one of the buildings far away and gnaw on it.

"I'll tell you when you get here", he said and ended the call abruptly.

"Jerk," I grumbled and stomped off to my room to get dressed. I wore my combat gear just in case Sasuke tried something funny.

'Well that's ironic. Sasuke doesn't have a sense of humour. He only smiles when he's about to beat someone to a pulp.'

All the more reason to be ready.

I packed my Holo-Pouch with the basics supplies I took on every mission. It normally comprised of my pistol, Medical Nanites, my gloves, throwing knives and a bunch food pills in case I became trapped somewhere, also a few flares. I liked to be prepared for anything. Especially since what happened with that incident…

Yanking a brush through my unruly hair I realised that this monster would not be tamed today so I growled and tied it in a messy ponytail.

'Oh great, now it looks like Shikamaru's hair on a really bad day.'

I didn't ask for any comments from the peanut gallery.

'Did you say something about food?' She perked up and on cue my stomach growled.

I grimaced and stomped off to the kitchen again to scrounge for something quick to munch on.

…

I called Sai twice on my way to the Industrial District in the shuttle but to no avail. I suspected he might have been taking care of his business again so I left him a message telling him where I was headed and if something should happen to me he should alert the KSF.

I found Sasuke meditating or sleeping or something on one of the derelict building's rooftops. All of the structures around the area were abandoned too. This place was just west of the road leading to the Undercity entrances. It was miserable even in the midday light.

I commanded the shuttle's autopilot to land on the same rooftop and Sasuke stood up and walked over to meet me. He was dressed to kill, literally. I was glad I chose to dress in my combat gear and hoped I hadn't made a serious mistake coming here. He wore a fully black ensemble of clothing and I hated to admit it but he looked really good in it. A sleeveless shirt showing off his lean but well defined muscles with a pair long cargo pants and worker's boots really had me staring a for bit before I pulled myself together and averted my eyes to his sword propped up against the half-wall. I hated that thing. It made my arm itch just looking at it.

Then I wanted run away when I noticed him looking over me too, in a rather skeptical manner.

'What's wrong my clothes?' My Inner wailed.

Nothing. He's always skeptical about everything. If he was looking at me with a more sinister intention in mind, then I'd be worried.

"So," I said and he slowly brought his eyes up to meet mine. Yep, there it was. The look that could have a woman, wait, more like a thousand of them, fall at his feet. Forget looking like a god. He bloody well had the awe inspiring power of The Gorgeous Gaze to go with it to and that was without even trying.

I, on other the other hand, sported the classic horror-movie monster hair reined in by a flimsy elastic band. My five-minute makeup session had been a bit of a train smash so the bags under eyes from lack of sleep along with a fine splatter of freckles showed all over my face. It could send most little children screaming apparently. I wouldn't know but I wacked Kiba, one of the guys who'd been the Academy with me, so hard when he said it that he landed on the opposite side of the Central Mall's parking lot. Luckily there'd been some giant trash bins there to cushion his fall otherwise I might have gotten into a little bit of trouble. Nevertheless he never insulted me again. At least to my face.

"You took forty five minutes to get here."

"I'm woman. And women need more time to get dressed than men do." I said offended.

"Whatever," He said and turned to walk to the centre of the rooftop.

"What do you need to talk about?" I paused before asking, "Is there an issue?"

"No," He seemed to doubt himself though, "not at the moment at least. In fact it's not really talking that needs to get done."

"Uh, okay…" I said and thought for a bit.

Why on earth would he want to come out here?

'Ooooh, I didn't think he was going be that straight forward.' My Inner giggled.

No! That is most definitely not he called me out for.

'What? You need privacy for this kind of stuff don't you?'

Shut up and get your head out of the gutter!

"So why am I here then?" I sighed, resigned trying to figure it out on my own and instead looked for a way to wash my brain out.

"We're going to fight." He said it as though it were completely normal to just announce something like that to me. Just what had Orochimaru been pumping into him?

'Fight Sasuke? Again? We're doomed!' My Inner wailed.

No, we're not. He won't kill us.

'It doesn't mean he won't sever our limbs to stop us from kicking ass.'

Right. Shit. I didn't think of that…

"Why? Didn't we do this before?"

"If we're going to work together we need to know what we're both capable of and formulate battle plans based on that."

"So you weren't being serious before?"

His look affirmed what I already knew.

"You were?" He replied, a mocking tone sifting through.

"No," I glared, feeling a bit flustered. But I was half-lying. I hadn't been as serious as I could've been back then, although maybe if I had been we'd have never gotten into this mess in the first place.

"Then let's do this."

I resisted the urge to pull a pouting face at him in my aversion to this insane ploy to mock my so-called inability to accomplish anything remotely dangerous.

Well, I'd show him.

"So what are the parameters of this fight?"

"None." He said simply and I stared dumbfounded.

'Yep! We're dead!'

"So, anything goes?" I chewed on my lip feeling very uncertain about all this.

"Yes, this is a test of ability." He flexed slightly and I almost swooned. His gaze turned dark. "Don't hold back, because I sure won't."

I swallowed hard and reached for my black gloves. I watched him roll his neck breathing deeply in and out as I clumsily pulled on my gloves.

'Stop it! You're making a fool out of us!'

I'm trying damn it! He's just so distracting.

Once I remember how act relatively normal, at least to my standards, I stretched out too and went red because my body was cracking and protesting to the motions like I'd suddenly switched bodies with an old person.

I gave up on that quickly and readied myself to fight.

Sasuke stood lax but there was alertness in his eyes.

I breathed in and lifted my fists up in front of me.

Don't hold back? I had to hold back. If I hit him as hard as I could I'd have to spend the rest of the afternoon locating all his body parts to put him back together again.

Just play it smart and try to incapacitate him in the least painful manner so that we don't end up dead before the due date. Easy peasy, Right?

'Wrong! Look out!'

Just in time I noticed that Sasuke had moved, throwing a punch in my direction. I parried it with my lower arm and used my other fist to go for a lower punch to his gut. He knocked it away easily and as he went for my face, I leapt back and swung a kick but he ducked and brought his leg round over the ground and tripped me. I landed hard rolling to the left as he attacked to my right. I jumped up and with the momentum I threw myself forward to tackle him. But he turned in a full circle to side step me and I rolled forward as I hit the ground to get to my feet again.

He was just so damn fast. And he wasn't even using his abilities yet.

I hopped back a few metres and reassessed what I needed to do. He had the advantage of speed. I had strength. He had predictive powers and smarts. I was less smart and… that was about it. Unless you counted my medical knowhow which I couldn't really use to win here.

Come on Sakura. Think!

I saw him wince slightly bending his arms and I realised that strength was all I really needed here. He had an idea of the potency of my physical attacks but he had no idea just how powerful I could be.

'Let's go!'

Letting the augmented power race though my bones I kicked it up a gear and propelled forward gaining momentum and energy as I went. Sasuke brought his arms up and spread his feet apart balancing on his toes in preparation for my attack.

But I wasn't aiming for him.

Three metres from him I yelled and leapt up into the air bringing my fists together and when I came back down I slammed them into the roof. The shockwave broke up the thick layer of concrete like it was flimsy glass. The effect was so great that half the rooftop and the section of walling behind Sasuke came tumbling down. He jumped, but too late, inevitably falling down into the massive hole I'd created.

I stood and looked down into the dark shadowed floor below but Sasuke wasn't anywhere around the chunks of concrete landing there. So he'd been fast enough to avoid getting crushed.

Of course he had. This was Sasuke Uchiha I was dealing with.

"Well, it couldn't be that easy." I sighed and dropped down into the gap to look for him.

I looked for anything glowing like fire or electricity but there wasn't. There was nothing in fact. Everything was quiet except for the wind murmuring along the cracked walls of the empty rooms and corridors. I tried to keep my footfalls as silent as possible but I wasn't really a stealthy kind of fighter. Sasuke on other hand was more flexible. At least that's what he was like four years ago. Now it was like battling with someone you'd never met.

"So you got augmented, huh?" I heard the echo of his voice but I couldn't tell from where it was coming from.

"What of it?" I said and turned in slow circles, checking my surroundings. There wasn't a trace of him anywhere. Not even a little dust trail. Sneaky bastard.

"You must have been desperate." He jeered in a low murmur. "Or maybe you realised how weak you really were."

"You say it like I was always the liability."

"Maybe…" He whispered, sounded very close to my left.

I swallowed that down hard. He seemed perfectly content with taking jabs at me now. I guess back then he just decided to bear with me. Now, it seemed, there was no reason to. I was his enemy. And he was mine. By why did I still feel bad about all this?

I punched through the wall there but there was no one there. How was he so fast?

"I'm better than that now." I hissed.

"It's still not good enough."

Something instinctively told me to duck and I threw myself to the floor when I felt the wind change its course. I didn't see him but I felt the brush of the fabric of his trousers on my neck as his leg narrowly missed my head.

I reacted by trying to kick out but he was already ahead of me, gripping my arm and forcing it behind my back. My leg missed him and connected with the wall next to him kicking up dust as I tore through it. He flinched at that and I took it as a chance to push my back against him. He grunted as I twisted easily out of his grasp and knocked him into the opposite wall.

"It's not just your arms, it?" He grunted and attempted to push me away. But I wasn't going anywhere. He might as well have been trying to shove against a building.

"No it's not. So don't take me too lightly." I felt a funny feeling go through me at this close proximity.

That smell…

If the word bittersweet had a scent, Sasuke would be it.

My shoulder was digging into his back. I didn't what to do. How to subdue him…

How do I do this without hurting him?

For so long I'd dreamed of catching him and bringing him back so that everything would be the way it was. A childish hope. A futile mission.

Four years…

I thought I'd given up on him…

I was pulled back to my senses when he said, "Fine then…"

Then I saw the flash of light as fire erupted from nowhere between us and forced me to leap away from him. The small flame singed my hair and followed me but I clenched my teeth and charged right through the wall to my right and came back around in a half circle from the corridor back to where he was. Or rather had been when I smashed my fist through that section of walling.

I cursed ran down the corridor from the floating fireball that was growing bigger and bigger. It expanded to a point then it imploded forcing me to punch a hole in the floor right below my feet and drop into it narrowly avoiding getting caught in the explosion.

Sasuke had improved by a whole lot. I remembered what power he used was always unstable and took an enormous toll on him. Though this was nothing compared to the time we'd first encountered Orochimaru and Sasuke had hacked out producing that whirlwind of fire. I wondered if he could manage that easily now too.

Taking a deep breath I braced myself and ran down the hallway heading for a more open space to fight. Several fire balls rained down from above crashing through the ceiling and exploding all around me. The last one sent me flying through a wall into a place that looked to be an old auditorium. I assumed the building used to be a small community centre back in the day. I got up and headed for the back of the room where the stage was. A whistling sound stopped me in my tracks.

Uh oh. I whirled around and just managed to avoid the electric charge aimed at my torso.

So he went to go get his stupid sword.

'Ass.'

He did say anything goes.

He swung his sword and flurry of electrical shots came at me. I dodged them as best as I could but the last one got me in the ankle. Normally that kind of attack would have shattered the joint there but it just caused me to lose my footing. I fell with my back against the stage.

I heard Sasuke make an indignant sound as I stood up gingerly. He was a few metres away.

"Annoying," He muttered.

"Really? Still?" I said peeved. "I thought you said I'd changed."

"You did." He acknowledged it at least. He acknowledged me. It didn't feel as good as I had always wanted it feel coming from him. It felt like more of an insult.

"But…" I said sceptically.

"You're still annoying."

I wanted to snort. Did he always have to find something to hate about me?

"Though that time… you were the worst."

"You mean when you left me to die?" I snapped at him.

"I just left. And you didn't die." He said pointedly.

"It was the middle of a damn mission!"

"I did warn to sit it out. You just kept insisting." He glared and I noticed his sword shaking in his grip. "You couldn't leave me alone. You just had to come along. And then you had to spout your little speech then too."

My heart skipped a beat. I already knew all that. I knew it. I'd had nightmares over it on replay in my mind for ages. Every little detail of it.

"Don't leave me here alone! I beg of you! Please don't!" My grip was slipping from ledge I clung desperately to. The wind seemed so cold out in the open. "Don't let me die here!"

All those things I'd said. Yeah, real annoying.

"I love you! More than anything in this world. You're all I have."

My honesty. My feelings. My memories.

"Please… Don't go… I'll do anything…"

Annoying. That's all it was.

"Still annoying," The echo of his footsteps retreating was more than I could take…

I grit my teeth. Who cares what I think right? It's just annoying.

"And you're still inconsiderate!" I yelled and yanked part of the platform off the stage flinging it right at him.

Despite everything, right now, in this moment, I wanted to hit him. Hard.

He leapt away and I felt my temper flare yanking another piece of the stage, large metal frame, at him and he sliced through it with his sword. He seemed to shudder for a moment and then all the glass in the hall shattered. He was breathing heavily. Maybe his power took a toll on him.

"His hatred spurs him. He believes that in his hatred is the power he seeks. "

Kakashi's words pierced through my mind.

He was upset. He sure as hell didn't show it.

Not on the outside. Always within until that box of suppressed emotion can't be filled anymore. Then it just… bursts…

Whatever. This is my chance to end this little game.

Taking that opportunity I swung fast and hard but realised too late that he'd deliberately drawn me into the attack. He swung round from the opposite side his now electrified sword running its unavoidable course right towards the side of my torso.

In the last split second before it hit me I saw that the blunt side of his blade collide with my ribcage. I screamed as I was flung away the force of the shock sending the agonising feeling all throughout my body. Hitting the concrete hard I coughed and wheezed trying not to pass out. The disorientation it gave me made me nauseous. I struggled to get up.

'That hurt like hell damn it!'

It was brutal, even for his standards. Or what his standards used to be. I really didn't know what his morals were anymore. I shouldn't have expected them to be the same as back then.

Some grudge match this turned out to be. From a so called "test of ability" to a hatred spat. I guessed that he felt he had to win no matter what especially if it was to me his ex-partner… and a girl.

'Tsh! Men.'

I found his point of blade at my throat just as I'd gotten onto my knees.

"That should've knocked you out cold once it hit you." He said looking down at me with contempt.

"I'm a little more durable than most people." I said hoarsely and coughed again.

"Obviously you had a little more done to you than what normal soldiers get."

I struggled to focus. I had to get myself together before he did something irreparable to me…

He cocked his head to the side, "Something illegal?"

I scowled at him. "No, never."

"Whatever. Regardless, I'm sure it's blatantly obvious to you now that I could kill you easily."

Hiding the fear growing in me, I smirked at him and resolved to not let him get to me, "Well, you can't. Destiny must suck for you right now, huh?"

His face didn't as much as twitch.

His scare tactics wouldn't work on me.

"So what was really the point of this?"

"To see if you'd slow me down if we went looking for this cypher."

"And what do you have to say now?"

"Nothing." He turned then paused, "Don't get in my way."

I suppose in Sasuke talk that means I passed his test.

'Doesn't feel like it. I still want to kick his teeth in, damn it.'

I got to my feet and rubbed my side pouting.

My Holo-Gauntlet blared before I could snap back at his antics against me.

"Hello," I breathed shakily, watching Sasuke go retrieve his sheath that he'd dropped in the corner of the room. I didn't have to worry about him for now. At least that's what I hoped.

"Sakura, I have new information."

"Sai! Where the hell have you been?"

"Investigating. I received your voice message. Has Sasuke caused a problem?"

"Yeah, something of the sort," I muttered, "But it's nothing I can't handle. What's going on with you?"

"Akatsuki operatives have cornered me in artillery factory two kilometres from your current location."

"Here in the Industrial District? How the hell do they keep going undetected?"

I glanced in Sasuke's direction. Did they have Disrupters too?

"Unknown. Assistance would be welcome, Sakura."

"Okay, hold on. I'm on my way."

Sasuke looked vaguely interested at me.

"Leaving?" He said.

"Yeah, duty calls." I said waving him off and started to walk back to my shuttle. "Why? Do you want to tag along?"

"No." He said flatly.

"I didn't think so." I smirked. "At least I won't have to hold back with them."

"You weren't fighting seriously again."

I turned my head back to him and smiled, "If I did, you'd be dead."

His eyes narrowed at me but he said nothing more and I left trying to keep my dignity intact and not show the pain I was in.

…

I don't know what I was thinking, deciding to fight Sasuke. He said it was a test supposedly beneficial to us both. I felt like I got the short of the stick in that one. Or sword.

I rubbed my side scowling and tried to keep my mind on heading to Sai's location in the shuttle. Why did he feel the need to inflict damage on me? Did he want to show he thinks so little of me? That I'm just something to be pushed around?

I shook my head. I had to stop thinking about it.

The way he fought unsettled me. He was unforgiving, unmerciful. He needlessly cold and angry…

Why was he so mad at me? He started all of this. It was his fault.

And yet…

I clenched my fists.

He had to have some ulterior motive in this. Maybe Orochimaru was telling him to do it. To find my weaknesses and use them against me in the end.

'Heh, our weakness was standing right in front of us the whole time.'

No, I swore I wouldn't let him faze me.

As I neared the location I was a heated fight in progress. Two groups of VI's were engaged in battle. From what I could see the bots were viciously ripping each other apart. I frowned.

"Sai, what's going on?" I said to spoke to him through the on board com-system.

"The AI we encountered before has attempted to overwrite all VI's in the vicinity to attack me. I hacked a portion of them to retaliate. I cannot hold for much longer. It seems to still have a superior processing power."

"Where are you?" I scanned around the area seeing the VI's make a mess of everything around them.

"A radio-tower in the north east of this sector. The KSF are already on route to this location and I can no longer maintain connections to the VI server."

I spotted the structure he spoke of almost immediately, "Alright, I'm almost there."

Flying close I swerved the shuttle right up to the window of the tower. I pushed the button to open the sliding door and watched as Sai took a running jump into the vehicle.

"The assistance is most appreciated." He said and pushed the hologram next to the door to close it.

"No problem," I said and accelerated to leave as he took a seat beside me. "What were you doing out here?"

"Orochimaru kept his word gave us access to some of his resources early this morning and I pooled them together with ours, as well as your description of the device, to find the next piece of the Cypher. The information I found lead me here and I located in the archives where it is. However it seems that the Akatsuki are after this Cypher too."

"Do you know why?"

"No, but it appears that it is very valuable…"

"What do you mean? Where is it?"

"In the Upper District. It has been assumed as an artefact and is in the private collection of Danzo."

I blinked, "No way… Well shit. How are we going to get it from him?"

"He is having a social gathering two days from now in one of his corporate buildings. As he always has he will showcase all of the pieces he has assimilated over the years there. I am currently working on a means to get you into the party."

"You sure think of everything don't you?" I smiled.

"I am pleased to assist," he said and tapped away on his Holo-Gauntlet, then he stopped abruptly. "For what purpose did Sasuke wish to see you?"

"He wanted to see what I was capable of." I grimaced a little at the thought of it. "We had a little duel."

"He inflicted that injury on you then?" He looked to where I was clutching at my side.

"It's nothing serious; it'll probably just bruise tomorrow."

"Are you certain? Do you rather wish to retract from your deal with him?"

"No," I sighed, "I can't back out. We need to deal with this, the quicker the better."

"Very well."

"By the way," I changed the subject, "I'm impressed that you manage to overwrite so many VIs to help you. I assume that's from your upgrades the other day?"

"Yes, they have been helpful however I lack sufficient data to progress further. When we encounter this AI may I investigate its data?"

"Sure as long as long as you don't turn me in the process. It may have a virus or something. I know that many years ago there was in incident where AIs were infected and they went mad. That's why they banned them because it's hard to take down something that's smart and mad."

"I know, I will be cautious. However if it appeases you I will develop more firewalls for safety."

"Thanks, that's all I need." I whispered. "I don't want any more betrayals. One was enough…"

"I have no intentions of leaving your side. I owe you my freedom, you remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. You're much more open-minded now…"

Sai seemed thoughtful for a moment, "It was confusing; under Danzo I had so little control… then when you overwrote the restraints I suddenly had so much of it."

I gave a laugh, "It was total accident you know. I was puzzled too by you. One moment you were against me the next thing I knew my Holo-Gauntlet went nuts and hacked you. Then when I looked up you were offering you hand to help me up."

"Yes, it was my first conscious decision. I knew that you were not my enemy in the moment. All the same I appreciate it." Sai smiled and I gave him a playful shove.

"I'm glad you're sticking with me."

With that we headed home, oblivious to the trouble that was on its way.

TBC

A/N: Awww cute moment. XD So what do you think?

Yeah it was a lot of action in for single chapter, so I hope it wasn't all too much.

Oh yeah! More Akatsuki up next! Finally! XD