Her head hurt. Her back hurt. Her legs hurt. Everything hurt. The soreness from fighting, sleeping in trees, and running all day had just all gotten to her at once. Tired, dehydrated, and annoyed beyond belief, she searched for Naruto. Where was he? How had they gotten separated? [Hmph. Baka. You know very well how you got separated. You thought you saw him, and you just had to go after him. And they call Naruto a dobe.] She stamped down the inner voice that resided just at the center of her mind and sighed. [Wait. What was that noise?]

Water. Rushing water. Gurgling, laughing, splashing, wonderful rushing water! Following the sound of the river or stream or whatever-it-was, she soon found herself at the edge of a small brook. Closing her eyes, she fell to her knees and took some in her cupped hands. After testing a small amount for poison or any other toxins, she took her small canteen from her pack and filled it, and then wasted some chakra to make it so that the water didn’t escape her hands as she drank from them. It was cool, and tasted wonderful. When she’d had her fill, she sagged out of fatigue, and finally collapsed at on the edge of the water, one hand trailing over the gurgling stream.

--

“Oof!” Sakura woke to find herself bound and thrown over someone’s shoulder. “Damn. What the hell happened?” She tried to say these words, but they didn’t really come out very well, what with the horrible jarring of the person under her. She was being transported over the shoulder of a shinobi, dressed in non-descript black. When she craned her neck, she could see behind them. Her captor was moving through the trees at high speed, as if all the fires of hell were right behind him.

She could feel the beginnings of rain, which would wash away traces of their passing, and whatever scent the man carrying her left behind. Narrowing her eyes, she tested her bonds. Her wrists were bound, but so were her elbows. That would explain the unbelievable soreness in her shoulders…Then her feet and knees were also bound. [Damn. This guy thought of everything. Well, start assessing the situation, girl.] Through the canopy of leaves, she could see that the sun was at its highest point. That meant that she had been unconscious for at least six hours. It had only been six in the morning when she found the stream. [Okay. Now you’ve established time. Location will have to wait until you get to wherever you’re going. Now you need to figure out the ‘who’ and the ‘what’ before you get to the ‘where’ and ‘why.’]

Fifteen minutes later, the man stopped. She was unceremoniously thrown from his shoulder and landed on her stomach. “Hn.” [Wait a minute. I know that ‘hn.’] After a moment of awkward scrabbling, she managed to get herself into a sitting position, and looked up at her captor. [Oh, holy hell. Not Sasuke. The other one. What the hell is his name? Ah, yes.]

“Uchiha Itachi, I presume?” She asked, a wry smile on her face. He nodded. Her smile turned into a smirk. “What do you want with me? If you’re trying to use me as bait for either Naruto or Sasuke, you’ve got to be delusional.”

He smiled widely. [Now, that’s pretty scary.] “Oh, they’re not my concern at this juncture. You, on the other hand, are.” His smile flowed into a smirk at the look of shock on her face. She was always the one to be captured, always the one to need saving. Sakura was the one that was easiest to pick as bait. So, if she wasn’t bait, then what did he want her for?

“Ooookay. If I’m not bait, teme, then what am I?” She was really surprised that she wasn’t a little more afraid of him. But then again, she’d fought his type before. The cold ones, who never showed the slightest emotion outside of a lust for revenge. Was that really an emotion? With certain individuals that she knew well—or had at one time—it was more a state of mind. Itachi’s red eyes bore into her. Why was he not answering? However, she got her answer, and it was less than satisfactory.

He knelt in front of her, one knee on either side of her bound and extended legs. “You’re mine, is what you are.” His voice was like the verbal equivalent of a moonless night. Dark, mysterious, and completely impossible to see what lay behind it. He reached into a small bag, and drew from it something that she found to be rather odd. [A collar and leash?] She blinked. The collar was like one she’d seen on a rich woman’s dog. It was made of metal links that appeared to be silver, hammered rather flat, but this one had strange markings engraved over the surface of the links. The chain was of the same stuff, and it all led to a sort of wrist cuff.

Itachi smirked slightly and unlatched the collar. He placed it around her neck, and fastened it. The metal was cold against her skin, and it lay almost tightly against her neck. Then, he fastened the cuff around his wrist. She watched helplessly as he focused chakra into the thing, and blinding pain coursed through her. Her throat felt as if it were going to bleed with her screams. Then, as abruptly as it had come, the pain stopped. Panting, she stared fearfully at him. “What…what did you do to me?” He merely smiled at her, and took out a kunai, beginning to cut her bonds. For a long moment after she was freed, she rubbed the areas where the cords had dug into her skin. Then, he broke his silence.

“If you try to run away, if you touch the collar with intent to remove it, or if you try to hurt me, you will experience pain as you have never before known. Understand?” Fighting the urge to break his smug face, she nodded jerkily.

“So I’m your prisoner. What do you want me for?”

He reached out and took a handful of her hair. “You’re not a prisoner. You’re my pet, dear little Sakura. My pet, who will obey me. If you’re a good pet, then you’ll be rewarded. If not…” Chakra flowed from his arm into the collar, and she felt the barest hint of the same pain she’d felt before, but her breath caught in her throat, and she scrambled backward, whimpering. “Good. You’re learning.” His voice was infuriating. It was as if he really were talking to a dog.

She stared blankly at him. If she was stuck in this situation, she needed to know all of the rules. “What do I call you?” Honestly, she was hoping for ‘Uchiha-sama’, ‘Itachi-sama”, or even ‘Akatsuki’. But as it turned out, the biggest problem with the Uchiha was their utter arrogance and desire to dominate.

“You, my pet, will call me Master, or Master Itachi.” Her eyes nearly came out of her skull. She was not one given to backing down, or bowing to anyone, except for the Hokage. She jumped onto him and just barely got her hands around his throat when the pain came. It was a dizzying, searing, stabbing pain that started in her neck, and spread from there over her entire body. Every muscle tensed, contracting painfully, multiplying her agony, taking pain to a level she had never known.

Her paralyzed body fell away from him as he pushed her off of him, and she immediately rolled into a fetal position, trying unsuccessfully to calm her mind, detach herself from the pain. Then it subsided slowly, and then was gone altogether. She relaxed, and rolled onto her back. As she tried to breathe, Itachi leaned down over her. “Sakura, you’ve been bad. That’s only the beginning of the pain. Are you going to be a good little girl and come with me? Or do I need to punish you again?” Staring at him in impotent defiance, she seethed in her own mind. [Damn him.] “Oh. You’re angry, Sakura. I can feel it.” Again, she cursed him. She couldn’t hide from him. Her emotions weren’t even her own. If this persisted for too long, she would break. She knew that. It was just beyond her how she could possibly escape.

Sighing in defeat, Sakura dragged herself to her feet. It rankled her to have to do it, but she bowed to him and said in a strangled voice, “Sumimasen, Master Itachi. I will not disobey.” Her teeth were clenched, and she was angry with herself for even saying that. When she straightened, Itachi stepped toward her and patted her on the head, a small but happy smile on his face. She shied away. “I have one request.”

“What?”

“That you don’t act like I’m a dog. I am human, no matter what capacity you’re using me in.” She stared up at him, directly into those eternally red eyes. A small shiver went through her at the sight of his Sharingan markings beginning to move. A strange feeling, warm and tingling, came over her. Amusement. [He thinks I’m funny.] Her eyebrow rose, and she looked appraisingly at him. “Did I say something funny, Master?” She asked in a voice dripping honey, but with a vaguely mocking tone over the last word.

His amusement continued to flow through the link they shared, and he reached for her vest, and unzipped it. Letting it fall to the ground, he then took her kunai holster off, then her shiruken pouch. They joined her vest, and then he pulled her hitai-ate from her head and used one of the kunai from her holster to make a deep scratch horizontally over the stylized leaf on the metal. After tying it around her waist, he smiled and answered her question.

“Not at all. Let’s move.” He pulled on the chain, which she wasn’t prepared for, causing her to stumble, and she fell. She got up and brushed herself off. “You’re not usually clumsy, Sakura. Learn to anticipate my movements. You’ll need to learn them. Especially when we fight.” She blinked. That, she had not thought of. She’d forgotten, though the pain, that he never told her what he wanted her for. Was she a weapon? Her heart sank. She was being held against her will, but she had just become a member of Akatsuki. [Screw the link with him. If I’m pissed, for the time being, I’ll damned well let him know it.]

They began to move, Itachi on the left, Sakura on the right, and all the while, she kept glancing sullenly at the coiled length of chain that Itachi held loosely in his hand. There were at least seven meters of it. That meant she had some roaming room, but not much. She was stuck with him, and he with her. Unless he took the cuff off. What would happen then? She would cross that bridge when she came to it. For now, keeping her eyes peeled for signs of Naruto was her main concern. Though she might hope, she really couldn’t hide from herself the fact that she knew it was useless.

--

Finally, they came to the home of Akatsuki. It looked like a hole in the side of a mountain. Upon entering, Itachi veered to the left, and through a passage. After pressing a hidden switch, a Itachi ushered her into a large hall. It had high ceilings, and all of the walls were of the same dark stone of the mountain. After walking down this wide hall for five minutes, Sakura was nudged to the right, into a crossing corridor. She looked straight ahead, trying not to react to anything. She was attempting to be numb, which was impossible, but if at first you don’t succeed…

“In here.” Itachi turned the knob on a very large door, and went inside, letting the chain go slack. He was giving her the option of coming in at her own pace. Briefly, before she followed him in, she wondered if this was his attempt at a reward. As she entered the darkened room, she saw a spark, and then a candle was lit, and then another, and another, and another, and so on, until there were a total of about twenty candles in various locations around the room that provided light, revealing the comfortably furnished room.

“This is our room. It is a necessity that we share everything. You will be to me as dogs are to the Inuzuka.” Sakura doubted that something like that would be possible. The Inuzuka loved their canine partners. Itachi seemed incapable of any such emotion. Perhaps he expected it of her, but he would have to be sadly disappointed. He walked to a large wardrobe. When he opened it, two sets of clothing were revealed. One, obviously for him, was larger, and bulkier. The other side of the wardrobe held clothes that were obviously meant for her. With a slight jingling of the chain, she moved toward the wardrobe. There were folded undergarments, two pairs of black shinobi sandals in her size, and several duplicates of a rather…revealing shinobi outfit.

Taking one of the hangers out, she examined the oufit. When she had it on, it would reveal quite a lot of cleavage, and bare her stomach, even with the camouflage of the mesh shirt. Then there was the skirt. It was much like one she already wore, but it was black just like everything else; unlike what she had now, the leggings were mesh. [Kami-sama, why does he have to be a hentai?] She looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. “Is this your idea of what a ninja should wear?”

He smiled ever so slightly. “I thought it would look nice on you. After all, shouldn’t a pet please their master?” There was that same amusement coming through the link. She kept herself from snarling at him, and stamped down her anger. Instead, she decided to play his game. All the better to get him to let his guard down.

“I need a shower.” She said. This was, to some extent, true. She smelled terrible, and ached all over. Also, she wanted to test the limits placed on her, and see if he would take the cuff off. Itachi gathered the chain into familiar coils, and led her to the bath. Like the rest of the place, it was a stone room, but when he lit the candles, she saw that it was nothing like she expected. It was high-ceilinged, as the other room, but it had thickly carpeted floors, and a ‘bathtub’ the size of a swimming pool. There was no shower. Itachi took the hanger of clothes from her, and removed the cuff. He then walked to the tub, and attached it to a steel ring embedded in the rim of the bath. She heard a small click, and knew it was locked.

“I’ll be back in twenty minutes. Try to be done by then. If you are, I’ll see if I can give you a treat.” He then left her to her own devices in the bathroom. The bath looked very inviting. It steamed in the cold air, as if it were a natural hot spring. As she started trying to remove her clothes, she cursed herself for having a shirt that went over her head. In the end, she had to rip it off. Once she’d removed all of her clothing, she stepped into the water, sighing at the wonderful warmth of it. The water was at the height of her chest, unless she sat on the small ledge at the very edge of the bath. That’s exactly what she did for a moment, then she slipped off of the slick stone, and floated for a long time. The collar around her neck remained chillingly cold against her skin in spite of the water, and she felt the chain brush against her skin as well.

Then, she decided she’d been playing around long enough. She needed to get clean, so that she could get on with playing the little game she’d set up for herself. Diving under the water, she swam back to the edge of the bath and searched until she found soap, a wash cloth, and shampoo. There were towels nearby as well for when she was finished. The chain gave her a few problems when she was washing, and trying to get under the collar was a pain. But she succeeded in the end. Then, once she’d done scrubbing herself, she washed her hair three times. After the final dunking she gave herself, she came up out of the water with a gratifying splash, and shook the water from her short hair.

“You’re taking too long.” She looked toward Itachi’s voice, and found him sitting on the edge of the tub, his bare feet dangling in the water. She raised an eyebrow. He didn’t move.

“I don’t suppose I could have any privacy to get dressed, could I, Master?” Damn, but it got her steamed to say that word. And she was even more angered by the fact that he lifted his hand to show her that the cuff was attached now. She sighed. “That’s what I thought. Hand me a towel, please?” He tossed her a fluffy white towel from the stack, and she stepped carefully out of the water, so that she wouldn’t slip. Once she was dry, she took the clothes he’d given her off of their hanger. Everything was designed specifically so that she didn’t have to pull it over her head. The mesh shirt fastened on her left side and at the shoulder, and the over-shirt (such as it was) zipped up the front. Once she had everything on, she tied her marked hitai-ate around her waist, where Itachi wanted it. Surveying herself in a wall mirror, she thought she was dressed far too much like Ino. The girl had, in the past three years since Sasuke left, begun to dress far too much like Anko, whom she had decided to start hanging around with.

Frowning, she turned to Itachi. “I look like a prostitute.”

“You look nice.” He began hauling the chain in, and didn’t stop until she was less than a foot from him, his eyes boring into hers. “I like it.” Her eye twitched. Next thing she knew, he’d whip out a copy of Icha Icha Paradise, and start giggling at it like Kakashi-sensei. Instead of pulling out a hentai novel, he reached out a hand and grazed his fingertips over her cheek, his eyes still as expressionless as his face. There was feeling coming through that link that she could not recognize, but it set something in her stomach to squirming. “I suppose that you should meet the rest of the family.”

--

A/N: Okay, I know it's short. So sue me. I just need to work with the second chapter some more. It will most likely end up being a little longer than this one. I'm shooting for 4-6 chapters with this fic. Reviews are encouraged, flames are welcome, but I'll be giving them to Kyuubi to munch on, just so you know.

Time: 3 years after Sauke's departure, six months after Gaara retrieval misson

Place: Akatsuki headquarters, unknown location

--

Last time...

Frowning, she turned to Itachi. “I look like a prostitute.”

“You look nice.” He began hauling the chain in, and didn’t stop until she was less than a foot from him, his eyes boring into hers. “I like it.” Her eye twitched. Next thing she knew, he’d whip out a copy of Icha Icha Paradise, and start giggling at it like Kakashi-sensei. Instead of pulling out a hentai novel, he reached out a hand and grazed his fingertips over her cheek, his eyes still as expressionless as his face. There was feeling coming through that link that she could not recognize, but it set something in her stomach to squirming. “I suppose that you should meet the rest of the family.”

--

Chapter 2: Doggie Treats

Itachi pulled his feet from the bath and dried them, then yanked his sandals back on. He tugged on the chain, and she followed. The two of them walked silently down the hallway, and when they came to a door that must have been three meters wide and twice as tall, he pushed it open. There was a wide meeting hall, strewn with carpets and cushions. There were several Akatsuki members hanging around, a pair in one corner playing shogi, and others speaking in hushed tones. One approached them. She recognized him as Hoshigaki Kisame, a Missing-Nin from the Mist village.

“Itachi, you sly dog. What have you there?” The fish-faced man licked his lips as he looked at her, his eyes crawling over her in a way that she found most unpleasant, and she instinctively took a step closer to Itachi. Through the link, she could feel slight annoyance.

“This is Sakura. She’s my pet, Kisame. And you know I don’t like when people play with my things.” His normally impassive tone had turned slightly dangerous. She took hold of the chain near her neck, fiddling with it. He was possessive. Frighteningly so. Itachi looked down to her, and said, “Stop fidgeting, Sakura.” She dropped the chain. “There’s a good girl. I’m definitely giving you a treat later.” It took all of her self control, as well as subtly practicing the breathing exercises that Kakashi had taught her not to show her anger with him, though she was sure he felt it.

Kisame nodded curtly, slightly disappointed. He moved away from them, and Itachi walked over to the pair of men who were playing shogi. “Zetsu, Deidara, I would like to introduce my pet, Sakura. She’ll be staying with us.”

“For how long?” Zetsu’s voice sounded strange to Sakura, as if it were two people talking at once.

“Indefinitely.” Itachi’s finger’s caressed the chain, and she got that squirming feeling in her stomach again.

Deidara cocked his head to one side. “She’s pretty. I don’t suppose I could convince you to let her model for a sculpture?” When Itachi shook his head, the explosives expert nodded, “Well, it was worth a try…unn.” He turned back to the game. Sakura caught Zetsu looking at her appraisingly. He seemed to be trying to read her thoughts. Frankly, it was creeping her out. Now, they walked over to a dark corner, where there was a man enshrouded in darkness.

Sakura felt waves of cold coming from this man, and did not try to see his face. There was a darker than black area where she knew his face was, and that was all she needed to know. “Itachi,” A grating voice said, “Who is this young one?” Itachi introduced her. “You know our rules. Even if you use that perversion of science to keep her here, she must still go through the trial.” Her captor nodded. The man said, “Then she will begin tomorrow. I suppose,” he mused, “that it would be good to have one such as her with us.”

The Uchiha pulled on the chain again, and practically dragged her out of the room. There were still others in the room, but after his talk with the man who could only be the leader of Akatsuki, he seemed not to want to stay. She was hustled along the corridors until they reached their room, then he pushed her ahead of him, and slammed the door. Major annoyance, as well as anger coursed through the collar into her. She sat on the bed as he paced. “Ano, Ita—Master, is everything all right?” He did not answer her, and his anger only rose at the sound of her voice. She was the reason he was angry. But why? She hadn’t disobeyed him, had she? He would have punished her if she had. There was a small part of her, which seemed to be growing, that didn't want him angry with her. He was so frightening when he was angry...

“I didn’t do something wrong, did I?” She fiddled with one of the links on the chain, staring at it, and nearly winced at the new rise in his agitation. Then, she was yanked off of the bed when he violently pulled on the chain, and stumbled across the floor toward him as he roughly hauled her in.

“No. You were good, just like I wanted you to be.” His voice was rough. That squirming feeling came though the collar again, and she wanted to back away from him, but couldn’t. “Should I show you what happens when you’re a good girl?” No one had ever looked at her that way. Never in her life. His red eyes focused on hers, and the Sharingan marks moved again, and then she started to feel strange.

Her body started trembling, and her heart beat faster. Sakura’s breath caught as the squirming feeling in her stomach blossomed into something she had only read about. Desire. Pure, unadulterated…lust. Her eyelids grew heavy, and tried to slide shut, but couldn’t because Itachi’s intense stare held her, forcing her to look into the unsettling depths of his Sharingan. [Kami-sama, please make him stop. It’s driving me insane…] But then there was the part of her that was questioning her logic. Why on earth should she want such a wonderful feeling to stop? That part of her mind was quickly silenced. “Ahh…M-m-mast-ter…please…I can’t…”

What couldn’t she do? She couldn’t take much more of this, for one thing. Her body’s temperature was rising, she was breathing rapidly, and she swore she could feel his hands on her, even though he was not touching her at all.

“Please, what? Stop? Continue?” His silky voice only added to the strange sensations that were ripping their way through her nerves, setting them aflame. To her eternal surprise and horror, she found herself wanting him to touch her. Her self control was being tested in the extreme. Sakura's entire body shook with the effort it took not to reach out and take hold of him, but not to hit him. Oh, that was the last thing on her mind. The feeling only intensified, causing her to whimper. Something inside her, which a small and objective corner of her brain observed must be controlled by Itachi, seemed to be daring her to act on these newfound urges.

“S-stop. Please.” The feeling was gone. She blinked, and continued to tremble. “What was that?”

He leaned down close to her face. “That was your treat.”

Sakura stood there, blinking. “I figured that. I meant what was it?” Her confusion was complete. She had never felt that before.

“You really are innocent, aren’t you?” He asked, his face mere inches from hers. She swallowed audibly. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said he was going to kiss her. The anxiety she felt seemed to be all the answer he needed. “I’ll have to remedy that. But not just yet.” [Oh, no. Did he just insinuate that he…Why do I have to be the one who always gets stuck in the shitty situations?] Not to mention the fact that she got the short end of the stick when it came to which Uchiha to get stuck with. Sasuke was cold most of the time, but at least he respected her as a person, and didn’t treat her like a dog.

--

Itachi woke early the next morning. Sakura was to start her trials this day. He knew she would pass, but it would be hard on her, and he would feel her pain. In spite of her ill will toward him, he liked her. He could have chosen one of the other medic-nins to be his pet, but she seemed different. His second choice, Shizune, was far too uptight, and had a tendency to poison people. Sakura had been dealing with Sasuke for long enough that she was used to him, and would adjust more easily to Itachi’s temperament, and also, she was just so damned…cute? No. That was definitely not the right word. In the clothes that he gave her, she seemed more than her fifteen years. She awakened something in him that he had not felt in a long time. He pushed away those thoughts. Sakura was a tool, a weapon. She would be used as such. But if at a later time the pet decided to become willing, he wouldn’t complain…

Her reaction to his ‘treat’ had been amazing. She nearly lost control of herself, he could feel it. Itachi wanted to feel it again, but for the moment, he had to prepare her for her trials. Throwing the blankets off of himself, he rose and walked to the wardrobe, the chain slithering over the bed and pooling on the floor. As always, the stone floor was cold on his bare feet, and his skin pebbled in goose bumps from the chill in the air. They were mere sensations. He was bothered not in the least by them. For the duration of his dressing himself, he attached the cuff to the bed frame. Once he was dressed in full Akatsuki gear, he put it back on, and sent a tiny amount of chakra through to Sakura.

His pet gave a small moan, and jerked under the blanket. The design of the device was exquisite. He could send pain or pleasure to any part of her body, at will. His control of it was still clumsy, but the longer she wore the collar, the better his control, and the better his control, the easier it would be to manipulate her. In less than a month, he should be able to either give her a mental breakdown, or a spontaneous orgasm. While the second would be interesting to watch, he had already decided that he would not do that. Pleasure should be savored, as it was a rare thing, and for it to be over so soon was a waste. Especially with such a fine specimen of a pet.

As Itachi sent more chakra into her body, the sounds Sakura made became more…delicious than he could have imagined. Her movements became like those of a cat stretching; her body lengthening, and then suddenly relaxing, to start all over again. It was mesmerizing. When he walked over to the bed again and sat next to her, he lessened the chakra, and looked down at her. Sakura’s eyes fluttered open, and he saw that they were still clouded by the lovely sensations he had given her. “It’s time to wake up, Sakura.”

“Hai. I’m up.” She smiled lazily at him, and stretched. He nearly laughed at her.

“No, you’re not.” He dropped all chakra flow from the chain, and she blinked. “Now, you’re up. Come on and get dressed.” She had slept in a long black night dress, which, when he pulled the covers off of her, he found had ridden up during the night. She truly had beautiful legs. His mind began to wander, imagining things about those legs and what they could do, until he heard the wardrobe opening, and he turned his head to see her drop the straps of the silken garment she had on, and the cloth pooling on the floor, leaving her naked.

“Master Itachi, could you please not look at me?” She asked this without looking at him. He chuckled to himself and indulged her. Her innocence was wonderfully sweet, and it would be very, very sweet when it was his. In a few minutes, she tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to look at her. She looked, of course, wonderful. Sakura’s body was all hard muscle and full curves, and he found it quite difficult to take his eyes from it. Annoyance flowed through to him from her, and he looked up to see her raising an eyebrow at him. “I’m up here,” she said, pointing at her face. “Honestly, I’m unsure how you could be such a genius. All you seem to think about is sex.” Itachi let his amusement show, and he reached around her and ran a long finger down her spine, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

“Everyone needs a hobby.” This was said in good humor, but she took it the wrong way.

“So, is that what I am? A hobby? A toy?” She stepped closer to him, and began gathering chakra in her fist. Before she could hit him, he sent chakra into her, and she froze in pain. He leaned down, whispering in her ear as he released the chakra.

“You are my pet, Sakura. Do as I say, and be good, and you’ll never feel pain again. Disobey me, and there will be no end to your suffering. Understand?” She nodded, and he thought he saw tears in her eyes. “Good. Now, we have a busy day. You will have your trials today. This morning will be for training. That will ready you for it. Come with me.” Gathering the chain, he led her from the room, down the corridor, and into small kitchen. There, they had breakfast, and went on to a cavernous space. Here, there were numerous training devices. The largest of these was the pain amplifier. This would be the best place to start.

--

“Naruto, you are not going to go after Sakura.” Tsunade’s tone said that her decision was final. “We have evidence that she has become a Missing-nin. Unfortunately, that means that if anyone will go, it will be the Hunter-nins.” She shifted papers on her desk, not meeting his eyes. A pair of calloused hands slammed themselves down onto the desktop. Her eyes slowly rose to his face. The pain there was incredible. This was a young man who had now lost nearly everything.

“Obaa-san. Sakura is not a Missing-nin. I know her better than anyone. Better than you, even. She would never. Never in her life would she betray the village. Not willingly.” He looked as if he were close to reaching across the desk and strangling her. When she did not budge, he threw his hands up in disgust. “Why? Why can’t I go?”

She felt for him, she really did. Sakura was like a daughter to her. But she simply could not allow Kyuubi’s jinchuriki to go within twenty kilometers of Akatsuki. “We have evidence, as well, that she is with Akatsuki. That is reason enough not to let you go. If they were to catch you, there is no Chio-baba to bring you back from the dead, Naruto. We have to accept that she’s gone.”

“No. We do not.” Tsunade looked up, over Naruto’s shoulder. She blinked. Hatake Kakashi, masked Copy-Nin of Konoha, genius and former child prodigy, was standing in the middle of her office, wearing his old ANBU uniform. The fox mask dangled from his hand, and he wore no hitae-ate over his Sharingan. The contrast of black and red eyes was eerie. It took some control for her not to shiver.

“What do you mean by this, Kakashi? You appear in ANBU gear? I’m sure that the Commander would have something to say about that.” Her threat fell on deaf ears.

“Hokage-sama, with greatest respect, I must protest. I have examined the scene myself, with this.” Kakashi pointed at his Sharingan. Tsunade knew that he could see things that the naked eye couldn’t, that his vision was heightened. “Sakura was bound by thin ropes. They had been cut, and she was allowed to move freely, but she is still in some way bound.” At the confused silence from Naruto and Tsunade, he took a step forward. “There were, on several of the trees, marks from a chain. She’s still being held against her will.”

Pursing her lips, she said, “I have no objection to you going, but Naruto is still a genin. This is beyond A-rank, and he can’t handle it. We would have to wait for him to take the Chuunin Exam again, and there’s still no guarantee that he would pass.” The Copy-Nin stiffened, and Naruto puffed up, opening his mouth to speak.

“He could test for ANBU.” Kakashi’s voiced was low, with a tone that brooked no refusal.

Tsunade bristled. “No genin, however exceptional, has ever passed the ANBU examination. Even when my grandfather was Hokage, and he actually let them, no one passed. I can’t let this happen.” Sakura was like a daughter to her, and this loud boy was like her little brother. Exactly like him. She did not want him to die. All of the people in Konohagakure were important to her, but he was the most special. Naruto squawked half-indignant, half-excitedly.

“I’ll do it!” He ran over to his former sensei, and shook his hand. “Arigato, Kakashi-sensei. When do I take the exam?” Tsunade was being ignored. She despised it when people disregarded her will. A vein pulsed in the middle of her forehead. Her hands clenched the surface of the desk, and she slowly stood, anger building quickly.

“You—will—not—take—the—ANBU—exam. That’s final.”

“With all respect, Hokage-sama, once an applicant has expressed interest, only the applicant is capable of calling off the exam. You know that. It was a policy set up by your grandfather.” Kakashi smiled behind his mask, and his eyes twinkled. This man was devious. He was, after all, a genius. However, she had a genius on her side, too.

“Shikamaru! Get your ass in here!” A moment later, the lazy chuunin was slinking into the room by way of her private entrance. She raised an eyebrow. Well, if anyone could figure out the twenty-digit combination to the lock on that door, it would be him.

Leaning on the side of her desk, he said, “You rang?” Naruto snorted, but otherwise kept his mirth to himself.

“Shikamaru, I want you to draw up papers for me. I want them to contest Naruto taking the ANBU examination.” She looked at him hopefully, and he heaved a sigh.

“Gomen, Hokage-sama, but I cannot.”

“Why?”

“Because. Once the applicant has expressed interest, and I’m assuming he has, the process cannot be stopped unless by him. Those are the rules. Not even you can contest his taking the examination.” Shikamaru put a hand on her shoulder. His lazy gaze turned comforting for a moment, and she smiled back at him weakly. She really would have to raise his pay. He was a good kid. Lazy, but good.

“Fine. But Kakashi, if he dies mid-exam, this is on your head. Got it?” She growled numerous curses and started needlessly shuffling the papers on her desk. The jounin and apparently reinstated ANBU member chuckled and thanked her. When no one moved, she yelled, “Get the hell out of my office, all of you!” Naruto jumped, Shikamaru winced, and Kakashi smiled even wider behind his mask. When they’d all gone, she opened a drawer and pulled out her emergency sake. She really needed it. [Damned Kakashi. He needs an attitude adjustment.]

--

Green chakra glowed around her hand and she healed the cut on her arm. She had been in the pain amplifier for an hour, and Itachi said it was enough. The pain, she could stand. It was the mental effects that she was having trouble with. It was almost like how Kakashi had described being in the hold of the Mangekyo Sharingan was. Itachi strapped her in, and put chakra into the stone chair, then cut her arm with a kunai. It stung, but no more than ususal. Then, the amplification powers of the device kicked in. She hissed in pain as it felt like her arm was being chopped off. Then, she looked down at the cut. It was spreading. Blood, at first oozing, began to gush from the wound. Her breathing doubled in speed, then tripled, and she felt faint. Vaguely, through the pain, she heard Itachi saying, “Sakura, you must remain awake. The pain will help you. Focus on my voice. Listen to my voice.”

She had. Sakura had clung to his low, rolling, silky voice like a lifeline. For an hour, he spoke to her, and she rode out the pain. She watched her body be bloodied by gashes and stab wounds. The pain was intense. It was sharp, dull, and biting all at once. Now that it was over, and there was only really one cut, she panted and shook, and when Itachi un-strapped her, she threw her arms around his neck and cried. He was an unfeeling bastard, really, but she just needed a warm body to cling to. The man simply stayed there, crouched as he was, and let her soak his shoulder with her tears. Later, she wondered why he had let her.

The next form of training was stamina training. This, they would only do for a short time, because she was to start her trials in a few hours, and Itachi told her she would need rest more than anything else.

--

“I won’t lie to you Naruto. The exam is hard.” Kakashi looked over at the boy, who was listening intently. “It is only in two stages. Neither one involves a written test, so you don’t have to worry about that. The first is a demonstration of all of the jutsu you know. The second is a practical exam. You have to fight an ANBU captain, and by the end of the time limit, you must still be alive, and able to stand.” Naruto blinked. Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder. The boy was in for one hell of a fight.

“Will the captain see my demonstration?” The Copy-Nin was surprised. Naruto was looking at the different angles of the situation. Apparently not everything Jiraiya taught him involved brute force. He looked at the blonde boy, and sighed. He felt like he was sending his little brother to the wolves. Those bright eyes would most likely be haunted after fighting with whatever captain they chose. Hopefully, they would find one who hadn’t seen any of Naruto’s skills. However, the way things usually worked, it would most likely be one of those who had been assigned to his surveillance. Those men and women had watched him since he was old enough to walk, unless he was on a mission or with Jiraiya. The entire reason for such vigilance was to ensure that Kyuubi did not take over, and if he did begin to, they would kill the boy. For the simple fact was, unless Kyuubi was drawn out of Naruto just before he died, the demon would share his death.

“No, Naruto. The captain that they choose will not see the first part of the exam. If all goes as planned, the both of you will be going into this cold.” Blue eyes danced in happiness. It never ceased to amaze Kakashi how Naruto’s mood could change so quickly, and the things that changed it. “You can take the test on Thursday, if I can swing it. Leave it to me, kid. I’ll talk to the Commander. He’s an old friend of mine.” There was an air of anxiety and excitement around Naruto, and Kakashi thought that was at least healthier than the way the boy used to be. Before, he would have been jumping up and down, demanding to take the test ‘right now, damn it!’

“Ne, Kakashi, you hungry? I’m really starving. Want to get food?”

The ANBU nodded. “But I get to pick, this time. No ramen.” Naruto shook his head good-naturedly. Jiraiya had been good for him, apparently. When they came to the restaurant Kakashi had chosen (Kakashi had his ANBU mask down, now), they were given a private room in back of the place. Naruto ordered barbeque, while Kakashi asked for miso soup and steamed vegetables on the side of his anticipated plateful of sushi. They sat and waited, drinking green tea, and talking. “So, Naruto. You really that keen on going get Sakura?”

“Hai. She’s like…really the best girl in the world. I don’t want her to get hurt, Kakashi.” At this, the older man thought that it may be a little late for not wanting her to get hurt. If she was with Akatsuki, there was a chance that she might be dead. Itachi wasn’t a very nice guy, and Sakura had a temper. If anything, she would probably piss him off, and he’d kill her just to get her out of his hair. Hatake Kakashi was anything but stupid, and he knew why Naruto wanted to go after her, but there was the slight fear of what would happen if they got to her only to find her dead. He’d seen enough of Naruto’s chakra manifestation to be scared, and he wasn’t keen on seeing more of it. If Sakura was dead, Kakashi feared that the Kyuubi may take over. Emotional distress was what triggered the manifestation, after all.

“Hm. I was just wondering. Because you haven’t tried to go after Sasuke for some time now. What’s different about Sakura?” He wasn’t really fishing for information, but it would be good to have the boy say out loud what was on his mind.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at him. “Don’t you want to go and get her? I mean, she was taken against her will, wasn’t she? That’s the difference. Sasuke went of his own bloody free will. Sakura was taken. And it’s my fault, anyway. She was with me, and I should have kept a better eye on her. Now she’s gone, and it’s my fault.” He was now staring down into his teacup as if he could see how to get Sakura back.

“Guilt isn’t the right reason to do this, Naruto. If you want to get her back to make sure she’s safe, that’s fine. If it’s because she’s a fellow leaf shinobi, that’s cool too. Hell it’s fine if you’re in love with her. But if you’re guilty—“

“Who said I was in love with her?” Natuto’s sudden defensive tone confirmed what Kakashi had known for years. He raised an eyebrow at him, and Naruto looked away. After muttering some kind of oath, he looked back up at Kakashi. “Fine. You got me. Not like I ever really tried to hide it, I guess.” His voice was quiet, and defeated. “Kakashi, you don’t think she’s hurt or something, do you?”

Sighing and rubbing the back of his neck, the man leaned back on his hands. He chose his words carefully. “There’s always that chance, you know. We’re dealing with Itachi and his associates. I have a sinking feeling that it was he who took her.” Naruto’s face suddenly showed alarm. “Calm down. If they have her, she’s there for a reason. There’s not been a ransom note, and there hasn’t been any threat. We haven’t received any mangled body-parts, or any of the other usual signs. I’m pretty sure she’s still alive. Besides, if she’s there for a reason, they’ll want her alive.” Naruto’s fears didn’t seem to have lessened much, but he sagged and leaned his head back, apparently trying to relax.

“I’m going to pass that test, Kakashi. You’ll see.” His voice was determined, and if his eyes had not been closed, the man was sure he would have seen the old fire in them. He smiled, and pulled down his mask again to drink his tea. Once he’d pulled it back up, he spoke.

“I’m sure you will.”

--

Trial? This wasn’t a trial. It was deliberate torture. She was in a small, extremely hot room, and there was no furniture. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she could feel the stone box leeching her chakra, slowly but surely. The stone was hot, barely burning, and she had to remember her training in the pain amplifier so that she didn’t scream. Her skin was burning. There already wasn’t much left of her mesh leggings. She had long since removed her skirt and thrown it over her shoulder. The collar was still fastened around Sakura’s neck, the chain leading out of the door, which she knew was locked. A fresh blast of hot air came, causing her hair to flutter about her head. She sighed.

If she stood, Sakura knew that she would be too tall to be upright. The room was also too small for her to lay down properly. So no matter how much it hurt, no matter how tired she got, she had to remain sitting. An impatient feeling was coming through the collar, letting her know that Itachi, who was waiting outside, was anxious for this to be over. The air began to thicken, and she thought that she felt moisture. That was a good thing, because she was so dried out right now, she was sure that she was going to die. Then, the small light under the door disappeared, as if the cranny had been blocked, and there was a rushing noise, like wind through leaves. Or water through pipes. Her eyes widened. The sound got louder and louder until finally, she found that water was pouring into the room through what she had taken for air vents. After five minutes, she was crouched chest-deep in water. Sakura began gathering what chakra she could, and formed a barrier around her face. This was the stamina test. For five hours or more, she had been slowly robbed of her chakra. Now, she was expected to stay alive for five minutes under water. Generally speaking, a human being will be dead after four minutes under water. Sakura had developed this technique herself. It didn’t take that much chakra, really. It simply formed a barrier against water around her face, allowing for a small gap, but it allowed for oxygen separation when water begins to evaporate.

She knew it was cheating, but she wasn’t about to hold her breath for five minutes, or even try. Taking in a deep breath, she settled herself down into the water, which was now beginning to chill. They were trying to slow her metabolism so that it would be harder for her to produce chakra. Well, let them. She wouldn’t die so easily. The chakra-snorkel, as she liked to call it, worked perfectly. Until it was just over two minutes before the room would be drained. Her chakra started to fail as her body stopped shivering. Signs of hypothermia were evident, and she willed herself to stay strong, to keep herself focused. At two minutes exactly, her chakra stopped coming. She shut her mouth and stopped breathing just in time.

The water pressed in on her, and after another thirty seconds, her lungs started to burn with the breath she held in, the pressure getting to be far too much. Fighting to keep calm, she released a little of the air in her lungs. At the one minute mark, she was starting to see black spots before her eyes. Sakura released the rest of the air in her lungs, and the spots shrank, but did not leave. Simply trying not to breathe wasn’t working. She felt the pain in her lungs stabbing at her, clawing at her, and the panic in the back of her mind scrabbling to be let loose. She beat it back one last time. Ten seconds. Sakura’s black spots began to grow larger. Five seconds. Everything was black, but she still felt the pain. The water began to drain, much more quickly than she would have thought possible, and when she found herself lying on her back on the damp floor, she coughed and sputtered, water coming from her lungs, though she hadn’t known that she’d inhaled any.

“Tough little bitch,” she heard Zetsu’s voice say. Apparently, at some point, the door had opened, and three Akatsuki were looking in at her. Why were Kisame and Zetsu there? She raised her head and grabbed her skirt to put it back on. Then she got to her feet and followed the chain to where Itachi stood. He smiled slightly.

Kisame’s gills flared. “Still alive, little flower?”

Sakura felt Itachi’s agitation rise. Turning to him, she said soothingly, “Don’t worry about him, Master. I’ll take care of him if he decides to try anything.” The blue-faced man simply laughed, not thinking that she was capable. Smiling sweetly, she stepped toward him. “Kisame,” she said, crooking a finger at him, “come here.” He did, and never saw it coming. She focused her remaining chakra into her fist and punched him with all of her considerable strength. The Missing-Nin flew down the corridor, and skidded to a halt, flat on his back. “You know, a lot of flowers have thorns. Try to learn not to prick yourself.” Her voice had gone soft and low, almost seductive. That was a voice she had been unaware that she had.

Sakura got a small jolt of that pleasing feeling from Itachi. He was happy. Then a strange feeling came over her. [Oh. Used too much chakra…] She began to sway, and when she fell, Itachi caught her before she hit the floor. Cradled in his arms, she felt dizziness take her over, and then she fainted.

--

Zetsu looked over at where Kisame lay, knocked out. Itachi held Sakura in his arms, and he watched the puppet master. The man had an interest in his pet, as well. However, it seemed more like an intellectual curiosity than Kisame’s blatant and open perversion. With Zetsu, curiosity could be very bad. Itachi never really trusted him. He was far too unpredictable. Deciding to keep an eye on those two, Itachi turned on his heel and went back to the room he shared with Sakura. He removed and discarded her clothes, and then put her to bed, without bothering to put her nightdress on her.

She had passed her trial, and had earned the right to be called Akatsuki. It was surprising that the trial was so physically easy. The mental effects were where the hard part lay. As he removed his coat, he remembered his own trial. It had left him shivering in his sleep for weeks. Itachi hung up his coat and looked over at Sakura, who was now covered with blankets. She was a fine pet indeed.

He lay down next to her, and pulled the blankets up over himself. Soon, he became drowsy. The trial had taken a lot out of him, too. The fact that the two of them were linked simply meant that he had been drained of his chakra as well. Sleep took him, and both he and Sakura slept for close to two days.

--

A/N: Well. There you go. There's lots of intrugue, ne? Creepy Zetsu, hentai Itachi and Kisame, and Naruto...taking the ANBU exam? Hn. I wonder how I'll do this in six chapters...

Time: 3 years after Sasuke's departure, six months after Gaara retreival mission

Place: ANBU examination grounds, Konohagakure

--

Dog DaysChapter 3: What A Demon Fears

The man in the cat mask circled back around him. Naruto growled in the back of his throat. The allotted time was ten minutes. Most jounin couldn’t last ten minutes against a normal ANBU, let alone a captain. The guy was getting serious. He’d drawn his katana. Naruto had only his kunai and shiruken, and the jutsus he knew. He was pretty sure that he could outlast the time limit, but he wanted to show them that he was good enough to really be an ANBU, not just scrape by. Naruto wasn’t going to kid himself. He was no Kakashi. He was a stubborn kid with a burning desire to be Hokage, and a hell of a lot of chakra.

Remembering his talk with Kakashi yesterday, he smiled.

***

“Play to your strengths, Naruto. Analyze his, and use those strengths that match his best. So you might get hurt during the analysis stage, but you’ll come out better for it.”

***

For once, he didn’t use the Kage Bunshin. While that was still his favorite, he liked the shiruken version, too. The man was just within the perfect range for it, Naruto observed. He took out a shiruken, and hurled it at the man, and then concentrated about fifty bunshins worth of chakra into the justsu as he muttered, "Shiruken Kage Bunshin no jutsu." Of course, a body-sized bunshin is much larger, and takes about fifty times the amount of chakra that a shiruken bunshin does. With the chakra all poured into one shiruken, the ANBU captain was faced with a storm of 2,500 shiruken, and Naruto following them.

He smiled as he drew two kunai and charged the man. Something in the back of his head told him that if he didn’t get this over with quickly, he was going to be in hot water. That was probably the Kyuubi talking. He tended to state the obvious a lot. So Naruto followed on the heels of the shiruken, keeping his eyes on the captain. He watched as the man used his katana, armguards, chest armor, and some extremely fluid taijutsu to dodge many of the missiles. He was cut on both arms, had shiruken embedded in his legs and armor, and his mask had broken and fallen to the ground. Naruto blinked. “Yamato!” No wonder the guy had seemed to know most of his moves!

Also, with the man thinking that Naruto was an annoying twerp, he had gotten serious, of course. Who needs an annoying jackass in ANBU? Yamato advanced, katana flashing. Naruto crossed his kunai, meeting the sword head-on. Then he managed to twist them around and grip the katana with their hilts, pulling the man forward. A look of surprise showed on Yamato’s face, but only for a moment. He didn’t seem at all surprised when Naruto disarmed him.

He also didn’t seem surprised when the boy hurled both kunai at him with one hand and came at him with his own weapon. “You wouldn’t be going easy on me, would you, old man?” Naruto asked this as he rained down blows on Yamato with one hand behind his back. Shaking his head, the man pulled a kodaichi, and started a counter attack. Naruto was put into a precarious position, while he was defending, and trying to form a half-Rasengan in his other hand.

Yamato was good with the kodaichi. Better than with the katana, and that was truly frightening. Naruto kept him at bay long enough to get a pretty powerful half-Rasengan going, and then feinted left, turning slightly and dropping his guard just a bit. Yamato seemed slightly confused that Naruto would slack off, but took advantage of the situation, making to slash the boy across the chest. Naruto didn’t have time to smile. He was glad that the man had fallen for his ruse, but he needed to end this. In one fluid movement, he sidestepped Yamato’s slash, and threaded the katana downward through the space between Yamato’s arms. He then he used it as a lever to pry the man’s right hand off of the sword-hilt, and hit him full in the chest with the swirling chakra of the half-Rasengan.

“Uhn…” Yamato was on the other side of the testing area, holding his chest. A bell sounded, signaling the end of the exam. Naruto ran over to Yamato, and helped him up.

“You alright, old man?” When the ANBU nodded, Naruto smiled. “We should get you to a medic.” Slinging the man’s arm over his shoulder, Naruto started walking. Kakashi stopped him. “What?”

“Just wanted to congratulate you.” He handed Naruto a mask. It was a fox, like his. Naruto snorted. “Appropriate, ne?” Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. There were subtle differences between their masks, however, and Naruto noticed them. While Kakashi’s fox was smiling, Naruto’s had a deadly grimace, and its fangs showed.

“Arigato, Kakashi. You know, I thought there would be a ceremony or something. I guess that’s kinda stupid. No one would be able to know.” The boy laughed. Kakashi had become ANBU at the age of…who knows. He was freaking young. He was a jounin at thirteen, though. Naruto felt slightly proud that he was the first ever genin to pass the ANBU exam. “When do we leave?”

--

Sakura opened her eyes slowly. The room was pitch black, of course, and she couldn’t see anything. Her entire body was stiff. How long was she asleep? There was a strange feeling coming through the link with Itachi. From the sound of his breathing, he was asleep, but she was sure he was…afraid? What on earth could scare him? With a slight clicking of the chain, she moved toward him in the bed. Reaching out a hand, she felt the cloth of his shirt, and ran her hand along his back, for it was turned to her. Upon further awkward exploration, she found he had his knees tucked up under his chin, and his arms held protectively against his chest. He was in a fetal position.

Something he was dreaming of was frightening him beyond reason. If he was reduced to this, it must be something terrible. Unbelievably, she felt pity for him. Lying on her side behind him, and heedless of the fact that she’d just discovered her own lack of clothing, she molded her smaller body around his, and put her arm around his waist. Sakura thought of pleasant things, and sent a soothing kind of feeling through to him. He seemed to relax slightly, and she smiled. Why was she happy that he was happy? Well, she wasn’t really thinking about any of the possible reasons. But the chief cause for her present state of mind was that in spite of everything, Sakura was a kind person, and she didn’t want anyone to suffer.

Soon after she settled down against him, she felt Itachi stir. “Sakura…” His groggy voice said, more a statement than a question.

“Hai, Master. I’m here.” She pushed herself up onto her elbow, and rested her chin on his shoulder. “Did you need something?” Maybe he was still frightened? He said nothing, but she could tell now that he was not scared anymore. [That’s good.] Now, where had that thought come from? She chalked it up to her not liking to see anyone in pain. Then, his arms were around her, holding her to him, hands sliding over her skin, and she felt herself relaxing into his touch, wondering why, but unable to make him stop. After a long moment, he simply held her, and she could feel his heart beating strong and fierce, as her head rested on his chest. Why had she not been able to make his hands stop moving over her? The fact that it felt good didn’t enter into it. If that had been all, she could have jumped up and screamed at him, or something, and taken her punishment. No. Something deeper had held her there. And it was that which frightened her beyond her wits.

“Sakura,” he said, in a voice that was strangely unsure, and sounded far too much like Sasuke for her liking, “I was…frightened.”

“I know. Are you all right?” She felt his arms tighten around her.

“Hai.” She smiled against his chest. She was glad to know that he was human. He was vulnerable, even if only when he was asleep. Sakura moved to sit up, but his grip on her remained firm. “No. Stay.” While his choice of words suited him speaking to a dog, his tone was almost desperate. Now, she was really getting nervous. There was a feeling coming across their link that seemed chaotic. If she were to put a name to it, she would say that Itachi was losing hold of his sanity. It was like he was dangling from a cliff, and his fingers were slipping, one by one, and he felt that holding onto a human body before him would save him from plummeting to the bottom of the dark chasm below.

Pushing herself slightly further up his body, she placed a hand on his cheek. “Master? Itachi? Are you sure that you’re all right?” Sakura could feel his breath on her cheek. It was erratic, and she felt as if he were really on the edge of a breakdown. That would definitely not be good. He was barely sane as it was. If he went into a psychotic rage, she was the closest target. She needed to calm him down. He still hadn’t answered her, so she took it as a no. “I’m going to pick you up, now, so don’t freak out.” Prying his arms away from her body, she slid over him and off the opposite edge of the bed. Then, she hauled him off of the bed and over her shoulder, and set off for the bathroom.

A hot bath always relaxed her, and she was sure that it would do the same for him. Water was a comforting element, unless you were in an Akatsuki trial, or one of Zabuza’s water prisons. According to Tsunade, it reminded the body of the comfort it had in the womb before birth. After nearly a full minute of fumbling along the wall, she finally found the door to the bathroom. She could really use a flashlight…The bathroom was just as dark. But she remembered that the tub was approximately three meters from the door, so she walked two, and lay him on the floor, where he immediately curled up again. She went to the wall where the small table was, and found a small box of matches. Striking one, she lit all of the candles on the table.

Her next task was getting him into the bath. Just like when she had disrobed before, she had to rip his shirt off so that it wouldn’t stay on the chain. His pants were easier, and once she had all of his clothes off, she picked him up again, and walked carefully the remaining few paces to the bath. Sakura stepped down onto the ledge, then into the water. Once she had him in the warmth of the tub, she sat them both down on the little ledge. His eyes stared into nothing. He was somewhere other than where he needed to be. How could he just go catatonic on her like this? This was Uchiha Itachi. Stronger than Orochimaru, and proud of it. How could he simply vacate his mind?

Taking up a washcloth, she soaked it, and then dripped water over him, speaking in low tones, asking him to look at her, focus on her. “Please. Come back. Listen to my voice, Itachi. Listen to me. You need to come back from where you are. Come back.” After nearly half an hour of this, she was close to giving up and trying to find a way to break the stupid collar and or cuff, and just bolt. Then, he blinked. And then he blinked again, his eyes starting to focus. He turned his head to look at her.

“How did I get here?” He asked as he looked around, then back at her.

Sakura’s mouth hung open for a moment. “You don’t remember anything?” He shook his head. “I don’t know what you were dreaming, but it must have been bad. You were shaken. I couldn’t even get you to respond to me. It was scary.” He looked away from her. Obviously, he didn’t want to talk about it, and Sakura knew better than to try to force him to.

“Why am I naked?” Sakura nearly laughed as he said this.

“I couldn’t very well put you in here with your clothes on, could I? I took off your clothes. Had to rip your shirt, though.” She pulled the chain gently, shaking his arm. “You’re sure you’re okay?” He nodded. “That’s good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to clean myself up.” He didn’t seem ready to excuse her, but at this point, she didn’t really care. Sakura knew he’d seen her naked already, at least twice, so it didn’t really bother her, though she knew it should. Pushing herself off of the ledge, she dove under the water, and then came up to the surface. It felt so good on her stiff muscles that she wondered again how long she’d been asleep. The washcloth she’d used was still in her hand, and she went to the opposite side of the bath for a bar of soap. After she worked lather out of it, she placed it back on its stand. Sakura washed her face, then the rest of her body, paying careful attention to her neck area, which seemed slightly raw because of the collar.

Knowing he had been watching her did not phase her, and she was far more calm than she had any right to be. Now swimming back to where he sat, she gathered the chain up, and tugged at it. “Come on.” Her voice was neutral, and she tried not to seem commanding, but more like suggesting that he get out before he catch cold, like her mother used to tell her. He obeyed, and climbed out of the stone bath. She handed him a towel, and he dried himself, his eyes never leaving her as she did the same, and proceeded to dry the chain of her leash. Then she wrapped the towel around herself, and gathered the chain again. Leading him from the room, they went back to the bedroom, and Sakura opened the wardrobe.

“Now. Whatever shall I wear…?” Her weak attempt at humor seemed to escape him. Rolling her eyes, she looked over at him. “You need to wake up, Master. Are you off in dreamland again?” He did not answer her, but continued to stare at her. Ignoring him for the moment, she dropped her towel to the floor, and proceeded to dress herself. Undergarments, mesh, shirt and skirt, check. Sandals, check. Hitai-ate, check. But she was still cold. “I’m cold.” She turned to him, and said, “Can I borrow a coat? This isn’t exactly a warm ensemble you’ve given me.” He nodded dumbly. What the hell was his problem? He hadn’t said a word since he’d asked why he was naked. Speaking of him being naked, he still was. And he was still holding his towel, staring at her. It was slightly unnerving to have him go utterly silent all of a sudden. She pulled a coat out of his side of the wardrobe, and threw it over her shoulders. It was warm, and it felt wonderful. When she was just about to button it up, when he stepped toward her, staring more intently than he had been.

“You were there. In my dream. You kept me from the darkness…” His eyes unfocused again, and she breathed slowly, trying to calm herself. After just having gotten warm, she was not about to go back into the tub. She reached for him and took him by the shoulders, shaking him slightly, the coat falling off of her as she did.

“Snap out of it. You’re not dreaming anymore. Wake up, damn it!” With one violent shake, she must have jarred him into awareness of his senses. He stared down at her, and blinked in surprise. She snatched her hands away, and backed two steps toward the bed, reaching behind her for the metal frame, just to make sure that she didn’t back into it. “Gomen, Master. I…I was worried. You kept spacing out. I’m sorry.” Sakura looked at the floor, and fidgeted with her leash. She couldn’t feel anything from him. Not anger, agitation, nothing. The utterly terrifying lack of anything was all she had to occupy her mind, if she didn’t want to think about the punishment that was likely to occur in the near future.

Sakura felt Itachi take her chin in his hand, and tilt it upward. His eyes were clear, and he seemed to be completely here, in this moment. She nearly sighed in relief. Instead, she smiled. Then, she realized something. It made her uncomfortable enough to blush. He was still very naked, and very close to her. As he leaned down, she leaned back, to do her best to back away from him. There was no more she could do, because his eyes held her. His voice came, low and smooth, mesmerizing, intoxicating, and addictive. “You took care of me.” Itachi’s knees came into contact with the edge of the bed, and he slid onto it. Sakura was in an extremely precarious position, to say the least. One of Itachi’s knees was between hers, and he had one hand on either side of her head. He was still speaking in that hypnotic voice. “I want to thank you for that.” One long and elegant finger traced her jaw line, and she wasn’t sure if she liked it, or hated it.

She felt very strange. It was like when he had given her a ‘treat,’ but this was completely different, as well. He was touching her. Itachi’s touch now moved to her neck, where it stroked the smooth skin around the collar. An almost imperceptible shiver moved through her. That hand moved to the back of her neck, and took a handful of her hair, just hard enough to be painful. Sakura felt herself being lifted; saw his eyes growing larger in her view. They were like points of flame, off in the distance. She was drawn to them, to know what they were, but at the same time, she was frightened to find out. His breath was on her face, and she began to tremble as there was the slight tickle of his lips barely brushing across hers. Hearing a whimper come from her own lips was like watching someone else. This was not her. This was not Sakura. How could it be? She was paralyzed, unable to move, and yet she wanted to. To move against him, with him, for him. Fear and surprise were shoved aside to make room for this new part of herself, and that objective bit of her merely sat back and shook its head at her.

When Itachi finally pressed his lips against hers, it was a gentle, caressing kiss, and Sakura found that she could move. Her hands traveled to his shoulders, fingertips playing over smooth skin and hard muscle until they found their way into his hair, where they dug in, and pulled him closer. Now leaning on his elbow and still holding her with his right hand, he used his left to ghost gentle touches down her neck, down her chest above her breast, and over her side, where they found a sensitive area of skin that made her gasp. Almost as if it had been planned, Itachi’s lips parted in the same instant, and Sakura felt his tongue, as it played over her lips inquisitively, gently begging entrance. This set her body on fire, and all she could do was cling to him, whimpering at the feeling of his coaxing exploration of her lips and mouth.

His body settled on top of hers, a weight that was comfortable but not. Then, reason seemed to return, jump up and down and scream at her, and say, ‘Sakura…what is that against your leg?’ To which she thought, ‘Does it really matter?’ and then an instant later, ‘Hell, yes it does! Get him off of you, quick!’ She did. Her hands untangled from his hair, and she pushed him away, panting, and her body protesting, wanting more. Itachi blinked in confusion for a moment, then smiled impishly. Anger rose in her, and she looked away from him quickly.

“Sakura, why do you fight?” His voice, near her ear now, caressed her skin, and she had to try very hard not to turn toward him. She blamed all this on the collar and leash. It was the only explanation. That was the only way she could think of that she could quickly be becoming addicted to the way he looked at her, the way his voice nearly purred when he spoke to her. And, most of all, the way he touched her. “Why are you fighting me? You don’t want to. I know you don’t. I can feel it.” His arms slid around her waist from where he sat behind her, and pulled her against him in spite of how she struggled.

Stopping her thrashing for a moment, she said, “I fight because I want a choice in what happens to me. I don’t have a choice when it comes to you. Obedience is the first thing I think of when it comes to you. To please you, to do what you say. Why? This damned collar? I hate it. My free will is gone. It’s been taken from me, just like everything else.” She was whirled around to face him, and she felt his anger through the link.

“No free will? No choice? That’s a lie. If you didn’t have a choice, you couldn’t fight me like you are.” Sakura blinked at him. He was right. That could only mean one thing. It meant that she felt like she had no choice because she wanted him. What she had felt was not his emotions projected into her mind. It had been real. She wanted him, and that feeling was so frightening and alien that she began to lose control of herself. Sakura felt her body begin to shake. She wasn’t ready for this. She wasn’t ready to feel these things. Why did she feel them at all? Unbidden, tears formed in her eyes, out of fear, and frustration with herself, and she collapsed against his chest, sobbing.

--

Naruto wasn’t listening. “Oi, baka. Over here.” Kakashi waved a hand in front of the boy’s face. He laughed at the comical that sprang into those blue eyes. “As I was saying…Those armguards you have on are my own design. You and I are the only ANBU who have them. The metal is thicker, but that’s to hide the hollow compartments inside. Your left one has a length of garrote wire, and the right one has a set of throwing needles. To use them, you just press the front left rivet on each, and you’re set.” He demonstrated, pressing said rivet on his right arm. Once the tiny compartment opened, he began drawing a series of needles from inside. Naruto grinned.

The boy somehow looked right in an ANBU uniform. How, Kakashi couldn’t begin to explain. He was loud, obnoxious, and often annoying. These were not good traits for an ANBU, yet Naruto did know when to be serious. Kakashi watched him as he tested his range of movement in his armor and moved from side to side to get used to the set of two kodaichi strapped to his back. Naruto said that he didn’t want a katana. He knew from experience that if ranged fighting failed, and you had to get in close, then closer was better, and the shorter range of the kodaichi could help with that.

“Pick a name for those things yet?” He gestured to Naruto’s weapons. It was a tradition of sorts among the ANBU to name one’s chief weapons. They were your best friends, your constant companions. It was best to know them completely. Naruto shook his head and smiled.

“They’ll let me know when the time comes. So what did Pakkun have to say?”

Kakashi frowned behind his mask. They sat in his living room, and he lounged on the couch. He shook his head slightly. “You know he has the best nose of all my nin-dogs, don’t you?” Naruto nodded. “He did find Sakura’s scent, which he says is just like his, but slightly more feminine. It’s faint, and it’s mixed with another.”

“Whose?” Blue eyes narrowed as Naruto folded a bandana into a triangle to tie it over his hair.

“Itachi.”

Naruto frowned, then shrugged. “Not like I’m surprised. The bastard seems to be mixed up in nearly as much as Snake-boy. So, we leave at noon?” Kakashi nodded. Naruto rose, and tied his mask over his face. “I’ll see you in two hours, then. East gate?” Again, the Copy-Nin nodded. After giving Kakashi a small salute, he swung out of the window, and disappeared. This mission had Kakashi worried. He wanted to talk to Jiraiya, but the man had disappeared again, and it was annoying how he did that just when he needed him. Not for the first time, he looked over at an old photograph.

His old sensei smiled broadly, giving a very annoyed Kakadshi a super-sized noogie stood next to Obito, who was laughing and pointing a finger at Kakashi. Rin had a hand over her eyes, and her head was slightly blurred, as she was shaking it from side to side. That had been a good day. “Sensei, how did you do it? You took care of me, Obito, Rin, everyone. How did you do it?” He had two hours. Two hours before he went on his first ANBU mission in years. There was only one place he wanted to be.

His mask made a scraping noise as he pulled it from the shelf it sat on. Tying the fox-faced thing over his own face, he switched off the lights and left his apartment for the Memorial Stone.

--

A/N: I know there wasn't that much real action in this chapter. What I'm hoping to put in the next one: Itachi and Sakura go on a little trip, encountering some random Sand-nins. Naruto and Kakashi are on the trail, and maybe a little bit of Zetsu and Kisame talking about what to do with Itachi.

Time: 3 years after Sasuke's departure, six months after the Gaara retreival mission

Place: 20 kilometers south of Sunagakure

--

“Damn! Master, that hurt!” Sakura growled as she pushed herself to her feet and rubbed her sore bottom. She’d been knocked to the ground when they reappeared from him using that stupid teleportation jutsu, which he absolutely refused to teach her so that she could do it herself. He smirked and pulled her to her feet. She looked around, squinting. It was very bright here, and sandy… “Where are we?”

“Twenty kilometers south of Sunagakure. Why?” Itachi smiled down at her, and cocked his head to one side.

She pursed her lips. “Gaara is a cautious man. The Kazekage will have patrols out this far. We should go, Master.” She didn’t want to have to fight anyone just yet. That would be bad, since they hadn’t done anything to get used to fighting together. She looked around, seeing nothing but rolling hills of sand. It was such a barren place…

“Too late, little Sakura. Look to the east.” She did, and found that off to the east, there were three small figures approaching them at high speed. She cursed under her breath. Sakura had no weapons, and the ninjas approaching most definitely would be armed to the teeth. “Here.” He tapped her on the shoulder, and when she turned, she found that he was handing her his katana. She took it, shrugging to herself. It had been a while since she’d held one of these things. “This will be our first true test,” Itachi leaned down and took her face in his hands. His face level with hers, he said, “Are you ready?”

“Are you insane? Of course I’m not ready.” She took hold of the collar, and turned it so that the chain of the leash was behind her. He still hadn’t let go of her. “Master? They’ll be here any moment.” He nodded, smirked, and then took her mouth in a fierce kiss that left her breathless. With a final playful bite to her lower lip, he straightened. She cursed under her breath and then turned to meet the Sand nins that were only ten meters away now. “I’ll thank you not to do that next time. It makes my head all fuzzy.” Her voice came out as a growl. He chuckled behind her, and she heard him pull a kunai.

The leader met Sakura head on, a kusarigama in hand. He was good, and had her giving ground quickly. However, he dropped his guard for a fraction of a second, and Sakura lunged forward, katana in one hand, chain in the other. The chain was swiftly wrapped around the man’s neck, and Sakura planted a foot in the middle of his chest, then began to pull on the cool metal links in her hand. Cut off from all oxygen, the man fell to his knees, dropping his sickle-like weapon. Sakura, keeping her grip on the chain with her teeth, and her foot on the man’s chest, bent down to pick up the weapon. Then, she leaned down to the man. “I’m very sorry to do this. I am only defending myself.” As an after thought, she remembered Itachi. “And my Master. May you find peace.” Crossing the katana and kusarigama, Sakura beheaded the man. Blood sprayed her, soaking her to the skin, and she let the man’s body drop to the ground.

Turning to see where the others were, she found one dead on the ground, and the other still fighting with Itachi. Steadying herself, she took a deep breath. Just as she was going to help, Itachi shook his head at her. He swept the man’s legs from under him, and then moved faster than Sakura could see and broke the man’s neck. He looked up at Sakura, and blinked. She must look affright. Her hand went up to her hair, and came back bloody. She knew her face was covered, and looked down at herself. Sakura found that she was positively soaked in the man’s blood. She felt the chain being hauled in, and followed numbly.

The entire way over to where he stood, she stared at him blankly, not blinking. He looked down at her and asked, “That was your first, wasn’t it?” She nodded. There was a sick feeling in her stomach. She felt like she needed to vomit. Truly, she had never killed anyone before. Not like that. And there had been so much blood…Unexpectedly, Itachi sent a crippling wave of something through the leash, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. The only way she remained upright was by dropping both weapons and clutching onto his shirt, holding on for dear life. It didn’t hurt. Kami-sama, it didn’t hurt. It felt like…she didn’t know what it felt like, because she’d never felt it in her life. Sakura felt like her entire body was going to spontaneously combust. Her breath was coming in short, quick gasps, and her heart hammered against her ribs. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe. It felt so good, like every bad thing she had ever done just for fun, all put together, and then some.

“Ah…” Sakura opened her eyes to see Itachi watching her. His eyes burned into her. They were calling to her, telling her to come closer, begging her to. When Itachi’s arms encircled her waist, and pulled her to him, it made her shudder. The sick feeling in her stomach was gone now, replaced by the squirming, writhing, searing-hot feeling of pure need. Gripping the front of Itachi’s shirt, she yanked him down to her, still looking into his eyes. “Stop this, Master. Please. I can’t take it.” He did not, and she began to shake. “It has to…oh, Kami-sama, stop it, please!” But as she said this, it came out as a weak whisper, and her lips found his, sliding in a bloody kiss. The feeling stopped coming through the chain, but she was unable to stop herself. Her hands burrowed into his hair, trying to pull him closer, allowing her to feel all the things she wanted and needed.

Sakura’s leg wrapped around one of his, and she pushed him, causing him to fall to the ground. He seemed slightly surprised, but did not make any move to stop her. She used the part of the chain that was closest to the cuff to twist around his hands and secured them, before pulling the chain behind his shoulder and the rest of his body before wrapping it around her foot to keep him in that position. She smiled in an almost predatory way. Blood still dripped from her hair, disappearing into the black cloth of the shirt he wore. That shirt was annoying her.
Itachi blinked up at her. She had secured him in a very creative way. Using the tension of the chain, she’d managed to immobilize his hands. Now, she was smirking at him as her hands slid under his shirt, against his skin. Sakura was covered in blood. Her clothing clung to her wetly, and he felt a familiar stirring, something like what he felt the first time he’d seen her.

“Was I good, Master?” He heard her say as he felt the blood that covered her smear over his chest. Sakura’s hands were teasing his skin, causing it to burn. Blinking in surprise at her words, he could only nod. What was she doing to him? Her hands left his skin, and took hold of the cloth of his shirt. Just before she ripped it open, he felt something from her that made him start. Itachi could hardly breathe as Sakura reached over and picked up his katana. She turned from him for a moment and used it to secure the chain to the sandy ground, driving the point into the ground inside one of the links. Hands now played over the bloody patterns she'd made on his stomach and chest. “Pretty…” Her voice had a purring quality to it, making him more aware of that feeling coming off of her. Try as he might, he was stuck where he was.

But than again, he didn’t really try. What man in his right mind would? Sakura leaned over him, blood dripping from her hair, and let some of it fall onto his face. “You’re bloody, too, Master. More than me. You’ve bathed in it.” She was pressed tightly against him, now, and her eyes blazed. “Do you ever feel like I do? Like no matter how much you wash, it won’t—“ she bent down and licked the blood from his face “—ever completely go away?” What was with the questions all of a sudden? Her eyes locked with his again, and he found himself unable to look away. He couldn’t look away when he felt her hands on him, or when he heard her removing her clothes. Her eyes seemed to draw him in, to pull him under and drown him. Why? She was a tool. She was nothing more. “I need to feel something other than the blood. Please?” That did it.

“What?” Itachi asked in a voice that could barely produce a whisper. She wanted to feel something…other than the blood. This wasn’t desire, as he thought. It was desperation, escapism. She was running from the fear of killing. Relaxing his arms and bringing his hands further down his neck, he loosened the chain that held his hands, and pulled his hand from it. Sitting up, he gripped her around the shoulders. “Stop. Just stop. You will not run from what you did. There is no shame in defending yourself. Do you understand? That man would have killed you, then he would have killed me.” Sakura flinched from him.

“But…Master…it felt nice. Much nicer than the sick feeling in my stomach. I thought, it would be good to forget, just for a little while. I just wanted to forget.” Itachi took her face in his hands. He looked into her eyes, and saw none of the nearly animalistic pleasure there. She was frightened, but not of him. Sakura was scared of herself. She was capable of killing, and it scared her.

“We’re going back.” He reached behind her and pulled the katana from the ground and sheathed it. Then, while still seated, he formed the seal needed for the transportation jutsu, and they disappeared from the blood-soaked sand.

--

“Don’t screw around, dog. Which way did they go?” Naruto growled at Pakkun, who growled right back at him. The dog had been following a trail for some time, and now said that it went in two different directions. “Which path is stronger?” Naruto sniffed, and he could smell the faint scent of Sakura’s perfume. She had been here. If only he could find her already! He would probably not be able to fight Itachi and win, but he had to get her away from him and his cohorts, no matter what. He walked a few steps down the other path, and sniffed. The scent was stronger here. “Come over here, mutt. It’s stronger this way.” Pakkun nipped at his heel, and Naruto made a kick at the animal’s hindquarters.

Kakashi smacked Naruto’s still-fresh ANBU tattoo. “Cut it out, baka. He’s doing the best he can. Your nose is nearly as good as his and mine, so you should know where she is, too, but cut him some slack, ok?” Naruto’s hand went to the small injury, and he made a hissing noise.

“Fine. Just I don’t think he really wants to find her.” He knew he was sulking, and he knew he shouldn’t, but it was so hard… The dog looked up at him with an angry expression. “I’m sorry, Pakkun. You know how I feel about her, don’t you?”

The dog chuckled. “I can smell it. You’re acting like another male is trying to take your mate. She isn’t your mate though, is she?” The dog had hit far too close to home. Naruto shook his head, and looked away, adjusting his mask. He was grateful for the thing, because otherwise, they would have seen the tears forming in his eyes. He blinked them away. He didn’t have time to cry. Sakura was out there somewhere, and she needed to get the hell away from Akatsuki. He nodded to Pakkun.

“Okay. I think she’s this way. Can you confirm?” The dog nodded, and sniffed for a moment.

“She’s this way. The scent is old, though. We might end up going in circles.” He ran ahead, sniffing. Naruto felt Kakashi’s hand on his arm.

“We’ll find her, Naruto. I just don’t know that we’ll like what we find.” Kakashi wasn’t helping his mood, so he just ran after Pakkun, keeping as close to the dog as he could without crowding him or adding his scent in to what the dog’s very sensitive nose already had to sort out. They continued like this for a very long time.

--

Sakura was floating in the bath, Itachi standing next to her. She felt completely numb. All she could think of was the blood. There was so much blood. So much…blood. He was watching her. Glancing over at him, she saw the look in his eyes. Concern? Oh, that’s right. She was his weapon. His tool. Can’t let the edge of the sword get dull. Sakura still didn’t understand why he wanted her for this. He could have picked any of the shinobi in Konoha. She was a medic. Not a weapon. Well, all shinobi were weapons, in a way, but she had dedicated the last few years of her life to saving lives, not taking them. What the hell did he want her for?

She dropped her feet to the bottom of the tub, and turned to look up at him. “Master, tell me why you are keeping me. Please. I need to know. Why me? Why not Naruto? Why not…anyone but me?” Panic began to creep in at the edges of her thoughts. She was not willing to let go of her little shred of hope just yet. Her mind didn’t have that capability, just now.

“I wanted you because you have abilities that I wanted. You have the ability to heal, which I never had. I’ve bathed myself in the blood of those who loved me.” His eyes stared down into hers, sending a chill through her. “Killing is what I do. You do it well, too. I wanted someone with me who could heal as well as hurt.” She could hardly believe her ears. He wanted her…to balance him out? Things were making less sense than before!

“But why not take Shizune? She’s a medic, too.”

“I don’t like her.” Sakura’s eyes widened. Did that mean that he liked her? Like that? Sakura had thought that the unbelievable amounts of pleasure he sent through the collar into her body were simply a method of controlling her. That couldn’t be how he felt, could it? And why? She was fifteen years old! That was merely a child compared to him!

“Master,” Sakura asked, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I am going to ask you something, purely as an inquiry. Okay?” He nodded. “Do you have plans for the relationship between you and I, sexually?” He looked at her, an amused smile on his face. Then, he nodded. She blinked. Was he trying to throw her off? To take her mind off of the fact that she had just killed a Sand nin, one of the allies of Konoha? If so, it was working. “What are these plans of yours?” This was asked purely out of morbid curiosity. She supposed that if she was in a bad position, she should know what position she was in.

“I could demonstrate, if you like.” He smirked, and she backed away from him. “Why so shy? Not fifteen minutes ago, you were ripping your clothes off. And mine, too.” He started hauling the chain in. “Sakura, I’m not going to force you to do anything. You will eventually want me, just as much as I want you. You’ll feel every bit of the desire I feel. And you’ll want to feel it. For now, I’d settle for a kiss.” He did not wait for her answer. Sweeping her up in his arms, he pulled her against him, so close that there was not even water between their bodies. Sakura’s entire body was pressed tightly against him. She could feel the hard muscles of his stomach flex and relax, the way his heart beat in his chest, and the way his body reacted to her flesh against his. When he kissed her, it was a long, warm, slow, and almost romantic kiss that she could not keep herself from responding to. It was how she’d always dreamt of being kissed. Kami-sama, how can he be this gentle? Sakura felt his hands resting lightly on her waist, and the thumb of his right hand began stroking the skin there. It felt so wonderful…but he was not the person she wanted to have do these things to her.

Who was? Sasuke? She was beginning to have her doubts. He was cold. Looking at him was like staring at an ice sculpture. Cold perfection that you thought you could understand, until you looked at it in another way. Then, your perception of it is completely shattered. He was not the person she had wanted him to be. If he had been, he would have stayed with her. Stayed in Konoha, and continued to get stronger by fighting with Naruto all of the time. But, he hadn’t stayed. He had left. Sasuke had left her on a roadside bench, after he knocked her out.

For now, the kiss she shared with the elder of the two brothers sufficed.

--

Blood. Yes, there had been blood. Red eyes surveyed the scene that the carrion birds were now cleaning up. Three bodies. Sand nins, all of them. From the looks of things, there had been two assailants. The reason he was here was not the deaths of the unfortunate men lying on the ground. There was a familiar chakra signature that was quickly waning, but he could still feel it.

Something dark and crumpled caught his eye. Measured steps took him over to this small pile of …clothing? Pulling a kunai, he picked up the cloth, now crusted with dry blood. It was a woman’s clothing, small, and would be tight-fitting. His eyes narrowed at the sight of mesh leggings and a shirt of the same stuff. Why would he have a woman with him? Then, from the clothing, another chakra signature, even more faint than the first, gave him pause. He knew this chakra.

Hearing footsteps from behind him, he turned to see a young man with silver hair. He wore it in a ponytail at the back of his head, and was tall. Dark eyes stared shrewdly back at him through round glasses. As this man adjusted his glasses, he said, “You are needed. It is time, Sasuke-sama.” The young man’s expression was tense, and he did not seem to like the situation. Sasuke didn’t blame him. He didn’t like it either. Not that he had any plans of actually going through with it.

“What do you see, Kabuto?”

The medic looked around. “Two assailants. Two chakra signatures, one male, one female.” He continued to survey the scene. “It looks like two rogue nins randomly attacked a Suna patrol.”

“And this?” He held up the bloodied clothing. “Generally, a shinobi leaves as little evidence of their presence as possible, ne?” Sasuke watched Kabuto’s face contort in confusion. “Kabuto, use your brain, you moron. She left her clothes behind. Why? There’s something else going on here.”

“I suppose we’ll never know. Come on.” Kabuto turned to leave, obviously expecting him to follow. Sasuke cocked his head to one side. He walked after the man, and just when he was almost even with him, he acted. His motions were too fast to see, and far too quick to react to. Kabuto’s eyes widened in surprise for just a moment, and then he was lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Sasuke looked down at him. He was still alive, but he wouldn’t be able to move, ever again, with his neck broken like that. Therefore, the humane thing to do would be to kill him.

“See you in the next life.” Sasuke said smiling, and then formed a very familiar seal, one he’d known since he was right around six years old. “Katon Gokakkyu no Jutsu.” The fireball that he aimed at Kabuto consumed the young man’s body, burning it to less than cinders, and Sasuke smiled again. “One less henchman for you, Orochimaru.” With that, he continued to look at the scene, separating the chakra of his jutsu from that of the man he hunted.

Itachi had been here. But the question that was nagging, gnawing, and poking at the edges of his mind was: what was Sakura doing with him? Then, he found it. The departure point. His smile turned into a smirk, because he was going to finally meet his brother again. It wouldn’t be long now.

--

“What are you talking about?” Kisame leaned back on cushions in his room. Zetsu was always spying on someone, and it seemed that he had picked Itachi for the time being. He had just told him that Itachi had gotten back from who knew where, and his little pet was covered in blood. What was that all about? If he knew the Uchiha, he had been training her. But if she had been hurt, they would have known. Kisame wasn’t jealous. He just felt a little left out. It had been days since anyone had seen Itachi. He was always in his room with her. The man simply shrugged in reply, and walked away. He'd told Kisame that on purpose. There was always a reason for everthing Zetsu did.

It used to be that he would come and play shogi with them, or at least have a cup of tea. But there had been nothing. The man was a recluse. He wanted his friend back.

--

The wind here was fierce. The few trees were stunted in their growth, and they had all grown at an angle to the ground, showing that this wind was almost constant. It was here that Itachi chose to have them meditate. Sakura pulled the coat around herself tighter, hiding behind the collar. Now, she wondered what would happen. There was no way that she was going to be able to meditate on the top of the mountain. He was quite at ease, though, and she was just going to have to deal with it. Seating herself on the rocky ground, Sakura tried to get comfortable. Itachi had not settled himself anywhere yet. When she closed her eyes, all she heard was the rushing wind. It was like the sound that static on a television set makes.

After a few minutes of taking deep breaths, and reaching out with her chakra, she found that she could almost see the layout of the small area atop the mountain. She could also sense Itachi’s position. He was directly behind her, standing nearly five feet away. She could feel his chakra, not only through the leash, but also in the air, when hers touched him. It was as if her chakra bounced off of him and came back to her, like the way bats see in their blindness. Then, Itachi moved. He sat down directly behind her, and leaned toward her. Sakura could almost make out the features of his face now. She hadn’t know this was possible. You could, using a minimal amount of chakra, feel your way in the dark! It had infinite application possibilities, if there was a way to hide the chakra.

“Sakura, that’s good.” He was smiling. The strange thing about this was that she had 360 degrees of vision, just like the Byakagun. She could see in any direction that her chakra went in. “I didn’t expect that you’d learn that quickly.” She felt him pull the collar of the coat away from her neck, and his lips replacing it. Sakura was starting to feel like a dog. She was being rewarded for doing a good job. Itachi’s lips parted, and his tongue began to caress her skin. Her head leaned instinctively to the side, giving him more room. Where her body was concerned, Itachi was correct. Her body (mostly her hormones) wanted him. There was no denying that. He was tall, dark, and handsome in a kind of brooding way, and he was a very dangerous man, which, of course, added to the appeal. But in her mind, and most definitely in her heart, she knew that what she let him do to her wasn’t right. The fact that it wasn’t right didn’t stop her from enjoying the way his hands felt when they touched her, or how small tingles went all through her body when he kissed her.

It had now been three days since she killed the Sand nin. They had gone to various places, once to the Lightening Country, to check on Zetsu, once to the Wave Country, to pick up news from a spy that Itachi had planted there, and other places after that. Now, it was meditation on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere. She wasn’t even sure what country they were in. As Itachi’s mouth attacked her neck, she allowed her mind to wander. She sent her chakra further, exploring down the sides of the mountain. The trees got taller the further down you went, and she could sense the little animals running around, living their lives. Then, on opposite sides of the mountain, she felt three very familiar chakra signatures. Keeping her breath even, she made no indication that she had found anything out of the ordinary.

In fact, to put him off his guard, Sakura decided that she was going to have to distract him. And distract him she did. After letting him nip at her neck for another moment, she turned, and took hold of his coat. “Master…why do I feel like this?” Sakura let herself be wrapped up in the pleasurable sensations that had been running through her body. “I don’t understand.” Her body began to shake. “Why do I want you? I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t. Make it stop. I tried. I…I did. But it won’t stop.” All the time she spoke, her grip on his coat was taking her ever closer to him.

“It won’t stop, my little Sakura. You want me. There’s nothing that can be done about it. I can’t stop it. All I can do is…alleviate your pain.” Itachi’s eyes blazed, and the Sharingan marks spun, very fast. His hands pulled her into his lap, and she straddled his hips. There was a hardness pressing against her, in a most pleasant way. She made a little whimper at this feeling. He reached to her coat, and popped the buttons open. She did the same with his. Sakura could feel the three chakra signatures closing in now. They were only 500 meters away now. Climbing was going to be more difficult the further up they went, so she needed to give them as much time as she could. Unfortunately, that could mean doing something that she would prefer not to. But, if it meant getting away from him in the end, she would.

Itachi unzipped her outer shirt, but did not bother with the mesh. His hands were cold, and she hissed as they moved over her body, causing her to arch into the touch, moaning. She supposed it was a little over the top, but if she was going to be a distraction, she had to do her best. When those sensations became bearable, she pulled his shirt up, and raked her nails down his chest and stomach, stopping only when she found the waistband of his pants. After rocking against him once, and producing a strangled kind of moaning sound from his lips, she smirked as she unfastened his pants and loosened them before continuing her rocking motion. This went on for what seemed like minutes, and then she made a few moans herself, because it really did feel good. So good, in fact that she lost concentration with her chakra, and nearly let it slip away.

When she reined in her hormones just a bit, she found that the three people were now only 200 meters away. They move so fast! That meant that he was going to have to be very distracted when they got to the top of the mountain. Swallowing her pride, she grasped the back of his neck, and pulled him to her, kissing him the way she used to dream of kissing Sasuke. It was a long, slow, teasing kiss. She would draw him in, flick her tongue against his playfully, then pull away. At least, it was that way until she became dangerously involved with it herself. Then, she did lose control of her chakra. Itachi took control of the situation, pressing her closer to him, then laying her on the ground and settling on top of her. [So much for your brilliant plan, Sakura. He’ll be finished with you before they get here.] For all she knew, he would be, but with the way her body was overriding her brain, there was little chance that she would care in the near future.

Sakura could feel him tugging at her leggings, and after a moment, she heard them rip. Her underwear got the same treatment, digging into her flesh before the black cloth ripped away. Itachi grasped both of her wrists and held them above her head. She tested the grip he had on her, and it was firm. He was not going to let her go. Sakura suddenly realized, that unless the men coming up the mountain got here very soon, she was going to be in a very compromising position. The entire time this was happening, she couldn’t look away from his eyes. The black markings spun around, swirling so fast that they made rings around Itachi’s pupils. There was no turning back. She could not stop him. Finally, Sakura closed her eyes and waited. Something warm touched her inner thigh, and it was both soft and hard all at once. She swallowed audibly, and tensed, feeling his breath on her neck, and the warmth moving slowly, slowly down. “No, Sakura, look at me.” She opened her eyes, and saw him. “I want you to look into my eyes when we do this.” Sakura was shaking. This was not right. It wasn’t. How did she let this happen?

She was kunoichi. Kunoichi had to seduce men all of the time on missions. But Sakura had never even been intimate on normal terms. Never, with anyone, let alone with Itachi, mass murderer, and a man who had kidnapped her and turned her into some strange version of a bondage fantasy doll. She tried to think of it as a mission, a means to an end. But now, so close to losing the only thing that was really hers to give freely, she was truly frightened. Her eyes tried to close again, but Itachi leaned down and bit her neck. “What did I say? Look at me.” She did, and she felt the warmth moving again, ever so slowly. How could she want this and fear it at the same time? He was teasing her, drawing out her anxiety. It was driving her mad. Finally, she’d had enough.

“Master,” she panted, for her breathing had sped up nearly to the point of hyperventilation, “Please…” Her tone was pleading, and of course, he found it amusing.

Just like when he had given her that first ‘treat,’ he growled seductively next to her ear, “Please what? Stop? Continue?”

--

A/N: How's THAT for a cliff-hanger? (Hentais are going to hunt me down for this...) I promise not to do it again, IF... you're good boys and girls, and review! I love you guys!

Time: 3 years after Sauke's departure, six months after Gaara retrieval misson

Place: On a mountain top, in the middle of nowhere, Lightening Country

--

Dog days

--

Last time...

She was kunoichi. Kunoichi had to seduce men all of the time on missions. But Sakura had never even been intimate on normal terms. Never, with anyone, let alone with Itachi, mass murderer, and a man who had kidnapped her and turned her into some strange version of a bondage fantasy doll. She tried to think of it as a mission, a means to an end. But now, so close to losing the only thing that was really hers to give freely, she was truly frightened. Her eyes tried to close again, but Itachi leaned down and bit her neck. “What did I say? Look at me.” She did, and she felt the warmth moving again, ever so slowly. How could she want this and fear it at the same time? He was teasing her, drawing out her anxiety. It was driving her mad. Finally, she’d had enough.

“Master,” she panted, for her breathing had sped up nearly to the point of hyperventilation, “Please…” Her tone was pleading, and of course, he found it amusing.

Just like when he had given her that first ‘treat,’ he growled seductively next to her ear, “Please what? Stop? Continue?”

--

Chapter 5: Waking From the Dream

Naruto looked around. Sakura’s chakra field had disappeared. Did that mean that she was hurt? Suddenly in a panic, he doubled his pace. “Naruto, slow down. If there’s a fight waiting for us up there, then we need to be able to fight it.” Kakashi said from behind him. He turned around and cocked his head sarcastically to one side, as if to say he would be just fine. “Fair enough, stamina freak.” Naruto snorted, and dropped back to his former speed. He knew that the older man could keep up well enough, but he knew as well that if Kakashi were in the least winded, it might end very badly. Both of them needed to be able to fight.

They were only a hundred meters from the summit, now. Naruto’s breath caught in his throat. “Did you feel that, Kakashi?” The other man nodded. Any shinobi worth their hitae-ate would be able to feel the immense amount of chakra spiking to levels that were not supposed to come from anyone but maybe Naruto or Gaara. It was Sakura’s chakra, he knew, but he had no idea that she had so much. What could have her producing that much chakra? It was laced with something…desperation, maybe? Or fear? Both, probably. But there was something else, too, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what it was.

“Have you ever felt anything like that?” Naruto’s eyes narrowed behind the snarling face of his mask, and he glanced back at his fellow ANBU.

“Only once.” Kakashi didn’t elaborate, but his voice sounded worried.

“What do you think is going on up there?” Naruto asked quietely as they continued to climb the rock face. He really didn’t want to know, but he had a feeling that Kakashi knew, and in a way, he was sure that it would be easier if he had some warning.

“Nothing we want to see, Naruto.”

“What do you mean?” Even though he asked the question, he was pretty sure he knew what Kakashi meant. There was an image now floating though his mind, and it was very difficult for him to reconcile himself with. No. He had to be wrong. Naruto shook his head. “No, you’re lying, or something.” They were coming to the summit, now, only a few more meters…

Just before Naruto got to the top, Kakashi stopped him for just a moment. “Naruto, the only time I have ever felt that kind of chakra spike was when I…You remember that picture in my apartment, of me and my old genin team?” Naruto nodded. “The girl in the picture, Rin, was my first girlfriend. We loved each other. Just before she died, we made love, and that was what it felt like. Only a medic-nin can produce that kind of chakra, and only in one situation. I know that from experience.” His voice had grown cold. As he looked at his sensei, Naruto could see the tension in the other man’s shoulders, and he knew that Kakashi was telling the truth, but he just didn’t want to believe it. Sakura, his teammate, and the girl he still harbored more than a crush for, could not possibly…Naruto blocked out the image that threatened to come forward again. They had to get there, and fast.

“Well, I’m not gonna like what I see, if it has anything to do with Akatsuki, I know that. But I would be happier if she were being tortured.” Not really, but Naruto thought Kakashi understood what he was talking about. The older man nodded, and they pushed themselves up to the rocky summit of the mountain.

--

Sasuke’s face was burning. He did not feel what he thought he did. Kami-sama, please don’t let them be doing that…And why would Sakura have sex with Itachi, anyway? His brother definitely wasn’t the type of man he thought Sakura would be with. She really didn’t seem like Itachi’s type, either. Then again, he hadn’t been around his brother in quite a while, so he couldn’t say with any amount of confidence what his type was, exactly. What he did know was that he was going to kill the bastard, even if he was in the middle of screwing Sakura. That thought was bugging him as he pulled himself to the top of a boulder and tried to find a handhold to get further up the side of the mountain.

[Sakura…sex…Itachi…sex…]

[No.]

Just…no. That could not happen. And, if it was happening already, then he would stop it. Sakura was not that kind of girl, and he knew it. He knew that at the core of himself. She would not do that, not willingly. So, he pushed himself. Sasuke pushed himself harder than he ever had with Orochimaru, Kabuto, or even with Naruto. He was going to stop his brother from taking Sakura. He had to.

--

“S…St…” She couldn’t get the word out. It wouldn’t leave her lips. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her, or the way her body was rebelling against her will. It could also be the way one of his hands held her down while the other was fondling any bit of skin it could find, but she wasn’t really thinking about any of that right now. What she was thinking was: [Get your asses up here!] Impatience was her main emotion. He had not moved since he asked her if he should continue. That hard warmth pressing against her leg was still poised to take that one small part of herself that was still innocent, and she was so frightened that she could barely breathe.

“Sakura, look at me.” Itachi’s deep voice rumbled forth, caressing her skin, causing a tingling wave of goose bumps to move over her body. Her eyes snapped back to his face, for they had begun to wander to the rocks, the scrubby trees, anything but him. Itachi was staring down at her, eyes clouded with raw desire and a need so fierce that she could only stare. She nearly squeaked when she saw this. “Do you want me?” She didn’t want to answer him, because she couldn’t lie. If she answered him, she knew what would happen. She knew that if she answered, she would no longer be herself. There would be no turning back. Then, after a short moment of realizing her position, and his, she came to the conclusion that there already was no turning back.

“Yes.”

“Then why ask me to stop?” He didn’t wait for an answer. Itachi leaned down and kissed her, which seemed more of an assault than a kiss, drowning out all thoughts of anything but him. Familiar tingles moved through her, and she felt him use just a little chakra to heighten that feeling. It was like a fire was lit inside her. His body settled atop hers and she felt a dull pain as he sank into her slowly, a pain which he quickly eased with more chakra and another kiss. She cried out, and then she couldn’t breathe. Tears formed in her eyes, and rolled down her cheeks, and as he released her wrists, her hands flew up to clutch at his shirt. The pain intensified after a moment, even through the haze created by the chakra he used. His movements were slow and almost gentle, but she still couldn’t help feeling that he was hurting her far worse than any weapon ever could.

Then, suddenly, the pain was gone. Replacing it was pleasure, in proportions greater than anything she’d felt before from him. Still weeping, she cried out again, and then whimpered as another wave of unwanted ecstasy hit her. With every movement of Itachi’s body, she gave a sharp intake of breath, only to be released as a strangled cry or moan. It wasn’t right for her to enjoy being taken by this man. He was a murderer. He was everything that was wrong with the world. He was Itachi. Then, if it wasn’t right, why did she feel the way she did? Was it the collar? That must be it. That must be why she writhed beneath Itachi, arched into his hands as he touched her, and returned his kisses with equal force and passion.

Her wandering thoughts were cut short when she suddenly found Itachi’s weight being forcefully lifted from her body. The relief she felt was total, and it made her shudder and cry out. Blinking, she looked around, and found that Itachi was being yanked up off of the ground by his younger brother. “Sasuke…” she breathed, huddling in on herself and rocking forward and back, her head clutched in her hands. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she sobbed until her throat was raw, wishing that her tears could wash away what had just happened.

“Bastard…” Sasuke growled. “What have you done?” His eyes were blood red, his Sharingan now fully developed. He held his brother’s shirt with one hand, and the Chidori with the other, poised before Itachi’s face. The lightening-like chakra enveloped not only his hand, but his entire forearm. With a smirk, elder Uchiha righted his clothing casually. Itachi seemed completely at ease. He didn’t care about the nimbus of angry chakra that surrounded Sasuke. This only seemed to enrage the younger brother further, as his eyes narrowed at him.

“Nothing she didn’t want me to do.” Sakura could hear the smirk in Itachi’s voice as he answered Sasuke.

“It sure as hell doesn’t look like she wanted it.” Sasuke’s eyes strayed to where Sakura hugged her knees as tightly as possible. His voice lowered to a dangerous growl. “You hurt her, Itachi. I won’t let you do it again.” He lashed out with the Chidori, but Itachi dodged it, then stumbled back only a pace, catching himself.

“Ignorant boy. You will die here, and Sakura will come back with me, my obedient pet.” Itachi smiled down at Sakura, who had ventured a glance up at him, but she soon looked quickly away, the smirk on his lips telling her what was in store for her later. Her mind reeled violently at the thought of what she had been unable to stop him from doing to her; at what she had allowed him to do, and helped him do. Her stomach lurched, and she released her knees just before she emptied her stomach onto the rocky ground.

“No. She won’t.” Sakura’s eyes widened in complete shock at the voice she heard. Familiar, yet lower, with a hint of a growl behind it, she nearly jumped for joy when that voice rang out over the rocky mountain summit. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she turned her head to see…two ANBU? Her confusion was profound, until the shorter ANBU spoke again. “Sakura-chan, back away from them.” Naruto? ANBU? She tried to make sense of it, but was unable to. Her body was still recovering from…no. She wouldn’t think about that. Naruto took a step forward, pulling two kodaichi from his back. His tone became steely. “I said back away, Sakura. Now.” Shakily, Sakura got to her feet, and backed away as far as she could without pulling the chain taught.

“Where are you going, Sakura?” Itachi said in a honeyed voice that caused Sakura’s stomach to clench in fear.

“I…” She felt his irritation flare, and then she collapsed to the ground, stabbing pain searing every nerve in her body. Screams tore their way from her throat. This was unlike any pain he had given her before. It did not subside, and it was total, complete agony. Nothing she’d experienced in the pain amplifier or the trial room could have prepared her for this. All she wanted was for it to stop. Sakura did not care what had to happen fto make the pain go away. She would do anything. She would go with Itachi, she would be his forever. If only it would stop. [Just make it stop…] Her eyes squeezed shut, and she curled into a fetal position, shaking and unable to scream anymore.

--

Naruto’s eyes narrowed behind his mask. What had been going on before he got up here? That chakra spike had ended suddenly, so he had hope that she had not sufferend too much. But Sakura was now crying out in pain on the ground, and he was powerless to stop it. He could see the chakra flowing through the leash that Itachi used to hold her, and it didn’t take but a fraction of a second for him to realize what was going on. They had to get that collar off of her. Or, just cut off Itachi’s hand. //In your dreams, kid.// Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why did the Kyuubi choose the most inopportune moments to pop up? //Don’t insult me, brat. Life is a dream, and you only wake up after death. I’m young yet, so don’t do anything that’ll get your ass killed. At least not until I can get the hell out of your gut. I’m not ready to wake up yet.// Interesting sentiment, but he didn’t have time to think about it just now.

Hefting the kodaichi in his hands, he stepped toward Itachi, just as Kakashi teleported over to where Sakura lay.

--

Sasuke only watched the ANBU fighting his brother for a moment. His chakra was familiar, and Sasuke smiled as he pushed him out of the way before his brother could touch him. In the same motion, Sasuke spun toward Itachi, reached out with his other hand, and disarmed him. “You’re getting slow in your old age, brother.” Katana in hand, he reached for the chain that led from Itachi to Sakura. All of these movements were very fast, and he knew that no one without the Sharingan would be able to see them. Itachi moved just before he could take hold of the chain. He had also seen the chakra that was causing Sakura such great pain, and had plans to relieve her suffering.

The young ANBU ripped off his mask and the bandanna over his hair, revealing a face he knew well. Stuffing both behind his belt, the young man groused, “Do you mind, teme? I was just helping out.” It was good to see his friend, but now was not the time for their playful bickering. He had to deal with his brother, and quickly before Sakura was killed.

Sasuke chuckled. “Arigato, dobe, but he’s mine. Take care of Sakura.” His eyes latched onto his brother again, who sent a stream of chakra through the chain to Sakura and she started screaming again.

--

Kakashi held Sakura’s head between his knees as Naruto tried to keep her body still. He had noticed the same thing that Sasuke and Naruto had. The collar was the key. They had to take it off of her. He fumbled with it, searching for the clasp. It seemed like only a solid chain. “Naruto, take a look at this thing, will you?” They switched positions, and Naruto squinted at the collar as he leaned over Sakura’s face. Kakashi watched him with anxiety. The boy was good with puzzles. It didn’t matter if they were jigsaw puzzles or three-dimensional representations of the chakra pathways in a human body. If there was a problem, he could find it, and he didn’t need a bloodline limit to do it. This ability was born of years of having to do things the hard way. Kakashi had put Naruto through a test of his own, just to see if he thought the boy would be able to pass the ANBU exam. He had exceeded all of his expectations.

Rolling the links between his fingers while he closed his eyes, Naruto seemed to be feeling for differences in the many linkages in the chain that surrounded her neck. Nimble fingers moved over each of the links in turn, and then he stopped, one eyebrow quirked. “Yatta!” He said quietly, and opened his eyes. He pushed with one finger, pulled with two more, and the clasp came undone. The collar fell away from Sakura’s neck, and she stopped writhing in pain, but only lay there, panting. After a moment, her eyes opened. “Ohayo, Sakura-chan.” Naruto said this quietly as he smiled down at her.

“Naruto!” Tears streamed from her eyes as she sat up stiffly and then got onto her knees and threw her arms around his neck. Her entire body shook, and she sobbed, “I thought I was never going to see you again!” Then, she collapsed into his arms, falling into a fit of sobs that made both Kakashi and Naruto worry. Kakashi watched as Naruto gently closed the front of Sakura’s shirt, zipping it. Then, he took the tattered remains of her undergarments and tied them together as best he could, giving her some kind of covering.

Kakashi looked at Naruto’s face. The younger man’s lips compressed into a thin line. He had an idea of what the boy was thinking, but didn’t voice his opinion. As Naruto held her close to him and rocked slowly forward and back, he whispered soothing words to her. The sight sent a stab of pain through him. Kakashi felt he shouldn’t be watching this. The moment was far too intimate and private for observation. So, he turned his attention back to the fight between the two Uchiha.

They were hurling every jutsu known to man at one another. Nothing was making a dent in either man’s defense. After what seemed like a very long time indeed, the two backed off from one another. Sasuke’s face was contorted in rage, and he kept muttering things about how he would never let Itachi hurt Sakura or anyone else he cared about, ever again. “You killed our entire family, then you start in on my friends…what are you trying to do? Turn me into you?” The young man’s voice rose in a shout that made his voice crack. “I’ll never be like you! Never. It ends here, Itachi. You will never, ever touch any of my friends again.”

“Especially not her, right, little brother?” Kakashi could see the man smirking, and the amusement in his eyes. “Why do you care? She’s just someone you left behind, isn’t she? Not worthy of your attention, was she? Now, you’re so concerned…if I didn’t know any better, I would say you were jealous.” Itachi smirked mockingly as he hefted his kunai, a then a smile slid over his face. A light of realization entered his red eyes and he began to laugh. “Oh, this is rich. Has that little block of ice you call a heart finally thawed, little one?”

Sasuke attacked again, a near scream of rage ripping through the air, and was repelled. Even with the superior weapon and years of training for this very moment, he still seemed to be far below Itachi’s level. He backed off again, panting, and holding a shallow wound on his left forearm. He glared at his brother. “At least I have a heart.” There was, of course, no reaction from Itachi. Sooner ask a stone to bleed. Ignoring the blood that now dripped from his arm, he fell into a fighting stance again. Tilting his head to one side and regarding his brother, he asked, “Shall we end this?” Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath.

Itachi nodded, smiling. “Hai. It’s high time I killed you. The clan didn’t deserve to continue, after all, it seems.” Itachi’s smile widened, and then Sasuke opened his eyes. The Sharingan was gone from them. Why? Kakashi did not understand his reasoning, if he had any. Whatever it was, his face and his chakra were both completely calm. This was a completely different young man than the avenger he had known for years. He was, it seemed, completely at peace.

“Come, Itachi.” Sasuke’s voice was placid, and he seemed as if he was prepared for whatever may come. The elder rushed at the younger, and in a matter of seconds, blades flashed, and blood flew through the air, the brothers landing in a heap on the ground, with no way of knowing which one was alive and which dead, if not both. Slowly, Kakashi got to his feet. He walked over to where they lay on the ground. Itachi lay atop Sasuke, and now that he stood over them, Kakashi could see that the katana had pierced his heart, for it was protruding from his back in precisely the spot for just that. He used the toe of his shoe to kick the now-deceased Missing-nin off of his former student.

Sasuke lay on the ground, a kunai sticking out of his side, breathing raggedly. It had pierced his lung. Kakashi knelt beside him, and pulled back his mask. “Hey, kid. You did good. Want some help?” Sasuke nodded with a wry smile, which was returned by the Copy-nin, though the boy did not see it. “This is gonna hurt like hell. Get ready.” He pulled out the kunai, and then force-healded the damage. It was messy, but it would hold until a medic could get to him. He helped the boy to his feet. “How do you feel?”

“Like shit. I don’t ever want you healing me again.” Kakashi lifted his eyebrow, and then grabbed Sasuke’s bangs and dragged him over to where Naruto held Sakura.

--

Naruto watched as Sasuke was being dragged. It was, in a way, a very gratifying sight. When Kakashi had Sasuke close enough, Naruto reached out and pulled him down to where he could see Sakura’s face. She was now fully aware, and was looking timidly around. “I believe you two know each other?” Naruto’s voice was low and calm, though he was obviously far from at ease.

“Hi, Sakura.” Sasuke said, and reached out to touch her, but she flinched away, and buried her face in Naruto’s chest. From the pained expression on Sasuke’s face, he was not happy with her reaction to him. Naruto stood, holding Sakura in his arms.

“I’ll take her back to the village. Why don't you guys dispose of that trash?” He gestured to the body lying on the ground. Kakashi nodded, and Sasuke looked like he wanted to come with him, but merely bit his lip and turned back to where his brother lay.

Ten teleportation jutsus later, Naruto was standing in front of Konoha Hospital, holding Sakura in his arms, and slipping his ANBU mask back down over his face. He entered the doors of the hospital, and cried in a very hoarse voice, “Medic! I need a medic!” Three medic-nin came rushing forward, one of which was Shizune. He handed her over, and told them that she was probably in shock, then collapsed from exhaustion himself. The last thing he saw was Shizune pulling the mask from his face.
Three days later…

Sakura stood in the Hokage’s office. Tsunade was fiddling with papers, and not looking at her. “Tsunade-sama?” The older woman completely ignored her. Raising her voice to a rather sharp pitch, she said, “Hokage-sama!” Finally, the woman gave her some measure of attention. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes. I have decided that you should take some time off. Rest is what you need right now.” Sakura was actually relieved to hear Tsunade say this. She had been about to ask for some leave time. “However, I am aware of some of the unusual behaviors that you have been displaying, so I’m going to assign someone to keep an eye on you.”

Her jaw fell open as she stared at the woman behind the desk. Then, anger started to rise. “I don’t need a babysitter! All I need is some peace and quiet, and—“

“No arguments, Sakura. And no training, either. When I say relaxation, I mean it.” Tsunade smirked as Sakura’s hands balled into fists at her sides. “Now, why don’t we meet your babysitter?” A side door to the office opened, and in walked…Sasuke? He looked questioningly at the Hokage, and she nodded. “Take Sakura home, Sasuke. I want you to keep a close eye on her. Don’t let her out of your sight.” Sakura fumed.

Taking the three steps up to the desk, she slammed her hands down on the wooden surface, causing papers to jump from the desk and fall to the floor. Tsunade winced. “Why am I being treated like a child? Or worse! Why am I being treated like I went with Itachi of my own free will? I did not. I was taken by force!” She was now leaning over the older woman’s desk, and Tsunade was pressed back into her chair to put distance between herself and her student. Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Sasuke. She jerked herself away from him and took hold of his hand, then twisted his arm violently behind his back, shoving him forward. “Don’t touch me.”

Sasuke, now pressed tightly against the back wall of the office, said, “Hai, Sakura. Could you let me go? That sort of hurts.” Reluctantly, she released him, and he worked his shoulder, trying to ease the pain. She glared at him with every ounce of annoyance she could muster, and not a little anger. “Sakura, please. I’m only following orders.”

Huffing, Sakura crossed her arms under her breasts, and said, “Fine. But my parents don’t like you. They won’t let you in the house.”

“Then you can stay with me. I’ll have to clean up a little, since the place is still a little dusty, but it’s livable.” Sakura wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Staying in the same house that Itachi grew up in did not seem like a pleasant thought. He seemed to notice her wariness, and he turned to Tsunade. “Hokage-sama, I request that Uzumaki Naruto also be assigned to take care of her.” Sakura could see his frown, even from the angle she stood at. “She seems to trust him more.” His request was granted, and the two of them left the office. Sakura was glad that she would have Naruto there. Even if he was reckless at times, she felt safe around him. That was not something she could say for being around Sasuke.

--

“Sakura, can you wait outside?” Sasuke asked as he stepped into Naruto’s apartment. She nodded curtly, and settled herself against the wall to wait. He was worried about her. Since she was released from the hospital, Sakura had been behaving strangely. If she came within six feet of any man, she became stiff and hostile, and she seemed to like playing with matches. If her preoccupation with fire seemed strange, it was nothing compared to the fact that she now wore a very collar-like necklace. Why? Had she gotten used to it? His musings were interrupted when Naruto spoke.

“What is it teme?” Naruto flopped down on the couch.

“The Hokage has a job for us.” Naruto sat up straight, and Sasuke continued. “We’re supposed to keep an eye on Sakura. Her parents won’t let me in the house, so we’ll be staying at my place. You’ll be in Itachi’s old room, I’ll be in mine, and Sakura will be in the guest room between us. Earlier, Tsunade-sama said I should watch for signs of mental fatigue, stress, and trauma.” Naruto nodded.

Scratching his head, Naruto said, “Well, I don’t like babysitting, but if it’s to help Sakura-chan, I’ll do it. How is she?”

Sasuke rubbed his shoulder, “Aggressive.”

Naruto chuckled. “What did you do?”

“I touched her.”

Shaking his head, the blonde shinobi laughed. “That’s a big mistake. It’s going to take a long time for her to trust anybody again. You more than anyone, because of what you did, and because you look too damned much like your brother.” Sasuke nearly flinched at that. He knew that the part about leaving the village and knocking her out was justified, but it still hurt, and he didn’t want to be constantly paying for the fact that he bore a striking resemblance to Itachi. Naruto seemed to sense this. “Cut your hair, teme. That should solve the resemblance issue.”

“A haircut I can deal with." There had to be something he could do to make her trust him. A thought suddenly occurred to him. “Wait a minute. She trusts you, Naruto. Why?”

Shrugging, Naruto said, “I guess she just likes me better.” Sasuke rolled his eyes. “She said she feel’s safe with me, Sasuke.” It was Naruto, after all. It was difficult not to feel safe around him. He just made it seem like he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to anyone he cared about. That made more sense than ‘she just likes me better’. But with Sasuke, it was different. He was not safe. He had been the person she’d loved for most of her life. He had no idea if she still did, and he stomped down any hopes that she might, just to be safe. Pushing those thoughts aside, he told Naruto to be at his house in a couple of hours, after he packed his things, then he rose and left the apartment.

“Took you long enough.” Sakura huffed, then turned without another word and started for the stairs.

“Sakura, wait.” She did not, and he caught up to her, and followed her down the stairs, careful not to touch her. The last thing he wanted was a dislocated shoulder, or a broken arm. They walked in silence all the way to her house, and when she turned to tell him to wait outside, but he simply sat on the ground near the door and said nothing. After Sakura had gone into the house, Sasuke leaned against the outer wall of the house, looking up at the sky.

The clouds were thin and wispy, and looked to be very high in the sky. He breathed deeply, taking in the mid-morning air. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. I hate when Itachi is right. What, pray tell, was Itachi right about? It certainly hadn’t been his assertion that Sasuke’s heart was a block of ice. Nothing could be further from the truth. It wasn’t a little frozen bit of flesh that beats out of necessity only. Right at this very moment, Sasuke had a very human and vulnerable feeling in the upper left-hand portion of his chest. He felt like a piece of himself was being ripped away. What he had been right about was Sakura. He didn’t want anyone he cared about to be hurt. Especially her. Watching the clouds float past, ignorant of everything that was going on far below them, he smiled faintly.

He really hated it when his brother was right. Sasuke was well aware that the only reason he’d been able to kill his brother was because of the enormous amount of energy he felt, springing from a single fact: he had to protect Sakura. In the end, he had decided that he would not use the Sharingan. If he was to kill Itachi, he would not sully his family’s bloodline limit to do it. He had made sure that Itachi could never hurt her again. Looking down from the clouds at his hands, he wondered briefly what his life would have been like had Itachi not lusted after power. Would he be the same person, only less angry and bitter? Would his hands still carry the same scars, the same calluses? Identity was a powerful thing. Since he had fulfilled part of his life’s ambition, he now would have to re-invent his identity, to turn himself into someone who could be worthy of leading the revival of a clan. Uchiha Sasuke, the avenger, had to die. He must be reborn.

Identity. Sasuke’s eyes widened suddenly in realization. That was the key. Sakura’s problem wasn’t trust, but identity. She was wearing the collar necklace because of the identity that was forced on her by Itachi. If the ANBU investigators were correct, the jutsu that the collar and leash were impregnated with caused the identity of the leash holder to be forced onto the person wearing the collar. It was like they were two halves of the same person, with different personality traits. If loss of her own identity was the case, then how was she supposed to function? How was he? Neither of them were in a good place. They both had to re-invent themselves. He knew needed help, and he could think of only one person that could give it to him. He needed to talk to Kakashi.

Just then, the door opened, and Sakura came out, holding a duffel. He stood up, and started walking, not waiting for her to catch up or say anything. After a momentary pause, he heard her footsteps, and then saw her from the corner of his eye, walking beside him. “Sakura?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry I touched you earlier.” He said this quietly, in a neutral tone, so that he didn’t sound depressed or sullen. Which, he supposed he was a little of both at the moment.

“Sasuke…” she paused, trying to find words to form her thoughts. “I didn’t mean it that way, it’s just that—“

“You see my brother when you look at me, don’t you?” He asked suddenly, turning to look at her. She looked away quickly when he said that, but nodded. “Sakura, look at me.” She looked at him, her green eyes catching the light of the sun, and blazing like flames. Ignoring how his breath caught at the sight, he said, “Who am I?”

She seemed confused. “Uchiha Sasuke.” Her voice came out slowly, as if unsure of what he was getting at.

“No, I mean, who am I now? I got my revenge. So what the hell am I supposed to do now? I have no idea. I’m not going near that snake bastard again, that’s all I know for sure. So tell me, what do I do?” This only seemed to confuse her more. Sasuke reached out and ran a finger over the necklace that clung tightly to her neck, and then looked directly into her eyes. “What will you do now, Sakura?” She seemed too confused to flinch away from him. Sasuke sighed. “I suppose that’s something to think of later. Come on. I’ll get you settled into a room, and then we can hunt down some lunch.”

--

Sakura sat at the bar of Ichiraku’s with Sasuke. Why had he picked ramen? And for the love of all that is holy, why was he eating like Naruto? All she could do was stare, right along with the owner of the ramen bar; at the rather undignified way that Sasuke was slurping his noodles. Her own ramen was getting cold, but she was mesmerized. He glanced over at her. “What?” He asked after he finished slurping up a rather long noodle, broth dripping down his chin. He wiped it away with his napkin.

“Oh, nothing.” She poked at her ramen for a moment. Then, she turned to him and said incredulously, “What’s wrong with you?” When he furrowed his brows in confusion, she pointed at his bowl, which was more than half empty, as if to ask when he hadstarted channeling Naruto.

“Oh. Um, I was wondering why he eats so fast, so I decided to try it to see what it was like.” Sasuke smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t disturb you, did I?”

“In more ways than one. Eat like a normal human being, will you? One Naruto is enough. I don’t know that my nerves could take two of him.” Sasuke snorted, and then returned to eating, though he did so with his usual grace and dignity. What was his problem? He might need to figure out what to do with the rest of his life, but she sincerely hoped that he wouldn’t become like Naruto. There really was more than enough with just one of him.

When they had finished eating, they went back to Sasuke’s house, where they met with Naruto. “So, what’s the plan?” The blonde asked, directing the question toward the both of them. After a short discussion, it was decided that they needed to get the house in order, but that could wait until the next day, really. Naruto had brought with him some of the old movies he used to watch. Sasuke looked through them, and nearly shook his head. They were all cheesy old kung-fu movies.

“Okay, we’ll watch those after dinner. For now, you guys can relax. I have to clean up enough to be able to cook in that kitchen.” He went into the kitchen, and started rattling dishes and things.

“Do you suppose we should help?” Sakura asked.

Naruto shrugged. “Would he get mad?”

“I honestly don’t know. He’s weird today. I think he’s having some kind of an identity crisis. We had ramen for lunch, and it was his idea, and he even ate like you. It was scary.” She gave a little shiver at the thought of Sasuke slurping noodles. Sakura hoped that she never saw that again.

Naruto seemed affronted. “And what’s wrong with the way I eat?” Sakura rolled her eyes.

“Naruto, if you haven’t figured that out by now, I’m not telling you.” She walked past him into the kitchen, and found Sasuke up to his elbows in dishwater. He kept blowing his hair out of his face, and she smiled as she gently moved him out of the way and handed him a towel. “Let me do that. You go…do something with that hair. It isn’t very practical to just let it loose like that. It’s three times longer than mine!” He nodded, and left the room after drying his hands. Sakura scrubbed at the dishes, and when she was finished, she put them all in the drying rack above the sink, then went in search of Naruto and Sasuke. After a few minutes, she found them in a sitting room, opening windows to air the place out. They had yet not noticed her presence.

“So, teme, what’s this babysitting job really about?” Naruto asked, pulling at one of the windows that seemed to be stuck. Sasuke glanced up at him, and cocked his head to one side.

“I think we’re just supposed to keep her calm, and watch her behavior. You know I saw her in the park, yesterday, flicking lighted matches into the water? I’m worried about her.” Sakura’s hand unconsciously strayed up to the collar-like necklace, a flood of images and emotions whirling through her mind, all centering on her experiences with Sasuke. Another massive wave of images, these unfamiliar, moved through her mind, taking root and becoming part of her memory, part of her consciousness. Her head felt like it was going to burst. As she looked at Sasuke, she suddenly had the urge, the need, to hurt him. She wanted to slowly and painfully torture him, to kill him. That wasn’t right. She didn’t want to hurt him. No. She did not want to.

Clutching her head in her hands, her knees began to weaken, and then they simply would not hold her up. Slumping to the floor, Sakura huddled in on herself, all senses being dulled by the feeling of this new information settling into her brain. Hearing faint voices, she looked around, and found that Naruto and Sasuke were leaning over her, asking if she was all right. Sasuke reached out to touch her, and she scrabbled away from him frantically. “No…” She moaned quietly, and then held her hands up in front of herself. “Please, don’t come any closer.”

“What’s the matter, Sakura-chan?” Naruto settled himself next to her, and put a hand to her forehead. His brow furrowed. “You have a fever. Let’s get you to bed.” Sakura clung to his arm as he helped her up. “Which room do you have her in?” Naruto asked Sasuke. The Uchiha led the way to the room, and Naruto all but carried Sakura down the hallway. She leaned on him, feeling safe. He was the only man that she could really trust. His arm supporting her waist, she was pressed to his side, being partially dragged down the hallway. After a few moments of this kind of treatment, he got frustrated and just scooped her up and carried her to the room, depositing her gently on the bed, and pulling the covers up to her chin after removing her shoes. “You lie still. Sasuke will watch over you until I come back.” She reached out to grasp his arm and keep him there, but missed.

Sasuke watched her from the doorway. She didn’t need to be looking at him to know that he was staring at her. But when she heard his footsteps, she turned her head to see him coming toward the bed. “Stop, Sasuke. Please, don’t come near.” She was holding her hands out in front of herself again.

Sasuke frowned. “Why?”

Sakura swallowed. “I might hurt you.”

He didn’t seem to believe her, and kept walking, until he sat next to her on the bed. “Sakura, why would you want to hurt me?”

--

“I don’t.” She pointed to her head. “But something in here does. I don’t understand. I have memories that aren’t mine. It’s so frightening. I can remember horrible things. I can remember doing horrible things. I can remember…” Her eyes glazed over, and lost focus. Her voice changed, deepening, and becoming much more calm. It reminded Sasuke far too much of his brother. “I can remember a dark night. It was so much work to kill them all. Some didn’t resist, but there were just so many of them, it took more than an hour. Father was the hardest to kill.” She looked into Sasuke’s astonished face. “Then you came home. I spared you. You ran…ran until you couldn’t run anymore.”

No, she was not…but was she? Could she have somehow had Itachi’s memories? “Sakura? Is that really you?” Heedless of her warning, he stepped closer to her.

In that same tone, she said, “Yes. It’s me. Why? Why do I remember these things? I feel like I’m three different people. There’s me, there’s another more aggressive side to myself, and now, I really think I’m going insane, because…” She began to sob, clutching the bedcovers. “Because Itachi’s in my head, too…” He bit his lip, watching her for a moment. He had to get rid of everything that reminded her of Itachi. Everything. Carefully, he reached down to her neck, and unfastened the necklace she wore. After he put it in his pocket, he saw why she wore it. There was a dark patch of skin around her entire neck that was worn raw from wearing the collar. It wasn’t just the chaffing of metal against her skin. Those marks were from chakra being forced into the skin far too often at an intensity that was greater than necessary.

Her sobs intensified, and Sasuke pried her hands from the blanket and then took her in his arms. He murmured soothingly in her ear, and tried to comfort her. Sakura’s hands found his shirt, and clutched at it, nearly ripping the cloth. After a few moments, she calmed to the point where she relaxed, but did not abandon her grip on his shirt. He lay his cheek on the top of her head in an almost loving gesture. “Are you all right?” Her head tilted backward, causing him to move his head. Her eyes were clear, though still full of tears, and when she spoke, she no longer sounded as if someone else were talking through her.

“I am now. Thank you.” Her eyes focused on his face. “I know why he wanted to kill you.”

“Why?” He didn’t really want to know, but he knew she was going to tell him anyway, so he might as well ask.

“He wanted to kill you because of me.” Sasuke was confused. What did that mean? His lack of understanding must have showed on his face. “He wanted to kill you because he thought that you were going to try to take me from him, and that I might want you to.” He blinked. His brother was jealous? That was a new one on him. Itachi had everything he wanted and more when he had lived in Konoha. He was more of a genius than Kakashi and Orochimaru, had the Uchiha good looks, and was set to be the next head of the clan. Sasuke had been envious of his brother, but he had also worshipped the ground that Itachi walked on. “I was his weapon, Sasuke. And his…toy.” Her face twisted at that. Jealousy had, it appeared, not entered into it. His brother had been a complete bastard, unable to think of Sakura as a human being, or even as the dog he treated her as. She had been a tool.

Sasuke remembered when he had found them on top of the mountain. Itachi holding her down, that look of fear in Sakura’s eyes, and it made him angry again. His anger would have no outlet, since he had already made sure that his brother was dead. Still, that image would haunt him. He knew she did not trust him. She may never trust him again, but he had to try. He pushed the thought of what Itachi had done to Sakura away violently. Keeping her calm was top priority, and bringing up emotional issues would not achieve that goal. “Put him out of your mind, Sakura. He’s gone, and you don’t have to think of him ever again.” She looked curiously up at him. “What?”

“Do you remember that night, three years ago, when you left?” He nodded. She swallowed audibly. “Just before you knocked me out so that I wouldn’t scream, you said something. Do you remember?” Fresh tears were drying on her face. When he spoke again, his voice nearly faltered.

“Hai. I said, ‘thank you.’”

“What did you mean?”

Of all the questions she could have asked, this was the one he was utterly unprepared to answer. He knew the answer, of course, but was he ready to say that out loud? For a long moment, he chewed on his bottom lip, wondering how he should answer her. Usually, he would tell her not to ask him things like that. But, as he had pointed out to himself earlier, he would have to try to be a different person from now on. “I…”

--

A/N: Well? I know I said no more cliff-hangers, but this isn't too much of a suspenseful ending to the chapter, now, is it? It's okay, really. I think people can guess what he's gonna say.

Dog Days

Last time...

“Do you remember that night, three years ago, when you left?” He nodded. She swallowed audibly. “Just before you knocked me out so that I wouldn’t scream, you said something. Do you remember?” Fresh tears were drying on her face. When he spoke again, his voice nearly faltered.

“Hai. I said, ‘thank you.’”

“What did you mean?”

Of all the questions she could have asked, this was the one he was utterly unprepared to answer. He knew the answer, of course, but was he ready to say that out loud? For a long moment, he chewed on his bottom lip, wondering how he should answer her. Usually, he would tell her not to ask him things like that. But, as he had pointed out to himself earlier, he would have to try to be a different person from now on. “I…”

--

Chapter 6: Who Do You Love?

“Something'swrongwithSakura-chanyouhavetocomerightaway!” Naruto yelled as he barreled into Tsunade’s office, the befuddled Hokage staring at him slack-jawed.

“Breathe, baka.” She stood up and walked around her desk, laying a hand on his chest. Chakra flared, and soon his breathing steadied. “Now, you were saying?” Naruto’s face held all of the worry he felt for Sakura. His heard still felt like it was going to explode, even though Tsunade had used her medical jutsu to calm him down. His impatience got the better of him as he looked at her completely calm face. He looked at her and huffed, then waved his arms exaggeratedly in the air.

“I already told you! There’s something wrong with Sakura-chan! She collapsed.” He chewed at his bottom lip for a moment, then continued. “She’s scared to let Sasuke near her, and she has a fever. I don’t know what to do!” His breathing started to pick up again, and he was glancing wildly around, for something, anything that might help him. In the very back of his mind, he realized that he was panicking, but there was nothing that he could do to stop it.

The woman’s brows drew down. “Look, chibi…give her aspirin, and keep Sasuke away from her. You know I have much to do. If she needs medical attention, call Shizune. I love Sakura like she was my own daughter, but even she knows that I can’t go running off like that.” He stared at her in disbelief. How could she be so unfeeling? His hands balled into fists, and he started to shake. She saw this, and sighed. Suddenly, her voice rose to a frightening pitch and she yelled, “Shikamaru!” An instant later, the Chuunin was standing, or rather lounging, against her desk, Naruto having barely seen him come in through the window.

“Hai, Hokage-sama?”

“I want you to go with Naruto. He is to retrieve Shizune and take her to the Uchiha compound, where she will examine Sakura. You will not, under any circumstances, speak of what you see there. After Shizune is finished, I want you to ask her a few questions.” When the dark-haired young man raised a slim eyebrow questioningly, she smiled and said, “I want them to be open questions, Shikamaru. None of your devious bullshit. Ask her outright about her condition. You should be able to tell me, based upon her answers, what is wrong.”

He balked. “I’m not a medic, Hokage-sama.”

Tsunade leaned closer to him, and his eyes widened as she did, a fearful expression on his face. “No, I don’t think that this is anything that has to do with her medical health. Her body is most likely having a psycho-somatic reaction to what’s going on in her head.” Naruto blinked in confusion.

“Ne, Shikamaru, translate…please?” He asked, frowning almost desperately.

In a rather annoyed tone, the Chuunin smirked and said, “It means that her body is reacting to some kind of problem in her head.” He looked back at the blonde woman who was still leaning toward him. “I’ll go. Can’t promise great results or anything, but I’ll go.” Raising an eyebrow again, and speaking so quietly that Naruto could barely hear him, he said to her, “Have you ever thought of wearing a shirt under that thing?” Shikamaru indicated the more than ample cleavage that she was revealing. Naruto wondered if the boy had a death wish. He could see Tsunade tensing, and could almost feel the chakra starting to gather inside her for a crushing blow that would most likely send Shikamaru out of her office by the way he had come, though more forcefully than he would like.

Instead, she only stepped closer to the Chuunin and growled, “We’ll discuss that later, when you come back.” Naruto knew he wasn’t supposed to hear that, or Shikamaru’s last comment, so when Tsunade turned around, and had a rather devious smile on her face, he had to keep his face studiously confused and impatient. If her tone was any indication, Naruto felt sorry for Shikamaru. That tone wasn’t an angry one, but it was much worse than that, and from the look in the lazy Chuunin’s eyes, he knew it. As they left to find Shizune, Naruto spoke not a word. He didn’t have to. Just the way Shikamaru was walking mechanically beside him was enough to tell him that he was not looking forward to going back to the Hokage tower.

--

“Sasuke?”

“Ma, ma. I’m trying to think of how to say it.” Sakura watched him as he spoke, head bent low, mind obviously working to find some satisfying combination of words. It was apparently something very important, because he was frowning, not looking at her, and his foot was twitching nervously. “I…I wanted to thank you, because you tried to stop me. It showed that you care, and it made me…glad to know that you did.” That was not what she had expected. She expected…well, she didn’t know what she had expected, but it wasn’t that.

Sakura smiled at him slightly. “You know I’ll always be your friend, Sasuke.”

He gave a small start, staring at her. As he allowed a smile to come to his face, she heard something strange. //“Sakura…”// She jumped. Where did that come from? Her eyes searched the room wildly. //“Sakura…”// Sasuke looked at her worriedly. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she had jumped up from the bed, and started checking windows and doors, trying to find the source of the voice, which was all too familiar to her. Then, she heard her inner voice. (This is bad news, honey. You know who that is, don’t you?) Answering, she hissed in her own head, [Of course I know, you idiot. I just want to know where he is!]

//“Sakura, come to me…”//

“No!” She said aloud, not knowing that she did so as she threw the door to the closet open. “Damn it! Where are you? Come out! You don’t have me chained up now! Come out here, so I can kick you into the next millennium!” She yelled into the air, turning around and looking every which way. Her eyes settled on Sasuke. “Finally decided to come out, did you?” His eyes widened, and she stood there for a moment, staring at him. (No, darling. That’s not—)

[Shut up! That’s him! He’s come out so that I can finally get rid of him. I’ll get my revenge for what he did to me!]

(But that’s not him!)

[Of course it is!]

(No. Take a close look at him. When did Itachi ever look that scared? That is not him. You know this boy, don’t you, Sakura?)

All this time, Sakura was standing stock still in the middle of the room, staring hard at Sasuke, who was growing more worried and frightened by the moment.

[Hai…I do. It’s…Sasuke! Itachi’s brother, Sasuke. I grew up with him. I used to love him.]

(Used to?)

[I don’t know anymore. He’s my friend. I don’t want to hurt him. Why do I want to hurt him?]

Then, the voice that had been speaking to her from nowhere came again, but now, it was worse, because she could see him, too. There was Itachi, kunai drawn, kneeling on the bed, directly behind where Sasuke sat. The steely blade was inching toward his neck. Her eyes widened in horror as she heard Itachi say, //“He’ll die. Either I’ll kill him, or you will. But he’ll die.”//

“No! Don’t hurt him!”

//“Why don’t you do it for me? Then we can pick up where we left off.”// His tone became low, and it sent unwanted shivers through her. //“Come back to me, Sakura. Kill him and come back to me.”//

She stared hard at Itachi, who now had the kunai at Sasuke’s throat. “I—will—not—kill—him.” Her voice grated out as Sasuke’s mouth hung open in shock. “I will not do what you want me to.” (That’s right. You tell him. Now, you just have to stay strong, Sakura. You have to stay strong.) “I won’t…” Suddenly, she felt something from the center of her simply burst open. “I won’t kill him, Itachi! I wish it was me that killed you instead of him! You bastard!” Tears sprang forth in her eyes, and she fell to her knees. “You can’t make me do it. You can’t make me! He’s one of the most precious people in the world to me, and you’re nothing but a sick, power-hungry bastard! Get away from him!” She screamed suddenly, and launched herself at Itachi.

--

Naruto’s heart was in his throat when his sensitive ears picked up Sakura’s scream from something like a kilometer away. “Screw walking!” He formed the hand seal for a teleportation jutsu, and found himself in the guest room in Sasuke’s house. What he saw was beyond comprehension. Sakura was flying though the air at Sasuke, hands outstretched, and looked like she was going to tackle him. Before he could move to act, he saw her fly right over Sasuke’s shoulder, and begin grappling with an invisible assailant. Naruto’s voice seemed to have broken. He barely got out a quiet “Oh, shit.”

Shizune and Shikamaru appeared with small puffs of smoke on either side of him, and they all simply stared for a moment. Sasuke was the first to recover. He turned around and carefully took hold of Sakura’s wrists, and wrestled her to the mattress. Naruto looked at Shizune. “Do something!” he croaked. She ran over to where Sakura’s head was, and a medical jutsu surrounded her hand, then sunk into Sakura’s forehead. Instantly, Sakura calmed, and blinked slowly up at Sasuke.

Cocking her head to one side, she spoke. Her voice was slurred. “Sas-ke, what’re you doin’? I don’t know that I like you on me. Get off.” She planted her index finger in the middle of his chest and lifted him off of her easily, pushing him to one side. She sat up slowly, and turned to the rest of them. Her eyes locked on Naruto’s face, and she smiled happily. “Narutoooo. You’re back…I was wondering when you’d get your little ass back here.” Naruto blinked. He looked at Shizune, who was smiling broadly.

“What did you do to her?” he asked accusingly. His hackles were starting to rise. What was this, some kind of joke?

“I...re-routed a few things temporarily.” Her eyes never left Sakura as the girl got up from the bed. “Right now, I’d say that the best way to describe what she’s experiencing is a cross between her being drunk, and high on sodium pentetol.” Naruto wanted to hit Shizune. Especially when Sakura wrapped her arms around his chest and squeezed him until he thought his ribs were going to break.

“I was scared.” She looked up at him, an awkwardly placed frown on her face. “I saw him. He came back, Narrrruto. Don’t leave. He isn’t around when you’re here.” He had no idea what she was talking about, but she was looking up at him from where her chin rested on his chest, that frown twisting her lips downward. He glanced over at Sasuke. The Uchiha was still rather stunned.

“Sasuke, could you come with me while Shizune and Shikamaru talk to her?” He tried to disentangle himself from Sakura, but her grip was very strong. “Ne, Sasuke? Some help?”

Sasuke was now smirking slightly, but he did move toward him from his position near the bed. “Oh, some ANBU you are. Can’t handle a drunk girl?” He shot Sasuke a venomous glare for that. Let him have Sakura crushing the life out of him and looking up at him like she was, and then they would see who could keep their cool. As it was, Naruto knew that no one else saw what her hands were doing. Drunk? High? Oh, he believed it. Sakura’s left hand was under his shirt, stroking the skin of his lower back, and the other one, well…let’s just say that it was somewhere it shouldn’t be.

Sakura’s right hand squeezed, and then Naruto began to blush profusely. He looked pointedly at Sasuke, who was just looking on in amusement, then at Shizune, who glanced down and behind him. She bit her lip, apparently to keep from laughing. Shikamaru, when he looked at him, was chuckling silently. “Oh, you bastards...Sakura, Shizune is going to examine you now to see if you’re sick. I can’t be in here.”

She pouted. “No. You have to stay.”

He shut his eyes tightly as her left hand started playing with the waistband of his pants. It took everything he had not to let his voice crack. “Sorry about this, Sakura-chan.” He raised his left hand, and hit a pressure point in her shoulder, causing her left arm to go limp. She blinked in disbelief as she was pulled away from him by Sasuke, who reversed what Naruto had done. “I’ll be right outside with Sasuke if you need me, okay?” She nodded sullenly as Sasuke handed her off to Shikamaru, who was laughing openly now. Both he and Sasuke stepped out of the room, and he leaned against the wall.

“What the—“ Sasuke started to ask, but Naruto cut him off.

“I thought she was…she loves you, doesn’t she?” He asked, his heart still pounding and his face still very red.

“What are you talking about?” Sasuke was rather puzzled.

“She…” he took a deep breath. “She grabbed my ass!” Sasuke’s eyes widened almost comically. “Damned Shizune. She’s a trouble-maker.” Sasuke laughed quietly, and started dragging him down the hallway. “Where are we going? I told her we’d be right outside!” His agitation was growing the longer his friend was silent.

When they got to the kitchen and Sasuke got out cups and the kettle for tea, he set them down and said, “Now you know how I feel.” Naruto stared at him for a moment, not comprehending. “Fangirls, Naruto. Fangirls.”

“Uh, no. This is Sakura-chan we’re talking about. And I’ve never had a fangirl in my life!” The Uchiha eyed him for a moment, an amused smile on his lips. That smile spoke volumes that all said how very wrong he was. “What? Name one.”

“Hyuuga Hinata.” That amused smile spread, and Naruto wanted to hit him, then realized what he said.

“What?” His voice cracked. Damn. “No way! You can’t tell me that! She’s…she’s…Hinata!” Then, he realized the real issue here. He waved a hand to dismiss the idle conversation. “Sasuke, I need to ask you something, seriously.” He looked Sasuke in the eye. “Do you love her?” Sasuke started, then shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head.

“Not that way, dobe. Never in that way. I care about her, more than almost anyone else. But not the way you do.” His friend was full of surprises. Naruto had not realized that Sasuke knew about how he felt for Sakura. He sat heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. Stunned beyond belief, he simply watched Sasuke making the tea. The Uchiha looked over at him again. “What’s wrong?”

“She couldn’t like me that way.”

Sasuke laughed. “You sure about that? Girls like Sakura don’t just squeeze your ass for no reason. Especially if they’re under the influence. Besides, how else do you explain that you’re the only one she’ll let near her without thorough examination and weapons check beforehand?” Their conversation was cut short when Shizune came into the room.

Naruto stood so quickly that the chair he had been sitting in clattered to the floor. “How is she?”

“She’s fine, except for a little strain to her chakra pathways. Shikamaru is talking to her now.” Naruto sagged where he stood. Relief washed over him. Shizune took his teacup from the table and sipped. “Naruto-niisan, I need to tell you something.” He blinked at her momentarily, and she said, “Just for safety’s sake, I think you should stay with Sakura as much as possible. And Sasuke, you should try to keep your distance.” When the two boys looked at her confusedly, she pursed her lips. “She kept saying that Itachi came back. She thought that Sasuke was Itachi.”

Sasuke nodded in agreement. “She was ranting, screaming as if Itachi was there. The whole time, she was looking straight at me. I believe it.” As he said this, he frowned into his tea. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see what Shikamaru says?” He looked worried. Naruto didn’t blame him. He was worried too. They all sat in silence for nearly twenty minutes, waiting for Shikamaru to emerge. When he finally did, Naruto all but tackled the man.

“What’s wrong with her?”

Shikamaru frowned. “I don’t know. This is more than I know how to deal with. And I only know two people qualified to work with this sort of situation. Before I get them, I need to talk to the Hokage.” With that, the man disappeared in a soft puff of smoke.

Sasuke looked questioningly at Naruto. The blonde shinobi said, “She told him not to tell anyone what he saw. So, until he reports to her, we’ll just have to wait.” Shizune excused herself, and left them alone in the kitchen. “Ne, Sasuke?”

“Hm?”

“Do you think she’ll be okay?”

--

Shikamaru walked in the door, a bell ringing as he did so. A bright, feminine voice said, “Ohayo, Shika! What can I do for you?” When he bypassed all of the flowers in the shop, Ino frowned. “What’s wrong?” He stopped at the counter, and leaned in close.

“I need you and your father to come with me to the Uchiha compound, Ino. It’s urgent.” She started, but removed her apron. After going into another room for a moment, she came back with her mother so that she could mind the shop, walked to another door, and opened it.

“Otosan! Get down here!” Shikamaru cringed. He had forgotten for a moment how loud Ino could scream. There was the sound of heavy footsteps falling on the stairs, and soon Yamanaka Inoichi was standing in the door, looking at him appraisingly.

“Ohayo, Yamanaka-san. I’m sent to get you and Ino, and go to the Uchiha compound immediately. Please follow me.” He turned and left the shop, Ino and her father following. Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in the room where he had left Sakura a few hours earlier. Sakura was sitting in the bed, covered to her waist by the blankets and propped on pillows, reading. “Sakura-chan, Ino and her father are here. I need you to cooperate with them.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “You mean you’re going to let them get in my head?” Marking her page with a scrap of paper, she said with a wry smile, “I don’t know if you want to do that. It’s already a little crowded in here,” Sakura pointed at her head then sighed. “I guess you can go ahead. Things can’t get any worse.” Shikamaru leaned against the wall, waiting.

“So, otosan, how are we going to do this?” Ino asked her father, who was looking at Sakura. “Otosan?”

He turned to her, a strange look in his eyes. “I don’t want you to go in there by yourself. We’ll use the new jutsu.” Her eyes widened, and she shook her head.

“It’s never been tested on a human subject, Otosan. Please, I don’t want to fry her brain.” She pleaded with him, but he looked to Sakura, who merely nodded, saying that her brain was already pretty bad off. Ino turned to Sakura. “If this hurts you, I’m sorry, okay?” Her friend nodded, and Shikamaru watched as both of the Yamanaka came to stand in front of Sakura.

Ino positioned herself in front of her father, making her seal for the Shintenshin. Her father did the same, and placed his above hers. “This might hurt.” Inoichi said, his mouth set in a hard line. An instant later, both father and daughter slumped to the floor, and Sakura went rigid. Ino began speaking through Sakura, letting him know what was going on.

“It’s a mess in here, Shika. She’s got two personalities already, but there’s another one in here now. Shit. It isn’t just his personality. His memory is in here, too. It’s going to take longer than this jutsu lasts to get all of it out. I’d say about six times, and we should be able to get rid of everything.” He nodded, and told her to get started. Five minutes later, Ino and her father got back to their feet.

“That girl has got some serious problems.” Inoichi said, shaking his head and jabbing a finger in Sakura’s direction. “Even once we’ve got all of Itachi out of her head, she’s still going to need counseling.”

Ino frowned, looking at nothing in particular. “I know I shouldn't have looked. I saw what he did to her. I saw everything.” Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath. Then she went over to Sakura, who was still recovering from the effects of the jutsu. “Sakura, honey, if you ever need to talk about it, or just hit something, come and talk to me, and I’ll see about finding us a punching bag. Chouji’s usually really good for that.” The pink-haired girl smiled up at her. “It’s good to have you back, forehead girl.” Turning to the spiky haired Chuunin, she said, “We’ll have to come back tomorrow. Make sure those idiots don’t get her worked up.”

Both Yamanaka left, and Shikamaru turned to Sakura. “So, he’s still kicking around in there, huh?” She nodded. “Well, try to keep your cool. No more tackling Sasuke. Might want to try to keep your hands to yourself where Naruto is concerned, too.” That made the girl blush profusely.

“Hey, I was kinda out of it! You can’t blame that on me!”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Right. Later, Sakura.” He used his teleportation jutsu to get the hell out of there, because it was starting to freak him out.

--

The boys sat in the kitchen, drinking their tea. Not long after Shikamaru’s departure, Sakura stumbled into the kitchen, a blanket wrapped around herself. “That looks nice. Can I have some?” The girl asked as she plunked herself down in one of the chairs surrounding the table. Sasuke rose to get more tea, and Naruto kept glancing at Sakura from the corner of his eye. She seemed…tense. When a steaming cup was placed in front of her, she smiled weakly and looked around the kitchen. After seemingly taking in the room, she fixed Sasuke with her startlingly bright eyes. “I’m sorry, Sasuke. If I scared you, I’m sorry.”

He waved a hand dismissively. “No problem. I’m going to keep my distance now, so that it doesn’t happen again.” He turned to Naruto. “What was the distance we discussed?”

“No closer than two meters.”

“Ah, yes. I’m going to try to stay away from you, and not get closer than two meters away. For the most part, I’ll be in a separate room, just in case. If I’m needed, I’ll come, but for now, I’ll be out of sight.” He smiled slightly, almost a smirk, which Naruto did not miss, but knew better than to comment on. If he had, surely, he would make a complete ass of himself. So he instead settled on glaring across the table at Sasuke, who merely smirked more clearly. The master of the house finished off his tea, and said, “I’ll be in the library, if anyone needs me.” Then, the young man took his leave.

Naruto saw Sakura almost wilt in her chair. She looked so much more relaxed now that Sasuke was not in the room that it took a lot for Naruto not to ask her what was wrong. She was intentionally not looking at him, he was sure, and it was bothering him. Her eyes remained fixed on the table top, and she sipped her tea with an expression that was completely blank. Naruto knew he was watching her openly now, but he couldn’t help it. The scar on her neck was dark, and he understood why she would want to hide it, but he didn’t agree with it at all. There seemed little he could do for her. Everyone else was taking care of that. Shizune would deal with Sakura’s health, while Ino and her father would kick around in Sakura’s head to get rid of any traces of Itachi.

Suddenly, she looked up at him and snapped, “Stop staring, baka.” When he looked away, a hurt expression on his face, she said more carefully, “I’m sorry, Naruto. But you’ve been doing that for about five minutes straight.”

He stared at her. Just like before, he really couldn’t help it. She was a completely different person, but she wasn’t. The contradiction was making his head spin, and he hoped that it didn’t show on his face. Naruto reached out a hand and touched the purplish skin on her neck. “Does it hurt?” She nodded, and he drew his hand back. “Sorry.” He looked away, and continued to sip his tea.

“It’s all right, Naruto. This is only a small pain. I’m used to much worse, now.” Her eyes moved from their accustomed spot on the table, coming to meet his as he looked at her. When he saw the lingering pain there, he had to clench his fists so that he did not grab at her and crush her to his chest. How much of Itachi was still in her head? What exactly had the bastard done to her? He still was unsure of the full extent of whatever torture he put her through, since Tsunade had not allowed him to see the reports. “So, I’m sure you know more of what’s going on than I do. What’s the plan?” Her voice jarred him out of his thoughts.

For a long moment, he merely scratched at the back of his head, then looked up at the ceiling, trying to formulate his explanation. Finally, he simply stopped trying. “I’m supposed to stay with you, and the teme’s supposed to keep away. That’s pretty much all I know.” Sakura, of course, did not seem satisfied with this answer. He held his hands up in a defensive gesture. “Hey, don’t kill me. I just work here.”

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. Clearly, she was unhappy with the fact that she wasn’t privy to information that concerned her. Naruto smiled and said, “Hey, it’s gonna be fine! Just think of this as a vacation. And…mental spring cleaning!” She raised an eyebrow at him threateningly. “Or, you could beat the crap out of me, whichever you prefer…” At that, Sakura actually smiled. That seemed to happen so rarely now that he was extremely glad that it was happening. She was strange now that she had come back, and even if she did trust him, he really had to wonder how much she did.

“I was told not to exert myself. Since when have I ever beat the crap out of you?”

He nodded. It was true that she had not ever succeeded in truly beating him up, but he thought that had more to do with the fact that he was like a cockroach in a way. He was damned hard to kill. Jiraiya and Tsunade both said that it was because he was too stubborn to die. He personally felt like it had something to do with the Kyuubi, though he knew full well that it hurt him every time he used the damned thing. Sakura’s fist connected with his shoulder, again rudely pulling him out of his thoughts. “What was that for?” He whined indignantly.

“For spacing out. So are you supposed to be my babysitter now?”

“Don’t think of it as me being a babysitter, Sakura. Look at it like we just get to spend a lot more time together, and you can work on your temper, and learn how not to pummel me.” He took her teacup from her, then set it on the table. “Come on, and we’ll get you cleaned up. You'll feel better.” She allowed him to lead her down the hallway, and back to the bedroom she had been placed in. When he sat in a chair near the bathroom door, she seemed a little confused. “What?”

“Oh. Um, nothing.” Her face was turning pink, and he saw a strange look in her eyes before she started rummaging in her duffle for something else to wear. As she did, he thought. She was blushing. He was sitting next to the door, and she had looked…confused. It took a long, long moment, but after that, the gears in his head meshed, and he realized what was going on. She had thought that he was going to watch her?ust what exactly had Itachi done to her?

Sakura walked past him into the bathroom, and shut the door, then he heard the shower running. Naruto leaned his head against the wall, and closed his eyes. His hearing was very good, as was his sense of smell, and his ears caught every sound, even with the running of the shower. The curtain being drawn aside as Sakura stepped into the shower had a grating sort of quality to it. Her feet stepping on the wet porcelain with small slapping noises reminded him of some of the better times he’d had as a child, playing in the rain puddles. But when he heard the soft sound of water drumming against skin, he wished that his ears weren’t so sharp. Almost as if he were a bat, the sounds leant themselves to shapes, and he was getting a vague mental picture of what the shower looked like. It was about three feet wide, six feet long, and there in the middle of it was Sakura.

Unlike with actual eyesight, he could not look away. The image of her assaulted his senses, aided by the soft and mellow scent of jasmine that drifted out from under the door at him. When he tried covering his ears, the sound was only muffled, and the image was still there. Naruto tried to breathe through his mouth so that he didn’t smell the petal-soft aroma of jasmine, but now he could taste it. He ground the heels of his hands into his ears, but it did no good. Sakura was singing in the shower, and the added sound only served to intensify the effect, and it was causing his body to react in a way that was totally inappropriate.

Finally, he just gave up on blocking it out. He simply sat there, in the chair, the ludicrously intense sensation of listening to the shower washing over him along with the beautiful smell of jasmine and another scent beneath that was just Sakura. His breathing began to quicken at the images in his head, and he blushed, feeling like a peeping tom. Of course, he knew better than to actually peep, because he knew that Sakura would break his arms, and legs before digging out his eyes, but this, he could not control. He also could not control the fact that he was starting to feel like the pants he was wearing were far more uncomfortable than they were a moment ago.

The water suddenly was cut off, and the image of Sakura naked in the shower left his head. He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or annoyed. Whatever the case, he had to think fast so that he didn’t end up in a very embarrassing situation when she came out of the bath. The door creaked open, and his first thought as he saw her come out was: Oh, crap. Sakura was wearing nothing but a dark blue towel. Naruto swallowed audibly, and watched as she moved to sit on the bed. He now saw that she was marked in other ways than just the scar around her neck.

Just where Sakura’s shoulder met her neck, there was a large, rather dark bruise that was surrounded by teeth marks. The young woman ran a comb through her still-wet hair, humming softly to herself. It was a tune he did not know.

--

Sakura combed her hair, feeling the water from it dripping down her back. She could sense Naruto’s eyes on her, but it was not an uncomfortable feeling. It had been different when Itachi looked at her, almost as if she were some kind of exciting new toy that he was waiting to play with. Now, with Naruto looking at her, she knew he would never look at her that way. She was his friend, and he would never think of her that way.

When she glanced over at him, she saw that he looked extremely uncomfortable. “Ne, Naruto, are you okay?” He nodded vigorously. Sakura’s eyes narrowed, and she stood and walked over to him. “No you’re not. You’re practically hyper-ventilating.” She performed a simple hand seal, and then put her hand on his chest, letting her chakra flow through him, finding every nook and cranny of him, looking for anything wrong. There were no abnormalities in his nervous system, or his skeletal system, and to her surprise, not even his digestive system (though she had always suspected him of having more than one stomach). But after a long moment, she realized what it was that was wrong with him, and her eyes widened.

Naruto was looking at her with abject fear on his face. He was totally mortified. She removed her hand from his chest and then smiled. “Naruto, calm down. It isn’t like you were peeping.” His face turned a dark crimson, and she sighed. “I’m not supposed to exert myself, so don’t make me knock some sense into you.”

“Sorry, Sakura-chan. It’s just that my hearing is very good. Probably too good.” She did not understand. What did his hearing have to do with anything? All he would have heard was the sound of the shower, and maybe her off-key rendition of a song her mother had taught her as a little girl.

“I still don’t see what you’re so upset about.” It was beyond her how anyone could be so hot and bothered by hearing a shower run. “But if you’re going to be so…jumpy, maybe I should give you a reason to be?” She said threateningly, though she was not feeling like hitting him. He shook his head vehemently at the suggestion, and she smiled. “Good. Now, I’m going to take a nap before I get dressed. Having Ino in my head really tired me out.” She pulled him out of the chair, and tossed him onto the bed before lying down next to him. He started to get out of the bed, and she huffed in a very irritated way. “Stop squirming, Naruto. I left my teddy-bear at home, and you’re the closest thing I have.” She really didn’t know what she was thinking, snuggling up to him.

He was warm, and his shoulder was the perfect pillow. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, and did not dream of anything that involved Itachi.

--

Sakura’s dream…

The early morning light shone down on the green of the field, and she watched the breeze blow the tall grass. The smell of the greenery was all around her, and she breathed it in. The dew was soaking into her clothes as she walked through the chest-high sea of green, making the light cloth cling to her. In the middle of the field, she had seen a bright yellow sunflower, and was walking to it.

After what seemed like hours, her thin white dress was completely soaked, and was clinging to her most uncomfortably, but she had finally reached the bit of yellow she had seen in the distance. It was, in fact, not a sunflower. Standing in the middle of the open space in the center of the field of grass was Naruto. He was staring at the sun, his eyes catching the light. When she entered the small clearing, he turned to look at her. “Ohayo, Sakura-chan. Welcome.”

“Where are we?” She asked, but was unable to look away from his face. He simply seemed so at peace here that she wasn’t sure it was even a dream. It seemed too beautiful to be a dream, but more like a completely different universe, where nothing bad ever happened.

“It’s your dream, Sakura. Why don’t you tell me?” He said this teasingly, and sat on the ground, unzipping his jacket as he did so. She joined him, trying to pull her dress into some more decent arrangement. She had no idea where they were, and said so. “But Sakura, you brought me here. There must be a reason.” This, she thought about for a long moment. “Is this where you come to relax?”

“I told you. I’ve never even been here. How am I supposed to know?” He didn’t seem to believe her. Flopping down onto the trampled grass with a huff, she did what she always did with Naruto. She ignored him once he got to be annoying. But her irritation only lasted so long, as she closed her eyes and breathed in the day, letting the sun soak into her.

“Sakura.” His voice was closer now. Very close. When had he moved? Opening her eyes, Sakura found that Naruto was leaning over her. Those bright blue eyes were staring down at her, making her feel safe but still a little unsettled. “Sakura, why are you doing this to me?” She looked at him, completely confused.

“Wha—“ her thought was interrupted as she was scooped up into a nearly bone-crushing embrace.

Naruto’s breath was warm on the side of her neck, and she wondered suddenly when he had become so strong, because she could not move. His voice was low, and full of fitful emotion. “I love you. You’ve known that for a long time. Why do you have to be so difficult? Why?” Sakura could feel his arms loosening, could feel him slipping away from her. “Why can’t you admit your own feelings?”

Sakura’s voice failed her. What was he talking about? Her feelings? How the hell was she supposed to know what her feelings were with an extra person knocking around in her own head? But at the moment, she was content to just stay the way she was. It didn’t matter if Itachi was in her head. He wasn’t showing his arrogant face at the moment, and Naruto was there. If this were real life, it would be pretty close to being perfect. So Sakura pulled him close again and buried her face against his neck, breathing in his scent. He smelled like grass, and honey. Why he didn’t smell like ramen, she had no clue.

“Do you love me, Sakura?”

Looking up at him, she was unsure how to answer. Sure, he was her friend, so she could say without a doubt that she loved him. But how did she love him? Did she love him the way she had tricked herself into thinking that she loved Sasuke? Could she ever think of her friend, that loud-mouthed, annoying, brash, and idiotic (but utterly adorable, loyal and incredibly sweet) boy as more than a friend? In her mind, there was only one way to find out.

Sakura reached for his face, and tilted it down to hers, and…

--
­
Naruto had been uncomfortable before, but this was the most uncomfortable he had ever been in his life. More uncomfortable than the time he’d been trussed up by Jiraiya in a dress for his ‘information gathering’, and much more uncomfortable than he had been when he’d been stuffed into a tiny chakra prison by some rogue nins in the Lightening Country. Right now, with Sakura pressed against him, in a bed, and wearing only a towel (which was quickly coming off with all of the squirming she was doing), he was painfully aware of every curve of her. He had not had the chance to calm himself, so his little problem had grown steadily over the three quarters of an hour that Sakura had been sleeping on his shoulder.

Her weight felt too comfortable against him, the soft swell of her breasts resting against his side and her lips nearly touching his neck…He pulled the pillow from under his head and covered his face with it as he made what would have been a loud groan. Sakura’s leg was now wrapped around one of his, and her lips brushed over his skin. Had she been awake, he would have been stammering while trying to ask her what she was doing. As it was, he was completely unable to make an intelligible sound. When he removed the pillow from his face, a hand replaced it, and turned his head toward Sakura.

She was still asleep when she started kissing him. After a long moment, her eyes fluttered open, but she continued to kiss him, shifting her weight so that she was lying on top of him. Was she still asleep, with her eyes open? What the hell? The last thing he wanted was for her to wake up and get the wrong idea. Somehow, he was sure that she would find a way to make it seem as if this entire thing had been his idea. It would be labeled as one of his practical jokes. But this was not a joke. It wasn’t a joke that Sakura’s lips were pressed against his, and it certainly was not a joke that her towel had come open.

When her lips pulled back from his, she looked down at him with a kind of amused satisfaction. “Does that answer your question?”

“Huh?” He said, instantly confused. Then, she looked down at him, and around them quickly, and her eyes nearly popped out of her face. “Sakura-chan, are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Naruto.” Her voice was low, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “I had a very…interesting dream.” His discomfort was growing, along with a sense of impending doom. Against his neck, she continued to speak. “You were there, Naruto. In my dream. You were asking me something.”

“What did I ask?” His voice nearly cracked, and he tried to steady himself, but it wasn’t really working.

“You asked if I love you.” Naruto couldn’t breathe, and it wasn’t because of the weight that was settled onto his chest.

“Wha-what was your answer?”

Sakura pushed herself up onto her elbows, and smiled down at him. After almost a full minute of smiling down at him, she asked, “What do you think my answer was?” He was still confused. “How about we try that again?” Naruto suddenly blinked rapidly as he found himself being kissed. For the second time in so many minutes, he was unable to breathe. That didn’t stop the wheels in his mind from turning, and it certainly didn’t stop them from arriving at a positive conclusion.

He nearly laughed out loud when he realized what she meant, which he was glad that he didn’t, because Sakura was kissing him, and that would have ended up being rather uncomfortable. When she pulled away from him, she smiled down at him again. “Satisfied, baka?” Her voice said, low and far more…sexy than he’d ever heard it.

“Well, not exactly. You see, I have a little problem…” Oh, but he was trying not to laugh. How well he succeeded would depend on her reply.

“You know damned well that isn’t what I meant, Naruto. Your erection is not my concern at the moment.” Sakura’s brows drew down in a frown, and he chuckled, unable to hold it in any longer.

“But it could be.” She seemed surprised at the suggestiveness of this statement, but took it for the joke it was. If there was going to be any actual relieving his problem, he would deal with it himself. Sakura had admitted—finally!—that she loved him, even if she hadn’t actually said so. He then remembered the fact that she was practically naked. “Anyway, Sakura, you should probably fix your towel. I mean, it isn’t every day that a girl practically jumps me in a bed and her clothes fall off, but maybe for your own comfort..?”

“Don’t start, Naruto.” She snorted, and adjusted her towel as she sat up. “It isn’t as if you haven’t already seen me practically naked, anyway.”

“That was different, Sakura. You were in pain.” He was suddenly very angry at Itachi. He wished that he could get his hands on the bastard for what he had done, whatever that had been. He sat up, and pulled her against him gently. “I won’t let anything happen to you ever again.”

--

“I can take care of myself, Naruto.” She said, trying to push herself away from him. He nodded in understanding. She could feel something in the air, a kind of burning tension that was becoming more tangible by the second as he held her loosely and as his eyes burned intently into her. Sakura could feel his hands trail up her arms, to her neck, then come to rest on her face. Those calloused hands held her there as his face inched closer to hers. The tension in the air was as thick as honey and seemed to be slowing his movement. There was almost a tingle over her skin as she waited for what seemed to be forever.

Every bit of burning in the air disappeared when Naruto’s slightly parted lips came into contact with hers, pressing gently yet insistently. Sakura soon found where all of that tension had gone, though, when Naruto’s hands moved, carefully pulling her closer, one finally coming to rest on her outer thigh. His other hand had found its way into her hair and was pulling her closer as she began wishing for air, but then found that she didn’t care, since his tongue was slipping past her lips, deepening the already passionate kiss.

In the back of her mind, she started to hear a low, rumbling laugh, followed by her inner voice, which piped up rather indignantly, (Leave her alone, usuratonkachi. She hates you.)

Following this outburst from her more forceful personality, a voice like honey wrapped in silk sounded in her head. //“She’s mine. And she’s letting him touch her. That will only result in pain.”// But Itachi’s voice was only making impotent threats at the moment, and Sakura knew that. Her mind was focused on Naruto, and how it felt to be here with him. Then she realized that his hand had moved from her thigh to her hip, under the towel. //“Mine. He’s touching what’s mine! He’ll take what’s mine…I can’t allow that.”//

(Shut up, Itachi. You are powerless. You are residue. There is nothing that you can do to stop her from loving whoever she wants. Drives you nuts, doesn’t it?) Then, somewhere in her head, there was a short struggle, after which Itachi’s voice was heard again.

//“You know, I think I can do something after all.”//

Suddenly, Sakura felt as if she had been set ablaze. Her breathing was ragged, and her eyelids wanted to slide shut. She felt like a puppet. Sakura felt her hands opening Naruto’s jacket, sliding it off of him, and then doing the same to the shirt he wore. His eyes had gone as wide as they could go, and she laughed at him. “Naruto,” she breathed, her fingers playing along well-defined stomach muscles, but did not finish.

//“Sakura, you are mine. My weapon, my toy, my lover. I thought you learned this already. If you want pleasure, you will have it, even if it is with this…idiot. But for that, he will die, just like Sasuke.”//

(No he won’t. You have no power.)

“She has to sleep some time.” And then he was gone, vanished back into the furthest recesses of her mind.

Sakura was only vaguely aware of this internal conversation. She was more concerned with the fact that her body, though no longer being controlled by a foreign entity, was still doing what it had been. Sakura was still slowly removing Naruto’s clothes. “Sakura?” He said weakly, obviously trying very hard to control himself. “What are you doing?”

Too far gone to care, Sakura smiled and said, “Taking care of your problem.” Then, she felt Naruto’s hands again, but they where not encouraging. On the contrary, they stilled her own hands, as they were in the process of unbuttoning his pants.

“Sakura, stop. This is not right. Something happened just now, didn’t it?”

She glared at him, now in complete control of herself, and said, “So what if it did? So what if Itachi was making me do this? There’s a part of me that wants to, as well.”

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself. “Sakura, part of you isn’t enough. I love you, and I want to be with you, but I don’t want that to happen until every last bit of you wants me in the same way that I do you.” Sakura was confused. She was going to have a difficult time of things in a real relationship, it seemed. Her confusion only lasted a moment, until her medic training came back to her, and she realized the situation. It didn’t take a diagnostic jutsu to know that he wanted her. The proof was in the way he looked at her, and the way his hands seemed to tremble as he held her fast, not to mention the undeniable bulge that was even now still there.

Though she could sympathize, her feelings toward him were far too new to entertain the notion of wanting him that completely. He gently lifted her from where she had been straddling his hips, and placed her in a seated position on the bed. After gathering up his clothes, he got up from the bed and started toward the bathroom. “I have to douse myself in cold water now. Be out in a minute.”

As soon as the door closed behind him, Sakura could hear and see Itachi again. //“Sakura, why did you stop? Were you trying to save him? It won’t work. He’s going to die, just like my brother. And it will be beautiful when he does.”//

“I’m not going to kill him, Itachi.”

//“But you don’t need to, my little one. I’ll do it for you. Just like before that idiot stopped you a moment ago.”//

“You mean to tell me that it was you doing those things to Naruto, and not me?” The Uchiha walked over to the bed and sat down next to her, his hand reaching out to touch her face. He moved faster than she could see, and had ripped off her towel before throwing her down onto the bed. All she could do was lay there as he plied her body with sensations she did not want from him. Then, he was gone from the room, but the feelings of pleasure still echoed in her body, bouncing from nerve to nerve and back again. She wanted him out of her head. Especially when she rose from the bed and walked into the bathroom. Most especially when her hand reached for the shower curtain and pulled it aside.

//“He’s going to die, Sakura. He’ll die soon. Let him die happy.”//

Time: 3 years after Sasuke's departure, six months after Gaara's retrieval mission

Place: Uchiha residence



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Dog Days
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Last time...

“You mean to tell me that it was you doing those things to Naruto, and not me?” The Uchiha walked over to the bed and sat down next to her, his hand reaching out to touch her face. He moved faster than she could see, and had ripped off her towel before throwing her down onto the bed. All she could do was lay there as he plied her body with sensations she did not want from him. Then, he was gone from the room, but the feelings of pleasure still echoed in her body, bouncing from nerve to nerve and back again. She wanted him out of her head. Especially when she rose from the bed and walked into the bathroom. Most especially when her hand reached for the shower curtain and pulled it aside.

“He’s going to die, Sakura. He’ll die soon. Let him die happy.”


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Chapter 7: Betrayed

Sasuke looked out of the window, wondering why he did the things he did. Sure, he was still going through something of an identity crisis, but it was utterly ridiculous what he had allowed himself to do today. He could still remember the look in Naruto’s eyes when Sasuke had looked him in the face and lied. He lied. Sasuke had lied to his best friend, and it was making him feel like complete and utter shit.

They had been sitting there, at the table in his kitchen, sipping tea like civilized people, not the idiot and the arrogant ass that they were. Naruto had asked him, with all of the seriousness that he could muster, one of the most important questions a person could ask. And he lied. What would have happened if he had told the truth? Probably nothing. Naruto would have seemed disappointed, of course, but he wouldn’t have given up. It just went against the over-active boy’s nature to do so.

“Do you love her?” “Not that way, dobe. Never in that way…” Sasuke threw his head back and laughed at himself. The irony of his situation was rather amusing, once he took a step away from it to see it objectively. Did he love her? Yes, he did. But, that was beside the point. She didn’t seem to love him anymore, if she ever really had. In fact, her feelings seemed to have transferred to Naruto. He bore his friend no ill will in the matter, but it didn’t lessen the pain he was feeling at the moment. He had come to the realization that he had not really become that much stronger when he was with Orochimaru. The “snake-bastard”, as Naruto liked to call him, had taught him techniques, but real strength doesn’t come from that. Sasuke laughed again at his all-too-late realizations. Sakura, and his need to protect her, was what gave him strength. Now that he sat alone in a room filled with nothing but musty books and dusty carpet, he was slapped hard in the face by his situation. He was completely, utterly, disgustingly in love, and he had no ability to deal with it, because it might set her off. Sasuke couldn’t even be near her.
Feeling restless, he stood up and began to pace, eyes on the floor. All he wanted was to be happy, and to have those around him be happy, too. He didn’t even need to be a shinobi anymore. That part of his life seemed more simple habit than anything else. Of course, he wouldn’t stop his work. He’d even help track down Orochimaru and the rest of his bastard henchmen if necessary. But when he thought of how his life would once again center around strife and blood, he stopped dead in his tracks. Did he want that for himself? Did he really, truly want to go back to the warpath?

His old mission in life, being the cause of Itachi’s untimely demise, was finished. Sasuke looked around him, at his father’s library. He needed a new mission. It might take his mind off of what he had done to himself. If he could find something to occupy his mind, to help him through the days, he could possibly ignore the fact that he was killing himself slowly, just by being away from the one person who had made him stronger than anything else.

Oh, he made a good show when he had talked to Naruto. Sasuke had even been able to keep the pain from his face when he saw Sakura walk into the room, and when he announced that he would be in the library. He was supposed to stay away. If this was how it felt after a mere hour, then how would the rest of his life be? Yes, he most certainly needed a new mission in life.

His eyes searched his surroundings almost desperately, scouring the place for something, anything that could serve as an anchoring point. Finally, Sasuke walked to a very dusty bookcase, and opened the glass front. The hinges creaked from lack of use. He pulled out a yellowed scroll, and unfurled it carefully. It was the last listing of the ranks of the Konohagakure Police Department that his father had ever written. One hundred members, fifty-three trainees. All dead. Sasuke shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head.

There wasn’t really a police force anymore. The shinobi just watched out for everyone, and the ANBU were overworked, because of the recent rise in murders that needed investigation along with their usual mission requirements. That in and of itself was a problem. Sasuke smiled. He had just found his mission.


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Naruto’s face was still slightly pink from having Sakura practically jump him, and he held it under the cold water, letting it rush over his closed eyes and mouth, and into his ears, finally dulling his hearing. The water was why he did not hear the shower curtain opening, then slide closed again. It was also why he was distracted enough not to realize what was happening as the water suddenly began to get warmer. Confused, Naruto looked down. A pale and slender arm was withdrawing to its source behind him.

Praying that he was seeing things, he looked over his shoulder. When he did, he saw exactly what he had thought he would. Sakura was standing behind him, stark naked. Oh, please. Make this a dream. Please. I can’t handle this…Indeed he couldn’t…because Sakura wasn’t just standing still behind him. She pushed him back under the spray of the showerhead, and joined him, her body pressed against him. “Sakura-chan…w-what are you doing?”

In a low, almost masculine voice, she said, “Letting you die happy.”

This cryptic remark was left unexplained as she pushed him against the wall and used the faucet as a step before wrapping her legs around his waist. “Sakura, please. Don’t—“ He barely got those words out when she shut him up by kissing him roughly. This couldn’t possibly be Sakura. It couldn’t be. Was it some kind of demon masquerading in her skin? That was the only conclusion he could come up with. He tried to push her off of him, but found his arms clamped to his sides, and they would not budge, as hard as he tried. Sakura’s strength more than lived up to that of her teacher. Sakura began to attack his throat, using her teeth more than he would have expected. Not that he was complaining. Naruto was, after all, a hormonal fifteen-year-old boy, and he wasn’t about to complain about a wet and naked girl nipping at the extremely sensitive areas of his neck.

His breathing sped up as she began moving against him, causing him to make a strange half-growl, half-whimper at the shockwaves that raced through him. “Sakura…please…” He wasn’t sure what he was going to ask, but he knew it was urgent, whatever it was.

In that same low voice, Sakura breathed next to his ear, “Please what? Stop? Continue?” This question was accompanied by a sharp tightening of her legs, and another exceedingly pleasant sensation that made his entire body shake. Was it just his imagination, or was she chuckling? That thought was shoved off to one side, and he concentrated on how it felt to have Sakura against him. It felt wonderful, and he let the feeling wash over him. Then, she repeated the question. “Should I stop, Naruto?”

“Hn…No. D-don’t stop, please.” It took a moment for him to realize what he had said, but by then it was far too late.

Her quiet laughter seemed more of a threat than any indication of mirth. “Mm. That’s good.” She let go of his arms, but only so that she could use her hands for other things. Naruto could feel them sliding over his skin, warm and small, and his eyes began to close. Then, he felt a sharp pain on the side of his neck, just where it met his shoulder. He gasped, and his eyes flew open to see Sakura smirking at him. “Tsk, tsk, Naruto. I want your eyes open. I want you to look at me when we do this.” Her eyes seemed to be a very dark shade of green, and they were not a little frightening just then. But any thought of fear was quickly discarded when she demonstrated all that her hands and mouth could do.

Suddenly, Sakura’s weight shifted, and Naruto’s breath caught. He was…he could feel…Sakura had moved slightly upward, and had positioned herself in exactly the right place so that all she had to do was allow her weight to drop, and Naruto would be inside her.

“Naruto,” Her voice said next to his ear, “I want you.” Sakura’s voice was now a low growl, and only made him more aware of the position they were in. Finally, the straw that broke the camel’s back… “Take me, Naruto…Now.” That last was said in a commanding sort of tone that he had never heard come from her. When he did not respond, she simply relaxed the hold her legs had on his waist, and he could not even protest as he found himself doing as she wanted, even without his permission.


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Sasuke was walking past Sakura’s room to his when he heard it. Coming from behind the door were moans, loud and long, and then he heard Sakura scream Naruto’s name. His eyes shut tightly. Sasuke clenched his fists, and walked past the door, to his room, to get a sheet of paper and a pen, just as he had been intending. He could hear Sakura’s voice better in his room, which meant that the two of them were in the bathroom. In the shower, he thought absently. The images that conjured were less than welcome.

Then, suddenly, all was quiet. Sasuke shrugged. Then, he heard something that made his eyes turn the red of the Sharingan. There was a thumping, along with a muffled kind of groaning sound that reminded him of a gagged prisoner screaming for help. He dropped the pen and paper, and ran for Sakura’s room. Throwing the door open, he could feel a cold wave of fear as he heard a very familiar laugh. He was completely unarmed. That was easily fixed. Sasuke reached the nearest closet, and opened the door silently. Inside, he knew, was a stash of weapons, including smoke bombs, kunai, and a wakizashi. He took the short sword and a kunai, holding the one in his hands, and the other in his teeth.

The bathroom door was ajar, steam pouring out of it, and all he could hear now was the shower. Approaching the room cautiously, he peeked into the doorway. Before he could react, he heard Sakura say in a voice that wasn’t all hers, “Come in, Sasuke-kun. You can join us.” He positioned himself in the doorway, holding the wakizashi out with one hand, and taking the kunai in the other.

“Leave him be.” Sasuke said, his eyes flicking from her face to a bloody Naruto on the floor, and finally to her arm, which was slick with Naruto’s blood, up to her elbow.

“And what are you going to do? Are you going to kill me, Sasuke? No, I don’t think you will.” Sakura had begun walking toward him, her eyes locked on his face. Soon, she was standing only two centimeters from the tip of his blade. The gleaming metal was within a finger’s width of slicing open her chest. “If you’re going to hurt me, you’d better do it now. But I know you won’t. Because it would be hurting her.”

Sasuke could feel Naruto’s chakra, still alive, but waning. He had to resolve this quickly. “Get out of her head, asshole.”

A smirk set itself delicately onto Sakura’s features. “Oh, but I like it in here, brother. She’s so…innocent.” Green eyes glanced down at Naruto. “Well…not that innocent. Not anymore.” Her hand reached out, and took the kunai, placing it at her throat. “Move.” Sasuke did not budge. “Move, or I kill her.”

“But you’ll die, too.”

That made Sakura’s lips curl into a very unpleasant smile. “Yes, that is true. But I would have the absolute pleasure of seeing your face twisted in grief, one more time. I could see it when everything is taken away from you. Again.” Sasuke felt the struggle inside himself. He could simply move, and allow his brother (albeit inside Sakura’s head) to get away again, or, he could stay put, and watch Sakura die. He moved. “Thanks, chibi.” Sasuke turned to see Sakura grab her clothes, and disappear in a cloud of smoke.

“Fuck!” He yelled hoarsely, dropping his weapon and running over to where Naruto lay. The boy’s chest had a gaping hole in it, as if someone had put their hand through it. He knew for a fact that was exactly what Sakura had done. Or, what Itachi had done…it was all too much for him right now. Shaking it off, he concentrated on Naruto. Sasuke took a deep breath and employed the tiny bit of medical knowledge he had in a jutsu to stop the blood from flowing outward. He then scooped up the blonde’s body, and brought it out into the bedroom. Gently wrapping him in the bed sheet, Sasuke held Naruto to his chest and made the trip to Konoha hospital in one teleportation jutsu. “Medic!” He screamed so hoarsely that it barely made any sound. His jutsu was starting to fail, and the blood began to flow once again as he kicked his way through the doors into the emergency room.

Three medics ran forward, taking Naruto from him, and another began asking him questions. “Who did this?”

At first, when he didn’t answer, the man eyed him suspiciously. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Haruno Sakura.”

“How long ago?” The man asked after a slight start.

“No more than five minutes.” Sasuke said numbly. He felt his knees give out, and his rump bounced slightly as he hit the floor. Naruto was dying. He could tell. He knew it while he had been holding him. Everything was slipping away from him again. He felt like he was falling, like in the dream he’d always had as a little boy. Falling forever, never really hitting bottom. Well, he could see the bottom now. It was rising fast.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up. Why was Tsunade there? She grasped his shirt collar, and hauled him onto his feet. “Suck it up, Uchiha.” Her words, though rough, seemed to help him clear his head. “I take it that you failed in the first mission I gave you?” He simply nodded. There was no sense in denying that. “Well, tell me what happened.” He did. “Damn it. You are to stay here. Keep watch over Naruto. She may come back to finish the job.”

He nodded again. “Hai, Hokage-sama. But what about finding her?”

A wry smile crossed her features. “She won’t be found unless she wants to be. With the combined knowledge she and Itachi have, I don’t think that any of us will be able to contain her, let alone take her out.” Sasuke started. Tsunade looked him in the eyes, devoid of emotion. “Sakura is now a missing-nin, Sasuke. There is nothing we can do about that. As of now, I’m going to be sending the hunters after her.” Sasuke clenched his jaw. There didn’t seem to be another way. Itachi was in control of her body, and perhaps even her mind. What was she capable of now that he had taken over? Did he have access to her medical jutsu knowledge? All of the questions that swirled around his head started to make him dizzy. He swayed on his feet, then steadied himself.

He was not going to be able to do anything. Or was it that they wouldn’t allow him to? To hell with it all. Sasuke thought this to himself. If it really was Itachi in her head, Sakura would come back. She would come back, and she would try to kill him. Until that happened, he would wait. He could bide his time. Sasuke would not betray the trust that Sakura used to have in him, and he certainly wasn’t going to abandon Naruto. He drew himself up to his full height, and looked down at the blonde woman staring at him.

“Hokage-sama, I will submit to whatever judgment you render. Please, I will watch over him, but I need my weapons.” She nodded, and gestured to one of the medics, giving orders that Sasuke was to be given weapons and stationed at the door of the operating room, then at Naruto’s bedside as he recovered. She also left orders that Naruto would not, under any circumstances, be allowed to die. That was definitely something that only she would say.


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Naruto heard a rasping sound. It seemed to be that whenever he would breathe, he heard it. He opened his eyes to see the white of a hospital-room ceiling. He groaned. That color was far too familiar for his liking. “Oi, dobe.” Sasuke. He turned toward the voice, and saw his friend. The boy looked like he hadn’t slept in days. “Have a nice nap?” The Uchiha asked. Naruto didn’t have the energy to laugh.

He suddenly remembered what had happened. “Where is she?”

Sasuke shook his head. “We don’t know. All we know is that Itachi took over her mind, and now she’s gone.” Naruto looked back up at the ceiling.

“Hunters?” he asked in a dull voice.

“Hai.” Sasuke said, in a voice just as devoid of life. Naruto looked at him. On Sasuke’s face, he actually saw pain. The realization of what had caused that pain hit him like a ton of bricks.

“You lied to me.” He said, and Sasuke looked away from him. “Why?”

“Because I thought she would be better off with you.” He seemed to be honest, and Naruto still couldn’t believe him. If Sasuke did love her, then why had he honestly thought that Naruto would be better for her? As it was, he wasn’t altogether sure she actually loved either of them.

Neither of them looked at the other, for a very long time. “How long have I been out?”

“Four days.” Sasuke said, and Naruto sighed. He looked down at himself, and noticed that there was a small tube coming out of his chest. Naruto’s eyes grew wide, and looked to Sasuke for an explanation. “You developed an infection yesterday. It’s a tube for delivery of your antibiotics. Don’t touch it.”

“Yes, mother.” Naruto snapped. He was more than irritable. He was irate. More at himself than anyone else, though Sasuke came in a close second. It wasn’t fair to blame anyone. None of them knew that this would happen, because nothing like this had ever happened before. Now, there was a mass-murderer with a really cute face running around. And Naruto had nearly become one of the bastard’s victims, as well. “So what do we do now?” He asked as he sat up just enough to lessen the raspy quality of his breathing. Sasuke looked down at him, a very faint smile on his face.

“Up for a challenge once you get out of here?”

Naruto looked at him suspiciously. “What do you mean?”


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A/N: Okay. So it was uber-short. Hey, the next chapter (which I have written, and is in editing) will be mega-long, so I suppose we'll all just have to get over it. Oh, and I HATE Sakura now. She's weak minded.

Time: 6 years after Sakura's kidnapping

Place: Konoha Police Department Headquarters, Uchiha Compound


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Dog Days
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Last time...

“Yes, mother.” Naruto snapped. He was more than irritable. He was irate. More at himself than anyone else, though Sasuke came in a close second. It wasn’t fair to blame anyone. None of them knew that this would happen, because nothing like this had ever happened before. Now, there was a mass-murderer with a really cute face running around. And Naruto had nearly become one of the bastard’s victims, as well. “So what do we do now?” He asked as he sat up just enough to lessen the raspy quality of his breathing. Sasuke looked down at him, a very faint smile on his face.

“Up for a challenge once you get out of here?”

Naruto looked at him suspiciously. “What do you mean?”


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Chapter 8: Homecoming

Weary blue eyes looked out of the window. They saw trees that were swaying in the wind. For a day when they said it wouldn’t rain, it certainly looked as if a storm was brewing. The sky was beginning to cloud over, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that the wind was just the forerunner of the rain. “Good thing I’m not a genius…” Naruto grunted, then snorted a laugh at his nonsensical thoughts before he looked back at the piles of papers on the desk. Heaving what had to be the hundredth sigh of the morning, he bent over the papers. That didn’t mean he was at all ready to start working. On this day, every year, his concentration seemed to leave a lot to be desired. “Six years…”

For six years, he had been in this job. For six years, he and his best friend had been working like dogs, recruiting, training, weeding out undesirables…all to achieve what they now had. Konoha had a police force again. Somewhere in the midst of all that, he managed to resign from ANBU, pass both the Chuunin and Jounin exams, and gain an unprecedented amount of respect from the villagers. No one called him the “Kyuubi brat” anymore. No, they called him one of two things. They called him “Uzumaki-taicho”, or they called him—

“Uzumaki-san!” The door to his office burst open, revealing an equally tired young man, who seemed more frazzled than usual. Konohamaru’s dark eyes were blood-shot, indicating that he had still not been to bed since his night shift. The nineteen-year-old had been one of their first recruits, becoming a valuable asset to the department. He was one of Naruto’s most trusted officers, and was quickly rising in the ranks. The only problem was, he seemed to be on edge all of the time. Naruto took in the fact that his ever-present spiked ponytail was coming out, and that his clothes looked as if they were caked in soot. “There’s trouble, Uzumaki-san! At the Hokage’s Tower!”

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto stood slowly. Reaching behind him, he found the leather strap of his weapons belt, which hung on a peg behind his chair. “What’s the problem?”

“He’s back!” Konohamaru’s fists clenched open and shut several times, and he squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, his voice came out as little more than a terrified whisper, “Orochimaru is back, Uzumaki-san…and he has her with him.” Naruto’s eyes widened. What was she doing with that snake-bastard? Was it even her anymore? Did he care? He couldn’t answer any of those questions if he just kept standing there in the middle of his office holding his weapons belt. He realized that his jaw was clenched when it began to hurt. Loosening it, he began to speak.

“I want six squads down to the Hokage Tower as soon as possible, Konohamaru. Two should be sent to the Academy to help Iruka and the other instructors evacuate the students to the tunnels at the Hokage Monument.” The young man nodded, taking in each order solemnly. It was quite amazing how he had matured in six short years. Then again, there had been certain events that had sobered them all. He continued, “The rest, I want on the walls and rooftops. Make sure the wall squads have at least one summoner each. Where the hell is Sasuke?” He asked this as he finished straightening the long cloth that hung from his belt, red like his shirt. Konohamaru answered him as he looked down at the thing, still thinking it oddly resembled a shirt-tail. The white diamond-shaped markings that lined the bottom edge of the fabric ending at his knees seemed to glare up at him, marking him as Commander, but pointing out all of his failings at the same time.

“He’s already there, as are Udon, Moegi, and…and his wife is there, too.” At this, Naruto’s head snapped up, eyes wide.

The blonde Commander’s eyes narrowed as quickly as they had widened. “Is she insane?” He had originally thought to leave them, but now that he’d been given the news that Hinata was there, he pressed the switch on the floor, and caught his kodaichi as they shot up from the floor. “What do I have to do to make her understand that pregnant officers are not allowed on active duty?” Sheathing the short swords in the built-in holsters on the back of his Jounin vest, he stalked to the door. Then, he looked back at the young lieutenant. “Move your ass, boy, before I bust you down to sergeant again!” Konohamaru was off like a shot, and Naruto shook his head before he performed the necessary hand seals for the teleportation jutsu, leaving nothing but a faint wisp of red smoke behind in the doorway.


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Sasuke blinked at the two figures standing above him, looking down from the roof and smiling. Moegi was muttering something on the other side of him, while Udon was silent, and only seemed not to care that they were staring at the two most dangerous fugitives Konoha had to worry about. Underneath that half-asleep exterior, he was formulating a complex strategy second only to one Shikamaru would develop. “Keep it together you two. We have to make sure they don’t leave the area, that’s all. Konohamaru must have gotten to Naruto by now, so we should expect—“

Red smoke erupted from out of nowhere, lightening-like chakra of the same color forking from within the cloud, and a low growling filled the street, echoing off of the buildings around them. The wind kicked up, dissipating the evidence of Naruto’s arrival, leaving only the growling police commander where it had been. Sasuke had to smile. The man always did know how to make an entrance. He raised an eyebrow and finished his previous sentence, “—backup.”

Moegi cracked her knuckles. Udon tensed. Naruto’s eyes were locked on the smaller of the two figures that Sasuke had been wondering at. The blue-eyed man said in a tone that was far too quiet, “You three stay out of this.”

Sasuke had been afraid of this. “Naruto, you can’t handle her on your own. It’s not just her in there anymore. You’re dealing with two extremely powerful ninja in one body. It will take all of us to do the job.” He felt a hand on his shoulder, a familiar weight, and his eyes closed for an instant. “I thought I told you to leave the area, Hinata.”

“I am fine. The baby is fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m just here to see my sister avenged.” Hinata’s now-steady voice came from behind him. His hand came to rest atop hers. Really, he understood her feelings, but he knew as well as she did that if Hanabi couldn’t handle the fight, neither could Hinata.

Turning his face slightly, and with a smile, he spoke in a tone that held some measure of tenderness, even now. “As your Commander, and as your husband, Hinata, I ask that you only enter the fight if it is absolutely necessary. The clan needs you, the department needs, you, and I need you. So please, just try to stay safe.”

He could still remember the first time he had looked at her and seen the woman behind the shinobi. It had been, oddly enough, on a very dangerous mission about three years earlier.


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Neither one dared to breathe more than short, shallow, silent pants. The enemy was too close. Pressed against one another in the hollow of a tree, they waited for the convoy to pass. The pounding of feet, the rustle of oxen yokes, and the creaking of carts rang through the forest as the enemy nins made their way down the dusty trail. For a secret weapons convoy, they weren’t making much of an effort to stay quiet. Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes at his own thoughts. It wasn’t as if they needed to be quiet. There were twenty Grass nins, Chuunin rank and above, all surrounding the wagons.

The convoy was moving very close to Konoha. The ANBU needed help, so of course he volunteered his services. Naruto suggested that he take one of the new lieutenants with him. The only one that didn’t have a shift that day was Hyuuga Hinata. Seeing that she had improved greatly since he last saw her fight, he all but ordered her to join him in the surveillance of the twelve-wagon train of highly explosive weaponry. Of course, they had been the ones to spot the wagons, but only by chance. He hadn’t even had time to radio the ANBU in the area, the wagons were upon them so quickly.

So here they were, chakra masked, shoved into a hollow tree that smelled of something dead and rotting, squeezed so close together that he could feel her breath on his neck. Sasuke could also smell the lavender-scented shampoo she used, and the slight tang of sweat that mingled with it. What color was her hair, anyway? Most times, it looked black, but under certain light, like that of the moon filtering in through the hole in the top of the dead tree, it had a bluish tint. Now, he really wanted to roll his eyes. He needed to concentrate on the mission, not start spacing out.

The sound of the convoy began to fade, but he hadn’t noticed. He had for a moment confused the pounding of his heart with the sound of the oxen’s feet. “Uchiha-san,” Hinata whispered, “They’re gone.”

Sasuke looked down at her now. He had fixed his eyes on the hole above them, trying to get a glimpse of the moon. Anything to keep himself occupied, and attempt to make himself think of anything but her. Why was this happening now, of all times? Her eyes looked like they could glow in the dark. She looked up at him curiously. “Commander? Sir?” Her voice was still just as quiet, but it rang loud in his ears. He suddenly had the wish to hear his given name fall from her lips. He didn’t want her to call him by any title. But he had to make himself forget that. For the time being.

“Hai, Hyuuga-san. Let’s get out of here, and I’ll notify the ANBU of the convoy’s position.” They wiggled out of the tree, and he pressed the button at his neck. “Team six reporting. Convoy spotted, heading southeast, five kilometers south of the South Gates. Out.”

A bored voice crackled over the radio. Kakashi. “Roger. Thanks for the help. Tail them for a bit, make sure they’re not changing course. Team one intercept in five minutes.” In rapid succession, the other team leaders radioed their intercept times.

“Team two, intercept, three minutes.”

“Team four, intercept, six minutes.”

“Team three, five minutes.”

“Team five, intercept, seven minutes.”

Hinata activated her Byakagun, staring after the convoy. In a low tone, she said, “They don’t seem to be changing course, Commander.” He nodded, staring at her as she watched the convoy through the trees. “Is something wrong, Commander?” Internally, he cursed himself. He had, for some reason he could not fathom, forgotten the fact that when she used her bloodline jutsu, she could see everything. Even behind her.

“No, Hyuuga-san.”

She turned to him, and said, “Then why are you looking at me like that?” Cocking an eyebrow at him, and looking far too much like Neji for his taste, she said, “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were admiring my hair.” Sasuke could not help but start. That was exactly what he had been doing. Well, he told himself that he was examining it, trying to figure out the color, and the intricate way she braided it, the way those loose bits in front framed her face just so…Damn it.

Before he could answer her playful question, the first team arrived, followed shortly by the others, two of which were ahead of schedule. Kakashi said in his usual bored tone, “If you could give us a copy of your report, it would be greatly appreciated, Sasuke.”

Shaking the man’s hand, he said, “No problem. First thing in the morning, I’ll get on it. Right now, I need some sleep.” He and Hinata made their way back to the South Gates, leaving the capture to the ANBU. Neither of them spoke, but there was a kind of tension there that had not existed before.


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Naruto listened to Sasuke order Hinata away from the fight, and her formal protest. He huffed gently. “Lieutenant, both of your Commanders are telling you not to fight. Do I need to get the Hokage involved, too?”

“No need.” Both Commanders, as well as Hinata, Moegi, and Udon turned to see the Godaime, who was followed closely by Jiraiya, and eight very familiar Jounin.

Ino’s eyes were glued to the rooftop, as were Lee’s. Tenten looked tense, and she put a hand on Neji’s arm to restrain him when he saw the intruders. Shikamaru walked past the other Jounin to stand next to Udon, his protégé. Kiba, Akamaru and Shino simply gawked. Chouji was noisily munching chips, powering up for a fight.

A pink and black blur fell swiftly from the roof, landing in a crouch in front of Naruto. Soon, he got a better view of the woman Sakura had become. She wore clothes much like those she had when they found her on top of the mountain with Itachi. Her hair, long once again, was pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck. The smirk on her lips did not suit her. “Well,” she said slowly, “I see the gang’s all here.” Then, she turned her eyes to Naruto. Strangely, he thought that he could see nothing of her left. “And how are you, Naruto? I see you’ve grown.”

He nearly lunged at her. It was quite close, really. His hands were filled with his kodaichi before he even realized what he was doing, Yume in his left hand, and Shi in the other. If Tsunade had not stepped in front of him, he would have shown her how much he had grown. “Naruto.” He froze.

“Hai, Hokage-sama?” His restraint was being tested in the extreme. What was the woman doing?

“I want her alive, if possible.” With that, Tsunade and Jiraiya moved to the rooftop, where Orochimaru still stood smirking. That would be a battle of epic proportions. But, at the moment, there was a conflict of no lesser scale brewing on the ground, as Konoha’s forces duked it out with hundreds of Mist, Cloud, and Sound nin.

Sasuke spoke behind him. “Udon? Captain Nara?”

Both men intoned, “Chances of success are fifty percent.”

Naruto could all but hear his dark-haired best friend shrug. “Good enough for me.” With that, their battle began. Naruto lunged forward, aiming a swipe with Yume at Sakura’s head, which he knew she would dodge. She did not disappoint, and he found himself evading her blows.

As she attempted to kick his head, he caught her foot, and shoved her away. She smiled. “We’ve missed you.” That made him stop for a moment. We? Did that mean that Sakura was still in there somewhere? In that short instant, Sakura threw a needle, and he felt a stab of pain in his neck and then cursed internally as he crumpled to the ground. A loud growling in the back of his mind told him that Kyuubi was not happy with the situation, but it also assured him that it was not releasing any poison into his body. He would have breathed a sigh of relief, but he couldn’t breathe at all. He could feel himself being dragged, and soon found Ino staring down at him with a sarcastic smile.

“You know, I don’t think you’ve got your head in the right place.” Ino’s voice was less than amused. “I’m not sure that I want to be working with you if you keep getting your ass handed to you, Sir.” Her fingers gingerly gripped the needle and yanked it out. He sat up instantly, coughing and sputtering. “Now, I think you should sit for a minute and let us do the fighting. What do you think?”

Nodding wordlessly, he remained where he was, watching the rest of them fight. Sakura seemed to be attacking people just to piss them off, saying things that she shouldn’t.

“Sasuke, I must thank you for the training partners you’ve sent me. They were fun. None of them are as good as you and Naruto, though. Especially the last one.” Naruto nearly choked as she said this. Sasuke ran at her, Sharingan swirling madly.

Every so often, the Elders or the Hokage would ask for a volunteer from the ANBU, or the Konoha Police Department, to go in search of Sakura. The would find her, then that ninja’s body would be found at the Memorial Stone. The latest of them was Hyuuga Hanabi. Recently promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Police Department, the young woman was making her father proud. For all of Hiashi’s cool demeanor, the man had wept openly when Naruto personally notified him of his daughter’s death. She was the fifteenth of Konoha’s shinobi to die by Sakura’s hand.

Sasuke, upon marrying Hinata less than a year before Hanabi’s death, had taken the entire Hyuuga clan as his family. They were his aunts, uncles, brothers, cousins…and Hanabi had been his sister. The Uchiha was more Hyuuga now than Uchiha. In Naruto’s opinion, it might have been a good change for him. But, he had to wonder as he watched the two shinobi battle desperately. Sakura was moving with a speed he had only ever seen Itachi use, which had him worried.

Sakura parried an attack that Sasuke made, her kunai flashing to meet his. The hilts of their weapons locked, and for a long moment, they were still, struggling against one another. Then, inexplicably, Sasuke backed off. For a moment, Naruto was confused. It seemed as if something was wrong. Then he saw it. A dark, thin line ran from Shikamaru all the way to Sakura. It was a good thing that the clouds had blown away in the high wind…

“Nara Shikamaru. I should have known.” Sakura said in a bored tone. “You still a one-trick pony?” Her mocking tone was having no effect on the shadow manipulating Jounin. He only smiled lazily and stuck out his tongue.

Naruto stood shakily, and picked up his kodaichi. Sheathing them at his back, he walked over to where she stood. Turning briefly to Shikamaru, he croaked, “I apologize.” When the man winced in recognition, Naruto smiled. He placed Shi’s blade at Sakura’s throat.

“What are you going to do, Naruto? Are you going to kill me?” Her eyes danced as she looked up at him. He didn’t know who was talking to him. Was it Sakura, or Itachi? “Oh, you don’t want to do that.”

“Why?” His voice was a strangled whisper. “Hokage says ‘if possible.’ No one here will blame me for slitting your throat right now.” He wanted to. Naruto had never wanted anything so much in all his life. It would kill Sakura, but it would also kill Itachi. Maybe it would allow him some peace to know that the bastard couldn’t torture Sakura’s mind any more. Maybe.

Her lips curled into an unpleasant smile. “Because, Naruto. If you kill me, you’ll never see your son.” His grip on Shi’s hilt faltered, and a small dribble of blood flowed down Sakura’s chest.

“You lie,” He breathed, trying to deny that any such thing could be true.

He felt a hand on his arm, pulling him away from her. When Naruto turned his bewildered blue eyes toward this person, he found himself looking Sasuke in the face. “Naruto, you know what we have to do.” Sasuke’s hands formed a summoning seal, and a leather bag appeared in his hand. He put it in Naruto’s hands. “You know what you have to do.” The man stepped away.

The familiar weight of the bag felt like lead. Before he put his hand in the bag, he asked the person who had apparently mothered his child, “Is there anything of her left in there?”

Her expression became pensive. “Oh, she’s in here…somewhere. She and that damnable second personality of hers. It was hell subduing the both of them. But now, I’ve got full control. I hardly even know they’re in here.” It was just as he had feared. Well, then it made him feel a lot better about what he was about to do. Naruto’s hand went into the bag, and pulled out a mass of silver chain.

“I believe you know how this works, Itachi.” He placed the collar around the woman’s neck, fastening it securely before putting the cuff around his wrist. “If you try to remove the collar, I’ll hurt you. If you try to hurt me, I’ll make you wish you were never born. And, if by some unprecedented feat of idiocy, you attempt to keep me from my own son, I’ll make you beg for death before I give it to you. Understand?” He was rewarded by a curt nod. “You can release the Kage mane, Captain.”

Itachi glared daggers at Naruto with Sakura’s eyes. “You know, Naruto,” Sakura’s voice said, “You were the worst lay I ever had.” Naruto glared at the pink-haired beauty, and sent chakra through the leash, causing the body on the other end to collapse to the ground, whimpering.

Through the pained sounds, Naruto could somehow make out a tiny voice. It was not firm and mocking like the one Itachi had been using her mouth to produce. That trembling voice was Sakura’s. She was still in there. She kept saying two words. “Kill me…” He released the chakra in surprise, and as soon as he did, he found that Itachi had gained control of Sakura’s mind again. The missing-nin smirked up at Naruto. “I suppose, young Uzumaki, that you think you’re in control now?”

Naruto’s face was studiously blank as he sent more chakra through the leash. Instantly, Sakura screamed forward, making piteous noises, and begging for death. “Naruto…kill me, please! Please! I can’t stand the things he’s done…kill me…” Regretting his actions, but needing to speak with her, he kept the flow of chakra constant through the leash.

Kneeling next to her head, he said quietly, “Hold on, Sakura. We’ll get rid of him. Do you know where our son is?” Curled into a tight ball, Sakura whimpered, and he couldn’t understand anything she said. “Come on, Sakura, be strong! Fight him. You can win, I know you can. Where is our son?” She screamed, and his chakra slipped, bringing Itachi forward again.

Hatred filled beautiful green eyes as they opened ant turned toward Naruto. “You want the brat? Fine. But Sakura is mine.” The masculine intonation was wrong in Sakura’s voice. Naruto’s body blurred as he struck the face he had dreamt of every night for six years. He hadn’t even thought to use the leash. Because of that, he broke Sakura’s cheekbone. As her body stood, her hand was enveloped in a green glow. This hand was placed over her cheek, and when she pulled it away, the bone was mended. “Still stupid, Uzumaki? Nothing you do to me can make her come back. She’s mine, body and soul, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Naruto stared at the smirk forming on thin lips. His heart froze into a block of ice in his chest at the very thought of Sakura being imprisoned in her own head. Then, a familiar feminine voice said softly, next to his ear, “Perhaps I can help?” From the corner of his eye, he saw Ino rest her chin on his shoulder. “Six years is a long time for her to suffer, and I do think I can be of some use.” Naruto knew for a fact that she had spent a hefty portion of those six years developing the jutsu that she was sure could bring Sakura back.

Nodding, Naruto agreed. “But,” he said thoughtfully, “Not until after we’ve found my son…” Turning to where the prisoner stood, he asked, “What did you name him?”

“Fugaku.” As soon as the word left Sakura’s lips, Sasuke was in a rage. He stepped forward and his hand flew in a backhand slap, the impact ringing throughout the street. If not for Hinata’s quick intervention, Naruto was sure that Sakura’s nose would also have been broken. Honestly, he didn’t know that Hinata could move that fast. She stood there, holding the fist she’d caught, no more than a pace in front of Sakura. For a long moment Sasuke merely stood staring at her. Naruto wasn’t at all sure how he would feel if he were in Sasuke’s position. The woman he used to love taken over by the man who killed his family, and that man naming a child that wasn’t even his after the father he’d murdered. It was all a blur of confusion to him.

“Let it go, Sasuke, please. He’ll be gone soon enough.” Hinata’s voice was soft, but firm. She released his hand, and turned to Naruto. “Will you be going to get your son now, Sir?” She was dreadfully formal with Naruto in public, which always made him a little uncomfortable. If he were over at she and Sasuke’s house in the Hyuuga compound, she was much more open, and called him Naruto. He nodded. “Good luck, then.” Turning to Sasuke, she said, “Permission to accompany them?”

Predictably, Sasuke shook his head. “No, Hinata. You will stay with me. We’re going to take Udon and Moegi with us to see if the Hokage and Jiraiya-sama need any help with Orochimaru.” Her eyes widened almost comically at her husband actually including her. “You never know when we’ll be needed.” Naruto smiled, then averted his eyes when Sasuke kissed Hinata. It always pained him to see the affection between them, because it reminded him of what he did not have.


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It was nearing sundown, and they had finally reached the border with the Wave Country. According to Itachi, the boy was kept in a small house just on the other side of the border. Neji, Lee, Ino, and Kiba volunteered to accompany them, for which Naruto was very grateful. They arrived at the house just as the sun set. After scouting the area, there were no Sound nins to be found. Neji located the boy in the upper floor, where he appeared to be playing. He relayed this information to the others, and they entered the house soundlessly, Lee mounting the stairs to find the child.

The inside of the house was simple. Wooden floors and chairs, no sofa, and no ornamentation. Exactly as Naruto pictured Itachi liking a house to be. The boy must be stifled here. A few moments later, Lee came back down the stairs, carrying a small boy. He had blonde hair, a round face, and mischievous green eyes. Other than the color of his eyes, it would be safe to say that he looked exactly like Naruto did as a small boy, without, of course, the marks of the Kyuubi on his face. He was looking curiously around at everyone in the room, eyeing them carefully.

When the boy’s eyes landed on the woman he called mother, there was a light of fear in them. Naruto stepped forward, blocking the boy’s view of Sakura. “You must be Fugaku.” The little boy nodded shyly, clinging tightly to Lee’s Jounin vest. “I think perhaps you know who I am?” Fugaku’s head shook from side to side. Naruto sensed amusement coming through the chain. Apparently, the boy was never informed that he had a father. That would change as of now. “Well, Fugaku-chan, I guess now is as good a time as any for you to find out. I’m your father.”

The shyness melted from Fugaku’s face, leaving only disbelief and a faint hope. “R-r-r-really?” The boy had an obvious stammer, and he addressed Sakura. “Is he r-r-r-really my d-d-d-daddy?” Itachi nodded Sakura’s head. “Yay!” The boy jumped down from Lee’s arms and did a little dance, causing everyone in the room to gape at him. A miniature Naruto, indeed. “So d-d-d-do I get to go home with you, D-d-d-daddy?” Naruto nodded, and Fugaku was so overjoyed that he jumped up on top of the trestle table and walked across it until he came eye-to-eye with Sakura. “Mommy, d-d-d-does this mean you’ll be nice, now that I have a D-d-d-daddy?” Naruto sent a jolt of chakra through the leash, and Sakura came forward with a weak nod.

“Fugaku-chan, would you like to play with my dog?” Kiba asked jovially, and the boy readily agreed, following the Inuzuka out of the door. Naruto assigned Neji to keep an eye out, and Lee wanted to play with Fugaku, so he went outside as well.

“Ino, I think we can safely say it’s about time. Itachi, please, have a seat.”

Apparently, Ino had other plans. From out of nowhere, she pulled a senbon, and hurled it at Sakura. It lodged itself in precisely the right place to paralyze the other female from the neck down, but still allow her to breathe. It was obvious that she had been spending time with Genma. Her voice was sarcastic when she spoke. “Oh, no, Sir. She has to lie down for this. It’s rather…invasive.” Ino picked Sakura up and slung the woman’s body over her shoulders before dropping her unceremoniously onto the table. “Could you get me a bowl from the kitchen?” Naruto did as she asked, and Ino then proceeded to take a kunai from the holster on her thigh. After making a small cut on her own hand, she allowed blood to flow into the wooden bowl, then did the same with Sakura.

“Whatever you’re doing, it won’t work.” Itachi said, and Ino just smiled. Naruto knew that she was confident in her abilities, but he did have doubts about this particular jutsu. It had only a forty percent chance of success, according to the Hokage, but at this point, Naruto was willing to try just about anything to get Sakura back.

Watching carefully, he saw Ino mixing her blood with Sakura’s, then she dipped a finger in the crimson liquid. Her hand moved slowly over Sakura’s forehead as she seemed to be chanting an indecipherable mantra, then she began tracing a pattern on the pale skin there. When it was finished, it resembled a star with six points, surrounded by a circle, and little flames in eight places along the outer edge. The rest of the blood she smeared on her hands, before climbing up onto the table to straddle Sakura’s hips. Forming the Shintenshin, she placed it directly on Sakura’s forehead.

Naruto felt dizzy. Was it that he was attached to Sakura by way of the leash? He could feel chakra being drained from him, and was suddenly aware of just how much energy the jutsu was going to require, since Ino was unconsciously drawing from him. His vision went black as Ino placed her forehead on Sakura’s, though he knew he was still completely awake. Somehow, he had found himself in Sakura’s mind, along with Ino.

When light began to break, he saw vague shapes, blood, and large, dark shadows. Sakura’s mind was a frightening place. The landscape shifted suddenly, and he saw Ino, as she existed in the world of the Shintenshin. It was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She was dressed in a flowing white dress, and she glowed, like an angel. Where she stood, the shadows drained away. They were all flowing into the large, blazingly bright thing she held between her hands. It looked very much like a replica of the seal she had created on Sakura’s forehead. Itachi’s voice sounded all around them.

“Get out!”

Ino smiled serenely. “Oh, now why would I do that? This used to be a beautiful mind before you came along. It will be again.” She continued to hold her ground, the shadows and blood streaking through the air, entering the shining seal, and the whiteness and purity returning to the scene. As far away from Ino as possible, the shadows gained density, and soon, there was a familiar shape to be seen. Where Ino was light, Itachi was darkness. The embodiment of hatred, evil and everything wrong with the world, he strode toward where Ino stood.

“If you don’t leave of your own accord, then I’ll kill you where you stand.” The dark man was gaining ground, moving swiftly. Nartuo had no idea if Itachi could hurt Ino or not, but if there was even the slightest chance, he would not allow it. As of yet, neither of them had noticed him. Time to make a nuisance of myself…

Barreling forward with all of his characteristic brashness, Naruto hit Itachi full-force, throwing him to the ground. The man stood, and looked around. “What was that?” His question was directed toward Ino.

“Just a little insurance to make sure you don’t interfere.” Ino’s eyes closed, and suddenly Naruto felt that he had weight and substance. Had he felt light before? Itachi’s eyes narrowed as Ino opened her eyes again. She raised an eyebrow at Naruto, eyeing him up and down. Frowning, Naruto looked down at himself. He realized what she’d found so interesting. His Jounin uniform was gone, and in its place was—in all its ridiculous glory—his old Genin outfit, though sized to fit his larger frame. He almost groaned. Naruto concentrated all of his energy for a split second, and had his clothes change. He now stood in his Jounin uniform, complete with weapons belt and the cloth of office, though the colors seemed to be brighter, somehow. Ino smiled at him. “I believe you remember Naruto?”

The mass of shadows that was Itachi smirked. “I do.”

For a long moment, the two simply stared at one another in the growing light, then Naruto realized that he had not yet seen Sakura. “Where is she, Uchiha?” Itachi pointed to his left, where there was, inexplicably, a door. It had several locks. When Naruto attempted to make his way toward the door, Itachi placed himself firmly in front of it.

Shaking a finger at him, Itachi said, “Tsk, tsk, young Uzumaki. If you want to play with my toys you must first ask me. Nicely.” The smirk that was evident on the man’s face was too much for Naruto to bear. He knew very well that he couldn’t use any of his chakra, since Ino needed it all for her jutsu, but this was not the real world, and he had a feeling that a jutsu would only take a little bit of imagination. The instant he thought that, he felt as if he had all of the power in the world. He had a wonderful imagination.

Pulling a kunai, he ran at Itachi. Naruto smiled broadly as he held the kunai between both of his palms. Twisting his hands against one another, that kunai magically multiplied into ten more, and he hurled them at the man, pinning him to the door where Sakura was being kept. Struggle as he might, Itachi could not move. It was exactly as he had suspected. This man, the genius who surpassed Kakashi, was completely devoid of imagination.

Sighing, he looked around. The place had only one dark spot left, and he had pinned it to the door. Ino walked forward, the seal still blazing in her hands, and came to stand in front of Itachi. Her lips moved, but no sound came. Naruto was sure he could feel them rather than hear them. He had no idea what she was saying, but it was something he would never understand, he was sure. When she had done with whatever mantra she was silently chanting, she let go of the seal, which hovered in midair, then looked up at Itachi. “This might hurt a little. But only for a moment.”

Naruto watched in rapt fascination. Ino glowed brighter as she pushed on the seal, burying it deep in the shadowy depths of Itachi’s chest. There was a blinding flash of light, and suddenly, Naruto found himself lying on his back on the floor in the house. He looked around when his eyes began to focus. Ino still lay slumped over Sakura. Why had she kicked him out? That was what had happened, he knew. Ino had made it so that he would not be there when she opened the door. There was no way back in, so all he could do now was wait.


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Hinata put her arm around Sasuke’s waist. He was bleeding heavily, having taken several shiruken to his left leg and abdomen. Tsunade and Jiraiya had finally killed Orochimaru. The man had never quite expected to have a kunai buried hilt-deep in his kidney with an exploding fuda attached to it. Most of all, he hadn’t thought that Jiraiya would be the one to do it. The man had been lying on the ground, choking for breath, and Tsunade had picked up Orochimaru’s own sword to end his life with.

It made Sasuke sick to his stomach to think that he, Naruto and Sakura could have ended up in the same way. Once the Sannin was dead, they all stood there shocked. Then, Tsunade and Jiraiya sat down to grieve before running off to help kill off the rest of the rouge nins. Hinata had insisted that Sasuke go to the hospital. He hadn’t wanted to be a bother, but she said he would be more of a bother when the dirty piece of shiruken embedded in his thigh had him running a fever from the infection it would undoubtedly cause.


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There was a rustle of fabric, and the sound of wood creaking. From deep in her mind, Sakura heard these things. She made an experimental attempt at breathing, and found that her lungs filled and emptied themselves when she commanded them to. A strange hope filled her, and her eyes opened when she told them to, causing her to smile. Control of her body was her own again. Ino was sitting on her hips, and looking down at her anxiously. “Oi, Ino-pig, did you gain weight? You’re crushing me…” Her friend squealed joyfully, and then ripped the throwing needle from her neck. A sudden fear came over her. “Naruto…where is he?”

“Right here.” A face leaned down over hers. He looked different with longer hair, but it wasn’t a bad kind of different…Who was she kidding? He was beautiful. Tears obscured her vision, and she couldn’t see him anymore as he fiddled with the collar around her neck. It fell away, and he scooped her up from the table. “Can you stand?” She nodded and scrubbed the tears from her eyes. When he lowered her to the floor, it took a moment to get used to the sensation of being in control of her limbs.

Finally, when she had re-mastered the art of standing, she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. The tears came again, hot and endless. “I thought I would never…never be able to hold you again.” She looked around, trying to find Ino. The woman was staring at the floor, trying not to look at them. “Oh, come here, Ino!” She pulled Ino into her arms as well. Holding them both tightly, she said, “You guys…I missed you!”

After nearly a full minute, Ino grabbed Sakura’s arm. “Come on and we’ll get you cleaned up. And we’ll have to get you some better clothes…” They left Naruto standing in the middle of the dining area. Sakura was dragged into the bathroom, where she was unceremoniously thrown into the shower. “Make sure you wash yourself thoroughly. Itachi and all of his memories are sealed into the blood on your forehead. Get all of it off.” Almost as an afterthought, she said, “Hand me those clothes, too.”

She did as she was told, happy to be finally rid of those horrible clothes. After cleaning every last bit of her body, she wiped herself down with a towel, then wrapped it around herself. Ino was waiting, and handed her a set of clothes. For some reason, it looked familiar. Blinking for a moment, she realized that it was a modified version of her Chuunin uniform. The shirt was blue, and had long mesh sleeves, and the skirt was green, and had loops to hold scrolls on the sides. When she looked at Ino, she said, “I figure you’d feel more comfortable in that. It’s something I’ve been saving for when we got you back.” Sakura smiled.

Black shorts, skirt, shirt, and shoes on, she felt infinitely more comfortable. How had she ever worn anything else? Twisting her hair into a bun, she borrowed a senbon from Ino to hold it in place, and then she was ready to go. Suddenly, she thought of something. “Ino, will I go to jail?” The things that Itachi had done while using her body were hazy, except for some of the more recent atrocities. She knew that there were many things that she would have to atone for, even if it had not been she who had done them.

Her friend stood defiantly and looked her directly in the eyes. “I don’t think that you’ll be locked up, Sakura. Not if I have anything to do with it. The Hokage knows what was going on. I can attest to the fact that you had no control, and so can Naruto. So you don’t have anything to worry about. She may make you go through counseling, though.” Sakura nodded. She had no problem with that. If that was all, she would do it. And she would do whatever she had to so that she could take up her old job. “Let’s go outside. They’re all waiting.”

“They?”

She was surprised to see not only Naruto and Fugaku, but Kiba, Neji, and Lee. The first thing she did when she got outside was walk to Fugaku, who was playing with Akamaru. “Fugaku-chan,” her voice was soft as she knelt next to him. The boy looked at her quizzically. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for being so…hard these past few years. If I promise to be a good Mommy, will you forgive me?”

“Yes, Mommy.” The boy was utterly surprised at the brilliant smile his reply drew from his mother. “Mommy?” Scooping him up in her arms, she hugged him lightly, and placed a kiss on his forehead.

“I love you, Fugaku.” Then, she put him back down, and said, “I have to talk to some of my old friends, Fu-chan. Can you play with Akamaru for a little while longer?” Still stunned, the child nodded. “Good.” Her next stop was Neji. It pained her to look at him. To his surprise, and everyone else’s, Sakura knelt before him.

Bowing formally, so that her forehead touched the ground, Sakura said, “I cannot say how sorry I am for the things my hands have done. I do not ask for forgiveness, Neji-san. It is not something I deserve for my weakness. But if you tell me what I can do to atone for your cousin’s death, I will do it, even if it means my death.”

“Sakura,” Neji’s low, brooding voice came down to her ears, “Stand up, please.” She did, but could not make herself look at him. “Sakura, I understand that it was not you who did those things. As to any weakness, we are all weak at some point. I was weak. Hating my own family, I tried to kill one of the kindest people in the world. Then, I was given a gift of strength.” It didn’t take much thought to realize what he meant. Sakura nodded.

“Arigato, Neji-san.” Then she turned to Lee. “Good to see you again, Lee-san.”

The man smiled brightly, and said in an exuberant manner, “I am glad to know that you are back in the bloom of righteous youth, Sakura-san! Welcome back!” Laughing, Sakura gave him a hug. He blushed to his ears, stammering something about Tenten getting jealous. That made her laugh even more.

“I think we’re all ready to go. Let’s make tracks!” Naruto looked around. “Kiba, you and Akamaru take the lead. Lee, you and Sakura guard Fugaku.” The three nodded, taking their positions. “Neji, do you think you can handle rear guard?”

“Always, Sir.”

“How many times do I have to tell you, Hyuuga, you don’t need to call me sir. You don’t work for me!” Though having Neji in the Police Department wouldn’t be a bad thing, Naruto was certain that Neji was quite busy enough concentrating on keeping relations between the branches of his family from getting hostile, while going on normal A-ranked missions. The man just shrugged, saying that technically, Naruto did outrank him, so he could call him ‘Sir’ all he wanted. Rolling his eyes, Naruto looked to Ino. “Ino, you stay by me. Keep your needles handy.”

He knew it was probably overkill, but one could never be too careful.


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“Oh, why can’t you all just leave me alone?” There were squeals and giggles echoing down the corridor of the hospital, and Sakura looked at Naruto, who just shrugged. “Aaaack! Get that away from me! I can have a thermometer in my mouth, thank you!” They could hear Sasuke’s voice from two corridors away, and it was certain that the nurses were at least attempting to molest him. Once they rounded the corner, the first thing they saw was a flock of nurses running scared down the fluorescent-lighted corridor.

In the doorway of the room stood Hinata, arms crossed under her breasts. “And keep your hands off of my husband, you harpies!” The satisfied smile on her face was almost enough to make Naruto laugh.

“Still having to fight them off, Hinata-chan?” Naruto asked before the weight on his back shifted, and Fugaku raised his sleepy head to look around. “Oh, Fugaku-chan, this pretty lady is Uchiha Hinata. She’s my best friend’s wife.”

The boy nodded sleepily, and said, “Hello, Hinata-lady…” Then, in his father’s ear, he whispered, “She’s very pretty, d-d-d-Daddy.” If he could have seen his son’s face, he would have found a blush there.

“Are you people having a party out there?” Sasuke groused from inside the hospital room, causing all three of the adults in the hall to chuckle. They trooped inside, and Sasuke’s eyes widened when he saw Fugaku blinking owlishly at him. He smiled a little, and said, “Hey, kid. You look a lot like your dad.”

Naruto put his son down on the floor, and Fugaku went directly over to the bed, climbed up onto it, and sat next to Sasuke. The boy leaned forward, peering into Sasuke’s eyes in concentration. Those deep green eyes seemed to make Sasuke uneasy, and he shied away slightly. Fugaku smiled broadly at Sasuke and said, “You look okay to me. What’s your name, mister?” Sasuke was simply shocked by the boy, and it showed on his face.

“Uchiha Sasuke. I’m guessing that you’re Uzumaki Fugaku. You couldn’t be anybody else. Got your father’s cheeky attitude…” Sasuke smiled as Fugaku’s face scrunched up in a frown. “Come on, chibi, you can’t tell me you’re not cheeky.”

Sakura nodded. “He has a point, Fu-chan.”

The little boy crossed his arms over his small chest, looking for all the world like his father. “I am not cheeky!” Then, as if to prove his point, he stuck out his tongue at Sasuke. The room erupted in laughter, and the child did not understand what it was for. He looked around at them all, simply confused.


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Sakura sat in a chair in the corner of the hospital room, holding a sleeping Fugaku, and staring lovingly down at him. Naruto looked at her, the same adoration in his eyes. “So, dobe,” Sasuke whispered, “How long until you get your head out of your ass?” Naruto blinked at him before replying sarcastically.

“Since you’re already in the hospital, I’ll ignore that. Otherwise, I’d beat the crap out of you.” He pursed his lips, thinking of all the ways that he would hurt Sasuke for that comment, and each one was more satisfying than the next.

The injured man rolled his eyes. “Naruto, just…don’t be an idiot. You already know she loves you. For crying out loud, you two have a kid. Just marry her, already.” Naruto’s eyes almost fell out of his face. He couldn’t be serious. Wasn’t it too soon for that? Sakura was just now returned. Shouldn’t he let her settle back in, see about her re-integration, that sort of thing? When he suggested that, Sasuke grabbed him by the shirt, and spoke with all of the seriousness and near-desperation of a man who knows about these things from experience. “No, idiot. You know as well as I do that if you wait, it could be too late. It’s not like she would turn you down, anyhow.”

Looking over at Sakura again, Naruto felt a lump rising in his throat. If he did ask, what would she say? Rising from his seat next to Sasuke, he took his leave, making the excuse that he had some errands to run, and told Sakura that he would come by later on to take she and Fugaku over to her mother’s house. He needed advice from someone who wasn’t the bastard of the universe.


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A small bell jingled. Looking up from her magazine, Ino smiled. Naruto looked really…agitated. “Hey, what’s up, Sir?” Today was her day off from the PD, so she was helping her mother and father in the shop.

Waving a dismissive hand, he said in a low voice, “I’m not here on official business, Ino. I need your help.” This was interesting. She nodded, and motioned for him to continue. “I need to…um…ask Sakura something important.”

Laughing, she pulled up a stool. “How are you going to propose to her if you can’t even say the words around anyone else?” Naruto’s face fell as he sat. She gave his arm a reassuring pat. “Okay, look. There are a couple of things that you need to do first. First, you need to figure out if you want to give her a ring or not.”

“Ring? Like…jewelry?” He blinked.

There were times…Ino wondered. If she weren’t so busy, and if he weren’t hopelessly in love with Sakura, she might have asked him out for coffee. Clueless he was, but adorably so. Laughing again, she answered, “Yes, like jewelry. I can even help you pick one out, if you want. She is my best friend, you know, so I think I know what she would like. After that, you need to think of where you want to ask, and how. It’s best not to have to rigorous a plan, because something will always go wrong.” Ino could practically see Naruto’s head spinning at all this.

“I’m glad I didn’t ask Sasuke about this stuff…” Her Commander was staring off into space. Ino sucked a tooth. For a long moment, she debated telling him what was on her mind. Then, her natural brashness overrode her sensible side.

“Did he or Hinata ever tell you how he proposed?” When Naruto shook his head, she smiled a cat-like grin. “Well, that’s because Sasuke is actually very lame when it comes to romance. I don’t think he actually has one romantic bone in his entire body. His proposal? He wrote it down at the bottom of one of her mission scrolls. It was the last one for the day, so she had to ask him about it in the middle of the night, and he almost attacked her when she climbed in his window.” Naruto was snorting laughter by this point. “Just be sure you don’t do anything that stupid, and I’m sure you’ll be all right.”


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One week after Naruto paid a visit to Ino’s shop, Sakura was officially re-issued her title of shinobi. Shizune was watching Fugaku, so that Naruto and Sakura could celebrate with Hinata and a recently healed Sasuke. Everyone else had missions, or their shifts with the ANBU or the Police Department. No one knew who initiated it, but somehow, Naruto and Sasuke got into a drinking contest. Then again, everything was a competition with them, so it could have been either one, both, or neither of them. Later, Hinata would estimate that they’d each had eight bottles of alcohol. Nartuo really seemed to like plum wine, though Sasuke stuck mostly to sake.

There was a scuffle due to some insinuation made on Sasuke’s part about Naruto’s…manhood…and they were thrown out of the bar, Naruto cursing under his breath, then apologizing profusely to Sakura as she slung him over her shoulders to take him back to his apartment. After sending one of Naruto’s messenger birds to Shizune about not being able to get Fugaku until morning because his father had gotten flamingly drunk out of his mind, she settled down next to his futon to make sure he didn’t drown in his own sickness before morning.

With her back leaning against the wall, she watched him sleep for a little while. He looked very peaceful that way, in no way as frenetic as he was when he was awake. Sakura smoothed his hair away from his face, smiling. She remembered a dream of sunny skies, green grass, and one earthly spot of joy that was Naruto. It was an old saying that one really didn’t realize what they had, and how good it was, until it was gone. It was a long six years after Itachi had locked her in her own mind, only allowing her to come forward in moments of extreme pain. The longest span of time that she was allowed control of her own body over that six-year span was when she was giving birth to Fugaku. As soon as they placed her son in her arms and the pain began to subside, she was shoved back into the deepest recesses of her brain, and never was allowed to tell him how much she loved him. And how very much she loved his father.

But, Itachi was gone for good now, and she would never have to deal with having another person in her head again, unless Ino decided to give her a checkup.

Her eyes wandered the room, which was unusually clean. Sakura remembered Naruto’s apartment being a disaster area. There were no ramen cups littering the floor, or training dummies half-shoved under the couch. He was, despite his outward behavior at times, quite grown up. That made her smile. No matter what others said, she knew he would be a wonderful father. The urge to explore the small space took her, and she rose from her seat on the floor.

There was an all-purpose table in one corner, which held a small pile of scrolls in a stand, and a bookshelf nearby. The books on the shelf covered every subject from taijutsu and other shinobi techniques to how to balance a budget, and criminal psychology. Then, she spotted one section of books that looked as if they had been used more than any of the others. Their spines were broken, and some had the covers ripped off. Curious, she pulled one from the shelf. Bound in black leather, she found that it was a book of poetry. Naruto? Poetry?

Another of the books held short stories, and a few others were old mythology books, mostly dealing with demons. She frowned at this. Why was he reading about demons? Shrugging it off, she replaced the book. Finally, she noticed something in the very back of the book-case. It looked to be a journal. This was the point at which she really felt guilty, but her curiosity got the better of her.

Page after page was covered in Naruto’s nearly indecipherable scrawl, but she did notice that the subject matter was entirely familiar, once she got the hang of actually reading it. Every entry was about her. The dreams he had of her, the search for her, wondering when they would meet again. Every world was filled with bitter grief and a fervent hope, that made her want to cry. Sakura’s eyes strayed to the futon, where Naruto lay, sleeping. She felt the guilt rise in her chest again, and decided to put the journal back. Snapping the book shut, she replaced it and moved away from the shelf to the kitchen, which was spotless.

In the cabinets, there was a small store of ramen, though not so much as she would have expected. The rest was filled with things that normal people ate, though he did seem to have a fondness for rice that he never had before. There was a fifteen-kilogram sack of good jasmine rice sitting on the floor. When there was nothing interesting to find in the kitchen, she moved back to the living area, since she wasn’t brave enough to go into the bathroom. Even grown men don’t know how to clean those sometimes.

Oddly, Naruto was sitting up, completely awake. “Snooping, were we?”

Guilt washed over her in greater amounts than before. “I…that is…um…” finally giving up, she admitted defeat. “…Yes.”

Smiling, he stood rather unsteadily and crossed the short distance between them. Looking down at her with a serious expression, he slurred, “Not nice to snoop, Sakura.” She bit her lip guiltily as she looked up at him. Her heart wanted to jump out of her chest. Her inner self growled, He’s supposed to be asleep! Now that she had been caught, he was going to be angry with her, and unlike Sasuke, she didn’t enjoy that. Naruto’s face changed so suddenly that it left her head reeling. Well, it wasn’t just that his face changed, that old grin spreading like wildfire.

The sudden lack of breath caused by soft lips attaching themselves firmly to hers might have contributed quite a bit to her dizziness as well. He tasted like plum wine, and it only served to increase her sense of vertigo that Naruto suddenly had his arms around her, lifting her from the floor, her feet dangling an entire foot off of the hardwood. It was then that Sakura felt the sensation of falling, and was amazed to discover that he still had the presence of mind and coordination to make it so that neither of them got hurt when they hit the floor. Naruto was giggling madly, and Sakura merely stared at him for a long moment before standing and dragging his limp and chuckling form onto the futon.

After covering him with the blankets, she settled into her position again to watch over him. It didn’t take long before both of them were asleep.


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Even when his body was still atrociously riddled with alcohol, his mind caused him to get up at dawn. Tossing the covers aside, he stood shakily. “Damned Sasuke…wine…ugh.” He stumped into his kitchen without opening his eyes, because to do that would be to admit to having a hangover. This way, he could cook up his hangover ‘cure’ without actually having to experience the bloodshot eyes and light sensitivity. Naruto’s hands found the things he needed. Red pepper paste, cooking sherry, vinegar, tomato juice, and salt. Then he put it all in the blender with just a dash of lemon juice before turning the power on for a few seconds and pouring it into a glass.

The concoction tasted terrible, but it woke him up. The one side effect was that he always needed to drink a liter of water directly afterward, as well as take a shower because the pepper paste made him sweat horribly. As he stood with his lower back pressed against the sink, he raised the drink to his lips, eyes still closed.

“I suppose you’re going to be okay?” Naruto’s eyes flew open and he saw Sakura standing in the door to the kitchen.

“Sakura?” He wondered momentarily why she was there, then cursed himself for drinking so much. “What happened? The last thing I remember, I was trying to out-drink Sasuke.” She laughed.

“Oh, nothing much. You were just so spectacularly sloshed that I made sure you weren’t going to choke on any vomiting that you might need to do.” Her voice was quite matter-of-fact, and she looked at the glass curiously. “What is that?” Naruto explained what was in it, and she snorted. “That is horrible for you. Here.” She stepped up to him, her hands glowing green, and took hold of his head. The pain in his head vanished, it was easier to see, and his limbs didn’t feel so heavy.

“Oh, Kami-sama…that feels better.” Before he could stop himself, he said softly, “I love you…”

Sakura stiffened for an instant, then pretended that she hadn’t heard his last words. “Good. Now, I have to go and get Fugaku from Shizune.” She got to the door before he could process what she had said.

“Sakura, wait. Wait a few minutes, and I’ll go with you?” Her face held some confusion, but she agreed. “Yatta! I’ll be out in a couple of minutes. Please sit!” With that, he ran at top speed through the apartment, and then showered before dressing himself in his Jounin uniform and picked up his weapons belt on the way into the living area.

Sakura stood in the middle of the living room, agape. Naruto being himself, he did not understand what she was staring at. Of course, the fact that he had showered, dried, dressed himself, and was standing calmly in his living room after no more than two minutes flat could have had something to do with it, though it was most likely his freshly washed self that she was fixated on. There are just some people who look their best when they are fresh from the shower, and apparently, Naruto was one of them.

“Shall we go?” He asked, and she nodded.


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On the way to Shizune’s apartment, they stopped at Sakura’s mother’s house, so that Sakura could shower as well. She hated smelling like a barroom, and didn’t want to set a bad example for Fugaku. Naruto knocked on the door to the medic’s apartment, and she came to answer it looking decidedly worn out. Sakura apologized, and said it wouldn’t happen again while looking pointedly at Naruto, who looked a little like a dog that had been kicked. Fugaku was wide-awake already, and almost literally bouncing off of the walls. The boy had some talent where taijutsu was concerned, and his style looked eerily familiar. Apparently, the boy had watched Itachi’s forms quite carefully. He was practicing those very same forms in the middle of the living room.

When Uzumaki Fugaku barreled at his father, and somersaulted up onto his shoulders, he asked excitedly, “I’m hungry, d-d-d-Daddy! When can we eat?”

Sakura plucked the boy from Naruto’s shoulders, and hung him upside down by his feet. Turning slightly to speak to Shizune, “Thank you for taking care of him. I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”

Waving a hand dismissively, Shizune said, “Oh, he’s just a bit too much like his father, is all.” Sakura knew that meant he had talked her ear off, and maybe broken something that she used to treasure, but had then attempted to make it right by doing something exceedingly sweet. Overall, Sakura thought that Shizune would have enjoyed herself. They left the older woman to get her sleep, and Sakura continued to hold Fugaku by his ankles.

“Mom-myyyy! My head’s gonna explode! Let me down!” The boy’s face had turned red by the time they reached the foot of the stairs, and Sakura dropped him. Fugaku landed on his hands, pushed off, and righted himself on his own two feet before glaring up at Sakura. He was truly angry. The way she knew this was that his eyes had gone slightly bluish. That only happened when he was irate. “Don’t do that, Mommy! It hurts with all the blood rushing to my head. Daddy, tell her not to do that again!” Another thing that happened only when he was extremely angry: his stammer disappeared. Nauto shook his head, apparently unwilling to contradict Sakura, much to Fugaku’s annoyance.

The three of them walked down the still-sleepy streets, back to Sakura’s house. Upon entering, they all removed their shoes, and trooped into the kitchen, where Sakura’s mother was making breakfast. Fugaku clapped his hands excitedly, and smiled. A plate was set before him, but before he could even touch the food, Sakura reached out and took his hands. Looking at them carefully, she said, “You weren’t playing in Shizune-neechan’s garden, were you?” His guilty expression gave him away, and his face fell. “Fu-chan, it’s okay. Next time, if you ask, I’m sure she would be happy to tell you anything you want to know about the plants. Now, you go to the bathroom and wash your hands. Get your Daddy to help you.”

When the two blondes had gone, her mother looked over her shoulder, light brown hair falling on the sides of her face. “They’re much alike, those two.” Sakura agreed heartily, and helped her mother put out the rest of the food. It was still just a little sad that her father couldn’t be there. He was on a mission to the Tea Country, and would be back in two weeks. “So, what are your plans, dear? Getting a place of your own?”

“I don’t know, Mom. I’m just trying to get used to things again.” There was a lot to get used to. Being back in Konoha, being a medic again, being a mother, and then there was Naruto. They were in that unclassifiable stage at the moment. He had become a kind, open-hearted man, which was all she could have hoped for, and she was glad for it, but she didn’t know exactly where she stood with him. Sure, he had kissed her the night before, but he had been drunk, so she wasn’t even sure if he meant it.

“All clean, Mommy!” The boy ran into the kitchen, brandishing his little pink hands, and sat down at the table to eat. Naruto came in a moment later, and seated himself opposite Sakura. There was an odd silence, and then the boy stood on his chair and began digging around in his pockets. “I have a surprise for you, Mommy!” Sakura hoped that it wasn’t a dead worm from Shizune’s garden, or some melted piece of chocolate that he had been ‘saving’ for her. A triumphant smile rose on his face, and he said “Okay. Now close your eyes and open your hand.”

She did as he asked, just to humor him, really. Then, when he said she could open her eyes, she did. There was a small piece of paper in her hand, folded neatly into a two-inch square. Looking curiously at her son, she frowned. Taking up the paper, she carefully unfolded it. As she did, something fell from inside the sheet, and she caught it. Her fingers closed on the small object, and her breathing stopped. Bringing it up to the light, she saw it was exactly what she had thought it to be. The ring was made of gold, with a moderately sized emerald set into the band. Sakura turned her attention to the paper, which held a simple note.

Sakura,

I love you more than anything in this world.

I always have.

Marry me?

Naruto

After reading this, she looked up at Naruto, who was watching her expectantly. Before she could even think about how to answer, she was standing up, and walking around the table to a startled Naruto, and pulling him close. “Of course I’ll marry you, you idiot!”


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A/N: Before any of youcrazed Ita/Saku fans kill me, I just wanted to let you all know that Itachi had to die. He was driving me up the wall. So, here we have it. Now, I'll be giving you control. Of a sort. How many people want to see Hinata's baby, and or Sakura and Naruto getting married? The only reason I ask is because I have these things, and the beginnings of a pretty steamy lemon for the 'wedding night'. If you don't want them, I'm sure that I could leave the story as it is, and all will be well. Or, I could have another time skip. That would be...ten years in the future? Fifteen? And show Fugaku and Hinata's baby as young ninjas...whatever. So review, and tell me what you want. This is a rare occurrence, so take advantage.

Dog Days

Chapter 9: Living the Dream

It was quiet in the corridor. Sasuke paced, making everyone even more nervous than they were already. Naruto sat calmly, while Fugaku attempted to meditate. Sasuke had taught him how, and Hinata had practiced with him, saying that he could teach her baby when it got old enough. Fugaku called her ‘Auntie Hinata’, and her husband was ‘Uncle Sasuke’. Hiashi had refused to use the Byakugan to look through the wall, no matter how many times Sasuke asked him to. Neji was almost as nervous as Sasuke was. He was extremely protective of his cousin, and this was something he could not save her from if anything went wrong.

“Sasuke, please, calm yourself. Everything will be fine.” Hiashi’s eyes were closed, and he seemed as if he were about to go to sleep. “Hinata is much stronger than I have given her credit for in the past.” Sasuke nodded. He had known that for a long time. It was amazing that the old man actually said as much, though. Finally, Sasuke sat down next to Fugaku and leaned back, his eyes closing in meditation.

In the blackness behind his eyelids, he allowed himself peace. The darkness swallowed him, bringing calm and oblivion that he could hide in. None of the anxiety could reach him here. Soon, his physical surroundings melted away, and he was enveloped in the sensation of floating. It was the place he always strove toward. He hoped that Hinata could find it as well, through the pain. Sasuke was not sure how long he was in that between-place, but when the sound of the door opening came, he looked around and found everyone else asleep.

Sakura’s head poked out of the door, and she silently beckoned him forward with a smile. That smile was all he needed. Leaping up from the bench on which he sat, Sasuke scrambled into the delivery room, to see Hinata holding a small bundle. It was swathed in a small pink blanket. A voice near his ear said, “It’s a girl, Sasuke.” Sakura seemed rather pleased with herself. The delivery had gone quite well, and she apparently had won a bet with Tsunade as to the sex of the child. “I’ll leave you three alone, and run interference with the others.” With that, the woman disappeared to keep her own fiancé and the rest of the group out of the room.

Hinata was looking up at him, a pale light of joy in her eyes. He bent low and kissed her softly, and she smiled. “Are you all right?” He asked, seeing that she had been crying.

“I’m fine.” She pushed the baby at him, and he tried to refuse, saying he knew absolutely nothing about children. “You’ll have to hold her eventually, you know. I’m not doing this by myself. Just support her head in the crook of your arm and hold the rest of her body with your other hand.” He felt awkward for a moment, but it took only a few seconds to get used to it. Then he pulled back the sides of the blanket to reveal a healthy, pink face with dark hair in a whispy tuft on top of that small head. Tiny ears like her father’s, a little mouth just like Hinata’s, and eyes closed in sleep were all it took for him to instantly fall in love with the small creature in his arms.

“What should we name her?” he asked quietly, so that he didn’t wake the child.

Hinata seemed to think for a long moment. “Perhaps…would you object to naming her after your mother?” Sasuke was utterly surprised. He had thought she would just pick a name, without asking him. As he understood it, women often did such things. But, this was a welcome surprise. He nodded, and Hinata said, “Mikoto is a beautiful name, Sasuke.” He had to agree. His mother, the most beautiful woman in the world to him, was now no more than a distant recollection. Though, with the entrance of the child in his arms, that memory was not attached only to sadness.

Sakura’s interference was only so good, and it didn’t take long before a spiky blonde head popped up at the edge of the hospital bed, bright green eyes peering up at the little bundle. Only a moment later, a hand was pulling at his pant leg bringing Sasuke’s attention down to Fugaku’s face. In a very low whisper, the boy said, “Can I see her?” When shown the small person in the bundle, he smiled, reminding Sasuke much of Naruto. Giggling softly, he said in a hushed voice, “She’s pretty, Uncle Sasuke. But that means she looks like Auntie Hinata, because she’s a girl.” The boy’s logic was twisted, but Sasuke let it go. He was Naruto’s son, after all, and only six years old.

--

On a cold winter’s day, there was a lone spot of pink in the middle of the snow. Sakura stood in a kimono that was of the palest pink silk, formal, and thick. It was a good thing, too, because otherwise, she would have frozen. As she remained there for an hour, waiting; the traditional Konoha test of patience, she had to think to herself that Naruto better appreciate it. A slight smile came over her face at the thought of him. She knew he was being restrained in a nearby house. He had not wanted to do things this way, but she had insisted.

Waiting in the middle of the snow on a small plank of wood came first, then, the ceremony and all the guests would come to her. If not for the fact that this particular ritual was being guarded heavily by ANBU, Konoha’s Police, and a few stray Jounin who felt like helping out, she would have felt as though she were leaving herself open to attack. A small bell tolled, somewhere off to the east, and people slowly began filing into the open space. Among them, she saw Neji, Hinata, Hiashi and Sasuke, all dressed in formal kimono. There was also the strange sight of Kakashi dressed in a dark blue kimono belted in red, which nearly made her giggle. He still wore his mask, though he had forgone the hitai-ate for a plain strip of blue silk. When Sakura found her mother in the crowd, she looked quickly away. Her father had been killed on a mission just after Hinata’s daughter was born. Instead of her father standing at her side, she watched as Kakashi walked over to her.

The man stood on her right, and took her hand. “Nice getup,” He said jokingly.

In a quiet voice, Sakura retorted, “You’re one to talk, Kakashi-sensei. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything but your uniform. Looks good, though.” He must have let that go to his head, because she thought she saw him smiling broadly behind his mask. The bell tolled again, and she watched as Shizune led Naruto out into the open. He wore a dark red kimono, and his eyes were fixed on her. Shizune was whispering something to him, which seemed like comfort.

Naruto came to a stop with Shizune just to Kakashi’s left. The older medic stood to the left of Naruto, as the escorts were to stand between them. Somehow, Tsunade had slipped unseen into the open area, and was now standing before them. She wore a black kimono under her Hokage robes, though she refused to wear the hat again. Without preamble, she began. “Who represents these two young people?”

Shizune and Kakashi said at once, “We do.”

Nodding, the blonde woman said, “Sakura, Naruto, do you come here without reservations, with only love in your hearts?” Both answered the question in the affirmative. “Good. Now, Sakura, do you promise to love Naruto, and be faithful to him, until death should part you?”

“No.” The entire crowd drew breath, and Sakura heard a pitiful whimper from Naruto. Turning to the anxious man who stood only a meter away, she said, “I promise to love him, be faithful to him and only him, far beyond death.” Sakura threw a teasing glance at his way, and Naruto gave her a look that said she would pay for scaring him like that later. She could only imagine what punishment he would think up.

“Naruto, same question.” Tsunade was obviously getting a little annoyed with them.

Naruto shook himself free of Shizune’s hand. Crunching through the snow, he came to a stop on his knees in front of Sakura. This was not part of the prescribed ceremony, but then, it was Naruto, and he never had been one for doing things the usual way. “Sakura,” he said, “There are too many things about you that I love. If I tried to name them all, words would fail me. I promise to love you, and only you, to be faithful to you, to protect you, until my death, and longer.” When he stood, looking down at her, she wanted to cry.

Tsunade cleared her throat. “What is joined here let no one break apart.” The woman then leaned close to Naruto, who had climbed to his feet, and groused, “Kiss her, you idiot.” That was one order that Naruto had no problems following. He kept it small, though, for the sake of decency, and so as not to smudge Sakura’s make-up.

--

“Ahhhh,” Sakura sat down hard on the chair near the door. “My feet are killing me!” The receiving line had been long, and then there were a surprising number of people who wanted to dance with the bride. Naruto only got to dance with her for a few moments before she was stolen away by Kiba, or Kakashi, then Yamanaka Inoichi, and even Shino. What were they trying to pull? Finally, he was married to her, and they were trying to make it so that he couldn’t get within five meters of her?

Naruto huffed, irritated, and Sakura looked at him with not a little curiosity. The boat they were on would take them to the Wave Country, to a small island that was secluded from everything. He was glad that there were no other passengers on the boat, but he was still too irritated to enjoy the ride. His ears picked up a light scraping sound, and when he turned, he saw Sakura removing the wooden sandals she had been wearing. No wonder her feet had hurt.

“You need any help getting all that stuff off?” He asked a bit too innocently, waiting for her to give him the evil eye. That didn’t happen.

“I thought you’d never ask. Untie it, cut it off, but do something! I’m smothering in this shit!” Her voice was coming out as a growl, and he knew that she must be really uncomfortable to be talking that way.

“Well,” he said, as he produced a kunai with an elegant flourish, “I just so happen to have the right tool for the job.” Naruto pulled her into a standing position, and placed a small kiss on her forehead as he sliced through her obijime, obiage, obi, and all those little things that tied her kimono in place. After he flung the blade away, he gathered all the fabric he’d cut away in his hands. It was really surprising how much a woman had to endure to look beautiful…but his thoughts were interrupted as he saw Sakura shrugging out of her uchikake.

Using her strength, Sakura ripped the under-kimono, and Naruto blinked at her. She stood there before him, wearing nothing but a shimmering silver…slip? Or was it a dress? Hell, he did not care at this point. His mouth had gone totally dry at the way the shining silk clung to her breasts, curved over her waist, and flowed over her hips.

--

“Naruto? Are you okay?” Sakura’s voice seemed to catch him off guard. He blinked repeatedly at her, and she smiled. He was so…cute when he was clueless. One eyebrow rose as she reached up and closed his mouth for him. Teeth clicking shut harshly, he blinked at her again.

“So…” he stammered, and looked anywhere but at her.

Smiling at him warmly, Sakura wound her arms around his neck. “Yes. So. At this point, I think we’re on our honeymoon, yes?” He nodded silently, a look of gravity on his face. “What do people do on honeymoons, Naruto?”

“Um…th—“ he was not allowed to finish. Sakura pulled his face down toward hers, tangling her fingers in his hair. Their lips met, as they had only a few times before. After a moment, the shock wore off, and Sakura found that she was being lifted off of her feet as his mouth moved over hers, and then she felt soft cloth on her back as Naruto lay her on the bed. When he stopped kissing her, Naruto looked down at her, his eyes seeming much bluer, his smile brighter. It was the look of a man who had everything he wanted in life. “I love you, Sakura.”

“I—“ Sakura was cut off as the boat was violently rocked by an explosion. From the sound of it, they were under attack. Her eyes widened, and Naruto’s stomach clenched. Apparently, their departure wasn’t as secret as they had hoped. “Damn it!” Sakura growled, and slid out from beneath him. “Cut the lights, Naruto.” He did as he was asked, and she looked out of the porthole. “Fuck.”

“What is it?” He asked, trying to remain calm.

“Akatsuki…damn it. I should have known that they’d come for me.” Sakura snarled. “I’ll kill them all.” Naruto saw the look in her eyes, and he was sure that she was building chakra. Sakura moved swiftly to the trunk against the wall, throwing it open. After rifling through it, she threw a bag at him. “Get dressed. We’re going to get rid of those bastards.” He was in shock. There was a great wave of murderous intent coming off of her. When he didn’t move, she seemed to sense his confusion. “They ruined my honeymoon, Naruto. And now, they’re going to pay.”

--

“Did you have to punch a hole in the side of the ship?” Naruto whined, trying to swim and complain at the same time. It was not an easy task. Sakura’s silence was unnerving over the sounds of the ocean. They had been swimming for close to an hour now, trying to conserve their chakra. When they got up close enough to the island they were approaching, he would get them up and out. For now, he glanced at his wife. Sakura’s face was growing pale. He hoped she wasn’t getting sick.

Naruto glanced forward again. The island was less than a mile away now. “Sakura, stop swimming.” She did as he asked, and he slung her onto his back. After creating four shadow clones, he used them to boost himself and Sakura out of the water. Concentrating his chakra on the soles of his feet, he landed on the water’s surface, and started running. As they approached the shore, he asked, “Are you alright?”

Sakura didn’t say anything. Was she really that upset? When his feet hit sand, Naruto immediately pulled Sakura from his back as gently as he could. Her face was paler than it had been, and her eyes were glassy. After checking her over, he found that she had a pair of small darts lodged in the back of her neck. Cursing under his breath, he pulled them out. Sakura collapsed to the ground.

--

“N…Naruto…the p-poison…” she was trying so hard to breathe, to speak, that he could tell she was using all of her energy to do so.

“Don’t talk, Sakura. I’ll get it out.” Licking his lips, he tried to think. Hinata had taught him how to draw poison out once. Naruto couldn’t do it that way, because he didn’t have the training. His way worked, but it wasn’t anywhere near as good as what a medic might do, but he could get the job done. “This is going to hurt like a son of a bitch, sweetheart.” Green chakra formed around his hands, ragged and barely good enough. He put one over her heart, and the other over the little holes. Closing his eyes, he probed roughly. If he were going to give it a color, he would say that the poison was black. It was leeching into her liver, paralyzing her lungs. Naruto used his chakra like a razor, cutting away the blackness, ripping it away, and forcing it out of Sakura’s body. When it was nearly all out, he gave her heart a few squeezes, to speed it up. That way, if there were any trace amounts left, they would be metabolized and gone in a day.

Sakura blinked up at him, wincing. “You fucking suck at that, Naruto.”

--

Sasuke glared at the scroll in his hand. Hinata came into the kitchen, holding Mikoto in her arms, and said, “What’s the matter?” He handed her the scroll. After reading it, she gave a snort. “I suppose you’re going to have to go and get them?”

“Yeah. Hopefully, it won’t take more than a few days.” He pushed himself to his feet, moving over to them quickly. “Keep safe,” he murmured before kissing his daughter’s head, then his wife’s lips.

Hinata smiled. “Someone has to watch out for you. Get going.”